The Link - Six Months Prior

"So you catch it like this?"

"Yes, but with more finesse, like this.".

"Oh, yes, I see. Is this better?"

"Much more so, you're getting good at this," Kilon was praising his brother, Orvus, who was touching upon the depths of wind manipulation. Together, standing in front of the Link, the two blessed brothers, even amongst the Ascended Ones, were sharing a sacred moment. "Soon, you'll be able to not only teach, but perhaps even lead others.".

"Why should I lead? We have you," Orvus was forming small tornadoes in the palm of his hand, his mind and body grasping at the concept by envisioning it.

"We can't stay here, and there is much we can't explore by sticking all together. Some of us will have to go another way, and I believe you to be much capable of leading such a large group," Kilon formed a tornado of his own in the palm of his hand. It was quiet, yet powerful enough to make someone feel pulled towards it. "Try it more like this.".

"Got it!" Orvus managed just that, only a couple of days after Kilon returned to the Link.

"That is good, just a little more work is needed" Kilon looked at his brother's face, joyful and innocent, his eyes were filled with excitement. "Soon. Soon you may lead others, to a paradise of our own," Kilon changed his eyes towards the thousands of siblings training all around the Link. 'My hope is only that you won't fail, for I'm afraid I might.'. Orvus glanced at Kilon, the shallow feeling of one's thoughts protruding his mind, as he could sense the change in Kilon's light. Fear, doubt, uneasiness, those were all feelings he could sense through his light.

'I must lead them, protect them,' his mind found focus through determination, and thus was able to manipulate the wind as Kilon had wanted, only a slight difference was present. "I will lead them Kilon," Kilon looked at him as he spoke those words. "I will protect all of them," Orvus couldn't tell due to focusing on his wind manipulation, but Kilon was also feeling hopeful. That his brother is capable enough, so long as he was willing to listen.

"I trust that you will, brother.".

The Gargantuan Forest - Six Months After

The long appendages of the creature snapped from the water, and headed for the Lightborn near it. They were coloured a deep blue in the remaining setting light, scales covering most of it, except for the palm-like sections at the end, which had something hard to see, shining differently in the light. Manna didn't have to say a word, as an almost natural fear was formed inside all those present, immediately running towards the edge of the forest. From the dozens of Lightborn, three of them were caught by the tendrils. Manna and Felemous weren't willing to sit idle, so they rushed to attack. Following them were Bustomus, Vaalria and Eraanel. Vaalria was still healing Felemous' arm as he was running between the giant tendrils, while Eraanel and Bustomus were heading for the sister Manna and Felemous couldn't.

Once below the giant tendril, Vaalria stopped her healing for Felemous and started to run back, Felemous transmuting light into lightning inside his arm. Within a few seconds, as the appendage was heading towards the water, Felemous was able to form lightning and expel it into its limb, making the monster drop his brother, by the name of Seleus. Of a light-blue glow, Seleus manipulated the wind around him to cushion his fall, Felemous breaking his fall some, as one of the arms caught by the tendril was ripped off of its flesh to the bone. Attached to the palm-like sections of the appendages, there were sharp, curled spikes. Manna kept back two of the tendrils, while Felemous noticed the deep wound of Seleus that was healing too slowly.

"They hurt inside too!" Seleus cried, his ability allowed him to sense with extreme precision anything around him. Given the poison that entered his body, he was able to both destroy it with precision and tell of its effects on his body. Eraanel was able to confirm as much, looking inside the monster's limb and seeing the poison circulating in the many spikes attached to its endings. Bustomus was charging ahead with disregard for his safety, knocking with his shoulders into the tendrils that were spreading all around.

At the same time as Gilaate took Seleus back to safety, Bustomus rammed into one of the giant, main tendrils. Releasing compressed light from the arm he crashed into the tendril with, the impact of the force snapped it backwards and forced it to release his sister. Their sister of a yellow glow, Enoia, fell into Bustomus' arms who was running back towards Eraanel, the tendrils trying to catch him but unable to latch onto him due to the condensed light in his feet being released around them.

