Memories of a Forgotten Past: Part 3

Turning back towards the now-open doorway, Lacia beamed with excitement. Aria stood in the empty door frame, a mix of annoyance and relief crossing her face. Pale moonlight illuminated her brunette locks as she flipped her hair over her shoulder, allowing it to settle against her back.

For the first time, Lacia noticed Aria’s lavender-blue irises, a beautiful combination of colors against her silhouette in the backdrop of the moon. She couldn’t help but wonder if the dueling shades symbolized a part of her she’d yet to share, something not even Aria understood about herself, but they were fierce, angry as they leered over Lacia’s head.

Lacia stood up, ready to leap into the arms of her savior. If there was ever a time to be thankful for her bullshit, it was now, but she didn’t want Aria to know she’d been crying, having nearly given up on life. As if her tear-stained eyes weren’t enough, her outburst moments earlier wasn’t something she was ready to share—not yet.

“You know, I haven’t been super into dresses these last few years,” Aria started, “but I feel kind of,” she smirked, “in charge. I don’t know how you managed to get here, Lacia, but it seems you’re not alone.”

The tails of her dress fluttered in the wind like a sea of celestial purple, white stilettos resonating through the echo-chamber hallway. Her footsteps were slow and methodical, almost as if she were imparting a warning to the shadow figure.

“It’s a little too dark in here,” she said. “Let’s add a little light.” Several small orbs emanated from her body as she guided each into a resting position somewhere above her head. “Now, then.”

The luminescent orbs cast stray shadows into hiding as Aria’s figure was enveloped in the new ethereal light; she was beautiful. Red highlights flared around the edges of her eyes, juxtaposed with long, black eyelashes and pink blush; her skin was flawless, a perfect, peachy tone.

Forgetting her earlier plight, Lacia found herself jealous. Aria was beautiful, and she’d never seen anyone rock white tights as well as she did, complimenting the purple waves in the skirt of her dress. She couldn’t believe how she seemed to almost… sparkle, hints of light glinting off her arms, cheeks, and upper chest. A flowery white bow held the ensemble together, wrapping the outfit up with a nice ribbon-like material.

“Aria… You’re so pretty,” Lacia fawned, “but how did you get…” her voice cracked.

A stinging cold enveloped her lower half as the last of her remaining strength was sapped away bit by bit. Dropping to the floor, she grabbed at her waist, struggling to free herself from the clutches of whatever had begun to wrap itself around her.

“Time is up…” a familiar voice hissed. Lacia’s blood ran cold.

Lacia’s eyes widened. “Why couldn’t you just heed her warning? That woman makes me want to run away!”

The shadow-clad figure made its debut at the top of the stairs, its full form inching ever closer to Lacia, now immobilized in the clutches of an unseen force. A numbing cold poured from its shadowy tendrils, finally revealing themselves as they continued to wrap around her body.

She was quickly pinned to the floor again, cheek pressed against the icy floors, an all-too-familiar sensation, but something felt different this time. She wasn’t just losing strength, she could feel her life slipping away, devoured by something straight out of a nightmare as she lay immobilized. Yet more shadows bound her arms behind her back and ankles together.

“Time is up,” the shadow-clad figure repeated.

“Lacia,” Aria spoke, “how did you manage to cross paths with a devil, much less in the middle of a nightmare?”

“Aria,” Lacia said weakly, “I don’t have time for 21 questions… Any help would be greatly appreciated,” she pleaded.

“Very well. I’ve wanted a chance to play for a while now, anyways. So,” Aria said, addressing the devil, “you think this is your domain, do you?” She put a hand to her lips, trying to hide a giggle. “The evil pouring from you right now is super strong. I don’t know if I can beat you,” she said with a dainty voice, “but I look forward to a challenge.”

The devil halted its advance as Lacia was peeled from the floor, the shadows lifting her into the air. She squeezed her eyes shut, mentally preparing herself for what might come next. The tendrils held her tight. Her bones began to fracture under the pressure.

“Aria…” the devil hissed, embellishing each syllable. “How nice of you to come!”

“Oh? We’re on a first-name basis now, are we? I haven’t met you before,” she said, voice steady. “Which one are you?” she demanded.

