In a twisted valley pressed deep inside a barren mountain range, obscured by the mist-ridden clouds, the pitiful scream of a young woman echoed along the earthen walls. She stumbled out of a cave that resembled the gaping maw of the long bygone mythics and darted her eyes around the desolate landscape. Smoke and debris filled the air, barring her vision, but she still pressed on, not because she was brave, for she knew in her heart that nothing of peril could possibly linger within the haze, not after the threads of the heavens laid seized upon these very lands moments before. She searched and searched, but the only thing that greeted her was the charred fumes, burning away at her eyes and nose, for everywhere her gaze fell was a scene devoid of all life.

Waving her hands to shove away the unyielding smoke, she shouted at the top of her lungs, “Vincent! Where are you?!”

“Behind you.”

“Kya!” the young woman leapt away and almost tripped over herself. “You scared me, Vincent!”

The man had sharp eyes with azure pupils flickering with rays of violet starlight in between. A crack formed on the clouds up above, paving the way for the lost beams of sunlight to be cast down upon his fair skin. Fine long silver hair flowed down his diamond-shaped face and reached the end of his shoulders. Dark eyebrows, a sharp nose and a prominent chin perfectly articulated his regal countenance. He stretched an arm and snapped his fingers. A burst of aether gathered around his towering figure and purged away the smoke in the blink of an eye.

“My dear Hertha, what’s wrong? Are you that scared of me after all this time together?” Vincent asked and dusted at the burnt marks drilled all over his red robes.

The young woman had long black hair with bangs curling upon her sides. Her opalescent black eyes and her silken lashes made a deep contrast with her pale round face. A black gown embroidered with simple white laces was clad in her slender body. An ill-fitting thread for a woman such as herself from a noble bearing, but it still failed to overshadow the beauty that was etched into her bones.

Hertha placed a hand on her chest and took deep breaths, “Why… would I ever be scared of you? It’s just that… just that…”

“Rest your heart and be at ease,” he said and caressed the sides of her face.

“Hmm,” she nodded and leaned close to him before pointing back at the cave’s entrance with her trembling hands. “Monst--”

“Shhh,” he placed a finger on her lips and gave a reassuring smile.

“Sorry, I did not mean it that way,” she said and lowered her head.

“No worries my dear,” he took her hand and made his way towards the entrance.

They arrived at its maw and peered inside. A lone candle illuminated the outline of a figure deep within. It was that of a woman, blessed with long golden hair that stretched far across and reached her feet. A white gown was draped over her firm body, but it was no longer white. Patches of fresh blood were tainted all over her fabric as she sat on the blood-soaked ground. Her golden complexion glimmered at time to time from the burst of faint light that flourished from the small figure nestled within her embrace. Hearing footsteps, she glanced at the entrance and her deep-set of emerald eyes finally settled on them.

“Vincent!” the woman said and raised the small figure towards the man. “Our child.”

“You did well, Selena,'” Vincent said.

He picked up the small figure from her bosom and held it in his arms. Its violet-tinged skin formed intricate vivid patterns that crisscrossed along its four slender limbs. Two tiny skeletal wings, as if sculpted from crystals were curved upon its back. Countless tentacles slithered atop its scalp, resembling the secluded nest of the eternal serpents. It blinked at Vincent with its deep azure pupils, which seemed to withhold the entire galaxy within. Each blink resonated with the stringent patterns on its body, basking the cave in a starlight hue. In stark contrast to the rest of its fiendish body, the face resembled that of an infant girl. She extended her tiny hands and touched his face.

“My child,” Vincent did the same and caressed the same.

Boom! A series of low rumblings resounded outside. The cave shook, and rocks fell off the ceiling. The infant girl shivered and curled herself up like a tiny kitten. Then she snuggled closer to him, as if horrified that something might take her away from the warmth of her father’s chest.

“They finally found us!” an urgent voice swayed in from near the entrance.

