Songbreaker

Chapter 19: Giving In, Giving Out

The shock of both Yvana and Thalleous' discovery resounds throughout the room as they gawk in disbelief at what they uncovered. Little did they know that their sudden discovery wasn't the only thing that they would find out as they have a guest arrive

And their guest holds the very thing that could end life as they know it with every intention to destroy it; but not without another secret coming to light

Author's note: goddamn I didn't mean for such a big gap between the chapters but it couldn't be helped

this is my favourite chapter. I can't explain it, I just love it (and so does my beta, apparently, given the screech I got after he read it) XD

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The Tidesinger sat on the makeshift sofa hunched over with his hands clasped between his knees, a hardened scowl shot in the direction of the two champions. He was still as stone, unmoving and, much to their surprise, unscathed; even after the effect of the Prime Song destruction, there was hardly a scratch on him, but a small, light burn to his chest. His sharp gaze didn't even so much as waver as the champions stared back at him in confusion.

"How- H-how did you get here?" Thalleous asked, struggling for words.

He couldn't show how relieved he was to see that Achillean was alive and well for he could not discern the reason behind his hateful scowl towards them. He also had not the chance to attempt amends after his distasteful outburst prior to this moment; he was lucky Yvana still wasn't trying to kill him after the events of Ataraxia.

Achillean huffed and rolled his eyes, but he had no response for the Sendaris champion. He was even colder than when they had first met him at the beginning of their endeavour and dragged him across Ardonia against his will, looking as though he were about to wrap his hand around their throats once more.

Something was amiss.

Yvana scowled with her tired eyes and raised a leg in an attempt to stand, but when her strength ceased to exist in her movements, she leant forward with a groan, balancing on one knee and heaving. Thalleous warily glanced at her before returning to the puzzle that was the Tidesinger in front of them.

"You have got some explaining to do," he asserted to the Nestoris, but he was met with an uncaring scoff and a snide sneer from the other, still not saying a word – almost as though he wasn't allowed to.

Thalleous unsheathed his sword and gripped it by his side, knowing that Achillean was hiding something much greater than his secret regarding Ingressus and the Great War. He had suspected it for a long time – as had Yvana – but with nothing else to go on, they had very little to press him with. Here, he wasn't even trying to hide his shifty behaviour, almost smug that he had successfully hidden his varying knowledge up until this point.

With a clatter, a cloaked figure appeared from the doorway behind Achillean, dragging a dead Glacian by their neck into the main room, the Aggressium Prime Song violently humming away in their hand as they held a firm grasp on such power.

Achillean didn't shift even slightly, but Thalleous' body became hardened with tension and his breathing hitched, almost in a hidden fear that had suddenly unearthed itself, like reality had caught up with him.

The Songbreaker.

As they dropped the Glacian's body to the ground, they removed their hood, looking directly at the two champions by the door with a gaze cold as ice and emotionless. Her darkened eyes flickered like faulty lightbulbs, dashing between the old vibrant emerald and the soulless black they were. From under her burnt features, a small smirk formed, creasing the charred skin under her eyes. She swept her matted hair from her face, exposing the cracks in her once honourable Kaltaris horns, but her gaze never relented, shooting daggers at those who had been chasing her for months, wondering about her for years.