Another tendril slithered across Lacia’s body, carefully wrapping itself around her neck. A searing heat burned into her skin, etching a hollow ring of black hexes. She squirmed, but it was no use.

“Our master will be pleased that his curse mark has been applied,” the devil said, admiring its new handiwork. It seemed to pay Aria little mind, avoiding her faulty leer. “I wonder… Will you save the girl, or,” it paused, "will you sacrifice her to create a world free of strife? How devoted to your original ideals are you, little girl?”

Aria seethed with rage. She didn’t appreciate being mocked by a devil. “Calling me a little girl when I’m about to turn you to ash is pretty bold,” she scoffed, eyes still fixed on the devil, “but you still haven’t told me who you are or what you want.” Her voice grew threatening.

The devil continued its examination of Lacia as it spoke, twirling her around in midair like some kind of spit roast. “This one here has a very special gift. It is the last one I, or, should I say, we need in order to open the gate.”

“You don’t mean—”

“I do. The very same. The Erill Gate,” the devil said, finally paying heed to Aria.

“You really think you can resurrect the Banished Ones alone?” she posed. Her eyes twinkled with curiosity, though she’d yet to remove them from the devil. Suddenly, a small glint caught her attention, but it was inconsistent.

“Aria—” Lacia gestured towards the bracelet on her wrist as it glinted once more, caught in the moonlight from the open doorway. “Maybe she’ll know something about this thing I don’t.”

“I see. If that bracelet is what I think it is, then…” A cold pool developed beneath Aria’s feet—an expected attack, even if she couldn’t see it. She sidestepped the invisible strike with ease. “Oh? Now, that wasn’t very nice,” she pouted.

“You humans are so peculiar,” the devil growled. “You sidestepped an attack you could not see. How?”

“Give me your name first, then maybe I’ll tell you,” she taunted. “I have to be careful. I still don’t know what this thing’s capable of and if I make it mad, it might kill Lacia.”

“Ha! You’ve been a good sport. I suppose I will grant you your wish before I drain your life as well.”

A grin slithered across the devil’s face. A set of sharp, pointed teeth broke from its shadowy facade. A deep, disembodied voice emanated from somewhere deep within its throat, but neither Lacia nor Aria could make out what it was saying.

“Quit mumbling! Use your words,” Aria demanded.

“Lucifero,” it hissed.

Aria’s face lit up with a mixture of surprise and shock. “The third in line to the throne of the Reverse Royalty… Lucky me,” she grumbled. “I thought you were—”

“Dead? While that blast from your ancestor, Saint Miruna I think was the poor bastard’s name, certainly left me in quite a mess, he never finished the job,” Lucifero grinned with a widening smile, “and now I’m here to take this one’s little gift, but it seems I get to have you for dessert, Miss Miruna!”

Aria licked her lips, the strawberry taste of her lip gloss embellishing her tongue. “Now, don’t get me excited, Lucifero,” she said, cheeks flushed. “I’ve waited so long to get my revenge on you monsters… When that man took me in… That promise… Ah! I could just— Mm!”

Lucifero’s grin began to fade. “Your poor thing, You really don’t know, do you? The man you hold in such high regard is—"

“Shut up!” she shouted back. “Don’t you dare ruin my moment of ecstasy. I’ll cut you down where you stand in a minute.” She locked her gaze on Lucifero, quickly analyzing what the devil had shared. “If it took you this long to finally reappear,” she said slowly, “then that means you’re desperate. If Lacia fully awakened her gift, she would disrupt everything you’ve worked so hard for, you poor thing,” she taunted back. “That means she’s close to her awakening…”

Lucifero’s grin returned to its shadow-clad state; the devil realized it had been outsmarted; she was a threat, yet she lacked several pieces of vital information. The next move would decide who took an early lead in the ensuing battle.

A flurry of pointed shadows shot up from the floor beneath Aria’s feet—another sneak attack. While she hadn’t expected Lucifero to attack the same place twice, she effortlessly sidestepped the attack again, suffering only a minor laceration to her inner left thigh.

“Ripped tights aren’t a good look on anyone,” she said, disappointed. “I can’t believe you did that.”

“Take this fight seriously, girl, or your friend will be dead in minutes!”

“I got under its, uhh, skin? Shadows?” She shook her head. “All that means is my hunch was correct. Tch. And they doubt the power of women’s intuition…” The air grew thick, blanketing the hallway in enriched mana. “Now,” she emphasized, “you have me excited!”

