Witch of the Gate (Part I): Empyrean Crystal Soul

This is a luxurious room with golden and silver decoration, silk bed covers and curtains and soft carpets. Fortunately, there is no one in the room, even though it was guarded.

I look around for Cielo. In the end, I notice a bird cage and in there, Cielo is being imprisoned. She looks weak as she is lying on the ground. I also notice a black ring on her neck.

-“Cielo! Cielo!” I shout at her and then she wakes up.

Her eyes are full of tears and gratitude but the next moment she falls down like being suffocating. Lucida breaks the cage and I take Cielo softly in my hands but she is still struggling as she is trembling all over her body.

-“What is happening to her?” I shout with tears in my eyes.

-“She is going against the will of her master.” I hear a man’s voice behind me. I turn my gaze on him. He is Jix.

Tarragon jumps behind me and Lucida gets in front me like a shield. His eyes light up with interest.

-“What did you do to her?” I use all of my courage to demand an answer from him. He laughs sarcastically.

-“I put this beautiful ring on eher which makes her listen to my orders, right Cielo?” He says and the next moment, Cielo stops shaking and nods at him. I furrow my eyebrows.

-“Cielo, bring me these rebels.” He commands with confidence.

Before I realize what it is happening, Cielo uses her mental powers on me. As a Pixie she is a master of them.

The next moment, I am back home in Washington, in my mother’s apartment and I am accepting mother’s beating. I am so surprised and shocked that I couldn't realize that Cielo was using one of my painful memories to make me relive a bad situation.

I was crying and trying to protect my body while I was asking for mercy from mother. I don’t even remember the reason of her beating me but from some point on there was no need of a reason. I was screaming for help internally.

Well, that was the real prison.

The alarm of the prison is ringing. We are almost at the exit with some Orks and Trolls behind us. I am running with the other prisoners and that elf who is holding the map to the exit. We slaughtered the soldiers on our way and our freedom is in front of us.

Suddenly, a loud noise is heard and some debris are falling from the second floor of the coliseum. Then, two figures are flying on the air and they are fighting each other. They both are using black energy so they are demons.

It is my first time seeing demons fighting each other. I see that Dalion stops and looks up there. I also recognize the two demons. One of them is Jix and the other is that female demon who set us free. We both look surprised and as if we are thinking of the same thing, we are looking towards the ruined chambers of Jix.

-“Go straight ahead and you are free!” Dalion says to the other prisoners and with her light step she is running toward that chamber. I am ready to follow the other prisoners and get out of here, but something is stopping me.

-“Damn!!!” I scream and I just run behind the elf.

-“I didn’t think that you liked her.” I hear Dalion’s voice in my ears, as the wind is bringing it to me.

-“I don’t.” I say but my actions don’t support my words.

After a while, we reach the second floor and then we see the destroyed room. As we get inside, I hear the surprised voice of Dalion.

-“Prince Tarragon!!!”

Then, I notice another male elf holding an injured beast woman while a Pixie is flying above the lying body of that girl.

-“General Dalion, how did you come here?”

-“I was imprisoned here. I was together with her.” Dalion says as she points at the girl.

-“General, try to get rid of that ring in the fairy’s neck. Quickly!!!” He commands and the female elf obeys. However, I don’t know how she can do that.

-“You are the previous champion, Black Knight.” The male elf notices me now. I nod.

-“Help us to get out of here.” He asks and I just do that. He gives me the unconscious beast woman. Then, he tries to help Dalion to get rid of that ring.

-“It is dark craftsmanship.” Tarragon murmurs with despair. It is the same ring that some of the monsters are wearing to be controlled by the demons.

-“We need light attitude to break it.” Dalion says. Then, she looks at the male elf.

-“Your Highness, we must leave now. Forget this child. She is hopeless. She has a demon as a companion.” She says as she looks at the unconscious girl. Her words irritate me but I don’t know the reason.

-“Don’t say nonsense, general! This girl is also my companion. We must save her. She is more important than you think.” The male elf shouts strictly. I can see a look of surprise on the female elf’s face.

However, we notice as the girl is shriveling her body in a defending position and is starting crying and begging for mercy. This image is so heartbreaking, that even Dalion is surprised.

