Chapter 6:

Relight

Distorted Light


I take a deep breath and rest my right palm on the girl’s wound.

“This is extremely risky, Sis. Are you sure we should be doing this?”

I look up at Anya, confirming her decision.

“Before she died… she said that… she wasn’t frightened by death, but I could see the fear in her eyes, saying that she doesn’t want to go… We couldn’t save our parents… but we should try to also save those we can.”

I look back at the girl and close my eyes, remembering my training.

“How long ago did she die.”

“…I don’t know exactly, but I think… it was right before my memory when blank.”

“She’s fading, but I could still sense her…”

I raise my right hand gently, pushing it out when it reaches my face, pointing my palm to the sky. At the same time, I slide my left hand under my right, hovering vertically above the girl.

“What’s her name?”

“Momioka.”

I open my eyes as a continuous beam of blue light shoots down onto my palm. Once sparks of golden-brown light flashes from my eyes, I slam my right hand into my chest, directing the energy I collected into me. I then grab the light within me, attaching strings of light onto each finger, pulling them out. I wrap the strings around my left arm and swing it down towards Momioka, stopping right before hitting her. A light ray burst out from my palm, healing the stab wound. I then lift Momioka and myself up into the air with my telekinesis.

“Anya, I need a table.”

My sister points her open palms to the floor under Momioka. She then clenches her fist, materialising a light-table for me.

“Thanks.”

I lay Momioka onto the table gently as all her wounds close. I unwrap the light-strings around my left arm and cast the strings up into the air. With my left palm pointing to my shoulders, I retract my right hand until it rests in front of my left arm. I then draw a vertical arc over my head, guiding the strings of light I sent to the air to come forth and transform into a ‘magic circle’ behind my back.

“Lend me your strength, Mother…”

I cast forward the light circle towards Momioka. When it passes through her, it disappears and reappears at her foot as it makes its way across again, imbuing her with light. Once the ring of light completes its purpose, it implodes and reforms itself as a star on my left palm.

“Let my star guide you home.”

With my right hand resting on Momioka’s forehead, I propel my left hand onto her chest, sending the star into her. With my palms lying on Momioka, I direct my remaining light stored from the beam into her. As my hands begin to flare up, bursts of light spark uncontrollably around us, causing miniaturised explosions and lashing of light-strings. Anya unsheathes her katana and uses it to protect me from myself.

“Polya!”

“Working on it!”

I redirect all the excess energy into myself as I spread my arms out, forming a bubble of light around us.

“Is this-”

“Her memories… Yes…”

Within the sphere, echoes of Momioka’s past appears and disappears around us. Some depicting her as a child with a woman who seems to be her mother, while others show her life growing up, including how she ended up with us.

“She isn’t like us, Polya… she… she has no reason to be involved with our world…”

“She is now… We can’t change memories, Anya… She’ll always remember this night…”

“…”

I collapse the sphere of memories and return it back to Momioka.

“I’m… starting again…”

― Mother, I need your help…

I place my hands on Momioka again and continues to direct my light into her. Soon, Momioka and my hands start to illuminate in the dark.

Heartbeat!

“It’s working, Anya! I can feel-”

I pause as I feel a sense of chaos present in the process.

“Oh, no…”

The star which was supposed to resurrect Momioka suddenly explodes, knocking me away from her. Anya leaps behind me to stop my fall.

“NO!”

Momioka’s whole body blazes brightly while parts of her begin to dissipate slowly. I hastily run back at her, trying to keep her together.

“We’re losing her! She’s… She’s… She’s fading from existence… We… We need to…We need to link her to the living! I will-”

“I’ll do it… I’m the one who asks you to help. There’s no reason why you should take the burden.”

I remove one of my hands from Momioka and grab onto Anya. I nod at my sister as I begin to share Anya's lifeforce with Momioka.

“Ahhh! I can… I can do this! AHHH!”

The light that wraps Momioka flows into me. Feeling lightheaded, I lose grip on Anya and Momioka as I begin to stumble backwards. Before landing on my back, I turn to my left so that I will land on my arm.

“Agh.”

“Huh… Polya!”

“I’m… fine.”