"Show me her body," Eraanel demanded once they were at a safe distance, Felmeous running towards them. Looking at her, he was surprised, Enoia smiling at him knowingly. "Your ability saves you once more I see," Eraanel was speaking of her being able to use her light to move her muscles in unnatural ways, effectively allowing Enoia to move her body in peculiar ways. In the case of the spikes, she forced her muscles inwards, managing to avoid them, but at the cost of breaking a few bones, only her skin, which she cut off, was damaged by the poison. Eraanel exchanged glances with Felemous and a couple of nods, then started to run towards Manna, who stood at a safe distance from the beast, watching the unfolding battlefield.

Seeing the failed attack from the creature, Manna was thinking of her next steps. 'I can't see Orvus, the dust is yet to settle, and given the magnitude of the monster, he might've gotten lost between its body.'. Manna had to consider the group that was heading towards them, while also taking care of the current group. The chaos unfolding all around was starting to form in an odd order, only her mind couldn't put it all together. 'What to do?' the pressure was catching up to the feeling of dread she had for the past four suns. If she was to be left as is, she risked freezing in place, 'I'm aware of it,' she thought, even though it was already happening. 'What can I do though?'.

Her thoughts, though, were broken by the sight of Salvete. Passing between the squirming members of the monster, Salvete made her way to Manna trying to attract little to no attention towards her. "Where have you been?!" her words of concern were dulled by the collapsing forces of the lights being shot at the monster's flesh and the storm soon to envelop the lake. The night of retribution upon Orvus cascaded in the numerous lights on that frozen, open piece of land around the lake, and the heavens lit up by the strikes of thunder.

Once she was at a good distance away from the monster, Salvete let her light course through her body, making the cold exit her and allowing the warmth of her light to embrace her once more. "I'm glad to see you sister, but we should have this talk after we deal with him," Salvete was able to point directly to where Orvus was at. "I wanted to attack him, but then I saw him smiling. He was aware enough to where I couldn't approach him no matter how good my disguise, and given what he did to Hargitus, I couldn't risk it," Manna looked down at her with dismay. Her sister didn't trust her judgement to let Felemous kill Orvus, and was willing to sacrifice herself for their salvation. While it wasn't something she wanted, having the multitude of parts moving all around her, it helped Manna snap out of the depth of thought.

"We'll talk about it later, you're right. Now I must make this hard decision," Manna cleared her mind and shook her body, the moment to make one final decision coming closer. Unlike when they travelled across the Frozen Passage, they have endured much pain and suffering. From storms that could be said to be calamities, to beasts that could claim their lives in the spur of a moment. These trials, all the pain and suffering, 'they would be all in vain if we learned nothing from them,' Manna thought. "I think we should attack, even with these numbers," her voice was firm. Salvete could see an unwavering, less foolish determination in her eyes.

"We need a plan though," Eraanel stepped to Manna's right, his eye focused on Orvus, "he has regenerated for some time now, he's just waiting for some reason.". Looking around, Eraanel could see the positions of those present, as well as the lights Orvus used to tame the beast and those attached to the shadow lurkers, some of which were returning from the forest to him. 'Our siblings are winning on their side, good,' he thought. What worried him though, was the abundance of another species, the wopede parasites. "There's a lot more of them in this place than other portions of the forest. Those troubling tree creatures.".

"Do you see anything else? Maybe it's Orvus' doing," Manna questioned.

"If it is, we should be extremely careful about sending our siblings towards this place. We could lose dozens- no, hundreds of our siblings," Salvete added.

"We've warned them not to come on foot if they do," Eraanel responded, "as for these creatures. I count close to a hundred, but that's merely based on the fact that I can't see through certain trees," Eraanel looked around once more just to confirm his thoughts on the matter. "What troubles me is not the number, but that I can't see if they have lights attached to them," Eraanel was thinking of other creatures, more dangerous ones, that could've developed a similar defence, and so did Manna, Slavete and Felemous.

