Chapter 49: Elergy
The silence hung heavy in the air following her death, a void that seemed to swallow sound itself. His gaze lingered on her pale face, once serene, now marred by dark purple veins that snaked across her skin, bulging and throbbing like twisted roots beneath the surface. Her eyes had faded to a milky white, her cherry-red hair dulled to a lifeless oxblood. Yet her beauty endured, an ethereal quality that defied the decay - the faint spark in her gaze refusing to extinguish, the curve of her lips holding onto a whisper of solace. It was a melancholic allure, one that outshone even Tiffany's cold angelic demeanor..in his eyes, a perfection he hadn't thought possible.
Death could carry its own strange grace, but not here. Auria was gone, her spirit fled, yet her body stirred, refusing the finality of rest.
In the dim haze of the mist, her form began to twitch, fingers curling unnaturally as if pulled by invisible strings. The air grew thick, charged with an unnatural chill that prickled his skin. Slowly, her torso arched upward from the ground, bones cracking like dry branches underfoot, her milky eyes snapping open to fix on him with vacant hunger. The veins pulsed faster, spreading through her features..and a low rasp escaped her lips - not a breath, but a guttural rumble from deep within. Her limbs jerked into motion, rising with eerie fluidity, the once-graceful knight was now a deranged monstrosity... She lunged forward with a feral growl that echoed through the fog, claws extended, jaws unhinged in a snarl that bared teeth stained with blood now turned dark.. But her strike passed harmlessly through his spectral form,her momentum carrying her into the swirling dark where she staggered, undeterred, ready to attack again.
The world around him unraveled like frayed thread, dissolving into an endless expanse of white. The dark mist, the snarling undead shell of Auria, all shimmered and faded into flecks of light. Even the towering Condemnation, its blazing eyes locked on him and casting faint glows through the haze, dissolved in the same ethereal glow, leaving only a pristine void - pale and unyielding,...it was the end.
The End of the memory of Auria vernys..
His dearest Knight of Crimson, he thought with a heavy exhale. May her soul find peace in the eternal bloom, as she had hoped.
Even though her very soul now nested within him - a grim truth he'd accepted - he was consuming their aspirations, a transgression darker than any the Condemnation could claim, one he despised in himself. A necessary sin... he rationalized it, though his mind rebelled fiercely against the notion.
Deep down, he knew his loyalty aligned with that inner voice, the one urging resistance. He had to quell the uprising brewing inside; he'd sacrificed too much to falter now, even at the cost of his own sense of self. That price, he couldn't pay.
He drew a ragged breath, but suppression wasn't oblivion - the doubt lingered, gathering strength. How many more souls would he claim before his conscience barred the way? Before this buried revolt erupted? Would it be Alwyn's end, , or others yet to come?
He was only now grasping the warped nature of this Eden Odyssey: power forged at the expense of free will. The irony twisted in him like a blade.
He glanced upward, seeking some flaw in the flawless white void, a blemish to prove perfection's was a lie.
But there was none. So flawless things did exist, after all. What was he thinking? His own form was impeccable..the pinnacle of mortal perfection- silver eyes that gleamed with allure, hair as white as fresh snow cascading like dew-kissed strands, skin smooth and pale...
A stray thought cut through: well...Your heart, your persona - it's flawed.
A crimson blemish on his outward ideal.
Oh..so he also possesses imperfections...
Well everyone does..
His inner voice was ever the pessimist, delighting in dismantling any praise. But wasn't it time for that odd hologram to appear, tallying his gains? He'd been waiting since the memory's close.
His eyes swept the expanse, spotting the distant silhouette of the Soul Tree. He'd learned to recognize it from afar - this was the same sterile realm where he'd glimpsed the white halo, endured the agonizing pierce. Foul recollections; this purity of white concealed a terror deeper than any darkness.
That cursed Soul Tree.
Then came the familiar shimmer. He exhaled in relief - finally. But this time, it manifested differently. Not the usual subconscious overlay like a holographic sheet, but something more elaborate.
It began as a ring of golden light encircling him at his feet, sparks dancing along its edge like captured stars. From there, luminous threads extended upward, weaving from the ground to the top of his head, drawing a translucent golden veil that enveloped him entirely, as if sealing him in a cylinder of radiant energy - grand, almost ceremonial, yet simple in its elegance.
A theatrical entrance, he mused. It had better deliver something worthwhile; these flourishes shouldn't go to waste.
Moments later, his expression fell - wasted indeed. The interface resolved into the familiar display, with only minor additions:
Domain:
Soul:
Souls absorbed: 2
Auria Vernys
Wolfred Halensmith
Soul Identity:
Auria Vernys
Wolfred Halensmith
Xiall Bifrost:
- Fractured...
