Chapter 34: Sorrows of The Broken

Within the storm, the empress' ship hovers high above ground, slightly moving to its destination, with City Senteria being left behind in the far distance. The flickering of lighting can be seen through the dark clouds, followed by the loud bangs of thunder. Just then, a bolt strikes a large beam on the ship, only for the electrical charge to curl around it, and disappears.

Along the enormous ship, through the concrete jungle of the large vessel, near the center of it; the guard halls looms, with the small prison built into it.

Deep within the prison; the halls are quiet, only the sound of the storm can be heard, with the scent of dampness filling the air. The alarms has long since ceased. After everything, not one of the empress' guards are seen; no one patrolling the cold hallways.

Alecia, Aven, and Raine stand between the broad passage of cells. The walls, and ceiling are being lit by Alecia, and Raine's energy they're emitting from their bodies.

Staring at Raine for a moment. Aven's eyes widen, he looks around himself, his gaze fixing at each cell. His narrow.

"Empty..." He mattered to himself.

Alecia's eyes dart his way.

"Did you say something?" She asked, before looking ahead once more.

"The cells," he said.

"They're empty."

Turning her gaze to the empty cells, Alecia looks at Raine once more.

"She must have set all of them free," She said, slowly shifting her stance, still calm, and collected. She must not let Raine see any weakness from her; no fear. Irritation growing in her chest, she let's out a cough with her hand over her mouth, only for her to look at her palm to see a small blood spatter.

Aven looks her way. "Do you have the vaccine with you?" He asked.

"I left it in your ship, it's too fragile." Alecia answered, closing her hand, bringing it to her side.

"Especially in this situation." She narrows her eyes.

Alecia could sense Raine's energy rising, she's getting ready for an attack. 'I have to do this, there is no choice,' she thought to herself. Just then, she senses Raine's energy spike up

'Now.'

Within a quick moment in time, Alecia launches herself forward with her arm arched; preparing for an attack. Only for her to collide her forearm with Raine's, followed by a large shockwave; causing the steel floor to vibrate, and bend.

Alecia gazes into her menacing stare, only for Raine to narrow her eyes. Pulling away, she throws her first punch which gets blocked.

Soon after, the both of them start throwing more punches and kicks. Their movements seem blurry to Aven's naked eyes. He looks down at his feet to see the dust being swept back by gusts of wind, urging him to look up at the fight once more.

Alecia gets kicked back, forcing her backflip, and slide on her feet. Only for her to launch herself forward once more with a loud shout.

The one watching the fight; Aven lets out a sigh, only for his pupils to ignite with a blue glow. Just then, his eyes dart back and forth in a fast motion, and continues to watch the battle more clearly.

Within a quick moment in time, Alecia is seen throwing punches at nothing but air, with Raine dodges every one. Only for her to guard one of Alecia's punches, and counters with her own, followed by attacks on her body. Each one, conjuoring shockwaves, followed by a hard kick to her gut, forcing Alecia to fly back, and tumbles to the floor.

Dark blue flames condense around Raine's arm. With a grin on her face, she launches herself forward with her arm arched back. Alecia turns her way with a wide-eyed look, and dodges, and watches as Raine's hand impales the metal floor. Only for her to dodge a few more of her deadly strikes.

Now a few feet away from Raine, she launches herself after her, and knees her in the chin, and throws a hard punch to her face, forcing her to fly back. Raine lands on her feet, and leaps into the air, followed by Alecia. Inches away, they both face each other, and just then, they continue to fight in a violent blur, with small shockwaves errupting from them as the walls around them start cracking.

After a moment, Raine throws strong punches to Alecia's body, and face, with grin forming on her face.

"What's the matter? Am I too fast for you?" She said; showing false pitty, still throwing punches. Only for her to swing a hard kick to Alecia's gut, leaving her crashing, and tumbling to the hard floor; landing face down.

Raine stares down at Alecia with a stern look. Slowly, she descends and lands on her feet. Her eyes starts to narrow as she gazes at her enemy.

