24 A memory and a goal

"This can't be... This is..." Seraphina would push past Riyku and enter the room. Her red orbs glancing all around the room before plopping down. "What, what is it?" Riyku followed in after her. "This... my old room. I lived here when I was a mere child." Seraphina stated which caused Riyku to raise a brow. "You lived here?" Seraphina would nod softly, her eyes looking down at the rug beneath her. "It was way before I even knew you, or even know anything about being a Queen of Darkness." She stated as if she were about to explain.

---Many Eons in the past---

"Momma! Momma!" A small child with raven color hair and raven color eyes beamed up at a charming woman who smiled down at her. "Yes, Seraphina. What can I do for you?" The woman called from the hinge of the doorway. "Don't leave momma. Please." The child, Seraphina's expression looked as if she were about to bawl her eyes out. The woman would turn to squat down next to her child and bring her in for a warm hug. "Don't worry hunnie. Mommy will be back before you know it." The woman stated softly, though anyone could tell she was lying through her teeth. Sadly, the child bought it. "Promise?" She asked softly and the woman nodded and kissed her forehead. "I promise. Now stay here and be a good girl. I'll bring you back Ice cream and all." The woman stated and the child smiled brightly and nodded, wiping away her teary eyes. "Okay!" She exclaimed before returning to her book on the floor. The woman would leave, with a sorrowful expression, "I am sorry..." She whispered softly.

Time flew by and night came rapidly. Books upon books had been piled high on the floor. Yet the child's mother had yet to return. "Mommy..." The child whispered softly as she flipped the page of one of her books. A few drops of tears splashed upon the paper. "Where are you...? I have been a good girl... I have been reading.... Will you come back soon... Mommy." The child would sniffle as she continued to read through her book. More time flew by, more nights came and gone and before anyone knew it the child herself had grown into a teenager. Mountains of books had filled her entire room, she had outgrown her clothing which torn to shreds and the darkness around her clothed her in the second layer of skin as if to act like clothes. "You never came back, mom..." Seraphina muttered as she closed her book and pushed off the ground. For someone who had not eaten in days, she appeared rather healthy. Moving towards the door she was greeted with nothing, but ruin. Her expression was of utter shock and she collapsed then and there when she made note of a skeleton lying against the wall. "No..." Seraphina would sniffle softly as she crawled over to the skeleton and reached out to it. "Ma-Ma-Mama..." She whispered softly. How could she tell this skeleton was her mother? Well... it was the residue of energy that been left. Following a trail of aged blood that would lead to the door she had just opened, she would release one thing. "Why!? Why didn't you let me come with you!?"Seraphina shouted with anger and frustration. The woman had used the last of her life force to keep her child safe in that room from any ruin that was happening outside of that room. "Why momma?!" She shouted, knowing full well she would not get an answer.

Though her screams did attract the attention of lesser demons. Imps and demon dogs at that. "Go away!" Seraphina shouted and her shadow would spike up in thorns the moment these creatures approached her. The thorns would pierce through the lesser demons and ultimately kill them. A dark mist would seep into her body shortly after, but she seemed to not care. Her main focus was on her mother's skeleton. For some time the woman would continue to mourn her death, and when everything came to a passing she had buried her mother in the garden that her mother, as well as herself, tended to.

Her raven orbs would look up at the crimson sky along with the ruin of this world before looking back at the castle she had just been in. "I've learned much through the books I read mother. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. For being such a wonderful mother even after your death." Seraphina would bow lightly to her ruined home as well as her own mother before turning on her heel to face the road. However, when she did she made note of something shiny sticking out of the ground. Approaching it she would pick it up only to find it was one of those vocal capsules that one would use to relay messages to another. The moment Seraphina injected her energy into it, the capsule began to relay her a message.