"Unfortunately we no longer have the luxury of anticipating his moves," Salvete took a step forward, taking her daggers out, prepared to give her life. "We have to strike now, or retreat," Salvete was blunt about the ordeal. The looks of the three leading siblings straightened towards the second blessed amongst the Ascended. Salvete had a moment of realisation and looked at Eraanel's clothes.

"Don't worry, she's not here, I left her in a spot I know to be safe," Eraanel assured Salvete of Piki. "Don't let anything distract you, since I believe we should strike him as well," Eraanel opted for the first decision, Salvete approving with a nod.

"I think we should retreat," to Manna's left, Felemous stepped in after ensuring Enoia was safe with Gilaate. While he kept converting light into lightning, his mind changed knowing of the fact that Orvus may still have something prepared. Eraanel frowned at his brother's words, Salvete wanting a good reason, while Manna didn't feel like changing her mind. Her eyes still focused on the brother who hurted them oh so much. "I know how this might sound, coming from me," Felemous looked at Eraanel, then Manna, trying to get her attention, "but on the name of our Creator, I swear I'm willing to kill him.". Manna turned her head towards him, willing to hear his part. "I just know, after fighting him with Bustomus and losing Hargitus, he waited for this.".

"Waited for this?" Manna was intrigued. "How is the majority of us gathering here something he would want?". After her words, rays of light started to make their way through the settling dust from where Orvus stood. "Explain it fast, Felemous, for he is also willing to fight.".

"I don't understand Orvus' actions nor thoughts, but what I'm sure, and you too are definitely sure," Felemous didn't need much more than a look at Manna's face to know explanations were no longer sufficient, "he never fights without a plan.". The sight of Orvus, smiling amidst the chaos, further added to Manna's belief that he should be killed then and there, and that it was the right decision. For no one found the situation good, but Orvus. 'It might be too late then,' Felemous thought, seeing as no one was willing to back away.

'Then,' focusing his mind upon his body, as he transmuted light into lightning, Felemous could find the old paths towards where his left arm should've been. It was a lingering feeling he kept ever since he lost his arm, further accentuated by the light-made impulses stimulating his muscles and the light trying to find the old release points that were his fingers. "We should use everything we have," in the dark that enveloped the cold lake, those present beared witness to the first of their kind to achieve enlightenment in regards to one's ability. It wasn't the simple fact that he strained his ability to the brim, it was the absolute mastery of it that made him stand out. And his mastery was first manifested, then witnessed by everyone, when his left hand caught shape from the shoulder it was missing down to his fingers. Made of four strands of lightning that formed his upper and lower arm, then five strands in place for fingers, Felemous had regained his dominant arm. "The weather is truly sublime," Felemous stated, caught in a trance-like state, staring at the clouds that were crying far away.

It was enough to capture the attention of everyone present. Felemous kept changing the nature of his light into lightning to such a near perfect degree, that it first manifested the missing limb, then enveloped his body as it started to protrude into other aspects of his being. Manna and Salvete were speechless at the sight of their brother, while Eraanel was the only one to know the truth behind this power.

'His soul is being strained,' his eye allowed him to see something which Felemous could only feel throughout his body, 'an immense pain that can't be compared to any physical burden. What's more,' looking at Felemous' light, Eraanel could also tell of the immense concentration Felemous had to give to it. 'His ability takes a heavier strain than even those seventy lights Manna has if used at once,' he could tell.

"Then so be it," Eraanel felt his heart enveloped by a burning sensation, as the doubts for his brother vanished, replaced by his immense gratitude for the sacrifice Felemous was offering, "we shall use everything we have.". Eraanel, while he couldn't achieve the same feat as his brother, he put everything he had in his eye and body.

Salvete realised looking at Felemous and Eraanel that her place wasn't there, so she thought of something else, heading for Gilaate instead. "I couldn't strike him down, but I can allow you to, sister. Just wait for when he bends the knee," pressing the hilt of her dagger onto manna's body, she left with silent, quick steps. Manna couldn't tell what she had in mind, but was placing her trust in Salvete, the eyes of her sister possessing a terrifying focus.

