SEI

Locking the Seal

Three days had passed before Sei slowly opened her eyes. The bright sunlight flowing in stung her eyes some causing her to block it from view. After a few moments of adjusting to the light she slowly moved to a sitting position. She noticed she was in a room that was not her own it was made of grey stone with blue and gold tapestries hanging from the wall. She looked down at her hands and tattered sleeves and the reality hit her like a blow to the stomach. On her arms revealed the same mark of sealing as she saw in what she thought must have been a very bad dream. She pulled her knees to her chest and a sad look in her chocolate brown eyes. The door opened shortly after her waking up causing her to turn and look at her visitor a pair sapphire eyes met her brown eyes, however it was not the one she hoped for confirming that the events that had occurred was not just a bad dream. Sui stood in shock for a moment looking at the girl in awe that she had finally woken up. After the shock wore off his anger and sadness welled up as he moved toward her with a sense of purpose.

"You idiot! Being so reckless! Were you trying to kill yourself? You are not invinc..." Sui stopped when he saw her turned her eyes away from him.

"Maybe I am an idiot," she said sadly. "I wanted to stop him, I wanted to save Rei, but nothing changed I couldn't face him, so I lost my dearest friend, so yes I am an idiot."

"Sei..." Sui regretted the harshness of his words.

"I activated the seal because that was the only thing I could do to keep him from his ultimate goals," she buried her face in her knees. The two sat in silence for awhile neither know how to continue the conversation. Sui placed a hand on her shoulder before choosing to speak.

"In two day time Mizu and I will be leaving here Sei," he didn't want to delay telling her. He saw no shock just a heavier sadness in her eyes. Unlike the rest Sei would truly be alone her in this realm.

Doesn't surprise me his influence is widespread so alone I shall be here and that is fine with me. Sei thought lowering her head to her knees still not speaking to the water elemental. Sui took her silence and minor reaction as acknowledgement to what he told her. He got up from his seat and remember a package to give Sei in his tunic.

"Mizu asked me to give this to you. She said you may want to change clothes," he said as he placed the clothes at the foot of the bed before leaving the room.

Sei stared at the clothes debating on whether she really wanted to change. Her heart didn't want to accept the changes, didn't want to believe she no longer could go back home. She chose to get out of bed and walk out of the room. She walked down the empty corridors she got no warmth from the castle and felt no happiness or joy. Soon the sunlight met her once more when she walked out of the castle. She looked ahead of herself and started running toward the gate in the middle of the forest. By the time she made it to the gate there was a man standing there dressed in black robes his brown hair sparkled in the sun.

She slowed to a stop at the edge of the forest her eyes wide with shock. "Rei..?"

He turned and looked at her with raven black eyes that caused her to step back. "I don't go by that name anymore my name is Cru," he introduced himself with a cocky smile. "He said he would forgive you dear girl if you would reopen the gate to let him through."

Sei's eyes set firm, "I will never do that not even for you."

The two stared at each other Sei wondering what his next move would be. Then the seal appeared in her mind's eye again as the time to lock the fourth seal came. Her arms glowed as the mark of sealing grew and the pain brought her too her knees. She bit her lip to not scream in front of him. I must not that would cause more problems just a little while more. Sei thought trying not to focus on the ever-growing pain in her arms.

That drew a smile on Cru's face, "see you could end that pain if you just did as we asked."

Sei laughed at the thought of giving up when she remembered her goals. "I will not let anyone take the Realm of Spirit. I will save you," she fought the pain and stood on her feet to face him. "I will stop Lucifer, so if this is the pain I have to endure to be sure the realm is protected then so be it."

This declaration caught Cru off guard Sei's determination and resolve were unwavering, which were things that had never been revealed to him with such intensity.

"Tell that creature he should just give up and return you because I vowed on my life that I won't back down," Sei declared a new light burned brightly in her eyes.

"Is that so," Cru smiled before turning away. "If you dare not to join us then when next we meet we are enemies." He declared as the dark shadows consumed him and he disappeared.

She approached the lake and looked down to most the lake seemed like any other lake but to her eyes she saw closed doors that would no longer open for her. Kaz and the Guardian please take care of things on your end and I will work hard on mind.

"Kaz my time here is ending," Sei confided to him. She turned to see the man's sad eyes. "Now, now my friend none of that because Rei must not know this fact."

"My Lady," Kaz was shocked and confused.

"I will do everything to keep him from here Kaz. I will keep my promise."

"Please keep yours," Sei said closing her eyes envisioning the seal in her mind. She looked up the seal and started to use her power to forcibly lock the fifth and final seal. As always the seal locking caused her arms to glow finishing the mark of sealing the pain of this seal was worse than the others. She was brought to her knees and released a blood curdling scream out into the woods scaring all that dwelled.

Mizu and Sui heard the scream and were forced to stay in place unable to aid her. I appreciate the concern but this is something only I can do. Sei communicated to the two of them. The short moment felt like hours. Soon the final seal was locked and Sei let out a deep breath and brought herself to her feet. She decided to climb one of the west facing trees and take refuge in its branches unsure of what the future would soon hold.

She just stayed where she was looking off into the horizon coming to terms with her soon isolation. Since things had calmed Mizu and Sui did not rush to the lake afterwards. However, once the sun became the moon Sui got mildly worried and went to the lake. The closer he got he heard Sei's sweet lonely song. When he reached the lake, it took him a moment to locate her amongst the tree branches. She was seated atop the branch that was closest to the moon's silhouette. Her brown hair flowed in the small breeze and sparkled in the moonlight. He waited till her song came to an end before making his presence known.

"Your sweet songs are always uplifting Sei," he complimented her.

She smiled sliding off the branch and gracefully landed on the ground below. "Thank you Sui I appreciate the compliment."

"Sei I feel you know the tasks at hand?" Sui asked.

"I do not care about again goals that are not my own dear Sui," she declared shocking Sui in the process. She was never one to disobey orders. "I will protect those that need protecting, and I will help when it does not interfere with my objectives," she continued to explain that had Sui completely floored.

"Sei that means..." he started to protest before he got cut off.

"As of today I am no longer the Soul of Spirit Sei," she declared as the wind increased flowing her hair like an ocean wave. "From this day forward my name will be Colona."

Tears fell from his eyes seeing his little sister right in front of him but she was miles away.

"My brother this is goodbye for now," she said as the water elementals were pulled away to go to their new land. Her soft smile was the last thing Sui saw before being pulled away.

"My dear siblings this is goodbye," she turned towards the brightly lit full moon.