Deteriorating Love, The Final Straw

“Audo,” the name clung to the air like snow clings to the cold earth. 

Jaiho could not understand why, but the further away she had gotten the more it seemed to hurt. Everything which happened to her, regardless of how bad it was, she seemed to choose blaming him for it all. All she needed to do was stay put, but she simply could not fathom such an idea… and in discarding such sentiments she had performed actions which could never be taken back. 

“I don’t understand why you won’t just speak with me. Have we truly grown so far apart?” 

She didn’t even look in his direction. Perhaps in that moment he could attempt to understand something! Anything! But it was all just so far away. Since when has she built such distinctly strong barriers? What had happened to the young girl who was willing to shirk her duties just to pay him a visit? Where had that precious flower gone? The princess he had watched grow from the moment of her birth? All he could see now was a woman who looked as if she’d eyed the end of the world… or perhaps the end of her world… the end of possibilities which had not yet come and gone. The queen. 

“Must you keep this unending silence? You won’t even tell me why you’re upset with me! How are we meant to mend this wound if you refuse to show it?” 

She, in every manner of the word, remained positively stunning. Even with her face barely devoid of all the emotions he had come to know from her. How long since he had seen her smile or heard her laugh? Witnessed that sparkle in her eyes as she gave him her honest and loving company? Or rather, forced that company upon him. How long since he’d heard her voice so casually call his name with such a deep and unending reliance? Now all he could see was her face which refused to look his way, eyes glossed over with the same abnormal yet drawing white he had come to know, but there wasn’t a single sign of emotion. As if it had all been cast away… only resentment remained. 

Her prison, ever the flawless pinnacle of design, was meant for beings unlike herself. She of all people would have to know that because it was her own design. The ‘clear prison’. Meant to be a place to seal ancients and treasures, if ever there were a reason. Only capable of being opened with all elements at work. A shape of any design, see through, perfectly clean and unattainable, meant to depict freedom even while in confines… hers in the shape of a square. Things may pass into the prison but not leave. All elemental actions do not affect its clear barrier, either from the inside or outside, and once something enters it cannot leave until the seal is broken. It was meant for the ancients to all come together in agreeable light to even make it possible to use… All together… All as one... Then it would be placed in a space where the sky was endless, the fields boundless, the sun and moon dancing overhead each day and night. As the winds blew the clouds would travel overhead, and at night the stars would glow with pristine beauty... yet here she was, in what was akin to a dark and lightless dungeon. Small blue flames her only source of light and comfort.

Perhaps that was why the betrayal felt so bitter. 

“Audo, come on. What do I have to do?” Jaiho’s words sounded more desperate. Almost legitimate enough to make her waver, as a shiver raced up her spine. “I don’t understand. After the time we spent together, even if it was so long ago, you’ve come to hate me so much?” 

At first he thought he’d appealed to her in some way. The girl who once fawned over him with every breath she took. Yet that wasn’t the person he was looking at now. The slow turn of her head, the slight dropping of her jaw, the widening of her eyes. This was the way she chose to look at him for the first time in centuries, and it looked awful. As if the very words he chose existed as an insult to wound her, but there was more to it than that. She looked desperately saddened… As if the very through that she’d hate him was enough to shatter her soul. Then, without a word, her expression straightened. Her gaze lowered to the floor with a pronounced stillness… and she turned away again. 

This was the first time she’d looked at her ancient since the day she awoke in that initial prison centuries ago… and the last time she looked his way… 

Retreat, O Violent Mother

The moonlit hills were calm, peaceful, and accompanied by only the softest of breezes. Wind causing subtle and consistent waves across the pampas, yet there was an obscure and ominous silence. Stars lined the sky, the moon glowing with its phase, wind whispering along… and yet not a single creature could be heard. A sign. Or rather an omen. Hunters and survivors alike knew it better than most, whether hunting animals, creatures or men. The sound of silent fear. The silence which accompanied cowardice amid the vastness of a predator’s reach. 

The familiar sound of a radio’s static activating and a voice would start, saying “this is good. The area is empty, no sign of life. This is it. You’ll be handling this with minimal exposure, the surrounding towns are out of range, but taken care of.” 

“Good. Have the nearby support stay on standby. They can deal with scattering debris and cleanup,” her voice responded, echoing within metal. 

“You don’t intend to take their help? It will make things easier…. After all this time—” 

“I won’t be repeating myself,” the subtle metal clinging of her armor accompanied her fingers tightening around the handheld transceiver. “They’ll only get in my way.” 

There was a moment in which no words were shared, but softly approaching footsteps caused her head to turn coupled with the soft sound of sniffing. She knew this person, perhaps better than most, but not entirely personally. She knew her scent enough to know they wouldn’t be an issue, and scent meant more than others could possibly understand for her. It could give away anxieties, fears, malice, intent. So she could tell this woman, with a head of long white hair, wasn’t going to do anything to cause issues. Not when dealing with her, a person who was relentlessly unwilling to put up with her many known jokes and conversational tendencies.

“Everyone is in position, all the things are in place! Just give us the go and we’ll stomp this dumbass back into the dirt where it came from!” It disturbed her how she could be so bubbly about everything, but perhaps that was an endearing trait. 

“I just informed grandmother. I’m handling this myself, so go on standby with the others,” she responded while placing the small radio on her side. 

“You serious? This isn’t meant to be a one man thing, ya know.” 

“Yeah, but I said what I said. Now go before I have to make you. This is a test for me, as well as means to get rid of some stress. If anyone wants to get in my way I’ll gladly just add them to the list of targets.” 

She watched as the woman removed her helmet, a blonde bob cut just below the ears as the item was lowered to her stomach. Black armor made to be as well fitted as possible, clinging to each curve and bend of her body. A tattered cape which looked as if it were meant to be a different color… yet it was unnaturally dark with a dried grime. On either sides of the cape, slumped and dragging behind her from the shoulders with little motion, rested a pair of large, black wings. All it took was a single glare from her red eyes and the lady would shrug her shoulders and begin wandering off. There was no need for words past that. 

She could hear the transceiver activate again as she stared into the face of her helmet. It’s wolf-like maw staring back at her. “You’ve been missing for over a year and when you finally get back the first thing you do is request something like this. Do you ever plan to tell me where you’ve been, Gahbriogyva?” 

There was silence. Then a sigh. Her eyes were tired, worn out with dark circles, but they remained extremely attentive. The red within them didn’t seem to fade or relent in the slightest, and the question itself only made the depth of them increase. Her grandmother would never truly understand the lengths at which she would go for power, the very need for it which she harbored. Power she wanted was something only the most extreme of lives could fathom, and she was willing to do whatever it took for that power. Her trials proved that much, and now she had to test the limits to which it would take her after training her very body and soul to destroy everything in its path. There was only one answer… 

“No.” There was no reservation behind her voice. 

“Well… I won’t pretend I understand what you’re doing, but I said I’d help you when you asked.” She could hear her grandmother’s dissatisfaction. “The target for this outing is simple. Flori can’t track down Recrioriazal, no one can track him down, but he keeps making attempts at terraforming yearly. Crafting new golems, his monstrosities, to stanch the growth of nature and life in various areas… his famine. This one is large scale and can cause a lot of trouble, that’s why we were requested to deal with it during the night while others wouldn’t be capable of seeing it clearly.” 

“Do we know the exact size?” Gabi asked. 

“No, only that it would be visible from several dozen miles away. Even further with the proper equipment, or good focus. It has remained dormant since shortly after its arrival in the area. We only know it's here due to small sightings.” 

“Fine. Now just watch as I handle this properly.” The words almost sounded as if they weren’t her own. But her voice was certainly the source. 

She stepped forward, each footfall echoing with the reminiscent metal impact of her greaves and sabatons. For her it almost faded into the ambience of the casually blowing wind around her, but for those around her there was rarely ever an omen so vile. The wind picked up for a moment, her cape fluttering in the wind and yet her wings continued to drag the ground behind her. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to lift them and more like she couldn’t be bothered. Couldn't bring herself to make that leap just yet... A mix of exhaustion and desperately lacking the emotion to push her typical joy for combat. It had all been expended… but she had only recently returned from her most devastating trial, and it continued to weigh on her soul. 

A deep breath through her nostrils would reveal everything she needed to know. A slight tilt of the head and she would say, “there’s no point in hiding! I can smell the blood of humans and claimants alike on you! Show yourself to me!” To the misinformed it would almost seem like she was merely howling at the night sky, but it was only when the earth rattled and the ground began to quake that her actions made true sense. The very hill to which she had been standing at the precipice crumbling, as from beneath it rose the form of a monstrosity. Anyone who knew of Recrioriazal would almost certainly correlate this creation to him. 

Bones repurposed to craft the columns which supported the foreign strains of earth and mineral which made up the body itself. A mixture of blood and flesh harvested from humans and claimants alike, churned and ground down into the cement which made up its skin and flesh. Lengthy arms stretching out and grasping at the earth before lifting its full mass out of the dirt and stone beneath; revealing a creature of nightmares with a thinner body, although it only looked thin due to its stature. Tall enough to peer over an entire town, fingers like sharpened and serrated meat hooks, feet like bladed hooves. The moist and sickly bile of its creation dripping down to the earth beneath it like a rain of plague water, and everything that very plague touched seemed to wither and die in moments. Yet it was its head which wrought the most unnerving gaze, several large tusks from varying beast and multiple types of interconnected antlers, all attached onto what looked to be a human skull beset with twelves sockets for eyes and a jaw lined with needle-like teeth. Each eye socket glowed with an almost ethereal greenish-brown from within. 

“Uncanny… you see… WE… we see… YOU… you… you call.” It’s head lowered down to the earth beside her. Close enough to show her size, only just large enough to rival a single eye. “You… YOU… you who calls… you who SENSES… breath unto… we… the words…” 

“No words. Only battle. The only language we need is violence.” Her response caused the creature’s throat to rattle. Like a marble dropping down stairs as its head rose back into the air. 

“Anomaly… no fear… no… we… we… we must… induce FEAR… if you do not fear… then you do not live… WE BRING DEATH!” 

Watching on from a distance was both terrifying and inspiring. Humans all fought a specific way, and claimants did the same apart from those very humans… but them? For the monstrosities, creatures and beasts which roamed both the human and claimant realms, there was an entirely different way to engage in combat. For some there was cunning, for others there was skill, but residing above all the flare and bestial finesse tested a single solitary and unmoving factor. Raw, unmitigated power. And there was no display of power quite as perplexing and charming as watching that massive golem of stone and viscera’s clawed appendage rise into the sky only to crash down on the earth below… and yet, even as the ground split and ruptured beneath their feet, Gabi did not bend nor give up the slightest inch of ground. 

Only offering a single phrase in response… “I’ve fought greater horrors than creatures like you”… before retaliating. 

Her hand pressed against its palm, yet she braced and as she did her fingers dug into the very makeup of its flesh. Her other hand rising the grab hold of it before, with a howl which shook the night sky and all darkness within, the others on standby were forced to watch as this golem, this monstrosity wrought by the hands of Recrioriazal himself… was completely lifted off its feet and slammed into the ground as if it were normal. An action threatening to destroy the very body of any normal individual, and yet she had done it and made it look plausible. The shadows themselves seemed to quake, screaming on her glories as her wings finally lifted from the ground. As if to signal that she was prepared to take this seriously… and then she spoke. 

“More… If it is all meant to mean something, I need more.” A twitch shook her body as her head rose. “I will not suffer… I will not be made a child devoid of the praise and acknowledgment I deserve!” Her body shook, her armor rattling as the darkness of the night deepened around them. Her eyes like beacons to the Vortex, or perhaps something more. Like sigils… barred gates… sealed doors glowing from the cracks to a world others could not fathom. “I must have more… I WILL HAVE MORE!” 

A scream, as if desperate for something, howled out over the rumbling earth and wind as the monstrosity lifted itself from the ground, its body crackling and winding with every movement, yet the war-cry did not emerge from it… it was from Gahbriogyva. A freshly painted coat of self induced madness. 

“You… what are… who… are…” 

“Tell me, device of the weak…” Her every word sent a shiver up its spine… but how was that possible for a creature made to bring fear? “You say you were made to induce fear, but I will have you intimately KNOW fear!” 

The fight shifted on a dime. The golems previously sluggish and slow movements changed to that of jagged and almost unnatural sudden darts and rushes. It rose to its feet and began attacking with extreme purpose, as if incited to battle with everything it had as Gabi returned the very same. Its claws tearing the very world around them apart, but it could not manage to land a single meaningful strike on the girl who defended against it all with sparks flying from its claws against her armor. Then, when it seemed the monster might land a clean blow, she did not retreat and rather rushed forward into it. The claws aimed to tear through her ripped from their sockets before being tossed into its stomach. A bubbling bile which rendered nature invalid pouring from its wound to the ground. Famine upon the earth. 

Gabi didn’t even flinch or care for such a thing. She had seen the earth blanketed in rivers of blood and bodies. Streets littered with the skeletal remains of all living things. A world in which all life was made to be stamped out and made into a painting of gore and violence by her own two hands! So why would she stop? Why would she stop when she could raise her wings and dash forward into its chest?  Her feet slamming against its body and knocking it off balance as it attempts to strike her down? Why would I see it’s violence rending hand coming in my direction and not tear it from its socket?! Why would I not use that very same arm as my own weapon?! Slam the slab of meat and earth into its own leg and knock it to the ground! 

I spread my wings and rise into the air as high as they’ll carry me! Looking down at the earth below with my own two eyes, witnessing the trail of ethereal red left behind from my glowing gaze until I can feel the air threatening to leave my lungs! And with that last breath, I will raise my hand to the moon and proclaim to all below that which is truth! That which is law! That which is to be known and remembered! “I am Gahbriogyva! God of Violence!” And as I raise my hand to the moon, I call upon my fated weapon which has tasted the blood of all living things and hungers indecently for more! More blood! MORE FLESH! MORE MADNESS! And in that moment… I will fully remember who I was in that place, but I will not despair… I will call that weapon’s name, my most trustworthy companion, and it will come to my side in a shower of violence from where it belongs… where it rests... 

“…Knochensammler…” 

The white haired woman looked up at the sky, her eyes decidedly choosing to not look to the ground which had been writhing with darkness since shortly after the battle had started. Gabi was not known to use her element in combat at all, but it almost seemed to be involuntarily seeking her out no matter how much she avoided it. Even the sky itself, all the stars within it, had become a black template of darkness… all except for the moon which her eyes stared at with an uneasy dread. It was the last direction she had seen her fly towards before going out of sight, and then the moon itself has slowly begun to glow a harsh red. It fell over them like a summer shower, and yet that shower was no mere metaphor. Rain like blood fell down from the sky and soon everything had been blanketed in that same red glow which had seemed to envelope the moon itself. This was no mere act of flare. It was almost as if everything was attempting to flee her sight as the darkness she rejected longed to reach out and comfort her... but Gahbriogyva was unreachable.

Gahbriogyva, daughter of Gahbreal seeking the highest praise, with her clawed hand raised high to the universe. The feathers upon her wings dripping with the blood of countless lives, seeping through every crack in her armor, yet the gauntlet covering her right hand seemed to hum with pleasure as the blood traced through it’s etchings and design. On the ground below it could be heard, the cry from the sky far above, and yet it was not the same as before. Possibly more monstrous than the creatures own howl, just before the sound of an audible boom echoed across the hills. That was when she finally came into view only for a brief moment. A streak of red tearing through the sky towards the ground, as if the crimson moon were falling down on them itself, yet the blaze of her armor heating up from the sheer friction of the air she passed through was enough to quell such a fear and give way to an even greater fear. 

She didn’t even ordain to slow herself before colliding with the monstrosity below. Its body merely shattering into pieces of both flesh and earth as, like a bolt of pure red violence, she struck down until her clawed gauntlet and feet met the earth… There wasn’t a single care on her mind regarding the land itself, the ground beneath her rupturing and sending fissures scattering in all directions. The impact scattering the darkness she had accumulated and leaving the clear sky and white moon overhead as the red darkness now emanated from cracks and gaping maws left along the area. The ground beneath her very feet a burned patch of dirt and rock as she lifted herself  and stared off at the spectacle she had made of what could once be called a living thing. If anyone could see her face beneath the mask… they would know she still was not pleased. 

And yet, the one who had been most impacted by all of this, was the white haired woman who stood by and watched. Her eyes unable to turn away from this girl she was meant to call a niece, and yet she felt it was not her place. How could she ever attempt to place herself in a position of authority when faced with something like that? All she could do was watch, the accents and edges of her black armor still glowing hot from her descent and yet she did not care to react to what was clearly her own armor burning against her skin, wings outstretched and untouched by light as they dripped with death and decay, the gauntlet on her hand almost seemed as if it were calling for her very own death, but nothing compared to when she looked at her face. The helmet, modeled so closely to the visage of a wolf, and yet all she could see were the red eyes glowing within. It made her feel as if all life were in danger so long as this girl lived. But it was in those very same eyes she was a glimpse of the girl's heart. A taste of the dissatisfaction with the fight she had just finished, if it could even be called a fight.

“Sarafyme?” The radio on her person spoke. “Sarafyme, how is the battle going? Gabi is no longer responding to me.” 

“Oh! Uh, yeah… everything is fine. She already... handled it.” 

“Already handle it? You mean the battle has been finished? I'll be there shortly.” Kikana sounded genuinely confused. 

“Yeah, you'll want to see this. I’ll have to tell you about it later,” the words almost sounded too serious coming from her mouth. “In detail... we may have a big issue.” 

The words echoed through the dark as, between unfurled fingers, a world began to glow dimly. Earth. Home to mortals and claimants alike. It’s spin slow yet tilted on its axis. Lights glowing upon its surface on the side which was shadowed by the dark, and the night gave way to the contrasting day upon its opposing side. Blues, greens, browns, upon closer inspection a countless myriads of colors and vibrance. 

A multitude of planets began to make their way into visible sight, illuminated by the one glowing orb among them. The star which rested at the center, as well as the endless expanse. The unending nothingness of infinity littered its sparkling and twinkling specs of both near and distant light. First Mercury spinning past with its grayed surface, followed by Venus like a molten orb touched by solar heat. Then Earth hovering above the ever present hand. Mars, like a spec of hope, then Jupiter as a large pocket of void dust and gas. Saturn and Uranus, both with their beautiful rings, then Neptune resting in the distant cold. Even Pluto, the far off ball of ice could be seen… then sight reaches out further. 

With each name an entirely new galaxy illuminated and spread forth in the distance. Planet after planet, star after star, all revealing themselves one after the next until the true depiction of a universe had made itself known. 

The eye peering down on the earth as it came closer and closer, nearer and nearer, until even the city streets on the surface had come into sight. Then, close enough to walk among the multitude of people who called the planet home. So unaware, so incapable of truly understanding just how insignificant they were in the grand design of all things. A bird flying by, a cat resting on the fence under the warmth of the sun, a cool breeze passing by as children play on the road. Then, those very same eyes looked towards the sun. Its rays bringing a sense of peace. 

The words were like a high pitched bell ringing in the mind as those inquisitive and adoring eyes watched the earth grow further and further away until it was only a mere dot the size of a marble. Everything once again so small, and in that size was all the greater yet still meant so little. Floating across the expanse, from planet to planet, watching the orbs adrift as swirls of stars called galaxies acted as decorations for the space. It was all so uncanny, and yet it was the Milky Way which was returned to. The one most known. 

His hand reached out, taking hold of the glowing star at the center of the galaxy. The sun between his very fingers attempting to shine through his skin. A bright light illuminating his hand, and yet through it shined and inner array of stars and darkness. The sun rolled up to his thumb, and with that thumb he flicked the sphere across the expanse and watched as it collided with star after star, like the universes made into a game of marbles. With each collision an interstellar explosion; with each explosion a galaxy reduced to nothing more than an all encompassing darkness. The universe he once knew filled with holes in reality attempting to consume all; yet when they collided they merely merged into one almighty force. A pitch darkness absorbing all light, life and even death. None could escape. None could survive and none were spared. 

Like an endless howl. An ever growing devourer of everything, even the nothing. Force beyond force, pull beyond what pull was known to be. Unavoidable, unstoppable. The tug of the end of all things as that universe which was once a vast example of the beauty of life reduced to an Armageddon of the highest grade. And just when its howl became a roar, the light making its rings of reality shimmer, and the eye of nothingness at its center began to form into the dreadful glare of a monstrosity the likes of which had never been seen… his fingers clasped around it and, in a single universe echoing burst, all was darkness. 

Home away from home. Regret upon regret. The more I think the more it gets easier to just wish I couldn’t. To remember. My mind attempts to mature, but my body refuses. I attempt to sate this lonely rage, but it only grows more with every passing moment. Yet time does not exist for me. 

His fingers unfurled once again, and from them shone a bright and endearing sun. Illuminating every planet and causing a chain reaction of stars to shimmer and glow in tandem. That universe, once reduced to oblivion, once again beautiful and vibrant… but it wasn’t beautiful to him. Not anymore…. Not when it only reminded him of what he had lost. Not when it only proved to be a thing filled with countless everlasting regrets. All he wanted was to return home and never see such a thing again, and yet here he was. Home away from home. Because anything within this space would always be a part of him. Always a part of what he his. 

