by A. J. Morton
I took a deep breath and looked Dia in the eyes. “I would so love to say that you’re wrong. That I didn’t at least partially do this to wander Ubiaxus once more. But I did. And I am immeasurably sorry.”
“But still,” I continued. “Ubiaxus is truly in danger. As much as it pains me to say this, we must needs still carry on. I need you, Dia. The world needs you. Your sister needs you.”
“Dia. You are the key to ensuring that the balance between light in dark remain in check. So please.” I knelt before her. “Help us.”
Dia was completely silent, still on her knees as well. She was broken. Unsure. She didn’t know what to trust anymore. “I just… don’t know what to do anymore.” Dia said. “Every road leads to disaster. Nothing seems right anymore. I’m not sure what path to take…”
“Dia…” A voice suddenly spoke behind her. Ana’s. She knelt down beside her sister, placing her hand on her shoulder. Dia looked up at her, shaken. “The path made for you to walk may be unclear. And there’s little I can do to remedy that… But… No matter what path you chose… Just know that no matter what I will walk it with you. This goddess is offering us a path. And I believe that we should at least see where it leads.”
Dia gazed at her sister for a few moments. A small smile appeared on her face. She rose to her feet. She looked down upon me, her eyes full of resolve. “My sister and I are of the same mind.” Her voice was even. She spoke clearly and confidently. “No matter what the path, even if I must give up my life in the process, I will take it. I forgive you, goddess. I am at your service.”
I stood up. I could do this. I could bring all the Disciples back together.
And not only that. I recognized those words that I spoke to Dia, telling her to stay strong. They were the same words that my own Disciple had spoken to her once before. I hadn’t said them. Those words were his.
It was faint, but I could feel his soul stirring within mine. There was still hope for Xander, which meant there was still hope for the rest of the Disciples as well. If I could bring him back, I could bring them all back. I could make everything right.
I felt a smile sneak its way onto my face as well. “Very well then. Let’s get down to business.
Chapter 13
Kronos appeared shortly after I managed to reconcile with the twin Disciples of Lumos. Just as I had, he explained everything to them. He explained who he was, and all the mistakes that the gods had made, and all the lies we told.
He knelt before the two of them. “I apologize to you both. But still… Ubiaxus must be saved. We must carry on,” he stated simply.
“We know the price now,” Dia said, nodding. She glanced at her sister, who was gazing at her solemnly. “Nine lives for one world. Unwittingly or not, this is the price that we have agreed to pay. And we must see it through to the end.”
Ana cast her gaze downwards, her voice wavering. “Lest our deaths be for naught.”
Kronos nodded in agreement. “But in order to come up with a new plan, we need clarity. And there is only one person who can give us that clarity. I am, of course, referring to Lumos, the god of light.”
It was then that he told them the truth of the power that they possessed. About the truth of the Dyad. The nine gods’ greatest secret.
Dia gasped. “But wait… If Ana is a Disciple too… Doesn’t that mean…”
“I’m afraid it does…” I grimly replied. “When the time comes you won’t be the only one to lose a soul, Dia. Ana will as well.” I looked up at both of them. “But that doesn’t mean there’s no hope…” I told them about the feeling that I’d had a short while ago. The feeling of Xander’s soul still stirring for the first time since our encounter with Umbra. “It may not be much to go by… But it’s hope.”
Kronos looked at me, scratching his chin. “So, you still feel Xander within you, even though his soul should be gone. How peculiar.” He shrugged, turning back to the girls. “But that’s not important now. What we need to focus on now is your role in all of this.”
Dia placed her hand on her chest. “Our roles?”
“You have the full power of the Dyad on your side,” I explained. “With that, we can cleanse the timestream and come up with a battle plan.”
Kronos nodded. “Lumos’s soul may be split among the two of you, but the power to summon order lies within only one. Dia.”
Dia tilted her head, skeptical. “But I have no idea how to do that,” she said. “I know how to control light and how to heal people, but summoning a concept like order itself? How am I supposed to do that?”
