The Eighth Sin

"Isn't this right before the finals match!?" Seraphina exclaimed, her voice carrying throughout Riyku's mind which caught his attention. "Hm...? Is something wrong, Sera?" Riyku inquired through their mental connection. "It's..." It would seem Seraphina was struggling on whether or not to tell him. "Do you remember anything?" Seraphina inquired which caused Riyku to give a puzzled expression. "Are you talking about Iris? Well yeah, I recall all of it." Riyku would reply as he motioned towards the elevator door. "I see... Be sure not to lose her this time. Okay?" Seraphina's voice was soft and sorrowful, this didn't slip past Riyku though. "This time?" Riyku inquired with a serious expression. "Are you implying that Iris' is here?" He added which caused Seraphina to fall silent for a moment, but only for a moment. "She is. She is the Leader of Team IVR." Seraphina would speak up. "I..." Riyku would mull over the thought as he stood before the elevator door. A soft sigh would part his lips. "I see. We'll I'll be sure to keep her alive this time." Riyku would speak once more; however... the events were the same. The reunion would occur just as previously, the battle all four teams, and even the struggle Riyku went through along with the moment Iris came to her Father's aid. All of it was the same, up until that point...

With the pressure of attacks coming at him unlike previous where Seraphina had used her life force to draw them out. Riyku would unleash a blood-curdling scream which shattered the froze-time space. The pressure of attacks collided with one another kicking up dust and all the like; however, unlike previously. Iris did not lose consciousness, she stood against her father's back feeling the aura of wraith stem from him. It wasn't just her though, the beauty that she was, was Seraphina with shadows wrapped around her body like a second-skin for clothing. Sitting on the ground as she looked up at Riyku. On the other side of Riyku was someone she knew well, Harvester in the flesh. "You've got to be kidding me!? There is no fucking way! I erased all traces of it!" Harvester shouted which caused Seraphina to look back up taking notice of the misty black figure with inky red orbs.

Before anyone on the battlefield could react, the shadows would corrode over the ground and black spikes would skyrocket. Piercing the bodies of both Team Reaper and Team Phantom. Team IVS were kept safe for now, but something wasn't right. This feeling that Seraphina was getting. "You... you aren't..."

'Defeat the Shadow King.'

A cybernetic screen appears along with another one that appeared before Seraphina.

'Quest: Return to the past.'

'Accept?'

'Yes/No'

"Again?" Seraphina would reach out for the yes button and again a light would illuminate brightly, this time she arrived somewhere further back. It was right before she had been awoken. Watching from the essence around her beloved, she saw him surrounded by the students yet again. She struggled to break free to come to his aid, to prevent his suffering. However, she was unable to. The connection had not been fully completed yet and the same thing happened once more. However, unlike previously, chains would bind her down. Forcing her to watch something distorted. The shadows would spread once more, and spikes would rupture again, the being known as the supposed Shadow King had arrived once more with the cybernetic screens and once more a screen appeared before her. The same one, the same quest, to venture even further in the past. But how far was she going? Just how far did she need to go to prevent this tragedy? To prevent his suffering...

"Please... I don't care how far back we need to go. I don't care if we forget all of our bonds, all of our memories together. Please... just let me save him. I need to save him!" Seraphin exclaimed as she smashed the yes button. The screen would expunge into tiny particles revealing several of her memories with him. Like a fast-rolling tape through her life with him, it ventured further, never seeming to stop. She watched all of it, the good, the bad, all of it. Until it stopped at a certain point.

'Do you wish to continue?'

A cybernetic screen appeared before her. "Yes..." She muttered softly.

"Are you sure?"

A voice echoed as the screen changed.

"Yes..." She replied again.

"All of the memories will be erased. Your time with him will only be known to you. From all forms of his life. Is that okay with you?"

The screen faded and leave the text, yet the voice remained.

"Yes." She answered once more, her conviction seeming to grow with every reply.

"You may not even exist beyond this point. You may be erased, or refused. There is no guarantee that this will work out in your favor. Are you still certain?"

The text was no more, instead, the voice was all that was left.

"Yes." The conviction in her answer seemed satisfactory.

"Very well. You will begin from here. All of his memory from his former life will be shattered into pieces. It will be solely up to you to save him. Seraphina Von Rosario, Queen of the Shadow." The voice finalized and the screens of memory would shatter into fragments. When everything returned to as it was, she saw through her beloved's essence.

"A classroom?" She inquired softly as she glanced around, through the shadows about, taking notice of her beloved glancing over something. Borrowing his vision she saw it was a cybernetic screen, along it held the contents of a menu that he seemed to be going over along with what appeared to be a 'Save' and 'Load' section. She picked up the conversation between her beloved and this other person. "An AI? No... it's something else. But... it seems I am here. I figured we were going further back to the beginning, but this is fine. It seems since our bond has not been fully reconnected, he can not hear my voice or feel my presence." Seraphina noted since her beloved had yet to even hint that he noticed her presence.

