"If you do this, then my death would've been all for nothing, wouldn't it? I asked you to take care of things so it wouldn't end up like this, damn it... How troublesome, Sin."

Everyone couldn't help but go silent or let out a few gasps. All of their eyes were as wide as dinner plates at the sight before. "It can't be...!" Seredine gasped and for once, Sera had to agree with her. 

"Ja'far?!" They all gasped.

He gave them all a small smile despite the blood covering him from head to toe and all the injuries he sustained. Drakon stayed frozen before shaking his head to get out of his trance, "th... that's impossible! Your heart had stopped..." He interjected.

Ja'far didn't seem to think anything of his point, "what? It was simple," he said, "I only appeared to be dead." He then proceeded to explain how he had managed to appear dead with one of his assassination techniques.

Meanwhile, all Sera wanted to do was punch his face in. She was infuriated at him for scaring all of them like that, she quickly wiped the tears from her eye and watched as Zepar got angry at Ja'far's treachery. Kimi seemed to be feeling the same way with the death glare she was shooting Ja'far.

As he grew angry Hinahoho and Mystras woke up with a groan while rubbing their heads. Sinbad called out to them in their confused state, "Hinahoho! Mystras!" He yelled.

"Hey! Why's everything destroyed?"

"What kind of fight happened while we were unconscious?"

They seemed to be relieved to see their friends woken up, as was Sera but she mostly cared about Masrur at this point. Speaking of which, she sharply turned her head after hearing a small groan and mumbling. 

Tears came to her eyes at the sight of Masrur finally waking up. "Masrur!" She yelled while running to him and hugging him close, "you're okay!" 

She pulled away and laid her hands on his cheeks, "thank god," she said. Ja'far soon enough noticed Masrur waking up and quickly ran to him while assessing any injuries. 

Then, both Sera and Ja'far were looking over Masrur for any injuries while answering questions at the same time. "Are you okay?! Are you hurt?! Do you feel dizzy?! Strange?!" They asked frantically. 

Masrur only seemed more confused than before after seeing Ja'far's injuries, "...I'm fine. Really, you look more injured than me Ja'far," he said, "Ummm... I don't remember anything. What happened to the trial?"

Ja'far only smiled, "... Nothing. It's over now."

Everyone had ended up tuning out Zepar during that exchange, but his anger knew no limits now. "What the hell is this?" He asked calmly, but enough for it to sound angry, "what do you think you're doing? Do you really think you can win like that?"

His fists clenched so hard that he began to shake, "This isn't a joke. I won't accept. I can't accept... Something like this," he told himself.

The next thing he said was something no one had expected from him, "I won't acknowledge you as King.  You'll spend the rest of your lives here in this dungeon!" He stated. 

Sinbad only scoffed, "fine with me."

Ja'far didn't seem to mind either, "from the outset, we were only conquering this dungeon to help Heliohapt," he explained. 

"We'll force our way through!"

Hina and Mystras still seemed a bit confused, "why is he arguing with Zepar?" Asked Hinahoho.

Mystras looked up at him, "what could've happened while we were unconscious...?" He asked, confused.

Hinahoho seemed to get over the confusion quickly, "well, in any case... If Sinbad is going to fight, then we'll fight alongside him!" He said while standing beside Sinbad with everyone else. 

Zepar gazed at them as if wondering what to do next with them or possibly talking to himself, either way, Sera didn't any of those options. But before anything could've happened someone had cut in. 

"Wait, Sinbad!" 

Everyone turned  to see Serendine with her hand to her chest, "Sinbad, please put down your sword," she coaxed, "it won't do any good to carry on this dispute."

She looked to Zepar, "Zepar, I apologize for our rudeness.-"

"I don't," mumbled Sera.

"-could we please carry on with the trials?" She asked. 

Sera rolled her eyes, "of course you want to continue these awful trials that almost killed the people we cherish," she said, "I mean, that's what you like to do most right? Take away what people cherish and squish it under your boot?"

Serendine ignored what Sera said and tried convincing Sinbad that they shouldn't make Zepar angry on account of the skills had which included taking control of the innocent. Sinbad reluctantly agreed in silence, but it didn't seem to be enough as Zepar decided to be a whiny child and say he didn't want Sinbad to be king. 

"I expect more from a king vessel than what Sinbad has shown me," he said simply. 

"Umm... Excuse me!"

Everyone then turned to see Tamira called out for attention, something she usually never seemed to do. She stumbled over her words, "doesn't that mean that, while you refuse to acknowledge Sinbad, the trials could continue if there was another king vessel?" She asked.