“Please allow me to put my hand on your chest,” Kronos spoke curtly.
Dia’s eyes widened. She took a step back, covering her ample bosom with her arms. “What? Of course not!”
“Get your mind out of the gutter, child.” Hearing Kronos stay that in the body of a 12-year-old girl felt strange. “I must touch your heart to unlock your power.”
I nodded. “The touch of a god is able to draw out one’s full power. It’s typically most effective when it’s done to the chest.” I leered in Kronos’s direction. “Although the touch of a goddess will suffice if the idea of a man touching your breast makes you uncomfortable.”
Dia sighed. “To be honest, the fact that you’re in Xander’s body right now makes me even more uncomfortable. But I suppose it’s better than the alternative. Go ahead.” She lowered her arm, giving me access to her chest.
I placed my hand on it, concentrating. I could feel the blissful power of light coming from her aura. I wrapped my own aura around hers, allowing them to fully permeate each other. I felt a shiver begin to pass over her. I slowly began to pull my hand away before the cold overwhelmed her. Our auras separated. She stumbled back, in a daze.
Ana gave her sister a concerned look. “Dia? Are you okay?”
His voice seemed to snap her out of her stupor. “Y-yes,” Dia stammered. “Just a little chilly is all.”
Kronos shrugged. “I did give you an alternative, you know.”
I lightly punched Kronos on the shoulder. “You’re getting off topic, pervert.” I turned back over to Dia. “So, Dia? Do you feel any more powerful?”
Dia looked down at her chest where my hand had just been. “It’s… It’s less that I feel more powerful than that I feel as though I’m more in control of my power. It feels like a wellspring of light within me has turned into a dam.”
“Excellent!” Kronos exclaimed. “Your aura has been stabilized. It should be much simpler to induce a trance now.”
Dia tilted her head. “Trance? What’s that?”
“It’s the ultimate connection between a mortal and a god’s essences,” I explained. “It essentially will allow Lumos to take temporary control over your body.”
Ana shot me a worried look. “Lumos is going to take over her like you’re doing to Xander?”
“Not quite,” I reassured her. “While the godly soul will be dominant, the mortal soul will still remain completely intact. If you’ll recall, Travis was in a similar state when we were back in the See of Lumos.”
“Oh, so that’s what that was,” Dia recalled. She suddenly seemed worried as well. “Wait! Will I fly into a rage like Travis did?”
Kronos and I shared a look and burst into laughter. Dia and Ana stared at us, bewildered. “You certainly don’t need to worry about that,” Kronos chortled. Lumos was known for many things, but his temper was certainly not one of them. He would sooner die than even hurt a fly.
“The essence of Lumos is love,” I explained through laughter. “So, the idea of him ‘flying into a rage’ is just… ridiculous.”
After Kronos and I calmed down a bit, we decided to move on to the next phase of the plan: getting Dia into a trance. “Think of nothing but your love for your sister,” Kronos directed her. “That emotion should be enough to put you into a trance.”
Dia closed her eyes and focused. A few moments went by. She began to shine with an amber aura. The light grew brighter and brig
hter until it was almost blinding.
But then, all at once, it faded. The veil of light surrounding Dia shattered and Dia fell to the ground. “Dia!” Ana rushed to her side. Dia sat up, regaining consciousness.
Ana breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank the g—” she paused, realizing that she was, in fact, in the presence of two of the gods she was giving praise. She turned back to us. “What happened? Shouldn’t she be in a trance right now?”
I furrowed my brow, thinking. The way things were going, Dia should have gone into a trance. And I could only think of one reason why.
“Kronos… This may not work.”
Kronos turned over to me. “Yes, I can see what you’re getting at.”
Dia and Ana both had confused expressions on their faces. “What do you mean?” Dia asked. “Why won’t it work?”
“Kronos and I are able to take control of the bodies of Xander and Krysta because our full souls are within them,” I explained. “But with you, things are different.”
Kronos picked up where I left off. “Lumos’s soul is split amongst the two of you. So, without a full godly soul, a trance may be impossible.” He cursed under his breath. “Dammit! Why did it have to be twins?”
