Chapter 503: Grief

The door swung open to the dimly lit interior of the hut. The breeze from the outside disappeared as she walked, replaced by the warmth of her lover"s abode. Diana looked around at the stacks of books filling the living room, a testimony of how hard Arthur worked.

"Rega?" she called, and her voice fled to the farthest corners of the house. "Are you there?" she asked, and there was no response. The weeping stopped long ago, but there was the quiet breathing of a child.

Diana walked through the tables and chairs, going all the way to the back rooms. Finally, she stopped in front of the door, unwilling to go inside.

Her breathing was all she could hear. Diana has always considered the possibility of his leaving, but never his death. It was always a question of how to be together, as if it was absurd to consider a different fate.

"Arthur cannot die," she said while pushing the door open. There was nothing inside except for the floating body of a child with its back to the door. She had branches for arms and body, leaves for hair, and two rubies for eyes that turned to look at her.

"Dia!" cried Rega as she rushed toward the door and hugged Dia into an embrace. "I am so sorry. I failed again. I am so sorry."

"Calm down, Rega," said Dia as her arms froze above the child, not knowing how to handle this. "I will find him, so don"t worry."

"Find...?" muttered Rega as she pulled her hair back. "The Seika..."

"...is alive," insisted Dia with a smile. "Arthur cannot have died. That does not make sense, does it?" her words sounded desperate even for herself. "We would have found... his body if that happened. However, there was nothing of that sort in the room."

"You are wrong," Rega shook her head, floating back. "I was there to see it. I see everything in this city. The Seika is not gone, but his powers swallowed him!"

"Swallowed?" she muttered as her nose p.r.i.c.kled. But then, Diana remembered the time above the duke"s mansion. Then, Arthur lost control because of his emotions. "That cannot be," she staggered backward.

She felt that it would have been better if he was taken or attacked for some reason. Then, at least, she could do something if that was the case. However, Rega had no reason to lie.

"Dia," she said in a childish voice. "I don"t want to lose him again. Please tell me, what should I do?"

"I don"t know!" she shouted, finally falling to the ground. Dia closed her eyes as her head throbbed with pain. The words that Gwen said repeated themselves in her mind.

"You are a parasite who devoured the Seika"s powers."

That cannot be true.

Diana could not handle the fact she was a reason that contributed to his disappearance. The throbbing pain in her chest intensified, syncing with the pain in her head. A line started to connect the two as if trying to split her apart.

"Rega," she called out while falling to the ground, her eyes filling with tears. "The Seika cannot be dead, and I will prove it."

"You know that he linked our souls so that I can leave the tree," she said. "The reason I called you over is that I can no longer do that. The link disappeared along with his soul."

"Shut up!" she cried out, making the small tree spirit flinch. Diana knew that she was only telling the truth, but it still infuriated her. "Please, don"t do this to me, Arthur. Please. I will do anything to bring you back. Tell me what I should do to be with you again."

The tears prevented her from seeing the world. Diana closed her eyes as she tried to breathe through her sobs, her voice making nothing but incomprehensible noises.

Her heart was filled with despair. Diana always thought that she could not go with Seika to his world because she wanted to save Alva, find the one who killed her mother, and take revenge against her father. However, now, she felt as if none of those things mattered.

"What should I do... with you...?" she sobbed. "I don"t know what to do anymore, Arthur. I am so sorry for leaving you alone. I"m sorry for not giving up everything for your sake. I am sorry for being a parasite who leeched off your powers."

Diana did not know how long she cried for, and she could not feel anything but the sadness choking her. Then, from the ashes of despair, a memory bloomed.

Saint Ai.

Diana snapped her eyes open as tears lined their borders. The death of the Seika cannot be the end because there is someone who was revived even after they have died. Diana only needed to find Saint Ai and learn how she was revived. 

"Arthur... has died," she muttered, accepting what happened. "However, I can bring him back. I will use what I took away from him to find his soul. Then, I will bring him back."

"You will... lose control of your powers," said Rega. "I know your story, Dia. However, without what Arthur gave you..."

"I will be blind again, and no one can touch me," she laughed. "However, there is no point in seeing a world he is not there, and no one to feel their touch other than him."

"That was the case before you grew stronger," Rega shook her head while floating to Dia, meeting her eyes. "Your powers will destroy you now. There will no longer be a life for you to live by his side."

"Are you saying that... if I want to bring him back, I will die?" asked Diana, and Rega nodded with sadness.

"However, that does not mean you can bring him back. I lived for hundreds of years, and the Seika was the only person who can revive someone."

"I will see him again, but I will die shortly after. I can forsake my life for the possibility of seeing him," she gave a hollow laugh.

"Are you laughing because of how cruel it is?" asked Rega with perplexity. Diana was more perplexed as she raised her head to meet the ancient spirit.

"I am laughing because all of my life was unfortunate," she explained. "However, now, I feel the luckiest person in the world because I can see him again. I want your help, Rega."

"The Seika loved a kind person," smiled the spirit. "We will do everything to bring him back. The first thing we need to do is bring the saint the Seika revived here."

Diana nodded as she rose to her feet. Accepting the death of the Seika was easier than fighting the doubt. This way, she can still find a way to bring him back.

There was always the possibility that the Seika was alive, but Rega was the one who shared a soul-link with him. It also explained the scene in the tower, and there was a previous episode that she witnessed.

Diana walked out of the hut to find Gwen. The hydra woman took off his hood, and Dia saw her for the first time. The two exchanged glances before Gwen gave a thin smile and said, "I feel like you are a different person."

"I am still a parasite," she admitted. "I will not deny that the Seika was the reason my body kept going for so long. However, at the very least, I can repay him."

"You are not a parasite anymore," smiled Gwen before turning away. "Parasites refuse to die for their host. I will follow your commands, just like the Seika asked us."

Dia stared at the woman walk toward the root, which teleported her out of the Inner World. Then, she followed to find the rest still waiting for them.

"I apologize for threatening any of you," bowed Diana. "I was angry and confused. However, I still need your help. I would appreciate it if you lend it to me."

"We all chose to serve the Seika," said Riana as she rose from her chair. "We will help you, child."

Those of Runera nodded, and Dia smiled in grat.i.tude. However, her squad was a different matter. The princess knew that they respected the strong.

"I want to meet the man who made you such a wuss," laughed Peter as he clapped. "I will help you, leader!"

"And I," Elavir stepped forward. "It takes a mature person to ask for help. I am happy to see that you are growing, princess," the rest of them nodded except for Rae.

"I will not help you," spat Rae and Oriole frowned. "You cannot force me to do anything, Oriole. I don"t care what happens to that man."

"I know that you are lying. The Seika is the one who saved you from slavery, and that is why you volunteered to meet him."

"I wanted to make sure it was him!" she shouted and huffed. "I will do what I like, and it might align with looking for that b.a.s.t.a.r.d."

Diana blinked her eyes. It did not enrage her that she called Arthur a b.a.s.t.a.r.d because she realized this person was similar to her before she decided to follow him. Thus, a smile appeared on her face, and Rae glared at her.

"What should we do next, my lord?" asked Courage as she stepped forward, looking determined to throw away her life.

"There is a lot to do, but our next goal is clear. We will attack the Schelera Temple and kidnap their saint," Dia declared, rendering the crowd speechless.

"I know that I said we will help," the man with long hair raised his shaky hand. "However, you are asking us to revolt against this kingdom!"