Determination

The witch's arms shook; her legs trembled; her mind in chaos.

Even now, here she was, tittering and stumbling as she pressed her hand against her forehead. The light that shone on her forehead brightened, intensified, and so did the pain.

The pain would not abate, even as she wished for it to disappear.

The muted headache exploded for its strength exponentially intensified, like a dam breaking down. The buzzing noises in her ears would not go away, like a group of annoying flies returning back to her and flying around her ears.

As the witch was shaking her head, the sounds of glass cracking and shattering resounded in her mind..

The glass shattering, along with several tiny pieces of glass, fell and disappeared similar to before.

This time, glass shards and pieces slowly flew back up.

Like the puzzle pieces of a million piece puzzle, they placed themselves in the exact same spot.

Some other puzzle pieces, already destroyed and ground into minuscule glass dust, were replaced.

Instead, they were reborn into new ones filled with a strange light.

Stumbling, the witch shook her head. Her head throbbed with such extraordinary pain, and her body burned.

Another large pulse of pain rained up her spine, and she keeled over.

Just as it came, another unbearable feeling came up, similar to when the waistline above was really cold, and the person's back and legs were uncomfortably hot.

The witch can only continue struggling soundlessly. As she did, she fell and rolled down the hill. Past the crater; past the blood-ridden grass and dirt-she continued struggling.

The pain would not stop. The pain would not abate.

The rolling continued until she slammed onto the ground floor.

The burning pain did not stop as a chill ran up her spine.

The witch's back arched off the ground as an even more powerful headache pulsed.

Her struggling, twisting and turning slowly began to die down.

The world in her eyes became darker and darker, as the pain slowly became an echo. Breathing, her eyes began to unconsciously begin to close, and as her lungs began to slow…

Just as the darkness engulfed her sight, her eyes saw a blue light emerging.

Descending from above, this small, blue, flickering light shone brighter and brighter.

Looking at it, the witch raised her hand towards it...but it dropped back down, landing with a 𝘵𝘩𝘶𝘥 on the grass.

Again, she raised her hand upwards. And so many times, it fell back down.

Even then, the gray-haired woman didn't stop trying. She tried to grab the light, so desperately, so tiredly.

The light was illusive.

Like a dancing butterfly, it dodges and weaves amongst the plentiful flowers, its destination unpredictable.

Her arms began to tire because she kept reaching for it. Even then, the light couldn't be grasped in her hands.

The gray-haired woman stopped. If it was an illusion or a dream, it was a beautiful one.

So one last time, she stretched her hand up to the blue light...

And the blue light landed on her outstretched hand.

As the light grazed her hand, its shine intensified, and the dull world became a tad more lighter.

Then, from the light, a sense of serenity and warmth was exuded from it.

She felt its warmth flowing into her. Like in a stream of water, the warmth soaked into every inch of her body, and she had never felt so at peace.

Like the end of a terrible nightmare, Anna woke up from it; alive and free.

As she did, something edged her mind. With a subtle-like feeling, it slowly pushed against her, almost conversing with her with feelings of concern and apologies.

"Yes, I'm alright, Amor. I felt as if I had been freed from something."

Dropping her hand down onto the ground, and with the blue butterfly taking off and fluttering around her, the tension in her body seemed to disappear. The invisible weight that was once on her shoulders and chest had vanished.

Along with the headache and burning pain.

She breathed in the air as a fresh breeze brushed against her face. An earthy scent, mixed with the smell of nature and the metallic tang of iron.

It was just like a dream.

'It had been a long time since I felt so...free,' Anna thought. She rubbed her forehead again instinctively.

The pain never came back.

Just then, a blinking notification appeared in the corner of her eyes.

No, it was always blinking, but Anna had chosen to ignore it previously.

It automatically enlarged and opened before her eyes.

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𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭: ???

𝘛𝘢𝘴𝘬: Follow the butterfly.

-The butterfly will guide your way. The way to the spire at the center of this realm. There, you will awaken a new power. A power mankind desperately needs, for the branch of power long ago has been closed. At the spire, you will fix your mind.

So always follow it. Always move forward.

Always look forward.

Status: [𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐝]

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Race: Human (???) 99% => Human (???) 100%

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Synchronization completed.

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Human (???) 100% => Fairy (Fair Folk)

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...

