Unveiling

The Reaper Stone

At the Glass Hall

Cascade stands there in front, now he brings the stone with him. 

The people standing in front of him seem to be expectant of what's gonna happen here at this moment.

" Auribus!", he started his speech in a loud convincing tone. He looks at the Achkerians with empathetic eyes. Anyone would surely fall into his lies. 

" Now is the time for your great sacrifice!" Cascade muttered. 

And gaze at the Auribus with shallow admiration. 

" The clan who have little in Achker! yet the giver and the selfless! 

" Your sacrifice in restoring the precious stone will not be in vain; when the stone is restored, we will all be able to experience the wholeness we seek! And we may all return home, so come... selfless souls of Achker!", Cascade calls the Auribus, dramatically motioning his hands. Then takes out the stone from its box. 

Cascade adjusts his fingers to control the stone as it floats into the air while he clutches it. The stone travels upwards toward the ceiling, changing its appearance from a gleaming gold to black, as a cloud of black smoke emerges from it, slowly crawling towards the Auribus' nose and ears. Others have already passed out, their spirits unable to withstand the ceremony.

Abby's mother was nervous; she felt unsure and afraid. She was certain about this sacrifice a while ago, but she has a sinking feeling that something isn't quite right; she has a feeling that something similar to this has happened before... when? She attempted to recall when... she had heard some cries here during the Polaris Feast as well.

Yes! I've seen something like this before! It was during the Polaris Feast! Cascade tricked us before in that time that we may forget what happened there! She thinks. 

Yet, it's too late before she could run away from this place, she sees Cascade in front of her, and the thing in his hand seems like to suck all her breath. She feels his feet get weakens.

Your mom is a rebel...

That's all Abby's mom could hear amidst her blurring vision. 

"Mom!" It's Abby. 

They have arrived already. 

Abby rushes towards her mom who now fainted on the floor. 

" Stop!" Celestine shouted at Cascade telling him to stop what he's doing at Abby's mom.

 She moves her fingers trying to get control of the stone that's in Cascade's grip. 

" You greedy!" Celestine yells in gritted teeth. 

They wrestle. The entire glass hall is filled with chaos. Celestine releases a force against Cascade. She motions her hands like that of the Astrals, harnessing energies from her soul. Then she throws a rapid blast at Cascade. 

He fell to the ground. Celestine took advantage at that moment. She runs towards the Achkerian, who now have lost their abilities to the stone. 

" Listen Achkerians! you Auribus! that's not a sacred stone! There's no sacred stone!", Celestine shouts pointing at Cascade's grip. 

She glared at him, then she turns to the Achkerians , " we've been long deceived! You're all under a curse! See it's here! .... the truth!" Celestine muttered. 

Cascade chortles. He gets up and fixes himself. 

Do you think you can show the lost page to them?" he glared at Celestine. 

He burst a laugh that sounded like a mock. " the truth?", his eyebrows raised. 

" You, don't even know that thing, Celestine"

Celestine smirks, " I know this! Here lies the evidence of your true face!", she said. 

Cascade frowns, looking sharply, he rushes to her and grabs her neck, giving her no chance to block or counterattack. 

" give up!", he whispered. That sounds more of a threat. 

" Do you think she got the lost page? huh?",  

It's Quasi. He interrupted. 

" Auribus! see this one!" he yells and releases a force on his palm. Those are the lost page hid in his grip. Then it unfolded, depicting scenarios like how it showed them before in the hotel room.  

It's like everything and everyone in the glass hall paused as the lost page declares the eradicated history of Achker. They all gasps in dismay and shock as they watched the events on it. 

How could their long-respected Keeper fool them this way? And their clan? The prophets? Was everything just staged up? They all have the same thought in mind. 

Cascade freezes. 

I didn't see this coming. I underestimated these kids. Darn! This is humiliating! He thinks. 

Silence... 

And then when all come to their senses the hall was again filled with cries and murmurs. 

" How could you tricked us!"

" You liar!"

" monster!"

" Mom", Abby calls her mom. 

" let's go to Gran...she can help us", she muttered in tears. 

Yet no matter how loud they cry they all have lost their abilities now. The little gift they have was sacrificed in vain. Perhaps there is no greater betrayal than this.

Prompted with anger and shame, Cascade stabs himself with the reaper stone in his hands. And as the energy of the stone digs into his body, his aura changes. It's like he's being transformed into a different person. His eyes darken. Then he opens his mouth exceptionally wide, and all the left abilities in the hall were being sucked into it like a vacuum. Everything goes into his mouth.

There his monster self was revealed!

And everyone in there falls unconscious on the floor, including Quasi and Abby. 

" NOOOOO!", Celestine screams. 

The hall shakes at the intensity of her voice. She looks around only two people are standing here right now, her and Cascade. Everyone was overcome. She glared at Cascade. Her teeth gritting. Her fists clenching. Her heart beating fast. She can't contain this rage she's feeling at the moment. 

Shield ...

 Celestine said in her mind. And a force surrounded her blocking, protecting her from any harm. 

Yet, on the other hand, Cascade remains calm, not threatened by Celestine's strength. 

" If their souls can't take this ability sucking...they might die and can't be reborn!", he said looking at Celestine. He's referring to the unconscious Achkerian. 