“Aria,” Lacia groaned, “please release your hormones somewhere else. I’m… really fading here…”

“Ew! What? No! Don’t make me out to be some horn—” A small, shadow-like spear soared toward Aria as she caught it between her fingers. Blood trickled down her hand. “I was in the middle of a conversation, you know? Did you really think that would hurt me?” she said as the shadows dissolved into light. “I’ve stalled this thing just long enough now.”

An amalgamation of condensed mana formed in the palm of her hand; rays of light shot from a spiraling orb small enough to mistake for a toy, but powerful enough to level a small city. The miniature ball of golden light began to expand in size, banishing any shadows within the range of its luminescence—not even the icy floors were spared as heat shimmered across the tile like a summer heatwave.

“You don’t have nearly the same strength your ancestor did. You don’t really think that puny ball of light will hurt me, do you?” Lucifero taunted.

Aria bit her lower lip until she bled. “Actually, I do,” she whispered, inches from the devil’s back.

Lucifero’s body burst into a mass of shadows, sharper than razor blades as the devil failed to stop Aria’s feint. Furious, it turned to Lacia, still wrapped up, and tightened its hold. A loud snap and subsequent scream signaled her second broken bone in as many weeks.

“You were warned, girl. Her life is decided by me and me alone now,” Lucifero snickered. “That was just her arm. Will she stay conscious long enough for me to break a few ribs, too?” Lucifero’s voice had grown desperate, but the devil wasn’t bluffing; it intended on making good on its promises.

“Let go of her,” Aria said, reaffirming her position behind the devil again. “You won’t be able to fight me if you keep hanging on to her like we’re in some kind of tentacle p—”

Lucifero managed to land a blow, grazing Aria’s cheek. “You’re fast,” she said, surprised. “It seems you’re not the same moron you’re made out to be, Lucifero. Not even my ancestors thought you were a worthy foe! How does that make you feel?!” she shouted.

Lucifero flung Lacia down the hall with enough force to send her cratering into the wall. She was motionless amid a cloud of dust and plaster. Wooden support beams had been snapped in half as she’d soared straight them before losing momentum. The sound of splitting wood and crunch of rubble echoed up the hall, but Lacia remained silent.

“And with that, you’ve signed your return ticket back to hell,” Aria said, furious. Her eyes left streaks of light where she stood as she sped towards Lucifero, eager to land an attack of her own. “Not that I was ever going to hold back, but I also wasn’t planning on using every ounce of mana I had… God, I hope this works…”

Lucifero’s shadows overtook the hall, plunging everything into pitch darkness amidst an otherworldly clash between dark and light. Finally landing a blow of her own, she seared a hole through the devil’s midsection.

“You have three seconds to bow your head and kneel before me, you filth. I’ll let you in on a little secret, though,” Aria said, parrying Lucifero’s shadows with her own blades of light. “If Lacia isn’t breathing, you won’t be, either.”

“Is that what you think?” the devil laughed. “Do you think this is a game? Where you get to choose between life and death? I hold the key to your fates!”

“Three…”

Lucifero landed another strike, this time hitting the mark. Aria choked, trying to hold back a mass of fresh blood, but it poured from her mouth like a waterfall, staining her lips red as it pooled onto the floor at her feet. The devil had managed to pierce her stomach with an unseen shadow, hidden somewhere in her peripheral vision.

She dropped to her knees, coughing up a new mass of blood. The color drained from her face in seconds, leaving only a ghostly complexion not even her makeup could hide. Her hair fell into her face, soaking up the flood of tears that flooded down her cheeks; her ends dipped into the pool of blood like paintbrushes, preparing to paint her demise as she shut the world out.

Lucifero crept forward, wrapping Aria’s arms and legs in the same shadows the devil had used to bind Lacia. A fresh spurt of blood oozed from her wound, splattering onto the tile with a loud splash. Yet, despite being an inch from death, she smiled as she opened her eyes, revealing the same burning ferocity from before.

“Fool. I am Lucifero, third in line to the throne of the Reverse Royalty’s most powerful, most elite, devils.” An eerie tingle brushed Aria’s ear. “And now you will sit by my future throne, chained like a dog,” the devil whispered.