Error.

100% (???) ##@!#!$@!$!

Error...interference from C##r###ne

Error...interference from the Se###th #al#####

Error...interference from #####n

Error...interference from ???

...

...

...

Adjustment completed.

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𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗲 Synchronization restored.

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Race: Human (???) 100% => Fae of the Distant Shores (Fair Folk)

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The memories flooded back, and the nightmare had returned.

Anna looked away from the transparent screen as she rolled over. Her stomach lying against the ground, she pressed her right hand against the ground and pushed herself up.

Then, her right arm gave in and she fell onto the ground.

𝘛𝘩𝘶𝘥.

Once more, with a deep breath, she pushed herself up. This time, with the staff that was laying against the ground next to her, she wedged the bottom of the staff into the ground.

Afterwards, she pushed herself up with it.

Lifting herself up with the staff, Anna first got onto her knees. Then, she placed a foot down, and with it, another.

Finally, she slowly stood on both feet. Even now, still leaning against her staff with trembling arms and legs, she began making her way up the hill.

...

From the very bottom, limping and tripping, the realm around the gray-haired woman had already begun to change.

The trees, the forest, the corpses, and the bodies of children. They had all began to disperse, becoming transparent.

The last child, the kneeling girl, had been forgotten.

Wherever she is now, she had already disappeared from the gray-haired woman's sight.

It did not matter, for in the end, everything was slowly dissipating into particles of light.

Stumbling, up the bloody hill, amongst the corpses and dirty grass, the gray-haired woman tripped again.

Falling onto her knees and staining her black clothes, her staff ricocheted off the ground, landing a few feet away from her.

Then, her entire body landed face-first against the grass, caked in dirt and coppery-blood.

And she didn't move.

She couldn't.

Every muscle in her body told her to rest-just for a moment!

Her mind told her she can't move-just a while longer, then she can move!

Just a while longer-she told herself that.

Just a few seconds...

...

…

I opened my eyes, and I found myself floating in a void.

No, it wasn't a void. It was a body of water.

A sea of water.

Floating in the depths, I looked above. The pitch black darkness around me gradually grew more and more blue, albeit dark, as it became closer to the surface. Above, I saw the ocean waves on the, flowing and ebbing peacefully.

A hypnotic like tranquility, of nature being in balance. Strangely enough, my body was cold, but the ocean made up for that as it wrapped me in a warm embrace.

It was the type of hypnotism that made me feel sleepy.

So I closed my eyes, and I simply let go, letting the ocean's waters float me to wherever it wanted me to-

'No.'

An echo made itself known, and I frowned as the echo floated into my ears.

As it did, a light shined from above. A faint, dim light, but a light nonetheless. The dark blue color of the water, close to the surface, grew brighter and brighter.

'No, Anna. It's not time to rest. Not yet.'

Once again it echoed throughout the ocean's waters, entering my ears.

It was a vaguely familiar voice, imbued with strange emotions. The words were incredibly faint and almost incomprehensible, yet I understood every word.

And I didn't want to listen. So I tried to look away, but like an annoying fly, it kept talking.

'Don't stop. You can't stop. Not now. Think about the girl, waiting for you.'

'Abi? No, Abilene?' I thought.

She is only a memory. She is a fake. She's not real, so why should I not rest-?

As I thought that, a ringing pain made itself known in my head. A terrible headache it was, and I grimaced in annoyance.

Just like many times, as fast as it came, it left without a trace. It left an annoying feeling behind though.

Even if I was a rank six being; even if I had all the mana in the world, bringing the dead back to life is an almost unobtainable feat.

Even with Amor.

I already knew the trees, the rocks, the buildings, the people were all remnants of the distant past. I already knew what was going on, the moment I first saw the 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗹 in its entirety.

The moment I looked at that girl, picking up sticks from the ground, how could I not tell, with these eyes that came along with my power?

With my 𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵?

I knew it was a thankless task to help that girl, sharing a bond, caring for her...

And yet...

'And yet? So what? While others may say it's meaningless, so what?' the voice responded. Its tone was like a fishing rod that caught me, and it was trying to pull me up.

It was a successful catch, because I was forced to think these tiring thoughts.

'Oh, sweet little girl, in the end you made such happy memories. No matter how short it was, you found meaning in sharing a bond with the girl.'

