Curseborn Saga - Fade to Black (16 page)

Caim lifted the stone up to look closely at it. “I’ll show you.”

Caim’s grin crept from ear to ear as he held the stone and walked toward the lake. The sound of the world grew silent around Caim and only his faint footsteps could be heard. The glowing of the Nocturnis Aqua illuminated the dark of Night and for a second Storm realized how small they were as Caim’s body came before the shape of the great tree rising out of the water. Its size dwarfed everything else of Soria.

“Nothing’s going to happen by putting it in the water,” said Storm.

Caim raised the gem to the sky, so that Storm could see. “A stone that’s flat on both sides … can only be used for one thing!”

Storm’s eyes grew wide, realizing Caim’s truth.

“A skipping stone!” yelled Caim, releasing the stone out over the shimmering water of the lake. Storm jumped to his feet but he was too late. The stone was already skipping perfectly across the black water, leaving tiny ripples in its wake.

“YOU IDIOT!” Storm cried into the night, dashing after it.

XIV – The End Sphere

J
ust as Remi thought that she could no longer witness the tragedy of a young girl being killed before her eyes, just before she was about to scream over and over for them to stop, the two came to a floating halt in the center of the room. It was clear that Lady Enies was winning, for Sakura was covered in dark purplish bruises on her shoulders and legs, and a deep gash under her left eye was bleeding freely. Yet despite the amount of blows she had taken, Sakura seemed calm and resolute. Remi’s eyes flickered to her hands, which were gripped tightly to her sides, as if she were bracing herself from the pain of injury. However, her breathing was steady and a confident grin had taken to her face. In contrast, Lady Enies had no visible injuries whatsoever.

“It seems as if we might battle for many passings of Night and Day,” said Lady Enies in a voice that didn’t betray an ounce of fatigue. Remi turned and realized Arya had moved farther away from the fight and was standing alone, observing from a distance.

“It would seem so,” said Sakura, holding her composure.

“Might I make a suggestion then?” asked Lady Enies.

Instantly, Remi knew that something was wrong by her tone. With a burst of courage, she ran to Arya. Behind, her two sisters followed quickly, Baelie’s silver armor clanking along the whole way. Lady Enies’s eyes flickered to the side, but she remained silent.

“What’s happening?” asked Remi.

“One of the problems with these challenges is that each fighter has such an enormous reserve of energy, that even if the victor is clear, it could take many, many shades to finish the battle,” Arya said. “Sometimes, they go even longer than that. One of the challenges of the past took nearly four full rotations of the moons before a victor was found. Considering that the Soldier Games are in less than a week, it may be irrational for them to be in the midst of such a challenge – especially one for a Vice Captain’s Seat – and other measures may prove, hastier.”

“Other … measures?” asked Remi.

As if reading her mind, Lady Enies spoke. “Why don’t we skip the countless hours we will waste fighting each other with our energy constantly healing our wounds? There is no glory in a losing fight, Sakura, and even less in one that could take many passings of Night and Day to finish. However, there is still some honor to be won here Sakura. Your name can still be carved into the
Rings of Chaos
, despite your foolish arrogance, and your inevitable loss. What of course I am referring to is—“

“The End Sphere,” said Sakura, exhaling.

A grin curved across Lady Enies’s face. “Exactly.”

For a while Sakura sat still, and then with a grin imitating that of Lady Enies she spoke. “Surely, you wouldn’t subject me, the Ninth Seat, to such a dangerous challenge?”

A flicker of suspicion traced Lady Enies’s eyes before she shrugged it off. “The End Sphere it is.”

Lady Arya spoke in a whisper that brought a chill to Remi’s bones. “A victor will soon rise.”

Remi watched in confusion as all the soldiers of the Force Corps closed in around Lady Enies and Lady Sakura. She watched the soldiers relieve them of all their weapons and in turn, strap tarnished silver chains around each of their wrists, binding their hands together. The second the chain links were attached to Sakura, Remi thought she saw a shiver creep up her body as if she had just fallen into a lake of icy water. Once again, she noticed that Sakura’s hands were still clamped tightly shut, perhaps her only sign of fear.

Sakura and Lady Enies came before each other and sat on the ground, crossing their legs and staring at each other with deathly glares. As they stared each other down, the soldiers of the Force created a ring around them and a thick, heavy aura reached outwards from their bodies, twisting and turning amongst one another until a massive sapphire-colored sphere encased the two fighters within.

