This chapter is dedicated to klingkeigh .
Phoenician Realm-Present Time
Every head inside the meeting chamber snapped towards their direction the moment Venus and Marcus appeared. The hopeful gazes thrown their way made Venus very uncomfortable and somewhat guilty. The heavy burden was weighing down on her shoulder the size of the heavens above that it terrified her the more she thought about it. It wasn't about the responsibility though—it was her fear of failure and not be good enough even after she gave her best into it.
"Stop fidgeting," Marcus whispered in her ear.
He held her hand and gave it a light squeeze of reassurance. She looked at him with a small smile of gratitude before she diverted her eyes towards the center where a disco ball floated on top of two groups of people forming two circles—the one smaller had Rufus, Amelia, Daphne and Scalia. She wasn't certain about the disco ball but it looked like it to her only it gave a cosmos-like illumination rather than colorful neon colors. It was magical but she didn't have the liberty to dwell on it as she scrutinized the immobile people beneath it. They were the people closest to her and she would be damned it she wouldn't do everything in her power to help them. Well, except for the two Sorcerers of course.
The big question was—how?
"So this is the circle," she nudged Marcus who was not as surprised as she was. He had seen it earlier, he rather looked worried more than anything else.
"Venuscha..." Pearl's voice sounded from behind them.
They both turned to face the Angelicum, "what's gonna happen to them?" Venus asked pointing to the group.
Pearl looked down avoiding eye contact, "have you found the perfect vessel?" she asked instead.
"Yes," Vee answered with her brows furrowed. She had a bad feeling about everything and Pearl's avoidance only fueled to her growing anxiety.
Pearls sighed in relief.
"Now, answer my question," Vee demanded without giving Pearl the chance to ask another question. She didn't like the fact that her inquiry was dismissed with a cold shoulder. Marcus must have felt the same since he stayed silent and waited.
"They can be saved as long as we have the perfect vessel." Pearl explained. She gave both of them an expectant look. "So? Where's the perfect vessel? It would be best if we don't waste any more time." She demanded when she got no answer.
"Um, the thing is—it's a little bit complicated. You know..." Venus bit her tongue after she realized that the chamber fell dead silent and they got everyone's attention. "...Um, can we not talk here?" She uncomfortably requested.
"Why not? We deserve to know everything too," someone from the crowd shouted.
"Are they serious? What went down?" Vee asked in bewilderment. She never expected them, her teachers, to act that way. They were an epitome of elegance and discipline. Were.
"The end of the world?" Marcus whispered again, a hint of amusement in his tone.
"Glad you could find humor in our current situation." Vee hissed at him. Marcus cleared his throat in attempt to mask his laughter.
"So you were saying?" Pearl interrupted giving both of them a disapproving look.
Venus gave her an uncertain smile then looked around uncomfortably. The stares that she got made her all jittery. She was never one of those that enjoyed being in a spotlight. It made her want to run away or shrink as small as an ant just to avoid the nerve wracking predicament. Her mind was swarming with panic and incoherent thoughts but most importantly she asked herself.
Where would I begin?
"The perfect vessel is somewhere safe but we have a pressing matter to deal with. The Phoenix should be awaken in that said vessel so we thought that you might have any idea how?" Master Ronheild's calm voice ringed from somewhere inside the chamber.
Venus sighed in relief. She was after all saved from conjuring a reasonable explanation. The headmaster was an expert in answering the question without exposing a lot of unspoken truths. Saved them from the endless torture of question and answer portion.
Somehow Pearl got what they really meant as her brows knitted together and she exhaled a stressed breath, "alright, we only have one option left then."
Marcus perked up from the answer but he hinted danger from it unlike Venus who brightened up automatically and asked excitedly, "what? What is it?"
"The Mermadian Queen. We need to sacrifice Scalia." Pearl almost whispered the answer but it was like a bomb that detonated in the middle of the silent chamber. It didn't only stunned everyone, it broke their hearts to go such length out of desperation. It wasn't fair and justified.
Vee fell on her knees from shock, "no," she mumbled in disbelief. "W-what do you mean sacrifice?"
Pearl looked towards Scalia's direction and spoke sadly, "she is destined to be sacrificed today if the perfect vessel is in jeopardy. She is the last alternative—the secret solution. Scalia must die."
Faerian Realm-50 years ago
It was such a long time since he saw the paradise beneath him. A familiar scene that he never knew he missed until now that he actually was looking down on it.
His eyes feasted on the beauty of it. From the endless lush of greens; the gigantic trees that hosted platforms and houses made of oak wood painted moss green that blended well in the environment; the blooming flowers that coated the grounds; the sweet scent that overwhelmed his nostrils. His list could go on and on but one thing was for sure.
It was his home.
His realm—The Faerian Realm.
What? Looking down?