Once again, I tried to close my mind from it. To resist its pull. Even now, I can see myself being pulled upwards, albeit slow.

It's making me think, it's making me use my brain. It's making me tired-

'Treasure the journey and memories, and when you reach the end, don't look away from it. Face it head on, so that you show that you do appreciate the time you shared with each other, no matter how short it was.'

The familiar voice reverberated everywhere in the ocean.

I can't block the voice out. No matter what I did, I just can't seem to stop thinking. I had no choice but to listen.

So, I did listen.

Everytime I listened, everytime the voice whispered in my ears, it dragged me closer and closer to the surface. From the black depths, to the blue waters, I was forced to go upwards.

Throughout all the time the voice spoke, a strange fire lit inside my chest. A strangely comfortable, yet heartwarming fire.

Still, it was a mere ember.

Although it was warm, it wasn't enough to warm my cold body.

The voice knew, so it kept talking louder and louder. More and more energy is draining out of me as I listen to it.

'Just like when you parted ways with your grandfather. When you watched him, you remembered the happy days, the happy memories you made with him. It's your source of comfort," the voice said in a sad tone.

'Nevertheless, it is painful. That is why it is called life. Even then, no matter what, all people need it to truly live. To live a life truly worth living for. A foundation of a life with as less regrets as possible.'

The ember grew to a raging fire. Now I can't look away from it. It grew stronger, hotter. It made itself known.

It made itself known to me.

To me, Anna.

'So go, little girl. Go, and send her off. Go send off your ​​𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥.'

As it said that, the voice's voice faded away.

It became a mere echo-a shadow of what it once was. Unfortunately, it did its job, for a raging fire brewed inside me.

As it did, the light on the surface of the water grew brighter, blinding my eyes as I grew ever closer to it.

Still, that didn't stop me.

I can't stop. Not now.

I can't stop. Not until I see her off.

Finally, I came into contact with the surface of the ocean-

-and was greeted with the cold, salty air.

At that moment, I felt truly alive.

…

Reaching out with her right hand, the gray-haired woman grabbed a fistful of the remaining blood-soaked grass. With it, she began dragging herself towards her staff.

As she pulled herself, with her left hand, she reached out towards the grass. Grabbing a fistful of it, she dragged herself again.

Again and again, crawling forward, she made her way to the staff.

She reached out with her hand once again...but she didn't grip anything. Looking up, she saw that there was no more grass left to grab.

So she dug her black gloved fingers into the dirt.

Gripping into it, she pulled herself forward, and towards the staff.

Eventually, she was close to the staff. The gray-haired woman reached for the staff-and missed.

A pause.

Then she grabbed at it again, and she found her fingers wrapped around it tightly.

So once more, she pushed herself up. Leaning on her staff once more, she continued limping again.

In her short, yet long journey, while she was limping up the hill, a familiar blue light emerged from the darkness in the corner of her vision.

A butterfly fluttered past her and up the hill.

Like a lighthouse guiding the sailors in the fog, the light passed by her eyes, and the gray-haired woman moved to trek after it.

Each step was a hurdle, for her lungs kept telling her to rest.

She can't concentrate for a moment, even for the most meager of mana. She gasped for air; her legs crying to stop; her body wanting to drop.

Even then, using her staff as a crutch, the gray-haired woman didn't stop.

For an unknown amount of time, she kept making her way forward. Then, fog slowly began entering her peripheral view.

She didn't know when it came, but after a while, she could only see the blue light and the fog.

It became even more hazier. Now, with her eyes, she couldn't even see past the white mist.

Like a fog surrounding her, the gray-haired woman seemed to be unable to see anything farther than a few feet.

Unconsciously, her eyes slowly began to close as the blue light grew more faint. Her head bobbed back and forth as her body told her to give in; as her mind told her to stop.

As she fell forward, a sudden jolt ran through her. Tightening her grip against the staff, digging her fingernails into the palm of her hands, the gray-haired woman knew she couldn't stop.

She can't.

At least, not yet.

So as the gray-haired woman held the staff tightly with both hands, she limped forward once more.

...

The journey was short, but long in her eyes.

Her body and mind told her to give in, but the gray-haired woman didn't.

Her determination paid with an end, for eventually she found her way to the top of the hill. Or what seems to be the top, for she cannot see anything else.

