INSIGNIAS: THE REGALIS

Something shifted inside of her. It started while fighting her worse and most hated enemy she didn't expect to see in South Edgeburn.

When Aria and her companions, Skhy, Hunter, Ciar, Raven and Kage, arrived in South Edgeburn, the war had already started. The group quickly separated, the Eclipse left to help the Mortemians, Skhy and Hunter set off to look for their friends, and Aria sought someone from L.S.A. to check on the Consortium and the students there. Her mission brought her to a group of five legionnaires who planned to kill a certain Rosein leader. They informed her that most if not all L.S.A. legionnaires didn't leave the academy. As for the students, a majority of them were stationed at different regions to fought off the Roseins while the rest stayed to protect the academy. The legionnaires only saw the Premier and Mr. Castledgrey; the rest of the Consortium were missing.

The idea of cornering a Rosein leader made Aria excited and driven. Although her wounds had not yet healed and she flinched everytime she uses her elemental and everytime her muscles tense, she wanted to fight. But her wounds didn't go unnoticed.

"You're wounded," one of the men pointed. He was the tallest in the group. He radiated power and authority.

"I'm fine," she replied, turning away. "I can fight." The legionnaires glanced at each other. A silent communication passed, which both irritated and worried her. She didn't need anyone's permission to fight but she might compromise the mission if she suddenly appeared.

The man who spoke turned to her and nodded. His cold gaze spoke to her. They wouldn't care if I get hurt or killed. She nodded back. It didn't matter to her. She was here to fight.

"Five other legionnaires and five sentries are already watching him." The legionnaire who spoke had green eyes. Aria pondered about what he said. She figured that the Rosein leader was strong. Otherwise, they have killed him.

"We'll plan as we walk," the leader of the group of legionnaires said. They didn't waste any time. They trecked a tall hill of sands. Below, the war continued. The sands turned darker each minute as the dessert soaked the dead's blood. The battle cries mixed with screams of anguish and pain. Aria tried to spot a familiar face in the ocean of blue, black and red but everyone was too far from where she stood. Different energies mixed, clashed and disappeared in the chaos.

"This Rosein leader," she started, "how strong is this person?"

"Those who fought him and survived said he's formidable," the group leader said. He walked in front of everyone. Aria's fists clenched.

"Is the Rosein Corcodian or Mortemian?" Or a previous non-elemental user?

"Neither," the legionnaire beside her replied. "He's from another realm. Seven Stars."

Aria remembered the four of the six realms that created the Pandora's Box used by the Roseins during the Northern Lux battle. She was reminded of Alyssa Roseshadow who was from Westeros and who spied on the Roseins as one of its great leaders.

"And he's creepy," a lady legionnaire said. Silence followed after that. The group silently but hurriedly followed the path toward one of the Roseins' bases. They distanced themselves from the fights so as not to catch anyone's attention, making themselves as invinsible as possible. No one used their elementals. It was impossible to know what time it was because the sky had both darkness and different colors of light.

When the group neared their destination, the legionnaire leader ordered the rest to hide behind the boulders scattered on the terrain.

"There are fifteen Roseins including the Rosein leader," the lookout informed the others.

"Can you sense if all of them use elementals?" Aria asked.

"All of them."

"I'll handle the leader," the legionnaire head said, "Take care of the rest." He stood up. Aria followed him.

"Me too." Aria watched his eyes narrow. She thought he was going to argue but he swiftly turned away from her.

"You're Regalis anyway," the legionnaire behind her whispered.

It took only a minute after the group left their hiding spots for the enemies to spot them and charge. Everyone drew their weapons. The other hiding Concordians revealed themselves but some stood watching. Aria ran and followed the legionnaire leader toward a still figure from the distance. While the rest of the Roseins fought around them, this one stood unmoving in the middle of the fights as if the person was waiting for them to attack first.

When they were only a few feet from the still figure, Aria suddenly stilled. Her eyes widened. The black mask and long dark coat infront made her stop. The memory she tried to erase resurfaced. Like that night, the person behind the mask smirked and sharp eyes watched her intensely as if she was a prey. It took her a moment to notice that the masked man was now surrounded by seven Concordians, both legionnaires and sentries. But the enemy didn't acknowledge them.

"Nice to see you again, princess. It's been so long." His deep voice made her flinch. She remembered him surrounded by her fire in the forest. It ingulfed him until she couldn't see him. The idea of killing someone for the first time scared her so she ran away from the blazing forest. He's alive.

The man chuckled darkly.

"That was nothing." He started walking toward her. Two sentries advanced. Without looking at them or lifting a finger, his thin shadow stretched and expanded. When the two sentries stepped on it, they fell inside shouting. Aria gasped. The other sentries and legionnaires took steps back. Despite the growing fear in her chest, she willed herself to stay where she is. The man's shadow returned to its original size and shape. When he stopped walking, the leader of the legionnaire group tried to attack him from behind. In a blink of an eye, tentacles sprouted from the shadow. They grabbed all of the sentries and legionnaires around the man, gripping them tighly until they screamed of pain. Their eyes turned white.

"I don't like easy kill." The enemy chuckled. "It's boring."

Aria watched in horror. She turned to him with a dark and venomous glare.

"Your fire doesn't affect me, princess. I can even control it." He smiled at her. It creeped her out. His eyes gleamed in mischief. Control? Her eyes widened and her hands shook. Dad... It wasn't me; it was him.

She felt the rising heat on her back. It spread all over her body. She thought she felt pain but it was only for a few seconds. She was suddenly out of breath. The air coming from her chest was hot but not uncomfortable. The veins on her hands and arms began to glow bright red like vala flowing from the mouth of a volcano. But Aria didn't care. Her whole attention was on the man in front of her. Her mind was empty except for the thought of killing him. Anger burned deep within her. It was so hot and heavy that she felt like she would explode.

"What's happening?" She saw fear in his eyes. Lasiandra Arkingrave loved it. She took a step forward with no intention to stop. Her enemy unleashed his shadow. When Aria stepped on it, it burned. Red and blue fire danced high. The man shrieked when her fire spread and crept closer towards him. The tentacles released their preys, wiggling to put out the fire.

Aria stopped walking and watched her enemy struggle to eliminate her fire. But he couldn't control her fire anymore. His burning shadow surrounded him as he wailed and flailed. It raised itself and covered its crying master. Her fire reached the sky. The burning shadow deflated until its darkness clung to his shape. Aria watched without expression as his own shadow cooked him alive. When his cry suddenly stopped, the fire subsided. Where the man stood was a dark figure. It crumbled to pieces when a gush wind passed.

Aria knew that she should feel something but it wasn't there. She looked up and saw red

light dancing in the dark sky.