The entire universe rattled and shook with a terrible ache. A swelling eruption of echoing akin to the infinite pull of something unseen yet horrifying. Distinct ringing, the planets speeding up on their paths until all galaxies became spirals of violence. And then… the door opened. 

“Is everything alright in here?” The entering Woxia claimant asked. 

The once endless space now a large finite room with walls and floors of dark lacquered wood and filled with the normal furnishings anyone would require to live comfortably. At its center floated a single existence just above the ground, a young boy wearing an expensive white shirt with black shorts. His smile was nearly infectious, but something about it was missing. The light overhead was just bright enough to keep everything visible, but it seemed as if everything around his immediate person was slightly darker. And his eyes, like two deep blue orbs, resembled the night sky perfectly. 

“Yeah! I was playing a game and broke some of my marbles,” he responded. The attendant looking at the floor to see colored shards of glass littered everywhere. 

“Realms forbid you keep things tidy. I’ll retrieve more to replace the ones you’ve lost. Dinner will be prepared soon as well. Try to behave until then.” 

“Okay!” His response held an even wider smile, but the smile still seemed to be missing something. 

The door shut. Along with closing a heavy mechanical lock could be heard turning and clanking on the opposite side. He was once again confined, but it was the same moment the room was sealed that it became that endless expose once more. A place no one else could rightfully survive in without going made. He did not erase his smile. He allowed it to persist, his short black hair brushing the edges of his ears as he floated freely into the air until he found himself once again floating near the earth. His eyes rested on that planet, like a singularity tugging on his playful attention… or a god looking down on everything below. 

Then he shut his eyes… and upon opening them that same display could be seen once again in both orbs. Black voids bordered with light which could not escape. And in their centers, like omens of a greater will, shone singular stars which peered at every single detail of the planet below. 

His hand rose, fingers clasping around the globe once again. A small marble in his hand as eyes akin to shining black holes peered through the cracks. And with his fingers sealing the planet within everything went dark. Not a sound. Not a whisper. Not even the hum of silence. Merely the vast and endless emptiness of the spaceless. 

“I will return to my mother’s side where I belong, for I am Gravion, child of the stars.” 

Loss In Ice. Love In Fire

There had always been something to be said about the comfort this particular type of cold brought him. When the two of them moved through the building it was as if their very existences were locked in combat. A fight for warmth and chill, but today was considerably different in comparison to the norm. The normally consistent low temperatures which radiated from the walls was livable; possibly comfortable, although he’d personally have no issue in such an environment to begin with. The laughter which filled the halls, rarely honest, acted as a decent change of pace from the more common arguments or insults he could typically expect. Actually, the issue for Shinzo was the company herself. 

He couldn’t help but feel nervous when returning to the room where Haden had been entertaining their guest, but regardless of how much of an issue he knew Cyva could be, he also knew the two had a very long history. It was almost impossible to think that Haden had once been a mentor to her; it certainly made certain traits in her personality more understandable. They both had a particularly crude sense of humor. Both difficult to get along with under the wrong circumstances, both capable of drinking enough to put an entire bar under in a single night. Perhaps those were the primary reasons they got along so well. Haden opened up to her, and Cyva asked things no one else ever had the gall to question. 

“Shinny!” Cyva started as soon as he came into view. Why she had begun to call him that, he’d never understand. “So, how good is the head? I’m curious.” 

“What’s wrong with you?! Don’t ya dare tell her a damned thing!” Haden demanded. 

“Odd. Normally you’d be the type to gloat whenever you get the opportunity,” Shinzo responded as he handed him one of his several flasks. This one was engraved with green swirls on deep blue metal. 

“The lass don’t need to know shite about my personal life!” Haden responded while taking a drink. “What goes on in our bed stays there… and what did ya put in this? It tastes like grass!” 

“It’s called tea.” Shinzo smiled as he drank his own from a small glass. 

“Your tea tastes like feckin dirt. If I drink tea it’ll be me own, thank ya very much.” The way he tossed the flask onto the coffee table displayed his dissatisfaction fully, but the accuracy at which he reached into the sofa cushions and retrieved another was almost impressive… almost. Full silver with a little cartoon shark sticker on its side. 

“Why did you send him to get a drink for you if you had one right there?” Cyva asked with a raised brow. 

“Why are you in me business? I don’t gotta tell ya nothin, I just wanted t’see if he’d do it,” the words were followed by him drinking from his newly retrieved flask and laying his head on the swordsman’s lap. “Cute little samurai.” 

“Little?” Shinzo responded. Haden looked angrier than he was, but the almost immediate wave of flash cold was negated by his own heat. The ice claimant huffed, but didn’t go any further than that. 

Cyva chuckled. “Well, you’re in a particularly good mood, teacher.” 

“I’m not your teacher anymore. I never was your teacher. More like a mentor, helpin ya get those little toes wet when dealin with the wee mice and trash. There’s more than enough bullshite to deal with, and other claimants make me want to blow their brains out when they think they can do whatever they damn well feckin please.” He took another sip from his flask before finishing with, “the crap pisses me off.” 

Haden was well known for being quick to anger. Shinzo knew that possibly better than anyone else ever could, having been the target for that anger longer than most could brag, although the reason why he was that way had been rather unknown. Yet nothing he had chosen to say was unreasonable. Of all the claimants anyone could ask he’d be the optimal choice if you wanted an opinion which was unbiased. Shinzo looked down at him, as small as he is, and all he could think about was how this unreserved ball of ice had once been human. Had once lived in what he had personally described to him being a “shitty little house falling apart in the middle of nowhere”. A place where it apparently snowed a lot and was consistently cold, but they had to live relatively close to the ocean for the sake of his father’s work. The fact that he remembered it so clearly after all this time showed dedication he had once thought the Widweim incapable of. 

He never brought up the time period, how long ago it was or how long he’d been a claimant, not even their names or any finer details. All he ever described it as was cold. But he always made every moment seem far warmer than it clearly was. His mother who was an avid drunk, but loved tea. His father who worked more than he slept, but never failed to smile. Small details regarding the conditions, such as the creaking of the house itself and rattling of the windows, were the only details which gave rise to just how poor his family living conditions were. Perhaps that was also why he never complained about the types of food he ate or the quantity of things outside of essentials. He almost seemed reluctant to take anything at all outside of mementos and small gifts. He enjoyed smaller living spaces and kept to only so many rooms even in a larger home… it almost made him question why Haden acted the way he did, or what caused him to become so resentful. 

Even so, there were certain questions to be avoided with him. Things which made his eyes twitch, brow furrow, or lips purse. One of those questions, courtesy of Cyva, “tell me something Haden. Is that why you hate Daenu?” 

“Whoever said I hate her?” His response was casual, but bothered. 

“Are you saying you don’t hate Daenu?” Shinzo asked with a playful smile. “Because I’ve seen you talk to that ancient on multiple occasions and you never have anything nice to say. You don’t even show any signs of respect.” 

“Right?” Cyva agreed. 

“Oh, well forgive me! Sorry for not bowing my damn head and kissin the ground the lass strides on!” Haden spoke as he lifted his head from the fire claimant’s lap and sat up. “The respect crap ain’t somethin Daenu deserves from me. She should know damn well why.” 

“Why? If I recall, your situation was similar to mine. You were once human, but became a claimant in a rather desperate situation.” Cyva wasn’t wrong, but she wasn’t right either. 

“Don’t make comparisons ya don’t understand. It ain’t the same thing, and I don’t feel like talkin about it.” 

“Come on, you can tell me. You rarely tell me anything about yourself but you know almost everything about me. Just give me hints! I can work with hints!” Cyva badgered him. 

Haden’s face twisted in a short lived disgust as he lifted the flask to his lips and turned his face towards Shinzo. It was… uncanny, to say the very least. The way his yellow eyes stared at him as if expecting something. What he had been expecting from him, no one could possibly know, but the Rhihon swordsman reacted in a way befitting them. A shrug of the shoulders. The action itself seemed to displease the short mobster, but only enough to make him turn away while continuing to drink. It wasn’t as bad as it could have been, but that was a good thing. Getting him to share had always been difficult, but Cyva had an odd way of dropping the guards of others and opening people up just by being around. If there was a possibility to learn more about him, Shinzo would take it. 

The first and foremost change was watching him lean forward and place the unfinished flask onto the table with the other. The sound of sloshing liquid inside meant it hadn’t been finished, which was too uncommon. It meant he wasn’t done but he also didn’t want to finish. He reached his hand out towards Cyva as if expecting something from her, but she had no idea what he wanted. It was only when he motioned his fingers towards his mouth that she reached into her own jacket and tossed him a pack of cigarettes. Another uncanny action. His mother was described as the drinker; his father was the smoker, and only when he wanted to clear his head, and Haden had picked up on the same habit for the same reason. Shinzo watched as he opened the pack, slightly over half empty, and took one for himself before tossing the little box back to Cyva. He placed the single cigarette between his lips and turned his head towards him. At least that meant Haden wasn’t entirely mad at him, for whatever reason he could have been, but it did mean his hair might end up smelling like smoke. Even so, he placed his hand on Haden’s cheek. Fingers sliding to his chin to raise his head just enough to blow the tiniest bit of flame between the two and ignite the stick of tobacco. Cyva couldn’t help but notice how smug Haden looked as he retuned to his normal sitting position, meanwhile Shinzo looked entirely confused as to why. Even so, it didn’t take long before Haden started. 

“Daenu… is like a mother of sorts. I’d call her a mother, but the issue with that is I know what a real mother is. I know what they act like, even if I only had a short while to experience it. The major difference between our situations, lass, is that Jaiho approached ya after he saw what you were capable of. You survived a bit o chaos and he noticed. That’s when he took ya in. Meanwhile, I wasn’t survivin shite. I had just lost everything and was in the process of runnin away. Acceptin me fate. That’s when Daenu showed up.” 

“But wouldn’t that be a good thing?” Cyva asked. 

“Perhaps, under the right circumstances, but this is Daenu he’s talking about,” Shinzo said. “It couldn’t be that easy.” 

“Aye, and it wasn’t.” He looked at the tip of the cigarette as it slowly burned. “As a human, I was five when I became a claimant. I lost everything to the cold, came to hate it outright, but now I’m an ice claimant of all things. Controllin the very thing which killed off my parents, but ain’t it funny to think that I still get cold? No matter where I go, it can’t kill me, but I’m always feelin it. Forever.” 

“I had always thought it was odd that you enjoy the heat as much as you do. You never shiver or anything like that. So it’s not just some weird kink?” Shinzo asked playfully, Haden looked as if he had something to say… but instead held his tongue. 

“Eventually there’s no point in shiverin. It was reactionary, but if there ain’t any harm then there ain’t any purpose to it. But that don’t matter. What does matter is that I remember very clearly becomin a claimant. I remember thinkin things were gonna be better, easier, that I’d have a place to forget everything I’d lost… then I was forced to lose even more. Placed in a house of paraplegics and left to survive. Survivin was the first thing I had t’learn, and when bodily functions are lost it’s somethin ya learn fast or suffer. And I was done sufferin. It was only when I got older I started realizin just what I’d lost.” 

Shinzo looked at Haden with relative calmness. “But you are a claimant. What you lost, overall, isn’t truly required to accomplish its purpose.” 

“It’s not about that,” he was surprised to find Cyva being the one to respond. “Perhaps it’s because I too was human, but the severity cannot be undermined. With both his mother and father gone, that leaves him as the sole person capable of carrying on his family's name. To a human, that type of loss is rather severe. Especially when you’re the last of a family.” 

“Imagine! Somehow survivin absolute shite only to end up gainin very little and losin more. Ain’t it just the worst type of feckin joke? But I suppose I can’t be too angry.” Haden paused as he leaned his head back and looked at the trail of smoke. “Mum and pops wanted me to live; to survive. Gave their lives for it. I can’t bring myself to hate Daenu, but I don’t like her either.” 

Shinzo had to admit, for once, that Haden was somehow a much more complicated person than he ever let on. Secrets aside, there had always been this oddly abstract way he always chose to find his peace in drowning out every problem he faced with alcohol, much like it seemed his own mother drowned out the cold with the very same. But perhaps he knew why there never seemed to be enough alcohol to accomplish that. It almost made him feel like the gunner would be better off using cigarettes instead with how calm he was now, but that was only going to last him so long. The way he described everything made it seem like survival was all he cared about while growing up, and knowing the way he treated the other members of his house it made sense. He was one of the few Widweim claimants who prioritized ensuring their survival outside of their own realm, even if the sheer incompetence pissed him off regularly. 

Like an elder brother watching out for his siblings, but there was only ever so much he could do. And considering how he had managed to solidify himself as one of the best controllers of their own icy element, he rarely had the time to be away from work and duties to tend to everyone and everything. The only person he’d ever shown himself to wholeheartedly trust had ever only been Misnia, but he almost never had the time or chances to visit them. Only ever growing more agitated, seeing everything Daenu asks him to do as an insult, and on top of that he had been prohibited from using his element for combat unless given permission. And on top of that it seemed as if she never cared for his council or opinion on any form of important matters. All in all, it truly seemed as if he had lost more and gained mostly nothing but life, if he even really viewed it that way. And in that regard perhaps it was best he remained a drunk and never had the opportunity to form clearer thoughts and make emotional judgment calls.

Still, as Cyva continued asking more question and made several attempts to change the subject now that she had gotten the answers she wanted, Shinzo couldn’t help but notice how complacent Haden was. The cigarette now extinguished, his flask back in his hands and his head resting on his shoulder. It was painfully obvious, but without the proper knowledge it wouldn’t even be perceivable. That substantial warmth which made him content, if only for fleeting moments. Relaxing in his heat like a cat basking near a flame. Perhaps that, as simplistic as it was, acting as a form of peace for the cold claimant  

“If my hair smell like smoke, you’re washing it.” 

“Wash these balls, bitch. I’ll cut it off and make ya look like a feckin monk, sword boy.” 

“Please tell me you ain’t serious?” Gahbreal’s response seemed disgusted. Almost terrified, yet leaning much further towards unease. It made the ancient chuckle slightly. 

“What? Are you saying you can’t handle this?” Florita was clearly having her own form of fun, much to the distaste of the aikekunai. His darkness seemed to surge in response. Almost as if his pitch dark shadow twitched and pulsated, but it slowed and calmed with a satisfactory ease. Much to the credit of the nearby Novevu. Almost as if it had a mind of its own. 

He sighed, placed a cigarette between his lips, and lit it quickly before responding. “I owe you too much to refuse. Or at least I’d like to say that, but I only really owe daddy death.” 

“Don’t call me that,” Novevu retorted almost immediately. 

“Please, you know I ain’t mean any disrespect. Besides the lack of formalities, I’m assuming this is personal business? Otherwise there’d be some spectacle to all this.” 

“You have a good nose,” Florita started. “Xainayne already made sure to tell me you would be upset having to work on your off day, but this can’t wait. I need you to go deal with a specific claimant of mine before he does something particularly overboard.” 

“And there’s a reason you still haven’t just done away with him?” Gahbreal asked knowing the answer already. It made the ancient roll her eyes. 

“You know as well as we do that finding him is more difficult than finding a hair in the universe. Especially if he commits to hiding.” Novevu crossed his arms as he pried for Gahbreal’s attention. The executioner’s brow furrowed, his eyes focused. “You have full authority to kill him if you spot him. But don’t think it will be easy.” 

“Is there a reason for so much caution? I ain’t gonna fail,” he stated with a confident smirk. 

“Yes, there is.” Florita began her answer as she pinched the bridge of her nose. “On one hand we all know you’re capable. You’ve proven that over multiple lifetimes, but we all know your lives are fickle and secretive. They hold back a lot of their knowledge from you and only really pass on combat experience, and not all of that even. They expect you to be better, yet they only offer you so many tools. But now it's not a luxury they have, and I’m certain they’re listening right now.” 

“Certain?” Gahbreal’s brow rose, but Novevu was just as privy to see what he did not. 

“Surely you’ve noticed it. The eyes staring at us from your own shadow.” His he’d tilted slightly, his shadow just as it had always been, yet within it several sets of red eyes peered outward like demons in the dark. Wolves beneath midnight canopies. But they did not look at him. Every eye was locked onto Florita, and one was incredibly hostile. “They will surely give you the information you need when you're given the name of the particular troublemaker you’ll be dealing with.” 

“Troublemaker? More like a realm-breaching terrorist.” Novevu commented following her lax description. 

“My lives know this person? Well, it’s good to know I've been under threat of some claimant terrorist without my knowledge. I can only assume they’ve made an enemy of him at some point.” 

“More than know them. A handful of them have clashed with him in the past, but those lives have only been capable of finding him once. His name is Jhen’ento Fovey, and under the proper conditions he could have easily become a champion… but those stars simply did not align.” Florita looked disappointed, but Gahbreal looked disturbed. 

The very name alone made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. A shiver that did not run down his spine, but across his very soul. Something engraved into his very being, and it was in that very moment his mind was also flooded with an explicit play-by-play of every encounter. Every time he’d been slashed, cut or stabbed. The process of removing the various poisons. The several instances in which he’d had to remove blades which had been stabbed into his body and broken off. He wasn’t pleased to admit it, but he wanted to vomit in his mouth. Almost every single one of his lives had experienced a run in with this claimant, and his first had the longest history. Almost like a grudge that could never be quelled. 

“By Extius’ will! Are you both fucking serious?!” He could tell by the looks on their faces that there were no jokes. “Why does he have so many different types of poison which work on claimants?” 

“That’s why we’d like it if you could deal with him this time around. He has no doubt been making more poisons,” Florita urged him. But he was now more livid than before. 

“If I couldn’t before, what makes you think I can do that now? It took until now for me to learn I had someone like this lurking in the shadows around me? A problem is an understatement. I’m more concerned that he hasn’t chosen to attack me yet.” 

The more time passed the clearer his image became in his mind. A grudge, a hatred, a constantly overfilling glass of liquid muck. This wasn’t just any normal claimant. This was someone even his past lives regarded as a legitimate threat, and the more which was revealed, the more it became logical. A run of the mill claimant who didn’t have much in the ways of raw power, but what he lacked in power he made up for with ruthlessness. There were no tactics or methods beneath him, he fought in a manner so unorthodox that it was difficult to call it fighting at all, an unrelenting struggle to survive made manifest. Calling him a Fovey barely even made sense and yet that was exactly what he was. But there was still something which hadn’t been revealed. 

He sighed. Careful consideration aside, he had very little choice. There was no refusing in situations like this. Not while he knew he could find him. “Fine, but I won’t make any promises I’m not certain I can keep. And I assume I’m free to choose my own methods?” 

“Of course. It would be easier to kill him, but as always the Prism remains an option if you deem that proper.” Florita almost sounded sure he wouldn’t be capable of incapacitating him. 

“I’ll consider it, depending on the situation.” Gahbreal responded, but his mind was made up. “I’ll be off.” 

His normal method of long distance traversal, through seams in both darkness and the void, found him now standing not at his home to prepare… rather he was now in a rather secluded location. The looming midnight moon only served to deepen the shadows surrounding him from the trees, but there wasn’t a single creature willing to utter a sounds outside of the chirping crickets. This place was familiar, but unfamiliar to him. It had only come to him recently by way of a memory; particularly one from a past life. He was urged to come here, to meet this distinct ambience where light played very little part, and it was here his shadow began to surge. 

The unease accompanied by the wolves which stepped from the darkness originating from his feet. Each like specters, shadows of shadows, circling him as if stalking prey. Familiarity, recognition, distinct revelations just from seeing them. Then they all stopped at once. Some seeming more feral than others, while one stood tall as the rest sat casually. Its eyes like red portals into a world of dissident chaos peering directly at him. Gahbreal’s heart raced yet his eyes did not turn away or even blink. It felt as if the slightest sign of weakness would have him torn to shreds, and then the unbearable weight and pressure of this congregation came full circle. They were no longer looking at him. All eyes were now trained on that one dark wolf whose eyes tugged at the very fibers which represented his being. 

“You’re resilient,” the words were spoken yet the creature’s mouth never moved. “I remember one of your past lives crumbling under the pressure of meeting with me. Yet here you stand, tall and unfazed.” 

“I wouldn’t say unfazed. I’m actually quite anxious.” Gahbreal responded, to which the wolf laughed ever so slightly. 

“Well, I suppose I will take those words back then. I planned to leave you to your own devices, but I suppose this is an unavoidable situation now. Jhen’ento represents something we cannot allow, and he knows it. Do not place his death above your own life. He is a monstrosity, plain and simple.” 

Gahbreal’s brow furrowed. He had seen what his lives had chosen to relinquish, but was this why they didn’t show him everything? Were they still being stingy with information? “You don’t think I can handle him?” 

“It is possible, but you are not ready.” The very words served as a means to destroy his moral. “When I fought Jhen’ento for the first time he was nothing more than a coward… or so I thought. Something changed over time. He grew more irate. His little disagreements became roiling irritants, opinions becoming irrationalities, and eventually his calmness had all but become a weapon.” 

“Calmness as a weapon… I’ve never heard such a thing,” Gahbreal added, but that was when the wolf sat. It’s head leaning to the side. 

“Tell me, young blood. Do you know what makes for the most dangerous opponents?” 

