A Black Promise; Rite Of Transference[END]

[Sophia Van Gongorei]

She gave them an hour to contemplate. Though she already knew their answers. Still, the path had to be theirs to choose. That was what all this was for, and even though the origins of her black crusade were mystified to her it did not change what she knew needed to be done. Nothing could change while the world remains still, motion was the nature of change and change was the force that moved all things dead or otherwise. Its influence is centrifugal as the universe rotates towards infinity. The change she wished to bring, was one where nothing could ever be taken from her or her daughters ever again. And if she was to be true to this aim, she could not sire their loyalty nor their powers by usurping them individually. Was she a woman obsessed with dominance? A cold-hearted villain? Surely so, but she would not be a bad mother, no, for some reason the thought of having to harm her children in any kind of way...struck something in her that was, uncomfortable.

"To become who you want to be...."

It vexes her at times, this notion of affection for these girls, these women. Any such thing in the world she knew, the life of shadows she's led would been a liability, thethers create ties that can be weaponized against you, and yet... when her eyes met those of a tiny purple-headed child, with bright fushia eyes that glimmered like stars, her retnies full like the moon. She slaughtered her assailant without so much a thought. The promise she made to Fara's mother...that she would protect Ikki at all cost.

"You must sacrifice who you are..."

From the outside looking in it might be inferred Sophia only chose to save Ikki because of her exceptional gifts. They would be looking through rose-colored glasses, for Ikki's power did not manifest until sometime after coming into contact with Sophia, as if shadows within the dark sorcerers called to those within Ikki.

"Yet here it is Ikki...you are proving to be useful yet, I truly am a fortunate mother..."

She had expected to be able to have more time before the transference ritual with her daughters. Wishing to be able to share this luscious moment with them in person. Now though, with things taking an unexpected turn with the preparation for the rite she could forestall her plans no longer. If the obstacle in her path grew, she was going to need reinforcements, and none other would do, but the very best she could think of. The shade of Sophia would be found in an area of her Azucar located deep beneath the grand hall they were in earlier. It was covered in archaic langues twisting upward along several spires emanating a subtle black energy. Within her hand was a mystical grimoire brimming with magic power. A mysterious collection of all the heinous black art she has learned since her bonding.

The book itself is a gift from her parasite in crime, answering to none but her. The room was one of stone with an intimate circle with a pentagram in the middle. Sophia herself was ordained in a somber black cloak, a sheer veil whose thread resembled the scrawlings of the spires. There was a knock at the door, with a slight whisk of her hand she allowed them to open. Entered were 5 other cloaked figures unlike Sophia their cloaks did not show their faces, so she had no way of knowing who they were. She had over a dozen sworn to her name, which would mean, that over half of them opted not to change. Good, the success rate and their respective powers should increase, perhaps even a -no. There was no room for slippery concepts like hope, should one of them hold the promise it will come to pass.

"...."

As they entered each stepped onto the pentagram. Their faces were still hidden from her view. Sophia would walk towards them slowly, her grimoire upon her person.

"Welcome, my children, to the altar of night. Here, under the gaze of the coming harvest moon have we gathered. Before we begin, let me say what an honor it is to have you come before me with hearts of faith. In a world of uncertainty, your loyalty is without question."

The book began to levitate on its own.

"What is about to transpire is known as the "Rite Of Transference" It is an old magic that will allow me to impart my essence...my very soul into you...and should you survive the undiluted darkness of my essence...you will know power beyond your wildest dreams...."

A coy smirk under her veil...they were soon to begin.

[Morgiana Icolo]

As she made her way into the dim chamber beneath the grand hall Ikki found herself oddly at ease. The dank chilly room had traces of some kind of energy woven throughout it. Despite not knowing whether she would live through this ordeal or not her heart did not beat any faster. She was eerily calm, more so than usual. The only other time she felt this focused was while stalking her targets. It was almost as if she viewed this right as such. Just another target to fall, another hill to get over. Though should she be able to arrive on the other side of it, a future of black awaited her. Still unsure what this might spell for her future what she was certain of was there was no turning back now.

From her lips had already come words of acceptance of whatever fate awaited her. She would not let Fara's death nor the death of her adopted mother be forgotten in the lost cries of the unrighteous killed. If the present powers that be did not care enough to vindicate the lower classes then it was they who would have to take a stand.