"First, I'll need to find some way to force our connection. I can not allow the same thing to happen again... No, I refuse to be summoned out of despair or hatred. I will save you, my love!" Seraphina remark firmly as she shuffled through the darkness looking for even the slightest thing that she could latch herself onto. It seemed like she was searching forever before a small flicker of light appeared. Steadily she would approach this light and when she obtained it, she felt a surge of warmth and joy flood her body. "This is... it. This is what I've been looking for." Seraphina would smile softly in thought as the light engulfed her.

When she came to, she was standing in an open field of roses under the clear skies of a beautiful moonlight. Feeling an arm around her she looked upward to see the masculine jaw-line of pale skin colored male. Crimson eyes stared affectionately into her own which caused her cheeks to tinge softly. "I love you, Sera." The voice proud, even though it held a vile taint to it; it was warm and lovingly nonetheless. "I love you too, Riy. My King." Seraphina would reply as she laid her head against the male's chest, closing her eyes with a soft sigh. "Won't you stay? You can be happy here." The male would reply, which caused Seraphina to nod softly, but she replied, "I can't." After a soft sigh, the male would reply; "Why?"

Without hesitation, "I need to save you. I promised I would. You've suffered long enough." Seraphina would reply which caused the male to chuckle lightly. "Is that so? Are you not satisfied with how things are now?" The male would inquire and Seraphina would shake her head. "I am more than happy right now. Being with you. Hearing your voice, feeling your embrace, being wrapped in your presence. It's more than I could ask for. But..." Seraphina would look up at the male, taking notice of the black sclera and pulsating green lines within them. "You should be happy for once. This you; happens to be always in pain. The man before me, my beloved husband, my king... always suffering. But, you've been given the chance at happiness. Your smile now is unlike anything I've seen before. There is no pain, no hatred, no despair, no anguish, no sorrow, no suffering... it is a pure smile filled with joy. I miss you, my cold-hearted king. I truly miss your ruthlessness, your dialect, and your thirst for knowledge. But, you deserve a chance at salvation. You deserve to be happy. So..."

Seraphina would release the male and take a step back. "I will save you." Seraphina smiled brightly up at him, and a smirk curved across the male's face. "By all means. If that is your decision. Save me. Do not falter, do not fear... your conviction, your will... It is the best I have seen thus far. Seraphina Von Rosario, my beloved wife. Go and do as you wish!" The male exclaimed before turning on his heel. "Do not look back only forward. Remember what it is you seek, and grasp it. Just as you did my heart." The male would toss a black ring with a rose embedded in it; towards Seraphina. Catching it she would look at it, her eyes tearing up. "Give it to him. It will sever as your connection. Do not fail, Sera." The male's body would dissipate into a shadowy wisp and filter into the winds. Seraphina would nod and clutch the ring tightly. "Riyku!" She exclaimed, her voice breaking the mirage and the male who had been going over the last bit of information with Coco would perk up. "Hm?"

"Is something the matter, User Riyku?" Coco would inquire through the connection they shared. "I thought I heard someone call my name." Riyku would reply, before hearing his name faintly again. "W-what is this?" The male would narrow his eyes, his head starting to hurt as he winched in pain. "Who... is calling me?" The male would inquire. "User Riyku, I suggest rest. Perhaps you are... Wait! What is this!?" Coco exclaimed which caught Riyku's attention. "What?" He hastily asked. "There is another presence within you. It is faint, but it is there." Coco would reply. "Is that what is calling me? Is there any way to draw this presence out?" Riyku questioned to which Coco would answer with a yes. "However, we are in the middle of class. Should this presence pop out, surely it would cause problems." Coco explained and Riyku suddenly rose from his desk which caused the class to stop and stare. "I'm going to the infirmary, not feeling well." Riyku would state before rushing out of the classroom, and instead of heading to the infirmary would end up heading to a more secluded area like the roof-top. "There, we are in the clear. Now hurry up." Riyku reply state and Coco would affirm before beginning the process.

It wasn't long until the beautiful female we all know as Seraphina was now before Riyku, bearing nothing but shadows for clothing like a second skin. She appeared exhausted, but hurriedly embraced Riyku. "Huh!?" Riyku would step back even though the woman's arms were wrapped around him tightly. He looked over her. "Hey, who are you!?" Riyku questioned hastily. Though the exhausted Seraphina was already out cold, her arms seeming to be the only thing she had strength in which were locked around his waist. Sighing heavily the male would adjust Seraphina so he could carry her with ease. "Umm, User Riyku, if you try to carry her out of the building now. I am sure you would get found out for sure. Besides, she isn't even properly clothed." Coco would speak up which caused Riyku to exhale once more. "Any better ideas? I just planned on taking her to the infirmary." The male would elaborate as he turned towards the door. "Okay, that's fine and all, but what if someone is there? What do you plan on doing then?" Coco inquired. "Say I found her like this." Riyku was blunt with his answer which caused Coco to sigh. "Very well. Let's go then. I'll be sure to guide you there." Coco would express which caused the male's brow to raise. "You know the entire layout?" Riyku inquired and Coco replied with a yes.

