Chapter 240, The Unknown Blackness

"Well then, now that you've seen my face, I must be obliged to introduce myself." The man spoke. "Greetings oh child of Felicia and Vassal of the Flower. I am Frajil, the Harbinger of Black Night."

"Who?" Theo asked as he held his trident.

"I see, the names of the Harbingers have been forgotten with the passage of time. But I suppose it's better that way!" The man suddenly charges at Theo and Philia. "The time for chitchat has come to an end!"

----

"Lady Sylphid, the city..." Alicia and the trio stare at the sky of the city now tainted green by the clouds.

"We must hurry." Sylphid replied as the took flight.

The trio eventually arrived at Sunflower Castle where the storm has just began to cover the sky.

"Lady Sylphid, look." Alicia points to the distant island where the lightning striked. "The lightning is strange, it's green and seems to be striking only certain places."

"The lightning is from a storm that destroys the Rivers of Fluer, if left alone the storm could destroy the Rivers completely." Sylphid answered and stoped. "Both of you, hurry to Sunflower Castle. I will direct the storm into the Deep Seas."

"Please be careful, Lady Sylphid." Alicia says and follows Ophelia to the Castle.

The two make ground on Island 7 and turn to see a glimpse of Sylphid using her power to direct the lightning into the sea below them.

"Ophelia, I'm sure you can handle it from here. I'll do my best to defend the area from stray lightning strikes." Alicia says and takes to the sky once again.

Ophelia enters the castle, following the path she remembers till she arrives at a jewel room where they once came to collect the second key. However, she knew not what to do next.

As she wondered where she should go next, the Crest on her arm shines and it guides her to the center of the room. She takes her place at the center and the moment she does, the ground shines with Arata's Crest and around her steps began to rise.

"So, I just need to go up then." Ophelia stated and began going up the steps.

With each step she could feel the lightning starting to make the ground quake. With urgency, Ophelia rushed up the stairs. At the summit of the stairs she finds an altar.

"Welcome, to the Sealing Slate. Come, Vassal of the Flower, what you seek is before." An unknown voice spoke. "Raise that which has been sealed and open the second of the bridges to the world."

"So, do I just place my hand on this altar?" Ophelia wondered as she placed her hand on the altar.

Then, before her, Ophelia witnessed something like a pillar, similar in shape to a blade begin to form. The blade-like pillar was embedded into the Rivers of gold. Instinctively, Ophelia reached out her hand to the pillar and it glowed, then the blade-like pillar began to rise from the river and when it had been completely raised above the river, a bright light shined and the pillar crumbled. The rivers began to shine and before Ophelia a small crystal emerged. The crystal flowered and became fans, Ophelia accepted the fans and feeling the tremors from the surface, she rushed out of the castle's depths.

On the surface, Sylphid and Alicia were defending the surrounding area by diverting the lightning down to the sea before them when they saw a golden hue envelope Sunflower Castle. Then, as the light towered to the skies, a pillar emerged above the castle.

"Lady Sylphid, it seems Lady Ophelia succeeded." Alicia stated as the lightning began to thin and directly strike the sea.

"It seems so." Sylphid smiled as she landed along side Alicia.

"Let's hurry back to Arata's side. He will need our help." Ophelia who emerged from the castle stated, her new fan in hand.

"Yes let-" Before Alicia can finish her words she falls to the ground.

"Alicia?!" Ophelia exclaimed as she saw the knife embedded in Alicia's back.

"Wall of Wind!" Sylphid surrounded them in a barrier of wind.

Ophelia immediately rushes to Alicia's side, she pulls out the knife and began healing the wound. But before she can even finish, the wall of Wind which Sylphid erected was dispelled in an instant. Above the trio, a woman with black hair and scarlet eyes hovered, dressed in a black rob.

"Greetings, Child of Felicia and Vassal of the Flower. This castle, shall be your grave." The woman woke before sending a knife into Sylphid.

"Lady Sylphid!" Ophelia exclaimed and that was all it took for the woman to send a knife into Ophelia's back.

----

In a blink of an eye, Michael, Danielle and Yggdrasil returned to Fantasy Forest. The sky above them has begun to be overspread by the dark greet storm.

"Let's hurry to Camelia Castle." Danielle says not bothering to look up at the sky. "Roots."

With those simple words, the ground below glowed bright green and enveloped the trio and teleporting them straight to Camellia Castle.

"Go ahead Michael, hurry, we'll defend the surrounding area." Yggdrasil states and wraps herself in a flurry of petals before taking to the sky.

"I suggest you make haste, Sir. Arata will need us back as soon as possible." Danielle stated before following Yggdrasil's lead.

With haste, Michael entered Camellia Castle. He rushed up the stairs of the castle, eventually reaching the top and he looked around to search for anything that may be of help. As he gazed to the skies he saw the storm starting to strike the ground, Yggdrasil trying to divert the storm to a different place.

"Where is it? Where is what Argent had sent me to find?" Michael wondered and that's when the floor and his Crest began to glow. Then, a blinding light engulfs him and when it subsides Michael finds himself before a pedestal.

"Welcome, to the Sealing Slate. Come, Vassal of the Flower, what you seek is before." An unknown voice spoke. "Raise that which has been sealed and open the third of the bridges to the world."

Michael approached the slate and placed his hand on the slate. As he did, before him a sword-like pillar emergedz sealing the rivers of hue below them. Michael stretched out his hand and the pillar rose from the river allow it to flow once more. Crumbling to a mere crystal, the remnant of the pillar flew before Michael and he accepted it as it became a ball in his hands.

Once more, Michael is engulfed by the light and is brought back to the surface of the castle. Above him, he witnessed the golden light which engulfed the castle rise to the skies and a pillar overhead appeared.

Just as Michael thought everything was fine, he sensed danger and the next thing he sees is Yggdrasil falling from the sky. With haste, Michael descended from the castle and found a badly injured Yggdrasil on the ground, Danielle facing a man in black, with black hair and red eyes.

"Sir Michael! Please run from here and alert the others! This man-!" Before Danielle can finish his sentence, a blade to his stomach silences him.

"Danny!!" Michael exclaimed as Danielle's body fell to the ground.

Gripping the ball he had obtained earlier, Michael stood before the man in black.