"Y-You.. bastard! A-After all.. damn you..!"
I gripped the sword that he stabbed on my chest, blood continued to pour out of my mouth as his cold and indifferent eyes stared at me.
My eyes drifted to the symbol on my right hand that was slowly disappearing..
"I told you, Zaria. You belong to me. You're mine."
"Ack.. heuk.. ahhh.." The pool of blood coming out of my chest and mouth was mixing on my crimson red hair. Far from it's once beautiful state, my hair was tainted with blood.
"How dare you contact your brother?!"
I stared at his feet which is the only thing I could see as I'm lying on the ground. I wish.. I could at least glare at him and spit at that despicable face!
"Haha… go to hell.."
He crouched down, now I could perfectly see the obsidian eyes that were full of desires and obsession. His hands caresses my cheeks.
"My dear Zaria… look how far you have fallen. That's why I told you to just love me and me alone."
I avoided his hands using the last ounce of strength I have, I reach for his collar and made him faced my fierce emerald eyes.
"I'll die but I'll never love you! Go to hell—cough! Ack! Huff… if only.. I didn't trust you.. Iarkial!"
Right. If only I didn't trust him when I was younger.. would I have to spend the five years of my life locked up in this prison of a tower?
"If only I could live my life again…"
Tears fell from my eyes when I finally hit the ground again. Iarkial stood up and just stared at me with cold eyes.
He held and raised the sword again, the sword of Erebius that was called a god and personification of darkness itself in this world.
"…Hahahahaha—ack! Haa.. cough! Iarkial.. remember this." The laughter echoed through the dark hallways, "If I.. live again.. run. I'll make sure.. to kill you.. even in hell!"
The indifferent eyes he had as he watched me coughed up blood was far from the eyes of a kid who used to adore and watch me with kindness.
I closed my eyes and waited for the sword to stab me again. To the sword that no ability user will ever recover from.
"Zaria!"
"Heuk!"
As the sword was bloodied, an excruciating pain spread on my system however.. the familiar worried voice that came from nearby forced open my fluttering eyelids for the last time.
Seeing his familiar set of emerald eyes that resembled mine and that honey blonde hair I used to envy invoked a different despair within me.
'Ah.. brother, why are you so late?'
I smiled at him, tears trickled down on my face as it slowly closed.
Where did it all go wrong? Was it when I didn't listened to my brother and Lucas' warnings about him?
Would it have been different.. if I didn't come to him the moment I awakened my ability?
Haaa.. things wouldn't have been like this.. if I just endured the loneliness and didn't get my abilities sealed by this filthy dark magic user!
Really.. If only I could live my life again.., I'll throw the people who made me like this to hell using my own hands!
Especially you.. Iarkial..!
"Is all your thoughts, regrets?"
Huh?
A familiar yet unfamiliar sweet voice rang in my head. My eyes open on its own and the weird thing is, I don't feel any pain!
An eternal white space was all I could see and yet.. it feels warm.
"Turn around." The sweet voice belonging to a woman, ordered; I could only turn my head and saw a pretty— No, a goddess.
Her long wavy crimson red hair just like mine reached up until her hips, the gold leaf crown on her hair shone with those greenery eyes like leaves.
The goddess slowly walked towards me, her peplos swaying at her every steps.
It's weird, even though we've only met at this unfamiliar space, I'm not even the least guard up or threatened at her presence. On the other hand.. I just felt at peace.
"Who are you?"
She smiled softly, "I'm Acantha, the Celestial that stood as a guardian of all Enphysis."
My eyes widened and I immediately kneeled to pay respect to her. Acantha, who was startled at my action tried to raised me up.
'How could… I meet the goddess that supports our ability?!'
"I have been waiting so long to meet you." Acantha, just like a mother, cupped my cheeks. "To think my dearest children have to go through that filthy sword."
"Dearest.. children?"
"All of you who holds the Enphysis are my children, remember that." She kissed my forehead and something on it glowed. "It's a blessing. That dirty magic he put on you is gone."
"Do you mean the seal on my ability?"
Acantha nodded, "That's right, child. You're now free."
'I'm now free.. but..'
"Goddess.. what worth is there to be free?" Tears fell from my eyes, "I'm dead."
She stared at me for a long time, her eyes then shifted to my right hand where not even the slightest sign of the symbol that represents Enphysis is supposedly where.
"Do you want to live again?" Acantha wiped the tears off my face.
Remembering all the hatred and pain I felt from Iarkial, my fiery eyes and body trembled. I nodded at her.
"It'll be very painful to live again, is that all right?"
"But the anger piled up inside of me can't be calm no matter the pain, goddess."
"Things will be different now. All will be according to the future you'll craft using your own hands, will you be okay?"
Still, I nodded my head at her. I'll take whatever it takes to exact revenge to that man and the people who made me like this!
'Even if it costs me my life again.'
Acantha smiled at me brightly and clasp my right hand. "W-What.." A green light shone immensely that I had to closed my eyes half way.
"There. It's been fun to meet you, Zaria. Everything is in your hands now."
"This is… " The symbol of Enphysis, a lily being wrapped around by vines and thorns was embedded on my right hand again.
However, unlike back then, it wasn't sealed or glowing a black light. It shone a hint of green light like it how's supposed to be.
Acantha snapped her fingers, "Well then.. I'll be watching you. May the stars shine along your path and be with you."
"W-Wait!" I tried to hold unto her but my body became transparent as the image before me slowly distorted.
'Will we ever meet again?'
"Zaria? Zaria! Hey! This girl.." I hesitantly opened my eyes to the rough voice of a woman. "Hey.. don't pretend to be asleep, you're going to be late for work."
"V-Vivian?"
The familiar woman with rainbow dyed hair raised her brows at me, "Are you sick? You're calling my name now?"
I immediately got up and hold her wrist. "W-What are y-you doing?!" She tried to shake me off but I grasp even her clothes.
"Tell me, where and how old am I?!"
"What the.. why are you so formal?! Did you lose your mind?"
"Just tell me!" I didn't want to shout but I'm in a hurry.
She looked at me like I'm crazy and yet I didn't mind it. Vivian sighed, "Fine. You're eighteen and this is the apartment we both rented. Happy—huh? Are you laughing?!"
"Pfft. Hahaha!"
"You're really crazy!"
My hands fell as I trembled from laughing so much. The goddess really did turned back the time!
'Iarkial… you should run. I'll hunt you even in the deepest pit of hell!'