

Guardian:

The Great Beginning

Peter Houtman

Titles available in the Guardian trilogy

(in reading order):

Guardian: The Great Beginning

Guardian: Protectors of Light

Guardian: Darkness Rising

Guardian:

The Great Beginning

Copyright © 2019 Peter Houtman

All rights reserved.

Evil isn't __ forged from birth, but from one's experiences and the choices one makes.

Sunrise in Lunaria, a perfect world of peace and balance, located in a different time and universe than the Earth we humans live on.

Things were silent and peaceful in the Castle of Light, as most of its inhabitants were still fast asleep – save for one particular boy.

A young Spirit was already up and working, despite the fact that the rest of the Realm of Spirits still seemed to be in a deep slumber.

He was young, no older than 19, his skin a shade of cobalt blue. His hair looked as if it was a floating blue flame, with dark fumes of smoke at the edges. His eyes, the irises a shimmering golden, were full of hope and life. Despite his dark appearance, the young Spirit seemed kind and content.

While humming a bright and happy tune, the boy swept the floors of the grand castle he lived in. He'd often had arguments with the Pixie servants that usually took care of tasks such as cleaning and cooking about his habits. They felt as though he was above doing such menial tasks, but the young Spirit enjoyed to do the work he saw them doing on a daily basis by himself from time to time. Because after all, what else was he supposed to do?

His siblings, known as the Spirits of Light, were the rulers of the world of Lunaria. They ruled and balanced the world for the safety of its inhabitants, the Lunariae.

Asura, the sixth and youngest of his siblings, had no part in this. He lacked the one requirement; an Element.

Elements were parts of Lunaria's energy that were passed down to Spirits when they were ready to rule. From that moment forward, they'd become responsible for maintaining that Element within the world and balancing its energy.

Asura, considering he had yet to gain an Element, had to find other things to keep himself busy with, as he wouldn't be allowed to take part in the Spirit Council as long as he didn't have an Element.

It seemed as though his siblings didn't have an explanation as to why Asura didn't have one yet, as every time Asura asked, they came up with the same excuse; that Asura was 'too young'. Yet, knowing that his siblings knew that this wasn't the true answer, Asura had always considered this to be no more than normal. After all, he'd never been in a situation with different circumstances, so he had no experiences to compare anything that was going on in his life to.

He simply lived his life the way he had been designated to do so, never thinking any more or less of it.

But that still didn't mean he didn't have hope, or that he'd ever stop trying.

Every day offered new opportunities. Every day, Asura was given a new one, a chance at finally being granted that one greatest honour. The greatest honour that could be granted to a Spirit; the reason they even existed at all.

Perhaps today, things would finally change and he'd be granted his Element at long last. He'd been waiting for so long, after all... it had to be about time.

Asura had just allowed himself to take a break, sitting down in the windowsill at the end of the long hallway that lead to the castle's sleeping quarters when he noticed a figure passing down the intersecting hallway. She was tall and her skin had a golden colour that seemed to have a glow to it. Her hair consisted of long, golden locks and she was dressed in a long, free-flowing dress. Both her hair and dress seemed to be floating around her gently like clouds as she walked.

"Akilah!" Asura called out, dropping his broom to run towards the figure. "Sister! I beg you, wait up!"

The young female Spirit stopped and turned to see who had called her name. When she saw her youngest brother tripping over his own feet to hurry and catch up with her, she smiled kindly and decided to wait for him.

"Asura," she said, "good morning. "Do you have any plans for today? It's your day off from lessons and duties today."

"Yeah, I do, actually," Asura replied, between deep breaths. "I've been waiting to see you all morning, right from the moment I woke up. There's something I wanted to ask you – something I believe I shouldn't ask our brothers or sisters..." He smirked nervously. "They just simply wouldn't understand, you see."

"What is it, then?" Akilah asked her brother. She felt slightly worried that she already knew the question her brother was about to ask – and she knew he wouldn't like the answer to that question.

"Well-" Asura's golden eyes nervously darted through the hallway. He, too, felt nervous at the thought of doing so much as proposing his idea.

The siblings ceased to walk, having made their way halfway through the corridor. As Asura caught his breath, Akilah held hers.

"I was wondering," Asura continued carefully, if I could finally take part in Spirit Council. I mean – isn't it about time I joined one? Just one, to see what it's like."

Akilah swallowed, unable to hold back the sigh that followed. Asura had asked this same question many times before, and had been denied every single time.

"Asura..." Akilah began, intending to let her brother down easily. "We've gone over this before."

Asura rolled his eyes. "I'm too young," he mumbled. "Akilah, it's been nineteen thousand years! I've waited long enough by now, don't you think?"

Akilah raised an eyebrow. Her brother was right. "I know," she said, "but aging doesn't work for us the way it does for mortals, Asura. Following human standards, we've lived forever. But following ours... you are technically a teenager."

Asura spread his arms. "Am I always going to be a teenager to you?" he said. "I've waited long enough, Akilah, I'm serious! Please, I'm ready for this!"

Akilah moved her hands to her hips. She was very well aware that her brother was convinced he was ready, he most definitely wasn't. Both she and Lunaria knew that – that's why he hadn't been granted an Element on his eighteen-thousandth birthday, as was the usual. In Asura's case, Akilah understood why – the boy was far too impulsive to be able to make reasonable decisions.

"Just wait a little longer, Asura," she said. "You will be able to join us soon, just not now. Not yet."

Asura, unable to control himself any longer, let out a loud, frustrated grunt. "Akilah! Come on!" He knew he was throwing a tantrum and not helping his case. His desire to move past this stupid 'rule' he considered at this point his siblings might as well have made up, however, made him disregard that fact. "It might take ages before I receive my Element!"

Akilah didn't give in. "If it takes ages... then that is exactly how long you'll have to wait," she said firmly. "I'm sorry, Asura, but rules are rules. You know Ince only got to join us when he was nineteen-thousand years old, the same age as you."

"Only barely," Asura grunted. "I'm getting closer to twenty thousand every year. What happens if I never gain the approval of any sort of Element?" Asura really was concerned with this – it'd been so long and he'd never shown any signs of Magic. Outwardly he pretended everything was fine, but deep inside, he was worrying more and more with every passing week. What if it was too late already?

Akilah smiled. "Then perhaps that's just not your place to be," she said. "You know, not every Spirit is granted an Element. Some decide their place is elsewhere in the world; others choose to be free from their burden of immortality and go live as a mortal, a human, somewhere else in Lunaria.

"The choice, ultimately, is entirely yours – if you are not granted an Element, that is, of course."

Asura let out a sigh and turned around. "I guess I have no choice but to wait then, huh?"he said. He looked off into the distance for a brief moment before letting out another long, disappointed sigh. "Perhaps forever."

Akilah sighed as though she was responded to the sound her brother made as she watched her brother turn his back on her. She wished she could help him, through whatever means possible. Still, she knew she simply could not "I'm sorry, Asura. That's just how the rules work."

Asura rolled his eyes. "Rules," he muttered, before walking away from his sister. "Sure. That's all you care about."

Akilah watched her brother as he abandoned her in the corridor, turning the corner at the end, not even bothering to look out the window as he always did when passing by. The look on her face expressed sadness. For a moment, she considered going after him so she could try to calm him down, but for some reason, she didn't.

Perhaps it was better if she treated her brother like an adult for once, and let him solve this problem himself. After all, she couldn't decide which Spirits received an Element and which ones didn't. That was up to Lunaria; the planet divided its own energy over its rulers like a living, breathing creature, and therefore chose them herself.

Even Akilah didn't have any say in that matter.

I

The Light
Chapter One

Daydream

This particular morning, Asura decided it'd be best if he skipped breakfast. Not only because it meant he 'd have more time to enjoy his day off and get out of the castle for a while, but also because he'd already had breakfast – in the kitchens just before the first Pixies would start preparing the Spirits' official breakfast. An unfortunate miscalculation on Asura's part had caused the Pixies to find him raiding the kitchen pantry, and they chased him out of the kitchen with blasts of Magic as a result. Despite their size, one should never ask for a Pixie to unleash their wrath upon them.

Asura made his way out of the castle as quickly as he could. He had no desire to stay there any longer; he'd decided to spend the remainder of the day in the fields, the only place where

Asura truly felt as though he was free, allowed to be himself, with no one telling him what to do. Inside the castle, there was always someone nearby. Someone listening, someone watching, someone watching. Whether it was one of his siblings or a servant who could possibly spill the beans to their fellow servants and causing whatever thought Asura might've been foolish enough to say aloud to end up reaching his siblings' ears anyway.

Here, out in the field, Asura could be sure no one would be watching or listening if he didn't want them to. He was completely alone, with a single friend to accompany him. One that didn't speak, and thus never asked questions or spoke of judgement.

The young Spirit usually spent every moment of what little free time he had out in the fields – playing or simply hanging out with his only, ever so silent friend.

As Asura ran to the top of the hill, beginning to run out of breath as he reached it, he called out to his friend.

"Naga!" he yelled. "Where are you?"

The young Spirit stood at the hill and waited, calling his friend a few times more. Asura noticed he grew impatient more quickly than usual today. Yet, he still stayed right where he was and waited for his friend.

After a while, the sound of mighty wings flapping in the wind finally reached Asura's ears, causing him to look up at the sky expectantly.

The sun was still rising. It had just risen above the horizon when Asura noticed Naga in the sky, approaching him.

A miniature dragon, barely larger than a horse, skimmed the sky, headed for the hill Asura was waiting on. Its cobalt blue scales seemed to have a silverish glimmer in the morning sun. That's where the species' name had originally come from, Glimmer Dragon. Asura had given the species its name, because he didn't think it had one already.

Asura had found her, about two thousand years ago, in a cave up on the mountains. Asura had joined his siblings on a mandatory trip there, as they didn't trust him enough to leave him home alone.

It'd been the first and last time Asura ever left his home Realm.

While his siblings were in the middle of a meeting with the Queen of the Fairies that lived in the mountains and her royal advisors, Asura took off to find something fun for himself to do.

It was that moment when Asura found the cave. He heard strange noises coming from the inside, and felt compelled to see what was going on.

After having some minor troubles climbing up the platform that lead to the cave, Asura was quick to notice where the sound came from; a dragon, dying.

He carefully approached the creature to see if there was anything he could do, when he noticed Naga – curled up by her mother's side.

Unable to save the mother and not wanting to leave the baby dragon to fend for itself on the mountain, Asura took it down to the foot of the mountain, where it'd be able to find food far more easily.

To his surprise, Naga followed him home after the meeting concluded; the little dragon had already learned how to fly, and thus hadn't actually needed Asura's help getting down the mountain – but she was still grateful for it, and decided to become a friend to the young Spirit.

"Naga!" Asura smiled, happily greeting his only friend as the creature landed before him. "There you are! What took you so long? I was getting worried!"

Spirits never worry, the voice of Asura's oldest brother suddenly echoed in his head. They know the outcome of every situation. They know every outcome, as there are many outcomes to the same situation across many timelines. A Spirit ought to know this if they are to reign the Realms.

Asura let out a sigh. His siblings were thousands of years older than he was, so there was still time for him to learn everything he was expected to know before he could rule beside them. Still, the young Spirit's patience was running out.

He was tired of constantly being left out of everything his siblings did. They loved him, Asura knew it, even though at times they didn't show it – or, at least, Asura didn't feel it.

Naga pushed her muzzle against Asura's chin in an attempt to wake him from his thoughts. The dragon must've noticed Asura had slipped away into his mind again.

"Oh. Yeah. I'm sorry," he said, remembering he wasn't alone. "I kind of almost got in trouble again today, and I suppose it's taking up most of my thoughts."

Naga responded with a soft snort and another push from her muzzle.

"Hey, it's not my fault," Asura defended himself, almost feeling offended by the dragon's response. "They're so stuck on following the rules by the absolute letter. It's not my fault Lunaria is ignoring me and everything I try to do."

Asura sighed and sat down on the grass; Naga, though hesitantly, followed his example and lay down, putting her head in Asura's lap. The young Spirit instantly began to absentmindedly pet the dragon's scaly muzzle as he continued his trail of thought. He'd started it, now he had to finish it.

"I mean, honestly – everything just seems to be so perfect. It's as if no one in this world knows negativity – except for us, the Spirits. It's strange...

"Things are too perfect, in a way." He paused for a moment to actually think about what he was saying. "I mean – not that I have been out of the Realm often, but whenever people from other Realms came to visit us, they never once wore a negative facial expression. They never expressed worry or fear. It's... strange." Another pause, as if he expected a response from the dragon sleeping in his lap.

"I wonder what it's like to live outside this Realm," Asura pondered quietly. "Life just seems to be so different out there."

He quietly stared into the distance for a brief moment and sighed. He could almost see the boundary that separated the Realm he called his home from all the others. He then briefly turned his head in the direction of the castle.

"Perhaps," he said quietly, as though he didn't want to admit it, "Akilah is right. Maybe... if I never gain an Element... Perhaps if I'll never be able to rule beside my siblings, it'd be better if I left.

"Perhaps my place lies out there, in another Realm."

Naga let out a snort of disapproval. Asura chuckled softly. He knew exactly what she meant to say.

"As if I'd ever leave you behind," he said. "You could come with me, no problem. It'd be just the two of us." He grinned. "I wouldn't mind having a bit of protection out there in the Realms, in case their lives aren't as blissfully perfect as I assume they are."

Another snort came from Naga, sounding far more pleased this time. Asura rubbed her head and smiled. Afterward, he allowed himself to fall back in the grass. It had a silverish, rather than green, hue – all the plants in this Realm looked like this. Outside this Realm, Asura wasn't sure, but for the Realm of Light, silver plants were standard.

They weren't entirely made out of silver, but they just had this particular... shine to them. At times, it unnerved Asura just as much as it usually calmed him down.

Whenever he had issues, whether they were personal or between him and his siblings, Asura would flee the castle and go into the fields not too far away – this place allowed him to set his mind to things other than the issues that plagued him.

It was always his fault rather than someone else's, or so it seemed. His siblings never seemed to have as much trouble in their lives as he had. They were always happy, unless Asura joined their conversations – Asura would always upset his siblings one way or another.

And Asura never understood why things had to be this way.

*

"It seems as though he will never stop trying, doesn't it?"

Akilah had decided to confide in her eldest brother about Asura's latest attempt to get into the Spirit Council.

Aharnish was the oldest male Spirit, being about three thousand years younger than his sister Akilah. His silver hair was always up in a ponytail, one lock of hair at the front hanging over the front of the platinum headband that signified his royalty. All Spirits wore a similar headband, either golden, silver or platinum in material. His right iris was dark blue, his left iria golden; these colours represented his Element, Night and Day. His standard Spirit armour, which Aharnish and his two brothers both wore (although Asura never wore complete armour, as he wasn't a full-fledged Spirit just yet... that and he felt it was uncomfortable) was blue and silver with golden details.

"It seems so, unfortunately." She sighed as she responded to Aharnish's comment. "Sometimes I doubt he actually believes we're telling him the truth."

Aharnish and Akilah stood in silence for a moment before Akilah spoke again.

"I think it's just him feeling left out," she said in attempt to defend her youngest brother. "He's at an age where he's got a lot going on; he's on the edge of childhood and adulthood, having trouble finding the right direction to head for."

"I admire his eagerness, Akilah, I truly do," he said, moving his hands to his hips, "but you know exactly why it's also a cause of concern."

Akikah couldn't help but feel a bit upset with Aharnish's comment. "Corruption?" she asked. "It's a myth, Aharnish, nothing more. It's impossible. You either receive a Light or a Dark Element, and the nature of that Element cannot and will not be changed either way around."

"So you keep saying," Aharnish said. "So the Dark War never happened?"

Akilah let out a loud groan as she turned away from Aharnish. He didn't understand the situation at all; the Dark War wasn't caused by corrupted Elements.

It was impossible to corrupt an Element, even. It was simply a case of Darkness being too strong for beings of Light to control. Aharnish didn't believe that to be true; he simply believed Light Elements could be corrupted and become Dark. He didn't believe in the existence of Dark Elements as natural occurrences in general. It didn't matter how many times Akilah tried to explain the truth, Aharnish refused to believe.

"Aharnish," Akilah said, "how many times do I have to keep reminding you?" She let out a loud, exasperated sigh and turned back around. "The Dark War was against Dark Elements, not corrupted Elements.

"Again, so you keep saying," Aharnish retorted. "But who says that our history books are telling the truth?

"I mean – it's written by another Spirit. By one of us, someone who didn't even bother to sign their name in them. How can we trust an anonymous author?"

"Enough with the conspiracy theories, Aharnish!" Akilah shouted at her brother. "You can either accept the facts, or live a life of delusion." Akilah had grown too tired of her brother's suspicions and strange delusions. For some reason, he'd always preferred to create his own version of events that had occurred in the past. A past he knew nothing about – other than the things he'd read in the history books he then proceeded to dismiss as conspiracy and lies. Akilah could never understand why he felt this way.

Aharnish crossed his arms. "It's a theory I've had all my life, Akilah," he said. "Lunaria is intent on keeping the Dark out of its energy. Then why would Spirits be granted Dark Elements?"

Akilah bit her lip. "I'll tell you about it," she said. "Someday. But not now; we've got a meeting to hold."

Aharnish looked as though he wanted to make a comment, but Akilah walked away into the throne room before he could do so. He noticed his siblings were already inside, and thus he decided to go in without attempting to reopen the conversation.

"So, what's today's Council about?" he asked instead when all his siblings had taken their seats at the table.

"Well," Aoife said, "we should probably start by discussing a wedding in the Twilight Forest, between two Faerixes. A Royal wedding requires at least one Spirit attendee."

Aharnish couldn't help but chuckle. "Well, then why don't we send Asura?" he asked, obviously joking. "He asked to be on the Council again today, so why don't we let him run some tedious errands? You know, the ones none of us really want to do."

His siblings didn't seem to appreciate the comment. Aoife rose to her feet.

"What do you mean with that?"

Aoife was the second oldest girl in the family. She was four thousand years younger than Aharnish still, but also three thousand years older than Aine, the second youngest in the family. She was kind and caring, yet saw facts for what they were and refused to lie even if it was to protect a loved one. Truth, to her, was a part of life, and had to be dealt with properly.

Her Element, Life, regarding which Aoife preferred to deal with the creation of it, was depicted in her looks; her brown, curly hair was braided around her head, flowing loosely in curls at her back. The braid was adorned with flowers.

Her skin was peachy, almost pink entirely, and her eyes a lovely amber. The viridian dress she wore flowed loosely around her.

Yet, her peaceful looks didn't minimize the anger in her face one bit.

"You're talking as though Spirits simply act out of duty, not out of love for our subjects, Aharnish."

Aharnish shrugged. "Perhaps you act out of love," he said, "but most of it is just business for me." He leaned over the table, grinning. "Just let Asura prove his 'responsibility' by going to that wedding, and we'll be rid of his constant begging to be let on the Council instantly, I promise."

Aoife's mood only became worse. "That's ridiculous, Aharnish," she said. "You know very well that it's not going to change anything. Asura needs to prove his responsibility to Lunaria, not to us!" She paused, then narrowed her eyes.

"Perhaps you need to reprove your responsibilitiy to Lunaria, before your Element gets taken away," she told her brother in a threatening tone. "If you're not careful, Asura might just take your place on the Council."

Aoife received backup from her youngest sister, Aine, who rose from the table as well.

Aine was the second youngest Spirit, just two thousand years older than Asura. Her hair was strawberry blonde and always tied in a low ponytail. Her eyes were amber, like Aoife's, and her skin had a golden shine, like Akilah's. She looked like a younger version of her two siblings combined. Her Element was joy, but Aine herself was quite boisterous and never strayed from sarcasm.

"You know, Aoife's got a point," she said. "Perhaps you should be a little more joyful.

"You're always putting down the mood, Aharnish. Maybe we should give Asura your seat at this table."

Aharnish opened his mouth to respond, obviously infuriated, but he was interrupted.

"Aharnish, Aine, Aoife knock it off," Akilah commanded. "Sit down."

Aharnish looked at his sister. His mismatched eyes were spouting fire. "Are you kidding me?" he said. "Didn't you hear what she said? Give my seat to Asura?"

"She didn't mean it, Aharnish," Akilah said decisively. "No one is losing their seat. You should know that. Now sit down." That last part came out of her mouth through gritted teeth. Akilah didn't usually get angry, but Aharnish and his arrogant attitude was a source of frustration that often tested her ability to stay calm.

Aharnish let out a sigh and sat down, but refused to admit defeat. "Still," he continued, "it's a bad idea to let Asura onto the Council.

"He's a loose cannon, and you all know it. It's dangerous." He leaned back in his chair, sporting a smug grin on his face and crossing his arms. He hadn't expected his comparison of Asura to a cannon to come up with funny imagery in his mind, but it did nonetheless.

His brother, however, was sceptical of Aharnish's statement. "What if he gains an Element, Aharnish?" Ince inquired. "When he becomes a full-blown Spirit, he'll be allowed a seat. We won't have a choice, actually."

Ince was the youngest brother, but he was older than both Aine and Asura. His name was an odd one out, the only name that didn't start with an A.

His light blonde hair that was highlighted with white streaks was always up and combed back, yet always looked poofy and soft somehow. His skin was a pale blue and his eyes were golden. His armour looked similar to Aharnish's, but his was different shades of light blue with yellow details. His Element was Innocence, an Element most often occurring in small children. Ince loved small children, but when it came to adults who were acting like ones, he got irritated quite quickly.

"I know we won't have a choice," Aharnish said, "but I just don't feel good about it. Asura's too impulsive and irresponsible to make important decisions."

"Perhaps that's just your opinion, Aharnish," Akilah said, rising from the table. "But unfortunately for you, you don't get to make the rules." Then, she looked around the table at the others. "We'll continue this Council tomorrow, you are dismissed for today."

She then walked out of the throne room, leaving her siblings behind in minor confusion, but they didn't stay there for long. Within minutes, all five Spirits had found something else to give their attention to.

*

Later that day, the Spirits had joined together for dinner, one of the few moments of the day Asura actually spent with his siblings.

Dinner started off quietly, even more quiet than usual. Asura always wondered how creatures as small as Pixies were able to hunt for game as big as the boar he and his siblings were having that night. Must be Magic.

After a while, Akilah started a conversation to lighten up the mood – she felt the heavy mood of that day's Council still hung around her siblings.

"So, earlier today we spoke about a Royal Faerix wedding in the Twilight Forest," she said. "Asura, would you like to attend this wedding as your first assignment as a member of the Spirit Council?"

Asura couldn't believe his ears; his face lit up. "Really?" he asked in disbelief.

Aharnish, on the other hand, was livid. "You've got to be kidding me," he said.

Asura, not having taken part in the Council of course, didn't understand his brother's response. "What do you mean?" he asked.

Aharnish pretended he hadn't heard his brother. "So now you're going to do what I suggested, and treat it as though it's some kind of great honour?" The tone of his voice sounded as though he was accusing Akilah of some crime.

"Aharnish," Asura asked again, this time with his voice raised, "what are you talking about?"

This time, Aharnish did hear his brother. He turned his head to face Asura. "Your sister wants to use you like a servant," he said. "Don't agree to this, brother. You won't get into the Council by going to that wedding."

Asura frowned at his brother's response. "Excuse me? Akilah's asking me to do this in name of the Council, Aharnish."

Aharnish couldn't help but laugh. His brother could be so gullible at times, it was amazing. He almost felt bad for the kid. "And you really think that's going to change anything?" he snorted. "No Element, no Council member, Asura! You really don't know how this works, do you?"

"Aharnish, knock it off," Akilah told her brother. "You don't have authority to decide what Asura does and doesn't do."

Asura didn't respond, neither did anyone else. Aharnish continued. "But then again, how could you? You don't even bother to train your abilities or learn anything about Lunaria. You're a useless kid who hangs out in the fields all day."

"But you never tell me anything!" Asura retorted. "You never involve me in anything, or tell me what I should do to improve my position. What am I to do on my own?"

Aharnish scoffed. "Because you don't bother to ask," he said. "Do you have any idea how many times I tried to sit down with you and teach you about Lunaria's history when you were a kid? You never cared."

"Because you never taught me anything worth knowing!" Asura responded, tears stinging in his eyes. "You never told me what's in the books. And I wasn't allowed to read whatever information was in them."

"Then how'd you know I never told you what was in the books, if you never read them?" Aharnish responded. He played with a piece of boar meat as he spoke, as if he wasn't actually interested in the conversation at all.

"Because of what Akilah tells me," Asura said. "Akilah tells me that all you believe in are conspiracy theories. You think everything and everyone who doesn't fit the bill for your ideals one hundred percent is out to get you."

Aharnish bit his lip. He was about to respond, but Akilah shut him up magically.

"Enough," she said. "Aharnish, enough. I want to send Asura to this wedding in preparation of his future as a Council member.

"And remember, you don't get to decide if and when Asura becomes a Council member. Lunaria does."

Aharnish broke his sister's spell by spitting on the ground. "If Lunaria knows what's good for her, she might reconsider granting him an Element."

That statement from Aharnish was the final straw. Asura had finally had enough, and he was feeling worked up enough to show it. He got up from the table, throwing his knife and fork down towards it. They bounced off surprisingly high for silver cutlery, making a thudding noise loud enough to startle Aoife, and ended in the middle of the table. Asura had to hold back a grin; he surely had his siblings' attention now. Without allowing anyone to make any further comments, he turned around and left the dining room.

Akilah's eyes were spouting fire. "Aharnish, this isn't over yet," she said. Then, she got up and after Asura.

Aharnish continued to eat as if nothing had happened; his siblings however seemed to have lost their appetite.
Chapter Two

Little Prince

"Asura? Are you in here?"

When Akilah knocked on her brother's door, she received no response. She felt unsure at first, not wanting to invade her little brother's privacy, but eventually opened the door to her brother's room anyway.

She carefully stepped into the room, making sure to announce her presence, loud and clear. She found her brother sitting on his bed, staring out the window.

The sun had started to set, colouring the horizon wonderful shades of pink and orange.

He let out a loud sigh, not bothering to acknowledge Akilah's presence in any other way. "It's not as if I have anywhere else to go."

Akilah couldn't help but sigh too. Aharnish could be cruel at times, and Asura didn't deserve to be treated that way. The boy was much too kind for that.

"You know Aharnish doesn't mean anything he says, right?" Akilah asked her brother carefully. He shrugged.

"He's been saying the same things over and over for so long," he mumbled, "so I guess he does mean every word."

Akilah offered her brother a sad smile, even though he didn't see it. "He cares about you, you know," she said. "When you were younger, you were constantly with him."

Asura nodded. "I still wonder what happened... I guess we just grew apart when his responsibilities grew."

"Aharnish has drawn away from all of us, so don't blame yourself," Akilah said. "It's his fault. He's dedicated himself to protecting Lunaria at all costs according to his own vision. He doesn't allow anyone to get close to him anymore."

Asura let out a sigh. "And still, Aharnish seems to be the only one who knows what I really want," he said. "And that while we never speak. He knows exactly what I want to make happen in my life."

Akilah raised her eyebrows. "Well, then..." she said, "what do you think should happen? What do you want to do?"

Asura snorted, turning away from his sister as she approached the bed.

"You know what I want, Akilah."

"I don't."

Asura then turned to face her; Akilah was startled by the expression of despair on her brother's face.

"You do know, Akilah!" he shouted. "I want an Element! And if I can't get an Element, then I want to leave, to get away from here!

"Why won't you understand that? Why won't you just let me go?"

Akilah sat down on the bed, placing a careful hand on her brother's shoulder. "Because you simply need to be more patient," she said. "If you just wait a little longer, you will discover that you do belong here. You will gain an Element.

"You just need to give things a little more time."

"Time," Asura grunted. "Time. As if I haven't given myself enough time already."

Akilah sighed again. "Not just that," she said, "you don't have faith in yourself because of everything you've been seeing and hearing.

"You just need to get that faith back – and then things will become easier."

Asura, frustrated, jumped off the bed right past his sister. "No, Akilah!" he shouted. "That's where you're wrong!

"I have plenty of faith in myself and my abilities! I just believe I can do more out there than stuck in here! I want to help the Lunariae in my own way! And if that has to happen without the help of an Element, then so be it!"

Akilah smiled. "Then why don't we try and figure out what your way is together?" she asked. "I worked with Ince when he was having trouble discovering his Element, and it worked for him."

"You mean as in – training?" Asura said. "Couldn't you just – have helped me with that sooner?"

Akilah bit her lip. "You wanted to?" she asked. "You always seemed much happier being on your own all day. I figured I shouldn't ask and just allow you to do things in your own time.

"I didn't want to rush you."

Asura shook his head. "No, Akilah!" he said. "If I'd known it'd even be possible to train my abilities, I would've asked right away!" He paused.

"So... you'll do it? You'll help me?"

Akilah nodded. "I'll do anything I can to make your life better," she said. "And if nothing comes from your training, then I will discuss letting you choose your own path with your siblings.

"But for now, have faith, and allow your Element a little more time. When Lunaria feels you making contact through training, she might just awaken the Element inside of you."

Asura nodded. "Alright," he said. "When do we start?"

"Tomorrow," Akilah said, as she turned and began to walk out of her brother's room. "At sunrise. Make sure you're ready."

"Don't worry," Asura said, sounding far more confident than Akilah had ever heard him. "I will be."

*

The sun hadn't even risen when Asura made his way down the stairs. Akilah had allowed him to choose a place to train, as training in the castle wouldn't be possible.

Of course, Asura had chosen the fields. The one place where he never felt the pressure of his siblings pressing down on him.

Asura wasn't sure how to feel about this training with Akilah; he didn't feel as if it would really make a difference by now. His siblings had all earned their powers much earlier in their lives compared to Asura. The only one who'd had issues with his Element had been Ince – for as much as Asura could remember, at least – and he apparently earned it after training with Akilah just once.

That could mean that perhaps there was still hope for Asura. But... did he want his Element after all? Aharnish had clearly stated that he believed Asura wasn't ready to take part in the Spirit Council, and Asura gaining an Element tomorrow wasn't likely to change his mind. And Akilah refused to divide her family over anything, especially over an argument like this. If Akilah decided to ignore her siblings', or at least Aharnish's, wishes and Asura to join the Council after earning his Element, she would divide the family no matter what. Aharnish would never stand for it, and nothing would change his mind.

What would his other siblings do if they found Akilah and Aharnish facing off against each other? Which side would they choose?

If it was just Aharnish being against Asura, then Aharnish wouldn't have much of a choice. And perhaps eventually he'd even learn to accept Asura, perhaps he'd see that Asura was capable of doing good.

Or perhaps he'd just start to hate his brother more because of it – because Aharnish would be proven wrong.

Asura let out a sigh. Perhaps this wasn't a good idea. This would probably not only do nothing for Asura, but it would get Akilah in trouble, too. Soon, Akilah and Asura would be found out. Of course it was bound to happen, because where could Akilah get an alibi for not being in the castle all day when normally, she's always there?

Nobody cared where Asura was most of the time, but Akilah was the eldest Spirit. She had to lead the world of Lunaria and keep the peace. She could be considered the Queen above all other Queens, Empress perhaps. Spirits did not take any kind of royal titles, but she would've been Empress for sure if they did.

How could she possibly fulfill her duties if she was running off outside all the time?

Still, Asura wouldn't allow his fear to get in his way this time. Akilah had promised she'd help him, and that meant she knew what she was doing, she knew the consequences that could come from this.

With his hope refilled, Asura hopped down the final steps of the stairs with a smile and made his way out of the castle, heading for the front gates. He was sure Akilah would follow him shortly afterward.

In spite of his worry and concern, Asura couldn't help but feel a sensation of excitement slowly but steadily sipping through his fear. After all, how cool would it be if his Element finally revealed itself to him, after having waited all this time? What if he could finally do something, mean something to Lunaria and its inhabitants? It would help Asura feel better about himself for sure, and perhaps improve his siblings' view of him. Perhaps he'd finally be able to restore his relationship with Aharnish – although Asura still considered that to be a passed station.

But of course, he'd never know if he never even tried. Anything could be accomplished if the desire was strong enough.

Asura climbed the hill, then sat down in the slightly tall grass to wait for Akilah. The sun had already begun to rise above the horizon, colouring the silver grass slightly golden in the light of the sunrays.

For a moment, Asura couldn't help but think about what it was like at the other side of the world right now, the world beyond his horizon.

What were the Lunariae that lived beyond the mountain range doing? How did they spend their days? Asura had never been there before. He'd been out of his home Realm only once, even.

Asura wondered if there was anyone out there with a life as boring as his.

Akilah joined Asura just as the sun became fully visible. She put a gentle hand on his shoulder, and smiled as he looked up, feeling slightly startled as he'd sunken so deep into his thoughts that he'd forgot where he actually was. He got up, straightening his tunic and brushing off the grass.

"So, Asura, are you ready for today's training?" Akilah asked. Her smile was one of encouragement. Asura nodded, trying hard to come off as confident as possible.

"Yes," he said, "I mean... at least, I think I am.

"We'll find out soon enough, I suppose."

Akilah chuckled. She could tell how nervous her brother was just by looking at him. She knew that that nervousness was a mix of fear and excitement, and she could only hope that the fear would subside and the excitement would remain present as they went on with Asura's training... even if the results weren't as Asura wanted them to be.

"I'm glad to hear that," Akilah said. "That means we can begin."

Asura felt his chest tighten a bit. "What- what do you want me to do?" he asked. "How do I start?"

"You start," Akilah said, "by closing your eyes and allowing your breath to become slow and deep.

"It's important that you sit down so you can let go of all that's not important in this moment," she added.

Asura gave his sister a small but eager nod before sitting back down. He closed his eyes; the light of the sun left a slightly orange hue on his blue eyelids as it attempted to shine through them.

"Concentrate on your breath," Akilah instructed him. "Stop thinking about anything else for now. Just try to feel the air as it travels through your body."

Asura nodded, keeping his eyes closed. He listened as Akilah sat down on the grass; it amazed Asura every time how silent the hill was when he was there on his own.

He knew he wasn't on his own right now, but he still felt as though he was. He might as well be, alone in his thoughts.

Asura felt Akilah's eyes piercing through him as he tried to concentrate. He was eager to learn, but quickly noticed his eagerness turn to impatience. He let out a frustrated sigh.

"It's not working," he complained. "I'm sorry, Akilah. Nothing's happening."

Akilah let out a small chuckle, perhaps a bit mean-spirited. "Did you really expect to sit down, breathe slowly for a minute and develop your Element just like that?" she said. "I'm sorry, little brother, not going to happen."

Asura opened his eyes. "But how long will I have to sit like this, then?"he said. Akilah was still smiling.

"For as long as you feel necessary."

Asura let out a sigh. "What if I feel as though I've been sitting here for long enough?" he said.

"Then I'd tell you you're being impatient," Akilah said decisively. "Trust me, you'll know when you're ready for the next step. For now, just sit down and breathe.

"Let go of everything and just breathe."

Asura couldn't help but roll his eyes before closing them again. He was willing to try, but he felt as if he was making a fool out of himself right now.

He focused on his breathing, calm and steady. In. Out. In. Out again.

Asura found himself surprised at how calming the exercise actually was. It didn't take long before he'd let go of his thoughts. His mind was clear for a moment – how long exactly, he had no idea. It was as if Asura had disappeared off the face of the planet until Akilah woke him back up.

Asura opened his eyes. If it hadn't been for Akilah standing in front of him, the sun would've blinded his eyes; instead, he looked at his eldest sister's face wearing a confident smile.

"I believe you're ready for the next step," she said, inviting him to stand back up.

Asura nodded, not realising he was allowed to get up at first. He felt much calmer than he'd felt when the day begun. Perhaps that had been Akilah's intention; she had just simply tricked him into meditating to get the stress of the previous day out of his system.

Asura couldn't help but smile and shake his head at his sister's cleverness as he got up. "You got me there, sis."

Akilah gave him a crooked smile and shrugged. "I didn't do anything, honestly," she defended herself, "you did it all by yourself."

"Trust me, brother, it's immensely difficult trying to achieve a goal if all you can do is be angry and frustrated about it."

Asura nodded. "You do have a point there, I must admit," he admitted. "I shouldn't be as worked up about this whole thing as I was before. Aharnish is just-"

Akilah pointed a finger at her brother. "And no talking about Aharnish," she said. "Today is about you. Not about him, not about his opinion. Just you. I'll talk to Aharnish – I'm sure he'll drop his biased opinion of you once he sees all the good you can do."

Asura accepted the smile Akilah offered him, smiling back at her. "I hope so, he said. That would be... yeah. That would be great."

"So, what's the next step?" Asura asked curiously.

Akilah smiled. "Are you ready to continue?"

"Yes ma'am," Asura said confidently, "I am."

"Very well."

"I'd like you to close your eyes again," Akilah said. "When it comes to magic, it's important to trust your surroundings. You need to learn how to see with your mind, rather than with your eyes."

Asura smiled nervously as he closed his eyes. What was going to happen? Was he ready for this?

He truly had no idea.

"Alright, Asura. Get ready."

Asura tried to get ready for whatever Akilah told him to get ready for – which didn't really work out. Asura could feel something flying his way; he attempted desperately to catch it, but it phased through his fingers, hitting him in the chest.

Though whatever what hit him didn't hurt badly, it did hit with enough force to knock him over. The fall hurt more than the actual hit, and Asura opened his eyes in embarrassment.

He was met with Akilah's eyes. They wore a worried expression – or was it disappointment? – and Asura couldn't help but apologise.

"I'm sorry. I messed up."

Akilah helped her brother off the ground. No, you didn't, she said. You just need more practice, is all.

Asura raised an unbelieving eyebrow. "Are you sure?" he said. "I mean – that didn't go exactly as well as I'd hoped it to."

Akilah let out a very annoyed sigh, running her fingers through her long, golden locks. Her golden eyes shimmered in the sun. "Stop it, Asura!" she snapped at him. "Stop thinking you're a failure if you don't succeed on the first try!

"It's natural!"

Asura sighed. Then don't make it look so easy, he said, regretting what he'd said instantly. He was hellbound to unleash his sister's frustration onto himself now.

"Do you have any idea how much older we are than you are?" Akilah said. "We had to learn, to try, to train just like you! Even though our Elements and their powers developed themselves without training, we still had to learn how to control them!

"It didn't happen out of nowhere, Asura! And it won't happen that way for you, either! Stop thinking you're any less worthy than we are!"

Asura swallowed. That wasn't the outburst he'd expected, but it didn't make him feel any better.

"I'm sorry," he said, "I just really want to learn."

"Then act like you're ready to learn," Akilah said sternly. "To put it in mortal words, you are a Prince, like your brothers, but you are but a little one.

"It'll take a lot of practice to turn you to a proper King... and practice lots, is exactly what we'll do."

Asura smiled. "Thank you for not giving up on me," he said. "Truly."

Akilah nodded and smiled back at her brother. "Of course," she said. "I know how you feel, Asura. How do you think I felt?

"I was the Spirit chosen to maintain all Elements, through a direct connection. I could feel everything that happened, not knowing what was happening at first." She paused briefly.

"And like you, I got help. As I grew, I slowly learned how to handle the different Elements and everything that was going on inside of me – as well as outside of me, in Lunaria.

"Luckily, siblings quickly came to help me. I wasn't alone anymore." Another pause. She then looked Asura straight in the eye. "You are still very young, Asura," she said. "Trust me, if you don't know what your Element is at this age, or you don't know how to summon and control it, you are not alone or an anomaly.

"You are perfectly normal."

Asura smiles, feeling slightly embarrassed at the tantrum he'd thrown earlier that day.

"I'm sorry, Akilah," he says. "I should try and be more patient." Akilah seemed to agree with that sentiment.

The sibling duo then began to make their way back to the castle; dinner time was approaching.

As they entered the Castle, Akilah stopped her brother just before he headed for the dining room.

"Asura?" she asked as her brother turned around.

"Yes, Akilah?"

"Don't give up."

Asura smiled. "Don't worry. I won't," he said. The duo then departed with a nod for a brief moment, meeting again at dinner.
Chapter Three

Potential

Nothing.

By the time the sun began to sink back behind the silver hills for the nth time (Asura had given up counting the exact number of days he and Akilah had been training for, as there had simply been too many), Asura's calm had vanished, and his frustration was stronger than ever before.

All day. For weeks they'd been training every day, all day long. They'd only stopped once or twice throughout those days – to eat. And still, nothing had changed.

Clearly, his Element wasn't slumbering within his soul, waiting to be awoken.

Asura had tried to keep Akilah's words in mind, that he needed time, more practice. And he had tried his hardest not to break his promise and not give up.

But after several weeks, Asura had expected that at least something would have happened.

After another long day of training in vain, Akilah returned to the castle without her brother. He'd insisted he'd stay on the hill, alone, to process the fact that he might never develop an Element after all.

Akilah couldn't help but feel pity for her brother. He'd been so excited for the future. She felt as if she'd finally given him a bit of hope.

False hope, or so now it seemed.

Whether or not she had given him hope, Akilah was convinced all of it was gone now.

Asura's situation was one Akilah simply could not wrap her head around. Why hadn't he developed an Element yet? Akilah simply knew he was destined to do so, and Akilah had never been wrong about this before.

So why now?

