Chapter 485 Forgiveness

-----

When that time came, they attacked. The first dungeon break happened, many people died, it was utter chaos and panic. Celeste quickly tried to forget about her, but deep down she hoped she wouldn't be there… but against her expectations, she stood there, trying to ruin her plans. She had no other choice but to fight against her. She tried to knock her down, but quickly realized she was way stronger than she had imagined, Sylph was very powerful, and was easily fighting in equal terms against her.

Ultimately, she was almost beaten because she never used her strongest magic spells nor her artifacts. Deep down, she didn't wanted to kill her… And it almost brought her doom and that of her entire organization. She managed to run away when Sylph collapsed, and since that day, she began to cry every night, thinking about how she would had thought of herself if she had slain her.

She imagined her hands covered in the blood of that girl, the one that smiled and giggled. The one that seemed to always be filled with hopes and dreams, the one that, somehow… she wanted to be with. Her hands trembled as she threw up, feeling sick with herself.

But since then, every night, she had nightmares. The same nightmares of her mother being burned alive, of her burning body screaming at her…

"Celesteeee… Whyyyy?!"

"Mother?!"

"Whyyyy?! Why are you doubting now?!"

"But… I…"

"You've sworn you would avenge me!"

"I just can't kill her… She's…"

"You've said many times… That you wouldn't let anybody stand before your path! Are you backing in your words now?!"

"But…"

"ARE YOU, CELESTE?!"

"…"

Every single night, she dreamed of the same. Her mother's infernal voice screaming at her through her nightmares. Without realizing, she was manipulated by the power of the Evil Gods themselves, who have made of her body and soul the vessel of a part of their power.

Ultimately, she realized she couldn't back down now. She had gone too deep. She was too different than Sylph, her hopes of one day being at her side were only stupid dreams. She was too different from her, an entire world apart.

"I've killed so many… I've already done so many things… I cannot go back in my words; I cannot go back in my ambitions and dreams… Or I will lose everything…"

And this day, was when the nobles finally paid. The heroes were unable to save everyone, and dozens of Nobles ended being crushed or devoured by the monsters summoned from the Dungeon Breaks. Using the artifacts, she even summoned an army of True Demons and three True Demon Dukes, powerful high-ranked True Demons with amazing power that made it difficult for the rusty Heroes to defeat.

However, against all expectations, Sylph herself fought and defeated one of them. Celeste couldn't back down now though, and decided to use this opportunity when Sylph and her mother were the weakest to strike, and if they stand before her path, to kill both if necessary…

"I have to do it… for mother…" She thought to herself, forgetting all her memories and her feelings for Sylph, and confronting her.

And now, she laid over the floor, deep below a crater. Sylph went beyond her expectations, and defeated her, this time, while Celeste did not back down nor held back. Even then, she still lost. Even when she heard the whispers of the two Evil Gods which granted her to power to transform and merge with her True Demon Spirit, it ended in nothing.

"I've lost… Everything I have planned… all of it…" Celeste cried, as Sylph quickly grabbed her. Celeste's arms and legs were broken, and she was bleeding all over, but Sylph gave her a strange leaf, and covered her in healing magic. It barely stopped the bleeding, as a strange familiar turned into a large bird and flew out of the crater, bringing her as well.

"Why?" Asked Celeste, looking at Sylph.

"I cannot bring myself to kill you, Celeste…" Sighed Sylph. "I don't want to…"

"But… after everything I've done to you? To all this people?" Asked Celeste. "I… I am a monster…"

"You're not a monster, Celeste…" Sighed Sylph. "You're just a girl that suffered too much…"

"Ahh…"

Celeste felt shocked and taken aback by Sylph's words, even until the very last moment, she was gentle-hearted, and wanted to help her. Without even being able to run away with her limbs broken, she began to cry, feeling ashamed of having lost, and to receive her enemy's pity.

"You're crying?"

Sylph looked back at Celeste, as she suddenly saw through it a little girl, for a split of a second.

A little girl crying in the coldness of the night, alone…

"You don't have to be alone anymore, Celeste…"

"Shut up… What else do you want me to do now? I've killed so many, I've orchestrated all of this… I am a criminal. I deserve to die, you know?"

???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.????????????

"No, you don't. You were manipulated by the Abyssal Eyes!"

"No, Sylph…"

Celeste looked at Sylph's eyes.

"It was my choice to receive their help, it was my choice for all of this to happen… I… I am just like this, nobody manipulated me. I am just… sick in the head."

"…I am also a bit sick in the head, but that doesn't mean there's no other way. It doesn't mean there's no other future. Come on, don't you have Mist and everyone else? Why don't you think of all the people you love before thinking and saying all these things? Celeste, you've stopped being alone for a while now, since you meet all of them, didn't you?"

"T-That's…"

"You have to remember them… What would they think if they saw you like this?"

As Furoh carried Sylph and Celeste outside the crater, Mist and Mary stood there, right in front of them, both were awake.

"Celeshte!" Mist cried in tears.

"Celeste, are you okay?!" Mary ran towards her as well, as both hugged her.

"No… Stop it…" Celeste cried. "Don't hug me… Don't… love me… I don't deserve this… Stop…"

"Don't say such foolish things, Celeste…" Mary sighed. "You're like my daughter, I'll always love you."

"I luv big sish too! I won't change!" Mist said adamantly.

Celeste began to cry tears of sorrow and regret, as she received their hugs and love.

Sylph smiled a bit, as she suddenly fell into the floor.

"Ugh… Ahhh… I've really done it now, haven't I?" She sighed.

"SYLPHYYY!"

Her mother and Aquarina's screams echoed behind Sylph, as they ran for her help. Zack walked right behind them, barely carrying the man he fought.

"Let me go, you damn brat…!"

"I won't… Mary is your sister, isn't she?"

"That's…"

"Why don't you talk to her?!"

"I am a criminal; I am too far apart from her… She would hate me…"

"Ugh, you're all such stupid people, come! I won't kill you until you talk to her!"

-----