"You are different from Angels and Devils, you are not confined to the power of Edicts. The amount of divinity following through your veins will only increase. Take Helios in your grasp and destroy this mongrel, do it for me," said Seraphina softly, her words resonating in my ears like a harmonic choir.
A pillar of light bloomed in front of me, twisting and glistening under the sun's gaze. Remembering Seraphina's actions, I grasped the top of the pillar, slashing outwards.
The elaborate and beautiful form of Helios revealed itself, the scythe towering over me. Slashing outwards, interrupting Morgrave's path, it swiftly dodged out of the way and leaped backwards.
"It's scared of Helios; it can cut it," I muttered.
"Well, of course, Helios isn't some trivial light weapon; it's a portion of my soul, making it much more effective than regular light."
Inspecting Helios with my eyes, its white and golden shine mimicked Seraphina's body. The golden being an exact replica of her eyes, and the metal being made of her snow-white hair.
My curiosity was interrupted by a seething pain rippling throughout my right arm, the one I was using to hold Helios. I immediately snapped my neck upwards to Morgrave, but it hadn't moved, just circling and eying me cautiously.
Redirecting my attention to my right arm, I saw my skin cracking and overspilling with a golden shine. Multiple cuts and bruises formed over my whole body; the pain was excruciating, tearing through my calm mind.
"This isn't good. Helios is rejecting you. You must end this in one strike, or you'll be devoured. Quick, release all of Helios' strength into a single strike!" barked Seraphina.
Seraphina's nerves were heightened, actual panic overcoming her movements. She restlessly shuffled on my back. I could feel her fist hitting my back, pushing me forward.
"Do you trust me, Evernight?"
Her panicked movements slowed, and her fist stopped. She brought her face closer to mine, gripping hard on my shoulders.
"Yes, Seraphina, I trust you," I answered confidently.
If there was one thing I knew for certain, it was that I did trust Seraphina. She had only helped me in this journey to another world. If it wasn't for her, then I would be lying in some shallow grave, just another filthy wingless.
But her mind was unpredictable, I couldn't allow her decisions to impact my life. Trust wasn't the same as surrender.
I felt Seraphina's hands guiding me, raising Helios, pointing the tip of its blade at Morgrave.
"Expel Helios' divinity all in one blast, repeat after me. Scythe of the Boundless Light, Hear my call, Release your divinity, rupture the heavens, become my soul and body, Helios! Heaven Collapses!"
"Scythe of the Boundless Light, Hear my call, Release your divinity, rupture the heavens, become my soul and body, Helios! Heavens Collapse!"
As I finished my chant, the world around me began to shift and twist to my will. Chunks of the ground shattered under the sheer amount of force I was emitting.
Trails of light began to connect to pieces of the ground, and my body started to hover, looking down on Morgrave. Helios's form was swelling with light, creating an artificial sun, casting a blinding presence across the whole of Grandheart.
The gravity was yielding to my will, overcasting my emotions resonating with my hatred for Morgrave; pieces of the earth were violently torn from their rest, lifting into the air. Gripping Helios with both my arms, I released its power into Morgrave's visage, sending a colossal beam of light, consuming him whole.
My arms were bursting with agony, the golden cracks bursting open in my flesh. My arms were no longer made of flesh and blood, it was pure divinity. But this revelation didn't decrease the mind shattering pain.
A flow of tears burst from my eyes, involuntarily screaming in pain, releasing every sliver of Helios's power, trying to rid it from my body. I couldn't hold the release for much longer; my mind was beginning to fragment at the sheer force of Helios.
The beam only intensified as I poured all my strength into it, producing a thunderous vibration to ripple throughout Grandheart, cracking the earth under my feet.
My eyes darted around at the land, it wouldn't hold if I didn't stop, but no matter how hard I tried to slow the release, it only took more power from my veins.
I swiftly realised that Helios wasn't my weapon, so it wouldn't listen to my commands; it had been commanded by Seraphina to release all its power, and it didn't care if I was destroyed. I wasn't its master if this didn't stop, I'd be ruined.
"I'm taking control. Helios is out of control; it'll destroy all of Kathoros if this carries on," declared Seraphina.
This wasn't a request, she was taking control and there was nothing I could do to stop her. We'd made an agreement; I couldn't just go back on my word, even if it pained me greatly not to do so. I'd allowed history to repeat itself; I once again was relying on Seraphina's power.
I merely nodded at Seraphina; she didn't waste any time grasping hold of my head and forcefully entering my body, seizing control from me. I was the one on Seraphina's back now, a mere spirit watching over my own body.
Although I could still feel a portion of my pain, it wasn't as mind-shattering as before. The first thing I noticed was that the cracks of gold and the wounds on my body were beginning to close, and the divinity spilling out was swiftly contained.
"Helios!" barked Seraphina.
Helios responded immediately to Seraphina's order, its form shivering slightly. I swear I saw a small bead of sweat run along its tip, but I dismissed it as my imagination.
The Heaven's Collapse was swiftly canceled by Seraphina, the towering beam of pure light receding until nothing was left but a small wisp.
The floating island that we were currently on was in ruins, a gigantic hole running through its core, revealing the sky below. If this had gone on any longer, I'm sure the whole Order Dominion would have been decimated.
Seraphina twirled Helios in her hand before brutally bashing its blade into the earth below. She repeatedly attacked her own weapon, taking out all of her pent-up anger on it. I watched from my own shoulder, completely stunned at the bizarre display.
"If you do such a thing ever again, Helios! I'll destroy and replace you!" screeched Seraphina.
