Aromatic Precipices: Perpetuity of Ardor

“Umm… Anyone care to explain what just happened and where we are?” Licht was visibly confused. He’d been transported with Lacia and was finally experiencing the thing Mana talked so much about—the White Room.

The space was so quiet. So empty… He looked down at his hands, discovering his physical form had been abandoned. Looking around, white was all he could see; it was an expansive void of nothingness, yet, it wasn’t empty. The air was warm and full of compassion. Turning around, he caught a reflection of himself in the same mirror-like red door as Lacia.

“I promise I’ll explain everything, Licht, but first… Can you retrieve Lacia from my neck?” Mana asked, simultaneously addressing his earlier question.

“How do you know it’s me? I don’t even recognize myself, mostly because I’m currently made of light, but…” He realized Mana was the only one who had maintained a physical form. “How is it you recognize me or Lacia?”

She pointed to Lacia’s body of light now clinging to her like a wet shower curtain. “Lacia first. Questions second.”

“Right…” He walked over to Lacia and wrapped his arms around her waist, surprised he was able to grab anything at all. “Lacia, chill out. I know it’s been a while, but we need to figure out what’s going on and why we’re here,” he said, grunting as he struggled to pull her off. “Work… With… Me… Here—” He slipped, finally peeling Lacia off Mana and onto himself as they tumbled to the watery floor in a heap.

“Ow, ow, ow… What the hell, Licht?” She paused. “Licht?! You’re here, too?”

“Observant, are we?” he mumbled. “Yes, I was transported with you, but I don’t exactly know how or where we are.” He turned back to readdress Mana. “This isn’t quite what I had imagined when you shared those stories of an entire other space, you know?”

Mana stood up, brushing off her clothes. “I missed you too, Lacia, but please refrain from almost strangling me next time,” she said, head tilted with an eyes-closed smile. “I owe you two an explanation, but for now, it’s better if I show, rather than try to explain, my story.” A small colorful bubble appeared in the palm of her hand. It shimmered as if it were refracting a summer’s sun.

“Mana—”

“We have incredibly limited time, Lacia. I’m sorry, but this will have to suffice for catching up.” A bench appeared out of nowhere as she turned around to take a seat. Licht blinked as her form briefly shimmered, changing her appearance.

She donned the same brown and gold dress, complimented by the same black and gold-trimmed tights. The outfit was even more marvelous up close. “I’m sure you remember that time back in the car, when I made you boys wear those stuffy outfits,” she said, addressing Licht. “Those were because my temper was a little flared, sorry. You’ll find your next outfits much more desirable.”

“You’re making my head spin, Mana,” Lacia said.

“Enough conversation. I’ll explain everything when the memory bubble finishes.”

The bubble grew as its colors came into sharper focus. They played back like a movie but with arguably greater clarity. Engulfed by the bubble, Licht found himself on the receiving end of a myriad of emotions; he understood this was the fright, confusion, worry, and so much more. It was a melting pot of everything she’d felt since they first split up, but the first scene started in the last place he expected.

                                                                               ***

Licht rubbed his eyes, realizing he’d regained his physical form. As his eyes focused, he found himself standing in the center of their suite back in Seria. The same sheer curtains hung over the windows, the dirt on the wall from the tug-of-war with his boots—even the same disorganized pillows on the couch where Mana sat when they first walked in.

Feet tapping the cool tile, he glanced at the time on the stove: 5:30am. A small creak from Mana’s bedroom door spurred his curiosity; later that morning, he and Brendan would find her nearly passed out on the porch.

“Breakfast,” she mumbled. “So hungry…”

“Of course you’re hungry,” he replied, but she didn’t respond. “Oh, so I can’t interact with you in this space. It seems I’m just meant to be an observer, then.”

He followed her outside, noticing the illumination of the mark on her neck. He knew this was the lead-up to her first meeting with Omnis, but what did the mark on her neck mean?

