The Dark Before The Light

"You should dry your wings," Bella said, approaching Acacia with a small cloth. "We don't have a towel."

Acacia took the cloth, carefully dabbing one of her wings, then the other, the wet strands of her hair clinging to her skin. "You should go and sleep. I'll be awake for a bit."

"...Okay." Bella turned, limping slightly as she moved towards the bed and settled down.

Acacia paused her wing-drying, instead using the cloth to rub her hair roughly. She pulled the cloth away, her hair now damp rather than wet. She gazed out the window, her heart quickening slightly.

'Are you afraid to sleep?' Daemonis's voice echoed in her mind.

'I am afraid? I just don't want to see any dreams. They feel ominous these days,' Acacia thought back.

'You act like such a child. Just go to sleep, your dreams can't kill you,' Daemonis drawled, a hint of ancient weariness in his tone.

'I dislike you sometimes,' Acacia retorted mentally. She gave her hair one last rough dry before heading to bed, closing her eyes tightly. Her fingers instinctively reached up to rub Behemoth's scales for a few moments, her gaze lingering on Bella's neck and the crimson stain on the bed before she finally surrendered to deep sleep.

The next day, Acacia remained deep in sleep, undisturbed by the world outside her slumber. Her eyes fluttered open when something tickled her nose, revealing a pair of gold-slitted eyes framed by white scales and black spots... Behemoth. He was biting the edge of her nose. With a soft groan, she raised a hand and gently, but firmly, tugged him away, holding him captive despite his squirming protests, and promptly drifted back to sleep.

Behemoth, tenacious, bit down on her hand, seeking a reaction, but was met only with a soft snore and a peaceful expression. As Acacia's grip softened in her sleep, he seized the opportunity, wriggling free. He then crawled up her body, coiled around her neck, and began to hiss and nip at her skin. Slowly, reluctantly, Acacia's eyes opened. She sat up, rubbing her face as she surveyed the room.

"What is your problem?" Acacia mumbled, stifling a yawn as she stretched her arms. Behemoth ceased his biting, settling still around her neck. "You just wanted to disturb me..." she grumbled, a small groan escaping her lips. She stepped out of bed and stretched her legs. Her wings fluttered, unfurling to their full, majestic span, momentarily pushing up her top before folding back down.

Acacia headed to the bathroom, splashing cool water on her face before stepping out. She walked into the living room, finding everyone there, even Fafea, but no Maximus.

"Finally awake! You and Maximus were out like logs," Kel greeted her.

"How long was I asleep?" Acacia asked, her voice a little hoarse.

"Half a whole day. It's already afternoon," Edwin commented.

"I see." Acacia walked to an empty chair and sat down beside Jahir.

"Vincent and his friend are on probation with the rest. They haven't done anything surprising. Tosic and Bella filled us in on what happened yesterday," Jahir informed her.

"And Tosic was talking about Vessels and something like that?" Jahir asked, his brow furrowed. "And Bella said something about a person involved with their evolution? I'm guessing it's the Ciflith guy they idolize?"

"Yes," Acacia answered simply.

"Wait! How do you know about vessels?" Fafea blurted out, surprise widening her eyes as she stared at Acacia.

"Do you know something about it?" Edwin questioned, his gaze sharp.

"Yes! It's supposed to be a Lalan thing, though," Fafea murmured, almost to herself.

"What nonsense are you spouting? There's no such Lalan thing about vessels," Edwin scoffed, narrowing his eyes at her.

"I'm not lying! Lani-ka said that the reason we're suffering is because we haven't proven ourselves, but the gods might decide to help us by giving the most devoted, strong, and powerful mortal their powers. That person will be their vessel and save the world from destruction. Lani-ka is a vessel herself and a priestess like her grandmother, so they know what they're talking about!" Fafea explained, her voice rising with conviction.

"Sounds like a stupid story you all bought to explain the crazy nonsense of this world," Edwin said plainly, unimpressed.

'Is that true?' Acacia's thought echoed in her mind, directed at Daemonis.

'Not in the slightest. Two vessels cannot exist in the same space and universe. One would have to move away to a separate universe to develop from there,' Daemonis replied, his voice a dry whisper.

