The Signet Ring

A look in the past - The Spirits of the Ring

Her mind travels back to that day she was defeated by Asmodai, the same day where she's rescued by the phoenix.

" You manipulated even the oracle, but you forgot one thing uncle", Cassidy said in a whisper as she recalls that day where she meets the Seers.

" The ruler that was said in the ancient oracle, is a daughter of Velaris", said the woman with coverings on her eyes.

" Daugther of Velaris?", Cassandra replied.

" A daughter of Velaris is a daughter of light, she's got the light within that no shadow, no darkness can kill", the seer explains further.

" shadow? darkness? you mean Asmodai?", Cassandra asks again.

" But the weakness of the ring is the shadow, how come?..."  her one eyebrow raises.

" The signet ring complements with Velaris identity. And once it is in the possession of the daughter of Velaris, the ring will get even stronger than death, overcoming darkness. And once the ringmaster summons all the spirits in it, the daughter of Velaris will not be just a ringmaster but she will become a goddess", the Seer explains.

Cassandra stood quiet for a moment.

" then... who is the daughter of Velaris?", she asks.

The seer chuckles under her blindfold.

" Queen Cassandra, you are the daughter of Velaris," she answered

" Me?",  Cassandra points at herself , her eyes popping out , "Cmon"  she said then, shaking her head, smiling.

" Yes, a child born not with the element of her tribe, yet by circumstances, she got the light in her soul, the ring is attracted by that light in you, " the words of the Seer pinches Cassandra's heart 

"Do not be scared to be slaughtered by Asmodai, that process will awaken the light that was kept long under your soul, and its awakening is the perfect moment for you and the phoenix to become one and that will make you indestructible. In your resurrection, wait for that change to come"   those were the last words she heard from the Seer before their race is wiped out by Asmodai.

 Now Velaris has no more Seers, how she wishes few of them remains. 

In your resurrection wait for that change to come. 

Those words of the Seer echoes back to her mind.  " I'm gonna wait for that evolution of mine", Cassidy whispers. Now, I can only heal myself. All the spirits in the ring must acknowledge me as their master, so I can truly protect you Velaris. She thinks.

She comes here into this deserted place to practice for her battle with Neji. The first thing she must do is awaken the light, which his father Baecus had hidden in her when she's still Cassandra.

Reason. I've got to have reasons. She said to herself.

What are my reasons then? What am I fighting for? What did I come back for? She asks herself.

Velaris. Yes, I came back for the people of Velaris. 

She then remembers the s*******r, the oppression, the greed of his uncle, and now of his nephew. In all of those, the Velarians are always in between, suffering, dying and her own parents are no exception.

Tears ran down to her cheeks when she remembers her mom and her dad. Even in this life, I failed to protect the people I love. She whispers on her mind.

She closes her eyes. She could feel the raging emotions rising to creep into her every vein. It feels like she's gonna explode.  Anger. Anguish. Revenge. Longing. These are the reasons why she came back.

And after a moment a deafening scream resonates in the entire place.

A strong force covers her, something is burning on her back. Her face clenched as she feels the awakening, the collision, the emergence of the water and fire phoenix. Yes. The phoenix of the water and fire. And this phoenix rose even stronger than before, feisty as it is, unfathomable as it embraces the two elements she's born with - the cosmic and earth.  She resurrects from the ashes. Among the seven spirits that dwell in the signet ring, she possesses the strongest of all.

And now they have fully become one.

She's the phoenix.

She's the fire

She's the water.

She's the regeneration itself.

She's Cassidy.

 And who can guess what's to come at the full union of the ring and of the light hidden in her?  

Meanwhile

The crowds gather at the castle entrance for a mass feeding that day. There is still no cure for the farms. Three months have passed still the crops are not bearing fruit. No plants seem to grow in Velaris. The four Tribes gathered in the Royal court to discuss the next actions they will be doing. The land is in scarcity. If this will continue, Velaris will be in a disaster.