The question itself was rather strange. They both shared the same mother, both shared the same experience with learning, so it would only be obvious that they both knew the same answer. Or at least that was how it was meant to be. A part of being Gahbreal meant understanding the dangers of executing claimants of all types. From all backgrounds and all varying strengths. But there was only one which could be classified as the most dangerous. “The ones which are weakest.” 

“Correct. The weakest prey often tend to be willing to go the furthest when fighting. Your answer is valid, but it is incorrect.” 

He did not expect a reply like this, but that only meant they knew something he did not. Something which may have very well been the primary thing they had been hiding from him about this claimant. He watched as the wolf rose back up to it’s feet, but it did not stop there. The shadow became darkness, the darkness taking form and rising until standing tall. Each step closer more weighty than the last and accompanied the the echoed clinking of armor. Face to face, eye to eye, all he could see was his own expression and yet there was so much more force behind it. An imposing visage of himself, yet on a completely different spectrum of ruthlessness. 

“Then what would be your answer?” The question was met with narrowing eyes. As if that weren’t what they had wanted, but they did not back away. 

“The most dangerous ones are the ones which are most afraid.” The answer made very little sense, but each following word clarified the meaning. “Only the most accomplished and proper warriors understand the meaning of fear in battle. A weak opponent is one thing, fighting even though they know their chances of victory are almost nonexistent, but a fearful opponent cannot be mistaken as merely weak.” 

Gahbreal’s eyes widened. Considering the words used and the way it had been spoken. “He’s stronger than us?” 

“No, but he has been alive long enough to outlive me. He has too much experience, but he fights as if he needs to be afraid. A fearful fighter will do literally anything to survive, and if they cannot survive they will make sure you do not survive either. He isn’t the type to overpower anyone, but he would not hesitate to strike down others with the most vile and honor-lacking means available. He takes victories the moment they show themselves, and he is willing to utilize all underhanded tactics… I do not know what drove him to be like this, but I am certain he has not changed.” 

“How can you be so certain?” The question was met with one of the wolves approaching. It looked as if it didn’t want to say anything, but its eyes held an unmatchable hatred behind them. “You are the life before mine.” 

“Yes. And I ran into him once while investigating certain claimants.” That implication alone was enough to cause unease. “I don’t know why he was there, nothing was even happening in the area, but the moment our gazes met he launched himself at me in the middle of a crowd. He killed both humans and claimants if they were close enough to the fight, used their bodies as weapons or cover, did not care for the surroundings or even the people. I had Jayhe evacuate the area and deal with the intricate things, but the fight itself lasted for hours. I’m certain he’d kill an entire city just to escape death or take a life.” 

“That’s madness…” the very utterance of the words made him realize what was truly going on here. 

“Now you understand,” his visage cloaked in darkness responded. “Your opponent is anxious, fearful and quick to violence. He hates you in particular for reason we have yet to truly understand. You can't hesitate when you find him.” 

“Noted. Is there anything else I should be worried about?” The question almost seemed as if it would get no answer, all the wolves converging on his shadow and returning to the darkness within, but once he was left standing on his own a single pair of red eyes stared back out at him. This was likely the first and only time he’d ever get any insight from his lives, which made this serious enough, but he wouldn’t dare to take a single word for granted. Perhaps that was why Gahbreal took the warning to heart. The final words of advice his lives had to offer him. 

“If there are any creatures nearby, kill them. They will all be his thralls. And when you must fight, never do so in a forested area. As dangerous as he is in a city… he is even worse when surrounded by nature.” 

“Perhaps it would have been best to warn him further?” Novevu asked Florita. Although the ancient of nature didn’t seem particularly bothered by the idea. 

“You’re not wrong, but this is Gahbreal we’re talking about. If he doesn’t know then I won’t be the one to interfere with what his lives choose to reveal to him.” 

“Even that boy has his plans, I suppose. Yet I find myself worried about the amount of chaos which may be caused. Because of all this.” 

Florita smiled. A phrase came to mind which was all to familiar. “Well, you know how the saying goes. No matter how he seems, he’ll always end with Gahbreal. He will discover soon enough that Jhen’ento represents something more sinister to him than anyone else. More than just some rival. An entire nemesis, just for him.” 

- 

Gahbreal stopped just as he reached the tree-line, his eyes peering out across the lower hills to the villa which rested below. Something about the entire situation left him feeling on edge. It wasn’t that he was nervous; rather it seemed as if he had been in this very situation before. Stalking this very same prey from a distance very much like this. Perhaps it was that very feeling which caused him to lower himself casually. The shadows and darkness around him acting to obscure his position even more than the natural lack of light, but his eyes remained trained on the building. 

There was so much movement it was difficult to really tell who was who. Florita did not give any description whatsoever, and most of what his lives had revealed to him did very little to make a clear image. Most of it was along the lines of action frames just before weapon collisions and blurred flashes darting around corners and through trees. By his idea remained the same. Watch, identify, and strike before the chance presented itself for his target to prepare. The eerie silence matched what he had suspected from his past lives, as if every living creature in the vicinity had chosen to hide itself away. The silence of a nearby apex in nature. It was then, however, that he spotted it. An entirely different issue in its own right wandering out into the open and nearly falling on her face. Each step like a struggle to stay upright, yet graceful in its own clumsy way. Florita’s information was surely sound and could be trusted, but apparently the informant she chose to rely on was not as good as he had hoped… Especially not while he was watching Vhelvictorra make an unexpected appearance. 

He could only barely make out what she was saying. “The bodies are ready, so I’m ready to go home. I don’t know why he couldn’t do this alone.” 

“It’s simple. Recrioriazal has been focused almost entirely on preparations for the future. He rarely ever comes up to the surface,” one of the passing workers answered to which she groaned as a response. 

“Ugh, this is so boring,” she whined as she sat on the ground. “It smells like corpse rot… and dirt... I miss the water” 

Gahbreal couldn’t help but feel slightly overwhelmed. Sure this was a tense situation from the start, but War was an entirely different situation. If he had to fight her she’d cause a substantial amount of damage to the surrounding land itself. If she started to throw a tantrum the range of that destruction could increase fivefold. The only form of grace now was a lack of nearby water, but it wouldn’t take long at all for her to gather it from her surroundings. All he could do from this distance was read the lips of everyone from a distance, and so far it only seemed like she was there to oversee something involving Famine. Most likely his grotesque golems. He had always wondered how he had so much material for them.

“The smell of dirt is the worst! It takes forever to get it out of your clothes!” He noticed her respond, but could not see whoever it was she had begun speaking with. “That’s easy for you to say.” Once again, a response to someone he couldn’t see. Now he’d have to focus. Zero in on them and attune his ears to hear at such a distance. At moments like this he was thankful to his mother.

A moment of peace. 

A moment of calm. 

Silence… 

“It’s good to get accustomed to a variety of environments. It helps to prepare you for a lot of different situation.” This voice he knew. 

“You’re only saying that because you’re a coward!” Vhelvictorra responded with a huff. 

The following laugh was too cheerful. “Don’t be rude. I wouldn’t say I’m a coward at all. I just like to avoid the avoidable.” 

“That’s just fancy talk for running away when you can. You’re not gonna fool me, Scryer.” That was a name he had not heard before. Or perhaps a title? But who’d give him such a thing? 

“Don’t be so hostile. When you say my name like that, it puts me on edge. When I’m on edge I get nervous, when I’m nervous I become timid, and when I’m timid I become volatile.” 

He could just barely hear the footsteps, but that was enough to draw his attention. Watching closely as, from within one of the doorways, he had finally revealed himself. A male of rather common build with a common height. His clothing was fancier than anyone else’s present. Dark robes which kept his hands concealed and covered his body entirely, except for the head. His umber face accentuated by almost bioluminescent green eyes; his hair a mane of messy black strands curling in multiple directions. A smile laced with venom, as if poison dripped from his every word… This was no doubt Jhen’ento Fovey. He could tell just from a glance. 

The aikekunai was entirely focused. Prepared to bide his time as he situated himself to prepare for a proper strike. All it would take, in the darkness of the night, would be launching a concentrated mass of darkness at his target to fell him for good… and yet a sudden caw snatched his attention. His red eyes darting to the branches of a nearby tree where he spotted an oddly placed crow among the leaves; its eyes were glued to him, an almost distinct green hue, and Gahbreal didn’t waste a single moment. Tendrils of darkness lashing out and enveloping the creature before smothering it entirely, followed by the visceral crunch of bone and yet his reaction was lacking. He was slow, too focused on his target to make such a mistake. A mistake which couldn’t be taken back and wouldn’t go without cost. His attention flew back to below, the conversation having ended and his ears unattended; leaving him out of the loop… but something was wrong. Jhen’ento was standing uncomfortably still, and then he saw Vhelvictorra’s lips move. Words he could easily decipher. 

“What’s wrong?” 

He watched steadily as Jhen’ento lifted his fingers to his lips and, with a single deep breath, released a whistle he could hear clearly even from where he was hidden. In his mind all of his instincts were screaming at him to move, to act, but then he realized it wasn’t just his mind. This wasn’t his thoughts racing into overdrive, it was his own lives commanding him to press forward. 

His hesitation a crutch his soul raged against, the sight of several crows descending on the Fovey’s position and landing on his outstretched arms… with one spot particularly left empty. A moment of silence… a shiver up his spine… an immediate rise to his feet as he readied himself for confrontation. He knew his current position wasn’t going to do him well in a fight based on what his lives had told him, but he also had to collect himself and decide on a means to attack… 

The crows scattered, but did not stop. Their retreat almost instinctive and yet he could also feel the hairs on his neck stand on end. What amounted to a single moment felt like ages, his lives demanding he fight without restraint and yet he didn’t know if that was the proper decision to make. A possible fight with Vhelvictorra and him was hard to imagine returning from unscathed… but since when did he start caring so much for his own personal safety? Perhaps that was why he was so hesitant, but hesitation always led the path to mistakes for a claimant doing his work. Maybe that was why his axe found its way to his hand without needing to be called, and why his foot moved forward as if preparing to engage regardless of his hesitation... or perhaps it was just him getting closer to Gahbreal.

Either way, avoiding a fight would not and could not happen. So many thoughts in such a short time, Jhen’ento was no doubt feeling the same anxiety. But in contrast to his own solidified conviction, there was something entirely different below. The nature claimant’s neck twisting on a dime… and his green eyes stared directly at him. 

“You can’t be serious?” The words almost sounded playful yet his expression proved them to be otherwise. Jhen’ento was clearly displeased. 

“Don’t make this any more difficult than it has to be. Just do what I’ve asked you to do, and try not to complain.” The voice was deep, like the pits of the earth, a voice only Recrioriazal could own. “I’d ask someone else to do it, but… incompetence riddles these walls.” 

“What do you expect from the courtesy of shambling corpses?” Jhen’ento responded as he nudged the golem walking at his side. Its stone expression accompanied by a guttural growl. 

“Don’t agitate them. Your history of causing conflict among them makes my creations nervous, and irate.” 

As they came to a halt their surroundings caused an unstoppable shiver to trickle down his spine. The walls stained with thick splatters of crimson and black. The dried rust of blood in the furthest corners as present golems processed the myriad corpses which would serve for the catalyst of their very brethren. There was no room in this place Jhen’ento enjoyed more, going by the name of the Creation Hall. And while his primary job was to focus on the whereabouts and positions of the golems which had been sent out into the world to collect and sow fear, it was a more important duty when he found himself requested to join Recrioriazal in this very room. A spectator and a valued opinion. 

“So then, now that we’re both here, what might it be that you want to know from me?” The words made Famine sigh. 

“At least try to be serious. Your very nature makes you a powerful source of inspiration; so I desire your opinion on my latest batch.” This was what he expected, but he still needed details. Details Recrioriazal was quick to give. “A focus on remaining hidden, with the ability to deal fatal blows if the need arises. Primarily with the hands.” 

“I see. Then darker minerals will surely do the trick, although earthen ones would be better if you plan to have them move around during the day. Make parts like the arms and legs as thin as possible to make hiding easier, but leave ample space for the essential innards to dwell. The chest if possible, it's easier to defend. Then there’s the hands you want to deal damage… hmm…” 

His expression almost seemed to fade to something darker. His left hand rising forward to meet his right; the long, dark sleeve pulled back to reveal an arm which then twitched and undulated wildly. The bone from within coiling out and wrapping around the flesh. Blackening, hardening and separating as if to mimic the same design of vertebra with a hollowed center where the flesh could be housed. The flesh itself stretched and thinned until it formed links between the bone’s hollowed segments, and the fingers stretched and thinned into fine hooks with thick serrations before falling to the floor. Then, slowly but surely, the hand slid back to him as the stretched and taut flesh between the vertebrae like exoskeleton were forced to condense. The arm now like a freely moving spine, each column of bone spiked and jagged; each finger at the end of its hand like the talon of a horror-beast. It wasn’t the type of creation anyone could just think to make. A tool for violence as well as utility, yet part of a whole which could only be imagined at this point. Recrioriazal could only look at this appendage and wonder what types of thoughts accosted his mind as the blueprint for such a thing was crafted, but then he only needed to remind himself of the facts. This is Jhen’ento, the furthest Fovey from nature, and he excelled at becoming the unnatural. In fact, as a shapeshifter, he could only become the unnatural. 

“This should do,” Jhen’ento started as he flung the arm outward and watched as the vertebra separated and the flesh within stretch across the room. “This should certainly do. Proper utility, proper functionality, proper capability.” 

“Truly a marvel. You do have an eye for the horrors of the unknown.” Recrioriazal spoke as he worked to mimic the arm himself with a golem. 

“Well, all it takes is realizing a few spare truths… Particularly that the unknown is always horrifying. The things we often do not know or understand are the very things we choose to fear. whether someone shooses to run away or stand and fight, no matter how hard they ordain to deny it, is all fueled by fear.” 

The words themselves seemed simple enough, but having them come from Jhen’ento always made second thoughts arise. Still, there was no use dwelling on it. There was still work to be done. And Recrioriazal still needed him to do one more thing. “I will begin making several with this design. Meanwhile I require your aid elsewhere as well.” 

“Again?” The question was valid for several reasons. 

“Yes. An ally of an ally has managed to get me some rather fine material. The bodies of claimants are hard to come by en masse, but I need you to acquire a shipment for me. The golems can’t accomplish this on their own since it will be a public place. Secluded, but public.” He responded clearly as he made a perfect replica of the arm. 

“And I assume this is something you can’t trust to our resident war,” he asked as he rolled the sleeve back down which covered his arm fully. The sleeves themselves ended just at the knees. 

“She’ll be accompanying you. This will accomplish twofold. Having you meet with this ally, as well as solidify yourself as someone who can be trusted to handle my precious cargo.” 

“How wonderful,” the sarcasm was fully on display as he pointed towards the golem’s middle finger. 

Recrioriazal snapped it off with a flick of his hand and, with a casual motion, handed the item to the Fovey. He eyed it carefully, checking for the slightest discrepancy before locking his eyes onto a particular spot and revealing his teeth. The bones of his jaw cracked and snapped, the skin of his mouth hardening like stone as his lips stretched back to his cheeks and formed themselves into the shape of jagged blades. The teeth within mimicked the same vile pattern as his tongue snaked out and coiled around the serrated finger. It immediately dug into his flesh, but the blood which poured out was just as unnatural as to be expected. A green substance which leaked into every possible crevice of the finger before he handed it back to Recrioriazal. 

Naturally, Famine did not ordain to touch such a thing and merely utilized his element to have it hover in the air. His fist clenched and the stone compressed. What was once more akin to a talon now like a curved needle with that same serrated edge. It glowed a vibrant green, luminescent and ethereal. “What did you do?” 

“Just a touch of unnatural blood. Make sure that golem doesn’t go around touching importing people with that.” He responded almost too casually as his mouth returned to normal. “My blood can be special, when I want it to be. Call it my special venom.” 

“The bodies are ready, so I’m ready to go home. I don’t know why he couldn’t do this alone.” Vhelvictorra complained as she watched the humans moving boxes back and forth. If only they knew those containers were filled with corpses. 

“It’s simple. Recrioriazal has been focused almost entirely on preparations for the future. He rarely ever comes up to the surface,” one of the passing workers responded. 

“Ugh, this is so boring,” she whined as she sat on the ground. “It smells like corpse rot… and dirt… I miss the water.” 

“Come on, first doesn’t smell that bad. It all depends on who cares for it,” Jhen’ento said as he leaned against the doorway. “Well maintained dirt makes flowers flourish. And I know you like pretty flowers, War Princess.” 

“The smell of dirt is the worst! It takes forever to get it out of your clothes!” 

“You’re being too harsh, but I suppose I understand. Not like it’s a good thing to be dirty. Then again, that all depends on how well you avoid getting that nasty dirt on yourself.” His response made her scowl. 

“That’s easy for you to say,” she huffed. Clearly upset with his practical way of thinking. 

“It’s good to get accustomed to a variety of environments. It helps to prepare you for a lot of different situation.” Jhen’ento responded. 

“You’re only saying that because you’re a coward!” Vhelvictorra retorted with another huff. 

He laughed almost as if he were enjoying the conversation too much. “Don’t be rude. I wouldn’t say I’m a coward at all. I just like to avoid the avoidable.” 

“That’s just fancy talk for running away when you can. You’re not gonna fool me, Scryer.” The title reminded him of the part for a moment. It brought a subtle smirk to his features. 

“Don’t be so hostile. When you say my name like that, it puts me on edge. When I’m on edge I get nervous, when I’m nervous I become timid, and when I’m timid I become volatile.” 

He stepped out of the doorway and towards Vhelvictorra. To others it might have seemed as if he were attempting to threaten her, but to the two of them he was merely being both observant and friendly. There were few claimants alive who could understand the way Jhen’ento moved. He rarely ever challenged anyone and when he did there was almost always no other option. His steps made it seem as if he were stalling prey, no matter who he interacted with. He always seemed hostile, but he was merely being cautious. Prepared. As much as she trusted him, she knew he would never trust her the same way. His history alone made that obvious, but she still wished to understand. 

But, her eyes widened the moment the slightest discrepancy showed itself. His ears twitched, just barely visible in the black mane of wild curls. Then his brow furrowed and his smile shifted to a frown. This was surprisingly what she had come to know as his resting face, something which did not seem happy at all, but it only made his emotions stand out more. Specifically the panic in his eyes. 

“What’s wrong?” Vhelvictorra asked as she lifted herself to her feet. 

She got no response from him. Merely the sight of his fingers lifting to his lips, barely giving her time to cover her ears before an overly loud whistle rang throughout the surrounding area. He was still a Fovey after all. Perhaps that was why, as unnatural as he was, he still carried enough of a connection with nature to command creatures with such ease. Relationships he had built through effort and time. Those very relationships made real when several crows came swooping from the surrounding tree covered hills, all taking places on his now raised arms. Odd creatures, their talons slightly green their beaks somewhat serrated. Each caw and look revealed green tongues and eyes, but those details weren’t important. The detail which stood out the most… was the single empty spot on his arm. 

His nose twitched, a wicked smile spreading across his face. The crows scattered quickly and did not stop. “Speed things up here and take the cargo to its destination. It seems a familiar guest is making an appearance.” 

“Huh?” War responded. Confused. Still wondering what he had discovered, but she had never once seen him this excited. “What are you talking about?” 

“It’s almost like we’re violently drawn to one another.” 

The words made Vhelvictorra’s spine tingle, but it was obvious he wasn’t talking to her when his head twisted and his focus was now on the hills above. She turned her attention to the same area and it was then she saw the source of his anxiety. Just barely making out the shape of a person rising into the air above them, a flash of steel, and the gleam of red eyes. Her first thought was that she’d have to fight, but she hated fighting darkness claimants. Especially with how often she had to deal with them in the past. She couldn't even count the times she'd had run ins with darkness claimants.

“This is going to be annoying. I’ll focus on defense, so all you need to do is— 

“Are you finally ready to end this?!” Vhelvictorra looked at him as if he were crazy. The total shift of his personality, the way his fear was clearly on his face and yet he did not choose to flee, it meant he felt there was no choice outside of fighting, but he enjoyed the thought of it! The way he pulled up his right sleeve and the skin on his arms blacked and hardened, but more importantly the gleam of silver from his weapon on his middle finger... A weapon he rarely ever used. 

Her thoughts were valid, but they were immediately cast aside the moment the axe collided with his hand. She had been so focused on him she didn’t even realize how quickly the distance had been shortened. The concrete and tiles below cracking and crumbling, the sparks flying as his fingers ground against the blade edge and their faces came closer to one another. Red eyes meeting green, a hateful frown against a sinister smile, for the two of them it seemed entirely natural. And yet Vhelvictorra was both pissed and confused. Of all the enemies Jhen’ento could have managed to not tell them about… 

“Is that Gahbreal?!” 

“I’ve got this! Just make sure our work here is done!” Jhen’ento responded as he barely managed to hold the axe back. 

“You’re dead, Fovey. I’m not letting you get away this time.” Gahbreal was clearly focused on him, but that didn’t mean his eyes would refrain from looking in Vhelvictorra’s direction. It made her take a step back. 

“Can you really avoid to split your focus?” The words weren’t necessary, but by now he knew that was just how the claimant fought. His head moving to the side as a "v" like blade just barley missed him. That was when the two finally backed away from one another and the most difficult part of dealing with Jhen’ento was made plain. A once non-present tail covered in barbs with that bladed tip. Swaying around his legs. “You won’t last long acting like that. Like I'm not worth your undivided attention.” 

