Have you ever seen the sun?

"Darkside... I permit you to take over me and my body. You may do as you please,"

Serah was spiraling down a bottomless pit. She was drained and could not take any more of this torture.

Darkside was situated at the corner of the room floating in the air. She didn't respond to her host's demands but she did feel sorry for her. Out of all the people she possessed she never knew how broken this host had become.

At such a young age she wanted to give everything up. Well, she would have done the same if she had been through this kind of hell. Serah sat next to the ground next to the window with her head buried in her knees. Her neck had been bandaged up.

The tears had finally dried up but all she could feel was numbness to everything. The only thing she had known was pain. It was the only thing she felt growing up. She sniffled and peeked at her Darkside.

"Why aren't you saying anything?"

Darkside crossed her arms over her shadowy chest, 'what is there for me to say?'

"I can't live like this anymore, it's best if I die and you take over because if I try to kill myself then you would only stop me,"

"You're giving up already, and here I thought you'd be stronger than that,"

A voice suddenly spoke next to her above the window. Serah looked up to see a black-robed figure. The moon's light obscured her view that was until he sat by the window sill resting his hand on his knee.

"You're Caelum," she squinted her gaze on him. "Your eye color, it's gold,"

Dante looked at her and then at her Darkside. "I'm just like you that has a very very annoying side to me." He grumbled.

'Hey! Hey! Who are you calling annoying?!' His darkness manifested revealing itself and floated near them with shadowy arms folded. Its golden eyes squinted glaring at Dante.

Serah was bewildered, and Dante groaned. Darkside curiously looked at the other dark being in the room and floated closer to Serah.

"I am calling you annoying you stupid piece of shit," Dante motioned his hand for his darkness to disappear but of course, he wouldn't dare leave after he spotted the other dark being in the room.

'Well now I know why you came here, two beautiful girls are right here,' he nudged Dante.

'You should watch your tongue!' Darkside snarls at the other being.

Dante then slipped down and crossed his legs sitting next to her. "I do apologize for him, he's a little mad up there," he whispered pointing to his brain.

Serah could only nod with a small smile. "So I guess I'm not the only one that's cursed then,"

"You don't seem surprised,"

She shook her head, "nothing surprises me anymore," she sighs.

"So why are you here?" She glances at the two dark beings that was conversing above them.

"I came to check on you," he scratched his cheek looking away with a tint of red on his ear.

"Did you come to see how I'm wallowing in despair?"

"The only despair I see is those two bickering like an old couple," he whispers to her trying to make her smile.

Serah didn't catch what he meant and slowly stood up holding onto the wall. "Thank you for coming to see me Caelum, but I won't survive here for long,"

Dante grabs her wrist, "Sit back down, you're still weak,"

He sighs when she didn't listen and stands up towering over her.

"Iracia,"

With hooded eyes, she glowered at him. She wasn't sure how to react to a stranger. All she's ever known was dark cells and chains. She knew how to act around Daemeon but this boy Caelum in front of her was a new territory that came along with a darkness just like hers.

"Have you ever seen the sun?"

She tilted her head, "what? The sun?" She was confused because the sun never touched Iracundia. For this realm was bathed in darkness and moonlight. Whenever it was daytime, the sky with be darkened with an eerie red glow of the sun with clouds covering it.

He nodded, "Yes the sun," he then bent down to the ground. "Climb on," he gestured for her. Serah looked at him and then at her Darkside. Once her Darkside nodded, Serah put her arms around his neck while Dante held onto her legs around his waist carrying her.

"Wouldn't we get into trouble?"

She was still afraid after what she had done. She still held suicidal thoughts. She leaned closer to him as he stood up.

"For now princess, don't think about this realm, we're just going to go on a little adventure somewhere far away, so hold on tight," he smiled and a glittering shadowy portal appeared next to his feet and Dante jumped inside while Serah held onto him tightly.

•°•°•

"So I see the princess has been kidnapped," Baiyue sheepishly replies fanning herself.

"By your disciple," the king answered angrily.

"Now now your majesty, I didn't know the lad was going to kidnap her, you should know firsthand that love is hard to control, especially for youngsters," she joked.

"This is getting out of hand!" Queen Athena slams her hand on her seat.

