There was no one to stop me. Fort Conon was completely deserted. I stumbled out of the broken gates that were haphazardly repaired, and out into the darkness.
Live.
That was what I wanted. I realized that when I was a slave.
Live, and help whoever you can.
I made that decision when I saved Karna. When I gave him my freedom in a bottle.
It was a simple goal. Not grand. Maybe not even good.
But it was enough for me.
And as the darkness of the night crept up on me; as I trudged through the forest, surrounded by only shadows; something in me shone.
There was something. Inside of me. Outside of me. Beyond me. And it all came to me.
I fell on my knees as the light glowed brighter. As the magic circle formed around me. It lit up the night with its blue light.
Only at first.
Then it shifted.
Its color changed. From blue, to red. From red, to purple. It increased in intensity. The lines in the circle weaving into itself, forming nebulous symbols I wouldn’t recognize. And then it blurred.
It was no longer a shape on my feet. It engulfed me like a sphere. The purple lines crossed around me. Forming a three dimensional design. I saw the world dying around me. Outside of the magic circle, grass, trees, and bushes all began to wilt as minutes passed.
I did not want that. So I pulled it all back in— back towards me. It stopped expanding as I slowly reached deep inside me.
Then one of the purple lines touched me, and—
I shone.
Where it connected to my body, the purple lines spread out. It forked off multiple times, going around me, until it covered me in my entirety. It was…
A miracle.
I felt everything grow lighter; as if all the stress and worries I had momentarily vanished. And I touched something. Not inside of me. It was… beyond me?
No. I did not understand what it was. But it felt so close, yet so far.
Then the purple lines. The magic circle. Everything began to move. It began to shrink, warp, change into something else.
At first, I was in a lot of pain. More than I had ever felt before. But the feeling went away, and I felt more alive than I had ever been before.
And when I looked down, all I saw was a light. A light so bright, it reflected the world on it; I could see myself in that silvery light.
I closed my eyes, and I could still see it. It calmed me. Made me feel powerful. It healed me.
I exhaled slowly, reveling in the moment. But just for a moment.
Because, after that moment passed, it was gone. The light vanished. I was all that was left.
I opened my eyes, and looked around. There was only the moon and the night surrounding me. But I knew that I was stronger. I knew that I was finally free.
And that from this moment on, I was going to live.
I watched the night turn into day. I watched the sun replace the moon. The dark blue skies brightened overhead into something new. Into a brighter day.
So I picked myself up, and finally entered the world.
The End of
PART THREE
Chapter 38: Interlude III - The Saint
"In the beginning, there was evil."
The voice echoed throughout the building. A man stood in front of the vast crowd, and spoke with an intensity that entranced every single person in the room.
"The world was black, empty of naught but suffering. Humans, Elves, Dwarves, and all the other species in the world— yes, even the Demons and all the animals and Monsters— lived together in this eternal torture. There was no hope. No good. No light."
The crowd stayed silent. They bowed, and lifted a candle up above their heads, lighting up the room. The man continued.
"Then the Goddess came. She illuminated the world with her radiance. Liberated every living creature from their Damnation with Her light. She shone and lit the world anew. So that the world would become good.
"She gave us dominion over all things. She gave us the power to moveth upon this world as though it were our own. She made us rulers of this land, and left us, returning back to Eden. Where all who die would forever be restored unto Her."
Heads rose, but their hands stayed in place. The crowd solemnly looked up at the man.Their candles flickering in the darkness, hundreds of tiny flames keeping the room alight. Then the man spoke out, and his voice reverberated in the silence.
"But before She departed, She told us to be good rulers. To rule the world with grace and light. For if we were evil. For if we were to abuse our authority, and bring about great suffering upon this world, She would cast us back to Damnation. To a world where we would once again face eternal torture."
The man looked around the room. He saw all the faces staring back at him. And he nodded, seemingly satisfied.
He lifted up his own candle, and with a quick blow, put out the fire. The crowd followed him, the room slowly darkening as they did. Then the man finished.
"May the Goddess illuminate your lives."
And the lights turned back on. The darkness lasted only for a moment. The light crystals along the walls and ceiling flickered, now shining brightly.
With that, the silence ended. Murmurs broke out throughout the crowd, as they began to disperse. Various conversations were held at once. But the man stayed standing on his podium. And as the crowd left, he added one last thing.
"So as you go about your day, please remember to be good. To treat your neighbors kindly,
