'There are… Actual nobles despicable enough to end bloodlines over petty disputes? Never knew those exaggerated stories were so accurate…' Damon was shocked, but he tried his best not to let it show.
Considering all the nobles he had ever met were merely a handful of retired explorers, he had seen visiting for Morrigan's consultation, there wasn't much comparison to be made. They often donned ostentatious garments and fake smiles; however, only two had ever spoken to his mother in an arrogant manner, for which they were promptly expelled from the premises and shunned from her inner circle.
"What happens if it wasn't enough?"Damon asked, taking a glance at the quest conditions and countdown
*****************
["Your Success Conditions are as follows."]
[" 1. Listen to all her performances till the end without having your mind devoured."]
[current progress >>> 50%]
[" 2. Reinforce her persona by reminding her what happened to her."]
[current progress >>>100%]
[" 3. Anchor the fragment with the host's Life affinity and positive Intent."]
[current progress >>> 60%]
["Remaining Time until Quest failure"]
[05: 21..05: 20]
'Didn't plan on completing this, but Master believes being an Eternal is the key to the third condition…That has to mean it's the most important …'
After these thoughts flashed through his mind, Damon lowered his palms onto his thigh, pensively, and for a half a second, his lips pressed together as if weighing his next words carefully. "What if your sacrifice meant nothing and your parent were still in danger?"
At that moment, as Cecil heard his words, her already shaken heart seemed to skip a beat, or at least Damon believed it would have if she currently had one.
Instead, he felt her mind reel as she frantically stood up. Immediately, the entire world around them was consumed by gloomy darkness, yet within that space a single ball of light remained unperturbed.
Who else could it be but Damon!
Through it all, his face remained neutral as his eyes remained fixed on Cecil's crazed expression, now illuminated by the warm white spiritual energy shining around his body.
This was Damon's first true attempt at channeling his life and light affinities through his spiritual energy; therefore, upon closer scrutiny, a few flickers of crimson energy could still be seen within.
'This being a mental space made this a lot easier,' Damon mused, feeling his core node vibrating rapidly.
Since he had anticipated this reaction, he had focused his mind on the idea of an inextinguishable light, a light that weathered all disturbances. At first, he doubted he could pull it off, and the remaining crimson was evidence of that, but the treatment seemed to work nonetheless.
Almost immediately, the anger, worry, and despair flowing through Cecil's eyes dissipated, and her clean jade essence returned. She took a seat on the ground, patting her dress and not even breaking eye contact once.
"Are they?.... Are my parent okay?"Inquired Cecil in a strained voice.
Before responding, Damon smiled, eyes closing for a moment. He then clasped his hands together, demonstrating an act of piety. "They're safe under the watchful eyes of the gods, right? why worry now?" he asked, his voice tinged with a trace of mockery.
"…" Witnessing his performance, Cecil's expression went as stiff as a board. Despite understanding how deceptive the child before her could be, she had not expected him to be bold enough to lampoon her faith. "We're still playing this tiresome game? That was your worst lie yet!"
"Who says I wasn't being sincere…"Damon grumbled with a raised brow. Stroking his chin thoughtfully, a possibility occurred to him. 'Maybe honesty was necessary to gain her help and end this?'
With this realization, Damon took a deep breath, and his expression hardened once more. "I'm sure you've suspected as much, but I wasn't being honest about why we showed up earlier. The Watsons and Detective Rǔchuān actually tasked us to find you after you didn't return home. Our search led us back to your house, and we managed to escort your father to a nearby church safely."
Suddenly, Damon reached up and rubbed his temple. As he resisted the stabbing pain that shot from Cecil's piercing gaze, he continued helplessly, "We couldn't save your mother in time. Everything went sideways when this shadow creature that slightly resembled you dragged us into a nightmare of your school."
"I… killed my mother?… Is that true?"Asked Cecil, her voice shaking.
"No, that thing isn't you!" Damon immediately stood up, refuting the notion.