“Stop talking like we’re familiar. You don’t know me,” Gahbreal responded while switching his axe to the opposite hand. 

“Oh, I know you. There’s no one alive who knows you better than me!” He chuckled as the sound of shifting bones originated from his legs and four more identical tails accompanied the present one. As Gahbreal expected, he wasted no time getting serious about this. “And can’t you say the same? You know me so well… if your stingy lives decided to give you that information.” 

“I know you need to die. There’s very little else which needs knowing.” The Wolf would be lying if he denied being pissed. Thinking about his lives withholding information which could easily put his family in danger made his jaw clench, but that was something to think about later. “Be quiet and fight.” 

“There it is! That’s the old Gahbreal I know.” 

The Moccasin and the Stygian

“I’m still wondering when you’ll stop playing games and just give yourself to me. It’ll make things a lot easier,” Gabi asked as while shifting her weight from side to side. 

His couch may have been comfortable, but anyone who knew the dark winged claimant knew she enjoy people more than furniture. Legs crossed, lithe fingers tracing Arthur’s jaw to have him face her. Every action was akin to a seduction, a vortex tugging on cravings; jerks and pulls towards her own personal desires. Both terrifying and beautiful. Those who knew her knew to be afraid of Gahbriogyva’s violent nature, but there were few who had the grace of dealing with the terror of her drawing affection. Something which would be impossible to resist for the average existence, but Arthur was not just anyone. 

“I thought you didn’t like me. In fact, I’m pretty sure you hate me. Those were your exact words… hate.” His response coupled with his removal of her hand from his face caused a frown to appear on her features. 

“Don’t be so bland. I say a lot of things; whether you believe them or not is entirely up to you.” 

Arthur sighed, how someone could be so difficult made no sense. His eyes turning away as he said, “you’re being insensitive. You don’t think Jaffe would be upset knowing you’re trying to steal me away and keep me all to yourself.” 

“I never said that, but you’re very perceptive, or perhaps I was too obvious… Doesn’t matter. Besides, she started this. I wanted her to myself, and she chose to share. Now I won’t be pleased until I own you both.” He could tell she was attempting to stir up trouble from the start, even the way she wiggled herself on his lap in a rhythmically relaxing manner. Like a living song. “We both know I’m better in bed anyway.” 

“A bold statement! As insulting as that is, do you really believe that’s true?” Arthur responded with squinted eyes. 

“I’m sturdy enough to take a pleasurably strong pounding, aren’t I? Not like my little Jaffe. If you go too hard on her you’d snap her in half. Like beautiful glass, but still glass.” 

“Hey,” Jaffe’s voice pulled Gabi’s attention away from Arthur. Her blue eyes staring daggers into her own. “I’m right fucking here you know.” 

“I know, but I’m not wrong.” Gabi responded. 

“You’re such a whore. If you weren’t so damn fine you wouldn’t be worth it.” Jaffe said with an agitated exhale. “You better be prepared to pay a heavy toll this time. If I’d known you just wanted us all together so you could do this, I’d have refused.” 

“You? Refusing a favor from me? I highly doubt that. I promised I’d do something for you on my end, and I get to tease you a bit for it. It’s an easy win.” The Dimea’s smug smile was unbearable. 

“What makes you think it’ll be easy?” Jaffe asked. 

“You know I’m capable of just about anything you could ask, right? Unless you’re asking me to bow down or some dumb crap. But we both know you aren’t going to do that.” 

She wracked her brain for a moment, wondering what she could possibly ask for that would throw Gabi off in the slightest way. Sex wasn’t going to work; especially not since she knew Gabi would enjoy it way too much, and eventually assume control of the situation, like the sexual tyrant she was. No, that wouldn’t be enough. It’d need to be something specific, something she would not even like the idea of, something difficult even for her. Jaffe had always been many things, but if she knew anything with absolute accuracy… it would be the things Gahbriogyva dislikes. Perhaps that was why the answer came so quickly, and a smug smile stretched across her face. 

“It looks like you finally figured out what you want,” Arthur said as he eyed the Testua. 

“I did! Feel free to praise me for this one. I think I'll enjoy this.” She paused for a moment and placed her attention on Gabi who was still smiling. “You and me... we're going to spar.” 

The Dimea nearly burst into laughter. “Spar? So you want me to bully you?” 

“I wasn’t done yet, little bird. We’re sparring, but you can't hold back. At all. That is your only stipulation. You must fight as if your life depends on it.” 

A good fact to know about Gabi, and one Jaffe had figured out early on, was that she never went back in her promises. If she made a promise she’d do a lot to make sure it went unbroken. She’d break the law, break bones, even break a person’s spirit and soul for the sake of keeping a promise. That was why she never made haphazard promises, but that caution did not exist for her personal relationships. The celebrity’s reason for such a thing existed only because of Gahbreal, and the promise he chose to break between the two of them. She refused to be like him, and most notably with the promises she made. 

As far as Jaffe knew, she was the only person Gahbriogyva casually made promises with. Second to her mother and her uncles. She don’t expect it to be very affective, but then she saw Gabi’s reaction. Her eyes widened, lips parted, a slight shiver through her body that Arthur clearly felt, but her expression wasn’t shock. Even better, it was fear. Why it was fear could be chalked up to a few different reasons, but Jaffe had a personal guess. Gabi hated losing, but she never had the opportunity to see her fight with all her heart. When asked she just say “no one is worth all that effort”, but it couldn’t be that simple. The answer was what she sought to find from this request. A request Gabi could not refuse. 

“You’re serious?” Gabi asked. She didn’t move a muscle as she awaited her response. 

“Of course I’m serious! You said it’d be easy, right?” 

She could see the Dimea’s teeth press together, her jaw tense, eyes shaking slightly, but she calmed herself down quickly. “Fine. Then we do this in two days. I will prepare the place. I’ll let you decide the time, and you can bring whatever weapons and tools you want. Does that work?” 

“Fine by me,” she paused as she watched her stand up and straighten her clothes. Gathering her things as if she were prepared to leave. “Wait! Where are you going?” 

“I’m going to get ready.” A simple response, but she didn’t look at her when she gave it. 

“You need that much time to prepare? I’ve seen you dive into fights straight out of the shower and right after climax, but you need to prepare for this?” Jaffe’s attention went to Arthur, but he seemed just as confused as her. "Are you scared?"

“You want me to take this seriously, so I will. I expect you’ll do the same. I’ll need every second, and I expect you to make the right choices… for your sake.” 

The blonde watched as Gabi’s wings stretched outward before folding in and closing around herself. Darkness was always such a mysterious thing, the way it seemed to appear and disappear from nothing but also everything. The way her wings became more darkness than feathers, the way that darkness collapsed on itself, the way it disappeared leaving behind several falling feathers. Gabi hated traveling like that, often saying it reminded her of her father, but she certainly seemed like she was in a hurry. As if she wanted to be away as soon as possible. 

“Are you sure that was a smart choice?” Arthur asked. Jaffe just shrugged her shoulders. 

“She wanted to be mean. It’s not like she’s some unbeatable monster. She seemed more afraid than I’d expected. I didn’t think she'd be scared at all.” 

“It didn’t look like fear to me,” Arthur started with a furrowed brow and a concerned expression. “I’d say she seemed more worried. Like something bad was going to happen… have you seen her fight before?” 

“Is that a joke? It’d be harder to not see her fight. She’s a junkie for combat, and an insatiable one.” She said while slithering to his side. 

“Really? Have you seen her fight as hard as she possibly can? Because I don’t believe she’s even fought that way with me,” he said with growing concern. “As ruthless as she acts, she always pulls her punches. I haven’t seen her fight others, but she’s fought me. It always feels like she’s holding herself back. She knows she can’t really kill me so easily, but it’s still easy to tell.” 

“Really? I’ve seen her punch a person so hard they had to immediately seek medical attention. Eviax was not pleased about that,” Jaffe chuckled, but now Arthur was even more worried. He knew for certain her punches could do more damage than that to the untrained. Or at least the ones she’d thrown at him. 

“I’ll tag along for the match. I’m sure it’ll be an interesting watch.” 

“I’m not going to stop you. You’ll have to give me a decent prize if I win though. You don’t get to spectate without paying in some way.” 

 "You certainly love your money." 

The drive was rather calm considering the situation itself. Jaffe had believed Gabi would have her walking to the very ends of the Earth when she sent her the location they would spar, but then she realized the winged claimant had just sent her the exact location itself. Not only that, but she sent it in the form of a message sharing her exact location… and she had sent it the day prior. The distance was just far enough away to require a few strings being pulled, but a plane ride was always easy to get. She would have to remind Gabi that distance actually meant something for claimants that could not just be wherever they wanted in moments. 

The location itself, once it came into sight, was not something she had expected to see. The expectation was some open area or large arena, something as flamboyant as Gabi herself, but it was instead a fun down city in the middle of nowhere. Entirely abandoned without a single soul in sight. Buildings all around and yet not a single person in sight. An abandoned city, ghost town left to ruin for quite some time. As much as Jaffe wanted a reason for why the darkness claimant would choose such a place, there wasn’t a single thing she could think of. 

“Well, this is creepy.” Jaffe stated as she and Arthur walked down the empty streets. “Can you think of a reason why she’d choose this place?” 

“No idea. Varosha is known for being a ghost town, so maybe she just wanted someplace without civilians. It’s interesting, but doesn’t seem like her style,” Arthur added as he surveyed the area. There was no sign of life anywhere to be seen, and most of the location seemed to be run down or falling apart. 

“As interesting as it all seems, none of that matters. I have a date with my girlfriend who I’ll assume is somewhere around here lazing around. I’d hate to imagine what she’ll do if I’m late.” 

Arthur sighed, eyeing her up and down. “Not the usual attire for a date,” he responded while considering her choice of clothing. Overall it wasn’t anything overly flashy or dramatic. Nice sports shoes, a shirt which didn’t hinder her movements and well-fitting yet flexible pants. Almost like thicker leggings. The type of clothes she could easily move around in, specifically colored in grays and browns to blend well with the urban environment of run down buildings and dry grass. As unserious as she acted there was a sense of dedication. A leg strap holstering a single finely edged knife, and more notably he eyed the nunchaku he had crafted for her himself. 

“What? You think I don’t need it?” She asked. Her blue eyes looking to gauge his response. 

“I wouldn’t say that. Gabi is unpredictable. It’s best that you do everything you can. I'm kind of surprised you didn't bring more... but I feel like something is off about all of this.” 

“What? You think I’m going to lose?” 

“I never said—” 

“You didn’t have to say it outright, you clearly implied it!” Jaffe looked at him closely. His serious expression a complete mismatch for the sweats and comfy shirt he wore. “What?” 

The former athlete removed her attention from the king, both of them taking in the scenery before their very eyes. Sure enough, the Dimea claimant had been waiting in the exact location she had sent them. A crossroad within the city itself, in the shadow of one of the larger buildings, that was where they found Gabi standing. Arms crossed, eyes closed, almost as if asleep. Or rather in some type of trance. The first think they noticed was her attire. An entirely custom made outfit, no doubt. All black, sticking to every single curve and crease, like a second layer of skin. It even had spaces for each of her toes and only left the back exposed, splitting just above the waist and leaving more than enough space for her wings before reconnecting at the neck. 

Their approach was what prompted her eyes finally opening. The causal blue she preferred, the same as her mother’s, replaced with a casually deep black. The first thing she did was eye Arthur as he approached, before looking at Jaffe. She seemed almost disappointed in what she was seeing, but her attention quickly rose to the sky. Her eyes focusing on the setting sun before returning to Jaffe. Her arms uncrossed from her chest and hands then resting on her hips. She, of course, started their conversation with a sigh. The Testua rolled her eyes. 

“I thought you’d at least show up earlier,” Gabi’s started. “You do realize I’ll be at the advantage once the sun sets? If you can last that long.” 

“You said I could show up whenever I wanted, right? So shut up. It’d be no fun if I had all the advantages.” Jaffe responded. 

“Fun?” Her eyes shot over to Arthur. 

“Don’t look at me. She does what she wants, I don’t plan on interfering. But I do have a question,” the words made her brow rise. 

“What? You should hurry while she still has daylight.” 

“Why exactly did you chose this place? If I’m correct it’d have been much more advantageous for you to be in an open area; not to mention giving Jaffe the ability to decide the time. I had assumed you’d take advantage of both the time and place.” 

The question kept hold of Gabi’s attention for a moment, but her eyes soon turned away. “I planned to give her as many advantages as possible.” 

“What?” Jaffe said. Her expression quickly becoming irritated. “The fuck Gabi? I’d swear you act like I could break at any damn second! I don’t need your pity!” 

“It’s not pity… it’s mercy. Because once this fight starts I won’t have any left to give.” 

That phrase caught Arthur’s attention the most. He had thought everything had been off from the start, since the very moment Jaffe had suggested this. Gabi was always holding back, just as he had both assumed and realized. It wasn’t that she believed Jaffe was overly weak or fragile. She likely didn’t truly believe that was the case for everyone, but she did certainly believe she was far beyond whatever it was her opponents were capable of. In that way perhaps she was afraid, but the fear was derived from worry. The worry of what she might do to the people she had no reason to harm, but she was not the type to care for harming others. 

Gahbriogyva was and is afraid, and Arthur had realized that. She loved combat and everything surrounding it. However, she could not shake the thought of killing those who did not deserve it. Whether it was just simple morality or something she had come to personally discover in her own way, she was worried. And she clearly felt that at her best there wasn’t anyone who could stop her… or at least not easily. 

“Let’s hurry up and get this started,” Jaffe’s confirmation of their fight pulled Arthur’s attention to the two women. Questioning whether this was all okay could wait. He’d instead watch and step in if necessary. “I can’t wait to put you in your place.” 

“My place… don’t forget those words. I don’t expect you to forget this for the rest of your life. I won’t allow you to forget.” 

“Enough with the theatrics. I know you’re an actress, but you can at least take this seriously. Do you plan on fighting in that? I mean, it’s hot, don’t get me wrong. But it won’t do you much good.” 

Gabi glared at the blonde for a moment before rolling her eyes. “Carrying my weapon around isn’t feasible. But, as I’m sure you might not know, it’s part of a set. Nammay was very specific when it came to how I called it. Then he called me bossy.” 

“Bossy? Well, he wasn’t wrong.” Jaffe’s comment made Gabi sigh. 

A single deep inhale, followed by a slow and clear exhale. Her right hand raised just below her face, palm open towards herself, fingers curled inward with a nauseating crack. As if crushing a skull in her grip, but there was clearly nothing there. Then she recalled the way Nammay first told her to call on her arms. It wasn’t meant to be a request like her father calling on his axe; it was meant to be a command as if she’d receive no answer otherwise. And so, as her brow furrowed, she spoke the words aloud. 

“Come to me, my Knochensammler! Now!” 

Her ears perked up, blue eyes focused on the winged claimant who’d called on her weapon so strictly. A weapon she’d never had the opportunity to see Gabi use, primarily because… well… she’d never actually used it. Or at least not where anyone could see her do it. In its case the thing had an almost incurable stench of blood. Human, claimant and creature. Practically none were safe, but the gauntlet itself seemed to hum with excitement any time anyone was near. Yet the things seemed as if it could jump to life whenever Gabi herself was in the same room. Everything surrounding it was a mystery. A weapon which had seen no use as far as everyone knew, but existed as if it had seen countless deaths. 

That was why she was prepared. That was why Jaffe had to commit this to memory. Being among the select individuals who’d get to see not only the weapon in action, but apparently even more! The set she spoke of. But what she’d assumed were theatrics proved to be entirely different. Expecting the weapon to just appear on her person was the norm, but instead darkness circled her less than pleased girlfriend before solidifying into an orb of distinctly featureless darkness. Almost like a cocoon. And it remained that way for several seconds. 

“Have you seen this before?” Arthur asked. “It’s a bit much for my tastes.” 

“She’s a Dimea. What do you expect?” She said, but her face quickly twisted in disgust. “Do you smell that?” 

“Yes I do. It’s almost like…” 

I thought I knew all of the most important details. Her favorite foods, favorite places, favorite bands and clothes, favorite people and things, but now I have a lot of questions. There’s no doubt in my mind that this has something to do with that lapse of time, when she just disappeared… but damn is it beautiful in its own personal way. 

The thought flowed through her mind like a turbulent river as both Jaffe and Arthur watched the darkness fade away and leave in a place an orb of swirling blood. Blood from humans, blood from creatures, blood from monstrosities. But above them all, and the most compelling and abhorrent, were the blood of claimants. The scent and sight of blood from every single house was present. Even the house of Invoa, one in which only a brisk two existed sporting such vital fluid. But, just as quickly as it had been on display, it fell to the ground with a disgusting splatter and wave outward. At its center left standing was Gabi, fully clad in black armor. 

For a moment Jaffe felt as if she had come underprepared, but then the thought was immediately shoved aside. This was far too exciting to let thoughts like that fester. Burning a mental image of her armor which so closely mimicked Gahbreal’s, complete with a helmet in the shape of a wolf’s head. Her face was hidden, body fully covered in plates while a slightly tattered cape of deep red fell between her wings along with a similarly colored plume. She dripped with a fresh coat of that same bloody concoction, but that only lasted as long as it took her to lower herself to a knee. At first Jaffe didn’t know what to expect, but realizing the only thing missing from her set of armor was the right gauntlet made her begin taking mental notes. 

“You know this is the best time to strike, right?” Arthur stated as he watched Gahbriogyva place her hand onto the blood at her feet. 

“Shush! This is good information! If I forget any of this I'm blaming you,” Jaffe responded while noticing her arm dip much further into the puddle than should be possible. All the way down past her elbow. “Don’t tell me her weapon is just as flashy as she is.” 

“You really can’t help yourself, can you?” 

“And you’re trying to tell me you’re not the least bit curious?” She retorted. 

“He was right,” Gabi’s voice echoed from her helmet. Her arm retracted from the pool of blood, dripping to reveal her weapon of the same black yet accented with claws and edges gilded in gold… The very moment it was on her hand, her eyes became a pure and spotless crimson. “You should have attacked while you had the chance.” 

“And skip out on your cute display? I Wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Jaffe smirked while gauging her reaction. 

“Hmph. Your loss, water devil.” 

Very few things were equivalent to this moment for the former athlete. Her hand reaching for the nunchaku as she observed her opponent, somehow more intimidating than she had already known her to be when her wings spread outward. A single push forward with her feet accompanied by a flap of the feathered appendages and she was off the ground and advancing toward her. Beads of sweat rolling down her caramel brow as she watched that gauntlet, ominous in all its ways, reaching towards her. Another wingbeat and Gabi was already right in her face. 

Maybe it was instinct, or perhaps experience, but Jaffe moved herself out of the path of the gauntlet with relative ease. Letting that touch her could prove troublesome, and so she immediately went on the offensive. Her nunchaku retaliated as quickly as the opportunity presented itself, and Gabi defended in a way the Testua could have expected from someone so naturally violent. No defense, but offense. Punches of her own to clash with and nullify the force of her strikes. However, Jaffe was quick to find displeasure in this. It made no sense. She knew for a fact Gabi was capable of more than this! 

“Are you even taking this seriously?” The agitation leaked out as she threw a kick at Gabi’s legs. But the woman blocked with her own shin. 

“You say that as if we aren’t just sparring. Just think of it like a good warm up.” 

“You’re unbearable!” The water claimant screamed before stepping back slightly. “Fine then. Have it your way.” 

Gabi eyed her approach as well as the wide swing from her weapon. An attempt to hit the right side of her head, but that was something she could easily defend. However, when she extended her reach ever so slightly and the chain wrapped around her wrist, the situation changed. A thought crossing her mind as to question if the blonde truly believed she could overpower her and take control of her hand. Then the very same thought was pushed aside as she simply pulled her hand back with the intention of pulling the woman with it… and yet there was no resistance. Watching as her hand released the weapon and she lunged towards her as if to tackle her to the ground. It was something she couldn’t help but think of as stupid. 

Her left hand balled into a tight fist, a punch meant to teach a clear lesson in underestimating her that badly, and yet the collision made her eyes widen. An impact with nothing but water. Water which then quickly slithered past her and collected at her back before a single hand grabbed hold of her right wing. Jaffe was more than pleased to catch the ever vigilant Gabi of guard, but just pissed enough to removed the knife from her person and plunge its edge directly into the flesh. The typical yelp she’d grown accustomed to hearing from plucking her o so precious feathers was now replaced with a pained scream; accompanied by a swing from the very wing with enough force to send her away. A light skip a few steps back before stopping and admiring her work. 

“You know, I thought that’d be harder than it was. Maybe you’re just not as strong as I thought, little songbird,” clearly a provocation. One Gabi was not pleased with as she tossed the nunchaku at her with enough force to shatter a human skull. 

“What the fuck?!” 

“I told you to fight me seriously, didn’t I?” She chuckled while fluttering her blue eyes. “What else was I supposed to do? I wanted to win.” 

“You bitch. Do you realize what you’ve… you.” Gabi stumbled for a moment. Her eyes falling to her right hand which now blurred. 

“It’s finally kicking in, huh? That’s poison by the way. I thought it’d be effective against you. With your family background I’d doubt any other types of poison meant to cause direct harm would be all that worthwhile, so I went for something to impair you. Seems to be doing its job.” 

