The next couple of hours, Rel and Zephise took turns talking, filling them in on the events that had occurred in the outside world. First they were absolutely shocked that the Silver Knight was in Sei'O. Furthermore, most of them could not believe that Ora took him on and defeated him.

Oreilia and Ineiru were among the most skeptical.

"Ora... huh. That name has come up quite a lot actually."

"He's a plague child... and strong. Stronger than Kars even? That would indeed be something I would have to see to believe."

His attention turned to Ineiru and Oreilia. "And you guys are dispatched from the king's royal city?"

Oreilia nodded. She had been silent the entire time. The living conditions out here were completely abhorrent and she was beginning to realize just how lowly everyone outside of the Luxe lived. The King could not possibly justify something like this.

King Veilix for as long as she held memory, was absolutely kind. He'd constantly visit the training facility and play with them when they were children.

His constant words of praise and often much needed guidance would paint him as a saint of a king.

Though she could also remember a time when he constantly had to bow before the common Baerim emissary.

Many times he abandoned all pride and honor and heeded to each of their demands like a dog. Such contradictory behaviors only served to confuse his character even more.

However, it would make sense entirely that he wouldn't tell them about this world. If he himself could not change these things, then of course he would simply shelter her from the events outside.

King Veilix was indeed a strange one. The only one stranger than him was his outlandish wife.

She was supposedly a Baerim native. However, that is a different matter entirely.

As she observed this new outside city, she could only think one thing. King Veilix is wrong. He's wrong for not having had the power to change all of this. Galtz had constantly defended that king, but in truth, he was weak.

Ineiru on the other hand was not in the least bit surprised about this. She's had her fair share of bouts with the outside world, and as one of the top mage prodigies within Sei'O she was even permitted to leave the country and escort certain missions.

Those experiences caused her to be wholly numb to the scenarios they were encountering.

Rel's interest in the conversation took a different turn. He wanted to hear all about the events that had transpired since he left the city.

"Hmm... About that.."

The faction had all separated into various different groups. In fact, now there existed three different factions. Those who used to be friends were now enemies. These factions grew more and more hostile to each other over time. Things were no longer as peaceful as they once were.

Rel paused "this isn't all because of...."

Grotto immediately cut him off. "No, not at all, Rel. Don't blame yourself."

"In fact, I'd say with your return you can get a lot of things reorganized back to how they were."
"Hm? What do you mean?"

"Power, Rel. Everyone followed you because you had overwhelming power. In earnest, everyone here respects you. If you were to come back, you could reunify the group."

"Reunify huh..." he placed a hand to his chin.

"Actually, there is another reason for us to have come on this mission.

"We were originally sent out to gather plague children and re-sanctify relocate them within the city of Essen-Sei'O."
"Oh?"

"Aye. It is there that Ora intends to create the sanctuary, a city in which everyone can live peacefully...without judgement."

Rel got up "So, come with me. You and everyone else. Join us. You wouldn't have to live in this fashion anymore. And I'm sure Ora would have a good use for everyone."

"The future of this country...no, the future of this world is Ora." Iren added.

Oreilia and Ineiru both chose to ignore those words even though they disagreed.

"I see... well- even if I wanted to I'm afraid I cannot leave."

"Huh? Why is that?"

"Emi."

"H-..Em..i" Rel's heart skipped a beat the moment he had heard that name. How could he have forgotten her? It was an impossibility. With each thought that raced through his mind of her, his heart pounded faster and faster.
It felt as if any moment it would burst through his chest. "Emi...she's still alive?"

"I'm afraid so. The void sickness has only gotten worse and worse. She won't be able to make the trip."
Rel immediately walked away from the group, turning down some corridors as if he was in a daze.
Zephise coughed to speak up. "Forgive me if I'm wrong... isn't void sickness th-"

"You aren't wrong. It's a terrible and unforgiving disease. The result of smiting death." Grotto said. He stood up as well. "You guys are more than welcome to stay here. We'll help you out with everything for as long as you'd like."

The mood in the air had completely changed. Everyone fell silent and quietly spread out their supplies. They were going to start preparing their meals and get read to finally get to sleep.

they had spent a majority of the day talking about the outside world, and Rel and Grotto reminiscing about the old days.

It was not how they had imagined to spend their days, but no one wanted to get in the way of Rel's obvious excitement. To him, this city must have been one that housed great joy, and great sadness all at once.
It's only natural that they be understanding.