-“I have light attitude.” I say with worry as I am watching her struggling. The two elves are looking at me surprised. Well, it is an irony to have light attitude but be called Black Knight.

-“You are a Holy Knight?” The male elf asks surprised.

-“I used to be. When the land of the angels was invaded, we the Holy Knights were captured. Others were send to the Tower of Sins and others became the playthings of the demons.”

-“Anyway, break this ring immediately.” He says with agony.

I sigh as I hadn’t used my light powers for a while. I was also injured and I am not in a good condition.

The light attribute is really powerful and except of the angels, only a few humans are born with it and they are send to the angel’s land to become their guards, as angels can’t fight and harm others. If they do that they will lose their powers.

It takes a few minutes to break the ring and I already feel so weak and depleted of energy.

-“Cielo!!!” The elf shouts and then the fairy wakes from her hypnotized condition.

-“Cielo! Wake up Miss Daphne immediately.” He shouts again and I notice the panic of the fairy as she realizes what is happening.

The girl is still shaking and crying.

-“Cielo!!!”

-“I don’t use any power!” She shouts back in our minds with agony. I furrow my eyebrows.

I approach her and I use the last ounce of my light powers.

It is so painful, so painful that I want to just die and not to feel anything. My body hurts but my heart hurts more as mother is beating me.

She doesn’t love me. She doesn’t like me. I am burden to her. She may beat me so she can get rid of me. If I die, she may be happier. If I stop defending against her hits, she can be satisfied.

I loosen up my grip around my head and the moment I am ready to receive a really hard hit, I can feel a light surrounding me.

It is warm and gentle. I think that it is healing my wounds. I hear a whispering and warm voice. “Wake up! Wake up!”

Then, I open slightly my closed eyes and the figure of mother is disappearing. Then, I open them more and now I can see a familiar face.

-“Are you awake now?” He asks.

Surprised I jump off and I see a destroyed chamber with Tarragon and Dalion next to me. I can also realize that the Black Knight is here too.

-“I am sorry. I am sorry, Daphne!” I hear the crying voice of Cielo in my mind and then she flies into my chest.

-“We must leave.” Tarragon says and I see as the Black Knight takes Gina in his arms. Dalion is following Tarragon and we get out of the room.

-“Lucida!!!” I shout but I can see that she is fighting with Jix.

I am surprised to see her flying. She may not have her horns but she has a pair of black-feathered wings. They look like Adrian’s wings but they are black instead of white.

She is fighting with Jix above the arena and I am really worried as she is just a young demon and a hybrid at that. I don’t know if she can defeat a Higher Demon.

-“Use your contract to empower her.” Cielo reminds me but I don’t know how.

-“Just send her your trust and belief.” Cielo says. However, she asks me too much. I don’t trust and I don’t believe anyone or in anything.

When Lucida receives a strong hit that brings her down, I am in agony. My heart is beating fast and I feel like I am suffocating. I don’t want her to get hurt. Pain is no good. My tears are running unconsciously as I am scared of losing her.

I want her to live. I want her to come back to me. I want to believe that she will be victorious and she will come back. Then, I can see her suddenly flying up and sending a ball of black energy at her opponent.

Jix is hit and then she rushes at him. She points her hand like a blade and stabs him. Her hand penetrates his flesh and she pulls it out. Jix falls on the ground with momentum.

In Lucida’s hand, there is a dark crystal. It is Jix’s Ethereal Soul. At that moment, I am remembering how that demon took my grandmother’s Soul and I am shivering.

Lucida tightens her hand and breaks the crystal. Then, she absorbs the dark energy that it is emerging from the broken crystal. Finally, she flies toward me and stands before me.

She bows slightly in front of me.

-“Thank you, Miss.” She says with a warm and gratified look. My fear is disappearing when I see her sincere smile.

Lucida is a demon. I can’t ignore the fact that she has the same attribute with her tribe. However, she is also one of my companions. She is one of my friends. I can’t criticize her for what she is.

-“Welcome back, Lucida.” I say and with wet eyes she hugs me tightly.

-“We must leave before another Higher Demon arrives.” Tarragon reminds us and then we get to leave Paria.