Stellar

When they reached the castle, they felt like they stepped into Inferna's domain. Death reeked everywhere. Hati was shaking in her boots and Mahdi was nervously tapping his sword. Nick stood there, still as a statue, as the screams of the damned echoed around him. He pushed the doors open, the hinges sounding like a dying man as it revealed a long hallway, decorated with pictures of the damned being tortured. Hati gulped and looked at Nick.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" She asked Nick when he nodded, making his way inside. As soon as they were inside, the doors behind them slammed shut, the sound of locks falling into place echoing through the castle. Mahdi shook and looked at Nick.

"I got a bad feeling about this," He said when there was the sound of humming. It echoed through the halls and seemed to come from everywhere. Nick pulled out his Kusaris and looked around, trying to find the source of the sound when he recognized what they were humming.

They were humming the Arogian call to arms.

"Stella?" He said, shocked. Mahdi and Hati looked at him, confused as he started running down the halls, towards the sound of the humming.

"Nick, wait!" Mahdi yelled but he didn't listen, he was focused on the humming. He turned down another hall, ignoring the decrepit halls and the cells lining the halls until he came to a door, which he broke open. He looked dead at Stella as she was drawing on the walls, humming the song. She had white stone and was drawing pictures on the walls of different gods. He recognized some of them. The grimy beard of Ferrarius, the beautiful eyes of Amare, and the empty smile of the Shadow King. He ran up to the bars and looked inside.

"Stella?" He asked, shocked. She stopped humming and turned around, looking at Nick with hope, then her eyes turned to anger.

"Is this one of your tricks, Sudore?" She asked, turning away from Nick.

"No, Stella. It's me!" He said, gripping the bars. She huffed and started drawing on the wall again, drawing a picture of Pax.

"If you were Nick, why would you be in Sudore's castle? Come to kill another god?" She asked, drawing. Nick looked at her, confused as he sat down on the ground.

"How did you know?" He asked. She pointed to a drawing in the corner of the room, a large x on the face of Lacrimae. She looked at him and he sighed, pulling away from the bars.

"Listen, Stella. I-" He started when she cut him off.

"Go away, Sangius. Your illusions are not effective against me," She said, her voice choked with emotions. He walked back from the bars when Hati walked up to it.

"Stella, listen to me, we are close to defeating the Totoribus and now, you're just going to sit here and wallow in drawings?" She asked.

"Yes," Stella responded, drawing a picture of the amulet of Prophetia. Hati pulled back and looked at Nick.

"I'm out of ideas," She said, shrugging. Nick looked at Mahdi and he shrugged as well. Nick sighed through his nose, turned around, and left. Hati and Mahdi looked at each other in shock when they stopped Nick from walking out the door.

"You're not just going to leave her here, are you?" She asked.

"Why should I save her when she lives in a world full of illusions?" Nick asked, his teeth clenched. Mahdi walked up to him and poked him in the chest.

"You fought all this way for her and now you turn your back to her?" Mahdi asked.

"I came all this way to kill the Totoribus," Nick said, gripping his blades.

"Why?" Mahdi asked.

"So I can break my blood oath!" Nick yelled.

"Why?!" Mahdi yelled.

"Because Bellum killed my sister!" Nick snapped back. Mahdi pointed his sword at him and Nick pulled out his Kusaris, pointing them at Mahdi. Hati stepped in between them, splitting the tension.

"You came all this way for one reason. For her," Mahdi said, sheathing his sword. Nick looked back at Stella as she was drawing, her eyes a beautiful crimson. He walked up to the bars and pulled out the amulet of Prophetia, sliding it through the bars. It hit the floor with a ping and Stella turned to look at it, her face full of confusion. He then turned to walk away when he heard her grab the amulet, pointing it at the bars.

"Caires!" She yelled and the bars disintegrated into rust. He smiled as Stella ran towards him, his arms open. She fell into his arms and held him close, tears streaming out of her eyes. He held her close as Hait and Mahdi watched, smiling.

"I told her that was a man that she would follow to the depths of hell," Hati said when Mahdi grabbed her, pulled her close, and kissed her. He pulled away, leaving Hati shocked and confused as Mahdi brushed himself off. Nick looked at Stella when she started punching him in the chest angrily.

"You left me!" She yelled, tears still streaming down her face. He smiled and leaned in to kiss her when there was an evil laugh that echoed throughout the building. He turned around, pulling out his blades as he looked at Sudore, walking in with Sangius, who had rage in her eyes. Sudore crossed her arms as Nick looked at her, eyes ignited with rage. Sangius went to attack when Sudore stopped her, looking at Nick with amusement.

"You have done well, Nick. But you have gone too far," Sudore said. He looked at her, seeing the eyes of Prophetia strapped to her waist. He looked back at her as he pointed at them with his blades, igniting them with flames.

"You cost my sister her life, there is no way I have gone too far," He said. Sangius looked at him as she started to speak.

"We only want you to serve for Bellum, is that too much to ask for?" She asked, getting a look from Hati.

"Yes. Yes it is," She said. Sangius growled and pulled out her sword.

"Listen here, you little pup!" She yelled as Hati growled, ready to attack. Sudore cut them off as she looked at Nick.

"Listen, Nick. We can give you anything you want. Money. Power. Love. If you stay with Bellum, these can all be yours," She said, smiling. He looked at Stella, who shook her head no and he looked back at Sudore, smiling.

"So I can topple Arogia? I don't think so," He said, spinning his blades. Sudore growled and pulled her sword out, spinning it.

"Then you can pay with your blood!" She yelled, charging him. He charged as well when she flicked her wrist, the black substance coating him. She walked up to him as Sangius flew past her, knocking the three of them onto the ground. Sudore stood over Nick, raising her sword, ready to strike him down, when he pointed the stone at her as she swung. The blade connected with the stone and it broke, releasing shadows from it. He broke out of the black substance and tackled Sudore, but she melted into the shadows and appeared almost twenty feet away from him. She went to grab the mask when she realized, it was gone. She looked up to see Nick holding it, inspecting it closely. Sangius flew over to Sudore and looked at her, smiling.

"A small trinket won't defeat us, sister," She said, a wall building in front of her. He pulled out the eyes and hit the wall with them, disintegrating into shadows as Sangius stumbled backwards, covering her eyes. Sudore looked at Nick and growled.

"I am Queen of the Totoribus. You cannot defeat us!" She yelled, charging them.