Vastarael slowly woke up, his body still groggy from the long hours of travel and the emotional toll of everything that had happened.
The first thing he noticed was the warm weight of Phaenora's arm around him, as usual. It was a strange comfort, even though their relationship was anything but ordinary. What was more surprising, though, was the small, innocent form curled up between them.
Shimmer.
The little girl had been with them for days now, ever since they rescued her from the wreckage of the Frozen Ruins. Vastarael felt a faint pang of guilt when he thought about the others who hadn't made it. Indulis' death still lingered in his mind like a shadow and the faces of the Raukerai who had perished still haunted him, even as they continued their journey.
But Shimmer, she was different. She was an unexpected presence in their chaotic lives. A ray of light in the middle of so much darkness. Maybe that's why he thought of that name for her.
He pushed himself up slowly, stretching as his eyes scanned the horizon. The manta ray they were riding on was still gliding across the vast ocean, its massive wings cutting through the water. The scene was almost serene, in contrast to the chaos they'd just endured.
His gaze drifted to the rest of their group. Rienne, Taryenne, Siranna, Runner and Peccavi were all asleep, their bodies exhausted from the ordeal they'd survived. Siranna, still pregnant with her unborn child, had somehow found the strength to hold it together. Rienne and Taryenne clung to each other as if the bond between them was the only thing keeping them anchored in the world. And Runner was found in the oceans almost dead.
Vastarael couldn't help but smirk slightly. He couldn't deny it; this was the group they had left. The survivors of the Raukerai, and now, with the unborn child, they were down to five.
He felt a twinge of something... was it responsibility? The weight of the lives they had to protect now? He didn't know. All he knew was that the next steps they were about to take would be crucial. And with every step, things were only going to get worse.
His thoughts turned back to Indulis. He still remembered his final words, the regret in his eyes. How he had told him about his daughters and wife, how they had been spared and were now safe, thanks to Peccavi's intervention. He had never expected to lose someone like that, someone who had made him feel like a part of the Raukerai, even if only for a short while. It made his chest tight thinking about it.
But they couldn't dwell on it forever.
They had to keep moving. Their next destination was the Halo Islands. What awaited them there was uncertain, but it had to be better than staying on the red cursed island. Still, Vastarael couldn't shake the feeling that the worst was yet to come.
The devastation they'd seen... It couldn't be the end. No, it was just the beginning.
As the sun began to rise higher, casting golden hues over the horizon, Phaenora stirred beside him. She blinked, her eyes catching his gaze before she stretched with a soft yawn. She glanced at the little girl between them, then back at Vastarael with a mischievous glint in her eye.
"Well, well. Look at you, waking up all responsible. Seems like we have a daughter now, huh?"
Vastarael chuckled, a quiet sound that didn't quite reach the weight of his thoughts.
"I guess we do. A little unexpected but we make do, don't we?"
Phaenora's expression faltered for just a moment, her cheeks flushing pink as she looked away, a touch of embarrassment creeping up her neck. But it didn't last long. Her usual teasing smirk returned, sharper than before.
"Making do, huh? You're a bit too comfortable with the idea. I think I'm going to need more proof of your 'fatherhood' skills."
Vastarael raised an eyebrow, a grin tugging at the corners of his lips.
"Fatherhood skills? You're the one who keeps carrying her around like she's your personal responsibility, Phaenora."
She shrugged nonchalantly, though her flush hadn't quite disappeared.
"I'm just being practical. You know, someone has to step up when you're too busy sulking about the destruction of your 'family.'"
She added the last part with a touch of bitterness and Vastarael could feel the undercurrent of tension between them.
He didn't deny it. He had been sulking.
Not out of weakness, but because there were so many regrets tangled in the aftermath of their survival. The deaths of so many innocent people weighed heavily on him. And maybe, just maybe, he wasn't sure how to fully face the reality of it all. That, and the idea of being responsible for all these lives now? That was a burden he didn't know how to carry.
He didn't like being connected to a lot of people because it would be harder to save them. Maybe that's why he has the Divinity of Protection.
"Alright, alright. I'll admit it. We have a daughter and maybe I don't have all the answers. But I'm not going to back down. We'll keep her safe. All of us will. I'm not leaving anyone behind again."
Phaenora was silent for a moment, her teasing smile fading into something softer.
"Good. Because if you do, I'll be the first to drag your sorry ass back to the front lines."
Vastarael chuckled, the heaviness in his chest lightening just a little bit.
"Let's focus on getting to the Halo Islands first. We have a lot of surviving to do before we start fighting anyone else."
Phaenora's eyes darkened slightly. She knew that the other islands were even more dangerous than the Island of Peony.