“Well of course they did. It would be quite strange if they did not, after all that transpired. The baleful clouds followed us for days on end for all to witness, and the wrath from the very heavens finally fell upon this realm when my child took her first breath. Destroying the heavenly judgement proved effortless to me, but the same cannot be said about the upheaval that took place,” Vincent looked at the entrance and chuckled. “Not that it matters, either way, the result shall be the same regardless if they find us a bit early or not.”

He returned the infant girl back to Selena and looked her in the eye, “You and Hertha shall stay here, don’t come outside regardless of what happens. Nathaniel shall join you shortly to guard the entrance.”

“I understand,” Selena nodded and looked on with bleak eyes at his departing figure vanishing outside the entrance.

Another set of footsteps followed inside. A fair young man with a robust build walked in and stood guard moments after. A black cape with an embedded family crest depicting a mystic white hawk was hanging behind him. Sheathed on his side was a longsword with a decorated hawk-shaped pommel furnished at the hilt. His long black hair was tied up in a ponytail that graciously harmonised with his black eyes. He shuddered in his thoughts after witnessing the infant in Selena’s arms and subconsciously placed a hand on the hilt of his sword.

“Humph! Nathaniel! Know your place!” Selena shouted.

“My mistake,” Nathaniel shook his head and let go of the hilt with a sigh.

“Humph!” she glared at the man and made her way towards Hertha, who was clinging close to the cave wall while fidgeting with her two feet, trying her hardest to look away from the infant.

Selena snuggled the infant in her arms and said, “My little girl, look how scared she is! Can you change yourself to look more... like us?”

“Who said I… was scared?!” Hertha furrowed her brows and gritted her teeth as she stared deep at the little child in disgust.

The infant glanced back and forth between the two until her two skeletal wings withdrew inside. Her skin shifted from violet to a touch of gold, a stark liking to her dear mother, all the while losing all the intricate patterns that adorned her fiendish skin. The tentacles receded into her scalp and starry silver hair regrew in its place, mirroring her revered father. And before long, the dreadful existence surrounding her was no longer present.

“Beautiful,” Hertha blurted out the simple word.

“Hertha! Come closer! She is more beautiful up close!” Selena said.

“Hmm?” Hertha leaned in closer, but as soon as she did, the mischievous infant curled up her lips and pulled onto her hair instead.

“Ouch!” Hertha swatted her tiny hands away. “She acts just like you! I should have known!”

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“Look here! She is still a little angry that you ran away!” Selena said.

“Humph! Who said I ran away? I just…went outside to get Vincent!”

“Oh did you now? He would have come here to see his child regardless if you went or not.”

“Whatever! Humph! So have you…given her a name?” Hertha asked.

“Celeste,” Selena replied.

Boom! The ground shook once again. A series of explosions rumbled and ashen dust flew inside the cave.

“I must go… and help him!” Hertha said and made her way towards the exit.

“No! I won’t allow it!” Selena pressed forward and clasped her by the shoulder.

“You! Don’t touch me!” Hertha flung her hand away and gave a rare glare at Selena.

“Hate me if you must but you must trust Vincent,” Selena stated in an unyielding tone.

“I will always trust Vincent but not you! Not after what you did to us all those years ago!”

“Now is not the time for this nonsense,” Selena said and narrowed her eyes. “You can complain all you want to Vincent after everything here is over with.”

“Then I will do just that! Mark my words! Vincent will listen to me!” Hertha said.

“I am sure he will, heh, well are you not his childhood sweetheart after all?”

“Don’t you dare mention that right now!”

“A sweetheart that he abandoned with no hesitation,” Selena laughed.

“He did not abandon me! He did all that to protect me from the pursuit of the Empire!” Hertha said.

“Did he actually say that?”

“No…but I just know it!”

“Oh? And here you are right now, disregarding his wishes to keep you safe.”

“Shut up!”

The thundering explosions continued as they waited inside. But as time went on, the infant became restless with every passing beat. Crystalline skeletal wings erupted from her back and the violet patterns tainted her skin once again. Then, with a flap of her wings, she flew out of her mother’s embrace and glided towards the entrance.

