The King's Beloved

~ [Music Recommendation: "Missing Piece" by Yasunori Mitsuda (Chrono Cross OST) - available in Spotify or Youtube] ~ Please listen to it in loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this scene ~

"I think we're done surveying this island," Rania said, as she spun her head around, seeing nothing but trees and the ocean.

"Should we go to the next island?" Luna asked.

"Yes. Let's do that". Turning to Ducis, Rania called out, "Ducis, let's go -"

But when they turned their heads, they saw Ducis being engulfed in orange light. Like Elliot, he suddenly disappeared in thin air, much to Rania and Luna's bewilderment. The two were left with their mouths open, speechless of what just happened.

"Alright," Luna sighed heavily. "First we got separated from Elliot, and now, even Ducis. What are we gonna do, Rania? Maybe the guardian of this realm is really trying to separate us all?"

"Hmm …," Rania pondered for a moment. "The light … it was orange, not blue like the magic circle that separated Elliot from us".

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"It's just a hunch but I think … that light," she paused and turned to Luna, "I think it's Fauna's spiritual energy. And Fauna is with Elliot, in his sword, so maybe -"

" - You're right!" Luna interrupted her. "So you think Elliot summoned Ducis?"

Rania nodded. "Yes, I hope so".

"He should have summoned us, too!" Luna pouted. "It's way easier that way than us looking all over this realm for him".

 Rania laughed at her. "But we're not guardians. I'm not sure if Fauna can summon a human and a fairy - oh wait, she can. She summoned the sprites in the Forbidden Forest before".

"Uh-huh!" Luna smugly nodded. "Of course she can".

Rania paused for a moment and pondered again. "Unless … Elliot didn't want to summon us".

"Why though?" Luna snorted. "We're separated from him. The first thing he'll do is to make sure we gather again and -" then, it finally struck her. Luna's eyes widened and she quickly looked back at Rania, worried for her. It seemed that she said something she shouldn't be saying at all.

Rania smiled with furrowed brows. "Unless … he's in a dangerous place. He summoned Ducis, so that must mean he's fighting someone or something".

"Elliot is strong," Luna tried to encourage her, "and so is that stupid dragon. I'm sure they'll be fine".

"Their opponent must be really powerful for Elliot to need Ducis as backup".

"Or they might just be many and he needs numbers".

"If it's just numbers, he can create golems to help him, or summon other creatures -"

" - Rania!" Luna called her in a shout. "Calm down".

Rania opened her mouth to speak again but she stopped, and sighed heavily. Luna walked closer to her and patted her back.

"Right! I'm so sorry," Rania said, shaking her head. "I said I believe in him and yet here I am, worrying. Everything's gonna be fine. And the Supreme would always be with him, I should not worry".

Luna nodded. "Right! In that case, let's keep looking! Do you know how to fly?"

"Nope. But there's always a first time for everything," she replied, smiling back at her.

"Ha ha ha! Of course! Let this great Luna teach you!"

And so, Luna taught Rania how to fly using magic. While busy learning, Rania's heart still had an inch of worry deep inside.

Worry she couldn't shake away …

Her heart kept on thumping and stinging for some unknown reason …

Perhaps it was just her body not following her belief …

Or perhaps it was her connection to Elliot …

And the fact that … Elliot's heart was suffering that very moment.

"Who are you?" This was the question that Elliot's clone asked him when their weapons clashed against each other.

Elliot was taken aback by the question. His brows wrinkled as he answered him, "I should be the one asking you that". Putting more strength on his scythe, he managed to push his clone away, sending him flying towards the other end of the room.

Elliot's clone controlled his landing and was able to stop himself from getting smashed into a wall. He landed on his two feet and leaped back to Elliot in a flash, as he changed his warhammer into a scythe, the same as what the original Elliot was holding.

Clank! Clank! Clank! Clank!

With both scythe as their weapon, the two continued to exchange strong blows and powerful attacks against each other. They were so fast that normal eyes would not be able to follow their movements. One moment they were floating in the air, slashing their scythes all over the place, and the next, they were on the ground, dealing heavy blows against each other. At times they would use their palms or stomp their feet to cast magic and attack the other with different elements.