Everything around Manna started to slow down. She could smell the snow melting around Salvete's feet as she ran towards Gilaate. She could see the electric currents enveloping Felemous' body like burapikas digging their way up to the surface with a jump, just so they could go back into the earth. She could hear Eraanel's breath as his body was being strained by the light, a painful reminder of their limits. Looking above, the thundering clouds seemed to glow for an eternity, while the wind around her was telling Manna of things she couldn't understand to no end.

'I wish I could be caught in this eternity,' Manna thought. 'Feeling, hearing, seeing. It's all I need,' time was brought to a halt. There was nothing more to be felt, heard or seen, her mind blurring the very sensation of being. 'Complete desolation. The absolute state of nothingness. There is nothing inside, because there is nothing outside. I don't hate it, nor do I love it, but it's better than the suffering outside this empty space.'. As she imposed the absolute state of being nothing upon herself, Manna felt something disturbing her space.

"They need you," it was a voice she knew all too well.

"They don't. We need Kilon, but he's not here. All I did was to bring ourselves closer to being nothing. If I become nothing before we're consumed by everything, then wouldn't that mean I won?".

"It would mean everything you were, are and will be, is nothing. If nothingness is what you truly wish, then you have succeeded," the voice of her Creator didn't seem disappointed in her.

"Aren't You mad at us, at me? Our purpose is to survive and prosper, that is why You made us," Manna felt confused. "You even tell me that they need me.".

"I'm telling you what you know, for you seem to have forgotten the purpose you gave yourself.".

"The purpose I gave myself?".

"Have I banished you outside?".

"No.".

"Have I told you what to make or do?".

"No, and I understand, it is my fault for stepping out of the light. But You didn't warn us, how were we supposed to know just how cruel it would all be?".

"You remember our talk, that I am sure. So remember, even if I were to tell you-".

"I would never know what it means...".

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

"Do you know what it means?".

"I don't know, at least I think I don't know. I might need some more time. See, feel and hear some more. But when I cease from seeking all of it, I feel at peace, even though it leaves me empty.".

"Then don't cease. Keep walking, outside the light, and beyond. For I have not tied you to a fate. I'm the observer of the Continuous, the Creator of the Ascended and those lesser than them, the First Spark and the Chaser of Terrors. You who walks the Continuous, shall know despair, pain and even death. But in the name of the Absolute, I promise you, my strong daughter, as the Great Spark, there is hope.".

"I can't see hope, oh Creator. Even now, when everyone is willing to give their lives for a better future, I still linger in doubt.".

"Then don't linger. Waiting in nothingness will not allow you to see hope. Lingering in doubt will not let you push to a greater certainty. You must endure and suffer, for they are your hope and they offer you certainty.".

Time started to move once more. Everything around Manna started to regain its natural rhythm as she felt all her lights coursing through her body, only hers present in her mind. "There is no time like now," her glow was telling of the power her being was withholding, "and no better tomorrow. The only certainty we have is that which others can hold in regards to us.". In front of Manna, Orvus was making his way to face his siblings, the glow of the cold moon standing against that of the sun that was Manna. "Even I held certainty into someone, Orvus. And even if I'm betrayed time and time again, I will face my own uncertainty of who you are.". Eraanel and Orvus were able to notice it, as Orvus was a mere twenty metres away from them. Manna surged her light throughout her body, then into one of the blades of the spear. "For this moment, we have all prepared in our way, so that we may keep on living for a better today," her words were followed only by silence, not even the skies daring to disrupt the moment set in their history.

"How my heart trembles when I see you, brothers, sister. Standing in direct opposition of my very purpose to allow us a life inside a paradise, is telling me of the fear you all have that I must cure through death," Orvus formed at each of his side tornadoes, rising twice his height from the ground, his voice a whisper between the winds.

