Walking on the path covered in blossom leaves, Iris clenched her book, looking at the academy with a smile on her face.

The Academy rose from the earth with a serene confidence, its four white-and-gold stoeies gleamed softly in the daylight. It didn't tower or loom; instead, it radiated an inviting presence, the kind of warmth that made out feel like knowledge itself was waiting at the door, but what do you expect, the blessing of Praise lingered in the air around it, never wanting to leave, subtle, not showy, like a quiet hymn woven into the walls.

Its roof was in the shape of triangles, crowned at each floor, steep and pointing like the tip of miniature temple spires. The yellow trim along the eaves caught the light in a way that made you seem almost haloed. Each roofline angled upward with a gentle, but unmistakable grace, as if the entire building... had been designed to echo a lifted chin, a hopeful gaze...

On the ground floor, the left and right wings extended forward, creating a bracket-like shape when viewed from above, arms opening outward. Those extensions were slightly closer to the path than the main entrance, and stepping between them felt like passing into a protected space, a soft boundary where the world grew just a little quieter...

The Academy was considered one of the most beautiful buildings in the entirety of the Blue Rose, and it was deserving, the only thing she could name, and that she had visited more beautiful, was the castle itself. But I mean, it was where the King and his family lived. Her home, so she may even be biased when saying that it was more stunning than the school.

The blossom trees themselves lined the walkway leading up to the entrance, their branches woven overhead in a loose arch. The petals were a pale, luminous pink by nature, but near the Academy... they seemed to glow faintly, as if touched by a gentle radicance that clung to them. The blossoms almost never browned; even when they fell, they didn't drift slowly, lazily. People liked to say that Praise once walked the path, and that the trees remembered.

And well, technically, she was walking the path now, too. With her.

Day or night, the Academy held a sense of calm reverence. The walls were carved with delicate symbols, winds, rays of light, threads pulling gently upward, subtle enough not to overwhelm the eyes, but always present, reminding the students of the divine patron who watched over the place.

The windows shimmered faintly, not in a magical, overt glow, but in the way that still water caught the sun: reflective, gentle, impossibly clean. Inside, soft golden light leaked out like the building itself was breathing.

It wasn't majestic in the overwhelming sense. It didn't need to be. It was simply beautiful, quietly holy, a place... where the divine and the mundane shared the same air.

A place shaped by Praise.

Iris walked inside, many turning at her as she appeared, their face turning to smiles. She was a symbol of hope, of happiness. Praise radiated from her. As her vessel, she was the closest thing to her.

A girl ran up to her, gasping for air.

"Praise! Can you use your healing power on me? I was running late, and I scraped my leg rushing here."

Iris smiled sofly, but inside she was pouting; many liked to call her by her god's names. But she hated it, she wanted people to call her by her name, not another's.

"Sure... but can you not call me that again... please?"

...

...

"Don't you dare call me that again!"

Aether raged, bringing his blade down, blood spilling on the walls and floor. He looked to his right, where he saw a blade made out of pure bone heading toward him, but before it could hit him. Jay tackled him to the ground.

His eyes locked onto the immobilized Prised, as he twisted his blade downwards, thrusting down straight into his head, breaking his skull in two, and creating a deep hole in the dead priest's head.

[You have...]

Aether ran forward, his feet burning as he twisted his body to evade the continuous slashes from the sea of priests.

He had thought that there wouldn't be more clones, but it seems that the one who came after him that day wasn't the one making the clones. Hard to tell...

"When they all look the same."

Aether slashed down the head of one, with another coming from behind him, but Jay quickly stopped him, hitting the blade out of his hand, and giving Aether time to turn and detach his torso from his legs.

[You have...]

[You have...]

Aether looked at Jay. "How many are there?" Jay frowned, looking in front of them. "A lot, more than I can count."

Aether clenched his blade, his eyes suddenly twitching, an old habit never leaves.

"Fallen Eden is here."

"Watch out for Fallen Eden blade."

"First kill the boy, then Fallen Eden.

"Attack Fallen Eden..."

...

"Fallen Eden."

"Fallen Eden."

"Fallen Eden."

"Fallen Eden."

"Fallen Eden."

"That isn't my name!"

Aether dashed forward, but as he was about to slash at one of them, a guard arrived, putting his shield in front of them. Aether pulled back, coiling his blade like a serpent ready to attack and bite, ejecting its poison inside.

Aether tensed his muscles as the tip of the blade made contact with the steel of the shield. He felt his hands shake, go numb for a second, but his strength didn't waver as the shield started cracking, leaving the guard wide open.

[You have...]

Aether withdrew his sword, pushing the guard's dead body to the side, as he went for the priest. All of their blades came upon him, catching him off guard. He had wanted to run away, but he didn't have enough time, as some of them hit him.

"Are you alright?"

Aether sighed, realizing how weak his body had gotten, as he gasped for air, and blood fell from his arm and chest.

"I'm good, I can continue."

...Mental Fortitude: 20/100

'Damn it.'

He was able to raise it to twenty-four, and he has already lost it because of this battle. And he hasn't even gotten to the guards. Well, some arrived, but most were still coming. How was he able to do this? I mean, he had used his earring to slow the guards, and it had worked, plus, he had made some not even come. But he didn't expect more priests to be inside; that was the reason he had wanted to kill that bastard before, so that there wouldn't be more clones inside.

'What do I do?'

...

"Let me take over."

Aether looked to his side, where the Abyss apeared with a cocky smile on its face; it looked as if it was mocking him, looking down on him. But he had gotten used to its attitude.

"Why would I-"

"You're going to die, that's why you would give me control. If you don't, you will die."

...

It was a hard decision to make. After all, he didn't know what the Abyss might do with his body. What if he messed up his plan and killed Jay there? What if he didn't stick to his word and got himself killed... no, he wouldn't do that. If he died, it also died.

So it... was doing this out of desperation for its own life. It tried to seem cocky, but it was nervous that he might die. And he couldn't let him die, he was his last vessel, after he died, there wouldn't be another.

...

"Alright... fine, do it."

...

...

Aether found himself in an endless darkness. A place he was familiar with, as it was the place he got sent whenever he lost control, or in this case... gave control to the Abyss. He didn't know how long he was going to be here. But he hated it.

Before, he would fight with the Abyss for control, yet now, he was willingly staying here as if he were a puppy. It was humiliating that he needed the Abyss's help; he hated it. He had cleared a Godspawn book without him, without even having his affinity.

...

It had taken... a while for him to retake control; he had waited in that damn place for more than he could remember. Yet after he was done. He found himself in a corridor filled with dead bodies. Blood was spilled everywhere, and yet, his body was all healed...

He didn't get what happened. But he knew that the Abyss had done it.

How?

He had no idea.

Hearing Jay come from behind, he was relieved to see he was alive.

"Aether, what happened? Why did you suddenly run forward in the sea of priests and..."

Jay stopped talking, as he saw the dead bodies blocking the path in front of them.

"What... happened here."

...

"I...I dont know."

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