Darkness.


    This was all Orion could see. It was so dark he couldn''t see his own hands.


    Instinctively, he knew. This was similar to what had happened after he protected Karteira from Julian.


    He was between life and death again. Floating in an empty space that had no up nor down.


    Yet, suddenly, great pain coursed through his chest, as he felt his body being pulled in one direction.


    A flash of light banished the darkness, as he fell in a blinding white room.


    There was no way he wouldn''t recognize this place.


    ''Mom. Dad."


    As his head dropped faster toward the ground, he closed his eyes.


    "Oriooooon!"


    He heard a voice approaching him from afar, getting closer and closer.


    A red trail closed on him, before noticing that he wasn''t falling anymore.


    "..."


    Opening his eyes with difficulty, the one that entered his vision was the only person he could expect.


    "Mom."


    "Yes! Don''t worry, it''s me alright. Just hang in there for a minute."


    She began to fall down at high speed with her son in her arms. When she touched ground, Reon was already there waiting.


    "How is he?"


    With nothing but worry on his mind and face, he looked at him.


    "Not very good. He wouldn''t be this weak if he was fine."


    Orianne and Reon both walked toward the house, entered it, and sat Orion at the table.


    He was so weakened that he couldn''t sit straight, but he tried.


    "Are you able to talk? It''s fine if you can''t."


    Reon sat in front of Orion and smiled warmly.


    "I should be fine."


    Orion toughed it out and forced himself. He felt his strength lacking, and it was somehow painful to even open his eyes, but he managed with his willpower.


    "You should thank your father, he tried his best to safeguard your soul the moment you were in danger. Even though he only told me a few minutes ago."


    While glaring at Reon, she hugged Orion from behind.


    "It wasn''t easy either. The device was detached right before I could do anything. Thanks to your constant supply of magic, we managed to remain conscious, so I had some time to make things work. The moment your friend Amelia placed the device on you, I got to find you and bring you here."


    While tapping on a screen in front of him, Reon nodded.


    "Alright, I''ve changed the device''s flow of time. There are a lot of things we have to discuss before that man speaks."


    A very hateful glare coming from him, Reon had difficulty keeping his calm for once.


    "He said he wasn''t our enemy before Orion lost control."


    Orianne stopped hugging Orion and sat next to him, before she began to caress his hair. He was slightly taller than her, so it looked rather strange.


    "That''s the problem. Why would he say that after what he''s done to us? I understand Orion''s rage completely, since this man was the end goal to his revenge. With Elliott acting as if he had a change of heart, this is simply wrong on all levels. What about his resolve?"


    While looking down, Orion realized what he had done slowly.


    ''I... tried to kill Amelia and Karteira.''


    Two still images appeared in his mind. The punch he threw at Karteira''s stomach, and Amelia choking in his hand.


    His heart was past broken at this point. He had lost his goal, and managed to hurt the people he was dearly protecting.


    ''I had no right to even think of avenging them. I was...''


    He simply stared blankly at the ceiling.


    "We saw everything. I do think you''ve went too far in letting your emotions run wild, but this might also be a turning point for you."


    While he cared for his son''s feelings, he was his father. Reon had to act like it, or he wouldn''t be able to look at himself in a mirror.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    "Dad?"


    "Was everything you''ve done a mistake in your eyes? Have you done what you did because of your revenge?"


    "..."


    Orion stared at him in silence.


    "Saving the lives of the faction you despised, searching for the mysteries of our continent, learning about the various factions, creating connections with various people, adopting a little girl..."


    Orianne took over and finished his sentence.


    "Protecting the sirens, saving the remaining factions from extinction, falling in love with various women, fighting the corruption, finding companions."


    Both Orianne and Reon spoke at the same time.


    "Was all of this just to avenge us?"


    "No."


    This was obvious to him. Fighting Elliott was his end goal, but everything in between was his own choices, his own life. There was not a single trace of regret in his eyes.


    "Then, don''t you think it''s enough? Can''t you let go of that revenge setting that you''ve been forcing on yourself?"


    Orianne looked at him with pleading eyes.


    "Killing Elliott was already a difficult task to begin with. More than difficult, it was close to impossible."


    "..."


    "Don''t look at me like that, I''m not saying you did poorly. What I mean is the time you were given, and the circumstances you had to work with weren''t appropriate enough."


    Reon tapped on his screen again.


    "Three years. That was the countdown''s start. You''ve done your very best in learning magic, you''ve even helped Amelia learn how to fight by your side."


    "But you were missing your faction traits. This might have been a side effect of the forbidden magic we''ve forced on you, I don''t know for sure. What I know is that you''ve been unable to bring out what makes you our son."


    Orion''s eyes opened wide.


    "My son, have you forgotten? You are a demon, like me, and an angel, like your father."


    While both Reon and Orianne looked rather humane when not using magic, the moment they did, their faction traits appeared.


    "Until know, you''ve had your hair change colors while using magic, which most likely appeared as an after-effect of the magic we''ve used when we unlocked yours. These two colors were the colors of the magic pillar that birthed you. In other words, the color of our life itself."