Everything seemed to move at lightspeed as the scene changed to a run-down amusement park. Rusted rides swayed in the steady night breeze. Water could be heard splashing onto the pier somewhere in front of him as he traversed the abandoned fairgrounds. He ran his hand along torn shreds of tents and the cool bars of ride gates, feeling the loneliness of the atmosphere.

He turned a corner as he watched Mana lift herself into the orange cart of a Ferris wheel. Mana overturned a beaded bracelet in her hands, but before he could get a better look at the piece of jewelry, a sharp gasp cut through the silence. He spun around only to find himself alone, aside from Mana in the cart, but she hadn’t made a noise. Was it just the wind?

He used a small, stored pool of mana to collectively heighten his senses. Magical threads covered the entirety of the fairgrounds though they came up short. He urged the strings to dig deeper—to go beyond the physical realm.

A few moments later, he had his lead. One of the strings had curled itself around something. Tracing it back to a deep sublayer of the current space, he tugged on the line, estimating its size and weight. He yanked the string, pulling the object into his hands, but before he could examine it, the scene shifted again.

Licht found himself at the Gila Border Gate, right after the Hihoyou. The explosion had cratered everything in its wake, forcing ash and smoke miles into the sky. Seawater flooded into the crater, submerging the scorched earth beneath the salty waves. Just as absent as his friends were from the picture, so too was Ahzef.

The same gasp from earlier came again, affirming the suspicion he wasn’t alone. “Whoever you are,” he started, “if you’re just as surprised to find this as I am, that narrows down my options to a single person.”

He turned the object over in his hands. Its golden gloss reflected the smoldering embers that lingered from the explosion. He let out a small gasp as he realized what it was—checkmate. Recent setbacks aside, the band was a one-way ticket to closing the link between Earth and Chiipha and the Reverse World.

“Let me rephrase that,” he said. It was a gamble, but there was only one specific individual it could be. “Hika, you can show yourself,” he said cautiously. “Don’t be afraid. Lacia’s alright—everyone’s alright.” No response. “Hika, it’s going to take all of us. Please.”

Moments later, the Aurei revealed herself. Licht moved his hand to his brow in relief. He’d have sealed all of their fates if one of the devils had been tailing him. Though he had his doubts, it was hard not to be too careful.

Hika’s appearance was a little worse for wear. She seemed alright despite the slightly singed hair and dirt-smeared clothes though, but it was a human-like appearance. If he was being honest, it startled him. She looked as though she’d been hit by something as was evident by the sweltering purple bruise under her eye and the cuts on both cheeks. He’d seen worse, but her appearance was telling. Aurei took pride in their demeanor and Hika should have been no different.

“You’re in your human form,” he noted. “Hika, what happened?” The sound of rushing water roared, nearly burying the sound of his voice.

“I… was expelled from Peiradaise after I failed to protect Lacia from Ahzef and my assistance with the Hihoyou.” She held her hands behind her back, standing firm, yet she still smiled. Deep down, however, she was a fractured mess.

“Who expelled you?”

“The elders. Specifically, my own family.” Her smile began to falter. “At birth, an Aurei is assigned to every human; we are what you humans call ‘guardian angels’. I guess, in a way, you could say we’re playing God—or were.”

“What about your magic and—”

Hika crossed her pointer fingers, forming a makeshift X; the message was clear.

He knew the Aurei were strong-willed, but expulsion from her own home coupled with the near-total strip of her abilities— It didn’t seem fair, yet she stood there, still smiling.

“Licht, it’s not me that’s important right now. The memories should be your priority.” She looked away. “I can’t help you, so please don’t ask me to come with you.” Her voice rose an octave. “Just g—”

He grabbed her hands, pulling her into a hug. “Hika, just because you’re human now… Just because you’ve lost your magic… None of that makes you any less of a friend to any of us. Don’t be afraid to ask for our help. You don’t have to walk this path alone.”

She pushed against his chest, pushing herself away. “No, Licht.”

“Hika,” he pleaded, “You’ve been part of our family from the start, even if we didn’t know it yet, but none of what’s happened makes you a failure. I realize this may be selfish of me, but please. Don’t succumb to a wounded heart.”

