She wiped the remains of the blood from her lips, and stood up trying to walk towards her bed even though it was quite far.
Merva felt empty, like half of her was gone. She had already called out to Minerva in her head severally, but she did not get a reply.
She heard her door handle being twisted, someone was pushing against her door, struggling to get in. She knew that it would be Serine, because only she dared to come near her chambers and so she released the force holding it, and the door opened.
Serine pushed the door open quickly, shutting it behind her before anyone could see what was happening inside.
Her eyes dropped to the floor, and she saw a part of the carpet covered in blood. "Merva, what...?" She asked quietly, her eyes wide with fear, looking up to see blood stain around Merva's lips.
Merva was not even nearly halfway near her bed, her body swaying slightly, her left hand holding tightly onto her chest while her right hand reached for the closest comfortable place which was her couch.
Serine walked to Merva and held her up, taking her towards her bed when her body jerked suddenly. Merva bent forward and vomited, blood splattering all over her carpet. She was getting weaker.
She looked up at Serine as she wiped the blood stain with her sleeves, her eyes unfocused, and her face too pale.
"What is going on?" Serine asked her fearfully. "There was chaos in Dogan, and the divine capital, and now this?" She paused, trying to lift her up. "Are you injured?"
Merva shook her head. "No, I am not sure." She said wearily, "I can't feel Minerva anymore. I almost feel empty, like half of me is gone."
*** ***
Minerva opened her eyes, her body flat against the cold floor. She pushed herself up, her eyes involuntarily checking behind her.
The chains lay shattered on the floor, evidences that the transformation had truly happened.
She stood up straight and inhaled deeply, stretching out her body. The cold atmosphere in the room was great, even though the air was damp.
She walked forward, a smile on her face, and her hands folded behind her back, when a sudden force slammed into her crushing her under its weight. Minerva's eyes widened as she stumbled, her knees buckling under the pressure. It felt like an invisible hand was trying to pin her down to the floor.
She snarled, summoning her powers and pushing against the force, defying it. The attack intensified, the air thickening as it turned into an exchange of power.
It tried to floor and suppress her, but Minerva pushed it back, phasing through the building as she went.
There was a heavy blizzard outside, Minerva was at the peak of an ice mountain. The force gathered the snow, taking forms that came at her aggressively, and she countered with her powers, pushing them as much as she could.
Her breath came out in ragged gasps, it seemed like she was not strong enough. They circled her, snow rising up like dust as they pushed her towards the edge.
The wind whipped her hair furiously as she hovered at the edge of the cliff. "Move back, I said don't come any closer." She shouted, her voice echoing through the air.
But it was useless.
She pushed back as much as she could, but the force threw her off the cliff.
Minerva was falling, her body dropping fast to meet the ground as the wind howled past her, a roaring sound that blocked all else.
As she fell, she felt sorrowful, tears forming in the corner of her eyes at the realization that Merva would die with her.
'Merva,' she called in her mind, her eyes closing in resignation. 'I am truly sorry, it is all my fault.' But there was no answer.
'Merva.' She called again, but there was still no answer.
As the iced floor came into view, Minerva remembered that she had transformed earlier on. Her eyes snapped open, her wings puffinh out like smoke, unfurling quickly.
She flapped her wings wildly, not sure that she was getting it right.
Her body jerked, her fall slowing, but her eyes was fixed on the earth below.
She turned around, begging the wings to do their work, but they were humongous, and felt heavy. She began falling again, her stomach sinking, as the ground rushed to claim her.
She closed her eyes, flapping the wings with so much might. She peeked through one eye.
She was soaring.
She opened both her eyes, a triumphant laugh escaping her lips as she leveled up. Minerva felt fear, but she also felt joy, forgetting about the force that had pushed her.
Her hair scattered with the wind, as she grinned, and that was when she noticed its color, pausing briefly.
Her hair was silver and dark ash.
'Merva.' She called in her mind. It was suspicious.
Merva was not with her. Minerva realized, her face covered in shock.
She did not get time to figure it out, as the unseen force slammed her again, trying to strangle her life out of her.
Minerva felt angry.
She had not hurt anyone, who was after her?
She flapped her wings quickly, blasting at anything she thought the force came from. The sky made her journey short, and she was at the outskirts of the divine capital.
The unseen force fired at her, and she fired back, setting buildings, and anything that was within her reach on fire.
"Where are you?" She shouted angrily, searching everywhere for its origin. It was coming from afar off, but where? She had to destroy its source.
Her wings began faltering, her shoulder blades hurting with the effort she put into flying. She knew her normal strength was being exhausted quickly, but she continued firing back for every wave of energy it pushed against her.
She increased the rate at which she flapped her wings, enduring another blast from it, and preparing to land hers.
There were so many people gathered on the ground below, some already levitating, ammunition containing divine power aimed at her.
They fired, but it barely hurt her.
She fired at them, blowing up their equipments. She was tired from all the fighting, and all this was still new to her.
Her wings stopped flapping, and she fell from the sky, her scream resounding.
*** ***
Serine had already helped Merva to her bed, and helped her sit up on it, her body resting against several pillows.
Merva's face contorted in pain, her chest tightening up in pain. She moved back a bit more, her fingers grasping onto her sheets tightly as she gasped in pain.
Serine watched her, trying to think up ways to help.
She sat back on the bed, gently pushing Merva away from the pillows with one hand, her other hand holding onto Merva's shoulder.
Her grip around Merva's shoulder tightened, and she placed her other hand at Merva's lower back, her hand rising slowly as she infused her with energy to stabilize her.
Merva felt better by the second, but her skin was still deathly pale. Merva felt a liquid surging up her throat, her eyes flying open quickly and she reached for vase, vomiting into it.
It was more blood.
She sighed, her and Serine looking at each other. Serine helped her bring a glass of water, and she rinsed her mouth, pouring it into the vase.
She saw the look of disgust on Serine's face as she pushed the vase away, and she smiled weakly. "It's just blood, you know?"
Serine smiled faintly, resuming her power infusion into Merva.
Serine felt the flow of her power begin to slow down, her vision swimming and her head began spinning. She knew her energy was quickly depleting, and there was no ocean, or pearl nearby for her to replenish it.
"It's okay." She heard Merva say, and she felt her hear sink in.
Was she going to die?
Serine summoned every last shred of power that she could, and poured it into Merva before it stopped. She was exhausted, her normally pale skin, almost becoming blue in color.
The bed called to her, her eyes dropping, but she forced them to remain open. They stayed that way for a while, both of them watching each other in sleepy despair.
There was nothing else they could do.
Suddenly Merva gasped as an energy crashed into her. She felt her chest release, air filling her lungs.
The drowsiness faded from Serine's eyes, and she watched as color seeped back into Merva's skin, her cheeks now a healthy shade.
"What happened? How do you feel now?" Serine asked her.
"I feel fine now." .merva replied, a tired smile on her face. "I think Minerva just returned."
Serine sighed in relief, Merva moving over for her without a word. She collapsed into the bed, exhaustion taking over the two of them.
"Thank you" Merva whispered, her voice barely audible as sleep claimed both of them.