As far as Akilah could remember, none of her siblings had had this much trouble developing their Elements and learning how to control them – the developing part had been difficult for Ince and the controlling part had, even though he would never admit it, been hard on Aharnish, Akilah remembered that clearly. But failing to show any sign of magical abilities at all, even after weeks of intense, daily training?

This was something Akilah had never seen before, and it mildly troubled her. But the fact that she had no idea what the problem was and how to solve it, troubled the female Spirit beyond reason.

When Akilah entered the hallway of the castle she called home, she instantly felt something was off. She didn't have to wait to find out whatever it was, however, because Akilah had hardly set foot in the throne room when Aharnish angrily bellowed her name.

"AKILAH!" Aharnish yelled. He got up from the table he and his siblings were seated at and marched in his sister's direction.

"Where have you been!? It's been weeks since you got home before sunset!"

Akilah had to restrain herself from rolling her eyes at her brother. "Why should I provide you with my whereabouts at all times?" she asked. "Where I am and what I do is really none of your business, Aharnish."

Aharnish crossed his arms, not convinced. "You are our leader, the most important person in all of Lunaria," he said, his tone sounding awfully reproachful, "and you're just running off to have fun all day long. Doesn't that sound particularly strange?"

"Aharnish has a point," Aki, Ince commented from his seat at the table. "We've been worried about you."

"No need to be," Akilah responded as she walked past Aharnish and approached the table. "I'm doing fine. And Lunaria's doing fine, too, isn't it?"

She turned back to face Aharnish.

"We as rulers are practically useless to this world. It's perfectly in harmony. Nothing bad has ever happened, in the millions of years we've been here."

Aharnish crossed his arms. "And you're convinced it's going to stay that way?" he asked.

"Well," Aine said, standing up, "Akilah has a point. All we're here for is to retain the balance between the Elements. We don't actually serve a ruling purpose, like the Faerix Queens and the Orc Kings do for their people."

"That's only because we allow our people to rule themselves," Aharnish said, "and yet it still doesn't mean we're not responsible if anything goes wrong."

"And nothing ever goes wrong," Aoife said. As Akilah said, "this world has lived in harmony since its creation. And who do we have to thank for that?"

Aharnish rolled his eyes before shooting Akilah a killing glare. "Negativity is a part of nature, you know," he said. "I mean – look at us. We're nature, and we're negative every once in a while..."

"You're always negative, Ahni," Aoife commented, causing her siblings to chuckle.

"What I'm saying is," Aharnish said, trying not to get too angry, "it's not necessary to keep the Lunariae's negative emotions under lock and key. If they had conflict every now and then, then at least we might have something to do."

Akilah let out an annoyed sigh. "You know what that would result into, Aharnish," she said. "Remember the Council of Balance and the war they ended up creating."

That seemed enough to shut Aharnish up. He didn't believe the full story to be true, but he did believe the Council of Balance, split between the Council of Light and the Council of Dark respectively, had fought a great battle, and that the Dark had been banished from Lunaria ever since. Aharnish believed it had something to do with Corruption, even though he had no clear means of confirming his theory – he felt in his heart that he was right.

"I'm sorry, Akilah," he said. "You're right. But on the matter of Asura... be careful."

Akilah furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?" she asked, surprised by her brother's sudden calm.

"I'm telling you not to do anything you might regret," Aharnish said, sensing how that statement sounded much more threatening than he'd intended it to. "What I'm trying to say," he continued, "is that if Asura really doesn't have any magical abilities, perhaps it's best to leave it at that." He stepped closer to his sister to emphasise his seriousness. "Don't force this, Akilah. It's not good for him, you can tell."

Akilah bit her lip. "His behaviour has improved," she said, "he is learning to behave as he should if he wants to earn a place on the Council. Perhaps his Magic isn't evolving as it should, but a behavioural improvement could be a first step."

Then, without allowing Aharnish any further response, she turned around and left the throne room.

Akilah had to act carefully if she wanted to help Asura – no one could find out what she had done before Asura's Element had fully awoken.

She'd done something she'd never tried before, and she didn't even knew if it would work at all. Only Asura could provide proof of that. But Akilah had to keep her secrets from Aharnish until the time was right – and by then, it would be better to ask for forgiveness than permission. Asura would be grateful in the end, and Aharnish would have no choice but accept the facts.

Akilah knew that Aharnish distrusted her, but knew Aharnish would never try to overthrow her – under no circumstance would Aharnish want to antagonize his siblings. Unless he'd be able to pull his siblings away from Akilah's side, there'd be no way he'd be successful if he tried to overthrow his sister.

Aharnish had accepted this, but never stopped searching and waiting for the right opportunity to force his sister to stand down.

He knew this moment would come one day; his sister wasn't perfect. Akilah knew that, Aharnish knew that, their siblings knew that. The only ones who didn't know, were the people of Lunaria.

But that would change. One day.

*

Asura had stayed behind on the hill with the sole intention of being alone. He needed some time to accept his fate.

He felt as though he had failed as a spirit; he'd been born from the light and raised in the Castle of Light just as his siblings had, but for some reason, Asura was nothing like his siblings.

It was a hard pill to swallow; Akilah had been so convinced Asura's Element was simply hidden, and would reveal itself to him after proper training. Akilah had tried so many things with Asura. Whether he'd respond to light; every time Akilah used her light Element and it touched Asura in any way, it burnt him. The weather also wasn't a factor; Asura was not capable of replacing the rainclouds his sister had summoned with a shining sun – causing a heavy rainfall to occur all afternoon (which was, according to Akilah, no problem because it was 'good for the plants').

None of Akilah's attempts – which lasted usually a week before Akilah finally moved on to try something else – worked for Asura. Simply nothing happened, despite Akilah's conviction. It was as though she expected something to happen.

It was time. Asura had to come to terms with the facts, and so did Akilah.

It was time for Asura to leave his siblings and find a place for his own.

Asura got up, straightened his back and prepared for his return home. He wasn't planning on leaving his siblings behind without ever telling them anything, because he didn't want to worry them. But they did need to know he wouldn't be staying with them for much longer.

Asura let out a sad chuckle as he began his descent down the hill. A particular thought had come to mind, one he wasn't sure was meant to laugh or cry about; it came to Asura's mind that Aharnish would probably be more than pleased to watch his youngest brother finally leave. After all, this had always come off as Aharnish's greatest wish to Asura.

Well, Aharnish was lucky – his wish was about to come true. Very soon.

When Asura returned home, he found the doors to the throne room shut – indicating that the Council was having a hefty discussion Asura had to stay out of again.

He shrugged it off, and decided to go to bed; he wasn't planning on telling his siblings about his decision straight away anyway, so he actually felt kind of relieved that he didn't have to face them at that moment.

Now, they allowed him to sneak up to his room without being noticed and go to sleep, to announce he was leaving soon in the morning.

Soon. The word that echoed in Asura's thoughts. When was he leaving, actually? When would be the best time? Tomorrow?

Akilah would probably try to stop him if he tried to leave tomorrow. But if he gave her some time to get used to the idea...

Asura shook his head as he made his way up the stairs. No. He wouldn't give his siblings an exact date. His departure would not be tied to a date; this would prevent Akilah from setting up a plan to prevent Asura from leaving, and prevent Asura himself from keeping from actually leaving.

Without a set date, Asura wasn't expected to leave at any given time – he could just decide to pack up and leave any day. His siblings would know the day was coming, but not when the day would come exactly. Yes, that's how Asura's departure should go – that would be the best. For both Asura and his siblings.

When Asura finally reached the door to his bedroom, he felt satisfied with the plan he had set up. Without bothering to think what was going on in the throne room downstairs, he made his way to his bed.

*

Morning came before Asura realised it. It felt as though he'd hardly closed his eyes when he opened them again and noticed it was sunrise. The sun had just set by the time Asura had made it home, so he guessed he must've slept at least eight hours, considering it was summertime. More than enough, he decided, and thus set out of bed.

The young Spirit got dressed, spending noticeably more time in his private bath- and dressing room than usual.

He couldn't help but feel nervous regarding today and the promise he'd made to himself the night before.

How would his siblings take his decision to leave? Asura suspected he knew how two of his siblings would react – Aharnish with relief, and Akilah with disappointment. While Aharnish would probably guide him to the gates and wave after him until he was out of sight, Akilah would do everything she could to keep her youngest brother from leaving. How Aoife, Aine and Ince would react, Asura wasn't sure. He knew that Aoife, Aine and Ince cared for him – Aine perhaps the most out of that list, but Ince tended to side with Aharnish at times – though even Ince couldn't feel but find himself disgusted with some of Aharnish's statements at times. Ince felt bad for his younger brother, and often let him off whenever he made a mistake due to Asura's naivety and innocence – Ince was the Spirit of Innocence, and had a weak spot for creatures that were keen to express this trait, even his brother.

Ince and Asura had once been really close, but Aharnish was able to talk into his brother as they got older, and Ince and Asura grew apart.

Still, Asura didn't feel as though any of his siblings truly hated him. Aharnish was simply being defensive of his family, and the fact that Asura failed to develop any kind of magical abilities, made him the odd man out.

To add to that, Aharnish was right; if Asura had no magical abilities, he wasn't a Spirit (or at least not a full-fledged one), and thus had no purpose being in the Castle. He didn't belong there, and had to find his place elsewhere in the world – wherever that may be.

When he made his way to the dining room for breakfast, Asura realised he hadn't even eaten dinner the night before, causing him to feel the hunger in his empty stomach that he'd failed to notice until then.

Perhaps he'd wait to announce his leave until after breakfast, because Asura longed for some good food.

As he entered the dining room, Asura found his other siblings already seated and eating.

"Good morning, Asura," Aoife greeted her brother as he sat down. "How are you?"

Asura furrowed his brow. "...Fine?" he mumbled hesitantly. "Why are you asking?"

Instead of Aoife, Aharnish responded as he leaned his elbow on the table. "We were wondering how your training with Akilah's coming along, that's all," he grinned.

Asura briefly looked at Akilah, but as she didn't respond, Asura decided to take it upon himself.

"Perhaps you shouldn't meddle in other people's affairs constantly, Aharnish," he said while reaching for the bread basket in front of him.

"So you won't deny it?" Aharnish said. "You two are trying to break the rules."

"No one is breaking any rules, Aharnish," Akilah said decisively. It was almost as if their conversation the night before had never occurred. "Asura can train for as long as he wishes."

Aharnish offered his sister a sarcastic smile before redirecting his attention towards Asura. "Listen, kid," he said, "if you don't want me to meddle with your affairs, then I'd advise you to stay out of ours. You're simply not meant to become a Ruler."

Ince, who had been silently following the conversation while finishing his breakfast, nodded. "Really, Asura," he said, trying to support both his brothers, "there's no shame in not having an Element. Not all Spirits get one, you know that."

"Of course I do!" Asura defended himself. "And it's not that I don't have an Element – or don't get a spot on the Council - well, at least, not anymore-" He had to take a breath to finish his sentence – "But it's about me and how you guys seem to be intent on not letting me make my own choices.

"It's frustrating how you guys always try to control every aspect of my life."

His siblings didn't seem to understand what he meant – although deep down, they knew exactly what Asura was talking about. He was tired of being treated like a child – even though he was barely an adult. He could take care of himself when living in the castle, that much was clear, but would he be able to save himself in the world that lied beyond their Realm?

The Spirits believed his younger brother liked instructions, that's why they often gave him tasks to do throughout the day. Apparently, they were wrong; Asura simply never had the courage to speak up about his discontentedness with the situation.

He rose from the table and cleared his throat, drawing attention from all five of his siblings – including Aharnish; even some of the Pixie servants who had entered the room to start clearing the table looked up.

"What's the matter, Asura?" Akilah asked. "Is there something you'd like to tell us?"

"As a matter of fact," Asura said, trying hard to conceal the shakiness in his voice, "I do." He inhaled deeply, and exhaled.

"You guys won't have to tell me what to do any longer. I'm leaving. Not today, but soon. I will not tell you when, because I don't want you to stop me." That last part was meant directly for Akilah.

He looked at his siblings. Their expressions were displaying displeasure; even Aharnish seemed surprised with his brother's decision.

"Leaving? Why?" Akilah asked. "Asura, there really is no reason as to why you should leave."

"Yes, there is," Asura said, half-knowing he was about to cause trouble. "When we started training, you told me that if nothing happened and I didn't develop any kind of magical abilities, you'd discuss allowing me to choose my own path with the others. He made a cautious gesture towards his siblings. I am giving you the opportunity to do so now."

Aharnish shifted in his seat. "So, you really want to leave that badly, huh?" he asked. "Why so suddenly?"

Asura turned his head to face his brother. "That's simple," he said, "I want to prove to myself as well as to you that I'm not useless. In fact, I know in my heart that I'm far from that. All I need to do is go out and find my own place in the world."

He paused for a brief moment, as though he was expecting a response from his siblings. Then, he continued without receiving one; "Make no mistake, brother, I will not give up. There's more than one way to achieve magical abilities.

"Someday, I'll be the most powerful Magic-user in all of Lunaria. I feel it. And I will provide Lunaria with all the help I have to offer. I'll be the best Ruler these lands have ever seen." Another brief pause. His voice was shaky, but remained loud enough to come off as strong and confident.

"Cherish the time you have left with me, because one day, I won't be here anymore, unannounced. And once I'm gone, I won't be coming back."

He stepped away from the table, pushed his chair back in the proper position and left the dinner table, leaving his siblings behind in bewildered silence.

Akilah wasn't happy with her brother. "Did you have to push him?" she asked Aharnish. He shrugged carelessly in response.

"He's just saying things," he defended himself, playing with his silver ponytail. "He doesn't mean it. He's far too scared to set off into the world without us." He grinned and nodded upwards towards the ceiling. "Just go check his room," he told his sister. "You'll find him there, just reading a book or something, you know, the usual stuff."

Akilah pursed her lips. "If he's not there," she said threateningly, "any possible consequences will be yours to bear."

Aharnish seemed pretty okay accepting his sister's threat.
Chapter Four

Failure

While Akilah had left to check on her brother, her siblings sat around the table in silence, unsure what to make of the situation.

Akilah was convinced her siblings would've started an argument about the fact that Akilah had attempted to trigger Asura's Element in her absence, but surprisingly, no such thing happened.

"He really wanted to help," Aine sighed, watching the dining room's entrance as if Asura was about to return. "I feel bad for him."

"Maybe it's better this way," Ince said. "Who knows how the boy might've suffered under the responsibilities of having an Element to take care of."

Aoife and Aine seemed to agree; Aharnish furrowed his brow. "Still, he doesn't have to leave."

"You heard what he said, Aharnish," Ince responded to his sister. "He feels as though he can do more good outside the castle than in.

"And you know what? I think he might be right."

"Well then, who are we to stop him?" Aharnish suggested, his feet up on the table. "Surely, nothing will go wrong if we kick our nineteen-year-old brother, whom we've been babying all his life, out on the street with no money and no shelter."

Aoife threw Aharnish an angry glare. "Put your feet down," she commanded. "You know very well that Asura is perfectly capable of taking care of himself. But he is unfamiliar with the outside world. He might find things he doesn't like there."

"Exactly," Aharnish said. "But... he does have an advantage; negativity doesn't exist outside. Everyone will love him. He'll have never felt more welcome anywhere else."

Ince mumbled something inaudible under his breath. "I suggest we get to work," he then said. "We should give Asura some time to make up his mind. I believe he alone should make this choice, as it is his life."

His four siblings couldn't help but agree with that statement.

They were about to get up and go about their day, when Akilah ran back into the dining room, panting.

"He's gone," Akilah said. "Asura left."

*

Dusk. Asura still hadn't come home.

The boy himself was surprised about this fact too; he hadn't expected he'd be able to hold his siblings off for this long. Perhaps they decided to let him leave, or they hadn't discovered that he was gone yet.

He'd actually left the castle to clear his head and train by himself, but neither of the two had really happened. Perhaps this was the perfect opportunity to leave after all.

Asura decided to take the risk.

"NAGA!" he called out, knowing his friend could never be far.

And indeed she wasn't. She was close enough to approach Asura running; the dragon nearly knocked Asura over as she head-butted him in the chest to greet him.

"Hey," he chuckled. "Calm down there."

Naga sat down, tilting her head slightly as though she was asking Asura what his plan was. Asura couldn't help but grin.

"We're doing this, Naga," he said. "At last, we'll be leaving this place."

Yet, something called him to a halt. He couldn't leave just yet; someone was coming.

Akilah understood how Asura felt. He felt as though he didn't belong with his siblings, because he was different from them. But Akilah also understood that Aharnish had been indoctrinating his brother into these thoughts.

Asura was quite the impressionable young boy, and Akilah feared that Aharnish had pushed Asura into making a decision he might regret – even though Akilah had allowed the boy to consider the decision as if it were a viable option in the first place.

She had to change his mind. Akilah knew that even if he'd never gain an Element, Asura still belonged home, in the castle, with the Spirits. His family. He'd always belong with his family.

When she went up to his room and found out he wasn't there, Akilah knew where she had to look in order to find her brother.

As she approached the hill from a distance, Akilah could already see Asura – he was sitting beside a miniature dragon, and seemed to be holding a conversation with it.

So that's where he went every day. That's whom he spoke to, shared his secrets with. His best friend. A dragon.

Asura trusted a dragon more than his own family. The ralisation was painful, but what made it more painful was the second thing Akilah had to realise – how deeply she wished her brother was just the way he was when he was younger, when he'd share all his secrets with Akilah. When he knew how deeply his siblings loved him. When none of this mattered, and Asura was just a careless, smiling boy with a love of life. A love that was reserved for anyone.

Akilah longed to go back to that time. But she was barred from it, for all eternity. Akilah knew the past was not something to be dwelled on, and those who lived on memories became stuck in their own world. The past had gone, and it wasn't meant to be brought back to the present.

And thus, Akilah accepted that she might have to say goodbye to her little brother as he was, and love him for the young man he was becoming.

And she'd make sure he'd become a good man, helping him every step of the way – even if he thought he didn't need her help. Even the eldest and wisest of creatures, Akilah herself included, appreciated a little guidance every now and then, and right now, Akilah could clearly see that Asura was in desperate need of guidance.

Akilah's presence on the hill was instantly noticed, as the dragon turned its head in her direction, drawing Asura's attention with it. Akilah suspected that the young, female dragon did not consider Akilah a threat, because otherwise, she would've been attacked before she could even do so much as set foot on the hill.

"Hello Akilah," Asura said, greeting his sister. Then, as if trying to reassure her, he added, "I'm sorry for not saying anything, but I'm leaving. I thought you guys would be better off not knowing."

Asura couldn't have known, but that comment saddened and hurt Akilah deeply, as if her brother had charged at her with a knife. Her brother truly had no idea how much his siblings cared for him. She was disappointed that they never made any attempt to show it to make sure Asura knew, and found even herself guilty of this at times.

"Hello, Asura," Akilah said, the sadness she felt echoing in her voice. "Where do you plan on going?"

Asura shrugged. "I hadn't figured that out yet," he said. "Initially I just came here to think and be with someone I can trust." He petted the dragon on the muzzle. "I like to be around Naga."

Akilah blinked. The dragon's name was Naga; the creature had entrusted Asura enough to allow the young Spirit to give it a name.

That dragon... Naga... probably knew Asura better than Akilah or any of her siblings did.

"What are you actually doing here?" Asura asked, drawing Akilah's attention away from the dragon, just as she realised how she envied the creature. Something in a normal situation Akilah would have been able to get over easily, but now that it was about one of her own, her youngest brother, she couldn't help but feel left out of a secret – many secrets – only Asura and his dragon shared.

"I... came to talk to you." The words came out of her mouth as if she was hesitant to actually say them out loud. Perhaps she doubted the truth of her own words; she had indeed come to talk to Asura, but she kept her goal under cover. Akilah still hoped she would be able to change Asura's mind and keep him from leaving his home behind.

Perhaps one day he'd leave, and he'd be ready for it. But not now, not today, while he was still young, unprepared.

It wasn't just Asura who wasn't prepared for his departure – his siblings weren't ready for it either.

When Asura didn't respond in protest, Akilah sat down on the silvery grass beside her brother without waiting for an invitation. The fact that he hadn't yelled at her or run off with his dragon was enough of an invitation to her.

"What did you want to talk about?" Asura asked; his sister. She responded with a shrug.

"I... actually don't know," she said. "I mean – part of me wants to talk about what happened this morning, but I feel as though you have no desire to do so whatsoever."

Asura let out a low chuckle. "That's one thing you got right," he said. "I mean – I don't know." His arms flailed around helplessly as he spoke. Then, he allowed himself to fall backwards into the grass. It tickled his ears as he brushed past it.

"I mean – I don't really feel useful in my current position. It's – it's not that I'd be leaving forever. I just want to go out for a while, on an adventure, find my place and purpose somewhere. Perhaps I'll even keep coming back to the castle every night – no matter how far I'll go.

"I just want to be useful."

"Not everything in this world serves a direct purpose," Akilah said. "Sometimes, you share a destiny with others. And while you might not feel directly useful to fulfilling this destiny, you still are doing it, by standing beside the people you care about."

Asura nodded absentmindedly, looking up at the fluffy clouds that were floating about in the sky. They were careless, free.

Then it hit Asura. He simply wanted to be free. Free from the pressure he felt around his siblings, free from his need to compete. He wanted to be free from all of these feelings that suffocated him and his confidence. Perhaps once the pressure was gone, and he had regained a sense of freedom, he'd develop an Element. At will, nothing forced and without pressure to perform.

And then, only then, he'd be able to return to the castle and take his rightful place in the Council.

Whether or not that day would ever come, Asura didn't know. And he could never know until he went out to try. And thus, until then, it was better if Asura lived separate from his siblings and learned to fend for himself.

It was for the best. Not just for Asura, but for his siblings, too. It would allow the six of them some time to breathe. Asura's siblings could discuss on the Council without constantly having to keep track of Asura's whereabouts, and Asura would no longer be tempted to attempt and eavesdrop on the Council constantly. He never caught word of what they were saying, anyway.

"I..." Asura started speaking without knowing what he actually wanted to say. "I just want to see the world, Akilah.

"I've never seen anything beside these hills and the castle walls. And I know both like the back of my hand."

He sat back up to look his sister in the eye. "But the fields that lay beyond these hills, on the other hand, he said, I have no clue about. The Realms beyond this one. The people, the creatures that live there. I want to know them. I want to meet them. He sighed, looking off into the distance. I want to know what their lives are like." He wasn't sure whether he said it to Akilah or to himself.

Akilah didn't respond right away. She needed some time to hink about this; her brother had solid points to back up his wish. It was almost cruel to deny him from it, and Akilah knew that doing so would be a mistake she'd be sure to regret later in life.

Akilah let out a sigh. "Fine," she said, looking her brother in the eye. "You are free to come and go as you wish from now on. But please do make sure that whenever you plan on leaving the Realm, you are ready to do so and you are careful out there."

Asura smiled at his sister. "Thank you," Akilah, he said. And before she realised it, Asura had flung himself around her neck. Akilah could do nothing but hug him back. Tightly.

"I love you," Akilah, Asura whispered, choking up slightly. "You're the best sister I could've asked for."

Akilah smiled. "Thank you," Asura, she replied softly, "for being my brother. My little brother – I love you. And I want you to know that there's nothing in this world I wouldn't do to keep you safe and happy."

The two let go of each other only after a short while. It was clear to Akilah that Asura wasn't ready to say goodbye just yet.

But he would.

Akilah and Asura departed with a nod; one returned to the Castle, the other remained behind on the hill, thinking about what his next step should be and where he should go next.

Asura's adventure was finally about to begin, and his life would change forever. He simply hoped that that change, however drastic, would be for the better. The young Spirit badly needed some positivity in his life for a change.

For a moment, Asura looked back; he could see Akilah walk back to the castle. He wondered why she didn't just teleport back there, but considered that perhaps she just liked to walk.

Asura pet Naga on the muzzle as she pushed it into his palm. He smiled fondly at her. "Are you ready to go?" he asked. The dragon responded with a confirming snort. Then, she sank through her knees, allowing Asura to hop on easily.

"All right then," he said, as he steadied himself on the dragon's scaly back. He glanced up at the sky; more and more stars started to come out as the sky's colour grew closer to an inky black. "Let's do this."

The dragon instantly translated his friend's words to 'permission to take off'. She spread her wings and took to the sky, catching Asura by surprise for a brief moment – luckily, he was able to grab hold of the blunt spikes on her back before he slid away.

He was flying on his dragon's back – for the first time. When the two were younger, they'd flown a few times before, but Naga had never gone up this high. When Asura was a kid, she usually never took him up any higher than two metres up. If he fell, Asura would perhaps be hurt, but he wouldn't break anything. Spirits could handle more pain and pressure than humans could before they broke anything – and considering the fact that a human child could make it through a fall from two metres without breaking anything, Asura would for sure.

Now, they were up in the sky. Dozens of metres up, with the intention of leaving the Realm the two had previously called home behind. When and if they'd return, neither of the two knew. But for now, the mystery and adventure that waited for them outside the Realm of Spirits was calling, and they had no choice but to heed the call.

The moment Asura climbed onto Naga's back he might've felt fear, and considered turning back and trying again another day, but now that he was actually on his way, he felt much better about his choice.

He'd made the right choice by leaving; now, Asura finally had the chance to discover himself without being held back by his siblings. He'd no longer have to look over his shoulder with every action he performed; nobody would be around to judge him – save for the people who didn't know him. Asura found the thought of strangers whom he'd most likely never meet again judging him would perhaps be easier to deal with than having the people whom he lived with, spoke to, saw every day, judge him every moment he was around.

Asura took a brief moment to glance at the ground below him, but ended up looking for much longer than he'd originally planned to do; he'd expected that the fields would be difficult to see, but he was surprised by the sight that waited for him down below.

Dozens, hundreds, probably thousands of tiny little specks of lights arose from the grass as the shadow of night fell across the fields. Fireflies.

Asura had never seen this many fireflies in his life. He'd seen a couple of them before, but had no idea the little creatures lived in the fields in numbers this great. They lit up the fields, lighting the way for Naga and Asura. To Asura, the fireflies lighting the way was a positive sign.

Asura decided to let Naga lead the way, as she clearly had more experience with travelling beyond the Realm of Spirits than Asura. She knew the best place to go in the midst of night, and could assure Asura's safety. In the morning, Asura would go visit a village together with Naga – he secretly hoped that the villagers wouldn't be too surprised to see a dragon in their village. Asura had read stories about dragons attacking villages – but a dragon attack had never been reported in Lunaria. The dragons didn't bother in Lunaria; even the creatures lived perfectly in harmony without knowing sadness or anger.

Asura never liked the idea of Lunaria living without hardship. He guessed it was best for the Lunariae, allowing them to live their lives peacefully, and the chance of a war breaking out was total zero.

But still, Asura, knowing hardship, considered these emotions to be part of life. He felt as though his siblings were simply too afraid to enforce reality onto Lunaria.

Reality. The Lunariae had no idea what it was. And Asura and his family were to blame for it.

Asura shook his head. Perhaps it truly was for the better that he and his family lived apart from now on.

Naga landed in the field just before the Realm's border. Tonight, the two would be staying in their home Realm; tomorrow, the real journey would begin.

Naga had picked the perfect spot; a big tree offered cover from any possible nightly rainfall, and the bushes that surrounded the tree would prevent the cold wind from freezing them.

Asura looked around, silently wishing he'd brought blankets. Or food. Anything of the sort, really.

But he couldn't go back now. Tomorrow, he'd find a shop in one of the villages he'd be visiting and buy whatever he needed there. Luckily, he always had his money pouch on hand, always filled with plenty of gold.

Asura decided he'd stop relying on home. He'd live off the money he had, and work for more if he ran out. He'd prove his siblings he was perfectly capable of taking care of himself, no matter what they thought of him. He knew his siblings still considered him a child, but he was fully grown, and smart enough to take care of himself.

Besides, if he ever ended up in any kind of danger or trouble, he'd have Naga to help him out. He'd be fine.

Asura hopped off Naga's back, who instantly sank to the ground to find a comfortable sleeping position.

Asura sat down against the tree, watching as Naga fell asleep; despite feeling tired, the young Spirit himself found sleep rather hard to catch.

He looked up at the sky, and tried to make out star signs. A lot had happened over the past few weeks, but today, everything escalated.

Asura wondered what his siblings were doing at that moment. Did they care that he had left at all? Or had they just gone to sleep peacefully after dinner, without even so much as dropping Asura's name once during conversation?

The thought quickly slipped Asura's mind as exhaustion overtook him and the Spirit's mind drifted off to sleep.

Tomorrow, things would be different.

Chapter Five

Discovery

"Asura left?"

"But where did he go?"

"Will he be coming back?"

"Why did he leave?"

The response Akilah received from her siblings when she brought them the news of Asura's departure was different than she'd expected. She'd expected them to express some sadness, but not worry of this nature.

She promised them Asura probably wouldn't be gone for long, and that she'd go out and find him if he hadn't returned by sundown. Of course, she'd kept that promise, but apparently, her siblings hadn't expected that he'd actually leave.

"Aharnish, what were you thinking?" Ince shouted at his brother. "Now look what your actions have resulted into! Asura might be in danger!"

Aharnish, who happened to be standing up, placed his hands on his hips. "He wanted to leave, so it was only a matter of time until he would," he said, "so don't blame that on me. I never said I wanted him to leave, actually the opposite.

"Besides, if he makes it to a village, I'm sure he'll be fine. The Lunariae know no negativity. They'll love him, he'll feel welcome, and they'll take care of him until he learns to do it himself. He won't get hurt."

"It's not the Lunariae we should worry about!" Ince responded angrily. "It's Asura himself! Even if the Lunariae know no anger or negative emotions, Asura does! And what happens if he loses control in front of our people?"

"They won't even notice!" Aharnish said. "That's how they were born; perfectly, blissfully ignorant to anything negative! There's nothing Asura could do to screw this up!" He grinned. "Just let him have some fun out there. I bet he'll be coming back to the castle when he realises he's not ready for the outside world yet.

"Just give him some time, let him explore for a bit, who knows what might happen. Either way, I'm sure he'll be back before you know it."

He turned his back on the argument and walked out of the throne room, ignoring his siblings shouting at him; Akilah ran after him, with Ince following closely behind.

"AHARNISH!" Akilah called out. "Stop right now!"

When her brother refused to comply with her commands, she leapt forward and grabbed her brother.

This caught him off-guard, allowing Akilah to pin him to the wall quite easily, despite their height and strength differences.

"I want to know exactly what you're up to," she said. "You know very well Asura could cause serious trouble outside."

Aharnish shrugged. "Yeah, so?" he said. "I warned you, Akilah. I told you he wouldn't be able to handle himself outside, and...

"You let him go, didn't you?"

"Yes," Akilah Akilah admitted. "I did."

"And why?" Aharnish asked on a reproaching tone. "Think about that for a moment, Akilah."

Akilah bit her lip. "I trust him," she said. "I trust that he can take care of himself."

Aharnish rolled his eyes. "Then why am I pinned to a wall?" he asked. He wasn't really; Akilah had stopped putting pressure on her brother's throat once she had his attention. But the idea was clear.

"You're being kind of hypocritical, Akilah. Why should I be worried about him causing trouble when he goes outside, when you are the one who let him out in the first place?"

"Ahni has a point, Akilah," Ince said. Akilah looked back at him for a brief moment, then turned back to Aharnish and let him go.

"You shouldn't take this situation so lightly," she tried to defend herself. She indeed was being ridiculous and a hypocrite. "You seem to find it funny that Asura could get injured – or injure someone else."

Aharnish furrowed his brow. "Hurt?" he scoffed. "He's immortal. How hurt can he possibly get?"

Akilah let out a sigh of pure exasperation. "THIS is what I mean, Aharnish. You always pretending everything's a joke."

Aharnish wouldn't allow Akilah to change the subject that easily.

"Why did you decide to train him, Akilah? To show him he didn't actually have an Element after all?

"So he'd stop bothering and asking us about it?"

Akilah narrowed her eyes. "So he'd be able to move on, Aharnish. He was stuck in a rut, and someone had to pull him out of it."

"And you thought feeding him a lie would do the trick? Aharnish hissed. Typical."

"It's for the best, Aharnish," Akilah said decisively. Aharnish let out a low chuckle.

"You just tell yourself that, Aki," he said. Just know that Asura is out there right now, and your greatest fear might come true by the next sundown. You're going to see that your ways didn't work. They were wrong entirely, in fact.

"And I can't wait to see how you're going to deal with it."

Akilah bit her lip. "Asura will be fine," she said. "We simply need to wait through the night. Tomorrow, you'll see. Things will be better."

"I hope so, Akilah," Aharnish said. "If the risks of Asura becoming emotional in front of a Lunariae are true, then we might have run ourselves into a serious mess."

Akilah knew that Aharnish's words were truth, but she despised how he handled the situation. Despite her fear, she wanted to give her little brother a chance to prove himself. Of course it was a risk, but the outcome might be far different than Akilah expected.

At dawn, things would be different. Better or worse, but different.

*

When Asura opened his eyes, the sun had just started to rise, and Nara was still fast asleep. He had no idea how long he'd slept for, but figured at least six hours must have passed. Nara awoke some moments after Asura had, not appearing as awake as the Spirit was; Asura smiled as he watched the dragon shake its head to chase away the sleep.

"Are you ready to go?" Asura asked the dragon after giving her some time to wake up completely. Naga slowly nodded her head.

Asura's smile grew to a grin as he jumped to his feet. "Alright, then," he said, "let's go!"

Naga was clearly not as eager to get up as Asura, and let out a hesitant grunt. Asura couldn't help but laugh at his friend.

"I know it's early," he said in an attempt to encourage Naga, "but we have to go now. The earliest we'll be able to reach any villages is probably noon. I want to meet some people, Naga! I want to know what they're like."

Naga shook her head dismissively, but began to rise to her feet anyway. Asura's pleading had won her over.

He was so excited for this journey, so curious to see what he'd come across and discover.

Naga admired the boy's curiosity, but also knew his sister worried greatly over him. There was something special about him, Naga had been aware of that ever since she'd first met him, but she simply couldn't grasp what it was.

Now Naga had met her best friend's sister, she feared it might be something ominous. She was determined not to let the boy out of her sight for even so much as a minute until she knew exactly what was going on.

She may be a mere dragon, but then again, most people knew nothing about dragons or the fact that their intelligence was almost equal to that of humanoids – they simply lacked the capability to walk on two legs or speak. Naga figured dragons were simply far too heavy for the two-leg thing. And, according to her, being able to speak would be far less impressive than having the ability to let out a mighty roar to anyone who might hear the sound.

Sure, speech offered the ability to reason, but some creatures just weren't meant to be reasoned with.

Asura hopped back onto Naga's back and prepared for takeoff; instead, the dragon began sprinting.

"What are you doing, Naga?" Asura asked. Mere moments later, he realised what Naga had been after; a field of flowers, with thin walking paths between the flower beds to lead any traveller the way.

Sure, the view would have been admirable from above, but now Asura had the chance to see the flowers up close. The flower field stretched for kilometres without end, almost covering the entire Realm.

"So this is the Realm they call Louloudia," Asura said quietly. The Realm that figured as a border between the regular Realms and the Realm of Spirits.

He'd seen it once before, but that was over three thousand years ago – the same trip on which he rescued Naga. On way back, he'd been asleep, so he'd really only seen it once. But after thousands of years without seeing it, Asura realised the real thing was far better than anything his memory could've possibly come up with.

It was massive, certainly for its simple purpose of being border, but its size came with benefits for those who visited.

You could walk for kilometres without end between the flowers, enjoying the peaceful serenity of the place, without meeting anyone. Even if there were a thousand people walking around, the chance of them ever meeting if they had no desire to do so was slim. That's the main reason why Louloudia was visited so often by Lunariae originating from all corners of the world.

They simply desired some time alone, away from the rest of the world.

Asura enjoyed the view he had from his perspective; colourful flowers of all sorts, shapes and sizes flashed him by as Naga carried him past the fields.

Seeing all of this made Asura curious about what he and his friend were about to find next. He knew the names of the Realms and had imagined what they'd look like by his siblings' descriptions, but he'd never actually seen them with his own eyes. He wondered if reality would match up to his imagination at all, or if the things he'd find would be entirely different from the things he'd imagined.

Suddenly, Naga took to the sky, catching Asura slightly off-guard. Still, he managed to grab a hold of the dragon on time. Why had she suddenly decided to lift off like that?

When Asura looked ahead, he understood why; the flower fields seemed to keep going endlessly beyond the horizon, and Naga had probably grown tired of running. Flying made a much quicker way of transportation, and thus they'd have crossed the Realm in no-time.

Asura wondered when they'd finally find the first villages – he was really interested in meeting some fairies, but the largest Fairy Kingdom, where Asura would be most likely to meet some actual Fairies, rather than Fixies or Faerixes, was located in the Silver Valley, far too far away for a single-day travel, and most other Fairy and Pixie villages were very well hidden and almost impossible to find, and thus Asura assumed his chances of meeting any fairies that day to be very low, if not totally zero.

Naga took a turn to the east – Asura could tell by the fact that the sun was shining sharply in his eyes. He wondered how Naga was able to see in this bright light, and silently prayed that they wouldn't crash into anything. Luckily, the dragon found herself annoyed with her decision and changed directions again pretty quickly.

The field of flowers surrounded a lake, and near this lake, Asura noticed a range of villages built closely together – you could tell they were separate villages due to the walls and fences that had been built around them for protection, but if you mentally removed the walls, it was as if there was a gigantic city bordering the lake.

Asura and Naga had finally arrived at their destination; just the place Asura had wanted to go.

Naga picked a village to visit; the most southern village, furthest away from the lake seemed to take to her liking. Asura was eager to get off her back and visit the village; the dragon landed in an open field just outside the village's gates, making sure not to scare any villagers by landing right in the middle of town.

Asura felt excited, almost nervous, to enter the village. With Naga at his side, the duo walked through the gates.

Naga guided Asura to the centre of town; she knew Asura had the intention of finding a shop to buy supplies, and the centre had the greatest chance of housing one.

People stopped to watch as Asura and the miniature dragon traversed the streets; Asura felt nervous as the eyes followed him and Naga. He could feel them piercing his back. Asura tried to tell himself that these stares were merely ones of interest and curiosity, not of fear or hostility, but he still couldn't shake the uneasy feeling the stares carried.

Going to the centre of town had been the right idea regarding to finding a shop, but Asura wasn't sure whether or not he liked the attention he was getting from the villagers when he arrived at the town square. Of course, his appearance was rather unusual, aegean blue skin, golden eyes, hair as flames. He stood out like a sore thumb in this human village.

Clearly, this village never had many non-human visitors. Let alone any visitors from outside the Realm at all.

Apparently, the news of someone new arriving in the village had spread like wildfire, and soon, people were swarming the centre of town.

Asura wanted to meet people, but not if they were forcing themselves onto him like this. He admired the fact that the people were so curious about him, but another part of him was terrified. He'd never seen this many people in the same place before, and he wasn't sure how to handle it. Perhaps his siblings had been right about Asura not being right for a position as Ruler.

Luckily, someone quickly came to his aid. One of the houses located at the centre of the village belonged to the village elder. She quickly called the other villagers that had gathered at the centre of the village to be silent, so they could greet the newcomer properly.

The village elder wasn't as old as Asura assumed an 'elder' would be, but after all, Akilah was physically in her thirties. By human standards, Asura was just shy from turning nineteen.

The elder was a human female, tall, broad-shouldered. She appeared as though she was in her mid-fifties, with a few stray grey hairs appearing in her thick, brown braid. Her eyes were a friendly hazel.

"Welcome, young man," she said, approaching Asura. "Welcome to Linmor Village. What has brought you here? I suspect you must've come a long way to get out where we live."

Asura smiled, still unable to shake the nervous feeling. He'd never really tried speaking to strangers before, so this was a first.

"Thank you for welcoming me, Ma'am," Asura said with a genuine smile. "My name is Asura."

Linmor's elder smiled at Asura. "My name is Aubrey, and I am Linmor's elder and protector," she said. "It's nice to meet you, Asura. Now, what brought you here?"

Asura let out a nervous chuckle and nodded. "I actually came to seek a new home," he said.

"I cannot stay where I lived before. I was hoping if perhaps you could help me find a place here. I could pay you any price."

He proceeded to reach for his pouch filled with gold, but found it was no longer strapped to his belt. His eyes sped around the crowd that surrounded him and the village elder, and heard Naga let out a growl behind him.

Someone had stolen Asura's pouch, and Naga had found them.

Asura had found the man as well, pretty quickly. He appeared young, had a messy bush of brown hair, and was obviously searching for an escape route.

"Hey, you!" Asura called out, silently apologising to Aubrey before running into the thief's direction. "Stop! That does not belong to you!"

The thief turned around, obviously surprised that he'd been caught. Asura simply marched up to him and grabbed his money back. "Has no one ever taught you that stealing is illegal?" Asura said to the thief.

The thief tried to reach for the pouch again after Asura had reattached it to his belt and walked back to Aubrey, but Asura caught him, grabbing his wrist.

"Stop that," he hissed.

Suddenly, something changed drastically in both the thief's as well as several other villagers' behaviour. The thief pulled back his fist, throwing it at Asura's face. The young Spirit was caught off-guard, and thus ended up taking a punch to the face, sending him to the floor.

"Ouch!" he grunted as he got up. "What was that for?"

