Fragments of Light

by Beth Hodgson

  The man paused. His eyes stopped glowing, revealing glassy deep-green eyes that matched his hair. “I see. Perhaps you need healing on the inside to overcome your broken spirit.”

  There was hope in the man’s voice. Was he saying he could do it?

  Derek looked at the man, then lowered his eyes, the overwhelming sadness rotting in the depths of his being. Hesitating, Derek asked, “You… can do that?”

  “No, but you can.”

  The man held out his hand, waiting for Derek to take it. “How? I don’t have that kind of power,” Derek said.

  “You can start by making it right,” the green-gifted man replied. The man waited, and Derek finally took his hand. The man helped Derek to his feet.

  After he got up, Derek glanced over at Ikaria. She was near the portal, and Emerald was finishing off what gifted were left. Several of the barriers were fading fast. Emerald continued to be possessed by Ikaria’s mind, sucking the life out of them. Screams from the gifted echoed through the skies, the smell of their blood coating the air, mixed with the smell of fried circuitry from the cyborgs.

  Turning his gaze, Derek saw a few gifted bodies strewn across the platform nearby. Feeling the power of his blue magic, he flashed over to them, inspecting them. One of the bodies was armed with an enchanted dagger, glowing an eerie red-orange color. Derek had noticed that the future gifted used these weapons. Perhaps they were the best defense for a spellcaster. Or maybe it was to break another’s casting or concentration.

  Derek took the dagger, then looked over to the man. He nodded at Derek with a look of approval.

  Derek gathered all his power from deep within his soul. He gathered his sadness, his despair, his emptiness—all that he had left in his heart. He gathered until there was nothing else to give. He’d taken advantage of the woman he loved, used her, enticed by the notion of power.

  He was the lowest of human beings.

  He was nothing.

  Flashing his ice-blue eyes, a light-blue power surrounded him, unlike his usual deep-blue magic. He looked over at Ikaria, who had just dispatched the last of the gifted attacking her. Her violet barrier started to fade.

  Quick as lightning, he flashed in front of Ikaria just as the barrier faded completely, leaving her vulnerable for a second. It was more than enough time for him.

  Time was on his side.

  With a powerful, vengeful thrust, he stabbed her in the heart.

  ***

  Emerald awoke from her dark dream.

  Kyle. He was in front of her…

  His eyes rolled back in his head as his body slumped over, and the dark-green magic surrounding him faded away.

  Emerald shook her head in disbelief, her body trembling.

  “Kyle?”

  She ran over to his still body, falling to her knees, shaking him violently.

  “Kyle!”

  Her stomach churned and twisted. Her heart skipped beats. He wasn’t moving.

  “No, no, no. This can’t be happening!” Emerald cried, her eyes stinging with tears.

  It was all her fault. She’d killed him.

  “What have I done?” Emerald shrieked at the top of her lungs, clutching his body.

  Emerald squeezed her eyes shut, drawing everything that she had within her. Kyle needed life. Now.

  A burning surge of life ran through her veins, swelling in her fingertips, emitting a bright-green glow.

  “Come back to me,” Emerald cried, laying her hand on his chest. “Please, come back.”

  Emerald released the tidal waves within her soul, her life-force mixing with rebirth magic, a magic that she had never called upon before. It streamed gently to Kyle’s body, encasing him in a green brilliance.

  His body glowed green as she cried, waiting for him to return to her. But there was no movement from Kyle, nor any breath from his lungs.

  Emerald screamed again, crying, resting her head on his chest. Through the light of her magic, Emerald saw Ikaria narrowing her eyes, grimacing in pain. The sorceress’s hand was pressed over her gushing, bloody chest. With a forceful yank, the enchanted blade was flung to the ground. Healing her deep wound, the sorceress spun around, eyeing Derek. Ikaria shot up a hand, and the enchanted blade hovered, flying toward Derek and plunging into his body. He dropped to the ground, breathing heavily, groaning in agony.

  Kyle’s heart remained quiet within his chest. Emerald tried reviving him again, filling his body with her life-giving magic. “Kyle, please, you have to come back! Don’t leave me, please…” Emerald faltered. Tears continued to flow down her face. Kyle didn’t move.