“You idiot. Do you realize what you’re doing?” Gabi asked as her left hand reached for her right, but the moment it touched her gauntlet— 

“Please, tell me… what exactly did she do?” Her eyes widened as a hand rested on her own. Familiar fingers, familiar nails and a familiar voice. “Wait, don’t tell me, I know this one… She woke me up. Right? Or I should probably say she woke you up. Finally.” 

Her eyes followed the hand to its arm, the arm to its shoulder, its neck, and finally its face. There she saw it, herself staring right back. A visage covered in a both fresh and dried blood, a smile which unsettled even herself, and an expression far more intoxicating than she could describe. 

“I know what you’re thinking, but that’s not important. Is it? Didn’t you make a promise? Aw, how hopeless this situation is.” She could never get used to it. The sound of her own voice taunting and goading her for a reaction, but she didn’t need to say anything. Almost as if her mind was fully okay display. “I’d ask why you’re holding back, but of course you’d love someone so ignorant to who… sorry… what you truly are. But how tragic this all must be for you. If only she knew the precise focus you needed to wear that beautiful gauntlet and armor at the same time to not lose yourself in your very maddened desires.” 

She wanted to tell them to shut up, watching as her fingers slipped from over her own and the sticky stride of bloody toes circled around her as if she were a predator stalking prey. She had to remain focused, but it wasn’t working! She could almost curse Jaffe’s entire existence for being so good with poison, but she didn’t have the time to think about such things. She needed to— 

“Focus… you need to focus on the fight… I’m not going to let you get off so easily with this half assed performance.” The words so naturally sounded like her own. Mortifyingly so, but since when did these words become so bad? “That’s right. Since when did you forget who you really are? You’re meant to be an ancient. No! A deity! A god of violence! The world should be quacking under your very name, and yet now you play the part of actress? Still paying pretend, when reality is so easy to reach.” 

Gabi attempted to focus, to ignore the words themselves, but the more she did… the more it felt impossible. The more every color seemed much more vibrant. The more her mind seemed to clear. The more every sound faded into an eerie silence. So ominous, and yet so calm. Every footstep so clear, every falling stone and breath right in her ears. The scent of grass and salt from the sea. Since when had she been this at ease? Since when had she known how to feel this balanced? As if the very weight of responsibility had been removed from her soul. She recalled a promise, and a memory. 

The moment she responded this mirror of herself smiled. As if a victory was claimed simply from the acknowledgment of her presence. “Hah! Don’t fool yourself. I’m not talking about the brat from this gleeful reality. I’m talking about the Kiran you killed with your own two hands. The one you eviscerated so that you could escape that trial. You’d act like this even after his last words?” 

“Auntie.” His voice caused her to twist around on a dime. Her attention couldn’t even be spared for Jaffe in the background. Her eyes instead, wide and filled with primal terror, were locked onto the visage of Kiran as she had left him back in that unforgettable world. Bled and bleeding. The moment she saw his face was the same moment her nostrils were filled with his scent, still staining her armor. “Didn’t you kill me so you could get stronger? If you did, then why are you still holding back?” 

“Um, Gabi?” Jaffe attempted to get the woman to respond before looking at Arthur. “Why is she looking at me like that? She couldn’t possibly be that mad about getting stabbed once.” 

“I couldn’t tell you, but doesn’t something feel odd? And you did poison her,” he responded.  

“She’s the one who’s still playing around. And if you mean her staring at me then yeah, that does feel pretty fucking odd.” She waved as if to attempt grabbing her attention. “Hey! What are you doing?” 

There were several noteworthy things Jaffe considered. First was her wing which curled around her front. The wound did not bleed much since the knife was still lodged inside, but that was quickly rectified when her left hand grabbed the knife and ripped it out. Something Jaffe believed would cause her more distress, perhaps even the idea of having Gabi request her help with the injury, but she didn’t even seem to react at all. Secondly, she removed her helmet and held it tightly in her right hand. Eyes like crazed crimson moons and a smile overflowing with excitement. Her expression no longer one with hesitation, but anticipation. Enjoyment… Lust. 

The last detail of note, but the most important one, was her voice. Without hesitation the words slipped her lips, “I hope you can do more than this. But please, do try to entertain me. I won’t gain anything from this otherwise.” 

“What are you talking about? Are you good?” 

The overall experience was starting to lose its calm vibes. I could tell something had changed, even if it was only a little, but now she looked entirely absorbed in it. I don’t know why I feel so tense and yet my body is ready to move at any moment. It’s not like I haven’t seen that look on her face before. That look that says she’s ready to dominate, to take; to own what she sees. It’s just that there’s something different in there was well. Almost like within those lustful red eyes is a swirling, black abyss of darkness. Madness. Something normally foreign. Even so, I can’t help but smile at the thought of what I might see. 

“That’s the way. Feel the deep pleasure of impending violence.” She spoke again, but it didn’t sound like the Gabi I know. 

However, I wasn’t allowed time to think about it. The helmet she had just removed came flying on my direction like a bullet and I just barely had time to avoid it. I’d have forgotten about it then and there, but the following sound of a collapsing building from its point of impact spoke volumes of what exactly was happening. By the time I could return my attention to her, Gabi was already right next to me. Her right hand held high like a sword ready to execute the unworthy, but in that very moment when it fell I made the decision to liquify myself and escape. I could only imagine the immediate death that would have been fate if I didn’t make that split second decision. 

The force behind her strike was enough to stir all the collected dust, dirt and sand on the streets, but her wings rose and fell several times. The buildings shook, metal poles creaked, even some scattered trees and plants could barely keep themselves tethered to the ground. By the time she stopped there wasn’t a spec of pollution in the air, but thankfully I had already made my escape. Using the dust made it easy enough to slip away, but now I had to think up a way to fight back. Then she looked at Arthur, still standing around nonchalantly. 

“I’m not going to tell you where she is, if that’s what you’re thinking.” I doubt she was thinking that, but why were you thinking that? 

“You insult me, hero king. You make it seem as if she can hide from me in the first place. But no one hides from Gahbriogyva.” Damn she’s so cute when she acts mean, but now there’s a bigger issue. 

Under normal circumstances I’d have all the time in the world to plan this out, but I know one thing for certain about Gabi. She’d likely sniff me out even if I chose to flee the entire city. There is no escape. The only way out of this is to fight and win. That just about summed up the most terrifying part about fighting her before, but now things might be a bit different. Watching as her wings spread outward, rise and fall, the sun casting not even a shred of light on them as she ascended further into the air. I could tell nothing good could possibly come from whatever she had planned. I knew she was sniffing out my location and all I could do now was hope my plan works. The confirmation I needed came by way of watching her rocket across the sky and into a nearby building. 

The entire thing crumbled upon impact. Falling around her like a house of glass, as if stone provided no means of defense at all. I watched patiently as she pulled her clawed gauntlet from the rubble beneath her feet and thought about thanking Naiick for the luck, or perhaps even Jayhe, but neither of them deserve that. I’ll thank myself while watching her frustrated face when she looks at her hand and realizes she’s only holding onto my shirt… or that’s what I thought until I saw her smiling. Sure I might be running around in my underwear now, but that doesn’t matter. So long as it threw her for a loop I still have time to plan things out. 

“Oh? You are precious,” I could hear her talking as I prepared everything. Once again rising higher into the air. “Please, do all that you can. My limits won’t be pushed unless you prove you can grow out of that sorry flesh.” 

It was, to a very high degree, nerve wracking to hear every building crumbling into dust and debris around me that I had planted my smell in. That girl is like a machine! And she acts like it doesn’t hurt at all to throw herself straight through buildings! But, thankfully, it didn’t take long to prepare myself at all. Now all I need to do is draw her in and wait. Relax and prepare to claim my victory with a smile. And, just like that, the roof to the shabby house I was in shattered. 

Everything had to be perfect or she’d have realized, so I set another decoy in the building itself. Something to draw her attention that she’d target instead of me. So when the walls crumbled and daylight touched the both of us, she was certainly surprised when her hand was wrapped around panties instead of her actual target. And I was standing right there in her face watching the entire thing play out. Besting the powerhouse she proved herself to always be was none other than euphoric! And my victory didn’t just end there. She lunged at me as I’d expected her to do, but when chains of water lashed out and wrapped around her limbs she almost looked snuggly relieved. 

“You think this can hold me?” The question was valid of course. I could see her braking the restraints effortlessly within seconds, but that wasn’t all had planned. 

“Absolutely not, dumbass.” A final part to our dance, the last act of our performance, the pillar of water which rose from her feet and encased her in a perfectly placed trap. Paralyzed. Unable to escape. Exactly where I want her. “Looks like it’s my victory. If I’d known it’d be this easy I’d have just did this from the start.” 

“Wow… you actually caught her.” Arthur’s comment was not needed! 

“You make it sound like you didn’t think I could!” 

“Well, speaking statistically, the chances were pretty slim. Then again, it’s not like I’ve really looked at either of you work. My opinion is based on Gabi’s abuse and your relative lack of abuse.” 

“When you put it that way it almost sounds reasonable. You better have a good prize for me since I’m the winner.” I wouldn’t dare forget about that. 

“You say that, but can we really say you’ve won with this? She's still awake, right?” The question was a bit insulting, but I suppose I could understand. 

“Yeah, it’s fine. I’ll just let her stay there until she runs out of air and passes out. Then I’ll free her and pamper her unconscious body. I can just imagine it.” 

“Try to wipe the slobber from your mouth when you say that. I doubt Gabi would ever condone… is the water moving?” 

I’d hoped he was just joking, but when I looked at the Gabi I could see it too. At least it wasn’t moving entirely. More like a subtle turbulence across the surface, but that quickly became ripples, and then she proved to be more capable than she’d let on once again. Blood from her mouth mixing with the prison of water, her limbs vibrating violently as they moved ever so slightly, but what moved the most was her head. Her face turning to me as much as it possibly could. Just enough for her eyes to lock onto me like the laser of a rifle. And when they did… they closed. And when they closed… I remembered the most important detail about fighting Gahbriogyva! Realized that she had still been holding back! 

Her eyes opened before I could even think about moving away or hiding myself. A flash of red like the gaze of a higher being weighing down on me like a form of judgment. It was that gaze which filled me with an unknown fear, almost like fear that wasn’t my own. The water fell to the ground without my say so or confirmation, my vision blurred for only a moment, and in that moment the setting sun turned to darkness. A vortex of pitch black terror which snuffed out the rays of light and replaced them with rays of red. Like a film of blood over everything. I backed up slowly. I could see her cough up both blood and water before returning her sights to me, and that very action sent a chill up my spine. I knew, right then and there, without a shadow of a doubt. 

“That this isn’t the little bird you knew?” The voice wasn’t fast enough to stop me from backing into them, but I knew that voice too well. I spun on my heel and there, of course, stood Gahbriogyva. An expression like both malice and lust in tandem. Pure pleasure drowning in violence. “Surely you didn’t think it’d be that easy. Aw, how dreadful it must be.” 

“How did you get behind me that quickly? And how'd you take your armor and clothes off that fast?!” I didn’t mean to yell or panic, but it felt inevitable. Like I couldn’t stop myself! She just stood there, completely nude, everything but her face covered in black blood. 

“What are you talking about?” I can feel myself getting angrier, but I can’t understand why. 

“You think that highly of yourself? Either you’re delusional or more conceited than I originally believed you were.” 

The conversation itself is insane. Why is she talking to me as if she isn’t talking to me about herself both in first and third person? Why is she talking in the third person at all?! None of this makes sense. It’s almost as if this is her but not her at the same time. There’s no doubt beauty in it, I’m sure there isn’t a single soul alive who could deny that, but there is also an endless torrent of horror. As if my fate has been entirely sealed and only becomes more damned with every word I’ve shared with her. But why is she talking to me like this? Why is Gahbriogyva treating me like an enemy?! 

I backed away, the sticky patter of her footsteps as she followed making my stomach turn and yet I couldn’t understand why this all felt so off. So difficult to comprehend. Unreal, even. But the moment I felt my body collide with another behind me I thought it to be Arthur stepping in; coming to put and end to this fucking game! And yet the hand which rested on my left shoulder was covered in black armor, and the hand which laid on my right dug into my skin like the claws of a raven. The gauntlet grabbing hold of me, the weapon which hummed with a disgusting urge to corrupt everything it touched, clinging to me like prey. 

I could feel it Alamo’s immediately, the sensation of the world changing all around me. The clouds looks as if they were speeding across the sky, the sun and moon like crimson eyes corrupting me from above, a blanket of red and darkness overwhelming every single thing in sight and yet I’m more concerned with myself. If felt as if my mind was being bombarded with a barrage of insanities. Incarnate madness! The conglomerate madness no sane person could ever possibly comprehend or withstand… but somehow I managed. And yet it was only due to those last words I heard from that blood covered Gahbriogyva. The way she rambled about love and violence. Destroying what you love to gain power. Is that what Gabi truly believes? And if so, does that mean… 

“Jaffe,” her voice as calm as ever. More peaceful than I believe I’ve ever heard it. Perhaps that’s why I was so quick to turn and respond. My mind searching for reprieve from that madness.

“Yes?” My eyes met hers, but widened upon meeting her gaze. There was no mercy, no pity, no peace. Only reddened cheeks and smugly content eyes as she smiled like any loving partner would. Possibly more than any partner ever could! And then she said the words I never thought were capable of filling me with fear. Not coming from her. 

“I love you.” 

Words that are undeniably sincere; words I can believe are true, but words that were followed by immeasurable violence. There is always a reason to be afraid when Gahbriogyva has a hold of you. I’ve felt that fear numerous times in her embrace overpowering embrace. But it never compared to the feeling of weightlessness which came with her right arm pulling me back. Of course, just like Gahbreal, her throws are no joke. I was able to cover my head for the first collision, but I couldn’t even feel anything for the second; only stopping when I hit the third. The pain was astronomical. 

Lying against this nearly destroyed wall I can see that she’d thrown me through an entire building. Anyone less sturdy than me might have shattered along the way, but that’s not to say that my bones are fine. It feels like every bone in my body is struggling to stay together. Moving my legs, clutching my fist, attempting to raise my arms, it all felt like pure suffering. If I hadn’t covered my head I’d likely be unconscious. But that’s still not what worries me the most. I can see her through the building, coming closer. That same foreign look in her eyes as if she’s looking both as something she loves yet desires to destroy. I don’t understand why she’s acting like this. It doesn’t make any sense. 

“A fresh taste of madness and a few broken bone. You’re lucky, seductress. Or perhaps a siren would be better for a Testua?” She’s making jokes now? 

“A few broken bones my ass. It feels like my entire skeleton is falling apart.” 

“Well don’t get upset with me. You asked for this, even when I wanted nothing to do with it. And now I’ll bring this farce to a close. You helped me overcome a new feat! Forcing my way through paralysis wasn't easy; I could feel my muscles trying to tear themselves apart. So, I suppose that means you deserve a reward.” 

“Does that mean I’ll get a massage and some below the belt kisses?” Even I knew that question was stupid. Especially with the look she had in her eyes. 

“I’ll show you something I put together myself, since you asked me not to hold back,” Gahbriogyva said while looking down on me, as she rose higher into the sky again. “I can hardly fathom the heartache I will bear.” 

The sarcasm was disturbing, but part of it felt real. Is this why she didn’t want to fight me with all her strength? Was it just because it’s her own personal way of asking to die? Or is it because she was genuinely afraid that things would turn out like this… Yeah, that adds up. She’s being wild, reckless, out of control. Any other claimant in this situation would have probes died when diving through the buildings and yet she has clearly trained herself to do this, although I have no idea where or when. All these things, all these questions, they must have something to do with the time she was gone. But I just don’t have the answers, and it seems like no one does. 

Looking up at her now, seeing her eyes gazing down at me with merciless intent, I feel terrible. My entire body hurts. Why does she have to be so serious about everything? 

“Because I’ve always been that way, dummy.” The words were like a tug back to reality, but that didn’t really make much sense. Maybe a distraction? But one thing was certain. The approaching footsteps were as light as a child’s, and it was a child who looked down at me now. “Don’t look at me like that. You creep.” 

“What the fuck is this?” 

“Wait. You’re,” it took me a moment to realize. Blonde hair just barely brushing her shoulders with a braid in front of her left ear. Blue eyes like staring into a lake. I’d have almost confused her for a tiny Cyva, but seeing her face made it obvious that this was Gahbriogyva. Just a little Gabi from her own childhood. 

“Uncalled for... what do you want from me?” 

“Why are you asking me?” 

“Seriously. Even as a kid you still act like this. I don’t know if you’re being a dick or just carefree.” 

“Well. I guess you’re just carefree then… Fine. I give up. I can’t do anything else like this anyway.” 

“Good choice, my adorable little seductress. Hören Sie nun genau zu. Time’s runnin out and I ain’t repeatin myself.” What could she possibly tell me that’s so important it can stop all of this? “Don’t think, just listen. I’m not real. I’m just in your mind, but also an illusion forced on you by me. That’s my last trick I don’t tell nobody about. If you’re under the effects of madness at all, either gettin caught in my sight or touched by my weapon, I can force you to see whatever I want dependin on how severe it is. That’s why the sky is red and why it’s so dark even though the sun hasn’t even fully set yet. I’m gonna tell you now to look directly to your right, down the road, and at that pile of rubble next to that buildin with three broken windows.” 

“Yeah, yeah. I see it. Now what.” 

“It makes me uncomfortable hearing a kid say that…” 

She’s saying he’s right there. This mental illusion, or perhaps a forced reality? As if she’s playing with my very mind and making me hear and see whatever she wants, even when it isn’t there. To think this was something she could just do so long as madness is a factor. Now I’ll have to find ways to combat that in the future. Or maybe it’d be better to just do some mental exercises to resist it. Either way, I don’t have much of a choice. There isn’t much else I can do. Only one choice left. It'd be nice to ask more questions while she's so cooperative, but I still don't understand. She said she was distracted, so was all of that a conversation with the part of her that didn't want any of this to happen? Forget it. That's too much to think about right now.

“Arthur! I’m giving up!” What an embarrassment. But it’s better to be embarrassed than dead. 

The setting sun warmed the skin on her face. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt this giddy, or perhaps pleased, at the thought of murder. It felt so natural and yet, no matter how hard she forced herself to ignore it… terrified. A deep anxiety scratching at the nape of her neck and tingling the tips of her fingers and toes. Even with that worry she didn’t feel as if she could stop. She didn’t feel as if she needed to. She didn’t feel wrong and she didn’t feel as if there was a need for more questions. All that mattered now was ending this with graceful force. The type only a truly powerful monarch could exert. Stomping out all resistance, like a tyrant of violence should. 

Her descent was as fast as she could muster. As much force as could be possibly accomplished, and when she found herself at a suitable distance away she flipped herself forward until she was upright. Her right foot rose above her head as she fell, darkness cooling around her leg before shaping itself into a rough edge, eyes locked onto Jaffe with a shakily steady glow… but the unsteady smile faded away just before the impact she was expecting. The darkness dispersed from her leg and yet it did not stop the guillotine her leg was acting as to strike down with enough force to shake the entire area. 

The ground beneath their feet splintered and ruptured, and several buildings in the surrounding area collapsed under the shock and stress of the collision. But she was not pleased. Her eyes wide with shock and surprise, her previous smile now a deep frown as her eyes met with Arthur’s. His arms crossed over his head as he stood over Jaffe with a defense she had not expected. She could both feel and see his wrists snap in half, but it wasn’t enough to break through his defense. Not that she even wanted to. And when her wings carried her back, of course the injuries was already gone. 

“What the fuck are you doing?” Gahbriogyva asked with an annoyed glare. 

“That was all a bit much, don’t you think?” Arthur responded while rubbing his arms. “You aren’t seriously trying to kill her, are you?” 

“Yes! I mean… yes! She wants to die!” The words left her mouth, but her expression was confused. 

“That doesn’t make any sense. Also, Jaffe never said anything like that.” 

“Arthur,” Jaffe called him. “She’s not listening. I don’t know what changed, but she’s obviously not thinking clearly.” 

“Speak for yourself, little fish. My mind hasn’t been this clear in years! It feels as if all my troubles and worries have washed away! Who needs the validations? Who needs the confirmations of others?! All that matters is me becoming a god. And I will cast out any base cur that dares to stand in my way.” 

Jaffe looked at Gahbriogyva for a moment before turning her attention back to Arthur. “See what I mean?” 

“Enough!” The pale claimant cried out as she sped forward. Her a hands colliding with Arthur’s, their fingers interlocking as her favorite physical sport commenced. A battle of raw power. A contest of pure and unrelenting strength, and there wasn’t a single strand of doubt in her mind regarding her victory. “If you will not move aside then I will merely add you to the many steps I will take to godhood! Above claimants. Above aikekunai. Above treasures! Above ancients! And you will fold beneath my unstoppable violence.” 

Arthur watched closely as she attempt to push him back, but he wouldn’t dare allow her to just take the upper hand. The issue was the force she exerted. Not enough to win, but enough to apply pressure to the world around them. Enough to cause tremors. Enough to damage the environment around them. And when her eyes began to glow ever so eerily, and he saw them beginning to shut, it became clear what her plan had been all along. Force him into a lock of sorts and rob him of what he could do. Her eyes which disrupted the very connection which made them claimants. By now Jaffe would be past the time limit, but if she did it again in this position they’d both be at a disadvantage. 