"What do you think ye're doing, Lad?" a broad-shouldered man, who appeared to be a fisherman, said as he grabbed the thief's shoulders. "Ye shouldn't be doing that. I think it might be a good idea if ye halted yer actions before ye get into any more trouble." He proceeded to get close to the young thief's ear, who was now visibly trembling with fear that the strong man might actually follow up on that promise.

"With big ol' me, fer 'xample," the fisherman whispered. The thief let out a yell.

"Fine!" he shouted. "Don't – don't hurt me! I'll leave him alone – who or whatever he is!"

The thief then ran off, pushing several people out of his way as he made a run for it.

The fisherman smiled at Asura before walking back into the crowd. Asura sat on the floor, not sure what to make of the whole situation. Didn't the Council make sure this kind of thing never happened in Lunaria? No one knew hardship. Then why did the thief try to attack Asura?

"Are you alright, son?" Aubrey had appeared behind Asura. He looked at her over his shoulder, nodding sheepishly. "Uh, yes," he said. "Sorry."

Asura quickly got to his feet, assuring his money pouch was still there and brushing the dirt off his navy blue clothes.

"I was just wondering... has this ever happened here before?" he asked. Aubrey shook her head.

"Not for as long as I can remember, and I've lived in this village for all of my fifty-three years," she said. "I must say you were in particular bad luck, Asura."

Asura bit his lip. "I actually doubt that, Ma'am," he said with a sigh. He signalled at Naga that they were leaving.

"I thank you for your kindness and for welcoming me to Linmor," he told Aubrey. "But I have to return home one more time. I'm sure I'll return – after I've received the answers I desperately need right now.

"And I know I can only get those questions answered at home."

He then turned to Naga, asking for permission to climb onto her back. She allowed him to do so, and the duo ran straight through the crowd out of the village before taking off.

Asura knew of the Lunariae's permanent state of joy and peace, and knew that Spirits were the only creatures capable of expressing negative emotions. That also meant that anyone Spirits decided to interact with would briefly gain that ability too, only to revert back to their state of ignorance once the Spirit was gone.

But Asura had influenced someone he hadn't directly interacted with – which wasn't supposed to be possible. This worried him, and he needed an explanation to find out what was going on.
Chapter Six

Fear

Asura urged Naga to get back to the Realm of Spirits as quickly as her wings could fly. He needed his answers as soon as possible, and besides that, if they arrived at the Castle of Light too late, his siblings would probably be asleep already and Asura would be shut out of the castle altogether.

It meant he'd be forced to spend the night outside and wait until the guards let him in at dawn to get the answers he needed.

By the time they got back to the castle it was dark again, but Asura didn't care about waking his siblings.

He demanded answers, and had no desire to wait until morning.

Asura requested Naga stayed outside and waited for him, because he was already assuming he'd have to leave right away that same night, possibly less than an hour after he'd entered the castle. His siblings wouldn't take his questions lightly, and they were bound to end up in a heated argument. Asura needed a way to get out of there quickly if the ground got too hot under his feet for his liking. He considered Naga to be his best bet if it came that far.

Asura knew how high the chances of getting into serious trouble with his siblings were by now; he knew his siblings had tried their hardest to keep the Lunariae happy. And now, Asura started to figure out that perhaps it wasn't so that negative things – such as the theft of Asura's money pouch – didn't happen, the Lunariae simply didn't notice or acknowledge this negativity.

They were blissfully ignorant, indeed. And Asura wasn't sure how he felt about all of this. It seemed wrong to mask the truth – even if it meant that the Lunariae would be happier.

Still, Asura couldn't help but wonder. There was one major question buzzing around in his head constantly as he and Naga made their way back home. What had happened? Sure, the shield of positivity fell when a Spirit interacted with a Lunariae, but Asura was speaking to Aubrey when his pouch was stolen from him. The things that had occurred after Asura's unfortunate interaction with the thief had been expected, although the event had caught him off-guard.

But in reality, the thief shouldn't have been a thief in the first place – a negative action shouldn't have been able to occur unless Asura incited it to happen.

Asura bit his lip. Perhaps his siblings had been so upfront about preventing him from leaving home for a reason. They didn't want Asura to come into contact with any Lunariae and break the illusion that was the blissful, positivity-filled life each of them led.

The boy walked past the night guards, who greeted him happily, although Asura got the idea they were slightly nervous to see him return. Asura, refusing to allow that thought to bother him, nodded kindly as he walked past them and entered the castle.

Asura instantly noticed the open doors that lead to the throne room, and the light that came from the room itself – at least one of his siblings was still awake, and they didn't care much for their privacy.

Then, Asura reconsidered – it might as well just be Pixies cleaning the throne room at night, when no one was around to disturb their work. With this thought in mind, Asura initially intended to pass the throne room and head for the library upstairs, hoping he'd find Akilah there, but he was stopped in his tracks the moment he stepped into the light that came from the throne room.

"There he is!" Aharnish's voice shouted from the throne room. "Don't you dare sneak past us like that! Get in here and explain yourself!"

Asura's heart skipped a beat. They knew. How?

Akilah probably felt the change in Lunaria's energy when Asura triggered anger within the thief. Of course, Asura would never have been able to hide this event, even if he'd wanted to.

Asura turned and walked into the throne room, feeling his feet get heavier with every step. He'd wanted to be the one to share the news, to be the leader of the conversation – argument? –, but his siblings had just managed to take that position from him. Asura was the one to have to listen and answer once again, instead of being the one to ask the questions and demand answers.

As he approached the table, Asura gritted his teeth. No. He wouldn't be the obedient one this time. He had questions, and he needed answers.

And his siblings would deliver him the answers he needed – and the truth. He knew the other five Spirits knew exactly what was going on, and Asura refused to let this go without getting to know everything he wanted and needed to.

In return, Asura would tell what had happened without telling a single lie. Not as if he'd ever lied about anything as important and great in size as this particular event before, because he simply never had a reason to do so, but how difficult could it be to tell a simple lie?

If his siblings were honest with him, then Asura would be honest with them, too. Trust is a two-way street.

When he was close enough to make out their facial expressions, Asura instantly knew he was in trouble. Aharnish and Ince were outraged, Akilah and Aoife appeared disappointed. Aine looked like she hadn't slept in a week and was shaking with stress.

"What did you do, brat?" Aharnish barked at his brother, basically tossing aside his chair as he stood up. "Are you intentionally trying to destroy the entire world? Is that what you want?"

Asura raised his palms in defence. "Wait, he said, I can explain. As long as you guys do the same, too."

Aharnish raised an eyebrow. "And what do we have to explain to you, Asura?" he said, an unmistakable sneer lingering in his tone.

"Well, it's obvious," Asura said, "I want to know why you make these people live like this. They had no idea what was really going on around them, until I came along and showed them!" He took a moment to breathe before continuing. "And what's up with that? Why did I cause their true emotions to show? Why did they realise what was happening after I defended myself?" Then, he asked the most difficult question, the one that had been weighing on his mind for years, but had fallen down onto his head, heart and mind like a brick after that day's accident.

"What am I?"

Aharnish opened his mouth to respond, but Ince stopped him.

"You indeed have a right to know these things, Asura," he said, "but perhaps it's for the better if you don't. You might not like some of the answers once we give them to you."

Asura didn't blink even once. "I don't care," he said, his voice monotone. "I really don't. I just want to know the truth, that's all I ask."

"And if things are really as bad as you guys make them out to be, I will do as you say. Is that fine with you?"

Asura could tell that his siblings were hesitant to comply, but Akilah was the one to make the final decision.

"That's fine," she said. "You deserve to know the truth, Asura. We were wrong to keep it from you."

Asura crossed his arms, not entirely trusting his siblings just yet. "Thank you," he said hesitantly. "Now, will you tell me what I need to know?"

Akilah nodded. "Sit down," she said, "and we'll give you the answers you've been so desperately looking for."

Asura nodded and took his seat at the rounded table. He anxiously waited for Akilah, Ince and Aharnish, who'd stood up from the table, to sit back down. The six siblings stared at each other for what felt like hours in utter silence. It became clear to Asura that he had to be the one to ask the first question.

"So," he said, "what's the reason the Lunariae live the way they do? Without noticing any kind of negativity that's happening around them?" His eyes were focused on Akilah. She did not avoid his gaze, but instead locked right onto it.

"We are Spirits of Light, Asura," she said, "not of Darkness. We cannot handle the energy that comes with the Dark."

"Why not?" Asura said. "I mean – the six of us are the most powerful beings in the entire world! We are the reason this world exists, lives, and breathes! Why would we out of all people be unable to control a vital part of its nature?"

"Because the Dark and Light need to remain balanced," Akilah said, "and Dark will always attempt to overpower Light. No matter what we do, once it's noticed, negativity will overtake Lunaria and consume it until there's nothing left."

Asura frowned. "You don't know that," he said. The response he received from his sister was a sad sigh.

"That's where you're wrong, Asura," she said. "We do know."

She didn't wait for her brother to respond, but instead, continued with her story.

"A long time ago, Lunaria was run by two Spirit Councils; the Council of Light and the Council of Dark.

"Together, these two Councils formed the Council of Balance, and they were responsible for maintaining balance between the Light and Dark in Lunaria." She briefly shifted her gaze toward her other siblings; they were listening too, despite already knowing the story by heart.

"At first, things went well," Akilah continued. "Both Councils attended to their own matters and united on matters that concerned both. But with time, came consequences no Spirit could have foreseen." Akilah briefly closed her eyes, then continued.

"The Spirits that were members of the Council of Dark suffered great consequences from their Elements. They weren't strong enough to control them fully; slowly and steadily, their Light was snuffed out. The Spirits on the Council of Dark would be consumed by their Element." Her voice turned cold.

"In order for the Spirits to be released from their curse and stop the Dark from overtaking Lunaria for good, the Spirits of Light were forced to transform them into mortals. Humans." Another brief pause.

"Four out of seven of the Spirits took their own lives after seeing the damage they'd done while under the control of the Dark."

Asura frowned. "But what does that have to do with me?" he asked. "Do you think I'm a Dark Spirit?"

His siblings were clearly hesitant to answer that.

"Well, Asura," Aharnish decided to make an attempt, "technically we don't know if you have an Element at all, so declaring you Light or Dark on one mishap is a bit rushed."

"Mishap?" Asura's eyes narrowed. "What?"

"Well... it was a mishap, wasn't it?" Aharnish said. "You made someone angry by accident, you just admitted that it was an accident. Then again, pretty much all interesting things you've ever done were by accident, but-"

Asura shook his head. "There you go again," he said, "calling me an accident, making jokes about me again." He swallowed. "You better watch out Aharnish, because I'm going to find out what caused my influence to be so much stronger. And if it's an Element that's causing it, I will find out." A brief pause followed; Asura took a deep breath.

"And I will learn to control my Element. Then, you'll have no choice but to accept me on the Council.

Whether it be on the Council of Light or Dark – you'll have no choice. And by the time I've learnt to control my Element, you'll want me on the Council.

If my Element is dark, then it's nothing more but Lunaria's wish to make it be that the Council of Dark is reinstated."

He then rose from the table, and without offering anyone so much as a glance or another word, marched out of the throne room.

Aharnish quickly got up and after him, dragging him back to the throne room by the sleeve.

"Let me go, Aharnish!" the boy demanded. "This is my choice to make!"

Aharnish stopped walking right as they reached the table and turned his head sharply.

"This is your choice to make?" he hissed. "Is the life you wish to choose, to be controlled by your Element, lost in Darkness? Really, Asura?

"You can't mean that. Not with one hundred percent honesty. You must have your doubts..."

"You don't know if that's what'll happen, Aharnish," Asura replied, narrowing his eyes. "You're not even willing to give me the chance to try. Perhaps the results will be far different than we all think right now – perhaps I'm just much stronger than all of you."

Aharnish let go of his brother to grab his stomach as he burst out into laughter. "Are you listening to yourself right now?" he chuckled. "You, more powerful than all of us combined! You haven't even discovered whether you have an Element or not yet!"

Asura bit his lip. "It may be unlikely," he said, "but not impossible."

Akilah, tired of having to listen to the argument, Akilah gestured with her hands towards Asura. "Asura," she said, "get over here."

Asura raised an eyebrow at his sister. "Alright," he said, "what do you want from me?"

Akilah took in a deep breath. "Asura," she said, "I'm fine with you going out to discover your Element on your own, but I have to ask you to leave the Lunariae alone from now on. You are free to visit their villages, but do not engage with them. Don't talk to them unless they speak to you – and keep the conversation as short as possible." Akilah's tone was serious. "If you don't follow these rules, I will make sure there will be consequences, so make sure you heed them."

Asura sat back in his chair, his face turning into a frown. "What?" he asked. "Why would I have to do that? Just because of one incident?"

Akilah's face wasn't kind. She was serious about this. "Asura, if you don't listen to what I'm saying, you could be in danger," she said. "All of us could be."

Asura opened his mouth to ask a question, but stopped himself halfway. "You know," he said, "I'm not even going to bother asking why we could be in danger. I already know the answer, the hypothetical Council of Dark. I'm not even going to bother."

His golden eyes darkened as Asura raised his eyebrows. "I simply can't believe what you're trying to pull here, Akilah." He rose from his seat a second time.

"And for a moment I believed you'd be finally doing what I asked for," he continued. "I actually believed you'd finally come clean and tell the truth. No more lies, no more trying to escape the subject." He glanced at his other three siblings briefly, but knew they weren't to blame. Well, at least, not entirely. Akilah was urging them to keep quiet, and by choosing to do so, they were still accomplices to Akilah's web of lies.

"But still, I find myself disappointed once more tonight," Asura continued. "I believed you when I sat down to talk, Akilah. I really did. But you're once again covering up the truth."

"Asura, we have told you nothing but truth," Akilah defended herself. "The Council of Dark existed, and I do not wish you to suffer the same fate." She rose from her seat as well. "And thus, I am telling you the truth. No lies." She paused briefly. "You must believe me when I say that I never had any intention of telling you lies, Asura. My intentions were for the best."

"Best intentions," Asura scoffed. "Of course. Your intentions are always for the best. How unfortunate that the outcome of your actions is never the same as what you claimed was your intention."

Aoife opened her mouth, trying to add to the conversation, but Akilah waved her hand to silence her sister. "Asura, you simply don't understand the situation," she said, her jaw stiffening slightly.

"Then help me understand!" Asura yelled. "If you only tell me half the story, then of course I'm not going to be able to grasp what's going on!" Tears started to sting in his eyes, blurring his vision, but Asura refused to show them to his siblings. He did not need their pity. Not anymore.

"You know what?" Asura shouted, his voice cracking. "I don't need to know anymore! I don't need to hear any more of your lies! I'll find out the truth by myself!"

Without allowing anyone to stop him, he threw aside his chair, and marched out of the throne room. Aharnish stepped forward in an attempt to grab his brother again, but Asura dodged and Aharnish lost his balance mid-grab. Asura didn't care.

Soon, they would be strangers to each other, as if they'd never met – despite sharing each others' blood.

Mere seconds later, Akilah exited the throne room chasing after her brother, determined to get him back. "ASURA!" she shouted.

This time, Aharnish was quick enough to be able to step in the way. He hadn't chased after Aharnish any further, but he knew he could stop Akilah in time.

"Akilah, don't," Aharnish told his sister. "Just let him go."

"Didn't you hear what he said? Akilah snapped at her brother. He's going to get himself hurt!"

Aharnish lowered an eyebrow. "He needs to learn that this choice is wrong," he said. "And he needs to learn that by facing some harsh consequences."

"It's not just his choice," Aharnish, Akilah said. "You know what'll happen if he is in fact a Dark Spirit. It's not his choice, but his mistake to go through with this." She briefly closed her eyes and sighed. When she opened again, her eyes were expressing determination. "A mistake he's not going to be able to come back from, and a mistake we will all suffer the consequences from."
Chapter Seven

Curiosity

Asura couldn't help but feel angry and disappointed with his siblings. Perhaps it'd been a mistake to come back at all.

Of course, the boy considered the reality of his siblings' fears, rather than tossing them aside as being completely unfounded - the Spirits were responsible for recording their own history, so they had no reason to believe the history they'd been raised with wasn't real.

Asura felt as though he should at least consider the risks Akilah had told him about, and that he should treat the story of the Council of Dark as a hypothetical truth.

For a brief moment, Asura considered going back up to his room by climbing the vines that grew by the walls of the castle to gather some of his things; he ultimately decided to do so, since it would be easier to get to his room climbing up the wall than walking back into the castle and being confronted with his siblings again.

Gathering his things wouldn't be his only goal; Asura suddenly got the idea to check the library for any books on the Council of Balance, or the Council of Dark specifically. And again, like gathering his things, he had to make sure he did this without being seen by anyone.

Asura simply hoped the veins would support his weight. Luckily for him, some of the branches on the castle's back wall, nearby Asura's bedroom window, were rather thick and strong, allowing Asura to climb up quickly and safely. He made a few slip-ups, grabbing vines that weren't strong enough, broke and nearly sent him falling to his death, but eventually, Asura made it up where he needed to be.

Asura never closed his window, and was relieved to find that no one else had closed it while he'd been gone. He could easily climb through.

Now, he had to be quick and swift. Asura only had a couple of minutes to gather the things he'd need and take them back down with him before someone would notice the noise Asura's rummaging caused.

He quickly snatched his favourite leather satchel – it would be large enough to fit everything he needed. An extra change of clothes, a blanket, another pair of boots in case the ones that were currently on his feet gave out at any point.

He'd buy more things once he was settled somewhere – he wasn't sure yet whether he'd decide to settle in Linmor or not, considering his unfortunate first encounter with the villagers.

Asura swung the satchel around his shoulder and reached for favourite cloak – dark blue with silver details. Then, he headed out of the room to pay a visit to the library. He left the room's window open, just in case he needed to hide somewhere at some point. No one would go searching for him inside the Castle of Light – as long as he kept his identity under cover. Besides, if the window was open before, no one would be surprised to find it in the same state when they would eventually come to close it.

As Asura looked out the window, he was caught by surprise by a tiny voice coming from behind him.

"Master Asura?"

Asura let out a small yelp, startled by the small voice that suddenly spoke behind him. He turned around, to be met with a Pixie chambermaid. Clearly, she'd come to clean his room. Why she was doing so in the middle of the night was a mystery to Asura – perhaps she'd heard the commotion downstairs

Luckily, the calm of night had sent the castle and its inhabitants to sleep. His siblings were still downstairs in the throne room, and the library was right across from Asura's bedroom – in the heart of the castle.

Finding the right books would prove quite a challenge – the library's shelves stretched across the walls, from floor to ceiling. Luckily, they were sorted by subject, making things slightly easier.

Asura decided to start in the most likely section that would contain the information Asura was looking for – if the information was present at all; Lunaria's history section.

Each Realm had their own book, written by its inhabitants. The original books were kept with their writers in their native Realms; the Spirits kept magical copies that copied all writing that was written on the pages in real-time, so Lunaria's history would always be preserved within the Realm of Spirits, even if the original individual books were destroyed.

The only way to destroy Lunaria's history, was by burning down the Castle of Light and the library within. And even then, you'd have to find all original books and destroy those too. Of course, the Spirits didn't think that anyone would wish to destroy Lunaria's his, but they insisted on keeping copies of the books to make sure they were preserved regardless.

Of course, the Realm of Spirits had a copy of its own. But instead, the book present in the library was the original, and the Faerix King in the nearest Fairy Kingdom held the self-writing copy.

Asura kind of knew his way through the library, so the books that contained the history of the Realms weren't all that difficult to find. He did need a stool to get to them, but that was the least of his problems.

The Realm of Spirits was the furthest away, tucked in the corner of the bookcase.

Asura reached for it – which happened to be quite the large and heavy book – and nearly dropped it as his hand and arm strained underneath the weight. He was forced to drop it over his shoulder behind him and grab hold of the bookshelf in front of him.

As his nose nearly collided with the bookshelf, Asua noticed three books hidden away in the back of the shelf, tucked behind the books about the Realms. Removing the Realm of Spirits's book had revealed their position.

Asura reached all the way in to get to them, nearly knocking over the stool he was standing on in the process.

This time, he was prepared for the weight that the books carried – although these three were about as light and heavy together as the book on the Realm of Spirits was on its own.

Asura quickly took the books to the reading table, lighting the oil lamp that stood in the very middle. The first book Asura decided to read was the one on the Council of Dark. It piqued his interest the most, as another Spirit Council was something Asura had never even heard of. Why had the existence of this Council been kept secret?

It surely didn't exist anymore today. Asura wondered why, and perhaps this book could give answers as to why things were this way.

Within an instant, Asura recognised the handwriting. Neat and curly – unmistakably Akilah's.

Asura couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the fact that Akilah of all Spirits was the one who'd recorded the history of the Council of Light and Dark.

Was she really that old? Asura thought she was thirty-six thousand years old at best. She'd never revealed her true age to him, so it was rather difficult to determine, but she certainly wasn't over a hundred thousand years old.

In order to be able to record this history, Akilah had to be at least half a million years old.

Then, Asura connected what Akilah had said when she'd started training Asura with her age – she was the original Child of Balance.

That's why she didn't age; she practically was Lunaria in personified form. As long as Lunaria and its energy was present, Akilah would remain, too.

To destroy Akilah, would be to send Lunaria into chaos. And to kill Akilah, you'd have to blow up the planet – or kill every last living being on it. And thus... it'd be virtually impossible.

The books on the Council of Light and Dark, however, didn't explain much more than Akilah already had.

"As of today, the Council of Dark has been disbanded. Driven mad by their Elements, we saw no way but to mortalise the Spirits affected.

Half of them ended up taking their own lives due to their inability to live with the mental anguish. I regret that this had to happen under my reign, and wish that it never need to happen again.

Lunaria will be ruled by the Light henceforth; Balance cannot be obtained. The Council of Balance has been disrupted, disbanded out of necessity – before the Dark destroys us all."

Both books ended with that same message. Neither continued. Perhaps Akilah didn't feel like recording their history any further, or thought it wasn't necessary because the Council of Light remained the same after the war - Asura still wasn't sure whether or not he should call it that.

Asura bit his lip. Was this the truth? It seemed far more likely now. But what if the Elements hadn't been the cause of the Spirits' insanity? Asura still couldn't let it go – he had to know the truth and try to see if it was possible to make the opposite happen. The opposite from what Akilah described in these books.

Asura wanted his Element to be dark, so he could prove that Dark and Light can work together, in balance, without constantly attempting to overtake each other.

But how was he to do this without his siblings trying to hunt him down?

Asura considered his options for a moment. Perhaps he'd wait a week or two, and then send a letter to the castle announcing his death. Akilah would be devastated over her youngest brother's untimely demise, and perhaps his siblings would be able to shed a tear or two as well, but that would only last a little while. Once he was 'gone', Akilah would stop searching for him, and Asura would be able to live his life in peace, without having to look over his shoulder every single moment of his life. He'd no longer have to be afraid of being recognised.

And what if he didn't have an Element after all? A Spirit without an Element was a Spirit unknown to the Lunariae. Aside from that, Asura had never been on any major visits his siblings paid to the Realms, with exception of the one, so most Lunariae wouldn't even know there ever was a sixth Spirit to begin with. His name would be lost to time, buried deep in the past.

Asura reached the ground, releasing the veins and returning to the stability of earth underneath his feet. Another thing to consider was his name. Would he have to change it?

No, it was too late for that. He'd already told Aubrey, the village elder, his real name. Of course, he could consider going to a different village, but for some reason, he felt at peace with using his real name. If Akilah wanted to find him, she sure wasn't going to do it by name. If Magic was involved, changing his name wouldn't hide Asura from his sister.

Just as he was to shut the book of the Council of Dark, something slid out of it. When Asura unfolded the piece of weathered parchment, he discovered that it was a map; a map detailing the location of two different castles.

One marked as the Castle of Light, the other as the Castle of Dark.

Asura took the map, stuffed the book about the Council of Dark in his satchel and took off.

For a moment, he considered leaving straight away, but figured Naga would be too tired to travel all through the night. And with Naga, he meant he would be too tired.

The boy quietly made his way to his bedroom – at least, it would be for just one more night – falling asleep before his head properly hit the pillow.

The next morning, Asura left as he'd come; through the window he'd left open.

He wandered around the castle gardens, careful not to be detected by any guards with burning questions as to why he was leaving so early, and where he might be going. He didn't want to answer any of those questions, so to avoid them was the better option.

When he'd made his way out of the castle gates, Asura greeted Naga, who was still patiently waiting for him. She gave him a look; Asura shrugged in response.

"Don't worry," he said. "They didn't like what I had to say. They lied. We fought. The usual." He tried his very best not to let the dragon notice that he was only telling a partial truth.

Naga let out an empathetic sigh, not allowing her response to reveal whether or not she believed Asura, and allowed the young Spirit to hop on to her back.

Once again, the duo flew off into the distance. This time, they had a different destination – the ruins that once were the Castle of Dark. Asura hoped to get more information from visiting them.

*

Asura was surprised by how close the two castles were actually together. There was only about five kilometres between the two – the reason the Castle of Dark had never been noticed by anyone was that it was hidden underneath a cloaking spell.

Another factor that surprised Asura, was how easily Naga had found the Castle of Dark in the first place; perhaps dragons could see through cloaking spells. Asura didn't know.

The gate was rusted and old, but not locked. Asura and Naga could walk right through.

The inside of the castle looked similar to the Castle of Light; it looked as though everyone had left in a hurry, but could come back at any moment.

Apparently, this particular cloaking spell stopped time. Perhaps Akilah wanted to preserve one final part of history in complete secret.

Perhaps she couldn't bring herself to destroying the Castle, the final memorial reminding her of the loss she and her siblings had suffered. Still, he felt as though this beautiful building was going to waste by being hidden away in plain sight.

Asura felt at home instantly – probably because the two castles hardly differed in appearance. He decided to explore some more of the castle before going anywhere else.

The place Asura was most curious about was the throne room. Did the Council of Dark have an enchanted map like the Spirits of Light did?

Or did they have something else to keep track of the world?

The answer was quickly delivered to Asura. Indeed, the Castle of Dark also had a tapestry that doubled as a magical map pinned to the back wall of the throne room. However, the map wasn't the only item that served the Spirits to keep track of the Lunariae and the world around them.

Asura noticed a globe, floating just above a pedestal. It glowed a bright golden colour. Asura wasn't sure what this globe was supposed to be; he reached into his satchel to see if the book he'd taken with him had any information on it.

Luckily for him, Akilah had taken the time to write a quick paragraph on it:

"And then there's the Globe of Balance. Each Council has their own one. I figure I should write this same message in our own book as well.

The Globe tracks all Lunariae and all energy present in Lunaria. Its colour indicates the state of balance; Silver indicates Balance, Gold indicates Light power, Black indicates Dark power.

We must never allow the Globe to turn entirely black. That means doom for us all - the Globe must remain silver at all times. Even pure Gold isn't good for Lunaria's health – Light and Dark without one another are equally toxic and essentially unattainable, as there will always be Dark Spirits alongside us Light Spirits.

A single touch can restore balance, or destroy it entirely. It depends on the Spirit who touches the Globe – it is recommended that all Spirits touch their respective Globe at the same time to reset Balance, must Lunaria's energy ever become unbalanced.

A Spirit must never touch the Globe when they're alone, or chaos might ensue."

Asura couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at what Akilah had written about this Globe of Balance. She mentioned that each Council had their own Globe. Then where did the one in the Castle of Light go? He didn't remember ever seeing it, and he'd explored the entire castle extensively, including any secret passages he might've found, thus he would've known for sure if it'd been hidden away anywhere.

He couldn't waste much time thinking about it; perhaps that was just another secret that had been hid away from Asura's eyes.

Now, the secrets would finally be revealed; Asura decided to take a closer look at the Globe of Balance.

As expected, most of the Globe was basking in a golden glow – the Light was present everywhere more than the Dark – if it was present at all.

Asura walked around the globe, inspecting it from all sides. Suddenly, a particular spot on the globe caught his eye. A silver spot.

It took him a while to figure out which spot it was, but after some investigating of both the map and the globe, Asura was able to figure out that Linmor village was located in the silver spot.

Apparently, Asura's presence had restored balance in the village.

This intrigued Asura, and partially confirmed his suspicions. He indeed was a Dark Spirit. But what were the specifics of his Element?

The boy smirked to himself. Perhaps he needed to pay a visit to Linmor village – first to see the fruits of his work, although he may have planted the seeds unknowingly, and to find out more about his powers second.

Perhaps this was the way to maintain balance; one Dark Spirit, and five Spirits of Light. It was possible that the Dark was less strong when the Light outnumbered it.

This could be the solution Lunaria had been waiting for.

Chapter Eight

Dark Touch

Of course, Aharnish wouldn't allow the situation to pass without getting an explanation from his sister. Why hadn't she told her siblings about Asura's Element?

Or was she just as clueless as her siblings were? Aharnish didn't think so.

Aharnish suspected his sister was up to something, even though he didn't have any evidence to go on other than the feeling in his gut. Aharnish trusted his own gut enough to know he was right.

But regardless of whether he was right or not, Aharnish had the right to ask for the explanation he desired from his sister. Even if she really didn't know what exactly happened, she would definitely know more about the situation than her siblings did. She was there observing him during his training, of course. Perhaps she'd noticed something odd then.

That night, the Council continued discussing until dawn. They didn't know what Asura was doing, let alone that he was still inside the castle. All they could think of was Asura's state of mind – and his Element.

"Akilah," Aine asked, "Do you think Asura...?"

Akilah bit her lip. She knew that Aine wasn't asking whether or not Asura was okay, safe, or alright – she was asking about something she was too afraid to speak out loud. Even Akilah was too afraid to admit it. The fact that Akilah might've caused this to occur made her feel even worse.

Still, Akilah believed that all Elements would eventually fall under the control of other Spirits once again as millennia passed by – including the Dark. Akilah didn't believe that the Dark would remain out of Lunaria's Energy forever. It just simply couldn't.

However, Akilah had never expected the Dark Elements to arrive so soon; Asura did not deserve to be marked for such a horrible fate, but it seemed as though Lunaria had an opinion that differed greatly from Akilah's.

Asura's story had been written and set in stone, or so it seemed, and though she doubted she could, Akilah would try everything within her power to change the ending to the story.

Until Akilah had figured everything out, it was for the best if she was as honest as she could with her other siblings – Asura was right. Perhaps lying to him had been a mistake, and Akilah felt ashamed for continuing to lie to her brother when he needed to know the truth the most. But certain truths still needed to be avoided – simply to avoid any further conflict.

"We can pretty much confirm that Asura possesses a Dark Element," Akilah said, not only confirming it with her siblings, but coming to terms with the facts herself as well. "But I believe he can be saved."

"But how?" Ince asked. "How could he even get a Dark Element?"

Akilah's eyes failed to meet Ince's for a moment. She didn't know. She had suspicions, theories, two possibilities; she couldn't tell which one was true, and she needed more time to figure that out.

"I don't know how exactly," she said, "but I will find out." Technically, she was telling the truth.

Ince bit his lip, clearly not feeling entirely satisfied with his sister's response. "And how do we plan on saving him?"

This time, it was Akilah's point to bite her lip at her brother's response.

He had a point – how were they to stop Asura's fate? Even the Spirits of Light weren't all-powerful, even though they came close. There were limits to their powers – such as that Akilah did not yet know of a way to resurrect the dead, and she doubted she'd ever find a way. But that didn't mean she wasn't searching for it.

And that added to the current situation. Just because she didn't know how to save Asura, didn't mean she'd stop trying after failing once. There had to be a way to separate the two, Spirit and Element, balance the Element with another, or send it back to its slumber.

Then, Akilah's eyes met Ince's. "We will do whatever it takes," she said. "Whatever it takes to save our little brother. And ourselves. And all of Lunaria.

"There's a lot more at stake here than we all think."

*

Naga and Asura had made a brief stop to gather some food and drink for the trip. Near the fields Asura and Naga usually hung out, there was a small group of fruit trees. It wasn't much of a breakfast for a growing boy and a meat-eating dragon, but food was food. As they ate, Asura quickly found an explanation for the headache that had been bothering him since he woke up but had been gradually worsening since he and Naga left the castle.

Dehydration and stress were a terrible combination. Luckily, the boy remembered the small water pouch he carried, and even more luckily, Asura found it was filled with water. He promised himself to remember to fill it more often as he gratefully drank the water.

His thirst not quite quenched and his hunger far from stilled, Asura decided he didn't want to stick around any longer. He had to go.

Asura picked a couple of apples from the tree – the prettiest ones, with a shiny, red skin – and stuffed them in his satchel to act as lunch. The marketplace in the village would sure offer some more filling foods for Asura's dinner, not to mention Naga's.

This time around, Naga did not bother with Louloudia's surroundings and flew right over the Realm, allowing their travelling time to be significantly shorter than the day before. It was past high noon when Asura finally returned to the village, but it was still better than arriving in the midst of night without having anywhere to go. Now, he had some time to ask about a place to stay and buy some goods from the local marketplace without having to hurry.

As Asura walked through town, he noticed that the people were staring him down once again. Some of them seemed to recognise him from his visit the other day.

"It's that boy again, the blue kid. He's back."

"Again?"

"What does he want this time?"

"He's just a boy."

"But what is he doing here?"

"Doesn't he have a family?"

"They must be so worried about him. They probably don't even know where he is."

Asura tried his best to ignore the whispers that followed him through town and made his way to Aubrey's home at the centre. He wanted to know if there were any vacant houses, and Aubrey, being the village elder and all, would probably know about that. A leader had to keep track of their people, and thus of where they lived, too.

As he knocked on Aubrey's door, another thought came to Asura's mind. An urge. He wanted to test his Element's abilities again; just to see what would happen – if anything at all. Asura considered the fact that the villagers would probably like it a lot less if what he assumed to be his powers would work on them again, but he meant them no harm, and thought they'd know it. He was curious, and they deserved to live in reality, not in whatever world the Spirits made them live in. So practically, this would be a win-win situation in the long term.

The door opened, and Audry appeared before Asura. She smiled kindly at him.

"Ah, young Asura," she said. "Welcome back. I've been awaiting your return."

She then made a gesture with her hands, inviting Asura into her small, humble home. Asura took a moment to look at Naga, who nodded encouragingly. She'd wait for him outside the house.

"Why were you waiting for me?" Asura simply couldn't help but ask as he closed the door behind him. "I mean – there's more important things in life. Since you're the village elder, you probably have a lot of important things to do."

He followed Aubrey into a small sitting room. In the middle of the room, there were five woven chairs filled with colourful cushions set in a circle. A homely fireplace burnt in the corner, giving the room its physical warmth.

"Sit down, my boy," Aubrey told Asura, gesturing towards the circle of chairs as she herself headed right into the kitchen. "Make yourself comfortable. I'll be right with you, and then we'll talk for a little while."

Asura did as he was told and took a seat in one of the chairs. The pillows didn't bother him at all. He took some time to take in the decoration of Aubrey's home until she returned with tea.

"Here," she said, offering Asura a hot cup. "You look exhausted; this will help you."

Asura thankfully accepted the tea, almost slurping it up in one go before realising he had manners. When he shamefully put down the now near-empty cup of tea on the woven table that sat in the middle of the five chairs, Aubrey burst out laughing, leaving Asura slightly confused as to what had just happened.

"Oh, boy, don't worry about appearing rude," Aubrey told Asura when she saw the confusion in his eyes. "The fact that you wanted to drink the tea so badly that you didn't even care about the heat was enough to make me smile."

"O-oh." Asura was caught by surprise and smiled nervously at his hostess. He then hesitated to pick the cup back up, but eventually reached for it again anyway and drank the tea. He had to admit it – the small cup of tea did make him feel better.

"So, boy," Aubrey said, as she sat down in the seat opposite Asura, "tell me. What brings you here today? And what brought you here last time you visited?"

"Well," Asura said, as he put the cup back down on the table, "I was looking for a new home at first," he continued, "but I believe I've found that now. Today, I've come to ask for advice."

Aubrey nodded. "I see," she said. "What kind of advice were you hoping to receive?"

Asura frowned. "I don't know," he said. "I haven't been outside my home Realm before. I guess I just need some directions."

Aubrey smiled. "Ah," she said. "You're a young man, finally away from his home, ready to explore the world. It's good to see such young faces from time to time, so full with curiosity."

Asura smiled at Aubrey, but it wasn't genuine. "I've just discovered my purpose in life," he said, "but I'm not sure if I like the purpose that has been assigned to me."

Aubrey smiled. Hers was genuine. "Oh, dear boy..." she said, reaching out a hand for Asura. "You can only decide for yourself what your purpose is."

Asura raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Really?" he said. "Do I?"

"Of course, Asura," she told him, "you are the master of your own destiny." She finished her sentence with a cheeky wink, and Asura couldn't help but smile.

"Thank you very much, Ma'am," he said. "It's... difficult living the way I do.

Magic runs strongly in my family, you see."

Aubrey nodded slowly. "I see," she said. "Magic works in strange ways, Asura." Her tone was slightly warning. "You best be careful."

She got up, and Asura followed her around the room with his eyes. She walked over to an oak dresser and opened the top drawer.

"Now, let's see..." she mumbled. Asura couldn't help but feel curious as to what Aubrey was doing; her back was turned toward him.

"Ah, here." Aubrey pulled something from the drawer – a piece of parchment, it seemed.

"Here," Aubrey said as she walked back to Asura, her arms outstretched. Asura took the piece of parchment and noticed it was actually a map.

"A map of the village?" Asura asked, looking up from the map towards Aubrey. She nodded.

"You can have it," she said. "It'll make getting around easier, in case you want to visit more often." She then moved her vision toward the map. "I heard the Spirits have an enchanted map of Lunaria; it can show any part of the world the keeper of the map desires.

"Strong Magic."

Asura nodded absentmindedly. That map indeed hung as a tapestry on the wall of the throne room, right behind the throne and the round table. It showed what was happening in the Realms – daytime, nighttime, weather... the moving drawings looked incredible, and Asura had spent quite a lot of his days looking at it when he was little.

Whenever they had to discuss matters that concerned Lunaria, Akilah usually brought out a smaller version which they could put on the table. Asura had seen her carrying it around quite a few times before.

"Now, Asura, tell me, where are you from?" Aubrey asked. "If you don't mind me asking, of course."

Asura frowned. "My family... my home... the situation was kind of difficult," he said slowly. "I'd rather not speak of it. I have to apologise."

Aubrey smiled. "Oh, boy, there's no need to," she said. "I know not everyone's lives are fairy tales full of positivity and magic. It's perfectly okay if you don't want to talk about your past." Her eyes twinkled softly. "You are here to make a better future for yourself, but for now, it's for the best if you focus on the present and don't think of either the past or the future. It keeps you on track."

Asura nodded. That was a piece of advice he'd have to heed.

"But do remember that they're still your family," Aubrey said. "While you mustn't take any abuse from anyone, they are still connected to you. Perhaps the situation isn't as skin-deep as it seems."

Asura swallowed and nodded again. "Thank you," he said. "Your advice means a lot to me."

Aubrey smiled at the young boy. "It's nothing, child," she said. "Just make sure you're safe in your journey to self-discovery. Let no one ever steal your joy, or allow them to change who you are."

"Thank you, Ma'am," Asura said as he stood up, beginning to make his way for the door. "For the warm welcome. The tea. The map, the advice – everything."

Aubrey smiled as she opened the door for Asura. "Ah, it's no problem, my boy," she said. "You're welcome. You'll always be welcome."

As Asura walked out the door, he heard Aubrey say, "Did you find the answers you rushed home for yesterday?"

When the young Spirit turned around, he found the door shut. Confused, he wanted to knock, to ask her what she meant, but decided it would be better if he didn't. Aubrey probably already knew Asura's secret, and going back to ask about it would only confirm her suspicions.

Asura unrolled the map he was holding rolled up in his hand and looked at the spot Aubrey had marked. He considered his location, then figured out the route he had to walk to get to his house. Naga pushed her nuzzle against his arm, and he smiled at her as he showed her the map.

"Look, girl," he said. "Looks like we've got ourselves a new home and a new place to seek advice. A new beginning."

The duo made their way through the village quickly; after studying the map for that short moment, Asura almost knew the layout of the streets by heart. Real life was different from a drawing, of course, but the path before him was the same. It were just the tiny little details that were different.

Such as the people Asura met as he manoeuvred the narrow streets, each and every one of them unique, the people Asura wanted to get to know better.

They looked at him, some smiled at him, and some welcomed him to their village. Asura returned their hellos and thanked them for their welcomes, but never stayed too long to chat. He made sure he never stayed too long for curious villagers that had started a conversation with him to start asking him questions. Asura already knew that the answers these villagers would come up with, would be questions he wouldn't want to answer anyway. He didn't need them to know where he was from, how old he was, or what he was doing in their village; he just wanted to be normal, ordinary, unnoticeable in a large crowd. He had no desire to stand out or be considered special because he was a Spirit.

His siblings might've exploited their status in a situation like this, but all Asura desired was to be like one of the villagers. No one special.

And yet, Asura doubted he'd ever be able to blend in entirely with these villagers. He was the only non-human he'd met thus far. He didn't belong with his Spirit family, but no matter what he'd do, he'd stand out among the humans in this village, too. For now, there was simply nowhere where Asura could fit in, and thus, he had to settle for second best.

