CHAPTER TEN

Everytime I thought about it, I hoped that there was another way to bring the balance between darkness and light. I hoped that I wouldn't be the one prophesied to do such a vital thing. But it turns out that I had no choice, but to embrace what has been bestowed upon me. Odette needs me. So I have to face the enemies, even if I don't have my powers back.

"Let go of Odette!" I screamed at Selena, as she continuously absorbing power from the Twilight Orb.

"Try telling that to her, you twit!" She replied. Odette's face still wore the blank expression, and I can't see through her. Selena began to hover behind Odette, her hair flowing with the breeze of the energy released by Twilight Orb. When all the forces had been fully absorbed by Selena, she went down with her eyes closed. Once she opened them, it shined crimson scarlet. "It has been done. The Twilight Orb's power, is mine! The Abyss shall dominate the Land of Dawn"

She laughed wickedly. "So, you ganged up on us to save you little Swan Princess. Well, that doesn't matter now. I have the ultimate power, and the Lord of the Abyss shall be proud of me!"

"Yes! Nice one, Selena."

"Oh Dyrroth, are you done taking a nap after being defeated?"

"Nah, defeated? You know I was just warming up." Dyrroth returned to the temple after recovering so quickly.

"Whatever you say. Terizla, why don't you start destroying these useless imbeciles?" Selena confidently ordered Terizla who was watching the others as they are immobilized by his skill.

"My pleasure." He raised his large weapon and put it on his shoulder as he walked towards Lancelot who was lying on the ground. He grabbed him by his hair, and hanged him midair with his hand. The pain he felt could be seen in his face, and I just stood there.

"Let go of him!" I ran towards Terizla as fast as I could but as I was stunned by Selena, and she went coming at me as she transformed into a demoness and knocked me to the ground

"Not so fast, Lunox." Selena's voice deepened. "Ah, the power feels so good." She added.

"You will not get away with this, Selena." I proclaimed as I tried to get up after taking massive damage. I didn't know if my strength would last long, and I didn't know how much more I can take.

"Can't you see? The Abyss already has." Laughing wickedly, Selena returned to her elven form and commanded Terizla to hold Lancelot, as she went to him and held Lancelot's face. "Such a handsome man, too bad he's going to be a goner." Selena marked Lancelot and became her demon form again, and just about when she was going to destroy him, I ran to her so that I could knock her away, but something else occurred.

"WHAT'S THIS!?" Selena couldn't believe what was happening, including Dyrroth and Terizla. "What's going on?!"

"This light, tt hurts!" - Dyrroth

"I-I can't see!" – Terizla

Selena and the two other demons were blinded by the bright light and were disabled to see for some time. A bright blue nova began to illuminate the place, to see that it was Odette shining. She opened her eyes and regained those blue glow again, and her dark palette returned to its original form. She was herself again.

"I… I can feel Odette's heart!" I exclaimed, as I could feel her energy becoming stronger.

"Look, it's her healing powers! She's using it on herself!" Guinevere gasped in mesmerize.

"And she's healing us as well." Nana was happy when all of them got out from Terizla's skill. All of them were able to move again.

"This cannot be! How is this possible!?" Selena was still in shock.

"Vexana's curse shall never rise from my rhapsody. As well as the Abyss." Odette replied in full confidence and summoned a swan to attack Terizla which knocked him back dropping Lancelot on the ground, then sent a nova which immobilized the three demons. Odette ran to him, and immediately healed him. And once he opened his eyes, Odette was the first person he saw. "O-Odette?"

"It's me Lancelot, I heard every word you said." And the two hugged each other then gave a passionate kiss.

"Yes! Sister is back!" – Guinevere

"We have Odette back!" – Nana

"Cheers to that!" Kimmy and Freya hugged each other and felt embarrassed afterwards. Girly much?

"For this, you shall suffer! Aargh!" Selena gathered dark energy in front of her chest and released it everywhere, summoning every lurking demon within the Abyss. "Rise! Demons of the Dark Abyss!"

