Chapter 26: Chapter 23: Forget-Me-Not 3

Chris woke up with a start. Her mind rang with nauseating dissonance as fleeting echoes of memory pervaded her thoughts. She tried to stand, but felt her limbs lose strength. Her knees gave out beneath her, and the rest of her body followed suit.

[Memories successfully transferred. Host has been awakened for post-processing assimilation.] the System droned.

She surveyed her surroundings pensively. Anxiety grew like a pit in her stomach. What was previously the surrounding forest landscape had shifted into a dreamlike field of countless flowers, one that was all too familiar to her.

[Calm yourself, Christiana. If she took you to the garden, that must mean that you’ve more of a chance than I first thought.] Amphitrite said. [Do something to buy time. Channel your mana into the ground, I’ll see if I can seize back control and revive the rest of my consciousness.]

Roger that. Chris let energy pulse from her arm as she channeled her Will into the Domain. She hoped that Amphitrite would find a way.

“What did you do?” She broke the silence, speaking to a widening tear in space where Ilias stepped out.

“Just a simple spell to neutralize a person without doing much harm. Knocks them out cold. Useful in the right scenarios, as all magic generally is.” Ilias answered disinterestedly.

Chris grunted in annoyance as she stood up and dusted her clothes off.

Was that just a dream, then? But it all felt so real. No, I’m sure of it. Those were Christiana’s –my– memories. Scary. Could this be linked to the appearance of that overpowered illusion from earlier? She shuddered, haunted by the phantom sensation of a blade on her skin.

Feeling Ilias’s expectant gaze bore into her, she shifted on her feet. The emerald-haired demon appeared taller, older, and centuries wearier than the last time they’d met. She had to stop herself from staring too long.

“New look?”

“Altering my form is no big deal.” 

“Oh. Cool.” Chris replied.

There was a long silence, and Chris realized that the conversation was going nowhere. Thankfully, Ilias took the lead in questioning her uninvited guest.

“Why’d you come back here? Driven by a sense of pity? Feeling bad for my poor, lonely self?” she dryly asked. Chris hesitated, but with no way out of her situation she decided to answer with just the honest truth.

“I wanted to help.” Chris sheepishly replied.

“By just barging in here when it felt convenient? You’re a fool.” Ilias, with a look of incredulity, flicked her on the forehead, sending her tumbling back. “You can come up with a better excuse. Did you mistake my loyalty to your ancestor for interest in you? Maybe you wanted to see how far you could bend my power to your whims? It wouldn’t be the first time someone approached me with that intention.”

“No, no. It’s just…” Chris waved her arms, motioning to the endless field of flowers around them. “You can’t be satisfied with languishing in this fake world for an eternity! There’s no way that you haven’t thought of leaving at least once, to see how the outside world has changed.”

“Yes. And?” Ilias replied nonchalantly.

“Huh?”

“Did you honestly think I haven’t thought of that before?” Her shoulders slumped at the girl’s dumbfounded look. She sighed.

“It’s true; I miss breathing in the misty air among the highest mountain peaks of Belrhast. I want to hear the ocean's waves crash against Lorien’s rocky shores.” Her gaze, growing more distant in reminiscence, sharpened. “My memories do inflict the curse of longing upon me. But there’s a reason why I put myself here.”

“See this?” She tugged on the sleeve of her robe. “This makes me a walking target for every demon in this world. Its enchantments are near indestructible. Believe me, I’ve tried. And I’m only one person, while they are many. I took a chance once, tried to grasp at a hopeful future with all my might. And then I lost everything.”

“No, not all of it.” Chris spoke with renewed vigor. “Lorien still stands. And with it, lives Amphitrite’s legacy.” 

“And if I leave now, then everything that she lived and died for will burn in flames.” Ilias icily spoke. “You’re naive.” She pointed an accusatory finger at the startled girl standing opposite to her. “Are you able to take responsibility? Can you prevent this nation from falling into the same fate as all the others that the Demon God’s legions razed to the ground?”

“With your help, I can.”

Ilias burst into a cackle, startling Chris. She smiled, not with the mischief from when they first met, but like someone who no longer knew what to feel about themselves and the world. Her laughter almost sounded like sobbing. “Me? I’m not as strong as you think I am. Stop trying to get me to embark on some merry adventure with you. It’s not going to work.”