"To my dearest daughter, Seraphina La Stia. If you are receiving this message, it is because I am no longer bound to this world. I have passed on. Forgive me for being blunt, but I need to be hasty with this message. My daughter, I love you with all my heart and soul. It breaks me even now to know that I was unable to stand by your side. I am sorry that I left you all alone for all those years. But, It was in order for you to survive. Seraphina, you a Daughter of Darkness. I am one of the Five Queens of Darkness. Being my daughter means that you will inherit my origin. I do hope you read all of those books, my daughter because they will be your guide in your walk of life. But, just because you are one of my kin does not mean you need to follow in my footsteps. Venture out into the world and become what you want to become; however, If you choose to become a Queen of Darkness. You should find the Shadow King. You will know once you have found him, he will have a peculiar scent to him. Also, avoid the Angels as best you can. Once again... I love you, Seraphina."

The message seemed to have ended there and Seraphina was now in a mess of tears. The message item seemed to have been taken in by the darkness around her as if she had stored it away. She would wipe her tears after recollecting herself. The expression in her eyes was one that held resolve. "I will find the Shadow King, Mother. I will become the next Queen of Darkness. Watch over me from where you are." Seraphina stated before venturing off.

---Present time---

"The journey was long, and I grew as a person. I never met the other Queens of Darkness' during my venture. But I did find the Shadow King." Seraphina would state to which Riyku would nod. "Well, I am glad you were able to achieve your dream of becoming a Queen of Darkness," Riyku stated as he wrapped his arms around her to comfort her. "As am I." She smiled softly at him before getting off the floor with his help. "If you need to rest more, we can," Riyku stated softly and she shook her head. "It is fine. I can keep going. I may not fully remember this castle, but I am sure that the people in this castle is not acquainted with me nor my mother." Seraphina would state to which Riyku nodded. "Alright." The two of them seemed to leave the room and make their way towards Skylar's supposed room. Upon opening the door, it was just as Riyku had expected it to be. A replica of Skylar's room. Though there was this shine that struck out to him. Moving towards it he would reach for it only for the shine to which it would vanish and a text box to appear.

'Dagger of Rage acquired'

The text read. "What did you get?" Seraphina questioned from behind him. "A weapon. More specifically, A dagger." Was it odd that he would get the same kind of weapon that Skylar would use? If so, didn't that mean that the other rooms may host weapons similar to their room owners? If that were the case then there should have been on in Mina's room at least. Lira was a guest, so maybe that was why there was not one, but who knew. Riyku would push this thought aside for now and proceed to exit the room only to look back down the hallway. "Well, all that is left is other rooms. We should make a quick run through and return to the other world." Riyku stated and Seraphina would agree. Both of them would venture through the remaining rooms, yet they turned up empty in the end. When they arrived back in the main hall they were greeted with another set of demon dogs. Riyku had shifted his gaze to his Shield Points and Mana Pool. The Shield Points were at a good set, and Mana pool was nearly full. Stepping forward he would use Weapon summon to bring out the Assassin's Dagger, and Night Crawler weapons.

Assassin's Dagger +4

Type: Dagger

Rarity: A

Condition: Sharp

A blade used by the Assassins of old. It is said that these weapons were capable of silently piercing their target's flesh from any direction and easy to withdraw for a quick escape. Effect: Deals addition damage if used on Vital points.

Night Crawler +4

Type: Claw

Rarity: S

Condition: Lethal

Where this... thing came from is unknown. No one knows who used it but what they do know is that it was used to take out high priority targets without delay. Effect: Armor Piercing. Bleed Damage (Causes internal bleeding for several seconds). State of Shock (Paralyzes the target instantly for several seconds). Instill Fear (Will fear all non-boss mobs and monsters below the users Level when spotted while killing a target with Night Crawler).

"Oh... now that's more like it." Seraphina licked her lips when she saw the look in Riyku's eyes as he stepped into the main hall to aggro the demon dogs who raced towards him with hunger in their eyes. "Shadow Step..." Riyku muttered as he effortless dashed through the shadows, using both claw and dagger to slice through and tear down the demon dogs in seconds. Once all was said and done the male would dismiss his weapons via Weapon Return and the dark mist would seep into his body.

