Chapter 44:

Truth of the Past

(Nick's POV, Merged with his Memory)

"Calli, please!" I begged, slicing through the club of the Giant and severing its tendons, "Call them off!"

I cried to her, seeing the dark, inky substance twist and corrupt the features of the various Fae that surged into the Throne Room. I cut them down, one by one, hoping against hope that she would hear me. I saw her past the hordes of Shadows and corrupted Fae. She was beautiful even in her madness.

Wild silver hair as if she was floating in water. Her twilight eyes glowed with an inner madness as she commanded the army around her. She wore a dress made out of twisting vines and cloth made of shadow. Her copper skin was cracked and from within was scene a sickly green glow. Upon her head was a starry crown of thorns.

"Calli!" I cried out, raging with the power as I summoned forth as much strength as I could.

My blade thrummed with strength as a wave of destructive force flew from it. It tore into the flesh of the poor Fae who had succumbed to the corruption. Calli finally looked to me, and in the moment that our eyes locked, she smiled in a way that sent my heart racing and my blood to freezing. All I saw was madness and a desire to kill...to take what is hers.

"My Little Star..." her voice echoed as she glided upon tendrils of night towards me, "Why do you fight? Why do you strive to protect this world? We could reshape it. We could live together in peace...why do you fight?"

"This isn't you!" I cried, finally able to catch my breath as she ordered her army back and a clearing was made for us, "Why do you do this? What happened? Everything was going fine!"

"My poor love," she taunted, shaking her head as she looked upon me with unwarranted sympathy, "You don't even know why. You showed me that I need to take what I want. I want you. I've been denied for so long..."

"You had me!" I retorted, the ground shaking as more tremors tore at the world, "Why destroy the world? This has gone too far!"

"No!" Calli roared in an echo of both Callista and Callisto's voice combined, "They have gone too far! I will take you whether you want to or not! This world will succumb to darkness and from the abyss we will-"

"No," I interrupted this time, anger and pain filling my heart, "My parents are dead, Calli. Thousands of mortals and untold Fae are dead. I cannot allow this! On my name as Osran, even if its you...I can't...Calli, please don't make me fight you."

She looked upon me with a coldness that I had never seen before in her. She really didn't understand. Did I make a mistake when I gave her my love? When I tried to help her? Was this what Callista was warning me about?

No, then why would she seem happy when I reached out my hand for her other half? Was this...their plan all along? Was I only a catalyst? Damn it. I didn't know. I just wanted the love of my life to come back to her senses.

"Calli, I-" my words were cut short as cold lips were pressed against mine.

Calli had moved quickly towards me, wrapping her delicate fingers around my face and pulled me into a kiss that felt like death. I could feel my strength drain from my body. I felt my mind become numb, and in my mind, I heard her speak.

"You will understand," she whispered in my mind, "I do this for you. Sleep now, my love. You will not stop me."

I had to push through this, and so I drew my blade with what little strength I had. She scowled, hissing at me as distance was made between us.

"Very well..." she growled, drawing upon the shadows to create wicked looking curved swords that shimmered with a putrid green, "We shall fight, and I will make you succumb."

I was barely able to hold my own as we clashed in the Throne Room. I would like to say I put up a valiant effort, but I was nothing more than a child to her. A doll to be tossed around. Where our energies clashed, marble was rent asunder and holes in the ceiling exploded into being.

I could tell she was playing with me. I knew that this was not a fight I could win, but still...I had to try. Maybe, just maybe...I could get through to her. As she flew at me, ready to clash again, I dropped my weapon and embraced her. Her eyes went wide in horror as her blades found purchase in my flesh.

Immediately, she released her blades and cradled me in her arms.

"Nick, you fool!" she stated with anger, "Why did you do that!"

"Because..." I coughed, blood beginning to pour from my wounds, "This...isn't you. Calli...I don't want to kill you, and I can't see you turn into this monster."

Once more, she leaned down to kiss me, fool that she was. Foolish as we both were.

It was in this moment, as the life was being driven from my body, that I felt it...the sudden change in the air. Her lips parted from mine and I saw her there. Callista, midnight hair and golden eyes. She touched my cheek lovingly, looking upon me with tears streaking her face.

"I'm sorry, my love," she whispered and I simply shook my head.

"Don't be," I reached up to touch her face in disbelief, struggling against my words, "You've returned to me, so-"

"No..." she shook her head, grimacing as black, inky veins began to streak up her neck and across her face, "I'm not free. I can't be. There's only one way to end this, my Little Star."

"Come on, you know I hate that name..." even in this moment, I blushed from embarrassment.

