Coalescence | Ch. VII [SL]

**Atani** · Tue Aug 22, 2023 8:11 pm

Epithet :

The Sylvan Fay

Guild :

Rune Knight

Jewels :

8,605,250

Rank :

B-Rank

Race :

Athlas Elf

Experience :

248,375

Reputation :

10,900

Class :

Cleric

Aura :

Empress

Magic :

Yuan, the Goddess of the Mercy

Strength :

1

Speed :

31

Constitution :

121

Endurance :

11

Intelligence :

311

Mana :

4,175

Body :

Cape :

Ring :

Modification :

"A cost?" Atani asked, curious as to if this was just some elaborate way for the Fractured Sky to take her sacrifice. "You mean... a sacrifice. I came here-- to the Fractured Sky-- to cleanse my family of a curse, not to gain power."

Yuan seemed to be disappointed for a moment, but then she seemed confused.

"The Fractured Sky?" She seemed to genuinely not understand what Atani meant by that. "We're in The Void, my dear. I should know. I've been trapped in here for centuries."

The Void? No, that wasn't possible... Unless the Fractured Sky somehow served as a portal to this alternate dimension? There were still so many things people didn't know about it, she supposed it was possible it transported her to this void, as Yuan called it. The name certainly fit the description at least, considering how dark and endless her surroundings were-- neglecting the light provided by the lotus of course.

WC: 157 | 157/2000

**Atani** · Tue Aug 22, 2023 8:11 pm

Epithet :

The Sylvan Fay

Guild :

Rune Knight

Jewels :

8,605,250

Rank :

B-Rank

Race :

Athlas Elf

Experience :

248,375

Reputation :

10,900

Class :

Cleric

Aura :

Empress

Magic :

Yuan, the Goddess of the Mercy

Strength :

1

Speed :

31

Constitution :

121

Endurance :

11

Intelligence :

311

Mana :

4,175

Body :

Cape :

Ring :

Modification :

"So, this isn't..." Atani's voice trailed off. She felt her chest suddenly becoming tight. No, she didn't come all this way just for her curse not to be broken. She didn't stand in front of a storm of magical energy, willing to be sucked inside a black hole, to free some goddess she'd never heard of before. And she certainly wasn't about to accept a fragment of her power as a consolation prize.

"You aren't able to heal a curse, are you?" Atani asked the goddess, praying that her answer would be yes, but upon seeing Yuan's smile slightly falter, she knew what her answer would be.

"I'm sorry, I truly am, but that's not how my magic works," she gently explained.

Atani's lips twitched to a frown. She had come so close. She was sure that the Fractured Sky would be able to help her in ways so many others swore that it did.

WC: 155 | 312/2000

**Atani** · Tue Aug 22, 2023 8:12 pm

Epithet :

The Sylvan Fay

Guild :

Rune Knight

Jewels :

8,605,250

Rank :

B-Rank

Race :

Athlas Elf

Experience :

248,375

Reputation :

10,900

Class :

Cleric

Aura :

Empress

Magic :

Yuan, the Goddess of the Mercy

Strength :

1

Speed :

31

Constitution :

121

Endurance :

11

Intelligence :

311

Mana :

4,175

Body :

Cape :

Ring :

Modification :

She couldn't help but wonder, was this all a mistake? Was she not supposed to have been struck by the magic lightning bolt? Did that somehow mess things up and transfer her to this realm instead, to the void?

"This... wasn't supposed to happen." She could really feel her chest growing tight now. A lump built in her throat. How could she fix this? Could she fix this? If she couldn't... Gods, she hoped the Sky didn't take her sacrifice. She didn't even know how she was supposed to tell if they had or not.

"Maybe it was fate," Yuan offered. She gently squeezed Atani's hands and the blue glow became a tad brighter. "What were the chances the one who freed me would have powers so similar to that of my own? And they're so strong too."

"I- I don't know. I don't really tend to believe in fate."

WC: 150 | 462/2000

**Atani** · Tue Aug 22, 2023 8:12 pm

Epithet :

The Sylvan Fay

Guild :

Rune Knight

Jewels :

8,605,250

Rank :

B-Rank

Race :

Athlas Elf

Experience :

248,375

Reputation :

10,900

Class :

Cleric

Aura :

Empress

Magic :

Yuan, the Goddess of the Mercy

Strength :

1

Speed :

31

Constitution :

121

Endurance :

11

Intelligence :

311

Mana :

4,175

Body :

Cape :

Ring :

Modification :

Wasn't that essentially her entire reason for making this trip in the first place? It was supposed to be her fate to succumb to Mórinna's curse, just as it was her mother's, her grandmother's, her great grandmother's, and so on and so forth. She wouldn't allow herself to fall into fate's hands, not like how all who came before her did.

