"You've returned."

The group was met by Karteira, Dramia, Drania, and Senia in front of the portal leading to Noctelagia.

"We're back."

A grave expression on his face, Orion walked between the four women. Following behind him shortly after, Amelia came out of the portal. Then Henrietta, finishing with Olivia and her maid squad.

Suddenly, without giving a glance toward the others, Olivia walked toward the portal to Lahro. Orion glanced over his shoulder, and faintly smiled before continuing on his way toward the cracked opening Miasma had left behind.

As she entered the portal with her maids, Karteira blinked, before hurriedly rushing toward Orion.

"Is everything ready?"

"Yes. All that is left for us is to fight Miasma."

Dramia and Drania spread their wings, lifting their body off the ground. They joined Orion, floating at the same speed he walked at, over his shoulders.

"Are you sure you don't want us to help you?"

"Don't you need us?"

The twins asked with concern clearly apparent on their faces.

Without a word, Orion shook his head.

"You can't go without us! You know what will happen if we lose you! Won't you reconsider?"

Senia, swimming in the air thanks to her water magic, moved in front of Orion and tried to reason with him.

"I knew you would be the one to refuse this idea."

With a stern expression, Orion continued without entertaining her request.

This was the first time they were met with a distant Orion after entering a relationship with him.

Dejected, Senia moved out of the way, and swam next to him with pleading eyes.

Karteira slowed down, and matched the speed at which Amelia was walking at. In a soft and quiet voice, she asked her friend.

(Is he alright?)

Nodding at her, Amelia answered shortly after.

(He's most likely trying to alleviate their worries.)

(Why? It would be simpler to surround Miasma while we can, and kill him before he can do anything, isn't that right?)

This time, Amelia frowned and shook her head.

(You know that this is impossible)

(...)

Karteira looked down, before sighing in defeat.

(I know... This is the monster that killed a Hero. Even with all of us surrounding him, he would win.)

(Exactly. Orion doesn't want to lose anyone else. The fact is, only you and me are strong enough to support Orion. The more he had to protect, the less efficient he will be.)

With a nod, Karteira agreed.

(I don't want to see them die either...)

As the three in front were met with constant rejection, they finally gave up as a silhouette formed in the distance.

Waiting at the same spot he was, Elliott opened his eyes, and turned around.

Orion and Elliott's gazes met, signaling that they would soon enter the rift.

A few minutes later, the group arrived in front of the large opening. Orion stopped, before putting his hands into his pockets. It was an unusual action coming from him.

Amelia, Karteira, Dramia, Drania, and Senia noticed for the very first time an apprehensive Orion.

A single bead of sweet resisted the pull of gravity on his forehead, as his gaze settled on the cracking rift. His palms were sweaty, and his breath grew hotter and heavier.

They could only watch with a knot in their throat, as Orion stood in front of his destiny, knowing deep in their heart that the outcome of this battle heavily pressured him.

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"I know it might sound contradictory, but I will ask nonetheless."

Elliott caught his attention, asking him one last question before leaving the realm.

"Why not leave this matter to me alone? You've done far more than anyone else to protect this continent. I believe it is in your right to refuse this battle."

"..."

Orion glanced at him with a defeated smile.

"I cannot ignore it. You know exactly why."

Elliott gave him a sympathetic smile, and nodded. In silence, his eyes shifted forward.

The reason Orion was unable to ignore Miasma was Tetra. Because of one mistake, one single moment of carelessness, a member of his family died.

Even if the road ahead led to his demise, Orion would at least feel proud of his achievements, and happily accept his fate. But not before ripping the life out of Miasma, watching as his breath stops permanently.

He owed it the Tetra.

"I'm ready."

Orion opened his mouth, and uttered the coldest tone to ever leave his mouth.

"Amelia, Karteira, and Henrietta. You are coming with us."

His back turned to Dramia, Drania, and Senia, he continued.

"..."

He glanced over his shoulder as a moment of hesitation sneaked into his heart.

The three appeared depressed at first glance, yet, inside, they were cheering for them. Even if they were unable to be present during the battle, their hearts would be fighting alongside him.

Not knowing if this would be the last time they saw him, they gently approached.

Orion turned around slowly, as the first of the three jumped into his arms as he opened them widely.

Dramia was the first to leap into his right arm. Without a word, Drania gently took the left side, before both rested their head on his face.