"You don't," she chuckled, playfully brushing her fingers through my hair, "I can't...hold on much longer. She's...stronger than me right now. You must..."

She grimaced, struggling to hold me in her arms as she poured power into me. I could feel my wounds begin to close, but she was fading quickly. She was taking my wounds onto herself.

"Calli!" I cried, only for her to place a finger on my lips, looking at me with a wry smirk.

"I'm right here," she told me teasingly, "You don't have to yell."

We traded places then, with me holding her as I tried to help her stand. This would only end in one way, and I refused to acknowledge it.

"There has to be a way..." I practically pleaded, but she shook her head, blood beginning to trail from the corners of her mouth.

"There isn't, Nick," she told me and my heart broke, "You know there is only one way to end this. Look."

She gazed at the ceiling and my eyes followed. Through the damage we caused, I could see the tumultuous appearance of the sky. It was cracking, and within these cracks oozed an inky black substance that threatened to swallow the world. The Veil was breaking and the abyss of this corruption was bleeding through.

"The world...won't last long," Calli told me, looking around the room at the remaining creatures lumbering there, awaiting their orders from the one who controlled them, "Kill me, my love. Save this world. Do what you must. As your name demands. Osran, King of the Fae."

"I am no King without their Queen," I tried to hold back the tears as she tore herself from my arms, the veins of corruption creeping ever closer, "Screw the name which demands me take your life. I will not kill you, Calli. I can't."

"You can, and you must," she faced me with a determination that I knew I could not win against, "Lead this world and discover yourself. If you won't do it for yourself...do it for me."

"That's unfair," I choked on my words as the tears could no longer be held back, "That's damn unfair. I can't do it without you."

"You won't be without me," she tried to convince me, but I wasn't believing her, "I'll always be with you. In your heart. In Aiden's eyes. My love, you must do this for the sake of our future. For our son..."

"Damn you," my voice began to tremble and my lip quivered, "Damn you, Calli. I know you're right, but I..."

My words trailed off as I caught a glimpse of another wave of Shadows and corrupted creatures. I didn't have long, and seeing the veins continue to erode the love of my life and Callisto struggle to regain control...

"My love..." Calli's hand touched upon my cheek, forcing me to look upon her.

Her right eye golden like the sun, her left like twilight. Her midnight hair was slowly changing back to silver and her fair skin was splotched with bronze. She smiled an unfair, beautiful smile as she opened herself to me, arms wide.

"Make it quick, my love," she begged me, tears streaming down her face, "You can do that, can't you?"

"I promise you, Calli..." I gathered all the power I had in me into my right arm, "I'll fix this."

"I know," she gave me one finally kiss upon my forehead, the feeling of it seared into my mind, "Kill me, love. It's the only way."

She demanded, and a flash of lightning tore through the opening in the ceiling above. In a roar of frustration and anger, I plunged my hand deep into her chest, tearing from her the heart which beat with two lives. Callista and Callisto, my wife, Calli, Queen of the Fae. In that instance, Callisto took over, face contorted in confusion and betrayal.

"You..." she struggled to form the words as her body began to crack, her heart in my hand.

"I'm...so sorry," I brushed her cheek one final time, caressing her loving before gritting my teeth and crushing her heart in my hand.

Her eyes went wide and soon anger replaced the confusion. Her body began to crack and flake as power welled up inside of her.

"You...you PROMISED!" she roared as a flash of light filled my eyes and resounding crack filled the room.

I was flung back from the outburst of energy that exploded out from her. I felt several of my ribs break as I landed against the steps leading up towards the thrones. My breath was taken from me, and as I was finally able to regain my senses, I saw the entire Throne Room filled with the dust and shadowed forms of the corrupted Fae burned into the very marble and stone of the room.

However, what drew my attention more was the violet green energy radiating from a ball of writhing tendrils in the center of the room. It formed for a brief moment into twin versions of the woman I called my wife. I knew them for who they were. Callista and Callisto.

"C-Calli..." I struggled to speak, let alone stand, my lungs rebelled against me as the broken ribs pressed against them, "Wh-What's happening..."

"YOU PROMISED!" Callisto's voice raged as it fought and dragged Callista's form further into the writhing mass, "YOU LIED! LIAR!"

The writhing mass began to move, darting around the room and dashing through the air. Where it had been, a dark mass warped light around itself and began to chase them. It was as if it was trying to drag her back to...my eyes went wide as I understood what was happening.

"IF I HAVE TO RETURN..." her voice echoed with hatred as they suddenly dashed down a hall, "I'LL TAKE EVERYTHING WITH ME!"