"But her grandmother has lots of books about it! And how did you know about Vessels anyway?" Fafea tugged at Edwin's sleeve, her gaze sweeping across the group, seeking answers.

"It was a conversation between... Vincent and Acacia. So?" Jahir glanced at Acacia beside him, but she remained silent as their gazes converged on her. Daemonis's words rang in her ears.

"Is it another secret?" Bella asked softly.

"Please tell me what you know. From my understanding, they host a god and save the world. There have been theories of it happening in the past, a very, very long past. Each god has different methods of choosing, but only the most perfect being is the requirement. After their duty is done, the gods take back their powers and return to the celestial realm," Fafea concluded, her earnestness palpable.

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'Perfect my ass.' Acacia closed her eyes, letting out a weary sigh. 'I guess you chose me through death, and because of my hate.'

'That is correct,' Daemonis replied. 'Your soul was rotten with negative emotions, which was perfect.'

"You come from a family of magic users, but you didn't inherit anything from them. Your brother killed you, and somehow you survived and became half beast-man and magic user. You have a creature of destruction clinging to you like a second skin, which is normally hostile to humans," Kel suddenly stated, breaking the tense silence, his voice flat with revelation.

"...Let's not jump to—" Bella began, her voice hesitant.

"Are you a vessel?" Fafea interrupted instantly, her eyes wide, fixed on Acacia.

'What's the point of hiding anymore? I'm pretty sure they know already from Kel's input,' Acacia thought, slowly opening her eyes. As expected, every gaze in the room was fixed on her. 'Even if I was betrayed, I doubt it would be by them.'

"Yeah," Acacia confirmed, her voice barely a whisper.

"You... are hosting a god?" Edwin stared at her, disbelief etched on his face. Acacia simply nodded.

"You have to come to Lalan!" Fafea declared, her tone suddenly serious and urgent.

"I have no interest in doing that," Acacia replied, her voice firm.

"Please! You must meet our priestess! She could definitely help you in areas you're lacking! Lani-ka has been having difficulties accessing her goddess abilities, but you might be the key!" Fafea got up abruptly, her excitement palpable.

"I don't care about Lani-ka or your priestess. I have no interest in going to Lalan," Acacia replied plainly, her gaze unwavering. 'Why go to a far-off place anyway? They don't even know what's happening and are just guessing.'

"Hold on! So right now, you are a goddess?" Bella asked, her voice a mix of awe and bewilderment.

"No, she's just a body for the god. The god will go back eventually once their role has been performed," Fafea murmured, her eyes on Acacia.

'So they think Daemonis will just come, use me, and then leave? Not that I'll take over?' Acacia mused, staring at Fafea. 'I suppose I can't fault that logic since they've never met a vessel or perhaps you are using me.'

'If I was, I wouldn't bother giving you my abilities. Controlling your body and wiping your memories would be more than enough but no, we are bonded and that is the truth.' Daemonis replied.

"I guess that explains some things, still crazy regardless," Kel muttered, scratching his scarred cheek.

"I may look naive, but Lalan will have all your answers. Sì Mala and Miss Acacia, I beg you to follow me back." Fafea suddenly dropped to her knees, bowing her head.

"Stop that," Edwin frowned, but Fafea remained unmoving.

"Forgive my disrespect to your orders, but I wasn't going to force you to come until you were ready. Now that we have a vessel, the urgency is immediate. I don't have much to offer, but there's a place believed to have been visited by a man once. He survived the harsh world inside the pit, came back out alive, and then suddenly disappeared from the world. Many have tried to follow, but none have returned. It is said that he left something in there, and it might be useful to you," Fafea pleaded, her head still bowed.

'Pit? Perhaps it's that bastard, the god of fate? He was the only one that stayed in a pit for some training or something useless like that,' Daemonis interjected, his voice a sudden, sharp thought in Acacia's mind. 'Ask if it was a man called Ramiel.'

"Was his name Ramiel?" Acacia asked, and Fafea slowly raised her head, surprise blossoming into a hopeful smile.

