The Phoenix Chronicles: The Curse of Lustria

Chapter Thirty-Four: The Blessing of Lustria

(NARRATED BY CAMERON SETLER)

Like I said, the Atmamunix wasn't that different from its counterpart Sipremunix. Aside from the lighting, shapes, and colors, the only two details in the Upper World tower that contrasted from that of the Underworld were the fact that I could actually see the ceiling thirty feet above, and the existence of an open doorway leading to a staircase directly in front of me. Without delay, I climbed it, guided by candelabras on the wall with little white flames.

The second room looked very similar to the first. On top of being the same size and shape, it, too, was made of darkened stone, and was lit by torches with white flames. What set it apart from the floor below were its three additional sources of light, which poured in through three stained-glass windows. They were all positioned on the right side of the room, each portraying a different person.

The leftmost window depicted the Great Faerie Lumina. She looked quite regal with her golden dress and electrum scepter, set in a background that contained a partly-cloudy, blue sky.

The rightmost window depicted Miss "Melody Radiance" herself, Mareini Makai. She appeared just as she had when we met her: singing from where she sat on a tree stump with the Tribal Woods in the background, clad in a lovely, emerald dress.

In between the two windows was Impretis Lucia. Like Mareini, she, too, was dressed as she had been when we first met. And, similar Lumina, she also appeared elegant; possessing an outward composure that was both calm and collected. She stood with her hands behind her back in the midst of a clear, white background.

Hanging on the wall across from these windows were three, very large paintings that all had frames made of lustrium. The rightmost painting, which was directly across from Lumina's leftmost window (since the room was circular), contained the image of Levi Jameson, firing off an arrow from his bow. He had himself propped up just enough from where he lay on the ground to draw back his weapon. Judging by the marble beneath him, I was pretty sure the setting was the Tower of Thunder.

The leftmost painting across from Mareini's window depicted a defiant-looking Senti Orcana, who held up his bronze bracelet while it glinted. I was able to tell by the sand under his feet that this image was from his fight against the giant serpent he had told me about.

In the middle of the two paintings, directly across from Lucia's window, was a portrait of me. Although the other two had nighttime settings, this one was particularly dark. The sun in the sky was partially covered by a pitch-black moon. I wore a confident grin, pointing my sword at whomever stood across from me. My whole body was glowing brilliantly with a radiant, white light. Although I was able to guess the contexts of the other two portraits, this one was a mystery to me.

Since the paintings were set across from the windows, the rays of light that shone through the stained glass were able to hit each of them directly. However, I noticed that, while the lustrium on both Senti's and Levi's frames glowed brilliantly, mine wasn't shining at all—

At least not yet.

Suddenly, a deep voice spoke out of nowhere: "O Chosen Hero of the Fallen Goddess... the time has come for you to achieve enlightenment and receive the Blessing of Lustria. The line of Guardians who watch over this tower have many trials in store for you. Do you accept their challenge?"

It took a while, but I finally found my voice to answer, "Yes."

After a long pause, the disembodied voice responded, "May the spirits of the Holy Ravens be with you, and may you ascend toward acceptance in pursuit of Lustria's great light."

With that, the stone door obscuring the staircase in front of me lifted out of the way on its own. Taking one last look at my painting, I hurried up to the third floor.