/// pov: Freya September 16, 1087 Road of the Ancients

  As the heroes slowly approached the kingdom of Kazfel, riding along the road of the Ancients, they were captivated by an orange glow emanating from the tree leaves and the smell of moss growing on the surfaces of boulders and the ancient maple trees. The wind blowing from the east made Freya's hair cover her face, and instead of being annoyed, she smiles in reminiscence.

  “(No matter how many times I travel down this road, I always feel a sense of being. Nothing ever changes here; every stone, and every tree is still in the same place as they’ve always been, and every leaf falls at the same time as always. This road, no matter what timeline, there's always a sense of peace within me here.)”

  She closed her eyes to enjoy the moment of silence, only to hear a giant thud beside her. Sunny halted and whinnied at the sudden noise. When Freya opened her eyes, she immediately looked over to her right to see that Charlotte and her horse had disappeared. Freya reached for Akrelus, who was sitting on her back, and pointed them outwards, scanning her surroundings.

  “Charlotte?! Where are you?!”? she called out.

  Freya heard a muffled response, “Down here…”

  Leaning down, she saw Charlotte on the ground in a muddy puddle of water. She was avoiding eye contact and looking embarrassed. Freya could only smile, remembering a similar situation, where Charlotte fell into a river after jumping across some stones.

  Laughing, Freya climbed off Sunny to help her up; “You’re such a klutz.” She snickered.

  “It’s not funny,” Charlotte grumbled.

  Freya lent out her hand to help, but instead of accepting the kind gesture, Charlotte pulled Freya down to the ground, both of them now sitting in the mud. Freya looked back at her, shocked, but then started laughing.

  “Look, now we have matching pants!” Charlotte laughed out loud

  Freya looked down, unable to stop laughing. She stood back up and bent over to pick up Akrelus, and once again lent out her hand for Charlottes. This time, accepting, she got up with her white pants, now turned brown from soaking in the mud.

  “You’re lucky you were already wearing brown,” she stretched and side-eyed Freya, “Mind if we walk for the rest?” Before Freya could answer, she was already on her way.

  Freya obliged and walked behind her, leading a very annoyed Sunny, who twitched his ears.

  Freya stared in awe at every movement she made, even when covered in mud; she moved freely, without a care, as if she were a bird flying in the sky. “I can’t wait to see how the dove will be shot down by the arrow this time.” The witches' twisted words rattled in her head.

  Freya kept staring at Charlotte as she felt her heart ache a little, “That cape looks wonderful on you, anything would look amazing on you; may it be your old commoner clothing or a white gown. You shine beautifully. I won’t shoot you down again. Not this time, not anytime.”

  Freya stopped and opened her mouth to call out for Charlotte, but suddenly the Witch's voice rattled in her head again: “Do you even remember the first time you met your dove?”

  Before she could close her mouth, she choked out a word, “Dove?”

  Charlotte turned around with a smile, yet her cold blue eyes were full of warmth and concern. She skipped up towards Freya; “Are you alright? You called me a dove again.”

  Freya nodded; “Sorry, I think it's a habit. It's just that you look like one, especially a northern ice dove.” She said, trying to clear out her throat.

  Charlotte's smile never faded as she grabbed Freya's hand; “You can call me anything. It's only fair since I called you a phoenix one time.”

  “You did?!” Freya gasped, fixing the clump in her throat. “Do you remember?” she whispered.

  Charlotte smiled, tilting her head, confused. “Remember what?”

  Freya tried to laugh it off, “Oh, nothing, I was just thinking out loud, uh let's continue to Kazfel. (Phoenix, just like when… when was that?)

  Charlotte slowed down her pacing and walked beside Freya and Sunny, yet Freya was still in her thoughts, not realizing she was still holding her hand.

  “(Those damn lost Journals, I bet in one of them, that memory lingers between the pages. God, how long have I been doing this? I’m so tired, but I have to keep going. All of this is for her, it’s only ever been for her, so why am I forgetting? Charlotte, Nicholas, and-)”

  (You see, a rip in the page, as if someone is trying to prevent you from reading. Yet, like you used your very own will, you manifested something you should not have.)

  /// pov: Freya ?????????????????????????????????

  Freya stood with Nicholas in front of the king's throne. She knelt over to pay her respect while Nicholas looked down at his sister.

  “Freya, are you sure this is what you want?” He said with a stiffened voice.

