As soon as Celestienne stepped into her brother's consciousness, the world around her shifted into a dark realm filled with hazy shadows. The air was heavy, as if every breath carried unseen pain.
Her first step felt light—only for a moment. Within seconds, fragments of Veyron's past flashed before her, spinning around like shattered screens.
A small child, Veyron's face unmistakable, stood alone in the pouring rain. His body shivered, bruised and battered, while the laughter of other children echoed around him:
"You're weak! You don't deserve to live with us!"
Celestienne staggered, her face pale. Her chest tightened as she covered her mouth. Ughkk! Her body shook as she vomited—not from physical weakness, but because her brother's trauma cut through her own heart.
"What… my brother…" she whispered, eyes trembling with grief. "Behind his smile… such heavy trauma lies hidden."
Clutching her chest tightly, she lifted her gaze with firm resolve.
"But I must keep moving forward… to save him. No matter what I see, I cannot stop."
The visions continued: little Veyron being beaten, tied up, abandoned in a dark corridor. Even the faces of their own family, staring at him with disgust before turning away.
Celestienne bit back her tears, walking through every tormenting memory. Each step felt like pushing through thorns that pierced her heart. Yet in the distance, she finally saw it: a colossal door. Black as night, covered with intricate carvings, radiating a cold aura that made her bones shiver.
"What is that door…?" she whispered, her breath heavy. "Perhaps I must go in…"
But the closer she got, the heavier her steps became. The ground clung to her, and the air thickened, suffocating her lungs.
"What terrifying aura lies beyond this door?" Cold sweat trickled down her temple. "Who truly is my brother… why does he possess such power?"
Raising her hand, Celestienne formed a thin shield of light around her body. A mere barrier, without drawing on her true strength.
"I won't use a fragment of my real power," she muttered, her tone cold yet resolute. "I swore this to myself."
Step by step, she forced herself onward. Her breath grew ragged, her shoulders felt burdened with thousands of tons—but her gaze never wavered.
After what felt like an endless march, she finally stood before the massive door. Celestienne nearly collapsed, but steadied herself. Her trembling hands touched the icy surface.
"At last…" her voice cracked but remained resolute. "I've made it here. I must open this door… no matter what lies beyond."
With all her strength, she pushed. The hinges creaked, echoing ominously—revealing behind them…
An endless desert.
---
Encounter with Veyron 1,200
As the door opened, Celestienne stepped carefully inside. Instead of a grand hall or throne room, there stretched a barren desert under strange light, winds scattering glittering dust across the dunes.
But what struck her still was not the silence.
Before her stood 1,200 figures—each one Veyron.
They stood unmoving, yet their stares pierced like blades. Some faces twisted with fury, others cloaked in fire or shrouded in black mist. Though identical in form, each emanated a different aura—fragments of a shattered soul.
Celestienne's brow furrowed.
"How can this be… my brother has 1,200 selves within his own consciousness? This… is impossible."
At once, all 1,200 Veyrons spoke in unison, their voices echoing until the ground trembled:
"I will stop you, Celestienne."
Her chest pounded, but she steadied her breath, standing tall.
"Then… I'll face you all. Without power, only with myself."
The instant her words fell, the army surged forward. The once-silent desert became a storm of footsteps, sand swirling into a vortex.
Celestienne advanced. She ducked under a slash, twisted to deflect a strike, moving with graceful precision—like a dancer weaving through a storm of blades. Each motion calm, controlled, though she was surrounded by impossible numbers.
This was no mere clash of strength—this was a battle of wills.
Celestienne fought not to win, but to pierce through the layers of her brother's fractured mind.
For beyond the 1,200 shadows, she knew one truth awaited:
The real Veyron.
---
Battle with Veyron 1,200
The desert roared with the thunder of countless steps. Celestienne spun and moved with elegance, blocking each strike that rained from every angle.
Blades clashed, energy flared, sand quaked beneath the chaos. Though overwhelmed, she refused to unleash her true might.
"I cannot destroy them… these are not enemies. They are fragments of Veyron's soul."
Her hand caught one blade, her body twisted to avoid a strike from behind, then she swept her leg across the sand—sending several Veyrons stumbling. But with each passing moment, more attacks pressed upon her.
Her breath quickened, her limbs shook with fatigue.
Far ahead, the desert began to crack. Light seeped through the fissures, glowing brighter each time Celestienne endured another assault.
Suddenly, among the army, one figure stood out. He did not attack—only walked calmly forward. His gaze was steady, piercing.
Celestienne froze.
"…You're different."
The figure gave a faint smile.
"I am the core… the true Veyron. They are nothing but shadows—born of my pain, my anger, my fear."
At once, the 1,200 shadows lunged again, fiercer than before, desperate to bar her path to the core.
Celestienne clenched her teeth. She knew: this was the final trial. If she reached the true Veyron, she could shatter his chains.
Fixing her gaze forward, she declared:
"Very well… then I'll carve a path, even if the whole world stands against me."
With blazing resolve, she charged into the storm. The desert quaked, fissures widened, and radiant light beneath the sands shone like a second sun—her battle for the core had begun.
---
The Imprisoned Soul Core
The desert crumbled, fissures of light spreading wide. Celestienne sprinted through the chaos, her body covered in dust, yet her eyes never left the calm figure waiting in the distance.
The shadows hurled themselves at her—blades, flames, waves of darkness. But Celestienne no longer fought each one. She pierced through them, arrow-swift, driven by unyielding resolve.
"My brother! I've come for you!"
Her cry resounded, shaking some shadows into hesitation. A few lowered their heads, trembling with doubt.
At last, she stood mere steps from the core. The remaining shadows screamed, but the fissures' light devoured them, dissolving like mist swept away by wind.
Only the true Veyron remained, standing alone in the glow.