While that line of thinking was not completely wrong, he did not believe it was an accurate view of the entire picture. These short interactions he had with Cecil's two forms only solidified the idea that the creature was nothing more than the anger and resentment she had suppressed, twisted, and given life by another party's hand.
That could never be who she truly was!
With that said, although Damon genuinely held that belief, it was one Cecil did not seem to share. Breaking eye contact, she cast her somber gaze downward as tears began to well up inside. "I-I..sniff… I did this…" she muttered.
"That man who took advantage of your death is the one responsible, not you!"Damon replied hastily."I don't know why he's doing these things, but I do know this is your only chance of finding peace after all of it is over, maybe even seeing your mother again."
"But..my mother was unfaithful to the Goddess." Cecil wept with swollen eyes, "How could I ever be allowed to see her again?"The very nightmare she had feared came to pass; the light before did not waver. Shining even brighter as the last of the red flickers vanished, Damon smirked and threw his hands up in the air,
"If your goddess would discriminate for lacking faith, I say just discard such a god entirely. Destined Death seems more welcoming, and I happen to know a priest ready to help."
Just as those words left his lips, Cecil watched in awe as their darkness behind him stirred.
At first, it was nothing more than a ripple, then a line of gold traced itself into existence, carving a vertical boundary into the void. Following that, another three lines appeared until the outline of a door fully formed. Its frame towered nearly eight feet high, and at the center of its surface rested a symbol formed from an hourglass with pointed ends suspended within two intersecting loops, curved in the unmistakable shape of infinity. Strangely, the glass held no sand as if time alone bore no weight nor value.
Reacting to her gaze, the door swung open as if the act required no exertion. In the next instant, the void was repainted in a sweeping tide of glossy white.
At the same time, a notification suddenly appeared in Damon's vision.
*********************
[" 3. Anchor the fragment with the host's Life affinity and positive Intent."]
[current progress >>> 100%]
[>>Cecil's Spirit Empowerment (Completed)<<]
["Your final rating is A"]
'So she's finally stabilize huh?'Staring at the runes, Damon felt a surge of triumph but quickly suppressed it. While his struggles had been beneficial, his work was yet to be completed.
He then reached his right out, offering her a hand and said, "Help us, and I'll make sure you both get the peace and justice you deserve."
As warmth radiated from his spiritual energy enveloped her like a blanket, Cecil stared at his outstretched hand and grasped it without hesitation, a smile spreading across her lips.
["Well done, boya,"] Tomoe's voice cut in, a rare note of genuine approval in her tone. ["Now sweep her off her feet and whisk her through that door behind you. The connection won't last forever, and your timer is still going."]
'Door? 'Damon glanced back, confused. The golden door stood waiting, its hourglass symbol seeming to crack with sudden urgency.
"Dammit!"Without ceremony, he bent and lifted Cecil into his arms. She let out a small, surprised yelp but didn't resist, her arms looping around his neck as he turned and ran.
The void shattering as his feet crossed the threshold.
*****
Having broken the resonance, Damon's eyes snapped open to the classroom ceiling. He hunched forward and air flooded his lungs in a ragged gasp, followed by a cough that brought a metallic taste to his tongue.
Unsurprisingly, the toll of the spiritual resonance began to rack his body like a rowing boat fighting at sea.
Cough!
" Don't think I'll ever do that again.. cough…"Wiping the trail of blood from his mouth, Damon shifted his gaze past Henry and towards the adolescent Cecil seated on the piano bench.
Just as his head throbbed in pain, Henry quickly walked next to him, pointing outside, "You're back! Listen, Kruger and Vincent managed to overpower the creature; they're about to deliver the finishing blow!" he exclaimed
"We can't let that happen," Damon shouted. "We have to stop them!"
"Have you gone crazy?? I thought killing that thing was the plan!?" Henry retorted, resisting the urge to retrain his brother.
Without answering, Damon stood up, rushing to lift the newly awakened Cecil in his arms once more. Ignoring the protest of his exhausted body, he increased his spiritual energy reinforcement and leapt through the classroom window.
