2. Shadowlight | ✓

27. Sacrificed Light

Elianna always knew that her mother had done everything in her power to help her escape her unfortunate fate. This mysterious mark carved upon her chest had always been a question with no answers but realising it now that she was the one who brought Mother to her demise had caused her heart to ache even more. I'm not worth it. She wasn't worth enough for everyone to sacrifice their lives for her. 

With a firm voice and an emptied heart, she said, "I will pay for his life with mine." 

For a moment, the Goddess remained silent. Elianna lifted her gaze and met with her holy presence. Iris had only shaken her head slightly, as she replied, "That won't do, my child. Taking your life would mean taking two lives." 

Elianna stared disbelievingly at the Goddess, before glancing down at herself. Iris had cast a glow of magic dust down the length of her body and when she held her palm over her lower abdomen, she felt a small pulse of magic energy thumping from within and understanding shot right through her heart. She lifted her head sharply to face the Goddess once again with hurt brimming in her eyes. No more. No more sacrifices for her, she would never live through the guilt and grief if she had to even give up this dear child just so that she could live. Crying silently, she wrapped her arm protectively over her belly and begged for mercy, "Please don't. I can't give this child up. I can't—" 

"For them, would you be willing to give up all the light in your life?" 

"What does that mean?" 

"You cannot know of the consequence, but the weight of your decision would sit upon you. And should he wake, he would be without you." 

"If it meant they could live, by all means." 

"They would bask in the light you offered." A light shone, revealing a mark of resurrection and a dagger appeared in her hand. Iris continued, "As part of the divine deal, you will not reveal your true self first or misfortune shall follow." 

Heaviness set upon her chest but Elianna closed her eyes and whispered, "Yes." 

"Have faith in a love that was meant to be, my blessed child." 

"Deo gratias," she smiled. 
(Translate: Thanks be to Goddess.) 

When Iris drifted close and kissed her gently on her forehead, a blinding light shone and she was back in the underground dungeon when she reopened her eyes. Rowan still lay lifelessly in her arm but the dagger was placed in her arm. She gripped it firmly and rested her forehead against his. 

"Elianna?" Ilias called her from the front, worried. 

 She straightened her back to face all of the knights, "Please promise me something." 

"What is it?" Alec approached her request carefully. 

"Please never talk about me in front of Rowan," she mentioned. 

"What does that even mean?" Kaylon stunned, suddenly wary. 

The energy imbued within the dagger was fading with every second and she could only plea, "Please do as I say, I'm running out of time to explain." 

"Eli, don't do it," Thunder reached his hand out towards her and the desperation in his emerald green eyes was clear. 

"Me paenitet, Thunder," she smiled sadly.
(Translate: I'm sorry.)

Then, she plunged the dagger into Rowan's chest while chanting in Thethiac. Scriptures marked the entire length of her arm and spread across Rowan's body. The flower of resurrection bloomed from his chest and formed a faint mark. Removing the knife, she pierced it through her chest to complete the ritual. Blinding light shone and she felt her entire body was suddenly lifted into the air. 

Like a feather in the air, her presence swayed from side to side before a wave of darkness washed over her and hovered over her vision. 

※

The darkness cleared once again. But this time, she was faced with a mirror image of herself in front of her. An exact replica with the exception that the shade of her eyes was in the warmest of brown. 

"Elianna." 

"Elizabeth," she said, acknowledging her presence. 

"I'm so sorry." For the first time, she saw her brown eyes filling with remorse. However, there was a twinkle of relief in them that Elianna could not comprehend.

"Why are you here?" Elianna asked, unsure about this space that they existed because nothing felt real in here. They only seemed to be surrounded by emptiness.

"I woke up here and I saw you."

"Perhaps because I was thinking about you," Elianna laughed, remembering that she was indeed thinking about her twin before passing out.

"Why were you thinking about me?" she inquired.

Elianna shrugged, "You simply appeared in my mind."

There was a moment of silence with nothing except for the both of them staring at each other. Elianna was the first who broke the quietness, "I still can't believe how much we looked alike."

"We're supposed to," Elizabeth laughed lightly, but her expression paled immediately. "But I—"

"I know that you were forced to do things against your will," Elianna interjected immediately, refusing to allow her to finish whatever she had wanted to say. Stepping forward, she stretched her arm out to hold onto her twin's hand.

"I did so many u-unforgivable t-things—" Elizabeth broke down the moment the barrier between them was shattered. Just like an injured canary, she wasn't able to fly out of her imprisonment even with the opened cage door. Her hand clutched tightly onto Elianna's arm as she cried and her legs had refused to support her so she dropped to her knees in a way to also plea for forgiveness and mercy.

"Elizabeth," Elianna lowered herself and pulled her twin into her hold and allowed her to cry in her embrace. "Neither of us were given a choice."

"I'm so sorry..." Elizabeth mumbled repeatedly and it caused an ache in Elianna's chest, knowing that what she witnessed at this moment was her true self. Elizabeth was simply a girl who's painfully suffering and forced to be hidden behind a demanding and ridiculous facade of a princess.

"It's nice to finally know you, my dear sister," Elianna chuckled and the arm holding onto Elizabeth had lost its grip as her body subtly fragmented and pulverised into scintillating dust. A realisation came to her and she breathed, "I guess my time is up."

"Where are you going?" Elizabeth panicked, she reached her hand out to grab into her but she levigated upon her touch. Distraught, she cried, "Please don't go—"

"Please rule Thethia well." Elianna looked warmly at her twin before the wind took the last bit of her presence. 

※