Elegy For An Epilogue

Cecillia sat at the edge of Elara’s wall, her silhouette stark against the twilight sky. The height was dizzying, with the surface below seeming almost too far away. Humanity had been pushed back to the island that was previously known as the United Kingdom. Now with its four walls, Elara of the North, Shige of the South, Triste of the West, and Ray who guarded the East, the country was named the only safe haven left on Earth.

For a moment, she closed her eyes and the wind gently caressed against her skin. The night gleamed down upon her as her hair faintly fluttered, tousled by the evening breeze.

It had been ten years since the day Alice left her. Ten years of hoping, of grief and sorrow. Memories of Alice’s last words, her promise that they would see each other again, echoed in Cecillia’s mind. Never once did she forget the pain of that day.

Sighing, she opened her eyes and her gaze listlessly brushed against the moon, its pale light bathed the ocean below in a silvery glow. It was a cloudless night, and the myriad of stars made themselves known, shining brightly against the empty dreamscape they called space.

Cecillia raised her arm, the thin metal band on her finger glinting against the light as she traced against the moon’s outline. She remembered how Alice used to love the moon, how they would sit together beneath its serenity. Cecillia shivered, those dreams felt like lifetimes ago, buried beneath the universal law of death. And now, just what was it that she was searching for.

Cecillia let out another sigh, her breath visible in the chilly air. She pulled her knees to her chest, arms wrapping around her knees. She didn’t know what to do anymore, everyday felt the same. It was kill or be killed, and by now she must’ve killed in the trillions.

There was just no purpose anymore. Humanity’s end was inevitable. Every life that the Nightmare Legion took would be turned against them, in the form of a zombie, or worse a womb.

And with the growing hostilities within the human forces, who knew, the enemy might very well be themselves. All this political nonsense… It made her feel sick. Human greed, the desire for power, it wouldn’t be long before these very walls would fall.

And yet, Cecillia was powerless.

It was her duty after all, as the strongest soldier of humanity. All types of resources have been poured into her for the purpose of being humanity’s savior.

But why?

Why was it that she had to fight for these despicable humans? There was no one she cared for left in the world, her mother had passed in her sleep, and her father was a shadow of his former self. He had retired and was now a hopeless drunk. While the friends she made in the army had perished in the war, she was the last valkyrie left from the original project.

There was nothing left for her in this world, so why was she trying so hard to keep it all together? Cecillia didn’t owe anyone anything, rather, they owed their very lives to her.

If not for her, humanity would’ve been lost by now. She was the sole frontline of their forces, she was the Demon of War among other names.

Everyone looked up to her as a hero, a symbol of peace, she was beloved… so why did she feel so lonely?

Cecillia laughed bitterly and rummaged through her coat pocket to fish out the pack of cigarettes that she had just bought. She had never once smoked before, but today, she felt tempted to try it for the first time.

“Here's to your would be 29th.”

Her fingers fumbled with the pack, the plastic crackling as she peeled it away. She pulled out a cigarette and hesitated before holding it between her lips. With a sigh, she pulled out her lighter and cupped her hand around the cigarette, shielding it just long enough to light.

Taking a long drag, she inhaled the acrid fumes, gagging almost immediately as it burnt her throat and lungs. Cecillia grimaced, but took another puff, slowly this time as she tried to get used to the sensation. The black taste lingered in her mouth, but she felt a warmth start to spread through her body. And as she took another drag, she understood why people had gotten addicted so easily.

Cecillia leaned back, placing her weight on her hands as she stared up at the dark sky. The cigarette wasn’t much, but it lifted the unease surrounding her mind by just a little. Everything seemed a little bit more clear.

She exhaled a stream of smoke, and felt a bittersweet solace as she imagined what Alice would be saying to her if she had been caught smoking. It certainly wouldn’t be nice things.

“Heh.”

Time passed quickly and Cecillia hadn’t even noticed that she had already finished her cigarette. She felt a twinge of shame and flicked the butt over the edge of the wall, watching it tumble into the droving ocean waves. There was a certain bitterness that lingered, her heart ached and she felt her eyes burn.

“Happy birthday, Alice,” Cecillia whispered, “Wherever you are.”

Her fleeting words were lost in the night and the stone beneath her suddenly felt so cold. She was tempted for another cigarette, but thought things through once more. There was another type of warmth she wanted, something more permanent.

Cecillia felt her body move by itself. She looked over the edge as her hands started to tremble, her breathing sped up and her heartbeat raced. The dark ocean waters looked so inviting and intoxicating. The boundless freedom, it was true liberation…

Tipping over Elara’s edge, Cecillia fell forward. The cold wind whipped around her, screaming against her ears. But the pounding in her chest drowned out the wind’s roar and the once distant stars, now seemed that much further away.

The waters below were rapidly approaching and at the last moment, Cecillia caught herself. Mechanical wings unfurled from behind her, flexing taut with a groan and a wave of wind blasted out as the force ceased her momentum instantly. The sudden stop sent shockwaves through the air and the water below was impacted hard as countless heavy ripples smashed against the incoming waves. She hovered for a brief moment, silver wings glinting in the moonlight as she took in a breath.