  Freya stood up, not facing him, “This was always my fate, brother, You knew this since that day when we were kids. The only thing that weighs me down is, to ascend, I need to take that potion maker with me. She is the half.”

  “How do you know she is?” he asked.

  Freya placed her hand on the hilt of her sword and looked towards the tapestry of Akrelus and Equila staring at each other; “I just do.”

  “Well, I will tell [Eradicated] then and try to convince her to stay here. You should tell Charlotte the news,” he said, turning away, then gasped seeing a white haired-sorceress standing in front of him.

  “No need, Nicholas, I already know. Me and my lovely Phoenix must depart,” a soft voice echoed.

  Freya turned around to face Charlotte, holding her staff with a matching stone like the one on her sword.

  “If my fate is to the rifts before it’s too late, then I would not see a better end as long as it's with you.” She said, while bowing to show her respect.

  Freya bowed in return and hastily walked to the right corridor, exiting the room. She immediately hid around the corner, pressing her back against the wall, as her cheeks flushed red; “(She doesn’t mean that, does she? Wanting to be tied to the same fate as me? Surely she's just joking! I heard she was quite a flirt from [Eradicated]. Ugh, I must be feeling this way from closing that rift from earlier. Yes, that's it! I should get a bottle of Everbreeze and enjoy myself before the departure. Speaking of, [Eradicated], where is she?)”

  Freya gathered her composure and walked down the hall. The other knights bowed, placing their hands on their hearts at her until she reached the royal library. An old lady who’s been there since Freya enlisted and could barely open her eyes waved towards her, which she couldn’t ignore, and waved back. Freya weaved through the maze of bookshelves until she finally saw who she was looking for. She sat beside a woman with her head hung low. The woman was holding a book in her right hand and writing with her left, unbothered by the red knight sitting beside her.

  “I can’t believe after five years of researching, you are still trying to change my destiny.”? She snickered, playing with the eraser on the table.

  “The king's dying wish is for you to ascend now. What else can I do but try to save you from that fate?” The woman said, her nose still buried in a book.

  Freya couldn’t look at her. “Nicholas is trying to stop you from coming along.”

  The woman smiled; “But you know he can’t stop me, right? I mean, after all, out everyone; don’t you think I should be there to see what happens?” She asked while jotting down notes.

  When Freya turned her head to look at the woman, a look of fear washed over her face, for the woman that she was sitting with face distorted beyond recognition.

  (The page stops even though you are determined to see more. Sometimes the fog is too dense to see clearly.)

  /// pov: Freya September 16, 1087 Road of the Ancients End

  Freya's head was pounding from a headache, and she was trying to remember the thing she had forgotten. Charlotte, meanwhile, sipped on her bottle of Everbreeze, enjoying the scenery.

  “Hey Freya, can I ask you something? Charlotte called out, trying to get Freya's attention.

  Freya left her trance and looked down at her hand still clasping onto Charlotte's, “Yeah, I can answer anything, but tell you what's inside Everbreeze.” She joked.

  Charlotte smiled, which made Freya's heart skip a beat, “Before we go to the Capital, I wanted to know why you write in those journals; is it like a therapeutic thing?” she questioned while putting the bottle of Everbreeze back into her cloak pocket.

  Freya started squeezing Charlotte's hand; “I forget easily, so I write the most important things down.” She responded, looking up at Sunny, who twitched his ears, annoyed.

  Charlotte snickered, “I hope I’m in there.”

  “Of course you are, you are the most important thing to me right now,” Freya said without a thought.

  Charlotte embarrassingly let go of Freya's hand and jogged up ahead, “Looks like we are near the gates, let me go tell them to let us enter.”, she hollered.

  Freya rolled her eyes. “Still as easy as ever to tease. (I guess that's another thing that will never change.)”

  /// pov: Charlotte September 16, 1087 Gate of Kazfel

  Charlotte ran towards the knight guarding the gate with her heart trembling, “Gods, she is a flirt, that one, yet at least I know she is my other half after all. Equila, is this how you felt?”

  She saw someone at the gate and waved her arms up in the air to inform the guard, but instead of getting a wave back, he pointed his spear toward her. A piercing whistle sound made her stand in place. She watched as more guards poured out from their posts; with an unpleased face, she clicked her tongue at them, pulling out Equila.

  The guards were running at full speed, but instead of raising her sword into the air, she stabbed the ground, summoning a blizzard behind her that blew them off their feet and froze them to the ground.