Yes

That's exactly what she was doing, taking a stand. She could not wait for someone else to come along and act the change she knew needed to happen. This world was a festering cesspit of misdirection and cruelty. So long as the disenfranchised continued to fall short as long as they were at the bottom of the barrel nothing would change, if anything, it would only get worse from here. So it was time they took matters into their own hands...And when the world rested within the palm of the black mother's hands finally they would know what it was like, to stand atop the mountain for once.

"I wonder who else came..."

Her only thought of curiosity. To know who else adhered to the summons gnawed at her. She would imagine the four Reapers, The Orphic queens' top assailants. Out of the 15 women under her direction who else wished to see the world dowsed in black?

It doesn't matter, I need to stay focused"

All that was fated to be revealed, would be, all that was soon the past would do so. She only needed to trust in her mother. And let her faith guide her forward.

[Sophia Van Gongorei]

The gathered were silent. Sophia felt their quiet affirmations. Atop the dimmed chamber was a stone shutter completely shut, barring any other light but the candles from entering. Sophia picked one of the candles up; her sculptured features accentuated under the glow of the candlelight. As she neared the girls, she was surprised and proud of their still nerves. They were ready for this, training their skills and honing their sense of self, all for this moment, to serve their goddess.

The mistress of the night would not let their faith in her go to waste. This world and all its insufferable flaws and impurities needed to be washed away in a sea of eternal night to be born again from the depths of ruin, as it had done so many times before, each time becoming something greater from when it last fell. She would see this world evolve again and go along with it.

“Let us begin…”

She blew out the candle with a short but sharp breath, extinguishing the flame. At that moment, all the other candles went out, immersing them all in darkness.

“You may remove your hoods”

Each woman removed the head of her cloak in uniform with the others. In the embrace of this deep darkness, their features were still hidden. Each one was unaware of who was beside them. The urge to know who accepted the Queen's offer was shared amongst the others. They would not be kept waiting long.

“Erna…”

A spell unlocked the stone shutter above. Eerily, the stone parted, giving a flush of moonlight from the moon now at its peak. The candles lit with a silver glow as the light frolicked into the chamber. Lunar Wic, a magical material that can capture moonlight. Once the candles were lit, everyone could see who had attended.

Faelyn- The first of Sophia's acolytes and her most seasoned warrior, Leader of her "Reapers." Of course, she was here; she had already slaughtered so many worthy targets for the black mother, and to find her here was as inevitable as the moon was to rise. Though the choice was expected, Sophia appreciated it nonetheless; it was not easily made when weighed with the risk. She was a peerless swordsman with an anthem that allowed her to manipulate magma.

Illia- She was closest to a friend Ikki had known since Sophia first found her. Former daughter of nobility, she gave up her status and throne after watching her father burn the countryside into the ground merely to conserve resources during a scarce harvest. Her family line dates back centuries and has a solid connection to magic. Her anthem allowed her to create and manipulate Fog, which hindered sensory abilities.

Milan- The traveling bard turned assassin whose exceptional grasp of world knowledge proved invaluable to establishing the guild's underworld network. Her tongue and wit are just as effective as any blade. This said something as she was a dual-blade wielder and a reaper.

Vivika- a naga elv from the lucid south who was set to be sacrificed by her people to an idol said to be able to return them to their forms as dragons. The cult knew its deity was false, but the tradition provided their elite with longer lives and arcane powers, solidifying their grip on their society. This regime was brought to its knees by Sophia's hands, and Vivika pledged her life to the daughters in turn. They can call on other serpents to do their bidding.

And Ikki- her adopted daughter. The mysterious girl she found in the land of Muu. When she saved Ikki, she could tell there was something special about her. The girl possessed incredulous psionic abilities and the power to manifest her target's fear into reality. Years of honing her into a living weapon, she has always felt that they had barely knicked at the top of the iceberg of her potential. There was something ambiguously mighty behind the source of Ikki's powers, the ability to manipulate darkness, Akin to the dark queen's anthem, and Sophia was sure unlocking it was the key to her ambitions.

So she fostered her, training her in dark magic, blessing her with top-of-the-line hand-to-hand combat and exceptional weapon training, all to cultivate what she was sure to be a game-changing trump card.

"My daughters, gaze upon those in this room, excluding myself..."

She said this as she slowly began to open the grimoire, her eyes teeming with anticipation and ambition.

"For this shall be the last time you may see each other alive..."

She gingerly turned the pages of her grimoire. Each flick of the dark arcane creation sent a slight ripple through the nonsense, each page containing magic hidden from the seen realm for ages. Ancient tongues and dialects of languages were dead from races long extinct.

