"Oh, Evernight, you truly are quite the unlucky man."
The familiar voice caused me to open my eyes. Despite my earlier grievous injury, I felt no pain, only a serene happiness at the smiling face looking down at me.
Seraphina, the injury on my chest was shrouded in a divine light, a calm warmth spreading across my whole body. Seraphina's gleeful smile was slightly pained; her left arm was still chained in Eldros's midnight bindings.
"Seraphina? Why are you here?"
"To save you, of course, I didn't expect you to encounter one of Kathoros's most formidable warriors on your first day. I don't have much time, but I'll try to tell you everything about that woman, and what is happening."
I was slightly confused by her behaviour. I didn't know what was going on. A moment ago, I was bleeding out, sure that I would die; my mind was set on my journey being over. But I was still alive, my mind was rattled, and I didn't know what to think.
"How am I alive?"
"Nevermind that. I saved you; that's the end of it. I don't have time to explain everything. I'm going to take over your body for a couple of minutes. I'll save you from Artoria. I doubt I'll be able to kill her with the portion of divinity in your body. But I'll be able to access the power slumbering within you. So I should be able to fight her off."
"Take over my body? But…"
"It's the only way to save you from the lion's blade. She won't let you live when she's under Ickni's thumb; it doesn't matter if Ickni wants you to live, she'll still kill you to save you from his control. Artoria isn't just some random powerful angel. I've been watching her for centuries. She was the former Dominion of Conquest until Ickni's savage plots caused her ruin, and he reshaped her once beautiful Dominion into a controlled hellhole for all who live there."
"I… I could sense the immense misery hiding within her eyes; she seems to be defeated already, as if she's given up on living. Like her will has been shattered long ago."
Seraphina's face turned down into sadness, retelling the story of Artoria's downfall in her mind. The story brought her great sorrow; her aversion towards Ickni was blatant every time she spoke her name. Her face twisted with disgust at the thought of the Dominion's visage.
"Yes. I believe her spirit has long since crumbled after being under Ickni's direct control for centuries, every day seeing the state of her once beautiful Dominion. I do not wish for her death, the exact opposite, I wish to see the Dominion thrive once again under her leadership, but I severely doubt that would happen. Ickni's control is just too strong."
"Why don't you help her?"
"I cannot. It is forbidden for any deity to interfere with their own or any other realm personally. It is one of the Cardinal Laws; although I broke one for you, I cannot do it again. I know better than antagonise Eldros; any further doing that would mean my undoing. No matter how much I want to help, I still want to live, so I cannot. I'm sorry."
"It's okay. I'll just have to be the one to save her instead of you."
I could still feel a trace of fight within Artoria; she wanted to act against her order to slay me, but the sacred band forced her to fight. Why Ickni changed his mind on me, I don't know, but that doesn't matter at the moment. I need to unshackle Artoria and the people of the Order Dominion.
"I'm sure you will. I chose you for that kind heart of ours after all. I'm running out of time. I can't evade Eldros for much longer. I'm taking control now."
While Seraphina's smile was bright and gleeful when looking at me, the same happiness didn't quite reach her eyes. Her eyes were hollow, a tinge of hostility running through them. I couldn't figure out what exactly caused the hostility, which was quickly masked, the happiness spreading back up to her eyes, but it still felt hollow to me.
"I'll save you, my beloved."
My vision soon faded back to black, and the warm embrace of Seraphina overcame my mind, returning me to a calm stillness. Within the arms of Seraphina, I felt perfect tranquility as if I was exactly where I was supposed to be.