My heart sunk as I realized where she was heading. Gritting my teeth, I forced myself to move through the pain as what I could only describe as a miniature black hole chased after her. I had to beat them both to where they were heading, but I wasn't in any shape to be running.

Each breath was ragged, each step more painful than the last, but I couldn't...I couldn't let her take him. Aiden, my son...he lay in a crib within his room in a tower near to where the Royal Bedchamber was. The door was blown off its hinges and I could see the violet-green energy from within. I could barely stand against the doorframe as I saw her there in spectral form, attempting to drag out infant child into the abyss with her.

"Calli..." I breathed heavily, "Stay...Away from him."

I stumbled into the room, falling upon the cold hard floor. Her visage looked to me, sneering with vehemence.

"We could have been together!" she snarled, tears streaming down her spectral face, "Instead...you condemn me. You-!"

The black hole was beginning to pull with even more force than before. Turning to focus on Aiden, she pushed more of her power into his tiny body.

"I won't kill you," Callisto told me, "I won't let you die. You will never see us again...unless you forsake this world and yourself. Grovel before me and beg my forgiveness."

"I...won't," I reached a hand towards my son, struggling to draw the power to save him, "This...isn't you. Don't...take him!"

"He is my son," she growled and I could feel his life slipping away, "Mine. Just as you are. When you realize that, we'll...what are you doing!?"

I don't know if it was delirium or desperation, perhaps both, but I tapped into the one force I knew was stronger than all else...life. Mine, to be specific. In order to save my son, and to ensure that Callisto didn't make a grave mistake...I severed her connection to him just as she tore free his heart.

"No!" she cried as the pull of the abyss began to draw her in, "Not yet! Nick! I will break you! I curse you! Liar!"

I tied my heart to Aiden in that moment, giving him my life should I die, but since Callisto wouldn't let me...he was stuck in a limbo that would be eternal if I couldn't find a cure. If I couldn't change our fates. The bitterness of my defeat and loss of my family left a hollowness in my heart.

All went silent as Calli was dragged back to her realm. I struggled to my feat, seeing the familiar glowing scar upon his chest, and the familiar, mirrored yet not glowing scar upon mine. I lifted him in my arms, holding him close. He was still breathing, yet comatose. Stuck in a half-living state.

I made my way, somehow through sheer adrenaline alone, back to the Throne Room. There, upon the ground was Calli's physical body. It was broken and fading fast. I fell to my knees, Aiden in my arms as I cradled them both to me.

It was then that I heard footsteps approach. The Fae guards I had told to flee had returned in some foolish sense of duty. When they saw me there, they didn't even take a moment to understand what happened before they began to cheer. They praised my victory over The Witch Queen, and began to parade around the Palace as I held the piece of my life in my hands.

What had happened? How did this happen? What did I miss? My entire life...gone. Taken from me in a matter of moments. I had been weak.

I needed to get stronger. The cheering began to grow in me a sense of anger and hatred that fermented for years afterwards. Aiden slowed aging, yet still he did. Over time, he grew into a young boy before I knew it...but before that was a journey of hatred and self-loathing. I tried to kill myself and give my life to Aiden, but true to Callisto's words...she wouldn't let me die.

I was stuck in this hell, and I would find out who was responsible, for I did not believe Callisto would do such a thing, but the Fae continued to besmirch her name and my hatred of them only grew. A darkness swallowed me for many years until finally...I was free of it and the memory came to an end.

----

I came back to myself, finding that I had collapsed upon the mural on the floor, warm tears streaming down my face. I was on my knees, no strength left in me to stand. I could feel the cold tendrils of the darkness which had clung to me all these years settle around me. I looked to my hands, seeing the blood upon them. Feeling her heart as I crushed it.

"...Calli..." I closed my eyes to center myself, taking a deep breath, "I'm sorry, I failed you. I will keep my promise. I will save you. I've come to terms with my helplessness back then. I am no longer helpless, I am...ah!"

Suddenly, my mind lurched forward as I was bombarded with something else...something more...sinister. It was something much deeper than the memory I had just seen. Something that only the Palace knew, and that I had known deep down. It now came to the surface as I was forced to bear witness to it.

----

(Calli's Memory, many years ago)

"You shouldn't let him," Callisto told Callista through the mirror, "You know he's not ready. If he's not careful-"

"I know," Callista interrupted gently, "Gods, do I know. Yet, how can we deny him his wishes? He's taken a shine to you, and I do so enjoy that sparkle in his eye."

