Chapter 80: Overwhelming Power
Esme's Ascension began.
Relaxing in an ocean of Blessings, the entire process was straightforward for the Curseless One.
Her Manifestation proceeded as expected according to His Majesty's words, and nothing untoward happened to her.
...But there was something unexpected.
Curses.
She witnessed Curses.
But that shouldn't be possible, she was The Pure One, The Curseless One, The Gaze of Heaven.
It was impossible.
'...What is that?'
Esme promptly noticed an anomaly; the Curses were fizzling into the wall behind her, into a location unbeknownst to her-
[No.]
Her heart palpitated.
[Hold on to it.]
And it told her, it practically screamed at her, to move towards the wall;
'It's just like the first time...'
Blankly, mechanically, and with a deep sense of unease in her heart, Esme turned around and stepped towards the wall at the back of her Altar of Blessings.
Encroaching on the wall, her fingers rubbed the wall's engravings.
But Esme didn't stop there.
She pushed.
She was circulating her Blessings, pouring them into her vessel as she dug her nails deeper and deeper into the wall.
[Don't let go.]
Esme felt it deep in her bones.
She felt it, the;
[Pain.]
[Sorrow.]
[Helplessness.]
It tightened its grip on her wildly beating heart; it shrieked and cried with anguish over these sudden, rushing emotions.
Glimmering liquid veiled her eyes as she leaned over. Her warm skin pressed against the cold wall; her eyes fixed on the wall as she tried to look through, to catch a glimpse of where these emotions were coming from.
She wanted to know-
No.
She had to know.
She had to know why there were Curses;
She had to understand why the Curses went behind this wall;
And she had to understand why her soul was crying in anguish;
"Why..."
Biting her tender lips, she embraced the wall.
Something within her was telling her;
Informing her;
"...Sister. Alora-" Her voice came through gratingly, it was stuffed with countless emotions; messy emotions, loving emotions; anger, love, helplessness...
And determination.
"-are you there?"
The abnormality of Curses descending upon a Curseless One;
The missing Alora over the past 4 years;
Hilda's demeanour;
The Mistress' silence;
It all led towards the one she loved the most.
"Alora." Whispering into the wall, she had no doubt others would laugh at her if they witnessed this sight.
But she didn't care.
How could she care?
Because her soul was telling her, screaming at her, crying at her;
The anguish; the pain; the sorrow;
All of it;
Her very existence as the twin sister of Alora;
Her connection with her sister;
[I'm here.]
"I'm here."
There was no form of confirmation.
There was no way to know whether or not she was correct.
But.
She knew.
She just knew that she was right.
Alora was right there, beyond this wall.
'...Just like how she was right there 4 years ago.'
Many possibilities of horrible truths arose in her intelligent mind, but none of them mattered at that very moment.
Only the overwhelming anguish, desperation, and rage within her bubbled to the surface as she held dearly to the wall; she kept her eyes on the wall, hoping that somehow, someway, it would give her sister comfort.
"...Sister, please..."
Hoarsely begging, "...Tell me the truth. Stop lying."
Balling her fist, she puckered her lips and gently overlapped them on the wall.
[You can rely on me now.]
"I've waited long enough."
Rubbing the wall with her free hand, she patiently waited out the remainder of her Ascension. It was mostly a physical qualitative improvement, with a minor connection to her Manifestation, and she did not worry.
Not that her Ascension could ever go wrong.
It was impossible.
"This Curseless One can take care of you, my dear Alora. So, please..."
Releasing flickers of electric flames, guzzling with Blessings from her fingertips, she smiled warmly beyond the wall;
"...rely on me."
---
...Sister.
Manic Curses filtered from my cornea as they bled downwards; streaming, burning, freezing, crying tears.
Tears of love; tears of disgust.
Love towards the one I love the most.
Disgust towards the creature I hate the most.
This creature is meant to protect its sister; it's meant to exist for its sister; yet it's acting as a burden.
It knows what it must do, yet witnessing its sister's powerful love for itself, it can't help but break down; it can't help but indulge in these emotions.
Even though it shouldn't.
Even though I shouldn't.
Even though my purpose, my existence, my everything, is for Esme. I should never pull her down; instead, I should allow her to step upon this useless, cowardly little thing. I should give her the push towards glory and greatness.
So, I pulled away.
I pulled my head back forwards, facing the opposing direction, away from Esme's eyes.
This Book of Heresy doesn't turn the power off, do I have to set a time limit?
Occupying myself with these thoughts, I pressed the Quill onto the Book and added an extra word at the end of the initial sentence:
[Off]
Then, the strength exited my neck and head, leaving me floppy and disoriented as my head dropped down helplessly.