She walked up to the princess. Chris was forced to look into the deep crimson pupils of her eyes, into the depths where anguish and madness lingered. Her aura flared, and Chris felt like a rodent caught in the eyes of a snake. 

She met Ilias’s gaze with a defiant glare. 

“Listen, I know how you feel, but–” 

“You? Know how I feel?” Ilias scoffed. “Don’t lie to me, Chris. You have no idea at all what it’s like.” She sneered. “Are you willing to risk your family and endanger your people just for me to roam about leashed to you?”

“Amphitrite won’t want to see you like this. She won’t want to see you suffer because of–” 

Chris’s next words were blocked by Ilias seizing her collar, lifting her up without much effort. She felt her feet lift off the floor. 

“Don’t say it.” The demon’s threatening aura rose to a choking degree, her brows furrowing in outrage. “Don’t say her name. Don’t talk about her here, damn you!” Ilias’s words were laced with venom, her voice rising in volume. Her grip tightened. 

“You think I want to live in this way?” she growled out. “You don’t know anything!”

“Khh!” Chris grit her teeth through the strain of freeing herself.

Indignant, she grabbed the single arm that held her up with both hands, fighting against the demon’s iron grip. Something sparked within her, but it wasn’t the same mana she recognized.

The energy seemed to have a mind of its own, rushing outwards with a palpable glee and unstoppable force. Arcs of lightning, cascading in flashes of blue, indigo, and violet, crackled from her fingertips into her captor’s arm. Ilias clicked her tongue, releasing her grip and shaking her hand while grimacing –like someone who’d touched a too-hot surface– letting Chris plop back onto the dirty ground. An opportunity which she gladly used to catch her breath.

“Was that lightning? A rare element, especially from a human.” Ilias caught the withering stare of the girl in front of her. “What? Are you feeling spiteful now that I’ve bitten the helping hand you’ve offered?” With a wave of an arm, the space around her rippled. Chris suddenly found that she couldn’t move. Not only that, it felt like there were walls pressing into her from all sides. The very fabric of space was crushing her.

She clenched her fists, feeling for a surge of power to latch onto. Wind, lightning, anything to help her resist Ilias’s nigh overwhelming power.

“Why are you so stubborn?” She gritted out.

“Why are you so persistent?” Ilias glared back.

Chris’s eyes began to glow as her mana surged. Ilias grinned, her glinting eyes and shark-like teeth reflecting the pulses of energy coming from the girl in front of her.

“Would you two blockheads knock it off?

The two of them startled as one, turning their heads in sync towards the source of the new voice.

“No way.” Chris’s jaw dropped.

“E-eh?” Ilias mirrored her expression, unable to believe the sight in front of her. She slowly walked towards the woman who’d appeared in front of them, reaching out her hand as if the person in front of them was a mirage that would disappear in an instant.

“Is it, is it really you?” she whispered.

Amphitrite Rex stood opposite to them. Blue hair and green eyes marked the progenitor of the Lorien bloodline. Decked out in an armor formed from ephemeral cloth and faded metal, the spirit of the first queen appeared regal, while still betraying her true nature as one of the departed dead.

“Yes.” Her lips curled into a dazzling smile. But her eyes weren’t smiling. 

An audible thud rang out as she slammed her fist onto the top of Ilias’s head. 

“Gah! Owowowow, what was that for!” The demon, still in the form of a mature woman, kneeled down in pain while cradling her head. The corners of her eyes grew teary. Even Chris, who by all means should have felt schadenfreude at her predicament, couldn’t help but wince.

Amphitrite lifted Ilias by the collar of her robes.

“You numbskull! That girl’s my descendant; the first one to resonate with my bloodline in centuries! Why the hell are you using space magic on her when you know she’d only awakened not even a week ago, huh?!”

“Hic.” But Ilias didn’t respond. Instead, tears streamed down her face. With a dainty hand, she punched Amphitrite’s chest in the same way an angry lover would. 

It would have been endearing if it didn’t blow a gaping hole in the queen’s spirit.

“Oi! Do you know how hard it was to condense my soul into this state? Cut it out– I’m fragile!” Amphitrite protested, particles of mana quickly closing up her “wound” until it appeared as if nothing had ever occurred.

“Why are you only showing up now?” Ilias muttered, her face hidden behind locks of emerald.

The severe expression on the ancient queen’s face softened. Her mien became sad and heartbroken, but she had little to offer to console her companion. Amphitrite’s figure, which had been tall and gallant in life, looked weaker than ever.