"Be that as it may, Callista," Callisto sighed, worry upon her face, "He's grown stronger than you anticipated. His imagination...it's beautiful. The things he can do..."

"Isn't it wonderful?" Callista practically purred in praise, "I fell in love with his curiosity and kind nature, but that imagination of his..."

"...Is dangerous," Callisto used her own words to finish the sentence, "We both know how precious he is to us, and now to the Faelands. If someone takes advantage of that..."

Callista's expression grew hard, her eyes sharp with deadly intent.

"We won't let that happen," Callista insisted, "He's ours, and anyone who-"

"Yes, yes," Callisto interrupted with a huff, "Trust me, I know just how far I'll go to protect him. He's..."

Her words trailed off as she suddenly grew shy, a blush upon her face. Callista smiled mischievously, all too knowing of the feelings Callisto felt.

"Exactly," Callista chuckled, "We'll see to it that even if things go wrong, we take responsibility."

"No," Callisto firmly insisted, "I'll take the brunt of it. He's doing this for me...after all."

Callista smiled coyly at her other half, her heart tender. Callista had always been afraid of the dark, for it was said to devour the world, but Callisto was far from the danger she had believed her to be. No, the darkness, the shadows...the very night itself which could end the world was neither the Sun nor the Moon, but the sky in which held both. The vastness which cradled them in their embrace.

"We'll have to set it all up if things go wrong," Callista continued with an incredibly softness to her voice, almost bordering on somberness, "Are you willing to do that? He may hate us for it..."

"If it means he'll live..." Callisto took a deep breath, steeling her determination, "I'll become someone he despises."

The two of them were in agreement. As cruel as it was, they would hide this from him until he was ready. Even if it meant he'd bear a heavy burden, they couldn't let him bear this cross alone. He may think he did, but they'd always be by his side, and above all, they both believed in him unequivocally. That's why they asked their dearest friend, Josephine Briarscale, who shared in their love and desire to protect him, to investigate ancient source in search of answers.

For his safety, and the future of the Faelands, they couldn't let him believe that he was the one who could end the world. Not until he was ready. Not until...today.

-----

(Present Day, Back in the Throne Room)

"No..." I muttered in sheer disbelief, "No, no, no..."

I could feel the warmth of Josie's gem against my skin. I could feel the weight of it. I could feel the truth in these memories. Suddenly, everything made sense. In the Fae world, there was a meaning to almost everything.

The depiction of our Royal Crests and even the Mantle of Kings upon my shoulders. Callista was the very Sun while Callisto was the Moon. I, a person with a vast, fathomless imagination who was said to be a prodigy in the ancient words of power...was space itself. The very Night Sky, as it were, which held both of them. Which held everything.

Fae were often shaped by their bloodline, and often this was immutable, but for some they could change based on title, experience, and age. For a Mortal, however, who stepped into the world of the Fae and merged with it...had to become something. I had tapped into powers that I knew little about, and it had chosen me as its vessel.

The power that New Dawn had tapped into, the power they had felt when I had tried to pull Callisto into this world...it was not her or the realm she had come from, but...it was me. They had sensed my potential and my power. They had tried to harness it, much like I had learned, but contrary to what both them and I believed...it did not originate from Callisto's realm.

No, when they had tried to tap into it and control it, twist it into their control...Callisto had blocked them. She had taken it into herself so that it would not affect me. She had sacrificed herself, and her sanity, so that I might be left untouched, and through her, her realm had been touched by it, and thus began to belief that everything originated from her.

"It was me..." I felt numb, now knowing the truth, "Damn it..."

It was the reason why the corruption obeyed me to an extent. It was fueled by the emotions inside of me. The anger and hatred. The sorrow and pain. The familiarity I sensed in that snake-like corruption back in the Grand Gardens was because it had come from me.

Everything made sense now. The angrier I got, the feistier and more antagonistic Callisto would become, all to force my stubborn hand. She prodded me so that I would never forget and never give up. She had chosen this path, along with Callista, to protect me. They took on the role of villain so that I would not succumb to it, and yet...I had almost done so.

It was a double-edged sword, but with their failsafes of refusing to let me die, I had no choice but to confront the emotions inside of me and harness the power I had. It was a damn cruel thing to do, but in their eyes, it was the only way to save me, and in the end, save the very world.

Cruel as it was, they knew me better than anyone. How stubborn I could be. Could they have told me? Sure, but I wouldn't listen. I'd still go ahead and try to save Callisto and bring her to this world. New Dawn would have still tried to harness my power for their own gains.