"An Orphic is an entity molded from the essence of darkness and smoke, reflections of night itself. I, however, am something beyond even this, for within me burn the essence of a power known as The Dead Flame, the energy that the Nether is made from."

Her mystic energies began to waft through the area as the veil between Vescrutia and the unseen became thinner than usual.

"Should the darkness take root, and your soul survive the blaze of the undead, you too will evolve into something more than what you are, but even I cannot say who nor what I cannot say; however, whatever is rooted in your heart, wherever the seat of your ambitions rest, is the very thing my influence will feed upon...survive that...loss, and gain eternity."

The pages began to flutter open as the magic prentice grew, the winds kicking up into assertive gales.

"Drink from my void, devour my hatred laden crimson then, Conive in my name, kill, murder, vanquish, tear the seams of this world apart, devour the anchors, destroy the nobility and their pig-headed lords. Crumble their kingdoms, defame their pride, feast on their fears, and together, we shall sow a new tapestry of the fate of this world...Become my reapers, and craft the blood-stained night with me, and from that void, that scathing pit of hellfire and death shall blossom a new world order... We shall become the Black Hands..."

Her eyes for a spell laid upon the girls, no, the women before her. Her heart could not help but stare out at them for the most fleeting of moments. Sophia was a superciliously sadistic sorceress with a heart as black and putrid as the plunging pit of an abyss...and yet. At this moment ebbed in her the finest glimmer of concern. Each of these ladies was once a girl she had fostered, empowered, and raised to be the arbiters of their destinies. To know that she would be parting ways with some of them...potentially all. For that drifting moment, she felt a sense of what she assumed could be sadness....but the moment passed as her grimoire landed on the page needed.

"My daughters...know this: should you fall in this life, we shall sing your fables in the next!"

The women looked around, their faces a mixture of conviction and water from her words. Their mother, goddess, cataloging the prospect of their loss fueled their ambitions. They were ready.

"From the womb of darkness did light take its first breath, and from that very womb light can be returned to darkness, to the origin of all things, and their final resting place."

As she uttered these words, her form began to cast an intense aura of magical essence, the moon's light shining focused in the center of the room. Sophia's eyes began to glow with a furious hazel gleam, and her hands began doing the same. From the center of the room, where the light was most focused, the floor would split slightly open and rise, revealing a pedestal with a chalice. It was inscribed in a language the others could not describe; it radiated a thick veil of opulence despite its almost rugged appearance. Just being near it, Ikki could tell it was an artifact from a time long before she was even a thought.

"Behold the Chaliace of the Nyx, the mother of the night; it is whispered in ancient tomes that she once, in defiance of the cosmic order, bled the moon dry of its essence and drank from this very artifact...we shall do the same..."

Sophia began to weave a sequence of ava; each completed slowly as the light twisted from the open roof into the cup. The chalice's etching glowed with a bleak light that increasingly grew bolder as it captured the light.

"Light return to darkness, repeat light return to darkness.

They chanted in unison with Sophia, their voices melding into an ominous harmony. As they spoke those words the final time as she finished her magic, the light within the chalice began to thicken, becoming a tangible aqueous substance. Their chanting now left a space void of sound. Sophia took her wrist and held it over the chalice; she looked at her reflection, the celestial dew fixing her hair and smiling before manifesting a dagger of darkness in her other hand and slowly slicing her wrist open. From this womb, drops of her blood, a liquid of pure onyx, fell into the light water. The dark blood immediately corrupts the chalice's light, becoming a black pool.

The wound she gave herself had already healed. Sophia would then pick up the chalice; the dagger would morph into four more miniature goblets. They would float to each of her children. She would then walk around to each of them, filling their cups and giving them a nod; the exchange between her and Ikki lasted a second longer than before she returned to her original spot.

"Drink, become...evolve."

And so each looks to the other, nodding just the same, before drinking all of the dark mother's gifts.

[Sophia Van Gongorei]

Collectively, the women partook of Sophia's essence. Initially, nothing occurred; even Sophia's shade had to admit that the waiting was a bit cumbersome; usually, the effects of her influence were instant. She remained calm, knowing now that the other rite was well underway. It was merely a trick of time, inevitably carved into stone.

"!!!"

