Chapter Eleven: A Monster Within

Cassandra remains still as few hits and blows echoes in her ears. The devil which stood confidently was left in shattered pieces, it's like a man fighting for its life. Trying to survive the death in front of it, and Valerie wasted her blood, creating and making weapons out of it. 

She uses at least 60% of her prowess, that's for sure. If a hundred reach that percentage, she might actually make everything explode but for some unknown reason, it kept her prowess below destruction.

It's been a few minutes since the fight started, and now the only one standing while being covered in her own blood, was Valerie herself. The devil could withstand her attacks, but he is not fast enough to do it. 

This resulted in his openings, where she pierced her sword—intentionally to kill, but the devil blocked it. However, even a great devil can't foresee dirty tricks under her hidden intentions. 

Her blood spikes appeared from his back, and it hit him as hard as it could. Valerie smiled and she laughed. It's enjoying the torture of seeing her enemy down, unable to stop her temptations. 

That temptation made Cassandra startled. The devil had fallen, that's for sure but she wasn't done. Valerie stabbed the devil again and again, it's like she's killing him again and again.

Until its last breath. Lyrica watching started backing out. She never saw her stabbing someone again and again, so that really shocked her. Although she only shifted, it felt as if she's looking for another target.

Cassandra remains hidden while waiting for the domain to be broken. Once the owner of the domain has been defeated, the ship will eventually go back to reality, where the first place it disappears will appear. 

Hiding until that time comes is a right choice for Cassandra, it's not because of cowardice. This way, Lyrica will have time to arrive and stop Valerie from stepping forward. The last of the drugs used as a prevention for Valarie's Aria had been upgraded in Lyrica's force field, because Valerie eventually used up her own. 

The force field helps to trap anyone inside. It is not made to be unbreakable, but it is a barrier that can give enough time to calm Valerie down. It's been used over the test drive process, but this is the last of the drugs. 

It will be fine... 

Surely, she looked around the back deck and sat across the stairs. An immediate sunlight had stopped her from walking, the once voided, dark, and nothingness was slowly becoming colorful until that brightness blinded her. 

She remained looking, curious of the outside world which she didn't see for an hour. 

Just like a painting in a canvas, the world was painted slowly and widely from the edges to the entire ground. The place—she looked at the cold shivering blow of winds coming from the air, the building of the Matrix Floor just in front, and the shape like a temple in the middle of it. 

It's back to normal that's for sure but she still worries about Valerie. "Cassandra! Can you hear me?"

"I am, major, what's wrong?"

Lyrica gritted her teeth as she and others were running around the main building of the Matrix Floor. "We are on our way," she paused and passed the earpiece on her ears. "Stop her from leaving the naval ship, our sisters will be targeted if you don't, understand?"

She breathed out. "I understand, major."

---⌜•••⌟---

Morgan immediately ran towards the empty tower which was vacated during the attacks. She was told to observe the parameters of the destroyer which appeared all of a sudden. 

During her duty that was given by Valerie, she received a distress signal from Brianna before her body was destroyed. It's a signal of help, but she's not sure why she can't receive any transmitter from her sisters who went inside. 

So she contacted the control room, and Lyrica explained everything to her. It seems that the Valkyrie had been drastically defeated, and because of this she was told to observe the entire ship since Valerie had gone insane again. 

Ah, she's really a handful of women. Everyone was worried about her turning into a monster, and destroying anyone she sees. Morgan has always felt the need to protect Valerie, she did oppose at first because in most of the prototypes, she's more expressive and emotionally stable compared to many of them. 

It's normal for her to oppose, because she has felt the need that she didn't really deserve to be Valerie's babysitter. That was normal for her, but slowly, she began to change her perspective of Valerie and accepted the fact that she must protect her. 

A lot of things have changed since then. One day, Caleb created at least 10 mechanical prototypes which he soon named as Valkyries. They were exactly as it sounds—mechanical scraps. These machines were not fragile but had no free will. 

Caleb soon turned the tables when he discovered many inventions which helped the Valkyries improve. He had given them free will, emotions and wisdom of choice. 

The next thing they knew, Caleb took home a child which reminded them of their past selves. The child was so different, she looked normal but not inside of it. The child bore the stigma of being possessed, or the needs of being protected.

It was an outrageous task before, but now, she doesn't think so. Morgan chuckled as she reminisced about her days with Valerie before. She couldn't even speak, nor have a proper conversation with Lyrica. 

That child would often gaze at you and then decide to ignore you afterwards. To think that child would grow up as a proper lady, being able to glare, angered, pissed off or even fake a smile. 

Valerie didn't deserve to carry this weight. "Morgan, are you in sight? Lukas is here with me, so if anything happens he will step in to stop Valerie, your priority is to make sure she doesn't go through the Eastern Garden, and keep her locked in this place."

Morgan held her earpiece. "I am on sight, I can see you from this distance, I expect no less but be careful," she stopped and noticed that Valerie was moving. "She moves towards the ground deck, she's looking for something."

This is the reason why they've avoided Valerie from using her Aria. It is hard to find an opportunity to knock her down, the only way they can bypass her sight will be the solution. 

---⌜•••⌟---

" INSIDE HER MIND "

❝ The child who's prophecy had been written will long to win this war, the bloody path he had chosen will mark his end. Thy destiny will show the hope of this world, and tho who shall defeat the fallen goddess ❞ 

The sound of that voice had woken her up from her deepest slumber was beautiful, and angelic. Her tough and warm sound made her startled. Causing her to wake up from a strange yet comfortable ground. 

She touched the ground with her hand, trying to feel it once again. It was soft and strange—like leaning on a cloud from the sky. Her entire surroundings was one of those strangest parts, perhaps it's about the scenery in front of her. 

The sky was gazing at her from where she had lay. The beautiful sky, blue and white evolves around it, like closely watching the skies. 

Only did she realize her situation once her eyes had taken off the scenery in front. She looked around but she saw nothing but the skies, and this strange ground below her. 

When she tried to stand up, she immediately felt the urge of screaming, and the pain from her head started to feel worse. It's like the pain of someone getting their brain transplant without anesthesia. 

"Urgh!"

She kneeled down and remained holding her head hoping to stop, but it didn't happen. The pain continued to evolve in her head, and she screamed as loud as she could. 

Before the scenery in front of her changed. It suddenly changed like a paper being burned, the change of the scenery also gave his head an ease, and the pain slowly disappeared. 

She was given the chance to see, but what lay in front of her wasn't as beautiful as the one she woke up too. It's chaotic and dark, everything in it. 

It was a forest? No, it's a burning forest, and every living organism she sees dies with the burning trees. It's a deserted place, like a former beauty into a burning desert. 

It's not the usual desert that's for sure. She walked around the place, hoping to see anything, until she reached the end of the burning trees, this time a growing grass was in front of a deserted forest. 

It's filled with flowers, the kind you won't be able to see anything. "A hopeless land," she mumbles. 

While confusingly walking towards an unknown land, she stumbled upon a tree, and a man holding a woman. The woman—she couldn't see her, in fact, the woman was blurred, and she didn't have any face. 

The man was the same, it didn't have any appearance she would like to see. 

❝ Life will end with the glory fits for its action, he who suffered will suffer more, she who lost her identity will passed the test of incarnation ❞

The time shall seek the constant of this prophecy. The same voice that spoke to her earlier suddenly echoed in her head, the repeating words kept on whispering in her ears made her scream. 

All words form into her like a frozen one. Only to be surprised with a gulped look on a familiar face's face. 

A nightmare?