"What dawn do you seek?" a golden voice whispers into my mind. A voice from… beyond. Not like Celeste or even Althia. This is a voice that demands I be conscious to hear it, even if that shouldn't be possible. And although our combined soul sits in a vortex of black… waiting to be devoured, we hear, nonetheless. For this is beyond simple sound. It's the swirling colors of a sunrise, a condensed ray of hope, an aspect of something greater.

Celeste and I tremble at the encroaching darkness, only now aware enough to realize a fraction of what's happening. All that's left of us is a flickering blue candle flame in the center of forces far greater than we could hope to withstand, and those forces threaten to crush us under their weight.

"Child of life… What dawn do you seek?" That same voice comes again, and… it's as if someone is speaking to us from outside a window, or a house. Like they don't exist in the same place as me.

The light of our soul flickers, threatening to be choked by the seething black. Still, we give the question the thought that it deserves. Rather than our minds, the answer seems to resonate from within. A combined aspect of our two selves that are now one.

["I… just want everyone to be happy."] Celeste and I say in unison. The words are simple, and yet… they carry great meaning. An end to war, an end to needless suffering. A world where people can pursue their dreams, be free from pain, and… live. I want everyone to live in a world where they can be happy. A simple, naïve dream, but it's ours nonetheless.

The voice pauses, and its golden colors whirling and twirling as if from afar. It's less that I can see them and more that I simply know that they are there. Finally, after a moment that seems to last an eternity, it speaks once more.

"Accepted."

Over my time as a sentinel, my interactions with various magics have colored my own power just slightly. From my new path as a Celestial Healer to my tattoos from Florina, certain experiences in my life have left their mark on me. However, before, none of those colors touched my core. The very heart of what I am, my soul, has always remained a pure, unbroken blue. That, however, starts to change.

It's tentative at first, as if giving me a chance to reject whatever is about to happen to me. Slight touches of color begin to appear in the perpetual blue of my soul, dancing reds, golds, and violets. Oranges and yellows. Greens and pinks. It's as if my soul is a star and has just been given a new kind of fuel to burn. And burn it does.

Blue still remains dominant, but all the colors of a sunrise join the blue in flaring brighter and brighter. And… as my soul's power grows, the blackness of the Stygian Mana within me is burnt away in the light of the dawn. The dark power evaporates away in motes, as if it never existed at all.

Slowly, other lights, like distant blue stars, begin to wink back into existence as my body begins to reconnect to nodes of light long since lost to the Stygian Mana. Each node lights up in a brilliant flare of color, like stars being reignited. Each one is fueled by the still-expanding core of my soul. The brilliant light of the dawn that will burn away all darkness.

The experience is reinvigorating, empowering, yet… I can't help but notice myself changing. Aspects of my power, of my very being, are starting to change. It's a strange, subtle thing, but I can feel the new power within me bonding with aspects of myself and of Celeste. And while it does not add anything new, it does… enhance parts of what is already there. The process feels incredibly strange. Whatever this is, I invited it into my very soul. And now… now it is changing things.

It's over as fast as it began, and I find myself feeling… normal. I'm aware that aspects of my power, of my soul, have been changed. But… it's hard to remember what exactly changed. However, I do sense something else… a voice.

Not the golden voice from before, but a familiar one, begging me to wake up. And so… with my soul reconnected to all the nodes in my body, I open my eyes.

I blink rapidly against the bright golden light of… wherever I am. Somewhere underground, I think, within a massive snarl of roots. The light is rapidly dimming, making it hard to see, but once I see Akari's face above me, I stop paying attention to anything else.

Akari watches me with wide, violet eyes. Her arms are tense around me, her hands shaking ever so slightly against my back.

"Serena… are you… back?" she asks, her voice frail. Like… like she expects the worst.

"Back?" I think, feeling Celeste stirring within my soul. For a while there, we were simply one. Neither one of us individually was strong enough to hold back the Stygian Mana.

Akari jerks, her eyes widening further. "S-Serena?" she asks, her voice all the more concerned.

Oh… did I send that to her? I suppose we did learn to communicate mentally before I attempted the revival.

"S-Sorry," I manage aloud, although my voice sounds raw and I immediately break into a fit of coughing. Stars, how many times do I need to wake up in a situation like this? Despite the absence of the Stygian Mana, my body is still ravaged from its passage. Although…

My soul seems to pulse within me, and mana like a raging torrent pours through my body in a tidal wave, making my very skin glow with the light of my soul. In an instant… I feel better. My coughing dies off quickly, and I shift in Akari's arms, a blush creeping onto my cheeks.