The cool salty air entered her lungs and the ocean’s mist condensed on her face to mix with the newly formed sweat. Then with another beat of her wings, the magitech glowed red, cannons firing as the blue coils worked in tandem to keep the heat level. Her form shot to the skies, rising thousands of meters above Elara in a matter of milliseconds.

Her wings thrummed and a slight smile came to Cecillia’s face. It was the closest thing to true freedom, flying in the wind where none else could.

She continued to rise and the world below shrank rapidly, the vast expanse of the ocean quickly becoming a dark canvas with thousands of tiny dots. The island, housing what remained of humanity, looked like a mere speck in the distance.

Cecillia laughed, and dipped to the side, the implants in her body sending the signal instantly and shut off the engine within her right wing. She started to descend, slowly spinning into a rapid spiral before slicing through the air into a large loop.

After so many years, wearing her suit—the XM IV Valkyrie—and using its capabilities was like second nature. With it, she was able to take the war to the skies and with her signature weapons, the scythes and rail cannons she was hailed as the reaper of death.

Cecillia spun around, looking up into space as she leisurely cruised along the stars, with only the occasional beat of her wings to keep her afloat. Then she let herself fall, tucking backwards as a metallic armor materialized around her body and a transparent shield phased in front of her face.

Her form shot downwards like a comet and just before she impacted the ocean's surface, she pulled up and flew parallel to the waves. She even reached outwards into the water, her armored hand skimming against the cold as water trailed behind her.

As she flew, the tips of her wings barely grazed the surface as a plume of mist was left in her wake. She smiled as she rose again, her hair pulled into a wild frenzy as she soared for the stars. The air grew colder and thinner, and Cecillia took a deep breath. The air felt so crisp at this altitude, and the stars seemed so much closer now. They were shining with a brighter intensity and there seemed to be more of them too.

Looking down, she could see the full extent of her planet Earth. Save the former United Kingdom, destruction was visible everywhere to her eye. Nukes had rendered habitable land lifeless, countless craters scattered across the planet’s surface. Large nests had sprung up, some even shooting as tall as Everest as the Nightmare Legion multiplied by the trillions.

Cecillia looked over the horizon, the sun’s greeting peeking over the boundaries of her very own existence. It was a magnificent sight, and she waited for a moment. She savored the view and bit back a smile. Oh how she wished she could share this with Alice.

“If you’re out there somewhere, I’ll never stop looking. So give me a sign dearest sister…”

Her murmur was carried away by the wind, a final whisper of hope. She hovered there and bore witness as the first rays of dawn cast a golden hue over the ocean. The warmth on her face was gentle, but it wasn’t enough.

Suddenly, an ethereal chime rang out into the air and a flash of words crossed her sight.

[Congratulations! You have met the requirements of ■■■]

Cecillia blinked, failing to understand what was happening. She felt a cold chill run down her spine that canceled out the heat of the sun. Her eyes darted around but wherever she looked, the message stayed at the center of her vision.

[Please await calculations…]

Cecillia frowned, just what the hell was happening here. She heard and read the messages at the same time as it echoed around her head. It couldn’t have been a new technology implemented by the military. She would’ve known if it was.

[Calculations completed. A■■_■ will now be initiating the ??? ??? ???????]

[Please await and stay on standby…]

‘Initiating what? And just who the hell will be doing it?’

Her mind was thrown into disarray just as another set of messages flashed across her sight. Her eyes widened, and she tried to swipe it away with her hands. Yet her hands only phased through like it was thin air.

As her thoughts descended into a deeper confusion, a voice cut through her mind and Cecillia froze.

“Good luck…”

It sounded so familiar, but it couldn’t be.Cecillia couldn’t accept it, she knew that the owner of the voice had no way of communicating with her. But as the voice echoed in her head she started to doubt reality itself.

“Alice?” she whispered, her voice barely audible over the wind.

Suddenly, her vision blurred, and a series of messages flashed before her eyes.

[3…]

[2…]

[1…]

[Activating innate origin ■■■■■]

The voice echoed, playing itself over and over again.

A faint glow enveloped her being and bright purple runic motes started to coalesce around her body.

Cecillia’s eyes shook and she tried to escape with her wings, but her body was immobilized. She couldn’t even muster a single movement as she screamed.

“ALICE!!”

There was no reply as she felt her finger burning, the one where the ring that Alice gave to her lay. It didn’t hurt but she felt the silver band slip off her finger and watched as it floated in front of her eyes. It spun slowly, its unblemished surface slowly glowing before a set of golden runes appeared, shimmering with a divine radiance.

Cecillia looked on with a gasp as a figure emerged from the runes. It was a faint, golden silhouette of a woman with six wings and she approached, gently wrapping her arms around Cecillia.

[Initiation of ■■■■■ has been completed.]

Cecillia wordlessly gazed at the figure. The sensation she felt from the woman was so foreign, but also carried a certain warmth that not just anyone would provide.

“Who are you?” Cecillia asked.

But the figure only hugged her tighter before disappearing into nothingness, leaving only particles behind.

Another ethereal bell sound chimed and Cecillia was washed in a bright white light. Reality faded before her eyes and her vision fell into darkness.

[Commencing: The Epilogue's Elegy]