  Em… Hey, Em.

  Emerald whirled around, checking to see if Kyle had moved. Nothing.

  We have to defeat her, Kyle said in her mind. We need to complete the Spectrum of Magic.

  Confused, Emerald looked down at Kyle’s body, but it remained unchanged.

  Come on, what are you waiting for? Let’s beat this bitch!

  He was here with her. His spirit still lingered…

  Emerald stood up, gripping the staff and filling it with her magic. She drained herself of all the magic from the corners of her heart and the depths of her soul, channeling it into the device. The staff’s orb lit up bright green, sparking with energy. Her magic intensified as it funneled back and forth between her and the staff. Then the magic turned from green to an almost hot-white color.

  In one hand, Emerald pointed the staff in Kyle’s direction while her healing magic swelled in her other outstretched hand. She released the magic of the staff and her hand, aiming for his body.

  Without warning, Emerald felt Ikaria trying to enter her mind. But someone interfered, and Ikaria’s consciousness was flung out of her body. A transparent violet barrier surrounded her, getting between the outside of her body to the inside of her mind. Her consciousness was protected.

  Ikaria froze in place, then screamed and writhed in agony.

  Emerald heard a woman’s voice call out from the darkness. “Whatever you need to do, you need to do it now while I have her mind!” she yelled as Ikaria continued to scream. “I can’t hold on long!”

  Filled with heartbreak, Emerald clenched the staff, closing her eyes.

  Remember what I told you, Kyle’s comforting voice said.

  “I remember…” she whispered under her breath, answering him.

  She thought back to the time where Kyle watched her paint, the very same night she gave her love to him. She had been mixing all of her paints, making the color black.

  So black is all of the colors mixed together? he’d asked.

  It is if you are talking about pigments. But if you are referring to light, all of the colors combined makes white…

  That was it. That was how Kyle was planning on completing the Spectrum of Magic. She and Kyle needed to piece together fragments of light by bringing forth all the colors of magic to equal light. White light.

  Still sensing Kyle’s spirit, Emerald summoned the different magics within her, calling upon the raw emotions that fed those magics. Desperation, sadness, and love filled her entire being.

  More blue and yellow… he said, his voice reverberating within her mind, encouraging her.

  Emerald reached down within her being, calling forth more of her adjacent colors while thinking of Kyle. He did anything and everything he could for her and was willing to die for her. And she’d killed him with her own magic. The thought made her soul ache. The flow of emotions crystallized into her adjacent magic, flowing into the staff. The wetness of her tears streamed down her cheeks unendingly.

  Like a soft breeze in the wind, she felt a touch. It was ever so slight, but it was there.

  Opening her eyes, Emerald didn’t see anything, but she felt a powerful force. It held her like a lover, wrapping its energy around her. Violets, reds, and oranges flowed around an invisible presence, forming the shape of a man. The magic swirled around the airy presence, then passed through her body, wrapping her in its power.

  Emeral
d felt him. She felt Kyle. She had his power and hers combined. Their power together created pure light. Pure white light.

  Ikaria screamed as she struggled with the violet magic that opposed her mind. The sorceress threw her hands out, casting a powerful shock wave to a violet-gifted woman. Geeta. It had to be the one who Kyle had mentioned.

  Geeta flashed away, then appeared, shooting purple ice at the sorceress. Ikaria struggled, locking the woman into place, then shot black lightning at the woman, throwing Geeta to the ground.

  Noticing Emerald’s staff and the power radiating from it, Geeta yelled, “Every gifted left, focus your power on that staff! Now!”

  Within seconds, the sky filled with color, beaming colored magics into the orb of the staff, intensifying the white light, strengthening the very essence of the Spectrum of Magic in its purest form.

  Emerald drained the pure white energy. She glowed a bright white that matched the staff’s orb.

  She had the power of the Spectrum of Magic within her.

  Glancing at Ikaria, Emerald’s face burned with anger, vengeance, and retribution for what she had done. Ikaria had wreaked havoc on all of Arcadia. Now it was her turn to pay.