“I’m sorry.”

“Sorry won’t cut it! Do you know what it was like to see you dying in front of me? How powerless do you think I felt?” 

Amphitrite said nothing, but could only smile helplessly.

“Why are you so stupid?!” Ilias wailed. “Charging in by yourself, leaving me alone for all this time…”

“Hey, hey, let’s calm down.” Amphitrite tried to appease her to no avail. 

Meanwhile, Chris watched their exchange on the sidelines with a dead expression. The light in her eyes slowly faded away as she absentmindedly resigned herself to third wheel status. 

These really are some nice flowers… 

_____________________________________

Amphitrite only remembered darkness. An all encompassing void that threatened to swallow whatever consciousness she had left. Deep within that sea, it took every last bit of Will left inside her to resist the temptation to let go. To avoid surrendering her soul to whatever lay beyond. 

She slept. Unaware of the world around her, trapped in stasis like an infant in its womb. 

She was weak, pitifully so. Only a few strings of regret kept her spirit bound to the mortal plane, to the Domain she’d set up with her dying breaths atop the sacred soil of her homeland.

She was listless. Fragments of thought evaded her, and her one remaining duty, unfulfilled in life, eluded her. Trapped in an unrelenting, fitful dream, she heard her name affectionately called by another. A caretaker.

From those calls came the bereft emotions of loss and longing. Trapped in endless limbo, the dormant soul couldn’t see nor reach out to that lonesome voice. Yet she so desperately wanted to answer it. The yearning was her anchor and her lifeline. It kept her from drowning in the abyss between life and death.

The caretaker whispered to every flower and watered every blossom, coaxing her waning spirit into resurgence. The soul bloomed under loving care.

There was a name to this tenderness. 

Ilias.

Finally, she awoke. Resoundingly. Shockwaves of awareness and feeling came over her, and the progenitor of all of Lorien’s history rose from her deathly state as but a shell of her former self, no longer the awe-inspiring queen of founding legend, but a lingering shade with a fragment of its former memories and consciousness.

After meeting with her modern descendant, the rest was history.

And now, in the final hours before her fated reunion with Ilias, she had to set her last doubts to rest in Chris’s soulscape.

Amphitrite faced Raisendel Etren, an elven warrior from an age even before her own. A swordswoman who’d become one of her closest friends in unlife. They’d exchanged pointers, as well as stories of adventures and past feats, and she had marveled at the breadth and depth of experience the ancient spirit had to offer. Simply knowing that there was more to the world than even she had explored left her feeling the same childlike wonder of her youth. But it was alongside a fair amount of regret, for having passed away without adventuring into those unknowns.

“It’s finally happening,” she said.

“Is it your time to go now, majesty?”

“I keep telling you not to call me that; I should think we’ve gotten close enough for you to call me by name.” She stiffly smiled.

“Amphitrite…” Raisendel approached her with a rare look of concern. “You needn’t hide your feelings from me.” 

She let slip a look of surprise before schooling her expression.

“Everything about you is sharp, even your senses.” She quipped, before shifting back into seriousness. “My soul. Even though I can tell that it’s as complete as I can get it to be, I can feel it, you know. That today will be my last. Call it instincts or superstition, but it’s like everything has been leading up to this moment.”

“I didn’t take you to be a sentimental one,” said the elf.

“I’ve never been one to think ahead. But being here with you has got me thinking. Christiana and Ilias, I want them to be happy and safe,”  Amphitrite's eyes became distant, without the resolve she usually showed. “…even when I’m gone. I pray that she, that Ilias, doesn’t blame herself, or lash out at others.”

“You’re going to sacrifice yourself.” Raisendel realized, shocked.

“Lorien doesn’t need me anymore,” she replied. “There are those who will take up arms to defend it now, who will ensure that my Will carries on into a new age.” She looked up, almost in reminiscence. “My era is long past. About time for me to say my final goodbyes as well.”

“I see, so you’ve made your decision, Amphitrite.” There was a pregnant pause before Raisendel continued, with a new tone of respect and reverence. “You will not be forgotten. Your legacy lives on, and by my name and blade, I shall preserve it.”

“You’re too serious.” Amphitrite laughed. Raisendel’s expression almost cracked into a grin. “But thank you. I really mean it.” Her form flickered, and she closed her eyes in acceptance. 

“It’s time already, huh?” She turned to leave, but not before stopping one last time. 

