Delythena's POV
"And on top of that...That's why it's called a curse because there's always a price to pay." She adds.
"But why did the ruler of the spirits say that this is also a gift?" I said.
"The gift part you can use it if you want to end the fight, because when the fire spirit takes over, the battle will surely end. No matter what, no one can defeat the fire spirit" she said.
But I don't know how to react, and I don't know what to feel, because there is always a price to pay. I could only let out a deep sigh.
"The last one is the aether spirit" she whispered which surprised me.
"Huh? The last one? A fifth spirit? There's such a thing? Aether spirit?" I asked her one question after another, thinking there were only four elements.
She nodded. "There is a fifth element, and that is aether. And yes, you also possess the fifth element." What she said shocked me even more.
"I only found out now" I muttered in disbelief the ruler of the spirits never mentioned anything about this.
"What abilities does the aether spirit have?" I couldn't help but ask.
"All of them" she answered, which only made me more curious.
"All of them? I thought omni power already meant everything" I said.
"That's true, but aether is included in that because you can't really call it omni power without it, it's what completes all the elements," she explained.
"So, what exactly is the main ability of the aether?" I asked for clarification.
"It can make the impossible possible." I was amazed by what she said.
"Can I also summon her?" I asked.
"Depends" she replied.
"What do you mean, depends?" I asked, curious.
"You'll know the answer when the time comes. You don't need to summon her because she'll come to you herself" she said.
"So, if the aether's ability is everything, then why is the fire spirit the one everyone fears? The most dangerous?" I asked, curious.
She smiled. "Because aether isn't a curse, and we've never actually met or seen the aether spirit the ruler of the spirits only told us about it" she explained. That intrigued me even more.
"Why?" I asked.
"The ruler of the spirits said you can't see aether unless you need it. No one has needed it yet, so no one has seen it only the ruler of the spirits has" she added. I nodded in understanding.
Even though I still had many questions in my mind, I forced myself not to ask. After all, almost all of them said the same thing that the answer was right in front of me all along.
After a long conversation with the air spirit, she taught me how to use the wind from the basics to the more difficult techniques. Once I had learned, she told me about the important things regarding air abilities.
"You can summon me whenever you want me to create the strongest wind not just strong, but overwhelming" she said, and I nodded in response.
When our meeting ended, she sent me back.
"My lady" Zadkiel called out as I returned. "What happened to you? Where have you been?" he asked, clearly worried.
I didn't answer right away, but he just looked at me closely and it seemed like he immediately understood the answer because he really knew what had happened.
"Let's go back so you can rest" he said, and I nodded.
We've been home for a while now, and I'm here in my room, still unable to sleep because I keep thinking about everything the air spirit said.
I'm curious about the Aether spirit because I still don't really understand or know how to use the power it holds if I truly am possessed by the element of Aether.
A moment later, I suddenly remembered the book in my possession. I quickly took it out and opened it. Without a second thought, I began to write my question. I already knew exactly what I wanted to ask, and I also knew that only one question was allowed for now.
"Who is behind all the chaos here?"
That was the question I immediately wrote in the book.
Then, suddenly, the book began to write its answer.
"She's coming tomorrow"
She? And who could it be?
It wasn't long before the book closed on its own again. I let out an exasperated sigh, annoyed that even the book refused to give direct answers.
Still, I couldn't help but feel intrigued by its answer. So, will I know who it is by tomorrow?
The next day.
I was awakened by the loud commotion of people in the palace.
"Lady Delythena!" I was startled when Tia came running toward me, out of breath and visibly terrified.
"What is it? What's going on?" I asked in confusion.
"Lady Delythena, we're under attack not just by two or five enemies, but by an entire army of unknown creatures!" she cried, leaving me stunned.
So, this is it?
I rushed to the window to see for myself, and I was shocked at the sight countless dark-clad beings, each with glowing green veins running through their arms. It had to be that illusion woman again.
When I stepped out of my room, the palace was in chaos people were running everywhere, and the guards were fighting off the enemy.
"Where's Zadkiel?" I asked Tia.
"The Supreme Ruler is fighting outside" she replied.
I went out and saw everyone battling the creatures, but no matter how hard they fought, the enemies kept coming back and multiplying. I spotted Zadkiel in the middle of the fray, but even his flames had no effect on them.
"Delythena!" I turned when someone called my name.
"Savena" I said as she approached. "What are you doing here?" I asked.
"The Obsidian Citadel needs those with power the entire empire is under siege" she said, shocking me to the core.
"What in the world is happening? How did it come to this?" I muttered, watching the chaos unfold. So many people were already wounded, and even the healers were overwhelmed, barely able to keep up.
"Let's fight" Savena urged, and I nodded without hesitation. Together, we joined the battle. Everyone was caught up in the fight almost all the enchanters were here, even Azmier and Crisella, since the entire empire was under attack.
"Argh!" I glanced toward Savena as an enemy struck her, sending her flying. Frustrated, I whipped up a gust of wind that blasted the attacker far into the sky.
I rushed to Savena and helped her to her feet. To my shock, she was badly wounded not just a minor scratch, but a serious injury.
"We need a healer here!" I called out urgently to the others.
But no healers came everyone was already overwhelmed, and some were growing weak themselves.
"I'm fine, don't worry. Take care of yourself first. I'll wait here for the healer" she said weakly, which made me restless seeing my friend in such a state.