"You come here to our kingdom and you have your ways here, who do you fucking think you are?!" The queen rages.

Lady Baiyue's eyes gleamed, "I am the high priestess of my tribe, royalty just like you so I would show some respect, your highness,"

Queen Athena's hair turned fiery with flames. Her fire essence materializes making the room hot like a firestorm. Baiyue then fanned the flames more.

"You are a Queen, show some dignity, you have so many children but you are not a mother, you do not feel for anyone but yourself. I am not from this realm but I know when the Caelestians were once friends. That child is the sole heir to the throne of Obscurum. But another heir is fighting for what's rightfully hers. Then again you caelestians enjoy your wars and will make sure that Obscurum becomes number one in Iracundia."

"The realms are becoming unstable once again and if you aren't too careful then the realm of darkness will again return to the void. The Gods have long gone into hiding and caelestia has shut its gates and separated itself from the other realms."

No one said anything to Baiyue and no one wanted to cool the Queen down.

Baiyue continued, "You are creating a warmaker, and for what reason? The realms are getting destroyed, and yet you're here planning a war! Did you caelestians forget about the plague that the Gods unleashed after the last war?" She looked around the room.

She lets out a heavy sigh, "All the royal families know of the prophecy that befalls Obscurums crown princess. What we did was wrong, we sealed that child's fate,"

The King had a forlorn look upon his features, "I never expected what happened years ago would create such a monster,"

"A monster indeed," Athena whips forward, "a monster that will protect my son."

"Why do you call her a monster? As far as I have seen it, your majesties, you two are the monsters here, instead of guiding the princess on the righteous path, you are making her descend into despair," Baiyue defended her.

"Have you forgotten? That little bitch unlocked her seal and now the most powerful being is reigning inside of her. If she is not controlled, then havoc will ensue upon us!" Athena strolls around the table.

The king lets out a rumble at his queen, "That little bitch is still my daughter Athena!" He says with a cold calculated look.

Athena just shakes her head at her king, "You're defending her now after she almost killed you? And you calling her your daughter? That just makes me laugh considering how many times you've almost had her killed," she chuckles lowly, "everyone knows what the council has done to her, don't pretend to be daddy dearest now that the priestess is here,"

The air grew thin and cold with tension while the two glared at each other. Athena hated Serah because of who her mother was and William, he thought back to when her hatred had begun, it was when she had found out that he had a concubine and that she had already birthed a son, Dracyian for him, she was furious.

Thereafter Skythe was born but not of Athena. When Athena and he got married, it wasn't out of love but because of the power Athena also has. She was one of the princesses of the Phoenix tribe. She bared the phoenix's blessing. He only married for power not for love. He wanted her to birth powerful heirs so that he could rule the realm.

But a mere caelestian could never rule the world.

William knew he couldn't rule the world for only the Gods could do so and he was no god, just a caelestian that could control the darkness.

"Athena, I am still your King," a wave of miasma emitted out of him as Athena used her phoenix essence to reveal its form above her.

"And I am still your Queen!"

Both threatened one another. Baiyue simply sat in the middle of them as they faced each other from opposite ends.

Athena chuckles suddenly coming to a realization. "My dear King, are you afraid that your empire is coming to an end?"

The miasma grew stronger as Baiyue had to shield herself. Athena released her flames letting them consume the miasma around her.

"My empire has just begun and soon the realms will fall to my command!" He wrings the miasma around Athena's neck. She uses her fire essence forming a fire blade to cut his shadowy arms down.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Baiyue yells a wave of her air fluttered in the room with a force separating the two from each other.

"I know you want to rule the world," she pointed at William, "and I know you just crave power," she pointed at Athena. "You both are perfect for each other but instead of being at each other's throats, what don't we just get down to what's important here!"

William summons the miasma back into him. While Athena grumbles sitting back in her seat. Talberon and Eduarda were just sitting quietly making sure their presence was found by the two dark rulers.

"What's important is to make sure Serah stops being suicidal, she is already at her limit, she's only a child and a child can only handle so much,"

Baiyue was also at her limit. She could not believe how her old acquaintance had now become. She could not change his mind about who he was but she could still save her best friend's daughter.

'Xiao Lin is gonna be so disappointed when he hears about how his old friend had fallen,' Baiyue thought to herself frowning at the sudden predicament.