A stunned silence stretches out between Raiden and Cyrus. Raiden jolts out of bed and stares at the man in front of him, completely at a loss for words. When he finds no trace of humor on Cyrus's face, a sense of dread rolls through the pit of his stomach. His eyes widen in horror.

I killed them?

"That's impossible!" Raiden yells, his voice echoing throughout the room.

Cyrus flinches. He lowers his eyes, his features clouded by sadness. When he speaks, his voice trembles as if it and his heart are about to break.

"I'm sorry, Kara. I don't know why you don't remember, but that's what happened." Cyrus clenches his jaw. "When you returned, you were pale and upset, and you started crying as you told us what had happened. That was before you went unconscious."

"No," Raiden gasps, apparently in a state of denial. He buries his face in his hands and squeezes his eyes shut.

No, it can't be. This isn't real.

Raiden racks his brain, attempting to remember everything that has occurred, but all he can recall is the carriage incident and a girl with a wooden sword. He has no recollection of killing Nathan, Sunshine, or even Raia.

They're not dead, and I didn't kill them. How could I forget something like that if it really happened?

"Stop lying!" Raiden roars, baring his teeth at Cyrus. "Besides, Aragons cannot be tainted. We're immune!"

Cyrus shifts his gaze away.

Raiden yanks on his collar, frustrated. "Tell me you're lying! M-my comrades can't be dead!"

Unable to hold them any longer, the stored tears fall from his eyes and agonizing sobs wrack his entire body. His vision blurs as he continues to cry. He crumbles on the inside as the images of his comrades flash through his mind one after the other.

"Brother, please tell me you're lying. Please . . . " Raiden manages to croak.

"Kara, they're tainted not by a low-level demon, but by the Great Wizard himself," Cyrus says after a brief silence.

Raiden's freezes. His stomach sinks, and he feels as if the weight of the world has been placed on his shoulders. He lets go of Cyrus' collar and lifts his head to meet the man's gaze.

"What? So the one we encountered was the Great Wizard himself?" Raiden's voice is so husky as to be almost inaudible.

Cyrus doesn't respond, but his expression already answers Raiden's question; an answer the boy refuses to accept.

Raiden looks at him with wide eyes, tears spilling down his cheeks. He staggers backward, still stunned and in denial. He totters away from Cyrus, his shoulders slumped forward, a gloomy cold aura enveloping him. Despite the sadness tearing at his heart, he manages to compose himself.

It's clearly a lie, he keeps reminding himself. He has no memory of ever meeting the Great Wizard. He hasn't the faintest idea what that man's appearance is like. Raiden is certain that everything Cyrus has told him is a lie. If that is the case, how is he still alive? Given that they came face to face with a powerful being, he must be dead as well.

Raiden shakes his head. "That doesn't make any sense. Nathan might have asked you to participate in this silly joke." He trudges toward the door, shaking his head. "I need someone else to clear things up for me."

When he reaches for the door, it swings open on its own, halting him in his tracks. In the doorway appears a woman wearing a crimson coat and wearing her hair in a bun.

"Miss Sonnet," Raiden breathes, relieved. He wipes his tears away with the back of his hands and forces a smile.

Finally, there is someone else he can ask.

He opens his mouth to speak, then shuts it again. Something isn't quite right. The air around Sonnet is different. He narrows his eyes and examines the woman. Sonnet's blue eyes are dull and lifeless, and her face is emotionless. Her demeanor resembles that of an Outcast.

"M-miss Sonnet?"

A chill runs down his spine when he reaches a conclusion.

It can't be.

Raiden has a brief moment of doubt, but when he notices the dim light forming a round shape in the woman's palm, he confirms his theory. With her vacant expression and her ability to summon light in her hands, Sonnet is an Outcast.

"Kara!" Cyrus warns.

Sonnet releases a spherical light.

Cyrus stiffens. He brings his hand to his chest and looks down at it, his eyes widening.

"Bishop Galbraith?" Raiden calls. When he notices a black mark, similar to ink, climbing Cyrus's neck and covering half of his face, terror takes over his features.

Tainted. Sonnet has tainted Cyrus. The man is not an Elysian, but rather an ordinary disciple.

