Phoenicia-Present Time...
Venus gave the Elder in front of her a once over. Up until that moment, she still couldn't wrap up her mind around how arrogant Angelicums really are. They're superior beings but they always rub it in everyone's noses without fail like it was some kind of protocol that needed to be strictly followed. Seeing everybody else cowering made her all the more hostile towards their guest. However, before she could muster a sarcastic comeback, another round of frenzied spots erupted. Out of her peripheral view, Vee saw Agnus moved to the inner circle.
"Where is the perfect vessel?" Selaphiel asked uncaringly.
Venus glared at him once again, "do you mind?"
Despite her annoyance, her attention was soon diverted back to the people in the circle. Her expression changed to a sad one when the spots movement stopped at Cassia and Queen Sylvanna.
"Tsk," Selaphiel cluck his tongue in disapproval and turned to face Pearl. "I see you're living amongst them quite well. What is it about sacrificing Scalia?" He asked her in scrutiny.
Pearl paled. She looked like a mouse cornered by a cat. Gulping she explained, "Scalia has the nuetrulizer within her. If the perfect vessel fails, her life source will extinguish the white fire."
"Such fallacy!" His face was red with anger. Uncontrolled aura erupted out of him which sent everyone to the their knees. Again, Venus excluded.
This time, Selaphiel eyed Vee warily. He knew the force he just omitted and yet the frail looking young Angelicum was able to withstand it. He was baffled, yet, curious at the same time.
"What? What!" Vee raised an eyebrow at him after noticing him giving her a questioning look. "Are you gonna lecture me about respect again? I'm not bowing down, period." She ranted, stubbornly crossing her arms across her chest.
Selaphiel chuckled. "Interesting, interesting," he mused to himself while running his hand over the dark stubbles on his cheeks.
"Bipolar much?" Vee half-heartedly asked, her eyes averted back again to the circle. Judging from her creasing brows, it was clear as day that she was concentrating on finding ways to break it.
"Nothing can stop that process," Selaphiel told her as of reading her mind. "But there's a way you can help them," he added.
Vee's head snapped towards his direction in an instant the same way as everyone else present in that room.
Selaphiel once again chuckled after noticing their undivided attention and eagerness to know.
"Are you always like that?" Venus asked. She was obviously fed up to the back teeth.
"Like what?" Selaphiel asked with a smirk taunting her more.
"Some Elder, huh?" She mocked, disappointment laced in her tone.
"Right back at you," He raised an eyebrow at her. "Look at you. I expected more, how come you're so clueless? I can't trust the whole tree of life in your hands. You're just worth as another sacrificial lamb on the list." His words were like venom that pierced through her heart. Their audience gasped from the sudden outburst.
"W-what do you mean by that?" She asked teary eyed.
"Venuscha no. Don't listen." Pearl butted in but she eyed her Elder warily.
It all happened within a split of a second. One moment, Selaphiel was smirking from afar, the next moment, he was hoverting above the cowering form of Pearl in his full fifteen feet Angelicum form pulling Venus by the collar an inch away from his face.
"No!" Marcus yelled but he, together with everyone else fell to their knees and bowed.
Vee gestured her hand for him not to interfere not really seeing her inamorato's current situation. She stood her ground and stared back at Selaphiel dead in the eye. Her body limply hanging high above ground. His grip was slowly crushing her wind pipe but she didn't make a move to fight him back. She simply fought his hard gaze with the same intensity while her hands were fisted on her sides.
"You have two choices. Give us the perfect vessel or get yourself inside that circle and be the sacrificial lamb to save everyone else. In other word, you die, for them!" he shouted gesturing for the people in the circle using his free hand. "For us!" he pointed to himself and Pearl. "And for everybody else!" he pointed for the rest of the audience.
"F-for the greater good, huh?" Vee croaked, a humorless chuckle vibrated her throat as a lone tear cascaded her face.
Selaphiel was startled, his stared in awe as his gaze trailing from Vee's orbs that changed to dark purple in color, to the glittering rainbow tribal-like design that appeared from her forehead beautifully tracing the left side of her cheeks towards god knows where since he could only see the edges at her collar line.
