Chapter 48, Beyond this Darkness is Hope

We followed Undine to the shores and as mist began to cover the area, a figure emerged from the water. A large chinese dragon like creature, with blue scales and deep purple eyes emerged from the water. Is it... Leviathan?!

"Lady Undine, this way please." A young girl, with wavy navy blue hair and sea green eyes with white skin said as she emerged from the mist.

She was dressed in a beautiful blue dress with coral and sea shell patterns. Her hair reached her feet and they were decorated with small sea shells and star fish.

Leviathan lowered his head and Undine hopped on and had us hop on as well. Leviathan then dived into the depths and as we went deeper and deeper, eventually reached a castle made from corals and shined in bright colors.

"Undine's Reef?" I asked. "Why did you bring us here?"

"It's safer here than on the surface." Undine said. "Among the Chimeras, Cetus, Dorado, Delphinus, Pisces, Fomalhaut, Aquarius, Hydra and Hydrus are our only concerns."

"Cetus the one that devours, Dorado the bladed on, Delphinus the elusive one, Fomalhaut the one that delves deep, Hydra that beast that splits and Hydrus the beast that replicates." I recalled. "They aren't much of an issue to us but keep your guard up."

"Welcome, to my reef." Undine said. "Rest for a bit, I'll hold the trial as soon as you recover."

"Okay then." I said.

I'm worried about the others, they've been fighting for a while and they're badly injured they need rest. I want to rest even if it's just a short break.

As I'm tending to their wounds, I find Leon sleeping with Ethan and Zhen.

"Geez, these guys are so lazy." Angie said but everyone else has fallen asleep and she seems lseepy herself.

"Go on and rest. I'll follow after." I said and she yawned before closing her eyes.

I turn my attention Undine who smiles. Leviathan changes to his human form, a young man with blue hair with green tips and white skin with deep blue eyes.

"What's the status of the world?" I asked them.

"We are doing our best to suppress the Chimeras however we are being pushed back." Undine answered. "Leviathan and my power can only hold for so long. Our fellow Guardians can also only do so much."

"Master, forgive my rudeness, but we don't have the time to waste." Leviathan said. "If possible I'd like to return to my true self."

"You can't. The scales have already tilted to the enemy's side already. If you return to your true self I can't promise a safe return." I answered. "Though Guardians are the only ones capable of sealing the Chimeras, you are also susceptible to the negative energy they produced."

"But we can't waste any more time." He answered.

"And we can't lose a Guardian." I told him.

"Lady Undine, Le Fleur, Sir Leviathan, I've prepared some tea." The young girl from earlier said.

"Thank you, Coral." Undine said and lead me to a table with a tea set. "She is Coral, the Priestess of Water."

"How do you do, Le Fleur." She said and bowed her head.

"She gives a different vibe from Alicia, Danny and Tyson." I said.

"I do?" She asked.

"You seem... younger and more docile than the three." I said.

"I suppose she does." Leviathan said. "Now, master, in regards with what I was saying."

"Undine, let me take the trial." I said.

"Very well." She said and sipped her tea. "I oversee the present, the possibilties and probabilities it holds as well as voyages, love and adventure. Prepare yourself."

"I'm ready." I said and she riased her hand to me.

"Face the present, the truth within, let the voices of the people be known." She chanted and I lost consciousness.

When I open my eyes I'm in the Whispering Garden again with everyone gathered.

"Yo, you've reached the third trial." Gregory said. "The Third Trial represents the present. The voices of the people."

"Voices of the people?" I asked when suddenly thoughts of other people began to follow my head.

These are... the emotions they hold... the state of their minds... the effect of the Chimeras release... ugh... so much darkness... so much despair.

"Why? Why is this happening?!"

"Ah, ah, the world is over. Humanity is done for."

"Why do we have to suffer?!"

"I can't take it anymore!"

The darkness threatens to devour me. It's so strong, the despair, the grief, the darkness of others' hearts. I realize that even my own is filled with despair upon the revival of the beasts. Is it my own fear of the Chimeras or the fear of losing the people I care about to them. I don't know but all I know is that even I have despair and darkness in me. I can barely mantain my sanity when a single voice pierces through the darkness.

"Will I be able to keep Arata safe?" Will's voice breaks the darkness.

"I'll protect this place that Arata and the others will return to." Hiro's voice followed.

"It's not over yet. There's hope out there." Alicia echoed.

One by one, everyone's voices come into my head. And they are followrd by other voices. Voices of people fighting. People who are still fighting. People filled with hope despite seeing the despair.

They're right. It's not over yet and even if the despair is here, there will always be people who will fight on. There's hope, waiting for us, somewhere out there.

I open my eyes to find the others looking down on me. I raise my head and rubbed my eyes to find a blue key in my hands. The third key.

This key is proof, proof that there is hope somewhere out there. It's a hope that I'll grasp with these two hands. No matter what, we won't falter, waver, stop or give up. Hope is out there, even if the Chimeras have been revived. There will be hope out there. I know it. Beyond this darkness, is hope.