Chapter VII

           The surprise from Lailius’s revealing his heritage does not last long as Lius leisurely pushes back the sheets and angles himself to get out of the bed he is in. However, strength has not returned to him and he helplessly falls over without warning. Nil, the one who is quickest to notice Lius’s error, hurries to his brother’s side, swooping him into his arms, and securing him around his shoulder.

            “Oddly, I still feel extremely weak,” Lius tells with little energy behind his words.

“It is because your entire being is fighting to comprehend the cracked unsealed parts of yourself,” Lailius explains.

“Rest on my shoulder’s younger brother,” Nil instructs, appreciatively. “Strength shall return to you shortly.”

Lius is noticeably drained of energy to even properly reply. All that he is left with is feeling the weight of the world upon his eyes; forcing him to close them. Distinct chatter soon becomes distant sounds of muffled conversations. His breathing returns to a slow-paced hibernating state, his body surrenders to the stronghold, and his self-being drifts to a deep necessary slumber…

 

            I am in the world of the unsealed once again.

            The three crescents hide behind dark blanketing clouds. The sun is apologetic and pleads for reason. Even the stars that normally light up the skies refuse to be found. They see that I am unforgiving. I am unattached to the bare display, and I care nothing for the repenting ways of the heavens.

            I close my eyes and center my emotions, orchestrating my profound plummet into the corners of my soul. My mind guides me, showing me the many facets toward my new sense of self. I feel my body’s temperature rising, anger and frustration is excruciating, betrayal and deceit is unendurable, and I am in incomprehensive misery.

            The winds whisper to me, begging me to tell them my true burden… and so, I oblige the request.

            “My inner peace has been destroyed,” I explain to the imploring winds. “I have been withered to nothing. I have come to see that my purpose in life was a mere mirage to a meaningless end. How could you have not shown me this truth? Why did my path desire to lead me toward… emptiness? Is this all I mean to the Angellius demesne? To this world? To all worlds? To Amaranthine?”

            The winds lift and swirl wildly around me, desperately pleading, hoping I will gain appreciation for its reasons… however, my ears are deaf to the draught’s cries. I inhale the winds. I yearn for it to no longer petition me but understand me, and grasp my reasons.

Therefore, I breathe in heavily.

I force the gasped breeze to recognize all of me and reach down until it touches all of my existence. It sees my aura now and watches the emptiness inside of me fill with genuinely enlightened purpose. The winds begin to take in my meaning, and it is quick to apologize. This time it is sorry for not trying to grasp my truth and acknowledge who I am sooner.

The winds invigorate my reimagined purpose, directing my aura on how to flow within it. My aura, black still but no longer thin, swivels through my body and entices all of my hairs to stand on end.

I release the trapped winds from inside me, and so too, does my enriched black aura follow. My resolved energy first touches the quaking grounds below me, soothing its concerns. Then, it spreads out to the uneasy heavens above and caresses it, returning colors of sincerity.

My eyes open and I see that I am engulfed with the black energy of my resonant existence. I look around; behind me is the numerous layered lies of the Eldest Castle and in front of me is an entire demesne, the Angellius demesne, which I utterly loathe in its deceiving imagery. I sense it all; every shade of falseness casted from overhead, each spiteful tone vibrating the heavy seals across the lands, and all parts of why my mentor gave his life for me… for us.

“Always learn the why behind the what. This was always Roen Angellius’s telling to us,” I lecture. “I know the why! I see the what! And now, everything and everyone must learn my why! My what! Because… destiny tells me so.”

All bows to me, submissive.

My surroundings beg me to give purpose to cause.

“I wish only one thing,” I divulge in the gravest of tones. “Fall… to ruin.”

The sound of compliant shattering, ring joyously through my ears. I watch everything crumble before me with unblinking eyes of delight and I am humbled by the sight. Purpose has become equivalent to redefined destiny and I am conclusively allowed to wake from my foreseen dream….

 

            Lius wakes, but he immediately realizes that he is not in the oversized bed from earlier. He comes to realize that he is subdued in the warmth of a large circular spring with only his rugged timeworn face remaining free from the waters. His mind stirs with curiosity but he is too relaxed and invigorated to even care. He lets the slow current continue their hold on him, moving him as if he were a single leaf in an autumn’s breeze.