He grabbed her hand and led her along—she didn’t contest. Secretly, she’d hoped he would take her with him. As the scene began to change, the golden band now affixed to his wrist tapped against the back of Hika’s hand.

“Licht, you realize this is the second Halifer?”

“And that’s why this is checkmate.”

“…What’s checkmate?”

Licht smiled as the pair trudged on. “I’ll teach you everything about the human world when this is all said and done. Promise.”

                                                                               ***

“So, this is what it was like after the Hihoyou,” Lacia said, facing the crater. “I guess you could say the water is eerily symbolic of the fluidity of our lives these days.” The scene faded away into millions of tiny orbs of light, signaling the transition into what she assumed was another piece to Mana’s memories.

For a moment, everything went black before a canvas of stars illuminated a twilit sky. Blips of orange and yellow faded in and out around her, the tell-tale signs of a late-summer evening. She felt woozy and her whole body ached, but she’d been through worse. Her hands grasped the cool blades of grass beside her, small dewdrops already forming on the greenery. With a small grunt and pounding ache in her legs, Lacia lifted herself off the damp bed of grass as she stared up. The sky reminded her of a glitter-filled art project—she’d never seen such a display of stars before in her life. Milky whites traversed the sky’s expanse. Embedded within were hues of purple and red, juxtaposed against the black background occasionally greeted by the coma of a meteor as it streaked across the sky.

Eyes finally adjusting to the darkness, she realized she was standing in the clearing of a large forest. The surrounding trees felt more like a prison, walling off the outside world. The susurration of leaves was both eerily calming and frighteningly omnipresent—she could only describe it as lonely. Starlight illuminated the clearing as the dew-laced grass reflected the cosmic scenery back like the surface of an undisturbed lake. The murmur of the night breeze was surreal, she felt like she was soaring through the cosmos themselves.

A twig snapped from somewhere within the forest startling her as it echoed through the clearing. The silhouette of a human figure emerged from the darkness, irradiated by starlight. At first, she didn’t recognize who it was until they crept closer, hand pressed against their abdomen.

“Mana?” she whispered to herself. She urged her legs to move, but they wouldn’t budge. “What would she be doing here? Better yet,” she thought, “what is this bloodlust I feel?”

Lacia’s feet abruptly left the ground before she was forced to her knees in waves of stabbing pain like someone had run her through with a knife. She pressed her palms against the damp greenery, gritting her teeth. Managing to reorient herself, she looked up from the numbing view of the ground and stared directly into Mana’s eyes. She fell onto her tailbone, sending shockwaves up her spine.

“Mana— What?”

“I didn’t want to do it, Lacia. You have to understand!”

“Wha— What are you talking about?”

Mana held her hands out, stained red. “Please understand.”

Lacia blinked, but Mana had already disappeared just as fast. Likewise, so had the aches and pains.

“Well, it seems you’re not as easily stirred as you once were. You’ve grown, Lacia, but this is the end of the line.”

“That voice… Omnis? No, it couldn’t be…”

The wind stopped. The trees fell silent. Like a bad lightbulb, the sky flickered, plunging the clearing in and out of temporary darkness. Footsteps approached from behind but she couldn’t see anyone, even if they were there.

“What is it you’re trying to tell me? I don’t recognize your mana at all… Who are you?” she asked but there was no reply.

If this was Mana’s idea of storytelling, she wasn’t a fan. Her stained hands and cryptic words made her shiver. She understood some things were better left unsaid, but she did not appreciate being crept up on.

“Tell me what she meant by limited ti—”

A chilling whisper cut her off. “I warned you about trusting them.”

At first, she blew it off. This wasn’t real life; she was inside a memory bubble. Even if the voice was referring to Aria, she’d already proven her alliance. The more she thought about it though, the more unnerved she became.

The wind blew her hair back in a sudden flurry and blast of unseasonal cold as her cheeks flushed, but the leaves on the trees remained at-ease. More twig snaps broke the proliferating silence as the disparaging voice played on repeat in her head.