"Sorry," I say, my voice clearer now. "I didn't mean to startle you."

Akari nods, her throat working. "But… you're… you? You don't feel any different? We were worried that the point of power might… change you."

I shrug, squirming slightly. I could probably break away from Akari's protective hold and stand on my own power if I wanted to, but… Why would I want to do that?

"I… felt it do something to me. A point of power? Is that what that was?" I question, mentally feeling the blazing inferno of power still raging within me.

Is this what Asumi and Florina feel? If… if what I just took into me was a point of power, what does that make me?

Before Akari can respond, Celeste materializes beside me in… Well, not mist. Instead, the swirling water vapor looks more like the sky at sunrise. As ever, my Living Mists are the most reactive part of my magic, color-wise, and now they match the color of my soul perfectly. There are still hints of gold within it, but… I get the sense that it's not the same as Althia's power. It does not represent the golden reign of a ruler, but instead the hope of a new day.

Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

Celeste herself also looks different. The white of her fur tinged with the colors of the dawn; however, she herself doesn't seem concerned at all. Instead, she darts toward a seemingly unoccupied part of the room. With a shimmer, Liora appears, and the two familiars begin a long-awaited reunion.

I grin, watching the two of them dash around each other, but my attention is quickly captured once more by Akari's intense gaze.

"Yes," she says, her voice rough. "I… Haruto knew of a point of power that was the only idea we had to save you. I made the call. I… I just need to know. You are still the same? Right?" There is a note in Akari's voice that sounds almost desperate.

I bite my lip, "I-I… think so? Honestly, it's hard for me to know for sure. I felt that power doing things to me… changing me. But it only enhanced what was already there. It didn't add anything new. I don't think so, at least."

The look of relief that passes over Akari's features is like a breath of fresh air. Her arms tighten around me, holding me close, and I return the embrace. I let her unique scent wash over me and do everything I can to comfort her. Honestly, seeing her up and moving around is everything I've wanted for so long. I thought I would die reviving her, but my crazy girlfriend turned around and saved me right back.

I tilt my head back, looking up into her blissful face. Then, I narrow my eyes. "Did you get bigger again? Stars, Akari, you're going to make me look like a-"

She cuts me off with a kiss.

Despite being able to walk perfectly fine on my own, Akari keeps a strong arm wrapped tightly around my waist as we make our way out of the large, root-filled cavern. We still have so much more to talk about, but that will have to wait. Akari is worried about the stability of these tunnels now that the point of power that created them is gone, and while sitting deep underground in the fading light was romantic for a time, the pitch blackness and skittering sounds that settled in were less so.

As such, we decided to find our way back to the original group Akari came with, moving slowly through the darkened tunnels. The path ahead is lit only by the glowing light now cast from my mists, and from Celeste's glowing body as she zooms with Liora — the two of them looking like slivers of day and night. Beside me, Akari keeps our pace slow and measured, treating me as if I'll break any moment. I feel fine, but my overprotective girlfriend can't be convinced. Also, I think she's still rather cross at me for the sacrifice I made while reviving her. Not that I would do any differently if presented with the same options again.

Up ahead, voices murmur in the dark, sounding like haunting whispers in the oppressive darkness. The mere thought has my soul vibrating within me, it… I want to purge that darkness. More and more mist, like clouds during sunset, pour out of me, swirling all around us as we move.

Akari takes in the glowing light of the billowing clouds and tightens her hold on me. I know what she still fears. The changes to my magic only highlight the differences that have taken hold within me. My magic has changed several times now, but… I feel like this one will be the last. The sliver of true dawn I hold within my soul will not tolerate any others.

"Serena?" Akari asks, watching as the cave around us grows brighter and brighter. "Do you feel a mana cost for what you are doing? Any toxicity?"

I frown. Toxicity isn't something that is always the easiest to feel, but I get what she means. The golden clouds forming around me… they don't seem to pull at my core of power as they might have otherwise. But… what does that mean? Am I a point of power now, like Asumi and Florina?

Shaking my head, I watch the shifting colors with contentment in my heart. "No… I feel great."

The statement is about more than just my change in power. Celeste and Liora are happy, Akari is back, and for the first time in months, I don't feel sick. Things are looking up in the world.

I turn a smile on Akari and lean into her, "Don't worry about me so much, I'm okay."