Milan was the first to react to the Orphic queen's bestowal how she jerked and was in utter agony. It was harrowing for the dark mother to watch her cherish suffer so. But should she muster, the gift itself would be an unparalleled boon. The other women looked slightly concerned save for Faelyn, whose stoicism could not be perturbed. Moments later, the others began to suffer the same agony. Collectively, their wills of torturous horror filled the chambers. It brought her no joy to witness this, and yet, part of her, a large part in fact, was pleased. It was time to root out the weakness of her guild and set them on a path to bring this world and all its transitory concerns to an end. "Suffer through, fight to live; you have succumbed to powerlessness all your life. Those of prejudice and those in power looked down upon you for being born of a different cast, being a woman. But today...now...you may transcend their comprehension. Do.Not.Succumb!"

She barked as their bodies erupted in a plume of dark green flames. Necrofire that it appeared now meant the rite succeeded, and Sophia's former mastery over Lo'Kaleer returned. Now filling Sophia, this element resonated with the darkness she imparted to the girls. Those that made it would become like here, a being lodged between the realms seen and unseen, nuzzled between life and death. Their skin became blackened, charred like burnt meat before it combusted into sludge. Before her now...four piles of goop...had it failed? Where could she have miscalculated? Ikki...

But then...three of them began to bubble like a babbling black brook. The primordial soup of their being began to reform. And from this pool, three of them were reborn—profoundly changed.

Faelyn was the last to fall but the first to rise. Her once flaming mane was now a beautiful grey hombre, her flesh a purplish complexion, and her long claymore brimming with Deadflame.

Vivika materialized next. Her serpentine body had become more human. Yet, her hair was no longer as it once was but became a living extension of her dark legacy—serpents whose mouths release vapor of necrotic energy.

Illiacame next with the slightest breath of relief. The girl was not as important to her as she was to Ikki, who still had yet to materialize. Her short black hair had become long and blue with eyes of the same hue/ Her body was grafted with shadows like the night made up her flesh. Sophia wondered how her abilities might've evolved.

The other three women reveled in their new forms, with Ikki and Milan taking longer than expected to reform. Sophia could not help but worry a bit but had to believe that her daughter could survive this.

[Morgiana Icolo]

Milan was the first to react to the Orphic queen's bestowal how she jerked and was in utter agony. It was harrowing for the dark mother to watch her children suffer. But should she muster, the gift itself would be an unparalleled boon. The other women looked slightly concerned save for Faelyn, whose stoicism could not be perturbed. Moments later, the others began to suffer the same agony. Collectively, their wills of torturous horror filled the chambers. It brought her no joy to witness this, and yet, part of her, a large part, was pleased. It was time to root out the weakness of her guild and set them on a path to bring this world and all its transitory concerns to an end.

Ikki watched as the flesh from her sister became like charred meat, boiling while her skin ripped apart. Ikki's resolve nearly buckled as she observed the process. It was a terrifying thing to witness, and her screams of undiluted agony were especially harrowing. Despite this, Ikki understood there was no turning back; the essence of the Shadow Mother was already making its way through her system, and she could feel its influence latching onto and burning away at her insides. It felt like slight indigestion that spread from the gut to a raging storm of malefic flames through her entire body.

"!!!"

Ikki gripped her stomach, the pain like a beast trying to tear free from her belly, even if it meant spilling her insides on the ground before her. Her eyes caught the gaze of Illia, whose face had begun cracking like a vase. Would this be the final time she saw them? Was she too weak, too feeble in the end? The thought of no longer being able to serve her mother or share space with her sisters again, this dark family, the only sense of one she had practically her whole life...would her feebleness be the end of it all? Was this all she had to give?

"Mo...Mother..."

And then the Deadflame took her; her body, like the others, became consumed with the searing force of Lo'Kaleer. The corruption of the darkness intermingling with the necrotic essence attempted to completely uproot all she was to usher her into what she needed to become. She now a gurgling puddle of pridomoral goup upon the floor. Yet, in this state, something occurs that neither Sophia nor Ikki could predict. While she lay in this state, her psychic abilities, which till now have been latent but now forced to the surface, exploded in a giant pull of telepathic force, pulling Sophia into her inner realm.

*Ikki's Soul realm*

The realm mirrored the vastness of outside littered with colorful clouds and glittering stars. Ikki stood within the center of the expanses, her form that of a glistening star, a humanoid mass of potential. Like a fly on the wall, Sophia appeared to be a spec of coolness on the outer layers of this domain—an observer with no ability to interfere.

" What is this intrusion, this perversion of our yarn?"

