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Rafal carried Nel's body through the wreck until they reached the ruins of the Divine Dragon's temple. Not that any danger would befall them; they were the last two souls in their world. The way his steps echoed as he entered the once sacred halls rang heavily in his ears. This emptiness was his own doing; the consequences were his to bear. It made him feel unworthy as he made his way to the chamber which had once stored the Emblem Bracelets. He should've been barred from that place forever. Still, Nel deserved a resting place which would either welcome her back into the world with hope or which would serve as a grave that would guide her soul to the Divine Dragon's side.
He settled her in an altar, laying her body on top and crossing her arms over her heart. Alear had helped him stabilise Nel with some of his own energy —stop the bleeding, ensure she was still at least faintly breathing. But Rafal knew that she had died, at least for a moment, enough for her soul to cross the veil.
Whether Rafal would be able to bring her back remained to be seen. He felt helpless seeing Nel's body before him, but not as helpless as he used to. Unlike before, he could feel his father's rotten power coursing through his veins. It was a cursed power, the last nail on the coffin of his dying world. He never should have transformed himself into the Great Fell Dragon. But if it meant saving his sister, then he would do it a thousand times.
And so, the long wait began.
The first few years went by without him noticing. What was a year to a timeless being like him, after all? He had already lived for centuries, the first few as a powerless infant, a couple more planning his escape from his father's army, and the last few waiting to enact his own rotten schemes. The passing of days meant nothing at this point.
Zelestia appeared one day, almost at the end of his first century of penance. She visited every few years after that. She reported that the Four Winds —the three surviving ones— had settled marvellously into the Divine Dragon army, back in a world where the days were still sunny and the fruit was sweet. To think that Nel and him could have followed Alear into that world had he not been so stupid to believe his father's lies. It brought Rafal comfort to know that at least there was still hope for the people who had served him and his sister so loyally.
It turned out that in Alear's World, only a few days had passed. How odd. Almost a century in his world had been a mere handful of days in the other Elyos. So far, Alear and his followers had been enjoying Brodian hospitality, a moment of peace with the passing of winter. However, by the time Zelestia came to announce that the army would be moving out to meet an Elusian invasion, almost 150 had passed. It was then that she noticed it.
'Lord Rafal, if I may be so bold, what's wrong with your hands?' She asked as they sat in the abandoned palace, away from Nel's resting figure.
It had happened gradually, and he had certainly seen it appear at the start. Yet, like everything in this place frozen in time, after a few decades Rafal paid it no mind. From Zelestia's perspective, however, it had happened overnight. His pale skin had taken the colour of wine, like ink dyeing his fingers and seeping up to his forearms. It was darker at his finger tips, a shade that was closer to violet than the soft red that faded into his skin. He tucked them under his elbows to hide them.
'It's nothing,' he dismissed her with a shake of his head.
She gave him a stern motherly look. Even if Sombron had exterminated her tribe, she was still dragon kind. She knew. 'Extinguising yourself will not bring her back sooner.'
'If that comes to pass, then I'll have paid with my life for what I've done.'
'My lord, you…'
'I've made my choice, Zelestia.' He rose to leave. 'I'll return to my sister now. If you'll excuse me.'
Zelestia did not return to the ruined palace after that. He convinced himself that he did not mind her absence, not really. It was convenient, that was all. Even if rare, the offerings she brought with her allowed Rafal the commodity of spending longer hours by Nel's side without worrying about food or other basic needs. He just hoped that the pit in his stomach was not an omen of the Divine Dragon's army falling to the forces of their world's Sombron. Should the tragedy repeat itself, well… It wouldn't matter if he managed to bring back Nel if there was no new world to welcome them.
However, without Zelestia's occasional presence, he found little reason to revert back to his human form. Why would he? Zelestia might have warned him against it, but he had nothing to lose but himself. His power flowed more potently when he conjured his magic through claws instead of hands. It was easier to travel long distances in search of food when carried by wings instead of legs. It was more comforting to wrap his serpent like body around Nel's altar, like a hound protecting its sleeping master, than it was to curl himself into a whimpering pile with the weight of the world on his weak shoulders. It was easier not to face himself in the mirror with the marks of his transformation, than to see the monster who had lived inside his heart for years surface.
And so the centuries passed by.
A thousand years later, a weak figure roamed the empty halls of the Divine Dragon's palace. It dragged its feet through the floor, bringing in his clawed hands a morsel of food to chew on. It was not enough to keep his transformation, not any longer. The damage was done anyway. Behind him, his black tail swished in slow motions as he walked. It pushed the rubble towards the forgotten corners of the palace. He had given up trying to keep them clean centuries ago.
He settled by Nel's altar, knees up to his chin as he nibbled on the dry bark of a tree. Bland was a generous word to describe its taste as he tried to swallow the ashy thing. His fangs —now peaking permanently from the corner of his mouth— craved meat, but the last animal of Elyos had perished long ago. His decay had started even before then, but it had only worsened since.