“Two,” Aria counted, “and, I prefer cats, sorry,” she said, weakly.

The air suddenly grew exponentially heavier, almost as if someone had turned gravity up to eleven. The ball of light in Aria’s palm had disappeared after she’d initiated her assault, but she’d never stopped accumulating more mana from the surrounding environment. She had to allow Lucifero to land an attack, or her efforts would have been in vain. Still, she hadn’t expected a killing blow; she only needed the devil to strike her once, and preferably not in the stomach.

“Hey,” she said, weakly, “have you ever wondered what it would be like if you were at the center of a supernova? Everything else around you burning up in the stellar evacuation?”

Lucifero ignored her question. “You will die here, Aria Miruna. Upon your death, I will retrieve your little friend’s body and take what is rightfully mine. Your souls will forever be chained to my throne as you watch me ascend.”

Aria sighed. “That sounds terrible, not gonna lie,” she said. “Also, my head is a little foggy right now. I think it’s the blood loss… Remind me what comes before two?”

“Why are you still counting?!” Lucifero demanded, slamming Aria against the wall.

The impact only exacerbated her bleeding. She swore she could see stars as she struggled for breath, clutching her chest. Every joint in her body simultaneously popped as she collided with the wall, leaving an impression where she’d been moments prior.

“One,” she managed to choke.

The ball of light she’d been controlling from earlier suddenly reappeared in the palm of her hand as it began to swirl. It was slow at first, but gradually picked up speed, throwing shimmering rays of light into the shadow-lined hallway. The light had grown so bright, it illuminated the sky with the luster of a thousand suns; night quickly became day.

“All I had to do,” she coughed, “was bait you in, but I wish you’d gone for an arm or leg or something—not my stomach.” Dried blood had formed on the sides of her mouth and chin. “Unfortunately for you, you can’t let go of me, and this is where one of two things happens—either I die because my magic was too weak, or you get obliterated.” A new shadowy tendril wrapped itself around her neck, choking her out. “Either way, one of us dies here,” she croaked.

“Your ancestor put up a greater challenge than you. This is pathetic.” Lucifero drew a shadow-cloaked blade to her neck. “I’ll send you to visit him in hell!”

Aria’s face had drained of all color; her lips had turned blue from lack of oxygen, a stark contrast to the red blood stains around her mouth. Breathing was difficult, but not impossible; she had one chance to ensure both her and Lacia’s escape.

Lucifero was formidable, but the devil’s observation skills were subpar. While they’d been conversing, Aria had allowed Lucifero’s shadows to absorb the mana orb she’d been channeling. She could feel its power growing, but she was beginning to lose consciousness; she would be unable to control its release if she blacked out or, worse yet, died. Everything hinged on the amount of mana she’d been able to amass and her own risky decisions, allowing Lucifero to draw her in. Still, she wondered if her recklessness was for the better good or not.

“That man,” she whispered hoarsely, “promised me a perfect world.” She tugged at the shadows around her neck, but they seemed to lack physical form, still tightening. “I— Can’t— Die— Here!” She halted the orb’s consumption of mana. Now, she had to hope it was enough. “Did you know,” she said, “that when you reverse the molecular structure of mana particles, they become like miniature bombs?”

The devil laughed, pushing the blade into her neck. “You can’t hurt me with something as amateur as that!” Bright red blood trickled beneath the shadow blade. “Watching you struggle is incredibly amusing.”

“Unfortunately, Lucifero,” she said, slowly, “when you reverse mana, magic particles, they begin to act a little differently. Their natural tendency is to repel anything they come into contact with, but because I reversed the structure of the orb you absorbed, the light-magic-bomb inside of you has become a—”

The devil leapt backwards. “When did you have time to do that?!” Lucifero’s hold on Aria loosed as she dropped to the floor. “Not even your ancestor was able to pull off a white hole!”

“I’m not my ancestor,” she wheezed. “Goodbye, for good, Lucifero.” She relinquished control of the orb, allowing it to spiral into disorder. “Zero…”

Lucifero’s cries of agony were lost in the luster purge, the very fiber of the devil’s being extirpated by preeminence. A searing white light filled the hallway, banishing every trace of the physical world, transforming it into a blank slate of nothingness. Space and time seemed to collide as the oxygen was burned away in the subsequent colorless supernova.

