Trying to Save my Favorite Character from His Tragic Fate

"What is happening?" asks Sil while watching from Saskia's crystal ball.

Cynthia, also not sure, looks at the relic on her hands that is turning red. Turning hotter and hotter, the relic sears on Cynthia's hand, but she does not flinch at all. Then, the relic smokes up, covering itself up inside the cloud. Before their eyes, the relic disappears. They only see Cynthia's medium-rare hands with her skin burned off.

Saskia, who is on their side, smiles in satisfaction while looking at their confused faces. Cynthia looks livid at Saskia. The piercing glare is picking all Saskia's hairs up. 

Seeing Cynthia getting mad, she is starting to like her personal revenge. Although she loves violence, sometimes, the best revenge is not always with it. 

"What happened to it, Saskia?"

"You got your hands on a relic that has its own consciousness, and you don't know that when you use it, you release it from your bounds? How much of a beginner are you, fallen saintess?" Saskia giggles.

"That relic took us a long time to get it, and you used it for personal reasons. I wonder what Erebus would say to you, Cynthia. Arrogant as always, little girl…"

Cynthia's mana is slipping out, and the place instantly gets covered in black mana. The black mana that looks like fog starts to gather up and shape itself as long sharp spears pointing at Saskia.

"You can't blame me for your ignorance, girl. You can only blame yourself for being so ignorant! The situation is not ideal, but you can participate in that game as well," Saskia smiles widely while her eyes curve into downward crescent moons. 

"Inside her game, huh…" Cynthia thinks while convincing herself, "It's not like she can do us anything!"

Her eyes scan over Saskia, who manages to send chills down her spine. Cynthia absolutely hates it, but she can't do anything about it. If Erebus knows that she does not get back the relic and loses it mindlessly like this, she will get severely punished.

Cynthia retreats her spears, and the black fog gets absorbed back into her body. Sil looks at Saskia, who is wrapped around bandages. Her face is as pale as a piece of paper. Sil nods while Saskia waves goodbye at the leaving figures.

In the hallways, Cynthia continues to chew her fingernail from her thumb. When she had that relic, she never felt the slightest sense of consciousness within it. It tricks her, making her look like a fool in front of people that she would never want to look weak. She gets annoyed at the taste of blood, and she stops biting her fingernail. 

Sil stops Cynthia by walking in front of her.

"What?" Cynthia says.

"Your hand," Sil mentions while taking her hand into his.

Cynthia's rage subsides. She patiently lets Sil treat her hand and finger despite Erebus's blessings that could heal her in an instant. Although she knows that Sil is just doing it out of the contract as a paladin, she likes it when Sil thinks of these little things.

---

"What now?" asks Laurel.

Imogen touches the statue, but nothing happens to her. She grabs Laurel's hand and touches the statue once again. 

Nothing.

"Is there a criterion for this to happen?" Laurel touches the statue.

"Let time flow slower in the beautiful moments. Help us capture the moments of beauty and replay them from time to time. Let the lovers guide you through time and let you see what you have missed."

Imogen walks over to the wall again and reads off the continuation,

"Only those who carry another's heart shall pass through the gates of time to meet the eternity of the city of Udarr. Those who don't shall go through the gates of the mortals to test their worth."

"Only those who carry another's heart…Meaning mutual love?"

Her eyes turn to Laurel, and her pupils are shaking. She might be going too fast with Laurel, but she closes her distance between Laurel in a heartbeat. 

"Is it because we have yet to tell each other our feelings?" thinks Imogen

Laurel gets stupefied. She clenches her fists, but she cannot stop herself from trembling. 

"Imogen?"

With a breath held in, Imogen cups Laurel's face on her hands, drawing herself near to Laurel. Imogen looks at Laurel like she is trying to grab Laurel into her soul by letting Laurel enter through the doors of her eyes. 

"May I?" asks Imogen.

"Hm?" Laurel does not have her heart prepared just yet, but she knows that she wants to. 

She knows she has yet to know anything about this mysterious woman in front of her. However, she is hopelessly drawn into her. There are so many things going on each day, and her world has turned upside down with her team and brother gone. 

There is not much time to think properly.

Laurel squints her eyes when she starts to examine Imogen's expression. Then, Imogen draws closer. Laurel looks at Imogen's pupils, slightly shaking. She can also feel Imogen's trembling hands on her like she is too fragile to touch. Imogen's breath gently brushes on her skin.

Laurel closes her eyes because butterflies are assaulting her from the inside. Imogen might pull away or might lean in to give her a kiss. However, either way frightens her. She has never experienced this kind of emotion that messes her mind this much. 

In the darkness, she feels a soft and warm touch to her forehead. Laurel opens her eyes when the touch leaves her and looks at Imogen, already turned away with one of her hands over her mouth. Laurel covers her own blushing face with both of her hands. 

Imogen touches the statue again.

Nothing. 

She lets out a sigh while stumbling back a few steps. She looks at Laurel, who is standing close, still trying to calm herself down. Her cheeks flush like she is drunk. 

Imogen looks at Laurel while softening her eyes. Laurel is someone that she has tried to save for so many times but eventually fails. She is the reason she got into this never ending loop. Imogen looks at the hand that touched the statue. 

But now, she might be facing something she would have never expected. Something has changed inside of her.

Laurel looks at Imogen, who is not responsive despite just seconds ago, she gave her a peck on her forehead.

"Do you regret it?" Laurel asks.

"No," says Imogen. 

"Why? All the sudden… with this..."

"I wanted to verify something."

Laurel's heart skips a beat. She looks at the statue of the loving couple together in each other's embrace. She knows that maybe there is still a long way to go for her to eventually reach Imogen's heart completely. However, she is happy that at least her counterpart might be on the same page as her.

"Is it the same as what I feel?" 

"You will have to tell me for me to know." Her slight smile creates waves of emotions inside Laurel.

Laurel walks closer to Imogen; tilting her head, she leans in for a kiss. Imogen's brows knit as she accepts it. Laurel wants to peck on Imogen's cheek, but her intentions have unconsciously blown her off the cover. She kisses too closely to the other's lips.

Imogen blushes lightly as Laurel gets startled at her own actions.

"Cute," Imogen muses while her lips curve up. 

She discards her uneasiness that she has been starting to feel lately. 

"There is no way…"

---

"Hey…" 

Kyrie opens up his eyes after he blacks out when he touched the statue. He looks at the stranger in front of him, who is crouching. Looking around, he is currently among a group of people that are resting by a fireplace. He finds himself in a tunnel. Besides him, he gazes sleepily at the man beside him and finds his looks somehow familiar. The man gets up and walks away when he says that he will bring him something to drink.

Suddenly, Kyrie becomes wide awake and looks around to see that Ian is by his side. He takes a breath of relief. Seeing that his position is uncomfortable, Kyrie takes Ian and gently adjusts Ian's head on his shoulders. 

The man comes back with a woman beside him. Kyrie's eyes immediately recognize the woman. The carvings on the door are an incredible replica of the living one in front of him.

[Wasn't Phanes dead? Where am I? Why are there so many people here?]