Tales of Berseria The X: Beyond Calamity

Chapter XXXV: White Light Part I

Laphicet jerked awake from a sluggish sleep, head roiling with the pain of using too much energy. His eyes fluttered sleepily, and he gave a pained moan as he straightened up. Laphicet noticed Eleanor crouching beside him.

Her solicitous eyes beamed slightly, "You're awake! I'm glad to see you're okay." Eleanor swept a glance around the area, "It looks like we got sucked into the earthpulse."

Laphicet's gaze shifted between Eleanor's eyes, "Are you all right, Eleanor? What about everyone else?!" he queried hastily and worryingly.

Eleanor looks away, swallowing hard, "I'm fine...."

Laphicet rose on his feet. He inquisitively scanned their surroundings, darkened sky, levitating rocky islands floating around, and streams of magic energy with muffled whispers in the air. They were trapped within the earthpulse. Suddenly a deep chill shuddered through him as his skin burst into goosebumps. He recalled Avernus' last words,

"It's all on you, Phi. Take care of your family."

He unintentionally reached out and squeezed Eleanor's hand, "Where is Avernus?"

Biting her lips, Eleanor gave him a brief, regretful smile, "Avernus didn't come down with us. He... He is probably fighting Artorius as we speak."

She then looked over his shoulders. Laphicet whipped his face around. For a moment, his face glowed with a relieved smile before darkened into the gloom; Velvet was glued to her spot, staring blanking, muttering broken sentences and jumbled words in a senseless tone, "Kill... Kill... I killed... He killed... so many... Murdered... Slaughtered... It was all for him... We killed for... him...."

Laphicet leaped out of his spot on the ground. A haunted expression flitted across his face as he focused more on Velvet. She was delirious, almost all of her facial expression was gone, and she continued her lifeless mumbling. She whined at each word, humming breathlessly as if she was constantly choking.

"But he said I was... ugly... Nothing... All for nothing... I can't... I have to kill... Die...Die..."

"Velvet..." Laphicet called out to her, tearing her from the delusions and back to reality.

Velvet whirled her head at Laphicet, "You're awake. Come on. We're leaving. I have to kill them."

Laphicet glanced innocently at her, "But Innominat is your...."

Velvet's eyes burned up in a fury, pouncing at Laphicet, "It's just an illusion! A fake! A trick!" she screamed, madly in denial.

Abruptly, Velvet paused her tantrum, and a sinister expression took over her face, "Or... what if it was him? Then that means he betrayed me, doesn't it?"

Laphicet ruefully stared at her soundlessly. Velvet tilted her head at the little malak, frowning menacingly, "You think I can't kill a traitor like him? Why? Why wouldn't I?" Velvet closed her distance and immediately lunged at him, grabbing his small shoulders and shaking his body in an outburst, "Just how many do you think I've killed...." You who watched me do it?"

Laphicet shut his eyes and jerked back, dropping his head apologetically. Eleanor rushed to them, but a shiny bubble shot out of the ground, blooming into a flash.

"Laphi... Time to wake up."

Laphicet and Eleanor winced at hearing the familiar yet kinder and smoothening voice of Velvet. The light went away, and moving images of younger Velvet and her brother arose before their vision. Laphicet's eyes widened shockingly,

"Innominat?!" he breathily and hastily observed and turned his head back at Eleanor. She gave Laphicet a ponderous look as their eyes met, "No, this is different. A...A vision of the past, maybe?"