At least there was the possibility that the villagers would accept him into their community; something his siblings had clearly failed to do.

Perhaps he should consider moving into the village instead of the Castle of Dark, just to be even further away from his siblings? But perhaps he wouldn't be able to use his Element while he was that far away from the Realm of Spirits, which nowadays was usually referred to as the Realm of Light as there was only one side present – Asura would make sure that the Realm of Light would soon be renamed to the Realm of Balance.

Asura almost lost sight of his secondary mission. Aubrey had given him new courage to test out his Element.

Now, where was he supposed to start his test? Asura hardly even knew how to use his Element – if it was were there at all, and all that had occurred the previous day hadn't simply been a mere coincidence of his presence.

Asura had requested Naga to go to the village gates, as he didn't want to draw attention to himself in case things backfired, and Asura would surely be recognised with his trusty dragon companion having to flee by his side. Not that his appearance helped him with getting away unnoticed, but a boy and a dragon and a boy without a dragon did make quite a difference.

Asura had no desire to antagonise the people of this village against him like he'd done his siblings – even though in their case, he'd been doing so since birth.

In reality, Asura had no clue as to how events would play out, or what the consequences of his actions would be. He could take the time to consider a series of different outcomes, but at the moment, Asura knew too little of the cause to know anything about the consequences, and thus he decided to let that part of his rational mind slide for now.

Perhaps it was better if he chose a not too crowded area, in case something unforeseen did happen.

And that was exactly what happened. A street, nearly abandoned appeared before Asura. There was no one around so it seemed, but one drunkard. Bottle of beer, wine, whatever alcoholic beverage it was, still in hand, the man staggered across the street, hitting the left and right walls of the street as he went, desperately trying to stay on his feet. His clothes were dirty and ragged, his hair was a mess. He grinned as he saw Asura approaching; Asura recoiled at the sight of the man's rotting, decaying teeth.

"H-hey, you," the man blurted, pointing the hand that carried the bottle (its contents splashing to the ground due to the man's rather aggressive swing) at Asura. "Y-you. Boy. C'me- c'mere."

Asura, unsure what to make of the situation, believed that using his assumed powers on this man would only cause trouble, and thus he began walking in the other direction, but the drunken stranger was faster than Asura had anticipated.

"H-hey, I said c'm- c'mere!" he shouted, staggering forward as his feet lead him down the street quickly, barely able to maintain his balance.

Asura quickened his pace, desperate to avoid any contact with the drunken man. He had no desire to either accidentally hurt the man or get hurt himself.

The drunkard remained persistent. His speed slightly quickened, allowing him to grab a hold of Asura's cloak.

"B-boy! C'mere! Please!"

Asura turned around, lightly tugging at his cloak in an attempt to pull it from the drunkard's surprisingly strong grip. "Sir, please let go of my cloak. You need to go home and sleep off this state you're currently in."

"N-no," the man said, trying to pull Asura closer to him. "C... c'mere. I- I think I know who you are."

Asura raised an eyebrow. "Sir, let go," he said. "You are intoxicated. You are not capable of thinking clearly. I just arrived in this village, and thus there's no way you could know me. I'm just merely a stranger."

"N-no," the drunkard said. "You're- you're one of them."

"Sir," Asura said through gritted teeth, slowly beginning to lose his patience with the man. "This is the last time I will ask you. Let go of my cloak."

"Wha- why are you here"? the man asked Asura. "Ye- ye shouldn't – ye should be home. With, with, you know, fa- family. You don't belong here, kid."

The sudden soberness in the drunkard's voice as he spoke the last sentence caught Asura by surprise. Who was this man to tell him he didn't belong here? He belonged anywhere he decided to belong.

"I warned you!" Asura yelled, grabbing a hold of the man's wrist and giving it a strong tug. The man was caught by surprise, releasing his grip as he lost his balance and fell to the floor.

The bottle broke, shards flew. One of them cut the drunkard's hand; another one flew in Asura's direction, cutting his cheek. Spirits' physical forms bleed, but when it gets too damaged, the Spirit must regenerate its form to maintain it.

"You..." The man sounded awfully sober all of a sudden, even more so than he'd done in his previous sentence. He grabbed his bleeding arm as he threw Asura a dangerous glare. "You are a demon!" he shouted. "You don't belong here! Return from where you came, before you doom us all!"

Asura was shocked at the man's sudden change of heart. Had his touch really caused this outburst?

He quickly made his way to the village gates, where Naga waited for him. Asura needed to find a way to control his Element; his touch was far too strong. If things kept going like this, chaos would indeed ensue.

But Asura swore he'd find a way to fix things.
Chapter Nine

Conflict

Asura's actions didn't go unnoticed in the Castle of Light. An emergency Council was called late in the afternoon; obviously, the boy had neglected to heed his siblings' warnings, and they had to act before things got out of control.

Akilah had her best interests when it came to her little brother, but if he simply refused to believe her every word and continue to defy her and her siblings, they might not have a choice but to attack him.

That was, of course, if he allowed his Element to take over. Unfortunately, at the moment, he was steadily underway to making that happen.

The fact that Asura was using his Element was bad enough. What made matters worse, was that he was doing it uncontrolled. He had no idea what he was doing, and that only worsened the effect.

In the meantime, the Spirits wasted precious time arguing at their round table in the throne room, rather than finding Asura and putting a stop to his actions.

"Akilah, this is your fault," Aharnish told his sister. "You were the one who wanted to train him, you awakened this Element inside of him."

Akilah refused to allow her brother to agitate her any further than Asura already had.

"You act like it's my fault alone," she told him, "and yet, you did just as much, if not less, to stop this as I did.

"This is just as much your fault as it is mine, Aharnish. The five of us are all to blame."

Aharnish groaned, a sound that sounded somewhat like 'you're right' and 'I'm sorry'. Clearly, he didn't want to admit it, but he knew his sister was right. Aharnish then leaned forward on the rounded table, hands far apart. "But blame doesn't matter!" he snapped. "Akilah, if Asura keeps doing what he's been doing for the past two days, the Darkness will spread through him, through all of Lunaria, and let me tell you, his desire to 'balance' the Light and Dark will be void when that happens.

"He will become a creature of Darkness, a slave, an addict. And there'll be no way to stop him without violence, or perhaps even death. "

"Don't say that, Aharnish," Aoife said. She disliked even so much as the sound of the word, even though it was part of her Element. With Life, came Death. Aoife wasn't the one to initiate Death, only to initiate Life, but she did feel it every time a Lunarian passed away. Death felt as though it left an empty spot in Aoife's heart, usually lasting two days, and there was nothing she could do to make the emptiness go away. It was the downside of her Element.

"We'll be able to save him, Aharnish," Aoife continued, "we won't have to kill him. But even I can't guarantee he will agree to a non-violent surrender if it comes that far."

The others seemed to agree with her on that matter, even though Akilah and Ince seemed hesitant to admit it.

Aharnish let out a sigh. "Fine," he said, "we'll try and save him. But if we want to solve this issue with as little violence as possible, we'll have to start getting into action now. There's no point in waiting until the darkness has already taken control of Asura's mind and heart."

Once again, the siblings seemed to agree. "The issue is," Aine said, "Akilah's already told Asura he needs to stop. We should allow him some time, see what he does. If he doesn't stop on his own, even after knowing the consequences that are hanging over his head, then he simply does not want to listen, and we'll have to force him to stop." She shrugged. "That's just my theory. I thought it might be something to consider."

Akilah nodded slowly. "Aine, you certainly have a point there," she said approvingly. "But I think Asura will realise the importance of the situation soon. He promised me he'd make the right choice – there's no doubt he will stop before it's too late."

Aharnish seemed sceptical of his sister's confidence. "Are you sure, though, Akilah? He might have a different opinion on the matter of what the 'right decision' truly is."

"Of course that's possible," Akilah said, "but I don't believe Asura would want to sacrifice all of Lunaria's safety just so the Light and Dark could be balanced. Asura knows the Dark will eventually outweigh the Light if he isn't careful and allows his Element to spiral out of control." She paused briefly. "I trust Asura and his ability to make the right decision."

"So you're saying we shouldn't do anything?" Ince said, sounding not too convinced with his sister's statement. "Just wait and sit this tale out, and only come into action when it's far too late? That doesn't seem like the right course of action to me, Akilah.

"If we allow the Darkness to consume Asura and let him unleash his wrath upon the world, then thousands of innocent lives will be lost. We'd basically be the ones committing those murders, not Asura."

Akilah raised an eyebrow. "I never said we should not intervene if Asura does not cease to use his Element," she said, moving backwards in her chair, "I said we need to have faith in Asura's morality. He does not desire to bring destruction upon Lunaria, and thus I am confident he will come to his senses and stop on his own."

She looked around the table, making eye contact with every single one of her siblings before continuing to speak. "I wish to have faith in my brother," she said slowly, "but I will not hesitate to stop him if things go bad. And we should not hesitate. We, as rulers of Lunaria, are responsible for the safety of all Lunariae, and the environment they live in. If Asura decides to side with his Element, he will be siding with the enemy.

"If Asura chooses to become an enemy to us, we will have no choice but to treat him as such."

It hurt her immensely just to speak the words out loud, but Akilah could not keep on denying the truth any longer. She loved her brother deeply, but she could not force him to make choices he did not want to make.

If his choice was to become the enemy, then Akilah had no choice but to accept it. She could try to sway his mind away from this position, but there was a high chance that she'd fail in doing so if his mind and heart were truly set.

And once the Darkness began fuelling these ideas, there would be no turning back for Asura. No way of saving him.

Of course, they could always try – but there was no guarantee. None of the six Spirits had ever faced Darkness, let alone a creature that harnessed all the Darkness in the world.

If Akilah was truly honest with herself, deep down inside, she knew that she and her siblings wouldn't stand a chance against Asura.

*

It was late in the afternoon when Asura and Naga were preparing for the trip back to the Castle of Dark. They wanted to get there before sundown, but that probably meant that Naga would have to magically enhance herself to fly faster.

Travelling three thousand kilometres – from Linmor to the Castle of Light – in eighteen hours already was a stretch, one Naga had barely been able to manage, and she'd done it three times so far. Travelling the same amount of distance in a third of the amount of time would be impossible.

Impossibilities aside, the poor dragon had run out of breath and needed some time to rest. That's why Asura decided to try and see if he could find a place for him and Naga to sleep, or travel back home going a bit more slowly than before. Asura found himself having difficulty holding on to the dragon's back at the extreme speeds she was travelling (put a human on top of a train that travels about 200km an hour and tell him to hold on – see what happens then), and felt that it was for the best for both of them that they took things more slowly the next few days.

Still, Asura felt some slight unease after his encounter with the drunkard, and felt as though he should get out of the village as soon as possible and find a way to control his Element and use it responsibly. Only then, he could come back.

Asura tried to reassure himself that it'd be better this way, and that his family would eventually be grateful for Asura's actions, but he wasn't quite convinced. Was he sure that he wanted this? Asura knew this was his destiny, but did he want this destiny?

Asura sighed. No, of course not. No one wants their destiny to be decided for them, except when it's to be some great hero, a celebrity, or someone who's loved by everyone. But no creature alive had a choice in the matter, no matter who they were; everyone had a destiny, and they had no choice but to follow it.

Asura's unease quickly grew as he traversed more of the village. It was oddly quiet in the streets for the time of day. Even though there were probably five hundred to a thousand people tops living here, the streets should be busier than they were now. Where was everyone? Had they left? Had something happened?

Asura shook his head. Impossible. He hadn't even freed anyone here - save for the drunkard and the thief he'd encountered the days before. But then why were things so quiet?

As Asura approached the outskirts of town, hoping to find someone there, perhaps preparing to leave or just arriving, it was obvious something had happened. Something bad.

Windows were smashed, houses burnt to ashes. It was a miracle that this hellfire hadn't spread to the rest of the village. Who could've done this?

Then, a voice calling out from behind Asura caught him by surprise. "It's him! The dark demon!"

Asura turned around, Naga followed. "What?" Asura asked. "What are you talking about?"

"You brought darkness upon us!" The lady accusing Asura of his crime was young and appeared near nine months pregnant. Her hair was dark red and her furious eyes a striking green. "You allowed darkness to spread through the villagers, and they've gone out of control! You have to do something, reverse this before it's too late!"

"No!" Asura said. "I - I never intended for anything like this to happen! I just wanted to balance positivity and negativity in the Realms! Light and Dark are like siblings! They should work together to maintain the balance!"

"Well then, boy," the red-haired woman said, "now you've seen the consequences when Dark works alone." After a short moment, when she realised Asura hat nothing to respond with, she added, "And look at you. The Darkness is already becoming part of you."

Asura furrowed his brow, not exactly sure what the woman meant.

"Go home, boy!" the lady ordered him. "Go home, find your reflection. Have a good look at yourself and remember what I said, then stop what you're doing before it's too late."

Asura was confused. How could he and Aubrey not have noticed the havoc that had gone on at the edge of town? Why had no one run to the more populated area of town to get help?

Either way, Asura heeded the woman's advice.

As worried as he was confused, he made his way toward the lake, that was located just outside of town and was connected to the town by a small harbour, as quickly as possible. The water was the closest source that could provide Asura with a reflection to explain the situation.

Asura knelt down at the water's edge and looked down. What he saw when gazing at his reflection startled him greatly. His irises, which had once a golden colour, had turned deep orange, nearly red. His pupils appeared more oval than round, making them appear slightly feline.

"What is this?" Asura mumbled. "What's going on?"

Asura wanted answers, but fear kept him from going back to his siblings. Something had gone wrong.

*

Finally having returned to the Castle of Dark late in the afternoon the next day, Asura still didn't know what to do.

He knew that it was time for him to make a decision, however. Was he to continue down this path, that would lead him to darkness, to his own self-destruction, or would he listen to his siblings and turn away, turn back to the light, to leave the world of Lunaria as unbalanced as it was, as it always had been? Asura was forced to make this choice, and it was agonizingly painful. Was he to save himself, or everyone else?

Of course, Asura had misunderstood Akilah when she'd told him what would happen if he pursued his Element – he did not realise he wouldn't just destroy his own soul, but the Darkness inside him would proceed to destroy Lunaria once Asura had lost control. That's why the Council of Light was forced to destroy the Council of Dark – to neutralise the Dark within the Spirits' new mortal souls, to stop it from spreading out further.

But how could he know? He had interpreted her words in a certain way, and that had brought him to this very point.

He was now left alone, with a decision only he alone could make. And Akilah's greatest fear was about to come true – Asura would make the choice that he deemed right, and that choice didn't follow Akilah's definition.

Asura decided to become who he was destined to. He trusted his siblings to take care of his corrupted body and soul once he was gone – but he had to free Lunaria. The Dark and Light had to exist by each other's side, as the siblings they were. Without Dark, there was no Light, and without Light, there was no Dark. There was only neutrality, nothing. Anyone could be anything. They were neutral, they were nothing. They were neither.

They could not appreciate joy, because they'd never known sadness. They'd never had to reconcile, because they'd never been in a heated argument.

They hardly knew anything about emotions, because there was only one emotion.

But Asura did know. And he had the power to share that knowledge with those who didn't. It would be selfish to listen to his siblings, wouldn't it? If he listened to them, he'd be keeping the secret together with them. He'd withhold something from the Lunaria, something that was rightfully theirs.

I would never, Asura thought, scolding himself for even considering the idea. And I should never. That would be selfish. I was not raised to be selfish – rather to be nothing but selfless. Rulers must make sacrifices for the good of their Kingdom – and the people that live in it. They must not care for their own behalf, but for those they are responsible for, the thousand, perhaps millions of people that depend on them.

And in this case, even though he'd never been able to fulfil this role while he'd been living in the castle with his siblings, Asura was the ruler. He was the one to make the sacrifice.

A sacrifice Asura considered well-worth making.

He made a brief visit to the globe located in the throne room before finally allowing himself to get some sleep. He noticed that a dark stain had appeared where the silver stain representing Linmor had once been. The dark stain was spreading silver at the edges.

Asura blinked for a moment; he wasn't sure whether to feel good or bad about the dark stain.

Perhaps he just had to wait and see.

Chapter Ten

Destiny

Despite the fact that Asura had made up his mind, he was still hesitant to act upon his decision. The change in his reflection and thus his facial features played an important role in this issue. What had happened to his eyes? Why were they changing? Would they change any further, or would anything else in his physique change?

Would he end up looking like some horrifying monster? Was that the 'destruction' Akilah had promised that waited for him?

No matter how much Asura thought about it, he could not find the answer. And he simply refused to ask his siblings about it – obviously, his eyes had been fine when he arrived at and left the castle, otherwise his siblings would've told him about it – and they probably would've reacted the same way that woman had done at the centre of the village, if not significantly worse.

Asura decided he needed some time to think about his next move. He wanted the villagers to appreciate him, not be afraid of him. He wanted them to know that what he was doing was for the greater good. Sadly, Asura was afraid he was the only one convinced of that notion at this current moment, and there wasn't much he could do to change it – unless he allowed his Element to do the work.

If that was truly the only way to free Lunaria, to balance the Light and Dark, then what was holding Asura back? Akilah had warned him his Element would lead to his own destruction, so that could've been a possible factor that held Asura back from executing his plan immediately – but Asura had told himself he was at peace with sacrificing himself for the greater good. Multiple times in the past four hours, even.

So why was his consciousness convinced, but did his subconscious stay behind? What was there inside of him telling him no, when his conscious mind had already made up its mind? There was something his head and heart couldn't agree on, and Asura just couldn't put his finger on what it was exactly. Perhaps he'd figure it out later, or even get over it eventually as he started to do what he'd promised himself he'd do.

Now, there was just one problem: how was he to get started? If he had to travel from Realm to Realm and cover each inch of ground to make sure every Lunarian was touched by his Element, then it'd take years for him to complete his task. Besides, his siblings would easily track him down and stop him. It was obvious that they still didn't want Asura to use his Element on Lunaria and its inhabitants. And whether it was because they truly cared for their little brother's wellbeing or for their own, Asura wasn't too sure.

Akilah cared for him, Asura needed no one to convince him of that. And perhaps Aoife and Aine did, too. But Ince and Aharnish... Asura couldn't help but doubt them.

And because he doubted them, he doubted himself.

Asura had no time for doubts. He had to get past his fear, and do what he was destined to do. Part of him wished there was another way to balance the Dark and Light, but he knew there wasn't, and thus he had to make peace with his destiny.

By destroying himself, he would save everyone else. And perhaps... who knew. Maybe there was a way to rise above the Darkness and actually become its Master.

Asura nodded thoughtfully. In order to get the confidence he needed, he had to cut all ties to his former life so he could focus on his future life – if there was much future for him to focus on at all. Before he could go out and do what he felt he was destined to do, Asura needed to figure a few small things out regarding his Element. From what he'd noticed in the town and what he'd understood from the red-haired lady, the Dark had spread through the villagers on its own. If that were possible, then Asura's job would become a whole lot easier.

All he'd have to do was to touch enough people in a certain area with his Element to have his Element touch everyone in that area over time. The village was fairly small, and thus two people had been enough to spread the Dark in just a couple of days. Then, Asura considered another factor. If his Element did in fact have the ability to touch other people on its own simply because they interacted with each other, could the Element's Touch accelerate? The more people got Touched, the faster the Element's Touch would reach other people, and perhaps even start spreading to other Realms by itself.

Initially Asura viewed this factor as something positive, but when he thought longer about it, he realised how this accelerated spreading of the Touch could cause Asura serious problems.

What if he lost control of the situation? Asura could not possibly oversee the issues his Element could cause if he lost control of it. After all, he hadn't been trained to control his Element; he hadn't even been trained how to use it. He'd just discovered it by coincidence, by accident, and honestly, he'd completely neglected to study his powers. He'd tried them out, learned things about them through trial and error, luckily without all too disastrous results.

But still, Asura hadn't been acting the right way, and he needed help from someone who knew his Element. Someone who knew everything he needed to know, someone whom Asura could trust.

And there was only one person Asura could think of; his sister Akilah.

Asura groaned. Not Akilah. He did not want to face his sister again. Especially not after what had happened in the village while he'd been away. He was sure that Aharnish would point out Asura as the one to have to take the blame for the near-destruction of the village centre, and perhaps he was to blame.

And just like that, Asura found himself contemplating ways to explain what had happened in the village. He stopped pacing around the room and instead fell down on the couch, letting out a loud sigh. Naga was in the backyard; perhaps talking to her would ease his mind, but right now, he did not feel like moving at all.

Had this really been the effect of his Element? Did the Dark really bring out the worst in people? The majority of the centre of town had been burnt down. It was as if everyone was hiding in their homes, the streets left deserted. Asura needed to know exactly what happened. Seeing the results just wasn't enough; he needed to know the cause.

But who could help him? The lady at the village centre had given Asura the impression that most – if not all - villagers thought the young and mysterious newcomer was to blame for what had happened. She hadn't called him 'Demon' for no reason, after all. She'd said that Asura's Touch had caused the villagers to spiral out of control and become evil creatures. That had to mean that the Darkness could Touch people on its own, and that Asura would be bound to lose control of it at some point.

Unless Asura managed to discover a way to control the spread of the Dark's Touch. If he strategically followed the way the Dark spread, he could track where his Element was headed, and either stop it from spreading further or lower its effect on the affected Lunariae.

Asura let out a deep sigh as he closed his eyes. He had to think about this for a while. His doubts appeared to be justified. Still, Asura could not block out the voice that called to him, chanted the same thing over and over. 'Be the ruler Lunaria needs. Free the Dark from its prison.' And Asura's desire to give in and comply with the voice's commands grew ever stronger.

*

Akilah did not need an enchanted globe to know that the Dark was still touching people, and it was spreading to other villages than the one it had started in.

She could tell this wasn't Asura's personal doing – the Dark Touch was spreading far too fast for that. The Dark was spreading on its own; Asura had simply sent off the first spark to light the fire, and now he'd done something to accelerate it. He clearly wasn't aware of the severity of the repercussions of his actions.

Akilah worried about the fact that the rate the Touch was spreading at, because it became clear that Asura didn't have control over his Element. He most likely wouldn't be able to reverse this on his own. Akilah theorized that it would be possible to reverse his Element – but he did need to know how to control his Element in the first place.

Of course, this was only possible in theory, and Akilah had to get back in touch with Asura in order to set this possible plan in motion.

Akilah bit her lip. She knew she had to contact her brother, preferably as soon as possible, but she felt hesitant to do so. If she told her brother about the current developing situation, she could not oversee the effect it would have on him. If her brother was understanding and returned to the castle so he and his sister – and possibly their siblings, if they were willing – to work on a solution to reverse the process. If he wasn't, then perhaps he would take a defensive stance against his siblings, and then the Dark would be able to take hold of him easily.

Akilah sighed. If it hadn't done so by now already. The more people Asura personally Touched with his Element, the faster the transformation, or possession, rather, would take hold of Asura. But even if he stopped Touching people altogether, the Dark was still tightening its grip on him while the Dark spread through Lunaria 'naturally'. Akilah snorted at the word. It'd simply been the first one to come to mind, by lack of a better one.

In reality, there was nothing natural about this sudden epidemic, and Akilah suspected Asura had severely underestimated the power his Element had and how much damage it could do if one were Touched indiscreetly.

Of course, Asura had Touched someone without being careful, perhaps even more than one person, and this was the result. Akilah could not sit and watch any longer; if she and her siblings didn't come up with a plan to stop the Dark now, then Lunaria would be lost in a matter of weeks, days if they were truly unlucky.

Aharnish' idea of solving the current problem was different from Akilah's. While Aharnish had agreed to save Asura if possible, Aharnish knew it wouldn't matter whether Asura died or not.

It only mattered whether or not the Dark could be contained, or if the affected Realms could be cleansed. Aharnish knew they didn't necessary depend on Asura to cleanse the Realms; the Spirits had a Ritual that purified and re-balanced all Elements present in the world. Asura would be saved if the Spirits performed this Ritual – but Aharnish knew Akilah hadn't considered this option, because she was convinced she could use this whole situation to transform Asura into some sort of hero. This way, she'd boost his confidence back up, and he'd stop trying to seek for a greater destiny. Aharnish couldn't help but despise his sister for this; she was simply using the whole situation to set Asura back to her own hand. He was growing up and starting to get a mind of his own, rather than listening to Akilah's every word, and she couldn't deal with that.

Aharnish had always been upfront and honest with his brother. Perhaps he'd been too hard on the boy, but he'd made sure Asura wouldn't try and become something he wasn't. Aharnish had always had this feeling – even though he was never sure, but it was the foundation of his harsh treatment towards his brother – that Asura had Darkness in him. And Aharnish couldn't help but have mixed feelings when his brother truly turned out to be the Cursed One. He never truly hated his brother, despite how he treated him – but now it was as if he was supposed to hate his brother.

He was destined to destroy Lunaria, after all. And still, Asura remained confident that he could change that fate. The boy was simply gravely misinformed, and that was wholly Akilah's fault.

She'd told her siblings not to tell Asura anything other than what she'd tell him. Aharnish wanted to tell his brother the truth, everything, all of it – it would destroy him mentally, but at least they'd have a larger chance of stopping him in his tracks.

After all, Asura wasn't their biggest problem right now, but he would become one soon – if they didn't reverse the Darkness' Touch spreading through Lunaria. Even if Asura stopped Touching people, he'd still become affected by the growing strength of his Element.

Aharnish decided to bring his brother back to the castle. He would set things straight with the boy, and then Asura would finally understand. Aharnish had enough of Akilah and her half-truths.

Little did Aharnish know that the truth was about to be revealed.

*

Asura had spent some more time observing the effects hid touch had had on Linmor Village, and he couldn't help but notice that the dark was rapidly spreading.

He decided to wait just a little longer and see where things went.

Of course he might suffer damages. He was already aware of that. His Soul of Light would perish, but Lunaria would be safe.

It didn't take long for that thought to change in Asura's mind. Lunaria would never be safe with his siblings in control.

With Asura gone, they would simply restore the Light as it once was and move on as if nothing had ever happened.

It was time for Asura to make another decision; was he to bargain with his siblings, or would he have to get rid of them, just for Lunaria's sake?

Still, Asura vowed not to hurt his siblings unless they gave him a reason to do so. It wasn't in his nature to hurt anyone innocent. For that same reason, Asura refused to harm innocents when it came to saving Lunaria, unless absolutely necessary. But then again, were his siblings all that innocent?

Perhaps they were. The Spirits of Light that were part of the Council of Balance claimed that the Spirits of Dark were overtaken by their Element and stripped of their free will, spending the rest of their lives in servitude of their Element, causing chaos and mayhem all over the planet.

But what if the case was exactly the same for the Spirits of Light, and they just didn't know it?

The Spirits of Light were just as blind as their dark counterparts; they did see how the Dark influenced the Council of Dark, but had no clue how heavily the Light weighed on their own souls and forced their hands with every move. Both the Council of Dark and Light were nothing but puppets to their respective Elements.

Asura would become the first Spirit to break its strings.

II

The

Overturn
Chapter Eleven

Responsibility

The moment of avoiding responsibility had passed for Akilah. It was time to come clean entirely; that was the only way for her siblings to understand the situation at hand and fix Asura before it was too late.

Confess all, regardless of consequence. Sure, her siblings would be livid, and their trust in their eldest sister would be broken. But trust could be mended, given time and patience. Right now, Akilah's greatest concern was to help Asura and prevent both the boy and Lunaria from falling apart.

Akilah made her siblings sit down immediately when she initiated the Council. She had something important to tell them.

She had to take a deep breath to keep her voice from shaking.

"This Council today will discuss only one thing," Akilah said, "and that is Asura, and me."

Her siblings didn't respond, although their faces spoke for themselves; furrowed brows all around the table.

Akilah closed her eyes and sighed. "I have a confession to make." She waited a brief moment before continuing, still waiting for her siblings to provide any commentary.

She was sure they wouldn't appreciate the truth that her confession held.

"I may not have been entirely honest with you, siblings.

"I was born as the original Child of Light. Since the beginning of the Spirits' Rule, it has been my responsibility to make sure Lunaria is always in good balance."

She bit her lip and paused.

Her gaze then shifted towards Aharnish. "I was there when the Councils of Light and Dark were erected," she said. "And I was there when the Council of Dark failed.

"I lived through the chaos that occurred. I was part of the Council of Light that disbanded the Council of Balance and thus the Council of Dark." Another brief pause followed; Aharnish turned his gaze away, probably either trying to process what Akilah was saying or feeling embarrassed for believing Akilah had been lying about the Council of Dark and being wrong about this all along. He'd been making a fool of himself. But then again, Akilah had never bothered to tell them the full truth either, so in a way, Aharnish hadn't been wrong entirely. At least, that's how he saw it.

Akilah nodded in her brother's direction before redirecting her attention towards her other siblings. "It was me who took their powers away," she said. "I turned my own siblings mortal to save them from themselves and their Element."

This time, it appeared as though Aharnish wanted to comment, but Akilah stopped him by raising her hand. She had to finish her story now that she'd got this far. He could comment on it and express his feelings after she'd finished it.

"I saw the anguish they went through," Akilah said, "the anguish the Darkness inside of them caused. And that anguish didn't go away after the Dark had left their bodies.

"They were permanently damaged, and some of them couldn't take the pain any longer.

"It was at that moment in time that I swore I would never allow any of my siblings to suffer ever again, that I would do whatever it takes to help them."

It wasn't difficult for her siblings to put two and two together; however, they didn't seem to consider the truth to be viable in any way.

"So... you did something to Asura?" Aharnish said. "We already know you helped him train. What else could you have done?" He proceeded to narrow his eyes.

"Is there something we need to know, Akilah?"

Akilah closed her eyes to prevent herself from rolling them. The answer was obvious, or so it seemed to her, and her brother still didn't realise it.

"I am capable of taking an Element from a Spirit," she said, "a very painful process, almost impossible to achieve if the Spirit in question doesn't cooperate.

"I'd never tried granting a Spirit an Element before... I figured there's a first time for everything."

That was enough for her siblings to know what she meant. Aharnish stood up, his eyes spouting fire.

"YOU GRANTED HIM AN ELEMENT!?" he bellowed. "Without knowing what you were doing!?"

Her other siblings' reactions were slightly more mild, although their anger was clear.

"Akilah, what were you thinking?" Aine said. "We didn't even know you could do that! Why didn't you consult with us first?"

Akilah bit her lip. Her siblings had every right to be angry; she hadn't expected otherwise either.

She knew her explanation would be viewed as weak by her siblings, but it was the truth, and Akilah promised herself that she would provide her siblings – even Asura – with no other information but the truth from this point forward.

"As I said, I vowed I would never let any of my siblings suffer," she said, "and Asura was suffering. I couldn't take it anymore.

"I took a risk, I'll admit that, and I'll also admit that I miscalculated."

Ince wasn't too happy with his sister's response. "Akilah, you do realise you are to blame for what's happening to Asura right now, do you?"

Aoife, her amber eyes wide with fear, added, "Not just Asura, all of Lunaria!

"Akilah, you've got to stop this before it's too late!"

Akilah closed her eyes and ran her fingers through her hair in frustration. "I'm sorry!" she exclaimed. "I just couldn't handle seeing him like that! I wanted to help!"

Aharnish wasn't moved by his sister's apologies. To him, they seemed empty and disingenuous. But it wasn't unusual for Aharnish to feel this way about his sister's words. She always spoke as though she was trying to cover up the truth, to twist things, or flat out lying but trying to make her words sound like truth. There was confidence in her voice, which fooled most people into thinking she was speaking the truth, but whenever Akilah wasn't one hundred percent sure of her case, Aharnish always heard a slight tremble in her voice, which revealed her true feelings. This tremble was once again present, and Aharnish wasn't impressed with his sister's incapability of admitting that she'd done her little brother wrong. "Help him?" he scoffed. "It appears you've done quite the opposite, Akilah.

"In reality, you just thought you'd feel better about yourself if you could help Asura become a part of the Council, so your faith in him wouldn't be proven wrong." He paused briefly.

"You knew very well that Asura would've been just fine without an Element. He would've gone out into the world, travelled, found his purpose elsewhere. But you couldn't let that happen, because you couldn't let him go.

"You didn't do this for him, Akilah. Don't fool yourself.

You did this for you."

Akilah sighed loudly to mask the sobbing sound she made, not wanting to seem weak or self-pitying. "I know!" she said. "I just... I wanted him to be happy, but I wasn't ready to let him go yet. I wanted to try anything to make him stay, even if it's just for a little while longer."

Aharnish wasn't moved. "Well, I hope you learned your lesson," he said. "You should've just let him grow up and find his own path.

"It is not up to us to change the course of history or the future, Akilah. We have to stop Asura before it's too late."

Akilah looked at her brother, tears stinging in her eyes. "Spare him," she said. "Whatever we have to do, we have to make sure it won't harm Asura."

Her tone was begging. She never wanted any of this to happen, Aharnish knew that, but his sister had to learn from her mistakes and atone to her misdeeds, Grand Spirit or not.

"I can't promise anything, Akilah," he said. "We already agreed earlier that we would do anything to save Asura.

"Taking away his Element, for example, if possible. But if he refuses to cooperate, it might be better to destroy him along with the Dark that resides within him.

"But we will try to save him until it proves utterly futile."

Akilah had to accept her brother's words as fact. He wanted the best for his siblings, but for Lunaria as well. And Asura couldn't be allowed to continue existing the way he was – the Dark had to be eliminated through any means possible.

*

A day had passed when Asura returned to the village.

The people in the village Asura had hoped to have saved were slowly starting to creep out of their houses again, checking if the danger had passed. Asura didn't want to ruin his reputation any further – he clearly had to observe a place somewhere other than Linmor. If the villagers really believed Asura had been the cause of the village riots, then they probably wouldn't be too happy to see him walking around and Touching more people – if there was anyone left in the village who hadn't been Touched yet.

Even if his reputation was mostly destroyed already, Asura wished to retain what little he had left. Surely, the Lunariae would understand once Asura had come to the end of his plan.

Asura decided to leave Naga right where she was, near the lake – if she got worried about him, she could come find him herself. Unfortunately, the dragon disagreed with Asura and insisted on coming with him. Of course, there was little Asura could do about changing Naga's mind – she was still twice his size, and Asura had never been good at persuasion. Especially not when it came to Naga.

Thus, Asura headed off with Naga by his side. The next village over was actually closer than Asura had expected it to be – hardly a kilometre away, the walls of his destination seemed to block Asura's path.

"Curious," Asura said. "All villages, including Linmor, are surrounded by gated walls. Why would the villagers decide to build a wall if there's no threat – or at least, no threats they're aware of?"

Asura allowed this idea to play on his mind for just a little longer – he had a mission to complete, and perhaps the answer to his question would come by him while he was traversing the villages.

Asura decided to do the same thing he'd done when he arrived in his new home a couple days earlier – go to the village centre first.

Unfortunately, when he got there, his entire plan was immediately put to a stop, by no one other than Aubrey and this particular village's elder.

They appeared as though they were waiting for him, standing in the middle of a deserted village centre. The village elders, both females of roughly the same age, seemed very unhappy with the fact that Asura had decided to show up.

"Asura, boy," Aubrey said, although she sounded more disappointed and upset rather than angry, "what are you doing?"

Asura swallowed, considered his options for a moment, then decided to tell the elders the truth, the answer the voice in the back of his head gave him.

"I am doing what must be done," he said. "I am fulfilling my destiny. And no one can stop me."

The other village elder, who had her long, black hair tied in a thick, messy braid that fell behind her back, stepped forward. Her grey eyes were spouting fire. "Perhaps you'd like to reconsider that answer, Demon," she said.

Aubrey stopped her friend from charging forward. "Adalind, stop," she said. "Perhaps we should allow him to tell his story first. Perhaps he doesn't know what he's doing."

"Oh, Miss Aubrey, I beg your pardon. I know exactly what I am doing," Asura defended himself. The voice was swiftly taking control the poor boy's mind. "I do remember our conversation earlier. I will save this world – the Spirits have kept a vital part of life from the Lunariae, and I wish to return to them what's rightfully theirs." He smiled. "I mean no harm, quite the contrary... I'll be your Saviour."

Adalind shook her head. "The poor boy actually believes he's doing good," she sighed. "You're right, Aubry. This is an issue best solved by the Spirits."

"I've already sent Beatrice to gather the other village elders," Aubry told Adalind, speaking of another village elder. They had to work together to contain this village and call upon his siblings to take care of him. Aubry had been quick to figure out Asura's true identity, and fear had struck the woman when the boy's Touch started to spread through her village. The Touch's strength increased with every person, and soon the situation had spiralled out of control. There was nothing Aubry could do about it on her own, and perhaps all the elders together would be no match for the Dark, either. But they could buy the Spirits time. Time was what they needed, and time was running out quickly.

"What do you mean, I 'actually believe I'm doing good'?" Asura asked. "I am doing good. I have nothing but Lunaria's best interest in mind. My siblings are the ones doing the evil here." He paused. No, that wasn't quite right. They weren't being evil, but they weren't being honest, either. Asura's own consciousness was still tugging him away from the thoughts the voice planted in his head.

"Well – my siblings do have the best interest in mind for Lunaria as well, I'm sure of it," he quickly said, "but they don't understand the importance of the balance between Light and Dark."

"I'm pretty sure they do understand, kid," Adalind objected, "but you certainly don't. I understand you want to do good for Lunaria, but this isn't the way to do it. Your powers are striving beyond you, and soon no one will be able to control them. Not even you and all of your siblings combined."

Asura raised an eyebrow, his consciousness drawing away from the voice for a moment. "What?" he said, "I – I don't want that to happen. I want the Lunariae to be happy. I want to do good."

But you are doing good, the voice told Asura. Simply listen to the voice that calls from deep within, and you will do good. Ignore them. They know nothing about you, your destiny, or the guiding voices in your head.

"Of course you don't," Adalind said. "Let us help you fix this mess, and then we can start over."

Asura shook his head. The voice had won again. "And undo all my hard work? Never. Impossible."

Aubry offered her companion a sideways glance. "Something's seriously wrong with him, Adalind," she whispered. "We need to call in the Spirits for help. Pronto."

Adalind responded with a small nod. "I sent an owl this morning, but it'll take at a full day to get to the Spririts. We need to contain this boy somehow until the Spirits get a word of what is going on."

Aubry bit her lip. Then, her gaze moved beyond Asura, looking at something in the distance.

"There they are," she said, sounding relieved. "The other elders – they'll be able to help us find hail in this dreadful situation."

Beatrice – the woman leading the march – had gathered as many village elders as she could. Those who could leave their village unattended came along, and those who couldn't had stayed home taking care of their people. The elders who had come along were mainly the elders whose villages had been left unTouched so far – the others were far too busy dealing with the spreading Touch and its effects to go anywhere.

Asura turned around to see about ten people standing behind him. All village elders. Six men and four women, with Beatrice at the front. Naga quickly moved between the group and Asura, as though trying to protect him from any possible attacks.

"So, this is him?" Beatrice asked. She had red, short hair that had been cut roughly. Her build was strong and tall – Asura doubted he could take her in a physical fight, and hoped it wouldn't come that far. "This is the boy that's been causing mayhem in our Realm?"

Adalind nodded. "And in the other Realms, too, if we don't act quickly."

Asura frowned. Why were all these people rioting against him? Did his siblings really have that strong of a grip on them? Asura had to free them. Didn't they understand he was doing this for them?

The elders spoke as though a disaster was about to happen soon. They acted as though Asura's Touch was causing the whole world to end. This thought managed to tug on Asura's healthy consciousness a bit more.

Should he listen to what they were saying, rather than the voice in his head? The voice in his head sounded agitated, almost abusive, and still had this hypnotic quality to it. There was something about it that Asura simply couldn't ignore or resist, no matter how hard he tried or how desperately he wanted to.

"I... I don't know what to do," Asura muttered. A couple elders tilted their heads – they couldn't make out what he was saying. Adalind and Aubry could, however.

"Asura," Aubry said, "listen to me. Don't let the Dark influence you any further. Your eyes have already changed – your skin will change next. And after your physical transformation is complete, your soul will crumble and fall apart, leaving you to the mercy of the Dark."

Asura turned to look at her, his consciousness regaining control. "I'll destroy Lunaria, won't I?" he whispered. "Not just myself. Akilah didn't tell me the whole truth... again."

A spark of anger lit inside Asura. Anger, disappointment and sadness mixed together in his mind - a single spark, strong enough to allow the Darkness to gain full control.

The voice inside Asura's head was gone. It was now his voice.

"Liars," Asura spat. "You're all liars. And traitors. You do not wish to see my full potential! You want to keep me down, crush me under your boots like a bug!"

Asura glared at Aubry, his eyes now glowing, fully orange. The irises of his eyes were almost indiscernible from the scleras, and his pupils had gained a fully cat-like shape, losing all roundness they might've had to them. Black veins were creeping up his cheeks and forehead.

"You tried to keep me tied down," Asura growled, "now watch me break loose.

"You cannot keep me from my destiny... and Lunaria must face its own."

For the first time in his life, Asura felt true, unbridled anger. He'd never felt this way before... and he wasn't sure whether it was a good or bad feeling, either. It made him feel powerful, especially seeing the looks of fear on the elders' faces. But, somewhere deep inside of him, it made him fear himself.

Perhaps that fear was a good sign.