“It’s been an honor to know you, Raisendel.”

“You may simply call me Raison, my friend.” The elf spoke towards her fading back. Her pale lips curled into the faintest of smiles.

“Sure.” Amphitrite chuckled. 

And she disappeared from the soulscape in a burst of energy.

_________________________________________

Amphitrite immediately panicked.

It was hard enough to seek out all the scattered fragments of her soul; who knew that it would be even more difficult to console Ilias upon her return! She opened her eyes to the demon manhandling her descendant. After berating her, one thing led to another, and now Ilias was assailing her with hundreds of years of pent up anger.

Ahhh! She’s crying, what do I do? What did I do? Snap out of it, calm down! You can handle this.

“Uuh…”

There were so many things that she wanted to say now that Ilias was in front of her once more. 

An endless number of questions to ask. She wanted to catch up, to make up for the time they’d lost together. Then she stopped, looking at her body that was ethereal and slowly growing more translucent. She heaved out a deep sigh. No time for catching up, it seemed. 

“I stayed all this time,” Ilias continued talking. “To keep your spirit company so that you wouldn’t be alone. I knew that you’d find a way to stubbornly hold onto life. Knew that you’d need someone to be there for you. But everytime I woke up, on the grass you loved, surrounded by the flowers you adored, but without you at my side, I—”

Two arms embraced Ilias. 

Ah. Amphitrite thought. How I missed this feeling. 

“Thank you for not giving up on me,” she said. “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”

Why is that the only thing I can say?

Ilias went on,

“I wanted to leave sometimes. So badly. But where would I go? All I ever saw was my place at your side. And once you were gone, I knew I was lost.” She sniffled. 

Pangs of guilt struck her. Amphitrite hardened her heart once more. She looked towards Chris.

“Hey, Christiana. Mind helping your ancestor out in her last request?”

“I thought you forgot about me for a second,” Chris smiled awkwardly while approaching the two. Ilias turned to her in surprise, appearing to have forgotten her presence, then whipped her head back to face Amphitrite.

“What do you mean by ‘last request’?” she asked in hesitation.

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“…”

“Answer me!” Ilias yelped as a finger flicked her forehead. 

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m supposed to be dead. Was supposed to die, long ago. I’m running on borrowed time right now.”

“No!” she said in desperation. “I can help you. With my magic, I know I can. You’re here now. We’ll find a way. Then we can be together. I can save you!”

Amphitrite shook her head.

“You’re still as stubborn as I remembered you as,” she helplessly smiled at Ilias. “But there’s no saving me.”

“Why?” Ilias slid down, her knees collapsing underneath her. She looked at the ground. “Why did you come back if you’re just going to leave me again? Why are you so cruel…” she said in a small voice.

Even Chris felt her heartstrings pull at the situation.

Amphitrite steeled her gaze.

“I’m here, because I’m doing what I should have done in life,” she spoke. “Freeing you.”

She strode up to Ilias and gestured for Chris to stand next to her. The demon stared up in disbelief.

“What?”

She bent down and lifted a corner of Ilias’s robes. Its almost metallic surface shone in the light, displaying countless rows of intricate runes laid into those bare inches of fabric. 

“An enchantment done by a demigod general of the Demon God,” she said grimly. “A relic from a bygone era.” She gave a meaningful glance towards Chris. “Christiana , I’m not as capable now as I originally was, so you’re going to be important for this. Stand next to me.” As Chris did so, she continued, 

“Never thought that the solution would be so simple.” Amphitrite grinned at the others’ growing confusion. “We just have to overload it. The enchantments are running on a closed system, feeding off of their host, Ilias’s energy. If we manage to break this flow with multiple different types of mana, the resulting reaction can interrupt the enchantment circuit, if not destroy it completely.” Her smile grew wider as she pointed at Chris. “Now this is where you come in. Can you summon your spirit?”

Chris nodded, willing forth her guiding wind. She felt her spirit shunt through an immaterial part of her being. The elf materialized midair, her lithe form hidden behind flowing, fog like accouterments. She opened her eyes to reveal glowing orbs of ethereal silver. 

She nodded towards Amphitrite.

“Is there a point?” Ilias muttered. The three looked towards her in concern. “Even if I leave, where will I go? All I’ll be doing is causing more trouble. I’m not good at anything. I don’t belong anywhere. There’s nothing out there for me…” A hand rested on her shoulder, causing her to look up. Amphitrite’s mien was one of patience. 

