Chapter 27: Chapter 23 – The Knights of Aris (3)

"Thank you for being so reasonable. Ah! You may call me by my name, it seems like we'll both be speaking for some time! I am Anaphiel, Anaphiel Chronia!"

 

If it weren't for the pressure she released, I'd have never imagined myself speaking to this child. "I am Ascelin Saloua, but it seems already you know that..." All that this child is doing is staying in one place, but I cannot scratch the feeling of vulnerability that I'm feeling.

 

I, who am blessed by the omnipotent Aris, feel weak compared to a single angel among hundreds that I've killed.

 

I pressed further, believing this child would not direct her hostility toward me. I could not afford to fight her. Even if she would not immediately overwhelm me, our fight would undoubtedly destroy the continent and everyone on it. "What do you want to talk with me about? The death of your allies? I will not apologize for defending what I've been tasked with protecting." My resolve remains firm, earning chuckles from the child.

 

"You're somewhat correct. The Founder wishes for you to stand down and allow us to enter this world. Regardless of your own wishes, we will eventually enter this world, and we will have no choice but to kill you. I'm sure you can feel my aura—it should be warning you that I can kill you at any time." She was telling the truth, and I knew that I could not defeat her. At most, I'd be able to land a single major attack, but that wouldn't kill her.

 

"I refuse. Even if I have to give my own life, I will not allow you to step foot in this land. I will fight as many of you as I need!" Goddess Aris would not want these people to reside in her realm. "Go long as Goddess Aris wishes, I will continue to defend this world!" 

 

I raise my hand at Anaphiel, a massive sphere appearing in my palm. Just as I'm about to fire the ball at her, my hand is severed from my body by an unseen force. "You're too anxious, I told you that I wouldn't interact with the mortals of this world, didn't I?" Anaphiel's voice comes from behind me. I hadn't even detected her moving...

 

I wield the power to manipulate time, I can bend it however I please. With this, I can also detect distortions in time—this is how I discovered that her control over time was much greater than my own. "You're no mortal, Ascelin. The next time you try to take my head off, I will kill you." There is a dark aura surrounding the woman, one that does not fit her angelic appearance. This is the raw form of her power, leaving me stuck in place.

 

"As a Chronia, I wield the highest caliber of time control. I can control the concept of time to a much higher extent than you. If I wanted, I could create a timeline in this world where you were never born," she stops for a moment, but then continues, "well that'd have been the case if you were not attached to that goddess of yours."

 

Once again, Goddess Aris has blessed me. If it weren't for her power, I believe that I truly would've been wiped from the face of our world. 

 

"Are you even aware of her origin? Where she comes from? The people who she's betrayed, and the children that she's left behind?" There is a shudder in my resolve. I'm sorry, Goddess Aris—I cannot believe that I am actually being enticed by these words. 

 

I retort, "You cannot expect me to believe this nonsense, do you think that by telling me lies I will surrender this land to you?" 

 

Anaphiel must've detected the questioning in my faith, judging by the chuckle she gave me. "This is just a war, Ascelin. This is a war that you and your people were dragged into unknowingly. You do not want to die for that woman, that much, I can assure you of."

 

. . . 

 

As they continue to talk, their voices become quieter. The memory begins to fade—I am unconsciously being restricted from knowing what conversation went on beyond this point.

 

---

 

I stare up at the gray sky, blood spreading across the walls of the cathedral. "Why have you done this, Yubo?" My eyes turn to the most loyal of my ministers, Yubo, who has remained by my side since I graced him with my powers. Among those whose resolves have been shattered throughout the past few centuries, he has stood by my side without question.

 

So, I may only question why he has gone as far as to murder the orphans in our cathedral. The children who we gave homes to for as long as I can remember are lying around the hall, dead. Encircling the corpses are a group of people who I believed to be the followers of my goddess. They are performing a prayer—no, a seance—to our goddess. Yet, this does not make sense.

 

"Lord Ascelin, surely you are aware of her oracle, are you not?! The oracle has demanded a sacrifice be brought upon us! A hundred young girls will be sacrificed to Goddess Aris so that she may 'raise her blood'!" Yubo's words could not be false, he could not lie to me. 

 

Goddess Aris called for the death of a hundred young girls. Goddess Aris who has not shown herself to me since the report that I gave to her of my talks with Anaphiel...

 

My goddess has not spoken to me since I informed her of the lineage that she left behind—her child who is waiting in that higher place.

 

I refused to believe it at first, that there could be someone else like my goddess. This person, the Founder, was merely third-rate. Although, I could not convince myself of this any longer after I was scolded by the goddess. She took my memories of the event away from me, but I obeyed Anaphiel's precaution. I placed a failsafe on myself to rewind my existence should my mind become altered. When Goddess Aris altered my mind, I was quick to subtly undo it.

 

Through the realms, I am sure that her eyes are becoming tired. Before she did not need a report from me, she knew what was happening in boundless dimensions. In these later years, I am unsure what happened during her journey through the other realms, but whatever she has experienced is causing her to become more senile.

