Chapter 27: Freya

###Chapter 27: Freya

The dungeon was quiet again, the air thick with the remnants of battle. Dust and debris from the collapsed ceiling lingered in the air, settling slowly over the broken stone. The once-fiery glow of the knights' eyes had dimmed to nothing, their shattered armor strewn across the floor like discarded relics of an ancient time.

Lea knelt beside Agin and Liana, who lay unconscious near the corner of the chamber. Her hands trembled as she lightly shook Agin's shoulder. "Agin, wake up," she urged, her voice breaking slightly. "Please."

Agin stirred first, groaning as his eyes fluttered open. He winced, touching his head. "Ugh… what happened?" he muttered, his voice hoarse.

"You're alive, that's what matters," Lea said, relief flooding her tone.

"Barely," Agin grumbled, sitting up slowly. His eyes scanned the room, widening when he saw the aftermath of the fight. "What in the—what happened here? Did we win?"

"We didn't," Lea replied, glancing at the unconscious Arie. "She did."

"She?" Agin frowned in confusion, but before he could ask, Liana stirred beside him.

Her eyes fluttered open, and she groaned. "Did anyone get the name of the monster that ran me over?"

"Welcome back," Lea said dryly, helping her sit up.

Liana rubbed her temples, her eyes narrowing at the sight of the wreckage around them. "Wait… those knights. Did we—no, we couldn't have… What happened?"

Lea hesitated, her gaze shifting to Arie.

"It wasn't us," she said quietly. "It was Arie. Or… someone else inside him."

Agin and Liana exchanged baffled glances.

"I'll explain later," Lea added quickly. "For now, we need to get out of here before something else happens."

Agin pushed himself to his feet, glancing at Arie.

"He's out cold. I'll carry him." Without waiting for a response, he crouched down and hoisted Arie onto his back with surprising ease.

"Let's move."

"Uhh, Ms. Icelyn, are you coming?" Agin said.

Her eyes still on the battlefield, her face and body is facing on the place where the legendary fight unfolded. Her eyes slowly closed, and finally turning her gaze to Agin, and said

"Yes... I will... "

The group made their way through the endless corridors and spiraling stairs of the dungeon, while walking through these, they started talking about the events that had happened with the faint glow of Icelyn's magic illuminating their path.

"Let's go over this again," Agin said, his voice breaking the silence. He adjusted Arie's unconscious form on his back.

"What exactly happened back there?"

Lea glanced at him, her brows furrowed.

"You mean after you and Liana passed out? The… whoever that was—completely obliterated those knights. It was like nothing I've ever seen."

Icelyn walked beside them, her eyes scanning their surroundings.

"That wasn't just any ordinary transformation," she added quietly. "It's tied to something far beyond what we understand."

"So, Arie turned into a girl and became… that?" Agin asked skeptically.

Lea nodded. "Yeah. She was powerful—terrifyingly so. But it wasn't Arie. She didn't respond to us, didn't seem to even know who we were."

Liana chimed in, her voice trembling. "And now he's just… asleep. Are we sure he's okay?"

Icelyn's gaze remained fixed ahead. "Whatever that transformation was, it drained him. For now, focus on getting to the surface. We'll figure out the rest later."

A heavy silence fell over the group again as they climbed the steps, each lost in their own thoughts. The echoes of their footsteps seemed to stretch endlessly, accompanied only by the faint hum of residual magic lingering in the dungeon walls.

As they continued their journey, the world around them faded into the background, and Arie's mind became the new battleground. Deep within his unconscious state, a dream began to take form—clearer and more vivid than ever before. And this time, the figure that had been guiding him through the shadows of his past appeared, not as a mere silhouette, but as a goddess in all her radiant glory. A stunning woman with flowing blonde hair stood before him, her presence overwhelming yet calming.

Arie knew immediately that this was the one who had been watching over him, the mysterious figure whose voice had whispered in his mind, steering him through every step of his growth.

"How are you, Arie?" the goddess asked, her voice like the calm after a storm.

Arie blinked, his confusion evident.

"Wait, who are you?"

"I am Freya," she said with a soft smile,

"And I, am a goddess."

The realization hit Arie like a thunderclap.

"I know… You're the one who's been helping me. Guiding me. Since I was born, you've been there."

Freya nodded. "Yes, that would be me."

Arie's brow furrowed. "But… why? Why help me?"

The goddess's smile faded, replaced by a more serious look.

"Well, I want something from you, Arie."

Suddenly, she closed the distance between them, her cool fingers gently touching his chin. She then turned and began to walk, the air thick with unspoken truths.

"You've probably heard of the Seven Celestial Heroes,"

Freya continued, her voice filled with ancient sorrow.

"Yeah," Arie responded, "What about them?"

"There were originally eight," she said, her tone grave.

"What?!" Arie's voice cracked in disbelief.

"Yes," Freya affirmed, her gaze darkening with the weight of history.

"His name is Mondryn. But the eighth hero betrayed the others. He sought power. Immortality. The others opposed him, but he keeps insisting, questioning why the strong should protect the weak, why they should follow orders from those they deemed lesser. So, Mondryn was cast out, and the group of eight became the seven. But that was only the beginning. The eighth hero, knowing they would stand against him, used the power of his goddess to annihilate the others."

Arie's stomach churned as he processed her words. "And the goddess?"

"She abandoned him," Freya said coldly.

