~ [Music Recommendation: "Spirit Break Out" by Kim Walker Smith - instrumental only - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~

After the heartfelt speech of the General, every citizen of Nix worked together to fix their village and bury those who unfortunately, didn't make it till the end of war. It didn't take them long to rebuild everything with everyone helping each other. Once done, they all prepared for a big feast to celebrate their victory and offer their gratitude to the Supreme.

​​

Rania and Elliot joined the celebration, along with Elijah, Hadassah, Deborah, and the other man they hadn't had the chance to ask his name. Elijah's group, of course, didn't remember who Rania and Elliot was since they never really belonged to their timeline. But even so, they still got along so well that Hadassah, Deborah and Rania danced together while the boys got busy preparing their food.

"Why is it that we're the ones preparing food?" Elijah asked Elliot. "Shouldn't it be the girls who're supposed to be familiar with these things?" His face grimaced at the sight of potatoes before him. Though he held a knife on his hands, he seemed to be very unfamiliar with how to peel them.

On the contrary, Elliot and Elijah's friend were easily peeling and chopping the vegetables and meat before them.

Elijah was astonished. "W-why do you both know how to - This is unfair! I somehow feel betrayed!" Sniffing, he went back to the potatoes in front of him and chopped them with his knife without peeling them. "I … I can do this, too! Just you wait and see!"

Getting on to his competitive spirit, Elijah tried copying what Elliot was doing. Unluckily for him, they didn't turn out so well.

"Who cooks an unpeeled potato?" Deborah grimaced at the sight of a soup that looked inedible. "And why were they all cut so big? Is this supposed to be food?"

"Pfft!" Hadassah burst out laughing as soon as she saw the inedible soup. "Ha-ha-ha-ha! Great job there, Elijah! You would do really well in poisoning enemies! You can literally use that as a lure for monsters and once they eat it, they're dead".

Elijah's face fumed in embarrassment.

"D-don't judge it by its looks! It tastes great you know!"

Rania and Elliot snickered at the sight of them arguing.

"They taste great right, bro?" Elijah turned to his brown-haired friend.

"Well … ahm … about that -"

"-See? He can't even answer! Ha-ha-ha-ha!" Hadassah continued teasing him.

"Then don't eat it! Wraaa!" Elijah snapped and took his bowl of soup away from everyone's sight. Turning his back from them, he sniffed like a poor puppy and tasted his own cooking. "See? It wasn't that bad. Poor soup. If they won't eat you, I will".

Still chuckling, Hadassah walked towards him and stole the bowl from his hands.

"Hey! That's mine!"

"Hmmm …," Hadassah observed it for a few seconds. Then she took the spoon on the bowl, scooped the soup, and ate it. "Oh, it wasn't so bad after all," she smiled.

The poor Elijah's sorry face immediately lit up.

"See! I told you not to judge it by its looks!" His cheeks flushed red in delight.

"You're just being nice, Hadassah," Deborah butted in. "It's bad to lie you know."

"I'm not lying though, try it".

"No, thanks," Deborah grinned. "Compared to that, I'd rather have a taste of this one here".

On her hands was a plate of grilled steak covered in aromatic sauce, with some mashed potatoes and veggies on the side. It looked like a dish made by a professional.

"Woooooow!" Everyone chorused. "Who cooked that?"

Rania glanced at Elliot. She didn't have to guess who prepared them.

"It tastes delicious as usual, Elliot," she whispered to him while Elijah and his friends marvelled at the sight of his dish.

Elliot smiled at Rania. "Thanks. I'm glad you like them".

"Ahmm … how about me? Who will try my cooking?" Elijah's brown-haired friend whispered to himself as he stared on his untouched grilled fishes. Even the citizens of Nix ignored them. Poor fishes indeed.

Everyone enjoyed the feast. They all danced and sang and ate and drank their fill. After that, they rested until the next morning came. Rania and Elliot asked from Elijah's group about the temples. Elijah gladly helped, and he brought them towards the gigantic Ice Wall. Turns out, there was a bit of mechanism there that could create a hidden stair that led to the very bottom of the earth where an Ice Temple laid rest. The temple was very pretty. It was made purely from different forms of ice. Snowflakes and hoarfrosts served as its decoration.

Deborah read the inscriptions on the door of the temple, granting them access inside.

"It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."

Like last time, Elijah's group didn't follow them inside. They simply bid their farewell to them and went on their way.

Rania and Elliot proceeded to the innermost part of the temple where a Spirit Fox welcomed them. It had pure white fur enveloping its body, and it guarded a cyan colored crystal that hovered in the air.

"Well done, Anointed King," the Spirit fox greeted Elliot, "and what splendid faith, O' Favoured One," it said, turning to Rania.

"Thank you," Rania and Elliot bowed their heads towards the Spirit Fox.

Then the Spirit Fox gave its blessings to Elliot.

"My name is Bruma,

And I am the Tenth Gate.

As the Guardian of Ice,

In my heart, shines Faith.

Thou hast been tested,

And evil, I found nought.

Therefore, thou shalt receiveth mine blessings.

I shalt be with thou,

And thou shalt be with me".

The Spirit Fox resided on the cyan crystal, and the crystal to Elliot's Zweihänder. A new power surged within him once more. Now, all ten slots were filled with beautiful colored crystals. Just two more and he would complete all the twelve slots on the handle of his sword.

Meanwhile, Ducis could be found in front of the gate towards the Eleventh dimension …

None other than the "Spring of Flora" ...

~ END OF VOLUME 2 ~

Coming up Next: Volume 3

Twilight Arc: When Night and Day Meets...

Rania finished the 10th Gate with Elliot while Ducis continued to look for Luna Now, the stage is set and the doors lie waiting for the seven keys to open it. What truths will each key reveal? Only the keyholders know ...