Face down on the floor, Alecia's fingers jerk, only for her to push herself up. Now resting on her hands, and knees, she starts coughing until a large spatter of blood shoots on the floor, urging her to widen her eyes at the sight of it. She knows now... Her antidote has worn off.

"Are you okay, Alecia?" Aven asked, standing near her.

"Should I help?"

"No, don't," she said slowly standing herself. With one hand on the knee, she straightens herself up.

"I'm fine." She looks ahead at Raine. Cuffing her hand, she wipes a stream of blood from the side of her mouth. Her lungs feel as if they inhaled fire.

She tightens her fists, while clinching her jaw. Only for transparent blue flames to emit from her body once more, and starts surging around her; the flames themselves bending the light as it swirls.

"Raine!" She called out, launching herself towards her with her arm arched forward, only to dodge an attack, and throws a few quick punches on Raine while slowly forcing her back. After a moment, Alecia kicks her flying, causing her to collide through a wall of a cell, leaving behind a cloud of dust.

Alecia stands still, watching the dust cloud slowly fade. She starts catching her breath, with a beed of sweat forming on the side of her forehead.

From the cloud of dust, a blue light is seen within. Just then, the dust cloud gets blow apart, revealing Raine herself, who's still surrounded by dark-blue flames.

Letting out a sigh, Alecia glares at her; with her pupils still glowing. The wings along Raine's back spread out, urging Alecia to widen her eyes. Just then, spikes of energy shoot out from her wings. Within a brief moment, Alecia moves her palm forward, causing the spikes of energy to deform, and swirl around her in a blanket of dark-blue energy, only for her to lower her hand.

Stepping out from the wall with a slight smile on her face, Raine is seen to have not a scratch on her body. She steps around Alecia, and stands a few feet away from her. Slowly, Raine raises her hand, with her palm facing her enemy, urging Alecia to ready herself.

Her eyes narrow, and with a twist of her wrist, Raine closes her hand into a fist. Just then, the sapphire energy around Alecia condenses inward, now covering her like a suit.

Alecia widens her eyes with a gasp. She gazes down, and clinches her hands into tight fists. "What is it, what's wrong?" Aven asked in slight panic.

"I... Can't move." Alecia forces her words out. She looks up at Raine with a frown.

"What did you do to me!?"

"Very good, isn't it," said Raine, with a smile, and lowers her hand.

"It's a handy trick I learned."

She takes a few steps, only to stop. Her eyes narrow.

"What is the most painful thing you have ever felt?" She asked, smiling.

Still trying to break free from the energyfield incasing herself, she looks at Raine for a moment.

"Wha-" just then, a fist collides with her stomach, causing her to fly back, and collapse on the hard floor.

Now facing the ceiling, her eyes twitch, only for the glow to fade from her pupils. Shutting her eyes, Alecia tries to bare the pain. Can't move; she can't even place her hands over her stomach.

Watching from the distance, Aven still fights the urge to interfere. He turns his gaze to Raine, spotting her looking his way with a resentful glare. Urging him to frown in response.

Raine looks ahead of herself, and walks towards Alecia. Gazing down at her, watching her paralyzed state within the sapphire field.

With her eyelids heavy, her eyes slowly opens to see Raine standing over, and looking down at her with a calm expression on her face. Alecia's hands shake as they slightly move a few inches.

"I have waited a long time for this moment," Raine said, one of her hands close into a fist.

"I remember. This is exactly how it was when you were standing over me, I was so helpless then."

Raine frowns, and grits her teeth.

"How could you do it?" She asked, not expecting a response to her question.

"Kill millions of innocent people, especially children. You had no right."

Raine's eyelids begin to glisten from the light of her glowing pupils.

"My sister..." Her voice trembles out.

"She was just a child..." She pauses, letting out a stuttering breathe, only for a tear to escape the grip of her eye.

"I was to protect her," she added, still holding her tears.

"Because of you, I failed her. Because of you, I lost everyone I loved!!" She raises her hand, and points her index finger at her.

"P-please..." Alecia said, with a soft expression on her face.

"It w-was a long time. I am no longer that person."

Raine takes in a deep breath, and exhales.

"Same here..." She said, pausing, only for the tip of her finger to start glowing.