"Brother, no!" Raiden yells as he rushes up to him.

Cyrus looks at him before collapsing to the ground.

Raiden kneels beside him, but all the boy can do is stare in hopelessness. Cyrus is tainted. He can no longer save him unless . . .

Cyrus's mouth slowly curves into a smile. "You know what to do, Kara." He pauses. "Wake up." His eyelids drop and his body goes limp.

Raiden's heart sinks.

No.

His chin trembles and tears sting his eyes once again. Pain grips his chest. His heart rate quickens as he hears footsteps approaching behind him. He holds his breath and lifts his head to look at Sonnet. The woman raises her hand, conjuring another light.

He clenches his teeth and reaches for the cross earring that hangs from his right ear.

"Answer my call, Cypress," he whispers.

The moment the broadsword appears in his hand, a wave of warmth washes over him, dispelling his fear and terror. Swinging his weapon has long been his fear, but saving a soul from despair will always be his wish, no matter who they are.

"This isn't reality," Raiden declares to himself, gathering his courage as he locks gaze with the Outcast, whom he once knew as Sonnet, the woman who was like a mother to him. "I will not be deceived by this nightmare, and I will not succumb to defeat. Because I swore to myself and those who believe in me that I will no longer be crushed by my enemies."

I'm not going to let my weakness hold me back again. Instead, I'll turn it into strength.

He recalls something his master once said to him.

"Raiden, never forget that no matter how strong or weak you are, if you have no faith in yourself, you will never win."

Raiden grits his teeth as he glances at Cyrus. "I will save you . . . and I will save myself."

Sonnet releases a ball of light.

Raiden performs a somersault and leaps up before the spherical light can hit him. He lowers his stance and looks at Sonnet, his grip on the hilt of his sword tightening. Then he lunges, putting all of his strength into his Blessing.

***

Sunshine is still slumped on the grass, staring at the two tainted Outcasts — her parents, whom she already killed years ago. Despite the sun shining down on their tainted faces, their eyes remain dull.

That's because they no longer live as a human.

She was eleven years old when an angel appeared and blessed her soul. It guided her to deliver her parents from their despair. The memory is still vivid in her mind. She'll never forget how they vanished right before her eyes, how she sent their souls to the afterlife.

Her beloved parents.

My parents are long dead, Sunshine reflects, painfully reminding herself as she gazes at her mother and father. They return her stare with a deadpan expression and saunter forward. Sunshine's heart beats faster with each step they take.

"Mom, dad . . ." she says, a tremble in her voice as she clutches the metal grip of her longbow.

They come to a halt two feet from her.

Sunshine's chest twists into a knot when they flash their palms at her and light appears in them. Tears sting her eyes, piling up on her bottom lids and blurring her vision before falling and staining her face.

"I . . . I can't go through this again. Please, Azarios," she begs her god as she tightens her grip on her longbow.

Sunshine stands motionless. She struggles to muster the courage to move her hands and destroy them with her weapon. She can't take her gaze away from her beloved parents, not out of fear, but because she misses them. She has finally met her parents after sending their souls to Elysium seven years ago; she has seen their lovely faces again.

A soft smile stretches across her tear-streaked face. "Mom, Dad . . . I miss you so bad. I never go a day without thinking of you. Are you having a good time in Elysium? I'm sure your souls haven't reincarnated yet because it hasn't been one hundred years since you left." She lowers her head, thinking about the Holy Church's doctrine that after a soul has lost its corporeal vessel, it will remain there for a hundred years before Azarios sends it back to earth to begin its new journey. That's a law in Elysium.

Sunshine nibbles on her lower lip as tears fall down her cheeks. She can't take her eyes off them. She can't bear the thought of them being out of her sight again. She wants to stay in this moment, with her parents standing right in front of her.

She has longed to be with them for all of the years she has been apart from them.

Ball of light shoots out from their raised palms, and Sunshine reflexively blocks them with her weapon. The angel halo on her forehead glows brighter, corresponding to her swirling emotions.

Her father lunges at her, his movement a little sluggish. Sunshine performs a backflip, then another, and another, until the distance between them is large enough for her to buy time. Her parents are tainted Outcasts who haven't corrupted a single soul yet, so their reflexes are slow. She will take advantage of their shortcomings to gather herself.