Glass shattered around them as he hit the ground outside, already sprinting toward the lake and pushing his legs far beyond their natural limits.
"WAIT!" Damon bellowed, wind carrying his shout across the garden, slowly being formed around him
"Wait! Stop!"Behind him, Henry swore under his breath before giving chase, adding his own voice to the cry.
As the duo shouted as if they were hailing a passing carriage, Cecil silently prayed for the goddess to stay the man's hand. Though her faith had been thoroughly shaken, she still held hope that the Goddess would reach her hand out.
Unexpectedly, her soul still carried a trace of blessing.
The warmth in Cecil's spiritual body suddenly intensified with a spark of blue in its golden-white hue, and the priest of Destined Death's silvery eyes quivered. Kruger's attention then shifted to the greenery as Damon appeared through the shrubs.
Phew….Vincent sighed in relief as he laid eyes on his brother. As he had only recently confirmed that unusual beings were drawn to Damon and still did not know why, Marco's advice had led Vincent to agonize over his brother's role in this case.
Fortunately, seeing Damon's condition stripped away any doubts he had. Thus, he quickly collected himself and shifted his eyes to the girl in Damon's arms. Noticing her life affinity pulsed outward and thinned, Vincent briefly recalled the process to restore a damaged soul.
The theory was that if a specter was able to blend their affinities with their spiritual energy, they could then channel that into the soul through resonance to supplement the weakened affinities within. Vincent knew this tended to drain the affinities of the party acting as the supplier if they weren't connected to one of the three orthodox deities.
"I'm impressed he managed to pull it off. How did he…?' Vincnet wondered.
Unaware of his internal struggle, Damon came to a skidding halt at the shore, his chest heaving. Cecil stirred in his arms, her jade eyes opening fully and quickly taking in the muddy bank with the fallen woman pinned beneath Kruger's form.
"Thank you," she whispered, her voice soft but clear.
Before he could react, she slipped from his grasp and stepped forward on her own. Small feet crossed the soft earth toward the fallen adult figure that lay twisted and flickering near the lake's edge.
The creature did not attempt to rise nor recoil as Cecil approached.
Simply watching with unfocused pupils.
Exchanging a glance with adolescent Cecil, Kruger nodded silently and released his grip, offering a moment of reconciliation. He then gestured toward Vincent, and they both walked up to Damon with a leisurely pace as Henry came into view.
"Could someone explain what's happening!?" Henry asked with a deep frown. Inwardly, he began to question the importance of his own presence.
"The separate portions of Cecil Watson's soul are about to merge through resonance," Vincent replied through shaking breaths, lowering the barrier around his brain.
"Once we get out of here, we can discuss the rest."
As if she had been waiting for them to finish conversing, Cecil knelt and took the creature's hand, then said softly, "I haven't been able to remember that man's appearance despite regaining my memories. I believe you might."
"Please, I need you to tell me what you saw. He used our anger to hurt people who played no part in our death."
For a few seconds, awkward silence formed as the creature's jaw twitched.
Tk...! Tk…! Tk…! A hollow clicking sound soon escaped its throat before chilling words followed."He is ... already dead, and they deserved it."
Cecil's fingers tightened slightly around its hand, trembling with every word.
"Did Mother deserve to die, too?"
She did not wait for an answer.
"Thank you for carrying the anger I couldn't feel," she continued, tears spilling freely. "But we don't need it anymore. We have friends willing to be angry for us."
The air around them shuddered, and the sky fractured like painted glass. The ground beneath their feet split into jagged seams, as though the entire scene had been nothing more than a diorama sealed inside a fragile globe.
Cecil ignored it.
With a weary smile that belonged to a lost child, she then proposed, "Why don't we go see Mother together and apologize for being a bad daughter? I'm certain she'll forgive us, like she always does."
The creature stared at her for a long, aching moment. Then, from deep within that cracked form, a softer, almost human voice sounded.
"I… would like that too."