The elders briefly turned their backs to Asura to discuss what to do with him until reinforcements from the Spirits arrived.

When they turned back to face him, the boy appeared to have vanished, to – unbeknownst to the elders – return in the black of night.

Chapter Twelve

Castle Raid

The Spirits didn't have time to wait for an owl. Action had to be taken, and soon.

In the midst of night, Akilah had sought refuge in the quiet library. She didn't know how to move forward; her siblings had turned on her as well as on Asura. Of course, they still pretended to work with her, but she knew they no longer trusted her.

They were intent on keeping Akilah out of their operations as much as possible, she could tell. Perhaps she simply didn't deserve their trust. She'd told them lies time and time again, thinking it would be better to hide the truth and avoid conflict. She'd even hid facts about herself which would've had no effect on her siblings whatsoever, but she'd become too protective of her own mind over the millions of years she'd lived. She'd seen siblings come and go, she'd seen the Council of Dark's suffering.

She didn't want any of her siblings to suffer ever again, that's why she gave Asura an Element. She did not, however, know which element she gave him – as she lacked experience with giving. Now, she regrets her action – it's as though Asura was the only one who could think clearly. Perhaps both the Spirits of Light and Dark were being unconsciously influenced by their Elements.

Was it even possible to achieve and maintain balance? There had to be a way, and Akilah had to find that way as soon as possible.

She knew what her siblings were up to, and she wasn't sure whether or not she should try to intervene.

They had come up with a plan to rob the Castle of Dark from the magical resources that had been left there after the war ended; Akilah wondered why she and her siblings never wholly destroyed the Castle of Dark and the magical items inside.

They got rid of the globe that was once inside the Castle of Light's throne room, because the Spirits assumed the Light and Dark would have no need for regulation now that there would only be a Council of Light, but they hadn't bothered to destroy the globe in the Castle of Dark.

It was obvious that Asura had got his hands on it if the Dark was spreading this quickly. Akilah assumed he'd touched it by accident, not knowing what it was, but feared the worst.

He'd found the books on the Council of Light and Dark, and thus read about the Castle of Dark. It probably meant that Asura looked up what the Globe of Balance was and what purpose it served – he would've known exactly what he was doing if he'd touched it.

Akilah decided to wait and see how things turned out – if she felt it was necessary, she would intervene and deal with this problem herself.

In the meantime, Akilah had to fulfil the purpose she was visiting the library for; there had to be a way to save both Asura and Lunaria without having to remove the Element – and thus destroy Asura's mind. The Grand Spirit refused to rest until she'd found a solution, and thus a long night of reading, researching and experimenting was ahead.

*

Akilah had been entirely right about her suspicions regarding her siblings. Aharnish and Ince sat at the rounded Council table in the throne room, discussing their next course of action.

Aharnish had been the one to come up with the idea to retrieve the Globe. Neither sibling truly believed Asura would know about the Castle of Dark, as of course they didn't know Asura had stolen the books from the library – if they even knew about the books' existence at all – but they did consider it a risk.

The Globe of Balance was the only way to fix Lunaria quickly and easily. There was one other option, but that one figured as a last resort – some sort of reset button.

They would need the Globe to fix things regardless. Still, Aharnish couldn't shake the feeling of suspicion; the Dark had spread really quickly all of a sudden – only a Touch on the Globe could bring on a change that quickly.

"The possibility remains that we'll encounter Asura inside the Castle of Dark," he told his brother. "We might have to think of a way to lure him out first. I want to avoid a confrontation where either of us could get hurt – or the Globe could be compromised."

Ince nodded, agreeing with his brother. "But how?" he said. "As soon as he sees us, he'll know something's up." In a brief thought, he wanted to call upon Akilah as a likely candidate, but then reconsidered that Akilah probably wouldn't cooperate and try to stop them.

But who could they ask besides her? There was no way that Asura wouldn't get suspicious when he'd see Aharnish and Ince standing in front of him.

"Perhaps Aoife or Aine would want to help," Aharnish answered his brother's unspoken question.

"Well, we should ask them soon," Ince responded. "We don't have much time left."

Ince and Asura didn't have to wait long before they could ask their sisters if they wanted to help. Aoife came hurrying into the throne room, brandishing a letter.

The owl that Adalind had sent to the Spirits writing about their situation with Asura had arrived earlier than expected.

"We have a serious problem," she said, tossing the letter to the table. "The Dark is gaining too much control in Linmor.

"It's begun corrupting nature and wildlife."

Aine appeared from behind her sister, apparently having followed her to the throne room.

"She's right, guys," she said. "I can feel it. The dark, the cold... Something's really wrong in Linmor."

"Alright, that's enough," Aharnish said decisively. "We've got to stop this. And we need the Globe in order to do that."

His siblings didn't object; they knew Aharnish was speaking the truth.

"The Spirits of Light should've kept their own Globe," Aine commented. "You know, for emergencies like this."

No one objected to that statement either, as it was just as truthful as Aharnish's words were.

Not only should they have kept the Globe of Light, the Globe of Dark should've been destroyed. Just as the Castle of Dark.

They should've wiped every trace of the Dark off the face of the planet. Now, they suffered the consequences.

The Spirits of Light could easily travel to the Council of Dark – they could simply temporarily revert to their Cores.

The physical forms Spirits took, resembling humans with slightly subhuman attributes, wasn't definitive. If necessary to survive, a Spirit could give up their physical from to revert to their Core, where their energy was stored.

This made travelling quick and easy, and severely lowered the chances of a Spirit's core being destroyed completely. A Core of Light was close to indestructible, while their physical form could be 'killed' like a mortal being. It would simply take far more force to destroy a Spirit's physical form than to kill a human.

Aharnish hoped his brother could be saved – if they waited too long, Asura's Core of Light could become corrupted and thus Asura would be unable to survive if the Light were to be restored – or, at least not without having to suffer severely.

As much as Aharnish wanted to help his brother, he wasn't sure whether they'd be able to.

The Castle of Dark only appeared when the Spirits got close enough to it. Now, it was time to go through the plan one more time; Aoife and Aine would go in, check if Asura was there, and if he was, call him to Linmor Village with the letter Aoife received.

He'd rush off to help the villagers, and his siblings could safely raid his home and take the Globe of Balance back to the Castle of Light.

They were simply doing what had to be done, and no injuries had to be sustained by either party in the meantime.

In the end, Asura would be grateful – Aharnish knew he would be.

"Alright, guys," he said in an attempt to lift his siblings' spirits, "we've got to make this quick – Akilah can't know about this. She'll tear us to shreds."

"So... better to ask for forgiveness than for permission?" Aine suggested. Aharnish nodded, agreeing with her completely. Aine responded with a mischievous twinkle in her amber eyes. She'd never done anything that could even remotely be considered 'not allowed', and she felt both a bit frightened and excited over the fact. The fact that she had three of her siblings by her side to back her up did ease the fear of Akilah's anger, but the punishments she remembered her brothers suffered for misbehaving in the past stuck with her.

"Alright then," Ince said, clapping his hands together decisively. "Let's do this."

*

Of course Akilah was entirely up-to-date on her siblings' plans. Or, at least, visually.

She'd sent her personal owl after her siblings, following them at a distance. Through the animal's eyes, Akilah could see exactly what her siblings were up to. She just simply couldn't hear them discussing their plans.

A sinking feeling began to grow in Akilah's heart – she wanted to make sure her siblings wouldn't harm Asura. She had to be there, physically, to intervene in case things went south.

Akilah got up as quickly as she could and left the Castle, dematerialising to her Core shortly after leaving the library.

*

Aharnish and Ince made sure that they would remain out of Asura's sight if he indeed came rushing out. In a case of false alarm, Aoife would call her brothers to fetch the Globe.

The four of them had to get it out together, otherwise they would risk bringing more imbalance to the world. Back at the Castle of Light, they would restore the balance definitively.

Once all positions were set, Aoife headed inside, closely followed by Aine.

"Asura!" the eldest girl called out, her mint green dress flowing around her as she walked. "Are you here? We need your help!"

It took a couple calls, but eventually, the boy the two girls were looking for entered the throne room.

"What?" he said. "What are you doing here?"

"Ashi!" Aine said, seeming genuinely happy to see her brother, but her happiness was quickly overpowered by her horror to see what her brother had become.

Aoife seemed concerned with her brother's new demon-like appearance as well, but was able to push past it for the sake of her mission.

"Asura," Aoife said. "The people of Linmor are asking for help. You're the only one who can help us in this situation."

Asura narrowed his eyes briefly, remembering his encounter with the two village elders earlier that day. It was evening by now; perhaps they'd come around and realised that Asura was actually trying to help them.

He hadn't been too kind to them, so he was surprised that they actually hadn't turned their backs on him entirely as of yet. The thought sparked a flame of hope inside Asura.

"Really?" he asked Aoife, still hesitant to come near. "They want my help?"

"They do, Asura," Aine confirmed. "We do, too. We can't do this without you."

Asura's heart was overflowing with joy, but he hid it well. "Well, then I suppose I should go and pay them a visit," he said. "I'll see what I can do."

"They do, Asura," Aine confirmed. "We do, too. We can't do this without you."

The girls didn't bother to stop him; they thanked him endlessly as they followed him out of the castle. They had to follow him all the way outside and wait until he was gone so they would not arouse suspicion. The three headed separate ways; Asura headed in the south direction, while Aine and Aoife headed for the fields off to the east, to make it seem believable that they were headed home. Their Light Cores headed a good distance away from the Castle of Dark, then turned back around to find their brothers.

This was exactly the moment Akilah had been waiting for. She was the caster of the Cloaking Spell on the Castle of Dark, and thus her eyes weren't fooled by it.

She couldn't see where her siblings were hiding, but she did see her brother exiting the castle gates. Akilah would deal with her siblings later, but for now, keeping Asura close was more important. In fact, it was of utmost importance that he didn't leave the Realm. If he left, he'd only cause more trouble, and Akilah really couldn't have Asura worsening the situation any further.

"Asura!" Akilah made sure to make her presence known as she approached him. "Where are you going?"

Asura seemed startled by Akilah's sudden appearance. "Akilah!" he yelped. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to check on you," Akilah said as she slowed her pace. They were now mere metres away from the castle gates; neither was fooled by the cloaking spell any longer as the Castle of Dark lay in clear view.

Akilah nervously gazed over her brother's shoulder, searching for her siblings, who were supposedly hiding within the castle gardens just beyond the gate, waiting for an opportunity to get inside. She wanted to get eyes on them, but without raising suspicion with her brother - easier said than done, obviously.

"Akilah... what's wrong?" Asura narrowed his eyes as he noticed her eyes wandering.

"It's nothing," Akilah quickly responded, returning her gaze to her brother as she spoke the words. It was hard to look at him, to see what he'd become; eyes glowing orange, pupil stretched, his skin patched with stains of dark blue and black; his veins thick and black.

The only thing that had remained, was the flame on his head, flickering a bright whitish blue.

"I'm just glad to see you, Asura. I'm glad you're doing well."

Asura smiled back at this sister, however still wasn't quite convinced. "You're not here to stop me, are you?" he inquired. "You didn't follow our sisters here to find out what they were doing here?"

Akilah bit her lip, causing Asura to instinctively glance back at his home. He didn't know why he did it; it was as though a tiny voice, or, rather, the voice that had been growing in strength over the past few days and had almost overpowered Asura's by now, that something was off.

Of course it wasn't that hard to notice Aharnish, Ince, Aine and Aoife rushing up the castle's entrance steps. The garden may be large, but the dark steps were always in clear view, no matter where one stood – given they were close enough not to be fooled by the Cloaking Spell, of course.

Asura turned around and sped off towards the Castle of Dark, through the gates and through the gardens. Akilah followed closely behind; this was never going to end well, and she had to stop her siblings from fighting.

"AHARNISH!" Asura bellowed as he made his way up the castle steps. They had left the grand entrance doors open, allowing Asura quick and easy access to the castle he had claimed as his home. He made sure to lift up his cloak so he wouldn't trip over it.

"Asura, come back!" Akilah shouted; Asura ignored her. He considered stopping to push the doors shut on her, but realised she'd probably be able to enter faster than he could shut them, and thus decided to keep running.

His goal was the throne room; he didn't have to wonder what his siblings were after. They either wished to destroy the Castle of Dark altogether or get Asura's magical artefacts. Asura wanted neither to happen, so he had to step in to stop them.

He found his siblings right where he expected them to be. In fact, they'd already started moving the Globe out of the throne room. They'd taken it down the steps where the throne stood to the middle of the throne room. Asura quickly approached.

"I can't believe this," Asura said, his eyes focused on Aharnish. "This is straight up treachery."

Aharnish didn't seem to agree with his brother's statement. "Shut up, Asura!" he told his brother. "You have no idea what you're doing, what's going on, or what consequences your actions have.

"We're simply doing what must be done!"

"I'm old enough to make my own decisions, thank you very much," Asura said, beginning to slowly approach his siblings from across the room. "It's so sad I simply can't trust you.

"I can't trust you, no matter how badly I wanted to... I can't trust that you will ever stop getting in my way."

"Asura, stop!" Akilah called out, attempting to step into the throne room; it was as though an invisible barrier stopped her.

"You really didn't believe I'd let you stop me this time, now did you, Akilah?" Asura said, not taking his eyes off his four other siblings. "I know what you want, Akilah, and it's not happening. Now stay there and watch."

"Asura!" Akilah shouted angrily. "You can't do this!"

Aoife and Aine rushed past Asura in an attempt to break the barrier; Asura didn't stop them. His focus was on Ince and Aharnish.

"We have to do this, Asura," Ince said, his hand hovering over the globe. "It's for the best."

"YOU WON'T!" Asura bellowed. He leapt forward, this time forgetting to pick up his cloak. He tripped, arms outstretched.

Both hands grabbed hold of the Globe, and Asura's chest followed.

As soon as the boy's chest impacted with the Globe, it emitted a dark blast.

The four Spirits that were within Asura's barrier were forced to return to their Core forms, escaping from the Castle of Dark before the blast engulfed them.

The barrier Asura had set up broke eventually; Akilah was saved enough from the blast by it that her physical from was sent flying backwards.

When Akilah finally got back up, she noticed two things; the Globe, black as night – and Asura, out cold lying on the floor.

Akilah quickly approached her brother, forgetting about the Globe for a moment. He was more important to her.

His skin was ice cold to the touch, and the boy was trembling. For a moment, Akilah was afraid he might die – then, the boy took a deep breath and opened his eyes.

"Asura?" she asked. "Are you alright?"

Asura slowly sat up – it was clear that he was recovering quickly. He looked his sister straight in the eye as he spoke.

"I'm fine," he said, "but our siblings soon won't be. They've set us aside, Akilah. They want us both out of the game."

"No, Asura, they don't," Akilah said; Asura got up, and she followed his example. "I promise, they – we – only want what's best for you."

Asura didn't seem to believe her. "If that's what you wish to believe," he said. "You can stand and fall with them, or choose for yourself and stand by my side.

"I won't stop you from doing either, but I will do what must be done."

Without acknowledging her presence any further, he began walking out of the throne room.

"Asura, stop!" Akilah demanded, walking after her brother. She reached for his shoulder, intending to stop him in his tracks – the boy vanished in a cloud of dark smoke before her hand could reach him.
Chapter Thirteen

A Dark Turn

After Asura left, Akilah found herself left alone with her thoughts inside the Dark Castle. At this point, she didn't know for sure where any of her five siblings had gone at this point in time – although she had a hunch.

Obviously, her siblings had been forced to go somewhere safe from the blast, so she figured they went straight back to the Castle of Light – Asura was a tad more difficult to guess.

Perhaps tracking him down wasn't meant to be Akilah's main priority. Going after Asura at this time would only result in more conflict, and thus eventually more escalation of the already dire situation. A pointless, vicious cycle that would only grow exponentially worse with each cycle.

She needed to fall back on her final plan – of which Akilah wasn't sure whether or not it had any chance of succeeding.

But did that truly matter at this point? It was the only way out Akilah could think of at this moment in time, and if she didn't do anything, Lunaria and Asura would go down anyway.

So whether this final plan would ultimately prove salvation or another failure, it didn't really matter.

It was a given chance, and Akilah had no choice but to take it. She had to keep fighting, no matter what.

Akilah decided she would leave both her four siblings and Asura alone for now. She could only hope they wouldn't confront each other again while she worked on her plan to save everyone.

Yes, it was a last resort. But Akilah was willing to do anything to save those she loved at this point.

In order to get this plan into action, Akilah needed help. She knew her siblings would be willing to help her eventually, but she had to make preparations in secret first. Yet, still, she couldn't make those preparations alone. She needed an ally.

Luckily, there was one woman Akilah knew she could always rely on. She quickly gathered the things she'd need and headed out to find her oldest friend.

*

In the meantime, Asura had decided to return to Linmor one last time. He no longer believed Aoife's claim that the villagers had asked Asura to help them – although he knew the letter she'd been brandishing was real, and the villagers had in fact asked for help.

From his siblings, to defeat him. Quite the opposite from what Aoife had claimed it to be.

For this, Asura felt the villagers deserved a punishment. It was only just; they were trying to undermine Asura's hard work. He was willing to be forgiving, but this felt like a stab in the back.

They didn't like him, fine. But they didn't have to act like a tattletale briefing his siblings on everything he did. His siblings were on his tail enough already. He didn't need any more opposition.

The villages looked silent, desolate. Most people had gone into hiding. The ones that had been affected by the Dark and had decided to become criminals – a term only the Spirits understood until now – had left to find new places to raid.

Asura didn't have to guess where the village elders were. Of course they'd stayed behind, trying to protect whatever was left of their villages. It was them, and only them whom Asura had set his sights on. They had to take the punishment.

Asura merely meant to send a message, but if the only thing these elders understood was violence, then so be it.

They truly left him no choice but to respond with force. As of right now, Asura no longer cared.

Of course the elders were hiding in an obvious spot. Linmor village was the largest out of all the villages, so of course they sought refuge there.

Asura did find himself more or less impressed; he didn't expect to find a cave underneath Aubrey's house, yet there it was.

An explosion that targeted and destroyed the fountain in the centre of the village, close to the elders' hideout, drew them to the surface to check what was going on.

Their first mistake, and one they would certainly come to regret.

There were only six out of all ten village elders left, or so it seemed. Adalind, Beatrice and Aubrey were obvious; the other three were men, whom Asura didn't know by name. He'd seen them just hours before, but they'd been insignificant during that particular standoff.

This time, however, it seemed as though Asura would have to face all six – rather than just the three women who'd attempted to stop him from destroying their villages even further earlier.

Asura considered that destruction of these villages would ultimately prove inevitable. And from that destruction, he would begin anew.

Everything Asura did would ultimately serve a purpose. Renew, rebuild, resurrect. All according to his vision.

Anything that didn't fit within that vision, simply had to go. And these villages and their elders clearly weren't part of his vision.

They were outraged. Of course they were. But what were they going to do against an immortal being that was growing more and more powerful within the minute?

Before discovering his Element, he had no abilities whatsoever. But since the first drop of Darkness had leaked into the world, Asura could feel his strengths gaining in numbers exponentially.

As his powers grew, abilities seemed to come naturally. Three days ago, he wouldn't have been able to teleport even if that was the only thing he focused on trying to do all day – now, it came as easily as taking a breath.

There was no way a being as simple as a human would be able to take him down now. He'd become practically invincible.

"You demon!" Adalind shouted, her dark hair swooping around her face. "Why have you returned? Haven't you caused us enough pain already?

"Look around you! There's nothing left for you here!"

Asura couldn't help but let out a loud laugh. "You really think I'm here for that?" he said. "This entire Realm has gone dark, lady! So don't worry, I'm not here to cause more chaos." His words were followed by a cheeky grin.

"Then what's your damn problem?" one of the men said. He was tall yet skinny, and had blond, curly hair. He appeared barely older than Asura.

"Well, I've come to talk," Asura told the elder. "A little birdie told me you have been contacting my siblings."

"Are you surprised?" the young elder responded. "They're the only ones who can save us from you!"

"Caleb, stop it," Aubrey told the boy, who briefly looked back at her. "This isn't what your father would want from you."

"Isn't it?" he said. "Ma'am, with all due respect, I'm glad I got to take over my father's position in this time.

"I wouldn't have wanted him to go to war like this. We've got to fight this Dark and get our light back."

"Boy, you're not making sense," one of the two male elders said – he looked like he was in his fifties, but still appeared relatively strong. "We're not questioning that Edmumd would be proud of you, but we're saying that this isn't the way to fight."

"Then what way do you suggest he fights, old man?" Asura asked. He had no idea what these old humans were talking about. Obviously the boy had just become village elder, way too young for his age (or so his siblings would say, as they considered Asura to be way too young as well and as far as he could see, Asura and this 'Caleb' hardly differed in age) and was desperate to prove himself.

It was like Asura was staring into a mirror. A reflection. Perhaps he should cut this kid some slack.

But the adults that were trying to hold him back from his goals wouldn't get to be so lucky.

"Why do you allow them to talk to you like that?" Asura asked Caleb, who returned his attention to Asura in confusion.

"You're more than this, you know. Don't let them bully you."

By Caleb's expression, Asura could tell that the boy didn't quite understand. "They are my allies," he said. "I have to respect their wishes. Not that you would know anything about allies, now would you?"

Asura gritted his teeth. The two might've been about the same age, but Asura was certainly not going to let a child try and put him in his place. Asura would allow no one to put him in his place ever again.

"I feel differently," he responded. "Allies should support each other, not hold each other back. Clearly, they just want your father back and are trying to turn you into him."

"I'd be honoured," Caleb spat back. "You don't know me or my father. I've wanted to follow in his footsteps all my life, and..." He paused briefly, stepping back slightly, before drawing a sword from the scabbard attached to his belt.

"Now, I finally get to."

Asura, taken slightly aback, let out a nervous laugh. "Really?" he said. "That's what you think?"

The other elders, sensing a threat, stepped forward. The old man who'd addressed Caleb earlier wanted to push the boy behind him, but Caleb dodged his hand.

"No," he said. "I'll face this demon head-on. I'm not afraid of him."

"Oh," Asura said. "But you will be."

Clearly, it was time for Asura to try something he'd never tried before. He couldn't help but feel excited, despite how gruesome the results would be.

He lifted his hand, taking control of the sword Caleb was holding. The boy tried to struggle and even drop the sword, but failed to do so; one diagonal swipe from Asura's hand, and the sword followed suit, targeting the elder right next to Caleb.

Metal met flesh. Blood seeped from a deep wound.

The targeted village elder fell to the ground.

His allies were quick to come to his aid. They were hesitant to leave Caleb alone, the boy crying out in anger and frustration over the fact that it had been his blade that had struck the man, but they quickly decided that fleeing was better than fighting a lost battle.

Caleb, however, was clearly in doubt. Was he to follow his fleeing allies, or strike out in anger at the man who made him kill a friend?

The boy decided to go with the latter option – of course, a bad idea.

Asura dodged the attack by dissolving into smoke and reappearing behind Caleb. The boy nearly tripped and fell, but managed to stay on his feet.

He could, however, not figure out that his opponent had reappeared behind him in time.

Caleb's wrists twisted, and so did the sword. He struggled once again, but failed miserably – this time striking his own stomach with the sword he intended to use to kill Asura. When the sword exited through the boy's back, Asura had returned to Caleb's front view.

The boy sank to his knees; Asura grabbed his chin to prevent Caleb from falling down entirely.

"You're right, Caleb," he hissed. "It is wise to have allies. So I was thinking... You're not half bad.

"Why don't you and I become allies?"

Caleb's eyes went blank for a moment before turning entirely orange, like Asura's. The vines below the skin on his face turned dark black, becoming prominently visible on the boy's skin.

Asura's first creation was a fine one: young, strong, courageous, and selfless. But of course, for the time being, the boy wouldn't be of much use to him.

Asura decided to send Caleb to the other Realms to spread the message: a new ruler had arrived, and anyone who dared to resist him, would suffer the same fate as Caleb – or death.

Asura thought he would've hated himself for killing an innocent. Two days ago, he knew for certain he would've. He wouldn't have been able to live with himself.

But now... he felt no such thing. No grief, regret or pain could touch Asura any longer.

He felt as though he'd been freed from the shackles that used to be his emotions – and he would use this knowledge to his advantage.

He could hear Aubrey's nagging voice in his head "If you go through with this, it'll be the end of Lunaria" – she'd probably said something similar, had she not fled with her tail between her legs like the four elders that remained.

He didn't care about the elders anymore – he felt confident enough that he'd done enough to shut them up for now. They'd witnessed Asura's powers firsthand, leaving him convinced they'd know better than to mess with him directly next time.

For now, the only thing he needed to be concerned about was dealing with his siblings. Soon, they'd learn about Asura's actions here today, and they'd surely want to confront him about it.

Asura was counting on it; he couldn't wait to finally do away with his greatest obstacles in life.

*

"I'm telling you, we're out of time! The Ritual is the only way to save Lunaria! As long as Asura lives, the Darkness shall remain! We can't stop this from spreading any longer, not even with the Globe!"

The Spirits were agitated. Time was indeed running out, and so were options. There was one option left, however, but they were hesitant to use it.

A Ritual, called the Ritual of Light, could cleanse the world of all Darkness present and rebalance the Light.

But if they were to use this Ritual, that meant any trace of Darkness would be erased – meaning that it'd kill Asura in an instant.

We shouldn't rush into this," Ince said, standing up too. "Technically, we still don't know how to solve this issue."

"There's only one way to fix this, Ince," Aoife said. "The Ritual. You know that. There's no rushing into this, and we know exactly what to do."

Ince bit his lip. "But isn't... shouldn't... doesn't Asura have to be part of the Ritual to have his Element balanced out? Otherwise, it might not work at all or make matters worse."

Aharnish shook his head. "This is for Light Elements only," he said, but then his confident expression broke. "It's too dangerous to include Asura in this. But then again, if we don't... he'll die."

"That's why we shouldn't rush into this," Ince responded. "We need to wait for Akilah. She needs to initiate the Ritual in the first place. Besides that, she's the only one who knows exactly what'll happen to Asura if we decide to do this." He paused briefly. "She's the only one who knows if he'll die if we do this."

Aharnish let out a frustrated grunt. "Where IS she!?" he shouted. "We don't have time to wait for Akilah to run her errands!"

He stopped circling the Council Table, locking eyes with Ince.

"I'll agree with you that we have to wait," he said. "Wait to perform the Ritual, that is. But I'm not waiting for Akilah to get back."

He dissolved his physical form before Ince could respond and vanished out of the window.

Even though he had no idea what she was doing there, Aharnish could tell his sister was in the Silver Valley. He could feel her presence there – a convenience that came with being a Spirit.

He assumed she was visiting the Faerix Queen who resided there, one of her closest friends. Or, at least, the mother had been. He wasn't sure whether Akilah got along well with the daughter, too. But, as she was gone for a long time, he assumed she either did, or she was truly desperate for assistance. Or she was doing behind their backs.

Aharnish would however have to search for the Royal Faerix Palace, as it was hidden deep within the woods – and Aharnish didn't know where it was located precisely.

Regardless of this minor – or, actually, pretty major – setback, he wouldn't give up until he'd found it. He'd find the Palace, and if he couldn't find it, he'd wait for Akilah at the edge of the woods the Palace resided in. Then he'd meet up with Akilah, and finally get her home so they could fix this mess.

Chapter Fourteen

Royal Reinforcements

Akilah hoped her siblings would wait patiently for her return and not act rashly. She hadn't told them where she'd gone, but she figured it wouldn't be hard for them to figure that out. Her intention was to find allies that resided in other Realms – she needed help from the most powerful of Lunaria's leaders besides the Spirits. She needed their help in order to secure Lunaria's future in the plan she'd come up with.

It was a risk, and possibly would fail, but Akilah felt as though she, her siblings and all of Lunaria had nothing left to lose. While it might seem highly unlikely, to Akilah, this thought did have a positive side; to think that once the Lunariae knew what they were facing they'd be willing to do anything to save the world fuelled Akilah's faith that they would help her without hesitation.

It was a matter of speed; the quicker Akilah could set her plan into motion, the more secure Lunaria's future would be. Even if Akilah's and her siblings' futures wouldn't be.

Her first stop was in the Silver Valley, where the Grand Fairy Queen resided. The Queen was young, crowned only a year ago.

Her mother had been a close friend of Akilah's, and Akilah and the Grand Royals shared a bond of mutual respect. Aside from this, it seemed as though the friendship Akilah had shared with the mother had carried on through with the new young Queen.

The Grand Royals weren't regular Fairies or Pixies, like the folk they ruled over – they were a breed that combined the two, Faerix, who could switch their form between a large Fairy, almost as tall as a human would be, or a small Pixie, barely larger than a human hand – whichever form would present to be the most convenient to fit the situation.

Akilah had taken her time to get to know the former Queen's daughter as she grew up, and both women were heartbroken at the death of the Queen – but Akilah felt as though the new Queen's young sister was the one who'd hurt the most through the loss of her mother.

Eloine, the elder sister, recently crowned queen, was two thousand years older than her little sister Violina. Considering that a thousand human years was equivalent to one year of life for a Fairy, the eldest sister was twenty-one at this time and the other nineteen.

Living longer than humans had its advantages for the magical creatures that ruled Lunaria. They got to connect and know Lunaria and its energy like no other creature could. Of course the Spirits knew the most, as their essence flowed through the world and its inhabitants, but Lunaria had secrets that it hid even from them. By working together, Lunaria's magical rulers from the different Realms could only hope to figure out everything they needed to know about their home.

This was one of those moments – Akilah needed to combine her knowledge with that of someone else. And the Grand Fairy Queen just so happened to be the first person on Akilah's mind when her siblings couldn't help her out.

Akilah had taken a few of her siblings' possessions to make sure her plan would work; she figured she could've informed them on the whole thing, but the less people knew, the smaller the chance Asura would find out. If he didn't know what Akilah was up to, he would have no suspicions and perhaps walk straight into the trap Akilah was about to set up.

Akilah was sure her siblings would forgive her eventually; she simply had to do what was necessary to protect Lunaria.

The palace the Grand Royals resided in was simple and humble; its building style somewhat resembled what we would call a Greek temple, with two floors and several rooms. Of course it was large, but it didn't stand out or scream for attention like other palaces might do. And despite its size, the White Palace wasn't a quarter the size the Spirit Castle was.

Akilah approached the White Palace doors, for a lack of an official gate with guards (the Faerix Royals probably deemed such protection unnecessary as most non-Fairy folk didn't even know the Palace existed) and knocked. A Fairy lackey opened the grand oaken doors, her face lighting up as soon as she saw Akilah.

"Ah, Your Grace," she said. "Milady. It's always good to see you. What is the reason of your visit today?"

Akilah smiled warmly at the girl before entering the Palace, handing the Fairy her cloak. "Serious business, I'm afraid," she said. "Have you noticed a change in Lunaria's balance lately?"

The Fairy lackey nodded, her brown hair flowing along with the movement of her head. "I have, Milady," she said. "The Magic. It's... it's colder. Darker."

Akilah offered the Fairy a stiff nod. "That's why I'm here," she said. "I need to speak to the Queen."

"Of course," the Fairy said, nodding. "I will put away your cloak and request an audience with the Queen right away. But I'm sure she'll be glad to see you; things have been slow since Princess Violina left. I believe the Queen feels somewhat lonely without her sister's presence around her."

Akilah raised an eyebrow. "Left?" she asked, half to the lackey, half to herself; the lackey didn't answer, as she'd already left the hallway and entered another room at the end of the hallway. Shortly after she returned, without the cloak. She curtsied in front of Akilah, before inviting her to follow her.

"The Queen is glad to see you, Milady," she said, guiding Akilah through the hallway to the Palace's main chamber; even though Akilah knew where to go, she still respected the lackeys' duties and always did as they asked while she was a guest at their home.

"She always is."

The lackey stopped at the door at the end of the hallway, where the seating room was located. The White Palace didn't have a throne room; the seating room was simply a circular room with blue chairs where the Queen held audiences. The Grand Royals preferred not to have a throne room, as the Royals did not see themselves as rulers over their people, rather advisors that guide them and guard over them. The Royals were responsible for keeping the peace and guaranteeing the safety of their subjects first and foremost of all.

The room had a particular colour palette, consisting of soft shades of blue, white, and silver. Light blue flowers grew along the walls and ceiling along silver veins.

The blue armchairs that stood in the middle of the room in a circle formation were soft and comfortable to sit on; the largest chair belonged to the Queen. A young female Fairy sat in the chair. Her hair was long and silver, reaching to her ankles if it were part of her dress rather than attached to her head, braided in a pattern of multiple braids from the scalp to her shoulders, from where it proceeded to fall loose and free. She wore no crown, but a headdress that adorned her scalp and forehead, with sapphires and diamonds glittering in the soft candlelight that came from the chandelier that hung from the white ceiling.

Her pale, heart-shaped face was friendly and freckled, her nose small and pointy. Her eyes were a startling sky blue.

As soon as Eloine saw Akilah and the lackey enter the room, her thin lips curled up into a warm smile. She dismissed the lackey, who closed the door on her way out, and Akilah stepped forward. Eloine got up and approached her friend, inviting her for a hug, which Akilah happily accepted.

"Akilah," Eloine said, smiling at the Spirit Queen in front of her. "How have you been? It's been a while since we last spoke."

Akilah nodded, considering the amount of time that had passed since the two women had last seen each other. "True," she said. "How has it been? Ruling the Fairies in the Valley, I mean."

Eloine let out a sigh. "Oh, Akilah," she said, "it's not just the Valley. I have to keep track of every Fairy and Pixie Society in Lunaria. It's a lot of work." Then, as the two women sat down in two seats opposite each other, she smiled and continued, "but I've been managing... of course, you learn as time goes on. Thankfully, each Society has their own Royal, so that does take the pressure off of me a little. The Societies can handle their own problems pretty well at most times.

"Violina's really been trying her best to help me, too, and the other Royals that rule the other Societies don't hesitate to help me out when I run into a wall."

Akilah nodded thoughtfully. "I'm glad to hear that you two have been doing well," she said. "I know how difficult it is to bear great responsibilities. Considering my position..."

Eloine chuckled. "Fairy monarchy is strange, isn't it?" she said. "One Grand Queen or King ruling over other Kings and Queens... you'd think it should be different, shouldn't it?"

Akilah shook her head and smiled crookedly. "I do not really believe in class-based societies," she said. "I don't think they make things better. People should be in charge and rule based on knowledge, not on wealth." Eloine seemed to agree with that sentiment.

"The title Queen or King doesn't truly mean anything. Still, it is a title that is respected by all Fairy folk," she explained. "The Grand Kings and Queens of the Fairy folk are simply the ones with the longest lineage; the Faerix have guarded our Societies since the beginning of our civilisation. We are here to help and guide all Fairies. Not to rule over them."

She paused briefly. "Of course, the Kings and Queens are the ones who truly rule, the way I am Queen of the Fairy Forest and Pixie Valley here – they are much closer to their people and can make decisions that suit their people's needs better than I as Grand Queen can. But in case of conflict, whether it is amongst one or multiple tribes, if the dispute cannot be settled, the Grand Royal will decide. We do not rule absolutely, but sometimes we have to make final decisions to prevent conflict.

The Grand Royal is always unbiased and will look at a decision purely objectively. War never occurs thanks to the Light drowning out negative emotions, but indecisiveness from Societies can lead to other problems."

Akilah nodded. She knew how the Grand Royal system the Faerix used to manage all Societies across the globe worked, but she let Eloine speak anyway. The poor girl never spoke this much, and thus Akilah decided to consider this both a good and a bad sign – good, because Eloine was clearly happy to see Akilah, and bad, because Eloine must've felt like she'd had no one to talk to for a long time. And in a lifetime that lasts an average of eighty-thousand years, a long time truly is a long time.

"But of course, when we can't solve things, we can always turn to the highest power," Eloine continued, smiling at Akilah, clearly intending to pass the conversation off to her. "And... that's yours. I have to ask, Akilah; why'd you come over?" Eloine's eyes suddenly darkened. "I have the sinking feeling that this particular visit wasn't meant as a mere courtesy call.

"Something's wrong in Lunaria."

Akilah nodded. "You are right to assume that, Eloine," she responded. "However disappointed I may be to have to confirm your assumptions, they are true.

"I came to see you today because Lunaria is in grave danger."

Eloine raised her eyebrows. "What?" she said. "I was going to ask you if you'd like some tea, but I suppose the tea can wait. What's... what's happening?"

Akilah's eyes shot across the room for a moment, as if she was afraid someone might be listening to the two Royals talk. Then, she answered. "It's the Darkness. It's threatening my family.

"No, to say that would be selfish," she then corrected herself. "The Darkness is threatening Lunaria.

"Asura has been overtaken by a dark force, and any attempts to free him from it thus far have failed. I am at my limits."

Eloine frowned. "Your brother?" she asked. "I thought he was such a sweet guy. So kind... how'd he become like this?"

Akilah sighed. "Do you really want to know?" she asked. "It's my fault. I pushed him to his limits, and when I realised he might not have an Element, I manipulated Lunaria's energy to grant him one. I hadn't expected that it'd be a Dark Element..." She paused to take a deep breath.

"I broke a sacred rule, and now we're in this mess. Asura's Element was able to creep into his mind and manipulate him, and I'm afraid it might have got to his soul as well. I don't know how to help him."

Eloine swallowed; she wasn't sure how she should respond to that. Her honest opinion wasn't quite the most polite. Akilah didn't seem to be in the position to be able to take any scolding at the moment, but Eloine felt like it had to be done – then again, what good would it do? It wouldn't solve the problem, and Akilah was already well-aware of her missteps. Right now, the focus had to be on solving the situation.

"I'm not proud of what I did," Akilah defended herself, noticing her friend's doubtful gaze. "And looking back, I see why I shouldn't have done it. But I can't turn back time, either. I have to live with the consequences – we all do, unfortunately." She regretted the fact that that statement was truth. "All I can do now, is try to save what's left of Lunaria – and possibly, hopefully at least part of my brother – and hope I'll be able to do better in the future."

She took a deep breath, and looked Eloine straight in the eye. "Will you help me?

"Please, don't let Lunaria be lost. I beg you."

Eloine furrowed her brow. "But Akilah, of course I'll help," she said. "Why wouldn't I? Lunaria's my home, and that of my family, and of my people. What made you think I'd be unwilling to help?"

Akilah shrugged. "Eloine..." she whispered. "The Lunariae look up to the Spirits. What would happen if they found out their leaders, whom they respect and look up to, seek out for advice, were actually the cause of their impending doom and Lunaria's destruction? Would you think they'd still support us?"

Eloine swallowed and shook her head after a brief moment of consideration. "If you put it that way, no," she said. "I mean – I have to admit that I judged you for what you said about your brother for a moment, too. But we have more important matters to handle, so a time of judgement can come after we've fixed what's broken."

Then, she added, as if trying to make Akilah feel better, "I truly believe the other Royals and Realm Leaders will feel the same way, Akilah. We won't hesitate to help if the lives of the Lunariae and the planet's general wellbeing are at stake."

Akilah nodded slowly, thoughtfully. "I guess you're right," she said. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have doubted you. I'm just... desperate to fix my mistakes." She had to blink a couple times to keep the tears that stung behind her eyes from rolling down her cheeks. She'd truly begun to see how selfish she'd been while acting. She hadn't thought about possible consequences and problems, and by acting rashly, she'd put everyone she cared about in danger. "I understand, Akilah," Eloine said, "I really do understand your desperation. But you mustn't lose sight of what's important now.

"The stakes are far too high."

Akilah agreed with her friend, confirming that thought with a nod.

"I'm eternally grateful that you're willing to help me," she said. "You are the first of many Realm Leaders I must visit to set my plan in motion."

Eloine nodded. "Of course," she said. "What do you require me to do?"

"Nothing," Akilah said, smiling nervously as she reached inside the bag she'd been carrying, as her dress lacked pockets or storage room. She produced a necklace; a silver chain with a pink diamond pendant attached to it. The diamond was kept in place by a silver encasing.

"All I ask is that you keep this safe," Akilah told the Queen as she handed over the diamond. "Someone will come by to pass it on to. Whomever this may be... you'll know when you meet them."

Although Eloine felt slightly confused, she trusted Akilah, and thus accepted the diamond.

"I will, Akilah," she said. Sure, the instructions were somewhat vague, but if it was as Akilah said, then Eloine would surely get it right.

What the diamond would do, Akilah refused to disclose. She and Eloine parted ways, promising each other they'd meet again, and the first steps towards saving Lunaria were made.

Or so Akilah and Eloine hoped.
Chapter Fifteen

The Ritual

Akilah's plans were abruptly halted the moment she ran into her brother at the edge of the Fairy Forest, just outside the Pixie Village. While the Pixie Village and Fairy Forest were accessible for everyone who wished to enter, the Fairies preferred their Palace's exact location to remain hidden to those who hadn't any need of knowing it, and thus Akilah respected their rules by not using Magic near the Palace. Places that had high concentrations of Magic-use were easier for creatures with similar powers to track it. Of course, this included Aharnish – and considering he didn't know exactly where the Palace was located, he had no choice but to wait for his sister at the edge of the forest. His patience had never been tested to this extent.

Aharnish was angry, livid, even, but perhaps it was just his frustration and desperation manifesting through different appearances rather than actual anger.

