1: Phantasia Celeste
Just an illusion…
“I doubt Cecaelia will come back. She was too far gone to reincarnate,” said Freyr, “Just another cancerous collection of memories to add to the spiral,”
Dionysus managed a laugh. Water faeries never laughed. “I also will not be reincarnating,”
Silence.
Just an illusion. Just an illusion.
“After all you’ve learned?” asked Freyr, “Dionysus, your whole life, and everything you achieved… You are one of the most gifted spirits left in the world! Are you saying you want to join the Goddess before-” Freyr looked at Phantasia “-before you found an answer?”
Dionysus reached towards Phantasia and brushed his fingers over the mark he had left her with. She felt a cool prickling sensation, and as she looked into his aquamarine eyes, she realised.
“You knew…” she started.
“It was going to happen eventually,”
“But, if I hadn’t…”
Dionysus exchanged a look with Freyr.
“You were late,” said the wind faerie, “We expected you earlier. Your distraction was all a part of the plan. How else do you think you escaped the palace untroubled?”
Princess Durga scowled as she laid a hand on the shoulders of the young princess. “Never underestimate the plotting of the water faeries, or the counter-plotting of wind faeries. We must leave now. Death approaches.”
“It’s a Grim too,” said Freyr, standing tall, “Quite an honour for you, Dionysus,”
Dionysus rested his head back and closed his eyes. “That it is,”
Durga and the other faeries began to filter out of the room, carrying their wounded with them. Freyr and Phantasia were the last to leave.
“I’m not going to leave you here,” said Phantasia, grasping the prince’s fading hand, “We’ll get you outside. You can recover!”
Then she felt a wind pick up beneath her, and she couldn’t stop herself being pulled along by a sudden force. She took one last glance at Dionysus, before she saw something dark appear between them, and then the chamber passed out of sight.
***
