The Sight Beyond The Haze

Chapter 74: Someone Has Arrived

I breathed deeply, the wound on my stomach was still being blocked by the sword that I got it pierced through.

In front of me was Cocytus and Idris, fighting fiercely with both Haziel Imbert and... him.

The Hybrid.

And, of course, I have known who that was all along. I should not have hesitated and just went straght for his head. I clenched my fist and tried to muffle my own groan out of the pain. After getting out of Cocytus' illusion, we were immediately attacked by them both. We did have the power of number, but they had us at their surprise attack.

As Idris was about to get herself the sword that was poking inside my body, Cocytus went for it and tried to dodge it. Although he tried and was actually quite a fast-thinker on his feet, he was unable to get closer. Only I was the one who was close enough to save my younger sister.

My breathing became ragged and I felt myself getting dizzy from the pain. I tried to put pressure around the hole, but it only made the blood seeped through my fingers. In fear of dying out of blood lost, I did nor dare to take our the sword inside of me. The golden light butterflies, the three of them, were fluttering around me.

I sensed that they were panicked with what they were witnessing and suddenly reminded of what Deo once told me about their intelligence.

The three of them were obviously so distressed, their lights were dimming and their wings were flapping rapidly, going in circles around me as though they were checking what kind of injuries I have attained other than the wound on my stomach.

"Go and help Cocytus and Idris," I told the three of them, waving my hand on the direction of my sister and my foster cousin. "T-they..." I paused, regulating my breath and infusing it with magical energy so the blood flow within my body would slow down. I clenched my fist around my ballgown's skirt which was drenched heavily with the blood from the hole on my stomach. "They ne-need your... he-help... help more."

Internal bleeding, I thought.

I would die a very painful but slow death. The vomiting started when I tried to stand up from where I was lying. I wanted to elevate the stab wound but since it was literally in the middle of my body, I do not know how I would accomplish such a feat. The spear has officially become my very own cane.

My stomach churned and I thought that I would take out my own intestines with the intesity of my nausea. My bloody hands automatically raised to wipe my sweat on my forehead and the residues of vomit on the side of my lips but as I saw it while my hands were reaching up to my face, I realized that I would stain my face with my own blood.

I was shaking so badly that I could not keep myself upright, only the sounds of fighting lured me to open my eyes. The light butterflies were quite stubborn, despite Cocytus and Idris being in the lesser hand on the fight, the light butterflies still stayed by my side even when they could not do anything.

"I knew that you are walking with the Deity," the Hybrid said on their very familiar and beautiful voice.

His conventionally handsome face was smiling at me while Cocytus was trying to block him only to be gutted right on the stomach with the force of his fist infused with magical energy. I saw my foster cousin spit blood after that, crumpling on the ground while holding his stomach with both hands. Meanwhile, Idris saw what had happened and, despite fighting with Haziel, went to drag Cocytus away from that man, the Hybrid.

Who turned out to be Sir Apollyon Hart.

I looked at my bloodied hand, they were both trembling and started to get clammy. I felt suffocated by the heat rising up within me that started with my abdomen. I held the side of my stab wound, putting pressure with it. I tried to tore apart my skirt but since it was made out that thin white gauze fabric, blood just seeped right through.

In other words, it was technically useless and pathetic.

I also noticed the rapidness of my breathing, even when I tried to regulate the air going in and out my lungs into a slow and regular pace, I could not. I leaned down again, lying on my side since the sword that had been struck to me was protruding on my back, but I could still feel the restlessness dwelling inside me. It made me want to move, just move.

Move, my brain told me, just move.

But I shook my head at that encouragement of my brain, realizing one thing as I observed my own body.

I was in shock.

And I might as well die here from the lost of blood.

I was going to die here within this illusion, not even in the realm of reality and time. It made me scared and made my chest thumped in an erratic manner. Magical energy accidentally slipped from my only hand, my left hand, my whole arm actually, has been devoured by the whole temporal illusory fragment.

The same was true with Idris. She had regained her balance against Haziel Imbert, but since she has to drag Cocytus back, in a location that was out of reach of both of them, she lost that little advantage she regained against her main opponent.

"We have to get away from here," Idris yelled at me, dragging Cocytus behind her by the fabric on the collar of his tuxedo suit. "I... I..." It took her at least five times, repeating that one word over and over again before Idris could collect herself. "I cannot just fend for myself and defend both of you two. The students are around, I'm positive with that but I'm not certain how we are suppose to get all of them out."

"But there would be irreversible consequences," Cocytus said, standing on his own and still rubbing his abdomen. He looked behind them where Apollyon Hart and Haziel were also both talking. "If my suspicion that Haziel and that teacher went here to stuff the illusory fragment with the energy from the students, then they might as well have no mind of their own any longer. It would be hard recover, they have been here for around three months. Maybe more if we were not able to track them down any sooner..." Cocytus voice trailed away, we all understood that.