Ja'far's brows scrunched, "miss Tamira? What do you mean?" He asked. 

A small blush coated her cheeks, "I... I mean it's true, isn't it?" She asked, "if there was another person here capable of being a king vessel, then there's a chance that person could be chosen isn't there?" She asked after her explanation. 

"If so, I..." She hesitated, "would like to recommend Lady Seredine as another king vessel!" 

Everyone seemed to either shocked or wary of her recommendation. The one mostly shocked seemed to be Ja'far as he cried out, "wh...What?!" He exclaimed. Anyone who looked at Sera would just notice silent anger. 

"I... I know! I'm just an attendant, and I know it's not my place to say something like this! But... Is it really so wrong to think of my princess when a chance like this appears right in front of us?" She asked, proceeding to explain why Serendine deserved this chance. 

'I can probably give tons of reasons why shouldn't even be here..' Thought Sera, scoffing as she heard Tamira talk about Seredine's "sob story".

Sahel was shocked at what Tamira had said, "Tamira..." she said, "Djinn. Please listen to our pleas. Our mistress has been a princess from the start... And has never been a subordinate of Lord Sinbad's. Please consider Lady Seredine as another option for a king vessel, and allow us to undergo the trial."

Everything had gone silent with thoughts running through everyone's head. Ja'far seemed to be analyzing the situation while Serendine seemed to think it was valiant for her attendants to speak up on her behalf. 

Sinbad was the first to speak up, "Seren. Do you have the resolve it takes to undergo the djinn's trials?" He asked. 

Serendine almost wanted to scoff at the question, "... Resolve? That's not even a question worth asking," she said, "I just can't blatantly ignore the feelings of these two people that have cared so much about me."

She turned from her attendants and looked to Zepar, her aura emitting bravery. "Zepar," she began, "I want the power to take back my home country... And change myself who has been powerless to do anything!"

"Please give me a chance! Let me undergo your trials to become king!" She said. 

Zepar had a neutral face during the declaration and spoke soon enough, "humans sure are creatures intent on doing things their own way. Whose friends, whose subordinates, and who's the king vessel... You haven't listened to what I've said about anything," he said while rubbing his chin, "humans really are... Interesting creatures."

He smiled, "fine. I'll recognize you as a possible king vessel. However... All of that was just big talk. I can't recognize you as King with some half-hearted trial. So. My trial for you..."

He scanned them all and noticed two that had been severely quiet when it came to Sinbad's qualifications as King, Sera, and Kimi. He smirked to himself, "you two will be my next contestants."

Sera looked shocked while Kimi just refused, "no way! We're not falling for your games anymore," she yelled.

Zepar didn't seem to like her outburst and scowled. Sera, who got out of her trance, nodded, "she's right! I am not doing anyone's bidding anymore," she said while summoning her spear and pointing it at him, "you hold nothing against me now! No one does! And what do I have to do with her?!"

He scoffed in response and didn't answer Sera's question, "I didn't want to do this again, but it looks like you've forced my hand," he said nonchalantly, he snapped his fingers causing Sera and Kimi to freeze and drop to the floor. Zepar placed them on a separate platform to keep their friends away from them.

Sera groaned and grabbed her head as did Kimi, it seemed like both of their djinn's couldn't do anything for them at the moment. They began to tremble and grab their hair with fierce strength, their breath went ragged. Soon enough they got up from the floor while trembling, Sera used her spear to hold herself up. She could barely open her eyes but when she did she saw something she was hoping to never see again.

She had always thought she was free from seeing those haunting lilac eyes ever again, but apparently not. Madaura appeared with a smirk on her face and a sword in hand, "you really thought you could be rid of me?" She asked, Sera only stared in fear as she laughed at her.

Sera began to shake her head repeatedly while asking constantly asking herself, how could she be here? She frantically looked around for Sinbad, seeing nothing tears began to fill her eyes and she could feel the fear slowly creeping into her gut. Madaura began to laugh at her, Sera guessed tears were probably trickling down her cheeks in small waves. But she couldn't focus on that, all she could focus on is the woman who had ruined her life during all those she was stuck with her.

She tried calming herself down and slowing down her breathing but nothing helped at this point. She felt anger coming in alongside the fear, she slowly grabbed her spear and lunged at her tormenter. A scream made its way to her throat, but it wasn't anything like a battle cry. It was a cry of fear and anger. She swung her spear right at Madaura, expecting her to fade away like if she was mist but she easily deflected her attack like nothing.

Suddenly the anger began to leave and more undeniable fear came in its place. More tears came streaming down, "I-I can't defeat her..." She told herself, "my chains...-" she could've sworn she felt the same cold metal and weight on her ankles- "are still hers..."