All of us were filled with terror and horror. It was a battle we would never win, the countless demons began to climb on the walls of the Abyss and we were obviously outnumbered.

"What are we going to do?" Asked Nana.

"Everyone gather around me!" I commanded everyone, as they did what I have said. And then I immediately projected my dream and concentrated on only letting the warriors of the Moniyan in my dream. I searched for the aura of those who fought outside and teleported them into my dream world, they were surrounded by the demons and were almost pounced on by them but my summoning was just in time. And they were shocked when they arrived. I told them that there was no time, and Selena had summoned an army of demons to attack us, and that we wouldn't win the battle at the moment. Then I heard Selena's message through my head.

"This will not be the end, Lunox. Prepare for the biggest war the Land of Dawn has ever seen!"

We arrived at Swan Castle as soon as we got out of the dream world. And I said to them the message I received from Selena. And as soon as we delivered the message to the King and Queen of Swan Castle, they contacted the Emperor of the Moniyan Empire, and called out for all elite warriors serving it to prepare for war.

The Land of Dawn is having a huge war. And I don't know if I could stop it.

***

The Emperor anticipated where the war is going to take place, and he said that the war would probably be at the Western Expanse, halfway from the Abyss and halfway from the Moniyan Empire Castle. Every warrior spared no effort in preparation for the battle, and we had a number of help from different races who are part of the Light – Yassons, Leonins, Moon Elves, Minotaurs, Nazar Guardians, and magicians from Magic Academy. And before we settled ourselves for battle at the edge of Western Expanse, Minotaur, the strongest and once the guardian of the Twilight Orb, was able to express his bottled up emotions regarding the events that the Minoan Kingdom had faced with the Twilight Orb. And he couldn't believe that the prophecy would start from that moment. I said not to be caught on the past because it could never be changed but only learn from it, so the future could be taken in a much more different path.

Every warrior was in their positions, and was settled to fight. Swords were honed, guns were filled and magic has been preserved.

The ground shook, and air began to be filled with cold breeze and dark energy. They've arrive, the Abyssal Army.

"Alright, this is it! Hold your position everyone! The stakes have never been higher!" Captain Tigreal, as the one infront together with other tanky warriors, initiated what to do as they would be the main source of defense. As the demons went nearer and nearer, four tall mobile thrones made up of dark vines and wood were at the back of the warfare. Vexana, Alice, Dyrroth, and Selena were sitting on the thrones. In front of the line were Thamuz, Terizla, Helcurt, Argus and the undead man who rode a horse, Leomord.

"Well what are you waiting for? Attack!" Commanded Selena then the demons began the attack as initiated by the five dark warriors. They launched their attack, and it was our turn.

"Warriors of Light! For Victory!" Captain Tigreal went forward with other frontliners and the warriors followed as well. Lolita, one of the tanks, split her shield and shared it to all frontliners as additional defense, and for a little elf, she repels damage like hell.

And then the two armies clashed, it was a combat between weapon and magic. Even the nobles joined in the battle, Lancelot and Gusion with their swords, Guinevere with her supermagic, Odette with her Swan Rhapsody, Lesley with her sniper, and Harley with his magic. Kimmy and Claude let their bullets rain on the enemies. Nana and Harith were sending demons in their doom with their perfect magic combo. They were fit to fight and so were the demons. They didn't give up a fight. Helcurt was too fast to be caught, Thamuz absorbed energy continuously strengthening himself, Terizla hits like a crap, Argus doesn't take damage when he summons his wings and Leomord was too strong to be handled especially when he rides his horse.

"We can't hold them! They're breaking through!" shouted Minotaur when the demons kept coming and coming on them.