A miniature map appeared in the upper right corner of the male's vision like a heads-up display. On the display, there was a pathway laid out for him to follow, and doing so he would proceed through the door being sure to be cautious with the woman in his arms along with being discovered. Thankfully, classes were in session so the halls were empty allowing him to make his way to the infirmary with ease. Upon entering, he noticed that no one was around which was probably best. Moving towards one of the beds he would set the woman down, covering her with the blanket and exhaling softly. Now that he got a good look at this woman he could she resembled someone. "Is something wrong?" Coco inquired. For a moment Riyku was silent before expressing his thought, "I feel like I've seen her someone before. But..." The male would suddenly winch in pain, his hand reaching for his head where the pain was. "User Riyku!?" Coco would exclaim. "Your heart rate is steadily increasing. Your mental-wavelengths are rapidly fluctuating, is everything alright!?" Coco expressed her concern. Gritting his teeth he was unable to speak until the pain seemed to fade away completely. "Y-yeah...." He exhaled heavily. "What... was that?"Riyku questioned, but Coco seemed confused. "It was like... I was unable to recall anything when I tried." Riyku would explain, but Coco had no answer for him.

"Well, it's fine now. Perhaps, it has something to do with memory fragments or something. Regardless, I won't get answers until this woman wakes up. So..." He would get up and make his way from the bed, closing the curtain behind him. "Planning to return to class?" Coco inquired and Riyku would nod. "Yeah. No point in causing any unnecessary trouble." Riyku would reply before returning to his class. Upon returning to class the teacher glanced towards him. "Feeling better already?" The teacher inquired as the rest of the class looked towards him. He would nod softly, "Nurse gave me some meds. Sorry for the trouble." He would express before heading towards his seat and looking out the window yet again. He felt something in his pocket press against his leg due to the pressure between the fabric. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out an onyx ring with a rose insignia upon it. "I don't recall ever buying something like this." Riyku would muse softly to himself as he rolled the ring around in his hand. "Perhaps it came from that woman?" Coco would suggest and Riyku would muse softly before slipping it upon his ring finger. His eyes went wide open the moment he did, and a flood of memories would overwhelm him. "User Riyku? A-are you experiencing something?" Coco inquired, having discovered something. Although, Riyku didn't answer immediately. "User Riyku?" Coco called out again, and again and again until finally, Riyku's eyes return to normal, and he began breathing normally again. "W-what was that?" Riyku whispered to himself, though his words caught the attention of a few people nearby. Shifting his glance towards the person next to him he voiced out, "Vex." He stated which caused the girl beside him to look in his direction, "Umm... yes?" She inquired to which Riyku shook his head. "N-nevermind." He stated with a shake of his head before looking back to the window. He was confused now, the memories that had flooded his mind were of the various people around him. "User Riyku?" Coco inquired to which Riyku replied mentally. "Yeah, my bad. I am just trying to piece things together. I have memories of several people who I don't even know of. Yet, I am sure I've seen several of them before." Riyku added.

"Not memories of the past?" Coco inquired and Riyku shook his head. "I don't know. I just have this feeling that I've been through all of this before. So much so that I can predict what is going to happen next. The woman in the infirmary, she is Seraphina... which is probably why I had that sense of familiarity. But..." Riyku state mentally. "But what?" Coco inquired and Riyku shook his head softly. "Nevermind, Let's just see what is going to happen. This will confirm my theory." Riyku would reply meanwhile Coco was confused but said nothing else. Just like before, the break would commence and Barron would approach him. Though things were a little different, the aggression he spat towards him caused Riyku to shake his head. "Save it. I'll challenge you at a later date. We'll settle the conditions then." Riyku promptly shut him up which caused Barron to growl. "Fine! The time will be tomorrow at the fountain. 7:45 P.M. Don't be late!" Barron exclaimed before turning on his heel and returning to his seat. The class began to whisper and gossip, and some students even tried to converse with Riyku, but no one got his attention. "User Riyku, are you sure that was okay?" Coco would inquire and Riyku would reply with a mental 'yes'. The memories did say that Barron would give his name, and explain things, but when Riyku found out, he simply shut him up. Up next was going to be Kristen and that would be when classes ended. So for now, Riyku could pick together with the memories he obtained. The teacher would return and the class would start up once again.