" If Queen Cassandra is just alive, this will be solved instantly, only her earth element can cure the farms", Firmis said.

Neji did not like what he hears. He frowned. Here we go again. When will they stop living under his aunt's shadow?

" How long can the waters provide? Lumus?", Neji inquired.

Lumus tried not to lose his cool.

" uhm", he flashes a shallow fake smile.

" the waters cannot sustain it anymore ringmaster", he replied.

" You have the ring, why don't you use it to help the people?",  Zair raises his voice, his chin is up.

Neji's temper rose up with Zair's sarcasm. When will he stop acting so brazen? He thinks as he looks at him frowning.

" I said before that not until the tournament is over, feeding the peasants is not my priority, so thus withdrawing the curse on earth", Neji also raises his voice.  Zair smirks glancing at Neji.

" Really? the tournament?, " Zair said and laughs sarcastically.

" or it's just that until now you just got the ring on your finger, but not its power?", Zair utter with a scornful laugh.

Neji clenched his teeth and throws a blast of light on Zair.  Zair manages to block it and giggles. 

" You know that I can kill those blasts, except if it comes from the ring", Zair said obviously teasing him.

" How can I fully obey a King with no power?", he said looking at Neji with disdain and arrogantle leave the place.

Neji clenched his fists, staring sharply at Zair.  He must do something to prove his worth for the ring.

The Next Day

The dusky road is disturbed by the gallops of a horse. Neji rushes to the peak of the abandoned castle in Velaris- the castle on the mountain cliff.

He gets off from his horse runs into the exact place where his father had killed his uncle Baecus. He doesn't want to feel this hatred, yet it's like the circumstances are drawing him. He's torn.

" Ammita" he whispers in a teary eyes.

Her ammita Cassandra is the only person who showed him love in the Royal Castle, yet he hates her, now he's hating her! You're dead but still why can't I surpass you? huh? He screams in his mind.

" Ring!, I'm the one who's wearing you now, I'm your master!", Neji screams at the ring he's wearing. 

Again here is this feeling he can't control, raging, uproaring. Neji feels like something is controlling him. His eyes turn dark as the night. And he feels a force coming out from him. And slowly there he sees face to face a dark shadow of his own.

" Hello master", a creepy dark version of himself with a peculiar smile emerges and speaks right to his face.

Neji could nearly slap himself. What is this? Is this for real? Where did it come from? His mouth is wide open.

" I didn't call you", Neji replied after a moment.

The creature just laugh.

"But your heart did" the shadow replied.

" What? my heart?" Neji frowned.

" What are you?", Neji asks.

" I am the one who dwells in you", the creature replied which makes Neji more confused.

" huh?",  he could just gasp.

" You're not from the ring right?" Neji likes to confirm. 

The creature bursts into laughter. Then it walks closer to him, stares carefully at his face as if examining every inch of it.

" The darkness in you summons the forbidden spirit in the ring, I am he. I am you. I am Vakus the spirit of emptiness", the creature that resembles Neji explains. Then It flashes a peculiar smile that even the real Neji tried hard not to in front of the crowd.

" You hesitates to smile this hmm?",  the creature teases him pointing at his face.

" Poor boy... always craving for approval can't even show your worst smile",  and the creature laughs.

Then seconds of silence. 

Neji  just watch him. He can't say a word. Never did he know that this ring has something like this. This ring feels more unfamiliar to him right now.

" Master", the shadow said to Neji, and bows at him.

Neji's eyes widen in surprise. What again? He thinks.

The shadow stares at him and again with its peculiar smile.

" You are my master. You call me and I responded to your call", it replied.

Neji felt like his knees are shaking. He could only stare at the worst version of himself.

"huh? but...h-how could you just look like me?", Neji startled.

The creature laughs again.

" I am empty so I take the form of the one who summons me", it answered.

" Now... I am you", the empty spirit said looking sharply at Neji.

Then it went inside him, lights explodes as it bumps hard into his chest. And after a moment a totally different Neji had emerge - one who boldly shows his peculiar, demonic smile.