A disembodied voice does not belong to Ikki or Sophia. The sparkling star-lit space began to ripple like a mass of water as it began to glow bright with a white, almost silvery gleam. Ikki's formless mass ebbed with a mixture of confusion and fear. Whatever this entity was, this was the first time she had encountered it. The light spiraled into an aceneion painting half of a face.

"Ah, you, the unruly one, pettish as the one who governed Thelmora once was, it seems you have been slumbering much longer than usual. This black that seeks you...we should erase it; this spec cannot sully the whole."

The voice reverberated through the expanse.

"We had been having trouble commencing the tale this cycle; now we see why the influence of Lo'Kaleer hinders, but it cannot alter."

Sophia watched as this phenomenon occurred. She had always suspected something....other than Ikki was present within her. That there was something or someone deep within her slumbering. Until today, the dark mother had never tried to tamper with it; Ikki had proven herself capable of handling her contracts thus far without it. But now, standing on the lodestar of evolution, it was time to poke the bear. And apparently, an ancient and powerful one had been roused. To have created a psychic barrier strong enough to keep her out after the profane ritual newly replenished her. What manner of being could achieve such a thing? For every stone she turned over, another laid hidden from her.

"The root of what you are, your place in the yarn of the stars, cannot be redefined. You are beyond repurpose....however, we acknowledge that this Shadow can...add a new flare to an otherwise dull tale. We shall allow it, but know this...."

A massive flux of psychic energy flooded the realm, forcing Ikki's soul space to bend to its whims as if it held total dominion over her despite the potency of Sophia's interference. This newly erect cosmic storm morphed into a being whose form seemed to stretch well into eternity.

"Morgiana, should your....caretaker try to sully our threads again, we will wipe you and it from the archives; your stories and all who bore witness to them will be...omitted. "

Ikki's thoughts dripped in space, and Sophia's green eyes began glowing as her fury grew in tandem with Ikki's resolute emotions. At her core, Ikki wasn't a flippant child, but she was never known to be a pushover. She was a natural-born slayer who sat upon a vat of promise. Though she had never gone against her mother's direction, it was not like she never prodded nor never questioned. She followed her mother out of trust and loyalty to the woman who saved and raised her. Whatever this thing present was, she didn't like being told what to do, especially with her soul. Sophia gave her a choice. Ikki could have told her mother no and served her in other ways, but she had chosen this bond for herself, one that risked her life.

" And who are you to determine my course?"

The being moved closer, its eyes so close she could reach and touch it.

"Who are WE?!"

The creature glared down at her; the awakened were always so needlessly inquisitive.

"We have recorded the most gallant of fables since the dawn of life, molded your essence from fallen stars, and told the dream of your story since time immemorial. We are the Czar, bards of the cosmos, our songs the sagas of our most valiant regalia, and you, Awakened Queen. Formed from the darkness of realms, It is your place to find the Slumber King and claim Phantasus. Sew discord into the dream realm and give rise to an army of nightmares.

"Phantasus? Awakened Queen? What does any of this mean? Why should I give a shit?"

"The City Of Dreams, A realm within the Unseen that connects those who dream. People, places, and things are all tied in a meticulous web of intersecting consciousness. Your nature was molded from this realm, wrought from the Shadow, the true reflection hidden behind the mask. The Slumbering King, your counterpart and living antithesis, seeks dominion over this realm and will stop at nothing to possess, even if that means slaying you."

Ikki couldn't place any of her emotions and only had more questions for every word shared. Sophia, however, was becoming increasingly impatient. So, this was the secret of her child's lineage. The Czar, she had heard of these beings before; she thought they were merely myths; the Grixas was sure to know more. From what she understood, there were said to be stewards of constellations possessing incredible psychic influence. She never guessed in a million years that they existed, let alone the child she saved on a whim would be one of them. However, Sophia would not take this insult lying down. Yet again, another otherworldly entity came meddling with her well, meddling! Quite frankly, she had enough of it.

Sophia: Ikki, my greatest gift to you...do you remember what it was?

Such a small sentiment, a simple message that took quite a bit of power to pierce through the telepathic dome created by the Czar's presence. But that tiny flicker, that slight shimmer, was enough to immolate Ikki's resolve. Her mother never forced her to become an assassin; she didn't force the knife into her hand. She never demanded that Ikki become what she was; Ikki had always chosen to do whatever was needed to remain by her mother's side. Knowing full well that means plummeting into the abyss to do so. Whatever this woman was, whatever her claim over Ikki was, telling her what to do was wrong.