“Do you really believe that, Ilias?” She spoke, slowly and gently. “Look.” She gestured at her companions.

Ilias did so, her eyes widening after seeing how they gazed at her. Not with disdain, fear, or malice, but with the desire to support and carry her through the pain.

“You’re not alone. Not anymore. Never again.” Her beloved smiled at her. “Will you let us help you?”

She nodded, tears brimming once more in the corner of the ancient demon’s eyes. 

Then she steeled herself, turning her back to the three who would free her. Ilias slowly lifted her robes, exposing skin marred with black patterns like those on a circuit board. Chris gasped, and both Amphitrite and Raisendel’s expressions turned grim as Ilias continued to reveal herself. The scars continued up till the middle of Ilias’s back, gradually taking on a shade of dark red, until they met at an angry crimson brand. It glowed in unsettling pulses similar to the rhythm of a beating heart. Glowing strings sprouted out from the brand, stitched to her very being and feeding her life force to the robes in an unholy union. 

“...How bad is it?” Ilias asked.

“It’s gotten worse.” Amphitrite said, her words brimming with repressed anger and regret. Ilias wryly smiled.

“I’ve tried to suppress it when I could, but after this long I guess the curse should have progressed a fair deal.” She turned her head back. “Will your method still work?”

“I’m not so sure anymore,” Amphitrite answered truthfully. “But,” She faced Chris, a thin smile growing on her face. “We’ll still have to try, right?” The princess nodded in determination, and the ancient queen appeared pleased.

“Alright everyone,” Amphitrite called out. “Place your hands here.” She touched Ilias’s back where the brand originated. As her companions did the same, she took in a deep breath.

“Prepare yourselves.” She ordered.

An indomitable aura spread from Amphitrite, causing their surroundings to rustle. Chris was forced to use her arms to shield herself; the ambient mana being leaked was more overwhelming than even Lysander’s. 

“Impressive.” Raisendel commented. “Your ancestor certainly lives up to her legend, Christiana.” She laid her hand on Amphitrite’s and began to push in her mana. Howling winds encircled them.

“Here goes nothing.” Chris lent a hand as well, adding an additional flow of mana to the effort. Though she was weaker than the other two, every bit mattered.

It wasn’t long before Ilias started to groan, her body curling up in agony. The brand on her back pulsated in a much more grotesque manner than before, this time with ripples of red light provoking pained winces and whimpers from her. It radiated a heat that quickly grew unbearable, alongside the droning hum of magic.

Amphitrite was fading, with parts of her body appearing more ghostlike as time went on. If she noticed then she didn’t show the fact; all she showed was a superhuman level of concentration. Raisendel was in a similar state of focus. 

A bead of sweat rolled down Chris’s chin. She didn’t know how much time had passed, as seconds turned into minutes and minutes became hours. Whatever sort of enchantment she was pouring her mana into seemed intent on hungrily devouring her. 

[Warning: Mana exertion reaching dangerous levels. Damage imminent. Host is recommended to cease current action immediately.]

Her energy was being drained like never before, and her body screamed like it was tearing at the seams. This was a marathon, and she was gravely falling behind. 

She felt an almost incorporeal hand brush on her shoulder. 

“Keep going.” Amphitrite encouraged her. “We’re almost there.”

Chris grit her teeth. They held strong, tussling for who knew how much longer. The humming of magic only grew louder, more frequent, and alarming, like the ticking of a bomb.

And then it stopped. 

The brand and the surrounding scars were now pitch black, and no longer writhed with corrupted magic. In a quiet moment of reprieve, they all breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Amphitrite collapsed onto the ground.

“Amphy!” Ilias struggled to get up, exhausted from the ordeal. She was supported by Raisendel, whereas Chris helped lift her ancestor up. Particles of mana drifted away from Amphitrite’s rapidly disappearing body. Her legs were no longer visible. 

She fell into Ilias’s embrace.

“We did it… you’re free now.” She tiredly said.

“I never wanted this to happen at the cost of your life.” Ilias murmured.

“Sorry, but this was the only way.”

Amphitrite smiled. Though her body dulled, her eyes still sparked with lively spirit. 

“Hehe. Never thought that I would kick the bucket like this. But it’s worth it.”

“Stop joking around, you idiot.” grumbled Ilias, cradling her head in her arms.

