Merin awoke, her heart heavy with a profound sense of regret. The tranquility of her previous slumber was a far cry from the turmoil that now consumed her.

Her mind raced with what she saw before the world turned dark.

Red appeared out of thin air and murdered a man she thought of as a foster grandfather. But he was neither a man nor someone to care about. How could she stomach the fact that she ignorantly cared for that imposter?

The crack in Red's regular mask showed an expression only the Emperor of Habrin could invoke.

The truth hit her like a thunderbolt: Altan, the man she had known for almost two years, was nothing more than a puppet of Kaan. The realization was a jarring blow, one she had never anticipated. It was no wonder her mind caved under the realization.

A loud crunch drew her out of her morose thoughts to look to her left. Acuzio was chewing on a giant violet gem as he stared at her. A replica, unbroken so far, lay nearby and seemed vaguely familiar. Near the dragon were shards littered like crumbs.

"You're making a mess!" Merin said. She sat up to eyeball the damage. Part of her was relieved to have something to focus on instead of her latest failure.

"Why do you care? It's not like you'll be the one to clean." Acuzio said around his mouthful. Each word he spat out had his sharp teeth sprinkling crumbs everywhere.

Merin scowled, "Aren't you embarrassed at your age?" She said.

"You and that Quartus of yours are getting a little too cocky," Acuzio said. His scaly face grew brighter in color as flames sparked to life. "Perhaps I've been too generous."

Merin picked a coward's tried and true route and immediately started to appease the Dragon God. The last thing she needed to do was stroke his rage and create more problems. It didn't take much to pacify Acuzio. Merin only had to give the grumpy dragon some tasty meat to put him in a better mood.

Merin eyed Acuzio, whose scales glowed like gems as he further ruined her bed. Why had the obstinate dragon chosen to destroy the nicest bed in the temple?

"You mentioned Aphra before," Merin said. She watched him after she spoke for any reaction. The dragon didn't seem to care as it tore through the tender meat and swallowed it messily. "Aphra is actually--" Her words died in her mouth as she finally paid attention to something outside of Acuzio.

Her feet numbly left the bed to approach the giant window.

Her normal view was of the courtyard she had refurbished for Alev to play in. It was exactly as she had left, but the sky wasn't the same. And the landscape around the courtyard was not what she expected.

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Fluffy white clouds replaced the green-coated everlasting sandy dunes of Ela.

Merin lifted herself off the ground to greet the clouds.

"Oh yeah, the Quartus brought us to Ceren," Acuzio said. His voice was casual as if he were describing the seasoning of his meat.

"Brought as in moved the temple?" Merin said as she reached to nab a cloud. The temple was floating in the air and became one with the sky. Red had accomplished something incredible, Merin thought.

"Yes." Red's voice joined them, and Merin turned to look at him. The last time she saw him, he glowed in hues of red and black. The energy that pulsed off the temple's walls held the same incandescence.

His black eye no longer glowed, but his red one burned with a light that spoke of exhaustion. Merin flew over to land in front of him. Her hand reached for his face to inspect what she saw coming off him.

"I need you to break the curse in Ceren, Ceylan, and Baris tonight," Red said.

Merin's hand faltered, and she nodded. "It's going to be a full moon tonight, so I'll be able to."

"I'll accompany you to prevent any trouble," Red said.

"Is that wise?" Merin said as she scanned his eyes. He looked worn out and should have copied a page from Acuzio's motto of eating and laziness.

"We don't have time to slow down," Red said.

Merin bit her lip and gave a nod. As always, she let him set the pace. Red knew his limitations better than her, and their time apart had only grown his abilities. She wasn't sure she had enough power to move the temple from Ela to Ceren, so she'd trust in him as always. And if he were willing to push that hard, then she should too to keep up.

"About before..." She said, wanting to talk about Altan.

The two spent time reviewing everything, and sadly, by the time they were done, Acuzio was gone. Merin needed to ask the dragon about Aphra and who the woman represented in her mother's journals. She'd have to wait another time.

Merin thought the moon looked especially beautiful tonight as she stared at it. This was the closest she'd been to its splendor for a long time. The desire to touch it grew, but she stilled her fingers.

Caelestis' mirror was her anchor during the pain she would endure next. The blue eyes reflected in the mirror reminded her of her first sin all those years ago. It became easier as time went by to use her magic. But the first time she did, it only brought shame.

The eyes she shared with Victoria were a great sin to bear. It was the right choice for her to make, but it hadn't felt good.

The dark blue hues of her eyes held sparks of color that made the woman preen as she examined them.

An awkward cough behind her reminded Merin that she was not alone and everyone was waiting for her.

Instead of acknowledging the humans waiting for her, Merin held the mirror to the sky. The beams of moonlight fell like lightning into the mirror. The pressure should have cracked the looking glass, but it held on strong.

Merin inhaled deeply before sticking her face into the light.

The world was wiped clean of color as her sight became blinded by Moonfire.

Time must have passed, even though it had lost meaning for Merin by the time she pulled away from the mirror. Her vision was still blank as she blinked and tried to adjust. There wasn't a drop of fear as pure, unadulterated power sang in her veins.

Her sight adjusted quickly to her circumstances, and she saw Red amid the white backdrop. His flesh looked as steady and unmovable as the temple's walls. There were fissures of red and gold that had replaced his blood and organs. And his eyes...Merin looked away because she felt a flicker of apprehension about Red for the first time.

Unfortunately her gaze landed on Acuzio. Or what she perceived to be the Dragon God. His proper form flew above him in an endless shadow that she quickly looked away from.

Merin finally received the grace of luck because her eyes landed on the land she was supposed to heal.

The blood curse used God's blood to invoke the ultimate punishment. It would take someone such as herself to reverse it.