The sound of tearing flesh and fabric ripped away the final moments of tranquility she still clung to. She wrapped her arms around her body, hoping to contain whatever sense of sanity she might still have left. Her breath became visible in the starlight before she was abruptly plunged back into total darkness; it was as if the darkness itself were waging a war against the light. Just like its attempt to snuff out the starlight, she felt like it was also trying to snuff out her life.

The stars flared back to life once more, temporarily blinding her as an elongated silhouette lacerated her body from behind—a perfect synchronous attack. With a grueling twist, the object was pried from her body the same way it went in. The grass was painted red with blood as her attacker drove the silhouette-masked object back through.

“Stop…” she cried weakly, clutching the end of the object protruding from her chest, but was no use. It slipped through her hands, preparing for a third round. Her eyes began to roll. The ground seemed to grow closer with each passing moment.

Her knees dug into the grass; chlorophyll stained her skin. She caught a glimpse of beady, red eyes that seemed to encode themselves into the very fiber of her being. Her assailant was just as obscure as their weapon of choice, masked by the falling night. She gasped as the reiteration of tearing flesh echoed through the clearing once again. Everything was a blur of red and green. Truthfully, she didn’t feel a thing as she was impaled for the third and final time. Her shoulder rammed the ground as her breathing slowed and heartbeat weakened. She crawled through an expanding pool of her own blood. The distinct taste of iron filled her mouth, blood subsequently dripping from the corners.

“All I wanted in life was just a little… peace…” She stretched her hand past the expanding crimson pool, stained red. She closed her eyes as her body began to shut down. “But I guess,” she paused, taking a shaky breath, “this is my peace…”

Somewhere beyond the tree line someone was shouting, but who? The wind seemed to pay the trees no regard as they restarted their nighttime symphony. Why couldn’t she just have these dwindling moments to herself? She wanted to scream and tell the world to shut up; there was nothing quite like asking for the impossible when in the clutches of Death.

“Crafty devils,” a familiar voice complained. Cradling Lacia’s dying body in their arms, Omnis gently stroked her hair. “You will be coming with me. This is not the conclusion to your story.”

“And where, might I ask, will you be taking my catch?” a voice growled.

“Oh, so you finally dethawed, did you, Kuria? You stayed frozen for much longer than I had anticipated.” Omnis turned to address another unseen presence. “These children are wonderful, wouldn’t you agree, Millee?”

Kuria snarled, hidden somewhere within the shadows of the forest. “I know you don’t mean—”

“Are you sure about that?” Millee’s voice rang out. She floated several feet off the ground before landing with dainty grace. “I’ll finish what Mana and Aria started, but I really must thank you,” she said pleasantly, “for finding Lacia for me.”

“Millee, if you will handle the fourth ranked over there, I’ll take this one with me and get her back on her feet,” Omnis said, still cradling Lacia. “There’s much she has to learn still.”

“No worries!” she said, striking an idol-like stance. “I’ve got this.”

“Thank you,” Omnis said, vanishing with Lacia in tow. All that remained were streaks of smeared, bloody grass.

Millee’s voice grew impassioned. “Now then. Let’s play a game, Kuria.”

The devil dropped from a nearby tree branch, a blob of shadows, before reforming into a physical entity. “I don’t believe we’ve met before, but I recognize that face.”

“Oh. No, we definitely haven’t come face to face like this before, but I’m sure Ahzef has informed you of my identity regardless. Has he not?”

“I can’t say he has, but it’s of no concern either way.”

Kuria dissipated into a blob of shadows, seeping into the ground, out of sight. Millee remained unmoved, eyes darting back and forth. “If this is all you have to offer, then I’m wasting my time. You’re supposed to be the craftiest of the Reverse Royalty.” She manifested her bow, pulling an arrow from its quiver, “I need to get going, so do please, uh… die.”

Kuria emerged from behind her, fingers sharper than knives, longer than needles. She lunged forward, aiming for the center of Millee’s spine. To Kuria’s surpise, her shadowy claws shattered like glass upon contact with her body.