He hastily told her about the Ritual, about everything that had been going down – Akilah agreed to performing the Ritual, considering if her plan fell through, this would be the only way to save the day – but demanded that they secured Asura first so that whatever light was left within him wouldn't be harmed by the Ritual.

The Ritual was intended to gather all the Darkness present in Lunaria all that time and guide it to one spot in the world, with the Light then vanquishing it. If Asura were to be using Magic at the time of the Ritual, Asura's soul would be caught in the same draw and get vanquished as well – killing him in the process.

Of course Akilah didn't want this to happen to her little brother, and Aharnish couldn't help but agree. No one deserved to suffer such a fate.

Now, they had to consider how exactly they'd keep their brother safe. On paper, things were considerably easy – knock him out and keep him that way until the Ritual was completed.

But in practice, Akilah knew Asura wouldn't allow himself to be knocked out that easily. Especially not now that he was stronger and more paranoid than ever.

Regardless, they had to try. Even if Asura claimed he didn't want to be saved – deep down inside, there was still light within him. There had to be.

Akilah didn't expect everything to be forgotten and forgiven after Lunaria had been cleansed, but she did hope that things would be able to go at least somewhat back to normal.

Akilah and Aharnish decided just to go straight ahead with their plan and get Asura subdued through sheer force. They wasted no time, making way straight from the Pixie Village to the Castle of Dark. Travelling through the light grew increasingly difficult as the world around them grew darker and darker, but it was worth it if having to go through the extra effort meant saving the world in the end.

It turns out the two Spirits had arrived just in time to stop Asura from making a great mistake.

Asura found himself growing more and more powerful by the minute while the Darkness grew around him; yet, for some reason, he found himself struggling to reach his full potential. The Light inside him was resisting.

Asura knew there was only one reason; his home was still too light. The Dark simply couldn't penetrate the Magic barriers this Realm had to protect itself – but a direct Touch on the Globe by Asura would chance that.

Permanently.

Just as his hand began to hover over the part of the Globe that represented the Land of Light, Asura was knocked away from the Globe by a blast of Light Magic.

He got up with a grunt; he clearly hadn't expected to receive visitors at this time of day. He didn't, however, have to guess who his visitors were.

"Akilah," Asura growled angrily. "Here to mess with my life just a little more once again?"

Akilah shook her head. "No, Asura," she said, realising Asura hadn't noticed Aharnish at all – who, having noticed too, made good use of this fact and quickly made his way to the other side of the room through the shadows of the darkened throne room. "I'm here to help you, little brother."

Asura let out a loud, irritated groan and rolled his eyes as he slowly stepped closer towards Akilah. He might've been the most powerful creature in all of the Realms, but he was still acting like the child he was.

"How many times do I have to remind you, Akilah: I don't want your help? I'm perfectly happy the way I am, thanks!"

Akilah furrowed her brow. "You don't understand, Asura," she said. "You can't possibly grasp the damage you'll do to this world by turning the Realm of Light into a wasteland."

Asura shrugged. "It'll get rid of you, probably," he said, not seeming to care in the slightest that his actions might result in his siblings' deaths. "At long last."

Akilah, noticing Aharnish was ready to strike, simply shook her head, refusing to give Asura the pleasure of providing an answer to that statement.

"Got nothing left to say now, do you?" Asura said, trying to pry a response from his sister. "What? Have you given up already?"

He laughed and turned back to the Globe, believing his sister had, in fact, given up. Of course, he didn't notice Aharnish standing behind him until it was too late.  
"Sorry, brother," he said, his fist raised ready to strike, "but it's the only way."

A perfectly placed punch between the boy's eyes knocked him to the floor – and out.

He really didn't come off as all that threatening while he lay there – a young boy lead by wrong decisions, that's all he truly was.

"What should we do with him?" Aharnish asked Akilah, after watching the boy for a while. "Take him back with us, or leave him here?"

Akilah considered her brother's question for a moment. "We should take him home so we can keep an eye on him. But we must make sure to lock him in the dungeon, with Magic-blocking chains in case he wakes up.

"It's the safest option."

Aharnish considered Akilah's response for a minute, then nodded. "Agreed," he said. "If he can't use Magic or get out of the dungeon, then that means we won't be disturbed, either. This Ritual must not fail."

The two siblings nodded at each other to confirm they agreed on the plan, then set to taking Asura home.

At first, their intention was to both go to the dungeon to lock up Asura and then explain the situation to their siblings together, but ultimately decided to split up.

Aharnish would take care of Asura, and Akilah could, in order to save time, explain to her siblings exactly what was expected of them in order to successfully complete the Ritual.

To the siblings, this was considered the best way to handle things; while Aharnish locked down Asura, Akilah would guide her siblings to the Ritual Chamber.

The response to Akilah's return was mixed. Her siblings were relieved, of course, but they weren't too happy with the fact that she'd left without telling her siblings where she was going – or that she was leaving in the first place.

"Listen," Akilah said, before her siblings bombarded her with questions, "I know I left without saying anything. But there's no time to explain why right now.

"We have to perform the Ritual to save Lunaria."

Ince raised his eyebrows in mild surprise. "Honestly, I didn't think you'd agree to it," he said. "Glad Aharnish was able to convince you so easily." His face turned blank for a moment.

"Speaking of Aharnish..."

"He'll be right along," Akilah answered the question before it was asked. "He's in the dungeons locking up Asura right now. We can't risk him running around out there while we perform the Ritual."

Aoife stepped forward, trying to get in-between her siblings. "But Akilah," she protested, "won't this be dangerous for him? His soul's gone dark. It might be destroyed."

Akilah nodded thoughtfully. "I understand your concern," she said, "and the risk certainly remains. But we've managed to greatly reduce it.

You see, by rendering Asura unconscious while the Ritual is performed, the Dark and the Element inside Asura will be purged, but his mind will remain intact as it isn't connected to his Magical abilities at that time.

"If he were to be using Magic while the Ritual is happening, however... there'd be nothing left of him."

Her siblings swallowed at that thought.

"Are you sure this'll work?" Aine asked, but then realised the answer to her question didn't really matter. They didn't have a whole lot of options at this time, thus had to be willing to try anything – regardless of whether they'd be sure if it'd work or not.

"We just have to hope it does," Akilah said, reaching for the Ritual Chamber's hidden door.

The Ritual Chamber itself was not much of a secret chamber, as its large, glass roof was clearly visible from outside, although no one who didn't know where to look for the door would be able to enter it. The door was, in fact, hidden behind the great tapestry that represented the Spirits' magical map of Lunaria.

They had to manually remove the map to access the door, but the Spirits had it done quickly. The map was large, and so was the door, but it was easy to reach the corners of the map for the Spirits, considering they were able to float up towards the ceiling and grab hold of them.

Now, the map lay on the floor as if it were a carpet, and the grand, oak doors to the Ritual Chamber were fully exposed.

On the day she hung up the map tapestry together with her siblings, Akilah never thought she'd ever have to take it down again. Now, she was standing in front of the grand doors, her siblings behind her, waiting for her to open the doors and let them in.

It took Akilah a moment. She didn't want to be wrong again. If something bad happened and the Ritual was the cause, then Akilah would have made the wrong decision again. But on the other hand, saying no and not performing the Ritual would have negative consequences, too, and those were guaranteed.

Perhaps in this situation it was better to simply take the jump and do what was best for Lunaria.

Keeping that thought in mind, Akilah reached out and opened the door by magical force – the only way the door would ever be opened, to prevent anyone with bad intentions to enter.

The Ritual Chamber was sealed magically, and this seal was only meant to be opened in the darkest hour.

This was that darkest hour.

The Ritual Chamber was easily one of the largest chambers in the castle. The ceiling was tall and made of stained glass of all sorts of colours, reflecting their colours into the light that came through them and into the Chamber. The walls were white, with ivy that had a similar colour as the grass outside decorating them. In the middle of the Chamber, there were five pedestals, each about three metres tall, with steps in front of the pedestal to make for easy as- and descend. With Akilah's pedestal in the middle, there was one designated pedestal for each Spirit's Element.

Save for one Spirit, of course.

"...Akilah?" Ince asked, "why isn't there a sixth pedestal for Asura? Isn't there supposed to be one?"

"The pedestals are created within the chamber as soon as a Spirit's Element shows its first signs," Akilah said. "I... don't know why there isn't one for Asura. His Element showed its first signs several days ago, and thus there should have been one."

Akilah glanced at Ince; he was having a judgemental look in his eyes.

"Hey!" Akilah shouted, raising her palms in defence. "I really don't know what's wrong, I promise you!"

"Then why isn't there a pedestal?" Aoife pondered, walking forward into the room. "It's... as if the Chamber doesn't wish to include Asura's Element in Lunaria's atmosphere." Her head turned, followed by her entire body, to face Akilah.

"The Chamber's magic reflects our own," she said. "We're afraid of the Dark, and thus the Chamber is, too." She paused and bit her lip. "Perhaps performing this Ritual won't be as much of a good idea as we thought it'd be, Akilah."

The siblings eyed each other briefly. The others seemed to be questioning the meaning of the missing pedestal as well.

"Perhaps not," Aharnish said, coming to his sister's rescues, even offering her a cheeky wink in-between sentences, "but we must not forget what Lunaria's fate is if we do not perform the Ritual." He paused for a moment, allowing his siblings to consider that thought. After an appropriate amount of time had passed, he nodded and continued. "Akilah already said it: even if the Ritual has bad consequences, Lunaria is doomed if we don't perform it. So we can either try and do something good for the world, or we could sit back and watch it waste away without doing anything, because we were too scared to make a brave attempt at saving the world."

As Aharnish finished his pep-talk, silence fell across the Ritual Chamber. Aharnish had rendered his younger siblings and even Akilah completely silent. Clearly, they hadn't considered this particular point of view.

"You're... right," Aoife said slowly, as if she refused to accept it. "I guess. At least we'll be giving Lunaria hope again – no matter what happens afterwards. After all, the Ritual should do what it was designed for regardless of the situation, right?" she said, nervously playing with her hair as she asked the question, her eyes locked on Akilah. She'd never experienced anything like this, and knowing Akilah had, Aoife preferred assuming that her older sister would be in charge of making the difficult decisions.

Akilah nodded encouragingly at Aoife. "Indeed," she said. "It is our duty to have Lunaria's best interest in mind always, no matter what happened or what it might mean for us."

Akilah could feel the hesitation of her siblings, even as they approached their pedestals. There was no running away now. They had to do this, for Lunaria and for Asura. And they'd pick up the pieces afterward.

When all five siblings had taken their positions on the pedestals, they checked with each other to see if everyone was ready to do this. If they worked without considering each other now, the Ritual was bound to go wrong.

As soon as Akilah had made sure everyone was ready to begin, she gave the signal. The Ritual had to be initiated by a chant – the Spirits' magic would take care of the rest.

"The Spirits of Lunaria present to you

The Elements of Light, to make this world anew

End the Darkness, return the Light

Shining over Lunaria, clear and bright"

Responding to the chant, the carvings in the stone pedestals started to glow, sending out beams of light upwards towards the glass ceiling. If the Spirits had had their eyes open, they'd be blinded by the light that surrounded them.

The beams of light joined together, forming a bright, white light where they joined together at the glass ceiling and spread out over the world.

Akilah smiled as the light began to die, slowly opening her eyes as soon as it was dark enough to open them again. She could feel it; it seemed as though Lunaria was going to be fine.

Then a pain struck her as if a dagger had stabbed her in the chest, and she collapsed to the pedestal's platform, her siblings yelling out her name in shock.

*

The pain Akilah had felt, hadn't only been felt by her. Asura felt the same pain, a sharp pain that shot through his chest and spread to his entire body.

Asura had finally managed to calm down and had been meditating in the grassy field ever since regaining his composure. He'd been using the same meditation method Akilah had taught him during his training; it calmed him, and Asura felt as though he could last until Akilah came back to wake him. His opinion changed, however, when the pain struck as if he'd been struck by lightning. It sent the boy to his knees, gasping for air, as if the wind had been knocked out of his lungs.

The world went black. At first, Asura thought his vision had been blurred by the pain, but the world had actually gone dark – the fog had returned, and had Asura surrounded within seconds.

What had happened? What was happening? Things had been just fine mere minutes ago, and now Asura was lying on the ground in agony, the dark fog threatening to overtake him, as if it wished to absorb him. All he wanted was for the pain to stop. If he just gave in, would it stop? Would it be over? Would he be able to breathe again? He couldn't breathe. The air was being squeezed from his lungs and there was no air left around him to refill it with. He simply couldn't breathe because there was no air. If he breathed in, he'd breathe nothing but dark fog. The fog that surrounded him, attempting to claim him. The more fog, the worse the pain.

Asura was begging for the pain to stop. Make it stop.

He'd do anything to make the pain stop.

If anyone or anything woke Asura from his slumber now, he knew his soul would be lost to the Dark. There was no way Asura would be able to heal himself now.

The reason as to why this had happened however, Asura didn't know. What had his siblings done to him? Or had Asura done this to himself?

Asura decided that perhaps it was best if he waited things out, at least until the pain went away or until the fog faded again. Then he'd try and figure things out.

But the pain didn't subside. Neither did the fog. Asura remained in the dark, clutching his chest, gasping for air.

Either he could stay here and suffer, or make a move and figure out what was going on.

This fever dream of floating in nothing had turned into an outright fever nightmare. And soon he'd wake up, his soul would be left to surrender to the Dark. He'd be of no use to his siblings – he'd be nothing but a lethal threat to them. And they probably wouldn't hesitate to kill him, given that he was chained, unable to fight back.

Asura needed to use whatever time he had left to solve this issue. He was convinced he could do it, from the unconscious state his mind currently was in –

If only his mind had remained unconscious for a little longer.
Chapter Sixteen

Darkness Approaches

Asura let out a gasp as he awoke. He was in chains, for a very brief moment, until the pieces of metal shattered without him doing anything.

Then, more pain followed. Asura let out a yelp of pain, which surprisingly, caught the attention of the Spirits down in the Ritual Chamber.

"Akilah-!" Aoife shouted frantically, as she knelt down beside her sister. Akilah had passed out briefly, but was already starting to get back to her feet. As soon as she heard the second cry coming from downstairs, Akilah stood upright, ready to run in the direction the cry had come from.

"Asura," Akilah said urgently, without providing any further explanation. "We've got to get to the dungeon and check on him. Trust me, there's no time to lose!"

Akilah's siblings decided not to question her order and simply followed quietly. It was obvious that Akilah was in a rush; Asura was hurt, and no one knew how he'd been hurt exactly.

One thing, however, was clear without a doubt: something had gone terribly wrong during the performance of the Ritual.

Akilah rushed down to the dungeon, with her siblings following closely behind. Akilah, ignoring the guards, headed straight for her brother's cell, where, she found her brother lying on the floor, gasping and wheezing for air.

"Asura!" Akilah cried out as she quickly knelt down beside her brother, trying to assess his condition. "Are you alright?" The Spirit Queen didn't even notice her brother's chains had been shattered. There would've been no possibility that Asura could've done that on his own – but Akilah was so concerned with her brother's wellbeing, that she didn't even consider the shattered chains for a fraction of a second.

It took a while, but eventually, the boy managed to muster a careful response. "N-no," Asura sobbed, in-between painful wheezes. "I- I'm not. Def- def- definitely not." He seemed to have returned to his regular self – apart from his looks, which still kept the frightening veins across his face. As Asura kept his eyes closed, Akilah couldn't tell if they'd returned to their original golden colour or had remained solid orange.

"Calm down, Asura," Akilah begged. "Please, calm down. Let me take a look at you."

"Please, Akilah," Asura wheezed, as he allowed his sister to turn him onto his back. "Help. Help me, Akilah."

Brother and sister's eyes met, and Akilah's heart sank.

The Ritual had in fact cleansed the world and had got rid of the Dark, but it had come at a terrible price.

A risk Akilah had considered, but never believed held any merit had become a reality.

The energy that the Dark had spread across Lunaria had to go somewhere, after all. It had to be contained, but during the Ritual, there had been no one around to redistribute the energy evenly. And thus, all the energy the Element had sent out went return to sender, so to say.

That meant that all energy had returned to Asura's soul. The overwhelming amount of energy that now existed within the boy was simply too much for him to handle; the Light and Dark inside of him were at war. It'd be either the one or the other, as there was no more room for both to coexist. This internal battle left Asura in agonising pain – and there was nothing he could do about it.

The battle would end in one of two ways; Asura would die or become a creature of darkness definitively, even more so than he'd been before, and Akilah's greatest fear would once again come true. She had to watch another sibling suffer and ultimately perish under the Dark.

"Akilah," he gasped, "please. Make it stop, Akilah. Please. Any means necessary.

"Just make it stop."

Akilah bit her lip. Aharnish decided to be the first to approach, kneeling opposite Akilah by Asura's other side.

"This isn't good, is it?" Aharnish asked, quickly eyeing his brother, who was still lying on the floor, limbs spasming involuntarily and breath heavy like a fish out of water.

"No, Aharnish," Akilah said, refraining from telling her brother that he was stating the obvious – he probably had best intentions in mind – "it isn't."

"Is... is there anything you can do for him?" Aharnish asked, his eyes gleaming with worry. He seemed genuinely worried for his brother.

"I..." Akilah bit her lip again. She wanted to answer honestly, but she was afraid to do so. The honest answer wasn't quite a positive answer.

"I..." She looked at Asura; the pain in his eyes hurt her deeply. Even more than the pain she'd felt when the Dark had rushed through her to get to Asura. He deserved to know the truth, no matter how difficult it was. Lies had created this whole situation and Akilah was done lying. "I don't know, Aharnish. I don't... I don't think I can."

Asura's hand moved up to grab Akilah's shoulder.

"If you... if you can't heal me," Asura said, "if you can't get rid of my Element, then... get rid of me. Kill me, Akilah. If you can't heal me, kill me.

"I want to be free of this pain."

Fat tears rolled down Asura's face as he spoke. It appeared as though this war that raged on inside him allowed him to think clearly for a brief moment - without being affected by the Dark that held his soul prisoner. He had to take advantage of this moment, now that he was given the chance.

He'd been strong enough to hold down his tears through the pain, but asking this of the person whom he'd always loved the most made the tears flow free. The request hurt both siblings, and both wished there was another way.

And Akilah believed there was another way. She simply needed time to find it.

"No, Asura," she said, her voice shaky with tears but still strong. "I can't do that. I won't do that.

"We're not giving up on you."

After Asura had processed what Akilah had said, his expression changed. The change was sudden, startling. As though the pain he'd been feeling just seconds before had completely vanished, and Asura's shattered body had come back together again.

"Giving up on me is exactly what you should have done years ago," he said coldly, before vanishing in a cloud of black smoke.

Aharnish's expression was instantly filled with alarm. "Akilah," he said, "what just happened?"

Akilah wasn't sure whether to cry or smile. It appeared as though her brother had survived the internal battle, but had paid a tall price. The price being his soul.

"That was," Akilah said, sighing deeply in an attempt to remain calm, "very bad news. In fact, Asura now poses a threat to us. Us, and all of Lunaria."

She stood and turned to look at her siblings. Her expression was clearly filled with pain, but Akilah had to fight through it. Crying wouldn't help Asura or Lunaria.

"This is it," she told her siblings. "It's time for us Spirits to take a stand. If we don't fight Asura, the Darkness will prevail." Her golden eyes had a dangerous glimmer to them.

"We need to prepare, siblings," she said, "there's a war coming. And we'll be fighting against one of our own."

*

Asura didn't even know what had happened. One moment, he felt as though he was dying – and asked his sister to speed up the process. As soon as his sister denied his request, the pain in Asura's body settled, getting replaced by a cold that spread through Asura's body, starting at his heart. The words had flown from his lips as though Asura'd had them on his mind all his life.

Giving up on me is exactly what you should have done years ago.

Then he vanished into thin air, transporting himself back to the Castle of Dark. Had he finally become a full-fledged Spirit, or something else entirely?

Asura noticed his emotions had changed. He was less angry and filled with hatred than he was before the pain, before his brother knocked him out, and he still wasn't sure whether or not he liked these newfound powers. He felt... numb. Was this who he was meant to become? He knew that his appearance had changed severely – his veins had turned black and were clearly visible underneath his skin. His sclera and iris were nearly indistinguishable, both a similar shade of orange – the pupil had the shape of a cat's.

Asura was sure he still had the Touch that had influenced people he'd interacted with, but he no longer needed to use it to manipulate the Dark within the Lunariae's souls. He could feel their energy pulsing through his veins. This revelation made things finally clear to Asura: his sister had been wrong.

Yes, he was now willing to admit that in the beginning, Asura's Element had been bad for Lunaria; it was getting out of control, because Asura could not control his Element. It controlled him. But somehow, Asura's mind had gained control over the Dark. It was as though it'd become part of his soul.

Akilah was wrong! The words shot through Asura's head, bringing a sense of euphoria along with them. This meant only one thing: Lunaria was saved, and so was Asura. He could safely rule beside his siblings and bring balance to their Light with his Dark Element.

He had to return to his siblings. They deserved to hear about this wonderful news.

It was as though all the feelings of hatred and pain he'd felt the days before had evaporated. He'd been cured.

It'd only be a matter of time before Lunaria would be back to its old self – more or less. In some ways, probably most ways, Lunaria would be the same as it'd always been, but this time, there'd be room for the darker elements of life. A natural balance, that would surely turn life on its head for the Lunariae. And yet, they wouldn't notice a thing.

For a moment, Asura smiled to himself. Soon, things would be better. Soon, he'd be receiving the respect he deserved and had longed for.

He'd finally become the King he'd always promised himself he'd be one day. And if his siblings didn't accept him...

It was as though the bright sky inside Asura's heart instantly grew cloudy. Dark storm clouds gathered over his mood all of a sudden, and he was filled with anger once more.

Asura noticed the way his thoughts seemed... different. More violent, dark, the desire to manipulate people, his siblings in particular, was strong within the young boy's soul. This new way of thinking and seeing things worried him, but he knew it was only a side effect of the Dark inside of him, and he was convinced he'd be able to deal with it and keep it under control – as long as he wasn't provoked.

Asura smiled again. Yes, he thought. Finally, things are going my way for once. Soon, everything will be alright.

*

Asura's siblings probably would've disagreed with that statement. Akilah had once again fled the castle, with every intention to catch Asura and stop him from doing something he might regret.

She knew that her brother wasn't lost just yet. But it wouldn't be long before he would be.

How was this possible? The Ritual had a simple purpose, it was impossible that it would ever fail.

The Dark was supposed to be gathered in one point, and then cast out by the Light. This outcome wasn't supposed to be possible.

And yet...

Clearly, for a being that was supposed to be all-wise, Akilah knew damn little about her world. And it was showing.

Akilah found herself struggling to get inside the Castle of Dark without walking in physically; Asura's influence had already turned it into a place of evil.

Of course he was inside the throne room, looking rather annoyed that the Globe of Balance, which he'd summoned back to its original home after discovering it was gone, was once again glowing golden.

The siblings' eyes met, and without words, they knew what they wanted to tell each other.

"You know I have to do this, Akilah," Asura said. "It's my destiny. I have no choice."

Akilah furrowed her brow as she slowly stepped forward. "Your destiny isn't set in stone, Asura," she said. "You can change it into whatever you wish."

Asura offered his sister a sad smile. "You don't really believe that, do you?" he said. "All the signs are pointing towards this, Akilah.

"There's a reason your little rain dance to clear the skies ended up with this outcome."

Akilah had to try her hardest not to get angry with her brother. Yes, the Ritual had caused this, but who was to say that this was the only possible outcome? After all, this had only been the second time the Ritual had to be employed.

"You don't know that!" she shouted, angrier than she wished. "Asura, you have no idea what's possible! We can still fix this!"

Asura narrowed his eyes, also stepping closer towards his sister, yet still within arm's reach of the Globe, ready to strike.

"Well, then," he said, "why don't we discuss what happened last time? When you destroyed the Council of Dark?"

Akilah bit her lip. He had her there.

"Asura, we turned them human," she said. "I don't know if the Dark re-gathered within their Elements. We didn't allow any time to check."

Asura let out a gasp, pretending to be surprised. "Ah..." he said. "So... what were you thinking about doing to me? You know, to 'fix' all of this?"

Akilah bit her lip even harder, drawing blood. Her brother already knew the answer, so she refused to provide it.

"You know," Asura said, realising he'd never actually receive a verbal answer, "when I vanished from the dungeons, I thought the pain that was caused by the war of light and dark inside my soul had dissipated. That I'd finally become whole."

He lifted his head, looking straight into Akilah's eyes. "But I was wrong. The pain's still there... its nature is just different from what I thought.

"It's not a war between light and dark anymore. It's me, not being sure whether I'm supposed to love or hate you anymore."

Akilah swallowed. "Love is a powerful emotion," she said carefully. "It can often be mistaken for hate... or the other way around.

"The two seem to be intertwined, connected."

Asura nodded, seeming to agree with his sister. "It hurts, Akilah," he said. "I still love you, yet everything inside me tells me to hate you, despise every inch of your being.

"It's confusing. I want it to end."

Akilah offered her brother a weak smile. "Then let me help you," she said. "I don't want you to suffer, Asura.

"I need to exorcise the Dark from your soul in order to save your life. Otherwise, you'll die... and destroy Lunaria in your wake."

Asura didn't seem convinced. He crossed his arms, asking, "And how do you intend on doing that?"

Of course he knew the answer. The same answer as to the question Akilah had refused to answer.

Akilah's way of 'fixing' things, or 'exorcising the Dark' from her brother in order to save his life, meant turning him human. Turning Asura into a being that has no Magic by nature – but can obtain it through other means.

Until a few days ago, that was an option Asura considered. If he wasn't meant to obtain an Element and fulfil a ruling purpose in Lunaria, he'd rather be a being that's not associated with Magic in any way whatsoever – with the occasional exceptions of Sorcerers, Mages, Wizards and Witches, which were considered to be rare beings within Lunaria.

But now... now that Asura knew what his potential was, now that he'd gained the ability to use Magic... it had become an addiction. He did not want to let go of his abilities.

He refused to allow Akilah to ruin his life once again.

"I'm sorry, Akilah," he said, "but you must understand that I cannot let you do that." A smirk crept up on his face. "But... I can get rid of my pain.

I can get rid of this pain by doing one simple task; returning it to the people that gave it to me, to have them experience the pain I've suffered for years."

"The Lunariae have nothing to do with this, Asura!" Akilah yelled, growing steadily angrier. "You want to punish me and your other siblings, fine. But leave the innocents out of this!"

Asura let out a low chuckle. "There are no innocents," he said. "It's not just you who rejected me, Akilah. The people of Lunaria..." he paused for a moment.

"You know Linmor Village, don't you, Akilah?" he said. "You know all the villages there. But Linmor is special." He quickly ignored his own argument, refusing to allow Akilah time to respond, to get to the point he was trying to make.

"Either way, I'm sure the village elder in Linmor has Magic," he said. "But... that's beside the point.

"The point is, they rejected me. The villagers rejected me as soon as they found out who I was. Called me a demon, a monster, tried to kill me."

He grinned. "I returned the favour. Successfully.

"I felt scared about it at first, shocked, how and why did I do that? But..." he shrugged. "I suppose it's what I was meant to do."

"No, it's not, Asura," Akilah responded desperately. "Please! You'll leave me no choice if you go forward with this."

Asura stepped away from his sister, closer to the globe that now stood in the centre of the room. All he had to do was touch it with both hands; where didn't matter.

All that mattered was his intent.

"Asura, stop," Akilah demanded; Asura refused to comply with her demands.

"Go ahead and do it, Akilah," he said. "By the time your plan succeeds, mine will be miles ahead of yours."

A simple curse was enough to do the trick. Whether or not the spell had met its target before Asura's hands had met theirs, Akilah didn't know. A dark blast, coming from Asura's direction, knocked her out – it was possible that the dark blast was the result of either action. Akilah could do nothing but hope that it was the result of hers and not her brother's.

If that were the case, then Lunaria would be saved, and things would soon turn back to normal – once she awoke, she'd wake up to a restored world – and a human brother.

But she never woke up.

III

The Dark

Chapter Seventeen

The Master of Nightmares

Akilah was met with a rather rude awakening. She woke up in the Castle of Light, in her bed and her own bedroom.

Immediately, Akilah sensed something was off.

It was dark outside. Permanently so, it seemed. Dust had settled on the castle's furniture, and the walls were beginning to crack. It was as though the castle had been left abandoned for centuries.

Akilah immediately began to fear the worst. She had to find her siblings to confirm her fears to be true or false.

She quickly made her way out of the bedroom, only to find that the rest of the castle was in even further state of disrepair. The servants had left, the tapestries were destroyed; some walls had gaping holes in them.

It was as though a battle had been fought inside the Castle of Light.

And perhaps, Akilah considered, there had been.

Akilah's worry grew once she discovered that her siblings were nowhere to be found within the castle. The entire building was deserted; she was completely alone. There wasn't even a single guard left outside the gate.

Akilah's second option was to check on her youngest brother, who was obviously behind all of this. She simply wanted to know what happened while she was out, and she did still believe that her brother would at least give her an accurate description of the events.

Lying was below Asura. Or, at least, the Asura Akilah knew.

She found herself unable to use any Magic; the Dark around her was too strong and was suppressing the Light inside Akilah's soul. Either that, or she'd been stripped from her Element entirely. Right now, she couldn't be sure. Akilah was left defenceless in this world, but that would not stop her from finding out what had happened while she was gone.

How long had she been gone for? Where were her siblings? Was she on her own?

If she was, then that meant she was the only one left to finish this. She'd first try and talk to Asura, then continue the plan she'd set in motion before Aharnish interrupted it in favour of the Ritual.

Without Magic, the situation would be more difficult to solve, but Akilah knew of a solution. Or, at least, she hoped she did, because at this point, she admitted that she knew rather little.

For now, she had to focus on trying to reason with Asura.

Akilah felt lucky that the two castles were within walking distance of each other. Still, she decided to take a look inside the stables to check if the horses were still there.

The Spirits each had their own horse. Akilah's was a white mare. The horses were rather unique; if necessary, they could quickly sprout wings and fly, transforming into pegasi. For now, just a horse that would be able to take Akilah to the Castle of Dark quicker than her own legs could, would do.

Akilah was somewhat surprised to learn that the horses were still within the stables, well-fed and taken good care of.

Who'd been taking care of these horses, if all servants had left?

It was a question that lingered in Akilah's mind as she greeted and saddled her beloved white mare. Asura's horse, a black stallion with white marks on its forehead, appeared to be missing from the stables.

More and more questions filled Akilah's mind, and she decided to ignore them all. She couldn't answer them at this time, and probably never would.

She simply hoped that Asura would be willing to cooperate and explain the situation. She hoped he wasn't too far gone by now.

She still held on to hope that her baby brother would be the same as ever, but couldn't deny that her hope was fleeting. Most would call her foolish that she'd even consider the thought that Asura would still be the same person, and she knew how stupid of a concept it was. But still, her hope was all she had left, and without it, she was nowhere.

Akilah felt frightened with the sights she faced as her horse raced through the Realm of Light... former Realm of Light.

The trees had died, the silver grass had turned black, and eerie, gray smog hung in the air and in the skies above, turning them permanently dark.

If the Realm of Light had suffered this much damage, then Akilah could only imagine what had happened to the remaining Realms.

Akilah and her horse finally made it to the Dark Castle. Akilah felt that her Cloaking Spell on the building had faded – it was no longer a secret to anyone that this dark, looming building stood where it was.

Asura had decided to guard his new home, and protect it from any further intrusions, be it Spirit-related or other creatures; two cloaked guards carrying staffs with glowing red orbs at the tips stood by the entrance. Their faces were nearly indistinguishable from the dark shadow their hoods cast, but in the glow of their red eyes, Akilah could make out one face she recognised.

It was one of the male village elders that resided near Linmor. ...Used to.

Akilah bit her lip. She knew what Asura had done to young Caleb. She'd felt it happen. No one had seen or heard of Caleb since Asura transformed the poor boy into his first servant. Where he was right now, no one knew.

Akilah knew for sure however that he hadn't died; he'd suffered a rather worse fate.

Seems as though his older colleagues had met the same end. Twisted and corrupted into these dark, evil beings.

No soul left for Akilah to save. Nothing left to do about it.

Akilah left her horse at a safe distance, tying the reigns to a tree just to make sure it would remain there; she wanted to make sure she'd have a means of transportation through this world, and didn't want the horse to run back to the castle if it got startled. Later, Akilah would decide on the animal's freedom.

With the horse taken care of, it was time for Akilah to face these cloaked guards and enter the Dark Castle. She had to get to the bottom of this situation, and these men cloaked in mystery were blocking her path.

"Good afternoon," she said, deciding to start out as politely as possible, "is my brother home?" It sounded ridiculous and Akilah regretted it.

"Who's asking?" the left guard asked, his voice reduced to a low hiss. "Only those with an invitation may have an audience with the Master of Nightmares."

"Master?" Akilah couldn't help but snort. She'd half expected Asura to take on the title of 'King', but 'Master'... just had a completely different ring to it in this particular situation. At least her brother still had his way of thinking... somewhat.

"I believe I don't require an invitation. I'm his sister."

"The Spirits are dead," the other guard said decisively, pointing his staff towards Akilah, the red orb glowing dangerously. "Get off the Master's property, or face the consequences."

Akilah swallowed. They had Magic. They were Sorcerers. Or perhaps something else?

Had Akilah been her regular self, she could've taken care of them with ease. But, with things being as they were, Akilah had no Magic whatsoever and couldn't defend herself against theirs.

What was she to do? Just turn around and leave? Wait for the right moment and sneak in?

That seemed to be the only viable option right now.

Akilah wasn't one to give up easily, but if it meant the difference between safety or injury – or potentially worse – then she knew which choice to make.

Luckily, Akilah didn't have to give up. A whisper that ran chills down her spine floated through the air, giving the guards a simple task:

"Let the Queen of Spirits pass."

The guards opened the gate for Akilah, closing it behind her as she entered the castle gardens.

That whisper had unmistakably been her brother's voice. As though Akilah needed another confirmation, the voice whispered to her again,

"I'm surprised to see you, sister."

Akilah didn't respond to the whisper. She couldn't possibly have, without Magic. She simply made her way through the castle gardens, which were surprisingly well-maintained, even considering how hard nature struggled to survive in the Dark. Clearly, some gardener had tried whatever they could to keep the plants alive. Perhaps Asura hadn't become evil under the influence of the Dark.

Of course, Akilah would soon be met with the truth. She entered the castle, running into a second pair of guards who opened the front gates for her.

From there, Akilah made her way through an empty hallway towards the throne room. It was awfully quiet in this castle, compared to the castle Akilah once called home.

Or, at least, it used to be that way. Now, the two castles were both eerily quiet.

The throne room was almost equally empty. Four guards, two at the steps towards the throne and two at the door. Them, and Asura.

Akilah hardly recognised her brother. He looked like he'd aged ten years in the time Akilah had been asleep, now being in his late twenties.

Not only had he aged, he'd become human as well. Akilah's spell had succeeded.

For a moment, Akilah doubted that this man was indeed her little brother. This man looked nothing like the boy Akilah remembered her Asura being, and that wasn't just referring to the fact that he'd seemingly switched species.

"Asura?" she asked, the word sounding foreign as she said it aloud. The man on the throne burst out laughing. His hair was black and messy, and he'd grown a thick, dark beard.

His right eye appeared to be blind, a dark scar going across his cheek and forehead, only separated by the now solid orange eyeball. Akilah assumed that the eye was blind because his other eye, despite the sclera being identical to the blind eye, did still have a cat-like pupil resting in the middle.

His blue leather tunic had shifted colours to purple, with golden details and a tall neck.

"Akilah," the man said, "you disappoint me. You're telling me you don't recognise your most beloved brother?"

His way of speaking had transformed entirely. A chill ran down Akilah's spine. It was indeed her brother's voice, albeit slightly lower in pitch as a result from age. But the vocabulary he used didn't sound like Akilah's brother.

"You're human," Akilah said. "But... how?"

Another laugh came from Asura. "You did this, didn't you?" he said. "You damaged me, Akilah. But you failed at saving Lunaria."

"We'll see about that," Akilah said. "You're human... yet you possess Magic."

And yet another laugh followed from her brother's side. "You said it yourself, Akilah! All those years ago!

"A human isn't Magical by nature, but can obtain Magic through other means. Besides... you were the one who gifted me with these abilities." He grinned at the sight of his sister's confused face. He got up from his throne and slowly began making his way towards Akilah as he spoke. "You see, Akilah," he said, "the easiest way to explain what happened is that curse you cast.

"I placed my hands on the Globe, which caused a dark blast of Magic to spread across all Realms. As your curse hit me, I was surrounded by Dark Magic. This Magic protected my soul... but not my body." He grinned again, stopping at the bottom of the steps.

"I am the first human-spirit-hybrid to ever exist. And you created me, Akilah.

"You created this monster you see before you."

Akilah gritted her teeth. She wanted to respond, but couldn't find the words. It was as though there was a dictionary inside her head, and someone had set every last page of it on fire. Asura decided to fill the silence.

"But, of course, the fact that my body has been transformed this drastically comes with certain consequences," he said. "For example, I have been stripped from my immortality... and aging goes far more rapidly. Instead of aging one year for every thousand lived, I have to suffer through aging ten years every thousand." He pouted, seeming genuinely disappointed. "Oh well... And I risk death of old-age. Physical bodies aren't meant to last forever, you see.

"But, seeing as I still have at least fifty thousand years left to reign, it's a fate I'm willing to accept."

Akilah had found her voice once again. "I'm sorry, Asura," she said. "I failed you. Not only have I failed to turn you human, I have failed to take your pain and misery away as well.

"I failed to give you the life you so desperately longed for."

Once again, Asura couldn't keep himself from laughing. But his laugh didn't come from amusement; disappointment, rather.

"Oh, Akilah," he said, "do you think I still care about all that?

"I should be thanking you for changing my life forever, actually. I never would've been able to unlock my full potential if it hadn't been for you messing around, breaking every single rule there was to break."

"This isn't right, Asura," Akilah said, her throat dry and her voice cracking. "You're in pain, I can tell. Please, let me help you."

Asura's face turned to a scowl. "I am free of pain, Akilah," he said. "As I said, the betrayal of those I loved most was the cause of my pain. And I've dealt with that betrayal.

"I am free now, free to become what I was always meant to become.

"The Master of the Dark, the Master of Nightmares."

"What you were meant to become?" Akilah almost spat the words out. "Asura, you were never meant to become anything! I gave you that Element, not Lunaria!

"You have no right to that throne!"

Asura seemed genuinely hurt by his sister's words for a brief moment. Then, he regained his strength, his expression arrogantly confident once again.

"As much as I, once again, mean to thank you for gifting me with this Element, Akilah," Asura said, "even if it was unintentional... I do believe it was meant to be.

"Lunaria manipulated you into granting me this Element. There's no other way to go about it." He took a brief break, then continued. "You granted me this Element out of pity, Akilah. Don't pretend you didn't. But... you need to pity me no more." With a single wave of his hand, Asura summoned the globe, now deep black, seemingly emitting black smoke from the inside.

"Instead, you should pity yourself," Asura said, stroking the Globe. "I've won, Akilah. You should pity yourself and our siblings over the sad fate you'll meet when you cross my path once more.

"I mean, you're already powerless in this world as it is... wonder how I could possibly make things worse for you." He closed his statement with a devilish grin.

A chill ran down Akilah's spine. This wasn't her brother. This couldn't possibly be her brother.

And yet, he was.

She quickly gathered her bearings and delivered the mightiest threat she could at that moment.

"Asura, make no mistake," she said, "I will find our siblings. And when I do, we will work together, and we will stop at nothing to take everything from you.

"Everything you've attained through Magic... and you will live the rest of your life as a human. That's just the way things will have to be."

Asura accepted his sister's threat surprisingly gracefully. He bowed before her, in a theatrical, exaggerated manner, his nose almost touching the ground as he bent through his knees; one arm to his chest, one arm outstretched. "So... you've finally come to terms with the truth."

Akilah swallowed and nodded. "I have," she said. "It is my duty as a Spirit to protect Lunaria from harm. Even if that includes harming my own family."

Asura offered his sister a cruel smile. "As a selfless Queen should." The sarcasm in his voice was painstakingly obvious.

Asura's opinion of his sister was clear; throughout her entire period of reign over Lunaria, she'd been nothing but selfish, only looking out for herself and her own desires. What else was there to care about? The lives of the Lunariae were practically perfect. Of course, poverty remained, and so did greed, but people simply didn't realise it because of the Light. They completely overlooked the negativity because they'd never learned it was there.

Now, all that had changed. For a thousand years, the Lunariae had learned to struggle through life. Living with negativity and misfortune had taught them to appreciate the good.

Asura genuinely believed he'd done good to the Lunariae. He'd tried to help them, and succeeded. Of course, it was strange at first, but as generations passed, the people learned, and within less than fifty years, negative emotions had become part of everyday life all over the world.

As though things had never been different. As though no one remembered the time when the Light had reigned absolutely.

Now, it was time for the Dark to reign absolutely. And someday... balance...

Perhaps. But for now, Asura considered balance to be unachievable. It was either the one extreme or the other.

All Akilah wanted was her reputation back, her kingdom, her pristine position as Queen of the planet.