  Charlotte walked past all the knights who were struggling to get up, walking up to the main gate, annoyed. “You know you guys are horrible at the whole surprise attack thing. It's not fun anymore if you guys don’t doge the blizzards”, she grumbled in disappointment.

  Instead of a cheeky comeback, like always, the guard looked at her with a look of despair in his eyes, yet he was smiling at her. Charlotte's smile immediately went into an uncomfortable glare; “You should have a break, and can I get through the gate please” she said awkwardly.

  Charlotte turned around to see Freya slowly approaching, fighting Sunny not to turn around, as if he knew what lay behind the gates' walls.

  Freya guided Sunny around the soldiers with a concerned face. “Um, what happened here?” She asked in a displeased tone.

  “Eh, just a surprise attack to see if I still got it! Right, bud?” She said, giving the guard an elbow jab. Yet he still kept smiling, unresponsive. Charlotte awkwardly shuffled away. “Leave Sunny here; the streets are probably busy, and we can get the equestrians to take him to the stables later,” she continued, walking into the kingdom.

  Yet when she walked through the gates, all she met with was horrors beyond her comprehension.

  /// pov: Freya and Charlotte September 16, 1087, Fallen Kingdom of Kazfel

  Freya tied Sunny to a horse fence beside the guard and glanced at him, who slowly turned his head to look at her. Walking through the gate who;e being creeped out, she saw the same gruesome scene as Charlotte. Blood stained the once-clean roads, and many of the elegant homes and stores were ablaze. The sound of cries and pleads was piercing through the chaos. This wasn’t the Kingdom of Kazfel, no, it was hell.

  She looked at Charlotte, who was too stunned to speak, and was trying to pull out Equila, but she just couldn’t in disbelief. Freya heard a voice: “Help me! Please, I don’t want to die!”

  Immediately, she ran over to an alleyway between two houses to see a soldier with horns who was holding a young girl captive, begging for her life. Freya reached out for Akrelus and pointed him directly at the enemy.

  “Get away from her!” She yelled at them.

  The soldier slowly turned around with the same expression as the guard at the gate. A smile that was twisted and forced, yet eyes begging for release. They began twitching while approaching, only for him to suddenly lunge straight at her. Freya, instead of casting a spell, swung her staff as if it was a bat, making the soldier fly across the alley. The girl screamed, jumping onto a garbage can, as the soldier just stared up into the air.

  Freya slowly approached. “What happened to you?! Are you even human?!” she yelled, only to hear a pitched scream. Freya winced back and watched the horns on the soldier's head grow twice as large; it stood up and was drooling a black liquid.

  “(A rift walker? No, you’re a royal guard.)” She stepped back in fear. “You’re an infected.”, she whispered, powering up a spell.

  As a fireball formed, the infected soldier shuffled towards her slowly, now crying the same liquid. She closed her eyes as she cast the spell and heard the grueling howls of a madman slowly dying down. She listened to the body collapse on the floor, and a genuine smile was now on the soldier's face, one of peace. Freya opened her eyes and looked down, watching the horns on its head slowly dissipate into thin air.

  “Are you alright?” She asked the young girl, who had been unnerved, to speak.

  She reached over the dead man and grabbed the girl, leading her to the houses on the street. She banged on each door until they were greeted by another woman and her children crying in the background.

  “We tried escaping, but they killed…”? the girl explained to the woman who had just hugged her tightly.

  The lady looked up at Freya; “Thank you, miss, for bringing this child here. If you find more children, lead them here, and I will watch over them. I am a sorceress as well.”

  Freya nodded and ran back to where she had left Charlotte. She felt the air getting rapidly colder, and then she felt it on the tip of her nose; it was snowing. Charlotte was no longer near the gate but she saw a glowing blue hue coming from the main square. Freya ran even faster, passing bodies frozen in ice, until she saw Charlotte, who was slashing through a giant horde of soldiers. As soon as their bodies fell to the ground, she stared up into the sky.

  “Charlotte!”? Freya screamed.

  Charlotte immediately turned around, pointing her sword at Freya. Realizing it was only her, a look of relief showed on her face. “You’re okay, thank goodness. I went looking for you, but I found my comrades instead; that guard at the gate attacked me.” She looked away, sheathing her sword, “Freya, on the outside, everything looked fine. The sky was a bright blue, and everything looked normal, but now.” She paused, looking at Freya again with sorrow in her eyes; “what has happened to my kingdom?”