“Take the gauntlet!” Jaffe demanded. The very words made Gahbriogyva’s eyes fluctuate and lock onto her. That single moment, a distraction capable of moving her. 

“Got it.” As calm and collected as ever. His fingers gripped her right hand as tightly as possible and, no matter how hard she tried, she wasn’t in a proper position to stop him from yanking the weapon from her wrist. Touching it was one thing, but holding it on his own felt as if it were trying to scratch its way into his mind and morph his every thoughts. And it was quickly thrown to the ground. 

“No!” Her reaction was fast, her now unarmed hand wrapping around his neck and slamming him to the ground, but a single kick sent her rolling back several feet. 

“All that strength and you’re still as light as a feather, huh?” 

“Shut your mouth!” Her voice now devoid of the prior confidence and optimal aggression. “You will not stop me! No one will stop me! I will become what I am meant to be! I will ascend. I can’t hold back forever, and when the time come again when I must take up the fight I will not be bested!” 

“Calm down. Are you crazy?” The blonde responded with a smirk. It made the Dimea’s face twist with anger. 

“You,” there was no possible way a word could carry more disgust. “The madness is a part of her. A part of me! You. Both of you. You will not keep it at bay forever. When it comes back, and she loses that focus, and that madness boils over the edge again… I will find you.” 

Her hand lifted to her head, a slight whimper as she lost her balance and fell to her knees. Several deep breaths; ending with sigh, but followed by the puking of a viscous black blood. The congealed substance which was her own spilling to the ground. She was, in fact, damaged. She hasn’t done all of that without sustaining her own share of injuries, and that was now entirely clear. She sat on her feet, but her left hand still acted as a means to keep her from falling forward on her face. That was the moment Arthur chose to approach. 

“You don’t look like you’re in the best condition—” 

“Get away from me, now.” He stopped in his tracks. The words seemingly targeted towards him, but upon seeing the armor disperse into wisp-like shadows and disappear he realized that wasn’t the case. “You too. Out of my sight.” 

Following that command the gauntlet, now lying on the ground next to Jaffe, clawed at the very earth as if begging to be picked up. But, almost as if being dragged into the underworld, it slipped away into a vortex of darkness which opened up beneath itself. The claw marks it left in the cement were still bloody. 

“Creepy. Of course you have the weapon that wants to kill people on its own,” the caramel claimant chuckled. 

“Shut up.” Gabi’s head finally rose as she looked at Arthur. Blue eyes urging him to listen. “Hurry up and heal her. I’m surprised it took you this long to do it.” 

“You’re not going to ask to be healed yourself?” His brow rose. 

“I know you’re trying to call me selfish. Asshole. Just do it already.” The words were strained, her body forcing her to her feet as she walked her way over to Jaffe. It was easy to see that she was exhausted, overexerted even, but she hadn’t even done that much in comparison to past feats. She only stopped when she lowered herself and sat next to the Testua, staring at her with unquestionably concerned eyes. 

“What? You’re not going to make fun of me, are you?” 

“I’d rather not fight like this again, if it can be avoided.” Hearing such impossible words made both Jaffe and Arthur’s ears twitch. An impossibility, for the most part. It wasn’t mercy, mind you, but it was an admittance of wanting to avoid a form of confrontation. And the type of confrontation she enjoyed the most. Now Jaffe was intrigued. 

“Is there any particular reason why that is? As far as I know you love fighting, and you seemed like you really enjoyed it… even if you tried to actually kill me.” 

“You almost made me kill you.” 

“Me?! I didn’t do anything!” She snapped back. 

“I was well under control at the start, but your poison was more affective than I anticipated. I couldn’t think straight for a moment, and it’s still hard to do it now… It takes a lot of focus to regulate madness. As Gahbreal’s child, and more specifically one of my bloodline, madness is a constant that requires careful attention.” 

Arthur caught on quickly enough as his meticulous hands tended to Jaffe’s injuries. “I had heard one of Gahbreal’s lives was highly susceptible to the effects of madness in the past. Lilith had no issues with it at all during her time and Marz was the opposite. Arc’l was the same as Lilith, but I even heard one of your father’s lives died because of madness. Hearing this first hand makes it easier to grasp.” 

“For the untrained it can be lethal. Unravel the mind and make you unresponsive. For those of us with better control it’s more complicated. Like intensified stimuli or increased urges. Possibly morphing the mind entirely.” She rubbed her forehead as if attempting to alleviate some form of pain.

“Very good to know. You’re more trouble than you’re worth,” the former athlete stated with a sigh. “At least your looks even out your downsides.” 

“You should be glad you get the honor of looking at me.” Gabi retorted immediately. 

“Your confidence is a sin.” 

“I have always been a sinfully truthful.” Jaffe was surprised to find Gabi’s head lowering to her lap. There wasn’t much she could do about it, at least not until she was healed, but this type of affection only came with her bad moods. Either she was angry or upset, but at least she was calm. She could feel her breath on her thighs. It was unsettling, but refreshing. “In the future try to keep your clothes on when you fight.” 

“It worked, didn’t it? Now I can gloat that I fought you at your best and still came out of it alive.” The following silence coupled with a sudden pause in breathing made her hesitant to ask. “What?” 

“I... may have still held back.” 

“Fuck you! No you didn’t! I know you didn’t!” Arthur’s eyes widened at the very suggestion. “How could you have possibly still been holding back.” 

When Gabi reached into her pocket, a pocket that Jaffe would have otherwise assumed never existed on such tight fitting clothing, her eyes widened. It pissed her off to no end how she hadn’t realized it from the beginning, but seeing her lift her closed fist and open it to reveal those seven rings Eric had gifted her made the blonde want to die on the spot. Gabi, on the opposite end of the spectrum, was smiling ear to ear. 

“Now it makes sense.” Arthur said as he proceeded to care for Jaffe. “I can only imagine the widespread destruction you would have caused otherwise.” 

“No it doesn’t make sense! That’s bullshit!” 

“You should still be proud,” Gabi started with a smirk. “You did survive longer than anyone else I’ve fought and dominated... even if you've lasted longer in the bedroom.” 

“I hate you.” 

“You're welcome to try hating me, but I doubt you can.” 

“We'll see if you can say that when I ignore you for a week.” A threat which gained Gabi's full attention.

"After all of this? I will literally kill you."

The Moccasin and the Stygian: Postlude

The aroma which filled the dining hall was both fragrant, and drawing to the senses. A mix of savory and herbal you could only get from a five star restaurant. The dining hall itself was drastically fancy and filled with quality. Gothic in tone, but colored with golds and vibrant reds. Each light was somewhat dim, but the pearlescent white coloring made it easy enough to see everything the lights touched, all while deepening the shadows it created. The table was long, as if meant to feed and entire village of Vikings, but at that table sat only two people. One being Arthur whose elbows rested on the Gabon ebony table, the other being Jaffe who happily sat on the seat at the end of the table. Cushioned with red fabric which almost looked as if it were sewn together from threaded clouds. 

There was another, standing in the far side of the room, but he did not speak or approach. Arthur’s eyes couldn’t help but stray to him every few moments. He was clearly a human, there was no doubt about that, but his eyes looked as if he wanted to peel the very skin from their flesh and the flesh from their bones. Possibly even the bone from its marrow. 

“Jaffe, who is that very angry man?” He asked the woman who had now begun playing Ruth the cutlery. 

“I’ll never understand why she requires all the silverware to be so sharp. Even the forks are sharpened! Why type of perfection does she expect from her guests?” 

“You’re not ignoring me on purpose, are you?” The second question managed to pull her away from the examination. “You’re acting like you’ve never seen all of this before.” 

“Because I haven’t. Most of the time we just lounge around and the food that gets made is brought to us. If not it’s just set out for us to get when we want and bring where we want. Most of it being finger foods, and when we aren’t going doing that we go out to eat.” Her eyes finally turned to the man in the corner. Then the question lit up in her mind. “The little disgruntled man over there would be Freddy. Gabi’s personal cook. It pisses me off. We go out to eat, but based on what I’ve tasted here he’s better than everywhere we go.” 

Arthur’s brow rose upon seeing the male silently offer Jaffe a curt little bow. Apparently he responded well to compliments, but he knew for a fact Gabi didn’t hand those out freely. 

“Interesting… but we were invited here for a meal, weren’t we?” Arthur asked. “If so, why is the chef out here staring into our souls?” 

The doors to the kitchen burst open and Freddy quickly rushed over to hold them in place. Both Jaffe and Arthur were now as still as statues, the echoing of heels against marble like a flowing river and cream and gold. Arthur I’d not move, but his eyes followed as the two covered golden serving trays were brought across the room. One placed in front of him before the other was brought over to Jaffe and placed in front of her. The lids were both lifted in tandem and a warm stream rose and fell, like morning mist over grass. 

For Jaffe, three koah-pau with a sweet smelling red sauce. Her sides included a stew of cubed potatoes, carrots, celery and diced onion in a creamy sauce with what smelled like hints of garlic and rosemary. Alongside that rested a freshly baked miniature beef Wellington. And, of course, waiting in the corner was a single slice of German chocolate red velvet cake. For Arthur rested a wagyu steak, and one he could tell had been aged and smoked before finally hitting a open flame grill. Hints or oregano and pepper easily seen in the marbling, while the slight sheen from a layer of caramelized sauce caught the eye. Next to it rested roasted asparagus and browned potatoes resting in its own red sauce, and beside that another miniature beef Wellington. He didn’t have any cake, but he did have his own parfait consisting of strawberries, blueberries and cream with a single muffin consisting of several fruits. 

Jaffe was rightfully confused. “Uhm, heh… the fuck is this?!” 

“It’s my thank you to Arthur for taking proper care of you and putting all your cute little bones back in place.” Gabi’s response was casual, but nothing was casual about it. Seeing her sporting a black skirt and equally black crop top beneath a crimson apron was one thing, but expecting her to cook was another! 

“Since when have you known how to cook?!” Jaffe demanded. Quickly changing the question to, “why is this the first time I’m hearing of it?!” 

“What? Did I forget to mention the classes? When I went to university I had several majors. I did some cooking and baking classes on the side, alongside a bit of agriculture and calligraphy. Maybe one or two classes for economics.” 

“You took more majors as secondary classes for fun?! No wonder I didn't notice, your majors were all that really mattered... What kind of freak does that?!” 

“Excuse you! I’ll take the food back if you think it’s that bad!” Gabi’s words were followed by the echoing slam of the kitchen door on the opposite side of the room. Freddy could be seen eyeing both Arthur and Jaffe as if their lives depended on their response. Gabi looked more aggravated after hearing him slam her precious wooden door. 

“Why is that chef so bold for a human? He does know what we are, right?” Arthur asked Jaffe. 

“He knows, he just doesn’t care. He’s always been that way. He doesn’t even talk to anyone but Gabi.” 

“Well, personally I’m less surprised to learn that you can cook and more surprised to see how good at it you are. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen royal chefs match this expertise.” Arthur said while eyeing the small man. Freddy of course gave a content nod of approval. “But if this meal was to reward me, why does she get anything?” 

“Hey. Seriously?” Jaffe responded while watching him smile.  

Gabi sighed and leaned over the table and towards Jaffe’s plate. There was no malice or ill intent, merely the soft and subtle motion of her retrieving the cutlery from the blonde’s hands and eyeing them curiously before perfectly slicing the Wellington. It was a simple action, but a cautious and careful one. Delicate. Tempered. Coordinated. With her hair tied back into a loose ponytail, Jaffe could see her face clearly. Her jawline, her eyes, even the slight natural redness of her cheeks. Placing the cutlery back into her hands was even more careful. 

“Don’t think too much about it. I do what I want, and when I want to do it. I don’t need more reason than that.” The response was met with silence. The same silence which followed when Arthur began to eat his personal meal. 

Jaffe, on the other hand, was still curious. It took a lot of willpower to keep from scarfing the rest of her meal down after the first bite, but she instead chose to ask the important question. “Tell me something Gabi. You weren’t possessed or something, right?” 

“Possessed? You talk like I became some sort of demon.” She watched her blue eyes peer at her from the side. Focused and distracted by each movement of her lips. The primary issue was how it sounded as if she were joking, but also like she didn't believe it was a joke at all.

“Come on. Pay attention. You know exactly what I’m talking about. I can confidently say that I know more about you than anyone else… maybe not Cyva, but you get what I’m saying.” 

“And?” Gabi’s response was coupled with the removal of her apron. 

“And, I know that wasn’t normal. I’ve seen you get mad before, much to my benefit, but that was not the same…” a slight pause in the conversation. Almost as if questioning her next words, but what was the point of that? Answers weren’t found by hesitating. “I know it has something to do with that year you disappeared.” 

Arthur paused, his eyes sliding to Jaffe who looked as if she wasn’t prepared or considering the option of backing down. She stared right at Gabi, whose own blue eyes stared right back without blinking. She didn’t smile or flinch, almost as if she didn’t breath at all. He didn’t look away and yet it felt as if the shadows grew deeper and deeper with each passing second. Yet, the moment she blinked and the vestiges of red lurking in the pools of cool blue faded away, everything was back to normal. Not that anything had really change to begin with. 

She walked behind the Testua who, expectedly, followed her with her eyes. Pale arms slithering over her shoulders and down to her stomach; the back of Jaffe’s head resting on the center of her chest. Black wings stretched out before falling over both sides of her, yet they did not wrap around. It felt as if the shadows cast by the appendages stung at her skin, or perhaps at her mind ever so slightly. But just a slight tickle and nothing more. Her lips pressing against the base of her neck and yet if felt like teeth pressing into her skin. The senselessness of that very moment was quite telling. 

“It feels wrong, right? Almost like every action is some form of attack. That’s madness. Still tickling at your mind. Isn’t it a bit odd? Doesn’t it make you uncomfortable? Leave it at that for now.” 

“Boo~. That’s not what I wanted to hear,” Jaffe responded as she returned to eating her food. Gabi, however, remained where she was. Perhaps she was feeling clingy. It wouldn’t be abnormal, but it didn’t feel normal in that specific situation. 

“Don’t look up, keep your eyes down and focus on your food. If you don’t I’ll actually bite you.” 

This was familiar, too familiar. She could feel Gabi still on her and yet the voice coming from the opposite end of the table was certainly that same woman. In her peripheral vision she could clearly see her as well, sitting in the exact same clothing yet with eyes that seemed more like black passages to a red glare. 

“This goes without saying, but don’t tell Arthur any of this. These secrets aren’t for sale, either. I will kill anyone to keep these secrets, secret. I won't be going into any specifics, so believe it if you want or don't. It's not my problem. If you understand that much, then place your left hand over mine.” 

A request which didn’t make much sense, but considering the prior experience she only assumed the answer. Reaching to her own stomach and placing her left hand over Gabi’s while continuing to eat with her right. She could hear the quiet sigh from the winged claimant the moment she did. Relaxed, calm, but filled with anxieties. 

“Good. You already know how this ability works now, so we'll stick with this. It's useful for private conversations... I’m what most people would call a demon. A monster. I’m willing to do a very many things for power, and I have done many things for power. So, consider this: Imagine a realm much like the human one we reside in now. But everything there is perfect. All the normal issues you had to face were gone and no one suffered from the problems their lives normally posed. No hatred, no anger, no reason to be at odds with one another. Every bad relationship you know of was in perfect condition. Imagine that world in your mind… then consider what you would do if you found yourself to be the one problem.” 

And odd question, but one Jaffe considered. Finding the reason why would be the first thought in anyone’s mind, no doubt. But there wasn’t enough time to think that far. 

“I culled every single person in that realm. One by one, not a single person left standing. Every head, every heart, an addition to my kill count. Mounds of bodies all strewn across my world. I decided that I would take everything they had and cover it in their own blood. And when that wasn’t enough, when humans and claimants weren’t enough, I went from creature to creature, animal to animal. A world covered in blood. Blood that has become a part of my darkness. That was what I spent that time doing. Becoming a monster for the sake of my own power.” 

Jaffe wanted to say something. Looked as if she might say something. Are building in her throat and yet Gabi’s grip tightened around her. As if prepared to crush her underneath an unbearable pressure. Darkness closing in around them, as if singling her out with blades of gristly shadows. 

“Don’t say a word. I don’t want to hear them. You asked the question, I gave the answer. Now all I need is silence. Just eat and enjoy your meal… please… and I’ll take care of the madness. It’s a bother. Right? The anxiety?” 

The words to describe it weren’t quite present. The feeling of Gahbriogyva’s lips on her neck once again, but coupled with a mind clearing warmth. She took a moment to both gloat to herself and remember that no one else got this type of treatment from Gabi, and then she stuck her tongue out at Arthur who merely rolled his eyes and continued to eat. A meal and information. What more could she possibly ask for? A question that event without an answer until her mind began feeling abnormally clear. In fact, more than clear. As if every negative emotion and feeling was gone. 

She looked at Gabi, her lips leaving a soft pink print on her caramel skin, and noted the crimson in her eyes before a single quick blink had them back to blue. The question now was simple. Did she suck the madness out of me? And it was a question she’d have to assume the answer for. 

“Alright. You two can enjoy your meal. I’m going to take a hot shower and have Mist clean my wings. Maybe soak in some herbal water and oils. Clean up after them, Freddy.” Her command was met with a single bow. 

Arthur watched her closely as she exited the dining hall. Her steps echoed at first, but just like the rest of her family they quickly became silence before she had even left the room. Kana had managed to make her entire family troublesome, but his focus quickly transferred to Jaffe who was haphazardly scarfing down every single item on the plate. Even Freddy stared at her, but it was more disgusted rather than angry. 

“Is there a reason you’re eating like an animal?” Arthur asked. 

“Hah! Are you stupid? It’s no wonder Gabi doesn’t like you. What I just heard was an invitation. So I’m gonna finish this so I can be the one to wash her wings and, possibly, take all the feathers that fall out. Those things can sell for a fucking fortune! Maybe she’ll even let me soak in the bath with her after.” 

“Are you crying?” 

“No!” Jaffe responded while wiping her eyes. “This food is just so fucking good! Oh my Gabi!” 

Freddy nodded in perfect attention. A firm smile on his face as if proud of her realization. Arthur merely looked at her with the slightest bit of disgust. “Please don’t say that again. That was horrible.”  

The moonlight was almost perfect. The sky wasn’t entirely clear, sparse clouds scattered throughout the sky, but more than enough space for stars to litter the vast expanse. Shimmering, glowing, flickering in the far distance. It almost make her mind wander off for a moment, but it wasn’t enough to clear her thoughts. Sleeping at this point was out of the question. He lace nightwear, practically just red lingerie, was covered with a thick black hoodie. The furry inside provided warmth, but her wings seemed entirely unbothered by the cool night air. 

One of the feathered limbs unfolded and moved to her side. Gabi eyed it, a hand reaching over before plucking out one of the black feathers and holding it in her hand. It reflected no light, as if it were made from pure darkness itself, and yet it clearly existed as itself. She dropped it to the floor of the balcony at her feet where it now rested with several others scattered around the area, but she soon plucked another. This one she lifted to her hair rolling down her shoulders and over her chest, as if comparing the colors. 

“You keep doing that and you’ll eventually have none left.” Arthur’s voice made her sigh. 

“What do you want? I’m not in the mood for your crap tonight. If you’re uncomfortable then go home. No one is forcing you to stay here tonight,” Gabi responded while tossing the feather off the balcony. 

He shut the door to the balcony before responding. Glancing at Jaffe who was sleeping contently in Gabi’s bed. “I know. I just didn’t have anything better to do.” 

“That seems to be your life these days.” 

He approached, but stopped midway. Looking at her as if she were a viper ready to strike at any moment. Gabi’s defenses were always up. That was a characteristic which was always prevalent with her, but perhaps something everyone misjudged. After all, it only took a few steps forward and his hands were resting on her shoulders. They tensed up for a moment, then relaxed after several moments, but tensed again shortly after. However, this time they tensed only as her wings seemed to burrow their way into her back. As if being drawn to their source. 

“Does that not hurt you?” He asked. 

“I’ve done it enough to not care. Most people don’t understand, and others simply will never understand, but great pains can be endured when it’s for something important.” 

“Like power?” The question made her go quiet, not that he expected and answer. With the wings gone his arms wrapped around her in a manner which caused her eyes to widen. It was then she looked as if she were prepared to say something, but Arthur was first to speak. “Why do you tell me all of that as well? You weren’t just talking to Jaffe, and I know you wouldn’t make that kind of mistake. You’re too cautious. So why did you tell me the same things?” 

She sighed. “I was hoping you’d stay quiet after I gave you the grace of... It wouldn’t be fair of me. Not after you helped. You deserved the same explanation, although I won’t tell you more than that.” 

“So that smell, the blood?” 

“You know, certain lives become far more precious when you see how quickly they can disappear. When you’ve seen a face twisted with pain and marred in agony? It means very little at first, but that changes when it’s the people you love. It makes you question everything. DeVian, for instance. I don’t understand her. She knows what happened to Stasia and yet she allows those responsible to walk and breathe. I can’t say I’d ever do the same.” 

“You mean mercy? Even if it’s only a little?” Arthur asked, but he got his answer when he saw her head lower. He may not have been able to see her face, but he didn’t need to. 