His eyes were weary, burdened with scars unseen.
"Why… why push yourself this far? I'm broken. I'm… nothing anymore."
Celestienne stepped closer, her trembling voice steady with conviction.
"No. You are still Veyron, my brother. You are not trauma, not rage, not hatred. You are yourself… and I will not let this world steal you from me."
Veyron lowered his gaze. The glowing cracks illuminated the despair etched on his face.
"I'm afraid… If I return, I'll only hurt others again. I'll… hurt you."
Celestienne reached out, her hand shaking.
"Then let me bear your fear. Let me lead you from the darkness. You're not alone, Veyron. You have me."
Silence filled the desert. The fissures' glow softened.
Veyron stared at her hand. For the first time, tears slid down his cheeks. Slowly, hesitantly, he lifted his own—uncertain, yet yearning.
As their fingers neared, the desert quaked once more—not from rage, but from a collapsing prison of despair.
His whisper broke the silence:
"…Sister…"
And in that moment, the light consumed everything.
---
The Price of a Seal
The flood of light waned. When the haze cleared, Celestienne found herself in a boundless white space.
Before her, Veyron stood tall. His face calmer, but sorrow lingered deep in his eyes.
"Celestienne…" his voice was soft yet steady. "I know what you intend."
Her heart skipped.
"What do you mean?"
His hands clenched.
"You want to seal away my hatred, my rage. To lock away all my darkness… so I may live as myself again." He looked straight at her.
"But I know the seal comes with a cost. If you do this… I'll lose my memories. Even the happy ones… even those with you."
The white space trembled faintly, echoing his words' weight.
Celestienne froze. Her throat tightened, her eyes burned, but she steadied herself.
"If that is the only way to set you free… then let those memories fade. I'll bear them alone."
Veyron stared long at her.
"How can you say that so easily? How can you give up everything we shared?"
She closed her eyes briefly, forcing a fragile smile.
"Because I'm your sister. My duty is to protect you—even if it means carrying wounds that never heal."
He fell silent, his protest caught in his throat. He knew her decision was unshakable—her resolve harder than any suffering.
The white world glowed again, this time with gentle light. A sealing radiance descended, enveloping Veyron.
Before it swallowed him whole, he whispered, voice breaking:
"Then… please don't cry, Sister. Let me remember you like this—strong, smiling, standing for me."
Tears welled, but Celestienne smiled bravely, nodding.
"Very well, my brother. I will smile… for you."
And as the light sealed him completely, her tears finally fell. Yet she stood firm, keeping her final promise.
---
Tears Behind the Smile
The sealing light faded. Celestienne opened her eyes and returned to the real world. Her breath ragged, her body heavy, her gaze searched desperately—
"Veyron…"
Her brother lay beside her. His face peaceful, as though in deep sleep, his breath faint, his eyes still closed. He had not yet awakened.
Gently, Celestienne slid her arms beneath him, lifting him as if carrying the most fragile glass.
"Rest easy… I will protect you, no matter how long it takes."
With quiet resolve, she cast a circle of magic. The glow enveloped them, and in an instant, they vanished—reappearing on distant lands, far from war.
At the shore of a tranquil lake in Elarion, she laid him upon soft grass. Her fingers brushed his hair tenderly.
"Sleep here… in peace. I… must leave you for now."
Her voice cracked, though she forced herself strong. She knew if she stayed, her heart would break beyond repair.
One step back. Another. Finally, another circle of light drew her away, leaving her brother under Elarion's moonlit sky.
Back in her chamber, Celestienne collapsed. Kneeling on the floor, she buried her face in her hands—and sobs tore out, shaking the walls.
Sobs of loss, of love, of sacrifice.
By her bedside, a sword leaned quietly. From it came a gentle voice—the Soul at the Blade's Edge, her eternal companion.
"Weep as much as you need, Princess Celestienne. I know… you've borne sorrow far too long."
Her sobs deepened. She wanted to deny it, to claim strength—but the sword's voice broke her last defense.
"I am here. No need to pretend. Let your heart rest, even if only through tears."
Her cries burst uncontrollably. Outside her chamber, classmates who had just returned froze. They heard her sorrow pierce the walls. None dared knock—realizing that the girl who always seemed strong… was breaking alone.
---
But Celestienne remained unaware of something far greater.
The battle with Veyron's 1,200 shadows, the clash with Lucifer, the seal she had forged… they had shaken not only his soul, but the laws of the universe itself.
Earth—their world—no longer spun on its axis. Gravity faltered, its orbit slipped from the sun.
Slowly, unnoticed by all, Earth drifted free of its solar system, cast adrift into the vast cosmos.
And in the endless dark of space, Celestienne's tears stood as proof—that even the purest love could shake the stars.
---
Epilogue
Earth sailed through the void, a lone sphere adrift upon the cosmic sea. Starlight gleamed on its surface, a wandering world lost among the galaxies.
Yet beyond the glittering lights, something watched.
In the farthest reaches of the universe, beyond known galaxies, four shadowy figures stood upon a colossal circle of light suspended in a nebula. Their forms were blurred, like ancient silhouettes etched into the stars.
They did not move much. Only pairs of eyes, dim as smoldering embers, occasionally turned toward Earth.
The cosmic winds whispered, carrying voices faint as echoes of eternity:
"A great axis has been disturbed…"
Another whisper followed, fragile, like the universe itself speaking:
"Tears… mark the beginning of the journey."
No one knew who they were, nor the meaning of their words.
But Earth drifted onward across the ocean of stars, while the four figures watched, nameless and faceless—secrets guarded by time itself.
And in the stillness of the cosmos, it felt as though the universe itself held its breath, awaiting something no constellation had ever recorded.
---
Chapter 9 Part 2 Completed.