The great bird descended gracefully, casting a relieving shadow as it willed the wind to follow its movements. A glaring blue shone in its eyes, reflecting the morning sky with an aura of grandeur accompanying its trail. It's head was raised with pride, yet deep within it held respect for the beings around it and acknowledged them with a bow.

The Wind Phoenexias did the same, their movement deeply expressive as they closed their eyes, finding solace in the creatures's spiritual emanation. A tall, elegant figure adorned in the same blue glow approached the creature, her radiant smile deepening at its aura.

The creature gently moved the wind to carry the small child from its back and placed her slowly at the ground. Formed by the leader and the bird's energy, the child was engulfed in a powerfully recondite blanket of energy.

The leader took the little one in her arms, a kind smile appearing on her face.

"I Nuo, name you Inesa."

The blue glow radiated off the little one's existence, elevating the creature's aura. Such innocence resided in the child's heart and the Wind Phoenix vowed to protect it forever. Yes, it had let humans' thoughts affect the land's energy and give rise to the new beings, but such elegant existences couldn't possibly affect the balance negatively. It understood Azrael, if only a little.

Suddenly, a belligerent wind blew as smoke poured in, blocking the sunlight. Nuo's eyes immediately narrowed and she closed her eyes, looking deep within the sudden change. Her hold remained tender, though she now lay the child on the back of the creature.

"Please, take her and keep her safe. He is coming, but I suppose you already know that."

The creature hesitated before taking its flight, much to Nuo's relief. Even in the dismal atmosphere its wings were brilliant and brought profound comfort to the leader's mind. She took a deep breath, searching for the entity's presence before facing it.

"Sousconic. Why do you wish our extinction?"

There was a sudden silence, a cold shiver taunting the fair being but she remained firm, guiding her energy to help her people.

"I do not wish your extinction. If there was another way to save equilibrium, I would do it. But your power is great and I mustn't let it overwhelm the balance."

"You know the consequences of your actions. You risk your own balance. Your conscience-"

Nuo was interrupted by a bright flash of light, a searing burn shooting through her senses. She stared in horror as her kind disintegrated, disappearing in a matter of seconds. The energy that surrounded them was so powerful, so vibrant, beautiful even, but so...

Deadly.

"We all respect you, Sousconic. You don't have to do this."

The pain weighing on its thoughts was so subtle, yet so evident. Her senses alleviated as a creature descended beside the lady, though it soon was torn apart by the entity.

"Leave the Wind Phoenix."

"Zephyr must return to its original form. Its materialistic existence was what sparked your kind's."

Silence passed and Zephyr lost all hope. Why couldn't she have accepted her mistake? Why was she so weak that she allowed petty creatures to affect her?

"Those 'petty creatures' are the reason for our existence. Do not blame the humans, Zephyr. No one's to blame.

"It simply... happened. This is nature. Emotions were the cause and we were the effect. Now Sousconic fears that we will be the cause of the Shadow Dimension's destruction."

The silence was now deafening, but the comfort Nuo brought was all Zephyr needed. However, that too was soon disrupted.

The child hovered in the air. Silent, oblivious to what happened around her. So innocent, so vulnerable as the wind tore at it. A bright flash blinded everyone in the vicinity, and all Nuo could do was stare at it in horror.

"Please, father. Leave her alone."

Zephyr had never referred to Sousconic with such a human term. It would perhaps enrage the entity further, but it was all she could say.

The light immediately disappeared and the wind rushed to the child's aid, putting her on the grass gently. The tenses atmosphere had loosened, though the dread remained.

"It has begun to affect your mind too, hasn't it? Emotions are powerful."

The wind whispered, the darkness still. No one could anticipate what would happen next, not even the entity.

"Fear."

All of a sudden, everything went silent as the entity spoke with kindness.

"You feel it, don't you?"

Zephyr recognised an odd sensation that perhaps was what the entity spoke of. Nuo was on the brink of death but remained with courage, providing support to her life giver.

"I fear that an existence will be created out of my rage. Time says that it will fuel on two emotions. One from you, and one from Azrael. But you are not to blame.

"I shall spare her life. But you, Nuo, are beyond saving. You must go now."

"You are strong, Sousconic, always remember that. You hold everyone's emotions, and I am grateful for it. You couldn't let go of them because of our existence, because how it could affect us. Now you may be free."