But my attention was forced elsewhere-
It was pulled towards the Book of Heresy—towards the stream of heavily amplified Curses rushing out of the Book and towards my fragile body.
That's the consequence of my Manifestation; of my power.
I had let the ability run for too long due to my error with the initial usage of the Book of Heresy.
Let's not forget a time limit next time.
...I was knocked out immediately upon receiving the influx of soul-breaking Curses.
-----
Clack.
Crackling thunder bathed in flames cut a blazing trail behind the descending girl; burning, golden eyes bore down on the chestnut-haired lady standing elegantly below her.
Strands of white hair fluttered behind her, flapping and waving with the unnatural billowing wind crashing from her overwhelming powers.
Clack.
Step by step, she descended towards the Mistress with determined eyes.
"Mother." Icy words pierced downwards.
"Daughter, congratulations on your wonderful Ascension." A warm, gentle smile slipped from the Mistress's lips. Her words were as mellow as her face; she was filled to the brim with familial love.
"Spare me the superfluous words. Where is Alora? What has happened to her? Why were there Curses during my Ascension? What are you hiding?"
Spitting her wrath with blasts of flickering bolts of orangish-blue, flaming lightning; andthethirdsomethingoozingbetweenthemall-
Esme descended.
She questioned.
Unflinchingly, with unbreakable determination; with madnessbrewing in the depths of her crazed eyes-
"Tell me."
Raising her right hand-
CRASH!!!
Cacophonous shrieks of lightning bolted down from the ceiling, sending shockwaves rushing throughout the room; chandeliers shook wearily, and dust poured from the untouched corners of the room.
Yet nothing broke.
These bolts landed firmly in her hand, coalescing and prancing about like snakes whilst flickers of sizzling flames began coating the lightning.
One move, one little thought from her-
And the two would mix.
Yet she gripped it.
She formed it;
She controlled it;
An orangish-blue snake danced around her right arm, gliding gracefully about her arm and dancing upwards towards her shoulder.
This snake lingered with crackling lightning; at any moment, the flames and lightning could combine into a deadly explosion.
"...Alas, my dear daughter..."
But the Mistress paid it no heed; she merely glanced at her descending precious daughter with sorrowful eyes, "I cannot."
Staring down at the Mistress with soulless eyes, she muttered, "So be it."
Pushing her right arm forward, the snake darted towards the target with deadly speed. The explosive noise of crashing lightning and sizzling flames mingled as the two forces combined mid-air.
Then.
An explosion.
An explosion powerful enough to blow a room into smithereens.
Light.
Sound.
It all retreated before the explosion.
Golden eyes and oceanic eyes exchanged glances in the freeze-frame.
The thoughts of both people were written on their faces.
One was riddled with rage, and the other with sorrow.
The rage of a daughter, and the sorrow of a mother.
...Then, the mother shut her eyes.
She opened her mouth:
.....
...
Then nought.
Null.
Nothing.
No explosion.
No lightning.
No flames.
No debris.
No attack.
Only the silent exchange of gazes between mother and daughter.
The daughter quietly lowered her arm.
Then, with dull, empty steps, she descended the stairs with shrunken shoulders.
"Oh."
That sound echoed in the Mistress's ears as she passed by and exited the hall.
All that remained behind her was a trail of salty liquid staining the ground where she had stepped.
Before the Mistress, all was hopeless.
-----
My eyes sluggishly fluttered open from the Cursed darkness.
I didn't even get a moment to collect my bearings because a certain woman was towering above me as I lay helplessly.
"Congratulations, my sweet daughter, my Perfect Alora."
Smiling through pearly teeth, my mother bent down to my level; her fingers reached for my lips, wiping a trail of drool that had appeared there at one point.
"Thank you, mother." I lay there foolishly, incapable of moving as she helped rid me of my shameful presentation.
"No need to thank me. You did splendidly in perfecting your Perfect self. It's only natural for a mother to praise her daughter for doing well, just as it is natural for a mother to punish her daughter for doing naughty things. Right?"
"...Right, mother."
Mother cupped my chin and caressed it slowly, "Now, I would love for my sweet Alora to celebrate... Alas, it seems a certain red bird and brown bird are awaiting you."
Then, as she finished that sentence, her eyes lit up.
"Oh, and your sister! She's also waiting! So, go on, go meet them!"
Leaning closer, her smile stretched to her ears; her eyes gleamed with utter, undeniable love for the person sitting before her;
"My Perfect daughter can do that, right?"