Chapter XVI

Do you want to know the truth about yourself? Are you prepared for the finale of the Parting?'

Once again, Elaine descends into her consciousness as she collapses due to forcing herself to develop Galahad's noble phantasm for the first time. She did not hear that voice as keep doing what her heart telling her to press forward.

"... Or should I say this is mine? I did fulfill the conditions that I employ the noble phantasm."

Once she employed the noble phantasm, it already became a part of her existence.

Elaine stopped in her tracks when she mumbled out loud and questioned herself why she wandered to her cognitive aimlessly without Galahad as a guide.

It still feels strange for her that she hasn't found him yet, usually, she finds him right in front of her as if he was waiting for her.

She gulped down her anxiety when the girl decided to move one of her feet forward.

It's way too soon to say goodbye just yet.

Those words alone resonated with her heart which starts to burn out of her chest even though she knew it was useless to give it a shot but she is still a human who clung to him as he was always the one who was with her.

Without thought, Elaine started to run to the open gate that has been materialized since didn't how long it keep there. Perhaps Galahad knows something that the girl didn't know what is beyond the gate.

She suddenly stood still. It's pitch black as she entered and doesn't see the entrance nor an exit.

It's like a void. An empty space like this creeps her unease and doubt, that Galahad vanished without saying farewell to her.

Her hands turned into a fist as she called her savior.

"Galahad!"

Elaine shouted into the space repeatedly of his name that echoed until her voice dries up tiredly.

She huffed her chest heavily as her heart and her lungs kept pounding as if they going to explode.

Soon her astral body can't keep up and collapse.

"Goddammit!" Elaine cursed in frustration. She hit the ground impetuously with her fist several times until the ground gets cracked and painted from the blood from her fist.

'One more time! I need to see him one more time.' That's all that she thought and hit one last time which turned into pieces.

The gray-haired girl was falling into a tunnel that was invested by unknown monsters and shadow heroic spirits from the past.

The shield materialized out of her hand out of pure instinct when they raised their heads at her, armed with weapons that are pointing towards her as she made her fall off this strange area from her mind.

The world is already distorted by the laws of the heavens and the abyss.

"Don't get in my way!" Her eyes widened in rage, she don't have time to lose this as Elaine pushed forward, to break free of their clutches as they are the ones pushing her away from where she came from above.

She dives, even more, deeper into this new area while destroying shadows who were getting here into her way.

As Elaine did, there was a surge of sensation that flashed in her blue eyes.

The appearance of a couple and a white-haired boy, smiling at her younger self who was holding a silver trophy with her both hands and smiled ear brightly to ear at them then hugged them.

"Mama. Papa... And also big brother to... Thank you for supporting me in the piano competition!... I love you guys so much!"

She gasped. Her sweat dripped down to her chin as those unknown memories flooded into her mind. "What was that? Are those... My family?"

All of a sudden, Elaine started to lost in her thoughts of who and what she is. Meanwhile, the shadows had been destroyed by that particular person that she had been looking for.

"[----]? Do you have a dream you want to be fulfilled yet, my dear?"

The gentle tone of a woman who was apparently her mother as she has the same hair color as her. Elaine heard a sudden bell noise when her mother called her old name which she cannot hear as if something blocked her from hearing it.

A childish voice of her past self answered in a happy tone.

"I do, Mama! But not only one, I have many of them that I want to be fulfilled with my own hands! Especially becoming stronger and surpassing Kevin-onii-san!"

Her mother chuckled and Elaine who watched the piece of her memories also feel the warm embrace yet it felt heavier in her chest as she already knew how it turned out and shook her head.

"I already made this decision years ago... That everything I left behind is in the ashes..." She said it to herself with her eyes closed without hesitation.

There was no use for her to cling to her past since Elaine was more focused on the present, for the reality she living.

"That's good. My little girl is already strong like your father and your big brother. It seems like your father's family side has already engraved in your blood."

The wall reflected her memories and saw her past self became curious.

"Is our family that special?" She asked. Her mother placed her fingers under her chin.

"... Well when I think about it, yes it is. Since the Kaslana clan is very special from the rest of this world considered the history of well-known warriors."

"Really?" Younger Elaine's eyes sparkled in excitement.

She hugged her daughter tightly with a happy smile on her face, her pale blue eyes were twinkling like the stars. "Really! Our glory is already in the ashes and vain but we are always prepared for the sake of humanity. However you, my sweet child, you should stay true to yourself and make your own path."

Then her lost memories vanished.

"...."

Honestly. Elaine felt the dread of emptiness coming at her when her mother mentioned a bit of her family history which her brain spindle the information of what it means to be a Kaslana and its history which was important to learn a part of herself.

The Kaslana clan. A long-standing lineage that has been around during the world-destroying great flood which they survived thanks to the person who built the ark and continued to scatter around the world as they are now nomads nowhere to go as their savior told them to. There are times that they studying themselves how far they can go to become strong as they witness many encounters with powerful people, and gods and even see many destructions of the world they live in only one survived so far which was a man who brought the Kaslana history staying in hidden as he thought the future civilization has no need for them thus he did that in return.