'Demon Dog defeated x10'

'550 Exp acquired'

'500 Souls acquired'

It seems that the rewards for slaying the demon dogs would be the same as when Seraphina had defeated them. Brushing the text box aside he would turn to Seraphina who was gleefully heading towards him. "Watching you dance around the battlefield like that.... is just so majestic. A waltz of death..." Seraphina cooed softly towards him which caused him to chuckle lightly. "Your skill earlier still puts me to shame. Though, I appreciate the sentiment." Riyku would look towards the door leading to the first floor then to the door leading to the third floor. "Is something wrong?" Seraphina had made note of his transaction and Riyku would reply after a brief moment of silence. "Maybe we should go to the third floor." Riyku would reply. This caused Seraphina's eyes to widen. "Are you sure? The battle with Verona gave you a hard time, who knows what is up there. It is okay if you come back you know. Besides, I am sure several hours have already passed since we last came to this world." It seemed like Seraphina was trying to get Riyku to take back his suggestion. "Hmm... You are right. Let's go." Riyku stated as he walked up to the staircase. "Go? You are heading to the third door!?" Seraphina exclaimed to which Riyku shook his head. "Not quite. Don't you see it?" Riyku stated when he stood next to the white sphere. "See what?" Seraphina asked as she looked around which caused Riyku's brow to raise. "You don't see it? The white sphere that is right here? It allows me to come here as well as leave." Riyku elaborated for her. Seraphina would shake her head, and Riyku would do the same. "Well then just come back. We'll be leaving." Riyku stated and Seraphina would nod before her body seemed to return to his shadow. Riyku would touch the sphere which caused it to light up softly. The choice box appeared with a return to the first floor or front gate and he, and he selected to return to the front gate. Without delay, he was engulfed in light and when the light dimmed down he was at the front gate.

'What just happened?' Seraphina questioned internally to which Riyku chuckled. "A fast travel of sorts. We are leaving now." As Riyku stated that he was once again engulfed in light and when it dimmed down a final time he was on the porch of the mansion. It already seemed to be night by now which caused him to sigh heavily. "I bet the girls and Skylar are worried sick..." Riyku muttered and Seraphina chuckled internally. 'Probably. You should check in at least.' Seraphina would reply to him. "Yeah, yeah." Riyku would move towards the Mansion to open the door. The moment he did, he was greeted by Walter who was speaking to a frantic Mina and Kristen. "Umm..." Riyku would blink lightly. "Riyku!" Skylar shouted to which the girls all looked at him. "Yeah?" Riyku gave them a puzzled look even though he knew full well what they were doing.

"Where in the hell were you!? We all tried to contact you on your wristband, but all we got was that you were in an area without service." Kristen seemed to exclaim as she raced towards him, the rest of the girls followed. "How about I ask the Head Chef to prepare coffee and tea and you all can have this conversation at the table?" Walter inquired. "Good idea." Skylar and Riyku would agree and Walter would nod. "Come along, Ladies and Gentleman." Walter would proceed to the Dining room and Kitchen area. The Head Chef happened to have been preparing a late night snack for Madam Aiya. Walter and the Chef exchanged words before Walter came back out to greet everyone yet again. "He says he will prepare you all a nice late night snack with some warm tea." It was then that Walter would proceed elsewhere once everyone said their thanks. "Now then... Riyku." Kristen would get his attention. "Well, you see...." Riyku would proceed to tell the girls and Skylar what had transpired for him. Everything from what had happened on the first floor to what came of the second floor, well everything except what Seraphina remembered. He made sure to keep that out, and if Seraphina wanted to share her story with them at a later date she could.