“Celeste! You silly girl! Trust in your father!” Selena hugged her tight from behind. The infant did not resist and stayed within her mother’s arms, but her gaze still did not linger away from the entrance. Unknowingly her eyes turned misty and tiny tears began to roll down her cheeks. The outside world eventually hushed into silence. Finally, she gave a sharp screech, broke free from her mother’s longing grasp and shot past the entrance.

The scene that reflected within her azure eyes plunged her heart deep into the cold damp abyss. She saw the bloodied figure of her father kneeling on the ground. Sword hilts and spear shafts jutted out of his mutilated body. Surrounding him laid the bodies of countless men. The lucky ones had their heads crushed underneath his foot. Some had their chests carved out with utmost precision, leaving their beating heart to throb endlessly on the marred earth. While the accursed ones had their arms and legs ripped apart, as they flayed and drowned under their own pool of blood before they exhaled their last ounce of vitality.

Bearing witness to the scene unfolding in her presence, Celeste looked up at the clouded heavens and screeched in rage. Her whole body deformed out of shape, while spikes and arachnid limbs drilled out from within. She charged forth with all her strength to lift the burden of her exalted progenitor with her tiny little arms. Right then, a burst of eerie laughter pierced into her ears, forcing her to halt her advance, for she knew whom it came from. It came from her father as intended.

“Kekehaha! Kennard, good to see you are doing quite well,” Vincent stood up and removed the blades impaled inside of him.

A platoon of soldiers, wearing full armour plates of silver appeared at the scene, blocking off the only retreat outside the gorged valley. A middle-aged man in gold-plated armour walked out from the formation and said, “You were not meant to even exist! I should have known… we made a terrible mistake back then letting you live!”

“What could you possibly mean? I am quite sure your Emperor does not share the same sentiments as you.”

“My Emperor? You dare to assume what my Emperor thinks?!”

“Of course I do, he watched me grow up to what I am now,” Vincent said and spread open his arms. “In fact, he knew what I was from the very start, and he still kept me alive.”

“My Emperor was blinded by kindness and now he already paid the price.”

“Kindness? Do you think I am a fool? Haha, you and I both know he only kept me alive to covert what I dearly possess.”

“You dare talk ill of our Emperor!” Kennard unsheathed his sword and pointed the blade at Vincent with undisguised hatred.

“Still putting up a brave front for your soldiers? Well, whatever, I would like for you to meet someone,” Vincent glanced at the distant Celeste and gave a faint smile. “Isn’t she quite lovely?”

“Is that your… child?! How… who?” Kennard asked in horror.

“Of course she is, what else would she be apart from my lovely daughter?”

“She must be captured along with you! Our mistake ends right here and now!” Kennard shouted and gestured at his soldiers to come close.

“You dare to lay a hand on the granddaughter of your Emperor?” a feminine voice chimed inside the valley, deterring the soldiers to stop in their tracks with its unforeseen presence.

“What!?” Kennard gasped, not because he was scared for he knew in all familiarity whom the voice possessed.

“The servants of the Empire sure like to flaunt their strength everywhere,” Selena emerged from the cave, carrying a simple sword in her hand. She then stood beside the dumbstruck Celeste, floating aimlessly above the ruined earth and took her in her arms. Then, ruffling through her starry silver hair, she asked in a doting tone. “Were you scared my silly girl? Did I not tell you nothing will happen to your father?”

“Princess! Where have you… been all these years?” Kennard asked, while his eyes fell upon her blood-drenched gown. “Are… you alright? Did… Vincent hurt you?”

“Why would he even hurt me? Since I am the mother of his child,” Selena laughed.

“Princess! You mean…you…gave birth to this…monster?! Kennard bellowed in grief. “How could this happen… how could…”

“Uncle Kennard! You dare call her a monster! She is the future of me and the Empire!” Selena said and narrowed her eyes.