So, they did the one thing they could. Protect me while I made mistakes and learned from them. They were always making sacrifices for me, and it was time I paid them back. Still, it was difficult to lift myself from the floor where I knelt in shock. I was the cause of the Cataclysm, I was...

"No," I told myself firmly, "This isn't what they want you to understand."

Attempting to center myself, I focused on everything I knew. New Dawn had hidden themselves from even Callista until the very last moments where they seized the power which created the Corruption. This twisted energy that devoured everything and shaped it into something else. It was born from my power, yet given life through their hubris.

If it was mine, then it would obey me. Callisto had taken the attack on herself when things went wrong, just as she had vowed to do. Because of her resolve to become the villain, when the Corruption took hold, its desire to shape and mold what it devoured into something else, had latched onto that.

She had played her role so well, that I began to believe it...and so did she. Even as she took Aiden's heart, she...

"Wait. Aiden's heart..." I muttered, something clicking in my mind, "You clever girl, Calli. Couldn't make it easy for me, could you? Rather, you made it too easy, if I wasn't so damn stupid."

Even in that moment, as she played the villain, she was driven by her plan to save me. To help me. For years, I had cursed her for the cruel fate she had given Aiden and only now did I realize...the answer had been there all along, I had to just not be too stubborn in order to see it.

Until a time I could control my power, she had to keep everything secret, or I would have rushed headlong into everything without a care in the world. I guess you could say stubbornness was my Fae's trait, but being Mortal...I could learn and change...given the right amount of motivation.

"That's so fucked, though," I couldn't believe it, and yet there it was, "Fuck. Alright, Calli. You got me. We both have things to make up for, but don't think that lets you off the hook..."

Slowly, I pushed myself to my feet, and as I did, I felt the weight of the world fall away. I looked down at Josie's gem against my chest, narrowing my eyes at her.

"Don't think you're off the hook either," I admonished, shaking my head, "You damn Fae and your convoluted plans. How cruel must you be? We're all going to have a long, hard talk about how to conduct ourselves in the future after this, but for now...Let's finish this."

I shed myself of my past weakness and strode towards the thrones. As I did, the gloom over the Throne Room...no, the very Palace itself, was lifted. There was still a tumor that had to be removed, but that would be taken care of shortly.

Behind the thrones was a little half-circular fountain built into the wall. It wasn't large, but big enough for two statues of deer, a doe and a stage. They looked to simply lounge, frolicking in the water as it poured from a large spigot shaped like a rocky waterfall. I stood before it, raising my hand as I urged it open. Only those who knew the trick could do so, and it was something that Callista had taught me many years ago.

A single mote of magic floated from my open palm. A twinkling star of silvery-gold with an inner twilight glow. It hovered towards the pool of water before dropping within it. The moment it touched its surface, the water took on the same color before the sound of grinding stone could be heard.

The water drained as the waterfall split apart and the two deer became separated as they slide to either side. It was almost tragic in their separation, but soon they would be together again. Stone stairs were revealed beneath the fountain, and blue torchlight began to light up as if guiding me down.

I could feel it as if calling me. The Palace wanted me to go down. I could feel its pain, and the source of it was below. Just as I had asked, it had led me to where it hurt...all while leading me to where my own pain had resided. It was so infantile and precious. I would heal it, just as it had helped heal me.

-----

(Moments later, Nick's POV, cont.)

Badum. Badum. Badum.

The sound of an unwanted guest. The Anchor was a source of power that connected to the ley lines of the world, and as the Palace was built upon this one, it was the very heart of the Palace itself. However, the melodious beat of the Anchor below had become distorted and out of tune.

Its rhythmic thumping was no more than a dull pulsing of putrid corruption. I could feel it the closer I drew towards it. I had to guard myself against its influence as it grew louder. The thrumming no longer something intangible, but something very real as it reverberated throughout the entire structure. The stone steps rumbled from the strength of each pulse.

I finally reached a landing that opened into a cavern which had long since been built by ancient hands. The stonework here was older than even the Citadel. It was breathtaking to behold as torches began to light up on my arrival. It revealed a stunning underground temple built into and within the cavern itself.

Some buildings hung from the ceiling like stalactites. Stone steps and bridges connected them to the various other buildings like an interwoven hive. It was one structure in particular that drew my attention, but first...I once more had to clean house.

From the top of the cavern came plummeting winged horrors. Harpy's, to be more precise. They were hell-touched and burning with flames as they dove towards me. It was a fool to face me, but even more a fool to not know their place when before the power I now wielded.