Asura couldn't let a creature as selfish as his own sister rule this planet. No more.

"We'll see what happens, Akilah," Asura said, feeling confident in the perfection of his own plan.

"I've managed to trap our siblings within their own home. I do however find it disappointing that the fact that you were unconscious while I trapped you left you free from your bonds once you awoke..." He grinned to himself. "But alas, nothing's ever perfect. You were out for a long time, so I suppose the spell worked well enough to make that happen."

"Perhaps your curse has worn off," Akilah suggested. "No matter, Asura. I will find a way to break it either way. I won't rest until you are defeated."

Asura scoffed. "I'm sure you'll try your best," he said. "But you seem to have forgotten that you have no Magic in this world."

Akilah gritted her teeth. Right. She kept forgetting. Then again, she'd only lost her Magic an hour ago - technically, a thousand years ago, but as Akilah had been asleep for all that time, she had no way of knowing – so she simply needed some time getting used to it.

Unless, of course, she could find a way to get her Magic back... but where would she have to look for a solution like that?

"For now, I think it's for the best if we past ways," Asura said, refusing Akilah the opportunity to respond.

"So... I'll have my guards see you to the door."

The cloaked guards that stood by the doors quickly approached Akilah, each grabbing one of her arms.

Akilah pulled her arms free, realising Asura wasn't going to allow her to continue the conversation.

"You'll regret this, Asura," she said, as she marched out of the throne room, closely followed by the two guards. "You'll see!"

Asura responded with a loud laugh.

Akilah was left outside the gates, which locked behind her. The Master of Nightmares would have no more audiences today.

Akilah went back to her horse, knowing what to do next; as the guards guided her out of the castle, she'd come up with a plan.

Akilah knew where her siblings were, and she knew how to free them.

She simply needed some help of magical reinforcements.

Chapter Eighteen

Starting Over

Akilah was relieved and somewhat surprised to see that her trusted mare was still waiting for her, healthy and strong as ever. Its fur coat was shimmering in the moonlight. Akilah knew she'd need the animal's wings to transport her, as she couldn't depend on her Magic to do the job.

If the animal had got scared for any reason and run off, Akilah would've been in great trouble.

What did however surprise her, was the small pixie that sat on top of her horse's neck, brushing the mare's manes with a tiny comb. It was one of the Castle of Light's former servants. She must've followed Akilah to the Castle of Dark... how else could she have ended up here? Akilah hadn't even considered the possibility of the Castle's servants still living there. But then again, where else would they go? Staying within the Castle of Light – or its ruins – was probably a safer choice than heading out into the dark.

That being said, this was one brave little pixie.

Akilah carefully approached the servant, who seemed rather startled at the sight of one of their lost masters.

"Your Majesty!" the Pixie exclaimed, quickly getting to her feet to curtsy for Akilah. "It is you!"

Akilah smiled kindly at the Pixie. Her hair and irises were a sparkly white, and her skin was fair and covered with freckles.

"What brings you here?" she asked. "I thought all servants were gone when I inspected the castle..."

The Pixie shook her head. "Oh no, Ma'am," she said. "Most of us are hidden away within the castle. We tried our best to maintain it, but the Dark is beating down on the castle too hard for us to keep up.

"Many of us stayed, praying you would return and save us someday."

Akilah swallowed, wondering how many Lunariae out there shared the same opinion as this Pixie – and the castle servants like her that decided to stay behind. How many people now followed Asura? How many didn't like their new Master, yet still had lost faith in the Spirits and had turned against them, too?

How many Lunariae were out there now, fighting the Darkness?

Soon, they'd no longer have to do that by themselves – should Akilah's final plan succeed. A sign of hope, that the Spirits hadn't left the Lunariae behind entirely.

But that was for later. Now, Akilah had to make her way to the Silver Valley and find the Faerix Queen whom she'd spoken to...

...a thousand years and a day ago. It still felt like yesterday to Akilah, yet so much time had passed for everyone else.

An eternity to most.

To the human populations – if any remained at all – the Spirits would be nothing more than a myth. In a thousand years, one human could live at least ten lifetimes. Some even twenty... or more.

There was no way they still believed in the Spirits. No human alive today would know anything but the Dark and its Master ruling over Lunaria. A lifetime of misery.

A pang of hatred and distress went through Akilah's heart and entire body at that thought. Asura's reign had to be ended, by any means necessary.

She needed to stop the hurt these people were going through once and for all.

"Thank you," Akilah said. "For your faith in us. Even after all this time."

The Pixie smiled. "Anything for you, Your Majesty," she responded. "If you'll allow me, I will return to the castle and continue to tend to the other horses until you return."

Of course Akilah would allow her to do so. The two girls briefly expressed gratitude towards one another, and Akilah made a promise that she would fix things.

Of course she couldn't know when her promise would be fulfilled, but Akilah knew that it would.

For a moment, Akilah feared that she'd asked too much of her mare as they flew across the flower fields of Louloudia. She worried that the creature might not be strong enough to make the entire trip to the Silver Valley. The trip would take at least three days, even across the skies – after all, pegasi weren't half as fast as dragons, let alone direct travel by light. But that was out of the question, and thus Akilah had to rely on other, much slower and less reliable means of transportation.

Luckily, the creature pressed on as though it wasn't fazed by these circumstances, even with the severely limited food-supply. Living and healthy, fruit-giving plants or trees and wildlife was hard to come by in the Realm of Light, but the closer the Spirit and her mare came to the southern pole of the world – an island that was considered uninhabited – the more life returned in the Realms.

The Silver valley nearly edged on this island, with nothing but a river dividing the two Realms.

Akilah always wondered why the Heart Isle wasn't where the Spirits resided. The Realm of Light was the northern pole, position-wise, surrounded by a vast sea to divide it from the forest and a bridged ravine to keep LouLoudia and the Realm of Light apart.

...At least, the ravine used to be bridged. Whether it were the Lunariae or Asura, someone had destroyed every last bridge between LouLoudia and the Realm of Light. Akilah assumed the Lunariae did this to prevent whatever roamed the Realm of Light from crossing into LouLoudia and every Realm beyond that.

Louloudia's flowers had died. A desert remained in its place. The ground was cracking, revealing Lunaria's fiery core. The lava was rising, creating geysers of molten, red-hot stone where the pressure was particularly high. These geysers slowly created mountains as the stone they spewed cooled down and turned solid once more.

A wasteland, with dark hills and paths of lava trailing across it. The Realm had become unrecognisable.

Akilah was filled with regret down to her deepest core. She was the one who'd been foolish enough to break the rules and grant Asura this Element. Even if this outcome had never been Akilah's expectation nor intention, it was reality, and Akilah was at fault beyond anyone else.

Akilah prayed that she would still have the support she'd been promised – even though it had been a thousand years and she'd seemingly disappeared without a word's notice. She didn't blame the Lunariae if they thought Akilah and her siblings had abandoned them. Did they even know who Asura was?

Probably not. Asura probably either kept his identity entirely secret, or distanced himself from his former identity completely.

The only way Akilah could find out, was simply to ask. Three days of travel passed before she and her mare arrived at their destination. The Silver Valley was fairly well-protected, or so it seemed; of course the grass was dry and had lost it silver shine, but the trees were still alive and giving fruit and leaves and bushes hadn't magically grown thorns.

The Realm of Light was now the core of the Dark, and the further away from the core, the less direct influence Asura's Magic had on that particular Realm.

The Pixies had gone into hiding. What used to be a bustling, busy valley, was now a quiet, deserted place.

The forest was worse. Some fairies had chosen Asura's side, and were forcing the other fairies into hiding. They now freely roamed the forest; they however, refused to interact with Akilah. Perhaps they still felt the power that had once radiated from her presence.

Akilah made her way to the palace fairly unscathed. She decided to let herself in, unsure if there would be anyone to answer the door at all. Of course, considerably rude, but in this situation, perhaps rudeness was called for.

Upon entering, Akilah found nothing but empty hallways, as though all servants had gone into hiding like they had in the Castle of Light. Akilah prayed she'd find Eloine still here.

Luckily, Akilah's prayers were answered. More than answered, even. The Spirit Queen found the Fairy Queen and her sister inside the blue chamber Akilah and Eloine had had their last conversation in, bent over a map that had been sprawled out across a table that had replaced the circle of seats in the middle of the room, seemingly discussing a battle plan.

Violina was the first to look up from the map and notice Akilah standing in the doorway. Her freckled face lit up as soon as she saw the woman, who was nearly a metre taller than she was.

Violina somewhat resembled her sister, although she was a fair bit smaller. Her long, silver hair was untied and fell down to her knees. Extremely long hair was clearly a common trait within the Faerix species. Akilah considered it to be a pretty trait, but was glad her own hair didn't reach much further than halfway down her back.

The girl's face was just as pale and heart-shaped as her sister's, except she was absolutely covered in freckles. The tip of her nose pointed slightly upward, and her eyes were a slightly lighter shade of blue than her sister's.

"Akilah!" Violina exclaimed, causing her sister to look up as well. Both Faerix seemed in a certain state of disbelief at the sight of Akilah standing before them.

"How?" Eloine said. "You've been gone for so long... we were beginning to give up hope."

Akilah bit her lip. She was embarrassed about the whole situation and she couldn't help but show it – even though her mannerisms resembled those of a child that had misbehaved, rather of a Queen who'd applied the wrong strategy and had sent her country into a war she only too late realised she couldn't win with the largest of armies. "I'm sorry," she said. "I made a mistake."

Eloine offered Akilah a nod. "A lot's changed since we last spoke, Akilah," she said. "As I said, we'd begun losing hope."

Akilah responded to Eloine's nod. "I'd... figured," she said. "There are no words that could possibly express my regret properly."

Violina seemed much more cheerful.

"Yeah, but you're here now, aren't you?" she said. "That means we can fix this mess. Otherwise you wouldn't be here.

"Am I right?"

Akilah swallowed. "I need help," she said. "Asura, my youngest brother, has allowed the Dark to overtake the Light. Due to this, I have been stripped from my magical abilities..." she paused briefly. "I need to find my siblings. I have an idea of where they might be, but I need Magic to free them." She made sure to make eye contact with both siblings.

"That's why I came here, hoping I'd find that Magic right in the Valley."

Eloine was thinking of a response, but her sister was quicker.

"Of course!" she said. "Anything to get Lunaria back to the way it was, Your Majesty. I'll have the servants prepare a room for you."

The young Faerix quickly headed out of the room to do as she said. She left the two older women behind, chuckling uncomfortably.

"Well, I suppose that leaves me little choice," Eloine said. "Don't worry, Akilah. I wasn't going to deny your request." She smiled faintly, as if her statement still mattered now. Akilah returned the smile.

"I know."

"Would you care to share what exactly happened after our last conversation?" It had been a thousand years, but Eloine had trained herself to remember the conversation as best as she could, as she'd figured it was of great importance. After Akilah disappeared, she'd enforced that thought even further. Sure, the memories faded with time, and perhaps she didn't remember every last word, but she remembered how important the conversation had been.

Akilah withheld her response for a moment. She had to choose her words carefully.

And by choosing her words carefully, she meant, being as honest as possible.

"Asura was pushed over the edge," Akilah said. "When I left here, I met up with my siblings to perform a Ritual that was supposed to cleanse the Dark from Lunaria."

Eloine's response came off as rather cold, much colder than she'd hoped. But the words were facts, and facts often aren't warm words anyway, thus she accepted things as they were.

"I suppose that didn't go as planned."

Akilah shook her head, continuing her explanation.

"The Dark was cleansed from Lunaria, temporarily," she admitted. "But the Dark had all been centred to Asura's soul. When the Light in his soul ceased to exist, he was able to completely control the Dark. One touch of the Globe of Balance was enough."

"But I've heard stories," Eloine said, seeming rather confused. "The Master that now rules Lunaria isn't a Spirit. He is said to be... human.

"A human sorcerer, in fact. How could he be your brother?"

Once again, Akilah felt herself becoming hesitant to respond. But lies wouldn't help this situation.

"I attempted to take his powers from him," she said. "It's... a simple curse, really. Surprisingly simple. It's just really painful, and if anything goes wrong while it's cast..." She gritted her teeth. "Then you end up with a human-spirit hybrid like my brother."

Eloine raised her eyebrows. The Spirits truly had powers she and the rest of the Lunariae had no knowledge of. She wished to find out more, but she decided that all that would have to wait.

"So... do you know how to solve this problem?" she decided to ask instead. "Your last attempt at applying a solution failed, too."

Akilah sighed deeply. "You're right..." she said. Eloine smiled, placing a hand on Akilah's shoulder. This was a time to provide comfort.

"It's good, you know?" she said. "You're finally admitting responsibility. Something you've been trying to avoid for so long..."

Akilah looked up. "Huh?"

Eloine let out a genuine laugh. "I watched you closely whenever you visited my mother. You're hesitant when it comes to making decisions, you prefer to look at others when it comes to that."

Akilah's eyes instantly went to meet the floor. "I..." Eloine was right. She was a very bad leader. She could push her opinions strongly, or whenever she knew exactly what to do... but when she was even slightly indecisive, her anxiety would grow and she'd shift the responsibility for the decision towards someone else.

Aharnish, mostly. He knew that. And perhaps that was exactly the reason Aharnish didn't trust his eldest sister.

And perhaps she wasn't deserving of that trust, either. She hadn't been exactly acting like someone who deserved trust. It was funny; she'd been in charge of Lunaria for so long, and never had she admitted that she didn't actually think she was feeling up to the position.

She'd been fine before the Council of Dark fell apart... but since making her first mistake, Akilah was afraid of taking charge again.

Now look where that had led to. Disaster.

Akilah had no choice but to admit that Eloine was right. Eloine responded to her friends' admittance with a kind smile. Much kinder than Akilah felt she deserved at the time, especially considering the mess she'd made and the lives her actions possibly had already cost. She'd failed Lunaria in every possible way, and yet, there were still people that had hope... people that believed in her, trusted her.

It baffled Akilah beyond belief.

"It's time to let go of the past, Akilah," she said. "We must keep it in mind, as a means to learn from it, but we mustn't dwell on it. The past is in the past, and we must use our knowledge to make the present better."

Akilah knew what Eloine meant and couldn't help but agree more. People said history repeated itself, especially if it was focused on too much. Remembrance was important, but wasn't supposed to be the sole subject one's mind could focus on.

Akilah focused too much on her past mistakes, allowing her to repeat them without knowing she had until it was already too late. But that would change.

Akilah now believed that her brother may be beyond saving after all. It was a difficult matter to accept, even after everything he had done, but something Akilah was willing to do if it was for the wellbeing of Lunaria and its inhabitants.

The past had to be left behind. Akilah had to leave her fears behind. It was time to start anew.

Perhaps Akilah wouldn't be able to save Lunaria directly, but her second plan, would secure Lunaria's future in the long term.

"Lunaria has been suffering for far too long," Akilah admitted. "It's about time this world's leader stepped up and fixed the mess she made."

A confirmative nod from Eloine was all Akilah needed to know that she was on the right track.

"We must try to maintain balance in Lunaria's energy," Akilah continued. "I'm not sure how to do it yet, but... perhaps I can use some Elemental Spirit Magic to deter the Dark and push it back to the Realm of Light."

Eloine nodded. She didn't know what Akilah meant – well, she did, but she didn't know the kind of Magic Akilah's plan would require – but she trusted her friend regardless. "Akilah... do what you must to save Lunaria. I'll support you and stand by your side through everything, helping by any means I can."

Just as Akilah finished her sentence, Violina re-entered the room. She was smiling.

"Your horse is being taken care of," she told Akilah. "Truly a majestic creature..."

Akilah smiled. "Thank you."

"No problem, Your Majesty," Violina responded. "Now... you must be exhausted. I've had the servants prepare a chamber for you."

Akilah smiled and nodded, feeling truly grateful for the Faerix' hospitality. Akilah, experiencing the first day without having any Magic whatsoever, felt stressed and emotionally as well as physically drained. It was obvious that she'd become mortal. Vulnerable.

If Akilah still wanted to have a chance at saving Lunaria, she had to get her Magic back as soon as possible.

As night was quickly approaching, the three women wished each other goodnight and each headed for their own chamber. Akilah was guided by a small Pixie, who seemed rather shy yet excited to be finally of service again.

The bed was comfortable and warm, the room cool and dark. Not very decorated, it resembled more of a cabin in the woods than a palace bedroom. All furniture was made from white wood. Birch, Akilah figured, but she didn't know for sure.

The perfect conditions for a long night's sleep, especially for someone who was as tired as Akilah was. You wouldn't think that she'd been asleep for a thousand years if you knew how she felt as she lay in bed, desperate to sleep again.

Still, her mind wouldn't find the peace needed to allow sleep to occur. Akillah tossed, turned, but her mind wouldn't let go of everything that had happened 'recently'.

Her heart was gripped with fear as she thought back of her brief overlook of the Realms as she passed over them. Lunaria had been stripped from its life, its vibrancy. And that hadn't even been all...

How much worse could things possibly get?

Even worse: what would her brother do next? Akilah had already learned that he wasn't hesitant on destroying everything in his path. But would he, as soon as he learned his sister was mortal, be willing to go for the kill?

The thought of her little brother, that sweet, innocent boy, whom Akilah could've sworn had been granted the wrong Element – Ince was a sweet boy, but Asura had always been the embodiment of innocence in Akilah's opinion – might turn out to be a cold-blooded killer.

Strangely enough, that final thought was enough to finally send Akilah off to sleep. Restless, but sleep regardless.

It must've been close to sunrise when Akilah's mind finally found peace, because the time she'd actually been able to sleep felt rather brief and it felt as though she'd hardly closed her eyes before the sun began peeking through the blue flower-embroidered curtains on the other side of the room.

Chapter Nineteen

Healing

Morning came quickly, and the girls wasted no time that day. From sunrise to sunset, they'd be busy setting up their next move in freeing Lunaria from its bonds.

Akilah made sure to let her companions know that this process would likely be difficult to a degree. After all, none of this had happened before. The Council of Dark had been stopped before Lunaria was fully thrust into the Dark, and now it had been there for a thousand years.

Caution ought to be had. Especially considering Akilah and her siblings would possess very limited to no Magic whatsoever.

In order to save time, the trio would split up into three groups; Eloine would take on the task of taking the items Akilah had borrowed from her siblings to their destinations.

The objects would find their way to the correct destination by themselves; Eloine was tasked with casting the right spells to make it happen.

In the meantime, Akilah and Violina, whom was perhaps less experienced than Eloine, but she did consider herself to be stronger than her elder sister, would go out and free Akilah's siblings from their prison. Eloine had to stay behind to maintain her kingdom, and thus Violina made for the more logical decision.

Violina would appear in her smaller Pixie form throughout the duo's journey back to the Realm of Light, as it would make for far easier travel. Akilah's mare was capable of transporting two people fine when it came to ground coverage, but when she had to use her wings, it would become increasingly difficult to seat two people properly. Therefore, Violina opted to decrease her size significantly so she could easily sit on the horse's back without having to deal with flapping wings getting too close to her.

The Realm of Light was meant to be the final stop, but Akilah felt the need to visit Linmor Lake first and check on the village Asura had been interacting with before Akilah had been sent to sleep and everything had gone wrong.

She needed to know if everything was still alright there. Perhaps the villagers could provide Akilah some information on her brother's recent activities, too.

Travelling took much longer than Akilah had hoped for. It took a full day for the two girls to finally reach the villages – even with getting as little sleep as possible.

Akilah needed answers. That's all she needed. She needed to know what had happened to Asura, or what he'd done when he arrived in this particular village for the first time.

The first change had occurred here. The first signs that his Element would turn out to be dark in nature.

She needed to know if anyone had seen or noticed anything. And, if the people hadn't left their homes in panic when Asura took over, Akilah was sure that she'd find the answers she needed.

However, if the villagers weren't there anymore... then all hope for Akilah to find the answers she needed would be lost.

When Akilah and Violina arrived, Akilah's heart stopped for a brief moment.

A burnt, gray field of ash was where the villages used to be. There used to be at least thirty villages, now all burnt and broken. Only death ruled here.

Still, Akilah wouldn't give up hope. Violina suggested they should move on, but Akilah refused. She guided Violina through the piles of rubble, right to where Linmor Village's gates used to be.

As soon as they crossed the border into the village, the landscape changed drastically. A fully restored village revealed itself, untouched by the fire and destruction outside of it.

As though the duo had entered an alternate reality.

Violina appeared awestruck. Akilah couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. Even after all this time, her spell had held.

Now, however, she regretted not helping the other villages that came after it the same way.

Many, many years ago, Akilah and an older sister, who used to control the Element of Life, which now had been handed down to Aoife, had been requested to aid in a plague epidemic.

One of the first signs that the Council of Dark was trying to start a war. Cases of Dark and negativity popping up were starting to get more frequently, but Akilah chose to ignore those facts and just keep healing the world as though nothing was wrong. It was strange – her siblings back then hadn't noticed something was wrong, either. Or had they simply relied on their sister blindly?

To prevent any further harm from occurring in the village, Akilah cast a spell over the village. It would appear just as every village surrounding it – which explained why it looked burnt down also – from the outside. Once one would enter the gates, however, they would find Linmor village, always flourishing, always healthy. No matter the outside.

If the Dark were to ever return to Lunaria, the Cloaking Spell would ensure that time would stop within Linmor, so that at least a portion of Lunaria's human population would remain. No children would be born, but no one within the village would age, either.

Food would be no issue, either. There'd always be plenty of crops on the farmland and all animals would be allowed continue to reproduce and age as normal by the spell. Of course, eventually the animals would become inbred and thus no longer healthy – but the villagers could always leave to hunt for new cattle or regular game. As long as they returned to their home by sunset, they would remain unaffected.

The most powerful spell Akilah ever cast. Why?

Why had she gone through all that effort just for one village? Couldn't she have done it for all of them? She could've come back, years later...

No. She simply wasn't strong enough for a spell that had to stretch that far and wide. And this particular spell... she'd simply cast it to gain respect, she now realised. Admiration. Trust.

She wanted to prove that she was a good leader. But now Akilah felt that she'd tried to prove it to herself rather than to the inhabitants of this village.

Of course, she'd saved their lives... but at the time, Akilah didn't think the Dark would take control of Lunaria ever again, so she definitely hadn't cast the spell because she thought the threat the spell was meant to protect against was viable.

Still, Akilah was glad that she'd cast it either way, because it had secured an opportunity for her.

She simply had to find the village elder, explain the situation, and she would understand. Akilah assumed it wouldn't be the same lady as the one she'd spoken to back when she cast the spell, but it would probably be her great-great-great-great-and-much-further-back-granddaughter.

Linmor had always had a female leader ever since the village had been founded. There was a council of men and women that offered advice, but in the end, the elder held the final decision.

Akilah always found the ways human dealt with their problems interesting. Most of the times, they were the creators of their own misfortune, and relied on others to restore happiness for them.

This sounded awfully familiar to the way Akilah dealt with her own problems.

Luckily, Akilah and Violina weren't met with a shut door when they arrived at Aubrey's house. Most people were hiding out, in fear, too afraid to leave their homes.

Akilah expressed her regret regarding the situation towards Aubrey. She appeared forgiving.

"Milady," she said, "if I had known he was your brother, I would've contacted you immediately."

Akilah nodded. "Of course," she said. "But you couldn't possibly have known."

Aubrey narrowed her eyes for a brief moment. "But I had my suspicions..." she admitted. "The least I could've done was send an owl your way to check."

Akilah smiled warmly at the woman, who was in her late fifties. She would probably remain that way for a long time... at least until the Dark was cleansed from Lunaria and the effects of the Cloaking Spell would temporarily be lifted once again.

Temporarily? Akilah hoped that it would be permanent this time.

"We're doing the best we can to fix everything," Akilah said. "I wish to grant you your normal life back as soon as possible."

Aubrey smiled back at Akilah. "Of course," she said. "We're in no rush... although living life like this isn't ideal. Monsters have started roaming the Realms. Asura's followers, or those who opposed him and were transformed into creatures that now do follow him...

"They're all shadowy creatures. Sometimes humanoid, others animal-like. Even ones in-between..." Aubrey couldn't help but shudder.

Akilah bit her lip. Guess she and Violina had made the right decision by travelling through the skies.

"Aubrey, I am here to ask you a favour," Akilah said. "There may be a time that the Spirits aren't around to protect Lunaria anymore."

Aubrey's expression changed, but she didn't express her worry to allow Akilah to continue. She simply nodded.

"Even if that happens, we will never leave entirely. I will seek out help in other worlds, and those who heed my call will come here in an attempt to free Lunaria.

"When that time comes, I want you to help these people, whomever they may be, in every way you can."

"Of course, Akilah," Aubrey wasn't even hesitant to respond. If this was the right way to go according to Akilah, then she'd be willing to give the girl a chance.

Even despite her mistakes. Aubrey was aware that there was something wrong between Akilah and her brother that had led to current events unfolding, but she still admired Akilah's willingness to keep going and fighting to fix her mistakes, even if most of the world had turned its back on her.

Of course, perhaps rejecting the request would be the safer option, but chances were that there'd be no one left out there with the ability to help by the time these 'people', these guardians of the light inside Lunaria, would finally arrive.

And even then, Aubrey wasn't choosing to help Akilah simply because she was a Spirit and she deserved blind trust. Aubrey was helping Akilah to give Lunaria and her own people the best shot it had.

This war had become much bigger than just a handful of people. All of Lunaria had become involved, whether directly or indirectly.

That made Aubrey feel as though she was obligated to offer Akilah help, no matter whether the girl had caused this disaster to occur or not.

Any pre-existing personal vendettas had to be put aside until the greater enemy was defeated.

An agreement was made, closely followed by a promise. A promise that said Lunaria would be saved, no matter what.

Before the two girls left, Aubrey made sure to leave Akilah with something positive.

"Your little brother's a good kid, Milady," she told the former Queen of Spirits. "It breaks my heart to know what has become of him."

Akilah tried her best to smile, but her expression contorted into a grimace. "I feel the same."

She thanked the lady once again and left the house, meeting back up with her mare. Violina shrunk down to Pixie size again, and the two made their way back to the village's gates, where the ground transformed back into ash fields upon crossing the border.

It was time to move on to the next destination.

"So, how are we going to get to your siblings?" Violina couldn't help but ask Akilah questions. Akilah didn't truly seem to mind that she did.

"Our dungeons have special chains," Akilah said. "They're Magic-proof. I'd suppose my brother chained my siblings into those because of..." She didn't finish her sentence. She figured her brother would want to sadistically pay them back for what they did to him with the Ritual.

It hadn't been their intention, but did Asura really care about intentions? It'd happened, and what had happened was fact. Intentions were feelings, and facts were always more important than any kind of feeling in the world.

As much as Akilah didn't want to admit it, she agreed with Asura on that reasoning. She didn't agree with chaining her siblings up in a dungeon for a thousand years, however.

No one could break the chains but a Spirit... or a Royal Faerix working together with a Spirit. The servants in the Castle probably tried, but failed. Their Magic simply wasn't strong enough. Violina, being a Faerix, actually had the ability to share her Magic with another being, meaning that if Akilah and Violina stayed together, they would each possess Magic. Less strong than Violina's or Akilah's own Magic, but strong enough to break the chains and fight back against Asura.

This had to work. There was no other option.

"I want you to try and free them, Violina."  
Violina raised an eyebrow. "Are you kidding me?" she asked. "How would you expect me to-"

"I know you can do it, Violina," Akilah promised the Faerix sitting on the horse's neck. "I believe in you."

Violina pursed her lips. "That belief better be justified then," she mumbled. "And then what?"

"What?" Akilah didn't seem to quite understand what Violina meant. Violina continued.

"What if we manage to free them? How will you get your Magic back?"

Akilah nodded slowly. "We are wounded," she said. "The Spirits and I. The Dark has stripped our Element from us, leaving us weak and mortal. That's why we must regenerate our Element, and get back on our feet."

"How are you planning on doing that?"Akilah found herself surprised at Violina's interest.

"Inside the Castle, there's a secret portal only Spirits can access," she said. "The Room of Light is always bright enough for us to use our Magic to open the portal.

Nothing else can be done there, but when the portal needs to be used, there's not anything more important, anyway."

"A portal to where?" Akilah took a breath, then continued her story. This was the first time she could share this kind of information with anyone – even her siblings didn't know the chamber existed.

Well, perhaps Asura knew, considering the amount of exploring around the castle he did when he was young. Perhaps he just kept it secret, thinking he was the only one who knew... or the only one who hadn't been told about it.

Akilah took her chances that he wouldn't know.

"A portal to the Elemental Realm," Akilah explained. "A place where wounded Spirits can go and rest up to regain their strength. We've only used it once before, but I know it works."

"So... the whole lot of you will be going in there. And then what?" Violina made an incorrect assumption with that statement. Akilah shook her head.

"That would be terribly irresponsible," she commented. "If anything goes wrong inside the Elemental Realm, we'll be incapacitated permanently – or, at least, until we find another way out.

"Lunaria would be left to fend for itself, and I don't want that to happen... again."

Violina nodded. "I see," she said. "If you put it that way, then I see why it's a wise decision one of you should stay behind. So...

"I suppose it's you who stays behind?"

Akilah nodded again. Of course she would be. Who else?

It's not that she didn't trust her siblings enough to leave one of them out here, but they didn't know about her plan. That's why she was the one to stay behind, Magicless, but backed up by Violina.

Violina, however, had one final question on her mind that she simply couldn't let go of.

"Akilah," she said, her eyes serious, "do you really think your brother would go as far as hurt you and your siblings?

"I mean, you're family after all..."

Akilah's gaze diverted from Violina's, moving up to look at the horizon.

The sun was setting. She would allow her mare to land and rest her wings soon. Come morning, they would continue their journey. She then offered Violina a confirmation.

"He already has."

*

Morning came eventually. The two girls arrived at their destination mid-afternoon, heading straight through the castle to the dungeons. While on their way there, they found themselves being greeted by a couple of careful servants.

Apparently, news had spread that Akilah had returned, and the Pixies were slowly starting to come out of hiding, perhaps in an attempt to prepare the castle for their masters' return. Akilah hoped she would not disappoint them with the outcome of this plan.

It wasn't all that difficult for Violina to get Akilah's siblings free. They were confused, but other than that, the same as ever. The servants had obviously been taking good care of them, as the cells were clean and had comfortable beds instead of heaps of straw for the prisoners to sleep in.

The only thing keeping them imprisoned, were their Magic-infused chains. Now, Violina had come to free them from those chains, and the Spirits would be able to take revenge on their captor.

Revenge was not in their nature. It wasn't supposed to be.

And yet...

Akilah quickly briefed her siblings on recent events; they seemed relieved Akilah was alright.

"We've been stuck in the dungeons forever," Ince complained. "We thought you were gone, Akilah."

Akilah smiled. "I always come back," she said. "As long as Lunaria is still worth fighting for."

The Spirits quickly went ahead with making plans on how to act further. They had to dethrone Asura as soon as possible and restore Lunaria to its former glory.

Of course, this meant that Akilah had to explain the Elemental Realm and its purpose. She guided her siblings to the tower that contained the Light Chamber; her siblings would take things from there.

It was the highest tower in the entire Castle of Light, yet it could only be seen from the back. Therefore, hardly any visitors to the castle knew it was even there, simply because it was hidden from view so well.

The lone window in the Light Chamber overlooked the stain-glass ceiling of the Ritual Chamber. The two were intertwined, only used in the most dire of situations.

Since the Ritual had failed last time, and the Spirits were left without their Elements, another path towards saving Lunaria from the Dark had to be taken.

It was vital that Asura wouldn't get the chance to interfere with the process once the Spirits entered the Elemental Realm, and thus Akilah and Violina headed off to the Dark Castle in order to distract and restrain him by any means possible.

Akilah trusted her siblings more than anyone, and had no problem risking her life if it meant so many others could be saved.

From Akilah's point of view, her sacrifice would be only fair after all the suffering she'd caused.

Asura had been right to follow his sister's every move since she left the castle. She'd come up with quite the clever plan, but he couldn't allow her to go forward with it.

He'd have to be quick, and strike at just the right time.

The portal to the Elemental Realm was a mirror. Not just any mirror – one unique to its kind. When it came to living beings, it would only show a Spirit its reflection. Only those who saw their reflection could enter through the glass to the Elemental Realm.

The four siblings were clearly hesitant to enter through the mirror. What were they supposed to do beyond it? Sure, Akilah had told them exactly what the outcome was supposed to become, but what were they supposed to do in order to get there?

Aharnish was the first to take action. "We should just go in and see what happens."

Aine came up with a good suggestion. "Perhaps it's not as difficult as it seems," she pondered. "Perhaps Lunaria will guide us through the entire process. All we have to do is heal, after all."

Aharnish offered his sister a nod of agreement. "Sounds logical," he said. "As I said, we should just head through and find out."

Ince still felt sceptical. "Yeah, but all our attempts to cleanse Lunaria from the Dark have failed so far," he commented. "Perhaps it's simply destiny, fate."

Aharnish clearly disagreed with his brother. "That is up to us to decide," he said, making eye contact with his now youngest brother. "As Spirits, protectors of this world, it's our duty to protect it. This does include risking everything we have in order to do so.

"Akilah has a plan that will ensure Lunaria's future, regardless what happens to us. If Akilah gives the signal, our bodies will fade from existence, but our cores will remain. Our Elements, at least part of them, will simply seek new vessels in other worlds that are suitable to carry the Magic home.

"Lunaria's Magic won't be lost. It will be returned someday, and then we will be waiting."

Aoife and Aine seemed to feel somewhat soothed by their brother's story and were now willing to enter. Ince, however, still seemed somewhat hesitant – the two girls went in first, while he waited with Aharnish.

"Come on, Ince," Aharnish told his brother, "we've got to go." He motioned with his hand that his brother had to go forward.

Ince moved slightly, turning back to ask one final question before heading through the glass.

"Do you still trust her?" he asked, his mouth dry. "Akilah? After all she's done?"

Aharnish nodded, his eyes determined. "More than anyone else at this point."

The Elemental Realm was blank. Or perhaps it wasn't. The Spirits weren't even sure.

"What will happen here?" Aoife asked curiously. "Where are we, even?"

A calm voice that echoed through the empty space responded to her. "You are in a place of healing. Rest your mind and eyes, and open them once you are ready to return."

It was as though a sleeping gas had been sprayed in the air. It was calming, soothing, encouraged sleep.

The Spirits couldn't help it. They weren't even lying down; they were simply floating in the air.

Ince could feel himself slipping, but his mind was too cluttered in order for it to be put at rest. He made one last attempt at freeing himself from this unease by asking Aharnish a final question.

"What if the portal's destroyed?" he asked. "What if anything goes wrong and we can't return?

"What will become of Akilah's plan then?"

Aharnish smiled at his brother. He would do nothing but provide a honest answer. With closed eyes, and not a trace of doubt left in his voice, he responded, "We trust her. Like we always have."

Chapter Twenty

Fallen Soldier

After arriving at the Dark Castle, Akilah, Violina and Naga were in for a surprise.

There weren't any guards present at the gate nor the main entrance. No Asura inside the throne room.

It was as though he'd abandoned his new home altogether and left no trace. The only thing that gave him away was Naga; she was lying behind the throne, asleep.

Akilah didn't take long to figure out what her brother was up to. He'd crafted himself some magical aids of his own; a floating orb, that appeared to be made of glass, with the capability to show anything Asura desired to see.

He'd been keeping track of Akilah and she hadn't even known about it. She had to act quickly and find him before he could do anything to stop her siblings from healing inside the Elemental Realm.

She rushed for the steps leading up to the throne; her path was blocked by dark flames just as she reached the final step.

This was Dark Magic. Akilah hadn't encountered this kind yet. It was wise to be cautious.

"You didn't think I was going to let you take control again, now did you, Akilah?" Asura's voice was cold.

"Think again."

Akilah turned around, noticing that Asura was standing at the throne room's grand entrance. He appeared rather amused.

"You did make it easy to permanently put our siblings out of the game," he commented. "You know, the ones that actually posed a threat in this war."

Akilah gritted her teeth. "You think I'm not a threat to you?" she asked. "Is that what you think of me?"

Asura shrugged. "If you want an honest answer, then that answer is no," he said. "You're pretty much powerless at this point. You can't face me on your own, and you know it."

"What did you do to them?" Akilah hissed, ignoring Asura's rather factual statement.

Asura narrowed his eyes. "What do you think?" he said. "I waited for them to vanish into the mirror, then smashed the bloody thing to pieces.

"Enchanted mirror or not, glass is still glass. Dark Magic is much stronger than anything you Spirits could come up with."

"Don't be so sure of yourself, kid," Akilah said, raising her hand to blast Asura with Magic. He was caught by surprise, yet was capable to act quickly enough to counter the Magic. He simply raised the staff he carried to strengthen his Magic, and the red orb absorbed the ball of light before it could even touch its master.

"As I said," Asura said, "you can't face me on your own. Not even with this... Fairy at your side." Asura pulled up his nose as he looked Violina up and down.

Violina was obviously offended, but after watching how swiftly he dealt with Akilah's attack, even when it was entirely unexpected, she figured it'd be best if she sat this one out.

"I suggest you two gather your bearings and dignity and get out of my castle," Asura continued. "Before I change my mind and decide to kill you instead." He narrowed his eyes. "I don't want to. But you know I will if you keep getting in my way."

Akilah knew his threat was genuine, and felt the need to make one in return – whether it had any reality behind it or not.

"Make yourself no illusions, little brother.

"Don't forget that the only reason you have grown stronger than me and your other siblings because of the Darkness that you have allowed to roam these lands, Asura," Akilah said. "Without it, you'd be nothing, and you know it.

"Someday, we shall reverse what you did, and you'll be sorry for every moment. The Light will rise again, no matter what you do." Her words were determined, strong. And she meant every syllable of it.

Asura rolled his eyes. "I gave you your chance."

He waved his hand, and from behind the black flames, Naga arose, ready to attack the two intruders.

Akilah made eye contact with Violina. "It's time to leave," she told the Faerix. Violina offered Akilah a nod, even though she disagreed inside – she knew this was a fight they wouldn't win – at least not without coming up with a solid plan.

Akilah, however, had a plan. Perhaps it wasn't entirely solid, and she'd come up with it just now, but it was a plan nonetheless.

Asura jumped back to his throne, just to show off his new abilities. He stood there, laughing as he watched Naga chase Akilah and Violina, who had transformed back to her small self, out of the throne room.

"Akilah, what are we going to do?" Violina said. "I mean – we're kind of under fire right now! Literally!"

Akilah rolled her eyes at Violina's comment. "Don't worry, Violina," she said. "This dragon will serve us well."

Violina's eyes grew wide. "What!?"

Akilah signalled at Violina to be quiet. "Just make sure she doesn't claw at us or breathe fire until we're outside the castle gardens. We need to make it there!"

Violina kept following Akilah through the gardens, as it was their best bet, but she still wasn't satisfied with Akilah's response. "Akilah, what are you planning!? Please, don't do anything rash!"

Of course once outside, they were met with the cloaked guards once again. They were poised to attack, but Akilah acted quickly enough to keep both herself and Violina away from danger.

Akilah and Violina acted quickly. Their shared Magic was just strong enough to vanquish each guard – one at a time.

Each guard vanished in a cloud of black smoke, a bright light shooting up to the sky as their souls were freed from Asura's influence.

They were free souls once more.

Now, it was up to Akilah to free poor Naga from her chains. Akilah was convinced the dragon wasn't doing this based on free will; the dragon's eyes had turned a threatening orange that glowed softly in the dark.

That wasn't natural, and Akilah knew the cause was Asura's poison.

The dragon was approaching quickly, meaning Akilah better get ready quick. She made sure Violina was out of the way and that she herself stood directly in the dragon's path.

Akilah had to make eye contact with Naga in order for this to work.

Naga was approaching quickly. Akilah stretched her arms forward, ready to cast the spell she believed would save the poor dragon from Asura's clutches.

Akilah closed her eyes, banishing all sorts of possible distraction from her mind. She needed to be absolutely focused in order for this to work – if she'd had all of her Magic, this would've been a piece of cake, but now that she was operating at half-capacity, there was a fifty-fifty chance nothing would happen – or something would go terribly wrong. But Akilah took the jump anyway.

She held her hands out, even when she could feel Naga's hot breath on her palms.

Eye contact. Now.

Akilah put all her energy into casting the spell as she opened her eyes, being immediately met with two glowing, orange eyes.

Then, everything went black.

Naga had stopped right in front of Akilah's hands; her eyes lit up golden, as a black smoke began to emit from the dragon's back.

The Dark was being exorcised. Akilah's spell had worked.

But what had become of the Spirit herself? Violina quickly rushed to her side, kneeling down where Akilah had fallen.

Thankfully, Akilah recovered quickly and slowly began sitting up again.

"Akilah, are you alright?" Violina asked, feeling genuine concern for the Queen of Spirits this time. Akilah offered her Faerix companion a somewhat weak, but genuine smile.

She was going to feel that for quite some time, that was for sure. But at least her mission had been accomplished.

"We needed a strong ally," she commented when most of the dizziness had worn off. "Asura just handed one to us for free."

Violina's eyes shifted from Akilah's gaze to Naga and back again. Then, she smiled. "Ah... I see...

"Clever, Akilah. But... also really dangerous. From the looks of it, that spell could've killed you.

