"Ah, damn it."
This is all my fault.
They all turned to Yves out of confusion. He looks so guilty of something they can't seem to figure out. Before they could ask, he pulled a chair and placed it right in front of the bed. He gently takes the sleeping Cimmerian's hand.
Dolunay was shocked and immediately tried to stop him.
"Wait! Yves!" She called, but then, there were visible magic circles. Her eyes were filled with fear as the room was filled with light illuminating from the three circles.
All four of them were in complete awe. They were completely unfamiliar circles, and they could barely actually read into it! It contains a lot of characters and symbols that they have no knowledge about.
While the three were looking at the circles, Dolunay turned back to Yves, terrified and worried about what might happen.
Dolunay forgot to completely warn him that healing Cim with magic won't work!
However... Before she could run to stop him, all three magic circles that were surrounding Cimmerian breaks and slowly fades in the air.
The room began to dim once again, and all fell silent.
Dolunay was specially shocked, she stood there completely still from what she witnessed.
"What...?"
She's tried to at least bring his consciousness back. But those magic circles... nearly drained all of her mana. She even tried to control and unlock those circles by learning the characters they were made of, because she knew they were the ones keeping her from waking him up, not Black Heart.
Magic circles contain certain characters and symbols, and to completely decode and understand them, one must learn of the Ancient Writings with complete mastery in utilizing it. All nine of them had already mastered them from the textbooks that Yves gave them. This was also the reason why they've become so powerful in a matter of years.
In this case though, those circles were too deep and too complex for her, and they don't even exist in the books! Nilsine had to leave the empire all for the sake of researching, hoping it might exist in other countries.
Dolunay had become so hopeless that all she was left to do is to find a cure for the Black Heart and wait for Nilsine to come back. That's all she can do to help Cim, and she couldn't even do it right.
She had to beg all for that.
Yet... all those years of complete helplessness... disappeared in a matter of one minute.
"How...?" Dolunay asks, her voice completely broken. She was holding in all the strong emotions that's blooming inside her.
Yves turned his head towards them, and with a smile, he says,
"I'm a deity, remember?"
She felt her tears fall once again.
"Yes... yes, of course..." she mumbled.
Had she lowered her pride and searched for Yves first... Had she done this sooner right after Rue left...
None of this would've happened in the first place.
Yves felt a strong pang in his chest as Dolunay once again cries in relief and the other three comforts her.
He faced Cimmerian. He saw how his complexion started to improve and have color, but the Black Heart was still there. It seems that Neura was used on Cim to weaken him…Yves couldn't help but smile proudly.
To think you used a total of three circles just put Cim in a coma, you basically lost to him, Celio. Yves thought to himself as he remembered the deity, who is a high rank member of the High Angels.
Yves then heaved a deep sigh. He's full of emotions and thoughts. He's beyond disappointed in himself that he hasn't investigated their condition and simply focused on his research for the past years.
I've forgotten that they were my first family…
Syvestian was their savior, their older brother. He was someone they needed in this rough time. Had he been present in their lives… had he searched for them the moment they went missing… everything could've been immediately resolved.
Yves held Cim's hand, almost shaking. Ah… these human emotions are too much, he thought to himself.
Yves once again took a deep breath and tried to regain his composure so he could face the four. Time is ticking. He rose from his seat and turned to them.
"Let's head back to the palace," Yves commanded, then locked eyes with Luna. "As unfortunate as it sounds, we will need the flower back. It's a national treasure and something that shouldn't fall in the hands of Heins. We'll be taking you, Cimmerian, and the flower. I hope you won't mind coming with us, Luna."
Dolunay shook her head as she wiped her tears. "I don't mind at all. Should I expect some dungeon time for stealing the flower?"
"No." Kian immediately interjected. "I'll testify for your reason. In the first place, you weren't responsible for the addict that caused havoc in the Palace, it was Heins' doing."
Ah… He's trying to score, isn't he? Yves and Milera thought to themselves as they watch Kian pull Dolunay closer to him.
Yup, he is… Ezio was nodding in his head. It's always been so obvious to him; how much Kian fancies the fairy (well, she's a faerie now so...). He was the one most broken when she left after all.
"Let's head out," Yves says with the floating Cimmerian behind him. He was using telekinesis. All of them nodded in response. Dolunay then created a misty portal to head back to her Headquarters.
Walking back there, they were welcomed by the same people who blocked Yves and the others earlier. Gina, the beast woman, bowed to them.
"My lady, you're back."
"Gina, the flower. We're giving it back."
The beast woman seemed to be surprised by the sudden decision. "But what about—"
"He's a madman who dared to keep me as his puppet until the day I die, and we will no longer associate with him." Luna cut her sentence off. Her group was silenced, but it wasn't such a bad thing. Anyone could tell that this day would come one way or another.
She must be talking about Heins, Kian thought.
"You mean to say this is an entirely different group from Heins' people?" Yves immediately asked, Dolunay smiled.
"Yes, we've been independent for an entire year now. We had an agreement that I would still do my job as their collector and gardener, but because they dared to deceive me yet again, I'd rather not remain under his wing," She began explaining. "They've exploited not only me, but my people as well, and now, they dared to keep Nilsine's current whereabouts from me."
Yves and the others' expressions immediately darkened at that revelation. So Nilsine was working for him…
Dolunay faced her people.
"Those who wish to leave, may do so by sunrise. However, if you shall stay with me, I will keep my promise to protect you from them until my very last breath."
Her stance was clear. She wanted to completely betray the man that kept them enslaved for years, but it should still be their will whether to follow her or not. Dolunay didn't need to threaten them, she knew all of them had suffered enough. She wants them all to be free and safe.
However, it didn't even take a minute before all of them had begun kneeling in front of her.
"The Moon Raiders will stay with their moon," Gina declared.
Moon Raiders. It was their name even before full independence.
What a fitting name for stealthy robbers, Yves couldn't help but chuckle at that thought. It was adorable and accurate. The moon on the other hand…
Was none other than Luna herself.