Chosen By The Lover's Constellation-Chapter 62: Storm of Hearts, Part Eighteen

{Mel}

Mel stood at the precipice of despair, her eyes fixed on the unfolding tragedy before her. The Fiend’s relentless assault on Enverna painted a grim picture.

The air hung heavy with the stench of terror, and Mel’s chest tightened with each passing moment.

Mel had no clue what to do. Her heart was being pulled in two different directions.

A voice popped up, wanting to help her make that decision.

In that pivotal moment, a sinister presence slithered into Mel’s thoughts. The voice of The Tyrant, a celestial force promising power beyond imagination, began to whisper sweetly to her once again through the words he typed.

It felt like everything slowed down as Mel read:

- Do not be foolish.

- You failed earlier but now, now the Fiend is doing your job for you.

- Lianna and Enverna are both helpless. You alone hold their fates in your hands now. All you need to do is let the Fiend win.

- Even though you failed to kill Enverna yourself, I will still give you the power you deserve if you let her die.

- Stand back. Watch. Enjoy as your rival perishes before you.

A tempting offer echoed in her mind. A promise of unrivaled strength and all she had to do for it was allow Enverna to meet her end.

As The Tyrant gave her these sweet promises, Mel’s gaze shifted to Lianna. The dread etched on Lianna’s face spoke louder than any words. It was a plea, a silent scream urging for something, anything, to help. To act, to defy the darkness that sought to consume her... her fiance.

Right, her fiance. Mel realized it then.

The Tyrant called Enverna a rival but that wasn’t the case. Rivals were supposed to stand on equal footing.

Mel had lost this "fight" well before it began.

When taking that into account, her perspective shifted.

Suddenly, all she was being faced with was the simple understanding that her friend was about to lose someone dear to her. And, even if Mel was jealous, she wasn’t sure she could let that happen.

Mel’s fingers twitched with the potential for unimaginable power. She’d gotten a taste of it and it felt great.

But, it dawned on Mel that if that power came at the cost of having Lianna hate her...

... Maybe it just wasn’t worth it.

The Tyrant’s voice grew insistent, its cosmic, typed-out whispers intertwining with Mel’s inner turmoil.

- Let her fall, and you shall rise to heights beyond your wildest dreams. Embrace the darkness, and all that you desire shall be yours!

- Lianna herself will be yours. She will be powerless to resist you. Everyone will be powerless to resist you.

Ironically, those words were what finally pushed Mel to act.

Because that just wasn’t the kind of love Mel wanted out of Lianna.

As her mana reached 100, Mel took a step forward, away from the clutches of The Tyrant’s temptation. Her voice, shaky but resolute, cut through the cosmic whispers.

"No," Mel muttered, her gaze unwavering. "I can’t."

Mel raised a hand up.

Lianna noticed, eyes widening as she wondered what Mel would do.

This would, unfortunately, be the last taste of that sweet power that Mel would have.

But, she had to do this. And so, she cast that sweet spell one more time. Undoubtedly for the last 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}

Mel sighed.

[I don’t care about the world. I just care about Lianna.]

Mel’s heart pounded as she channeled the remnants of her celestial power into one final, desperate move.

The arcane energy swirled around her and, with a heavy heart, she closed her eyes just before she released it into the form of Cry of the Aeons.

This spell that encapsulated the depths of her agony and transformed it into a surge of raw power was sent forth to protect a woman who, herself, represented the strife Mel had been through.

As the celestial bolt streaked through the air, the Fiend, about to reach Enverna, recoiled under the overwhelming force.

"AAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIHHHHHH"

It writhed and screamed, incapacitated by the sheer might of the magic that attacked it.

Enverna, who had been on the brink of defeat, saw what happened. Her eyes met Mel’s with great curiosity before she focused on the situation that was unfolding, seized the opportunity, and used what little strength she had left to get up to her feet.

With determination etched on her face, Enverna rose from the ashes of despair.

"Lianna, instructions!" Enverna called out.

"R-Right, uh, press the attack!" Lianna responded. "Hit it with everything you’ve got!"

Thus, she held her spear and struck with unyielding resolve.

The Fiend, weakened, was pierced several times in rapid succession.

Enverna, empowered by the surge of energy, delivered blow after blow, digging her spear into her opponent with unbreakable focus.

And then, Sylver, who had finally finished turning the mechanism off, dealt the final blow.

A single beam, an assault of concentrated mana, went straight through the Greater Fiend’s head.

"A-"

The Fiend’s scream was cut off.

The light faded from its eyes.

And their enemy fell to the floor.

As the echoes of battle subsided, the trio stood amidst the remnants of their triumph. Sylver, Lianna, and Enverna, all depleted of their energy, breathed heavily.

With her back pressed against the cold, unforgiving wall, Mel slid down, her world tilting as she descended to the hard floor, sitting on the dusty stone.

Her head sank into her hands, fingers clutching at the strands of her disheveled hair. The weight of what she had just done crashed upon her like a tidal wave, drowning her in the reality of her choice.