  “(Out of all the timelines, nothing like this has ever happened. How did the royal soldiers become infected so fast? Don’t tell me!) There’s a rift in the castle!.” Freya exclaimed, running past Charlotte towards the castle drawbridge.

  Charlotte followed her, trying to keep up, but hearing all the howls of her fellow men, she couldn’t bear it in her heart. The drawbridge was heavily guarded by more infected soldiers who snarled at the two girls, but they didn’t show any mercy towards them. Fiery rocks would descend upon them as Charlotte would charge through, realizing even the guards inside to lower the bridge were infected as well, snarling as they jumped out of the windows to attack.

  “Shit. is there another way inside?” Freya asked harshly.

  “The Frozen Calvaries tunnel into the castle should work; we just have to get inside the sewers through the Townsquare sewer hole,” Charlotte insisted, walking back to the town squares.”

  Freya followed, looking out at the burning buildings before looking back at Charlotte. She is very similar to the ones of previous timelines, yet this one had more of a drive, a fighting spirit, and a will of her own. The Townsquare was still littered with fallen soldiers frozen in ice and black liquid staining the once-white tiles around the angel statue. Charlotte walked up to the statue and pressed a tile to unlock the sewer hole.

  She smirked with a wink after lifting the cover, “After you, my Phoenix.” she jested, trying to lighten the mood.

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  Freya rolled her eyes and used a light source spell with Akrelus before descending into the sewers. Charlotte watched her climb the ladder carefully until she reached the very bottom. She soon followed downward herself not before closing the sewer hole behind them, making sure none of the infected soldiers could follow. The tunnels were dark and shallow, but the two couldn’t complain; ?they were now racing against time itself.

  Charlotte felt something grab her arm; “Freya, if you are that scared, you don’t need to grasp onto my arm so tightly,” she said, flustered.

  “Charlotte… I’m in front of you and holding my staff. How can I hold onto your arm?” Freya questioned her before looking back in shock.

  “What is it?” Charlotte stuttered before turning her head to see an infected with blue vines growing out of his body.

  Immediately, Charlotte pushed them off, only to find herself standing still. “Daren? Daren, what happened?” she cried out to him, but all she got in response was a snarl.

  “That's not Daren anymore!” Freya yelled out, casting a fireball. The Infected soldier fell to the ground behind Charlotte, wheezing ?.

  Charlotte turned around and drew her sword, pointing it at Freya; “have you lost your mind?! That's a Frozen Cavalry Soldier!” she lashed.

  Freya glanced over Charlotte's shoulder to see Daren slowly getting up and a frost-like mist expelled from his mouth. She sighed and pointed her staff back at Charlotte, only to rest it on top of her sword, lowering it to the ground.

  “Look at him! He has antlers, for heaven's sake, and he’s practically a zombie, Charlotte! He's even growing the corruption out of his chest!” Freya argued.

  Charlotte felt the icy breath, and a stench that wasn’t the sewer but the smell of decay; she sighed and turned back around, kicking Daren back and stabbing through his corrupted heart.

  “Let’s go. There’s probably more down here looking for us.” Freya turned away and continued walking, only to step on something; She looked down to see a giant vine coming from the castle area.

  A silent whisper pierced the dripping noises of the sewer, catching Charlotte's attention: “Thank you, Commander.” She turned around to see Daren had a look of peace on his face and smiled before walking back with Freya.

  She soon looked down to see the same vines; “No, we have to hurry! The king is that way,” Charlotte exclaimed, running past Freya in the dark.

  Freya, too stunned to speak at the vine, looked up to see Charlotte's silhouette fading into the shadows and started running after her. The air got colder, and she could hear Equila expelling ice magic. Freya cast a fireball ahead of them to see a horde of infected standing in front of the entrance to the Calvary's hideout. Charlotte dashed forward, creating a frost blade with Equila and slashed through all the soldiers. The one clear sewer water was now dyed black. Blue vines leaked out of the entrance. Charlotte took the key out of her cloak pockets with her hand trembling.

  She felt something grab her arm instead of it being infected; this time it was Freya gasping for air. “(God, this body is not used to running.) I’m right here with you,” she said, reassuring her.

