Legends of the Stars

Chapter 27: Ascension

Chapter 27

Ascension

July 31st, 2019 AE, 12:00 PM

Jaden remembered returning to the world of the living with his friends smiling at him. His eyes opened to see them all filled with joy, relieved that he was still with them. Especially happy, Kaylah broke into tears hugged his lacerated body. All the pain he experienced before he blacked out came rushing back to him. He no longer felt the First Star in his left hand. But just beyond its grasp, he could see a ray of light pouring in from outside the Citadel.

They all looked outside and saw five celestial giants hovered above the courtyard. All the Aeons that had fought alongside them had appeared once again. Their divine forms glistened in the sunlight, painting a heavenly backdrop across the sky. But this time, they did not appear for battle. The. Instead, they simply looked down someone at the peak of the castle steps. These five deities craned their heads and gazed at the Champions. Without hearing a word from these cosmic titans, Jaden understood that they had said goodbye. In that silence, the five Aeons departed from this world, vanishing before their eyes in a haze of golden light.

As they carefully walked Jaden out of the castle, he could hear a crowd of cheers pouring in with the light. The sun shined bright over Astrelm as the darkness fled the planet. There was a peculiar freshness in the air, almost like the world had been reborn. With the enemy finally defeated, all the surviving soldiers were gathered in the courtyard, vibrantly chanting the sound of their victory. In front of them stood the Princess of Astrelm herself, alive and well.

None of the Champions could believe it, but Jaden didn't care. He just smiled to the point that his aching face hurt even more. But all the pain just melted away as he continued looking at her. As he did, he remembered his father saying the world needed the two of them to guide them.

He realized that gods had given her a second chance. They needed her, just as they needed him. With that realization, his uncle's words came ringing back to him:

The world needs people like you.

They both made it out of the tunnel, after all.

* * *

So many drastic changes ensued the following days, it was hard to follow them all. Right after the demons vanished, Alderic fled back to his palace in Novarelm. The Royal Army chased him back to his land, and the Empire surrendered the next day. Almost half of their remaining army was wiped out by Kaiser's, and the rest just couldn't handle another day of fighting. They had all dropped their weapons once the battle was over. They were all too tired.

Alderic's men had submitted long before he did. Right after Alderic resigned in shame, he went into hiding before the Royal Army could detain him. The only thing he left behind was his ring.

The New Imperial Council was formed by a select few after the previous members were arrested for war crimes. They all took over Alderic's seat as rulers of the Empire, much of which began seceding from the nation that stole their independence. The remaining land was left in ruins after the demons ravaged it all. In only a few days, the entire world had experienced a demonic holocaust, the likes of which it hasn't seen in centuries, and they had to endure the worst of it.

The Nova Empire was slowly dying.

Though it all seemed bleak, the people of Novarelm began to rebuild their lives with the rest of the world. The world started mending the wounds inflicted by years of pointless warfare, but the scars will remain. Even Jaden could still feel the ones left by Kaiser on his being. Though the Dark Lord was finally dead, he certainly wasn't forgotten. The man who became one with the Devil had lived on in their memories. Even in death, he was one with the world.