“I suppose this is the time to tell you, you’re dealing with Chiipha’s princess, and she knows how to use her powers. I awakened mine long before Lacia, despite being of the same bloodline and age.” She smiled slyly, whispering. “Surprise.”

Astonished, Kuria retreated closer to the tree line, now wary of Millee’s knocked arrow. “The same bloodline? You mean the Amana family? The one that was used to turn her entire life into a lie? That’s a good one!” she laughed.

Millee stared blankly for a few seconds. “Wow. You really don’t know,” she said, bursting into her own fit of laughter. “We are of the Iliern. Though my family, the Ekair, is more of a branch family. Regardless, we are still the first princesses to be of the same family but not, if that makes sense.” She swung her bow around to her back as she placed a hand above her breasts. “I am Millee Ekair, and it will be my pleasure to avenge my sister by obliterating you here and now.”

                                                                               ***

Hika’s face lit up with worry. “I may no longer be an Aurei, but I can still sense Lacia and when she’s in trouble.” Even if it was crazy, she was still her guardian. She knew losing her Aurei status meant she was vulnerable, but still. “Something happened. She was supposed to be here, with you, but she was pulled away…”

“Things are finally starting to heat up, huh?” Licht seemed unsurprised. “It was only a matter of time. The devils are deadest on retaking her and we can’t let that happen.”

The stillness of the night faded away, leaving the cratered border gate behind but not before Licht caught a glimpse of a large sign. Rust crept up the crumpled steel supports; the sign itself was a little faded from years of harsh summer sun. Okina Islands Amusement Park was plastered in chipped white lettering against a red background. He stored the image in the back of his mind for later reference though he couldn’t help but wonder what something like that was doing so far north.

As the scene transition completed its sequence, Licht and Hika found themselves amidst a rubble-filled hallway. Roller beds were strewn across the corridor like toy cars. Cracks etched themselves up the walls and into the ceiling tiles, threatening to bury any unsuspecting victims in plaster and dust. It didn’t take a genius to realize they stood in the middle of a ravaged hospital. The damage must have been recent as patient’s room doors still swung open on their hinges. Lights hung from their wiring, flickering, and buzzing.

Hika entered a full-on sprint down the hall, her tattered sneakers crunching shards of broken glass beneath her feet. The faint blips of a monitor slowly worked their way up the hall, reaching Licht’s ears as he ran after her, now realizing where she was headed. Either someone was still around, or a random piece of medical equipment had shorted out, but Hika’s hasty reaction told a different story.

After a minute-long journey down a crumbling corridor, Hika finally stopped; Licht wasn’t far behind. She turned to face him, finger to her lips, shushing him. He slowed his pace as he crept along the wall beside her, avidly listening to the conversation taking place inside of a patient’s room.

“I hadn’t imagined you would find yourself trapped between two worlds like that. I have greatly underestimated the power of the devils, seeing as Kuria was able to create an entire world that fell outside of my jurisdiction.”

A female voice winced in pain as exasperated grunts wound the corner of the doorframe. “But why is it I’m the only one inside this hospital and who even patched me up? This place looks like it should be the last place I need to be.”

“Listen to me closely, Mana. Despite not having the omnipotence to see much into your future, I do have answers for you—one’s you’ve likely been seeking for some time.”

Licht poked Hika’s arm to get her attention. “Where are we right now?” he whispered.

“Chronid Hospital… in Chiipha,” she whispered back. “Remember, what we’re seeing isn’t real-time, but a memory of her recent past.”

After more shuffling, a displeased “Hmph” returned their attention to the conversation Mana was having.

“That’s great and all, but what the hell role do I have in all of this? Why was Kuria so hell-bent on making sure I didn’t leave alive and how did Aria survive the Hihouyo? Lacia?”

“You recall the Searing Wounds event, correct? I was hoping you’d have stumbled upon the truth like Brendan did, but it can’t be helped considering our current situation.” Finally it clicked; the other voice was Omnis.