  Charlotte unlocked the door to the ice covered hideout, its chill even pierced through Freya's skin, feeling it in her bones. Walking through the iron cast door, they saw more vines growing from the upper floors, piercing their way into the ceiling. It crawled across murals, chairs, and even tapestries ripping Charlottes. Freya noticed it and immediately burned it off. Meanwhile, Charlotte scurried into every room,

  “Your majesty! Your Highness! It's me Charlotte! I'm back!” She hollered with no response.

  Freya walked into the sitting room and screamed internally looking at all the corpses piled up on the floor, while a familiar-looking one was dangling by his arms the vines holding them captive, “Hey Charlotte, I think you should come to see this (ok this is the worst timeline).” She muttered with fear.

  Charlotte could feel Equila shake, but that didn’t stop her pursuit of arrival;. She walked past Freya who was standing in front of the door the; smell of blood filled her senses, her eyes constricted, and she covered her mouth, muffling her scream. Her soldiers, her friends were gone, even Fredrick, who was the one hanging from the vines with a smile on his face.

  “How is this possible? He was in Mangeal. He couldn’t have passed us!” Charlotte panicked, walking backward.

  Freya couldn’t look at Charlotte, her eyes were full of pain; before she could consult her, she felt a black droplet fall on her shoulder. Akrelus began shaking as she looked up, “(Is that the black liquid?)” More started leaking through the iced ceiling until a crashing sound was heard in the background; the room was collapsing on itself.

  “We have to go!”? she declared, grabbing and pulling away a hysterical Charlotte; “The rift is trying to kill us!”

  Charlotte followed without a thought, allowing Freya to guide her by the arm; the black rain snuffed the torches in the room out. The only thing illuminating now were Akrelus and Freya's hair, now glowing ever brightly. As they dodged falling ceilings and waterfalls. Freya then suddenly tripped, her leg wrapped in a vine holding her hostage; as she fell down, Charlotte's sleeve ripped off, but she remained standing in place.

  She could feel the slime-like liquid rise around her from the constant downpour; “Charlotte, wake up! Please.” she begged, feeling the vines now tied her arms down to the ground.

  Charlotte glanced down to an immobile Freya struggling and Akrelus slowly floating above the ground. She then glanced up to see Fredrick in front of them with giant ice antlers being carried by the vines blocking their way. Even with Equila was in her hand, she did not point them at him because, to her, he wasn’t an enemy. The liquid was starting to rise over Fryea's face.

  She started gasping, “Charlotte, please, we must save the king.”

  “Fredrick, I can’t. You are like a brother to me! Snap out of it,” she beckoned at him, trying to get a response.

  The vines lowered him gently to the ground; “The ascension of Akrelus and Equila will not continue from his orders.” He snarled.

  “Whose Orders?! Frederick!.” she hollered out to him, only to see her so-called brother's bare arms at her.

  Before Charlotte could react, he started running over, not looking at her but at Freya, who was now holding her breath submerged underneath.

  “Akrelus must burn out!” he screamed, raising his sword in the air.

  Before he could make contact with Freya's neck, his sword shattered; Charlotte pointed Equila right at him. As she walked forward, she created ice platforms for herself. Her breathing turned into frost, and her hair glowed a light blue hue. Before Fredrick could summon another ice sword, Charlotte lunged at him with a kick, sending him flying across the room. She looked down once again at her drowning phoenix and Akrelus’slight flickered slowly. She immediately cut the vines off of her and lifted her head above water. Freya started coughing up black slime and looked at Charlotte; she felt the flame within her heart slowly spark again, seeing this new side of the once fragile dove she tried protecting so many times before passing out.

  Charlotte created another platform and dragged Freya on top of it, laying her on her side, then picking up Akrelus and laid them beside her. Then she heard the water rustle; Fredrick was back on his feet, and the vines on the walls sparkled purple hues. Charlotte pointed her sword skyward at the downpour, making another ceiling out of ice and patching the holes; the liquid even froze turning into a new floor. As if Akrelus knew Charlotte's will, they brightened the room, allowing Charlotte to see much better. She winced, looking at Fredrick; black tears fell from his eyes. He no longer had pupils, and his ribcage was exposed, showing more black liquid leaking out of his heart, which now turned blue.

  Frederick tilted his head, his jaw hung down with drool spilling everywhere. He looked like a wendigo, hungry for its next meal.

  “You are not my brother!” Freya roared in a fighting stance.

  Frederick summoned another two ice swords; “The Ascension must halt.”

