My eyes fluttered open. I was staring at an unfamiliar ceiling. I slowly rose from the bed, my bones creaking. From my condition, it had obviously been quite a while since I'd last been awake. I looked around my surroundings; it was the medical wing in the palace. Just as I went to get up, I noticed a layer of pink hair covering the sheets of my bed.
Liliana's head suddenly snapped up from the sea of pink, immediately jumping on me. Her eyes were wet, pounding her fist into my chest, and I heard muffled grumbles coming from my chest until she repositioned herself.
"Evernight! I'm glad you're okay. You've been asleep for two weeks! Wa! You scared me, don't ever do it again or I'll hurt you!!!!" shouted Liliana.
I gently patted her head, attempting to calm her mind, but more to stop her relentless attack on my aching body.
"Thank you, Liliana. It was you who stopped me, wasn't it?"
The past events appeared in my mind, clear as day. Liliana had appeared and calmed my mind. If I had continued in that state, I'd have risked death by exhaustion. The bliss clouded my mind. I now understand that without Liliana's aid, I would have never been able to come back.
Liliana's face popped up from my chest, her crimson eyes peering at me curiously, her face tilting slightly, and her mouth hanging agape.
"What do you mean? I wasn't down there from what I saw. You just collapsed after that pillar of light disappeared. You must still be confused, but I'm glad you were thinking of me before you collapsed."
"Huh?"
I swear I saw Liliana's pink hair blowing in the wind as her palm touched my temple, sending my feelings into a deep slumber. I looked at her, obviously baffled by her words, and she just giggled at me, finding my expression to be funny.
"It wasn't me. I don't have wings; it'd take me an eternity to reach you down there. Hehe, you're so funny, Evernight. Stop worrying about the past," exclaimed Liliana.
"Yeah, I'll try to stop…"
My speculation was interrupted by a sudden crash as someone burst into the room, their legs being the first thing that caught my eye. Liliana jolted upwards, turning around, and she pushed up against my body. Her hands were shivering as they met mine.
The intruder soon entered my room; it was someone semi-familiar. He had been the one who stopped Helios from reaping Lilia's soul. I didn't know exactly who he was, but he'd have to be strong to withstand Seraphina's pressure.
The man hurried towards me, drawing his sword and pointing the tip at my neck.
He had long gray hair with a few braids running in between; his eyes bore the same colour, devoid of any colour or meaning, like the man standing before me was a mere musk being carried along by the tide. His cheeks were gaunt, and his swordarm was hollow and frail.
But despite his appearance, I could still sense a dangerous, uncontrolled aura pouring out of him in waves.
"Stop! Leave Evernight alone, he just woke up!" shouted Liliana, trying to push him away, but to no avail.
He didn't even share her a glance, his dead eyes focused squarely on me.
"You nearly killed that First String girl. Could you offer me the same pleasure? Oh, how I'd love to be slain by the shining embrace of light. Please! Fight and kill me!"
His voice slowly got higher with each word, his cheeks flushing scarlet at the thought of death.
This man was deeply disturbed, which was a fact any angel could testify to.
"Um, who are you?" I asked, pushing the tip of his blade away from my throat. He didn't protest, swiftly putting the sword away.
"I am Divine String, Julius Croft, or in other words, your new superior. Divine String, Evernight."
"Divine String, but I'm just a Third String."
"Not anymore! You have been promoted for your valor in battle against the Primordial Terror and for beating back the Horsemen of Pestilence. Making you more than qualified to take my life!"
"I'm sorry, Evernight, he's a bit of a weirdo. No wonder no one likes him," said Liliana.
Julius' face twitched with annoyance and shock, taking a step back, looking totally stunned.
"How… How dare you? You should have more manners for a woman. No, that's wrong, a little child would be more accurate."
Julius stuck his tongue out at Liliana, who didn't appreciate his words, mouthing off multiple excuses about maturity, beauty, and respect. I hadn't seen such a reaction from her before; I could already tell this would repeat itself for as long as these two lived.
Liliana kicked and punched at Julius, sticking to his leg like some parasite. He merely grasped the top of her head and flung her backwards onto a small couch. Her small body was spinning mid-flight.
"Hey!"
Liliana quickly raced back to me, depositing herself on my bed and shielding me with her arms.
"But I didn't beat back anyone, the Horsemen left on her own volition, I couldn't have stopped her overwhelming malice."
"Don't look so sad. That is what happened, and that's that. If you get any sadder, you won't be able to kill me! Yes, yes, yes, kill me!"
