CHAPTER 129: THE ARARAN

Kivas blinked against the searing afterglow of her divine arrow’s explosion, the supernova of golden radiance lingering in her vision like an etched scar on reality.

The blast had been meant to eradicate the abyssal centaur, a concentrated surge of holy power to shatter the illusion and banish the intruder from Vaingall’s sanctuary.

It was planned to hit the possible direct source of the illusion since just trying to purify the overall illusion was not possible.

But as the light intensified, amplifying beyond her control—as if some unseen force had poured fuel onto the celestial flames—Kivas felt a disorienting shift.

The explosion didn’t fade into echoes of destruction; instead, it warped the very fabric of the space around her.

The flooded sanctuary, the cracked ground, the holographic gate—all dissolved in a vortex of blinding brilliance, pulling her through a threshold she hadn’t intended to cross.

When the light finally receded, Kivas found herself standing in a vast field of flowers, the air thick with an exotic, mystical fragrance that soothed her senses like a forgotten lullaby.

"... How many times is it again that I have been transported to a fake or imaginary realm with a field of flowers when I’ve gotten into Fathomi?"

At this point, Kivas felt that the trope had been quite overused.

Then again, it wasn’t like she was hoping that she would start being transported to the depth of hell or anything.

The blooms were unlike anything in Fathomi’s chaotic realms, and many of the field of flowers she encountered before—petals unfurling in iridescent spirals, glowing with inner luminescence that shifted colors from sapphire blues to fiery ambers, as if each flower held a captured star.

The ground was soft underfoot, a carpet of vibrant greens dotted with these ethereal plants, stretching to a horizon blurred by a gentle mist.

Above, the sky was a canvas of twilight hues, stars twinkling prematurely against a canvas of deep indigo, with no sun or moon to dictate time.

A soft breeze rustled the flowers, carrying whispers that echoed the faint chants from the holographic screens, now transformed into harmonious melodies rather than curses.

"Well, regardless of that, this... wasn’t my intention," Kivas murmured, her voice echoing strangely in the open expanse. Her white dress, regenerated and pristine, swayed lightly—she scanned the field, her halo pulsing with cautious light, probing for threats.

The amplification of her attack suggested external interference, perhaps the centaur’s doing or some deeper abyssal mechanism.

Yet the serenity here felt genuine, not the maddening illusion of before. No cold abyssal water lapped at her feet; instead, warm petals brushed her ankles like welcoming hands.

In the distance, amid a cluster of taller blooms that towered like ancient sentinels, a figure materialized.

At first glance, it resembled the centaur entity—veiled, graceful, with long golden hair cascading like molten sunlight.

But as it approached, Kivas noted the transformations—no horse-like lower body, no jellyfish-like fabric ebbing in illusory currents.

Instead, this was a humanoid woman, standing on a pair of human legs that moved with fluid poise, a horse tail swishing gently behind her like a banner of forgotten freedom.

The veil over her face remained, but now it bore a striking symbol—a black hole rendered in red, etched onto the white fabric like a cosmic wound.

Her bosom was modestly draped in simple, flowing cloth, and her horse ears twitched atop her head, alert to the world’s subtle symphonies.

Kivas tensed, her hand instinctively summoning a flicker of divine energy, ready to weave fate or invoke a miracle. "Is this a new tactic? After being struck by concentrated holy divine power, you resort to... this?" she asked, gesturing to the blooming field, her tone laced with wary sarcasm. "If you can’t kill your enemies with a sharp knife, kill them with flowers and kindness, huh."

The entity charged with murderous intent moments ago; now, the air held no hostility, only an enigmatic calm.

The figure halted a respectful distance away, her veiled head tilting slightly. When she spoke, her voice was no longer the echoed chorus of a thousand sinners but a singular, melodic tone—rich and resonant, carrying the weight of ages. "I am Ardan," she said, ignoring Kivas’s accusation entirely. "An Araran."

Kivas lowered her hand slightly, intrigued despite herself.

The lack of aggression was palpable, a shift from the abyssal fury.

She studied Ardan’s form, noting the subtle glow in her golden hair, the way her tail flicked with what seemed like genuine curiosity rather than malice.

"Ardan," Kivas repeated, her halo dimming to a soft glow. "What do you want from me? You’ve gone to great lengths—creating this comfortable illusion just to converse. If it’s not hostility, then speak plainly."

Ardan’s veiled face seemed to soften, though the fabric hid her expression.

"To save your time." She gestured to the field around them, the flowers blooming brighter in response, as if attuned to her presence. "I am not originally an Aequorian," she began, her voice steady. "As I said, I am an Araran."

Kivas’s eyes narrowed, piecing together the implications.

The Hollow Aequor were chaotic hive minds, abyssal horrors that twisted reality with illusions and madness.

But Ardan’s words hinted at something deeper, a transformation not born of origin but imposition.

"Being an Aequorian... is that a curse?" Kivas asked, her mind racing through Fathomi’s metaphysical lore—souls entangled, fates warped by entropy.

Ardan’s horse ears flicked, and she let out a soft, rueful laugh that echoed like distant waves. "Not quite. But with the right belief fueled into it—the time, the place—it can become a powerful curse. One that binds and corrupts." She paced slowly, her human legs gliding over the flower-strewn ground without crushing a single petal, her tail swishing thoughtfully. "My people, the Araran, were free-roaming knights...

"We galloped across vast distances, chasing sunsets, surviving on what the land provided. In tandem, we helped those in need along the way—strangers in peril, villages under threat.