“Hey.” 

“I love you.”

Red appeared on Ilias’s cheeks.

“You damned brat, always saying things like this.” She smiled through a trail of tears.

“Kiss?” Amphitrite pleaded.

“You’re incorrigible.” Ilias leaned down.

Raisendel facepalmed, although one could catch a small smirk hidden under her hand. Chris looked away in embarrassment. 

“Hey, Christiana?”

“What?” She turned around.

“Was I cool?”

“...The coolest. I’m proud to call you my ancestor.”

“Heh.”

The queen knew her foibles. She was never one for theatrics when dealing with people, nor was she able to expertly navigate and strategize her way through life’s obstacles. Amphitrite relied on one thing only: following her heart, and letting her Will guide her path. Some may have called her bullheaded. Determined to a fault.

Her soul finally fulfilled, Amphitrite displayed a wide and childlike grin while her body faded away.

“It was… a wild ride.” And even that smile soon lost its color, and her spirited eyes lost their luster.

Spontaneous and foolhardy. Reckless and single minded. This was the very first queen of Lorien, who pursued freedom for herself and her people to the very end.

They stood staring as particles of mana drifted upwards into the heavens, each of their gazes holding complicated emotions. 

Then, the domain began to dissolve. Flowers broke apart into thousands of golden lights, each one luminescent against the slowly darkening sky like a sea of mourning fireflies.

There was a period of silence in which they all stood, thinking. Worrying for the future, and reminiscing of the past.

 

Ilias had stopped for shelter from the rain, finding the stone building to be adequate enough. She teleported past the guards into what she hoped were warm, torchlit halls, only to find herself stuck within a damp and dark cell. Rainwater flowed in from a window blocked off by rusted iron bars. 

A sigh escaped her chapped lips. She’d been unfamiliar with the architecture of this foreign land, and couldn’t believe that she’d find herself in another prison. But her mana was running low, and, wanting to preserve enough to handle any eventuality, she grudgingly found herself a comparably dryer corner to rest in. 

“Hey,” a girl nudged her, appearing out of the darkness.

“Yah!” She started, instantly summoning forth a dozen blooms of fire to reveal and defend herself against a new threat.

The girl giggled, and in the light of the fire Ilias noticed her matted blue hair, alongside emerald eyes that seemed to sparkle in the illuminated space. Her body was malnourished, showing outlines of bone in several places. A chain kept her hands and feet bound within the confines of the cell, and a grimy bowl of food waste sat in another corner.

“Are you a witch, miss?” asked the girl.

“...No, I’m worse.” Ilias responded, letting her guard down.

“Is that magic?”

“A form of it, yes.” Her answer brought an even larger smile onto that girl’s face. 

“Can you teach me some magic?” 

“I don’t have time for that.” Ilias growled. 

“What’s your name?”

“Introduce yourself first, girl. That’s common courtesy.” The girl tilted her head in puzzlement before shrugging.

“My name’s Amphitrite. Momma said that it’s the name of a sea goddess from somewhere.” The girl, who she now knew as Amphitrite, puffed her chest proudly. 

“Where’s your mother now?” 

“Oh…” the girl suddenly appeared saddened. Ilias sighed before switching to another topic.

“My name’s Ilias.” She hid her clan origin.

“That’s pretty.”

“Not as much as yours.”’

For a moment, all they heard was the tapping of rain against the ground.

“Say, Amphitrite,” Ilias began, using the newly learned moniker, “Aren’t you bothered by the rain?”

The young girl shook her head.

“No. I actually quite like it. It’s soothing.”

“Care to tell me more about yourself?”

“Sure!”

 

Ilias opened her eyes from the memory.

“Chris.” She said in a tone that was almost a whisper.

“Yeah?”

“I… want to see the world that she and I left behind.” The demon steeled her expression.“I’ll go with you.”

“Yeah.” Chris said. “You and me. Let’s go out and live.” She answered lifelessly, stuck in her thoughts.

The demon conjured a portal back to the ironwood forest which they all stepped through.

As the last one to leave, Ilias hesitated to close the rift. She turned back. 

There, shining brighter than all others, stood a single flower with blue petals. It faced her, swaying on its stem as if waving goodbye. 

With no one looking, Ilias bowed, showing one last sign of respect to her student, friend, lover, and savior.

Smiling to herself, she walked forward, leaving behind the darkening Doman.

 

Goodbye, Amphitrite.