It took a mere glance from me for their wings to freeze and plummet to their deaths. I walked calmly across the cobbled pathway towards the large structure in the middle which drew me in. The center temple, a place that Callista had taken me once before. It appeared like what you'd expect to find in Ancient Greece. A columned, square building made of white stone and golden accents. It was here that I felt the pull, and it was here where the physical manifestation of the Anchor resided.

It was usually guarded by several Giant Golems, known as Temple Guardians, which would have not allowed this place to be defiled even in my absence. Yet, I noticed the giant pedestals upon which they usually stood by the entrance...were currently empty.

Badum...badum. Badum.

Once more, the pulse of corrupted life shook the cavern. A miasma crackling with an ominous amber energy flew out from the temple, battering against the stones and seeping into their foundations. As it reached me, the miasma broke like waves crashing against a shore. I moved, unhampered as I was finally able to see the cavern for what it was.

A festering den of Corruption. Inky black veins ran up along walls like vines. Pools of dark, viscous liquid bubbled with an inner twinkling like stars in the night sky. It was all very familiar, but the sheer concentration of the Corruption was staggering. It was no wonder that the entirety of Sunhold was held hostage by that miasma.

It hurt to know that this was caused by my inexperience and lack of control. To think that I had allowed such a thing to manifest...well, at least now I knew, and now I could do something about it. As I drew closer to the temple, from the pools of Corruption came Shadows that shambled towards me. Instead of raising the Flames of Erasure to take care of them, or burning them with the monochrome lightning, I took a deep breath and reached my mind out.

I felt a connection to it that ran deep. Something primal and familiar. It was like the very first time I had ever harnessed magic. It was wild, untamed, and it railed against my mind like a ravenous beast.

I held my ground, channeling deep within me to the very roots of my mind. If this thing was truly born of me, then it would obey me. I could feel it balk as I thought this, afraid of what I might do. It was like a stray, scared animal that had been abandoned for years.

"The poor thing..." I reached a hand out, silver light cascading from my mind, "I've been negligent. Return to me, you foolish child."

Like a beacon calling a ship to shore, the light I cast acted as a guide to the Corruption. It basked them in a silver light, urged by my thoughts of cleansing and returning home. It all too happily obliged, leaping from the stonework and the very Fae they had devoured. Its inky substance shattered away to reveal a more fluid, dream-like mist of violet hues and twinkling golden stars.

I drank deep of it, gathering it into myself and consolidating its power. I felt a piece of myself return and like a breath of fresh air, I was renewed. From all around, the Corruption flaked away to reveal that same mist which I drew once more into myself. I did this until nothing remained, but unfortunately...I still could not save the Fae which it had devoured.

Their essences, floating like motes of light, were taken into my shadows and preserved until I could help them be reborn. Until I freed Callisto, however, that would not be possible. Only she had true control over death. So, no matter my strength, without her permission, I could not return them to life even as I cleansed them. It was all I could do to preserve them.

"At least...I now have the means to truly purify it," I felt a lot more at ease as I strode into the temple.

Tendrils of corruption pulsed like veins around a large antechamber. It blocked the double doors into the inner sanctum. Approaching the door, I laid my hand upon the inky substance and drew it into myself. I could feel it attempt to devour me.

"Play nice," I admonished it, giving it a cool gaze.

I reached out the energy inside of me and freed it from the hold New Dawn had upon it. Tendrils of a violet-blue mist began to swirl around me like excited dogs. They caressed me happily, almost purring. It was...strange to say the least.

"Alright, alright..." I settled them down, taking a deep breath and inhaled the vapors.

I returned it to myself and just like before, I felt a rush of energy overtake me. The door was free and with a single push, it opened to a sight that soured my mood.

"Honestly...you've got to be fucking kidding me," I stared in disbelief as I beheld a living, beating heart the size of a giant pulsing around veins of aquamarine.

It was a grotesque sight to behold that defiled the very sanctity of the Anchor. What made it worse was that, as it clung to the Anchor's "veins", it was polluting it with its mere presence. Not only that, but...there was a face within the heart that seemed to almost meld with it. It didn't take me long to realize what, or rather who, it was.

"...Luxan, what the hell have you done to yourself?" I muttered, shaking my head as I saw this behemoth of a Titan changed into something quite perverse, "Is this the extent you will go?"

I took a look around the room at what was once a beautiful oasis within the temple. Columns, once pristine, lined the room and flanked a large pool of water which glowed ever so slightly with an aquamarine hue. It shimmered as if bioluminescent, but this gentle light came not from any kind of microscopic life, but magic. The source of all power in the world.

This was where the physical manifestation of the Ley Lines came together into a powerful source of magic. It had once been used for healing the sick in the past, but had since been buried underground and used as the heart of the Palace and surrounding lands. When Callista had showed me this place, it had taken my breath away.

