Alitia: Welcome to Millenia

XLIV: Rise From Nothingness

Luce couldn't help the swear that came out of her lips as soon as she left the portal to step onto the Sacred Heart courtyard.

Luce and Sylvia hid behind a nearby tree, hearts pounding all the way. It appeared as if they had found the correct place.

Sacred Heart was crawling with witches, to say the least. They were shuffling across the courtyard, groaning softly as they moved. Their eyes were void and lifeless, making them look more like zombies than actual breathing people. It was unsettling to see so many people under the influence of the Possession Master, and Luce had to bite her lip to keep from letting out a lengthy string of foul words.

"I guess this is where Iago is making his hideout," Sylvia murmured, shaking her head lightly. "But if we're here, then what in the world did the other three go to investigate at Acadia?"

"I don't know, but they have to get here sooner rather than later... The five of us trying to take on Iago is crazy, but just the two of us attempting to fight not just Iago, but an entire school full of the most talented young witches in the dimension? Yeah, we're screwed," Luce whispered, her fingers wrapping around the tree they were hiding behind. Her nails, which were short enough as it was, still found a way to dig into the wood, and she was lucky not to pull her hands back to see them full of splinters.

"All we can do is wait for them to arrive then," Sylvia said quietly, closing her eyes. Her hands were shaking when they reached out to hold Luce's fingers gently, but the hardened mercenary didn't make any comments on the nervousness of the other girl. Instead, Luce merely returned the gesture, swallowing dryly.

The witches of Sacred Heart, even as dead as they seemed to be on the outside, had a look of fear and discontent in their eyes. If Luce had to describe it, she would say that they looked as if they had been brought back from the dead and into a world of constant suffering and pain. They all seemed rather unstable, and the negative aura emanating from them made Luce want to throw up. She didn't know her Starlight power very well in comparison to how well her friends knew their magic, but she could tell that her magic hated this area with how much negative energy there was. Starlight hated Moonlight, and that seemed to be true even here.

"I hope the others are alright," Sylvia told Luce softly, closing her eyes. "If Sacred Heart is this bad, then how bad is Acadia? Nobody is answering our calls, and that means that something bad could have happened..."

Luce squeezed her hand gently, praying the other girl accepted the gesture as a comforting one. "I'm sure they'll be fine. They know what they're doing, and they can stay out of danger," Luce assured her.

"I hope you're right," Sylvia murmured, shaking your head. "Gods above, do I hope you're right..."

~~~~~

When S.M., Helena, and Carys arrived at Acadia, the first thing they saw was a pile of rubble.

It was a shock, to say the least, to see the school of heroines nothing more than a large mess amidst the stomped-on grass. The wind blowing through the area was eerie, to say the least, and no animals made a sound. No people could be seen for miles, and dust flew about freely. Carys coughed at the intrusion to her lungs, slamming one hand against her chest to dispel the dust.

"What in the world happened here?" Helena asked, taking a few gentle steps towards the remains of the school. "It... It's all gone..."

"It looks as if we've encountered Iago's newest victory," S.M. muttered angrily, approaching the pile of rubble. "As far as I can tell, there's nothing left..."

"Such a great school, all fallen so suddenly," Helena whispered, unable to stop the tears pulling at her eyes. She had always been an empathetic person, and the thought that so many lives had been lost made her sick. She felt like the world was spinning, and Helena wanted to curl up into a ball and throw up. There wasn't even any blood, but she still felt worse than she had in a long time. Iago's previous crimes felt like nothing in comparison to fully destroying Acadia and all the people that lived within it.