I hate this part of me, Sunshine thinks as she sidesteps to avoid the light emitted by her mother. They summon another spherical light.

She may have already attained the final Divine Level of her Blessing, but she is far from the strong warrior her comrades expect of her. She, like Raiden, occasionally loses herself, which is why she understands how her friend feels better than anyone else.

Because they both let their emotions get the best of them at a critical moment.

That's why she harbors hidden envy toward Nathan, who has only been a disciple for two years but is unquestionably a better warrior than she is. In the face of an enemy, that man never loses his cool. Then there's Raia, a new Aragon with a powerful aura, merciless and unrelenting; she truly embodies the qualities of a true warrior.

Sunshine feels so small as she reflects on her shortcomings.

Regardless, she never dislikes Nathan or Raia. She only hates herself.

But she can't dwell on her flaws. She can't stay like this. Perhaps this is what keeps her from concluding a successful contract with an angel. After all, she and Nathan had made a wager. The first person to become an Apostle is declared the strongest, and the loser must treat the winner to dinner at the most expensive restaurant.

Sunshine slashes the two spherical lights with her longbow twice. Her parents are getting closer. She leaps backward, widening the gap between them once more. Her lips curl into a small smile.

"It's great to see you again, Mom and Dad," Sunshine says half-whispered. "Even if it's only a dream, I'm still extremely happy to be standing on the same ground as you. I'm truly happy."

Tears stream down her cheeks like a waterfall as she slowly raises the longbow before her face. With trembling hands, she pulls the bowstring, and a shining arrow appears out of thin air, with light particles gathering around it. Sobs escape her lips, her shoulders shaking. She whimpers in grief as she aims the arrow at her approaching parents.

They died seven years ago, and their souls were the first she sent to Elysium — the first she freed and purified. Sunshine will never forget that moment, and she will never wish to bury that memory. Her parents and the memories she has with them are what gives her strength. They are what motivate her to hunt down and destroy as many demons as possible.

She despises them. She despises everything related to the Abyss. They are the reason why her parents are no longer alive. That's why she must destroy those selfish demons. She must destroy what has taken her family away.

She must destroy them all.

"I love you, Mom, Dad," Sunshine declares, regaining her composure and gathering more energy for her arrow. "But your souls are already at rest. So I'm going to destroy these impersonators and escape this nightmare."

This isn't my reality, because my reality is waiting for me outside.

"My parents are long gone," she continues, aiming her arrow for the perfect spot while hopping away to avoid the lights, "and my grief has long been forgotten. I have already surrendered my life to the Light, so no evil can deceive my sight."

She takes a deep breath and fires the arrow. It whizzes through the air and splits into two, hitting both Outcasts at the same time.

"Ciana, free us."

***

Nathan blinks as his father extends a hand, accompanied by a jingling sound. In his hand, a golden necklace dangles. Nathan's eyes widen upon recognizing the Farquharson crest pendant hanging from the chain. The round metal gleams in the light from the small chandelier above them. It winks at him as if it were an invitation, beckoning him to accept it and reclaim his title as a Farquharson.

To return to the family.

A look of puzzlement crosses Nathan's face as he takes the necklace. Then he looks at his father, who appears to be acting strangely. The head of the family no longer has a stern face, but rather a gentle one.

"Father? W-why?" Nathan struggles to express his confusion.

Of course, he isn't complaining; he's simply perplexed. Is his family finally willing to forgive him? Will he be welcomed back into the clan? To the family?

"We would like to offer our deepest apology, my son," his father speaks in a deep, yet gentle voice. He clears his throat with his fist in front of his mouth and looks at his wife, who only nods.

Can I forgive them now?

"Nathan," his mother says, looking him in the eyes. "The Pope already told us everything. Your current state and unexpected arrival have provided us with sufficient evidence to validate everything you told us."

Nathan holds his breath as he anticipates her mother's next words. Even though it seems impossible, he is still hoping for acceptance from his family. He's looking forward to hearing that word.

"We . . . believe you now, Nathan," his mother carries on, a kind smile replacing the threatening look on her face. "We believe everything."