- Fragmented...
- Two thirds retained...
Physicality Multiplied...
Your core grows boundless...
Memory:
Memories absorbed: 2
Auria Vernys
Wolfred Halensmith
Memory Convergence
Successful...
You have received a new Epithet...
Shaper of the Distant Past...
And the rest confirmed it: he'd merged fully with Auria's soul, claiming her identity while reclaiming a third of his own. Completeness washed over him, a tide of fragmented memories and habits resurfacing, making his thoughts whirl.
A fresh headache hammered at his skull, paired with a full-body ache that rippled like unwelcome fire through his veins. He winced, eyes squeezing shut against the assault. Every boon from that looming abomination, the Soul Tree, arrived wrapped in torment - how sadistic could it be? He pushed himself upright, cursing the throb, nearly overlooking the enhancements to his form. He felt lighter, senses honed to a razor's edge, vision sharpened to pick out fine details. From this distance, the Soul Tree's scaly black bark stood out clearly, etched like ancient carvings.
He clenched his fists, feeling the shift: muscles denser, more efficient, as if tempered by endless battles. His joints moved with seamless precision as he extended his arms, spine aligning with newfound resilience - a body refined, every motion fluid and assured, like a weapon forged in fire. Was this the knightly vigor of Auria and Wolfred seeping in? The thrill surged through him, momentarily eclipsing the skull-clutching pain and the earlier sear across his frame. Or perhaps his physique was adapting to Auria's disciplined stance, molding itself to her legacy.
Yet amid the exhilaration crept a deepening guilt, sharp as a thorn.
It whispered that he'd just consumed someone who'd battled relentlessly for a dream forever out of reach - her persona, her unyielding hope, all devoured. Auria Vernys...
"We'll make knights of each other yet..." Lysander's words echoed, his smile vivid against the sunset.
That had been her sole ambition: to match her comrades in valor, her guiding light. He'd stripped away her cherished self, the sum of her existence. The weight of it pressed on his chest like stone, forcing him back a step.
He was no better than a monster, akin to the Condemnation he loathed.
________________________________________
They emerged from the mist at last, the cool air rushing over him like a balm, allowing deep, unhindered breaths. Relief clung to him as he held his sister secure before him on the horse, her small form steadied by his arms around her waist while the knight gripped the reins ahead. She breathed steadily, her chest rising and falling in calm rhythms, and he let his free hand gently stroke her auburn hair as it fluttered in the wind, careful not to let it tangle in the knight's path. The knight's face remained lowered, shadowed since they'd mounted, blond strands catching the light but offering no warmth.
He felt it too - a heaviness in his chest, a burn behind his eyes threatening to overflow, blurring the horizon. But he held it back, teeth gritted; he'd vowed no tears in front of Ruby. Was she truly gone? The Knight of Crimson, their savior from the slaughter, the one they've sing praises about- now claimed by death? His mind recoiled from the idea, labeling it impossible. He sniffed, pulling back the dampness in his nose, blinking fiercely and wiping his eyes with a cautious hand.
Pa had once said heroes ascended to an endless haven in the skies, watching as saints after their passing. His mentor echoed it. Perhaps Lady Auria was there now, gazing down with a smile - she was a hero, after all, and to him, their guardian. His eyes lifted to the sky, met by the sun's unyielding glow.
Then his gaze shifted forward to the landscape unfolding before them. The black gate loomed clearly now, mere hundreds of feet away, its outline jostling with each rhythmic gallop of the horse, the ground blurring beneath pounding hooves, the wind whipping past in sharp bursts that carried the scent of ash and earth.
Yet amid it all, a silhouette caught his eye: a broad-shouldered man in a ragged cloak and shattered dark armor, his form veiled in swirling dust and soot. He staggered forward with uneven steps, each one a waver as if fighting collapse, one hand gripping a longsword that caught the sun's glint in fleeting flashes. Atop his head, long golden strands danced in the breeze, parted wildly like flames in the wind, framing a face obscured but familiar in its build.
Was this one of those horrors, like what Pa had become? Fear gripped him, and he clutched Ruby tighter, his hands trembling despite his efforts. The knight was here - he'd protect them, he had to.
But the knight... his mind faltered, then raced back to the approaching figure. Even without straining, the resemblance struck him: the same golden blond, the broad shoulders, the deliberate gait. It was like a mirror image, impossible unless...
His thoughts pieced it together in a rush.
As if sensing it, the knight's grip tightened on the reins.
They were related.