The mood was grim as the twelve Conductors stared each other down. Nobody was willing to make the first serious move. Elaine in her haste had almost broken the tension in the atmosphere with her reckless attack. However, after seeing that Aylynah made no move to engage seriously, the other Order Captains simply stood by and watched.
Aylynah was a ferocious Conductor, and none of them wished to act before she issued orders. They would rather die than deal with one of her merciless punishments. Acting out of line would only ensure that they would suffer. Despite their lofty positions within the Order of Eternal Night, they were still merely pawns compared to her. They were her puppets and only when she decided to pull their strings would they have the chance to do anything.
“Fenix what are we going to do?” whispered Serenade as the three stood still, each ready to attack at a moment’s notice. Serenade threw her bow to the ground and drew her twin rapiers as Fenix sighed.
“We aren’t going to do anything,” he began. “You two are getting out of here. I can handle them myself.” Wide-eyed and shocked, Elaine turned to face him.
“What? No! Master Fenix, we can’t just leave you here to die!” she all but screamed. Serenade didn’t even need to speak for Elaine to realize she felt the same way. Serenade was staring at Fenix as if he had just stabbed her in the heart.
However, before either of them could do anything, Fenix raised a shaking hand, “Serenade, Elaine, I’m sorry…” In an instant, his Duality Shield appeared around them, sealing them off from Fenix and this battle.
“Fenix no!” cried Serenade as she pounded her fists against the shimmering barrier. But Fenix only stared at her with an expression Elaine had never seen before. It was like he was looking at his wife for the first time. It was as if all the beauty in the world rested in the depths of her teary eyes. He placed a hand against the barrier and she moved hers to meet it, pounding relentlessly on the barrier with her other hand.
“Love, tell Cypher… tell him how sorry I am that I could not be around to watch him grow up. Tell him I loved you both with all my heart and soul,” began Fenix. Serenade sobbed, her shoulders heaving as she tried to touch her husband one last time. She switched from complete despair to rage and back again as she resisted the inevitable parting that was coming.
“Fenix no… We can find another way. T-together we can-” but her words caught in her throat as she saw the tears flowing from Fenix’s eyes. His expression was calm, caring, and somehow conveyed the depth of his love for her.
“Tell him his father died giving him and his mother a chance.” Fenix wiped his tears and steadied himself as he turned to Elaine.
“Elaine, you’ve been one of my best and brightest students. We’ve been through a lot together and I know that someday, you’ll make a great teacher for future generations. Keep advancing your skills, and when Cypher is ready for the responsibilities his father left behind, give him these.”
He pulled the Ark Cradle off of his waist and the armor around him seemed to flow into it. It pulsed red once and flew through the barrier. Along with that, he also sent a ring floating through the barrier, which landed in Serenade’s palm.
He continued speaking to Elaine, “He will come to you one day Elaine, and when he does, tell him how I died. Tell him how I wish things could be different and that I hope he understands one day why I did what I did.”
“F-Fenix… no…” whimpered Serenade, her rage all but expended as thick tears fell down her cheeks. He smiled at her again, and even Elaine could feel the warmth flowing from that expression.
“Heh,” chuckled Fenix. “I never thought it would end like this. But I guess fate has always been funny like that…” he placed his hands on his hips as he finished, but let out a loud defiant laugh. “A flaw in my bloodline I suppose.”
As he turned away, Elaine smiled bitterly and pushed down the ache in her chest. He was as calm and composed as he always was and even looked content as he turned to face his swiftly approaching end. He glanced back one final time, that broad smile she’d seen a thousand times before etched upon his face. But this would be the last time. There would be no celebration when they returned home, no smiles among friends. Only sorrow.
“Ugh, please. If you’re quite finished with your heartfelt little goodbyes, I’d like to kill you already before all these gushy emotions make me throw up,” spat Aylynah. However, at that moment, Fenix’s aura suddenly engulfed the entire area.
“Shut the fuck up you stupid whore,” began Fenix. The dam had finally broken and his patience with her had run out, yet he was still as calm as ever. “I’ve never liked you from the first moment we met back in the Academy and even if you hadn’t turned into a raging bitch, I’m quite sure I never would have.
“The lot of you will die here, tonight,” said Fenix as he pointed towards the Captains behind her. “But you Aylynah?” Fenix said shifting his gaze to her. “You, I will enjoy killing most of all!” He muttered a spell and a pair of ethereal swords appeared in his hands.
“Aww, how sweet. Noble to the very end I see. You really are quite honorable Fenix, you serve your reputation well. You’re right, the two of us could never have been friends. But not because you would never have liked me, you were simply always beneath me. Just as you are tonight.
“Your armor is gone, your legendary sword is gone, and you have only your wits and those little ghosts you call sabers to defend yourself with. You’re done, Fenix, and I will enjoy watching the light fade from your eyes.”
Fenix ignored Aylynah. The time for words was done. He crouched low, and before he charged off, he whispered, “Goodbye Serenade, Elaine, I love you both…” With that, he uttered a spell and bolted forward, a triumphant battle cry tearing from his mouth the likes of which Elaine had never heard before.
Just before his blades crossed with the cluster of attacking Order Conductors, Elaine, and Serenade were transported back to Seven City in a flash of blinding light. When the smoke cleared, only the grove of Hawthorn trees stood to greet them.
Serenade fell to her knees and let out a pained howl. Elaine wept as well, her tears hot and salty as they stung her eyes and fell to the ground. Several minutes passed, then thirty. Serenade was on her hands and knees, her eyes wide as she stared at the walls of Fenix’s Duality Shield.
It was obvious that her thoughts were only on the hope that Fenix would somehow survive this encounter. But sadly, after another fifteen minutes, Fenix’s Duality Shield flickered and faded away. He was gone, and once more Serenade fell into a fit of uncontrollable sobs.
Elaine gently stroked the Ark Cradle in her arms, and tears fell from her own eyes as the world became a blurred mess and all else ceased to matter. The light that was Fenix Ceraunus was gone, and the world was now a darker place because of it.