"Evernight, what this weirdo fails to say is that it doesn't matter if you couldn't beat the Horsemen. In the eyes of the public, you, a wingless, pushed a Horseman of the Apocalypse back into Faravos. Whether it's true or not isn't a concern."
"I suppose so."
"You see, right? Even though you're wingless, people are starting to adore and fear you. It was apparently the Custodian's idea to give you the credit. Primordial Terrors aren't common knowledge, so that wouldn't work. They needed a threat that everyone knows of, and who better but the Horsemen of the Apocalypse."
"Wait a minute! You called me a weirdo again, didn't you!? You insolent little brat, I'll beat you for that!" roared Julius, flinging Liliana's small body into the couch again.
Liliana's logic was understandable, while I was weak at the moment; no one knew exactly what happened when I met with Pestilence, apart from me. My fear at that moment isn't for anyone's ears but mine.
I didn't need to worry about past events, just as Liliana said. I was different now, I'd successfully adapted to Seraphina's soul awakening on my own. Now I need to focus on her advice, integrate mine and hers soul into one, then I can work on refining my own weapon.
Seraphina was still imprisoned by Eldros. If I wanted to free her, then I'd just have to shatter my own expectations and rise to true divinity. Anything else just won't cut it in this game of deities.
"So, Evernight, when can we schedule my death?" asked Julius.
"Ugh, later. I need to stretch my legs before I fight another being." I responded, annoyance laced with my voice.
Jumping out of the medical bed, I swiftly climbed into my Servant of Order uniform, a new emblem stitched into its design. Four strings coming into one being held by an overarching hand.
Without saying anything, I left the room. Liliana and Julius quickly rushed to my side, not intending to leave me alone. I didn't mind Liliana, but Julius' mellow presence put a damper on all my current emotions. I trailed behind us, warily fidgeting with his fingers.
As we walked down the halls of the Spire, all servants bowed at my feet. I didn't expect to see such a sight; the same servants who spat in my path were bowing like dogs. The irony wasn't lost on me, although it didn't bring me any pleasure, only pity.
"Evernight, what will you do as a Divine String now?" asked Liliana, tugging at my sleeves.
"Do? What is there to do but follow Ickni's orders? I'm nothing close to being free, I'm just closer to Ickni's eye now."
"You shouldn't call the Custodian by her real name; she might get angry," said Julius meekly.
"It's fine. She doesn't seem to mind."
"But… I've heard of some servants who called her that, and the next moment, they were a pile of blood. Please be careful."
Julius grasped his own sacred band, caressing it softly, while he couldn't exactly see into Julius' emotions. I didn't think he was the type to follow Ickni's orders without the sacred band. There was just something about how he touched the sacred band as if he was petting a wild beast, lulling it to sleep.
"I will. I thank you for your concern, Julius."
"Is this gratitude? You are welcome. Could you kill me now? Please."
I rolled my eyes at Julius' behaviour, slightly increasing my walking pace. But my attempts to escape were met with failure, Julius upping his own pace each time, perfectly matching my own.
"Hm, I suppose that's true. But you don't have a sacred band, why don't you just kill Ickni? This world is harsh and full of peril. If you become the new monarch, then you'll have all the happiness in the world."
Julius' face went white at Liliana's words; his warning of a reckoning over a mere name had apparently fallen on deaf ears for Liliana. Not even blinking twice before wishing death on the almighty power in this Dominion.
"I wouldn't have happiness, and Ickni's not some pushover; she rules his Dominion for a reason. Her mind is something not even the peak of devils would want to face."
"Don't talk about killing the Custodian in my presence, are you some idiots?!"
Liliana and I both ignored Julius' ranting and whining, dismissing him with a flick of our hands. Despite our dismissal, he still followed along for some reason unknown to both of us.
"You think so? I think Ickni is a pushover; you should do it. Kill her and seize power for yourself, or else we'll all become slaves. You know that, right?"
"Where is this coming from? Stop talking about such things. You'll only be hanged for such talk. Stop it." I ordered.
"Okay, I'm sorry. But in the end, we'll see which path comes to fruition."
Liliana was right, of course, and I thought about the desolation of Ickni every day. How could I not think about escaping this horrid existence? This whole Dominion only induces misery into my heart; I wouldn't let this carry on for much longer.
I just needed more time to master my abilities, then I'd put an end to her tyranny.