I quickly heal my injuries and stand back up with Anya’s help. When I return to Momioka, her blondish brown hair had turned a silverish-white colour. I try to check for a pulse, but I couldn’t find it.

“Did it… not work?”

All of a sudden, Momioka sits up and stares around in confusion.

“I remember… I remember…”

Tears begin to fall from her face as she desperately tries to wipe it off.

“Are you-”

“My name… My childhood… My… My… Mother… I remember it all… That night… My father… I’m sorry, I have to go… I’m… late for something.”

Momioka jumps off the table and runs away from us as fast as she could.

“No, wait! Momioka! Stop!”

I look at my sister as she remembers about the link Momioka have with her.

“On it.”

― How fast can she be?

Even as we start chasing after her, Momioka runs out of reach from us in a heartbeat, but as she reaches the outskirt of the park, she halts in her tracks and falls onto the ground.

“Polya, what’s happening to her?”

“She… later, let’s get her back up first.”

― At least she’s close to us…

When we reach Momioka, she was like when the star exploded, dissipating into nothingness.

“What’s… happening to me? Help… Help me, I… I don’t want to die again…”

“You’re not going to die… Not when we’re around.”

I reassure Momioka as I recharge myself with light and begin to piece her back together. During this time, Anya kneels next to Momioka.

“I’m sorry I’ve got you involved with our world…”

“I’ve always wished for something special or interesting to happen to me, but… this isn’t exactly what I have in mind.”

“I’m done… You should be better now.”

Momioka sits up and moves her hands around, studying them. She then changes her focus to where her wound was, trying to locate it with her hands. After Anya witnesses it, she stands up and looks at the sky.

“You remember, don’t you…”

“… Yes.”

“…”

“But how do I still live?”

When Momioka shifted her gaze at me, I look at my sister who nods.

“I resurrected you, but not… fully…”

“What-”

“Before you say anything, I need to explain something important to you first. This isn’t pleasing news, but please listen carefully.”

“A… Aye…”

“When I tried to bring you back to life, it didn’t go smoothly… I have to… find an alternative method to keep you alive… To do so, I’ve bound you to my sister’s lifeforce…”

“…”

“And this is the important part, because of this, you must always be within range of my sister or else what you experienced will happen again.”

“How far can I travel?”

“We don’t know, but from what just happened, I could say it’s about ten, fifteen metres radius. There might be a chance I could complete the resurrection so that you won’t require a link to survive, but I need more time.”

“… Then if I may, who… nay, what are you?”

“We’re demigods.”

Anya looks back at Momioka.

“What?”

“Our Mother was one of the two Goddess of Light. It seems she passed down her divinity to us.”

“The Gods… actually exists? What… what about the Norse Gods, like Odin?”

Momioka seems to have forgotten about everything else when she heard about the gods.

“I’m not sure about Odin, but I know other gods do exists alongside my mother…”

“There’s a chance then…”

“Maybe…”

“I’ve witnessed great powers demonstrated from you; your healing magic is most splendid. I would like to know more about the powers you were granted.”

“To put it simply, I’m more… mystical while Anya’s more… physical.”

“I’ve caught a glimpse of Anya’s abilities. I’ve wielded her katana once as well when I decide to use it against the woman who was attacking you.”

“Mynnerva?”

“Aye, I think so. After acquiring the katana, I ran to the stairs and fulfil the curse of Dainsleif.”

Momioka swings her arms in an arc to mimic a sword slash, but something caught our attention when she stops.

“Huh?”

Momioka turns her head to look at her right hand as she had created a light-sword similar to Anya’s.

“I’ve been deemed worthy, and great power had bestowed upon me…”

“You… are able to construct… light-weapons…”

Anya glance at me as I shrug. During our confused moments, Momioka wields her light-sword around, fascinated by what she had created.

“I have to try…”

Momioka drops the light sword and reaches her hands out, trying to create something with no success. She then looks at Anya with fake tears on her face.

“May I… have some assistance?”

“Hah… Clear your mind, focus on the things you want to construct.”

Momioka closes her eyes, but nothing seems to appear on her hands.

“It was hard for me when I started as well. I may teach you on a later day, but we would really want to rest. Do you… know of a place we can stay?”

