Elysia in Another World (Part 1)

Ch18: Searching For Rei P5

Chapter 18: Searching For Rei P5
~18.5~
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"STOP TORTURING MY DAUGHTER!" She stood up and threw an aether infused punch at nothing, but her fist landed on her own barrier and heavily cracked it. She collapsed to her knees again with tears falling to the ground. "Leave my baby alone..." She pounded the ground with one hand. "She's only three years old. This is too much for her!"

Alethea cried as she watched Kye writhing in anger and sadness, Adele and Michelle trying to comfort her. Luma was frantically trying to cast healing magic on Kye, but the barrier nullified everything she did. She had to break the barrier to make any progress. Allison, Layla, James, and Hannah showed up soon after, but even all of them together couldn't safely restrain Kye. Alfia had to do it, though she was dangerously close to needing restrained herself.

Atalante left the scene, but returned only a few minutes later with Evelyn in tow. Evelyn placed her hand on Kye's forehand. The blonde tried to fight the restraints, but she couldn't fight Alfia's magic, even with her silvery white mana at full power under aether drive.

"REEEEEEEIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!"

After several minutes, Evelyn managed to calm her to the point that she no longer tried to fight them. Instead, she cried, and Layla held her tightly. She cried until she passed out from grief and exhaustion.

"In all my ten million years, I've never seen a breakdown even close to this in severity," Hannah said. "To be honest, I'm at a loss at what to do about this. What even triggered it? What were you talking about before it happened?"

"It's... not our place to say," Michelle said hesitantly.

"I'll say it," Atalante said bluntly.

"""No, you can't!""" came Michelle, Adele, and Alethea.

Atalante shook her head. "No, everyone here needs to know."

"I agree," Alfia said in monotone. "Go ahead, Lanti."

She took a deep breath and just let it rip. "She hears every prayer in the entirety of Elysium. Every single prayer offered to Goddess Elysia - if the person knows her name or not. Put yourselves in her shoes. Imagine you are forced to hear the prayers of your desperate and frightened child and you can't save her."

Michelle was shocked. "How do you know that much? She only said that she could hear her. She didn't-"

"The lot of you aren't the only anomalies in this world," Atalante said, her seriousness on full display. "From your perspective, I'm a mortal born with Radiance." She paused for a moment and looked toward the door on the far side of the chamber. "Once everyone was gathered, I was planning to take you down below."

"What are you talking about? How the hell could a mortal be born with Radiance?" Adele said. "The only way a mortal can gain Radiance is by being blessed by one of us or Eve. It's outright impossible!"

"I was also born with Radiance," Allison added matter-of-factly. "Think about it, Adele. Who am I? You didn't know I was Seris until I told you. From your perspective, I also would have been a mortal born with Radiance."

"I know about the prayers because I hear them, too," Atalante continued. "When Lady Eve appeared to us long ago, she secretly assigned me that responsibility, and I have governed this empire ever since, knowing what the people prayed for. I am filling my appointed role as Governor of Atlantis. Those of you from the old world know what that means. I am in the same position as Iris Atlas, Noah Oceanus, Adaal Olympus, Nephele Erytheia, and Orion Orthrys."

"You are speaking names in the presence of people that-" Michelle said, but Alfia interrupted her.

"It's fine, Adara," Alfia said. "The existence of the other satellites is no secret. Every soul in Athas knew. Atlantis was meant to be the sixth satellite and Atalante was meant to become its governor, long before either was created or born."