"I see." Skylar would muse lightly. "If that is the case then maybe you should not return until you level up more." He added. "I mean, if someone who is the same level as you is on par with your strength, then what of someone who is higher level? They might be able to defeat you." Skylar would add on some more. Riyku would nod as he sipped upon his warm cup of tea. "I and Seraphina came up with the same reasoning. We do not plan on going back until I have advanced to a higher level." Riyku stated. "Sounds good to me. Besides, you were gone for nearly ten hours. You need to be more careful with how long you spend there." Kristen stated and Riyku nodded softly with a soft sigh. "Yes, I realize that." Riyku would reply. "What concerns me though is that the castle has the third floor. If anything, I wonder if it has to do with the plans they had for the original mansion." Mina stated her thought. Everyone gave her a puzzled look. "Oh, sorry. I just remembered that this mansion was supposed to have at least three or four floors to it. The idea was scrapped though when Mother and Father became engrossed in work." Mina would come forth with an explanation for her thought. "I never heard of that." Skylar would state to which Mina nodded softly. "It is because it was before you were adopted."Mina would state bluntly and everyone seemed rather shocked by this. "Come again?" Vex inquired. Skylar and Mina looked at both of them with confused expressions. "Is something wrong?" Mina asked. "Well... You said Skylar was adopted. Does that mean he is not your blood brother?" Kristen questioned.

"That's right," Mina stated. "Mhm. I was adopted into the family a while back. Did you not find it weird that we look nothing alike and I look nothing like Aiya?" Skylar inquired to which everyone shook their head. A bit of laughter came from them as if they were brushing it off in a soft manner. "It's nothing too serious, really. Skylar was picked up off the streets. So we do not know who is real mother or father are." Mina stated this would have been a sad tale if Skylar was not smiling at everyone. "Yup. I am glad Aiya found me. You and everyone have been so good to me. It makes me happy. Thank you so much." Skylar stated warmly, which made Mina teary-eyed for a moment.

Time would pass on and everyone seemed to enjoy their late night snack and warm tea. When everything was said and done, they would say goodnight one another and head to their respective rooms. Closing the door behind him, Riyku would move towards the bed that looked nothing like the one they were on last night. It was as if the original bed was back and nothing had happened. Removing his clothing to become bare naked the male would proceed to get underneath the blanket and place his arms under his head while looking up at the ceiling. Seraphina seemed to have appeared laying her head on his chest and looking up at him, just as naked as he was. "Is something bothering you, Darling?" She inquired and Riyku sigh softly.

"Everyone seems to have a goal they are striving for. Skylar is doing the best he can to be friends with multiple people while attempting to take the track team to greater heights. Mina is preparing to succeed after her mother retires so she can keep the company going. Kristen seems to be trying to better herself to protect her friends. Lira seems to strive to help Kristen and Vex, and Vex is doing the same. Kristen, Lira, and Vex are also preparing to do their best in this year's Death Games. Meanwhile, I am simply following the flow of things. I have no goal set in mind." Riyku stated softly.

"Hmm... Well. From my perspective, you already have one." Seraphina would state to which Riyku's brow rose. Seraphina would crawl on top of him to look him deep in the eyes. Her hands coming up to cup his cheeks softly as she placed her forehead against his. "More than one. You want to become stronger, to protect those you cherish. You want to find out more about yourself in your own way. And you are even trying to rescue this Coco person. You have soo much on your plate that you have no reason to say you do not have a goal. Each and everything you are striving for is a goal of yours and more will come as you live your life. I meant it when I said you seem to be the happiest person in this lifetime. It brings me great joy to finally see your smile and I would trade it in for nothing." Riyku was astonished by Seraphina's words. Her expression was even more surprising, so much so that he thought his heart may have skipped a beat.

"Did you fall for me?" Seraphina teased him a little which caused his expression to soften. "Haha, perhaps." Riyku teased her back which caused her cheeks to tinge a bit before she groaned softly and kissed him gently. Seraphina would close her eyes softly as she let herself fall into him, and Riyku would do the same as he replies with his own kiss. Once the kiss parted, Seraphina would snuggle into Riyku and two would drift off into a deep slumber.