"Yeah, no kidding. The worse it gets, the harder it will be to hold it together. But... if we make it through, we'll be ready for whatever comes next. And we'll escape this place and go home. I miss seeing Adelasta's cold demeanor."
"Yeah."
The silence between them was thick as they watched the sunrise.
Vastarael's thoughts churned with everything that had just happened; the Raukerai, Indulis and the grotesque truth of the tree holding Narisva, Xander, and Farrynelle captive. It was overwhelming, like trying to piece together a puzzle while the edges of his vision blurred with exhaustion.
And then there was his fate.
He hadn't forgotten it. How could he?
It was tattooed on the very fabric of his being, as inevitable as the rising sun. But for the first time, it didn't feel like a weight he wanted to claw off his shoulders. Maybe it was the surreal absurdity of standing on the edge of death, or maybe it was just the quiet acceptance of knowing he couldn't rewrite what was already etched into time.
"You're thinking about your fate?"
He nodded.
"You're giving up them?"
He chuckled dryly, shaking his head.
"No. I'm not giving up. I'm just done fighting it. Every time I try to twist it into something else, it snaps back harder. Maybe it's time I stopped wasting energy trying to change what can't be changed."
For a moment, Phaenora said nothing. Her gaze lingered on him and then, without warning, she took a step closer...
And kissed him.
It wasn't a soft kiss. It wasn't the kind of thing you'd write poetry about or try to immortalize in a song. It was raw, deliberate and left no room for misinterpretation. Phaenora pulled away just as quickly as she had leaned in, her smirk breaking through the quiet moment.
Vastarael stared at her, utterly speechless.
"You're not a fool so don't act like you don't know what that means," she said with a grin that was both teasing and oddly serious.
His brain stalled. Completely.
"I—"
"Save it," she interrupted, holding up a hand. "Here's the deal, Veneri. You've got this big, shiny fate looming over you but you better not die from it. I swear on everything I hold dear, if you let this fate of yours take you out, I will literally drag you out of hell myself."
Finally, his voice came back to him.
"...Hell? You think I'm going to hell?"
Phaenora burst out laughing, the sound so sharp and unexpected it echoed through the air around them. She leaned forward, poking a finger into his chest.
"Of course. You're the Prince of Beauty, Veneri. The ruler of heaven's gonna be too afraid of angels falling for you and lusting after your ridiculous face to let you in. Hell's the only place where you won't cause divine chaos."
He blinked, caught between offense and reluctant amusement.
"That... is the most absurd thing I've ever heard."
"Doesn't make it less true."
For a while, they sat in silence again as they watched beautiful sunrise and the dim moons.
The sight was breathtaking, almost enough to make them forget the nightmare they were heading toward.
Vastarael didn't say anything for a long time. He just sat there, staring out at the sunrise.
Phaenora, for once, didn't speak either. She stood beside him, her arms crossed as the light warmed their faces.
Finally, Vastarael broke the silence.
"You know, this might actually be worth all the crap we've gone through so far."
"Yeah," Phaenora said softly, her voice losing its usual edge. "It's not bad."
As the first full rays of sunlight hit the tree line, Vastarael made a silent promise to himself.
He wasn't going to die here. Not in this cursed place. Not before he enjoyed life.
And certainly not before he lived the life that fate had carved out for him—whatever that life turned out to be.
And he's definitely not dying a virgin!
"Let's wake the rest for breakfast," Phaenora finally said, her voice back to its usual tone. "Sunrise doesn't mean much if we're still sitting here when we don't know what the Halo Islands are holding for us to fight against."
"Right. Leave that to me. Wake up our daughter, don't you?"
"I... damn you..."
"You're not the only one who can tease, Phae."
And with that, they turned their backs on the rising sun and headed toward the others, ready to face whatever horrors awaited them in the Halo Islands.
In a distance, the tall spire in the Halo Islands gleamed in a distance and on top of it stood a woman.
The woman wore a simple robe and had a very bright smirk on her face. She didn't expect to see a giant manta ray heading to his island.
"I see... I suppose new friends have decided to visit? How should I greet them though? Oh well. I'll figure it out once I observe them more."
On one island, three of the Seventh Enlightenment Students were ready to go to another dangerous island.
On another island, a young woman was busy fighting Krepsunas using her sapphire chains, making herself stronger than ever before.
Yet on another island, most of the students were enjoying a lifetime vacation on the most peaceful island free enduring the harshest tests known to man.
On another island, a massive tree was growing at the edge of a desert island, with a redhead leading her forces to protect the growing flora.
In a city, an angel and demon were caged and frozen with plans of escape.
The conquest for the Erna Isles, which was no longer frozen due to Vastarael's decision to being Shimmer to the Epoch Cycle, had already begun.
The consequences were already in motion.