Chapter 47: All at Once
Tuesday, 5th December 2023.
Location Unknown.
The foggy clouds hid the stars, locking them inside a temporary prison.
This was a testament.
This was a testament to what will come.
Tall trees extended as far as the eye could see–moss filled, devilish corpses ridden roots constricting them, asphyxiating them like pythons.
The bear-headed master stood tall near the center of the forest, his scarred hand resting on a wooden, cross-like puppet rig.
From there, thin, dangling roots showered down towards a half-black, half-blonde haired boy.
His body was peculiar; his right arm was completely red, with black triangles carved into his flesh, mutilating it entirely. His left arm was covered with hair and longer than the other, making it resemble that of a primate.
The shirt he wore had long been ripped apart, revealing a brownish torso, bony structures extending from its open insides, causing it to resemble an exoskeleton of some sort.
He unwillingly knelt down, his sparse hair falling on his face in an ungraceful fashion, the thin strands casting shadows over his inexpressive face.
As his bear-headed master whispered commands towards his unwilling servant, the boy silently stared at him with contempt, yearning for the day he would escape his condition and get his revenge.
This was the only way he could atone for his sins, bringing peace and justice for the corpses of his loved ones.
Their spirits clung to him; they spoke to him, all chanting one phrase.
Avenge us!
…
Location Unknown.
A mature woman sat on a wooden chair.
A mirror was in front of her, reflecting her charming figure. She brushed her long, dark hair with a wooden hairbrush, her mouth revealing the slightest hint of a smile.
The ripped page of an ancient book resided on the table near her.
There was a stylized image of a brain with small dots and lines heightening the amygdala and the hypothalamus.
Near them, mystical verses were written. The words were scrambled and the calligraphy was messy, as if someone had written them in a rush.
She grabbed a small glass filled with a thick, reddish liquid, and drank it slowly, savoring its taste.
Once she placed the glass on the wooden table, she turned around.
There, an older woman was slumped on the ground, her hands placed in handcuffs attached to the wall behind her.
Her closed eyes had black streaks underneath them, while her arm had a caduceus-like mark carved into it.
…
Inside a secluded, gothic monastery, two young women with black hoods draped over their heads stood close each other, gazing deep inside the other's eyes.
They stood inside a small, sparse room that only possessed two beds.
The air was tense. The two seemed anxious.
"I don't want them to take you." Serafina said, whispering to the woman in front of her.
Livia looked at the floor, her expression hopeless.
"Neither do I…but what choice do we have?"
Serafina grasped Livia's hands, her expression fierce.
"I don't care if there aren't any chances." She held Livia's hands tighter. "I won't let you be taken by one of those disgusting men." she clenched her teeth.
Livia smiled softly, her gaze dim.
"This is what 'she' had to went through. For the faults of our ancestors, we are the ones who must shoulder just a bit of her burdens." she spoke with a reverend voice.
Serafina interrupted her, speaking with scorn. "What do their faults have to do with us? Our lineage shouldn't decide our fates!"
"We didn't choose to be born inside this bloodline!"
"But…" Livia shut her eyes, grasping Serafina's hands tighter.
"There are no buts!" Serafina retorted. "This whole place is just a sham—the daughters, the elder sisters, the matrons—they are all sham!"
"I will never bow down towards a man, wasting my life to serve him—all for what? Just because our ancestor suffered, does that mean that we now have to do the same?"
"Only because our foremothers didn't do anything to help her, does it mean that their sins got transferred to us?"
"You've seen how those men look at us! Your perception is sharp, you can even start to perceive the putrid thoughts they bear!"
Tears started to roll down Livia's cheeks.
As her hands started to tremble, she began to speak amidst soft sobs.
"…You're correct, but what can we do? For every single day of our lives, they prepared us for this, telling us that it was a virtuous act—like that of our martyr…"
"Although I'm not supposed to feel like this, I can't help but be horrified…"
"I don't want them to steal me from you…!"
Serafina's chest tightened.
As she held the crying Livia, she gently pulled her hoodie down, exposing her graceful face.
The young woman tried to cover her delicate, porcelain-like features, but Serafina stopped her from doing so, holding her hands in place.
"We have to leave this place."
"How?" Livia asked. "You've seen what the elder sisters and the matrons can do, the magic they possess! You have even seen what they do to those who try to escape!"
"Yes…" Serafina smiled bitterly. "I have seen the power they wield." her gaze was resolute.
"That is why…That is why I must join them."
Livia faltered as she begged for her to think otherwise.
Yet, Serafina kept on speaking.
"Their power will grant us a means of escape." she said as she caressed Livia's soft cheeks.
As Serafina turned around to leave their conjoined room, Livia suddenly stopped her, holding her dear by her robe.
With tears inside her eyes, she pleaded for her to not go.
"…Their obscure powers require sacrifices, their magic doesn't allow handouts! How do you expect me to watch you waste your life away, pursuing a goal that is not viable?" she said, her voice failing.
Yet, her companion's determination was resolute.
…Too resolute to be shaken away.
As Livia saw the look of unwavering determination in her eyes, she tilted forward, meeting her pinkish lips.
After a brief second, she pulled away and held her by the collar.
"Please…" she muttered.
"I'm sorry." Serafina said, her voice hoarse.
Livia avoided Serafina's gaze.
"…If your mission were to fail—if I were to be assigned to one of those men, my last selfish desire is for you to be the first I ever loved wholeheartedly." she said, her voice a barely audible whisper.
Serafina wavered.
She was aware that her journey might've been one of no-return. But how could she stand still, hopelessly waiting for a day that would certainly come?
When Livia was to be assigned to one of those men, was Serafina supposed to just close her eyes, keeping her mouth shut, awaiting the day when it would happen to herself too?