Madaura only cackled at her hopelessness, "that's right, silly girl," she said, a metal chain appearing in her hand. When she pulled on it Sera felt her being pulled by the neck and soon realized that she was being treated like what she always was, a pet. She rubbed her aching on her neck.

"Please," Sera whimpered, "stop this..."

Madaura ignored her plea and tugged harder so her face was right in front of hers, "look around, you glorified pet fish. No one is here to save you," she said softly with a tone heavily hinted with malice, "look around you, all your friends left and you're all alone."

Sera shook her head and tried to keep her gaze on the ground only for Madaura to grab her chin to force her to look up. She looked around her and tears filled her eyes to see no one around, her jaw clenched and she tried keeping all her emotions in. But it all came crashing down, they were only a glorified distraction, something to keep her from remembering all the horrors she faced with Madaura, but now that she's back she had nothing to keep her from forgetting.

Madaura laughed at the hopeless look on her face, "they must've seen you for what you really were," she said, "a monster." Her eyes glowed fiercely as she called Sera monster as if taunting her.

Sera shook her head and clawed at her hair, "no..." She whimpered, she repeated this word over and over to try to reject the idea out of her head. But the more she thought, the truer it seemed to her. All those people she killed in the arena with her song, with her djinn. She hadn't even realized all the misdeeds she had caused Amdusias.

"NOOOOOO!" She let out a scream so loud it could've made anyone's ears ring if they were close. She was slowly losing every part of her, piece by piece. She had thought telling off Madaura at the time would make her feel better, would make her feel stronger and fearless. But as she stood in front of her with a chain around her neck she realized she still had power over her.

That scream only fueled Madaura's malevolence as she let out an evil cackle, "look around you darling!" She screaming while grabbing Sera's chin once more, "look at all the lives you've taken!"

She roughly turned Sera to see all the people she had helped slay. It was all her fault, she was the one who had taken all those lives; thanks to her none of them had a full life. The tears that had been streaming down her cheeks had dried and left tracks in their place, it looked as if she had run out of tears to give. All of the people she had killed were staring at her with malice as if they had wanted to beat her to death and make her suffer a fate worse than death.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." She told herself over and over.

"I-It's not... My fault..." She whimpered.

Madaura scoffed, "don't try to be the victim, you're ruined their poor lives. It's all your fault," she spat out those last five words in her face.

"No..." She whispered, "please... I had no choice... Please believe me..."

Madaura gripped her chin tighter, "remember this, my dear." She moved her lips to Sera's ear, "everyone has a choice..."

From the corner of her eye, she could see Madaura getting ready to strike and pierce her heart, but before anything could happen. A voice came to her head and she blacked out.

Don't give up... Fight it...

Sera felt comfort through the voice, she had heard it before but the first time it was mumbling and she couldn't hear it very well. Her eyes were closed and she felt as if she was drifting in the water, she almost wanted to stay here forever until the voice called out to her again.

Wake up! You can't stay here! Open your eyes and remember fight!

She opened her eyes for a split second in this comforting world and when she did, she could've sworn she saw a strand of fiery red hair.

*~*~*

As they ran, her once pink brown eyes, were now a normal pale shade of pink, looking into eyes that held great fear.
"Hakuryuu!! Wait!!" She yells, "We need to find Hakuyuu and Hakuren!!" She yells and ripped her hand away, running the opposite direction.
"No!! Kougyoku!! Wait!!" Hakuryuu said as he ran after her.
"I have to warn them!! I have to!! I have to----!!" Kougyoku quickly jumped as a pillar fell down in flames.
"...I have to find them!! I have to change the future!!" She thought and bolted.
She soon arrived at a door and pushed it open.
"Brothers!!" She yells.
"Kougyoku?!" Hakuren yells and barely dodged an attack.
She froze as she saw they were surrounded by magicians dressed in black.
"Damn!!" Hakuyuu cursed and ran to stand in front of his brother, to help him protect her.
The door opened and saw Hakuryuu come in, both children, pure fear in their expressions. Kougyoku felt, no, she can almost see it. That woman laughing in glee as she watched her own children meet their doom. Kougyoku could only watch, frozen in fear, long with Hakuryuu, as the two brothers fought the black magicians. The two elder brothers panted, bloodied, tried, wounded. Defeating a magician one after another.
"I still cannot die...I can not let them have their way!" Hakuyuu panted.
"Brother...and Hakuei...and Mother alright?! They couldn't have...shouldn't We go help them?" Hakuryuu cried.
"Oni-sans!! Kouha, Kouen, Koumei!! Is everyone safe?!" Kougyoku cried, as Hakuryuu was holding her.
She was scared, she was scared. She knew.....she knew...
"That witch...that witch hurt my mommy!!" Kougyoku cried.
"........." the two brothers were silent and the shadows covered Hakuyuu's eyes.
"Let's go," Hakuyuu said.
"Yes!" Hakuren answered.
As they made their way through the blazing palace, magicians attacked and tried to take their lives.

