Entry #26

Louis Delacroix’s Point of View

We lost.

All of us.

Celine—no, Tenebrae—slaughtered Talos, and with him, the last thread of balance in the universe. The light fractured. The gods scattered. The sky hasn't known a true sunrise since.

And me?

I vanished.

I sailed a boat into the Sea of Nothingness—a bleak stretch of void where the stars no longer blink and the waves carry no voice. I drifted for what felt like months. Maybe years. Time doesn't move out here; it sleeps.

Eventually, I built a small cabin on a broken island floating somewhere between realms. It’s nothing grand—just four wooden walls, a leaking roof, and a garden I keep alive with sheer willpower.

I farm now. Potatoes, mostly. The land’s cursed and dry, but it yields just enough to keep me alive.

I don’t speak much. I barely sleep. But sometimes, I boil water and remember how Celine used to eat warm baguettes, smiling with crumbs on her cheeks.

Tonight, the kettle whistled. A knock came a heartbeat later.

Not a knock. A presence.

“I know you’re in there, Louis.”

The voice—calm, cutting—pierced the silence.

I grabbed my weapon on instinct and pointed it at the figure stepping into the cabin.

The hood fell.

“Ama-Lurra.”

No words. Just a quiet, desperate embrace. Her arms wrapped tightly around me.

“We’ve been searching everywhere for you.”

“I’m sorry,” I said, a breath of guilt in every syllable. “I couldn’t face any of you.”

Her hand rose—and slap—my cheek stung before I could blink.

“You left us, Louis!”

“I’m sorry,” I repeated, rubbing the spot. “Sit down. You want some tea?”

We shared the simplest of meals—bread, tea, silence. She sat across from me, watching me through flickering candlelight.

“I remember when Celine used to tear through a baguette like it was the last food in this world.”

Ama-Lurra didn’t smile.

“Louis, I didn’t come here for nostalgia. I have a plan.”

I sighed. “We lost. Talos is gone. The universe is breaking apart. Tenebrae rules now.”

“And what if we overthrow her?”

I laughed bitterly. “You saw what she became. We couldn’t even touch her.”

“Because you didn’t even try.”

My gaze dropped. “I couldn’t. Not when she’s wearing my sister’s face.”

“Celine is gone, Louis. You know that.”

“No!” I stood. “You don’t understand! I know she’s still in there. Somewhere!”

Her voice softened.

“We all looked up to you—me, my siblings, your comrades… Gwydia. She’s dead now. We need the Louis Delacroix who stood for something. The one I believed in.”

I met her eyes.

“What happened to us, Ama-Lurra?”

She stepped toward the door. Before walking out, she answered.

“You quit.”

And just like that, she was gone again.

I dropped my sword.

“What have I done...?”

Days passed. Or maybe more. I buried myself in the soil again—farming, surviving, hiding.

Then the screeching began.

Xeolstors.

I spotted them rushing toward my cabin, eyes glowing with void-born hunger. I grabbed my blade and faced them.

The first wave fell easily. But there were more. Dozens. Hundreds.

I swung until I couldn’t lift my arms. Until I was pinned against the earth, my blood staining the cracked soil.

Then—boom—a burst of radiant power tore through them.

But it wasn’t fire. Not wind. Not even nature.

It was Imaginae Energy.

I turned, gasping.

“Mister Louis, I think you need some help.”

That voice.

“The kid’s right, you know.”

Two figures stepped from the shadows, crackling with the universe’s last divine spark.

“Gabriel? Joaquin?!”

Joaquin extended his hand. I took it.

“You alright?” he asked.

“Thanks to you.”

Gabriel gave me a sideways grin. “So… after all that, you decided to go full farmer mode?”

I turned and saw Mira—older now, stronger. Wiser.

She rushed into my arms and clung tightly.

“Please don’t leave us again!”

“I’m sorry,” I said softly. “I’m here now. Just like before.

We sat around the wooden table as the sky outside swirled with silent storms.

“So,” I asked, “what happened after I left?”

Mira’s voice was low.

“Tenebrae demanded the gods bow. Lamia surrendered first. Gwydia… didn’t survive. The rest of the pantheon is broken. Ama-Lurra and Aide are forming a resistance, but…”

She trailed off.

“We need you,” Gabriel said. “And they’ve got a plan. But it’s… risky.”

“What is it?”

“We will summon Erio.”

The room fell silent.

“Erio…” I repeated.

Joaquin leaned forward. “You still don’t want to kill her, do you? I get it. But we can’t wait any longer.”

Mira looked into my eyes.

“It’s only a matter of time before this whole universe fades into eternal darkness.”

I stood, blade in hand.

“I’m sorry I ran. I couldn't bear the thought of killing Celine… But I understand now. That thing in her body isn’t my sister. And I won’t let her desecrate Celine’s memory any longer.”

I raised the blade high.

“I’ll do whatever it takes to end this.”

Entry# 26 End