Sarah, leading the inquisitors, followed the luminous butterfly with unwavering determination through the dense, enchanted forest. Edward's presence, though faint,as he kept an eye on them through his spirits, was reassuring to the group. This was no ordinary butterfly guiding them; it was a mythical being of immense power, one capable of annihilating entire civilizations. Yet, deep down, everyone had faith in their captain mirai as he had long history slaying such creatures
But their surprise was witnessing the might of Gracefell one of the ancients fairies. These beings, thought to have perished in the Hundred Years' War, historical records spoke of their deep bonds with Mother Nature and their unrivaled magical prower. Their authority over mana was comparable to that of the extinct dragons, but this war, one of the bloodiest in history, had seen their near-extinction, almost meeting the same fate as their dearest friends
From the madness of that war, out of blood a fiend known as the Black Death was born,His origins were shrouded in mystery; with no known past or legacy, He appeared from the east, leaving a trail of flames and blood. The mythical beings who commanded the ancient armies fell before him, as did their troops.
When they asked Mirai if he had any regrets about the war, he replied that he felt robbed of the chance to fight one of the Ancients due to Edward's older sister, Anastasia. However, he admitted that the situation was the result of his incompetence back then
The butterfly led them back to the hall they had visited the previous day. Upon closer inspection, Sarah realized it was not just any hall but a temple. Her deep knowledge of history and ancient languages made her the perfect leader for the exploration mission. She quickly deduced that this was a temple dedicated to the Fairy Goddess, a place of worship and rituals
The Red Lilies Hall was not their final destination, as the butterfly led them deeper into the temple's labyrinthine corridors. The air grew cooler, and the light dimmed as they ventured further until they entered another vast hall.
Eventually, they entered another vast hall, but this one was different. Shelves of ancient tomes and scrolls stretched infinitely in every direction, forming a colossal library. For a scholar of yore and a magician like Sarah, it was akin to heaven—a sanctuary of knowledge where one could lose themselves in the pursuit of wisdom.
As the butterfly vanished, Sarah's curiosity only intensified. She eagerly began exploring the ancient library, knowing that deciphering the languages would be a challenging task. Yet, she felt confident that Gracefell as one of the ancients will be a great help
Time seemed to blur as Sarah delved deeper into the library.Eventually, she found herself standing before a grand altar. Flanking it were statues of a man and a woman, their hands clasped as if caught in an eternal dance. Their heads, however, had been severed cleanly by a blade,
On the altar lay an obsidian tablet, its surface inscribed with text in every conceivable language. Remarkably, Sarah found she didn't need to decipher it—the meaning was immediately clear to her. The tablet's recited a tale, a tale that mortals should've stayed ignorant about
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The abyss,
ever lonely, ever cursed,
a void no soul dared to confront.
Not even death offered solace
from its eternal fate.
It wept in silence,
prayers lost to the void,
unheard by siblings or creator.
Time, past, present, future,
held no meaning for the abyss,
a cruel continuum
that rendered it forgotten,
even by those who remembered.
Gaze long into the abyss,
and it gazes back,
a reflection of those who ignore
the warnings of the forsaken,
meeting a fate worse than death.
The abyss wept for itself,
its tears an eternal lament,
until one day,
a heart of void sought its guidance.
A blind girl, unseeing,
gazed into the abyss,
and for the first time,
the abyss wept not for its own misery,
but for the child before it.
Together they cried,
their tears an endless river,
The abyss knew all came with a price,
Its tears became the girl's grace and curse.
For a fleeting moment, the abyss felt joy,
But it was forgotten once again, Even by the one it graced.
Repentance, an abyss sought deep,
In solace of remembrance, it shall weep.
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Before Sarah could fully process the torrent of knowledge flooding her mind, a soothing, calming voice urged her to sleep. She succumbed to sleep without realizing it, her consciousness slipping away forgetting about what she witnessed
Standing over Sarah's sleeping figure was a benevolent woman with a gentle smile. Her golden hair cascaded down to her waist, shimmering softly. Though she appeared to be in her early twenties, an air of divinity surrounded her. A white blindfold covered her eyes, matching the flowing robe she wore, giving her an ethereal presence.
The woman shifted her gaze to an obsidian tablet nearby. She extended her hand towards it, and radiant, divine energy emanated from her palm, engulfing the tablet in a brilliant glow. In an instant, the tablet vanished, as if it had never existed.
A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she spoke gently, "Good thing Mirai told me to tag along. His senses are as sharp as ever."
As she finished speaking, a butterfly alighted on her finger. A smile spread across her beautiful face, and she continued, "And thank you for your guidance as well, servant of a gentle soul." She giggled softly, whispering to herself, "I didn't expect to meet an ancient who can cook such delights in a place like this."
And just like that, the Saint of Dawn vanished in an ethereal glow, her presence fading into the radiant light.