    Orion had trouble understanding, but he had the gist of it.


    "I''ve never showed my own color? I''ve been borrowing your magic until now?"


    Reon nodded.


    "It seems like you''ve simply never bothered to show your own form of magic, and replicated our magical signatures as your own."


    "I never knew."


    While looking at his hands, he began to doubt himself.


    "I say that, but this is still your magic. What you''re copying is the form of our magic. The supply in your soul is yours alone. You can''t access our magic source from the device."


    "I see."


    He felt slightly better. This was still his own strength.


    "But you''ve finally took a step forward. Even if it wasn''t in the right conditions, you are now able to be yourself."


    Orianne pulled Orion and began to hug him again.


    "And it was great. Do you know how good looking you were? Except... the bloody eyes and the terrifying expression. You could do without that."


    A small smile appeared on Orion''s face.


    "Sure, I''ll be careful."


    Reon and Orianne both looked at each other, before nodding.


    "Orion, I''m going to link your soul back to your body. You will stay here, but this is so that your body doesn''t perish without its soul. You''ve gone too long out of your body."


    He clicked on a button. Time in the device returned to normal, while Orion felt a tremendous pain in his chest area.


    As he tried to catch his breath, he felt warmth in the tip of his fingers, and a strange beating in his chest, even though he was but a soul right now.


    "How''s the pain? Is it too much?"


    Worried, Orianne hugged his head gently.


    "Give me... a second."


    Orion stayed still, while Reon tapped on a screen again.


    "Alright, we''re connected. Let''s hear what this guy has to say."


    A screen appeared, with the device showing Elliott and everyone in the room.


    ''Everyone came to find me...''


    He saw everyone. Amelia and Karteira at his sides. The sisters in front of the bed. Little Stella approaching his bed with Sirius with a sad face.


    The three Apostles that joined his side, Kamala, Florian, and Eric. The remaining Apostle on his side, Olivia, that he recognized.


    There was also May and Deveralna, which were close friends to him after everything that had happened.


    His brother Nylon was silently standing near the door too.


    At the window, he noticed two massive eyes peeking inside the room. He recognized Monolavir and Ruminona.


    And at the wall opposite to his bed, the Lord of the Apostles, the target of his revenge himself, Elliott.


    Elliott turned his head, looked at Orion''s body laying in bed and smiled.


    "Alright, seems like you''re hearing alright now."


    ~


    In their usual cave.


    Enri-Ann and Tia-Norun were watching intently at the water inside the large table.


    "This is definitely out of our predictions, isn''t it?"


    "..."


    Enri-Ann kept silent. For her, it was worse than that.


    "Let''s hear what he has to say, there''s nothing else we can do any-"


    Elliott''s next words forced Tia-Norun to stop speaking.


    "You two spying constantly on him, care to join?"


    His gaze looked straight to the spot were the spying magic was. He looked directly at the two women.


    "He knows?!"


    Enri-Ann jumped from her chair and began to panic. Instinctively, she began to cast a large scale magic, her last resort.


    "Enri! Stop! I''m going, if something happens to me, do it. Not now!"


    With large droplets of sweat dropping from her cheeks, Enri stopped the spell.


    "I wouldn''t risk it if I were you, but whatever. I''ll be ready just in case..."


    Tia-Norun stood up from her chair and vanished from the cave. Seconds later, she appeared behind Karteira.


    ...


    "..."


    Tia-Norun glared at Elliott. She kept her eyes on him in case he tried something.


    "Don''t look at me like that, I''m not planning on fighting you. Let me just be clear, I''ll even go as far as protection you right now."


    Everyone in the room stared at the pink haired women, while the sisters opened their eyes wide.


    "You! The woman who sent Noah to his death!"


    Dramia felt anger take over her. Even Drania could help herself but to hate the woman.


    "I never wished for him to die. You wouldn''t understand anyways."


    They noticed the sad expression on her face. While exchanging a quick glance, both sisters refrained from going further.


    The two of them turned around and ignored her, for now.


    While this was happening, Elliott brought Vanitas out.


    "Vanitas, block everything. Don''t let a single speck of magic leave the city."


    The blade began to float in front of him when he released the hilt. It shone brightly, before a light grew out of it and quickly covered the whole city of Noctelagia.


    "With that, your location will remain hidden. I''ll ignore the last one staying behind, as I know it would bring quite a lot of troubles to someone in particular."


    He looked at the spying magic, and at Amelia.


    Enri-Ann thought ''He knows even that?!'' while Amelia simply tilted her head, confused. Tia-Norun opened her eyes wide, while silently keeping her distance.


    She glanced at Orion multiple times, feeling terrible each time she noticed his wounds, as she was unable to do anything about them.


    "Alright, first, let me tell you a little story."


    Elliott placed his back on the wall, and crossed his arms again, Vanitas floating freely at his side.


    "It happened a long time ago. A very long time ago."