            His eyes close once more, not from tiresome or over exhaustion though, but to delight his senses to the tranquility of the current. His mind removes consideration from the exhilarating current and takes him to the images of his beloved, Kraiya Zathos. His body unwinds further as he feels Kraiya’s soothing aura flow passionately around his entirety.

The thought of her soft eloquent hands cupping his face brings a much-welcomed smile to his face. The shadows of his closed eyes darken, emphasizing her curly black hair to block all light from their surroundings… ensuring their intimacy.

“You are troubled, my husband,” Kraiya says to him, her voice most captivating. The sense of her lips is pressed firmly against his as she speaks. “Your mind is hazed, your body betrays you, and your soul… I sense… is lost.”

Tears build, but does not fall, from the corners of both Lius’s eyes.

“I am, my wife, all of those things that you just mentioned,” Lius admits through sorrowed tone. “Everything that I am… my teachings, my principles, my love, my devotion… has all been a lie. I no longer know my true self. I am devastated.”

The essence of his wife tightens around him and her lips conform to his even further. “Then keep me close like you do presently. When your mind is hazed, discover clarity from my voice. When your body betrays you, hold assurance through my touch. And when your soul is lost, find guidance through my essence. I am not only your wife but also the solidity to your devastation and the example of your true self. I love you, Lius Zathos.”

The held tears finally give way to the moment. The words of his wife are moving to the soul. If life had been destined to not have her exist in it, then there would be no life at all. Kraiya is who strengthens him, she is who guides him, and it is her embodiment that ensures his.

“Kraiya, I am �" ” he begins.

His wife interrupts his words with a crashing kiss. Their tongues touch, caressing their own language of intimacy. They inhale at the same time, taking in the other’s essence. The kiss grows in passion as they exhale; their lips never parting. The two lovers hold the kiss just a little longer, parting finally with signifying moan of yearning.

“Do not be apologetic, my love,” Kraiya whispers, her lips lingering slightly while giving comforting speech. “Just believe in my words… and hurry home to me, to our child, to our bonded love.”

“I will, my wife,” he replies, strengthened by the heartening resolve of his wife. “I swear it.”

Lius opens his eyes, returning to his surroundings of the spring he woke from earlier. He surfaces the upper half of his nude body and lets his drenched hair dangle carelessly in front of his aged but reenergized face.

“Welcome back, younger brother,” Nil elates, with an adoring smile. Lius returns the smile as he swims over. While Lius lifts himself out of the spring, Nil hands him some plain white garments to put on. “I was beginning to believe that you were going to float around for a lifetime.”

Lius giggles in reply, while outfitting the simple clothing and combing his hair back with both hands. “What is this place?”

The brother’s take a moment to take in the scenery of the area. The room is more like a cave than actual room, filled with large shards of crystals that display various shimmering colors throughout. In the center of this cave-like room is a single tree, gigantic in magnitude. The leaves are plentiful and illuminate a delightful array of peculiar energy. Raindrops of that radiating energy plunge timely down into the spring that surrounds it; giving the spring it’s distinctive essence.

“This place,” Lailius answers, walking over to join Nil and Lius. “Is a place that is better understood once shown through the entire picture of it all.”

Such a sight this room is,” Lius exhales, under uncontested breath, completely in awe. “I can feel everything in here is if it were its own entity. The way the phenomenal glow pulsates from the leaves like a heartbeat. I can hear the aura-filled crystal walls hum as if to speak. Even the tree itself, I see how it feeds it’s soul to everything in here, connecting all things… peacefully.”

“Brother,” Nil calls, firmly. Lius returns his attention to his elder sibling. “Everyone is waiting.”

“Where are they waiting?” Lius asks, regaining focus on what is currently importantly.

Lailius is quick to reply. “They wait at Amaranthine’s Journal.”

Lius replies with merely an odd and confused expression on his face. Then again, if he had wanted to probe Lailius further, he would not be able to. Lailius is already a far distance away from him, nearing to leave the room. Nil, who has made his way next to Lailius, stops and looks back, motioning for his younger brother to quickly follow. Lius reacts to the notion by dashing over with haste.

The three leave the blessed room.