“We cannot apart ways, and I have to return home… So, the only choice… would be where I live…”

“I know you may not trust us-”

“Nay. After retrieving my memories, I’m more… frightened of my father… I think I may ask Aunt Sawada for guidance… but for tonight, you will have to conceal yourselves in my base of operations.”

“Thank you so much.”

“Aye, let’s recover our possessions first. I must reclaim my lost eyepatch.”

“I’m sure it’s in the park, we’ll-”

“Excuse me, miss… I don’t know where I am… I lost my mommy… can you help me…”

A little girl with long cyan hair walks up to us from the streets. Two sections of her hair are tied into twintails with two candle-styled accessories at the sides of her head. She is wearing a pink ‘Gothic Lolita’ dress with orange frills and tights. She is hugging on a cute cyan ghost plushie under her sleeves which are too long for her.

“Hey, little one, are you alright?”

Momioka approaches closer to the child.

“Those cyan flames on the candles look very realistic, don’t they, Anya.”

― Cyan flamed candles… Wait… That’s…

Before I could call for Anya, she rushes towards Momioka.

“Momioka!”

“Huh?”

“Hehe!”

When Momioka turns around, five candles that are hidden behind the girl float out in front of her and project jets of flame at us like flamethrowers. I use my telekinesis to redirect the flame’s path as Anya grabs onto Momioka’s waist and hops back.

“Thank you…”

Anya put Momioka down as she walks forward, acting as our protector.

“Anya... Is that child… Theresia?”

“I like Thera better, but others call me Racket. I guess you can call me that too.”

Thera throws out her stuffed ghost towards us; it explodes in the air, turning into millions of tiny shards. Using her psychokinesis, she directs all the shards at us. I quickly form a portal, absorbing them, then I fabricate a light-bomb and throw it into the portal, destroying the shards.

“That’s not fair… Hmph!”

Thera starts hovering over the floor as she sends one of her candles at me. I form another portal in its trajectory, but the candle ignores it and flies straight through.

“Ahh!”

When the candle scrapes past me, I could feel the flames burning around my injury. I quickly rest my hands over me to stop the pain. Anya quickly glances at me to check if I’m alright. When I nod at her, she shifted her focus back onto Thera.

“Hehe, you can’t alter my candles’ path, nor can they be destroyed.”

“You two stay close to me. Polya, fifteen metres, right?”

“Yeah, the maximum, I think, but-”

“Don’t worry, I’ll keep it at twelve to fourteen.”

Anya grabs hold of Momioka’s arm.

“You should now be able to see two faint rings on the floor. Its radius is thirteen metres; we’ll both remember to stay within it each other’s.”

“I’m sad… have you already forgotten about me?”

Anya unsheathes her katana as she charges at Thera. When they collide, every strike Anya makes towards Thera is blocked by her candles.

“Polya? Who is she?”

“That’s Thera. She’s the newest Poltergeist who serves the Stygian King.”

“A child?”

“We actually don't know much about her, but if she's in the League that Mynnerva is in, which is basically like the Generals of Paranormia. That would mean that she’s actually the strongest Poltergeist there is. So don’t under-”

Suddenly a sense of unease creeps over me as I feel powerless, being taken over by something.

“Polya? Are you-”

My legs soon give in as I collapse onto the floor.

“Pol-”

“Hush now.”

A man seems to have taken away Momioka’s voice so that she doesn’t alert Anya. I try to move into a better position to perceive the new threat. Once I do, I can see three silhouettes standing above Momioka and me. One of which I recognised as she limps towards me.

“Mynn… Mynnerva?”

“Ha. Missed me?”

“I… watched you… get disintegrating by Anya’s sword, how…”

“Sil, Odyeus; The girls thought I died.”

“You almost did. If it’s not because of Racket, you wouldn’t have made it out alive.”

“Ah, thank you, Sil.”

― Sil and Odyeus… Sil… Silren and Odyeus… They’re part of the nine

“So, it’s a good thing I didn’t kill you. We now have a new mission.”

The man who Mynnerva called Odyeus looks at me and crouch down next to me.

“Sleep.”

My body turns weak as I crumble onto the ground. Before I pass out, I see Mynnerva nodding at someone as Odyeus picks me up and walks away.