CHAPTER 97: DELUSIONS

Anna had a smile as she walked past the civilians of the city; none of them could guess that she was the person who had recently become a hot topic of their lives, she had her disguise as the Aeliana Kinten turned off after all.

But she was still different... her shiny blue hair appeared much lighter, and her emerald-like green eyes appeared much darker; it was like she was blending with her other self.

Well, her appearance as the Aeliana Kinten was simply the appearance of her soul body. And no one knew anything about the soul body. Maybe the appearance of her physical and soul bodies was blending after she had accepted herself.

It may be true after all; accepting oneself and giving up on one’s delusions is one of the hardest things a person can do.

She gave a bitter smile as she fell deep into her profound thoughts.

A person was described not only by how they were but also by the delusions they choose to carry; these delusions are not lies; they are shields or masks. Abandoning one’s delusions is like giving up a part of themselves; it will make them much purer, much real... perhaps even truer. But they will still lose a part of themselves, and the thing that most human souls hate is losing something of themselves.

Be it an object, a person or a delusion. Humans loathe losing, and that is why we birth wars and calamities to gain, not lose.

Anna held her own delusions, but her trait made sure to break all of them, to strip her naked of lies which cover her; she holds no shield, she wears no mask. She is just what she is. A being bound to fate so tightly that she stifles under it.

Anna suddenly stopped in her tracks, seeing the crowd gathering before her.

She raised an eyebrow and tried to read the past of an unawakened standing within the crowd, but what she got was a headache so profound that it nearly melted her head through sheer pain. Yet it was no way near what she had been through before.

She groaned under her breath and stopped using the trait.

’How did I forget about the crack in my soul core? Damn it!’

She breathed heavily and stepped into the crowd, making her way to the centre where three figures stood with embarrassed expressions.

Anna looked at Lavina, Neo and Hanna with a puzzled expression, and her eyes widened as she finally understood why they were standing like that.

These people... they were chanting their monkiers like some kind of prayer with eyes full of admiration.

"Praise the Black Raven!"

"Praise the Broken Sword!"

"Praise the Graceful Vine!"

Anna smiled a little before she activated her necklace artefact of disguise and disguised herself as Aeliana Kinten.

Her eyes were shiny, her light blue hair turned starlight silver, her dark green eyes and deep black. She stepped further into the crowd, and her eyes began to glow golden as threads appeared around her hands, the threads spread wide, weaving an intricate net within the crowd.

Anna walked into the clearing where the trio stood and spoke with a smile.

"Let’s go."

The trio raised an eyebrow, turning around, they looked at the crowd flanking them from all sides.

Anna turned towards the crowd and smiled widely before she spoke gently.

"We thank you all for your praises, but we have to take our leave."

Most of the crowd had a frown on their faces, thinking who the girl was to dare and stop them from praising their heroes.

It was not until the person who had seen her jump from the windrazor eagle shouted. His voice echoed within the crowd like thunder.

"The Golden Angel!"

"Huh? The Golden Angel?’

"The last one?"

And moments after, the whole crowd erupted, chanting her moniker.

"The Golden Angel!"

Anna smiled wryly as she bowed to them and commanded the threads to straighten themselves. The threads followed the command of their weaver, and the crowd parted in two. Giving them the way out.

"Let’s go," Anna said again as she stepped towards the way out.

The trio looked at her in bewilderment, and Lavina commented.

"Is she always that willful?"

Neo looked at Anna’s departing back as he added.

"No... but she should be."

He stepped forward and followed behind.

Lavina blinked her eyes at Neo’s answer and questioned Hanna with deep curiosity.

"What did he mean by that?"

Hanna turned towards and gave an amused smile as she spoke.

"You will find out."

She also began following them.

"Heh... I see." Lavina chuckled at her answer and mumbled to herself as she also stepped past the crowd.

The crowd didn’t force themselves; they could leave her net if they wanted to. But they didn’t because they felt it would be disrespectful to her, and respect matters most for those who walk the path of the good.

Moments later, they walked past the outer walls of the mystical Moonveil city, and they turned and gave it one final look before continuing their way towards the southwest.

Anna walked beside Hanna as she spoke apologetically.

"I am sorry for acting like that in the shrine room."

Hanna turned towards her and spoke in a somewhat guilty tone.

"It’s fine... I really thought that we were safe now, that we no longer had to be scared of those demons."

Anna looked at her and spoke in a worried tone.

"We can’t be safe... I talked to the saintess about it and she told me that... The Demon Lord is the current strongest awakened human."

Hanna and Neo froze in their tracks. Hanna sharply turned to her and questioned with a dark expression.

"I-Is that true?"

"It must be, otherwise brother would have already killed him," Anna commented.

Lavina, who heard that, raised an eyebrow.

’Kill The Fallen? Who is her brother?’

"Then why did he not come to capture you by himself?" Neo questioned with a puzzled look.