The lone Survivor was thinking as humanity rises once again for a new era.

What if... there will be another destruction awaiting in the future? Which humanity will be next that meets their end as he foresaw in the future.

That is the cycle of creation and destruction that keeps repeating ever since his ancestors survived the great flood.

As long as humanity still continues to flourish, their doom will await them until they need a miracle, but the chances are slim.

He decides, despite being powerless against the law and fate of the world order as he does the most arrogant thing that 'Thing in red' hunting him down as he wants passing his successor far from the future a powerful gifts and in exchange that the sins from their ancestor and his are alone in his hand.

Project Resonance and Project Loom of Fate.

Two different projects lead for his curiosity. One of his successor from the far future will have these powers to make their own free choices of their fate that they will not regret it and continue their adventure to meet incredible people that will may considering their family that will also share the free will to decide their own fate when their bonds deepened, this was purpose of Project Loom of Fate as well a divine construction which reside to the core.

While Project Resonance has simply mechanic; to contract heroic spirits and the powers grow independently from his successor, once the heroic spirit noticed it, they will return back to the throne of heroes and another spirit will be selected when the vessel gain willpower for the crisis and also there will be one percent out of ninety-nine that the noble phantasm eventually evolve.

That fated person from the future was... - - - - Kaslana or rather Elaine Ragvindr who remembers nothing about herself... until now.

There was a moment of silence as she who watched the world around turned into dust as there are nothing left anymore.

Elaine left out a long sigh with her eyes closed as she turned around with an expression that rivals the person she searched for.

"Galahad..." She spoke his name in neutrality and it sounded so much powerful that his golden eyes bored to her eyes to make judgment against her. However, Galahad chose against it when he was thinking about the process being with her in Teyvat.

Why does he judge Elaine quickly for what exactly? Galahad had never has this thought before, perhaps her growth and the people surounded her was an new experience for him to see and saw no point thinking nor talking about it anymore.

After all Galahad is nothing more than a shadow from the history who has the fate worse than the death that he regret it at this moment.

It all came to surprise as Elaine saw Galahad smiled at her for the first time she ever saw in her life as soon she later realized when his body illuminated slowly.

"Congratulations Elaine... Thank you and goodbye... May we meet once again in a far future." His words were short but it spoke in such volumes that Elaine couldn't pintpointed whenever if she should stay happy or sad for this and lowered her head for not wanting to his face, then Elaine saw his hand were outstreched which she couldn't helped to connect his hand for the last time.

She raised her head, seeing Galahad made her spark something in her heart.

"Don't ever stop your journey even if it reachs the end, forge a new ones and finally be the master of your own fate."

With that everything turned to white, it was now time for her to wake up.

"Thanks for everything, Galahad. May we meet again."

-

Elaine slowly lids her eyes and adjusted the light that caught it. She was in a bed when she wondered how long she was bedridden, then moved her head to the left. Elaine blinked as her eyes slowly moved upwards as she saw that there was a person who sat besides her.

From the dark clothing and to their face was none other than Dainsleif who also meets her eyes as his were also open.

"You're awake."

She mustered a smile. "Good morning. How long have I asleep?" Elaine greeted him with this mundane greetings that mankind should know about.

"Not too long. You woke up in right timing." He replies smoothly which caused her chuckle.

"In 'right timing' you say, huh? Then does that mean you know the current situation we are in?" Elaine bombared him these questions which Dainsleif closed his eyes once again to hear the sound from her voice as if he hadn't heard it for a long time but it wasn't.

"Why don't let body rests first even if you woke up just now? You know you should take care of yourself before anything else." He spoked harshly with soft tone hidden behind it and offered her a bowl of stew. Elaine nodded in agreement and slightly got up as she took the bowl with a spoon.

She first noticed that the broth were slightly warm as it was about to automaticly cooled down when took a bite to it and wondered why. Suddenly, Elaine heard a slightly cough behind Dainsleif.

"You DULLHEAD! You shouldn't give your own food for her." The girl in bed flinched slightly at the sudden shout from the unknown person who call 'Dullhead' at Dainsleif who wasn't slightly bothered as he was being pointed at which Elaine blinked repeatedly in confusion of what is going on.

That person revealed to be a blonde-haired girl whose face was familiar to her due Galahad but it was quick for that conclusion if she was really her.

"Go and bring her own food at the kitchen, theres plenty of it." Blonde-haired girl shooed Dainsleif out who took a long sigh.

"Shouldn't you bring it since you were in kitchen..." He muttered.

Elaine blinked again as the girl took the bowl from her who smiled her friendly. "Well for first starter, why don't we introduce to each other first? My name is Artoria. Nice to meet you, child of man."

"... It's Elaine, Artoria..."

Artoria hummed and spoked outloud her name.

"Elaine, huh? What a pretty name. It surely has this warm as well powefull meaning as 'The shining Light' if I recall."

"Is that so?" The gray-haired girl wondered softly as she remembers fond memories of her adoptive father, the one, he named her.

"It is!" She said in straightforward and then put Elaine's hands together. "Now why don't you tell me the whole story to why you travel this far of this place?"