Chapter 1113: What Lay Underneath His Smiling Facade
Celeste and Baba Yaga were currently seated on a bench overlooking the gardens of Asgard.
Claire sat on Celeste's shoulder with a solemn expression on her face. After meeting her twin, Chloee an hour ago, she got wind of the latest changes that had happened to William.
When she asked if it was fine if this information was known to her, Chloee said that William allowed it. She added that Celeste should decide if she would leave with him, or return to Hestia Academy when morning came.
If this question was asked to Celeste a month ago, her answer would definitely have been "I will go back to Hestia Academy".
But, now, things had changed.
After what happened to her sister, she felt that the only one that could find Celine's whereabouts was William. Because of this, she didn't want to leave his side until she confirmed that her sister was safe.
Also, she had heard what the cloaked figure had said due to her superior hearing. The information shocked her because she didn't expect her sister to be pregnant with Wiliam's child.
When she first checked her sister's body, after Celine had given her first time to the Half-Elf, Celeste didn't find any signs of life in her womb. This meant that her sister conceived after William had met up with her in the Demon Continent.
In a way, Celine defied the prophecy that she was born with. Instead of being Felix's bride, she chose to bear William's child instead.
Although, in the end, Celine did become a Bride of Darkness, the child she kept was not from the Heir, whom she was prophesied to be with, but the Prince, who was supposed to be Celeste's partner.
The Maiden of Chastity fully understood that she was not in love with William. He was a Disciple of her Familiar, and a student in the academy that she was teaching at.
They could be considered colleagues, being two of the only Familiamancers in the world. Unfortunately, he lost Conan and Elliot during the battle in the Demon Continent. This created a terrible backlash where half of William's soul ceased to exist.
She couldn't even imagine the pain that he had been through after that half of him died. Chloee's transformation gave her a slight discomfort, but she knew that what she had experienced was nothing compared to what William had gone through.
As the beautiful Elf thought of the events that had transpired in the Demon Realm, she was surprised by the fact that the current William was even able to smile, despite losing his wives, friends, as well as half of his soul.
"This is madness," Celeste muttered as she clenched her fist tightly. "How can he act so carefree after what happened to everyone? Is this the result of him becoming corrupted by Darkness?"
Baba Yaga who was seated beside her sighed. "Darkness, Light, truth be told, these two are interchangeable. Those who stand in the light, are no different from those who stand in the dark. As long as they are Human, Demon, Dwarf, Elf, Gnome, or even a Fairy, all of them are sinful creatures.
"You know this very well, since you are part of the Holy Order of Light. They act as though they are the Saviors of the world, but underneath that smiling facade lies a Darkness that even makes us Demons shudder."
Celeste couldn't refute Baba Yaga's words because she had seen some of the things that the Holy Order did to their believers.
"So, are you saying that Felix and Ahriman are not evil?"
"Of course they are evil. The Demon God of Darkness that covered this world in Eternal Darkness, which ignited the war between the different races. Now that he has his Heir to do the dirty work for him while he recovers his power in the shadows, this world will once again be embroiled in a war that no one wished to see."
Celeste sighed before turning to look at the old witch whom her sister had treated as her adopted mother.
"Then, what should I do?" Celeste asked. "Should I stay, or should I go?"
"Silly girl. You already know the answer to that question," Baba Yaga replied. "What you are looking for is someone to tell you that what you are doing is right."
"Then, am I doing the right thing?"
"Do you want an honest answer?"
Celeste nodded. "Yes."
Baba Yaga looked at the colorful flowers in front of her before sharing her thoughts.
"That boy, William, is headed for destruction," Baba Yaga said. "Underneath his smiling facade is a soul that weeps for the loss of his beloved. Having half a soul is not an easy thing. There will come a time when he will lose control, and destroy everything around him.
"Friend, foe, lovers, he will not be able to recognize any of them. That is the extent of how much damage his soul had received. The only thing that is keeping him together is his wish for revenge. If he manages to win, and end Ahriman's tyranny…"
Celeste subconsciously stopped breathing as she waited for Baba Yaga to finish her words.
"…the thing that keeps him together will be lost. That is where you come in."
"Me?"
Baba Yaga nodded. "Celeste, prophecies aren't set in stone. Even though Celine did what she could to defy the Fate that was given to her, the fact still remains that you were chosen to be his bride, not your sister."
"SO, I should love him then?" Celeste's expression became serious as she looked at the Old Hag, who only chuckled after hearing her words.
"Gods, no." Baba yaga chuckled. "William, doesn't see you as a lover candidate. Right now, he sees you as a hindrance. But, even so, because you are Celine's sister, you have this protective halo around you that prevents him from tossing you aside. He instinctively knows that if he harms you in any way, Celine will be angry at him."
Celeste could only smile bitterly after hearing Baba Yaga's words.
"I think what you should do is return to the Holy Order of Light for the time being," Baba Yaga advised. "Right now, William is going to focus on capturing the Dungeons to raise an army for his inevitable battle against Felix's and Ahriman's forces. You can't do anything for him right now, but you can do something for him later."
As if the final piece of the puzzle fell in place, a realization appeared inside the beautiful Elf's mind.
"You're right," Celeste replied. "Right now, I really can't do anything for him. But, once I'm in the Palace of Light, I can search for ways to bring his wives back to life, right?"
"The possibility exists," Baba Yaga smiled. "Celeste, dear, do me a favor."
Celeste nodded. "Anything. As long as I can do it."
"Although this is only a hunch, the God that took your sister, as well as the souls of William's wives, might be the God of Death, Thanatos. Look for information about him, and if possible, find a way to reach his Domain. If you manage to find anything, share this with William. Perhaps this will help him fight against the corruption that is eating his soul at this very moment."
"Thanatos…," Celeste muttered before nodding her head. "I will do my best."
"Good." Baba Yaga smiled. "Doing our best is the only thing we can really do at this point in time."
Baba Yaga then looked at the heavens with a bitter smile.
"Man proposes, God disposes," Baba Yaga said softly. "If this is really the will of the Gods, then us mortals have no choice but to… defy them. That is the only thing we can do, to fight against the Fate that toys with the lives of those who want to live a peaceful life, in this world that is on the brink of collapse."