In the center of the pool was a crystalline structure which seemed almost sculpted from the water itself. Veins of pulsing energy that twisted into what could only be called a tree. This was known as the Anchor Tree, or more commonly...the Tree of Life.

Yes, this was where the myth had come from. Upon the ley lines, where it pooled into Anchor Points, these structures sprouted and became fixtures in reality. They anchored, hence the name, magic into the world and helped to keep the veil intact. That which protects the humans from the Fae and the Fae from the persecution of mortals.

If one could control these points, they could control the world.

"So, this is what you've been up to..." I clicked my tongue, walking forward into the room, "This is honestly pathetic..."

The face upon the heart opened its eyes, a painful expression within them. It opened its mouth and a deep voice came from within.

"Crowley? Is that you?" it inquired, straining to look around, "You don't...sound like Crowley."

"Good observation," I replied calmly, assessing the damage this thing had caused.

It was truly like a tumor which had latched onto the Tree of Life. I saw that it was truly connected to it, pumping its blood into the veins of the tree and thus, into the Anchor itself. It was slowly, but surely, polluting the ley lines, and thus the lifeblood of the world.

"The Blood of a Titan..." I mumbled, now understanding the entire process of the ritual which had caused the Cataclysm, "Practically Gods, or so the stories say. Blood like yours...it could poison something as great as the Ley Lines. Of course, given time. Unfortunately, Luxan, your time is up."

It somehow breathed, and as it did, the heart pulsed, and the disgusting miasma was exuded from it again. It filled the room and threatened to swallow everything whole, but I would not allow it. Raising my hand, I called upon the power deep within me, eyes glowing with power. Being this close to the Anchor, I felt my power surge like never before.

I drew in the miasma, down to a small sphere which condensed in my hand. I looked upon it curiously, seeing in it the taint of Luxan's blood and the intent behind it. Control.

"You...are not Crowley," its voice rumbled, "Who...are you?"

"Do you not recognize me?" I asked, only now seeing that they were blind as blank, muted grey eyes looked around, their light all but lost, "Ah, I suppose not. I'm different from when I was younger."

I strode forward, cleansing the room of the Corruption, drawing it back into myself. Luxan's eyes widened as it felt the power I exuded.

"Ah...Osran," it said the name with familiarity, and almost...reverence, "Crowley told me you were causing trouble. So, you've made it this far."

"I have," I nodded, kneeling beside the pool of raw, undiluted magic, "You're dying, aren't you?"

Luxan grew silent. That was all the answer I needed.

"No need...to lie," Luxan replied, letting out a heavy sigh that shook the very foundation of the room, "Yes, I am. Crowley has kept me alive. Fed me souls and other things to keep me alive. It is...painful."

"A fate you deserve," I replied coldly, "You and all of New Dawn, Crowley included, have caused untold misery. What is your pain compared to the world? Compared to mine?"

I exuded part of my power to prove a point. Luxan remained silent for a while before finally speaking again.

"I...want to die," Luxan sounded tired, "I...did not...want this. To become...an abomination."

"Am I supposed to shed a tear?" I scoffed, shaking my head, "No. I do not feel sorry for you. Tell me, do you regret your actions?"

Luxan seemed to growl, the amorphous face grimacing in what I could only assume was a scowl.

"The only thing...I regret..." it rumbled like thunder, "Is not killing you. If we had simply gotten rid of you...I would not be like this."

"Hmm, well, you could have tried," I smirked, focusing my attention on the depths of the pool, "I had a very protective wife, you know. A bit too protective, if you ask me. She always put herself in harms way to save me. Even now, but you know...I'm not who I was before."

"It...does not matter," Luxan stated defiantly, "Crowley has...ascended. It won't be long before-"

"Shut up," I rolled my eyes, cutting through his words with my own, "It doesn't matter who or what Crowley is. I'm going to kill him."

This time, I released the full extent of my power. The entire room became cloaked in darkness, save the illumination from the Anchor. It filled the room with an ethereal, haunting glow that was much to my liking as I gazed up at Luxan. There was a heavy pressure in the air as within the darkness, stars began to twinkle and shift as if alive.

"I am not who I was," I repeated to Luxan, dipping a hand within the waters of the Anchor.

Immediately, I felt the frigid temperatures of it against my flesh. Inhaling sharping, I endured it and dug deep into the very depths of this place. I felt it struggle against me, but instead of trying to fight it...I allowed myself to be pulled along with it. I followed the flow and soon, an enormous amount of power flowed into me.