" But you know what power I truly desire to consume?",  

 " It's yours, Celestine," he said like he's insane. 

Cascade's greed was clearly audible in his voice. Cascade grabbed Celestine's face and tried to open her mouth forcibly, but Celestine refused. She made an effort to recall everything she had learned during her Astral's training. Celestine noticed the chandelier on the ceiling, she used her telekinetic abilities to drag it down and slam it into his back. Cascade loses his grip on her.

" I'd really like to consume your ability when you're in your incarnate form!", Cascade said attacking Celestine again. 

I know I can't defeat you now...but I must do this. Celestine thinks. 

She then spreads her arms and shuts her eyes, allowing herself to float in the air. She hasn't fully explored her abilities, but there is one that she has mastered for the time being, and that is her astral talent.

She had trained in secret, without Cascade's knowledge, with several elders in the Astral's territory.

As she closed her eyes, her consciousness traveled to another realm, and she now finds herself in a different time and situation in the glass hall. What is cast and bound here, now, in this domain, will be more powerful than what is in the physical and real-time realms. Something like this can only be done by an astral.

Celestine knelt on the ground beneath the glass hall, sniffing the air as if beckoning the spirits, then she commanded...

"What happens here will be remembered forever, and it will leave a stamp on every Achkerian's identity; no power can erase this place's history; I, Celestine, am tying this realm to another realm." Celestine's voice becomes more forceful as she speaks.

"Noooo! " Cascade screams. 

Celestine opened her eyes. Her spirit returns to this period, and before she could react, Cascade had struck her so hard that she was pushed outdoors, shattering the walls behind her.

She struggled to stand up. Cascade approaches her slowly.

" You stubborn kid!" Cascade pulls her up and throws her again.

" You! Show me your true form, let it out!!" Cascade shouts.

 " How could you have the courage to fight me with powers you don't even master? huh?! " he said as he continues to battle with Celestine.

Celestine could hardly keep her consciousness, she feels too weak now. She's badly hurt. Cascade is stronger plus he's more skilled in combat. And right now, the abilities he sucked up are manifesting. 

Yet, Celestine despite feeling weak, still fought back, wrestling against him with all her might. 

Cascade grabs her arms and kicks her in the leg, knocking her to the ground. Cascade clenches her fists over her face and sucks up all of her abilities.

Celestine feels resistance in her soul. Yet, the force that's binding her is strong. She feels like she's in delirium as Cascade overcomes her. 

 I promised... I will find you 

Celestine saw her 4 years old self.

Dad... no... I can't, she said.

Take this... there... now I'm sure I will found you

Is this a memory from my past life? She wondered. 

" Dad!" Celestine whispered. 

 What is in this incarnate? I know from the start that she's an incarnate yet, she's different from those incarnate I battled before. Something's making her strong and protecting her. Cascade wondered as he chokes Celestine, continuously sucking her abilities. 

I must hurry..more... a little more... Cascade said to himself. 

Dad, find me here...please... Celestine whispered in her thoughts as she struggles with this force she can't overcome. 

Her eyes turn blue. It glistened as tears well up from it. 

The galaxy eyes! Cascade's eyes widened in excitement. 

She's struggling to transform harnessing more strength in her. Cascade thinks. 

He chortles, thinking he will be even more powerful if Celestine's ability will be taken from her while she was in her strongest form. 

 Cascade laughs mercilessly. 

" You never failed to give me what I desire," he said.

Once he consumed all from Celestine. He knows there could be little chance she'll be alive. But Cascade doesn't care. He's more concerned about the power he'll get from her. 

Okay, now...little and it's finished! He thinks. And laughs mercilessly. 

But something appeared in Celestine's mind before he could finish it. 

Cascade is taken aback. It's as if a ray of golden light glides from her head, shines so brightly that it blinds Cascade. The rays that strike his face are painful. It pierces as if they were burning his face. Why does the light she emits puncture my flesh like hot razor blades? Cascade wonders as he cringes in anguish. 

He let go of Celestine. 

At the side of her eyes, Celestine can see Cascade groaning in pain. His face is filled with smoke as if a piece of it is melting. Then she notices Vex approaching.

Vex! It's Vex... Celestine yells in her mind. 

She could see him as she lies on the ground a bit far from the hall, unable to move. She's been badly bruised and can't get up. She was thrown here earlier while dueling with Cascade. 

No! what are you going to do! She whispered as she sees Vex breaking the shield she made for her friends. 

 Quasi still has the strength to fight Vex. He couldn't be taken lightly, but Abby, despite the fact that they only recently found she's been an incarnate, she has been trained as an Auribus for her entire existence. She can't fight. She is weak in combat so as when it comes to using abilities. 

Abby was taken by Vex, and also her family. 

Vex fleed quickly with Abby in his arms while the other men with him grabbed her mom. 

" No, Abby!", Celestine's voice could not be any weaker. 

She tried to get up, but she feels too weak, she stretched her hand forcing her ability to come out. She likes to stop Vex from leaving, but she's got no strength anymore. All she could do was worry for her best friend. 

She feels her vision getting blurry and her chest becomes heavy as if she's suffocating. 

"Faster! Here...!" 

Celestine hears voices and footsteps coming.

Then she loses her consciousness.