~

"Aaahhh!! It hurts!!" She cried as the flames burned her shoulder, back, and part of her body, just barely missing her face.
"Whhhaaa!! So hot!! Mother, Mother!!" Cried Hakuryuu.
Bodies burning surrounded them, Hakuren...dead on the floor...Hakuyuu burned...bloodied...
"Brother brother!!" Both Hakuryuu and Kougyoku cried as Hakuyuu fell to the ground.
"This is a shame.....this is the end for me and Hakuren...But you two...Hakuryuu and Kougyoku....will live and accomplish our mission...." Hakuyuu said weakly and dragged himself up, grabbing both his siblings shoulders tightly, using every ounce of his leftover strength to say his final words, before death took him.
Both younger siblings, looking into his eyes, his face burned, bloodied...
"Swear to fight till the end!! You both have to strike down our country's worst enemy!!" Hakuyuu said.
"Wor-Worst enemy?!" Hakuryuu said shocked.
"What are you talking about brother?! Why do even our own soldiers wish to kill us.....who...WHY WOULD SHE DO SUCH A CRUEL THING?!?" Kougyoku cried.
"Sister..........Brother....the one who has stolen the Kou empire...wants you both killed...is..." He leaned in and whispered the answer in their ears.
"Eh?" Hakuryuu could not believe such words.
"Impossible....no....not again!!" Kougyoku cried.
"That person....it cannot be!!" Hakuryuu cried.
Hakuyuu grabbed his blade, and the two younger siblings eyes went wide as blood spilled all over them. Kougyoku looking at her bloodied self, as her elder brothers warm blood seeped into her clothing, in her hair, everywhere. The crimson liquid that will haunt her for life.
"Run....outside.....this will...protect you both...before....the fire...burns...." Hakuyuu eyes rolled up...breathing his final words..." you..."
And he dropped dead to the ground...Kougyoku looking to the blood on her hands....the place she once called home....turning to ashes before her eyes...

"AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"

~

Her body wrapped in bandages, her eyes soulless, as they stared at Hakuryuu back.
"Why......" he cried....."WHY DID YOU PROTECT ME FROM THAT PILLAR?!? WHY?!?" He cried and fell to his knees.
"....." no answer.
He looks up to her and behind Kougyoku...was the Empress, with the magicians of Al-Thamen...
"Hakuryuu...Kougyoku is no longer with us..." Her smile seemed to widen more, "She now a soulless walking body and soon to be my puppet." Gouyoken chuckled as she hugged her and caressed her cheek.
"She is now such an obedient girl. The perfect vessel..." she smiled.
"Don't touch her!!" He yells and quickly pulled her away.
"Oh my....." his mother chuckled, "Seems the emotions you have toward her are more than family." She chuckled.

~

"Destroy destroy destroy......" Kimi began to mutter repeatedly, scaring everyone around her.
The girl's eyes flickering between pink, brown, orange, black. Zepra was amused by this.
"Stop!" Sinbad yells.

~

"Ufufuf..." Gyokuen chuckled as Kimi was chained to a brick wall, covered in cuts and prizes.
"I'll kill you...." Kimi growled.
Rage...she felt nothing but pure rage towards everything in her sight. Her chains tightening.
"Such a naughty girl...who said you could speak?" She smirked.
The scene then changed to an old living room. Broken chairs, wall falling apart...
"No...no...no..." Kimi began to realize what this scene was.

"Mom. I'm home!!"

She turns and sees the door open, and right when it did, the sound of snapping was heard, the sound of a handing falling limp to the floor, and...a weak female voice....crying her name.
"Kimi...." Sad warm brown eyes, smiled at her one last time, before the light in them...faded away, to nothingness.
She was frozen. Pure shock filled her. The one that took the life of those eyes, stood up and smirked.
"I can't have a witness. So now your turn." They said and walked towards.
"Kgu.....uh...uuuhhh...." Her voice began to come out and her body shaking then...
"AAAAAAAAHHHH!!!" She screamed and grabbed the gun she found and shot them.
The person screaming as she kept shooting their legs. She screamed and wailed as she kept shooting them, the sad smile on her mother's face, forever etched into her mind.