"She stripped him of his blessings and locked him away in a prison that was created a hundred years ago."

Arie was silent, his mind reeling.

"But the goddess," Freya continued, "She gave birth to two children, each inheriting her powers. And in time, she created a key to the prison—something only her children could wield."

The story grew darker.

"The second child, curious about the key, asked her mother about it. The mother, weary and burdened, went to sleep. But in the dead of night, the second child ventured to the prison. There, she was manipulated by Modryn, the fallen hero, who took control of her mind. He forced her to release him and made her his goddess, killing her parents in the process."

Arie's breath caught. "What happened then?"

"The first child," Freya explained, "Inherited the power to seal. But Modryn, in his greed, took her sister hostage. He threatened her life unless the first child gave him her blessings. But the first child struck with blinding speed, catching Modryn off guard. She sealed him away with the Crimson Chain, locking him back in the prison."

Arie's voice was a whisper. "And what about the second child?"

"Her punishment was harsh," Freya said, her expression hardening.

"For defying her mother, for her role in the catastrophe, she was stripped of her divine power. Only her vast mana remained—the remnants of her former goddess self. The first child, left alone in the aftermath, decided to follow in her mother's footsteps. She became a war goddess, alone but resolute."

Arie's heart sank as he took in the tragic tale. "That's… a long and painful story."

Freya's gaze softened slightly.

"Indeed. But since Modryn was sealed by a child, the seal is weak. It only takes a massive amount of mana to create a key to unlock it. So you Arie... You have to stop them, to prevent Modryn from ever escaping."

Arie shook his head in confusion. "Why me?"

Freya's eyes gleamed with a quiet intensity. "Because you were chosen by the Book of Prophecy."

"The Book of Prophecy?" Arie repeated, feeling a chill run down his spine.

Freya nodded. "Yes. It speaks of you."

Suddenly, a blank page appeared in the air, and words began to form, glowing with an otherworldly light. Arie's eyes widened as he read the line that appeared. In shadows deep, Arie shall rise,

To challenge fate, with steady eyes.

Through trials harsh and darkness near,

He'll seal the threat and conquer fear—but before he could fully grasp the meaning, the text changed, shifting to reveal a different name: Lea.

Freya gasped, her expression one of shock. "This can't be…"

Arie's voice was firm.

"Wait a second. If it's not me, then why should I care? If I'm not the one, I'm out of here."

But Freya blocked his path, a sly smile creeping onto her face.

"Oh, you can't just leave. You know too much now. You will have to guide her, Lea, onto the right path. Since you accidentally uncovered the truth, it's your responsibility now."

"Why would I do that?" Arie retorted.

Freya's eyes narrowed, her tone taking on a darker edge.

"Unless you want your precious princess to face this alone, to die knowing you could have helped but chose not to… Or you could be the knight you promised to be. A knight, even if only in title. So, what will it be?"

Arie groaned in frustration, the weight of the choice settling on his shoulders.

"Ugh, you're blackmailing me now, aren't you? Fine, fine. I'll do it. Can we just get this over with? I'm tired and sleepy... "

He collapsed into a deep sleep, and the next moment, Arie slowly came to, he felt the sway of movement beneath him. His body was heavy, and his head spun as the world slowly came back into focus. He realized with a start that he was being carried—his body draped over Agin's back.

"Ah, good to see you're finally awake,"

Agin's voice came from above, sounding both relieved and light-hearted.

Arie groaned, blinking his eyes open, squinting against the light. He could hear the sound of footsteps all around him, the steady rhythm of the group moving together. As his senses sharpened, he realized that Agin was carrying him, and Lea and Liana were walking a little ahead, talking quietly among themselves.

"Arie! You're awake!" Liana's voice came from ahead, filled with warmth and joy.

Lea, walking next to Liana, turned with a bright smile.

"Thank goodness," she said, her voice relieved. "We were worried about you."

Arie's throat was dry, and his words came out hoarse. "What happened?" he managed to ask, trying to piece together the events that led him to this point.

Agin adjusted his hold on him, walking at a steady pace. "We fought. You passed out after the battle. Don't worry, you're safe now," he said calmly.

Liana glanced back at him, a concerned look on her face. "You gave us quite a scare. But you'll be fine, Arie."

Arie nodded weakly, still feeling the lingering effects of whatever had happened.

"I'm glad you're all okay," he muttered, his voice still thick with fatigue.

"So, uh, what happened?" Arie asked, still trying to make sense of everything around him.

Lea glanced back at him, her expression suddenly cold and serious.

"You really don't remember?" she asked, her tone sharper than usual.

Arie furrowed his brows in confusion.

"I don't… Did something happen?"

Before Lea could respond, a new voice cut in, smooth and calm.

"So tell me, who are you?"

Arie blinked, looking toward the voice.

"What? Who are you?" he asked, his confusion growing.

Lea sighed, turning to face him fully.

"Well, this is probably the best time to tell you, what actually happened" she said, her voice resigned.

The moment hung in the air, and the group fell silent as the tension built.

Meanwhile, far away in Eldren, a man who had been thought dead stirred in his own dream. The artifact had failed to work on him, but he wasn't gone. No, he was somewhere else, in a place between worlds, when a figure appeared before him—a woman, enigmatic and powerful. Her voice was like the wind, soft yet commanding.

"Hello, children," she said, her eyes glinting with ancient knowledge.

The stage was set. The threads of fate were moving, and the story was only just beginning.