Manna and Eraanel didn't know what he was speaking of, but given that Felemous was still willing to kill him after they talked, they didn't need to question him further. "So, must we fight? If a better tomorrow is what you wish for, simply give me your light, and then those of our siblings," his demands were supposed to be met by silence, but since he was still standing, Manna knew Salvete needed more time.

"And what will you do with them?" Manna mustered to ask, the flow of her lights under strict control as to not burst out of her body. "What good is having all of our lights, if it's only you that is alive, Orvus?".

"Much good, I tell you," Orvus took a step forward, Mann and Eraanel taking two back. "You should understand it more than anyone here, Manna," Eraanel and Felemous looked at her, confused by his statement. "Have you not told them?".

"Tell them what?" unbeknownst to Orvus, there was no curse lingering in the lights which Manna had. Up to that point, he only assumed Manna could just handle them better. Not that his siblings chose to curse him where they didn't her. Manna's eyes changed in confusion, the hidden meaning which Orvus believed her to know, nowhere to be found but in Felemous who spoke with him.

"The pain!" Orvus shouted, his voice an amalgamation of sadness, painful sorrow and desperation. He clutched at his chest with his left hand, letting one of the tornadoes vanish. "The torment of the lights which you possess, do not pretend you can't feel it Manna!". From the left of Orvus, Eraanel noticed clouds of snow being kicked up in the air, and briefly the sight of a couple faint lights.

"I'm not pretending about anything," Manna tightened her grip on her spear, her light starting to accumulate in the second, left, blade of the spear. "You still haven't answered me thus, what do you want with our lights? For what purpose do you steal our dear lives?".

"I do not steal them," Orvus was angered by the statement, his eyes letting out sparks in a frantic manner, "I want to guide them, towards a place which doesn't know pain nor death.". Orvus extended his left hand as he maintained his tornado with the right one, light gathering at the tips of his fingers "Thus you mustn't struggle, for my solution brings salvation. For us, and those which wander to a place unknown to us.".

As Orvus took one more step forward, so did Manna. 'She must be close,' Manna thought 'I must keep his attention on me.'. Once a couple metres apart, Orvus didn't attempt to steal nor weaken her light, Felemous was behind Manna. He couldn't move from the place he was standing for the smallest attempt at releasing energy in any manner, would be met with outbursts of energy from the inside. "If I am to give myself, and my lights, to you Orvus, will you leave our siblings alone?".

To convince him further of her intentions, Manna had to hide some of the energy she was ready to release. In order to do it, she had to rely on the past experiences of the lights she possessed. While it wasn't anything reliable she could fall back onto, since none of her fallen siblings had to deal with such amounts of energy, she was still able to suppress it by coursing the lights around her body as fast as possible.

Orvus smiled at her, Manna extending her hand ready to grasp at his. But then the light at Orvus' tips erupted, trying to pierce Manna's chest. Her reactions, though, were sharpened to the edge, so she had time to expel light from all around her body, diverging the lights in other directions and allowing Manna to fall back, next to Felemous. "For a moment I was ready to believe you sister," Orvus stood at a far enough distance to not be able to attempt stealing their lights, but close enough to use his lights the best he could. "Then again, you were never good at hiding your strength," the facade fell before it had time to show its worth, though her attempt gave Salvete enough time.

From behind, Orvus could feel strength leaving his knees, as he fell to the ground. He was trying to make sense of it all, the pain of crushed muscles delayed by the amount of lights overflowing his mind with information. "We got both of them by accident," Salvete spoke from behind Orvus, Gilaate holding Salvete on her back and her fists enhanced by the light. Orvus tried to turn around and grasp at their lights, but they were gone before he had time to even look.

The very next moment, Felemous was upon Orvus after a single leap forward, his knee striking his skull, releasing electricity throughout his whole body. In the span of the same moment, Felemous descended his reformed arm onto his back, the force of it greater than his right arm, while the shock of the lightning exploded in flames as it burned the air below and above Orvus.