  The two lunged at each other. One of their eyes was full of sorrow and fear, and the other was a ghost. Frederick pushed all his body weight on Charlotte, forcing her to slide backward.

  “You promised me when my mother died, we would be siblings. Orphans together, do you not remember? Frederick!” She pleaded, but she was instead greeted by a knee to the stomach.

  She hunched over, only to slash her sword upwards, making Fredrick lose one of his own swords. He roared and new vines grew through the iced-covered ceilings. They crept down towards Freya and lifted her in the air. Charlotte took notice and cast an ice shard spell piercing through them. She then immediately threw another ice shard at Fredrick to daze him before sliding over to carefully catch Freya in her arms.

  Fredrick saw Akrelus away from his protector and lunged after it, grasping it now in with his icy claw, slowly cracking it. Freya jolted in pain, screaming as golden blood spilled from? her mouth, and Akrelus was bleeding from the cracks.

  Charlotte carefully placed her down and dashed forwards even slipping over cracks and to cut Fredrick's arm off dropping Akrelus. Charlotte picked up the staff and slid it into her sheath for now. Frederick roared again, this time pushing Freya and Charlotte to the other side of the room. However, before Charlotte could even touch the wall, she felt a vine grab onto her ankle and slammed her into the ceiling. She felt something go through her, a black icicle stabbing her in the back. The vine slammed her back towards the ground, and she couldn’t move.

  Frederick limped over, “Goodbye Equila.” his voice sounded like an elk's cry.

  He raised his sword in the air, only to be hit by a very weak fireball. Freya was on her knees, pointing in his direction. Frederick loomed over Charlotte, ignoring her completely.

  Freya spat out some more blood. “You are supposed to kill Akrelus, not Equila.” she Stuttered struggling to get on her two feet.

  Frederick Roared one more time, then stopped to look down at Charlotte, who extended her arm and grasped onto his exposed heart, it beating wildly in her hand. “You always sucked at defense,” she said, gripping and pulling his heart out of his chest cavity.

  Frederick let out a deafening elk's shriek before he fell on his back. Charlotte felt his heartbeat until it slowly died down in her hand. She crumpled flat-faced on the floor, whimpering.

  “This is my fault (I promised him I would save everyone),” she whimpered.

  Freya walked over holding her stomach; “No, it’s not. You were doing your job, and if you were here, you too could have been infected.” She said, getting on her knees beside her.

  Freya lifted Charlotte's shirt, exposing her back to see that the icicle didn't go all the way through to her spine. A golden lighted shield was stopping it from piercing any further, “(Thank you Akrelus)” she thought as she grabbed her own cloak and ripped it into two pieces. She then quickly pulled the icicle out of Charlotte's back, who kicked furiously in pain.

  “YOU COULD HAVE WARNED ME!” she screamed out, and then muttered, “the gods have forsaken us!”? as she squirmed in pain.

  Freya went into her satchel and was glad to see none of the bottles broken; she grabbed a health potion and popped its cap, “Hold still. If you keep squirming, it's gonna hurt more.” She complained as she poured the green liquid onto Charlotte's wound.

  “That fucking burns!” Charlotte hollered, gripping Fredricks' heart in pain.

  Freya stopped pouring it and put the bottle down beside her; “lift yourself so I can bandage you.” She ordered.

  Charlotte slowly tried lifting her body and felt Freya's warm hand to help her and wrap the torn cloth around her abdomen. “Thank you, I’m sorry for not helping you sooner,” she said.

  “I understand, trust me, as for Fredrick we have to burn his body and heart, so he doesn’t reform. He's a puppet, one of the hardest rift walkers to kill,” Freya said, using her hairpin to seal the makeshift bandage.

  Charlotte tried to sit up, grunting, “How do you know all this about the rifts, and what to do? How did you even know it was in the castle?” she said, looking down at Fredrick's heart.

  Freya picked up the healing potion. “Akrelus sealed the portals while Equila gave sanctuary; it helps to be his disciple, sometimes. You are doing a good job by the way, especially now don't let the heart touch anything in this room,” she said before taking a sip out of the bottle herself.

  Charlotte took Akrelus out of their sheath and handed them over to Freya. She saw the golden liquid slowly bleed out of the staff as Freya poured some healing potion on them.

  “I forget sometimes they can bleed too,” Charlotte bantered, reaching over to Equila to clean off her blade, and placing them back in the sheath.