“Amarjeet was haphazard, DeVian is lenient, or maybe just lacking knowledge she should already have. And yet I’ve seen the way both she and Stasia act when you take what’s important to them. I saw it, and I still find it wasn’t enough. They lacked the power to make me truly feel as if they love one another. Not the the extent it should be.” 

“Do you just believe that love itself is power?” 

“No. Of course not. Love is far more than that… but how can anyone truly love someone, when they lack the power to protect them? And then there are the monsters who’d destroy those things they love so dearly with their own hands.” 

“Are you calling yourself a monster?” Arthur questioned her. His jaw tightening, his eyes twitching ever so slightly. A matter of focus as he kept his eyes on her. It was different from normal, as if turning away would cost him dearly. “You’re violent, sure. But I wouldn’t call you a monster.” 

“And what if I killed my siblings?” He flinched, for a moment his eyes starting to their surroundings, but they quickly returned to her. “What if all your friends, family, children, everything you’d ever known and loved… what if I killed every single one of them? Laughed while doing it? Enjoyed it! What if I made them all nothing more than the material for the pillar I wish to stand on? If that’s not what a monster is then what is?” 

She spun around quickly; Arthur’s hands holding her shoulders and keeping her in place. Her eyes looking directly at his, but he wasn’t done. “Listen to me. Believe what you want, but you’re no monster.” 

“You say that, but… but…” 

“Look at me. Just as I’m looking at you. All I see right now is you, Gahbriogyva. And you look nothing like a monster. Regardless of what’s around you.” 

She stared at him, looking into his eyes to see herself staring right back. She found herself unbelievably sad in his vision. The blue which represented her family’s eyes looking back at her. It was only when looking at him and Eric that she could feel so small. It pissed her off, violently so, but she couldn’t muster that same anger then and there. Instead, she chose calm. Or what calm she could muster. Her hands grasped as his shirt, fingers clinging to him with a subtle misery, but it was enough. That was all she needed to cry for a moment. 

“Are you sure?” She asked, still holding his gaze. 

Arthur, on the other hand, was focused on her. It was imperative that he focus on her. It was him who touched the gauntlet directly and held onto it for a moment longer than he needed to. That was why he saw what Gabi saw. The world around them in ruins, the building in shambles, the sky a haze of red with clouds of deep black and gray. Blood staining everything as if bodies hand been run through a blender and splattered across the realm. At their feet, the mangled bodies of people she knew and didn’t know, people he knew and some he didn’t. Looking at her, he could see her smiling at from ear to ear, eyes like portals into a different world, but he could still see himself in those eyes. And it was in his own reflection, in his own eyes, that he saw the crying woman who knew was real. 

“Yes. A monster wouldn’t be capable of acting the way you do with Jaffe anyway. Certainly not be nearly as clingy.” His response was met with silence for a moment. But, surprisingly… she chuckled. 

“Shut up. That’s because I love her more than you.” 

“I’d deny that a thousand times, but you make a hard argument with your aggressive greed.” 

She rested her head on his chest and, with it, his eyes were met with moonlight once again. Almost as if his mind had been alleviated of some heavy burden. For a second her crimson eyes looked at him, but a blink left them blue again. Perhaps she was just exhausted, or her mind was still foggy from the poison, but Arthur was surprised once again to find her arms wrapping around him. Her head resting against his collar while her wings reemerged and wrapped around him. Normally actions reserved for Jaffe, but apparently an action she believed he had earned. At least for tonight. 

“And yet, he might never know that the vision of the world you showed him was real. How utterly boring of you.” 

Deep blue skies with a hint of hazy orange… just before the black of night. There’s something simple in it and yet so vastly mysterious. Several questions can easily come to mind regarding what it may be. Perhaps it’s the stars, so numerous and distant, each a representation of the possibility of an entirely different world. Or maybe it’s as simple as mere darkness. The darkness which encumbers everything around them and leaves nothing to be seen or ever truly discovered. The moon always attempts to alleviate such troublesome thoughts, but those types of thoughts only bogged down the mind of the weakest links of all existence. 

The broom swept the stone path clear of all excess dirt and leaves. The type of thing most people would consider pointless, meaningless, outright useless at times. But to her it was about purpose, consistency and respect. That was why she chose to be a wandering miko. A shrine maiden without allegiance or ties to any specific shrine. To some degree she had become a rather mythical being, arriving in the dead of night and tending to holy places across the regions. The work had become legendary in its own right, but that was primarily for two reasons. Her arrival meant the entire grounds would be spotless in a single night, but it also meant certain troubles would vanish. 

Indeed, exorcisms and cleansing were her primary focus, but that was all just a coverup to deal with problems mainly caused by claimants without regard for order. That or creatures with no business causing havoc. However, with no trouble to deal with she was left doing her cleaning rituals. The darkest time of night and yet it was brighter and more beautiful than any other time in her eyes. The stars reminded her of the past, and the face she could see beside them. Maybe that was why she found herself staring up at the vast array of twinkling colors in the far distance. Further than she could reasonably touch herself. 

“Sumimasen?” The voice grabbed her attention. Like the rattle of a snake in tall grass. 

Her eyes met the culprit and quickly examined her. Another shrine maiden, although one belonging to the shrine. She blinked her eyes, growing accustomed to the stark white in the middle of the night. “Hai?” 

“Ō! Hontōdatta ndesu ne!” It took her a moment to adjust to the language. “I’ve heard rumors of a miko like you. Your clothes confused me at first, but it really is you. What is your name?” 

She wore the standard attire for a shrine maiden, but the red coloring was darker and the white replaced with black. Her hair was tied back into a a long ponytail, which rested over her shoulder and stopped just past her chest. Her eyes were slightly green, yet mostly yellow, and all features on an umber face. A single blink followed by a sigh. “My name is Mayray.” 

“It really is true,” she started in response. “I’ve heard rumors about you. Specifically how you’ve been around for several generations, yet you look as young as ever.” 

“You shouldn’t believe everything you hear,” Mayray responded while continuing to sweep. 

“Oh! It’s not that I believe it! I just thought that, maybe, it was a family tradition. Work possibly passed down from mother to daughter?” The very suggestion made her stomach turn. 

“My mother isn’t nearly as kind as you’re thinking.” The words came easily. Easier than most words she’d had to say. Easier than saying her own name. She handed the broom to the woman and turned to the path leading away from the shrine, but the woman was quick to apologize. 

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to offend you in any way!” Mayray paused and raised her left brow. 

“I’m not leaving because of some offense, kid. I’m leaving because I’m done. It was nice meeting you... It’s good to talk to new people.” 

The woman first looked around the area, noticing that she had been so focused on getting to Mayray and speaking with her that she hadn’t even noticed the entire place was spotless. She hadn’t woken up realizing that someone had been moving about the place, instead she had woke up while they were already preparing to leave. There was no doubt in her mind that she’d sifted through every single room without waking anyone, just as it was said she’d do, but when she turned back Mayray was already gone. As if she’d just vanished. However, there was only a single thing on her mind after realizing there was nothing to be done about her arrival and exit. Words spoke as if to reach her eventually. 

“She called me a kid, but she definitely looked younger than me...” 

— 

“Why are you wearing that?” Eric asked the moment Mayray walked in the room. 

“Because I just got back from work. Had to kill some big snake outside of some village in the sticks,” she paused for a moment once she’d gotten close enough to him. A single peck on the cheek before making her way back outside. “Had some free time, so I took care of a favor.” 

“A favor?” The very idea confused him, but the question went unanswered when the door closed behind her. Not that he couldn’t see her through the glass pane. 

It wasn’t too often Eric chose to visit Mayray at her own apartment. She kept things extremely tidy, but not nearly as tidy as she did in the home she said was for the both of them. But that was a place which was rarely ever visited by them at the same time. Between their respective daily lives there was very little time for indulgent nights or days, but all it ever really took was a call to set up something, if not for how busy she kept herself. Still, this was natural. Seeing her out on the balcony with a cigarette between her lips; staring out into the night sky. 

His approach lacked what she’d call decorum or formality, but she’d grown used to that. Each step echoed in her ears and all his movements tickled her senses. Mayray hated her mother, of course, but there was no doubt in her mind that her teachings were all useful. It was because of her that she came to realize that everyone moved in their own way, no matter how small. Everyone sounded and smelled differently, so those things were often times all that was needed to identify a person… She’d never forget the sound of Eric’s footsteps. Perhaps that was why she knew he was coming to open the door and join her. 

The sliding hiss of the glass door on its frame would have been more than enough without all the training. “I didn’t think I’d see you here today.” 

“I can visit. Not that it’s in my best interest when you’re so picky, and always attempting to kill me.” His response was… valid. 

“It’s your fault. You’re strong, so I can’t help it. Call it a habit by blood.” 

“You say that, but I never hear anything about Gahbreal trying to kill Cyva,” Eric responded. 

“That’s because Gahbreal married someone weaker than him. Trust me, we all indulge ourselves when we can fight someone stronger than ourselves. Love someone stronger than ourselves.” She paused to exhale a puff of smoke. “Besides, you’re a different story.” 

She could feel his frame weigh her down, his arms wrapping around her waist as his head rested on her shoulder. The feeling of his face against her neck never got old. “What makes me different? Wouldn’t Mia be in the same situation.” 

“Ew, don’t call him that. Hellfire would kill you if he heard you say that, and unlike me he doesn’t care for small scale... He also has nothing to prove. Hellfire would never lay a hand on Evyette.” 

“You think so?” 

“I know so. Have you seen the two of them together? I don’t think there’s a single living existence that loves anyone more than my brother loves Evyette. I’m the only one that watched him grow up from a certain point, although he doesn’t know it… Mia doesn’t look at anyone the way he looks at her.” 

“Does it make you sad?” Eric asked. 

“Not really,” Mayray responded while lifting the cigarette to her lips. “It honestly makes me jealous.” 

“Jealous? Seriously?” Eric nearly laughed, but caught himself. That wasn’t something he’d expected to hear from Mayray of all people. 

She removed the cigarette and snuffed it out on the balcony’s railing. “It feels like I’m being outdone. He smiles so easily, even when he’s pissed. But just look at me in comparison. Sometimes it feels like I’m doing you a disservice.” 

“You know that’s not true.” 

“You say that, but I can’t recall ever smiling in your direction once.” She said while looking up at the moon again. “Sometimes I feel like I could, but I just don’t.” 

“What do you mean? You smile sometimes! Even if you don’t notice. It’s always small, and almost able to go unnoticed, but only at certain times. It’s cute.” 

“Cute?!” Her voice rose, but she quickly placed her hand over her mouth. “You did that on purpose.” 

“Maybe, maybe not.” He responded. She could feel his breath on the base her her neck. 

“You know, I can tell you want something from me. I still don’t know why you don’t just go out and get laid by someone else while I’m out. I don’t mind it, and I’m sure literally anyone would be willing.” 

“Am I not allowed to wait for you?” 

“Well, I’m not saying that.” She sighed before looking at the night sky one more time. “Let’s just go take a shower.” 

“Together?” Eric responded. 

“You’re not getting away easily this time. Not until I’m satisfied.” 

“It is my job to satisfy you, not that it will be difficult.” 

“…wait… you did bring him up earlier… you’ve been talking to my brother, haven’t you?” Eric didn’t answer, but he did smile. “I really wish he wasn’t like this.” 

“He’s not that bad. He sometimes gives good advice. He tried to help Jillian’s whiny friend, but it didn’t work.” 

“This only worked because I’m not as emotional as Jillian, and you know they’re more than just friends. Now let’s go before I change my mind. And don’t say anything else based on anything he told you. His Rhihon blood is a bit too strong.” 

“I didn’t even get to say any of the bathing lines!”  

The light, consistent clicking on the floors only ended upon reaching the door. Nose pressed against the space between the frame where several sniffs would take place. A sense of smell tempered over thousands of years, through a multitude of wars and times of peace alike. From a master of naval warfare and worldwide exploration… to now being what amounted to no more than a glorified household item. A commodity. At times a piece of equipment to be used and quickly tossed aside until the need arose again… but things like that never really mattered. Not to the white void pup. Not to Litnia V. Desdon. 

She pressed her skull to the door and pushed it open slowly. She could smell Stasia, the current iteration of Godfrey, and it brought her comfort. She had mostly lived with very little purpose before becoming Qrow’s tool for war. Mostly wandering the void and bothering Novevu by wandering into his home and causing a general mess. Once she had been assigned to Godfrey, things changed drastically. Both kind and stern; the type of claimant she was not used to meeting. There was something about his touch which was calming. Perhaps that was why there was some solace in Stasia, different from the scoldings from Novevu and disdain from Qrow. The word family felt different when it involved Godfrey. 

The moment the door had opened wide enough to enter, she stuck her head in and looked around. Scanning every corner and shadow, taking another few sniffs to be sure as her ears twitched. But then she froze. A buzz. Slight instinct to fear. Her head rising slightly to meet the gaze from atop the bed. Stasia was there, she could smell them, but this wasn’t them. A crazed glare from the current encumbering shadows. The whites of their eyes around circles as black as the void. Several seconds of intense danger as she and DeVian stared at one another. Almost as if seeing who would give up first, but she soon slowly backed out of the cracked door and into the empty hallway. There was only so much hostility she could take, and DeVian was even more difficult to deal with than Qrow in a household setting. 

The tapping continued on, making its way to a much more tolerable environment. By now Kiran would either be asleep or doing whatever nightly activities he chose to do instead of resting. But she knew he’d be asleep. With all the things his day entailed, he’d no doubt be knocked out and regaining his energy. Kids always sleep a lot, or at least that was how she spent her childhood with her siblings. Digging holes, chasing bugs, hiding snacks and sleeping. There was an odd sense of kinship she felt with Kiran, but upon reaching the room she opened the door in the exact same manner, sticking her nose in and sniffing, but she quickly jumped when her ears twitched at the sound of a response. Another source, sniffing for her. 

She peeked her head in and her eyes then  locked onto two red orbs floating in the darkness. She froze, but only for a moment. This time she trotted her way in and across the room. It wasn’t everyday, but when Gabi visited she was always an assured source of pats and pets. 

“Roaming around in the dark again? I assume you couldn’t weasel your way into the adult bed.” Litnia’s whine was more than enough of an answer. “Aw, poor thing.” 

“It was easier with Godfrey. He didn’t go out much… even if he was kinda frail.” The explanation came as Gabi's hands reached down and lifted the pup up to her lap.

“I think frail is an understatement. Godfrey seemed like he’d break if you touched him too hard. At least for a time.” Gabi responded. 

“I wanted his soul,” Litnia whined again as Gabi patted her head. 

“Your nature is almost ironically cruel, like the void itself, but nature is a terrible thing when you love the things you wish to devour or destroy. Closeness can only go so far before you cross a line.” 

“Ya sound like Godfrey. He smelled good, so I wanna eat it.” Gabi had to keep herself from laughing. 

“Your mind really is odd. It seems you can’t manage to escape the idea of eating the souls you think are the best, but those souls are also the ones you love the most.” 

“Aren’t ya the same?” 

“Of course not,” Gabi responded while looking at Kiran who was fast asleep across the room. “I loath the idea of destroying that which I love. Maybe you’d need to experience it once before you understand, but it hurts more than you’d expect.” 

“Hmm…” Litnia seemed confused. 

“Consider this. Do you think I give better pats than Godfrey?” 

“No. His are still the best.” 

“Then wouldn’t you want to refrain from eating him?” The question made her head tilt to the side. 

“I guess… I think I get it… maybe.” 

Gabi sighed, as if struggling to truly understand what it was Litnia was. What she truly represented. A Desdon more akin to an animal or some creature than a claimant. The impact of the void on her as a whole was extreme; to a degree in which she seemed to believe devouring someone’s soul was akin to being closer to them than physically. In a way it was deep, but at the same time it was frightening. A compliment of the highest order, but one which held dreadful implications. Then again, she was too much of an airhead to truly think it through. Or possibly just very easygoing? She didn’t seem to understand she was outwardly saying she wanted to kill people in the most absolute of ways; almost entirely out of instinct.

“You truly are a mystery,” Gabi said while staring at the little white void pup. The skull was smooth yet oddly warm and cold at the same time. “How about tonight we do some roaming.” 

“Roaming... Walk? Where we roamin’ to?” 

“Doesn’t matter. We’ll just go out and do something when we see it. And, maybe, I’ll help you understand what I’ve been trying to explain.” The words made Litnia tilt her head. 

“Adventure. I like adventures. And walks. Let’s do it.” 

“Then it’s settled.” Gabi said with a smile.  

His dreams always felt the same. Like swirling rivers of wind and sun dappled water flowing around him. As if he were being embraced by the a calm tide below and a cool breeze above; with the rising sun above him and the setting same beneath. He once believed he’d only find comfort when he slept like this rather than within the chaos of the realm which he had called home, but home had changed. And with that change so too came a new peace. Peace he had once believed impossible, and yet he found himself roused from him slumber. It wasn’t a violent shaking or a thundering crash… instead it was the divine pleasure of pressure on his lips. 

His eyes opened slowly, a feeling of both euphoria and weightlessness all at once. For a moment he didn’t feel like himself. A complexion like lunar stone yet with cheeks glowing like a red sun. One of her hands tucked silky locks of hair behind her right ear, just enough for him to see her eyes open. Like two black voids with stars at their centers. Her hair was lavender, but the roots were like white gold. And she looked at him with a delicate love incapable of reaching anyone else. He was the only one. He could only be that one. He knew exactly who she was, but he couldn’t recall her name at all. All he could think of were pet names, but one specific keyword ripped through his mind the moment her lips parted from his. 

“My… wife…” she chuckled in the lightest voice he could have imagined. 

“An odd way to greet me. Keep talking like that and I’ll be forced to think you’ve been eating weird flowers again.” 

He scratched his head and yet, funny enough, the answer came rather quickly. “I haven’t done that in years. Or at least not with this same side affects. How else am I to test the effects of the flora and fauna here?” 

“Perhaps a better way aside from your current method?” She chuckled again while lying next to him on the bed. “Anything is possibly better than taste testing wild plants and odd animals.” 

“I suppose… I can understand that.” 

“I’ll never understand how you’ve managed to go without knowing how all the things work. Isn’t nature your thing?” The words made his ears perk up. 

“To a degree, yes, but I’d rather be sure. This place is new to us, overall. I can’t be very exact about the side effects of these things in their specific environments. It’s actually pretty enjoyable.” 

“Well I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself,” she whispered before sliding to the side of the bed and placing her feet on the floor. Yet when she lifted herself to stand, her feet also left the ground and she floated causally to the door. “Now you better hurry. You’ve been asleep all morning; I’ll be done with breakfast soon. Don’t keep me waiting exotic man.” 

He barely had the chance to get a good look at her before she exited the room; a light click signified the closing of the door. He laid still for a moment. His mind felt spacious or perhaps incomplete. After gathering what thoughts he could there was an odd sense of floaty lightness as he lifted his head from the pillow beneath him, but it soon faded when he turned and placed his feet on the floor. Standing was simple enough, walking was simple enough, but it still felt as if he was sifting through cool waters. As if he were calmly and coldly wading through a dream. 

Reaching the bathroom was his first order of business, and he quickly plunged himself into the shower. The water felt foreign, but the heat made his toes and fingers tingle, as if they were being roused to life. He reached for his toothbrush and toothpaste, something others might find ridiculous to believe he’d made himself, and proceeded to brush his teeth casually. He looked down at the water flowing down his body and at his feet. A green hue flowing from his head and skin, down his legs and into the drain below. Like some mythical brew originating from his person. He wouldn’t stop sifting his hair until it was all removed from his body, but the moment the water had become clear he would immediately remove himself from the shower. 

“You better hurry!” He could hear her voice across the home. “I’d be sad if you let my cooking get cold!” 

He sighed. An attempt to dry off the long mane of hair on his head and the beard around his mouth. It wasn’t perfect, but it would do the job for now. He pulled the hair back into a frizzy ponytail, riddled with loose ends and tufts of hair poking out in random directions, but that wasn’t his priority right now. After throwing on some pants he quickly made his way out into the kitchen where he would see her floating around as if gravity itself was unnatural to her. 

“You’re in a good mood. You normally sleep longer than me.” Was that true? And if so, why didn’t he say it earlier in their bed? 

“You’re one to talk. I couldn’t possibly lay around all day when my wild star is home. Who knows when you’ll wander off on another expedition into the human wilds?” 

“I didn’t think you’d miss me so much. You help out so many people, it’s hard to imagine you feeling lonely.” Who was she helping? How was she helping them? 

“Oh please, don’t tease me. You know it’s not the same.” She started as she floated to him carrying a simple meal. Assorted berries, steaks and homemade bread. “You know as well as I do that friends and family don’t provide the same company as a husband.” 

This was truly his wife. “I’ll never understand why you chose me of all people. I’m certainly not kind enough to measure up to you.” 

“Hmm. You’re right. But that's not what matters.” She stopped as she removed the band holding his hair in check. He chose to focus on his meal, but that did not stop her from running a comb through his hair. Each stroke almost entirely meaningless against the wild fur, but she still seemed happy doing it. 

“You don’t plan to eat with me?” 

“I ate while I was cooking. You know I like my snacks rather than big meals.” 

“Ever the child at heart.” Is she truly like that? 