Selena and the others laughed wickedly as they sent their armies onwards and casted their own magic abilities to help in battle. And Selena declared, "We will rule the Land of Dawn!" And she laid her eyes on me in an instant. I was at the farthest edge behind the clash, and she spotted me that fast, I felt it. The power of the Twilight Orb indeed gave her strong powers, at the cost of losing mine.

"Come my comrades, let us take on with the prophesied one!" – Selena

"Just what I have been waiting for you to say." - Dyrus

"Now that is so much more fun than sitting here." – Alice

"Hahaha! I love the taste of pain." Said Vexana, which caught the attention of the other three.

"You've really gone bonkers huh?" - Alice

"Crazy old witch, I wonder why we even brought you here." – Dyrus

"Silence! Unlike you, she has done something so vital as to bringing me the Twilight Orb!" Selena scolded. "Enough of this, let's get Lunox!"

Vexana was left by the three who didn't even bother looking back at her as they hovered mid-air and went directly at my direction.

"It's payback time, Lunox! Hiya!"

"Look out Lunox!" Belerick caught the blood orb Alice threw at me.

"Belerick!"

"Come! We must take you away from here!" Belerick took me on his back and was about to run when Dyrroth blocked the way.

"Not so fast! You don't think I'm going to let you go, right! Agh!" Then Guinevere sent out an energy ball and hit Dyrroth.

"Say that again, Dork-roth!" Guinevere came in to the scene together with Freya, Kimmy, Nana, and Odette. "Hurry, Belerick. Go!"

"We'll take care of them!" - Kimmy

"You imbeciles! Take this!" – Alice

"I will do anything for the Abyss, anything!" – Dyrroth

The four of them faced the two and Selena was nowhere there. She was just hovering with them awhile ago, but she disappeared.

Belerick took me in the forest of the Western Expanse. We stopped by a river, and laid under a tree. When suddenly, his vines went all tingly. And then an abyssal demon was flying towards me which Belerick immediately caught before it could hit me, stunning him. Selena, in her demon form, attacked Belerick and knocked him down to the ground.

"No! Belerick!" I screamed in grief and anxiety. I didn't want to lose Belerick, at any cost. I ran towards Belerick, then Selena returned to her elven form and walked in circles around me, I could feel the stare of her eyes. "Finally, alone."

"What do you want? You have the power of the Twilight Orb?"

"What do I want? Ha! I want to destroy you!"

"Why?! What bad have I done to you that you want to destroy me?!"

"Nothing, but your existence threatens the plans of the Abyss! See, they adore you. YThe Light praises you, you give them hope and the reason to fight, so without you alive, the Light will surrender." And then she used up all her powers upon me. It was a painful and dreadful one, I didn't think I could make it through all of what she did to me. My body took damage too much it fell to the ground. As much as I wanted to get up and fight back, I couldn't. She kept on coming and coming at me that I couldn't bear it anymore. She looked at me with a grin on her face.

"Maybe they wrong. Maybe you're not the prophesied after all."

And everything went dark.

I was floating, in a mixture of darkness and light that surrounded me, if I remembered it right. I didn't know where I was, I felt like I was floating in deep slumber. I felt pain, like two forces were fighting within me. It hurt, but it was bearable. And then a flash suddenly illuminated my surroundings. And I heard a voice, "Everything in the Land of Dawn needs you. You are the first major gift I've given the world. You have the blessing of the Twilight Orb. No one, not even the absence of the orb itself, could take your powers away from you for you and the Twilight Orb are always together." And then a halo combined with both Order and Chaos appeared around me.

I woke up, all healed. Belerick wasn't there where I saw him last. And then it all occurred to me. The Unique God had redeemed what was missing in me. In the past, I hoped that there was another way to bring the balance between darkness and light. I hoped that I wouldn't be the one prophesied to do such a vital thing. But it turns out that I had no choice, but to embrace what has been bestowed upon me. Everyone needs me, no matter evil or good, darkness or light. No one else can do this but me, for I am both darkness and light. I get it now, Mother had tried to make me realize this when we talked, and finally, I realized it. I am the bridge, I am both forces, and I am always with the Twilight Orb.