The echoes of The Tyrant’s offer faded away, dissipating into the recesses of her mind. The potent spell, Cry of the Aeons, vanished from her Status, leaving behind a void that mirrored the emptiness settling within her.

Mel realized that she had discarded the only chance she might ever have to ascend beyond the shadows of insignificance.

From this moment forward, she’d probably always be a weakling. A figure others would dismiss and trample upon. The path she chose was one that led away from the intoxicating allure of power, leaving her with the certainty that she had embraced a future marked by the footprints of those who believed she would never amount to anything.

As Mel grappled with the harsh consequences of her decision, footsteps approached. She looked up through strands of her disarrayed hair to see none other than Enverna standing before her.

Mel couldn’t tell what she was feeling. Sniffling, rubbing away a falling tear, she looked up at her, though.

Maybe Enverna herself wasn’t sure what she was feeling, as she didn’t say a word.

Instead, she just put a hand out silently.

Mel looked away, but reached up to take it.

Enverna pulled her up to her feet. Anger, gratitude, awe, and fear were all present in the woman’s eyes. But she made none of it known through her words.

Mel sighed.

[... I made my choice. I guess all I have left is to live with it.]

---

{Lianna}

Finally, it was done.

As Lianna, Enverna, Mel, and Sylver walked out of that ruin, Lianna looked up and could not find the quest.

It had finally been completed.

Her reward was that now, Lianna’s Luck attribute was probably one of the highest in the world, without even factoring in the buff that she got from being near Enverna.

Luck: B

[I mean, cool... But what does Luck even do as an attribute?]

If it had something to do with loot, then...

Maybe she’d already received an inkling of this newfound potential.

As, Lianna had gotten something off the Greater Fiend’s body that was, indeed, very powerful.

Granted, it was useless to her.

But, she did know one person who could make use of it.

The adventurers gathered at the entrance of the ancient ruin watched the girls walk up, a mix of exhaustion and relief etched on their faces.

Sylver stepped forward, taking the lead as she addressed the awaiting crowd of inquisitive adventurers.

"We’ve seen things down there," Sylver’s voice carried the weight of the events, "things that challenge what we thought we knew. The ruins are treacherous and filled with powerful entities. We took down a few but there could likely be more. Also, Hazel was separated from us and we never found her. We don’t know where she is."

Murmurs rippled through the crowd as concern and uncertainty spread. In the midst of the collective unease, Lianna noticed that Mel detached herself from the group, weaving through the gathered adventurers like a ghost slipping through shadows. She clearly sought some solitude.

Lianna chose to follow her, though.

Solitude was what she and Mel both had their whole lives. Lianna disagreed, in her opinion, they did not need more of it.

"Mel," Lianna called softly, her voice carrying a mixture of concern and empathy. "You..."

"I’m sorry," Mel apologized. "I was..." Mel turned to face Lianna, her eyes reflecting the turmoil within. "I tried to-"

"Hold on," Lianna stopped her. "I’m not the one you should be apologizing to for that. Save those words for Envy," she said with a smile. Mel nodded slowly. "But, I do want to say... Regardless of what happened," Lianna gently reached out, placing a comforting hand on Mel’s shoulder. "You saved us back there. The only reason we made it out is because we had you there with us. That much is undeniable. So, for that, thank you."

Mel’s gaze softened, the weight on her shoulders easing as Lianna’s words sank in. In that quiet moment between them, they shared a silent understanding, and the unspoken bond between them was reaffirmed.

"I just wish I could be more," Mel admitted, vulnerability lacing her words. "I had the chance, but-"

Lianna smiled, the warmth of her expression soothing the lingering ache in Mel’s heart as she stepped forward and kissed her on her forehead.

"Personally, Mel? I like you just the way you are now."

Mel looked away. Lianna then pulled back and took something out from her Inventory.

"But, I get it. In this world of ours, power commands respect. I understand. So, here. Take this."

A staff popped up.

Mel’s brows pulled together.

"W-What?"

"It was on that Fiend’s body. I talked about it with the others while we were walking back. They... obviously don’t think this is very smart but, Mel, I trust you. Not just that, but I think this is by all rights yours anyway. You earned it. Sylver got the last blow, but without that spell you cast, we wouldn’t have made it. So, here."

Kaelen Staff of Authority

{Weapon}

{Unique}

{Class Req: Sorcerer}

{Stat Req: MYS: C+}

{Description: Staff once used by Demetrius Ackerman. Considered the symbol of a ruler from ages long passed.}

{Effect: Spells landed in rapid succession against the same target deal bonus damage, stacking up to 25%}

Mel’s eyes gleamed.

She looked up.

"Lianna..."

The crimson-haired girl embraced her.

"Mel... I don’t know what’s going through your mind right now, but, you’re still a friend to me. I hope you understand that."

Putting the staff away, Mel instantly broke down, sobbing into the girl’s shoulder.