The Absolute and those who can rule it

Chapter 26 [Smile]

"Sa...ria..." Belzad's voice is barely a whisper, his eyes widening in recognition as he turns to face his sister.

Saria's hand shoots out, grabbing Belzad's neck with a fierceness that belies her small frame. Her voice, when she speaks, is steel wrapped in silk. "You have created a disaster in both worlds, brother. This time, I won't give you a chance to live."

I watch, transfixed, as Saria's palm begins to glow with an otherworldly light. The air around them shimmers, reality itself seeming to bend. With a violent motion that makes my stomach lurch, Saria pulls Belzad's spirit from his body. It's like watching someone turn inside out, but on a metaphysical level.

Saria's next words are heavy with judgment and sorrow. "You killed our parents and created chaos in our world. Bear the sins you've had as you fall deep into hell, Belzad."

Belzad's scream is unlike anything I've ever heard-not just the cry of a dying man, but the wail of a soul being unmade. His spirit disintegrates before our eyes, scattering like glowing dust on a wind we can't feel. His physical body shatters in its wake, the conflicting energies that once empowered him now tearing him apart at a molecular level.

As the last motes of Belzad's existence fade away, Saria turns to me. Her smile is a complex thing, equal parts satisfaction and deep, abiding sorrow. "You did great," she says softly.

But I can't accept her praise. I shake my head, my attention drawn inexorably to Spica's lifeless form. My heart constricts as I watch her body begin to dematerialize, fading like morning mist under the sun's rays. With trembling fingers, I reach for her hand, desperate to hold on to her for just one more moment before she's gone forever.

A heavy silence falls over us, each lost in our own grief for Spica. Noarin presses against my chest, her body wracked with sobs. Kai's usual playful demeanor has crumbled, replaced by a mask of sorrow I've never seen him wear before. Rishia's tears fall silently, while Lyra clenches her fists so tightly her knuckles turn white, frustration and guilt etched into every line of her face. Even Darius, usually so composed, removes his headband in a gesture of respect and mourning.

We're all exhausted, physically and emotionally drained. No one moves, as if by staying still we can somehow freeze this moment and prevent the full weight of our loss from crashing down upon us.

"So..." A sudden voice shatters the silence, making us all jump. Damn, in the chaos of the moment, we'd completely forgotten about Tempest.

Saria reacts with lightning speed, binding Tempest with shadows that seem to leach the very light from the air. Another dark ornament, I realize dimly. I can't help but wonder just how many attributes she's mastered.

Tempest raises his hands in a gesture of surrender, his ever-present grin somehow still in place. "Hey hey hey, wait, I surrender," he says, his tone maddeningly casual. "Now that the boss is dead, I don't have any obligation to mess with you. Besides, I've already seen some pretty great things. Now that you're exhausted, I won't have any fun beating you."

Saria's eyes narrow dangerously. "And why should I believe you?" she demands, summoning a sword of pure light and leveling it at Tempest's nose.

Tempest's grin widens, seemingly unperturbed by the deadly weapon inches from his face. "Didn't I tell you before? As long as I can have some fun, I don't care who I work with."

"You killed someone," Saria reminds him, her voice cold as she inches the sword closer.

Tempest shrugs, an impressive feat given his bindings. "That's my way of having fun. People have their own way of entertaining themselves." His eyes gleam with a madness that makes my skin crawl. "Anyway..."