Their conversation was cut short by a series of screams. It sent down chills to Cyrene’s spine, wondering who could let out such a painful and despairing scream.
“It has come. The Bck Tide.”
Hysilens stared at the distant vilge. Pilrs of bck clouds ascended from their houses. Their screams grew louder and louder. Confusion was prominent, but there was also pain.
“Its corruption cannot be stopped. You better bring these children to this port.”
She did not wait for Cyrene to react. A lyre suddenly appeared in her grasp. She strummed its strings, letting out a series of heavenly melodies.
“Go. I will hold them off.”
“Y-yes!”
Cyrene stormed off the distance. The melodies never left her side. It did not take long before the entirety of Aedes Elysiae was drowned in Hysilens’ song.
Ironically, the piece she used is none other than Ripples of Past Reverie.
The sounds from the lyre and her singing voice doused panic and urgency. Both the humans-turned-creatures and the survivors stopped what they were doing.
The world turned still.
As if expecting an extra audience, she gnced at the Fme Reaver. He also stood rooted in pce.
The entire vilge became Hysilens’ audience. By the time the song ended, most of the people had been led out by Cyrene. That included a well-built young man with snow-white hair. He gripped an iron sword tightly.
“Miss Hysilens, we—”
“Take the boat. Lead everyone towards the Holy City. I… will deal with him.”
Only after Hysilens pointed it out did they notice the imposing Fme Reaver.
Gone was her lyre, repcing it with the sword that accompanied her to the sea of blood.
Cng-!
Cyrene’s eyes bnked out as she saw two crossed-out bdes above her. Hysilens blocked the Fme Reaver’s attack.
Hum-!
Under everyone’s gaze, a huge whale constructed out of water jumped out of the sea.
Spsh-!
Its dive brought the Fme Reaver away, becoming intangible to the rest. Hysilens gave him no time to react as she charged straight at him.
The white-haired youth, Phainon, saw everything transpire.
‘I want to protect everyone too!’
The image of this battle was burned deeply in his mind.
“Hey~!”
“Oh. Sorry, sorry…”
Phainon snapped out of his daze as Cyrene pulled him towards the sailed boat. She was the only one with heads over shoulders. Everyone else was still dazed and shocked.
Bam-!
Hysilens’ figure was sent flying near the port’s dock.
“Use what… he left. Otherwise…”
She stood up while gritting her teeth. Her fair and slender arms felt numb after several confrontations. It goes to show the Fme Reaver’s strength, more so when Cerydra told her it was merely a fraction of his true power.
She looked towards Cyrene and others.
“Go.”
After that, she sheathed her sword and took out the lyre. The Fme Reaver knew he couldn’t let her start a piece, lest his target, Cyrene, goes away.
From the moment they started this endless regression of cycles, Cyrene must die in his hands. The Time Demigod must never appear.
The main reason behind these endless regressions was the first Cyrene’s sacrifices. She died in order to bring Phainon back to the beginning. So long as the ‘twelve Demigods’ remain incomplete, Amphoreus will be forced to restart all over. Phainon can return back to the time.
Hence, he must kill Cyrene. It is the anchor behind his regressions. Failing even once will lead to Amphoreus’ failure, to the completion of Amphoreus' endless cycles, and to the Scepter finding Destruction as the answer.
The twelve Demigods should never be completed. Its completion triggers the awakening of the evil god, the headless being who sought for Destruction.
Unfortunately, the sea siren held him back.
Before he knew it, the boat carrying Cyrene and Phainon had long disappeared on the horizon. Hysilens finished yet another musical piece. Signs of mental strain appeared on her face.
The Fme Reaver could barely resist her lulls. The artifact left by Shi Tian is far too abnormal for this world. He gave her one final look before disappearing.
His well-hidden thoughts remained solely to himself.
'Completing the cycle… Destruction… is it his final wish? Or is it...'
*****
Cyrene had a dream.
She spoke to someone. Her face was blurred in white light. A set of iron pilrs formed a cage, separating the two. Their conversation was vague in her memory. She could feel the sadness hidden beneath her voice, followed by a firm refusal.
She never believed “his” words.
This world is true, and so are its stories.
These stories will travel to the cosmos, carving a mark to its vastness.
Love, Philia093, was ironically made to serve as the “Lament”.
Yet, “Lament” has understood “Love”.
Meeting the flower (Demiurge) made it possible.
…
‘This pce is..?’
Cyrene opened her eyes to a vast tomb. It is dimly lit by the light sources above, barely illuminating the desote pathways.
For some reason, a sense of familiarity welled up within her.
Cyrene walked through the Thirteenth Titan’s tomb. More surprises appeared along the way.
The world has turned brighter.
As her steps progressed, the bck metallic pathway slowly turned pure white.
Snow.
It was snowing.
She curiously picked up a handful, examining this foreign weather unavaible to the Aedes Elysiae.
The cold winds brushed her skin, yet it failed to make her uncomfortable. It was as if these were merely memories—intangible memories.
Soon, she reached its end.
A tall iron gate stood. In front of it was a man. He floated midair, sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed. His long purple hair swayed along the gust of snowy wind. His daoist robes brought forth a powerful feeling. The dusted snow failed to hide his impeccably good looks.
To Cyrene, he is nothing short of a celestial.
“..!”
She jolted when the man opened his eyes. His bright golden eyes illuminated the entire space. Her vision swiftly turned brighter and brighter, as if she looked towards the sun.
“The forgotten cycle will make its st stand…”
His voice carried a divine tone. It felt like the Titan’s whispers, incoherent yet full of meaning. At the same time, it is not. The man’s voice far exceeded the Titan’s divine whispers.
“...at the end of time.”
Hearing his words disoriented Cyrene. Her head buzzed. She tried to make out of everything. Her sleeping figure sat up.
“I…”
Seeing the boat filled with a dozen people, everything came back.
Hysilens held back the Bck Tide creatures and the man in bck. They managed to escape Aedes Elysiae’s camity.
The man’s ethereal and divine presence was carved in her mind. His words hinted at something important—extremely so to the point her instincts desperately remembered their encounter.
Once Cyrene calmed down, she only had one thought left:
“Who is he..?”
*****
A/N: Bonus chapter.