Nuo closed her eyes with acceptance, the wind running wild as she disintegrated into nothing. Zephyr felt something heavy weigh on her thoughts. It was amusing how Sousconic first protected the species and then thought it best to kill them all. 

Suddenly, as the wind raced across the black valley, the Wind Phoenix burst into a bright, blue flame. It felt nothing for Zephyr didn't care about itself; only introspected on what had led to the moment.

They were beings of the Shadow Dimension, a dimension loosely translated into thoughts and emotions. Sousconic wasn't to blame because it was her own fault. If Zephyr had been strong enough, none of it would have happened.

"The child is now on the bridge of life and death. Leave her in your abyss, and she will be reborn when the time is right."

The smoke slowly subsided, soft rays of light shining upon the scarred land. The pained entity's presence disappeared, leaving Zephyr to her thoughts, though the spirit quickly waved them off, carrying the child to her haven. To where the energy burst out, the depths of the abyss seen by no one.

- - - - -

She was back. The fair presence was indubitable.

Nuo.

However... something was different. She was accompanied by another presence, and the aura was so much more exuberant.

Zephyr's sight shifted towards the abyss. A confident lady stood, tenderly looking at the child. Beside her stood a young girl, the brilliant red flowing as if she were surrounded by flames, her presence illuminated by the surrounding brightness.

"Aurelia, what would you like to name her?"

The young girl closed her eyes and the land's spirit felt it stir something powerful in the child. A fiery spark that was contained in a soft heart, it connected its land to the Valleys, looking for the one sound.

"Ariana."

Aurelia smiled with innocence, gently picking the girl in her arms. Zephyr felt a melancholic sensation as the child prepared to part from the land, but she believed she would visit her from time to time.

Zephyr knew Isena was found by the right people. The Phoenexias would care for the last Wind Phoenexia till her death.

- - - - -

Ariana was bewildered. What did Vlad want from her? Why did it capture her, then treat her with respect? It wanted to use her for some sort of ritual, did it not? 

The flames around her burned her peace, and yet she felt safe. Her mind was in a daze as she had woken only a few minutes ago, but was surprised to see herself isolated and out of harm's reach.

Suddenly, a heavy presence lingered in her thoughts. Ariana felt defensive on instinct, but there was something innocent that appealed to her. She couldn't comprehend what exactly it was, but it felt as if the voices of her past compelled her to comfort the entity.

"To find these moments of peace when my emotions aren't in conflict is rare. There is only one thing I wish to say to you."

Power surrounded her. She was drowned in beauty.

"I'm sorry, Isena."

Such pain. Such innocence. Such power.

Such rage.

----- -------

Audrey couldn't believe it.

Vlad took Ariana to apologise to her... before the rage took over once again. He needed the energy to wake up and using her was Rage's intention. Sousconic wanted to protect Ariana.

The rage couldn't allow the Techniques to be known to everyone in fear of imbalance. But they were embedded in the existence of the Shadow Beings. They would certainly come back, and they really would bring back equilibrium. But of course... as Shadow-Trappers killed demonic creatures, negativity decreased. Their overall population decreased, however little it may have been.

Audrey didn't know what to feel.

Sousconic. That was the Fourth Entity's name. It sounded so familiar and consoling... if only she could remember where and why.

Sousconic was the entity of emotions while the other was of thoughts. He was the 'parallel existence' of her, of Triyeal. The entity who had shown Audrey the truth of its children - the Angelic, Demonic and Shadow entity.

Sousconic controlled all emotions, kept it in so that it wouldn't affect Triyeal, the Shadow Beings, and their dimension, but it eventually had to be leaked into the universe. That's why Sousconic annihilated the Wind Phoenexias. Normally it made emotional energy neutral, but the Wind Phoenexias and Demonic creatures would change it again, damaging the fabric of their dimension. Their dimension was made of neutral energy and only that had the power to contain consciousness within it, protecting it from everything. But the emotions were growing exponentially.

The dimension must've been damaged in the past. A little rip allowing rage to enter the dimension before it was absorbed by Sousconic and the emotion slowly created its own mind. Judging by what she saw four stories ago...

That's who Vlad was. The rage of everything in the universe, and over time fear and hatred was collected too. The Demonic entity and Sousconic were the only ones keeping it from destroying everything. The fabric of the dimension has been healed and the entities have returned to the dimension after that big purification, Sousconic still had to make sure of one last thing.

Audrey needed to learn everything to help.