Eventually, we reached the garden of the palace, gazing up at the roaring sun. The same feeling of bliss runs through my veins, the light embracing and harmonizing with my soul. Julius hung in the doorway of the palace, sticking to the shadows, not daring to move another step.
"Julius! Don't tell me you're scared of the sun. How pathetic. You were fine on the day of the Primordial Terror's appearance," teased Liliana, sticking her tongue out, clearly trying to antagonize the poor man.
"But. That was important; I had no choice. I hate the sun and its dreadful light."
"You're such a weirdo!!!"
Julius' brow twitched violently, but he didn't move, retreating further into the shadows, his face barely visible now. Liliana sighed deeply before turning her gaze back to me, cupping her hands behind her back.
We idly stood in the center of the evergreen garden, enjoying the sunlight on our skin. I practically enjoyed the feelings of my skin being rejuvenated. The divinity flowing in my veins was present in every move, no longer a mere trace that couldn't pull on without extreme concentration.
Creating five small light balls on the top of my right fingers, I juggled the balls around, getting a feel for my power once again. Once I was satisfied, I threw the balls into the sky, commanding them to shatter, painting a beautiful constellation over the horizon, its beauty amplified by the roaring sun.
My constellation's shine was blocked out by the familiar six gray and emerald wings of Artoria Luminous. She gracefully touched the ground, wearing an awkward smile, while he approached me.
Her footsteps were soft and serene, although she wore ominous plate armour of black and scarlet; not a single movement gave any indication that she was a trained killer.
"Lady Luminous, it's nice to see you unharmed. I heard you went on quite a dangerous mission," said Liliana, bowing.
I didn't know Liliana was capable of being polite; I always thought she was naturally antagonistic.
"Thank you, Liliana. It's great to see you are in good condition, Evernight. You gave me quite the scare," exclaimed Artoria.
"Thanks. You went on a mission?"
I was interested in every one of Ickni's actions, also, I just wanted to hear something cool, to be honest.
"Yes, it was nothing special. A sizable group of flying forsaken was spotted heading towards Grandheart. It was a band of considerable strength; the anti-air cannons would have struggled."
"Is that common? I haven't seen anything like that since I came here."
"Not really. It's most likely due to the extreme power you released in fighting the Primordial Terror and the overload that seemed to happen to you. Forsaken are drawn to divinity; mass amounts will gather the eye of every single forsaken in the whole of Kathoros."
"Oh… I'm sorry I caused so much bother. I didn't mean to. It's just He—"
Artoria put her hand up to stop me signaling that I should stop before I accidentally leaked something to Ickni by tugging on her sacred band.
"It's of no concern. No one faults you for fighting to survive."
Her words invoked a flood of memories to come rushing back.
"Wait. Where is Lilia? I have to apologize to her; I also killed her over a misunderstanding."
Artoria's eyes swiftly averted from my own, her head tilted ever so slightly to the ground.
"You can't see her. Your suspicion was confirmed by Ickni and Julius; she did bear the scent of war. Whether she had contact with a devil isn't known; she's confined to her room and refuses to speak. Ickni would never allow you to see her."
"What? But it was a mistake, I just lost my mind for a moment, there's no reason she should be punished for a silly mistake."
"Just forget about her, Evernight. There is nothing you can do; contact with a devil is a crime worse than blasphemy. If she doesn't speak, she'll be executed, and if she does, she'll meet the same fate. Seeing you would only give her hope, don't make her despair any more."
My jaw stiffened at her words, the familiar taste of metal overcoming my senses.
"I suppose you're right, but it doesn't hurt any less."
"I know. I trusted Lilia too to recommend her; it hurts me as well."
I didn't respond to Artoria's words, my gaze becoming distant, and all the memories of Lilia running through my mind. I looked for any signs of devils, but I couldn't pick a single strange detail about them.
"I'll be going now. I have business with Ickni."
Artoria walked past Liliana and me, heading inside the palace, briefly nodding at Julius, still hiding in the shadows. He jumped back slightly when making eye contact with her.
"It'll be okay, Evernight. Lilia will find some way to push through. I haven't met her, but I'm sure her spirit won't falter."
"Yeah, you're right. Lilia wouldn't let this be the death of her."
Liliana's sweet smile brought me back from my sadness; her words always rang out true in my ears. Although her personality was anything but wise. She sometimes produces rather intelligent words. Her pink hair blew in the wind as we headed back to Julius. I needed an outlet to vent my emotions, and Julius was ready to be that outlet. How could I refuse such an offer?