SORA

The next morning, I prepare to get ready to leave by changing into my armor, packing my other clothes into a suitcase that Cordelia provided. Cordelia said that after the ceremony we could return to the castle to gather our belongings that we didn't take with us. That being said, I figured my armor would be of more use than a suit and tie in the event of an emergency.

Once I'm changed, I head out to meet up with the others, meeting in the common area by the entrance to the castle where Cordelia instructed us to meet. Upon arriving to the common area, I notice Miroslava, Valentine, Isabella, Penelope, Layla, Akari, and Kaito are already there, Miroslava and Valentine talking quietly with Miroslava glaring at her older brother, Isabella quietly humming and reading her book, Penelope and Layla also quietly talking, and Akari and Kaito sitting on a stair together, her head resting against his shoulder. Isabella glances up from her book and smiles when she sees me, making me smile in return.

"Sora!" Isabella beams and waves, closing her book and letting it rest by her hip.

"Hi, Isabella," I say as I make my way over to her.

On my way over to her, I pass by Layla, who glares daggers at me, making me frown.

"Don't mind her," Isabella sighs quietly, having witnessed the entire scene. "You can't please everyone, you know."

"Yeah," I sigh, running a hand through my hair, "I know."

Soon, Gambit, Sekai, Evory, Darius, Clea, Merrick, Shae, Sander, Kit, Dean, Sapphire, Kat, and Reverence arrive, everyone except for Cordelia finally being together.

"Where's Cordelia?" Kit asks.

"Right here," Cordelia says as she marches over to us, pushing Carmin in front of her.

"Wait, why are we bringing him along?" Sander scowls.

"Those in charge of the temple requested Carmin be brought there for his trial," Cordelia sighs, "and by requested I mean insisted. They intend to potentially strip his title of Pride away from him so that someone more worthy can inherit it."

"You mean...similarly to the way my mother gave up being oracle to her sister?" Akari furrows her eyebrows.

"In a way," Cordelia sighs. "In order to do so, they would need Clea's help."

"I understand," Clea nods. "I'm more than willing."

"Alright then," Cordelia nods in return. "Are we all ready, then?"

Darius and Evory exchange a long hug as we start to separate into our groups, Gambit and Sekai doing the same. After a few parting words, Kat's group heads out before ours, escorted through the city and to the front gates by several of Cordelia's soldiers, the soldiers and Kat's group both on horseback. The rest of us then climb onto horses lent to us by Aurora, the one I climb on being all black with a white diamond above its eyes. Merrick climbs on behind me and wraps his arms around my waist, and I grin as I glance back at him. Meanwhile, Cordelia throws Carmin into the back of a cart that she locks, specifically used for transporting prisoners, before she goes around to the front and climbs on one of the horses that pulls the cart, Clea hopping on the other. Our group of horses begins to then head through the city, led by Cordelia and Clea.

"Where exactly is it that we're going?" Isabella asks. "I know you mentioned it was a sacred temple to Aurora and that the stones were created there."

"The temple we're going to is the Temple of Arabella, named after Arabella Aurelia, the woman who constructed it," Cordelia explains. "Nowadays, it's used primarily for spiritual purposes and for worshiping the Oracle. It holds one of the world's oldest and most divine forges, thus how the stones were created, and the temple itself is a sight to behold. It's also home to rows upon rows of books and scrolls, holding a vast array of knowledge within its walls. The temple is a few miles out from the castle and rests on a hill that overlooks the kingdom. It's protected by magical barriers, but we've been permitted to pass through. Once we get there, the barriers will temporarily lower before they rise once more, making sure the temple stays safe."

"A temple that has magical barriers inside of a kingdom that has magical barriers and high walls," Miroslava says quietly, looking up to the sky. "I don't know if that's a good thing or if it scares me half to death."

***

The Temple of Arabella is a circular white stone building with stone columns that hold up the roof and frame the open archway that leads a little further in to the patio where the wooden double-doors reside. Upon arriving, and passing through the barrier, Cordelia hops off of her horse and walks to the doors, raising a hand to knock just as the door opens. On the other side of the door stands a pink haired woman with bright green eyes, a smile stretching onto her face upon seeing Cordelia. Behind her, a brunette stands, his blue eyes curiously flickering between Cordelia and us.

Cordelia and the two exchange a few words before the two in the doorway bow respectfully to Cordelia and she bows back. Cordelia then glances back over her shoulder at us and motions for us to come forward, making the rest of us climb off of our horses and approach the temple.

"Welcome to the Temple of Arabella," the pink haired woman beams at us and steps aside for us to enter, the brunette stepping aside as well. "My name is Gia and this is my associate, Aster. It's wonderful to meet you all. Please, come inside."

I look around as we step passed the threshold to the temple, immediately taking notice to the wide open room before us with stained glass windows on the far back wall, rows of wooden benches lining the room and facing the back wall, a long blue rug with yellow decals flowing down the center of the room and leading to a circular area where a pedestal stands, candelabras standing in the background beside potted plants.

"Off to the left hallway, we have rooms for those of us who worship and study here," Aster explains, "and to the right we have the rooms where we perform our studies, as well as a library. Before you stands the main hall, where our ceremonies are performed."

"Are you Clea Olympia?" Gia's eyes brighten as she approaches Clea and grasps her hands, holding them between hers.

"Erm...yes," Clea blinks.

"It's an honor to meet you, Oracle," Gia beams before she releases Clea's hands and steps back to bow, Aster bowing as well.

"Please," Clea laughs sheepishly and rubs the back of her neck, "just call me Clea."