Flickers of jagged lightning crackled from its curved edges. To Remi, it looked like a thundering torrent of spherical water that caged the Vice Captain and Sakura, confining them from the outside world. Remi could feel a terrible dark energy emanating from it; one that seemed to pull on the very aura of her soul, pulling her towards it yet not physically, and it made her feel completely lightheaded. It wasn’t long before Lady Enies and Sakura were completely hidden from view, encased within the vortex of energy.

Beside her, Maile collapsed to the ground. She shot a worried look towards Aquas, who was easy to pick out from the soldiers because of her long flowing white robes. The instant her gaze fell on her, she saw for a split second Aquas turn and nod, assuring Remi that everything would be alright. Turning her gaze back to Maile, Remi saw the traces of emerald green energy slithering around her sister’s body and realized that she had only fallen asleep.

“There’s something very, very sickening about that Sphere,” said Baelie from her side, who had managed to maintain her consciousness.

Remi stood to her feet beside her sister and nodded her head. “I can’t imagine being within it. I have a very bad feeling about this.”

The two sisters shivered at the thought of what was happening within the End Sphere …

- - - -

Deep past the rushing waves of crashing aura, past the flickers of jagged lightning that arched and split their way around the great sapphire Sphere, Lady Enies and Lady Sakura sat cross-legged on the cold hard stone, staring at each other with glares of utmost contempt. From the inside, it looked like they sat before a raging tidal wave only inches away from crushing their bones to dust. The sound was so great and terrifying that if they had tried to speak, they would have heard nothing and seen only the movement of their lips.

Sakura felt the consciousness of Lady Enies seep into her mind and a few seconds later, she heard her voice, as clear as Day, speaking to her from a distant space not seen, only felt.

“
You will die in here, you know. None have ever survived the End Sphere. However, if you give in now, kneel before my feet and apologize … I will spare your remaining aura and your only punishment will be eternal banishment from Risia.
”

“I offer you the same.”

“How, I wonder, are you so confident in your skills, Sakura? To confront me, the Vice Captain of the Force and honestly expect to survive? None has ever challenged the Vice Captain from Seat 9, and for good reason—it is an impossible feat.”

“I wonder about that.”

Lady Sakura felt a bolt of anger from Lady Enies and tried not to flinch as the force of the Vice Captain’s wrath left her mind dazed and weary. She slowly opened one of her eyes and felt a jolt in her own heartbeat. Lady Enies sat completely the same as before, yet her arms were horizontally lifted to her sides, and from the edges of the swirling mass of tidal aura reached thin black shadows, creeping across the very air and making their way ominously down and around her arms. She froze suddenly. One of the finger-like shadows had slithered up and over her shoulder and was sliding across the soft skin of her neck. Sakura held her breath. She felt as if hundreds of nightmarish snakes were encased within the End Sphere with them, waiting for their chance to strike. The light within quickly dimmed until only their silhouettes were visible.

“You do know why this place is called the End Sphere
,” spoke Lady Enies in a much calmer tone than before.
“Many cycles ago, near the beginning of our world and the creation of the first Great Law, there were two Sorians, born purely evil in their ways and who found no higher joy than to sneak into the homes of innocents at night and murder their families one by one from youngest to eldest. Even upon their capture, the only faces they wore were wicked grins, as if their heinous actions had done nothing to mark their subconscious in the way of guilt, remorse, or any type of sympathy towards their victims.”

Sakura listened intently, knowing that concentrating primarily on one thing was the best way to maintain her focus, which in the end, could mean her life. She could feel the slithering shadows gliding across her body, drawing out from her the very essence of her soul, her own aura. Her breathing grew heavy and her limbs weak under the weight of Lady Enies’s voice.

“They were captured and imprisoned many times, each time escaping by new means, for they were natural born thieves and outlaws, with an innate gift for evading capture. After their sixth escape, and after over a hundred Sorians were murdered, the Empress was forced to make a decision—condemn them to death or force them into a prison that was inescapable. The answer was this Sakura, the End Sphere.”

All the while Sakura sat still, grasping her hands tightly together. She could feel the pressure closing in around her from every angle, torturing her every thought, confining her every movement.

