Lighting flashed and cracked the illusional realm in half. Versailles's soul flew backward at an unbreakable speed. In the middle of another flash of lighting, her soul forcefully jerked to a stop as if having reached a limit. Then her head span, the veins throbbing and jumping in a relentless melody of torture as her surroundings blurred.
When she opened her eyes, she was falling.
The black mountains, black floor, and huge stadium walls stretching in the distance immediately made her aware she was at the Eternal Mountains. And as she floated, her weak and exhausted body drifting to the ground powerlessly, she was astonished.
"Here is?"
Was what she was seeing, really what she thought?
Was this real or another glimpse into past events?
Did she really return?
Was she really back?
Back in time. She returned to the moment just after the conclusion of the Battle of Might, her battle with the darkness, and before she fainted from extreme exhaustion.
Back at the moment when the dark void had attempted to brainwash her with Ramose's death.
Back at the moment when she burst out with explosive power, shattering the void of darkness.
Back at the moment before she blacked out.
The astonishment and disbelief, as well as relieve were clear as the moon on her pale complexion.
After experiencing and witnessing all those horrors with her own eyes, she was now beyond ecstatic to be back. Back for her vengeance, blood, death, and torment.
The thoughts span in her mind, making her dizzy, and she snapped herself to attention as her eyes grew heavy with exhaustion. She could not fall here. She could not rest here. And she definitely could not stay here any longer.
"Aye, this time, I must not black out here. First thing's first, I need to get to the snake abode right away. But how?" Still a little muddled, she looked around, searching for Ramose. However, no beast was in sight, the deserted back mountain standing desolately in the howling wind.
Her eyes grew even heavier and she felt her conscious fading, drawing her into the land of slumber.
"No, I cannot give in to exhaustion! I have to get out of here, now!"
Closing her eyes, she sent her spirit into her consciousness.
"'Glowing soul', please help me." shouting the fervent wish in her mind, she attempted to active the teleporting ability of the 'glowing soul'. She knew using that ability in her drained state would have adverse affect on her mind and body. But she had no other choice.
It was between suffering an unknown backlash, or getting kidnapped by the supreme elder. And she chose, the unknown backlash. This time, she would make certain she didn't fall into his hands.
Gritting her teeth in resentment and hatred, she sent her spirit into the 'glowing soul'. Instantly, a white light burst out from the soul, combining with her fiery power. Her body fiercely trembled as the light enveloped her form. In the next instant, she vanished.
Luke, who's form fell from the dark rift just at that moment, felt the voice in his head rage uncontrollably.
"No. No. No! How is this possible? She should have been too drained to make any move. After that sudden burst of power, she should have blacked out. But how did she disappear?" It madly howled, its volume raising as it shrieked in anger.
"Immediately search for her! We need to find her before the werewolf does!" It ordered Luke.
"Why should I? Do you think I take orders from you?" Luke vehemently spat out, his blue eyes flickering with conflict.
For the past thousands of years, he had felt the presence of this dark shadow more than a thousand times. Always present in a dark corner, it influenced his thoughts and emotions at any given moment, driving him forward to do who knows what.
At the beginning, he always resisted. But over time, his resistance grew weaker and weaker, until the voice was practically able to command him as it wished.
'But not today!'
Luke deeply vowed.
"Oh, I thought you wanted that flame hair girl? Are you not interested anymore? Will you let the werewolf easily possess her? No wonder she left right under your nose and you weren't able to do anything. Because, you're weak Luke! Pathetically weak!"
It mocked and jeered at him, provoking where it knew pricked the beast most.
"You deserve to be alone for all eternity, Luke, with no companions, friends, or mate."
"Shut up! Just shut up! What do you know? I like being alone and by myself?"
"Really? Is that really the case, Luke? Then why are you screaming? You can also get your point across, saying the same thing in a calm voice? Stop deluding yourself, Luke! You are only being pathetic! You know you want her, so just admit it. Now, let me in and I will give you the power to get what you want."
Changing its tone, it enticed Luke with what it believed to be his weakness.
"Come on. Open yourself to me and I get you what you want. I will get you your flame girl, companion, and mate."
"No! No! NO! I do not want anything! You go away!" Luke was howling now, his blue eyes fierce, tinted with blood.
His hoarse voice evidence of his struggle, but anyone with eyes could see, with time, he was slowly losing control. With time, he was giving in to the darkness.
Right at this exact moment, the voice dealt its final blow.
"Your flame girl is leaving with the werewolf to the Eternal Sea to exchanged vows."
And that....broke Luke's last resolve.
The shield inside his mind against the voice shattered, allowing it to freely invade, corrode, and corrupt the thoughts, emotions, and feelings of Luke until black smoke seeped out from his seven orifices.
The smoke converged and condensed, gaining momentum as it spread outwards, covering the entire rocky region in a black mushroom cloud.
"Hehehehe...I will get what I want and no one can stop me!" A sinister cackling resounded from inside the black cloud. The madness and darkness within un-maskable.
The figure threw its head back, arms spread spear-eagle, the black mushroom cloud retreated back into his body. At its absence, what appeared was a dark haired man with black eyes and sinister smirk. Looking into the distance, the figure flashed.
Versailles figure vanished in a shower of light and brilliance just as a black mushroom cloud appeared in the back mountain. The two, missed each other by the difference of a heartbeat.
The calamity that began at this back mountain in her last life, Versailles avoided it this time by a split second.
At this time, a black wolf also dashed into the back mountain. It's black luxurious fur glistened with light as its huge head moved from side-to-side, in search of something. The wolf sniffed the air as it anxiously paced about. Not finding what it was looking for, its black head drooped in despair.
Turning, it slowly backed out of the back mountain of the Eternal Mountains.
This black wolf was Ramose.
Finding his mate suddenly vanish, he panickily scurried the whole region of the Eternal Mountains in search of her. Fortune or unfortunate, Ramose was late by a split second, missing Versailles just as Luke did.
"Awoooooo!"
Howling in grief, fear, and indignation, the black wolf rushed out of the Eternal Mountains, heading towards the Floating Flame Island of the serpentines.
He had to find his mate!
From the top of a cliff in the back mountains, Luke watched the black wolf's disappearing figure from within the black smoke. His dark eyes glowed with delight on catching the dejected and forlorn look in its eyes.
"Hehehehe.....seems like the serpentine ditched her mate as well!" His mad cackle rang out in the silent area, echoing endlessly.
*
On the south of the Nar realm, there was a region where volcano's constantly erupted, producing phoenix and dragon like images in the dull red sky. To the north of the erupting volcano was a floating island with beautiful flame trees and netherworld flowers blossoming gorgeously.
This was the Floating Flame Island of the Snake clan.
At this moment, glorious white radiance appeared on top of the Floating Flame Island, its bright glory lightening up the land of red-orange-gold flames. The light showered its glow on the mass of snakes slithering on the flame ground for a while, before winking out.
In its spot, appeared the haggard and pale face of Versailles, who had just barely escaped from Luke's sinister clutches.
Drained and dizzy Versailles held onto her head as she scanned her surroundings, ascertaining she was truly on the Floating Flame Island of the Snake clan, before crashing to the ground.
"I am finally back! This time it will not be so easy to catch me, supreme elder!"
Was the last hiss passing through her bloodless lips before she passed out.