Where Light Once Stood

The portal slowly vanished, disappearing into nowhere. 

The six members stood, each one of them devastated. They let the killer of their Princess escape, and most of them didn't even fight back.

While Kaene did a lot of work, she too felt like she failed.

Alex turned his head a bit, only to see Clovis. Clovis didn't seem to be scared at all, he just stood there normally as if nothing had even happened. 

Alex's eyes twitched, as he already made a decision to snap at the king for not doing anything the entire time.

When he took his first step, he was only stopped by a masculine hand that gripped his shoulder. 

Aren had his face directed on the ground, hiding away his emotions by covering his eyes using the top hat he had been wearing the entire time.

The Princess' body had a long veil hiding away the tragedy. Clara was on her knees, she gripped the veil tightly, holding away her tears back. 

The room was quiet. Deadly quiet. 

Everyone had lost their lives to Zivko, only the Order and the king were still breathing. 

But the Order had lost what guided them through hardships and the worst of times, their mentor, their guidance… their star. 

They, too, were also dead. 

Alex clicked his tongue as Aren let go of his grip. Alex gazed at the king for a last time, his eyes full of anger.

He turned his back on him then went back with the Order.

Cecilia whispered, a frown on her face. "This isn't the time, but we have to leave now." 

The five members looked at her, confused. Cecilia continued, her tone was also filled with the same grief everyone else felt. 

"That was not a mere child's play. It was a declaration of war." She turned her head to the bloody facade on her right, "If this is what one man could do, what would his reinforcements be like?"

Adelia sighed, "Cecilia is right. The only thing we can do now is to stay alive and plan later." 

Astra nodded, her face sorrowful. 

After everyone had agreed, Cecilia stepped forward to the Princess' body. Her lips fell downwards. 

She looked at Clara, who till now had been gripping the veil with all her might. Cecilia opened her mouth to speak, then closed it out of guilt. 

Clara heard Cecilia. Before she lifted her head up, she sniffed then let go of her grip, stepping backwards next to Astra. 

Astra put her hand over Clara's head, she looked down to her with a slight smile appearing on her face, reminding Clara the time Aurora made them promise to all keep smiling no matter what.

Clara didn't smile back, but she felt more reassured. She nodded as Cecilia moved her hands upwards, raising it. 

Slowly, she absorbed the remnants of her Conceptual ability, to let her rest in peace. 

As a Concept Wielder, having one after you die could prove to be troublesome. Like a doll, they could stay alive, but dead at the same time.

Not able to speak, not able to move nor do anything at all.

Golden shaped squares came out through the veil and into Cecilia's open palm. After a few moments, she closed her palm. 

The Princess' body started vanishing into particles in thin air, the veil falling down to the ground starting from Aurora's legs, and slowly it went through her whole body. 

The Princess had died. 

They couldn't even do a funeral for her, let alone a normal mourning. They had to go, and quickly. 

Aren stood next to Adelia, while Astra was lost in her thoughts as she gazed to where the king was standing.

She slightly furrowed her brows as she let go of her hand from Clara's head. 

Astra took heavy steps forward to the king, each step shaking the whole stage in the room. 

Nobody had stopped her, only because Astra knew how to keep her composure, especially when it comes with royalty. 

"Are you coming with us or not?" she asked, gazing into Clovis' eyes as if he meant purely nothing to her. 

King Clovis smiled, "The Void Maiden herself dares to warn me? I am the one in command here."

Alex thought to himself, hearing the absurdity of Clovis, 'Does this man not see the scene in front of him? He still thinks he is going to stay as king?" 

He grit his teeth, questioning himself further about how clueless and dumb Clovis was being. But in reality, Clovis was being tactful about this.

He was experienced when faced with betrayals, drama and all kinds of trouble. This allowed him to have a perspective on many things at the same time.

"I will not repeat myself." Astra replied to him, her tone serious. 

Clovis stared at her for a few seconds, thinking carefully. He thought clearly about the advantages and disadvantages, but the thought of his people didn't even cross his mind.

After being silent for a few moments, he finally nodded, accepting Astra's offer. 

Astra gazed at him for a last time before turning her back to the Order, "Let's move." she said, her voice clear and her sealike eyes serious.

It was clear they had all forgotten about someone else… Another person that did the majority of the work against Zivko, basically making him retreat.

Lyra was by herself, in the Spectator Realm, watching over the wandering souls in the Mortal Realm. 

Her Concept, Spirituality, allowed her to own a Core Mechanism that enveloped her into the Spectator Realm. 

She was only able to leave it once every week, and she had already left once this same week to meet with Alex.

Due to not foreseeing the tragedy that befell the Princess with her eyes, she took the blame for not being cautious enough.

Behind the golden-brown haired girl was a large building made in a unique way. A bright orb shining throughout the everlasting night of the realm stood in between two long walls that covered the orb left and right. 

It towered above everything else under the sea of stars above.

The shining orb had long metal plates spinning over the round orb, as if encasing it. 

There was no wind at all. A special peculiarity in the Spectator Realm was the way a person could breathe without the need for air itself, something that made it very distinct to the other realms. 

She looked at the floor, her eyes teary. Aurora used to speak with her, knowing how lonely it was in the Spectator world. Now her only comfort was gone, and she put the blame on no one but herself. 

She bitterly cried by herself, her tears falling down onto the endless watery floor reflecting the endless stars above. 

Back into the Mortal Realm, where time flowed the same as in the Spectator Realm, the Order had already begun moving. 

As they hurriedly left through the same tunnel they came from, they fled through one of the entrances built in the walls circling around Epilune. 

Each person left, no thought of ever coming back in here. When it was Alex's turn to leave, he stopped moving all of a sudden as he quickly remembered something that he forgot due to what happened earlier.

"Ros… Lara…" 

His party planned in advance to stay months if needed for Alex. Little did they know, it was unlikely Alex could come back to the city at all. Or even the country itself now that the war has already started.