Aria watched as Lucifero’s shadows were painted white as they swirled around a fixed point, trapped within the vortex. Fringes of black lined the exterior of a pure white hole, absorbing everything within its reach.

“Unlike its darker cousin,” Aria explained, “white holes do not bend space and time. Rather, they erase the existence of everything caught within their confines from space and time. All that will remain of you is a memory, and not a very tasteful one.”

The devil shouted something she could only imagine was some kind of curse, but the shouts were lost in the gyre of heat and light as the white hole continued its feast. Worried she would find herself on the other end of her own creation, she slipped the sash from her dress around a nearby doorhandle, double and triple-knotting it. While it wasn’t a black hole, the white hole’s gravitational pull was still powerful, pulling in any unsecured object it could find, not just Lucifero.

Moments later, the hole dissipated, leaving behind a steady whoosh, satisfied by the meal it had been given; Lucifero was gone. She could finally breathe, or at least kind of. Every breath hurt, using the same muscles Lucifero had torn through earlier, but she just happy to be alive. After all, she had her own unfinished business to tend to still.

Lifting herself up, she suddenly found herself floating, weightless, almost as if someone had turned the gravity dial to low. She bounced off the walls of the hallway, still bathed in white, but the outlines of doors and light fixtures had remained visible. Now, everything was just white. She determined she was no longer in the same hallway as earlier but somewhere else entirely—somewhere between reality and a dreamscape.

“Where am I?” she pondered aloud. “This place… It’s so quiet and peaceful. Is it because Lucifero’s gone?” Her abdomen began to ache as the adrenaline from her fight left her body. “I could use a few more doses of that,” she groaned. “Now what do I do?”

The moment the words left her lips, the room burst into vigorous arrays of color. Aria promptly found herself standing at the entrance of a large, gothic-styled school, arced gates towering over her. She peered through the bronze slats, hands gripping the warm metal. Just beyond the gates was an erected magical barrier. Whatever the school wanted to keep hidden, they were doing a terrible job of keeping it a secret. Who, or what, were they trying to hide? Why was security seemingly so tight? The exterior of the building was nothing more than a mirage amplified by magic as it flickered like a projection.

“Yeah, real stealthy…”

Aria turned to walk the length of the gates, hoping to find a way in, before the soft cries of a child caught her attention. Looking down, a girl, no older than ten or eleven, stood before the same gates as her. She looked as if she was trying to comprehend the colossal size of the school; her small body was nothing more than the size of ant compared to the monumental structure. Tears welled in the corners of her eyes.

“Hey, it’s okay! Don’t cry,” Aria comforted.

She moved to place a hand on the girl’s shoulder, but it phased right through her. Confused, she watched as the gates opened to reveal a beautiful garden of varying hues and natural beauty: red and purple flower patches, sculpted hedges, and fruits and vegetables of decadent, juicy volumes. A large fountain offered the surrounding plant life a midday sip as fresh water splashed back into the rounded, stone basin; it was a marvelous performance of waterworks and nature’s own cycle of life.

The girl leaned over the edge of the fountain, marveling at her own watery reflection. Aria stood back, fascinated as the girl quickly became absorbed in the marvel of her mirror image. Afraid she might fall in, Aria ran over to the edge of the fountain, hoping to pull the little girl back, but she phased straight through like some kind of ghost.

“Alright. Enough of this,” she grumbled.

The loud groan of a heavy, metal door pierced the peaceful serenity of the garden, swinging open on its hinges. An elderly, well-mannered gentleman appeared in the doorway as he turned in Lacia’s direction.

“Ahh… You must be Young Lacia. We have been anticipating your arrival.”

“That little girl is Lacia?” Aria thought to herself. “She’s so much littler, so much more… innocent. That is not the girl I’ve had the unfortunate pleasure of lugging around in the snow.”

Lacia stared at the man for a moment before she stuck her tongue out. He chuckled, unphased by her blatant disregard for manners and proper etiquette. She returned her attention to the fountain, kicking her legs in the air as she leaned into the watery basin.

“Innocent… Right.”

A minute later, she’d grown bored of her reflection in the water, choosing a new plaything to capture her attention with as she locked eyes with the man. She furrowed her brow, berating him with an onslaught of questions, yet he remained unphased, answering each ignorant demand she made with dignity and poise.