  “Me too you would think they are invincible but no, I’m sorry Akrelus,” she said sincerely, wrapping the staff in the other bandage.

  Freya stood up, walked over to Fredrick, and pointed Akrelus at him, “Charlotte, he’s resting peacefully.”

  Charlotte dragged herself over to see the pupils in his eyes were back to normal. The peace on his face looked like angels came down to take him personally to heaven. She smiled and whispered, "We may have not been siblings by blood, but you were to me; goodnight Fredrick.”

  Freya fired up an inferno spell, “Goodnight Fredrick.” she whispered before igniting him into flames. Charlotte, who couldn’t watch, looked away, and when she got the courage to glance at Freya, she was reaching out for his heart to throw in the flames with him. Once they finished watching the monster left behind burn to ash, Freya leaned over to pick up Charlotte off the floor. “You know what's great about being hot-blooded? I’m the perfect crutch for you.” She teased, trying to lighten the mood. Charlotte slowly smiled, leaning her head on Freya.

  The two started hearing cracking from above them; the ceiling was collapsing again.

  “Where’s the exit?” Freya asked Charlotte in a panic.

  Charlotte pointed to the left corridor; as Freya started dragging her along, the room was being engulfed by the very essence of their world bleeding. A scene that she knew too well. Freya knocked down the door holding Charlotte close and put all of her body weight on top of hers, carrying them up the stairs to the catacombs of the castle. The liquid rose, following them up to the top of the staircase. There was no turning back now for either of them; they now had to pursue.

  For the first time, the Catacombs of Kazfel Castle were silent; there were guards and prisoners, but they were no longer on the same plane as the heroes. Charlotte, feeling weaker, started walking slower, leaning more against Freya. She felt safe from the warmth she provided. Freya lifted her shirt to check on the bandage.

  “How is it doctor?”, she mocked with a smile.

  Freya sighed; “You’re bleeding through the cloth.” She put down her shirt again. “When we get out of the catacombs, you are gonna rest in the safest spot while I close the rift.”

  “You are not going alone.”, Charlotte protested.

  Freya helped her over a fallen cell gate blocking their path; “I’m not fighting you over this. Closing the rift and ascending is my responsibility.”

  Charlotte climbed down carefully, holding onto her hand. “You mean ours?”, She rebutted, leaning back on Freya.

  Freya remained quiet until they made it to another staircase leading into the castle corridor, more blood stained the stairway from the litter of bodies. It looked like some people tried escaping; this time, however, it wasn’t just soldiers but faculty as well. There were many faces Freya recognized from her past lives and was heartbroken when she saw the old librarian hugging a book in her arms trying to save it as well.

  They walked into the empty kitchen to rest. Freya barricaded the door from the side they entered from as Charlotte sat down on a nearby stool with her face scrunched up. Freya walked over to a kitchen island and cleared off the pots and pans to let Charlotte lie down.

  She walked over, extending her hand once again only to get a pout from Charlotte; “I’m not leaving you! What if there are more infected?” she asked, unable to make eye contact.

  Freya clicked her tongue at her, “(yep still the same attitude) There aren’t anymore inside the castle. Remember they all started leaving to chase us outside. The rift also probably thinks we are dead; from the trap, otherwise there would be more puppets.”

  Charlotte got up and headed to the table and laid on her stomach, feeling better.

  “Here, take this,” Freya softly said, giving her a fresh bottle of Everbreeze; “Your back is not the only thing in pain but so is your mind, Isn’t it”

  Freya turned away only to feel her shirt being grabbed onto by a desperate Charlotte; “Come back to me, okay?”

  Freya turned around in response, grabbing her hand and kissing it like it was second nature to do so, “I promise, and then we will find a doctor.”

  She watched Charlotte slowly lay her head down on one of her arms and close her eyes, clasping onto her hand, Freya whispered, “It’s always been for you,” then letting go and gently resting her other arm on the table. She walked out of the kitchen with Akrelus in her hand, determined to save her.

  She used armor stands to blockade the front of the kitchen and made her way through the empty halls. The sound of rats trying to escape startled her, and she eventually made it to the main corridor.

  She watched as the walls oozed the black and purple liquid with vines breaking through the bricks and ripping the artwork and tapestries. She used Akrelus to illuminate her way to the throne room. It was quiet, but she saw it above the throne, the rift pulsating, the cosmos shining brightly inside it, almost ready to descend the horrors on the world. What she was more surprised with was a singular man on his knees with his hands up in the air mumbling prayers to it. She walked forward, only to kick something made of metal. It was the royal crown. The man continued ignoring her.

