Again

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Warning

The following novel contains material that may be harmful or traumatic to some readers.It contains graphic descriptions of murder, violence, and other unpleasant text.

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* images in "Characters" section are AI Generated Images and serve as inspiration and may not fully represent the author's vision. *

For a better experience, I recommend opening the Characters section so you can visualize the character as accurately as possible. The descriptions here will not be very detailed.

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Magnus Murus

Celestis Calendar: Day 13, Month of Raphaelis (3/9)

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Marcel steps forward immediately.

As always.

Expressionless.

There's nothing in his face.

Celeste watches him for a moment, studying him with pride.

Marcel's gaze remains lowered, fixed on her boots.

Then—

Celeste extends her palm.

Marcel lifts his head.

"Place your palm against mine… and look me in the eyes."

Her voice is firm. Unyielding.

And something shifts.

The cold in the room turns even colder.

Marcel obeys without hesitation.

And instantly—

The pressure changes.

Like the entire space is collapsing into a single point.

Like an invisible force is crushing down on all of us.

It's a fucking strong pressure.

One of the strongest I've ever felt.

And Marcel?

Is he in a trance?

Celeste tenses.

She's surprised.

It's been a long time since she's seen someone fight like this.

Only one other person…

But who?

Then—

Marcel suddenly snaps out of it.

And drops to his knees.

His eyes—wide.

Like he just saw something horrific.

Something that fills him with pure terror.

Celeste smirks, writes something down, and announces:

"Score—nine!"

The Wardens exchange looks.

Surprised.

But us?

We're completely confused.

That was a test?

Marcel struggles to breathe.

Slowly, he calms down.

"Your mentor will be… Gytrius."

And from the crowd—

A man steps forward.

Gytrius.

He grabs Marcel's arm, helping him to his feet, and together, they leave.

But before he disappears…

Marcel looks at me.

For a long time.

Like he's trying to tell me something.

But what?

There's still something in his eyes.

Fear.

And that—that's what scares me the most.

Because Marcel has never shown a single emotion.

Never.

And now?

Now, there's only one thing on my mind.

What the hell just happened?

"Next… Miguel Trako!"

I don't know him.

But when he steps forward, his face says everything.

Fear.

Pure, unfiltered fear.

His steps are hesitant.

Every movement screams panic.

And then—he reaches Celeste.

Same process.

Palm to palm.

Eye contact.

And then—it happens again.

The pressure. The cold.

But…

Not as strong as with Marcel.

And then—

Miguel starts convulsing.

Thrashing.

Like he's being beaten.

But not in this world.

And then—

A piercing scream.

Miguel snaps back into his body.

Collapses to the ground.

And just screams.

Uncontrolled.

Raw.

We all stare.

Something is wrong.

Very wrong.

And in the midst of the chaos—

Celeste, calm as ever, announces:

"Score… three."

Miguel's screams stop.

But his face?

Unchanged.

Pure shock. Pure terror.

"Your mentor will be… Catrina!"

A woman's name.

So—there are women among the masked Wardens.

Miguel doesn't move.

A Warden steps forward, towering over his limp body.

He just stares at Celeste.

Breathing ragged.

Eyes wide.

Face pale.

Celeste tilts her head slightly.

Her eyes narrow.

"Catrina, take him straight to the infirmary. You know what to do, don't you?"

Catrina nods.

She grabs Miguel by his collar.

And drags him across the floor.

And him?

He lets it happen.

Doesn't resist.

And just like that—it continues.

One after another.

"Score… five!"

…

"Score… four!"

…

"Score… seven!"

And us?

We just stood there.

And watched.

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Half an hour later

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The second-to-last name…

Shit, is it you?

Or not?

"Sasha Oswald!"

Sasha freezes.

Sweat **trickles down her face—**more than it has the entire half-hour.

She turns to me.

And me?

I feel the exact same fear.

I can't comfort her.

I have nothing to tell her.

I don't even know what to do myself.

Sasha slowly steps forward.

Celeste watches her closely—

Like she already sees what's inside her.

And then…

She nods.

Subtly.

But I catch it.

A few Wardens start moving behind Sasha.

Quietly.

Sasha glances at Celeste, nervous.

Celeste meets her gaze.

"Like I said… don't let it consume you. But understand it."

Why is she repeating that?

Celeste extends her palm.

Sasha stares at it for a moment…

Then closes her eyes.

Touches her.

She doesn't want to look into her eyes.

And then…

Her eyes snap open.

And immediately, she locks onto Celeste's gaze.

(Boom)

A massive force erupts from Sasha.

I'm launched backward, sent flying several meters!

Wardens are thrown to the ground!

Dust explodes into the air!