"Yes, that was his name in his diary! You must have received your god's memories," Fafea exclaimed, her voice filled with newfound excitement.

'No, he's in my head like a parasite,' Acacia thought, and a sharp, fleeting pain lanced through her for a split second before vanishing.

"Anyways, you can stand up," Acacia said, and Fafea slowly rose, dusting off her knees.

"If you truly are a vessel, then it would be easy for you to get what he left behind," Fafea continued, her eyes gleaming with anticipation.

'If it's him, then it is definitely important. He doesn't just leave things behind, especially a diary about his findings, for people to access,' Daemonis interjected, a note of seriousness in his voice.

'Then that must be what Ciflith went to look for, but wouldn't he have gotten it by now? It's been months since he went to search for it,' Acacia mused, a flicker of suspicion in her mind.

'Yes, but that's if he knows where it is. If it's something powerful or extremely useful, then you would have seen Ciflith terrorizing everything a long time ago,' Daemonis stated. 'Either he hasn't found it, or it isn't worth it. But if it's Ramiel, I doubt that it would be something useless.'

"If Edwin leaves, then it's understandable given his position, but I don't want to waste my time on something that won't be worth my time," Acacia said, her gaze fixed on Fafea. Fafea's hopeful expression instantly crumbled, and she turned to Edwin.

"Please, you both are needed. If you both regret your stay, I will personally take responsibility for it," Fafea swore, her plea laced with fervent sincerity.

"That's a lot of responsibility," Edwin stated, a grim expression settling on his face. Fafea's hope-filled features crumpled into disappointment.

"Fafea, let us discuss this for a moment. We will call you later," Bella offered, her voice gentle, a warm smile gracing her lips. Fafea nodded slowly, her shoulders slumping just a fraction, before she turned and quietly walked out of the room.

"You two were mean!" Kel exclaimed, glaring at Edwin and Bella.

"She's fine; she's more durable and stubborn than she looks," Edwin muttered, rubbing his temple.

"You need to decide right now. Don't keep her hopes up if you're not going back," Bella interjected, her tone firm, unwavering. Edwin shot her a sharp glare before averting his gaze, a muscle ticking in his jaw.

"The universe is never on my side. Even if I want to say no, the fact that the idiot came to find me when I'm supposedly dead is vexing. Endangering her life for something so pointless!" Edwin slammed his fist against the wall, the sudden impact rattling the room and stunning everyone into silence.

"Chill, she didn't mean any harm," Kel said.

"I know, which annoys me even more! Because I can't tell her no, I can't ignore her struggles and stupid loyalty. Just like the rest of them, stupidly loyal to a fault when their leaders aren't worth it," Edwin gritted out, his voice raw with frustration. He leaned his head against the wall, taking deep, ragged breaths. "I will go back to Lalan. I need to teach my cousin and that prideful wench a lesson."

"Are you sure? Can you handle it?" Acacia asked, a flicker of concern in her eyes.

"No, I can't, but I don't have a choice, do I? Their faces would just haunt my conscience until I do something," Edwin replied, pushing off the wall.

"From one mess to another, but I'm going to miss you badly. I'd like to see how you rule," Kel sighed, a hint of melancholy in his voice, before snapping his head towards Acacia. "And you! When did you plan to tell us you're connected to a god?"

"I don't know, I wasn't planning on saying anything before all this happened. No point in hiding it now, anyways," Acacia replied, a faint shrug. "Plus, it sounds crazy. If it wasn't for this situation, I doubt you would believe me easily."

"Well, I knew you were odd with how your abilities worked, but I would never have guessed that a god had something to do with it," Kel said, rubbing his face.

"Neither would I. But why you?" Jahir asked, his gaze fixed on Acacia.

"I don't know. I died with a wish and woke up like this. I can't reverse it, so I'm stuck with it," Acacia replied.

"So you aren't curious about what that guy left?" Edwin prodded. "I know about the pit; it's wide and stretches incredibly deep. His diary was written in an old language...just ten pages, but we could only translate five. It was cryptic, but it basically spoke about how the pit is another world within. The only problem? No one has ever come out after going in. Only he did, after nine months."