In the morning, Oreilia and Ineiru departed from the group. They decided it would be much easier to investigate without the plague children around. The city still held them with an air of suspicion and resent.

Zephise and Aren spent the rest of their day speaking with the plague children and catching up on recent events. Zephise spent wrote most of the information he heard within the book.

According to Grotto, once Ora had killed the Bearim guards, the city officials had so far kept everything under wraps. The world within was entirely unaware of the events occurring outside.

In fact, they had intended to keep it that way, however, when Ozen appeared and began transporting vast quantities of people to their doorsteps. It was almost impossible at that point to hide things.

___________________________________

The long corridor at the very back seemed to be untouched all these years. Not even the change of time appeared to have caressed the walls. The corridors seemed even gloomier in appearance before.

Rel took each step carefully, feeling his heart beat faster each step he took. It won't be long. any moment now, the doors will reveal themselves with the girl on the other side staring back at him with the biggest smile on her face.

At the very far back of this encampment, the door that he sought after awaited him. Giant iron bands held each side of the door. It used to be an old office for military enlistment. After the plague of course, such facilities were long forgotten.

In various cities there lie many forgotten and abandoned places. There was really no shortage of them. This little sanctuary made by Grotto, it wasn't much different from any one of those places.

He himself had cleared out various rubble that blocked the paths and, utilizing his illusion, gave rise to this location.

The thick bronze door had one single silver doorknob to it. His fingers touched the cold knob before he suddenly remembered.

Knock. Knock...knock. There was a moment of silence as he waited for a response. Maybe 30 seconds passed before a frail voice hesitantly called out from behind the door.

"C-come in..."

The door burst open as he looked for the girl awaiting him. There she was, laying down in her blue gown. The small bed made for her shifted uncomfortably.

This a very familiar scene. Every time he would knock, there she'd be smiling up right on her bed. Her long brown hair sat comfortably behind her back. She had a very thin face, with very defined, delicate angles.

Though she was a plague child, her face held much more color to them than usual. Her pale blue eyes sparkled with the light that shown into the room. "Good morning Rel" She'd usually say.

However this time was much different. Sitting upright before him was the same girl no doubt. However, her face was so pained. Tears streamed down her eyes, and those blue eyes held no light in them.

The tears continued to stream down her face. "R-rel...is that you?" Her hands covered her mouth as she heard his answer.

"Em..i...."

"Come here...I d-don't believe it. Let me feel." She motioned over for him to come closer. It was only now that it had dawned onto him why her eyes seemed so lifeless.

The void sickness had taken her sight. The sickness was an unknown phenomenon that affected those who survived death.

The fault for cheating death is the embrace of the void. As the years progress you'd be robbed of your sight, your smell, sense of taste, hearing...

voice... your touch, and eventually, unable to even understand directions or time, you'll lose yourself to the void. It was a horrible sickness that could not truly be cured. It had already progressed this far, it seemed she didn't have much time left.

Rel walked over closer to her. Now that he could see her better it was clear she was dying. Rapidly. The pace it progressed since he knew her back then was much much faster now. By the end of it all, she would be a mere husk of her old self.

Emi's hands traced Rel's face, pressing hard against them. It felt like she was trying to strangle him. "It really is you..." she let go instantly upon realizing the amount of pressure she was applying.

"I'm sorry. I'm beginning to lose feeling everywhere. How many years has it been Rel?" She sat and placed both of her hands in her lap.

"You'd grown a lot.. I almost couldn't recognize you." She laughed and wiped her tears.

"Emi...I'm sorry. I d-"

"-You don't have to explain yourself."

"I waited daily for you to come back." She twiddled with her thumbs.
"um...every time someone would knock on that door, a little part of me would tell me that was you returning. But as the years went by, that part got smaller and smaller. It was so small I almost couldn't feel it."
"....."
"As each day passed, this sickness keeps taking more and more from me. My eyes left me two years ago."

"The entire time, I kept on wishing that you would return before I completely lost sight."

He couldn't hear any more of these words. It felt like he was slowly breaking apart. The guilt for all of this, abandoning his own comrades and discarding their wishes, it bore down on him with might that even his tremendous strength could do little against.

His chest tightened, but he refused to interrupt. He had no room to talk.

"But despite all of that."

He couldn't prevent his tears from showing. This was the failure of a leader that he was. The one that couldn't save his own brother, couldn't save his own group, and couldn't even be there for her.

Yet even with all of that she still had to say

"This is the happiest I have ever felt in my life."

Rel's eyes widened and she caressed his sobs in her hug.

"Thankyou."