We appeared in the cover of fog.

Broken monuments rose above us as the spectrum below us faded away as we were in the din of our enemy.

 

 

“Do you feel that?”

Yuu Yuu asked. The thick fog around here wasn’t natural.

“It’s spectrum flowing.”

Jade concluded as she began walking.

“It’s coming from deeper in the Ancient Ruins. Elizera… is releasing the spectrum energy she plans to use on Yuu Yuu.”

This was it… Elizera was setting the stage to control Yuu Yuu. I brought out my blade as we all began approaching the source of the spectrum.

“At all costs, we can’t allow Elizera to get her hands on Yuuna.”

Abigail said as she turned to the pink bunny.

“I assume you’re strong enough to hold your own… but Elizera has been waiting for this day for many years. I'm sure she's run through this scenario in her head countless times. So, expect twists and turns from her that we can’t predict.”

I agreed as we continued walking through the thick fog. Howls of wolves and other creatures came from off in the distance. Jade brought out her blade, and Janova walked with her burning spear as we journeyed deeper into the Ancient Ruins.

“With this much spectrum gathering around this area, would it be safe to assume that more beasts will be around?”

I asked a rhetorical question. Abigail jumped on and nodded.

“We can assume so. Let’s keep our guard up.”

The purple light in the distance was getting brighter as we made our way to the core. Magnificent colors rose to the heavens as the spectrum pushed from underground. Likely, it was flowing from where Eve, Vivian, and I destroyed the beast a while back. From what we’ve concluded, that beast was put there for this very reason. That only went to show me how long Elizera had this moment planned. She… wouldn’t go down easy after all of this work and effort.

Creatures were walking about the broken palace. I could hear claws scratching the walls as the beast roamed nearby. However, none of them were attacking us.

"Why aren't they attacking us?"

Yuu Yuu asked timidly to Jade.

"It's because there's enough spectrum around to feed on. Beasts are only aggressive when they want to feed off our spectrum energy. Because there's so much flowing around, they are docile due to the overabundance of food."

The night turned towards the pink bunny.

"But that doesn't mean to let your guard down. At any moment, one could get aggressive and attack unprovoked."

“Yes, Jade.”

As we got closer, hoards of beasts ravaged the area. It was a tad off putting seeing many of them huddled together, feasting on the ground and dirt due to the overabundance of spectrum flowing around them. It's like they couldn't contain themselves as they would occasionally push their bodies on each other. Birds, wolves, giant bugs, all kinds of beasts were flooding around.

“Be careful.”

Abigail said softly as we stepped our way past them. Occasionally I would brush up against different beast and they wouldn't mind me. They were too distraught by all the spectrum around us. Abigail put a barrier around our group, keeping us protected as we made our way through the horde. Once we came out from the other side, we could see in the distance a pathway that led in a spiral, lowering to where the flow of spectrum was coming from.

A bright purple light was soaring from below. The pathway was shaped like a corkscrew. Earth and ground formed on the sides as they lowered in a circular path that led to this abyss.

“Elizera must be down here.”

Jade announced as she began descending down the windy pathway. Something felt off, and it had been since we got here. Spectrum was dancing all around us… but in my blood, I felt a steady flow that was different. As we continued, it grew stronger.

“Stop!”

We came to a flat platform that expanded for around 200 feet in circumference. On the other side of this platform was a pathway that continued like it had above. It corkscrewed a pathway further down into this massive hole. This plate in the middle was the perfect place to… do something. There was an unnatural surge of dark spectrum nearby. The surge was powerful, and I took the lead because of it.

“What is it, Feo?”

Janova asked as I guarded them against getting closer. My eyes went purple as I connected with the darkness. Suddenly, a giant symbol… the same one from the Cero Village, formed.

“A possession spell!”

Jade readied her blade, Abigail formed a barrier around us. I prepared my weapon too. Yuu Yuu and Janova were in the back as they looked about, ready for something to happen.

“Gosh dang it all!”

That bright voice of the devilish child echoed in the distance. This trap wasn't clever. It was arrogant and tasteless and we all knew just who made it.

“Vert!”

I screamed his name, causing him to appear from the shadow above, landing on his creation. Instead of that black uniform he used to have on, his uniform was white. However the pants were still black. Somethitng was special about his outfit but I couldn’t place my finger on it. 

Annoyed, Vert clicked his tongue.

"Just a little further, and I would have been able to take control of Yuuna."

I gripped my blade tighter as I drew my foot back in a battle stance.

“You’re working for Elizera?!”

I demanded answers when all of a sudden I felt death coming from the side of me. A wave of darkness rolled to the side of me, attempting to take me down in a single strike. Thankfully, a chaos barrier shielded the attack as Claudia revealed herself from the shadows. She stood up, looked at Janova and Yuu Yuu with that creepy smile of hers as she took the side of Vert. They both stood tall and laughed lightly.

Claudia was dressed in a dress that exposed her shoulders. The pattern on her outfit reminded me of a symbol I would see in my night terrors. She had metal braces on her wrist and grey shoes. With that devilish glare of her purple eyes, she lifted her great sword towards us in opposition, as she guarded our way to Elizera.

