After Talia's haunting vision, she passed away during the night. The next morning, as was his routine, Aquila hurried to his mother's room. With enthusiasm, he flung the door open.
"Good morning, Mother," he cheerfully greeted, anticipating her warm response. But there was only silence. Aquila approached the window, pulling the curtains apart to reveal the vibrant morning light that flooded the room.
"The sky looks amazing today," he mentioned, turning back to his mother, expecting her to engage in their usual morning exchange. His heart sank as he realized something was amiss. With a growing sense of unease, he inspected her closely. To his shock, Talia, once alive, now frozen as a solid statue, resembling hardened clay, lying still on her bed. Aquila stood frozen, overwhelmed with helplessness and disbelief.
In a state of panic, he rushed to his mother's side, shaking her desperately in a futile attempt to rouse her. "No, Mother, please wake up… please, wake up!" he cried out in anguish. His desperate cries alerted the maidens, who quickly summoned King Waldorf. Rushing into the room, Waldorf was stricken with disbelief at the sight before him. He swiftly moved to comfort Aquila, both devastated by the inexplicable tragedy.
As the room filled with mourners offering their sympathies, little Elena stood silently beside her grandfather, leaning against him for support. At just three years old, she felt overwhelmed and uncertain about what to do, although her sadness was palpable. Aquila, at the age of six, remained locked in his grief, weeping inconsolably at the loss of his mother.
King Waldorf, grappling with the tragedy, couldn't help but entertain a faint hope—if only Jack would return soon, perhaps he could bring Talia back to life with the Elixir.
Amidst the sorrowful atmosphere, Aquila's cries masked the sound of the horn signaling the arrival of an incoming ship. With curious excitement, Elena rushed to the window and peered outside.
"It's Father's ship! Father is returning!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with hope. However, there was an air of mystery as Jack's ship appeared on the horizon alone, sailing without the rest of the fleet.
"Strange, it's a lone ship," observed King Waldorf, puzzled by the unexpected return.
A large crowd had gathered at the bustling harbor, eagerly anticipating the return of their families who had set sail with Jack. An air of excitement mixed with anxiety filled the atmosphere as they awaited the arrival of the ship, docked beside the towering castle. Ritz was the first to disembark from the ship, greeted by his joyous family rushing to embrace him. However, as time passed and no other familiar faces appeared, whispers began to circulate among the expectant crowd.
Seeking answers, King Waldorf and those who had witnessed Talia's tragic passing made their way to the harbor, hoping for news regarding the missing warriors. Aquila, tears still streaming down his face after bidding his mother a tearful farewell with a kiss, hurriedly joined the anxious group, yearning to catch sight of his father.
In a tender moment, Aquila's tearful kiss unexpectedly triggered a mystical occurrence. His magical tears, as they touched Talia's skin, began to work a wondrous transformation. Gradually, the healing magic within his tears infused Talia's form, sparking a miraculous change. Alone in her chamber, Talia, previously a clay statue, started to heal.
Ritz found himself surrounded by concerned faces, struggling to piece together his fragmented memory. As King Waldorf pushed through the crowd, urgency etched across his face, he sought answers from Ritz about the fate of the expedition.
"What transpired? Where are the others?" the King inquired, his voice laced with anxiety.
"I'm sorry, your Highness. They're all gone. We discovered the Elixir, but we were ambushed by monstrous creatures. They outnumbered us and were far deadlier than anything we'd encountered," Ritz recounted, recounting the harrowing encounter that led to the tragic loss.
Perplexed, King Waldorf probed, "But how did you survive?"
"I died too, sire. I can't explain how I returned to life. When I regained consciousness, I found the ships littered with their lifeless bodies," Ritz revealed, unveiling the grim truth, which caused the crowd to erupt in mourning for the fallen warriors.
Observing Ritz intently, King Waldorf couldn't shake a sense of suspicion, noting a discrepancy in his account. He couldn't find Jack's body among the deceased.
"Where is Jack?" Waldorf pressed firmly, his voice tinged with concern and suspicion.
"I believe Jack perished as well," Ritz responded, but the King remained unconvinced by his explanation.
As they were conversing, the sea rippled from afar off. Aquila first observed it as he walked towards it. He drew the people's attention to the water.
"What is that? There's something moving in the water." Aquila alerted. The objects were moving fast causing obvious waves. Soon, it multiplied and was fast approaching the castle.
