Zerethis stared at the droplets that had hardened upon the ground. He nudged one with the tip of his sword, watching it glint faintly.
"What is this? Diamonds?" he muttered, then let out a low chuckle. "A white magis tears turning into diamonds… You people truly are gifted."
His gaze snapped back to Eomer.
"Did you see the future with those yellow eyes of yours?" he sneered. "You'd better believe it."
Without warning, he grabbed Eomer by the hair and forced him to look up.
"It will happen. And the line of the white magis will be no more."
Eomer's eyes shifted toward his kin. All of his late aunt's sacrifices… reduced to this. The end of their lineage. And the other magis tribes, Eomer fear for what will happen to them after this.
No, he couldn't allow it.
He looked at the two white magis facing him a few meters away, his brethren. The sorrow in his eyes spoke louder than words, and somehow, they understood what he was about to do.
Eomer closed his eyes and called out from the depths of his heart.
Hear me, Vesta… I call upon you.
"Master…"
A blinding white light erupted around him.
Zerethis staggered back, shielding his eyes as the light intensified, swirling and taking form. Soon, it shaped itself into a magnificent phoenix that encircled Eomer, its radiant wings stretching wide enough to fill the chamber.
Though Eomer could not kill… he could still destroy.
Enough to free his magis kin. In hope...that they can save his family.
The non-magis trembled as the enormous bird loomed over them, its presence suffocating and divine.
The phoenix—Vesta—opened its beak. The surrounding light drew inward, condensing into a single, blinding point.
Then, it burst.
A massive explosion tore through the chamber, obliterating the room and ripping through the floors above and below. The palace trembled as shockwaves echoed in every direction, plunging everything into chaos.
Right before the destruction, as the non-magis stood frozen, distracted by Vesta's overwhelming presence, the white magi moved without hesitation.
They acted swiftly, raising a protective barrier around their kin just as the light reached its peak.
Because of their quick action, they were spared from the full force of the blast. Though buried beneath layers of rubble, none were gravely injured. One by one, they pushed their way out, coughing, disoriented, yet alive.
They checked their surroundings and saw the destruction and on instinct they they know they need to run. Though some hesitated, glancing back toward where their lord had stood—toward Eomer.
But they remembered his look that asks to save his family.
And so, with heavy hearts, they fled.
Zerethis and his soldiers, however, lay buried beneath the rubble. Some injured and some still clung to life while others did not.
A lifeless body of a soldier clad in Orichalcum armour pinned Zerethis down, shielding him from the explosion. The dead soldier's weight pressed heavily against his chest. With a strained groan, Zerethis shoved the corpse aside, uncaring. The man had served his purpose.
Pain surged through him and Zerethis was frustrated by his injuries. His ribs might be broken, his head was bloodied, and his leg felt like it could be fractured.
Zerethis cursed, his voice ragged, swallowed by smoke and dust.
But within that suffocating haze… something watched.
The phoenix with its golden and gleaming eyes.
The moment their eyes met, Zerethis froze.
Next to the creature's talons lay its master—broken, bleeding, barely clinging to life. Blood pooled beneath him, seeping into the ruined ground.
Then, the phoenix spoke.
"Twice… my masters have been brought to the brink of death by the selfishness of arrogant beings like you."
Its voice burned—ancient, sorrowful, and filled with fury.
The great bird stepped forward, each movement graceful, almost divine—yet laced with quiet terror.
"Twice, I have been denied the chance to save them. They do not command me to heal… no. They command me to fight to protect others."
Its blazing eyes locked onto Zerethis.
"My noble master… and you."
Without warning, it brought its talon down.
Zerethis cried out as the weight crushed him into the earth.
"You worthless beings… do not deserve breath. Do not deserve life!"
Light gathered within its beak, spilling out in radiant sparks like fireworks—beautiful, yet deadly.
"There is a reason power is not granted to the likes of you…"
The light intensified, humming with destruction. Just as the phoenix, Vesta, was about to unleash its wrath, a faint, broken voice cut through the chaos.
"Vesta…"
The world stilled.
Vesta halted mid-strike, its head snapping back toward the voice.
It released Zerethis, who collapsed trembling—his body shaking uncontrollably, humiliation staining his pants as fear overtook all of his dignity.
With a powerful beat of its wings, Vesta soared back to its master.
He was dying.
Landing beside him, Vesta lowered its head, gently nudging its beak against Eomer's trembling hand.
"Do not… taint yourself with blood…" Eomer whispered, his voice fragile, fading. "You are pure… you are… light…"
He coughed, crimson spilling from his lips.
Time was slipping and Vesta knew of this.
"Master… it has been an honor to serve you…"
"Vesta… thank you… for staying by my side…" Eomer's breath grew shallow. "Take care of Ayumu… for m—"
His words faded into silence.
The light in his eyes dimmed… then vanished.
His pupils turned a pale, lifeless blue. His hair, once white as snow now turned to a dulled gold colour as stillness claimed him.
Eomer was no more.
Then Vesta let out a shriek so piercing it shattered the silence, the sound echoing across the palace, deafening all who heard it.
Its master… gone. Again.
The radiant light around its body flickered—then began to fade, dimming under the weight of grief.