Then a ray of light and darkness streaked from within me and surrounded me that they took me mid-air, and I could feel Chaos and Order transforming me into another form. I felt cosmic harmony within me, balance between Chaos and Order. Consequently, with my powers back and myself stronger, I flew in the air back to the battleground.

The massive battle shook the wholeness of Western Expanse, the destruction it brought to the place's nature is too far gone to be restored. The battle went on, and as I had gone nearer to the battlegrounds, the Abyssal Warriors had the upper hand. Guinevere and the others we left earlier had been cornered at the edge of a nearby cliff by Dyrroth and Alice. Selena joined the fight as I saw, being the frontliners with the four dark knights – Thamuz, Helcurt, Argus, Leomord.

"I love tearing the enemy to shreds!" Selena, in her demon form, pounced on every light warrior she could pounce on. She knocked many warriors down to the ground, but I didn't just hover there to watch them win. I released a massive energy of Chaos and Order which caught the attention of all. Selena, who couldn't believe herself, was shocked the most.

"Lunox! It's Lunox!" Odette proclaimed. "And she's transformed."

"Well, hi everybody! I just thought I'd drop in." I said with confidence. Finally, after all I've been through, I found myself. I found my powers, and I found my capabilities.

"It's not possible! I don't believe this!" Selena shrieked in anger. I flew over where Selena was and I conjure chaotic energy onto my hands.

"You thought you got rid of me right? Well, you thought wrong! Urgh, hiya!" I threw the chaotic energy at her which bothered Dyrroth and Alice that they went to assist her immediately. But my shot was a miss, and Selena was hovering with the help of the Twilight Orb's power.

"Well, look who's back! Let's give her a cold welcome, shall we?" Alice flew beside Selena after taking Vexana from her seat and joined the ruckus.

"Give them a taste of pain!" Vexana exclaimed then Alice rolled her eyes.

"Ugh! We are, crazy woman!" – Alice

"Enough with the evil already!" Guinevere thumped on the ground below me and the others followed.

"C'mon, girls! This is some major girl power showdown!" Freya managed to gracefully tal with confidence as she joined the fight.

"Oh, look. More goodie ladies, but so what?" Selena threw a number of stunning abyssal arrows towards us but instead of hitting us, the mirror image left by Guinevere took it all and returned the supposed damage back to them. And I have had about enough of Selena, she's getting on my nerves. She led this war, so I must take her down.

"Selena! I'm coming for you!" I flew to her direction and she flew away as I followed. The powers of Chaos and Order was surging around me that I glowed bright light and dark light. I threw a ray of starlight and a dark energy ball, one after the other, at Selena who kept dodging my hits. The war below us didn't stop, countless warriors and demons were on the verge of defeating one another, but the strength of both sides made it hard to tell who was going to claim victory.

"One shot, one kill!"

"Horn the sound of victory!"

"For Victory! Ha!"

Alice and Vexana, including Dyrroth, kept the other girls busy – Kimmy, Freya, Guinevere and Nana and Odette had joined them as well as she threw a blue nova as it immobilized the three. The men were out in the battlefield handling the four dark knights. Everybody I knew and had grown to love was there, except for one. Belerick, where is he?

Selena and I took our fight over the river where she thought she destroyed me. We threw our powers at each other as we kept on dodging each other's attack. She couldn't launch at me with her demon form for everytime she tried, I just went on my Brilliance State – my invulnerable state – and she couldn't touch me. On the other hand, I couldn't find the perfect moment to launch my surging Chaos Energy at her.

"That the best you got? Witchy poo?" I said. And again she screamed in anger that she managed to stun me and launch at me with her demon form, but in time I was able to cast my Brilliance State and I wasted her skill. She was annoyed that she sent her abyssal arrows one after the other and I dodged them, one by one. But one managed to hit me, and it followed another one that I almost fell at the ground and Selena laughed wickedly. But I teleported beside her using my dreamworld portal, and it shocked her, then I threw a Chaos Assault to her that she fell and went swimming on the river. I laughed then.

