Chapter 11 Part 5

The red stream crystallized instantly. The crystal solidified around Aksion’s ankle, creeping up his legs and engulfing him entirely.

“Aksion!”

“Elia…”

By the time Elia uttered his name, it was already too late. Aksion was swallowed by the crystal, down to every last strand of his hair and piece of his clothing, leaving him speechless.

“Wait just a moment. I’ll get you out of there!” Elia tried to break the crystal but hesitated. ‘What if the crystal shatters, and Aksion…?’ There was no guarantee he wouldn’t be hurt.

Seeing her hesitation, Parmeo chuckled. He admired his reflection in the crystal, a satisfied smile playing on his lips.

“He will now be trapped in the crystal forever.” An eternal, immortal ornament, forgotten by the flow of time. This was Parmeo’s punishment for Aksion.

“Do you want to save your companion?” Elia glared at Parmeo, unable to answer. She bit her lower lip in anxiety.

“If you want to save him, you must take his place.” Parmeo summoned a red stream. Inside the liquid that turned to crystal upon contact with a person, something could be seen. ‘That’s…’ A memory Elia couldn’t forget—the altar where she had been sacrificed.

Parmeo was a demon. Due to his constraints, he couldn’t directly interfere with human fate. Instead, he manipulated and used people as his pawns for a long time.

“If you become the sacrifice, I will release him and ensure his survival,” Parmeo promised. Elia looked back at Aksion. His pupils, trapped in the crystal, were trembling slightly. Though his body was imprisoned, his mind remained awake. There was no time to hesitate.

“Aksion, I command you in the name of your master. Do not try to save me.” Elia avoided his gaze and turned away. “I’ll take his place. So, release Aksion.”

Parmeo smirked. “Give me the Sun Sword.” After a moment of hesitation, Elia handed over the sword. It floated and flew to Parmeo’s side. “It is done.” He nodded toward the altar. Elia walked to the place she had vowed never to return.

“It’s almost done.” The red liquid consumed Elia, isolating her as a sacrifice. “Now, I will free you. A dog without its master is powerless.” Parmeo kept his promise and released Aksion before throwing himself into the fissure in the earth, to reclaim his demon body.

“Elia!” Freed from the crystal, Aksion called out to her. Elia was trapped within the red crystal, standing on the altar. She appeared as a living artwork, her eyes gently closed.

* * *

‘Where am I…’ Elia opened her eyes in a dark space. This was not the real world but her subconscious. Though her body was trapped, her consciousness was free in this realm. ‘I know he won’t abandon Aksion.’ She stood up. Parmeo had only promised to keep Aksion alive, nothing more.

Elia had commanded Aksion not to save her because she intended to save him herself. ‘So, wait a little longer.’ Resolute, Elia began to search for a way out. Was there an escape from this darkness? As she searched, a familiar voice echoed in her ears. 

‘Goddess’ voice…’ The voice of Anusia, the desert goddess her tribe worshiped, filled Elia’s consciousness. A vast desert unfolded before her eyes. Beautiful oases dotted the landscape, surrounded by people. Elia realized these were memories from the past. 

‘This is Anusia’s consciousness.’ Anusia shared her precious memories with Elia. But the prosperous, beautiful desert memory didn’t last long. ‘The first apocalypse.’ A fissure in the demon realm had formed, unleashing countless demons upon the land. 

Hundreds of years passed. The sole demon that escaped the realm tried to turn the world into a new demon realm by devouring the sun. Elia was sacrificed to extinguish the sun, bringing an apocalypse upon the land. Ironically, the apocalypse continued because the god of light consented. He felt helpless as a god and attempted to end his life.

In that final moment, Anusia used the last of her divine power. ‘That’s how she rewound time for me.’ Gods exist only if there are believers. Anusia’s power was already weak, but she still had the Sun Sword. Using the Sun Sword as a medium, Anusia succeeded in rewinding time for Elia.

As Anusia shared these past memories, she spoke. ‘I will soon perish. So, my last child, grant me this request.’ A purple light sparkled before Elia—it was Anusia’s last power. However, Elia shook her head.

“No, Anusia. You will not perish. As long as there are those who believe in you, you will be eternal.” Elia was determined not to let Anusia fade away. Anusia smiled gently at her words.

‘You and the Sun Sword are already connected. The proud sword just never mentioned it.’ Elia looked at her empty hand. The sword handle appeared. The stolen Sun Sword had returned to its master.

“Please, grant me your power.” The Sun Sword vibrated in response. The sword in her hand wasn’t hot at all; it had accepted her. Elia drew out all the time stored within the sword. ‘Eternal Seal.’ It was the final spell to seal the demon realm.

A great spell that even her ancestors couldn’t complete was now hers to finish alone. Although the Sun Sword had its time, there was no guarantee of Elia’s survival.

‘Before performing the sealing spell.’ Elia swung the Sun Sword. A white flame erupted, creating a rift in the subconscious world. Beyond it lay another realm. 

In the sky, beyond the universe, a red hound that devoured the sun glared at Elia, baring its fangs. Before it could open its jaws, Elia plunged the Sun Sword into its belly. 

Screeeech!

The red hound’s scream shook the universe as sunlight burst from its belly. Elia was enveloped in the light. As she curled up, vines and flowers entwined around her body. 

‘Spirit of Time and Space, Serpi.’ The spirit, which she hadn’t summoned before, protected her. In the infinite universe of twinkling stars, Elia cast the final spell. 

Mysterious formations surrounded her, layer upon layer, at the center. The radiant spell and the stars of the world lent their power to Elia. With the final spell complete, Elia opened her eyes. Serpi safely brought her back to the surface. However, the sun wasn’t fully restored, and the world was still under immense power.

‘Could it have failed…?’ The red crystals standing everywhere lost their light. The crystals soon turned to sand and scattered with the wind. As the magic that extinguished the sun was broken, the world was also affected. Horrible screams echoed from the cracks in the ground.

‘My body, my body is stuck!’ It was Parmeo’s scream, who had tried to emerge from the otherworld. Elia looked down at the fissure. Below, a massive demon’s arm thrashed wildly, even Apicus’s head.

Having exhausted the Sun Sword’s power, another force was needed to kill Apicus. At that moment, someone’s hand overlapped hers on the sword.

“Aksion?”

Aksion held the Sun Sword with her. “Strike now.” Aksion’s body harbored the dark power Parmeo had planted. With this power, they could kill Apicus. Anusia’s final prophecy came then. 

‘He will die by the seed he planted.’ The sword, held by both, struck Apicus. 

A deafening scream and blinding light followed. The imprisoned sun rose completely, bringing light back to the world. Below, everything was covered in red sand.

“What’s happening?”

“What was I doing?” The people trapped in the crystal began to wake up one by one, bewildered by the red desert around them. At that moment, white clouds covered the sun, casting a gentle rain to quench the parched world. 

Under the falling rain, Elia and Aksion faced each other.