"Who.Give." He was brought back from his stupor at the dangerous sound of Vee's angry voice. His grip on her faltered, shrinking back to his human form. Selaphiel swear he saw her hover down like she was some feather landing softly on the floor. "All.Of.You." His eyes snapped at her purple eyes that seemed to illuminate like the cosmos pendant in that room. "The.Right." Vee hissed through clenched teeth. She wasn't aware that all of the people inside the chamber that were on their knees fell face flat on the ground while Selaphiel was grunting from some invisible force that was pushing him to supplicate. "To.My.Life!" Her shout caused sparks everywhere that sent goosebumps to their skins. Finally, Selaphiel fell to his knees much to his' and everyone's surprise.
Venus was clearly lost on her rage. She look ethereal, but, terrifying. It was obvious that she no longer hold the reign of her temper. It was close to becoming another rampage. A very dangerous aura was released from her that made everybody choke and suffocate.
"I-Inamorata, this isn't you." Marcus' voice echoed through the silence.
Vee's eyes darted towards the direction of the sound and saw him lying on his stomach, grunting as he tryied to stand up but couldn't. Then her gaze traveled around the people she was supposed to save and protect, they too were in the same predicament.
Because of her...
She unconsciously released the hold on them sighing loudly. The rainbow coloured tribal pattern on her skin was retreating back towards her forehead and soon disappeared while her purple eyes lightened to lavender ones.
"Why can't you hold on to that stage?" Selaphiel's calculating voice startled her.
"What stage?" Perplexed, Vee replied.
"That's the balancer stage. The one just awhile ago." he replied but then his attention was not focused on anyone but to himself. "It isn't possible. A new balancer is at the Angelic Realm. How? Why? What's happening? I must report to the Elders at once." He was musing to himself unaware of the surprised looks thrown his way. Everyone heard what he said.
"Hey! What do you mean?" Vee called out to him when he started to glow. He was leaving.
Looking up, "I will be back soon just wait an hour or two." Then he was gone leaving a confused audience behind.
"Moron," Vee whispered.
"Venuscha," Pearl reprimanded her.
"Opps," she grinned at her making a peace sign.
Pearl just tilted her head slightly to the left then asked, "that, um, that thing you just did. Can you do that by will?"
"What thing? I was just too angry and then saw you all down on your knees. So no, I cannot lose my temper like that again. Obviously, I can't be that angry by will." Vee ranted.
"Didn't you feel anything inside you? What about your control to your powers? Your angelic and cursed side? Did they feel like submerged into one?" Pearl's questions didn't make sense to her at all. Vee at that point was still unaware how her appearance changed.
"Where exactly are these questions going?" She impatiently asked.
"Actually, this is only the second time around I witnessed you changing into this. The first was in the opaque temple when you rescued me, but, I thought it was just the temple powers merging into yours..." Pearl paused to stare at Vee. She was contemplating how to phrase her words and not pressure the girl in front of her.
"And?" Vee urged with large expectant eyes.
"...And now, I'm sure that it isn't. If the Elder is right. You might be the perfect vessel for the balancer. But, the question is, why? I didn't create you, neither did Nuscha so that leaves Phoenix. Why did she? What are her plans? I have a very bad feeling about this." Pearl ended up murmuring to herself too just like the Elder earlier.
"Hold on just a second, what did you say I am?" Venus asked again.
Marcus had already reached her side and held her hand tightly. Master Ronheild stood not too far away while the rest were huddled in groups scattered throughout the chamber listening intently to the ongoing discussion.
"Perfect vessel for the balancer." It was Vulca who spoke seeing Pearl was lost in her own thoughts.
Venus looked towards Lord Ronheild, "if—if there's a perfect vessel for Phoenix and the Balancer then..." She trailed off, too scared to even say the ridiculous impossibility.
"Then, there must be a perfect vessel for Pearl," Ronheild finished it for her and they all looked towards Pearl's direction.
"Pearl?" Vee called out to catch her attention.
"Huh? What?" The Angelicum asked.
"Are you aware if you have a perfect vessel?" Marcus asked.
"Me?" Pearl asked. She looked surprised. "Why would I need one?" She paused then her eyes widened, "oh my god! Scalia! What is Phoenix up to? This is bad... Very bad..." Pearl was muttering and panicking at the same time.
Everyone in that chamber paled including Vee. For Pearl to lose her composure like that meant only one thing—trouble... Big, big trouble!