I scratched my chin, deep in thought. There had to be some other way to get Dia into a trance. Suddenly, the image of Ana placing her hand on Dia’s shoulder to calm her down raced through mind. “Maybe…” I had an idea. It was a longshot, but an idea, nonetheless.
“Ana, may I place my hand on your chest as well?” I asked.
“Huh? Sure.” Ana walked in front of me.
Kronos piped up. “Or I could—”
“Shut up, Kronos, this is serious.” I placed my hand on Ana’s chest, intertwining my aura with hers as I had done with Dia a short while ago. The moment I released Ana’s aura from the cold embrace of mine, Ana began to glow brilliantly. She looked at herself in astonishment.
“Alright, now that that’s done… Ana, join hands with Dia.”
Ana shrugged and reluctantly touched Dia’s hand. The light of Ana’s Aura spread to her sister and cradled them both. At first, nothing happened. Then, the light of their auras merged into one blinding, pure ball of light, consuming them. I closed my eyes to avoid being blinded. Upon opening them, there was but a single figure standing before me. She was beautiful, clad in a dress of pure light. Her radiant platinum blonde hair seemed to be made of light itself.
When she spoke, she did so with a voice that was a combination of delicacy and maturity. The voice of Lumos. “Ah, Glacia! I was wondering when you would figure it out!” He rushed to me with his arms extended.
I sidestepped to avoid his attempt at a hug. He tripped over his dress and fell onto his belly before Kronos.
Kronos smirked. “Tis good to see you again, comrade.”
Lumos looked up to see Kronos standing over him. He popped to his feet, grinning ear to ear. “Kronos! It’s been ages!”
Kronos stood still, rolling his eyes as Lumos pat him on the back. “Closer to centuries, but I suppose you were never the best at keeping time.”
Lumos pouted. “Aw, you’re no fun, Kronos…”
“If the two of you are done catching up, we have business to attend to,” I interrupted. Lumos tended to be a bit… affectionate if you let him persist.
“Ah yes!” Lumos exclaimed. “You the timeline put back in order, don’t you?”
Kronos nodded. “Yes, if you would.”
“Very well.” Lumos closed his eyes, radiating amber light. He squinted, knitting his eyebrows. “Ugh… She sure did a number on it, huh?” Lumos shook his head. “No matter. Anything she can do, I can undo!” Lumos opened his eyes, his aura dispersing into an amber stardust that seemed to scatter as far as the eye could see.
Kronos shut his eyes and opened them again, smiling. “The distortion is gone! I can see all the timelines with absolute clarity!”
My ears perked up. Finally, some good news. “And do you see a timeline where we take down Umbra’s empire?”
“Let’s see… Out of all the infinite timelines from this point onward…” Kronos’s face sank. “There’s only one timeline where we’re victorious. And if everything isn’t executed perfectly, it won’t happen.”
“I see…” Part of me hoped that there would be a single pathway that led to our victory, but I suppose that was just wishful thinking. “So, Kronos. What’s the plan?”
Kronos began to speak, but then winced.
Lumos tilted his head, giving Kronos a concerned look. “What’s the matter?”
Kronos hesitated. “There’s… a problem. If I tell Glacia what our plan is at any point… The timeline will be shattered. And Umbra will rule the world.”
Being the god of time, there were few things that seemed to genuinely catch Kronos of guard. But although he clearly was trying to appear calm, the look of despair and shock in his eyes was undeniable. Just what had he seen? Just what cost would need to be paid to bring about the world’s salvation. These were the questions that rang in my mind.
Kronos drew a breath, before moving on. “But I digress. There is one thing that I can tell you, though. About Adriana, the Disciple of Umbra.”
I crossed my arms, glancing towards Adriana, still collapsed in a heap against the wall. “What did you find out?”
Kronos curled his fist into a ball. “She’s worthless.”
“What?”
“Umbra pulled another one over on us,” he said. “Lumos, you could tell from the very moment you saw her, couldn’t you?”