"You taint this place with your presence," my voice echoed with power and resonated with the very Anchor itself, "I will free you of your pain, not as a mercy, but because you are no longer needed in this world."

Within the waters of life, I channeled the Flames of Erasure. Not aimed at the waters, but at Luxan who had entwined themselves with it via merging their blood with the very waters. I targeted this pollution and the flames danced across the surface, bolstered by the energy of the Anchor itself. In seconds, the entire pool was engulfed in monochrome flames, yet within was an ethereal, ghostly blue that protected the waters themselves and increased the pain that Luxan felt as he was forcibly separated from the Tree of Life.

His cries threatened to collapse the temple on top of me, but I refused to let it happen. I poured my energy into the very stones and repaired them before they could break. In a violent rending of flesh from crystal, Luxan was ejected from the fleshy heart just as it was engulfed and subsequently turned to ash.

They flopped onto the stone flooring before the pool, a frail, pale imitation of their once giant form. Now nothing more than a gangly mess of limbs. Removing my hand from the pool, I waved it and extinguished the flames. The pools, once agitated by Luxan's interference, was now calm and tranquil once more.

"Poor, pathetic Titan..." I taunted, shaking my head as I walked towards him, "Thought to command the very elixir of life for the whims of someone who cared nothing for them."

I clicked my tongue and snapped my fingers. At my whim, the waters of life flowed to me. With a single flick of my finger, I splashed it upon his eyes. He groaned, attempting to crawl, but failing from atrophy in his limbs.

"That should be enough to heal your sight," I said, now standing over him, "I want you to see my face before you die. You blame me for how you turned out, but if not for you and New Dawn...my wife would still be alive. She would not have had to take on such a burden and place an even heavier one upon me. I am what you've made me."

As their eyes became clearer, taking on a vibrant steel-blue, I smiled wickedly, holding my hand out before them. Within my eyes, I could feel the powers of the ancient dance across them. My hand erupting into frigid ice as several crystals burning with an inner Flame of Erasure suspended inside appeared around it.

"You only have yourself to blame," I told them coldly, sending the shards of ice into their flesh, "Those will melt soon, but until then...try to endure it. Otherwise...I'll have to start again."

Ice began to form where the shards had penetrated him. I watched as he struggled to endure. Gritting his teeth as his precious golden blood was frozen, though it had long since been tainted with a sickly grey ooze.

Once the flames took him, I had to say I was a little disappointed. I had hoped he would have lasted longer, or rather...that he would have not lasted. However, what was done was done. I released my hold on this room and the light returned to normal. Luxan's ashes disappeared into the ether, never to be seen or heard from again.

I ensured that the Inner Sanctum of the Tree of Life was free of any remaining taint, and once I was satisfied, I drank deep of its waters. It was a rare source of power, but more than that...it was a ritual once told to me by Callista.

"All Monarchs drink of the waters," she told me, though bade me to not drink of them, "This is not because you are not King, but that you are not ready. You will know when you are ready."

I had begrudgingly accepted these words, stubborn as I was. Now, however, as I basked in its glory and recovered from the stress of facing my past...I knew it was time. There was no more hiding. No more second guessing. This was it.

Luxan was gone, New Dawn was on the run, and Crowley...he was the only one who remained. I would not leave here before I staked my claim.

"I am Osran, King of the Fae," I had said this more times than I could count, but before the Anchor, it felt more like an oath than anything, "Once Mortal, Nicholas Fraye, I take my throne today, and though the burden is heavy, I accept all that entails."

With this vow, I felt the water freeze my throat before burning it. It spread throughout my body, and it felt like I was being torn asunder. I gritted my teeth, swallowing the rest of it. As the last drop touched my stomach, I was suddenly lifted into the air and suspended there.

My limbs outstretched against my will, I felt a force unlike any other.

"A King has been crowned. You are consort...no longer."

The voice which threatened to shatter my skull was primordial. Thankfully, it didn't last long. As the last word was said, I crumbled to the ground, breathing heavily.

"Well, not doing that again," I pushed myself to my feet, shaking the disorientation off and stood straight, "I guess, even if I was married...it wasn't ever official, was it? Damn Fae and their rituals."

I could only chuckle, feeling the change that had taken place. I may have been married to Calli, and called King by the Courts, but beneath it all I was still only the Consort to the Queen. This had truly cemented it as fact.

Nothing with the Fae was ever simple. Things always had to be so convoluted with way too many steps and technicalities. Turning from the room, I ascended the steps back to the Throne Room. There, I had another guest that had just arrived.

-----