Nathan freezes, as if time has stopped. The necklace slips from his hand and falls to the floor, and a loud, ringing sound swallows the silence. He blinks a couple of times, still trying to figure out what's going on, and then a single tear falls down his cheek.

Impossible. God, is this for real? Am I . . . Am I finally being accepted?

His mother's expression softens as she sees her son's face. She edges closer to him and caresses his face. "Come here, sweetie," she says softly.

Nathan remains motionless, like a statue.

She pats him on the back and says, "We miss you, Nathan. We're sorry for not believing you. W-we're sorry for shunting you from the family."

Nathan's gaze shifts to Judith. His sister smiles at him, tears rolling down her cheeks. After returning her smile, he looks at his father.

That's when Nathan snaps.

Conflicting emotions course through him as he crumbles in his mother's arms. He bursts into tears and embraces her, something he's wanted to do for the years he's been apart from them.

Her mother hugs him even tighter, tears flowing down her cheeks. Judith and her father join in the embrace, feeling each other's warmth — as families do.

Nathan closes his eyes and takes a slow, deep breath. Their quiet sobs and the gentle rock of their shoulders warm his heart. After two years, the Farquharson family is finally back in each other's arms.

They're finally back together.

It's too good to be true.

But Nathan knows best. Nothing can fool him, not even this beautiful nightmare. Because, as much as he wants everything to be true, he can't stay in a world where his friends no longer exist.

He can't stay in a world of make-believe, a world in which his God has failed him.

Despite the conflict that has developed between them, he still cares about his family. He will always care about them. But he cares just as much about his comrades as he does about the family that has shunned him. Even if he has doubts, he knows that the God he serves will not abandon him just like that.

Don't let me down this time, Azarios.

He has only two choices at the moment — a choice between reality and dream. A decision that, once made, he will never be able to reverse.

He lifts his hand. "Answer my call, Vlad."

Despite the fact that he is not wearing his silver cross earring, a light explodes from his hand, forming the shape of a cross spear.

"No one can fool a madman," he whispers.

He whips his spear in a wide arc, destroying the beautiful illusion before him. His family's figure begins to distort, becoming translucent and wispy, as if made of smoke, before dissolving into thin air.

He opens his eyes to find himself alone.

***

Raia opens her eyes, and a worried face greets her.

Kaylee.

Her stomach sinks as she sweeps her gaze around. They are in a large, dimly lit room. A gas lantern sits atop the table near the single arched window, through which a sliver of moonlight filters in and dapples the floor.

She's still trapped in a nightmare.

She grits her teeth as she tightens her fists and digs her nails into her palms. How can she get out of this? She doesn't want to see those people's faces again. Her stomach churns and her blood boils just looking at them. Her hatred for them is still so strong in her that she feels compelled to kill them in retaliation for all the pain and suffering they have caused her.

She wants revenge.

She wants satisfaction.

She wants to punish their souls.

"Raia?" Kaylee's voice brings her back to reality, pulling her back from the brink of madness. Her pure, innocent voice cuts through her darkness like a ray of light.

"Kaylee . . ." Raia mumbles.

Frosty air embraces her barely covered skin. She closes her eyes and curls up in the cold, hugging herself and cursing her small, tight dress.

"I will free you."

Raia jerks up from her bed, startled. She remembers. Her master, Simon, stabbed her with his sword. With his Blessing. Her master killed her. No — he exorcised her. She frowns and falls silent, wondering what Simon meant by those words. He attacked her despite the fact that she was not possessed or tainted.

Raia looks down at her chest, but her white tunic dress is spotless. She touches her chest and stomach, looking for any sign of injury, but she feels no pain. So, why did Simon stab her with his Blessing? She was undoubtedly conscious at the time, indicating that she was not possessed by any lost spirits.

She clutches her head and squeezes her eyes shut, groaning in frustration, unable to make sense of anything around her. Why is she having this nightmare in the first place? Why can't she get out of it? Maybe it's trying to tell her something.

Perhaps something happened to Kaylee?

Raia shakes her head and pushes those thoughts out of her mind. Perhaps this nightmare is just a reminder of the guilt she's been denying for a long time — the guilt of abandoning and forgetting a dear human.