But I rejoiced too soon, an abyssal arrow infused with her abyssal traps hit me, that I too, fell to the river as she went up. And she casted countless abyssal traps on every inch of the river, making it hard for me to come out of the water, but I used my Brilliance State to avoid any of the traps. I appeared infront of her, and she was infuriated that nothing she does could keep me on the ground.

"That's it! I'm taking you down now!" Then she used all of her power to infuse the abyssal traps she planted and created one gigantic abyssal trap, and then from the depths of the water, an abyssal demon rose and attacked me. Selena transformed into her demon form, I couldn't summon my Brilliance State because I just used it, and it needs ample time to be summoned again, so I had no choice.

When she was about to pounce on me, I surged with Chaotic Energy and I dodged with a dash her close ranged attack, and then I launched a massive release of Chaos Assault towards her.

"No! No!" – Selena

And then after that, the Chaotic Energy I released did not only affect Selena, but also, it reached the far ends of the battle ground and defeated all abyssal warriors. Chaos Energy destroyed without limits. The battle has ended.

The Abyssal warriors retreated as commanded by the four knights, but were captured, along with their three leaders who were defeated by my girls. Warriors of light assembled, as I arrived at the area with Selena on my arms.

"Alright! Lunox, you did it!" Odette, with her smile, commended me. I smiled back. "I knew you would." I dropped Selena gently on the ground beside Alice.

"Now, you, servants of the Abyss Lord, shall be executed first thing in the morning." Captain Tigreal has declared, but I revolted.

"Hold that thought, we musn't." Everybody was shocked with what I have said. Even my friends couldn't believe me.

"What do you mean? We're just going to let them go?" – Captain Tigreal

"After all that they have done?" - Minotaur

"They deserve death!" – Lanceleot

"I know how you feel. I know that they've done awful things that even execution is not their deserved punishment. But please hear me on what I have to say." I breathed deeply and looked first at the looks of the dark warriors we have captured. Then I returned my looks at the light army. "Wiping them out will break the balance of the world itself. I know it's hard to understand but let me explain to you. Evil in the world, darkness and all things bad will always be there. And so would be light and goodness. Chaos and order coexist with one another, good and evil, light and darkness. How can you tell it's light without darkness? How can you tell good apart from evil? How can you say it's peaceful without chaotic event? You see, there is a reason why things must be this way, one cannot exist without the other."

After a few moments of reflection and discussion, we decided to let them go. I generated a barrier in between the two opposing sides so that none would be able to touch anyone from opposite sides, and I stood in between, absorbing both energies of Chaos and Order from both sides. The Twilight Orb had been retrieved from Selena's inside along with its power and I controlled the stream of the energies into the Twilight Orb. Afterwards, I warned both sides, "For now, Light has claimed its rightful place as the victor of this war. Now, there will be peace. But it will not last forever, as nothing in the world does. But when the time of strife comes again, mark my words, I will be there to bring back the balance. Because balance is my only truth and purpose, as I am both darkness and light."

And both sides dispersed and went back to their own businesses as I watched them go, keeping an eye on any sign of treachery. When the Abyss army were far already, I joined my friends as I transformed back to normal when I walked. Odette waited for me, "Lunox, take my hand." I smiled and we joined the others for our journey back to the Swan Castle.

"Is there anything wrong?" She asked me.

"I'm just worried, I haven't seen Belerick since I got my powers back. The last time I saw him, he was in a bad condition."

The war may have ended, I may have stopped the massive clash between Abyss and Light, but the worry within me had never left. Especially when Belerick went missing. I wondered where he's gone, and why I haven't seen him. It's been three days. Where are you now, my flowery friend? I miss you.