She didn't know if she was even walking up the hill.

The blue light, dim and hazy, floated ahead of her.

Around her, the trees had already disappeared. Only a foggy pale white mist surrounded her, and her eyes couldn't see past it.

Ahead of her, the butterfly hen stopped in its travels.

Flickering, it slowly lowered until it landed on something.

Slowly, the gray-haired woman made her way over to the light. Standing over it, she dropped the staff, and it landed on the ground with a 𝘵𝘩𝘶𝘥.

Then, as if something gave out under her, she fell onto her knees. Her black split skirt dress, soaked in blood and mud, became dirtied by the muddy grass as she reached out her hands.

Tucking them underneath the thing, she slowly picked it up. The light then lifted off, shining onto the little girl's face.

Holding her within her arms, she gazed down upon the girl.

The girl was unmoving and still. With the red bow on the side of her brown hair, she looked to be sleeping peacefully.

Just like everything else around the still body, it was already dissipating. Even now, the gray-haired woman could see through her transparent face and clothes.

She watched on as the body's hair seemed to be slowly changing to a hay-like color.

A familiar color.

As she watched her, the gray-haired woman found that her vision was blurry.

Rubbing her eyes with her left hand, she felt the top of her pale hand touch something wet. Nevertheless, she kept watching the girl.

Time passed, and finally, the girl in her arms disappeared. As the body dissipated into particles of light, something emerged in the gray-haired woman's vision.

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𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭: ???

𝘛𝘢𝘴𝘬: Go to 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗹.

You're finally healed.

Your transformation, finished.

Your conflicted heart and mind, merged.

The quest has been completed; the task is deemed finished. The dreams and illusions of the trial shall vanish, becoming memories of the past once more.

Now, make your way towards 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗹 to be given the embrace.

To be the first to be given grace once more.

To be the first to open the doors for others to follow your path.

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The thick white fog around her opened a path.

At the end of the path, in the distance, was a tall, large, gray tower-like spire. At the top of it, a dim, faint orange-yellow light flickered.

It was a beacon that welcomed all.

Nevertheless the gray-haired woman remained kneeling on the ground. She closed her eyes, but it didn't stop something from escaping.

A tear fell from her eye, sliding down her face.

The light landed on the top of her hair, next to her hairband. Dying down, the light revealed a butterfly. Crawling onto her hairband, it fluttered once, and then stopped.

...

𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨-!

Breathing in the dusty air, in the faint light in a massive old cathedral, Jonah watched from the shadows as Erebus suddenly slashed his opponent in half.

From the top to bottom, he simply brought the sword down, and split the armored knight in half.

One clean cut.

The armored swordsman fell backwards. As it fell, particles began to leave it as the armored knight began phasing out. Just as the armored swordsman fell onto his back, his body dispersed into particles of light.

Nothing else remained. Not even his sword.

Jonah looked at the heavy spear he had placed next to a pew. A rare loot drop from the armored spearman named 'Sir Perc' perhaps.

Even now, he didn't know why the armored foe had taunted him. Did the armored spearman have a mission to make him angry? Did the armored man see something in him?

Walking over to the spear, he grabbed it.

He'll keep it to remember what happened in this strange dream of his.

Suddenly, the entire cathedral began trembling. Pieces of stone and dust fell from the ceiling. Jonah and Erebus both stumbled about as the world around them shook.

The white-haired boy dived under the pew for cover. Covering his neck, he looked through the bottom of the pews and he saw Erebus also diving under one.

As he watched him snuggle underneath it, the sword boy looked up and saw him. With his closed eyes, he smiled and nodded his head.

"Sup bro."

"Are you alright?" Jonah said. "You had quite the fight there."

"Dude, I was just training myself, like you did with me back when we first met. Using no skills and all that. It wasn't that hard-"

All Jonah could hear were excuses.

As Erebus's bold exaggerations flew in one ear and out the other, he heard footsteps. Even amidst this earthquake, when the stone, dust, and rubble were falling like rain, the boy saw the Rector walk up to the stained glass window.

As the Rector placed his hand against the stained glass, Jonah saw a part of its face reflected.

The boy felt his heart dropped. His back tingled, his spine chilled, his eyes widened. No wonder he felt off when he saw the Rector.

It wasn't just his voice.

It was because it was-