55 Unshackling the ones born as tools
Sylva stood before Luna's headless body that fell to the ground as Luna embraced death for a chance of freedom. Luna's head rolled near Sylva's feet, and she remembered her last words and the expression she showed.
It left a bad taste in her mouth. Sylva raised the head and ignored the crying and sobbing of the Pixies who had been keeping it to themselves throughout the entire process and stared at Luna's body. She was unsure if she was the only one who saw it, but Sylva was sure that before was what remained of her friend, Sela.
Sylva can feel it, that unique air and presence Sela had with her. It was clear that Sela was before her right now. As Sylva's tears fell, she lost her grip on her daggers and fell to her knees.
"I'm sorry…for abandoning you!"
She, too, began to cry, but as for reasons utterly different from the rest. She cried as she stared at the remnant souls of her friend that gave her life to save what she has now.
Sylva clutched her chest as the beating of her heart could not be contained. Sela's translucent image looked down upon her grieving friend, touching her cheeks.
As soon as she did so, memories of the past flooded Sylva's mind. A mix of Sela's and Luna's memories entered her mind.
And as Sylva filtered the information she had received from Sela, she raised her head and exchanged gazes with her friend. She had a questioning gaze that needed to be answered by Sela.
"She killed you... so why?"
Sela simply smiled, unable to answer because her mortal bonds were already lifted from the world.
Sela gradually began to dissipate. Her being there was no longer welcomed by the world.
"Wait, don't leave yet. I-I!" Sylva was at a loss for words, she wanted to call upon Sela and make her stay by her side some more, but she already knew that it was impossible.
Sela needed to go, or else she will truly be damned. But as she was leaving, she held a smile on her face.
Sylva needs no words from Sela, for she already inherited her memories and thoughts. She already knew what it is that she wanted to say to her…
"It's fine, live…for both of us."
Sela was happy for what Sylva had done until this point. She didn't stop running and lived for the two of them. But she needed to go so that Sylva can stop looking at the past.
Sylva freed Sela from the chains holding her to this world; now, it's her turn to free her friend from her.
Sela raised her head, looked at Lilith, and slightly bowed her head to thank you for what she had given Sylva. A chance to live and change her fate of being nothing but a sacrifice.
She was going to disappear, and as she looked at Sylva with saddened but contented eyes, her thoughts echoed in Sylva's head.
"This is now your choice."
Sela disappeared with the silent breeze of the cold night. The crying of the Pixies echoed, and Sylva's sobs were drowned with the echoing words in her heads.
The choice given to her by Sela was hard. But as she stared at Luna and relieved her emotions, she also felt that her words the other night were nothing but self-pity.
She spoke of her pain that Luna cannot ever hope to feel when Luna has suffered too. The burden she carried, the emotions that were stripped away from her, the words uttered drilled into her, and her envy towards Sylva, who can show her emotion and actually live.
As Sela gave Sylva clarity to pass the red curtains that were her hatred and rage, Sylva finally understood that she and Luna were not that different. Both of them were tools that were meant to be used.
Upon the realization, Sylva wailed once more for the mistake she had just committed. Luna had died as a tool to keep her race alive. To fulfill the desires of the man who abandoned her.
She died as a tool, not as someone who lived.
At the very least, Sylva, who ran away, managed to escape her fate as a sacrificial piece after meeting Lilith. However, Luna was different.
After the defeat of her race, she was just beginning to find life outside her forced responsibilities, yet that chance was taken away by Sylva.
And at that moment, as Sylva gazed at the severed head of Luna, she decided to pick it up as she finally made the decision Sela gave her.
She picked it up, and slowly, she walked towards Luna's body. Lilith watched this from above and smiled.
If this was normal, she would be smiling because she could smell an opportunity; however, it was different right now. As Sylva approached Luna's body with her head, she felt proud that Sylva had found herself to finally grow.
It was then that she remembered her conversation with Luna weeks prior to this day.
'I can convince Sylva to ensure your life…'
'My life will be in her hands, and whether or not she gives me the chance to live is up to her…this life cannot continue with hate between us. I want to find peace, and between the two options, I know that I can find it no matter what.'
'If that is your decision, then I will not stop you. And if Sylva refuses to do it, I shall bury your body myself and do what you asked of me.'
'Thank you.'
Lilith was now looking at Sylva and Luna. Showing a genuine smile, Lilith was happy for the two…
'Now, you two will be given a new start.'
In the many worlds of the universe, many myths and legends have slipped through the cracks of the world and found themselves on earth.
Stories of Werewolves, Vampires, Ogres, Goblins, and other monsters had been around for thousands of years as myths and legends.
All thought they were but a figment of imaginations, folklores without truth behind them. But during this era, said myths were coming true as they spill out of the Gates.
Then, if stories about monsters were true, then what about the stories of the Gods?
The stories of the different religions are said to have ruled over the beings of the world.
The Patheon of Greece, the Pantheon of Egypt, and so many others. What about them? Are they also real?
