Chosen By The Lover's Constellation-Chapter 58: Storm of Hearts, Part Fourteen

MP: 400/400

Mel’s mana was fully replenished.

Her eyes glowed with newfound authority. Knowledge of the power she possessed was burned into her mind.

Mel raised a hand toward the Fiend.

A torrent of lightning launched out, infused with celestial might. Finally, it seemed affected by Mel’s magic.

The Fiend recoiled, its grip on Enverna weakening.

Aiming her magic at the tentacle that held Enverna, Mel launched another bolt at it. This ability severed the tentacle that bound Enverna.

The Fiend writhed in pain, its malevolent aura disrupted by Mel’s newfound strength. That one bulging eye looked so terrified, all of a sudden. As the celestial energy coursed through her, Mel felt a blend of empowerment and ominous responsibility.

The Tyrant’s presence lingered, its cosmic gaze fixed on the unfolding events. Mel turned to Enverna, their gazes meeting with a shared acknowledgment of how incredible this moment was.

Then, Mel raised her hand a final time.

Cry of the Aeons - 100 MP

{Spell}

{Unique}

{Effect: Launch forward a bolt that encapsulates the agony one has been through and turns it into raw power.]

{The world itself is yours for the taking, Mel}

A single lightning bolt flew forward.

The ability, an intense, black bolt of pure corruption, struck the Fiend head-on. An explosion resulted, covering the area with nothing but bits and pieces of what was once a Fiend and was now just muck and flesh strewn throughout the chamber.

The enemy was dead.

Mel had never felt better.

Mel stood amidst the aftermath, the scent of scorched flesh and the crackle of residual energy lingering in the cavern air. Enverna, freed from the clutches of the Fiend, looked at Mel with a mix of gratitude and awe.

"Mel, that was... incredible," Enverna uttered, her eyes wide with amazement.

Mel agreed.

She couldn’t help but revel in the newfound sense of power coursing through her. The Tyrant’s influence had granted her strength beyond imagination. The taste of victory was intoxicating.

A triumphant smile crept onto Mel’s face as she basked in the admiration of her companion. The glow in her eyes reflected not only the celestial power within but also a growing satisfaction.

[Is... Is this what it feels like to be strong?] She wondered, giggling quietly as she looked down at her own hands. [Is this what I’ve been missing?]

Enverna, while appreciating Mel’s sudden newfound strength, sensed a shift in her demeanor. The once meek and timid adventurer felt so... different all of a sudden.

Her slight concern was increased when Mel suddenly collapsed.

"Mel? MEL!?"

For Mel, the world around her went black. Suddenly, she was in a void, naked and translucent, with words quickly appearing in front of her.

- Did you enjoy that?

Mel inhaled and exhaled slowly.

She had. She couldn’t deny that.

- I’m glad you did.

- Mel, I want to make something clear.

- I understand you.

Mel remained silent, reading the Constellation’s words patiently as they appeared before her.

- You know that Constellations were once regular beings, right?

- Like you, I was an outcast. I was tossed aside by the world around me, kicked, spat on, and told I was worthless.

- That continued throughout my life until, one day, I decided to show them they were wrong.

- I decided to take the respect that was rightfully mine.

- I became The Tyrant because it was what the world around me deserved.

- And, I believe that this is what the world around you deserves now, Mel.

Then, the Constellation asked:

- You’re tired, aren’t you?

Mel paused for a moment and then nodded.

- Every day, you wonder why you were born into this world, don’t you?

Again, she nodded.

- And now, you’ve had a taste of a better life and you want nothing more than to reach up and take it, right?

Mel muttered "yes", though no voice escaped her lips.

- Then, go and do it.

- Take it all. Bring others to their knees, break the restraints that shackle you to the soil, and take the respect that is owed to you.

- I offer you the power to become someone who never has to feel pain like that again.

- And, I offer you the power to take the love you desire.

Mel’s eyes widened.

- You know it as well as I do, don’t you?

- Lianna will never see you in the same light that she sees Enverna.

- Sure, you can share her...

- ... But, do you want to?

Mel breathed in slowly, feeling anxiety creep into her spirit. The words she heard caused a blooming sense of nervousness to sprout within her.

- You don’t have to.

- In fact, you can remove Enverna from the equation altogether.

[What?]

- You’ve done your research on me, I know.

- I am aware that you know what I have to offer.