Maybe this is another test.

"Raia!" Kaylee's shrill voice snaps Raia out of her daze again.

Raia's eyes peel open and she takes a look at Kaylee's features. The friend she left behind.

Friend.

"Kaylee," Raia mutters, averting her eyes.

Kaylee leans her hands on Raia's bed, bringing her face close to Raia.

"What's the matter?" Raia asks with a frown.

Kaylee remains silent. She tilts her head and blinks. A wide smile spreads across her freckled face.

"You look so different, Raia," she exclaims.

"You already told me that."

Kaylee leans out and straightens up, still smiling at her. "I'm not referring to your physical appearance."

Before Raia can ask what she meant, a dark red liquid drips from the corner of the girl's mouth.

"Kaylee, you're bleeding!" Raia says, her heart racing.

Kaylee's brows shoot up, then smiles at her again. "I'm fine, Raia," she croaks before collapsing to the ground.

"Kaylee!" Raia shrieks and springs out of bed. She kneels next to her on the floor, a dreadful gasp escaping her mouth. Kaylee's white tunic dress is stained with blood.

Kaylee is hurt.

Raia gently places Kaylee's head on her lap and rests a trembling hand on her wounded stomach. She clenches her teeth, fighting back tears that threaten to fall.

It's only a dream, Raia reminds herself.

Kaylee coughs up a mouthful of blood and pushes Raia's hand away from her stomach with little to no effort, but she still manages to prevent Raia from healing her wound.

Raia shoots her a puzzled look, but Kaylee only smiles.

"I told you I'm fine, Raia," Kaylee wheezes.

Raia opens her mouth to say something, but someone yanks her away.

"No!" Raia screams, thrashing her arms and legs in an attempt to break free from someone's grasp.

Without warning, the person holding her lets go and shoves her forward. Raia loses her balance and collapses on the icy floor. She groans. She stands up and spins around to find Miss Alvarado standing in front of her. She bares her teeth at her and opens her mouth, but Miss Alvarado greets her cheek with a hard slap.

Raia stops dead, a sharp pain stinging her left cheek. What little gleam in her eyes fades as she stares at the towering woman in front of her.

"How dare you slap me?" Raia says. Her gaze is filled with killing intent and her voice is ice-cold.

"Start doing your job, now!" Miss Alvarado's sharp voice rings out in the empty room, her wrinkled face scowling. She raises a long, bony finger and points to something behind Raia.

Frowning, Raia spins around and looks. The once-empty space is now occupied by a row of rumpled beds on which injured people lie. Their eyes glow in the darkness, staring at her. Their shallow breathing echoes around her ear, as if pleading for a miracle. Raia curls her toes as the coldness intensifies.

Her job? Dying patients? Unfortunately, the orphanage no longer has authority over her.

"I'm no longer your healer, greedy human," Raia drawls as she returns her gaze to Miss Alvarado. "So don't order me around."

She then drags her feet over to the bleeding girl on the ground. Her jaw tightens, and her heart thuds painfully in her chest as if someone were punching her from the inside. Kaylee, whose face has turned pale, looks Raia in the eyes and smiles weakly. Blood continues to seep from her wound, dripping down the drab floor and pooling around her petite frame. A trickle of blood runs towards Raia's foot.

Warm electricity flows through Raia as soon as Kaylee's blood touches her bare skin. Everything around her has suddenly slowed down, even their breathing sounds have become muffled. Raia stands unaffected, her heart pounding in her ears as if it were echoing in the room and replacing the silence that surrounds her.

A warm sensation pervades throughout her body. It helps her to stay calm in the midst of the chaos. Her breathing and focus slowly become steady.

What's that feeling? Is it the power that resides within me? Is it my miracle?

Is this how my gift has always been to people?

Raia ponders as she places her hand against her chest. She now understands why they call her a miracle. It's because her power makes them feel warm. It comforts them.

It gives them pleasure.

And it gives me pain.

She pushes the thought out of her mind. She doesn't have time to whine and complain about her flaws. No time for self-pity. She is, after all, a healer — a miracle, they say. It's what her master told her, and it's what she has to be.

"I am a miracle," she whispers, looking at her palms. "That's why I have to be a miracle for myself. I must be my own healer."

