Aurelia Aurea Augustus sat on her knees beside Hinesia. Hinesia had leaned back against a pillar, half-conscious. She needed time for the Moth Maiden's soul to settle within her.
Aurelia closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again, standing before her was Dark Aurelia, the real Empress. She was identical to her in every way except her eyes. She was dressed in the same imperial garb, though hers shimmered faintly like the reflection of moonlight on water.
"So, this is it. This will be the last time we speak."
Aurelia blinked, rising slowly to her feet.
"You're fading already."
Dark Aurelia nodded, a faint smile curving her lips.
"It was inevitable. Once the Chalice's light awakens, the tether that bound us begins to dissolve. You'll pass out soon, and I will finally be free. No more chains, no more thrones, no more waking up in another body wondering if I'm still myself."
"But what happens to you after that?"
Dark Aurelia tilted her head, smiling faintly.
"I already have a place in mind. I will leave after the Fluve Field dissipates. After that, I am going to be a farmer. It is going to be a very good day once it arrives. Until then, I will walk around Rome one last time."
Aurelia reached out instinctively, wanting to touch her hand, but her fingers slipped through empty air. Her expression faltered.
"I can't touch you anymore."
"Of course not."
"I just. I wanted to hug you."
Dark Aurelia chuckled, shaking her head.
"You don't need to. You already carry what's left of me. And I carry what's left of you. The difference is, you still have a life waiting and I've had mine."
"You'll really be free?"
"Yes. The blessing will be undone. My soul won't wander anymore. The bloodline's curse will end here."
"Then what do I do now?"
"You live. You've already given up the Empire. The Senate can rebuild it. You'll have to rebuild yourself..And you have to repopulate the Augustus bloodline before the other Augustus members arrive."
Aurelia's lips parted in mild disbelief.
"You're joking."
"I am not. The bloodline must continue but perhaps this time, it won't be built on divine servitude. Maybe it'll be built on love, or even something foolish like hope."
Aurelia chuckled softly, though her voice trembled.
"You make it sound so easy."
"It never is. But you'll be fine. You have your own will now, Florence. You're not bound to me anymore. You are your own sun."
The two of them stared at each other. Aurelia wiped her tears away. Finally, she whispered with a smile.
"Goodbye, Aurelia Aurea Augustus."
Dark Aurelia smiled gently.
"Goodbye, Florence Snowfield."
She glanced toward the Pontifex Divina, who stood silently near the Chalice, their hands folded in reverence.
"We're ready."
The lead Pontifex stepped forward, his voice deep and echoing beneath his helmet.
"Then it shall be done."
He placed his hands upon the Erethis Chalice. The sigils carved into its rim began to glow until the entire relic shone like captured starlight. The other Pontifex joined him, their hands moving in unison, chanting in that same divine tongue that bent the air.
"O sancta Concordia, O lumen aeternum, divide et libera."
(Holy Harmony, eternal light, separate and set free.)
Aurelia closed her eyes. Dark Aurelia mirrored her, folding her hands across her chest. A beam of white light erupted upward, piercing the ceiling of the Cathedral of Luminal Essence. It spread like dawn breaking through the clouds, flooding the entire sanctuary and bursting into the sky above Rome. Every tower, every colonnade, every crumbled ruin of the city was drenched in divine brilliance.
On the streets, refugees looked up, their faces bathed in white. Their shadows vanished. Even the Faceless stopped in their tracks. They looked up, their empty faces reflecting the sky ablaze. For one impossible moment, Rome shone brighter than the sun.
Back in the cathedral, Aurelia and Dark Aurelia floated above the altar, enveloped in spiraling halos of gold and white. Their bodies overlapped until, with a final pulse, they split apart. The explosion of light that followed shook the cathedral to its foundations. Every stained-glass window shattered into dust, forming a cascade of glowing motes that drifted upwards.
When the brilliance finally dimmed, the two Aurelias lay on opposite sides of the altar.
Dark Aurelia stirred first.
She gasped sharply, feeling weight, warmth, and breath. She opened her eyes and saw her hands. They were solid. She touched her face, her hair and her chest, laughing quietly in disbelief.
"I… I have a body."
She stood slowly, her hair flowing down her shoulders.
"It worked. It actually worked."
Her gaze shifted to Aurelia, lying unconscious on the marble floor, her body rising and falling softly with each breath. Dark Aurelia knelt beside her and for the first time, when she reached out, her fingers did not pass through. She brushed a strand of hair from Aurelia's face, her smile softening.
"Rest, my other self. You've earned it."
°°°°°°
30th August, 5:48am.
Aurelia was sleeping in her bed as the morning kicked in. Hinesia stood with her arms crossed beside the Empress's bed. Across from her stood the woman who had once been called Dark Aurelia. She no longer wore imperial robes, nor did she carry the air of command or divine burden. Her ginger hair had dulled slightly. The copper streaks in her irises were fading too. It was as if the blessing had been rinsed out of her.
"Once the Fluve Field covering Italy vanishes, I'll be leaving for Egypt. I'll arrange for you to stay somewhere in Africa. It will be a quiet region far from war. If you still want to live as a farmer, I'll make sure you can."
The woman beside her gave a small laugh.
"You make it sound like retirement."
Hinesia shrugged. "It might as well be."
The two fell silent. The woman turned her gaze toward Aurelia's still body. Her lips trembled faintly when she saw how relaxed she was.
"Thank you, Hinesia. You've done enough for me and her."
Hinesia's voice lowered. "You don't owe me thanks. Just don't ruin this chance."
"I won't. But… I think it's time I abandon the name Aurelia."
"You're serious?"
"Yes. I've thought about it for weeks since our deal. The name feels wrong now. Too many people have died under that name. Too many expectations cling to it. I didn't expect choosing a new name to take so much effort."
Hinesia tilted her head. "So what will you call yourself?"
"Phoebe."
"Phoebe?"
"Yes. I don't even know why. Maybe because it feels simple. I want something that sounds like it belongs to no one important."
There was a pause before Hinesia spoke.
"That's actually a good name."
Phoebe looked down, a small laugh escaping her throat.
"I think so too. Phoebe the farmer. That has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"
"It does. Though I can't imagine you growing vegetables after running an empire."
"I'll figure it out."
Hee eyes shifted toward the desk nearby, where a faint white gleam caught her attention. She looked at Faceless Identity.
"The only issue is my identity. It's not permanent so even if I wear it.."
"Actually, wearing it feels like nothing. You won't feel anything if you do because it fused with your skin until you will it not to. You can also change your appearance forever."
"What..."
"If you use Faceless Identity now, you can permanently change your look. Your Xana signature will change too. No one will recognize you. But once you do it, you can never undo it."
Phoebe said nothing as she walked to the tall mirror near the bed. Her reflection looked almost ghostly in the dim light. The woman staring back at her was regal and utterly exhausted. She drew a dagger from the air, the blade forged from her Flux. Her fingers tightened on the hilt. She took a long breath. Then, without hesitation, she lifted the Faceless Identity mask and pressed it against her face. The white mask melded with her face, sealing her expressionless reflection.
Hinesia watched silently from behind as Phoebe took the dagger and slid its edge through her long ginger hair. Strands fell in slow motion, scattering across the floor. The transformation began almost instantly. The mask's enchantment rippled through her body. Her frame changed. Her Xana signature changed. The mask vanished, fusing with her face permanently.
Her body glowed faintly. Her outline kept dissolving, reforming and reshaping until the woman who once bore the name Aurelia no longer stood there.