The Celestial

Part 7

The sapphire reflected the flickering light of the candle. I was entranced by the beauty it held, the magic within. And soon it would be much more than that.

I carefully lifted the scepter from the box, comparing the blue gem to the green and red. I suppose it was a bonus to have three different colors.

I was about to place the blue gem into the last slot when I was stopped short.

"Don't do this."

Hissing out my frustration, I spun around to throw my fiery glare at my reflection. Even with the mirror cracked like it was, it still managed to appear, though its voice was noticeably different. Broken. Raspy. Faded.

"Why do you even bother when I'm this close? Can you not see through the glass? I have three gems in my possession now, right here in my hands. All I must do is place this final one into the scepter before having ultimate power. I will be remembered for the rest of history as the Resundre who brought infinite glory and respect to Efisia. The other kingdoms will fear us in awe and beg for cooperation! But cooperation they will not get, because they never cooperated with us when we were in trouble, when we starved to death and plague lashed out at us. It's time that they suffer like we have all these years."

"That's not what you want, Theo. Not truly."

I didn't falter.

"Then what do I want? Since you're a part of me, you should know. Say it."

A pause.

"You want to erase Efisia from all records of time."

A smile crept onto my face.

"It would have been better if this pathetic, miserable kingdom never existed to begin with."

"You'll kill everyone."

"I will."

"You will eradicate every single brick that made a house, every single footpath that was traveled for hundreds of years."

"That's the plan."

"You're going to kill us."

"If I take you out with me, all will be worth it."

"You'd be willing to do that."

It wasn't a question.

"You know I would."

I was wasting too much precious time talking to myself.

A click was heard as I placed the last gem into the scepter. A second passed before all three gems began glowing. In the center of the three prongs that was the head, a white sphere grew and spun, radiating heat, light, and what certainly was magic. A chill seized me.

It worked.

"Theo -"

A blast of white light struck the wall the mirror had hung from, obliterating the wall in a deafening explosion. The outburst shook the floor enough to cause me to fall to one knee. As I regained myself, I looked up as a tempest of frigid wind filled my chamber from the gaping hole. Dust blew with it, and bricks were still crumbling down. Standing, I walked over to the edge and looked out, aware of the power I held in my right hand.

People were gathering below, crying out in alarm and terror. Some looked up and pointed at me. Others weren't looking at me at all, but instead to my right. They seemed to be quite intent on what they were focused on. A couple even ran from the crowd in that direction.

I looked that way.

And what I saw, across the distance, at about the same height as me, was the Celestial, reaching out with its arms from between the barred window of its chamber. From my vantage point, I could see over the buildings and walls to see the countless heads of a growing crowd, one even greater than what had gathered to witness my destruction. The wind shifted in that moment, and on it a singing voice reached my ears.

Perhaps before it died naturally without its lifeforce, I will pay it one last visit to show what true power it and its species held.