104 A Dark Morning

"Are you positive it's the same entity?"

Gabriel had thought it might have been but he wanted to be sure of it.

"Did she appear with any chains of sorts? Black chains?"

Mihkael shakes his head but adds on to his answer.

"She did not appear with chains, however those chains you had described began to appear around the end of the dream while it caused her... caused her to turn to sand or ash of sorts in my arms..."

The desperation he felt of trying to gather the small ashes that slipped through his fingers made him hold his daughter's hand tighter on his own.

Feeling the tightness in her hands knocked Sakura from her stupor and looked back at him.

"What else did she tell you? That must not have been the only thing she said."

Sakura had to know more about this person, she needed to know. Because the Sakura she always has seen not once seemed chained to anything, yet was still self aware like the one they speak of.

Mihkael began to describe the chains appearance and Gabriel will add a few things, about her appearance appearing corrupt and how the chains seem to be tightened as if to restrain not just her, but her words when she spoke to him.

The more Sakura listened, the more she felt something was wrong. As if she hears all the answers to something she had questions for, yet a haze keeps covering all that is there.

But she understood one thing. The person they speak of is the very same Sakura she has seen in her dreams, only the appearance is different.

'Chains... the gods..."

Another thing she understood was that Sakura and the gods are connected to each other. From what she can take from this discussion the gods are chaining the original Sakura to the scenario and in some way her soul that was already corrupted.

'But why? Why not just let her relive her life if they are gonna chain her down to watch everything unfold again and again? Wouldn't this whole thing end if they allowed her to just relive and change the outcome of the world with her retaining her memories? Why are they making this whole thing more difficult than needed? What the hell is it that they are trying to do by dragging others here to suffer it all again and again!?'

"But I think that something is happening in the realm of the Gods, maybe an internal fight of sorts."

That caught Sakuras' attention back and she focused on the next words he would say, maybe she can decipher something more.

"Why do you say that? Does it have something to do with what she told you?"

Mihkael nods to Gabriel's words and lightly pinches between his brows while recalling more of the dream.

"She told me about the blessing the God of light bestowed on that child. The child that maid will bear. How if I still hold reverence or worship the goddess of light then the blessing will have some type of hold on me, or anyone else who holds the goddess of light in a faithful manner: a believer."

"Like the holy empire..."

Sakura sneers inward but holds a usual stoic appearance.

"It seems maybe the god of death has decided to use that Sakura to pass information to me before they were disturbed and all connection with me was cut."

"What you are saying is that the goddess of light in some way will use our faith to control our emotions and actions with a blessing she will bestow unto Rose?"

"Yes. That's why I believe the Sakura told me the future will remain the same even if we know about it. Because of our beliefs and reverence to all the gods, they will use that bit just to change our thoughts to always view that child in a bright light, as if she can do no wrong."

"That may be why it has never worked on Raphael. He never cared for the light goddess."

This was the first Sakura heard of this, she glances at Raphael, wondering why there is someone who doesn’t have reverence for the gods, she understood why she didn't. But not Raphael.

Feeling a gaze he glanced at Sakura and gave a light smile, yet it wasn't the usual one. It held a hint of gloom in his eyes, as if reminded of something in that moment.

"Why?"

Before she could stop herself Sakura asked why. Throughout all the lives she has seen, she has not once remembered Raphael having a vendetta against the god of light. Rather, she never really knew of Raphael before his stay in the palace as a butler.

She only knew of a few things of his life before him being brought to work here. One him being older than her father and an orphan with no family connection and him joining her father's team while adventuring in his early years. After that, nothing more.

'Why have I not asked for more information? Raphael always cared for Sakura. Was always there for her, yet not once have we noticed in any lives of his dislike of a god. No... rather, Sakura was only worried about herself and never thought of her papa Raphael... heh, what would you expect from a stuck up princess.'

She really did think she knew everything because of the memories of previous Sakuras and of her own from her world. A hint of self mockery flashed through her eyes at the thought.

'I have already experienced so much in just these few months and I still haven't learned my lesson that there will always be something out there that I; even with the advantage of my memories and those of my predecessors, will not have any knowledge of and will always have to understand to not overestimate myself.'

"... it's something of the past. Do not worry too much over it. For now, at least we know why I was never affected by this halo, the light God placed on that child."

"But is it fine to speak of such things at this very moment? The gods can hear all we say. After all, the reason they decided to send a message to Mihkael through his dreams was so they wouldn't get discovered, yet it was still intercepted."

Uriel looked up in worry, wondering if they'll be trucked by divine retribution for speaking of godly matters in such a way.

"No worries about that I think."

Sakura lightly mumbled those words when she thought about it a bit more. They all looked at the child who glanced away from Raphael and looked outside the balcony.