Agnus head snapped towards his hands, it was invincible. His mind panicked as he tapped furiously on his body starting from his head, to his chest down to his legs. He could feel his body but he just couldn't see it. He couldn't see himself and to top it all, he was floating. Like twenty maybe twenty five feet, more or less on his estimation, above ground.
What's happening? I'm sure I'm not dead.
He was wracking his brain to find a reasonable answer but his attention was soon diverted to a familiar voice below him.
"Flare..." Cassia called out. She was crouched down the flower bed and looking up a tree while warily looking left and right for any sign of presence.
Agnus forgot about his current predicament as he descended a few feet down at the level of the treehouses. He stared in confusion to a Faerian who emerged and bent down on an open platform to answer Cassia. He gasped to see the man's features who uncannily looked like an older version of him.
"Cassia, what are you doing here?" The man whispered-yelled, looking down to the Witzardian princess. He too was agitated, checking around him.
"Meet you at the same place, right now." Cassia ordered before she disappeared.
The man checked once more before he jumped down, he landed with ease from an almost fifteen feet high drop. Agnus hovered behind him as he ran deep inside the forest. His steps were silent but confident. He surely knew his way around the massive maze-like forest.
And so did Agnus... He knew where exactly they were heading to based on the direction they were treading.
It was his favorite place.
Soon enough, the sounds of water crushing the rocks was heard. It was beginning to become louder and louder as they got closer. The melodic symphony of nature was what draw Agnus on the same spot since his childhood. It was a very long time ago but now that he was here again, it felt like yesterday. This was his haven when he was being bullied.
"You came," Cassia's voice once again broke his reminiscing. She was standing on top of a large rock with a wide flat surface overlooking a humongous and breathtakingly beautiful waterfalls.
"What is it? It must be important otherwise you won't take such a risk finding me here." The man named Flare asked worriedly. He climbed the waist high rock effortlessly and they hugged each other the moment he was an arms length away from her.
Is he my father? The thought came out of nowhere. Agnus flinched and looked away when the lovers shared a passionate kiss.
"I came bearing good news. I rushed here as soon I had confirmation." Cassia spoke excitedly.
"You are killing me with the suspense. What is it, my inamorata?" Flare urged just as excited. He was smiling from ear to ear awaiting the good news.
Cassia cupped his right hand inside in her hands and placed it gently on top of my stomach. Her face glowed with happiness as she spoke, "I am with a child. Our child."
The smile faded away from Flare's face replaced with shock. His eyes flitted between Cassia's expectant gaze and her flat belly where their hands intertwined. He took a step back, untangling his hand away from hers and fisted it on his side.
"F-flare, what's wrong? Aren't you happy?" Cassia asked. Her own smile faltered, worry was evident on her now teary eyes. There was something very disturbing on her lover's reaction. Something that she neither want to see nor hear but her heart hoped otherwise. Maybe she was just mistaken.
"No, what were you thinking?" Flare finally said. His voice was quiet but accusatory. There was a trace of disappointment in it.
"W-what do you mean?" Cassia asked again. Confused by the hostility. Her gaze was begging, pleading for him not to break her heart. She was hoping against hope.
Flare shook his head breaking the eye contact. He sighed and turned his back on her, "get rid of it."
Both Agnus' and Cassia's eyes widened from his words.
"No, tell me you don't mean it." Cassia begged more as she threw herself to him, embracing him from behind. Her hands gripped his waist tightly. She was terrified.
"I will not tell you twice." Flare said in a hard voice peeling Cassia's hands away from him again.
"No, Flare. I beg you don't do this to me." Cassia sobbed shamelessly and fell to her knees, this time clinging to his legs.
"You have a kingdom to rule and I have a community to lead. How irresponsible of you to conceive that thing." Flare spoke like the child was nothing.
Agnus flinched from his harsh words and looked at his mother's pitiful situation. He saw her in a new light. He couldn't believe how much she endured at that moment. The pain must be unbearable. He didn't realize he was crying until he felt teardrops on his hand.
Agnus eyes never left Cassia's face. He saw it.
The change.
The rage.
She let go of Flare and buried her face on her hands as she sobbed, "I can accept whatever it is you throw my way but—"
She looked up and at the same moment Flare turned around and looked down on her with a raised eyebrow wearing a smug face. He was mocking her. The great Witzardian princess kneeled to him.
Understanding dawned upon Cassia, she was never loved. It was all a facade. She was used.
A deception...
"I will never forgive you for caling my son an it." Her voice was eerily calm and cold. Her gaze that was once full of love and longing was now vacant—devoid of any emotion.
Flare didn't see it coming. Even Agnus was taken aback. Cassia lunged at her lover as fast as lightning. She acted on impulse, her instinct guiding her. She never even blinked when she reached out her hands out to him and cupped his smug face firmly.
An evil smile painted her lips and said, "goodbye my inamorato."
And she sucked the source out of him...