Chapter 26: Echoes of Sin

Irineia: -This is your fault, Gray. Did you really think you could mess with an Andor and get away unscathed?

Gray: -Andor? What are you talking about? And why didn't you heal my arm? You healed even my tongue and you won't heal my arm?

Irineia: -You didn't know she was different from the Liths, did you? To be the high priest I thought you needed someone very intelligent, but I see you don't know everything.

Gray: -That wretched woman, she's going to be a thorn in our side until the end of the main Advent.

Irineia: -And who said this is the main Advent? I only planned Vein's.

Gray looks scared and swallows hard, but understands Irineia.

Irineia observed him once more, cold and distant.

Gray clenched the fist of his only remaining hand, blood dripping from his fingers, and said: "She will pay... That damned woman will pay."

Irineia: "If she stays alive, everything we planned could crumble, but I can't kill the girl; she's still an important person to my chosen one. Be careful what you wish for, Gray; she can still be useful."

The candle flames went out one by one as she crossed the threshold, and Gray was left alone in the darkness, feeling the weight of humiliation and the fury growing inside him.

In the early morning, Helena walked in search of help from the remaining soldiers; she intended to retaliate against the church, but no one wanted to help. They seemed like aimless zombies, only repeating that the end was near.

Frustrated, Helena passes by the orphanage one last time. She goes to her room, climbs onto the balcony, and sits on the roof, remembering Isz and starting to cry while hugging her legs.

Helena, crying: -Why now? I wanted it to be different, the war is over, but hell is only beginning.

Unknown voice: -It's your fault, vampire.

Helena looks back and sees Isz wearing her blue shirt, but it was stained with blood.

Helena: -Isz, you're alive, but how?

Isz: -No, I died, now I'm just an echo of your sins.

Helena: -Isz, I'm sorry for not believing you.

Isz: -Hahaha, you don't have to apologize to me, but to those you helped kill.

Helena watches Isz disappear on the balcony and sees Kana Boom.

Kana: -Is it true, Helena? I sacrificed myself for you and Mary, now I understand... You helped them get into the city, what a wicked woman hahaha.

Helena: -Kana, that's not true. Wait!

Kana vanished into the morning mist. Mary suddenly appears with a smile on her face.

Mary: - By playing the victim at a time like this, you made me develop feelings for you, and now, Helena, you'll reap what you sowed.

Helena: - Mary? What are you saying? I never felt that kind of way about you, I'm sorry if I let it show.

Helena stepped back, trembling, but Mary continued speaking.

Mary: - I didn't feel anything, but when we consumed Isz's blood you were enjoying it, weren't you? And when I kissed you and touched your body? Oh yes, you called me Isz, hahaha, the same man you helped kill because of your lack of trust.

Helena falls to her knees on the balcony floor.

Mary: -Or were you just using me? Although you liked feeling my hand inside you while I kissed your neck, hahaha you're a Lith like me, the same one who devastated our entire land, but you allowed Alphonse to kill me.

Helena, staring intently downwards, remembers Irineia's words and remembers Anna.

Helena's daggers mysteriously appear on the ground.

The admiration Helena once felt for her relics has turned to contempt, and she picks up her fallen dagger.

The shield's cap, which previously had a white feather, has been dyed red.

Alphonse, in an illusion, appears with an angry face and says: -You used me too, didn't you? I wanted to love you, that's all, but you never cared about me.

Helena: -Alphonse... I'm sorry, I-

Helena hears the voices of everyone who died that day and sees Isz staring at her. Helena gets up, rests her head on his chest, and says she hopes they will meet again in the same place.

With tears in her eyes and a smile on her face, Helena cuts her throat, but stops and regains consciousness.

Helena thinks: "What just happened? Was I hallucinating?"

Helena looks at the balcony and realizes it's already daytime, but even if it was a hallucination, her daggers were still there.

Irineia enters the empty room and speaks.

Irineia: -I thought you would give in more easily, but I'm not Gray, I don't underestimate you, descendant of the Andors.

Helena stares at Irineia and says: -It was you, wasn't it? Why are you doing this?

Irineia: -I don't need to hide anything anymore, you know it was me, so finish what you were doing.

Helena points the dagger at Irineia.

Helena: -You cynical woman, I'll end this once and for all.

Helena advances, attacking towards Irineia, who easily defends herself. She tries to hit Helena, but is surprised by a trip and falls to the ground. When Helena was about to finish her off, Irineia smiles, and it is Helena who is on the ground.

With open arms and motionless, Irineia takes the daggers and begins to plunge them into Helena's heart.

Helena begins to remember her time in the orphanage, the drawings pasted on the wall, the orphans' dreams, and the taste of Norbit's food.

Before killing Helena, Irineia says: "Your body will suffer, but I will take your soul with me. You are very important to my chosen one. Don't worry, I won't let you suffer anymore in this world."

Irineia rips out Helena's silver eyes while she is still alive. Helena is unable to speak after her throat is cut and she drowns in her own blood.

Irineia: "Your eyes are beautiful, descendant of the Andors. It doesn't surprise me that my chosen one has feelings for you."

Irineia leaves the place.

Alphonse notices everyone's disappearance and gathers a small group of alchemists to search for the missing people; he had no idea what had happened to Helena.

Dawn arrived gray. Dew fell heavily on the rooftops of Vein.

The wind carried a bitter smell. Alphonse and two alchemists searched extensively in the city center. Alphonse headed towards the orphanage.

The strangely empty orphanage showed signs that someone had been there. He went to Helena's old room.

Alphonse pushed the door open slowly. Inside, the room was filled with silence. In the center of the room, Helena's body lay motionless. The black overcoat still covered her body, and the hat, now featherless, was beside the bed. The daggers, embedded in the floor, still dripped.

Alphonse touched Helena's cold, pale face, a face now morbidly pale, and said: "No... No... Why you, my Helena, who did this to you?"

He looked into her eyes and realized they had been torn out by someone.

Alphonse: "You fought to the end... even when the whole world betrayed you, just like me... I will create a world where we will both be happy, you'll see. I promise... this won't end here."

One of the alchemists tried to say something, but Alphonse interrupted him.

Alphonse kissed Helena's cold lips, and the alchemists were startled by him.

Alchemist: "Sir, let's go back and report what happened."

Alphonse, consumed by rage, only wanted the truth about what he had just witnessed.