She feels compelled to slap herself for her foolishness and ignorance over the years she has been oblivious to the benefits of her healing. If her power is truly a miracle, it must be beneficial not only to everyone but also to herself. If she is a miracle, she must exist as one. Her power may be a double-edged sword for her, but it is truly a miracle — because she will make it her own.

This power can save her despite the pain it gives.

This power can protect her.

I'm no longer a tool and I rule my own life. I'm going to seize control of the power that resides within me.

Mine.

A wave of warm sensation floods her insides as the power within her restores and enhances her strength. The extinguished embers within her rekindle and spread throughout her body like wildfire, comforting her.

Kaylee's face twists as she whimpers in pain, but when her gaze meets Raia's, she replaces it with a gentle smile.

"Answer my call, Raphael." Raia summons her Blessing despite the absence of her necklace, and a longsword materializes in her hand.

The fire around the long blade moves dynamically, sending sparks, and the flame color changes to a purple hue. She points her sword at Kaylee, who is staring at her with wide innocent eyes. Inching closer to her, she grits her teeth as she raises her flaming sword, the blade pointing down at the girl.

"I'm sorry for failing you, Kaylee," Raia speaks in a soft voice. "But wait for me; I will definitely come and rescue you in ten years. I'll give you the freedom we dreamed of as kids. I p-promise I'll come to you."

A single teardrop trickles down her cheek. With trembling hands, she tightens her grip on the hilt of her longsword. Kaylee is still staring at her, her mouth slightly parted, confused.

"You are the chain that binds me. I have to destroy you in order for me to escape from this nightmare. So, for now, I will have to fail you," Raia whispers before thrusting the flaming blade into Kaylee's chest. "Raphael, join me."

The purple flame from the sword spreads out and encircles Raia's body, embers fluttering around. Every trace of coldness is replaced by soothing warmth. Her purple hair blends in with the flames blazing around her, giving the impression that she is made of fire.

Kaylee reaches out a hand with a bright smile on her face before the fire swallows her.

After watching her disappear, Raia turns around and faces the four people she desires to destroy above all else. Even more than the demons. Her eyes flash, resembling the glow of the moon outside, and she turns off the divine power of her Blessing before advancing.

With each swing of her longsword, blood splatters everywhere, and heads snap off bodies. Miss Alvarado, together with the three caretakers, collapses to the ground headless. Crimson blood erupts from their severed neck, drenching the floor. The patients on the beds remain motionless, their eyes glowing as they stare at Raia.

Raia sweeps her gaze over the corpses, a deadpan expression on her face. The sweet metallic scent wafts into her nose, and she closes her eyes, hoping that this brief moment isn't a nightmare, but rather reality.

How, satisfying. If only it wasn't a dream. I hope I get the chance to do this in the real world.

She opens her eyes and stares at the ceiling, a thin smile tugging on her lips.

I don't care if they are mere humans. Demons or not, I destroy what I want to destroy, especially if they get in my way.

"I guess I have to thank whoever gave me this nightmare," she says, her voice resounding throughout the room.

***

Tallulah enters the abandoned church with a wide smile and hums a tune. She walks down the aisle, her footsteps echoing throughout the place. When she reaches the center, her steps come to a halt. She closes her eyes, exhales deeply, and spreads her arms wide. She opens her eyes and looks up at the cobweb-covered dome ceiling. A large grin splits her face. Her wicked laughter breaks the silence as she spins round and round, her hair and skirt moving accordingly.

These lambs are mine, Loki.

A bright light explodes on the altar. She stops. When the girl with the dark purple hair awakens from her slumber, she feels a rush of excitement run through her veins.

The Aragon rises to her feet, clutching a flaming longsword in her hand. She raises her head, and their gazes lock. The purple flame surrounding her sword brightens, and she points her weapon in the direction of Tallulah.

Tallulah's grin broadens. "You're acting brave when you've only just awoken. You're an interesting one. I admire your spirit! But first, how about we talk about the dream you had?" She spins around and bursts out laughing once more.

"I will burn you, Blood Demon." Raia's deep voice bounces off the walls. She bends forward and pounces on the grinning demon.