"Freedom...."

Ikki's influence grew in tandem with the power she received from her mother's black magic. This melting pot of intermingling magical influence began to simmer into something new. The Czar felt its dominance being contended with and began to fight back with an almost incomparable level of psionic pressure.

"Freedom? FREEDOM? We have come with the zeal of the universe! We lay the path to total dominion of mortal kind at your feet, and you speak of freedom?!"

Sophia's ritual and Ikki's innate psychic abilities resonantly combined their respective energies, creating a powerful force threatening the foreign hold over Ikki.

"Impossible! 333 Tailings never has this happened; what...What are you, deplorable creature?"

The being glared at Sophia from beyond the boundary. One that was becoming especially thin where she was, as if bit by bit, the dark mother was guiding their force like a drill soon to puncture a hole in the barrier. Ikki's undefined form became more so.

"I don't need the help of some creature I've never met to conquer anything! My sisters and I have staked our lives on the line to change this world with our hands! I will not be ruled!"

Her conviction grew to such staggering heights as their combined force vied for dominion.

"It's always the same, trampling over freedom, shackling people to your ideals. You and all who think like you are why my guild fights...and kills."

Sophia merely focused on attuning to Ikki's ever-growing psychic grasp on her heavenly realm. Furious at what was happening, the entity tried its hardest to cleave through its power, but the du proved too much for even it.

"Know this; We will hunt you mercifully; the murals of the sky are always watching....the land of Muu...that is here the one who will slay you resides....and academy of joyous lights...I wonder, what way will he kill you this time..."

Ikki's psionic dominance grew to such heights and intensities that the entire spatial realm began to twist and triple like a hurricane. A rune shaped like a crown began to manifest right above her as if it were a halo.

"Get the fuck out...."

A plume of psionic force and shadow-inspired flare crashed through the barrier, overcoming the entity and banishing it from her soul space. Ikki stood beside her mother as they watched the specter crumble into oblivion. She could tell they had not seen the last of the Czar, but for now, she needed to focus on remaining in the mortal world. This new revelation and a deepened well of appreciation for her mother at her side helped her once again unbind the chains of destiny forced upon her.

As the realm faded, their consciousness returned to the ritual chambers. Ikki's pond of possibility had begun to bubble and began beneath her new form. With everything she had been through so far and the awakening occurred Sophia was thrilled to see what her soul would embody. As her formless body solidified, she stood Morgiana, brimming with her newly awakened power. Her hair had become a light pink with eyes that sparkled like glittering destinations. Her psionic pressure was palpable as a flare of the green dead flame sparked around her. The rite was a success...

[Sophia Van Gongorei]

As the Harvest moon began to pass the shift within the realms subsided. As Morgiana returned from her primal reconfiguration Sophia's phantom was visibly relived. She never doubted her child's ability but all of them were powerful, if it were a matter of mere prowess they...would have all survived. But it was equal parts pure chance as it was a test of will. That only one perished was a blessing. Still, her heart lamented the loss, Milan gave her life to become a stronger piece of her order but in the end, she did not survive. As her Reapers observed their new forms a twinkle of pride glimmered in their eyes...and then, all eyes turned to face where Milan fell. Sophia's form wafted in the passing shadows of flame before her seemingly translucent form began to solidify, her presence magnified a millionfold. Her true self arrived in the material realm at last. "My daughters....know that I am beyond proud." She said as she cupped Morgiana's face with her hands, the first time she had physically embraced her girl in eons. "Milan was a powerful asset, and even in death she will serve as an anchor, a reminder of the sacrifice necessary for our cause." She embraced Vivika, running her hands through her head full of serpents. They did not so much as his at her, and she scratched under one of their jaws.

She turned then to Faelyn, her first, her titan. She was the closest to Milan and Sophia could feel the void in her heart growing even stronger. A blessing for their cause, a curse for the girl to bear." Our recompense shall be this world in flames, and rebirth from its soot. Let us say a final prayer for our fallen sister, knowing that she will rise with us in spirit." Collectively they pooled together and consemated a moment of silence, thier hearts unifying in celebration of thier fallen sister. Their wilted hearts heavy with grief and once the moment of remmebernace passed, that grief was ignited with passion, purpose. "Come...it is time for us to make our first move. We travel, to the land of Edo, I am curious... a land of strife..and death. Should prove, entertaining..." With that the expanse was covered in black, and her Coven moved, ready to begin their crusade of Black.