  “(Something's not right.)” She pointed Akrelus at the man and approached slowly, walking along the wall to see his front.

  She looked in shock as this hysterical worshiper was his highness. With his chest exposed, with a blue beating heart. Freya silently cast a fireball towards his heart, knocking him over. She Ran over with a protective stance and looked at the rift.

  “Now, how do I close you with a staff?” She muttered, looking at Akrelus.

  As she pointed her staff into the sky, a gut-wrenching cry echoed around the throne room.

  /// pov: ??????????????????????????????????????

  Sorry to cut you off, Outsider, but I found out you found something you weren’t supposed to. Tsk-tsk-tsk, why would you ask me to tell you something of the past, after you did something behind my back? Do you want to learn more about that dove? Huh, I can tell? you, but why would I do that when I can show you?

  (You feel yourself breaking apart, and being reassembled somewhere else.)

  A girl sits beside a familiar river bed staring at her reflection; she holds onto a staff and pulls her silver hair, with the feeling of insecurity.

  She started talking to herself, “A freak, that's what you’ve always been to everyone in this town. All you’re good at is being a joke! A sorceress who has the power to freeze dragons if she wants to, yet you can’t control yourself. Pathetic, you are pathetic!” She yelled at the top of her lungs before splashing her reflection.

  “I can’t push those men in town for pulling my hair… I can’t even hug my mother because if I do,” she watched the river slowly freeze over from where she hit it.

  “This stupid golden blood. Makes me pathetic,” she whimpered.

  “Pathetic? You better not be calling me pathetic. I think I’m pretty cool,” a voice echoed behind her.

  She turned her head to see a red-haired knight swirling a potion in her hand; “So you are the famous potion-maker who made Everbreeze. I gotta say I tried every nerve-numbing potion out there but this.” She chugged the bottle down and smiled after. “This is good stuff!”

  “Go away…” the silver-haired one blubbered.

  The knight walked over, only to sit beside the girl. She looked down at the ice and frowned, “It’s hard; I know people will judge you. They will never understand why you are so different. And those visions won't stop unless you take the mind-numbing drugs. Yet don’t hate them; they do this because they fear you.”

  “What? How do you know about-” she asked, turning her head to realize she was sitting beside The Head Knight, The Burning Phoenix.

  Her jaw dropped as the knight smiled back at her. She then got out a pocket dagger and cut the tip of her index finger, showing that her blood was golden as well. She then reached over, hovering her hand over the ice until a droplet fell immediately, melting the ice away.

  “I was bullied as well. If I bled anywhere, I would cause a fire. I remember how I found out I was a disciple. Me and my brother were playing in the garden. My father was watching us for once and I hurt myself while jumping off a rock. My older brother, who is always looking after me, quickly got a handkerchief from his pocket and tried to wipe the blood from my arm. Only to be charred. When I looked down, I screamed at it. My blood turned into pure gold. Then from that day on I was told what I had to do or who to be.” The knight recalled looking at her reflection.

  The silver-haired sorceress put down her staff and looked at her reflection again; “When I was growing up, everyone said I killed my father, the best potion maker in Mangeal, and hated me for it, everyone but my mother who left the royal knights and continued his business here. They called me silver demon; one day I had enough, and I punched one of my bullies only for his skin to freeze over. My mom told me everything that night and said I choose what I want to do with my powers. Not the kingdom,” the girl added

  The two sat there in silence, lamenting about their lost childhoods, staring at their reflections. The knight finally broke the silence.

  “So what is in Everbreeze that stops the voices and visions?” she asked, turning her head towards the woman.

  “Feathers,” she responded.

  “Feathers huh, hehe, ya know, your hair reminds me of an ice dove's wings. Pure white and beautiful like the snow on a fresh winter morning.” The knight smiled. “What’s your name?” She asked.

  “Charlotte.” The girl responded with a flush of pink on her cheeks, “I know you are The Great Phoenix but what is your actual name?” she asked, looking back at the knight.

  The knight smiled and laughed; “Huh? Did they put great in the title now? But besides that my name is Freya, and it's an honor to meet you Charlotte.” she hummed at her.

  (You feel yourself slowly drifting away while hearing the laughing of a mad person echoing your thoughts.)