Omnis opened a now-visible book as the pages fluttered, handing the leather-bound pages and cover to Mana. Her eyes darted back and forth across the pages, absorbing information like plants in sunlight. Omnis waited patiently for her to finish.

“Have you ever wondered what the last name of Earth’s previous princess was? She came from a race of ancient people that once tilled the land and enshrined peace. After the Searing Wounds event, they went underground for fear of persecution by the remaining members of the Lhumin and Greyriter families.”

“Hang on,” she said. “So, what we’ve believed to be a historical conflict brought on by a simple accident wasn’t the actual truth?”

“No. It was the makings of a mass-cull of magical families and Ahzef’s previous attempt at rewriting the world. The blame was shifted towards the Greyriter family and from them to the Lhumin family when the reality of the situation was,” Omnis paused, ensuring Mana was still following, “that it was Kuria who instigated the violence. She knew that if the two mage families went to war with each other, it would force the Iliern to quell the violence. With this, Ahzef would swoop in and take the Iliern princess; he would use her as bait to lure out Chiipha’s.”

“Thus enter Earth’s princess who I’m assuming is of this ancient race?” Mana asked.

“Precisely. These were the beginning stages of what the devils are currently attempting to do, a Rezertia—a revival, if you will. Earth’s princess was keen; she uncovered the truth not long after. However, she was also the official Greyriter recordkeeper, hence why an official record was so hard to find.”

“The record was so hard to find because she died with the records… It’s starting to make sense finally!” Mana was alit with excitement.

Omnis continued. “You’re on the right track, but that’s not the whole story. While the attempted Rezertia was stopped, there remained a heavy price to pay, though you are already aware from the conversation you had with Mikaun.”

“So Mikaun ended up with the official record and that’s why he knew so much?” The realization hit her like a slap in the face. “The deaths of Earth and Chiipha’s princesses was planned.” She was shocked. Another piece of the puzzle had finally snapped into place. “Because of their premature deaths, there wasn’t any time to pass along their powers to their children, or lack thereof, I suppose. This would present an issue because who would there be to take up their duties?”

“You’re getting quite good at this. Yes, their deaths severely weakened Earth and Chiipha’s defenses while giving the devils a foot in the door from the Reverse World.”

“The only thing I’m not understanding is how Mikaun obtained the records. If Earth’s last princess died with the only one, how was it retrieved and how was it found?”

Omnis gave a small sigh. “Well, she wasn’t the best when it came to secure record keeping and once the devils broke her, she was an open book; there was nothing anyone could do to stop the trainwreck that had been set in motion; it wasn’t pretty.” The mood in the room fluctuated; a calming aura quieted the tense atmosphere. “Now… This is where you come in, Mana.”

She sat up in bed, tangled in untucked sheets, now fully engaged with what Omnis was telling her. In her mind, she felt dragged into a war she didn’t belong to and had no reason being a part of. Truthfully, she wanted the answers that pertained to her own identity.

“The Lhumin family is indeed a magical family and not just because they married into the Greyriter family. Your friend, Brendan, only had half the story. That little star on your cheek marks you as a child of Ethera, one who inherits great magical prowess.”

“Ethera…?”

Omnis chuckled. “You have only seen me as a being of light and omnipotence. Until now, you weren’t ready for the full gravity of who I am.” The white aura surrounding Omnis slowly faded away, starting from the emergence of two feet as the light eroded in bottom-up fashion, finally revealing a full feminine figure. Mana did a double take as the last of Omnis’ aura faded away. The corners of a pair of red lips turned upward, arcing two lightly blushed cheeks into a heartwarming smile.

“You see, while I may be omnipotent, it doesn’t detract from my humanity. I was once an ordinary girl, just like you, but someone had to restore order after the attempted Rezertia. Earth and Chiipha were in disarray, undefended and distraught.” Omnis approached Mana’s bed as a flowing white gown manifested around her body, flowers blooming beneath her feet with each click of a glossy white stiletto.