  The power within her raged and became too great for Emerald and the staff to handle. She placed her other hand on the staff to steady it as the power shook. No one should have the full power of the Spectrum of Magic. It was intended for the God of Light alone. But for a moment, he was gracing her with his power.

  “Auron! Get that orange-gifted cyborg!” Emerald heard Geeta’s voice scream from behind her. “Ready your barrier magic for an enchantment!”

  Charging toward Ikaria, Emerald jumped, then hurled every ounce of the white light at Ikaria, immersing the sorceress in the light. Light from God himself.

  Then the world exploded, and all Emerald saw was white.

  White. All was white.

  Emerald landed on her feet, then waited in the pure light, wondering if it would ever disappear. It eventually did, but instead of Arcadia, she was in a bedchamber.

  The chamber itself was rather large, with mica-flecked white marble floors and crystal-like walls that were transparent, but strangely, Emerald could not see the other side. The light from the window captured the beauty of the crystal walls, reflecting the spectrum of colors onto the floor. Silver lamps hung on the wall, burning a bright white light, surrounded by an orange glow. It was not needed, as it was daytime, and the sun was shining into the room, but it lent an elegance to the quarters. The bed itself was silver with embroidered purple sheets and pillows. In the center of the room was a magical fire pit to keep the room warm.

  This room seems familiar…

  There were two chairs next to the brightly burning fire, both empty. The chairs themselves were large enough to pass as thrones, with high backing, silver scroll work, and purple leather cushions.

  I’ve been here before! Emerald thought, recognizing the room. When I accidentally traveled in time!

  Sobs filled the room. Mournful sobs.

  Emerald turned her attention to where the sobs were coming from. A beautiful woman lay strewn on the floor, crying. It was Ikaria, Emerald realized. She looked the same as when Emerald saw her before in time, when she appeared in front of the High Court. She even had the same outfit on.

  Ikaria’s sobs intensified until she was wailing. Her long violet hair flowed all over the ground in different directions, some of it covering her elegant lavender kimono. She lay in the fetal position, her elongated eyes streaming tears. Each teardrop fell silently on the floor, sprinkling the floor like a light rain.

  A servant came in, and Ikaria stopped crying, wiping away her tears, looking anxious.

  “Well? Did you deliver my message? Is he coming?” Ikaria asked in a shaky voice.

  The servant girl shook her head, bowing. “Lord Cyrus sends his regards. He states that he has other prior engagements.”

  Ikaria whirled around with a look of contempt, wiping away fresh tears angrily. “Is he with my sister?”

  The servant didn’t say anything but looked to the floor.

  “Leave me!” she screamed. The servant girl scuttled away, closing the door behind her.

  As soon as the servant was gone, Ikaria fell back to the floor, crying in waves of gut-wrenching sobs. Emerald felt Ikaria’s heart radiating with sorrow, betrayal, and loneliness. Despair washed over Emerald, knowing how Ikaria felt. No one cared for her. Not her father or mother, not her sister, and not her lover. No one. Emerald knew how that felt. A princess living in isolation from happiness.

  After what seemed like forever, Ikaria’s angry, heartbreaking sobs ceased. There was a moment of silence, then the sorceress let out a loud scream. Violet flames enveloped her, burning her body. She rose from the floor, hovering in midair, still screaming in rage. Her kimono and obi flew wildly around her, her long hair whipping in every direction. She snapped her eyes open, and Emerald saw passion, rage, and sadness within their violet depths.

  Ikaria threw out one of her hands as if reaching for something, then clenched her fist tightly. Across the room, Emerald saw that one of the thrones was floating in midair. Ikaria shrieked with rage as she flung her arm hard, her magic throwing the throne. The throne flew across the room quick as lightning, hitting one of the crystal walls and shattering the interior. With loud raging screams, she levitated the other throne, shooting it across the room, shattering the other wall.

  Her body softly floated to the floor, leaving her hovering just a couple inches from the ground. Then her magic dissipated, dropping her the last couple inches. She began to cry again. This time, they were soft cries.