'I don't know how much I have left in me, Nel' he spoke with difficulty and a raspy voice. It was so low, it didn't echo any longer. With a sigh, he closed his eyes and reclined his head against the stone. 'Please, sister, come back to me…'
For a moment, the world darkened around him; all was silent. But then he heard it, a sound he didn't know he had missed so much: the chirping of birds. Sunlight was coming through his eyelids. He tried to open his eyes but the light was too bright, brighter than he remembered it ever being. He covered his eyes before finally looking at his surroundings. Nel was gone. The ruins were gone. He was surrounded by a green field. He lowered his free hand to the ground, flinching when he felt something beneath it. A flower. Forget-me-nots in the loveliest shade of blue were growing all around him. Had they always been this beautiful before everything?
'I see that you're finally awake,' a familiar voice called.
When he turned around, he saw the Divine Dragon walking to him. She was just as he remembered her: long blue hair, a warm comforting smile, a sweet optimism in her voice. No wonder Nell had fallen for her once upon a lifetime.
'You… It can't be.' Rafal's eyes were wide open as he came to a realisation. 'Am I…'?
'You've done what you could. You don't have to struggle anymore, Nil.'
Her tone was so calm, so peaceful. He had so many questions, yet her gaze cast as spell on him. Was it trust? Or was it the quiet resignation that comes with death? Either way, his questions died unvoiced as he accepted her words.
She extended a hand to him. His dark claws covered in black and magenta scales wrapped around her delicate fingers as she helped him off the ground.
'Walk with me, Nil.' She instructed, and he obeyed.
She guided him through the field. There were so many sounds and colours Rafal hadn't realised that he had forgotten. The gentle sound of a flowing stream, the song of crickets, the smell of flowers blooming, the sight of the Divine Dragon's palace in the horizon. How could he have been so blind before?
The Divine Dragon led him until they reached a crossroad in their path. She turned to him, her back towards a horizon consumed by a blinding light. Whatever awaited behind it was hidden by the bright glare. The other road led to a cloud of fog, obscuring the other end of the path in grey mist.
'I must continue walking my path, Nil. What will you do?' The decision was simple, Rafal thought. Wherever the Divine Dragon led him, he would go.
Rafal prepared to take the first step with her, when a voice cut through the haze. It was so distant, yet in Rafal's ears it was clear as the sound of a ringing bell. It was calling his name. His true name.
'Divine one, is this the right choice after everything I've done?' He said, turning his back to the Divine Dragon and taking a step towards the mist.
'There's no way to tell what fate has in store for you, should you go back. But you do have another chance. What you do with it is only up to you.'
Rafal nodded without turning to face the Divine Dragon. He didn't think she would be standing there anyway. He ran, extending his wings and flying into the fog and allowing darkness to take him. And in the darkness, the voice grew louder, a tether to hold on to.
'RAFAL!' Nel screamed.
Rafal 's eyes fluttered open. His eyelids were heavier than they had ever been, but he felt that if he closed them once more he might not be able to open them again. He latched on the sensation of the hard stone floor beneath him and the cold draft blowing through the Emblems' chamber. There were no forget-me-nots or birdsong in this Elyos, but someone more important than that. His unfocussed gaze landed on a face he had memorised in the last thousand years. 'Hello, Sister.'
Nel's arms tightened around him. 'You're alive! Thank the Dragons!'
Rafal chuckled. He was so exhausted he even forgot how much he had looked forward to this moment. Instead of lifting her in her arms and twirling her around like a child as he thought for years he would, Rafal could only lift a black claw to her face to tuck a lock of hair behind her ears. 'You're finally back.'
Nel frowned. 'But what did it cost you?' Her hand traced the outline of his jaw, where tiny scales had grown over his skin, extending from his neck and towards his back.
Rafal shook his head. 'It doesn't matter. Let us go home, shall we?'
Nel nodded and embraced him. Never would he take his sister's affection for granted again. He returned the embrace wrapping her with his scale covered arms and his dark tail. Tears rolled down his face and he allowed himself to finally relaxed in his sister's arms. He had longed for this moment since even before they left their father's army. He could finally be Rafal, not Nil.
He leaned on Nel as they both walked to the portal that would lead them away from this destroyed Elyos and into Alear's world. His tail dragged behind him heavily, using his last strength to make it through. And as light enveloped them, he caught a glimpse of himself in a forgotten mirror. Dark curved horns crown his head. His jawline and his neck were littered with black and magenta scales. His claws were sharp, and his arms were covered by thick gauntlet like scales which extended up to his forearms. Behind him, he could see the folds of his wings, lined by bony black limbs. His tail wrapped around Nel's waist for support. He'd never be fully human again, he'd walk the earth with the mark of his deeds. But he had a second chance, or so the Divine one had said. He would not waste it this time.