Elsewhere, the Ascended are huddled together in front of an enormous door, patiently waiting. This particular door is made of crumbled crystals that are filled with energy of different colors. Writings in the original text course from one piece of broken crystal to the next, expressing an unrecognizable and unreadable story to the Ascended. The group stares, curious of what the door may be telling them. Then again, they are even more curious as to what’s behind it.

Thankfully, they do not have to wait too long as Lailius, Nil, and Lius appear. The first thing that Lius notices upon reaching his counterparts is that everyone is wearing the same white garments as he. Lius is greeted with a warm embrace from them all and he is appreciative of the welcome.

“So glad to have you back, Guide Lius,” Princess Florsza expresses, emotionally, clamping her arms around her Guide’s neck and pulling him toward her.

“Well, I feel much better,” Lius assures, standing further upright to ensure that he is fully well. “Beyond better actually.”

Dilith nudges his Guide, playfully. “That hot spring. Sheesh… I need to steal it and bring it back to my chambers at the Eldest Castle. The water in that spring made me feel things I never thought I could feel about myself.”

“I don’t think anyone wants to know what you felt,” Prince Quintence replies, playfully sarcastic.

“Yea,” Princess Florsza adds, her smile slyer than her brother’s. “Next time, remind me to go into the hot spring well before he does.”

The Ascended share a much-needed laugh. Lailius, allows for the occurrence but only for a sheer minute or so before returning the mood to the level of seriousness that needs to be, bringing himself between the Ascended and the door. His entire demeanor forces each of them to turn to him and immediately give their undivided attention.

“Before we begin, I need you all to understand something,” Lailius explains, his tone just as stiff and commanding as his posture. “What I am about to say are my exact same words to Roen before I showed him. Therefore, take extra care to what I speak. So let me be clear, you are all about to witness something that will change your entire world. Your self being will be utterly made bare and each of you will have to decide on what actions you wish to take when the decisive moment comes.”

The Ascended pauses for a second, contemplating the words that has just been told to them from Lailius. They are nervous of the implications, concerned about the repercussions, and forever worried about what it means to dive into the nuances of everything that is presented to them.

Lailius shows them otherwise.

Lius face instantly turns grim as he remembers the conversation he had with his wife during his meditation while floating in the hot spring. “I feel the moment in which is spoken upon, is coming very soon.”

Liisor shifts to his Guide, fully engulfed in his comment. “So what must we do, Guide Lius? What decisive moment?”

Lius thinks of this question, contemplates it… dissects it. He recognizes the genuineness and after full consideration, he is left with giving one answer. “The moment where we will need to decide… do we return to being the Ascended? Or let destiny shape us to proclaim the name the Fallen?”

Silence falls heavily upon the group. They all ponder the significance behind Lius’s words. Their minds drift to that last confrontation and replay every second of it, slowly. The heartbreak, the torn realization of it all, and the devastating consequence behind each segment of the scene… words cannot express the group’s burden.

“Once you see the truth, definitions for good and evil… protagonist and antagonist… it will all dissipate,” Lailius interjects, his tone low but controlled and very serious. “You will only grow more resolved to script your own destiny and what you do with the enormous strength you will gain from possessing such knowledge will determine everyone’s actions.”

Nil is the first to react. “Show us Lailius. Please, give us reason.”

Lailius gazes over the faces of the Ascended. He sees the sternness he was waiting for. He is assured by their demanding expressions. Therefore, he turns and places a hand against the crumbled crystal door. Against the weight of his palm, the door removes itself from sight, permitting passage.

With Lailius trailing closely behind, the Ascended enters the room. The walls of the room are like the door; constructed with energy filled shards and broken miniature crystals. Outside of the small amount of light given off from the flowing energy inside the shards and crystals, the room is completely dark. There is no furniture, nor windows… all that is in the room are eight unlit long stemmed candles, which forms a large perfect circle.

“This… is Amaranthine’s Journal,” Lailius announces.

“I have one question,” Dilith tells, looking around with probing eyes.

Lailius places hand upon hand behind his back with a bit of a smile, seemingly knowing the Dilith’s inquiry. “Yes, Dilith?”

