Kill the Light

21 - Aftermath

I opened my eyes to chaos. The deafening sound of clashing swords and the cries of the wounded filled the air. I stood in the midst of a battlefield, my heart pounding. The sky was ablaze with an otherworldly light, and the ground beneath my feet trembled with each thunderous explosion. Confusion and fear surged through me as I tried to make sense of my surroundings.

But something was wrong. I looked down and realized I was no longer in my own body. Instead, I wore an elegant but now tattered and blood-stained gown. The scene was hauntingly familiar; it was the vision I had seen in the courtyard.

I tried to move, to scream, to do anything, but I couldn't. I was trapped, a spectator in someone else's body, unable to control her actions or even influence her thoughts. It was like being a ghost, seeing and feeling everything but unable to interact with the world around me. Fear and determination coursed through me, but I was powerless to change the course of events.

In the distance, I saw towering figures, their forms shimmering with divine energy. The gods had descended to the mortal realm, their wrath unleashed upon the world. The ground cracked open, and fiery chasms swallowed entire battalions. Heavenly beings wielded weapons of unimaginable power, their every strike causing devastation.

My mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. The body's owner was determined to save her people, to find a way to end this madness. I could feel her desperation and her resolve, but I could do nothing to help her.

"Princess Elise, we must retreat! The gods are too powerful!" a soldier shouted over the din of battle.

My body responded and hesitated, torn between her duty and the overwhelming power of the gods. It was then that I had realized, I was inside the body of Princess Elise.

I wanted to scream at her to run, to save herself, but my voice was silent.

My gaze fell upon a distant hill where a lone figure stood, calm amidst the chaos. His face was eerily familiar, similar to Sir Gabriel's, but something was different. As we drew closer, I felt a sense of recognition course through Princess Elise's body though I did not know who the man was.

"Follow me!" I commanded, my voice strong and unwavering. The soldiers rallied behind me, their faith in their princess rekindled.

We fought our way through the battlefield, the soldiers protecting Princess Elise with their lives. As we drew closer to the man, the ground shook violently, and a chasm opened up before us, cutting off our path. Despair threatened to overwhelm me, but Elise pushed it aside. She remembered a hidden path through the forest that led to the hill.

With determination, she led the soldiers towards the forest. The journey was perilous, with the sounds of battle growing fainter but no less terrifying. I could feel every step, every breath, every heartbeat as if it were my own, but I was merely an observer.

Finally, we emerged from the trees and climbed the hill where the man stood.

"Uriel," Elise called out, her voice carrying over the chaos of battle, but the man seemed lost in contemplation, his gaze fixed on the tumultuous horizon.

"Uriel!" she shouted again, this time with more urgency, hoping to pierce through the cacophony of war. Still, there was no response from the figure standing resolute on the hill. But before she could call out his name once more, her own voice overlapped with another.

"Clytie!"

The voice cut through the chaos like a lifeline, pulling me back from the edge of Elise's consciousness. It was a strange sensation, as if someone had stirred me awake from a deep dream. I blinked, disoriented, suddenly aware that I had been lost within Elise's tumultuous reality.