"And not just by casting it. You would've been just as much of a goner if the spell had failed."

Akilah let out a nervous chuckle. How was she to respond to that? It was true. Still, sometimes, risks were worth taking.

"All good and well," Violina continued, not even noticing Akilah hadn't responded to her previous statement, "but we should really be headed for the Castle of Light.

"Asura claims he shattered the mirror. We've got to find a way to fix that before it's too late."

Akilah bit her lip and groaned. "I fear it might already be, Violina," she sighed.

The best she could do now, was enter the Chamber and check whatever damage her brother was done – but she knew he'd done something that would be partly if not entirely irreversible. Asura wasn't sloppy, and would make sure there'd be no way for Akilah to restore access to the Elemental Realm without her full power.

The foursome headed back for the Castle of Light regardless. Before she could confirm her fears, Akilah needed to assess the damage first. Then, she could decide what to do next.

The mare was returned to her stable, where Pixie servants were waiting to take care of the gentle creature. The poor thing was exhausted, and would not be able to continue the journey.

Luckily, Naga was more than strong enough to carry Akilah without any issues. It wasn't her first time carrying people, let alone adults, as she'd continued to carry Asura as he'd grown into his human adult body, and besides that, the dragon had grown a bit in the past millennium, and had now grown just slightly taller than a working horse. She'd reached adult size by now; she was slightly larger than an average Silver Miniature.

Akilah rushed through what was left of the castle's main hallway to the stairs that would take her to the Elemental Chamber.

...What was left of the Elemental Chamber, at least. The oak door that hid the Elemental Chamber from view to anyone on the staircase revealed nothing but complete and utter disaster upon opening.

The entire room had been ravaged. Curtains torn and showing burn marks that left the blue curtains black and charred, books that had once been neatly stacked in the bookshelf right beside the door were scattered on the floor that was covered by those exact books' torn-out pages.

The Chamber itself had been completely destroyed, left unrecognisable by the chaos that had wreaked havoc there just minutes before Akilah and Violina arrived. Violina, obviously, was horrified. Akilah, however, didn't mind. In fact, Akilah couldn't care less. Asura could've burnt down the entire tower for all she cared. In this situation, only one thing truly mattered. One thing had to remain whole.

The shattered mirror was the focus of Akilah's concern.

The pieces were all there. Akilah knew they were. The empty frame was surrounded by them, shimmering in whatever limited sunlight came through the window that wasn't hiding behind the tattered curtain, scattered in a half-circle around the front of the mirror. Had Akilah had her Magic, fixing the mirror would've been a piece of cake, and the Gateway would've been restored. The only way Asura could've stopped her then was by taking a single piece, no matter how small, from the Chamber and taking it back to his own castle. The Gateway couldn't be restored if Akilah didn't possess every last piece needed to restore it.

Now, however, it didn't matter if all the pieces were there. There was no way to put them back together in the first place.

If half the mirror had been intact, Akilah might've been able to restore it. Now, she had no hope of doing so.

Akilah bit her lip. No way in. No way out. Her siblings were trapped, and so was she.

It was time for Akilah to make a decision, and that decision would seal Lunaria's fate forever.

She'd, for once, have to trust herself blindly. More so than she'd ever done before. This time, it wouldn't be an arrogant trust of her own abilities, like she'd so foolishly done when she'd granted Asura an Element, against every rule Lunaria had ever taught her, resulting in this whole situation and a thousand years of darkness – no. It had to be a blind trust in hope. Light would conquer Darkness.

In this instance, Akilah was the last gladiator the Light had left in this fight.

Akilah finally accepted that there was no other way this would play out. Even though others would see it as letting Asura win, as giving up... Akilah knew the truth of the situation. And someday, the Lunariae would realise that she'd been right just this once, and that she hadn't failed them.

Akilah took a deep breath. She was ready to face her destiny.

The gladiator would have to fall to see her empress to victory.

*

Without saying a word, Akilah made her way back down to the library. To her surprise, the massive room in the centre of the castle had remained mostly intact.

A pleasant surprise, and a welcome change of pace. Akilah decided it would be best to sit down for a moment and think. What place better to do this than the library?

The library had a shelf filled with empty books. Blank pages, ready to be written on.

One of those books was exactly what Akilah needed to complete her final plan.

Her last hope – Lunaria's last hope.

Akilah didn't care which book it was – she simply grabbed the first one that was within her reach.

It was a nice book. A thick, leather cover and tightly bound parchment pages that were slightly yellow in colour already – this book had obviously been waiting to be used for a long time.

And now was the time.

This would probably take all strength that remained within Akilah. There was no way she'd be able to beat Asura. Not here, not now. Not if things stayed the way they were.

Still, Akilah couldn't help but admit that she'd need help from a strong ally in order to fix this. Stronger than Violina or Eloine – let alone all the Faerix she could find hiding away in Lunaria.

No. She had to find stronger allies. And those wouldn't be found within this world.

She'd have one shot at this. This better be good.

Akilah sat down at the grand oak table and put down the book, opening it on the first page. Her Magic had allowed her to light all the chandeliers in the library upon entering, so light wasn't an issue.

Now, she prayed there'd still be ink in the vials that had been standing on the table untouched for the past millennium. She dipped her feather pen in one of them carefully, and luckily didn't find that the ink was hard and dry.

Akilah went to writing; three words on the first page, a single word on the last page of the book, in large, curly handwriting.

The Magic flowing from Akilah's fingers to the feather into the ink and lastly into the page would write the rest. A true time-saver, of course.

Three words, addressing the people this book's message would concern.

"Guardians of Light", she wrote.

Then, she waited a brief moment for the ink to dry. A couple minutes went by before she turned the book over to the last page.

A final word.

A single word, of great importance. It was essential that this word would catch the eye of the reader. If it did, the reader would fit the profile the book would be looking out for.

"Believe."

This book would tell a story of a world that fell into disrepair by the Darkness that corrupted the land. It would speak of a legend, five chosen people, coming together to from the Bond of Light. These Guardians would harness the Elements of Light, become vessels to guide the Elements back home. They would have to face the Dark head-on and make their way back to the Castle of Light to perform the Ritual and restore the Light one last time to vanquish the Dark and its evil ruler for good.

The Spirits wouldn't be able to be freed from their prison until the Light had been restored. It was the only way... ask strangers for help.

Akilah, too, would give up her physical form, but as her Element remained fully outside the Elemental Realm, she'd be able to keep a close eye on the Guardians by looking through the eyes of the Guardians. She'd be able to communicate with them in their thoughts.

She'd make sure they'd be safe. She wouldn't allow innocent blood to be spilt any longer.

But then again... Akilah shook her head. She knew the risks. She knew that ultimately, the fates of these men and women would be out of her hands.

She'd try her best. That's all she could do. There was no more manipulation to be done, no more absolute rule.

Akilah and the Bond of Light would be equally at Lunaria's mercy.

The spell was cast. It was up to the Book now. Akilah felt hesitant for a brief moment; she knew the Magic she'd bestowed onto this book would last a thousand years – unless the Book of Light were to be exposed to Light Magic. In order for that to happen, the Ritual would have to be performed correctly, of course, and thus the Book's purpose would become essentially obsolete.

A thousand years. How many Guardians would be able to fill their roles in that time? How many would there be needed in order to complete the task?

How many lives would still have to be lost in this battle?

Akilah felt regret that it'd come this far. Almost selfish, even – but she had no choice.

She could do no more than help the Guardians wherever she could and, in the end, hope forgiveness would be granted to her.

Whether she was deserving of that forgiveness or not would be up to the Guardians, not to her.
Chapter Twenty-One

Last Hope

After what felt like ages Akilah left the library, clutching the book tightly. Nothing could go wrong now. Nothing should go wrong now. If something did, then there was nothing left for Akilah to do about it, and Lunaria was doomed to Darkness. But Akilah didn't have time to think about that now, and thus she confidently assumed everything would go right a she'd planned it. She wasn't ready to give up on Lunaria just yet, and she'd fight to protect this planet with her dying breath.

It was time to face Asura and end this. He'd assume victory, only to be caught by surprise when the Guardians would arrive.

Akilah was sure her brother wouldn't be able to win a fight he hadn't prepared for.

This one, however, he'd had a thousand years to prepare for. And perhaps even longer, if you considered the nineteen thousand years he'd lived before then. There was no way Akilah could face him without her own Magic, and thus admitting defeat was the only option she had left.

...Or so it would seem to her brother, at least.

Violina's response was one of surprise and disbelief. "That's your secret weapon?" she said. "A book?"

Akilah nodded. She hadn't expected the Faerix girl to understand without needing a thorough explanation.

She told Violina everything; the Elements, how a Spirit's physical form worked, and how the Magic of the book would absorb all of this energy as soon as Akilah gave the signal by releasing her physical form and freeing her Element.

Eventually, Akilah came to the point where she told Violina about giving up her physical form for the greater good, and Violina's response was rather... defensive.

"So what you're saying is that you're essentially going to commit suicide?" the Faerix shouted as though she'd been insulted. "You can't do that! We'll be entirely defenceless!

"You can't just let him win that easily!"

Akilah couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "I just told you this book would take care of that," Akilah said, motioning at the brown object in her arms one more time for emphasis. "Our physical forms will fade from existence while our Elements are kept within these pages, looking for vessels to bring the Elements home."

"But why does it have to be humans?" Violina asked. "And why from another world?"

Akilah smiled. "A human is a curious creature," she said. "They have so much potential without even knowing it.

"We don't want to create any more half-Spirits like Asura, but combining the strength of a human and Elemental Magic has significant benefits." She paused. "And... any Magical creature would be incapable of harnessing Elemental Magic because it'd conflict with their own."

"Another world..." Violina said, hands at her hips. "And how will these humans you speak of learn to utilize your Elements? They'll know nothing about Magic!

"From what you've told me, they'll be coming from a land without any Magic whatsoever!"

Akilah winked. "That'll make them even more pure and difficult to track," Akilah said. "Most humans in Lunaria distrust us Spirits. Not only that, but the amount of villages left are few and far in-between." She directed her eyes towards the ground for a moment. She knew she was responsible for that matter.

"If Asura were to discover that it's the humans of this world that are building an army to oppose him," she explained, "he'd obliterate them in a moment. This other world, he can't touch. It wouldn't make sense to harm the Lunarian humans."

Violina lowered an eyebrow. "And you think he'll be able to figure that out on his own?"

Akilah rolled her eyes. "I hope so..." she mumbled. She didn't think her brother would stoop that low. Yet.

Who knew what time would do to him. For now, he was fixated only on revenge. His focus was directed towards Akilah and only her. Perhaps, once he finally got his revenge by the time the sun went down today, he'd be able to let go and become a good ruler. A stern yet righteous King who treated his subjects as living, breathing beings to be treated with respect and to provide protection for rather than prey to be hunted.

Perhaps. He might've.

Violina seemed somewhat convinced, but not quite yet. "You didn't answer my question," she said. "The Elements. You can't use Magic without learning how to do so."

Akilah smiled. "I'll help them," she said. "They need to prove they're worthy of the Magic. I need to see that the Guardians work together to help each other, even if they're total strangers from one another.

"Unlike us Spirits... who treated one another like strangers despite being family." It hurt to say it out loud, but facts were facts.

"There are items that the Guardians can use to control their Element scattered throughout the world," she continued. "A compass hidden in the woods. I've requested the Orc King that he keeps my staff safe..." Violina began to smile, and Akilah smiled back.

"Do you trust me now?" she said.

"That's what you needed my sister for, wasn't it?" she said. "Getting these items to where they need to be quickly."

Akilah nodded. "Yes," she said, "She's also keeping one of them.

Aoife's powers are closely connected to all life here. One Guardian might be wise and responsible enough to take that responsibility upon them – with the Pendant of Life, they can save a life, but also take one if they wish."

Violina bit her lip. "Oh, wow."

Akilah shrugged. "Some Elements can become dark if the Spirit uses them wrongly," she said. "It's up to them, really.

"Death is a part of life. Aoife has never taken lives from those who weren't ready to depart from this world. Killing innocents, however, for fun or for any other reason, would change her Element forever.

"It would change her the way Asura has."

Violina moved uncomfortably on her feet, deciding to use her wings to lift her off of them entirely.

"There are certain things about the Spirits we don't ever tell or show anyone," Akilah said, the tone of her voice dark and the volume far quieter than before. "We must maintain our reputation. Otherwise, people wouldn't trust us with the amount of power we hold over this world."

Violina bit her lip. "That seems rather dark... and dishonest, if you ask me."

Akilah closed her eyes. Violina was right, but she knew she wouldn't have to admit it. "I cannot mend the past," she said, "but I can do better for the future.

"Please. Trust me."

Violina made sure Akilah met her gaze straight on when the Spirit reopened her eyes.

"Please tell me you're not giving up," Violina said. "Please tell me this plan of yours will work.

"Don't leave us with nothing, Akilah. We can't be left behind with nothing while you and your siblings wipe your hands clean of the damage you've done."

Akilah swallowed. "If anyone were to 'wipe their hands clean,' or be at fault if this plan were to fail," she said, "then it'd be me. My siblings have no part in this.

"They're simply following orders." She took a deep breath. "Remember what I said about taking responsibility?

"Perhaps I shouldn't have waited this long."

Violina offered Akilah a sad smile, briefly directing her gaze towards the book. "You probably shouldn't have."

Everyone looked up to Akilah once. Now, it was time to make her deserving of that admiration and praise she'd received for nothing all those years.

One right wouldn't right all wrongs. But she needed to right this one wrong before she could begin to build new trust for the future.

She knew she couldn't count on Asura's forgiveness. The loss of her sibling was the price Akilah had to pay for her carelessness.

"I promise I'll help my sister to take care of our Kingdom," she said. "I'll make sure nothing happens to the Pixies. You know... in case your brother grows power hungry enough to start utilizing us and other magical creatures to get it."

Akilah grimaced. What would happen in the years she was gone? How much worse would things get?

She had to trust those around her would keep fighting. She silently wished those who would choose to fight well in their battle and promise to rejoin them as soon as possible.

"Thank you, Violina," she said. "You're doing Lunaria a great service."

Violina nodded. "I know you meant well, Akilah," she said, sounding understanding of Akilah's position and believing Akilah regretted her actions. "I know you want to fix this.

"That's why I'm here now. That's why I'm willing to trust you."

Akilah blinked. "Thank you," she said. Violina trusted her. She'd questioned Akilah, and perhaps didn't trust the chances at success entirely, but was willing and trusting enough to give Akilah a chance.

Finally, she'd achieved trust in a deserving manner, rather than blind trust by status.

It felt surprisingly good to achieve this kind of trust.

The two women left the Castle of Light, where just outside the castle gates, Naga was still waiting patiently. There was one more thing Akilah needed to do; the Book had already been taken care of, carefully placed on top of the tallest altar in the Ritual Chamber – which had been left surprisingly intact.

Now, all that was left for Akilah to do was apologise to Naga, the only one who'd been kind enough to offer Asura genuine friendship throughout his life.

She approached the dragon with care, but the creature didn't seem hostile towards her at all. Instead, Naga walked forward too, to meet Akilah in the middle.

"Naga," Akilah said, "I'm sorry that this had to happen.

"Words cannot express how much I regret everything that has happened... and there's nothing I can do to fix this right now. I swear to you I will try my best to fix it in the future.

"But the way things are now... You lost a friend, I lost a brother... and the way he used you... I..."

Akilah bit her lip. She was apologising to a dragon. Was this the strangest thing she'd ever done? Perhaps. Most likely, in fact. But in this moment, it felt like the right thing to do, and the dragon understood what she was saying, so at least she wasn't talking into thin air and her words would be received as she intended them to.

Naga took a step back and graciously bent through her front knees, bending her head towards Akilah, who carefully stroked it. She wasn't afraid of dragons, but then again, she'd never really spent a lot of time in close proximity to them. The one time she had, was millennia ago, and this took some getting used to again.

"It seems as though she's accepting your apology," Violina noted. She smiled. An apology, when made from the heart, meant one was finally able to admit to their wrongdoings. The first step to making things right.

And if the person being apologised to felt too strongly about the apologiser's actions in order to accept their words as truth, then that was up to them. At least an attempt at mending the bonds had been made.

"Thank you, Naga," Akilah said. "I tried my best to save him."

Naga responded with a low grunting sound. Akilah could hear the sadness in the dragon's sounds.

Akilah took a deep breath. It was time to end this.

She was aware that after she'd disappear things wouldn't be over straight away, but Akilah would be able to stand by and wait in peace knowing that the end was coming for Asura's reign of darkness. After all, she wasn't doing nothing entirely. Her control over the situation would be severely decreased, but she wouldn't be powerless altogether.

Akilah trusted her Magic would secure Lunaria's future; wherever the book would go, it would find suitable vessels. The Light would eventually return home. No matter how long it would take.

Akilah, accompanied by Violina and Naga, set off back to the Dark Castle to confront her brother one last time and make sure the last part of her plan would happen and Asura would take the bait.

If she could trick him into thinking his siblings were truly gone for good, then that could mean that perhaps his anger would subside slightly. In Akilah's eyes, this meant that there was a possibility that the Lunariae would be able to live an ever so slightly better life while Asura was their King, for whatever it'd be worth – and Asura wouldn't suspect Akilah was planning something. It was simply a method to buy time, essentially blowing smoke in Asura's face while Akilah's plan was set into motion underground.

By the time Asura would suspect something was happening, the Guardians would already be on their way to take him down, leaving him much less time to prepare. Hopefully, they'd be able to catch him off-guard and beat him that way.

Akilah felt more confident in the former expectation than the latter. But either had about an equally fair chance of being unjust.

At this moment in time, Akilah had little time to worry about these thoughts; she simply had to trust her knowledge of her brother. All she could do was hope with every inch of her being that she knew Asura well enough to be right about her predictions regarding her brother's next action.

*

While Violina waited for Akilah to return, she couldn't help but think about her sister. They'd spent the past thousand years without their mother, and things had been rough. Violina often struggled with finding meaning in her position, as Eloine was the Queen, the important one, but over the past thousand years, she'd come to realise that perhaps Eloine felt the very same way about her own position.

A Queen was supposed to guide her people and help them solve problems they couldn't on their own. But what problems were there ever really? Their mother had had the easiest life as a Queen. The Light took care of everything. Pain, suffering, anger – none of it existed while the Spirits of Light were in charge.

And then their mother passed away, and Eloine had to step up and be Queen.

And... then the Darkness overtook the Realms.

All of a sudden, there were issues. Problems. People didn't know what to do with their newfound emotions. The negativity quickly became too much to handle.

Eloine knew she wasn't to blame, but somehow, she still might've felt that way. Eloine and Violina couldn't do much aside from watch as contact with the other Fairy Societies slowly declined.

The Royals were too afraid to travel any longer. Normally, everyone involved with the Kingdom's rule would show up at the White Palace to discuss matters regarding the Kingdom, but when the Dark's influence started getting worse and worse, the Royals stopped showing up to meetings.

Eloine tried to head out on several occasions to try and visit them instead, but her attempts proved futile. Negotiations were impossible if one person had to constantly travel between parties.

Then, they moved to letters. Written negotiations. This was a procedure far more tedious and confusing, as Eloine had to wait for every Society to send a response to proposals she sent out, and then write a letter to each Society in response, too. Not only that, but each Society had to write each other letters as well.

Even with Magic and speedy couriers this process took forever.

Apparitions were considered, so no one would have to appear physically, but the Dark's influence was stronger than many Royals suspected – even their powers weren't as strong as they'd been. Violina and Eloine had come to notice this in their own powers, too. Akilah was lucky Violina was able to share her Magic at all.

The Kingdom eventually decided to split the Societies up and allow them to become sovereign for the time being. Fairies weren't known for their courage and were quicker to hide away and give in.

Apparently that made this the perfect solution.

Eloine had lost her kingdom. It had fallen apart. There was nothing left for her to guide than the Forest and the Valley, and Eloine had essentially become a Queen without a Kingdom.

Violina wondered if her sister wanted the Light to return and everything to go back to being as peaceful as it'd always been. Sure, there was no conflict to be concerned over, but they wouldn't know about it anyway.

Or would things be different after the Light returned? Would the Lunariae be aware of the changes, just as they were aware of the sudden shift between Light and Dark now, or would their memories simply be erased?

Violina wasn't sure whether or not she truly wanted to go back to a blissfully ignorant life. By now, it seemed rather boring.

Of course the Dark overtaking every inch of the planet and nowhere being truly safe wasn't what Violina considered to be ideal living circumstances either, but she was convinced that some darkness and negativity would make life far more exciting. There had to be a balance between Light and Dark. It had to be possible, right?

As far as Violina knew, Akilah hadn't mentioned it. Surely Akilah would've considered this to be a factor if it were to be possible.

Still, Violina couldn't help but wonder. Ideally, she would think of this balanced version of Lunaria as the world itself being as it was in the Light, but with keeping the Dark inside the Lunariae's hearts. Or at least some of it, leaving their capabilities to cry, be angry, to acknowledge pain. Leaving all their hidden and suppressed emotions open and free to be expressed.

What would that be like?

She was awoken from her thoughts when Akilah returned with the book. The last item on their list to complete their plan to save the world.

The last spark of hope in a world of darkness.
Chapter Twenty-Two

Hope

Eloine hadn't taken her carriage out for so long she could hardly remember the last time she had. She didn't remember the reason she had last time, at least. Whenever there was something to discuss regarding the state of her Kingdom, whether it was regarding just the Valley or all Fairy Societies scattered across Lunaria's Realms, those involved in the matters always found their way to the Valley and the White Palace. Eloine never went anywhere.

She wasn't even sure if she'd properly left the Realm at all in the last century. Before the Master took over, Eloine hardly had the need to travel, but after he did, Eloine had left her home less and less as the millennium progressed and the situation got worse. After splitting the Kingdom, she gradually received less and less messages from the Royals in their respective Societies, and worried her Kingdom had silently fallen apart altogether when the Dark took over the Realms.

Fairy Magic was powerful, but still no match for the kind of Dark Magic the Master possessed.

And yet, here Eloine was. Heading out of the Realm, her home, her protection, to do what she hoped would be a task that would help bring about Lunaria's salvation and the return of the Light.

She wasn't sure how to feel about all this. She hadn't left her own home to check up on the other Fairy Societies she was supposed to protect, but she was jumping head-first into some wild plan Akilah had probably come up with within a fraction of a moment, with no guarantee that it would succeed, only because she was once the most powerful being in all of Lunaria.

Once, she had been.

But that was a long time ago.

Eloine found Akilah's instructions strangely specific. One of the magical items Eloine had been tasked with hiding was a compass, which Akilah insisted had to be buried at the exact centre of a specific clearing. Eloine felt like she'd been travelling for days when she'd finally found the spot – which Akilah had conveniently marked.

At that moment, Eloine found herself somewhat surprised at that fact – perhaps Akilah had put more thought into this plan than she thought after all.

Eloine wanted to bury the treasure she'd taken with her as quickly as possible. The Twilight Forest had once been full of life, but now that the Darkness had been allowed to roam free, it had truly become a scary place. Even during the day.

That's why Eloine had purposely waited to put this piece of the puzzle in its place the last. The Twilight Forest was close to the Silver Valley. Not only that, if she needed to escape quickly, her best bet would be to a nearby Pixie Village that had a secret, direct connection to the Fairy Forest in the Silver Valley.

Eloine bit her lip. She would be safe there, at least, if that village hadn't succumbed under the Dark...

Most of Eloine's journey had taken her through the Silver Valley, and she'd watched the effects the Dark had on the brightest Realm in the world. Akilah had requested Eloine entrust a magical staff that held the capabilities to read one's soul to the Orc King, but upon arrival, Eloine discovered the Orc Society had crumbled. The Prince had killed his youngest brother and had banished his father, who'd retreated to living as a hermit. The Orcs lived underneath the mountain, but this dethroned King lived even deeper below.

The only reason Eloine had been able to deliver the staff without getting mauled by big, rock-shaped men with giant fangs and occasionally horns sprouting from their heads, was that even this cruel Prince turned King hated the Master more than anyone in the world.

Go figure.

Even when cruelty and darkness had filled their hearts, the Lunariae could still bond over one thing. Their fear for their new ruler. Their hatred against him. Some had joined his side willingly, but even then it was mostly out of fear for repercussions.

The fallen Orc King told his tale, and Eloine stayed, much longer than she'd planned, to listen.

The reason he and his son had fallen out had been a disagreement, that had grown into a heated argument over time. Given that Orcs lived for about a millennium and a half, 1500 years, reaching maturity at 500, at 1300 years the old King was nearing the end of his life, and his son had sensed this.

When the Master and the Darkness first took over the land, the King had been a child himself. His father had taught him to never give in to the Master and keep the Orc kingdom sovereign, minding its own business. They'd cut themselves off from the world to protect themselves, but it was a strategy that worked.

Five hundred years into the Dark Times, the Prince was born. The child grew up disagreeing with his father, feeling locked up inside the Orc Kingdom and wanting the gates to be open to the world, accepting all risks that would come with it. Of course, the King refused to listen to his son.

The boy had plenty of time to come up with a plan to convince his Kingdom to lose trust in their current King and crown the Prince instead. The boy believed it to be possible to defy the Dark, to defeat the Master at his own game.

A coup was committed on the Prince's 500th birthday. The Orc King was dethroned. The gates to the Orc Kingdom were reopened.

The Kingdom had fallen into despair within a week. The Orcs had turned to violence to solve their problems. Apparently violence was in their nature, and all they needed was a little push from the dark for it to be awakened from within their souls.

The Orc Kingdom had become the second most dangerous place to be in all of Lunaria, second only to the Dark Realm itself.

The Orc Prince, now crowned King, quickly learned he'd made a mistake. His Kingdom had indeed decayed into practical nonexistence. The Orcs' population had decreased significantly, and those that remained within the tunnels of the Orc Society underneath the mountain weren't even considering adhering to any kind of authority.

Yet, the new King refused to admit his mistake and bitterly remained on his throne, refusing to acknowledge his father any longer. Perhaps out of shame, or rather out of pride – and his refusal to swallow it.

By now, Eloine no longer saw a grotesque, grey creature with white hair covering his body sitting in front of her. She saw a father, lonely and despaired over the loss of the relationship with his son. Eloine couldn't help but wonder what things would've been like if her mother hadn't always been there to guide Eloine and Violina. Would she have been the same woman as she was now, or would she have been different?

What would Asura have been like if his siblings had involved him with their affairs more closely? What if they'd treated him like an equal? Would things have turned out any different? Perhaps if he wouldn't have felt as left out as Akilah had stated, then perhaps Asura wouldn't have felt so desperate to get an Element of his

Eloine wondered. Then she wondered whether or not she had the right to judge Akilah and her siblings at all. After all, she hadn't been there to assess the situation while it was going on. She only had one side of the story to go with.

Eloine didn't know whether or not one side of the story was truly enough to be able to assess the situation properly. But considering the present, with the state of things as they were right now, Eloine did know which side to choose.

Visiting Fairy Societies while she was out and about was tempting to Eloine, but for her own safety as well as her task at hand, she stuck to completing it as fast as possible. The staff had really been the only thing that had to be delivered to someone for safekeeping. Why precisely, Eloine didn't know, and she didn't waste time figuring it out. Akilah had a reason for everything.

The Orc King seemed to understand what Akilah meant. He'd promised he'd keep the staff safe. That was all Eloine required to know in order to be able to proceed with her task.

Upon returning home, Eloine had one item left undelivered; the pink diamond pendant that had belonged to Akilah's eldest sister Aoife. Akilah had specifically requested to keep it safe until the right person to give it to would come along. Right now, Eloine wished Akilah had left her more information. A description of the person she meant.

But perhaps that was the point. Akilah didn't know who the right person would turn out to be. That was something left up to Eloine to decide.

Eloine hoped that when the time came, she'd make the right decision.

*

Asura sat on his throne, fiddling with his staff. What was his sister doing? He knew she was up to something. She wouldn't just admit defeat and leave him be like this. Something was about to happen. She was coming up with a plan.

But then again, what was there left for her to do? What power did she have that Asura didn't possess or couldn't crush?

The Dark had overtaken the entire planet. There was hardly a shred of the Light left, and the Light was what Akilah needed in order to be able to take on her brother.

And yet... Asura knew Akilah wasn't that easy to catch. She'd always find a way. It left him curious, in a way. He still felt some sort of silent admiration for his sister, amongst his disappointment and resentment for her. He was aging faster now that his body had become flesh, but his mind still hadn't caught up to pace. He knew it'd happen eventually, but for now, he was still hardly an adult. Twenty at best. This fact ensured that his childhood was still left fresh in his mind.

Perhaps that's where his admiration for his sister came from. Childhood memories. Memories made while he'd been wearing rose-tinted glasses.

He'd taken off the glasses now, thrown them to the ground. Stepped on them and shattered them into millions of pieces. Yet, the memories still remained. Asura would make sure to prevent these memories from clouding his judgement – the past was just that.

Soon, his sister would be nothing but a memory of a previous life.

*

The gates to the Dark Castle were left unguarded, allowing Akilah and Violina easy entrance. Naga followed behind them, but kept a slight distance. It was vital to their plan that Asura assumed that Naga had captured the two trespassers and had chosen to drag them back to her master rather than kill them straight on.

Akilah wanted to give Asura a feeling of comfort. She needed him to be free from all suspicion.

Asura appeared rather annoyed to see his sister. "Why are you here again?" he said, getting up from his throne. "I thought I'd been very clear the last time that you had to leave me alone."

Akilah nodded. "Unless I was willing to surrender."

Asura's eyes lit up. "Oh?" he said. "Really. Have you now?"

He grinned, swinging his staff forward, the red orb pointed at Akilah and Violina. He was going to have fun tearing these two apart... but he'd make sure to go for his sister first. The companion Akilah had brought along had no place in their original quarrel. It was a personal affair, and Asura wanted to keep things as such.

But if he didn't feel satisfied after dealing with his sister... he wouldn't hesitate to tear into this girl just as mercilessly. She had chosen his sister's side, after all, and that made her an enemy. She was no innocent bystander, and thus did not deserve to be treated as one.

"As much as I'd like to take care of you two right now..." he said, "I suppose I should let Naga have a go at you first."

He looked at the dragon briefly, before commanding it to attack.

And so Naga did. But the target wasn't whom Asura expected it to be. Naga lunged forward, jumping over Violina, headed straight for the throne.

Asura was barely able to dodge the dragon's attack, but it ended up propelling him over the edge of the two-meter tall podium his throne was displayed on, causing him to make a painful fall.

Akilah doubted he even noticed through his anger.

This fall, however, served greatly in Akilah's benefit. As long as Naga stayed where she was, blocking the way back to the throne, Asura was locked out of most of his magical aids – with exception of his staff, which was possibly the most deadly weapon he possessed, but Akilah was confident enough she and Violina could take care of whatever he'd send their way.

Although Akilah would pretend to be defeated and had to make sure she'd be convincing in doing so, she couldn't allow her Element or any part of her being to be actually severely damaged. Any damage to Akilah or her Element could cause damage to the effectiveness of the spell that resided within the Guardian Book that waited inside the Ritual Chamber. Akilah couldn't allow that to happen and put Lunaria's last hope at risk.

Asura was white with fury. He got on all fours, all the while bellowing accusations at his sister.

"SHE WAS THE LAST FRIEND I HAD LEFT!" Asura shouted at his sister, angry spit spraying from the back of his throat. "AND YOU TOOK HER AWAY FROM ME! YOU TURNED HER AGAINST ME!"

Akilah shook her head. "No, Asura," she said, "as much as you hate to admit it, you know in your heart that you have done that yourself.

"Can you really consider someone your friend if you have to brainwash them with Dark Magic in order to make them love and support you?" There was pity in her eyes, but Asura misperceived the look as disdain.

"You know how that kind of curse works," he said. "The Dark would've become part of her had you not intervened. I wouldn't be controlling her in any way."

"But you would've been the cause for her change nonetheless," Akilah retorted, crossing her arms. Her brother was being nothing but illogical, but then again, perhaps it wasn't his fault that he'd seemingly lost his ability to think straight. "And that change would've been non-consensual in the first place."

Asura's breath quickened. He knew his sister was right, but he was far too stubborn and angry to ever admit it. He had no friends. He didn't want any friends. Not anymore, at least. All he wanted now were just people and creatures that were powerful enough to be of use to him that obeyed him without question.

And in order to rule out those questions, he had to implement rather... drastic measures.

His sister would never understand. Her followers had always obeyed her every whim blindly because they didn't know how to question her. The imbalance of Light and Darkness in Lunaria made sure of that.

At first, Asura had wanted to restore that balance. But now he knew that the only one who could help him accomplish said balance wasn't going to help him in any way, he'd rather rule sovereign.

It was time to draw this war to a close. It hurt Asura to know how he had to do it, but it had to be done anyway.

One last kill. One done with his own hands. And the victim was his most beloved sibling.

Formerly beloved sibling.

"ENOUGH!" Asura bellowed, lifting his staff above his head as he spoke. As the orb began to glow bright vermillion, Akilah felt her body froze and her feet lift off the ground. Her brother had indeed become more powerful than Akilah had expected; had she come here without a proper plan put in place, she might've actually lost to him at some point. Even with Naga and Violina at her side, Akilah was now unsure whether or not she'd ever stood a chance against her brother without her Elemental Magic.

For now, Akilah assumed the answer was no.

Unable to move or struggle against Asura's magical hold, Akilah was forced to approach her brother. The two met in the centre of the throne room; as soon as Akilah's feet touched the ground once more, she and her brother were surrounded by a ring of black fire, blocking Naga and Violina from stepping in.

"Akilah!" Violina shouted from behind the flames; she'd attempted to walk through them, but found despite the flames' lack of bright colour, their burn was similar to acid.

Akilah couldn't tell if Violina was acting or if she'd actually changed her mind regarding agreeing with Akilah's plans. Akilah looked back at the girl.

"Do not be afraid, Violina," Akilah said, smiling. "You have assisted me perfectly. Thank you."

Violina seemed genuinely confused. "But what have I done to help you, other than share my Magic with you? I served no other purpose!"

Akilah chuckled. "You were willing to be my friend," she said, "even though you weren't affected by Lunaria's light. You knew I wasn't perfect, far from even.

"And still, you wanted to help me."

Violina smiled. "For the good of Lunaria," she said, half defensively. "Anyone would've done so."

"Perhaps," Akilah admitted, "but you didn't chastise me for my mistakes. You admitted I'd made them, but were willing to help me fix them regardless.

"My siblings had lost faith in me. They tried to clean up my mess without involving me – in fear I'd make it worse."

"My thoughts exactly." The voice came from behind her.

Akilah turned around, feeling somewhat surprised. "What?" she asked, her eyes narrowing slightly. She had a feeling she knew what her brother was getting at, but Akilah was done assuming. She wanted to hear everything straight from her brother, just to have confirmation.

Asura shrugged. "Now for once you know how I felt," he said, "whenever I messed up and my big siblings had to step in and fix my mess." He rolled his good eye. "You always made it seem like I'd caused the end of the world, when in reality..." a grin crept up to his lips.

"Who would've thought that in the end it'd be you of all people who'd actually cause it." He truly found this moment amusing. His sister, the perfect 'Empress' whom everyone had always looked up to, of all people, was the one to cause the world to end. In a way it was sad, because she'd always been so dedicated to Lunaria and its inhabitants, in her own way at least... and yet Asura couldn't help but laugh at her miserable failure, because Asura had always been looked at this way by his siblings. Oh... how the tables had turned.

"You really think that's fair?" Violina asked. "It's not as if she's got control over your actions..."

Asura looked at Violina, but didn't meet her gaze. It was as though he was looking through her, or over her. This puny pixie – fairy? Whatever – wasn't worth his time. He had his sister to deal with, and this entitled girl had no place in their argument.

"You keep quiet," he said. "You know nothing of the struggle I've been through. Yes, perhaps I am to blame, as my actions are still my own, and not hers...

"But my sister's desire for everything in her life to be perfect was definitely the catalyst. The first spark that started the small, seemingly innocent fire that would soon engulf the entire forest."

His expression changed, and his eyes turned back onto Akilah. Blaming his sister for everything that had happened was so easy... because it was true. Sure, her intentions might not have been to cause these events to occur, but in the end it'd been her initial actions that had initiated the chain that had lead to this moment.

"Enough stalling for time," he said, brow furrowed. "This fire will not be extinguished. It will rage on... until the last Spirit of Light has vanished."

Allowing Akilah no more time to speak, he lifted his staff. Right now, timing was everything for Akilah. Asura had to assume his spell had taken effect, but at the same time, Akilah couldn't allow it to hit her body.

She released her physical form right as the dark blast spread from the red orb across the room, just missing her by an inch.

The ring of fire extinguished. Akilah was no more.

In his mind, Asura had been victorious. All Violina could do was hope that he was mistaken.

Asura was left with Violina and Naga. Still not feeling entirely satisfied just yet, he decided to turn his attention onto them. They were still here, and thus that meant they were fair game.

He pounded his staff on the ground twice, summoning two cloaked Spirits to slowly rise from it.

"Get rid of them," he ordered. "I'd like to celebrate my victory solitary."

"Too bad we're not invited," Violina said sarcastically, before quickly running towards Naga, who was already preparing for liftoff.

"Take me home, Naga!" Violina shouted at the dragon. She didn't have to be told twice; Violina had barely managed to jump onto Naga's back before she took off. It wasn't that difficult to fly through the castle; the ceilings were tall and the hallways were wide. The Dark Spirits vanished before the duo left the gates; apparently, Asura didn't see any value in putting energy into chasing a fairy and a dragon further than the bounds of his own home.

And why should he? They weren't of his concern. Surely, they'd tried to help his sister, but their efforts failed regardless.

Why were they even there in the first place? Asura felt like Akilah didn't appear as though she'd intended to put on a fight. It was as though they were just there to put on a show.

In that moment, Asura realised he probably shouldn't let down his guard just yet. Akilah had definitely come up with something to try and stop him.

The Master retook his rightful place on his dark throne and grinned. He still couldn't help it.

Whatever Akilah had planned, it didn't matter. She was no longer around to carry out any plans. And whoever she had working for her behind the scenes... they had no one left to protect them.

Asura had no reason to worry about his power being taken from him. There was no one left to challenge him.

He had won. And he knew it.

*

Naga and Violina made it back to the Silver Valley safely. It took them a day, with a few stops made along the way, but they made it regardless. None of Asura's goons stood in their way.

Perhaps they were too busy celebrating their master's perceived victory to care.

The duo didn't head straight home as soon as they left the Dark Castle, however; Violina wanted to see Akilah's Magic at work. She needed proof to rest her mind.

She found the exact proof she needed inside the Ritual Chamber; the book, of which Violina was sure Akilah had left it on the tallest altar, had vanished.

Apparently, Akilah's spell had been cast successfully; Violina couldn't help but wonder what would happen next.

Originally, Violina hadn't considered it, but when she and Naga arrived to the Fairy Forest, she invited Naga to stay in the Pixie Valley as some sort of extra security measure. She'd soon be taking charge of the Valley, and felt it'd be good to have a strong friend around, with Naga appearing to be the perfect candidate to fill that role.

Naga seemed receptive to the proposition; an alliance between the two females was born, securing the Pixie Valley's future.

Then, Violina returned home to explain everything that had occurred to her sister. She didn't return with a message of despair, but rather one of hope; Akilah's plan had worked, and soon, Lunaria would be free from the Dark's grip once again.

All they had to do was hang on to hope.
Epilogue

The Book of Light was bound to resurface at some point. No one knew where, or when exactly it would.

But it did. Many, many years later, on Earth.

The girl who found it was young, no older than nineteen. Her hair was jet black, long and messy, tied in a messy braid. Her eyes were bright.

Perhaps the book hadn't been what she was looking for originally. Food to feed her poor, starving family would've been more likely.

A chambermaid cast from the castle after the original royal family had been killed in the war, she and her family were now left to fend for themselves. She broke into the castle's kitchen every now and then, often finding just enough food for her family to get by. She'd take as much as she could carry, getting in and out before anyone could catch her.

The book immediately caught Madeleine's eye. She didn't know why, but she simply felt as though she needed to take it. As though it had always belonged to her, or if someone had put it there for her to take. Besides, the library of the castle was full of books... who would miss this single one? After all, if it was inside the kitchen, a servant must've left it there. That meant it couldn't possibly be all that important.

Madeleine had been lucky enough to have been taught how to read, and upon reading the story that was depicted in the book she'd stumbled across when searching for scraps in the back of the castle's kitchen, it gave her a sense of hope.

She usually didn't take things from the castle that weren't food, but this was different. This book was calling to her.

Madeleine, for whatever reason, felt she needed to take it with her. Perhaps she'd read it to her siblings.

They weren't used to reading fairytales. Usually, they were told to them off the top of their sister's head. Surely they'd be delighted to hear a new one.

She snatched up the satchel of scraps she'd been able to gather, stuffed the book inside, and took off, just as the cook walked into the kitchen to prepare the new tyrant King's evening meal.

The Book of Light had fallen into the right hands, or so it seemed. The first Guardian to lead her Bond of Light to Lunaria.

The first Generation of Hope. Whether or not they'd be victorious, was still unknown. But there's always hope...

***

~ TABLE OF CONTENTS ~

I: The Light

II: The Overturn

III: The Dark

