Azure woke up with a gasp. She frantically looked around, finding herself back in the academy dorm.
She touched her neck and hips, searching for any damage.
"I'm alive?!" She shouted, before quickly raising her hand in front of her eyes. The scar was there, and even her necklace wasn't broken.
She quickly jumped out of bed. Her eyes scanned the bedroom, everything was as she remembered, yet she could have sworn that she had died twice, once by the unknown enemy and then by Sheira's unrestricted power. "Was that a dream?"
Azure approached the window and stared outside. It couldn't have been a dream, it all felt so real.
Her gaze wandered down to her palms. She had died, that she was sure of, and yet she woke up in her bed without any damage.
I should find Sheira. She looked around the room and toward her bed, her eyes wandering to a sizeable plushie that sat next to her pillow.
She smiled and hugged the plushie. Sheira had put a lot of effort into creating it to resemble Aqua. However, despite her best effort, it did not really resemble her beloved all that much.
Yet, she still appreciated it with all her heart. She held it away from her head. After a moment of longing, she placed it back next to her pillow and quickly dressed before swiftly leaving the bedroom.
She closed the door behind her as the familiar voice reached her. "Azu!" Sheira shouted.
Her gaze snapped toward the incoming elf, who carried the same worried expression as she did.
Before she could even blink, Sheira pounced on her and rubbed her head into her chest. "You are alive, you are alive!" She squealed while tears poured out of her eyes.
Azure blinked. "Sheira? What is wrong?" She asked.
"I had a vision you were dead, and then," She said, "everything was gone, the academy, our kingdom, everything!" She sobbed.
Azure's eyes widened, and her lips quivered. "Wait, I had a similar dream."
Sheira pulled back and looked at her like a hurt puppy. Azure grabbed her hand and pulled her back into their bedroom.
The door slammed behind them, and Azure sat Sheira down at her bed. "Tell me about your vision. Everything, in excruciating detail."
Sheira nodded, her hand rubbing her elbow. She told her everything about the unkillable monsters in her fight against a massive horde and even the dragon swarm that flew toward Onost.
And in the end, she told her how she found her in the phoenix egg before going unconscious.
"I… I remember regaining consciousness for a mere moment after your resurrection, which sent a blast of power that vaporized you," she said with a shaky voice before tears started streaming again.
That fits perfectly with my dream.
In her dream, she had fought a horde before running into a horde of unstoppable monsters. Which were cleaned up once her necklace shattered and her mind was taken by Aqua's construct.
However, a shrouded enemy had come and killed her.
This can't be just a vision; it fits too well with my dream.
"Sheira," She said, grabbing her shoulders. "Have you spoken with anyone else?"
The princess looked at her with tear-filled eyes before shaking her head. The dream, then a vision. Her death and the destruction of everything and everyone around them.
"I have a feeling that both your vision and my dream actually happened, let's go talk to others as soon as possible," She said, slowly getting up from her position.
Sheira wiped her tears. "We should," she said. "But let me get ahold of myself for a moment, I don't want everyone to know I am such a crybaby."
Azure nodded, she was not so cruel as to deny her friend's wish. She picked up the crude Aqua plushie and sat down next to the princess. "What if this is another act of Aqua?"
The princess slowly looked at her. "What do you mean?"
"Think about it, we both had vivid visions of what happened, we both remember my death. What if it was my Aqua that saved us, somehow?" she said confidently.
Of course, the chances were incredibly small, yet she was sure of one thing: Nothing was impossible when it came to her star. She lifted her hand and stared at her ring.
But why didn't Aqua appear yet if she had prevented whatever happened in the visions?
Her beloved definitely had her reason, yet Azure wasn't completely sure if the visions were even true, but she did wish to believe her beloved saved her again.
She squeezed the plushie.
The princess chuckled. "I am glad you like the plushie. I tried my best with it," She said, a small smile appearing on her face.
Azure looked down at it. Despite it being rudimentary, it was a gift from her best friend. "You did great, Sheira."
After a moment of silence, Sheira pushed herself up and approached the door. "Let's go talk with someone else. If they also had the same vision, then we would know something happened."
Azure nodded and placed the plushie next to her pillow. She approached Sheira and opened the door for the duo.
"You can't believe how happy I am that I found you alive…" Sheira mumbled while she trailed after Azure.
Poor girl. Azure sighed. She had experienced similar stress when the princess was kidnapped, and it was something she would not have wished on anyone.
She stopped before quickly grabbing Sheira's hand. "It is alright now, I am alive, and there is no destruction. Let's go find someone to talk with."
Sheira gripped her hand tightly, and the duo made their way into the courtyard.
A question about whether someone else had experienced the visions was quickly answered.
A whisper between students all but confirmed it. They all experienced it.
She looked at Sheira knowingly.
"Lady Sheira, Lady Azure!" Avaros shouted from a distance. Azure's eyes snapped to the approaching heir and waved.
"Avaros!" She exclaimed.
He ran up to them. His eyes carried a serious look. "Everyone in the school had experienced a terrible vision. I had talked to Professor Mia and Professor Aurora. They both said they were killed by a savage wielding some kind of dark liquid. It is the same vision I personally experienced," he said. "Have you experienced something similar?"
Azure tilted her head. Everyone. She turned her head to Sheira, who stared at Avaros with widened eyes.
She inhaled sharply. "I think it's safe to assume that whatever this vision was, it actually happened, even if we are alive right now."
Both Sheira and Avaros stared at her.
"Don't give me that look. I am sure that this was Aqua's doing. I don't know the details, but I know my beloved had saved everyone from the fate your visions had shown."
Avaros chuckled and shook his head. "I could see that happening, but it still is a terrifying prospect."
Could she have done something similar to what she had shown me the moment in history on our date?
Yet, the result was so vastly different than anything Aqua had done for them before that it was hard to even point at what exactly she had done.
"Guys, what is the most outlandish idea of what she could have done you can think of?" She asked while crossing her arms.
"She let us see the future with some kind of spell?" Avaros asked.
"I think that she had recreated the world, and fragments of what happened remained in us as visions," Sheira said, which earned her a stare from both of them. "W…what?! You said the most outlandish," she said, pouting.
Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised.
Azure shook her head. "While my love is most certainly capable of such a feat, I would lean closer to what Avaros proposed."
Sheira pouted. "Whatever it was, I think we should prepare for these visions to come true. Let's go talk with professors and the headmaster. If Mia can improve that barrier and we prepare our defenses more, then the worst of the vision won't come true."
"I agree," Azure agreed. In her dream, the loss was due to a surprise attack, their lack of preparation, and the unstoppable monsters, she now knew that her sword could kill the unstoppable monsters.
"Sheira, have you encountered unkillable monsters in your vision?"
The princess nodded. "Yes, no matter how many times I had blasted them, they would not die."
Azure grinned. "When that attack happens, I will not be rushing to their leader. Aqua's sword can kill them, which will let you deal with their pathetic little army," she stated proudly.
She hummed, thinking of what kind of preparations she could make. "You two head out and talk with professors. I need a quiet space," she said before separating from the duo.
Perhaps Laleyn can tell me more about those monsters. Yet, she quickly remembered that even her goddess said that the black water monsters were not her children.
I could go get myself a breakfast and pray to Laleyn there. She slowly turned and headed toward the cafeteria.
She keenly listened to the whispers of panic and fear.
Soon, she felt pressure on her back before quickly being toppled over.
"Azu!"