Even so, Orvus was still able to move, clutching Felemous' leg and draining his light. Felemous transmuted lightning into the stolen light, making Orvus suffer for his futile attempt. Yet he couldn't stay around him too long, for he risked being drained before Orvus went down. So he freed himself from his grasp and jumped back to where Manna ran from.

"Below his chest! Right at the centre!" Eraanel cried, telling Manna of the point of convergence for Orvus' lights. "If you strike him there, he will fall!" her brother promised. Orvus was struggling to both regenerate the injuries caused by Felemous, and manage the transmuted light that had to cycle through his body before being expelled.

Manna didn't allow him to recover, plunging her twin headed spear into his chest. Not knowing of what it did, given the glow of the light inside and around the blades, Orvus assumed the worst and used a most draining yet effective use of his light. By releasing them without control, the lights created a veil of sorts that spread itself disproportionally from his body. The power of such offensive means would be lacking at best, but with the many lights he possessed, it was enough to blast Manna and some of the ground below him away. The force was nothing Manna couldn't handle, the issue was that it allowed Orvus to deal with Felemous' attack.

'The three of them are stronger than me,' Orvus admitted to himself. 'Meaning,' he looked at his other siblings, still fighting the monster that was close to the point of collapse, 'I just have to put into action my plan earlier than I wanted.'. Orvus stood up the next moment, releasing rays of light from the palms of his hands towards the three of them. While they seemed aimless and desperate, Eraanel was first to notice the purpose of those rays, as the lights of his brethren were being dragged into Orvus due to them acting as incredible extensions of Orvus' body. In a matter of a few seconds, Orvus was able to steal the lights of three more siblings, four resisting his power as they were further away.

"Manna!" Felemous cried for his sister, "We must attack at the same time!". Manna nodded and together, Manna from the right, Felemous from the front, assaulted their brother. Orvus felt empowered by the new lights, enhancing his body and mind for a couple of minutes.

'Here they come, there they go,' his eyes weren't on those attacking him, but those fleeing deeper into the forest to avoid his attacks. Felemous and Manna coordinated their attacks. Manna from above, Felemous from below, they unleashed the power of their lights. Orvus stopped Manna's strike by manipulating wind below her feet and making her slip, while for Felemous he had to release a powerful ray of light meant to pierce him.

Manna fell forward, but landed on her left hand and turned her body around with a kick, striking Orvus in his abdomen with the power of thirty lights. Felemous released a lightning from the palm of his own hand, piercing through the ray of light, dispersing it and shocking Orvus' hand. The combined force of their strikes ripped Orvus off of his abdominal muscles and cracked his hand's bones. Orvus felt overwhelmed by their attacks, which continued as Felemous proceeded with his upper attack to Orvus' heart, while Manna pierced through his legs with her lower spear strike. The light inside her spear imploded inside Orvus, destroying his limbs.

"Get away, both of you!" Eraanel warned, and both obeyed, as Orvus released powerful bursts of light from his body in an attempt to grab at their lights and steal them, especially from Manna. After the lights dimmed off, both of them rushed once more, Eraanel noticing the odd fact that Orvus was still conserving his light.

'More defensive towards him, more offensive towards her,' Orvus thought, releasing rays of light towards Felemous to keep him away, while trying to steal from Manna's light in order to recuperate. Felemous was able to dodge by kicking the ground with one leg, then the other, the force of it making his body jump around like a wild lightning on the ground. Manna, on the opposite side, used her light infused spear to disrupt the way of Orvus' light towards her. Both siblings were managing Orvus fine, but Eraanel, following the little details of their bodies, was able to tell that it was all going into Orvus' favour.

'It's only a matter of time until either of them falls to the ground from the strain,' he could tell. 'Then the larger issue remains with Orvus being able to steal light. If Manna slips even for a moment, she risks being overwhelmed by him,' as Eraanel assessed the situation, Orvus felt something through one of his wopede parasites.

