Dark Queen: The Cybelline Prophecies

Epilogue - Jinon & Kyria - Part 1 of 3

The Realm of Lost Souls

Kyria's last and final thought was regret. 

Why did she spend so much time hating? Why was she so bent on revenge. What as it about that first step being a mistake that made every step a mistake thereafter? 

But she closed her eyes, the last image was of Jinon, his face a broken mask of grief. 

If I could do it all over again. She promised herself. I would choose differently. 

But she knew that it was too late, she was too broken and could not turn around. 

When she opened her eyes once more she was in a barren land. She saw a figure in front of her, she had bright red hair and dark wings. She was beautiful and terrifying at the same time. 

"Where am I?"  She asked. 

"The place between life and death." Cybelline responded, "Your body has but one breathe but your soul is shattered beyond repair." 

She waved a hand and Jinon appeared. He stared at a woman in a crystal coffin, he was breaking his own soul to save his. He carved magic spells into the crystal sarcophagus, intent on healing her.

Kyria began to cry as she saw the toll it was taking on him, "He will die this way! Tell him to stop, if he doesn't then he'll shatter his own soull" 

"He's a stubborn man." Cybelline responded with a smile, "He won't stop. Not after I told him that there was a way to save you. If he did not, then your soul would shatter instantly." 

"This is my punishment. A person like me shouldn't exist." Kyria answered, she looked at Cybelline with hope, "Kill me now. Don't give him hope anymore. Let him move on." 

"I would. But both you and I know that he would die." Cybelline responded.

Kyria crumbled to the floor, "I beg you, tell me what to do." 

Cybelline stared at the woman who had brought so much evil and pain into the world and sighed, "I wish nothing more than for you to disappear. But I promised Jinon that I would give him a chance. And it's for him I do this. Because he saved just as many as you killed, that I do this." 

Kyria felt a light breathe as she found her soul to become more stable. Some of the cracks lightened. 

"Jinon asked me to keep your soul intact for a thousand years." Cybelline said, "He asked that I give you a chance to redeem yourself while he finds a way to save you. While he finds a way to save your soul by sacrificing his." 

"I..." 

"Don't need to be saved. I know." Cybelline said, "But let you pride go. You lost and you're about to lose the one thing that was good in your life. For his sake and for your own regret, stop wallowing in guilt and do something." 

"If I do everything..." Kyria said, "If I promise to do all that you ask, I will take any punishment. I deserve death for the pain I caused. I deserve to be shattered. But If I do everything you ask,  can you show me how to save him." 

After a moment Cybelline looked at her, "There is no way to save you both. But perhaps there is a way for you to save him. Even if you do everything I ask, your soul might still be lost. Can you bear that? If you let him do this without interfering, then he may succeed in saving you." 

"I deserve my fate, Jinon does not deserve to suffer for my choices." Kyria straighten and then bowed to Cybelline, "What must I do?" 

"A thousand years of toil. You will find every lost soul that you killed and shepherd them to the Fae lands. You will make sure that those you had a hand in killing find peace and are reborn in their homelands. You may never be able to repay your sins, but you can give them the peace you stole from them." Cybelline said her voice was laced with power, "A thousand years to heal what you have broken. If you can not do this, then I will tell you how to save him."