"Well, regardless, I still do wish to thank you somehow for freeing me, perhaps with-- "

"I don't want any power," Atani interrupted. Yuan was taken aback. She didn't know why the goddess was so insistent on this idea of giving her a piece of her magic. "My apologies, of course, but if my curse can't be broken in here, I really don't want anything at all."

That remark was less targeted towards Yuan and moreso towards the Fractured Sky itself. That is, of course, if it was listening.

WC: 150 | 612/2000

**Atani** · Tue Aug 22, 2023 8:12 pm

Epithet :

The Sylvan Fay

Guild :

Rune Knight

Jewels :

8,605,250

Rank :

B-Rank

Race :

Athlas Elf

Experience :

248,375

Reputation :

10,900

Class :

Cleric

Aura :

Empress

Magic :

Yuan, the Goddess of the Mercy

Strength :

1

Speed :

31

Constitution :

121

Endurance :

11

Intelligence :

311

Mana :

4,175

Body :

Cape :

Ring :

Modification :

Yuan's eyebrow twitched as she heard Atani's response. She gripped her hands tighter, and the glow became even brighter.

"Are you sure?" she asked, narrowing her eyes. "This kind of opportunity is a rare one. You never know-- "

"Yes, I'm sure," Atani quickly snapped. She yanked her hands out of Yuan's grasp. The light immediately faded and Yuan flashed the ghost of a glare to the elf.

"Most people would be happy to accept even a small drop of a goddess's power," she said as she slid off the lotus. Her legs barely made a ripple as they entered the water. She skimmed her fingers across the surface, leaving trails of light in her wake.

"It's been forever since I've been able to use it, you know." Yuan cupped her hands in the water and smiled as she seemingly spun light into it. Then, something strange had begun to grow from her head.

WC: 152 | 764/2000

**Atani** · Tue Aug 22, 2023 8:13 pm

Epithet :

The Sylvan Fay

Guild :

Rune Knight

Jewels :

8,605,250

Rank :

B-Rank

Race :

Athlas Elf

Experience :

248,375

Reputation :

10,900

Class :

Cleric

Aura :

Empress

Magic :

Yuan, the Goddess of the Mercy

Strength :

1

Speed :

31

Constitution :

121

Endurance :

11

Intelligence :

311

Mana :

4,175

Body :

Cape :

Ring :

Modification :

They were... horns? Atani knit her brows together.

"What are you?" she asked, suddenly much more on guard than she was before.

"Like I said, my name is Yuan, the Goddess of Mercy." She stretched out her arms, allowing her mana to flow all throughout her body. "And I have been trapped in this void for far too long... Do you know what it does to one's body, Atani?"

Sensing this was a rhetorical question, Atani kept her mouth shut and continued to keep her cold gaze locked on the goddess, watching for anything she might try to do.

"It corrupts. It destroys. I was a being of light trapped in a world of darkness. I had to fuse with a vile creature of the void just to survive."

Yuan shook her head and touched one of her horns. It had a single black ribbon tied around it with a charm on its end.

WC: 154 | 916/2000

**Atani** · Tue Aug 22, 2023 8:13 pm

Epithet :

The Sylvan Fay

Guild :

Rune Knight

Jewels :

8,605,250

Rank :

B-Rank

Race :

Athlas Elf

Experience :

248,375

Reputation :

10,900

Class :

Cleric

Aura :

Empress

Magic :

Yuan, the Goddess of the Mercy

Strength :

1

Speed :

31

Constitution :

121

Endurance :

11

Intelligence :

311

Mana :

4,175

Body :

Cape :

Ring :

Modification :

"Where are you going with this?"

Atani was growing increasingly more worried and impatient. After refusing to accept Yuan's powers, it seemed like something had changed inside the goddess. She didn't know why Yuan was acting so suspicious, so cryptic over this, but she didn't like it.

"The part of me that is the void... it's strong. It thrives on the darkness. I cannot leave this place, not on my own accord, at least."

A tendril of water emerged from the surface. It snaked its way up towards Atani's face and gently caressed her cheek. It sent chills down her spine.