- However, if you want the power I am willing to grant you, you must prove that you are ready to take what is rightfully owed to you. You must undergo a small test.

- The test is pleasingly simple.

- Kill Enverna Alteri.

- That’s all. Do that, claim Lianna herself as your trophy, and I will grant you the strength to subjugate and conquer. To make every person who ever sneered at you pay a bloody price for it.

[...] Mel was in shock. Her mind was blank at the audacity of what was being asked of her.

- Haste is necessary, unfortunately, so I will have to give you a time limit.

- Kill Enverna before you leave this ruin. Do that, and your power will be unrivaled.

- Do that, and Lianna will be completely yours.

- Whether she wants to be or not.

- If you don’t kill Enverna, however, I will take back my power.

- Lianna will never like you the way you like her.

- And, you will always be nothing but a quivering, sobbing mess, born specifically to be kicked by better, stronger people.

- Not a difficult choice, I hope.

"el... Mel!"

Mel’s eyes blinked open.

A hand was shaking her back and forth. As Enverna saw her stirring, she stopped.

"Oh, thank Saren," Enverna breathed a sigh of relief. "Are you alright? What happened?"

Mel looked into her eyes, blinking.

Everything The Tyrant said went through her mind once again, as though the Constellation were trying to ensure that she knew what was expected of her.

Finally, she said:

"I-I did a little too much..." Her voice was barely above a whisper. "But, I’m okay now."

Enverna helped her get to her feet.

"Good, good," Enverna said, though she was clearly still quite worried.

As she backed off, Mel quickly turned to the side and looked down.

Mel raised a hand, palm aimed at the ceiling, feeling the surge of energy at her command.

Sinister, dark electricity crackled to life in Mel’s hand. The air around her seemed to vibrate like the world itself was shivering.

"That was great back there, by the way," Enverna said. "But, we... we should probably keep moving, you know? Lianna and the others are still out there. They could be in trouble."

Mel inhaled and exhaled slowly.

She felt so, so much more powerful.

"R-Right," she replied, though, shaking her head. "Let’s keep going!"

---

{Lianna}

Lianna was growing more anxious by the minute.

Sylver had led her through the fortress’s labyrinthine corridors thus far, taking on the Fiends that appeared as Lianna spotted them through the walls using {Tag}. They were seeing success in combat, but each twist and turn added to the uncertainty of her friends’ situation.

Lianna couldn’t shake the nerves gnawing at the edges of her mind.

[Okay, okay. I’ll just do this again.]

In an attempt to gain some clarity, Lianna activated {Through Enverna’s Eyes}, wanting to see how she and Mel were doing.

As her surroundings shifted, Lianna found herself viewing the world from Enverna’s perspective. The connection brought Enverna’s senses to life in Lianna’s mind. However, something was off.

Mel, who should have been a steadfast presence at Enverna’s side, seemed to be acting strangely.

Lianna’s heart began to speed up as she observed Mel’s actions through Enverna’s eyes.

"Um, you’re sure you’re alright?" Enverna asked.

"I’ve... never been better," Lianna heard Mel respond.

The dark energy crackling around Mel’s hand sent shivers down Lianna’s spine.

[Something’s not right.]

Mel’s demeanor had shifted, and Lianna couldn’t help but feel a sense of foreboding.

Then, a message popped up.

Quest:

{Prevent the ascension of the Storm Fiend}

And, again.

Quest:

{Prevent the ascension of the Storm Fiend}

And yet again.

Quest:

{Prevent the ascension of the Storm Fiend}

The message was loud and clear. Lianna didn’t know the specifics, but she didn’t need to.

"We need to hurry," Lianna said urgently to Sylver, the tension evident in her voice. "Something is happening with Mel and Enverna."

"How can you tell?"

Lianna just admitted it, knowing that now wasn’t the time to withhold information.

"I have an ability that lets me see through Enverna’s perspective. It’s part of why we teamed up. Something’s happening on her end. We have to find them, now."

She could sense the urgency in her own words as she navigated the fortress, the layout becoming more familiar with every step.

Lianna didn’t want to lose them.

The weight of responsibility bore down on her, fueled by the knowledge that their actions held consequences beyond their understanding.

Thankfully, Sylver matched her pace, internalizing the urgency with which Lianna moved and not questioning it further.

[Please, please, please... Let me get to them in time.]