"Humble as well, I see," Gia smiles. "Would you allow us to prepare you for the ceremonies?"

"Okay," Clea nods, glancing back at us quickly for confirmation before Gia begins to drag her away.

"The rest of you may feel free to explore the temple until the first ceremony is ready," Aster says. "We'll begin with the ceremony to destroy the runestones. I trust that you'll keep Pride in safe hands."

"Of course," Cordelia nods before Aster heads off after Clea and Gia.

As some of us begin to wander around, I notice Layla walk off by herself and I frown, throwing a quick glance around the area before I decide to follow after her. I notice her slip into the library and I walk in after her, watching quietly she scans the dark brown shelves, light blue orb lights hanging overhead and potted plants in the corners of the room. After a few moments, she goes to pull a book out whenever her eyes flicker over to the doorway and she scowls upon spotting me, slotting the book back into place.

"What're you doing?" I cross my arms and raise a brow.

"I could ask you the same thing," Layla narrows her eyes at me. "Stalking me, now are we?"

"No," I sigh and shake my head, uncrossing my arms as I slowly walk over to her. "Whenever you said 'no, I guess you didn't' to me after I said I didn't do anything to you, what did you mean? Because, to me, that sounded like you were saying there was something that I didn't do that I should have, not that you were projecting your past trauma onto me because of who I am like some people do and you realized it. Forgive me if this sounds brash, but what exactly were you talking about? Because as far as I'm concerned, I never met you before Aurora."

"You haven't," Layla says after a few moments and looks away before she crosses her arms and sighs. "And you're right, it's not fair of me to be upset with you. After all, how could you have known? Months ago, before I went to Aria, I was a hunter for my village. When the water in the area became poisoned, lots of the wildlife became poisoned as well, and Nightmare creatures flocked in. So, I switched from hunting for food to hunting to protect. Like most, my family was affected by the poisoned waters."

"You...lived in Isabella's village?" I question, my eyebrows raising in surprise.

"Yeah," Layla nods. "I never knew her though. I was from the other side of the village, and I never really much left there. In any case, I eventually sent multiple letters to Aria requesting aid. When it finally came, it was too late and my family had passed. For some reason, I didn't become ill like they did. At first, I thought it was some kind of cruel joke, but then I decided to make the most out of my life. I decided I would go to Aria and that I would fix the broken mess, that I would help the people who never get heard before it's too late. It's true that I don't much like most Arias, but I came to find some who I realized weren't bad. And after all, I couldn't blame every single one of them, so I blamed the system instead."

"So...why despise me so much then?" I furrow my eyebrows in confusion.

"I despised you because your father was the one who caused the gateway to open," Layla's eyes meet mine. "I thought that maybe if Wrath were eradicated, all of this would stop. That's why while I decided I didn't like Carmin's system, I could survive with it until his goal of destroying Wrath was realized. But...that was wrong of me. Don't get me wrong, I still don't like you, but Penelope made me realize something. If you have a sword and you stab someone, it's not the sword who stabs them, it's you. There may be dangerous abilities out there, but what matters is the person who handles them, and you don't seem like the type to abuse yours or use them for wrong. Penelope also made me realize that yeah, maybe once you're gone and the next Wrath comes along they'll be a horrible person, but that could happen to any of the Sins or Virtues. And if they are, there will always be good people to combat it."

"Penelope's pretty wise, isn't she?" I smile softly and Layla smiles back.

"Yeah," Layla sighs. "I guess she is."

"So, then what're you looking for in here?" I ask, my eyes flickering to the book she was trying to pull out earlier.

"Well," Layla frowns, "I thought that if I came to the library of the Temple of Arabella, I could find answers."

"Answers to what, if you don't mind me asking?" I say.

"Me," Layla says after a few moments, her eyes flickering between mine and the book. "I want to know why I wasn't affected. I know that maybe it was just how it was supposed to be, that I wouldn't get sick and that I would survive when they wouldn't, but I want to know. For my parents and for my little brother, I want to know. I want to do justice by their names and live the best life that I possibly can. That wasn't the only instance that something odd happened, either, which makes me think it was something more."

"What do you mean?" I frown.

"When I was little, I wanted to learn how to hunt. My parents said I was too young, having only been eight at the time, and that I should wait two more years," Layla begins. "Me, however, I decided that I wanted to try. So, one day I snuck out into the woods. While hunting, a Nightmare wolf came across me. I stumbled backwards in an attempt to turn back and run, but I tripped and fell, landing so that I was staring directing into the wolf's eyes. However, despite having the perfect opportunity, it didn't hurt me. Instead, it had tried to attack my father who came looking for me. My father then killed it, but all my life I never stopped wondering why it didn't attack me instead whenever it had a few seconds to just before my father arrived. My father told me to never mention it to anyone, but I thought that was just because he wanted to keep it from mother so that I wouldn't get in trouble. At least, I thought that until I was a little older."

"I see..." I frown, lost in thought.

"And...I'm sorry, again. I probably should've been a little kinder to you," Layla sighs. "With bloodied wings do those who want to make things right carry themselves and yet others instead only see the wrongs they believe them to be. My mother used to always tell me that. I should've lived by it. I do live by it. So, I apologize for my original...harshness."

"It's alright," I breathe out, feeling as if though I've heard that before.

"In any case," Layla sighs. "We should probably go find the others before they wonder where we wandered off to. I wouldn't want your boyfriend getting jealous, now."

As Layla begins to leave, I stare at her retreating figure and wonder if perhaps, just perhaps, Ice Queen Layla warmed up to me just a little bit.