A couple of moments passed by as everyone kept on fighting. It only halted when the clone that Elliot was dealing with, stopped. Raising his arm high above his head, a ray of blue light came from it, reaching the high ceiling of the mirror house. From the ray of blue light, came beams shooting from different directions. Everyplace that the beams touched, vanished in an instant.

Elliot and the other guardians evaded the blue beams of light. However, they weren't quick enough. The beams succeeded to hit all the guardians, along with all the other six clones, making them disappear from the place. Elliot's eyes widened when he saw everyone being hit by the beams, as if they were intentionally aiming at them.

Now, only Elliot and the first clone remained in the dark mirror house once again.

"You're keen on separating me from the others, huh?" Elliot asked his clone.

The clone didn't answer him. Instead, he asked again, "Who are you?"

"Don't you have anything better to say?"

"Who are you?" the clone repeated. "Where did you come from? And where are you going?"

"Huh?" Elliot was puzzled. Since the clone stopped from attacking, he relaxed his shoulders and stood upright on the ground. He was a couple of meters away from his clone.

Elliot contemplated for a moment before he answered him, "Who I am? My name is Elliot, and I am the Supreme's Anointed One. As for where I came from, I -," he paused, thinking hard on the matter. He was careful on what to say because he wasn't sure if it was part of the trial, "I came from … the Forbidden Chamber, under the care of Ducis, the first guardian. And as for where I am going … I -," he paused again. But this time, he wasn't sure what to answer. Gulping, he tried to reply, "I'm going to … complete the Rite of Passage and save both Earth and Gaia".

The clone became silent for a whole minute or two. The silence made Elliot's heart pound from uncertainty. Why did he ask those questions? What answers was he expecting? And this person before him, could he be the guardian of this realm, disguised as him? All sorts of questions ran through Elliot's mind. If so, what was his purpose? His goal? And what was the trial all about? He had been fighting him for almost an hour and he was still unsure what he wanted from him. Elliot was unconvinced that his clone simply wanted a battle and that it was all a test of strength.

Then, the clone spoke again.

"Elliot, the Supreme's Anointed," he called him. With a piercing gaze, he looked at Elliot straight in the eyes and asked yet another question, "Why were you chosen?"

Elliot was taken aback. His eyes widened and his mouth gaped in bewilderment. In his mind, he asked himself, "... Why? Why was I chosen?"

"You don't know?" the clone tilted his head, as if mocking Elliot. With an expressionless face, and lifeless eyes, he asked him questions he never asked himself before.

"I'm chosen because …," Elliot paused, he really wasn't sure what to answer, "because …". He breathed heavily, trying to come up with an answer.

"I know why," the clone's lips curved into a devilish smirk. "Do you want to know?" he asked, his voice taunting.

Sweat trickled down Elliot's forehead. Of course he wanted to know as well. Unsure how to respond, he simply nodded his head instead.

"Alright, I will tell you," the clone said. Then, he began walking towards Elliot, looking straight to his eyes. In a husky voice, and almost a devilish whisper, he continued …

"It's because … YOU are the reason all of this chaos started in the first place".

Badump! Badump! Badump!

Elliot felt his heart jump from his chest. His body shivered and his mouth trembled. 

"T-that's … t-that's not true!" Elliot shouted at his clone. He tried to hide his heart that was beginning to crumble that very moment. He panted heavily, and sweat trickled down on his body.

"Hmm?" the clone hummed, mocking him yet again. "Are you sure?" his questions, scorning. "If someone made a mess of your place, who would you call to fix it? The innocent person? Or the one who created the mess?"

Elliot unconsciously clenched his fist too tight that they bled. He did not feel the pain though. For the pain his heart was far greater.

"Yes, that's right. If you don't believe me, I can show you ...

The Supreme did not choose you for any special reason. He just wanted you to fix the chaos you made …

Why are you whimpering? You thought you were special?

Well, think again".

At these words, Elliot fell on his knees, with a look of devastation all over his face. Only the sinister laugh of his clone, echoed through the whole place.

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Hi Beloved Readers!

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