Celeste remains standing.

But her expression?

Shock.

Absolute shock.

The Wardens who had been creeping toward Sasha struggle to their feet.

And immediately reach for their swords.

Celeste speaks again—this time, urgently.

"Don't let it consume you!"

Sasha's body trembles.

Her limbs jerk violently, like something inside her is pulling the strings.

Celeste's voice rises.

"Do NOT let it consume you!!"

Sasha's convulsions worsen.

And then—

A dark dome begins to form.

A shield.

Darkness closes in around them both.

"WARDENS!"

Celeste shouts.

Many of them immediately drive their right-hand swords into the ground—right where the dome is forming.

Celeste locks eyes with Sasha.

And this time—she doesn't whisper.

"DO NOT LET IT CONSUME YOU!"

She roars.

The air freezes.

Heavy. Crushing.

It sinks.

The sand beneath us…

Turns to glass.

And then—

The stench.

A horrible, overwhelming stench.

Rotting flesh.

Decay.

And Sasha…?

Sasha…

Is not the same.

??

?!

Sasha begins to rise from the ground…

But not naturally.

She levitates.

Her body convulses, jerking, twisting— like something invisible is controlling her.

Something that wants out.

Celeste keeps staring.

And in her eyes…

I don't see fear.

I don't see shock.

I see hatred.

Pure. Burning. Hatred.

Like she recognizes something.

Like she's seen this before.

And then—

(CRACK—CRACK—CRACK—CRACK!)

Sasha's leg begins to snap.

Shattering. Bone splintering. Flesh stretching, tearing.

But Sasha doesn't scream.

Like she's not even there anymore.

Celeste whips her head toward the Wardens.

"PARATE AD PUGNAMI!"

They immediately draw their swords.

They spread out, moving into positions around Sasha.

But they don't attack.

They just watch.

Waiting.

Trying to understand what they're seeing.

And me?

Me too.

Fuck.

What the hell is happening?!

…Sasha?

"WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING TO HER?!"

I scream at the top of my lungs.

I get up.

And I run toward her!

But—

A WARDEN GRABS ME.

Holds me tight.

Celeste locks eyes with me.

And then—her voice shaking with power, not fear—

She shouts:

"HER DARKNESS AND HER DEMONS ARE TOO POWERFUL! SHE CANNOT UNDERSTAND THEM!"

And I—

I freeze.

I look at Sasha—

And my whole body locks up.

(CRACK—CRACK—CRACK—CRACK—CRACK—CRACK!)

Her other leg.

Her bones snap like glass.

That sound—

That horrible, gut-wrenching sound of a thousand breaking bones.

The room darkens.

Every torch begins to die out.

One by one.

And then—

Celeste moves instantly.

"FLAMMA CAERULEA INFERNALIS!"

A blue flame erupts into the air.

It devours every torch that had gone dark.

But this time—the fire doesn't return as ordinary light.

It burns blue.

Bright.

Stronger.

But Sasha…

Sasha still levitates.

And her body keeps breaking.

And I—

I just stand there.

And I struggle to breathe.

Fuck.

Fuck.

Sasha…

(MASSIVE ROAR)

A DEAFENING SCREAM TEARS THROUGH THE ROOM.

THE WALLS SHAKE.

THE GROUND TREMBLES.

WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING?!

I look at Sasha.

And in that moment… I understand.

She has been through worse than me.

So much worse.

And that's why…

Her inside is shattered.

Empty. Broken. Lost.

Maybe she never had a strong enough reason.

Maybe she never had a clear goal.

But ever since she stepped onto that ship…

The fear that consumed her in the Ghetto never left.

Never.

And second by second…

She was losing hope.

The hope that her past…

Would ever let her go.

"SASHA!!"

My voice rings through the room.

But she doesn't hear me.

She has to hear me.

She must—

"WE'RE GIRLS FROM THE SAME HELL!"

Silence.

For one second.

And then—another scream.

But I don't stop.

"MAYBE I'LL NEVER UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU WENT THROUGH THERE! MAYBE YOU'LL NEVER WANT TO TELL ME!"

"BUT LET ME…

LET ME HELP YOU!"

"LET ME HELP YOU IN THIS NEW LIFE!"

"LET ME… PLEASE…

UNDERSTAND THE PAIN YOU CARRY IN YOUR HEART!!"

Sasha's body stops thrashing as violently.

But—

Another limb begins to break.

"I SACRIFICED THE ONLY PERSON I HAD FOR THIS NEW LIFE!"

"THE ONLY PERSON I EVER CARED FOR… MAYBE EVEN LOVED!"