"Our code was simple... wander, aid, endure. For we merely seek the gale and light under Fathomi’s dimming sky, where hope perils more than its subject, calming the calamity and the mind."

"Quite a poetic lifestyle you had."

"But we made a fatal mistake," Ardan voiced. "Seeking a shortcut to another continent, we ventured into the sea, ignoring warnings of the depths. There, we encountered the Hollow Aequor—their abyssal stench, their endless hordes..."

Kivas listened intently, the field’s serenity contrasting the horror in Ardan’s tale.

She could envision it, nomadic knights, proud and unyielding, facing waves of illusory terrors and monstrous forms rising from the deep.

"For months," Ardan continued, her voice dropping to a haunted whisper, "we fought. Illusions twisted our minds, creatures tore at our flesh. We experimented with every tactic—spells, blades, sheer will—but to no avail...

"Eventually, we became part of them. Assimilated into their chaotic hive, our freedom drowned in madness..."

"Are there still many of you left?"

"If you’re talking about former Araran who still exist in this world, then yes."

Kivas crossed her arms, her divine essence humming with empathy and caution. "Where are the rest of the former Araran now?"

Ardan’s veiled gaze seemed to drift toward the horizon, as if peering into unseen depths. "I can somewhat reach them, but on my own. Trapped in the abyssal depths, fragments of what we were, we need an outsider’s help. An outsider of a divine nature."

"So in a way, you have a means to reach them."

Ardan nodded. "After hundreds of years—experimenting in my maddened state as an Aequorian—I found a method..."

Without warning, Ardan plunged her hand into her own chest, fingers piercing flesh with a wet, ethereal sound.

Kivas stepped back, halo flaring, but Ardan showed no pain, only determination.

She withdrew her hand, holding a pulsating heart—glowing with a mix of golden light and abyssal shadows, beating erratically like a caged storm. "Take this," Ardan said, offering it to Kivas. "If you’re willing, create a sanctuary for it. Purify it from time to time with your divine power the moment it beats with the stench of the sea, and again, and again..."

Kivas hesitated, the heart’s energy prickling her skin like a paradox of warmth and void. "Elaborate. What is this meant to achieve?"

Ardan’s tail swished, her voice steady despite the gaping wound in her chest, which began to knit closed with illusory threads. "I will use my heart as a conduit. Connect it to any former Araran I can reach in the depths.

"Then, I can channel your purification through it—experiment with your divine essence. It may restore our semblance of sanity, allowing us to overcome the madness and break free...

"Not all at once, but gradually, through trials of will and power."

Kivas accepted the heart, its pulse syncing faintly with her own divine rhythm. "Did my attack break you free of the abyssal curse?"

Ardan smiled behind the veil, a subtle curve that radiated quiet triumph. "Not quite returned yet. But contact with your concentrated divinity stabilized me...

"I wield the blood of the abyssal depths still, but with clarity. A bridge between worlds."

Kivas nodded, pocketing the heart in a fold of her dress, where her divine essence enveloped it protectively. "Will you return me to my original reality after this?"

"Yes," Ardan replied. "And as a gift, I will imbue you with power I have concocted in my time blending with the abyss."

Before Kivas could question further, a Well of the Soul notification materialized in her vision, ethereal text glowing against the flower field.

『Skill Gained: ◈ Anti-Aequor Formula Lv5 – You possess the essence and understanding to resist and purify the effect of reality manipulation from an abyssal nature.』

Ardan’s form shimmered, her explanation following seamlessly. "This should make you a formidable enemy to the Hollow Aequor and their maddening power. Resist their illusions, purify their curses, and maybe, someday, purify the beautiful sea to its primordial paradise."

Kivas felt the skill integrate into her soul, a surge of clarity bolstering her soul. "Thank you, Ardan. I promise to build a great sanctuary in Vaingall for your heart—and a home for you and the Araran.

"A place to return after the sunsets fade, where night calls for reunion. You’ll be family to us and tangled land, your kin will be welcomed without question."

Ardan’s veiled face tilted, her horse ears perking with what seemed like genuine warmth.

She smiled wider, her voice softening to a whisper carried on the breeze. "At this point, we no longer need to chase the sunset...

"For I am sure we have found our sun."

With those words, Ardan’s form dissolved into motes of golden light, scattering like petals in the wind.

The flower field faded, reality snapping back with a jolt.

Kivas stood once more in Yoiglah’s sanctuary, the holographic screens restored to their views of Salissic Vein, the group around her solid and aware.

The abyssal water was gone, the gate vanished, leaving only faint echoes of the chants in her mind.

Samael turned to her first, draconic horns catching the light, her red-black hair swaying as she raised an eyebrow. "Everything alright, my love? You zoned out for a moment there, a bit too much in fact."

Kivas blinked, masking the whirlwind of her encounter with a composed smile.

She touched her divine essence where Ardan’s heart now pulsed safely, hidden behind a spatial concept under her will. "Is there something weird on my face?" she asked innocently.

Samael snorted, crossing her arms with a grin, her wings folding neatly. "Nothing at all. You’re still as beautiful and lovely as always," she replied, her voice dipping into a flirtatious lilt.

Kivas laughed softly, the flirtation grounding her in the familiar.

But beneath it, her mind raced with the implications—Ardan’s heart, the Araran’s curse, the new skill.

Vaingall would need to prepare for new allies... and perhaps new threats from the depths.

But of course, not before they solve the current threat facing the Salissic Vein.