I was too stunned by her performance to realise that there was no sign of Morgrave; it was gone. Its aura and malice had been removed from the surrounding area, and I could no longer feel its everlasting pressure on my shoulders.
While I first felt relief, it was quickly replaced by suspicion. If I couldn't see its body, then I didn't consider it dead, but I truly wished that such an overwhelming power was gone.
I definitely didn't want to reunite with the beast. It can stay in hell.
Once Seraphina turned around, locking eyes with Artoria, a crowd of first strings stood at attention behind her. Artoria's face was downturned, her eyes blooming with sadness.
"Evernight?" asked Artoria.
Her eyes peered into mine, looking for any indication that she was really speaking to me. I suddenly felt Seraphina stiffen in my body, my nostrils flaring.
"Something smells rotten," Seraphina exclaimed.
My questions didn't reach Seraphina's ears; she ignored me and stepped forward, budging Artoria out of the way like she didn't even exist. I told her to stop; such actions would only damage my reputation with Artoria, but she didn't listen once again. I was stuck as a spectator to my own body once again.
"The decay of war."
Seraphina locked her oppressive gaze onto Lilia, inducing her to break out into a cold sweat, averting her eyes from me. But Seraphina didn't stop her pursuit, only increasing the malice emanating from my body.
"You carry the scent of the War Devil. Yet you appear to be an angel, am I wrong? Are you a devil?" Seraphina asked.
Seraphina's aversion to devils and angels was spilling out in every single word. I could feel lines on my face forming as her hatred reached its tipping point. Although I didn't improve on Seraphina's actions, her suspicion interested me.
Was Lilia truly a devil? I doubted Seraphina would make such a deadly mistake, but my mind still shunned the idea.
Lilia was the first person I met in Order Dominion. If she were truly a devil, then that'd mean her imminent execution. I wouldn't be able to shield her like I did Liliana. Liliana was an unknown, but Lilia wasn't; she was a First String.
"Wha? Evernight, you've gone mad. I'm not a devil. I wear a ban—"
Without warning, Serpahina swung down Helios straight towards her skull, aiming to split her in two, apparently not believing her excuse. Luckily for Lilia, Artoria, and an unknown man caught the blow, shattering the earth below their feet.
Seraphina eyed the two with blatant annoyance, reading her next attack to cleave the three at once, but I used all my might to repel my body backwards. I didn't know how, but my body responded, throwing her attacks off course and stumbling back.
"Stop it! Give me control back now, you've gone too far!" I roared.
Seraphina stopped deep in her tracks as she motioned to attack again, and she turned to my astral form on her shoulder.
"But…"
I cut her off before she could finish her sentence.
"No, I don't care! They are my friends, and I will be the one to decide whether or not they are guilty, not you! This is my body, mine! Give it back, or I'll never forgive you!"
Seraphina's expression sank into despair at my words, her face turning passive and no longer holding the same aversion to everything.
"I'm sorry. I'll stop, I just need to seal the power I've used."
"No. Leave it how it is." I ordered.
"What? But you won't be able to handle it; you could be undone from the inside. Our souls aren't the same; yours isn't strong enough."
"Then I'll just have to adapt to the power. If I don't use everything I have, then I'll die! Leave it!"
Serpahina's expression wavered between hesitation and pride for a moment before making her decision.
"So be it. If that's what you want, my beloved, then who am I to interfere? But I'll give you a warning: don't call on Helios ever again; it will respond now that the portion of my soul is awake in your body. However, Helios isn't yours, so it won't listen to your commands; it'll only try to unmake you."
"I understand, I won't call on Helios again."
"Good. Find your own weapon, focus on your soul once you fully integrate mine with yours, only then will you be able to create your own weapon. Helios is an extension of my soul. You must repeat this process to create your own."
"Goodbye, my beloved."
"Bye, Seraphina."
Seraphina's soul soon left my body, allowing me to control my own movements once again. I saw her ethereal form fade into the sunlight, her sweet smile glistening in the light. I smiled back at her, inducing her eyes to twinkle with blatant happiness.
Although I was enraged with Seraphina at her actions, it only lasted for a brief moment. Her smile made my rage disappear, replacing it with bubbling happiness in the bottom of my heart.
But my happiness was short-lived; I collapsed to my knees. The effects of Seraphina's awakened soul in my body were taking their toll on every inch of my body, sending a devastating pain through my mind.
Helios was still in my hands, and I forcefully threw it away, traveling through the skies before dissipating into light particles, returning to Seraphina's side.
I had to endure the pain of the soul release; there was no other option. }
A pillar of light exploded from the ground below me swallowing my body in my own power. A hideous screech escaped my mouth and echoed throughout the deafening silence around us.
Biting down on my lip, I tried my hardest to block out the pain, but it was no use. I'd just have to welcome it, or else my sanity would be destroyed. Opening my mind, I allowed the pain to fill in, embracing the cold feeling.
Eventually, the pain receded into bliss, the light pillar retreating and bursting into tiny fragments. The first thing I saw was Liliana's carefree face beaming down at me, looking genuinely thrilled, but I couldn't figure out what she could be so excited about.
"It'll be okay, Evernight, just go to sleep. Edict of ?, Silence."
Liliana's soft palm touched my forehead, a sudden wave of sleepiness overcoming all my senses. The bliss from the soul awakening turned into silence, my feelings becoming an empty oblivion, pushing me into a deep slumber. Just as I fell asleep, I tried to figure out what Liliana said, but I couldn't remember hearing what her Edict was.
It was blank.