Two Souls (Part 2)

Celeste could sense herself being consumed by the dragon's aura. She could feel her own soul melding into that of Bredret's as if she was being devoured. For a moment fear did start to take her over but as she realized at the same time that Bredret's own soul was being healed by her own she gave in. A smile came to her as she saw herself fading away because the one she loved was getting better. Even if it meant giving up everything, including her existence, and even if she could not be reborn she would give it all if it meant Bredret had a chance to become happy.

All around her she could see the darkness that was inside Bredret's mind. It was nothing but endless black and she could see the dragon she loved in the form of a man. He was kneeling on the darkness while trembling in fear of the god's voice calling out to him telling him to kill those who were important to him.

"Bredret?" Celeste called out to him once more as she saw the man reaching out towards her body. There was a light emitting from her body. As if she was lighting up the darkness of the dragon's heart. She was his hope, his love, his everything.

"Celeste? Is that.. really you?" Bredret's exhausted face was breathing heavily as he looked up at her from where he knelt.

"You don't belong here, Bredret. You must go back." She placed both her hands on the sides of his face as she pulled the man into her warm embrace. This moment was something she wished she could saver. However this moment could not last forever as she felt the dragon's aura continuing to consume and merge herself into his own soul. Her soul was filling that defect that was entrapping Bredret from having true freedom in this world. At the cost of her existence he would no longer need to fear the gods using him like a loyal dog.

"How?" Bredret muttered when he realized something was wrong. "What have you done?! Celeste what did you do this time?!"

"I am finally able to do something for you after all this time.. hahah." Celeste gave a weak laugh as she did not want the man to worry. In his eyes she could see the despair that he tried to conceal from her.

"No! Whatever you have done just stop and go back! There has to be another way!" As a dragon Bredret has great at understanding how mana worked. He could feel her growing weaker quickly and himself getting better. It did not take an explanation to understand that his soul was consuming her in order to heal itself. He was consuming the soul of his beloved!

She's sacrificing herself again for his sake!

She was scared to live a normal life and leave him alone after death so she became a spirit connected to him without his consent and now she was going to force his soul to consume her very existence to grant him freedom from the authority of the gods! Bredret felt like his heart was shattered like glass.

"I can not do that," Celeste's words were like a knife to his heart. "You know that it is impossible for me to stop the fusion from happening at this point. This is something only I can do for you. This is the only thing I can give you after all these years."

"But-" Bredret was quickly cut off by her.

"Let me give you this one thing," She began to sob as she spoke further. "after the pain I caused by making the choice I did all those years I am happy I can at least help you in this way. I will always be with you.. just a bit different then the wandering spirit."

Sliding her hand across Bredret's head it slowly moved down towards his chest. Placing the palm of her hand against his chest as she saw a tear fall from Bredret's face. Although he was looking down and had a shadow cast over his face to hide his expression she could not mistake that tear for anything else as it escaped his eye.

Gritting his teeth together Bredret grabbed Celeste by the wrist and pulled her down into his arms. He could not allow her to continue to stand as he knelt there. Wrapping his arms tightly around Celeste he gazed into her tear filled eyes with his own golden eyes.

"My love," Bredret whispered weakly by her ear. "I wont be able to live without you."

"You can and you will." She smiled up into his eyes as she felt his warm breath.

Leaning his head in Bredret placed his lips against Celeste's. It had been years since he had been able to feel the sensation of being able to touch the one he loved. He had dreamed of being able to touch her once again. His wish had finally been fulfilled and yet in this setting it was more like a curse because in the end it would not last.

"They're waiting for you." She spoke while pulling away from the kiss.

"Let them wait." Bredret did not want the moment to end.

"It's time to wake up, Bredret." She repeated herself knowing the man was being stubborn.

Her body had began to fade so she took a few steps back from Bredret. Celeste's soul had started to evaporate like a fading image from her feet up.

"Celeste! My love!" Bredret called out loudly as he rushed to his feet towards her.

Grasping out of desperation he tried to catch hold of the fading image of Celeste. Stumbling he fell forward and her image scattered. Spreading a bright light throughout the darkness of his subconscious.

I dont want to wake up! Bredret wanted to scream as he realized she was gone. He could no longer sense her in his subconscious nor could he sense her existence in the world outside. If he woke up now he knew the reality of everything would be painful.

Waking up was something he could not refuse. No matter how much he wanted to hide from the world. It did not matter if he wanted to hide within himself. Knowing what Celeste had done for him he could only accept her final request for him to wake up. Gritting his teeth through the pain he felt in his chest he focused his mind with the intent to awaken for her sake. His heart was unsettled and broken but he could never refuse the wish of the one that was his everything til the end.

"How could you ask me to live in a world that you are not a part of?" Bredret laughed as he tried to suppress the pain.

With her existence fading she had hoped that Bredret would one day be free of the shackles that bound him to guilt. If he no longer had to see her soul shackled to him maybe he would one day be free of his burden over what she'd done. That was what she hoped for. It was a mistake and a choice she had selfishly made alone. She did not want him to continue to drown in his guilt because it was never his to carry. Whether or not he could learn to let go of the past and move forward was something she could not foresee but she hoped for it.