Slowly the male would open his eyes only to note that he was again in floating in the abyss. "Lucid Driving..." He muttered. "Correct, my other self." An eerie and sinister voice called out to him which caused him to shift his gaze in the direction of such a voice. It was there that he was greeted with someone who appeared to be just like him, only taller. The hair color was pure silver and the iris were pure green. The sclera was pure black instead of white and there happened to be several markings upon this person's body that were not on his own. In truth, the only way one could tell they were the same person was by their facial structure and tone of voice if anything at all.

"What? Who are you? Where is Coco?" Riyku inquired to which the person snickered darkly. "Oh please, the operator? I have her locked away for now. She is a problem. She is what was keeping me from reaching you." The person approached him which caused him to flinch. "Now, now. I am not going to hurt you. I need something from you after all." The person stated with a devious smirk. "What?" Riyku narrowed his eyes at the male. "I need you to open up to me. If you don't we will both eventually die. These people can not protect you and you can not protect them. I would know, I am you after all. It's happened soo many times. You've lost everything time and time again. Watching it all slip through your fingers because you refuse to use your full power." The male state which caused Riyku to growl and move away from him.

"I don't need your power! I know who you are now, Harvester." Riyku growled at the male who snickered at him. "So you do know of me, but you so also realize that I am also what you need. Without me, you will lose everything again. The day will come when they come for us, and when that day comes you will lose again. You can not escape them after all..." Harvester stated with a sinister snicker.

"Them? Who is them?" Riyku would inquire with haste since he began to feel an immense amount of pressure and sharp pain. Harvester would merely snicker at the male, "You should know. You already have the memory fragment." He would add which caused Riyku to growl at him. "Just tell me!" He demanded. "Those two... Are... Fate and Destiny." Riyku's eyes went wide before he left the Lucid Drive, well more like Harvester kicked him out. The male's eyes shot open, his breathing was hastened and he seemed to have slowly begun to sweat. "Darling?" Seraphina had seemed to just be waking up when she noticed the state Riyku was in. "What happened? What's wrong?" Seeing Riyku in such a panicked state meant something serious must have happened. "Fate and Destiny... I can't escape them..." Riyku muttered. Kissing her teeth Seraphina would attempt to comfort him, bringing his face to her bosom and brushing his hair softly. "It's okay. You don't have to. They will not be coming this time. I promise you." Seraphina spoke softly to him. "But..." Riyku's body began to shiver in fear. He had fully remembered everything about the time of his death. Two people, a single male, and a single woman had called him out to battle against him and his group. One by one these two people killed his friends and family, leaving him to fall into anguish and despair but ultimately ending his life.

"It will be okay. As I said, they will not come after you. They cannot trace you." Seraphina continued her softly whispering words. "But, Harvester...." Riyku muttered which caused Seraphina to inwardly clicks her tongue. "Don't listen to anything that man says. He may be you, but he is not right. He only wants to use you and your power to bring everything to an end. I promise you, nothing will happen." Seraphina stated softly as she forced Riyku to look into her eyes. The sheer resolve in them eased Riyku tremendously. His body stopped shivering and he smiled softly at her. "Okay, I believe you," Riyku stated to which Seraphina would nod. "Just focus on getting stronger, and focus on your goals. Focus on this life and do not worry about anything from the past. Okay?" Seraphina asked of which, but that alone was difficult. In order for him to learn more about himself, he needed his past, right? Still, he would give her a nod which caused her to smile softly. "Alright, now let's get ready for the day. Remember, we are all going to hit the Gaming Lounge today, the Death Games are coming up in several days time. All you need to do is focus on that. So get your head in the game." Seraphina exclaimed which caused Riyku to nod softly.

"You are right. I need to pass these Death Games. I need to become stronger." Riyku would state with a firm resolve, but something inside of him beckoned out to him. He could not quite feel it just yet, but it was there. Trying to grasp a hold of him.