Lumos’s eyes widened as he examined Adriana. An unusually serious expression appeared on his face. “Oh, yes… I can tell,” he said. “There is a sizable quantity of darkness within her… but it’s no where near the amount of darkness that lies within Umbra.”
Kronos nodded. “Exactly. That’s because Umbra’s soul has left her. My guess is that this was never her Disciple at all.”
I went cold. “What?” I couldn’t believe my ears. “But how? Was Adriana not the Disciple you saw in the prophecy?”
“We’ve already established that the prophecy was bullshit,” Kronos replied, annoyed. “Adriana will fight by our side. But she is no Disciple.”
“Well then… Who is Umbra’s Disciple?” I asked.
“Someone I’m sure you know, I’m afraid…” Kronos said. “The Umbran you met while in the Dominion of Fulgur.”
“Tenebris…” I muttered under my breath. I should have known there was something abnormal about him. The aura he radiated was unnatural. It radiated pure darkness. The same as Umbra.
Sure, Xander had defeated him once before. But this was Umbra we were dealing with. That fight could have just been one of her games as far as we knew. We had no way of knowing what kind of tricks she had up her sleeve.
“But either way, that doesn’t mean that we gain nothing from recruiting her,” Kronos added. “She is a master of the Imperial fighting technique. She’s a master at almost all forms of combat.”
Lumos raised his hand. “Oh! If that’s the case, I can use my magic to get her out of that coma!”
“How long do you think that will take?” I asked. Even I could feel the seeds of darkness that Umbra had planted in her heart. Removing them would be no small feat, even for the god of light himself.
Lumos gave Adriana a passing glance. “Given the amount of darkness in her… I’d say it would take about an hour.”
Kronos gave us the usual smirk he wore when everything was going according to plan. “Perfect,” he said. “While you do that, I have another task for you, Glacia.”
I raised an eyebrow. “And what’s that?”
“The rest of the Disciples,” He responded. “They are still uncertain of whether or not they should follow you. You need to talk to go talk to them as well.” He took a moment to think. “I can convince Valarie, Zephyr, and Kai to join us. But Travis and Strelitzia… They will only listen to you.”
It made sense. Out of all the Disc
iples, those two were his greatest confidants. They were the ones who would be the most distraught by his absence. They were the ones who I had wronged the most. “Very well,” I said. “I shall talk to both of them.”
And so, the three of us each went to complete our respective tasks. Kronos went off to find Zephyr, who had flown off to a place only Kronos could find. Lumos went into Dia and Ana’s room to heal Adriana. And I walked into the quarterdeck, preparing to face Travis and Strelitzia.
* * *
I stood at Travis’s door for what felt like hours, thinking of what I could possibly say to him. Of what words could possibly make him want to forgive me for taking away his best friend. Part of me wanted to run away. It couldn’t bear to see the broken man that would await me when that door opened.
But I knew what had to be done. Reconciling with him was my only choice. And thanks to Kronos’s prophesy, I knew I could do it. The only question was how.
I let out a defeated sigh. As much as I wanted to delay the inevitable, I couldn’t. No matter how much I thought about what to say to him, nothing came to mind. All I could do was speak from my heart. That was all I had.
So, taking a deep breath, I knocked on his door.
“Go away.”
My shoulders slumped. I knew he wouldn’t be easy to talk to, but he had literally rejected me before I even walked through the door. “Travis… Can we talk?” I tried again, this time speaking.
“What part of ‘go away’ do you not understand, Glacia?” His voice blared through the door. “Go away. Before I make you.”
I clenched my fists. “Travis… This isn’t a game.” I could feel tears slowly beginning to form in my eyes. “Countless lives are on the line. Everything I do, I do to help the people of—”
Travis’s door swung open, hitting me in the face and knocking me to the floor. “Oh, don’t you give me that shit,” Travis seethed. “We’re supposed to bend to your will for the greater good, are we? For life and light and all that bullshit? Well, what about Xander’s life? What about My life? What about all of the lives that need to be thrown away?”