"Don't imitate Noah."

Drania opened her mouth, her eyes glistening with tears.

"We've had enough with his death. Don't make us regret choosing you."

Tightly stuck to his chest, Dramia kept her eyes closed, before separating herself from Orion. With a swift movement, she grabbed the collar of her twin sister, and walked away.

Usually, Drania would throw a fit at being dragged by her sister, but this time, all she could do was watch Orion's silhouette slowly drift away.

His heart ached, seeing the tears of the two sisters drop from their cheeks unto the grass.

But there was another person waiting. Senia.

She was a mess. Her beautiful face was reduced to a cramped expression trying to reproduce a smile she failed to force out.

With a single glance, he knew that, as the kindest and most pure lady of the group, accepting his potential death would be close to impossible.

No one was fooled. From the moment Orion awakened from his fight against Elliott, they were told that his death was inevitable. Only, this time, he would bring down the source of the curse placed upon this continent.

Without a word, Senia approached Orion, and hugged him with the most heartfelt feelings a young woman could bring out.

Her warmth appeased some of Orion's trouble, even though a little.

"Don't... die. I need you..."

Placing his hand on her back, he pressed her against him, returning the hug in full.

"I don't plan to. I'll do what I can to return in one piece."

The two broke away after a minute of silence.

Giving one last gaze at the siren, Orion requested only one thing.

"Tell May and Deveralna, 'I'm sorry'."

Senia shook her head.

"You better return and tell them yourself. Those two won't take it kindly that you went ahead without telling them."

A faint smile formed on his face, before disappearing a second later.

He turned around, doing his best to sever his emotions, as Senia's sobbing voice entered his ears.

'Goodbyes are so... painful.'

Taking the first step, Orion walked past Elliott, and entered the rift first.

"I guess this is it..."

Amelia said, giving a sympathizing glance toward Senia, and the twins hugging each other in the distance.

As she turned around, she spoke quietly.

(I'm not ready to let him die, either.)

She was the second person to go through the cracked portal.

"..."

His hand on Vanitas, and a death glare, Elliott followed shortly after, heaviness in his footsteps. The assumption that his father succumbed to his wounds caused this terrible situation.

With a conviction incomparable to anything he ever set out to accomplish, Elliott walked disappeared into the rift, willing to put his life on the line to rectify the wrongs Miasma caused.

"We should also follow."

"After you."

Henrietta and Tetra entered the rift in turn, with the quiet will to protect Orion from his unjust fate.

After staring at the giant opening for a few minutes, the three women turned back, wiping their tears away, which continued to flow endlessly.

...

Orion walked out of the portal, rapidly observing his surrounding.

"..."

His posture relaxed slightly, as nothing appeared to move in the vicinity.

'I thought Miasma would set an ambush the moment I would step out of Horizon, but it's best to be cautious in case something were to happen.'

The others rapidly followed, until Karteira, the last one to walk out, looked at the sky.

"Dark purple sky..."

Amelia quickly concluded the same thing as everyone else, speaking her thoughts aloud.

"We're in Eogis..."

Under the massive dome of corrupted energy erected by Miasma, it was impossible to ignore this fact.

Elliott turned around, looking in the direction of the largest battlefield, bigger than the Southern Invasions ever managed to pull out from the snowy breeding ground.

'What a mess. The particles of magic in the air are choking full of the light element. What did you create that managed to destroy the land this much?'

As reading the flow of magic in the air was his specialty, Elliott saw the entire battlefield with his sixth sense.

Surprised appeared on his face, as he noticed a low casualty count from the humans.

'...'

A faint smile appeared on his face, as he turned around, staring into the depth of the darkened land.

'You've underestimated the power of humans greatly.'

'Even with the help of Agathion members, they survived the full assault of Miasma's entire army of corrupted.'

While Miasma's plan wasn't to annihilate the entire human faction, Elliott couldn't feel very proud of their accomplishment.

'Separating us, to access Tetra while we are looking away... This humiliation, it's still freshly engraved in my mind.'

Elliott killed many people, including Orion's parents. Yet, this came about unwillingly to begin with. Tetra's death was a cold blade hitting at his sides. It was avoidable.

"Let's go."

Orion's cold words woke him up from his thinking. As he snapped his finger, a portal appeared in front of him.

"Since my portal works again inside this dome, let's move closer to where he went."

It's destination: the beach where he found his mother.