I closed my eyes and let out a deep sigh.
"I've got this" I said, surprising her.
"What are you going to do?" she asked, but I didn't answer. Instead, I placed my palm over the wound on her arm. I focused on my power, and before I could even fully release it, Savena's wound vanished.
What just happened?
"Delythena, that's amazing! You healed my wound! You actually know how to heal?" Savena asked, as if nothing had happened, her strength already returning.
Weird
"I'm glad you're okay now" that's all I could say.
"Thank you so much, Delythena" she said as she hugged me, and I hugged her back. "Now I have the strength to keep fighting because of you. Let's finish this battle, Delythena" she said, releasing me and returning to the fight.
I was out of myself as I returned to the fight, but amid the battle, I couldn't help but wonder because deep down, I knew I wasn't the one who actually healed Savena. Aside from the fact that I'm still untrained in healing, I didn't even feel my power come out when I placed my palm on her wound. From what I knew, power only manifests when there's an actual injury, so I was puzzled about what had just happened.
"My lady" I was snapped out of my thoughts when Zadkiel called me.
"Huh?" I replied.
"I've been calling you for a while now. Are you alright?" he asked with concern.
"I'm fine" I replied, though I really wasn't. "When will this ever end?" I asked, looking around as the enemies seemed endless.
"This will never end because it's an illusion" he said, and I turned to face him, surprised by his words.
"An illusion?" I asked.
"No matter how much we fight, it's pointless it's all just illusions, draining our strength" he explained. "What we really need to do is destroy the source of this illusion before our energy is completely gone."
"But that's the problem we've been facing all along" I said as I kept fighting. "We can't find or locate that illusion woman unless she reveals herself."
A moment later, the words of the Question Teller suddenly echoed in my mind:
"Don't be blinded by illusion; instead, create an illusion to catch the illusion."
The phrase repeated over and over in my head.
"How can you tell if something is an illusion just by looking at it?" I asked Zadkiel.
"If your eyes see something, but your other senses say it's not there, it's probably a magical illusion" he replied.
That's when an idea suddenly struck me.
"I have an idea and I think I know how we can finally catch the illusion woman" I said, which made Zadkiel turn to me with interest.
"What is it?" he asked.
I smirked.
I looked around the chaos still raging, everyone too caught up in battle to notice anything else.
If I can't defeat the illusion... then I'll create one of my own to find out who truly controls it.
I closed my eyes, trying to sense the illusion's presence. But its effect was too strong, too layered even my senses felt like they were being shielded. So, I opened my eyes again and carefully scanned my surroundings. Every detail. Every movement.
Then I saw it something subtle, something off.
And I smiled.
Finally... this is what I've been waiting for.
I positioned my hands and slowly summoned three elements water, earth, and air. I merged them together, forming a vast forest that spread out in every direction, shocking everyone around me. I created a great river, surrounded by a soft breeze that danced through the trees.
"What's happening?" voices murmured in confusion.
A moment ago, we were outside the Obsidian Citadel now we stood in the heart of a forest. And just as I had suspected, the enemies began to vanish, one by one, fading into nothing.
"What did you do?" Zadkiel asked, astonished, as he approached with Crisella close behind.
"You created this?" Azmier questioned, clearly taken aback.
"I made an illusion" I replied.
They all looked at me in disbelief.
"You know how to cast illusions?" Crisella asked, raising an eyebrow.
But before I could even answer, I felt it my power stirring, pulling me closer to the one behind all of this.
It wasn't long after the last of the creatures vanished that the surroundings began to change. The bright forest I had created slowly dimmed... until everything was swallowed by darkness pure, suffocating darkness.
"HAHAHAHA."
We all froze at the sound of the laugh. Cold. Echoing. And unmistakable.
I knew that laugh.
It was her.
A figure began to float before us a woman cloaked in green, her face hidden beneath a veil. The Illusion Woman had finally shown herself.
"You're too impatient, Delythena" she said, floating effortlessly in the air. "You really couldn't resist searching for me. But it seems there's no escape for me in this revelation." Her voice carried a calm confidence fear was nowhere to be found.
"Who are you really? And why are you doing all of this?" I asked her directly.
"I thought I might still get some answers from you but look at that, you found me too quickly. You're too clever, Delythena and that's exactly what I hate most" she replied sharply.
"Just tell me!" I demanded, intensifying the energy of the illusion I had created, causing her to weaken and stumble.
"HAHAHAHAH, don't get too comfortable, Delythena" she said, even as she sank down to the ground.
I slowly stepped closer to her, my frustration growing.
"I don't understand why you're doing this, dragging innocent people into your chaos" I said sharply, my anger rising. I closed the distance until I was standing right in front of her.
"I've told you before I want to rule this world" she said arrogantly.
"I won't let that happen" I replied firmly.
"Of course, not because you've been meddling since the moment I met you" she said with a smirk, which surprised me.
"Who are you really?" I asked, slowly removing the cloak and veil from her face. She let me do it without resistance.
When I finally unveiled her, I gasped.
"No way." I muttered in disbelief.
She stood up, revealing her full form. Her body was veined with glowing green lines. I couldn't believe what I was seeing I finally understood.
"What the—?!" my companion exclaimed in shock.
She smirked.
"Savena" I said, stunned.