"What do you mean by that?"

Seraph was looking at her intently. He held each of her words in great depth when understanding in the past few days the depth of her mind and thoughts. He began to view her more on an equal footing than a small child who knew nothing of the world.

"The gods have decided to send a message this way because they view they can not allow the god of light to interfere in this matter anymore... I believe right now there is an intense battle occurring in the heavenly realm as the god of light does not have time to spy on us at the moment. Rather, I think we should do an emergency meeting with the continental leaders as soon as possible before that god gains a foothold again."

"How can you be sure? Did you receive a divinity from one of the Gods just now?"

Sakura lightly shakes her head and points outside.

"Look. Right now a storm has appeared, and the sunny morning has become dull, as if night came early."

They all looked outside and noticed the change as well. Clouds began to cover the sky yet behind those clouds of gray they can already see that the sun is nowhere in sight. The night seems to have taken over their morning and the clouds forming in the sky seem to be there to hide the bizarre phenomenon.

"I think the goddess of light will be preoccupied to waste any time on our digressions to them. But I do not know how long it will last."

Sakura spoke with no urgency. She analyzed it all in just moments; not even Seraph noticed such things, and he was called the cold-hearted analyst by those he commanded.

"You all should use this time to inform the leaders of the continents. Rather, I believe they would call you all for an emergency meeting when noticing this peculiarity in the sky. It must have spread around the world by now."

She mumbled the last parts while keeping her focus on the sky. Seraph gazed at her for a moment but he looked away and decided to speak more of this another time.

Sakura noticed his gaze, she knew what it meant because even she understood her calmness after so many emotional simulations just moments apart from each other wouldn't have made a person think so logically like she did just now. The others haven't even reacted to her words. Only Seraph and Gabriel.

However they weren't in the stable mind to think so far ahead like she did in that moment. The way she was overwhelmed by the emotions of finding her father in a coma, then him awakening from it. Or the deep guilt she felt when witnessing their emotions to her father's coma and awakening or the talk of the Gods when no mortal truly tried to ever bother or dare guess their thoughts and now this phenomenon is happening over the skies.

So many had happened in maybe an hour or less and yet she was able to rein those feelings, even going against the nature of her body that would always make her feel even more that her inner soul would like.

A knock on the door of her father's bedroom chambers has distracted them from any thoughts they may have had at that moment. Ariel went to the door and spoke to whoever came to speak with them and turned after closing the door, he glanced at Sakura for a moment and then to Mihkael.

"... a meeting was called by the other monarchs from the different realms."

"... I see, Mihkael still not in right of body, so it'll be best I head in his place."

Seraph spoke and looked out the window. There was a moment of silence before he sighed and began heading out the door. Until a light tug stopped him.

Looking down at a small hand as spotless as porcelain holding onto the robes he wears to indicate that of the minister, he moved his eyes to the eyes of who those hands belong to.

"... what is it?"

"..."

She bit her lips in a sense of struggle with what she should say, however she quickly gained her composure and spoke.

"Take me with you to the meeting. There are things I need to inform them of that revolves the future of this world"

Seraph's eyes moved to Mihkael, who remained still in his bed. a moment later a light nod to Seraph's unsaid question was given. Sakura smiled at her father lightly.

"Dad... after you rest some more

I'll tell you what was discussed. For now just rest."

Mikael smiled and lightly nodded goodbye with a small wave.

"Let us head out then your highness."

"Thank you."

She lets go of his robe and reaches out her hand. His hand wraps around hers and leads her to the meeting place usual for the leaders of each continent.

Ariel decided to follow and slightly bowed his head goodbye to the rest. While in the hallway only silence followed them and a gloomy contour painted Sakuras face.

'I may have been a bit hasty in my actions. But I notice more things occurring much quicker than expected. Looks like I'm arriving closer to the time limit I have in interfering on the fate of this world. Soon all that I know that would happen will mean nothing and I would lose the upper hand I've had all this years'

While thinking deeply of the memories of this world and the usual plots that have already occurred and will in the future she felt herself levitate and she lightly yelped from the sudden feeling of her legs leaving the ground. Turning to the cause, she held a baffled look at Seraph carrying her.

As if understanding what she was asking with her eyes he nonchalantly spoke while looking forward.

"It would take us a while to reach there if we kept going at your pace. So it was better to just hold you and head over there."

"Ah, okay."

She understood but didn't expect it would be him to carry her. It was usually either Ariel or Azrael who carried her. While thinking so she glanced back at Azrael and he smiled when they made eye contact.

She turned away shyly but was relieved to know he and her uncle don't seem to hold a grudge or view her in a different way. She laid her head on Seraph's shoulder and held a tiny smile, her mind truly now relaxed. Until they arrived at the door leading to the meeting room.