 

I should not think this way about my goddess, but what more can I assume? She is the crowned queen of the highest dimension; a goddess among goddesses. She is a mother to many children who she has since abandoned, for whatever sake, perhaps it is not because of blood. 

 

Slowly, I have used my own powers to pull our society back together. No longer will be relying on the oracles of the goddess. I will read her commands, and I will issue them how I myself see fit. I cannot allow the goddess to harm the people who I have protected for so long. I cannot allow her to correct Yubo further.

 

If only I knew...

 

---

 

One day, Goddess Aris descends from the sky. She is alone, I cannot see her face. Her expression is protected by a thick, coal haze. I could not figure out why she'd appeared. The angels had ceased their assaults, perhaps due to their fear of losing more of their comrades to me.

 

No, perhaps it is because of my faltering faith. Even after more than a thousand years have passed, I remain faithful to the goddess. Despite the disturbing oracles she has sent before, I remain in full service to Goddess Aris. Whether she is right or wrong, I will never abandon her. Now that she is here, I believe that I can finally resolidify my resolve after not seeing her for so long.

 

"Hail, Goddess Aris! After millenniums, she has returned again! Hail!" The people who'd seen her first began to cheer. 

 

Now that the citizens know that she is here, I should go and greet her myself. I rise from my seat, beckoning Yubo to follow me.

 

Her statues which were once standing proudly on the walls of the kingdom were the first to vanish.

 

---

 

The children are gone, and my chapel has been destroyed. 

 

"Goddess Aris!" I cry into the sky from the cathedral, trying to yank myself free of the chains of her creation. I watch as she stands in the sky, swiping her palm repeatedly to destroy the carriages on the road. She does not wish for anyone to run, she does not wish for anyone to flee. She is massacring all of them! "Stop, my goddess, please! I am at fault, it is I who went against your will!"

 

I beg her for mercy, I beg my merciful goddess to cease her slaughter. Her eyes never meet my own, she chooses not to hear my words—the slaughter does not cease.

 

I do not understand how or why this has happened. Goddess Aris, the woman who I have given my soul for eternity, did not even allow me to leave past the door of the cathedral. The chains restricted my movements, I am forced to watch as the cries and screams of the people who I've spent so long trying to protect fade away into the wind.

 

With each blow of the wind, they cease to exist. I can feel myself aching, I can feel the weight of myself changing. "Goddess Aris, please, listen to reason! They are innocent! The children, please, at least the—!" My words fall on deaf ears. Not even the children are spared. Perhaps it is a sign of mercy, but she hushes the cries of the children much sooner than the adults.

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Within a few excruciating painful hours, there is no sign of life in the kingdom. No, my words do not carry the same weight as these actions.

 

In a few hours, there was not a single person left living in this realm. Everyone outside of the cathedral was dead. My trembling did not stop, I could not believe it, but I knew that Goddess Aris must've had a good reason for why she's done this. 

 

Please, have a good reason for why you've done this.

 

It takes some time, but Goddess Aris finally appears in the cathedral, forcing me to turn in her direction. The chains she wielded were unnatural—trying to break free from them felt like I was trying to tear off my own limbs. Even if I tried my absolute hardest, it was impossible. My body felt weaker, is it because of the connection I share with the goddess? I will not get any answers from such meaningless thoughts!

 

My remaining ministers have been lined up in front of me. I do not understand, they were the only ones who remained in the cathedral, awaiting my orders. Why have they been laid out in front of me, forced to prostrate themselves? I have never forced them to kneel or cower in my presence, they were like my own children.

 

Yubo, whose knowledge of the stars extends beyond any other person's. He is a kind young man, one who I respect deeply.

 

Alysea, a descendant of the woman whose child I saved many years ago. I've saved many people, but I do not regret saving her ancestors whatsoever.

 

Umibuzo, a warrior who has dedicated himself to me, and by proxy, Goddess Aris. His connection with other countries runs deep, they are useful.

 

Mable, the youngest of my ministers. I did not send her out into conflict, she is but a child who hasn't even reached the age of 12. 

 

I cannot bring myself to speak any words after hearing what the goddess says to me. "I am sorry, Ascelin. I hope that you do not forgive me, I pray that you hate me endlessly." What is the meaning of these words? Hate Goddess Aris? How could I, Ascelin the Innocent, ever do such a thing?!

 

Then, my questions are cruelly answered.

 

Aris places her hand on Mable's head. The child does not even get the chance to tremble or scream, her body begins to twist and contort, reshaping itself into a form that I could not see. Aris would not grant me the vision of what became of the child. What I did know is that her existence was no longer the same. Her soul was torn from her body, it was blackened and corrupted. I could hear her screams, but they were not audible in the physical world. Her soul cried for help even after it was rendered in such a state.

 

The cycle was repeated for everyone, except Yubo. "Please..." I attempt to beg Aris one last time, I try to gain one ounce of sympathy from her. I try to gain a reason; to grasp an understanding of why this has happened! I try to understand, I want to understand!

