Witch of the Gate (Part I): Empyrean Crystal Soul

The moment my mind resonates with hers, I feel like suffocating from the darkness. It is more like a dense smoke that choking me. There is darkness everywhere. I can’t see or hear anything.

As I am walking on a dark void, I am adapting to the dark energy. Well, the little ray of light that I am holding helps me. I indeed managed to take with me this small ray of light from her grandmother’s Soul.

I am also here thanks to Lucida. She is also inside her unconsciousness but she is blending with the darkness which is feeding from her mana. She is in the same danger with me as long as she stays in here.

I can’t find her so the only thing I can do is walking and walking and calling out her name. I don’t receive any respond for a while but I am not giving up.

-“Ahhh! It hurts!!!” I scream as the dragon breathes a dark red fire on me. This fire can’t be avoided. It burns me. This is worse than mother’s beating.

-“It hurts! It hurts!!” I am crying aloud but only my cries are heard in the darkness and the roar of the black red dragon.

-“Grandma, help me!!! Where are you? Grandma!!!” I shout but I don’t take any answer.

I am in despair. Is it possible that grandma abandoned me like father? It is possible that she couldn’t tolerate me like mother? This thought makes me more terrified than the dragon in front of me.

-“No. No. Grandmother!!!” I am sobbing.

-“…ne… phne… Daphne!!!” I suddenly I hear a loud voice through my sobbing.

I open my eyes and I try to see through the darkness.

-“Daphne!!!” I hear the male voice again and I think I recognize it. I bit my lips. Is it possible that he came to help me?

-“Leonard!!! Leonard!!! Help me!!!” I shout. My tears are still running but I can feel anticipation in my heart.

Suddenly through a small light portal, a male figure appears. It is really him. The powerful knight!!! The Black Knight!!!

-“Leonard!!!” I call out again and he approaches me. That moment the dragon goes against him. I freeze from fear. No, I can’t let him die. He came for me.

-“Don’t hurt him!!!” I scream and the dragon turns on me. I am terrified but I don’t want to lose my only hope.

-“Daphne, are you alright?” He asks as he comes next to me. Without saying anything, I rush into his chest. I can feel him. He is real. My tears are running again but this time it is because of relief.

-“Leonard, it hurts!!!” I complain. Then, I feel his large and strong hands surrounding me. I feel really good. I feel safe in his arms.

The dragon roars as it is ready to attack me again.

-“Leonard, where is your sword? How are you going to fight the dragon?” I notice and panic.

-“I have something better.” He says and he opens one of his hands.

A ray of light lightens up the spot we are standing on. He wields it to the dragon and it seems to draw back. Right!!! He is a Holy Knight with the light attribute.

-“Leonard, kill it!!!” I say with agony.

-“Unfortunately, I can’t kill it.”

-“Is this ray of light no enough?” I ask but he is reluctant to answer.

-“Don’t worry. I will stay with you until we get out of here.” He comforts me.

He takes me in his hug again with one of his hand while he is keeping the dragon away with the other as he is holding this ray of light.

We must hurry. Daphne, Leonard and Lucida can’t be in this situation for long.

Leonard is already unconscious and with every day that passes, he is paler and weaker. We can’t see Lucida but I can imagine how weak she must be. As for Daphne, she is in the same condition with Leonard. She is pale and weak.

If darkness shallows her, she will die or she will go mad. Matilda’s Soul is still flying above her but without a way to connect with the other Soul.

We have been travelling for two weeks. We don’t have the time to stop by Green Valley. We must go to the Valley of Dreams immediately. We manage to find two horses and a carriage and we have been travelling day and night. We only stop for a while to rest the horses.

This time we can’t afford to choose the safest path but the fastest. With that way, we meet a lot of soldiers in our way but Gina is the one to fight them. She lets her instinct and feelings to guide her. She may not show it but she likes Daphne pretty much.

I was afraid that after all this commotion at the Tower of Sins, demons would chase after us. However, I didn’t notice any move. It is suspicious but at least we can travel without any other disturbance.

Almost a month later, I can see the cringe and I breathe with relief. The fairies help us to bring inside the carriage with the unconscious people and we are guided to the palace.

I narrate to the royal couple what has happened. Queen Celeste approaches Daphne and stares at the Soul. It is the first time that a soul is active outside the body. It is quite the spectacle.

-“The cracks are mended.” She says surprised.

-“The demons had already mended it with dark energy but as I told you, Miss Daphne absorbed the dark energy.” I explain and she nods.

The king orders his servants to bring Matilda’s body here in the hall. Then, it is Queen’s job to reconnect the body and soul.

In a matter of fact, this is an ability of the angels. However, there is a another way for the Pixies to do that using their spiritual powers.

I may be a part of the consciousness but I really feel tired. I can also feel my sweat running down my forehead. I don’t know how long I am in this situation fighting a dangerous black dragon, but the ray in my hand and I, we are weakening.

Daphne is still scared and anxious. Every now and then, she asks me about my condition and I try to reassure her, but the dragon doesn’t draw back and I have no more power.

-“Where is grandmother?” She suddenly asks. I furrow my eyebrows. All this time, she didn’t mention her.

-“Did she abandon me?” She asks with wet eyes.

-“No, Daphne. Don’t you remember? We went to save her Soul.”

-“Her Soul? Her Soul is black. The demons turned it into a battery of mana. I will lose grandmother!!!” She shouts suddenly and burst into tears.

I feel the ground shaking and the dragon moves toward her. It is not attacking her but it surrounds her and cover her with a black mist. No, I can’t let it happen.

-“Daphne, we are going to save her. Don’t worry!” I say but my words don’t reach her. I try to pull the dragon away with the ray of light but to no avail.

I also notice my body becoming transparent. I have no more time as I am weakening. I try to fight the dragon until the end but I can’t. My body is just a trace of my image.

Suddenly, a bright light appears next to me. A figure of a woman forms in front of me and even though I have never seen her, I can tell that she is Daphne’s grandmother. Her hand touches my shoulder and she looks at me with a warm look.

-“It is my turn.” She says and with relief I let my consciousness to slip out of here.