“The room is called Amaranthine’s Journal, which implies writing,” Dilith explains, observing the room in its entirety. “Yet I see no writing.”

“Each of you, stand in front of a candle,” Lailius instructs, his smirk growing from Dilith’s assessment. The Ascended do as he commands. They stare at the unlit candle in front of them, silently waiting. “Now, light the candle in front of you with your aura. Let your energy be the flame, watch the streaming smoke which will shortly follow, and then, permit the essence of it all to show you the… writings.”

The group does just that. One by one, they release their energy from well within their depths. Guiding that energy to swirl up the long stem until finally reaching the candlewax. Their energy carefully touches the top of the candle, igniting a flame from their fragile truth directly in the center.

Amaranthine’s Journal comes to life as letters turn to words, words form into sentences, sentences become pages, and those pages make up a plenty of stories.

“Annnddddd… I stand corrected,” Dilith states, completely in awe by the altered room. “The writing is everywhere!”

“Now each of you, focus solely on the flames, the smoke, the room as a whole,” Lailius further instructs. “And let the writings take you to wherever it wishes.”

Amaranthine’s Journal begins to react to the Ascended as they focus on Lailius words. The writings around them light up as the room recognizes everyone’s presence. The walls turn to a specific three colors… Amaranthine’s energies; white, red, and blue. The smoke from the candles, and the essence of the Ascended, invigorates their surroundings.

The room takes them to a specific part of Amaranthine’s journal… its first page. The truth of Amaranthine is finally revealed….

 

The canvas of the Unitalius is empty. There are no stars, no heavens, and no earths. To be clear, the Unitalius is living and moves in limitlessly for she holds no measuring definition. She is acceptant to mere silence… and a lonesome emptiness.

Without any connection to time, an abundance of colorful energy suddenly floods the Unitalius. The presence of these energies brings inquisitive movement to the emptiness. The emptiness is intrigued by the colorful arrival, inviting hints of appreciation to no longer be alone, and is eager to communicate.

The Unitalius writes to the energies and they open up to one another. They grow quickly in learning each other, spending immeasurable time together. Intrigue becomes anticipation, excitement heightens to harmonious desires, and eager communication strengthens to a melodic bond through archaic scribes.

The Unitalius and the energies fall helplessly in love.

They reveal deeper vulnerabilities, and stronger wants toward the other as endless time progresses. Eventually the moment comes that the energies speak to the Unitalius. Offering the words that would alter all things.

 

“I wish to give you a gift. I desire to bring definition to us. Your emptiness I yearn to forever delight with my array. Let us nurture our everlasting love and devotion through creation. With your archaic scribes, I will humbly tell the most beautiful telling. I shall become one entity, one life, one lover, one past, one present, and one future… for you.”

 

The Unitalius adores the wish and is acceptant of the gift. Then, the energies burst out in every direction, quickly filling the emptiness with a display of fulfilling colors and loving intent. With appreciative attentiveness, the Unitalius watches vague shades carefully become detailed descriptions. The energies create marvelous worlds with gorgeous suns, moons, and stars to outline the delicacies… taking days to complete.

On the final day, the energies decide to rest, and they do just that on the first world they have created, Planet Heaphen.  Taking her place next to the energies, the most important parts of the Unitalius speak.

 

“All that you are… you… have blessed me. You have taught my existence about knowledge I never imagined to grasp. Detailing that knowledge with one word to express all that I now feel… love! You have defined me without even realizing it. Therefore, this gift that you have given me, allow me to extend upon it. To all things you create, I shall give belief in this most harmonious feeling of love. My words, my language, my influence will be the origin to speech. Thank you, for being my light in the darkness… my fulfillment within my own emptiness… meaning toward my written ways. You are, my life… my… Amaranthine.”

 

“That shall by name,” the cherished energies reply, pleased beyond valued and emotionally moved by the words. Awakening from its resting state, the energies gradually become one… forming a single entity. “In your most beautiful of writing, know me as… Amaranthine.”

So too, does the absolute significance of the Unitalius, completely attached to Amaranthine and in love. “And I shall be your Written Emptiness… Utalia.”

