Celeste gazed at William with a complicated look on her face.
The Half-Elf was currently inside her room, within the Main Flying Flagship of the Holy Order of Light.
William said that he wanted to talk to her in private, so she invited him inside her room to talk. However, the first question that the Half-Elf asked had surprised her, making her unable to reply right away.
“To be honest, I don’t know if there is a way to revive a familiar that has died,” Celeste stated. “There are only two Familiamancers in this world. Me, and you. So, I can’t really answer your question. But…”
“But?” William looked at Celeste with such an intensity that it made the beautiful Elf flinch.
“But, I know someone that might know how to do it.”
“You do? Is he also a Familiamancer?”
“… Not exactly. But, he is an expert when it comes to Familiars,” Celeste explained. “Actually, when I thought that Chloee was about to die, he was the first person that came to my mind. If there is a way to revive your familiars, he is the only one we can count on.”
William nodded. “Thank you. Knowing that there is a way to revive them gives me hope.”
Optimus had asked him to consult with Celeste if it was possible to revive Elliot and Conan, who held the other halves of his soul. If he was able to bring them back to life, then his soul would once again be complete.
This would allow him to truly bring out the power of the Familiamancer Job Class, as well as unlock the Features of the System which were currently unavailable to him.
“By the way, where is this person you are talking about?” William inquired.
Celeste smiled because she found this question quite funny. The person that William was looking for was the same person that asked Celeste to go to the Tower of Babylon, to bestow upon William the Job Class of Familiamancer.
“You will find him on the Top Floor of the Tower of Babylon,” Celeste answered. “Meaning, you have to clear all of its floors before you meet him. In order to do that, you need to retrieve your memories first. The current you might not be able to face the challenges that are waiting for you on the unexplored floors of the Tower.”
“What is the Tower of Babylon like?” William asked. “Can you tell me more about it?”
“Of course,” Celine replied.
The two then chatted about many things. They not only talked about the Tower of Babylon, but also talked about the Silvermoon Continent, where William’s mother, Arwen, was waiting while being worried sick about him.
Celeste also told the Half-Elf about the Heavenly Virtues, her work as a Professor in Hestia Academy, Chloee, Claire, as well as her sister, Celine.
When the topic of her twin sister was mentioned, a hopeful, yet sad expression appeared on the elf’s face.
“Perhaps, any day from now, my sister is about to give birth to your child,” Celeste said softly. “There is also a possibility that she has already given birth.”
Celeste stared at the window of her room, as if reminiscing a distant past.
“Many years ago, my sister and I became part of a Prophecy.” Celeste smiled bitterly. “One of us would become the prophesied Bride of Darkness. Truth be told, when I learned of this, I got scared. However, my sister hugged me and whispered in my ears and said…
‘Don’t worry, my blood is tainted and the Power of Darkness emanates from my body. If there is going to be a Bride of Darkness, it will be me, and not you. So, don’t be afraid. Everything will be alright.’”
Celeste then shifted her attention to the Half-Elf whose gaze never left her face.
“Back then, I felt very relieved that I didn’t have to suffer such a fate.” Celeste continued her tale. “Although I was sorry about my sister, a part of me rejoiced that I wouldn’t have to become the bride of the evil prince, who would cover the world in darkness.
“You know, my sister is very strong. She was despised by everyone in the Silvermoon Continent because of her tainted blood, and was exiled because of it. Growing up, I was showered with love and affection, while she… was cursed and belittled by the Elves. I’m sure that she has undergone countless hardships since then, which shaped her to who she is now.
“My sister didn’t wait for the Prophecy to come to pass. She didn’t allow a prophecy to control her life, and she defied it.”
Celeste once again gave Wiliam a bitter smile as she continued her story.
“She chose you, over the Prophecy. My sister gave you her everything. Her love, her body, her wisdom, and her future. It was a great gamble on her part. Frankly, it was something that I could never do.
“In the end, she succeeded. She defied her Fate, even at the cost of being taken to the Underworld. However, I believe that my sister has never regretted her choice. Instead of being Felix’s prophesied Bride, she became the mother of your child. While I… who was supposed to be your bride, was tossed aside.
“I can still remember the gaze you gave me when you still had your memories. In your eyes, I am only Celine’s twin sister, Celeste, and that is all I am to you. I’m not really sure why I’m telling you this, but I have long wanted to get this off of my chest.
“It may sound stupid, but if I were to go back to the past, and talk to my younger self, I would tell her that she shouldn’t be afraid of the Dark Prince. Instead, I would tell her that she should look forward to meeting him because beneath his cold and unfeeling gaze was a warmth that would make anyone who he holds dear in his heart feel loved and safe, even if the entire world was covered in Darkness.”
Celeste closed her eyes and stayed silent for a few minutes before standing up and headed towards the door of her room.
“It’s already late, and I want to rest early,” Celeste said softly. “Goodnight, Will. When the time comes for you to climb the Tower of Babylon, I will accompany you. But, until then, I would like to be alone and think about what I want to do for the future.”
The Half-Elf nodded his head in understanding and thanked Celeste for telling him everything he wanted to know.
The moment the door closed, William heaved a long and deep sigh.
Celeste’s revelation made him realize how blessed he was to have Celine in his life. Although he felt sorry for Celeste, there was nothing he could do about it.
< Control your own destiny, or someone else will. I hope you learned something from talking to her, Will. >
‘I did,’ William replied as he glanced at the closed door behind him.
Due to his strong hearing, he was able to tell that, behind the closed door, the beautiful Elf was weeping.
But he dared not comfort her.
Not now, when his memories still hadn’t returned.
Only when he regained what he had lost, would he be able to decide what path he would take in the future. He would do this not only for his sake, but for those who wept behind closed doors because of the choices that they weren’t brave enough to take.
