...

Grey:

As my consciousness faded, the last thing I remember seeing is Caera's face, lips quivering as she mouthed inaudible words. Her eyes glistened with tears and the reflection of the frozen surroundings which slowly turned red. The ringing in my ears died down as I found myself in a place that felt familiar.

The tunnel.

My being was adrift in this vast nothingness, having no control over my motor functions. Time seemed to be irregular as it felt as if I had been here for years or just for a few minutes.

Soon in this void, something flickered in my peripheral vision. I lazily willed my body to turn towards the source of the disturbance. The sudden brightness stung my eyes as I tried to focus on it.

The thing in question turned out to be a swirling mass of flames, which was gold in color. It gave me a sense of warmth and security, wanting to embrace it.

But soon, the flames withered, as if scared of something. The feeling it gave off made me want to huddle up in fear.

The flame shifted, turning into blood red as the extensions arising from it whipped around violently. Desperation and anger.

The flames flickered once more as they changed to a familiar colour, purple. The same flames that I had managed to conjure while facing Seris. Suddenly I felt like I was in the King's tournament, with my sword embedded in Cecilia's chest. These flames brought out the feelings of resignation and despair.

My ethereal body trembled at those memories as the flames spread out, reaching me.

"...elp," "Deat.." "...orgivable" "Destr..." "Save" "...y baby" "Daught..." "...rath" "Kill"

Multiple voices emerged from the flames spouting incoherent words as it caressed my hand, laced with despair. The voices were of multiple people of all ages. Who are these people?

The power it gave off felt intoxicating, hungry for consumption.

Before I could drown in that feeling, my thoughts shifted to her. The person, despite being young, despite knowing my origins treated me like family. Her hair like the midnight blue sky and eyes which held deep affection shining like the brightest of rubies. I only wished I had more time with her.

My family, my mother, sister, Nico, Cecil...Seris. They all had treated me with love. Not wanting to fall into despair even after death, I pulled away from the flames. But it followed me, as I desperately tried to lose it.

Before it could touch me again, several chains of purple wrapped around it and held it in place.It wriggled around violently before going dormant. The power felt familiar.

'Mother'

She's helping me even in my death. I really didn't deserve her.

A nostalgic feeling encompassed my body as it drifted towards a direction where there was light.

'No. Am I being reborn again?'

Slowly I felt myself back in a physical body as the pleasant odour of flowers invaded my nose. The aroma made me feel relaxed and calm. Something heavy rested upon my right side of the body as I felt that my arm had gone numb. My left hand however was held in place by someone resting their head on it while holding them. The touch felt familiar, comforting.

'At least I have both arms in this life' I chuckled to myself before opening my eyes that felt like they were glued shut. After the stinging of my eyes subsided I was greeted by a ceiling which had intricate designs of silver over black.