Chapter 349: The Daughter Of Theia
Just as Damien wiped Drake from the face of existence, the ground began to split open in every direction. Damien and the rest of the group jolted where they stood, leaping back to avoid falling into the expanding rifts.
"What is happening?!" Seira’s voice rang out in alarm just as Dante had just pulled her back from a deep rift seconds before she could have fallen into the abyss.
"I do not know! Whatever it is, it only means trouble!" Dante replied, after hurling a pair of knives straight into a Darkrot’s heart closing in on them.
The rifts began to emit a red, ominous glow. Inhuman screeches echoed from the depths, vibrating through the very air they breathed.
Alex’s eyes snapped toward the nearest opening and his gaze narrowed as he spotted black, clawed hands gripping the edge of the broken land.
He roared a warning to the others. "Something is coming out of them! Everyone, move away from the cracks!"
Each member of the group huffed as they complied. Exhaustion from the constant fighting was beginning to take its toll, but they all kept their guard up, not knowing what monstrosity they might face next or how long they could continue fighting.
Soon, the ominous red glow from the cracks pulsed, and the fissures seemed to lead all the way to a thick black sphere of smoke hovering above the mouth of the volcano. The sphere pulsed heavily before it began to warp and twist into an uneven shape.
The air thickened with dark magic, and everyone’s attention shifted to the unstable mass of black smoke that looked as though it was about to burst.
Ivan, who had just blasted away several creatures, finally turned his attention towards the mouth of the volcano, drawn by the immense dark magic it was emitting.
His expression did not change in the slightest, even after killing countless dark ones and creatures and leaving Clair’s mangled yet living body discarded to the side.
He parted his lips and uttered only one name.
"Kai."
The massive dragon, which had already burned half the city to the ground, roared loudly before flying straight towards Ivan.
Without another command, it opened its enormous jaws and unleashed a powerful breath attack directly at the thick sphere of black smoke.
A thunderous blast echoed across the battlefield as the collision erupted with such force that Seira, Edward and Oliver had to immediately form a shield to prevent everyone from being blown away by the violent shockwaves.
Wherever the shockwaves struck, destruction followed.
The dilapidated castle, which already looked as though it was standing on its last legs, could not withstand the impact. The upper floors collapsed as the roof was completely blasted away, leaving only the first and lowest floors barely intact.
Debris rained down everywhere, and the only thing people could do was shield themselves or run to avoid becoming part of the devastation.
Many Darkrots were buried beneath the falling rubble and crushed to death by the destruction alone.
Dust and smoke filled the air, making it nearly impossible to see through the chaos caused by that single, catastrophic collision.
Fortunately, despite the tremendous force, the shield cracked but managed to hold, protecting Ivan’s group from being crushed beneath the falling debris.
Edward, Seira and Oliver huffed heavily before dropping to their knees, exhausted after using such immense amounts of magic to maintain the barrier.
Even so, no one spoke. They held their breath and searched for where Ivan, the dragon, or the sphere might be. But the thick debris and dust obscured their vision, making it impossible to see clearly.
As the air slowly began to clear, something faintly glowing emerged from the darkness.
Every one of them squinted to see more clearly, and a collective sigh of relief escaped their lips when they realised the glowing figure was none other than Ivan. He stood untouched, his burning eyes fixed on the place where the sphere had been.
The barrage of fiery lightning finally ceased, and an eerie silence settled over the battlefield once more, as though whatever had been inside that black sphere had finally finished emerging. That silence alone was enough to make them uneasy.
They all had the same question in mind.
Had Ivan succeeded in ending it? Was it finally over?
Yet the cracks in the ground still emitted a sinister red glow, and the heavy stillness in the air felt like a warning that something far worse was about to arrive.
"Is... is it over?" Caleb was the one who finally asked. His voice was barely above a whisper.
Before anyone could respond, a shocked gasp escaped Cece’s lips as more debris settled, and at last they could clearly see what stood at the mouth of the mountain.
....
Somewhere on the land between the living and the dead, Solaira remained seated by the edge of the lake as she watched the horrific scene unfolding before her.
She saw everything burn, from the people to the world itself. Dark and grotesque creatures swarmed the landscape, tearing people apart. Her eyes fixed on several familiar faces as they were slaughtered.
Cries filled the air, yet these people did not seem to fear the end. Instead, they wore smiles on their faces, as if they were finally embracing death like an old friend.
Seeing the woman with light blonde hair and the man with pale blue hair holding onto each other before they were brutally torn apart squeezed Solaira’s chest.
Her mind, previously blank, was suddenly flooded with flashes of them. She saw them laughing together and roaming through a busy market.
She then witnessed a similar, horrible fate befalling more familiar faces. She saw the woman with purple hair, followed by the men she recognized.
Her eyes were wide with shock but she could not look away, forced to watch as they were slaughtered one after another.
Then the scene changed, and her eyes fell upon a man surrounded by blazing fire. His face was so beautiful that, unknown to Solaira, her heart began to beat faster.
She saw that the man’s face was completely devoid of emotion as he fought another man with long black hair whose face she could not quite see. Above them, a massive dragon loomed and unleashed a powerful breath attack towards the man with long black hair.
But that man moved swiftly and shot a powerful strike at the dragon’s paw, and in that moment something suddenly began falling towards the ground at great speed.
Solaira’s eyes followed the falling figure, and that was when she realised it was a woman with long brown hair.
She then saw the man surrounded by raging fire rush forward to catch the falling woman. But before he could reach her, dark, slimy tentacles shot out and pierced through her entire body before the man of fire could catch her.
Then she saw the man scream.
A devastating blast erupted from his body, spreading outward and swallowing the entire place in destructive flames before the vision abruptly ended.
Solaira remained seated there, unmoving for a long time, until she felt the wetness on her cheeks.
It was then that the woman who called herself Mother finally spoke.
"What you saw is what is about to happen. The world will end... the world that you have already left behind."
Solaira’s heart skipped a beat as she turned to look at the woman in shock, noticing the sadness in her expression.
"The world I left behind?" Solaira repeated, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Yes, daughter... those are the people you left behind, and that is the world that is about to face such devastation."
Shock rippled through her entire being, as though every part of her protested against such a fate for those familiar strangers... and for the man whose anguished scream still echoed in her mind.
Then the woman spoke again.
"Now, my dear daughter... the decision is yours."
"My decision?"
"Yes... your decision whether you wish to return... or finally leave that world behind and come live with me in heaven, which is your rightful place beside me," the woman replied gently.
"In heaven?" Solaira asked in disbelief.
The woman’s eyes softened. "Yes, heaven, because you are the daughter of the Goddess of Light, Theia. You are a soul that I birthed from my own essence."
The goddess moved from her place, crouching down to Solaira’s level, she placed a warm hand against her cheek.
She caressed her lovingly and continued. "You have suffered so much there. This is your chance to leave all the pain and suffering behind and finally come to live with me. With your mother."
A soft smile bloomed on her ethereal face as she stared into Solaira’s shocked eyes.
"So, will you come and finally live with your mother, or will you choose to go back down there, where there is chaos at every step?"
Solaira shook her head slowly. "But I... I do not remember anything."
The goddess smiled again, "Then remember. Remember who you are. Look within yourself, and you will find the answers that you seek. Then, tell this mother of yours what your heart truly desires, and I will fulfill your wish." Theia spoke softly, her gaze remaining gentle as she looked at her daughter.