  Emerald stood over her, feeling the sadness, the jealousy, and the darkness taking hold of Ikaria’s heart.

  No more, she told the darkness. You cannot have her.

  The room was enveloped in light, everything basked in pure white energy. Then the white faded away, revealing the current Ikaria.

  They were back in Arcadia on the platform.

  Ikaria’s body radiated pure white, hovering in the air while her hair floated gently in the air. Her eyes were closed. Magic filled Emerald, a similar magic that she felt with her healing, life-giving, and rebirth magic, but this was different. It was a feeling of renewal filling her heart. It flowed within her veins, awaiting orders.

  Siphoning the renewal magic into the staff, Emerald released the power, casting the staff in the direction of Ikaria. The power encased the sorceress, seeping into Ikaria’s body, making her translucent.

  After a moment, the power faded away, eradicating all black magic within the sorceress. Slowly, Ikaria’s body floated to the ground, settling on the platform, and she lay there as if in a deep sleep. The gauntlet snapped off the sorceress’s wrist and melted into a pool of liquid metal.

  She had done it. Emerald had done it.

  Ikaria’s spirit had been renewed, and her body purified, changed back to its original state with her violet blood.

  Feeling Kyle’s presence surrounding her, Emerald whirled around and ran to where Kyle’s body lay.

  CHAPTER SEVENTY-NINE

  GREEN

  Within a heartbeat, Emerald felt Kyle no more. He was gone. Her magic couldn’t save him.

  His spirit returned to her for a moment. Just for a brief moment in time. Then he had left her, leaving to join the other spirits in the lifestream, for that was what spirits did after their bodies died. But even knowing that, it left her with a deep knowing sadness; she was alone once again. All alone in Arcadia.

  Looking at Kyle’s lifeless face, Emerald buried her face into his neck, her tears falling upon him. She nuzzled her nose against his, feeling the coldness of his flesh, reminding her that he was no more.

  Maybe she’d done something wrong with her magic? Or she was too late and was only able to beckon with his spirit to come back. Either way, he was gone. And it was all because she couldn’t control her own mind against the sorceress.

  She screamed wit
h immense, sorrowful pain, shaking at the thought she would never see him again. How could this happen? Would they never be together? It was fate playing a cruel trick on them both, as if they were destined to be apart forever.

  A hand touched her shoulder softly. Through her blurry eyes, Emerald saw Geeta kneeling down beside her.

  “Your Majesty… he is gone,” she whispered. “I am truly sorry.”

  “I… couldn’t save him with my magic…” Emerald’s lip quivered as the salt of her tears stained her face.

  Geeta gazed at her with her deep-purple eyes. “We can’t save everyone with our magic. Perhaps the gods had other uses for him. Although, he would most likely fight the gods above and rain down fire from the heavens,” Geeta said, smiling sadly.

  Emerald looked at Geeta as her tears continued to run down her face, then gave a small laugh through her sobs. That would definitely be something Kyle would do. “You know him well,” Emerald managed to say.

  Geeta nodded. “Well enough. Every thought that crossed his mind, every song he sang, and every spell he cast was all to get you back,” she said slowly.

  Emerald’s eyes filled up with fresh tears from Geeta’s statement, her heart filling with anguish.

  “He loved you, that I know,” Geeta whispered.

  Emerald gazed at her, thinking of what she said. Knowing in her heart that Kyle loved her brought her more soul-crushing despair.

  “And now I’m alone,” Emerald whispered.

  “You are not alone. Look around you. There are many gifted here that surround you.”

  “And then they will leave.”

  Not arguing, Geeta rubbed her shoulder softly to comfort her, but Emerald knew the woman had no comforting words.

  Pausing for a moment, Geeta shuffled her feet, then said, “My Queen, I have been all throughout time on a mission to find the Ghost Man, to stop Ikaria. Now that it is over”—Geeta paused, lowering her eyes—“I am in dire need of your cleansing.”

  “Cleansing?” Emerald glanced at her, blinking away her tears. “You mean, similar to what I did to the sorceress?” Emerald faltered, lowering her gaze to Kyle’s corpse.