“I want my mom and dad. When can they come see me?” Lacia spat.

A blanket of clouds briefly blotted out the sun as a light breeze whispered through the garden, rustling Lacia’s hair. The sweet-scent assortment of azaleas drifted through the garden, greeting Aria’s nose with a lovely, floral aroma. She closed her eyes, embracing the tranquility. Still, she couldn’t help but think about how much different Lacia was compared to her initial reactions.

“Her mannerisms are so different. Even from a younger version of herself, I would’ve expected her to act at least somewhat like she does now,” Aria thought, scrutinizing Lacia’s childish nature, “but this little girl doesn’t act like the version of her I know, at all.”

Lacia shifted the weight of the backpack on her shoulders, holding the straps with both hands. The canvas dug into her palms as she shifted her weight from foot to foot, books jostling around inside the enclosed pockets. She stood eager, waiting for an answer to her question, yet the elderly man continued to smile before finally deciding upon an appropriate answer.

“Your parents cannot visit you right now,” he said apologetically, "but they have promised to write you letters while they are away on business.”

Suddenly, the image of Lacia, the elderly man, and the garden dissolved into an infinite number of fine particulates. Colors whirled into a spiral, creating tunnels of images that resembled moving pictures. Were they memories? If so, whose? Moments later, the room finally settled, thrusting Aria into another picturesque scene. Though, blurry at first, the image seemed to focus like a camera lens before deciding upon what setting it wanted.

“This is… incredible,” she said in awe. “Who knew such marvels existed? Forget how it’s even possible!”

Lacia sat alone; a wide, oak table sprawled out before her in what was the grandest of libraries Aria had ever seen. Shelves of books lined every wall, stretching towards the ceiling, multiple stories up. The smell of leather book-bindings and paper filled her nose as the fluttering of pages and soft thump of closing hardback covers greeted her ears. Curiously, she walked over to the table where Lacia sat; several textbooks, a couple novels, and a slew of papers, pens and pencils littered the tabletop.

Aria rotated into her field of view, noticing that Lacia was slightly older compared to the last scene, when she was just a child. Several years had clearly passed: her hair covered her neck and shoulders, a few inches had been added to her height, and her face no longer resembled that of a small child. Aria peered into her eyes—a beautiful sky-blue, but she could see the exhaustion in them.

“Hey, new girl.”

Aria looked up to see a trio of girls meander around the edge of the table as Lacia grew uncomfortable. Nervously, she pulled the sleeves of a red and white embroidered cardigan down, but not before Aria caught sight of the numerous bruises scattered up and down her arms.

“What’re ya studying?” one of the girls taunted.

“So, that’s how it is,” Aria thought, noticing Lacia’s discomfort. “What do these girls have to gain by teasing her? And, are those bruises from—”

“I said, what are you studying?” the same girl repeated, pushing a pile of books and papers onto the floor.

Lacia ignored the inconvenience as she frantically gathered the papers that had scattered across the library floor. Aria continued to watch closely, her full attention on the scene at hand. She couldn’t imagine a world where a girl like Lacia ever had to struggle with something as lowly as bullying, yet there was no other way to describe what she was witnessing.

She knew she couldn’t interact with the world, but it still made her blood boil. “We don’t have to get along, but no matter how much I dislike a person, I’d never stoop so low that bullying was pleasureful.” She gagged. “What a twisted ideal.”

A sudden blast of wind slammed the three girls square in the back, sending them flying towards the far end of the library where they flew through a series of double doors, down an adjacent hallway.

“That was magic,” Aria realized. “And from the looks of things, I’m about to find out who cast it.”

“Are you okay, Lacia?” a soft voice called. “I hate those girls so much, so I’ll take the heat for using unauthorized magic later.” Her voice was full of sweetness and confidence.

“No. I’m fine,” Lacia said, shaking her head. “Thank you, Mana.”

“She seems a lot more confident than Lacia,” Aria thought, studying her. “I feel strangely reassured by her presence, but I’ve never met this girl,” she pondered.

