the end
Celesia's eyelids fluttered while riding, causing Felix to suddenly stop and watch her, saying, "Celesia... are you awake?"
She abruptly opened her eyes, jumped off the horse, and slowly walked into the forest.
"What happened to her?" Felix looked at her in shock. Henry stood frozen in place, equally stunned. "We need to follow her and find out what's going on," he said, moving slowly after her, with Felix following closely.
Celesia continued walking until she reached a high cliff with a waterfall below. She stopped in place and raised her hands.
"This is amazing... such abundant water," Celesia said with overwhelming happiness.
Felix and Henry stopped behind her. Felix whispered to Henry in surprise, "Did you notice her voice change?"
"Not just her voice, but her behavior too," Henry replied with concern.
"Celesia!... Let's go back to the palace," Henry shouted.
Celesia turned to him with a strange look, her eyes dull and dark ripples covering half her face.
"Hehe... who said I'm Celesia?" she said mockingly.
"Who are you?" Felix shouted angrily, gripping his sword, while Henry stared at her in shock, his hands trembling.
"You could say I'm the beast within Celesia... or what you call the chaos of power. My name is... Shadow," she said with a smile.
"No way," Henry muttered in a trembling voice. Felix looked at him with worry. "Why is he so terrified?"
"And now, excuse me... I have work to do." Shadow turned to the cliff and started drawing the water towards her. The water swirled around her and began to form a giant water ball above her.
"Henry, we have to stop her before she floods half the empire with that massive ball!" Felix shouted urgently.
Henry looked at him, his face filled with fear. "We can't do that... unless we kill Celesia," he said with sorrow.
"What?" Felix looked at Henry in shock. "What are you saying? Do we have to kill Celesia... to save the empire?" Felix's sword dropped to the ground, and his strength failed him.
Henry remained silent. "I just lost my father, so must I lose Celesia too?" he said, tears streaming down his cheeks.
Large plants emerged from the ground, attacking Shadow. But they were cut down by her water blades.
"Why can't I do my work in peace?" Shadow sighed.
Mirabella appeared on her horse from the trees. Felix and Henry were surprised by her sudden arrival. She directed her thorny plants at Shadow again, but Shadow continued to thwart her attacks.
"Attack!" Imperial knights appeared, surrounding the area, with Carlos, Alxar, and Sophia.
"Archers, fire!" Alxar shouted, and the knights launched their spears at Shadow.
"You are annoying," Shadow said angrily, delivering a powerful blow with her water whip, hitting many of the knights.
"Beware of her sweeping attacks!" Carlos shouted as he directed his plants towards Shadow in coordination with Mirabella.
"This..." Felix said, astonished. "I must help them." He advanced towards Shadow, his ice mark glowing with a downward crescent at his neck. Golden snowflakes began to fall on the knights, healing their injuries. "I can't let her suffer from the guilt for the rest of her life," he drew his sword, and icy gusts began to blow.
"Felix," Henry said softly, looking at him with a sorrowful expression.
"Wake up, Celesia!" Felix shouted as he charged at Shadow.
...
In Celesia's subconscious mind, in a dark, water-filled space, Celesia was unconscious.
"Celesia!"
"Where is that voice coming from?" a gentle voice echoed in Celesia's ear.
"Wake up... Celesia!"
Celesia opened her eyes to find her mother's silhouette calling her.
"Mother!" Celesia said in surprise.
"Everyone is in danger, wake up, my daughter," Clara said anxiously.
"Wake up? But I am... awake?" Celesia stood up and looked around in bewilderment. "Where am I?"
Her mother's silhouette faded, and a younger version of Celesia appeared before her.
"You are in the subconscious mind," the younger version said.
"The subconscious?" Celesia said in astonishment. "How do I wake up from it?"
"You need to feel the water inside you, release it to awaken," the younger version replied.
"Feel the water?" Celesia looked at her hands, closed her eyes, and began to sense the water. "Water... water..." A blue diamond mark glowed on her forehead. "I feel the water flowing inside me." She opened her eyes to find herself floating above a high cliff with the knights below. "What's happening?"
"It seems you woke up," Shadow's voice echoed in her head.
"You... again!" Celesia said in shock.
Shadow's attacks began to weaken. "What's happening to her?" Felix said in surprise.
"It looks like Celesia is resisting her," Mirabella said.
"Henry!... Do it," Celesia shouted, pointing to her heart. "Please..." A tear fell from her eye, and Shadow regained control.
"No... I can't," Henry muttered in terror, looking at his trembling hands.
"Your Highness... you have to do it, fulfill her last wish," Mirabella shouted as she advanced, trying to hinder Shadow's attack. Felix also rushed to assist Mirabella.
"Fulfill her last wish," Henry remembered Mirabella's words.