'No!' Serafina screamed inside her heart.
This monastery itself was a sham!
Even the same definition of 'Chosen Daughtersof Salvation' was a lie!
What salvation was supposed to be hiding beyond their fate?
Serve a man for their whole lives, giving up on the propriety of their body, for what?
Only because their foremothers didn't help Althea Louvis, the Protector of Rosano, letting her be left behind, letting her fall into the hands of those soldiers?
If this was the supposed Salvation the High-Priestess had in mind all those years ago, then Serafina was ready to forsake everything she had known, bringing a true sense of salvation to Livia, the only girl who could understand her!
And to pursue this goal…she was even ready to sacrifice herself, accessing to the ancestral magic the higher-members of the Chosen Daughters of Salvation possessed!
Serafina turned around to face her companion.
Livia gently untied the rope on her waist before letting it slide off her pale shoulders, revealing her naked body.
She lowered her gaze again, her face flushed.
She then did the same for her companion.
The crescent moon was finally free from the clouds that enshrouded it, allowing the moonlight of the heavenly object to seep into their room, its light shining on every single ounce of their body.
They held the other's hand tighter as they slowly walked towards one of their beds.
…
The girl became more than just two different beings—there, they were united and conjoined, becoming something more, something with a greater purpose.
With just a touch, they understood each other even better, grasping the concepts that troubled the other.
Behind the overwhelming determination Serafina had towards Livia's safety, hid an immense fear of failure.
The two held each other with a firm grip, afraid that this moment might be the last they would face together.
With more tears streaming from her eyes, Livia suddenly spoke.
"When you're there, please don't forget to take care of yourself. Never sacrifice more than you can bear, alright…?"
Serafina was hesitant.
For Livia's salvation, there were no boundaries she wouldn't cross. But after seeing her gentle, docile face, how could she let her be uneasy for who knows how long?
Days, weeks, or even months, all spent on worrying for her companion's safety?
How could Serafina let such thing happen?
"I will." she reassured, wiping Livia's tears.
Livia smiled.
In that night, every sentiment of fear, worries, and anxiety had to be extinguished.
The future might prove to be harrowing, but not there, not in their room, not when for the first time, they truly became 'one.'
Their unity served as their farewell, their sunset before a long night of darkness.
…
Inside Ophelia's house.
Franz closed the door and saw Ophelia smoking a cigarette near Selene's unconscious body.
The girl slept on the hospital bed, blood-filled glass-shards lying inside the ashtray near her.
"…Don't forget, you owe me dinner." Ophelia reminded him.
Franz sighed as he sat on the sofa, staying close to Ophelia.
Ophelia was curious to know of how Gray could survive against Selene, let alone the Heralds of Sin on the Third Decline.
Regardless, she refrained from asking—it wasn't her business.
Being an experienced Nephilim meant knowing when to stay silent and when to speak. It also allowed her to know the importance of her species' unwritten rules.
Ophelia raised one cigarette from the pack and asked, "Care for a smoke?"
Franz refused. "I'm not like you. I can't heal my body, erasing the damages they bring."
Ophelia glanced at him and smiled.
"You can just ask me, you know?"
"Am I supposed to come here to seek your healing for every time I smoke?" Franz chuckled. "Addictions are also not something the Nephilim can take lightly."
"You're the last person who should talk about addictions." Ophelia pointed at him.
"Coming here once in a while doesn't hurt. Even if it's just because you've smoked a couple of cigarettes, I won't mind."
Her cheeks blushed a little.
"…I'd prefer if you avoided bringing kids with you, however."
"I'll keep it in mind." Franz smiled.
Ophelia glanced at him and sighed.
Franz wasn't aware of how a woman's heart worked!
"…You should check the condition of Selene's Mercurial Fragment. While her external condition seems to be fine, being too prudent never harmed anyone. She has never reached the Third Decline before, after all."
Franz agreed.
Her Mercurial Fragment had a portal that could bring the Heralds of Sin and Sin himself, but all in all, it didn't possess any qualities not meant to be seen.
Unlike Gray's second Mercurial Fragment, while hers was in a deactivated state, it was safe to be observed.
If Franz had decided to gaze upon her Mercurial Fragment while the Heralds had awakened, the stakes would naturally be completely different, however.
The unnatural things about this sudden, possible Descent were firstly about of how quickly it had ended without the presence of any kind of consequences—and the unknown reason of why it did so.
This tranquility was uncanny…it was like of how tides retreated before a devastating tsunami.
Therefore, to understand more of the causes of the end of the Descent, Franz decided to pry inside Selene's soul domain.
He promised himself that, If he even saw a hair belonging to Gray there, he would escape it immediately!
As he injected his personal quintessence inside his eyes, he quickly entered inside Selene's soul.
There, broken mirrors, empty rooms, and empty portraits were found, floating around her soul domain.
A dark-grey, crack-ridden staircase attempted to reach for the heavens, only for the steps to stop suddenly.
At the top of the staircase, an immense stone spire was erected—this was the entrance to her Mercurial Fragment.
Inside it, rows of torches were lined—yet the flames weren't lit. The windows showcased many different events, now eternally frozen in time.
Scaled animals singing towards the full-moon; tentacled creatures gazing at the sky; and robed figures building ziggurats.
In every single display, the moon shone bright on the sky; each time possessing a different kind of phase.
Just as Franz expected to see His altar—the dormant portal that would bring His Descent—his brows furrowed.
…The once mighty altar had been forcefully split in half.
This was an incomprehensible feat, a feat no mortal could accomplish on their own.
Since Franz's syringe normally wouldn't destroy the altar and would just make the Descent reverse, this could only mean one thing.
The sudden end of the Descent had been something that required a kind of external, supernatural, and divine intervention!