"So you are saying that the guardian of the light looks like me?"
Saphira tapped her chin, "What I think is that she was not only a look alike of yours but I have a strong hunch that you and her are one and the same."
Saphira had this strong feeling.
"Maybe because of the desire not to be pulled, your soul ended up being split into two. You also said that..."
As Saphira spoke about everything that happened outside, she also asked Nathalia about her own experiences.
"...Your power down here has weakened a lot."
"You are saying that the other half of my soul combined with the spirit of the light ability and became its guardian."
"You said that there was no such thing as a guardian, instead it has always been just a fire of light."
Nathalia thought for a bit before realizing what Saphira came up with.
"A way to get out of here, is that what you are trying to say."
"It is just my speculation but what we need to do first is to find him. Because my hunch is telling me that he is still out there."
"You spoke all of these but your priority is to find him? Shouldn't that be something you have to leave to me? You are still a human through and through. It is better for you to leave here as soon as possible than be corrupted and have no chance of returning."
"Are you worried about me?" Saphira grinned.
Nathalia's face instantly darkened.
"Indeed, I spoke of a chance to get out but I can't just leave you fighting on your own now, can I? I did give you hope and I have no desire to crush it. Plus, I spoke of this now in order for us not to have any misunderstandings later on when you realize a connection you have outside."
Nathalia shook her head, "Suit yourself, just don't go crying when you suddenly realize that you actually had no way of going out once you were able to help me."
Saphira shrugged, "I trust my friends."
She moved her arms and legs, "Okay, I am ready, shall we go to the direction I last felt it?"
"Are you serious about this?"
"It is not bad to be a bridge between two lovers. If I can help you in such a way to find the love of your lif- HEY!"
"Shut up."
Nathalia actually hit her at the back of her head.
Nathalia did not expect that this person was able to melt the madness and loneliness in her heart with just her words alone.
The first when she did not give up no matter how long.
The next time, when she showed unyielding belief to her friends that they would come for her.
Next was when she confronted her and made her face everything that she was trying to deny.
And the last was telling her that there is still someone out there who was looking for her despite her giving up.
'Maybe I really was just looking for someone who is strong enough to pull me out of my misery.'
She sighed at the thought of all those other light ability users whom she had dissuaded in the past.
"We are already in a gloomy place, why are you trying to make it even gloomier?" Saphira commented, looking back at her.
"Ah, could it be you are thinking about the other light ability users you succeeded in dissuading?" Saphira said, causing Nathali to frown.
"I got it, didn't I?" she grinned.
After a bit of organizing her thoughts, "Hmmm, maybe you did dissuade them but hey it is half their fault they allowed you to dissuade them. We are not responsible for other people's lives. We might cause them to think like this or like that but the other half of a decision was made by them. I am not saying that you should forget what you did but I think there is no point in wallowing in it."
She will not justify the guilt that Nathalia is feeling now but she won't push her to become guiltier either.
She is not playing safe by doing this, but instead, she has her own life and the person in front of her is Nathalia, not those people. She will judge things the way she sees it in the present.
Not the past.
"Whatever. What are you doing?" Nathalia reacted, hiding her own thoughts.
"Hmmm?" Saphira asked as she once again squatted to check on something.
She had been doing this repeatedly after they stepped out of that place and while fending off some demonic beasts that attacked them.
"Looking for a weapon for you. I mean, they are attacking only me indeed but can't you at least help?" Saphira complained, throwing another rusted sword.
There are a whole bunch of weapons in here but they are either broken or are rusted enough to break at the slightest of impact.
"Give and take you know," she added as she swung her own sword and killed another demonic beast.
A whole load was now coming after them.
Nathalia knew that the reason they were being attacked much more than before was because Saphira used her light ability just so she could confront her.
Which means, more have seen their location.
Nevertheless, Saphira did not say a thing about it.
She had not blamed Nathalia for anything.
Her dissuasion or the fact that they are being attacked because Saphira became brighter than she was before.
"This is more than enough," Nathalia said, picking up a metal that was not so rusted.
"And if it breaks, I'll just pick another," she added as she coolly split another demonic beast into half.
"Just so you know, the moment I brandish a weapon against a dark entity while being one myself, those who are leading this world will not like it."
Saphira was agape,"You could have said that sooner."
But she doesn't seem like she was blaming her for anything at all.
"But the ones leading you say," Saphira spoke as they got surrounded by the demonic beasts.
"Are you referring to the dark lords? Or maybe a dark king?"
"..."
Sometimes it is great to have a smart companion, you don't need to explain too much for them to understand what they are saying.
"It took us a whole load of strength and power just to bring down one. I guess we just spiced our lives a little bit more."
"Don't you find it stupid. If I just followed you and left you to fight on your own. Just like the game they enjoyed playing, watching a prey struggle and lose hope. Wouldn't that give us more time to look for him?"
Saphira turned to her and rolled her eyes, "And what? Give you more guilt that I died out of exhaustion just because you didn't fight with me? I don't like that, you know."
"And if you die, don't you think I'd have more guilt."
Saphira laughed, "If I die then you will die as well because you are now a traitor of this world. So either we both survive or we both die."
Nathalia found herself smiling at this person.
She did not know what Saphira had experienced outside of this place, as a light ability user, the problems and sacrifices you'll face are much much more than the others. But for her to remain such a wonderful one, she must truly be a unique one.
"How long do you think this will take?" Nathalia asked.
"Who knows, we are after all simply going in a general direction," Saphira laughed once again.
At the very least, she was not fighting for survival alone. This time she is fighting for something more.
"I guess I was born to keep on fighting, not just for myself," she muttered.
She had accepted this now.
She hated it before because they gave up a lot of things just so they could save the world. But the fulfillment of being able to do something for someone, she was truly enjoying it now.
"What are you suddenly sprouting in there?" Nathalia attacked another beast coming from behind Saphira.
"Nothing."
"You really are a weird one," she couldn't help but comment.
"Look who's talking, having such a smile on your lips while becoming more and more of a traitor to these demonic beasts," Saphira pointed.
Nathalia furrowed her brows and touched her lips.
To her shock, her lips were turned upwards.
She was actually enjoying the fight.
She never had this kind of feeling before.
'Is it because I was too preoccupied with what I was doing in the past and the feeling of being too strong, those who were of equal to me and would have a normal smile, turned to revere as time went by? That I lost the enjoyment of having someone to fight alongside me?'
She looked again at Saphira and the smile on her lips turned wider.
"I guess so," she answered.
Far from where they were, another one was breathing heavily as he hid behind the dead trees.
His head snapped in another direction.
"Nathalia."
He felt it, her presence.
The presence he had been searching for so long.
Despite the tiredness a smile appeared on his lips.
"I know I'll find you. Wait for me, this time I will come for you."