'Nowhere near what I wanted, but it will have to do,' as he thought that, Felemous reached Orvus once more and struck him twice, once with his right leg crashing on top Orvus' back, then followed by his left fist to his face. Orvus felt the lightning melting parts of his brain and shattering his spine. He had to offer a great portion of his lights towards regeneration alone, so he wouldn't die after one of Felemous' strikes. This made him lose focus on Manna, and Manna took the occasion to close in the distance as well, preparing to plunge her spear below his chest area. 'There, perfect' Orvus thought amidst all of it, and the three siblings confronting Orvus could only hear the screams of their siblings, as the forest thundered in harmony with the sky.

Inside the forest, to where the small group of Lightborns, numbering fifty four, ran to, wopede parasites crashed upon them and butchered the disoriented group. Orvus wanted to keep it until at least a few hundred were near, but given Manna, Felemous and Eraanel's combined powers, he had to grasp at every single strand of power he could lay his hands upon.

Manna and Felemous were pushed away by the immense insurgence of lights that were coming into Orvus' body. "It's less accurate and it needs me to focus a great deal of energy towards it," Orvus spoke, his voice filled with a power that only Kilon had felt when he travelled in the Whistling Valley. "But with those parasites, given their simple nature, I'm able to coordinate them better, and perform other actions with the strands of lights I attach," the only difference was that Orvus, who kept control over multiple lights, connections and beasts all the time, "thus I'm able to steal and control their lights from afar, once they're dead of course.".

Standing before the three siblings, alone given their whole group was killed, was a Lightborn that had sole control over a hundred and twenty lights. He couldn't steal all of them, some lights resisting even after death, but it was more than enough for Eraanel to say that "We lost...".

Orvus looked at the faces of his siblings. Manna was horrified by the sight of Orvus, Eraanel dropped to his knees defeated, but Felemous was still frowning and fighting inside his mind on what to do. "You still choose to fight brother?" Orvus felt his body lifting off the ground, the power of the lights creating enough energy below him to lift him high above. "Can't you see? I was right. If I keep all their lights inside, not you, Manna or even Kilon can stand against me, and that's not a bad thing," Orvus lowered his body. In his mind, there was nothing either of them could do, and if they tried, his ability to steal lights was furthered by the massive amounts of lights he possessed. "Accept it peacefully, and let me guide your light as well.". If not for his ominous intentions, to someone Orvus was looking almost like godly entity.

Felemous felt overwhelmed by the power emanated through Orvus' body. The closer he got, the stronger he could feel his own strain upon the body. Orvus was not impervious to the strain, but due to this ability to be efficient in light manipulation, he could stay in the state Manna was when she received her lights much longer. It was the image of omnipotence, further enhanced by the flowing light coming out of his eyes, going up towards the sky and forming a mane of light around Orvus' head.

Felemous looked at the sky, felt the first few drops of water coming down his forehead, most of them evaporated due to Orvus. He looked at Eraanel's hopeless expression and Manna's frozen legs, then at Orvus, who's face still had traces of a daunting pain. "Do you remember, brother?" Felemous asked him. "The way I told you I felt after the storm had passed?".

"I do," Orvus, in spite of his newfound power, couldn't for a moment stop the torment inside his mind, further accentuated by the new lights. "I feel it, now hundreds of times over. Every moment of the day," Felemous sent an electric current towards Manna and Eraanel through the ground, using his light as a conduit, as Orvus spoke with his eyes looking elsewhere. "Do you still think of them?" Orvus asked him back, his eyes fixated on Felemous. Felemous caught the attention of the other two, who saw him pointing upwards. Eraanel realising what he wanted to do, seeing the gathering energies in the sky, gestured Manna to lay low.

"I do, and seeing you like this," Felemous extended his arms for a hug, letting go of the lightning he converted, his left arm disappearing, "reminds me why we're brothers.". Orvus was much more sensitive towards the changes of the soul with all his lights, so when he felt no malice from Felemous, but plain sadness and pain, he wanted it too, one last hug.

"I'm sorry brother, that you too have to suffer like I do, no matter how little," the mane made of lights cried with Felemous, sparks of light climbing into the darkness of the night and slowly fading away. "Let's see each other once again, when all the pain and suffering is gone.".