"After what happened, innocence was lost to me. To even exist, is utter pain."

"T-he seraphims," Alecia said, her voice still stuttering.

"I had no choice, they lied to us, the-"

"Shut up!" Raine said gritting her teeth, looking down at her. Her eyes glow brighter, as well as the tip of her finger.

"I dedicated my youth; my whole life to get to this moment."

She narrows her eyes.

"Where I have you at my mercy; begging for your life. This is what kept me going. You will be the first to pay."

Alecia's eyes widens as she watches the tip of Raine's finger go brighter. She closes her eyes, awaiting the inevitable end. What Raine said to her, she's not wrong. So many lives lost because of her. So many worlds left in ruin. How could she do it for so long until one person reminded her that life is precious, just as much as those on her own planet. On Earth she had compassion for a girl; she even befriended her. How could she have lost sight of how sacred life is. 'Maybe Ruth is right,' she thought to herself. 'Maybe this thing is a curse; this power. I deserve to suffer, I deserve to die.'

"Goodbye," Raine simply said, narrowing her eyes.

"Alecia." The tip of her finger begins to form a bright sapphire sphere.

Just then, her wings flashes, from her back to the tips, and her eyes shifts to the side, only for her to dodge Aven's attack, and watches in a brief moment, noticing his forearm being covered in blue flames. Raine's eyes narrow. She grips his arm, and clutches his throat with the other. Gritting her teeth, she launches forward with him, and slams him against the wall of a cell.

"Nice try!" She said, raising her hand with her index finger pointing at his forehead, only for the tip to form a saphire sphere once more. Just then, Aven's knee strikes her in the gut, causing her to gasp with her hand loosening around his throat.

With a cold look in his eyes, Aven's body begins to emit blue flames. With a shout, the flames surge out, forcing her to slide back.

The blue light subsides. Lowering her arms from her face, Raine zooms her attention on him, narrowing her eyes as she does.

Without a word, Aven launches himself at her, and collides with a small shockwave, starts fighting in a blur of punches and kicks, only for them to disappear. After-images of them can be seen when they collide now and again with strong shockwaves errupting.

Deep within her mind, Alecia remembers something. Something important that was once said to her. "No one deserves to die. It's all in the past. From now on, you can be the person you aspire to be." a man's voice said, deep, and aged it was. Such words were uttered by a man with appearances looking older than herself. Wallace: an ederly man she once met a few months ago, back on planet Earth. He was so wise, and so kind to her. 'Wallace...' She thought in her mind, 'I miss you all. Virgil, Diana. You were my friends. You all helped me. I hope you are all okay, and happy. Do you ever think about me?'

With the saphire energy still incasing her, Alecia slowly stands herself up. She feels as if her body's been worn out. Each second, the force around her fights every muscle of her body. With a lot of effort on her part, she is on her feet.

'I can't give up,' Alecia thought to herself. 'I need to get myself free.' She closes her hands into tight fists. Gazing down at the floor before her, she starts raising her voice, with blue waves begining to surge within the saphire energy around her body. She raises her voice louder, causing more blue waves within the energy field.

Veins begin to buldge along her temples of her forehead as she tightens her fists, her voice going louder than before. Dust around her begins to flee from her presence, as the blue waves around her body flowing more violently. The saphire field incasing her, begins to crack as it branches out throughout her body; glowing rays of blue light ficker through from the cracks. Just then, she lets out a loud scream. The field shatters, as violent blue flames surge forth from her body.

Just then, Raine kicks Aven, causing him to tumble along the floor. With the blue flames still surging from him, he slowly stands himself up, his bottom lip, seeping out blood. He turns attention to Alecia, urging Raine to look over her shoulder at her.

Glaring at Raine, the flames around Alecia's body is now brighter, and denser, with the pupils of her eyes more luminace as well.

"I'm not finished yet," she said, her voice having a slight echo within the surging flames.

With her gaze locked on her, Raine turns to face her, followed by a slight smile.

"Another round then." She simply said. Just then, saphire flames surge from her body. Her smile fades, and her eyes narrow

"There won't be any hesitation this time..." Her pupils glow brighter.

"...I guarantee it."