When Ritz noticed it he recognized what was coming. "They are coming for him," he alerted. Aquila became terrified, ran to his grandfather and held onto him.
Immediately King Waldorf grabbed Ritz by the collar. "What's coming? Answer me!" he demanded.
"The sea monster! We can't stop them." Ritz retorted in fear, shivering and trembling.
The people were unsure of the impending danger lurking beneath the surface. Suddenly, the water erupted, and sinister goblins sprang forth like demons unleashed. Chaos ensued as the creatures attacked, their eyes gleaming with malevolence.
"Everyone find shelter now!" The king ordered audibly. He then turned to the knights, "protect the city with your lives. They don't take the boy."
The once bustling streets of Valga turned into a frantic sea of people, running and wailing in fear, desperately seeking shelter from the terror that had emerged from the depths. In the midst of the panic, Aquila, the son of Jack and Talia, stumbled and fell, breaking his ankle as he tried to escape the relentless onslaught.
Few Valga's warriors, armed with swords and shields, valiantly confronted the goblins, but the creatures proved to be formidable adversaries. The clash of steel against grotesque flesh echoed through the air, but the goblins overwhelmed the city's defenders with their sheer ferocity and numbers.
Amidst the tumult, Talia appeared, hovering in the sky with an aura of determination. She pulled energy from the surrounding elements, a loud scream escaping her lips as she harnessed the magic within her. The air crackled with power as she released the gathered energy, unleashing a torrent of freezing magic that encased the monstrous goblins in icy prisons. The magic traveled a distance and created a magical transparent dome to protect the city from further invasion.
Talia descended gracefully, surveying the frozen scene. The once-threatening goblins were now immobilized, their menacing intent halted by her formidable magic. The people of Valga stared in awe and gratitude at the elven princess who had saved them from the brink of destruction.
Aquila, relieved to witness his mother's powerful intervention, was attended to by concerned citizens. Amidst the frozen goblins, Valga's warriors took a moment to catch their breath. Talia approached her son, a mix of concern and pride in her eyes.
"Are you hurt, Aquila? We need to get you to safety," Talia inquired.
"I'll be fine, Mother. Thank you for saving us," Aquila replied, wincing in pain but managing a weak smile.
"I thought you were gone forever." Aquila leaped forward and hugged his mother warmly.
"You healed me and I'm here. It's my duty to protect you and this city. We must stay vigilant. The threat may not be over," Talia declared.
As the frozen goblins stood as eerie monuments to the recent chaos, the city of Valga, though shaken, began to regroup under the watchful eyes of Talia and her son.
"How is it possible? How did I heal you? Does it mean that I have magic inside me also?" Aquila asked nervously.
"It is time that you know. Everyone deserves to know who you truly are." Talia responded. She gazed at King Waldorf who concurred with her with his eyes.
"Know what, mother?" Aquila's voice trembled in fear.
"You are the dark Phoenix, the destroyer of Worlds. Long ago when you were all powerful and dark, you met the world of mankind; the only world whose magic permitted the coexistence of good and evil. It made you believe in good. With your magic and help from the gods you transformed yourself into a dark pearl that will be reborn on earth. You gave up your powers, locked away inside you so that you can't destroy any more worlds or hurt people in it. With your magic you created me to be your protector. Your sworn enemy Dominos seeks your powers to annihilate the gods; you must not die nor let anyone take your powers from you." Talia told him truly.
Aquila stared at her in shock. His mother held him by his ankle and healed it.
"What happens if I die? He asked curiously.
"Then you might destroy everything you love by yourself. But as long as you are here we'll always be prepared for whatever danger may come." Talia assured him and pulled him to herself hugging him tightly.
The people watched and listened to them, soon everyone else moved backwards giving themselves a good distance from them. By now, he wasn't just strange to them; they saw him as a god beyond their knowledge. He was earth's Doom after all. The people became afraid and more cautious of him.
Many people avoided Aquila trying not to get too close to him anymore. But Aquila's magic was locked away. Not even him had any idea of how to awaken his own magic nor the extent of what he could do. Whatever memory of him as the dark Phoenix was buried away with his magic.
His enemies were relentless, this he knew he must be prepared for the worst and try as much as he could to live and not die. The goblins were captured and imprisoned in Valga.
King Waldorf, burdened by the recent loss of his son and now worried about the grave danger looming over his grandson, grappled with the responsibility of safeguarding the kingdom. However, plagued by age and declining strength, he realized his limitations in confronting these mounting challenges.