“You have become truly lost in the head! That child...does not belong in this world! Are you even listening to what you are saying?!”

“I am quite aware of it all.”

“It appears... it appears we failed yet again... in trying to rescue you from his grasp! Sending Nathaniel on his own was another mistake on our end!” Kennard sighed.

“How could I call that a rescue if she ran away on her own,” Nathaniel walked out of the cave and grimaced in pain.

“Nathaniel! So you did find her in the end!? But, why did you not report to us?!” Kennard asked.

“My duty does not entail that. My only concern is protecting her at all costs, regardless of what she did,” Nathaniel said.

“You call that protecting?!”

“My care for her… is beyond the Empire.”

“Nathaniel! No matter how much you try to appease me, I will never spread my legs for you,” Selena teased.

“That was not… my intention!” Nathaniel said.

“Whatever, I don’t care anyways,” Selena smirked and turned to Kennard. “Uncle! I demand that you take your men and leave us all alone once and for all!”

“Nathaniel, so… you truly turned traitor? But did you even consider the consequences that may befall your noble house?” Kennard asked, seemingly lost on this whole ordeal.

“Enough of this nonsense! Humph!” Selena said and glared into the murky skies. “Lord Father! It was me who unchained Vincent and ran away! Not the other way around!”

Thunder boomed, ushering its divine presence, and the dark clouds swirled up above. A blurry outline of a giant golden eye came into existence. Lightning flickered in between its hazy pupil, which illuminated the shaded valley into the wake of dawn.

Vincent looked up and stated, “You sent your men to seize my freedom and yet, you stayed in the safety of your throne. Quite fitting of an Emperor such as yourself, haha.”

The clouds churned and threads of gold spread across, forming a maelstrom of golden lightning within the blurry golden eye. Before long, the eye solidified into pure gold, no longer drifting back and forth from the realms of Phantasy. It then glared down at him, in a gaze seething in abhorrence.

“Huh? Made you angry it seems,” Vincent said and moved his hands in front of his chest in the shape of a cross.

Rip! His arms pierced deep inside his chest and tore his flesh open. Blood sprayed out in an undying cascade. There was no heart, but instead, a pulsating grotesque mass of flesh was embedded deep within his cavity. Violet tendrils crawled out of his entire figure. They gathered around the spherical glop of flesh until his head full of silver turned white, and his azure eyes lost their usual lustre. Then his blood and flesh turned black and started to rot.

“Vincent!” Hertha dashed out of the cave and screamed in despair.

“Shut it, stupid woman!” Selena clutched at her arm and pulled her behind. “Did I not tell you to stay inside and not interfere!”

“But… Vincent.”

“Be quiet!”

“Luthais, so you really thought all along that this thing will help you reach full ascension?” Vincent took out the pulsating mass of flesh from his chest and raised it towards the heavens. “What if I told you that you were right all along?”

Boom! As if enraged by his statement, there was a sudden flash of blinding light spreading up above.

“But it’s quite unfortunate for you that you came here without your divine body,” Vincent muttered under his breath in a voice no one could hear, and a vicious smile crept upon his face.

Boom! An earth-shattering rumble ensued, shaking the very heavens themselves. Then, a golden pillar of light burst out of the giant eye and descended upon him.

“Retreat!” Kennard gave the command, but it proved a bit late. Some of the nearby soldiers were set on fire and expired on the spot. Some had their armours melted away, and moulded into their skin as they crawled on the ground and backed away in a frenzy. While Kennard and most others reached out unscathed and withdrew to the mouth of the valley.

Vincent spread open his arms and closed his dull azure eyes. The golden pillar cleaved and pierced into him. He felt warm as his skin melted. He felt cold as his body lost all blood. He felt light as his muscles turned to ash.

He felt.

He felt.

No….

He saw.

He saw his newborn daughter bound in chains and engulfed in a river of blood. Then, his whole body vaporised, leaving behind a charred glop of flesh lying within the newly formed crater.