"You remind me so much of myself from centuries ago." The tendril reached up and curled around a piece of her hair, twirling it affectionately. "Young, blonde, and full of spirit-- and so full of magic."

Atani shook her head, moving her hair out of the tendril's grasp.

"I'm not all that," she tried to explain.

WC: 157 | 1073/2000

**Atani** · Tue Aug 22, 2023 8:13 pm

Epithet :

The Sylvan Fay

Guild :

Rune Knight

Jewels :

8,605,250

Rank :

B-Rank

Race :

Athlas Elf

Experience :

248,375

Reputation :

10,900

Class :

Cleric

Aura :

Empress

Magic :

Yuan, the Goddess of the Mercy

Strength :

1

Speed :

31

Constitution :

121

Endurance :

11

Intelligence :

311

Mana :

4,175

Body :

Cape :

Ring :

Modification :

Most of the time, Atani really didn't feel all that powerful. It was hard to when she compared herself to the likes of her guild masters. Kon, Alisa, Shahrbaraz, Aguero... They could all hold their own in a fight much better than she ever could.

"Oh, and modest too~" Yuan smiled softly. "You have so much potential, my dear. Much more than you realize. I can feel the mana running through your veins." The goddess tapped her chin in contemplation as another tentacle-like stream of water reached out to examine the elf. Then, she said something aloud, though it was like she was speaking to herself. "Yes, this vessel will do quite nicely."

Atani's stomach churned at the thought. She felt dizzy for a moment, like all the blood was rushing to her head.

"Vessel?"

"Like I said, I cannot get out of this place on my own accord. I need a new body, one that hasn't been corrupted by the void like mine."

WC: 164 | 1237/2000

**Atani** · Tue Aug 22, 2023 8:14 pm

Epithet :

The Sylvan Fay

Guild :

Rune Knight

Jewels :

8,605,250

Rank :

B-Rank

Race :

Athlas Elf

Experience :

248,375

Reputation :

10,900

Class :

Cleric

Aura :

Empress

Magic :

Yuan, the Goddess of the Mercy

Strength :

1

Speed :

31

Constitution :

121

Endurance :

11

Intelligence :

311

Mana :

4,175

Body :

Cape :

Ring :

Modification :

Nonononono, this was the exact opposite of what she wanted. She came here to get rid of her parasite, her curse. Not to get a new one. Her heart raced as the two tendrils latched around her wrists. They forced her down to her knees; the water came up to her chest. It glowed around her, and she could feel the essence being drained from her soul. A sickening smile was displayed across Yuan's face.

"Ahhh," she hummed, taking in a deep breath. "Do you feel that, Atani? All this power... I had forgotten how good, how pure, magic from the mortal realm felt."

Atani struggled against the anchors around her wrists, but it seemed the more she did, the stronger they became. And with all the power being drawn out of her system, she was feeling weaker and weaker by the minute.

"It's pointless~" Yuan chided as she observed the elf trying to break the restraints.

WC: 157 | 1394/2000

**Atani** · Tue Aug 22, 2023 8:14 pm

Epithet :

The Sylvan Fay

Guild :

Rune Knight

Jewels :

8,605,250

Rank :

B-Rank

Race :

Athlas Elf

Experience :

248,375

Reputation :

10,900

Class :

Cleric

Aura :

Empress

Magic :

Yuan, the Goddess of the Mercy

Strength :

1

Speed :

31

Constitution :

121

Endurance :

11

Intelligence :

311

Mana :

4,175

Body :

Cape :

Ring :

Modification :

Atani shuddered as she felt Yuan continue to work her magic. She stopped straining herself; she knew at this point she couldn't physically break through the enchanted tendrils of water no matter how hard she tried. Instead, she tried to focus and gather what little mana she had left. She didn't even know if it would work, but she had to try. She couldn't let herself become possessed again.

"Get... AWAY!" she screamed, letting loose all the mana she had gathered up to this point. It was released in a blinding flash of golden light. The force ripped the tendrils from her wrists, lacerating her skin. It thrust Yuan back, sending her tumbling in the water.

"... Calad?" Atani thought briefly to herself. It had been years since she'd been able to use the element, but she had little time to dwell on the matter. She had to get away from Yuan while she still had the chance.