Her figure was similar to that of Lacia’s, perhaps a little fuller in the chest department, but, other than her silky, black hair, notable differences were few and far between. Ivory skin glowed in the daylight that filtered in through large windows in the ceiling. Even so, Lacia’s complexion remained the most appealing of the two as Aria examined her own similar lack-of-a-tan skin tone.

Emerald eyes reflected in Lacia’s endless blue irises, creating a turquoise sea of visual reflection, enhanced by the top-down effect of the daylight; the library had become a stage, idolizing the two girls in the glistening dust particles that floated in the air. Aria half-expected one of the two to climb onto the table in ballerina-like fashion—all that was missing was a set of classical music.

“Let’s go get lunch. Finals week is draining, and I’m famished,” Mana emphasized. “What sounds good?”

The scene changed again, presumably for the final time as the room shifted and the images expanded once more, but she understood what she was seeing this time; these were genuine memories, after all, though the first two were not hers. This one, however, Aria knew well: seated on the edge of a rusted, metal bridge, her feet dangled over the coursing creek below illuminated by a full moon.

“I looked so much different… The accident really did change everything,” she said, awe-struck. “I don’t even recognize myself.” Doubt crept into her voice. “Am I doing the right thing? I’m doing this for a better world, right?”

Her hair brushed against the midsection of her back, light brown locks brandishing their healthy shine in the pale moonlight. She leaned back, eyes pointed towards the vast array of stars overhead. Looking into the eyes of her teenage self, she couldn’t help but notice the vigor and happiness that shone in them, something she’d left behind a long time ago. Pale, hazel-blue eyes reflected the moon’s showing, a lively smile filling the face of her teenage self.

Footsteps clamored down the bridge, muffling the sound of the creek below, struggling to transport its chilly contents downstream. An orange ball of light bobbed in the inky darkness, Lacia’s face appearing in the warm glow. She waved an arm, hoping to grab Aria’s attention while simultaneously greeting her new friend. In her other arm was a large, folded blanket; it would be far more comfortable than sitting on splintered boards. Unfortunately, as she approached, her foot caught an upturned board, stumbling the rest of the way as she nearly dove straight off the bridge and into the water.

“What are you doing, Aria?” Lacia asked, her eyes full of light and curiosity as she regained her composure.

“Oh, nothing,” she replied softly. “Just admiring the stars. Look how beautiful they are tonight.”

The night air was chilly as she moved closer to Aria, settling down next to her as she wrapped the blanket around the two of them. A large grin spread across her face as looked up at the sky, taking in the beauty of the heavens above.

Cosmic clouds of silver, blue, and purple lined the night sky, graced by the occasional streak of a shooting star—not even the luminescence of a full moon could outshine the magnitude of the stars.

“Wow… So pretty… Do you come out here every night?” Lacia asked.

“I remember this moment, but, at the same time, I don’t…” Aria thought. “How could I remember sitting out here on the bridge, but forget the relationship I had with Lacia entirely? I… I know trauma can manifest itself in weird ways, but this memory…”

“Miss Lacia! There you are,” a familiar voice came. It was the elderly man from the first memory. “I’m afraid I have terrible news, dear.”

Lacia removed her transfixed gaze on the sky, her warm smile fading to worry. “What is it, Hobson?”

“Would you be opposed to having Miss Aria here? You may not want to be alone with the news I am about to share with you,” he asked, a tinge of concern in his voice.

She looked at Aria, then back at Hobson. “Yes, if you would, please.” Lacia folded her hands in her lap as Hobson pulled an envelope from his coat, retrieving a small envelope from within. He cleared his throat, removing its contents—a letter.

“Dear Lacia Amana,” he started, “Miruna High School offers its deepest condolences to you. A large earthquake struck the city your parents were on business in, but as of the date of notice in this letter, your parents have not been found. Search and rescue crews are working relentlessly to clear the debris. If you require any resources during this trying time, Miruna High School is ready to offer you any services you may desire.” He placed the letter back in the envelope. “Signed by President Miruna,” he finished.

Lacia looked as if she was going to be sick. The warm glow of the lantern struggled to revive her now-ghostly complexion. She opened her mouth to speak, but didn’t know where to start. Aria wrapped her arms around her, hoping to console her friend with a hug.

“Lacia… I am so sorry… If you need anything let me know, okay? I’m here for you,” Aria said, comfortingly.

