Plan

Celine found herself inside of the torture room with Malphus once again but he was more harsh and unstable this time.

Malphus wanted to ensure Celine knew her place as a slave and how pitiful her state was even with the little liberties she had.

When he left the room, the bloody mess of a blind Celine with one less hand and several permanent scars was left on the floor. She remained emotionless but the pain she felt was real and unbearable. Celine's state of mind was fragile and almost broken but she kept herself calm.

After around an hour of sulking on the floor, Celine rose like nothing happened. She couldn't heal any injuries she had sustained and appeared a little more lifeless but her goal was still in sight.

Suddenly, Celine heard a sorrowful voice. "Wow, it's a shame what he did to a beauty like you." Celine couldn't see the person behind the voice.

Still, she did not like the man she heard at all.

"Relax, relax. I'm in a prison cell just like you," the man chuckled softly. "Name's Luke, nice to meet a fellow in the same predicament as I, although you seem to have it much worse."

Celine ignored everything the man said. She hadn't had the time nor the state of mind to mess with some slave. She quickly used a small amount of telekinesis to guide her way out.

"You probably want to know why Malphus is so weak despite being an elder God, right?" Luke said.

Celine moved on without paying any attention to his words. Something about the man was unsettling and she would rather stay away. Celine found it best for her to move solo rather than get help from an unknown source.

Within moments Celine found herself kneeling before Malphus with a new set of frail armor to cover the permenant damages and a mask to hide her blindness.

Malphus looked proud in his mighty throne and imagined how bad the pain she must feel was while sneering at her. "That'll teach her for being such a piece of shit," he remarked.

Valerian forces were increasing their aggression and Malphus was slowly becoming scared. He didn't know why Arthur was so confident in attacked mercilessly but assumed he gathered the backing of somebody incredibly powerful. He couldn't imagine what Arthur traded to have their backing.

Finally, Malphus spoke of the reason why he had called Celine before him.

"Go kill a person named Harvy Rhine, a Divine Hostage who can be become a piece of shit like you. Here's the information," he handed her a book. "Be back in one hour at least," he shooed her away.

Celine took one slow step away without thinking much of what Malphus had just said. Then, she took another while turning away from Malphus.

She hadn't realized it but she briskly walked away and soon immersed herself within the outside air, away from the castle.

A warm and cool breeze slowly caressed her while the beaming rays of light began to smile upon her. Celine felt herself smile genuinely as she finally reached a field of flowers so immensely floral a silent tear crept out from her face.

"What?" Celine's hand slowly traces her face and followed the tear.

She hadn't realized it but the freedom she had momentarily obtained was the best feeling in the world.

She tried to distance herself from emotions and remain calm but her heart ached for somebody she was separated with. The calm persona she portrayed couldn't possibly keep up because she wanted Aria's warm embrace so desperately.

Celine couldn't appear empty much long, she knew it. Her mind was losing touch with reality and her true goals because of her necessity to survive. It was why her divinity was weakening.

Celine couldn't be her annoying and joyful self without Aria's presence.

The field of flowers reminded Celine the freedom she missing. The freedom she craved to express herself and stop hiding.

After over 30 minutes of embracing the field of flowers, Celine eventually forced herself to move again. She would allow herself to dream of freedom but not prohibit her plans to escape.

In fact, this taste of outside was part of her plan so far. The plan was as follows:

"First, ensure that Malphus cannot touch me for the sake of Aria."

"Second, worsen Malphus' state of mind and make his decisions poor."

"Third, find a way to contact Ray or send him an indirect message."

"Fourth, use the poor decision making of Malphus to get outside of his castle to…"

Finally, Celine mumbled to herself slightly.

"Fifth, conduct the riskiest procedure of my life."

Celine was lucky that her target had hidden themselves inside of the black market. Now, she could move to the black market without her slave seal sending signals to Malphus because it would look like she was completing the mission.

Celine slowly took off her armor and put on a plain black robe to conceal her appearance before heading off to the most dangerous center of Solaria city.

The beautiful air she surrounded herself with was slowly drowned away whilst she began to enter the black market quickly.

She only had 30 minutes before her slave seal would send unbearable pain for failure to comply to an order.

Celine wanted to buy something she knew would be auctioned soon.

She looked at the auction house nearby and saw a photo of the item. It was a small vial of blue liquid with words next to it.

"Scarlet's Miasma," it read.

"Now how the hell do I get my hands on this thing?" She murmured.