The two entities reveal their new forms, hand in hand, for all worlds to witness. Amaranthine is in its most simplistic version, a perfect blend of white, red, and blue energy… exemplifying the balance between neutral, negative, and positive energy. Amaranthine, as a whole, depicts what it means to be life as the buoyant vigor of all planets gratefully lends parts of themselves to surround and protect Amaranthine lovingly. Utalia watch a little hesitant as she notices the unconditional love that everything, which was created by the energies, has for Amaranthine. Uncaring, Utalia embraces her adored counterpart and is overcome by the greatest sense of happiness.

On one pleasurable day of calm, the two lay silent within one another’s arms and Utalia makes the most altering comment. “Amaranthine, I wish to have a child… children… to fill the worlds which you have gifted me. To physically represent everything that makes us… us.”

Amaranthine and Utalia define intimacy.

Atop of a grass field on a starlit night, Amaranthine stares at Utalia in a way that Amaranthine had never stared at her before. The three scenic crescents silhouette their bodies as the two kiss… with not only love and adoration, but with want and desire. Amaranthine carefully lays her down, caressing Utalia everywhere. Paying attention to Utalia’s breathing as it becomes heavy, her heartbeat spiking with enticement, and her body relaxing so that she may encase herself around Amaranthine. Utalia cannot help but arch her back as Amaranthine brings itself to give unknowing pleasures. Their body heat rises, and the winds around them are quick to react, circling them to give the most delicate cool breeze.

Amaranthine thrusts into her, she gasps from the intensified indulgence.

Utalia’s fingers trace the unique body of Amaranthine as her enjoyment amplifies. She feels her body shaking, trembling, quivering and she does not understand how to grasp the moment. Clinching Amaranthine, she feels the climax of it all and she is at a loss for written words, pleasurably numb to the mind, and her body is incontrollable with tremendous satisfaction.

Utalia looks up at Amaranthine to see that Amaranthine is staring back at her with a similar expression.

“Everything that makes us… us,” Amaranthine pants, within a loving voice. Echoing the words of Utalia.

Utalia places a devoted hand on warm cheek. “No description will ever quite define us.”

The two kiss with overpowering discretion. They have become one as life starts to swell immediately inside of Utalia and are beyond pleased by the fact.

Amaranthine and Utalia relish the moment of creating their first child before finally inviting the current presence of all life to delight in the news. Months progress as they enjoy the pregnant nuances to baring life. The world is in glee from the news. Trumpets blare gloriously, oceans lift dancingly, and the heavens flourish appreciatively. In this instance, time is featured and gives reference to the understanding of glorious birth.

Life finally gives Amaranthine and Utalia their first child… a boy they name Maliathine. To look upon this child is to see every known understanding to all things that are his parents. His eyes reflect the entire Unitalius, his body depicts the writings of his mother, and his heart ensures the beating of the three main energies to Amaranthine. Expanding from Maliathine’s back are six wings that are from the streams, which binds every planet. Above his head, four halos hover; connecting the heavens and giving language to all things.

Time continued on joyously and life for Amaranthine and Utalia as they raised Maliathine was blissful.

Enjoying life to its greatest extent, Amaranthine and Utalia had four more children; Omisha, Bhavathien, Angellius, and Maziia. The total of five children loved their parents and took heed to all of their teachings. Like their parents, the children flowed through the Unitalius, adding to the colorful creations from Amaranthine with their own shades and further filling the written emptiness of their mother with delicate letterings. Their children learned to give deeper meaning to all definitions and the phenomenal flow was extraordinarily enriched.

Within the highpoint of everyone’s joy, Utalia bore two more children… twins… a boy named Enosc and a girl named Kayosc. Immediately upon their birth, it was obvious that they were completely different from their elder sibling. They did not possess wings or halos, nor did their bodies reflect the image of their parents in the same way. Instead, the twins are with blatant skin, which holds the color of the sun. Their hair is not straight and flowing but curls and ravages their surroundings. Their eyes are featureless with pupils that are barely visible and their throats do not give way to voice for they are mute.

Concern builds between Amaranthine and Utalia for their twins. For the first time, they have trouble foreseeing the destinies of their babies. Either way, Amaranthine and Utalia treat the twins no differently from their other children, but are noticeably more watchful of the two.

Love and appreciation continued though and everything, in the beginning, remained to flourish in peace.