 

"I can grant no blessings here, Ascelin." She said those final words to me, and then I witnessed Yubo's corruption as well.

 

He experienced the words pain out of any of them. His soul was stretched, damaged during the process of its corruption, and shoved back into his vessel. His form was the only one that I could see, the only one that she let me see. "Hate me, Ascelin. Cry your tears, unleash your anger." Aris, Goddess Aris, why do you torment me?! 

 

Yubo is unrecognizable. He stands with a head that is no longer one a human can possess. Where his head once was, no longer exists. A cloak has fallen over him, leaving a celestial view of the galaxy to anyone who tried to peek beneath. "Your Shaman will serve its purpose as well, Ascelin. It will hate you because you failed to protect it." Why are her words so cold to me?! Why?!

 

"Why?!" I finally scream out. Each of my remaining companions, the children who I raised and protected, who I bestowed powers upon to keep the world safe in the absence of Goddess Aris, were taken from me in an instant! They were warped elsewhere, somewhere far away, where I cannot detect! "My Goddess, I gave you everything! I gave you my soul, my heart! I gave you everything that you asked of me!" 

 

Tears brimming with mixed emotions crawl down my face. I hadn't even realized I was crying. Aris steps up to my helpless form, staring me in the eyes for what feels like an eternity. "Because you are innocent, Ascelin. You are so innocent that when you finally gain a taste of hate, it will be enough to empower me further." 

 

My world turns red, it crashes in on itself, with no hope of recovering. "You...!" I try to find the words to speak. Her hand caresses my face, but I can no longer feel any sensation past the painful heat emitting from my skin. "You!" There are no words to explain how I feel.

 

The chains holding me begin to rattle. Millions of thoughts go through my head. Should I call for the angels?! Should I inform them that they can finally come?! Should I try to make a deal in return for the lives of the mortals?!

 

Aris places her hand on my chest, and something massive erupts through my body. Screams, cries, thoughts, sounds; disaster. My soul is overwhelmed by these things—my soul is overwhelmed by the presence of a realm. Every life which was lost, in a single instance, was shoved into my body.

 

I cry in pain as my body starts to destroy itself. It tries to adapt, to accommodate the new entries. I can hear the resentment of each person, the resentment of the goddess, their resentment towards me who could not protect them from her. I told them for many generations to praise and worship this woman, and she killed them all.

 

"You may never understand why I've done this, Ascelin. You are just a poor innocent fool. That is why as an act of mercy, I made sure that you were the first." I can barely hear her past the billions of noises I'm hearing already. I cannot break free of the chains. I cannot break free of the souls cluttering my existence.

 

As my vision fades, I witness Aris open a rift in front of herself. On the opposite side of the rift, I can see them—children with red hair. The offerings that'd been made such a long time ago must've been for this... "Red..." Their red hair was identical to that of Aris. "Red...!" Even through my unconsciousness, I continue to scream these words. 

 

My entire existence which revolved around a single woman, all of my faith and loyalty, all of my followers and friends—they'd been snatched away from me so effortlessly!

 

---

 

Centuries pass, and footsteps finally arrive in my cathedral. I open my eyes for the first time in a long while.

 

Anaphiel is standing there, smiling at me. "You and I are the same in the end, huh?" I did not know what she meant by that. "You should be careful who you trust." Anaphiel has grown. She is no longer the little runt from before, but she feels much weaker than before.

 

"This realm is finished. It will become overrun at this rate, and not even you and your souls will be at peace." Her words were true. I'd been aware of all of the happenings in this dimension. The beasts from before are getting closer to the kingdom, and I cannot do anything from where I stand.

 

Even though all I can do is defend the kingdom in my terrible state, I can no longer do that. It was a miracle that we'd come this far without being attacked by any of the beasts we once fought.

 

"I'm going to give you a gift, Ascelin. I'll give you a gift that'll assure that someone hears your story. Maybe in a thousand years, maybe in some alternate universe—someone will know what happened here. And the person who finds you will be the person who frees you of your eternal torment." I knew her words were too good to be true, however, I maintained a great amount of excitement.

 

"When that time comes, I won't be able to do as much as I can do now. I'll get in a lot of trouble once the others find out." Rolling her eyes at the thought of her own issues, Anaphiel reaches her hand out at me. "You will sleep for a long time, and when you awaken, you will finally get the chance to be freed."

 

---

 

The memories have ended, but, I am still inside of the white room that I've come to know as my own soul. I haven't died, but, there is something wrong with my personal zone. It feels... crowded.

 

"I was a fool from the beginning, you know?" I hear a voice come from behind me. When I turn, there I can see a male figure sitting down on the ground. He looks much like myself, a figure made out of a neon-like color. His was bright yellow. "Children are usually called innocent because of their like of awareness, their blissfulness. I was the innocent." 

 

Hearing these words, there was not a doubt in my mind—Ascelin the Innocent is in my soul!

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