The number of religions birthed under the name of so many gods throughout human history is astonishing.
No one really knows who created these gods, who started the stories, or what is truly real, but at this moment, Lilith can see the myth of the Moon coming alive.
She remembers the many myths she had read. The stories that had been stored in her mind about the many Gods and Goddesses now weaved to create the full truth many seekers had been trying to find.
Or at least partially.
'Over the course of human history, the Moon had been associated with death, fertility, and life.
'In one religious lore, a God by the name Osiris met death by having his body ripped to pieces and came alive as his wife found his body and pieced it together with the use of magic. In that story, Osiris has no magic, and he was a man, but in another story, a Goddess by the name of Hecate one of the three moon Goddesses who had domain over magic and witchcraft. Hecate was one of the triform Goddesses that formed youth, motherhood, and the elderly, signifying the life cycle.
'And as Osiris signifies the end, death, or the missing link between myths…these four aspects both Hecate and Osiris would form the symbolism of the moon.'
As Lilith remembered all of these, Sylva reached Luna's body.
She got on her knees and carefully began moving Luna's headless body and had it face upward. Sylva gently placed Luna's head on her neck. Sylva was trying to reattach it as if she was paying respect.
But as soon as the head was reattached, the mana surrounding the Forest of Beast swirled and gathered at Luna's body.
"What's happening?" Everyone was confused and panicked, but the Pixies who saw this all kneeled on the ground, crying and sobbing.
Sylva just stayed there and watched Luna's body glow with an ethereal silver light.
The light that Luna emitted was the same color as the Moon, and as her body floated and sucked in all the mana around the Forest of Beast, sending the humans who know not of what's happening into a panic, as something unexpected happened.
[Luna will now become your follower, do you agree? Y/N?]
Lilith didn't need to think and chose yes.
[Followers: 3/2]
As she did all this, the light of the mana coalesced and began to form a blue cocoon around Luna. This cocoon was the sign of evolution, and as the mana started to settle, Lilith snapped her fingers and gently controlled the cocoon that was many times bigger than her.
This was a myth coming to life, and as Luna's head was slowly reattached, Lilith received a notification from the system.
[Hidden Mission: Moon Goddess Evolution (Completed)]
[Follower numbers has increased by 3]
[Followers: 3/5]
[Hidden Mission: Moon Goddess (Reward/s)]
[Ÿ] Moon Goddess is now your follower
[Ÿ] 500,000 SP
[Ÿ] Mental Link
Lilith rose to the air bringing the cocoon with her. She gathered her mana once again and had Sylva fly up as well. It was a taxing task, but it was necessary.
She looked down on everyone and began to speak!
"Today marks the day of Luna's death! The Moon Liwa of the Pixies have died, and with her death, she had washed your sins; never will you now follow the customs you had before; this is now the age of life! As Sylva, who was once a Silberofer, a sacrificial tool for the Pixies, found herself to forgive and grant Luna another chance in life, the Pixies shall now be reborn as well together with Luna! Pixies and every evolution you have taken shall now be reborn anew!
"And as you basked in the light of Luna's evolution, remember the one who gave you the chance to be reborn is the one who you deemed as a tool!
"Now live once again, follow the path of your predecessor, and forge a brighter future! Remember the past, don't wallow and look back but learn from them, forge a new path from the one that had crumbled!"
She finished her words, and the cocoon surrounding Luna cracked and exploded with glorious light!
A being of pure white hovered into the air. A silk-like dress draped over Luna's body, she had no wings, but now she had an ethereal silver Crown hovering over her head.
[Luna Qurenara: LVL 40 (epic-tier) Moon Queen]
At that moment, under the light of Luna's evolution, Lilith addressed their past and had their history crumble. And with Luna's death and her rebirth, the Pixies, the Praeries, and the other Pixie evolution variant found themselves a new lease in life.
And as Lilith looked around, she can tell that it was not only Pixies who were affected by her address but also the daemons who sought asylum.
Lilith smiled and looked at Sylva…
"I'm proud of you, little one."
And Sylva nodded her head as she cried. She was the one who killed Luna and was also the one who gave her the chance to live.
The memory she received from Sela was the one who gave her this choice.
Even now, it echoes in her mind.
"As the Moon Liwa is beheaded, the soul that shackled her will be free, and once the body and the mind come together with the chains no longer there, the evolution process of the Moon Liwa will be complete."
Only now did Sylva realized why Lilith told her to behead Luna. Because she knew Luna's past, Lilith gave her the chance to be free of guilt from killing Sela.
Lilith also gave her the chance to give Sylva a chance at a life that would save her from the guilt that will follow after killing her sister, who was also nothing but a tool.
If earlier she cried because of guilt or of despair, this time, Sylva shed tears as her sense of gratification towards Lilith. And as she choked up, the only thing she could say was the exact words Luna uttered when she was freed from her shackles.
"Thank you…"
The sisters were finally freed from their pasts.