I continued lying on the floor, drowning on a pool of my own blood. Although the sword was keeping the blood and pressure in my body, it was still rather disorienting and painful.

It was excruciating and I cannot even move on my own in the fear that the sword would abruptly be disrupted and get removed by someone or get accidentally out of my body. Without the sword inside of me then the blood would ceaselessly continue to flow out of my flesh.

My breathing rattled all over again.

Thinking about all of these just made me dizzier.

Before Haziel and Apollyon Hart could advance towards us, Cocytus and Idris took it upon themselves to engage them both. Idris' bow came in contact with Haziel's whip, the sound was sharp and clear.

I looked around us, hoping that I could find anything or even just a shelter that I could find some medicine in. But what do I expect? It was an illusion after all, even after finding any medicine, I was certain that I would only be imagining myself putting medicine, thus, it would not really help me in any way.

We were in the middle of nowhere.

A desert to be exact. Miles upon miles of just desolated land, filled of sand. The sun above was positively scorching my skin, cooking it to a degree. I felt my blood became sticky on my hand, slowly drying off. I pressed my only hand further on my abdomen, never minding the excruciating pain on that part.

Then the air stilled and I felt the tension that hung on the air as they Hybrid, Apollyon Hart, sent out a blow of fire infused with magical energy to my direction. I was still lying on my side, bleeding from the wound that he himself inflicted towards me.

With all my strength left, I stood up and created a shield in front of me. I held out my hand in front of me, as though I was about to absorb the attack with only just a hand out. The blow came closer to me, I braced myself with the impact while the golden light butterflies also came forward in front of me, like they were trying to protect me.

"Seraphin!" Idris called out to me, but she was pinned into a corner by Haziel, not making her let out any chance of escape.

The blow came and I was forced to take three steps back, I felt the sword went deeper into me. I could see the hilt of the sword, imbedded within me and I winced as I retain my stand against the impact. The light butterflies, instead of creating a seal in front of me, flew towards me like they were comforting me.

I can do this, I thought, if the light butterflies decided not to help me then I could probably overpower this attack.

I breathed deeply, though the air was thick yet dry, and pressed my hand further, braving to take those three steps that I was forced to reteat with and infused my hand with magical power. What Apollyon Hart threw at me dissolved with my hand. With that, I prepared to counterattack.

The fire started small, but as I accumulated enough energy, it grew larger until I could hardly see anyone behind it. I whispered to the light butterflies, telling them to guide it and they complied obligingly before I let out that fire.

It narrowly missed Apollyon Hart but it gave Cocytus enough space to get away from him. Haziel, being disoriented with the sudden attack from a dying girl, was quite puzzled. It took her a minute to realize that her partner was in a precarious situation. It was too late for her though, Idris was already retreating along with Cocytus.

They both went to get me by my arm gingerly although we all wanted to retreat hastily.

"You're stronger than— than me," Cocytus told Idris, but I could not see them quite clearly any longer. Although I release tension within my body with that blow, it did nothing to alleviate my pain from the wound. "You carry Seraphin while I defend us on our six."

There was also breathlessness when Cocytus spoke and I could see that it was his head that was fading. He does not have any ears now and even his brows and forehead were also both gone. Under normal circumstances, I would definitely tease Cocytus because he does not have any eyebrow. Maybe I would not let that image go until a month later, but I was certain that Cocytus himself does not have any idea what he looked like right now.

And I could not just joke about it while we were being threatened by traitors.

So I was just right to assume that Apollyon Hart was somehow involved around everything. It was just a hunch, but back then, we do not really have the luxury to do anything to someone who has not really done any thing explicitly.

Meanwhile, Idris immediately nodded at Cocytus. In a gentle yet very firm swoop, Idris has already carried me on her arms, bridal style.

"I-Idris..." I called out to her, my eyes could not help but get moist as I stared at her crumpled up face. "If I would only be a burden. Leave me here, get yourself and Cocytus somewhere safe. And... and call Great Uncle Leigh for help. Maybe he would."

"Shu-shut up!" Idris roared at me, her eyes were piercing and glaring. She was angry; at what, I have the slightest inkling that it was not me. "No one is being left behind. This war... those people's lives... and that decade spent on that war. They were hiding you in hopes that you would be their biggest chance of getting a win for us. You are not dying here, none of us would be."

Idris looked back, annoyance touching her face.

"What the heck, Cocytus? Get over here!"

But Cocytus did not answer Idris. My sister and I looked at each other, puzzled at what made Cocytus frozen still that he was ignoring Idris.

"Let me down," I told Idris, "you need to reserve your energy."

Even when it was painful, I let my feet touched the sandy ground of this desert. My feet, which were both wearing a very fancy heels, was buried slightly on the sand.

"What in the actual—?" Idris started to say but my hand quicklt covered her mouth.

"No swearing," I said while still mesmerized by what I was seeing with my mouth sightly gaping.

Billowing white robes, an air of immortality, and a mask of plain black with three crescent white shapes to signify the eyes and the lips.

The Deity of the Light has arrived.