“Tsk, answer me! Why are you both are working for Elizera?!”

 

 

Jade clicked her tongue and pointed her sword out.

“That makes sense. It was Vert who started feeding spectrum to the beast here in the first place, Feodora. Because my kidnapping case lines up with what Elizera is doing here, that should have been expected.”

Vert put one hand behind his back and the other across his chest.

“We do not work for Elizera, first of all."

Vert claimed as he looked at Claudia. That devil faced me as I was still in my battle stance.

“Feodora, we know the truth of the world. Our truth lines up with Elizera. We are not her enemies, but we are not her friends either. We just… line up with the same ideals at the moment.”

Claudia pointed at Yuu Yuu and Janova.

"And as it stands, Yuuna, the pink-haired girl in the back, has the potential to be the goddess of chaos. We… need that to happen too."

Yuu Yuu clicked her tongue.

“I’m not going to become like the Janova of the past. I don't even know you two, and you're trying to control my future."

Vert giggled disgustingly.

"Your life is worth more than just your own, Yuuna. How selfish can you be? Feodora, you might not know the truth of the world… But Jade Opal does."

Vert glared at the knight, who seemed ready to chop his head off.

“Jade, will you be so reckless to not take this chance and… do what’s best for this world?”

The knight clicked her tongue.

“I am not going to be a part of your ideals, Vert…. Claudia. The way you want to deal with this situation is madness. The amount of people that will die at the hands of what you perceive is right is far outside of my beliefs."

Suddenly, Jade's eyes began to glow. They went from that precious bronze to an intense gold. I had to move to the side because the spectrum radiating from her was starting to hurt me. Bright lights formed in her body as a fire heated up the ground below us.

“Feodora, Yuuna, Janova… this isn’t your battle!”

“What?!”

I looked at the knight who stepped in front of me. Her power was hard to adapt to as the rays of light were burning my eyes. Even Vert and Claudia were having a hard time keeping their eyes on Jade.

 

 

Abigail rushed beside her, shielding herself from Jade’s powerful spectrum. I… could see then that Jade had far more tricks up her sleeve.

“I will be honest with you three.”

Jade looked over her shoulder.

“I don’t think I have the will in me… to kill Elizera.”

“Jade….”

Her name whispered out of my lips. The way she said that was painful to hear.

“Elizera saved me from death 200 years ago. Without her… I wouldn’t be here today. I… I would be a hindrance in the battle against her.”

She pointed her pure red blade at the dark vessel and Radiant before us.

“However, if I can help you two by keeping them at bay… that is the least I can do as you exact your revenge on my best friend.”

The knight turned back to the two opponents.

“So, go you three… Abigail and I will handle Vert and Claudia. Go make sure Elizera can never do this to anyone again!”

The goddess of chaos nodded fiercely.

"Right, let's go, you two!"

Janova said as she rushed past with Yuu Yuu. I looked at Claudia one last time. The person holding all the answers to who Maxwell was… I would be running away from it again. However, this time I might not be able to see her again.

“Goodbye, Fee.”

 

 

She whispered as I ran past her. It felt like death… was nearing her. Not like before… but as if she accepted that this might be her final fight. I turned back to witness a flash of light as the battle began. The world shook above us as Jade made the first strike against them.

“She’s powerful.”

Janova said as we began running down the spiraling pathway. The battle above us was loud as we spiraled down into the abyss below.

“We’re nearing the bottom!”

Yuu Yuu announced as I made my way to the front. My mind kept going back to Claudia’s last words. Goodbye… Goodbye... It felt so final… But I couldn’t’ understand why Claudia always felt like death was approaching her.

“Are you okay, Feodora?”

Yuu Yuu asked as we raced towards the bottom of the massive hole. The purple light was getting brighter, and the power of the spectrum was becoming harsher. Both my girls turned around and looked at it.

"That woman… Claudia. The one with the short orange hair…."

I held my blade tight as I looked above. The battle was fierce, and the world shook as bright lights, darkness, powerful spells, and determination clashed overhead. Jade and Abigail were giving them a battle they wouldn’t forget.

“She holds a lot of secrets… and I feel that I’ll never learn what she knows.”

I admitted…

“Secrets?”

Janova asked.

“I’ll tell you one day. But for now… those secrets will be left in this world… when we make our new reality.”

Determined, I had to believe in that. Whatever secrets Claudia had about Maxwell, they wouldn’t matter to me. Because this world will soon be the fake one as Yuu Yuu, Janova, and I will create a brand new one, far away from here.

"Let's finish Elizera, so we can go home, you two."

I said to my girls.

“Yeah… let’s go, Feodora.”

“Right, Feo.”

We began racing to the bottom of the Ancient Ruins. The spectrum flow was so bright that we couldn’t see above anymore. The Cavern was lit up with purple as we reached the bottom of the pathway. There… in the middle with her greatsword was her…

 

 

The monster…

The mass murderer…

The “hero” and head of the knights…

Elizera.