Kaori crawled into the ruins of the Grand Shine to find a place to rest in. He sat be the entrance and closed his eyes for a little while, holding tightly on the diary of the priestess. He slept on the damp floor of the ruins, breathing heavily.
"Kaori"
"My loyal servant"
He woke up in a sudden, to find no one around. It was as if the wind was calling him.
"Kaori"
He stood up and looked around the ruins. All he could see was the dim scenery and the shape of Aernas' seal on the torn banners. The voice called again, deeper in the ruins.
Slowly, Kaori continued forward, leaving the diary behind. He was entranced by the voice, he couldn't do anything but follow it. Many more steps, he reached a door, hidden deep within. The door was made out of sturdy wood and bits of silver and gold.
"Kaori..." The voice was behind him.
As he turned around slowly, he expected someone else... his god.
He saw, the Numen of Aernas... no, The Daemon of Envy.
The Daemon approached him in a swift manner, but he was able to run before the Daemon could reach him. The damp, mossy floor made it harder to run around, but he managed. As the Daemon chased him, it kept hitting the walls and destroying the ruins.
It kept screeching and groaning in annoyance and anger as he kept missing Kaori. As it tried to grab him, Kaori moved over to a wall with an iron bar sticking out of it, leading the Daemon to stab its hand on it. As the Daemon screeched in pain, Kaori grabbed the diary and ran away from the Grand Shine.
He kept running and running, until he reached the central town. Terrified and shaking, Kaori ran around trying to find a place to hide. Now he knows what was coming after him, it was the true face of the Numen... The Daemon of Envy. All he knows for now is that the Daemon of Envy was the third strongest amongst the Daemons, the one who destroyed his own life and the life of his beloved people.
As he hid in one of the houses, he could hear the slow and heavy steps roaming around the town. The Daemon was fast and aggressive, Kaori was no match with his state at the moment. Kaori attempted to take a peek outside. He saw the wide red eyes, the ragged clothes and the bloodied hands of the Daemon. The Daemon who once was a powerful leader, who was once named "Apollon".
Shaking, he stayed there for hours without moving a bit.
As the Daemon returned, his hands and face had fresh blood on them, as if he had just killed someone... Kaori was sure that he had just ate, since he was holding a dress... how cruel can this man get...?
Kaori was disgusted by what he was seeing, and so he stepped back from the window. He stopped when he felt that he hit something from the back, he thought it might be the wall but... walls don't breath.
He ran out again and was chased by the Daemon.
"KAORI"
The Daemon was shouting with its true voice, the voice that echoed in his head and hurt his ears. He was in pain, so he ran to the garden outside of town, and fell to the foot of the tree.
This was his end, that was what he thought. Kaori opened his eyes to see the Daemon backing away slowly, and saw himself under the tree of golden chains. From there, the Daemon's eyes softened and he hurriedly ran back to the Grand shrine. There he heard it again, the sound of the bells.
He became sleepy after everything that happened, so he leaned back onto the tree and slowly closed his eyes.
The quiet drops of water, and the numerous golden tree's surrounding him. He looked around to find himself in the pavilion. This time, it was more peaceful and welcoming. Later the bell rang again. He looked around to see, not bells, but wind chimes.
A woman sat at the pavilion floor, as if waiting for someone. Kaori didn't speak to her, nor did he come closer.
"When will he visit me?" She asked.
"He promised to stay with me where ever. If he cant stay, he will visit me from time to time..." The woman sighed and turned around.
"You met him right? Is he doing okay?"
Kaori froze in place, he didn't know what to say nor did he know how to approach her.
"Your face says no..." She frowned.
"He's become hostile... correct?" She smiled and looked at the beautiful golden garden before them.
"He took care of this garden with his life... treating it as if it was his child. According to him, his reason was because I said that I loved it..." She smiled but later frowned again.
"It's my fault... that he became hostile..."
She looked at Kaori, examining him and his presence. She sighed again and gave him a worried look.
"I'm sure you're aware by now that the Aernas you see is his own little world correct?" She paused and looked down.
"This is all just his dream and his desire... the life he wanted. It seems like you also saw his true nature outside his dream."
Kaori nodded and looked at the garden.
"I... did. Is it still possible to get out of here?" He asked, slowly approaching her.
She nodded and spoke, her voice was shaking.
"You need to... end his suffering. After that, he will guide you far away from this land." She smiled as he approached, happy that he was getting more relaxed.
"This dream will end soon." Kaori said
"Will you be okay with that...?" Kaori paused a little as he waited for her to say her name.
"Ainoha" She smiled as she spoke.
"Will you be okay if I... ended him and his sweet dream, Ainoha?"
She replied with a nod and a sad expression. She knew he would die either way... naturally and by the hands of someone.
"Make sure to be safe too... okay?" Ainoha gave him a playful smile.
"I'll remember you, and I'll make sure that luck will always come your way."
As she said that, Kaori woke up again. This time, he found himself under a dead tree, and in a dead garden.