Chapter 275 - I promise I'll be waiting...
The moment she heard those words, Seraphine's expression crumbled.
"Child of prophecy? Since when do we listen to those damned old farts? I thought we were better than that!" She roared, her voice echoing through the forest.
"Watch your words, girl." The look on the man's face changed completely.
"I'm the patriarch of this family. I gave you this life and, believe me, I won't hesitate to take it away from you."
The instant his voice ceased, the dragon above opened his jaws full of sharp fangs, roaring at Seraphine.
Its throat began to glow with a threatening orange hue.
But the threat died soon after.
Another roar ripped through the sky in and a colossal creature descended from the clouds, landing behind Seraphine with an impact that made the earth tremble.
If Qingyi had been present, he would have recognized that beast as Khaedryss. But not the Khaedryss he knew.
This one reached over a hundred meters in length, making the huge red dragon seem insignificant, its roar causing tremors to spread for kilometers, trees swaying violently under the pressure of the sound.
She didn't even use mana for it and if she did, all the mortals in the city below would die from the power of her roar alone.
"You claimed Khaedryss? No... that's impossible!" The patriarch of the Vaeldrinn family took a step back, fear finally seeping into his voice.
"No... and I don't need to." Seraphine stepped forward.
Khaedryss opened her jaws. The temperature around her instantly soared, the air distorting as purple and black flames danced in her throat.
The patriarch could only step back and the beast behind him cowered, lowering its head in submission.
Butcher of Empires. Slayer of Immortals.
There was a reason why Khaedryss carried these titles. A reason that the current patriarch of the Vaeldrinn family was too young to know personally.
But from the stories told by his ancestors, he knew enough. And he didn't want to find out any more. Not like this.
Seraphine watched that cowardice, her eyes filling with angry tears as her heart burned.
If she allowed Khaedryss to act, she would declare war on her entire family. And she wasn't afraid of that. Not at all.
She exchanged a glance with the dragoness, who was only waiting for her confirmation to begin the massacre. It didn't matter how many innocents would die in the process.
"Mother would never want so many innocents to die... not just to end his filthy life." Seraphine pressed her face against the black scales of Khaedryss' jaw before turning and leaving.
***
"After that day, I dedicated my whole life to researching the magic array that Mother had used to send you away, trying to find out how I could go after you..."
Seraphine said as she stroked Elize's long hair.
"In a few weeks of study, I finally figured out how to descend into the mortal heavens."
She paused, an old pain crossing her expression.
"The formation was perfect. We managed to open a portal and Khaedryss went through it. Unfortunately, the heavens of this place didn't accept us.
Khaedryss was almost killed, losing almost all her power. I didn't even make it across, being forced to tear out part of my soul and take this body..."
She closed her eyes briefly.
"I wanted to go after you. I wanted to find you. But I failed. Even after decades, even after..." Seraphine abruptly closed her mouth. "I'm sorry... I failed you and Mother too..."
"It's okay." Elize's words came out between sobs. "We're together now, aren't we? Forever?"
She lifted her face slightly, tears staining her immaculate white dress.
"I'm sorry... but I can't stay. Not yet."
"Of course you can! You can stay with us!" Elize shouted. "You can be my husband's wife too!"
"Your husband's wife?" Seraphine let out a genuine laugh, her cheeks flushing. "Is that how you see your big sister?"
Elize blushed too, realizing too late what she had said.
"It's all right, dear."
Seraphine smiled tenderly.
"What you see here is just a fragment of my soul, disconnected from the main body. I'm not dying. I'm just returning to the immortal sky, taking with me all my memories and everything I've experienced here."
She held Elize's face gently.
"And I promise I'll be waiting for you and yours..." Seraphine gave a muffled laugh. "Husband."
Her gaze turned to Qingyi, admiring his face for a moment.
"Oh, my little sister has developed such good taste in men!" Seraphine let out a high-pitched squeal, her face filled with a happiness she had imagined she would never feel again as she gently pinched Elize's cheeks. "I'm so proud of you!"
After a moment of silence, Seraphine focused her eyes on Elize's.
"Now... can you smile a little for your big sister?" Her voice came out weak, struggling not to cry. "I know it will be a while before you see me. I want to keep your smile with me during the wait..."
Elize lifted her face, wiped away the tears that covered it and then smiled.
A pained, tearful smile. But a smile nonetheless.
"Thank you..." Seraphine returned the smile, placing a single finger on Elize's chest.
A small orb of energy flowed into the purple-haired girl.
In the next instant, the body Seraphine occupied finally gave way, turning to dust in Elize's arms.
The fragment of her soul broke through the sky in a column of violet light.
Elize fell to her knees and was immediately supported by Qingyi. She cried non-stop as the orb of energy left by Seraphine flowed into her mind, awakening memories sealed by her mother.
It wasn't much, she was only six when she was sent to that world. But still, her mother's face was among those memories, clearer than ever.
And that was enough.
"It's all right, darling... just be patient."
Qingyi spoke softly, kissing her forehead and brushing a few disheveled strands away from her face.
"We'll soon reach the immortal heaven. And as soon as we have the necessary power, we'll go after your sister."
"Now, go back to the world of the mind now. Your husband has important things to sort out, okay? I'll be with you soon."
Qingyi's lips descended to Elize's in a soft kiss. When they parted, she disappeared along with Khaedryss.
With a weary sigh, Qingyi found himself alone again.
His eyes focused on the horizon as thirteen figures tore through the sky towards him.
[Seraphine's art on the character tab! vote for your favorite girl there]