Aurelia
hear those bells ring deep in the soul
chiming away for a moment
chiming away for a moment
The last wisps of that purple-black mist curled away into the damp air, vanishing like something that had never really existed at all. Aurelia watched it go, her muscles taut, not quite ready to believe it was over. The fire still smoldered in her hands, flickering against her palms, but she let it fizzle out. The swamp was quieter now, unnervingly so, as if it, too, was holding its breath.
She stood there, the silence crawling under her skin, the ground still trembling slightly beneath her boots. The tree was gone, the void had loosened its grip, and yet there was something... wrong. Or maybe it was just her. That weight in her chest hadn’t disappeared; it lingered, heavy and solid, like the ghost of something that wasn’t supposed to leave.
Aurelia’s gaze dropped to the scorched earth where the tree had stood. There was no satisfaction in watching it crumble, only the hollow realization that even when the enemy was gone, the battle never really ended. The void had seeped into this place, and something about it—something about the way it faded so easily—made her uneasy. The scars were still there, in the land and in her, etched deep.
She glanced at her companions. They were safe. Thalassa too, somewhere. For now, that was enough.
"Let's get out of here," she said, her voice quiet but firm.
She stood there, the silence crawling under her skin, the ground still trembling slightly beneath her boots. The tree was gone, the void had loosened its grip, and yet there was something... wrong. Or maybe it was just her. That weight in her chest hadn’t disappeared; it lingered, heavy and solid, like the ghost of something that wasn’t supposed to leave.
Aurelia’s gaze dropped to the scorched earth where the tree had stood. There was no satisfaction in watching it crumble, only the hollow realization that even when the enemy was gone, the battle never really ended. The void had seeped into this place, and something about it—something about the way it faded so easily—made her uneasy. The scars were still there, in the land and in her, etched deep.
She glanced at her companions. They were safe. Thalassa too, somewhere. For now, that was enough.
"Let's get out of here," she said, her voice quiet but firm.
feel your breath course frankly below
see life as a worthy opponent
see life as a worthy opponent