A small smile tugs at the larger girl's lips, and she runs a hand through my hair with delicate gentleness. "You know I have to worry," she says, her voice soft. "You did the same thing. At least I didn't sacrifice myself to save you."

I poke her arm, "Come on, it was romantic!"

"It was dumb," Akari admonishes, "and I'm not nearly done being mad about you for it. But… for now, I think we can both just…"

"Be happy?" I offer, standing on my tiptoes to give her a brief kiss on the cheek. Stars, when did she get so freaking tall! She's nearly a head taller than me now. But… maybe she likes being taller than me. Honestly, I'm okay with that.

Akari turns into my kiss, and for a brief moment, our lips connect. It feels like fire tingling down my spine, like the meeting of night and day. And it's over all too quickly. Shame.

Above me, my girlfriend's blissful expression becomes more serious. "We're still in hostile territory. Be good."

I sulk momentarily before my good mood returns the grin to my face. Stars, I almost want to cry. Now if we can just get the whole team together again… That would be enough to make everything worth it.

Not long later, Akari and I pass around a bend in the tunnel, and we come face to face with the others of the group. My girlfriend told me who came, but it's still a surprise to see them down here. Particularly Asumi, who looks different enough to make me break out of Akari's hold to run up to her.

"Asumi!" I call, dashing over to the group, "Your hair changed colors!"

Truly, Asumi's golden hair and tan skin look nothing like the pale, white-haired girl I'm used to.

She laughs, wrapping warm arms around me, "So did yours! I guess it's a point of power thing!"

I want to speak with her more, but the moment Asumi releases me, Hina appears before me. Of everyone present, she's the one that I know the least about. Sure, I've worked with her a few times, but the sheer amount of concern in her blue eyes is enough to give me pause.

"You should be lying down!" she orders, blue eyes wide with concern. "I need to check on you!"

"I think I'm fine," I tell the other healer, still a touch startled by her concern. "Here, look for yourself."

I hold out my hand toward her, which she quickly takes. I feel a brief tingle as her healing magic begins to scan me, but ignore it for the moment.

Instead, I take the moment to offer a smile to everyone present. "You guys all came to save me… Thank you… truly. I don't deserve you."

Emotion threatens to choke me as I try to come up with something more to say. What do you say to a group of people who risked their lives to save you? Stars, I'm not sure.

Troy grins arrogantly, "Come on, princess. I couldn't let you die, now could I?"

The others nod in agreement, and my heart warms to see Lucas amongst the group. The moment I arrived in their midst, my bodyguard fell in beside me. Always ready to help.

This time, tears do come to my eyes as I look around at the faces that surround me. "I… I know I already said thank you, but… I don't think that- What I mean to say is… Oh! I don't know! You guys have done more for me than I could ever ask… I won't forget it."

Around me, everyone seems to be in a good mood, everyone except Hina, whose grip on my arm has grown vise-like. Her eyes are wide, tingling pulses of her magic scanning my body again and again.

"So much…" she whispers. "How can there be so much?"

Her words, quiet as they are, still draws the attention of the group. Akari specifically rapidly moves to my side, running a worried hand down my arm as she watches Hina.

"What's wrong? What do you see?" my girlfriend demands, fear evident in her voice.

Hina blinks, letting go of my arm and taking a step back.

"Mana… I've never seen so much mana inside a person before," she says, her voice still quiet. She narrows her eyes at me, "You should be dead. Only an A Rank sentinel should be able to contain so much power without just dying from toxicity immediately, but… your body… It's like you're not a sentinel at all."

Asumi steps up to my other side, laying a hand on my shoulder. "She's probably a point of power now, like I am."

Hina, however, shakes her head. "No… not a point of power. At least, not one like you are. Serena, I will need to study your magic. It doesn't appear to be harming you, but I can't see how that's possible. At your rank, it should be burning you up from the inside out."

Akari's arm snakes around my waist again, gently pulling me into her side.

"Whatever it is, we'll figure it out. We always do. For now, we are in Volcora-controlled territory, and the only thing keeping the monsters off of us is gone. We need to evacuate and soon. Otherwise, none of this will matter."

The thought of anyone hurting my friends has my power pulsing again, and I reach into my inventory for my bow, but… it isn't there. My soul pulses, and clouds woven with condensed sunlight swirl around my hand. A moment later, a golden bow appears, shining with light. The sight of the weapon makes my breath catch.

I swore off fighting, wanting to be a dedicated healer. However, it looks like I might have one last battle before I can find that kind of peace.

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.