"Let us then," suddenly, Felemous' whole body enveloped itself in lightning, his left arm reforming in an odd shape as he lacked the necessary focus. Orvus thought it was a desperate attempt to allow Manna and Eraanel escape, so he wanted to let him indulge in his false hope a little more. But, once he heard the strikes of thunder, he realised his mistake. While the shock of Felemous' lightning was powerful, Orvus had plenty more strength to break free, and so he released extreme amounts of energy from his hands. It was enough to destroy sections of Felemous' body, but Felemous didn't let go, and instead reformed the lost sections with more lightning.

"Let go!!" Orvus screamed, terrified of what was about to happen. He struggled in his brother's arms, releasing condensed light time and time again. He destroyed his whole body in the process, yet Felemous kept reforming it into lightning. In just a couple of moments, Felemous transformed his body into living currents of electricity. The only parts remaining solid were his head, neck and a portion of his chest, his eyes staring the intention to kill and die.

"For you brother, I burn my soul," the sky was lit alive for the first time that night, and with it, the descent of a power that only one Lightborn could control, "so accept my sacrifice with your heart!". The next moment, lightning struck where Felemous was, guided and attracted by his own. Orvus screamed in pain as his body was being disintegrated, but Felemous knew it wasn't enough, so he kept burning his body and soul, drawing more of the heavens' power. The whole forest was brought alive by brilliant lights shining upon the sky, converging towards a central point. Soon, rain followed, yet the storm kept being drawn to that point, Manna using the whole of her power to manipulate the winds and every bit of strength towards it, her tears lost in the violent winds.

Orvus felt his bones cracked open by the power of the lightning strikes, while the winds didn't allow him to escape in any manner, tearing the little flesh that wasn't burnt apart. Felemous was feeling his head disappearing, the last sight he got of Orvus, was of him crying. Not because of the intense pain, but because he was feeling the dread of failure encroaching upon him. With the last bit of awareness Felemous had, he used his soul to talk with Orvus. "I'm sorry brother. You didn't give us a choice," Orvus' conscience was fading, Felemous' words could be felt by Orvus but not heard. "But neither did we, so forgive us, me. For I forgive you.". Amidst all of it, Orvus found his soul split by his brother's power.

Where the storm was converging, the light of the lightning strikes were reaching a blinding high. And, in a flash of light more powerful than the Link itself, the earth trembled with shatterting ferocity. Manna felt her body shaken to the core, while Eraanel thought he might crumble. Gilaate and Salvete were a good distance away, where the main group was at, even so, the earth shook slightly there as well. The Lightborns there watched the skies from afar up to that moment.

"They're dead," Eraanel was once again the first to notice, the storm not passing for a while. "Not even their souls, nothing. I can't see anything that is them," his eye was infused with all the light he had. He wanted to ensure that Felemous might be alive, and that Orvus was dead. "Why can't I find him though?!". Eraanel found himself frustrated, in denial of what Felemous did.

"Don't be foolish brother," Manna approached, hunched over from the strain, her body glowing oddly as her lights were hard to control, "he used his whole being, no, perhaps more than that to kill Orvus. So let's respect his sacrifice.". Eraanel knew all too well, yet he couldn't believe Manna was speaking in such a manner. Her stare was cold and the little marks their tears leave around the eyes were almost healed.

"Are you restraining yourself? It's fine, you can cry sister," Eraanel assured her, placing his left hand on her back as they both walked towards the place. The storm was broken with a few gestures of her hand. Even though she wasn't good at it, she used her spear as a point of focus, thus was able to perform better than with her hands alone.

"Crying blinds us Eraanel. It disturbs our vision," Manna approached the spot where lightning struck the most, not even ashes present there. "We should look at what happened, and learn from it. If we cry over these things, h-how," even though she wanted to, she couldn't contain her tears. Both of them dropped to their knees, embracing the other to feel less of the cold brought by the dreadful night.