"I'M WILLING TO GIVE UP EVERYTHING FOR MY FUTURE! AND I WANT…"

"I WANT YOU TO SACRIFICE YOUR PAST… FOR YOUR FUTURE!!!"

Sasha screams.

A roar.

Raw. Primal. Animalistic.

So powerful, it pierces straight into everyone's heads.

The Wardens clutch their ears.

Celeste…

Even she feels it.

The flames begin to shift.

Battling themselves.

Blue collides with red.

But then—

One by one…

The flames return.

Back to their natural state.

Back to fire.

And I…

I just wait.

If Sasha…

Still exists.

Sasha twitches one last time—

And collapses.

Celeste reacts instantly.

And before her body hits the ground, she catches her in her arms.

Her face doesn't show relief.

Or calm.

Just calculation.

Sasha is unconscious.

Celeste glances at one of the Wardens.

"GET HER TO THE INFIRMARY. NOW!"

The Warden moves immediately.

He lifts Sasha into his arms—her body feels light. Empty.

Ten more Wardens move to escort them.

But even then…

Countless others remain in the room.

And me?

I can barely breathe.

My body trembles.

Not from exhaustion.

From fear.

Because…

THIS.

THIS is what lives in the darkness?

THIS can break free?

THIS EXISTS?!

Celeste steps toward me.

Her steps are silent.

But each one carries weight.

She meets my eyes directly.

And her words?

Cold. Piercing. Unmistakable.

"Now, it comes down to seconds."

I stare at her, horrified.

What—

What the fuck does she mean?

"Are you two friends?" she asks.

The question catches me off guard.

I haven't known Sasha long enough to say yes.

But I felt something.

The same pain. The same hell.

I don't know how to answer.

But Celeste understands.

She helps me to my feet, eyes still locked on mine.

"What you saw just now… it wasn't just the darkness inside her."

Her tone is deadly serious.

"If you hadn't reached her with your words, her body would have torn apart… and something far worse would have come out."

My jaw tightens.

"Something worse?" I echo quietly.

But Celeste continues before I can ask more.

"Something that is the purest form of evil itself."

Her words chill me to the core.

I never—never—thought something like that could truly exist in this world.

Celeste pauses for a moment, as if making sure I truly grasp the weight of what she's saying.

Then, she speaks again.

"Its name is Nihilborn. That… is what would have emerged from Sasha. And it would have caused us massive problems."

A chill runs down my spine.

But I force myself to hold my thoughts together.

"So what happened to her… the levitation, the breaking bones…"

I don't even finish the sentence—Celeste nods.

"That was the first stage of what we call Transfiguration.

A process where a human body quite literally ceases to be human."

"The first phase begins with the breaking of bones—excruciating, agonizing pain, felt in every second, until the body is physically torn apart."

"From that pain, despair is born. And with each second, the Nihilborn grows stronger—more determined to break free."

My throat tightens as Celeste continues.

"Then, her tongue would have fallen out. And she would have gone blind.

Because sight and speech… those are what make a person human."

A deep shudder runs through me.

But Celeste speaks without hesitation. Without mercy.

"Her skin would have started peeling away. And in the end, she would have vomited up her own heart. Piece by piece."

She pauses.

Just for a fraction of a second.

But long enough for me to grasp just how horrific this thing is.

Then—

"And in the final stage…" Celeste continues, "her body would collapse into a singular mass… which would then transform into pure dark energy."

"And from it… the Nihilborn would emerge."

She speaks so calmly, it makes my blood run cold.

The disgust.

I shudder.

Not from exhaustion.

But from pure horror.

I thought that coming from the Ghetto, I would be used to anything.

That I would be prepared. Strong.

But now?

Now, I am more terrified than I have ever been.

I lower my gaze.

I think.

Did I make a mistake?

Was this really the right choice?

"Are you afraid?" Celeste asks.

"Y-yes."

"But not because of all this… I'm afraid of my decision." I say softly, voice heavy with doubt.

"Did I really do the right thing by…"

I stop.

I nearly slip up.

I can't tell the truth.

I can't say that I wrote my own name on the selection papers.

No one can ever know.

Celeste simply smiles.

Then, she extends her hand.

"Do you want to know if you're strong enough to survive outside the walls?"

I look up.

I stare at her open palm.

"I feel darkness inside you… but it isn't dangerous."

Celeste pauses.

Then—

"It's desperate."

Her gaze pierces into me.

"But that's something you'll have to find out for yourself."

Her eyes challenge me.

I am the last one, after all.

…

I exhale.

And then—carefully—I place my palm against hers.

It's cold.

So cold.

And then—slowly—

I lift my gaze to meet her eyes.

And—

…

…

I am surrounded by absolute darkness.

To be continued...

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