“Are you… responsible for Lacia? Everything we’ve been through? W-w-what does this all mean?” Mana stammered. “Who—”

“Ethera. That is my only name as I’ve long forgotten who I used to be,” she smiled. “Mana, you are a beacon of hope. I brought you into all of this because I’m running on borrowed time—not because I wanted your friends to suffer.”

With a final click of Ethera’s heels, she stepped forward, placing a finger to Mana’s forehead. Crimson and magenta circuits coursed through her veins, finally ridding her of the debilitation of years-long mana-contraction. For the first time in a long time, she looked healthy.

“More to the point, I assumed physical form for two years, trying to enjoy the last of my humanity… The last time I could truly enjoy being human.” Ethera took a couple steps back, folding her arms behind her. “It was bliss. I had forgotten what it was like to be so free, and that’s when I met your father—a typical romance story. He was so kind, so sweet, and when I explained everything to him, he believed me.”

“I’ve never met my father,” Mana said, stretching to test her restored strength. “What else… was he like?”

Ethera giggled. “You’re definitely my daughter, always curious and straight to the point.” Her eyes seemed to almost sparkle. “He was caring and thoughtful. He did everything while I was pregnant with you. Cooked every meal, did all the chores, made sure we were financially stable— Ahh, I’m getting off-topic,” she laughed.

“At least tell me what happened to him,” Mana begged. “Is there a reason for his absence? What happened to him?”

“Yes,” she sighed. “Shortly after you were born, he had to leave on an important business trip. It was an ordinary, sunny day when he left—the last day I saw him. I was on the back porch when I watched his plane explode mid-ascent.” Ethera struggled to handle her own emotions. “I was never told the truth of the event; it was played off as an accident for months. We never received an actual answer.”

“Do you suspect…”

“The devils? Perhaps. I’m certainly not that omniscient so I don’t have all the answers, but it is an explanation I’ve considered. Someday, I hope these will be questions you discover the answers to.” She cupped her hands around the back of her head, looking towards the ceiling. “I was on the verge of losing my ethereal form if I didn’t return to the White Room. It was at that time I was forced to abandon my search for the truth.”

“There can only be one reason you’re here now, then,” Mana realized. “It’s like you said, isn’t it?”

“Hm? Oh! Yes. The princesses of Earth and Chiipha are the two keys that open the doors to what I suppose you could call an elysian kingdom. I never really had a choice in the matter. I was chosen as the next Grandeur and once I inherited their powers, I was the one in charge of choosing the next princesses.” She sighed. “Had I known being Grandeur meant I could never, technically, be human again, I’m not sure you’d be dealing with the reawakening of Nertiia and the devils at all.”

“Ner…tiia?” Mana asked, confused.

“Like I said, time is short, but your friends will fill you in. For now, however…”

Ethera waved her arms in a wide arc, transforming the crumbling hospital into a wonder of flora. Lavenders sprouted from the tile around Mana’s feet as the artificial lights evolved into warm sunlight. Poppies grew into an expansive field of red, stretching beyond the horizon.

Licht watched as the environment around Hika and himself similarly transformed into the flowery elysian where Mana and Ethera now stood. Aromatic pleasantries brushed Licht’s nose, filling his senses with a combination of sweet-scents. He looked around, realizing Hika was nowhere to be seen… until he found himself in the dirt, face full of flowers.

“Sorry, Licht,” she apologized. “I tried to control the landing, but I thought landing on you might not hurt as much as the ground.” She awkwardly rubbed the back of her head.

“Compared to the ground, huh?” he muttered, unamused. “How did you fall out of the sky, anyways?”

Hika pointed up with her finger, bobbing up and down. Towering above them was a singular willow tree, but it was in full bloom, decorated with purple and red blossoms, just like the lavenders and poppies that encircled them. Blossoms scattered in the sweetly scented breeze.

“Right… Where are we, though? I’ve never seen a place like this in my life.”

“I’m not certain myself, but the combination of these flowers is frighteningly symbolic. I do know quite a lot about your world even if I’ve only been human a short while,” Hika said, referencing the look of uncertainty on Licht’s face. “Lavenders are flowers of peace, but red poppies represent the remembrance of war and bloodshed. Eerily fitting, no?” She scurried past him, finishing her thought. She was far more interested in Mana and Ethera’s conversation.

