Aureate didn't know what to think.
Her mother dead?
Her father missing?
It was all too much to process, so she instead searched for an outlet—
Aureate.. are you okay?
Luz's voice rung through her head. Cold rage filled her veins.
"You," she whispered. "This is all your fault."
Aureate—
She took a deep breath in and out, drowning out Luz's words. She did what he taught her and summoned the Cora within the Gemstone, activating its power.
"Luz. How do I remove the Gemstone?" she asked, her voice low and filled with fury.
Princess—
"I asked you a question!"
Luz was silent for a little while.
What Aureate didn't expect was to be see a spirit materialize at the foot of her bed.
"Princess, if I tell you how to remove the Gemstone, then.. what are you going to do?" He asked quietly, looking at her directly in the eye.
"That's classified!" She snapped, crossing her leaf blades.
Luz frowned, "You're going to destroy it. Aren't you?"
Aureate didn't reply. She simply gave him a pointed look.
"I can't let you do that, princess," he said. "The Topaz is part of the salvation of Choria. If you destroy it, then—"
"Then what!?" She demanded, leaping out of the bed and stepping towards him. Luz floated backwards, caught off-guard. "You said part of the salvation. That means there are others! Others who can save Choria just fine without the Topaz!"
"But you're meant to unite them! If you don't, then Choria doesn't stand a chance against—"
"Against what, Luz!? You told me I was supposed to take down Rel-whatever-it's-called, but I'm gaining a feeling that there's more than that!" Aureate said. The venom in her tone was frightening. "What am I truly up against!?"
Aureate felt something solid appear in her leaf blades, but she paid no mind to it.
"Princess—"
"Tell me!"
She raised her leaf blades to find there was a sword with a golden handle in her grasp. Her anger began to ebb in bewilderment.
How did this get here?
Never mind that, she told herself as she tossed the sword aside, defeated. Her true feelings had caught up to her as she retreated back to the bed and underneath the covers, tears welling up in her eyes.
She sensed Luz hovering over her in a comforting sort of way, or as comforting as ghosts can be.
"I just—" She wiped the tears from her eyes, poking her head out from under the blanket. "—I feel like.. like everything plummeted downhill ever since my Awakening."
"Yeah. Gemstones tend to have that effect," Luz mumbled, a sad smile climbing onto his face.
Aureate looked at him, eyes watery. "What happened?" she asked gently.
"It's too much of a story to get into right now," he said immediately, putting space between them. "I'll tell you another time."
"Hmm," the princess hummed in acknowledgement, her stare drifting from the spirit to the sword with the golden handle on the other side of the room.
YOU ARE READING
Golden: The Collection
Fanfiction"Do you accept this humble burden?" Luz demanded. "The burden to protect those who cannot protect themselves?" The princess stood for a moment. Her senses were screaming at her to decline and go back to her normal life, but there was this voice. Thi...