The scene them changed back to pure darkness, but this time...
"Aaahhh...Aaahhgghh!!" She couldn't breathe...Hands wrapped around her neck, their grip becoming tighter with each second.

"How pitiful...."

Amber eyes, smirking down at her, with glee, as the grip became tighter.

~

"AAAHHH!!" Kimi screamed as she ripped off her hairpin and charged at Sinbad, with the intent to kill him.
"What?!?!" Zepra was not expecting this.
No...the girl shouldn't be doing that!!!
"Aaahhh!!" Kimi cried as she swung her sword left and right, Sinbad had no choice but to draw his sword.
"Muere..muere...muere...muere...." Kimi repeated in an unknown language.
Her eyes flickering between orange again.

Sera blinked to try and get rid of any grogginess she had from passing out twice. She took a look around her and noticed how Madaura disappeared, she also saw that Kimi was about to attack Sinbad. 

"NO!"

~

"GUAH!!" A staff stabbed into her chest, blood seeping from her lips, tears falling from her eyes.
"You can never change the future, my dear...." Gyokuen chuckled as caressed her cheek.
"And I will make to keep you pinned to the darkness...just like I did to her...Just like I did to Belanova....suffer....you can never break free..." she grinned wickedly, the chains fighting and then wrapped around her chest and neck.
"Aaaaaaaahhhh!!!" Kimi screamed as not blood, but black liquid fell from her lips and eyes.
The same smirking amber eyes looked down at her, her own appearance changing to pure blue eyes, long pale pink hair, cream color skin, as the owner's eyes seem to smile and hands cupped her cheeks, even if she cried.

"You shall never escape me. No matter what world and time we are in. No matter where we are reborn, even if we are different people, your fate, shall forever be bound to mine...Belanova/Bethosheba....."

*~*~*

Everyone's eyes were wide as silver flames dance and surrounded Kimi, her eyes no longer pink but a deep shade of glowing orange, her hair had turned silver, metallic butterfly wings grew from her back, moth antennas sprouted on her head, along with six glowing yellow eyes. Blood like tears fell from her eyes as she screamed and cried as she summoned a crimson sword, flames sprouting from it.
"Aaaahhh!!!" She walked ash held it down with both hands, on the verge of stabbing Sinbad but...

"RRRRAAAHHH!!!"

Kimi has suddenly slammed away and was sent flying towards a brick wall, crashing and knocking the air out of her lungs.

"Haa...haa...."

Sinbad turns and saw Sera, in full djinn equip, the weapon glowing blue, as it was still pointed towards the wall.
"Sera....!!" Sinbad said and she smiled.
"Hey." She said but...

"AAARRRRBBBBBAAAAAAA!!! DDDAAAVVVIIIIDDDD!!!"

The rubble exploded and saw their friend grunting and furious, her eyes almost looked as they were filled with malice and madness. It scared them. They couldn't see it, but the djiins and magicians could. Black Rukh. Black rukh surrounds her with a mixture of white.
"Looks like I shouldn't have done what I did...." Zepra spoke, "That girl is unstable." He said.
"ARBAAAA!! DDAAAVIIIDDD!!" She screamed again, making all the djiins shock.
Those names, they shouldn't know those names.
"Kill...kill......YOU'LL PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID TO THEM ALL!!" She screamed even louder and the flames extinguished, replaced by glowing blue water.
"SPIRIT OF SORROW AND ISOLATION!! VINEA!!" She screams and transformed.
Blue scales now covered her kin as her hair turned blue, gold jewelry she wore.
"Listen, girl." Zepra spoke to Sera, "Find one good opening and knock her unconscious. That's all you need to do. Seeing as you have overcome your own darkness, your friend isn't exactly stable, just knock her out. That's all." Zepra said.

Sera was shocked by this and turned to look at the once happy girl, now a complete raging one.

"I'm sorry."

~~~~~~~

A/N: Guess who's back! Not gonna lie, I didn't expect to be gone for so long and you have sincerest apologies for that. Which is why I made this chapter as long as possible. Although, when I was going to update I ended up getting sick for about a week, which sucked. I still am pretty sick as of now, but I'm getting better.

Thanks to SakuraGarcia8 for writing Kimi's part!

Also, I'm pretty proud of this chapter as I got to tap into a lot of Sera's fears and doubts. Trust me when I see her personal strife is far from over there's more to come so I hope you'll all stick with me and comment how you think I'm doing! Remember that criticism can only help if it's constructive, can't just tell me I suck cause I won't even have anything to improve on and I'll just ignore it.