"It seems this is the only choice I have to make." Henry took a bow and arrow from one of the knights and infused it with Serra. "Everyone, make way for me," Henry said loudly as he prepared to fire the arrow.
"Understood," everyone rushed to thwart Shadow's attacks. Carlos and Mirabella combined their powers, binding her movement with thorns, while Felix helped the others fend off her attacks directed at Henry, giving him space to aim.
"Now, Henry!" Felix shouted. Henry drew the bow and released the Serra-absorbing arrow. The arrow pierced Celesia's heart, absorbing the dark Serra.
"Nooo!" Shadow screamed one last time, then disappeared, allowing Celesia to regain control.
Celesia moved her hands to separate the water apart. She moved her lips, saying "Thank you" with a final smile on her face as she fell down, plummeting into the waterfall below the cliff. As she sank deep into the water, a vision of her happy mother appeared.
"Mother... I missed you so much," Celesia said softly.
"I missed you too... my little one," Clara responded tenderly. Celesia closed her eyes peacefully, happiness etched on her face.
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.
.
"Celesia!" Henry screamed from the top of the cliff, tears streaming from his eyes.
"Celesia... sister," Felix rushed down the cliffside, his eyes filled with tears, searching for Celesia's body.
Mirabella looked at the slowly rising dawn sun, sadness on her face. "Rest now, Your Highness," she said.
After moments of searching, Felix reached the bottom of the waterfall, scouring the area. He noticed a piece of blue cloth stuck between the rocks. He picked it up and found it was part of Celesia's battle attire.
"It's hers..." he said in a broken voice, covering his eyes with his hand as tears slowly rolled down his cheeks. "The waters of this waterfall flow into the ocean; her body must be in the ocean now," he thought, clenching the cloth.
After a long search, he mounted his horse and returned to the formation.
"Felix, did you find her?" Henry asked sorrowfully.
"No, all I found was this," Felix replied, handing the cloth to Henry. Henry took the cloth with trembling hands.
"Celesia..." he said, heartbroken.
Everyone returned to the Eastern Duchy Castle, while the mission continued its path to the capital with Leo's body to be transferred to the Grand Duchy later. The hours passed, and by evening, the mission reached the Imperial Palace.
"Thank God you returned safely," Edward said happily, surrounded by every member of the palace.
"Thank you for welcoming us," Henry said with a hoarse voice. The Emperor noticed their somber mood and looked around, searching for Leo and Celesia.
"But where are the Archduke and Celesia?" Catherine suddenly asked.
Felix dismounted his horse and stepped forward, saying regretfully, "We... lost them."
Everyone was shocked by Felix's words. Catherine began to shed tears, unable to stand. Lina, also crying, held her.
"Where are their bodies?" Edward asked, his hand covering his eyes.
"The Archduke's body is in the carriage, but we didn't find the princess's body. We left the matter to the Eastern Duchy, but most likely, it's in the ocean now," Mirabella said sadly.
"Oh, my God," Lina said sorrowfully. Edward asked her to go inside with Catherine, who was on the verge of collapsing. He then went to the carriage to see Leo one last time.
He slowly lifted the cover from Leo's face, seeing his smiling visage, now purple with swollen veins.
"Despite your condition, you smiled before your death, you grumpy old man," Edward said with a smile as tears slowly fell down his cheeks. He replaced the cover and wiped his tears, turning to Felix, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Your father was always grumpy, but seeing his smile assures me he had a heroic end. Continue his legacy, Felix."
"Yes..." Felix said, tears streaming from his eyes.
"If you could, please tell me the details of the battle," Edward said as he entered the palace with Richard, followed by Felix, Henry, and Carlos. Mirabella went to Lina, saying, "The princess departed happily; let's pray for her now."
"You're right," Lina said sorrowfully.
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.
Leo's funeral was held the next day, and he was buried next to Clara in the Grand Duchy. Felix was appointed as the Grand Duke and the new leader of the knights after three days. The knights continued searching for Celesia's body but to no avail. Marquess Domont and her accomplices were executed for treason against the Empire.
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About a month passed after the mission's return to the capital, achieving peace and stability in the eastern border region. The sadness began to fade everywhere except in the Grand Duchy and the Imperial Palace. Edward's friendly and joking demeanor changed; he became more serious and rarely smiled. Henry and Catherine had not yet overcome their grief. Lina stayed by the Empress's side, caring for her as Celesia had asked her to. Celesia's body still had not been found. Felix worked diligently to fulfill his father's last wish. Elena left for her family's estates with Loren after Leo's death, and Fiona was in her second month of pregnancy.
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At the gate of the Imperial Palace, applicants gathered to take the knight's test. A young woman with pink hair and blue eyes stood firmly at the gate, looking at it with happiness.
"Here I am, after a long journey."
The End