“The entire Force and Shield Corps gathered and these silver cuffs were placed around the criminal’s wrists, for these cuffs are the object to which the shadows are drawn. The End Sphere is a world within a world. Once it is formed, there is no way to enter or exit… . The shadows will consume all remnant traces of our aura until one of us completely collapses, or, in the highly unlikely event that both of us have equal amounts of aura, we would then die together. The two outlaws, one male and one female, were confined to the End Sphere where the shadows began gnawing away at their energy. The End Sphere eats your memories as well, and slowly but surely, you become merely a shell of your former self, without thought or previous knowledge. After your mind is wiped clean it begins to decay. The purpose of this trial is to maintain a sense of calm and control, even in the most catastrophic of conditions…. And to emerge alive, of course.”

Sakura swallowed silently. She hadn’t heard the story of the End Sphere but had known its purpose. She began to feel shivers of panic stretch through her mind as traces of her memory faded. The faces of her fellow comrades of the Force vanished one by one into a misty silver cloud that granted no return. She shook her head, struggling to maintain her concentration, but to no avail, it was slipping away… .

Lady Enies continued, feeling Sakura weaken.
“The two villains survived the End Sphere, but not without a high price. Their inner will for evil was so strong that they longed for nothing more than to kill again. This kept them going, far beyond what a normal Sorian would have been capable of, and when they finally emerged, it was as if they had aged a hundred cycles. Their skin was withered and decayed, while strands of their once brilliant hair fell to the cold ground one by one. The End Sphere had fulfilled its purpose, for they knew not who they were or what they were. Since those days, the End Sphere has not been used in the ways of torture, and was adapted as a technique by the Force and Shield for the ultimate test of choosing Champions. However, it’s not as if there’s a ‘choice’ in this case, Sakura. You will never be Champion. You will merely fade beneath the fury and strength of my aura; you will fall and all your memories will dissipate into nothingness until every remnant of your former self is gone. You should be thankful at least, for after your banishment from Risia, no one will remember you and you will remember no one.”

Sakura opened her eyes. Lady Enies was staring at her, eyes focused like twin jewels of glowing fire. The shadows had all but consumed her entire body and only small portions of her fair skin could be seen past the darkness.

“Lady Enies, your words flow like a stream of riddles and trickery,”
said Sakura
. “Know now, that although you have brought a fit of fear that shivers through my bones, you have yet to uncover my weakness, a fault that will no doubt lead to your defeat. For I, Lady Enies, have discovered yours.”

Sakura felt the same jagged lance of anger from Lady Enies stab into her mind. Lady Enies had been expecting to drive her into such a state of fear that she would give up hope of victory and retreat. She could feel her surprise and frustration.

“Do you mock me, Sakura? You have discovered my weakness? This is a test of aura and we both know that after our little battle in the Valyti, my energy far surpasses your own. Do not attempt to disturb my consciousness with your hollow threats.”

“The only hollow threat was the silver lining of your story, Lady Enies. For I have discovered that you are blinded by your own power and your craving to become Captain, as well as your heightened wrath. Your arrogance will be your downfall. I was never weaker than you in aura, Lady Enies. I was only giving you the impression that you were winning in order to draw you into prompting the End Sphere. I have intended on challenging you for the Seat of Vice Captain since joining the Force Corps, under the direct request of Lady Scylla herself. She sees you … slipping.”

Instantly Sakura felt a sudden change in Lady Enies’s energy. She was shaken. Deeply.

“What did you say!? You dare to conspire against me!?”
Lady Enies’s voice snarled like a beast who had long slept and been sorely awoken. Then she laughed.
“You speak nothing but lies, Sakura. I know that my aura exceeds yours and even now, I feel yours weakening. You will soon enter eternal darkness, and I will grasp victory. And after you wither, decay and die, I will roll your body from the edge of Risia to never be seen again save by one. After you Sakura, I will face the God Who Walks Among Us, your beloved Captain Scylla, and her body shall soon after meet you in the dead realm of Mortal Aeryx.”

“
The purpose of the Valyti is to learn to overcome negative emotions and feelings, Lady Enies. To learn to be calm, and also guard against wrath and envy – yet your very being emanates such a sense of wrath that even the greatest beasts cannot look you in the eye. But most of all, a sense of humility is a virtue that cannot go unlearned, and today you will learn that lesson. You will have the rest of your banishment to think about your own weaknesses and how they have shaped your rise and fall. I, unlike you, Lady Enies, understand that fighting alone is not always the path to strength… .”