The mother-daughter duo picked up where they left off, now standing in the center of a ring of purple subsequently surrounded by a sea of red. Ethera grabbed Mana’s hands and held them in her own.

“Of course, I struggled as Grandeur. The devils waited nearly two centuries before attempting another Rezertia, as you already know, and they came back ferociously stronger. You see,” she sighed, “I had to expend much of my remaining energy the last time, which is why they’re back so soon. My “best” was only enough to buy approximately two decades.”

“What are you saying?” Mana asked cautiously. “There are five of us this time. We can—"

Ethera sighed. “It’s not that simple. You’re awful at hiding what you’re thinking sometimes, like a certain someone else.” She turned Mana’s palms towards the sky. “As is part of my duties as the omniscient, I must pass the role of Grandeur to you. Though, seeing as you’re my daughter and a wonderful friend to Earth’s princess, I have a feeling you’ll do more with this power than I ever could.”

Their palms began to glow as heat radiated through the open air. A stark breeze carried a mixture of red and purple petals along, showering the two in a marvelous display of symbolism and color.

Hika laid on her stomach amidst the flowers, watching as the memory bubble replayed what was the most remarkable display of emotion she’d ever seen. The outpouring of unfiltered love and magic was unbelievable—she’d never felt such elegance and grace before. Just Ethera’s presence alone was soothing. She closed her eyes, but not even her eyelids could stop the tears from coming. Ethera’s dedication to her duties and compassion for her daughter was almost too much to bear; it was art in its finest form.

Licht wasn’t afraid to shed tears of his own. He wiped away drop after drop, trying to clear the watery image they created. Tears were the perfect expression for words that could never describe such a moving moment between mother and daughter. What more could he do to express not only his gratitude towards them, but the things he was feeling? There was no easy way to face the spiraling vortex of sentiment and ardent devotion.

“Mana, this is the precipice. If this were just the devils or just Nertiia, I’d have much more confidence.” She stared into her daughter’s eyes. “You can turn back and choose to fight with your own power. I won’t stop you, but by accepting my powers as yours, you do realize you potentially throw away your last chance at living a normal life and being an ordinary girl?”

“Me? An ordinary girl?” She laughed. “My life has been anything but normal these last two years, but thank you for trying, really. It means a lot.”

“Mana, I’ve always loved you as only a mother could; I’ve only ever wanted the best for you. Unfortunately, fate is something that I can’t control, and I am so, so sorry for dragging you into all of this. I underestimated Ahzef and the devils and it cost me, again.” Ethera’s face was sorrowful.

Mana leaned in, hands still interlocked. “I don’t blame you for any of this. If anything, I should say thank you. I’ve grown closer to Lacia than I ever expected I would, I’ve seen so many different places and have made so many great, new friends,” she paused, “and it has made me the happiest I’ve ever been. I love you, Mama.”

The glow cast from the palms of their hands unleashed a brilliant luster filled with innumerable thoughts, feelings, and memories that engrained themselves into Mana’s heart, finding a permanent home—just like the stars in the sky.

“That makes me so happy! Everything I’ve done has always been for you, to secure a life for you so that you could forge a path that would lead you away from the one I made, but it seems I failed in that department.”

Mana shook her head. “Don’t blame yourself—I’m happy the way things are now. Besides, when all of this is over, I’ll formally introduce you to everyone and we can go to tea shops, take shopping trips— We can live normal lives.”

Ethera nodded. “To think, my own daughter would be the one teaching me how to fit in,” she said, fighting back tears of happiness. “I’d like that.”

They released each other’s hands, hugging each other so tight it could make up for a century’s worth of missed hugs. Silhouettes juxtaposed the sunlit backdrop, light rapidly swelling into a surge of wind, tearing the flowers from their rooted positions in the ground.

“When there’s no one to keep you safe from harm, when you’re far from home, I’ll be there… my precious child.”