I was inspecting the tall, floating sentries at the foot of the fortress when I heard the screaming begin. It took all I had not to fall down while running up the steps, and I was sure if I fell, I would just get right back up to keep going. I didn’t take long before I saw the source: Emily. The demon, Lucelle, and Elysewhyr were already around her and trying to comfort her, but it was like she couldn’t see them. I was told she got herself out of bed, avoided everyone and answered no one, opened the gate on her own, and then just started screaming at the top of her lungs. Gods, she wasn’t even wearing proper clothing!

It took a while before she finally stopped. I guess she just lost the energy when she finally leaned back and started staring into the forests. The oddest part about her was her eyes; her pupils became cracked and red, which apparently had scared many of the fortress’ workers. She was completely blind to us, something not even Goddess Yhannason could explain. When she saw, she said it was probably the Descentian god that paid this place a visit. It was an act of intervention, which explained us setting up the sentries so quickly. Boy, did that unholy being run with its tail tucked between its legs when it saw us.

“Yubik, do you think she is going to be alright?” Elysewhyr asked me when we got Emily back to her bed.

“I can’t tell for sure. She’s unresponsive, likely under the influence of a godly being.”

“Could she… need to find that one for a rematch? Who was it again, if you don’t mind repeating yourself?”

“Rikka Selik, Descentian God of Poison, a close affiliate of Morak Serihn, the same god Emily defeated not that long ago.”

Her eyes went wide. “They want revenge.”

“That’s all they ever want, which is the reason for those colossal towers out there.” I pointed to the door out of frustration.

“Those colossal towers will only hold them so long,” Goddess Yhannason said at the door, the same one I was pointing at.

I dropped my hand and got out of her way, now red with embarrassment. “Your stay is going to be elongated, Goddess?”

“For the time being, until she snaps out of Rikka’s trance. Expect to see more Ascentian intervention in the near future, Sun.”

I needed some air, so I left the room. Rikka Selik is a very dangerous god, one that Emily couldn’t hope to fight on her own right now, so why did she try? She may be well in over her head, but it wasn’t warranted for a Descentian god to come and make an example of her; that’s not how immortals interact with mortals. I was furious and wanted to take revenge, which wasn’t a good thing. I felt those feelings I had for Emily, ones that an immortal should not have for a mere mortal. I just needed to suppress them for now. For now.

I went through the halls until I found my way to the outside pathway, the one with the balcony. In the distance, a huge field looked immaculate, one that was stained with a hole in the ground for the longest time, but that was a century ago, thanks to Emily and her allies. I remember watching how corrupt she was, yet feeling little anger for her. She did everything she could with who she could find to take what she wanted. I like a confident woman who knows how to get things done. No, suppress the feelings.

“Beautiful, huh?” The demon friend of Emily’s came up behind me.

I looked to her, then back out to the field. “Now, it is.”

“It wasn’t always.”

“Not always.”

“That was the last time I was here.”

I turned my gaze in her direction. “Huh?”

“I know the day you are talking about. I was carted in a steel cage across that field when that… monster ambushed us. Then, I was brought up here. Then, Emily did something to help me, I forget what. Then… I left.”

“Why did you leave?”

“I didn’t feel like I had anything left here. There wasn’t anything worth staying for.”

“Em- Lady Everlock is worth staying for.”

“I thought she would reject me.”

“She isn’t quick to reject friends.”

“You think you know so much about her?” I sensed a bit of frustration in her voice.

“I like to think so.”

“Why is she like that now?” Here comes a barrage of questions.

“She tried to stand up to a Descentian god.”

“Why was it here?”

“She defeated another Descentian god.”

“If a god from Descentia came to the living world, wouldn’t you all in your perfect land know about it?”

“I don’t live to be questioned by demons.” Honestly, I was getting a bit frustrated, too.

“You live to uphold Ascentia’s goals, one of which is to keep Descentia from ruining Mercelon.”

“Mercelon isn’t the only landmass on this world, you know.”

“You would think we would be safe from Descentian deities.” She was getting upset and trying to find someone to blame. Maybe if she was here and not gone somewhere she didn’t belong, she could have helped Emily. I wasn’t going to say that to the demon, though.

“You are safe from them.”

“She isn’t, though. Why?”

I turned my body to face her. “Because she isn’t as clever or as powerful as everyone thinks she is. She is a mortal, not some goddess. Just because she has powers from the Void, that doesn’t mean she is immortal. She may be able to do some things that no one else in this world can do, but that doesn’t make her safe from Descentia. Do you think anything would have been different if you or I were here? Do you have any clue who we are dealing with?”

“Enough, Dark Sun.” Goddesses have impeccable timing.

I turned and dropped to one knee, afraid of knowing how much she just heard. “Goddess.”

“Rise.” After I had, she went to the railing of the balcony. “Emily is incredibly powerful and clever, yes. She is indeed more powerful and smarter than some gods and goddess, both in Ascentia and Descentia. However, she has a heart; a great heart, at that. Because of that, she fears killing and lets kills rest on her shoulders like a weight.” The goddess turned to us, her light blue eyes shimmering in the sun's rays. “If you truly think that she could defeat Rikka Selik how she is now, you are sorely mistaken.”

“It was not my intention to downgrade her abilities, Goddess,” I tried to redeem myself.

“My apologies, Yubik. I didn’t mean to snap at you,” Lucelle spoke.

Goddess Yhannason waited a few moments, then said, “Well, now that we have that out of the way, why don’t we go back to our duties and await her awakening?” I wasn’t going to argue with that.