“Thank you, Aria,” she managed to croak out. “Hobson… Do you know when the earthquake happened?” she asked, shaking.

“Two days ago. The school was just informed this afternoon,” he replied. “Allow me to offer my deepest condolences, young Miss.”

“I, see,” she faltered. “I appreciate you letting me know and the support, Hobson.” She turned her gaze towards the wooden planks of the bridge, refusing to embrace the sky’s beauty in such a dark moment. “I… I think I’m going to go to bed. I’ll, uh, see you tomorrow, Aria,” she said solemnly. She wrapped the rest of the blanket around Aria as she got up to leave. “I’ll be okay tomorrow. I just need to process things tonight,” she smiled weakly before wandering into the night.

Rather than relive the rest of the memory through her own perspective, Aria decided to follow Lacia back to her dorm. She was concerned, but not by her own faulty memory—not alone. Lacia’s staggers resembled that of a drunkard as Aria continued her pursuit.

“This must have been a turning point in both of our lives. What other reason could there possibly be I’m seeing this?” she wondered aloud.

She watched as Lacia took her shoes off, placing them by the door of her dorm room, the black, patent leather shoes glistening in the light. Flipping the lights off, she crawled into bed, pulling the covers over her head before crying herself to sleep on a tear-stained pillow.

The white room vanished, but it seemed to desire Aria’s reactions after previewing not only Lacia’s memories but hers, as well. Colors swirled into a dazzling spiral of vivid pigmentation once more before the world returned to focus moments later; she was back in the hallway where she’d started. A dark, burnt-in shadow in the tile caught her attention first.

“Your mistake, Lucifero, was thinking I couldn’t surpass what everyone already expected of me,” she said, breathing heavily. “I don’t deserve to call Lacia a friend, but I learned something valuable tonight. This world… isn’t all that bad. Someone very important taught me that,” she said, heels echoing down the hall as she ran towards Lacia.

She slid onto her knees, gliding across the smooth, ceramic floor as she attempted to remove as much debris from Lacia’s body as possible: large chunks of concrete here, shards of glass there. If anything, though, the curse mark Lucifero implanted onto her neck had vanished without a trace—nothing remained of Lucifero or the devil’s sickening aura. Aria’s eyes ran the length of Lacia’s body, using what little magic she could muster to run a thorough examination of her body. Just how much of her life had Lucifero drained, and could she get it back?

“You’re alive… Thank god,” Aria sobbed. “I’m so sorry I didn’t come sooner. I’m such an awful person, and I know I don't deserve your kindness, but I hope you can forgive me for everything,” she said through sobs, “for forgetting about you, for treating you like my enemy—for forgetting about us. I became so caught up in my own selfish ideals that I lost sight of who I was, and I know there’s no excuse for my behavior, but I never expected your heart and mind to be so full of serenity and amazement.” She fell over her body. “I forgot something very important, and I am so, so, so sorry.”

Aria’s voice filled Lacia’s ears, pulling her back from the brink of death, caught in a precarious traipse between life and death. Slowly, she opened her eyes, lifting a hand to Aria’s cheek, soaked with tears and dried blood.

“I heard everything you said back there,” Lacia said weakly, startling Aria. She took a deep, painful, breath. “You were so brave, and I’m kind of jealous I couldn’t make as grand a performance, but don’t blame yourself for what happened. I forgot, too. I’m sorry, Aria.”

Aria pulled herself away from Lacia, giving her room to breathe. “I’m going to get us both out of here, ok? Just rest,” she said, smiling. “We’ll have time to talk later, but I’m pretty spent, myself,” she said, lifting her dress to reveal her own wounds. “If I didn’t draw Lucifero in, we would both be dead right now,” she winced, lowering the garment, “but it worked out.” She smiled again.

Lacia nodded before following up with a question. “How did you know where to find me?” she asked hoarsely.

“It’s an ability I have,” Aria sniffled. “I’m only able to enter dreams when I have a strong bond with the recipient which is why I was so surprised I could do it with you,” she said, admittingly. “I’m going to pull us both out of here now, ok?” Lacia nodded, hand intertwined with Aria’s. “When we get out of here, I want to catch up. Will you accept my invitation to tea this time?”

Lacia smiled. “Only the finest tea leaves and sets. Otherwise, it’s a promise.”