WC: 157 | 1551/2000

**Atani** · Tue Aug 22, 2023 8:15 pm

Epithet :

The Sylvan Fay

Guild :

Rune Knight

Jewels :

8,605,250

Rank :

B-Rank

Race :

Athlas Elf

Experience :

248,375

Reputation :

10,900

Class :

Cleric

Aura :

Empress

Magic :

Yuan, the Goddess of the Mercy

Strength :

1

Speed :

31

Constitution :

121

Endurance :

11

Intelligence :

311

Mana :

4,175

Body :

Cape :

Ring :

Modification :

She scurried from the water; it sloshed in miniature waves against her body. She used the little trick from her magic she had mastered long ago and tapped her foot on the ground. Her body was surrounded by a blue aura-- okay, that was new-- and she stepped on top of the water. Same type of spell, different manifestation. Alright. Again, that was something to worry about later.

She sprinted across the surface of the water as fast as she could, not daring to so much as look back. Instead, she listened for the goddess. She was not nearly as stealthy as Atani was; her footsteps, even on top of the water, could be heard from a mile away-- yes, it appeared she had used the same sort of spell as Atani to manoeuvre across the void lake, but that was understandable considering they possessed such similar magics.

"You can't run from this, Atani!"

WC: 154 | 1705/2000

Spell:

**Atani** · Tue Aug 22, 2023 8:15 pm

Epithet :

The Sylvan Fay

Guild :

Rune Knight

Jewels :

8,605,250

Rank :

B-Rank

Race :

Athlas Elf

Experience :

248,375

Reputation :

10,900

Class :

Cleric

Aura :

Empress

Magic :

Yuan, the Goddess of the Mercy

Strength :

1

Speed :

31

Constitution :

121

Endurance :

11

Intelligence :

311

Mana :

4,175

Body :

Cape :

Ring :

Modification :

But she sure as hell could try.

Refusing to respond to the goddess, she continued to run in the direction she had come from. Or at least, in the direction she thought she had come. It was almost impossible to tell, given the nature of the void. It was so dark, it was easy to get turned around, but the glow around her body at least provided some light now. Even as Atani reached the end of the lake, she continued to use the spell, just for the mere purpose of being able to somewhat see her surroundings. But eventually, she was able to see something in the distance-- another light? It was different from the one in the lotus. It was larger, brighter. Atani cancelled her spell to conserve her mana and began to run towards it.

Yuan surprisingly didn't have anything to say as Atani headed towards the light.

WC: 151 | 1856/2000

**Atani** · Tue Aug 22, 2023 8:16 pm

Epithet :

The Sylvan Fay

Guild :

Rune Knight

Jewels :

8,605,250

Rank :

B-Rank

Race :

Athlas Elf

Experience :

248,375

Reputation :

10,900

Class :

Cleric

Aura :

Empress

Magic :

Yuan, the Goddess of the Mercy

Strength :

1

Speed :

31

Constitution :

121

Endurance :

11

Intelligence :

311

Mana :

4,175

Body :

Cape :

Ring :

Modification :

As Atani went closer to the light, she noticed that it was suspiciously in the same shape as the Fractured Sky itself-- perfectly round, exuding the same colored glow as its event horizon. This had to be her portal out of here. She didn't care where it took her, just as long as it meant she could escape Yuan's possession.

She was close. So close. And from what she could hear, Yuan was still well behind her. But then... she felt something wrap around her boot: another stream of water. Yuan's stream of water. It pulled, twisting her ankle the wrong way. She let out a pained scream as she fell forward, crashing into the floor of the void.

Rhaich.

She tapped her free foot on the ground and a magic circle formed. A jet of water was expelled, propelling her forward. She grit her teeth as she felt Yuan's spell lose its grip around her ankle, and she was thrust through the portal.

WC: 164 | 2020/2000

Coalescence | Ch. VII [SL]

Tue Aug 22, 2023 8:11 pm

Tue Aug 22, 2023 8:11 pm

Tue Aug 22, 2023 8:12 pm

Tue Aug 22, 2023 8:12 pm

Tue Aug 22, 2023 8:12 pm

Tue Aug 22, 2023 8:13 pm

Tue Aug 22, 2023 8:13 pm

Tue Aug 22, 2023 8:13 pm

Tue Aug 22, 2023 8:14 pm

Tue Aug 22, 2023 8:14 pm

Tue Aug 22, 2023 8:15 pm

Tue Aug 22, 2023 8:15 pm

Tue Aug 22, 2023 8:16 pm

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