Chapter 392: Valley of Peace
The golden aura of Arthur overtook the flower bed, swirling around them like a hurricane. Lord Rain didn"t say anything more and simply stared at Arthur.
"Stop messing with my thoughts," Arthur muttered as he stood up. He wanted to retract his aura, to control it, but it was a mess; he was a mess.
Like the foot of a celestial giant trying to crush him, the reality of the things he left behind burdened his soul. Once he got into the Spirits Realm, he began stalling for time to escape the things he needed to do.
"A bad habit of mine," the lich caressed its cheekbones. "I tend to forget my goal."
"What is your goal, lich?"
"For you to leave the Spirits Realm. You have spent far too long here, running away from the inevitable. The things that you ignore thinking about are still waiting for you, and it might be too late once you return."
The words of the lich cast urgency into Arthur"s heart as he realized how many days he spent in the Spirits Realm and Alka. He was Romba, the man living inside a pig and who tried to run away from the real world.
"Where is Gala?"
"She is waiting for you in the Valley of Peace," the lich stood up and walked away. "Your trial has been concluded. You are innocent," as he said these words, the lich disappeared back into his lonely mansion.
***
"That is all?" Lin Zhao seemed shocked when Arthur returned and told them what happened. "I thought the Spirits Realm would be stricter than this, hah," he sighed.
"Why do you sound disappointed?" Arthur scowled. "But my meeting with Lord Rain made me realize that I can no longer waste my time here."
"You are leaving to meet your friend?" Hana asked, and Arthur nodded. "Are we coming too?"
"You"ll have to wait for me here," Arthur shook his head. "Take care of her, monk."
"Boring task, but I will take it," the man shrugged. "Go and finish what you are here to do."
"Many thanks," Arthur nodded and patted Hana"s head. "I"ll come back, don"t worry," he could tell that she was worried about being left alone.
"I believe you," Hana nodded, and Arthur left afterward.
***
The harbor city had many parts that housed different spirits, allowing seekers to find their fated ones easily. Lord Rain also made sure that most of the city is filled with flowers.
Arthur didn"t have the time to enjoy the breathtaking city and rode the wind toward the Valley of Peace. It was the final act in this show, and he needed to fulfill his role.
Hills of flowers and flying rivers filled his path, but he didn"t waste any time exploring them. The Valley of Peace was also called the graveyard of bonds because Skyey World spirits who lost their contractor appeared in this place.
When Arthur finally got to see the valley, he was standing on top of a hill, overlooking the myriad of colors that twinkled in the valley"s belly.
"A place for an end," Arthur muttered.
"Indeed," Gala answered him from within it.
"I hate you for making me do this,"
"I"m sorry that you have to do it,"
Arthur scowled and jumped off the hill. He ran down as his chains followed after him. As soon as he entered the valley, a salamander descended from the sky to attack him.
"Aren"t you one of Gala"s Spirits?" Arthur looked up as he waved his hands for the chains to carry him away. "I guess you don"t want your companion to die," he could see the sadness in the spirit"s eyes. "But this is what she wishes," Arthur"s chain impaled the ground and launched him through the skies, pa.s.sing by the howling spirit.
Another spirit appeared, and it was a giant nightingale of violet lights. It flapped its wings to send countless winds toward Arthur, pushing him back.
"Your spirits are making this difficult," Arthur muttered as he pushed the spirit away with his chains before soaring into the valley.
The countless spirits returning to the Skyey World appeared beside him. Gala"s spirits attacked him one after the other as if they knew what he was here to do.
Arthur did not harm them, choosing to either evade or push them away from his path. He traveled deeper into the valley until he reached a giant hollow tree.
"You found me," Gala"s voice appeared from within the tree. "At last,"
"Sorry for making you wait," Arthur landed in front of the tree and walked into it. As the darkness parted, and after navigating through the maze within the giant tree, Arthur found his friend at last.
"Are you surprised by what I look like?" Gala"s voice came from within the glowing flame. Her violet eyes were now streaks of light, and she looked like a humanoid flame of spiritual energy.
"Is that how all witches look like?"
"We are spiritual beings, after all," Gala smiled. "I missed you, Arthur."
"Then stay," he demanded, but Gala shook her head.
"I can"t survive anymore; the world is rejecting me."
"f.u.c.k the world,"
"Defiance is a luxury of the powerful," Gala smiled in response. "This is the final lesson. Kill me using your spiritual energy."
"A wooden spirit told me that chances are abysmal," he was silent before asking. "What if you die?"
"There"s no other choice for me," Gala was unwavering. "This is my only chance to keep existing. And if fate wants to, we will meet again."
"I"ll make sure that we do,"
"I always loved your confidence, but it"s hard to believe those words with tears in your eyes," Gala smiled, and Arthur simply turned his head.
"Should I just attack you?"
"Attack me with everything you have," the flaming witch smiled. "And remember to take care of Dia and yourself."
"She will be glad that you are gone,"
"Then it"s your chance to spend time with her without my pranks,"
"I will miss them,"
"I"ll haunt you a ghost then,"
The place fell silent as neither two said anything. Arthur quietly gathered his spiritual energy, preparing for the hardest decision he had to make.
Memories of the past flashed in his mind. The first time that he met Gala, he was wary and hateful of her kind. She taught him about herbs and how to extract the essence from Greatest Harmony. They struck a deal, and she was by his side ever since.
"You were the first person in this world to care about me," Arthur"s spiritual energy gathered into a sphere, and his chains wrapped themselves around it. "You were the first person to help me,"
"You are not a part of this world, and that"s why you will leave eventually," Gala smiled. "I knew you were special, but I can never know how special are you."
"I don"t think I"m special, but the world seems to think otherwise," crackles of golden lightning began appearing around the sphere of energy. The fabric of the Spirits Realm was being torn apart by the condensing of his power.
"You are what you choose yourself to be," even when she was faced with possible death, Gala looked at him with nothing but abortion. "I witnessed how you turned the odds around, fought against the Duke of Fire, split the sky open, and wielded unimaginable strength. But all of them paled in comparison to the times you were yourself: the kindhearted and caring person you are."
"This is farewell, Gala." Arthur could feel the Spirits Realm being pulled into his powers. "We will meet again, in another world or another life."
"We shall,"
"Goodbye," as he said so, tears streamed down his face. They were golden, and each of them flew into the sphere that tore apart Gala"s existence. The spiritual energy wasn"t destructive this time but a gentle stream that carried Gala"s soul away.
"Until we meet again," her voice faded as she said her last. Arthur watched the world turn into a golden canvas of light before everything began gravitating toward the gap in s.p.a.ce that appeared.
"Until we meet again,"
The gap in s.p.a.ce swallowed everything, including Arthur. This outcome wasn"t within his expectations, but his spiritual energy was bottomed out for the first time.
As everything merged into one giant river that flew away from the Skyey World, Arthur felt a hand grab him and pull him out. Then, as the light began to gather itself into outlines, Arthur found himself standing on a giant tree.
"What is this?"
"This is a tree; you"ve never seen one before?" Someone answered from beside him.
Arthur turned around to find a human(?) with a gourd. However, it looked anything but a human. The skin was clear but ashen. Its eyes were pools of bottomless black except for a white cross in the middle.
"Who are you?"
"You should be able to tell," the creature took a sip from their gourd. "Otherwise, I messed up."
"You are..." Arthur furrowed his brows. "The Spirits Sovereign?"