“I’m sorry…” the words made him freeze. They felt… nostalgic… but not in a good way. 

“Sorry for what? Why would you ever need to apologize?” She has no reason. Right?

“You could have gone with the others. Your friends. You could have lived out your purpose with your own nature, and avoided all of this.” All of what? 

It felt as if the words themselves were bringing weight with them. Solidifying him. Planting him firmly on the ground. Or perhaps… it was the opposite. The words weren’t doing anything to him, rather he himself was becoming entirely grounded and the words were becoming more tolerable. Meaningful. Realizations forming in front of him that were once impossible to understand or properly form into things he could see. Why was this happening? How was it happening? What did it mean? 

“They weren’t my friends. We would never call each other friends. They were like a family to one another, but I was just an acquaintance to them. A pawn. A piece on their board. No matter how much damage I could cause with my moves it didn’t make me family.” 

“But now look at where you are.” The words cut deep. Even if he still couldn’t grasp why. 

“I’m here, with you. I’m a different man. A better man. I couldn’t be those things without you and I can’t see myself wanting anything different.” 

“You were capable of so much more…” 

“Yet it wasn’t good. What good comes from being capable… when all I’m capable of his causing turmoil? I’m a fearful man. terrifyingly so. To a point in which I’d do horrible things if I feel that fear justifies it. I’m a coward, and the worst kind. I’m no warrior, I’m no knight, no hunter. What most would call me is a murderer, killing out of fear of what may be.” 

“It’s your nature.” He could feel his heart thrum. A synchronous beating which was once nearly silent. “You changed because of me, and I didn’t realize it until it was too late. I didn’t realize I had become your shackles, and you were my vice.” 

“You’re wrong.” Why is she saying this? 

“I’m not. I made you weak, because I felt it would be good. I softened your heart because I desired you that way. I changed the very person I love to fit an ideal I had for you… and in the end I begged you to suffer.” 

His eyes widened, his hands gripped the edge of the table enough for his fingers to dig into the wood. He could feel his breathing speed up as his mind began to spark with linked memories. As if flashes were appearing behind his eyes and filling in the blanks one by one. His mind, which had been unraveled, severed, cleaved through in a sense, had now been reconnected and the things which were difficult to grasp were becoming easier to understand. And with that understanding came realization. And with realization came tears. 

“My everything…” 

“I begged you to live after torturing you for your entire life. I made you live with me like some kind of pet, and then I made you swear to be kind. Kindness to the very people you feared.” He could hear the comb fall to the floor behind him. “I though it was love, but as I watched you struggle for centuries I realized it was nothing more than a curse! I cursed my one and only love!” 

She paused. The feeling of his hands pressing against either side of her face, and her eyes widened and locked onto him. His black hair, eyes akin to a corpse soul, skin like smooth creamed chocolate, and she cried. But the tears stopped when she heard his response. 

“How are you here?” He needed to know. 

“How am I… here? I don’t understand.” 

“I saw you die. I saw it. So how are we speaking now? This isn’t my mind, this isn’t my memory. I must know…” 

“We made a promise, didn’t we? Partnered by souls. Even if I’ve been completely erased, you’ll always have a part of me with you. Forever. Our bond made manifest.” 

He pressed his head against her chest, his teeth pressing together as if to test the pressure they could take before shattering to pieces. His hands fell to her shoulders, but his grip tightened as if to assure that she could not slip away. She did not push him off, more like she found comfort in the action, but with his own weight she found herself brought to the floor along with him as he fell to his knees. She, of course, joined him. No matter how she looked at it, he was only this way when he was with her. And yet, in that moment, she also hoped he could find someone else to provide that comfort now. Even the smallest, waning vestiges of her soul could not handle seeing him suffer like this.

“Tell me what to do.” 

“What?” She chuckled. “You’re mistaking me for an ancient, aren’t you?” 

“I’m serious, Li. I don’t want to break the promise I made, but I need you to tell me what to do next.” 

There was a long pause. A long silence, but the words which broke it were simple to understand… “live… live and be who you are.” 

“But… the promise.” 

“Forget the promise, wild star. It doesn’t mean anything anymore. Not after the way they cut you down simply for suffering. I was fine with having you be something you’re not when you’re with me, but that type of kindness isn’t meant for people who don't deserve it. So be afraid if you must be. Be violent if you have to be. Become a murderer, a monster if you need to… but you have to live.” 

“I never blamed you for anything, you know?” His words were too sincere. Almost enough to make her flinch. “You may see yourself as wrong, but I truly enjoyed the life we shared, Li. I’d never been happier. So please, don’t blame yourself. I’d become an entirely different person if it was for you… but in that same vein, I’d become the most diabolical creature for the same. All you need to do is make me promise.” 

“Then call on me. And I will call on you, one last time, with this small parting vestige of my soul… call my name.” 

He looked at her. The feeling of an almost entirely complete mind. And with that he could hear it ringing like bells to shake all the realms. “Liovia Invoa… my Liovia. My life. My joy.” 

“You’ll wake up soon, and we won’t see each other again likely until you truly die. You eat such weird things, it comes as no surprise that you’d come back from this…” she paused and took a deep breath. As if steeling herself for the very first time in her life. “Get your revenge… don’t hold back, if you must. Do whatever you think is right. You used to say that morals are limited to those who believe in them. So, I beg you, choose your own morals and do what you must. Please, my wild star.” 

He could feel her hands, now her own turn to place them on the side of his face as she lifted his head. Him standing with her as she floated from the floor and moved ever closer. “Liovia.” 

“Please, live… Jhen’ento.” 

“Can you be serious for at least one fucking second?” Eva questioned as Soivan walked into the room. 

“Who are you mad with now?” He asked while looking at her from a comfortable distance. 

“Stupid Koven and this other idiot! And why are you standing over there? It’s not like I’m going to hit you or something.” 

“She’d sooner hit me,” Koven’s voice came from a device in her hands. “And I’m not even doing anything. I’ve been trying to get her to listen, but we’d all be damned if she could at least do that.” 

“Come on. You’re both too stuck up. Besides! We’re still waiting for our fourth. At least have some fun.” The last voice was one Soivan did not know. 

“What are you even doing?” His question made her realize his proximity had shortened, an action which caused her to jump slightly. 

“We’re… uhm… playing a game. Me, Koven, and two others he knows. The one that sounds too happy for her own good made it.” Eva said as she showed him the screen. 

It was a rather well put together device. Like a slightly thicker tablet with a few bottoms on either side and a microphone built into it. The screen was rather large and, upon looking at it, he immediately took into consideration the cutesy art style which was displayed. An overhead view but with a pixelated style to everything, and there were specifically three things of note. There were two chibi esque characters standing around waiting, what looked like multiple other typical enemy type enemies dressed as security, and a full map layout in the corner filled with all sorts of symbols and marks. It was all extremely detailed for such an artsy game. 

“And she made this? That’s quite skilled work.” Soivan’s praise gained an immediate response. 

“Why thank you! Where have you been hiding such a cutie, cutie~?” 

“Hey…” Eva spoke while staring at him attentively. Soivan could almost feel the jealousy radiating off of her. 

“Don’t worry, it was just a compliment.” Soivan stated. She quickly turned away. 

“Hmph. Okay.” That wasn’t a good response. 

“Aw, is she sulking now? You’ve got your hands full with that little mean girl. Give her a hug and a kiss and I’m sure she’ll be all happy!” The very suggestion from her made Eva livid.

“Shut up!” Eva responded, but was quickly surprised when Soivan followed through with the advice. Her initial thought was to get angry… but, needless to say, that thought subsided almost as fast as it came. 

“Are you feeling better?” Soivan asked. 

“Don’t ask me that…” 

“Yeah, she’s definitely feeling better~.” The voice spoke up again. 

“So, what exactly are you doing on this game? And who is this person?” Soivan asked. Eva looked as if she were thinking for a moment before explaining. 

“It’s just a simple game we play that she put together. We get missions and we complete them, but the objectives vary. The locations can be kind of tricky too.” She moved the screen so he could see it better. “They have a different view from us, but we’re all working together. That character right there is Koven.” 

“Koven?” Soi looked at the screen where he spotted a character dressed like your typical fantasy type spy. All black clothes with a few straps and belts with throwing knives and a fancy knife. His face was covered with a black mask too, but there were two big white eyes displayed on the masked face. “Well, the design certainly fits him.” 

“I hope that wasn’t meant to be some kind of insult.” Just as Koven spoke the eyes narrowed. 

“Wow, this really is advanced. The characters even display the feelings of the people controlling them… but who is this?” He said while pointing towards the other character. A lady with a full white, skin tight suit in contrast to Koven’s character. Their mouth was covered, but their hair was held up in a pearl blonde ponytail which reached down to their ankles. She had two handguns on her person and what looked like a heavier gun on her back. 

“That’s… Valorakt. The one you asked about earlier. The one who made this game, and she’s smarter than she looks and acts. It’s almost like being a dumbass is her pastime.” Eva said. 

“Hai hai~! Aren’t I the cutest? Go on, you can say I’m the cutest,” the words came along with her character doing a little dance akin to what you might see from the latest cross country idols. 

“What’s she doing?” Soivan asked with a raised brow. 

“Ugh! She’s fucking emote spamming! Stop before you get us caught!” Eva responded in her typically agitated tone. 

“Aw, but I’m having fun!” Valorakt retorted. 

Soivan looked on with slight interest, but that interest only rose when considering it was something Eva was interested in. He’d never known her to play games. Perhaps that was what drove him to his next question. “Can I try?” 

Eva went silent, but it was even more ominous when the recently bubbly Valorakt also went silent. She looked at him for a moment, as if gauging his capabilities off a glance. There was something about having her stare at him that was both comforting and terrifying, almost as if she’d pull him apart with her eyes and see every weakness he had… but she’d never say anything like that, and he knew it. Eva, for the most part, was too kind when it came to him. He didn’t ask expecting her to give him whatever he wanted, and to some degree he would like it if she did consider how well he’d perform, but he knew as well as anyone else that the answer was decided the moment the question was asked. 

“Sure. I’ll show you how everything works.” Eva responded in a casual manner. 

“Absolutely not!” Koven quickly shot back. “I’m not gonna fail… lose this because this soft ass fucks it all up!” 

“That wasn’t very kind. I think you should give him a chance,” Valorakt added. 

“You just say that because, as smart as you are, you’re a fucking dumbass.” 

“…do you want me to peel the skin off your legs?” 

“Both of you shut up!” Eva interrupted them. “My Soi will be fine, it’s not like it’s all that difficult, and this is an easy mission.” 

“Easy for you, sis. You’ve been our team operator for years now. This mission requires perfect stealth or it all goes to shit. We can’t be caught or let any alarms get triggered. All of that will result in a complete meltdown and full scale battle.” 

She considered Koven’s words, but then quickly ignored them. Turning her attention to Soivan. “You’re practically an ancient already, right?” 

“Huh?” Soivan responded, but was met with an endearing smile. 

“Yeah, you’ve got this. Not like this would be hard for you anyways.” 

“Oh… uh… alright.” His attention was drawn back to the tablet when he noticed a pop-up on the side of the screen. A little face with a black mask covering the mouth, black shades covering the eyes. Short, stark white hair like light itself and a cap covering their head. The chibi art was for them was unsettlingly smug. “What’s that?” 

Eva looked at the screen quickly before sighing and handing Soivan the tablet. “That was our fourth. Nova. She’s late, as always, but she’ll be essential for this. She’s saying she’ll be here in a couple minutes. After she shows up this is all going to start. So I’ll explain how this game works to you in the meantime.” 

“Heheh~. It’s almost time to start!” Valorakt said as her character began dancing again. 

“Can you stop moving around so much? It puts me on edge.” Koven said as his character moved to the other side of the room. 

“Both of you check your equipment and make sure everything is prepped and ready!” Eva said before smiling at Soivan. “I’m gonna be on mute for a bit.” 

“Hurry up. It shouldn’t take long to explain,” Koven responded. 

“Don’t be stupid, Koi Koi. They’re obviously going to do something naughty~.” Valorakt stated. 

“What?!” 

“Byeee~. We’re going on mutesies! We’ll be here when you’re ready!” Valorakt’a voice was the last thing key heard before silences, but you could clearly see the two characters arguing on screen. 

“Will those two be okay?” Soivan asked, but Eva was quick to push the question aside. 

“That doesn’t matter. It’s time for some very intense teaching.” 

Being nervous wasn’t necessarily something Jaffe ever had to consider. Not when her work would often tend to be intimate when it came to getting as much information as possible without holding back. Sometimes the occasional dismemberment, other times your typical capture and delivery. It was all the type of work you’d easily come to expect… and yet she couldn’t help but feel utterly sick while riding in the back seat of the vehicle she was now in. A matte black shortened limousine which looked as if it were far fancier than it needed to be from the outside and inside. Gold accenting and deep crimson cushioning, complete with several bottles of wine she’d have normally at least indulged in. Or at least if she hadn’t read Gabi’s message. 

The initial idea was that, after having asked and convincing the Dimea to entertain the idea, that she’d also be her personal escort to this place. What she didn’t expect was a letter and a message saying she wouldn’t be able to make it. The outfit provided was so fancy it made her fingers ache. The material itself like a mix of interwoven red silk and black Egyptian cotton to make a deep crimson, yet it was so light and expertly sewn that it felt like a single thread coming loose would have the entire thing come apart… but it was still so tight. A gold ornament clasping the single shoulder strap accented with two of her own feathers? A black shoulder cape with the Chisuke family emblem of a crow with red eyes, but somehow the crow was even darker than the rest of the black cashmere?! It felt like a single stain on it would cost her twenty lives! 

However, the most important part of it all, was the letter provided. She was told by the driver not to open it as it was only a symbol of introduction onto the property, but the letter itself was ominously fancy. Made from quality parchment and dyed completely black. Held shut by a black wax seal she had only ever seen a few times. It was Gabi’s own personal seal, and one that mimicked herself. An angel in armor. She’d have almost continued examining it, but now her eyes had chosen to peer out at the environment. The windows were the deepest tint possible, but just past it she could see the sun which did not set. Instead, it was more like it had begun to be devoured and absorbed entirely. 

The sky becoming its own example of what terrors could truly exist throughout the realms. What was once a calm evening sky had devolved into a black and starless expanse of darkness so deep not even a shadow could exist within it. The sun now like a deep red iris staring at the land below and casting a devastatingly terrible aura on the entire land surrounding them. Even the inside of the vehicle had become darker, but just as it did lights she had not noticed before lit up in the corners of the floor and illuminated the vehicle in a crimson glow. 

“Try to focus.” The driver’s voice distracted her from all the other details. “It’s easy to get absorbed in the environment when you visit for your first time, but you will grow accustomed to it.” 

“Is it always like this?” Jaffe asked. 

“It’s nothing to be afraid of, miss. I promise you that. You should simply prepare your mind. Many people break before they enter the doors, but you are miss Gahbriogyva’s personal guest. You will be treated with respect.” 

“Well, how reassuring.” She sounded sarcastic, but that was enough to garner the driver’s attention. 

“I would suggest being careful, miss Jaffe. You are a guest, but you are not accustomed to this place.” She could feel the vehicle turn before slowing to a calm halt. It wasn’t until now that she had realized nothing could be seen through the windows at all anymore. Nothing but darkness. Entirely pitch black. “This is your stop. Once you enter those halls, you must be prepared. There are many who will prey on you at the slightest show of weakness. It is not everyone, but practice caution.” 

“Why are you telling me this? I can’t see where you’d find any merit in letting me know all of this.” 

“It’s simple. You are a guest of miss Gahbriogyva. Therefore, it is my duty to not only guide you, but prepare you. I would prefer not to upset the young miss.” 

Of course it was to keep from angering Gabi. However, there wasn’t much time to think about it. The door at her side clicked and swung open slowly and smoothly, the blank landscape covered in darkness she was met with on the outside entirely different from what she was expecting. And yet as she stepped out, the vehicle’s door was shut and the car pulled off, she came to realize she had been let out on the opposite side. The one who opened the door for her motioning in the opposite direction, where she turned to be met with her real destination. Towers and pinnacles looming overhead with blood red shining through the innumerable windows. A row of servants standing by with their heads lowered at her arrival, leading to a door that looked as if it couldn’t even be opened without two people. 

“Well shit…” 

“Please, this way. I will guide you. Watch your step and do try to keep pace.” A warning she didn’t understand until attempting to follow him. 

It was so dark she couldn’t even see her feet easily enough, let alone her own hands. The only thing which made it possible to even make out the silhouettes of the people and herself was the red shining from the windows, and with that she could only just make out that some were men, some women, all wearing black suits and dresses depending on their own preference. But upon nearly reaching the stairs… they stopped… the door to the massive manor rattling slightly, as if some large lock had been undone, before they swung open in a graceful manner. The light from inside flooded out and Jaffe could finally see herself and those around her more clearly, but the loud snap of what sounded like a heel against marble caused her eyes to shoot up. An easy mistake. 

What she saw was the blackest silhouette against the red background of the interior, eyes like that of a mad demon peering out in her direction with a red glow that could peel back the layers of her mind with expertise. It felt as if the blade of a scythe were sliding against her neck, so sharp it could lop her head clean off with a single touch, and yet it did not faze her. What reason did she have to be afraid of such silly games? She’d stared directly into the eyes of Gahbriogyva and had her mind toyed with in ways others could not truly imagine. Something like this was nothing in comparison. 

“Please, Addinia.” The voice emerged from the building behind the person she had locked eyes with, coupled with echoing footsteps. But as the voice sounded everything calmed to a halt. “Must you always treat our guests with such disdain?” 

“You dare to interrupt? This… craven, thinks it can crawl into this house so easily? I secure this building I make certain we are safe! I will make no exceptions.” A Russian accented male’s voice echoed from the figure. 

“Your intentions are well founded, and I commend your dedication to your duty, but this is not the average guest. This is a visitor sent with lady Gahbriogyva’s grace.” 

“Gabi?” Addinia’s eyes returned to Jaffe with slightly more interest than before. 

By now the secondary voice had begun to be visible. A steady, formal and perfect approach. His silhouette stopped just beside Addinia, right before stepping outside, and yet there were no defining features. It was also at this point Jaffe took notice to the servants whose heads had remained lowered the entire time. It was less like they were being modest or simply doing their job. It felt more akin to fear. A fear she felt she could understand yet had no reason to… however, as the male raised an umbrella from his side and held it forward, the swooshing sound of it opening as it blocked her view of him, she could feel a tingling itch. The umbrella rising above his head and revealing his face again, but this time she had to clench her jaw to keep from making any unwarranted expressions. 

His eyes now opened, staring at her with an intensity unlike this Addinia’s. These were eyes without mercy, eyes without empathy, eyes without carelessness and eyes without morality. The eyes of someone who’d decapitate an entire family it they felt they wanted to. Eyes which peeled away the definitions of right and wrong before placing their own imitations. Eyes which could devour everything around them in moments. These eyes, she could only surmise with a single glance… were just like Gabi’s… the eyes of a person who had likely murdered hundreds. Thousands! Possibly hundreds of thousands! And yet they held such a casual expression, as if nothing was wrong or abnormal. 

“I apologize for sir Addinia’s, should we say… lack of decorum.” His words we're both sly and enriched with lifetimes of formality. His steps approached with a static care. “Ah! I see we are of the same house, although I doubt our lines are closely tied.” 

“A Testua? I wasn’t expecting to see any others here of all places. Should I be impressed?” 

“Oh dear, of course not. It is my belief that a claimant’s worth cannot be determined at a glance. There must be tests, trials, tribulations. The things which build a person’s character.” 

“You have a pretty level opinion on others.” Jaffe could tell he wasn’t lying, but he spoke in a way that made it seem like every single word was untrue. She handed him the letter Gabi had provided, and he reached out and received it. “I’m Jaffe Testua, here just to visit.” 

“Indeed. We were expecting you.” He responded before tucking the letter into his suit jacket and lowering his head ever so slightly. “I am Monoterra Testua, the one in charge of keeping this place clean, orderly and the meals prepared with perfection. As well as the demon who watches over the second floor. It is a pleasure to meet you.” 

Jaffe had heard all of their names. Addinia was one thing, a claimant which had become one of Gahbreal’s apprentices during one of his earlier lives and managed to survive the training itself. He was an entirely different issue compared to the others. The ones they called demons, the ones who resided in the torturous pit called Hell below the building itself, were all infamously wretched and priorities for slaying on sight… if anyone was dumb enough to try. None of them were weak. In fact, they were all known for being akin to zealous when it came to disposing of their enemies in the most violent ways. Coupling that with how rarely they left their home made it difficult to even approach without fighting more than one at once. And just like that, as soon as she’d arrived, she’d met one of them face to face. It felt almost natural to want to collect him and sell him off to the highest bidder. 

“Oh no! The pleasure is mine! I’m the guest, after all.” Jaffe spoke while eyeing his every feature. 

“Hah! I like you. I can practically see the greed in your eyes. We will get along very well.” 

“I’m glad to hear that.” 

“Of course. Then it is my personal privilege to welcome you,” he started as he turned and held his gloved hand out towards the door of the large building where Addinia still stood watching them. “Please do enjoy your stay at Lilith’s Manor. I will arrange a tour.” 

“Can you be serious for at least one fucking second?” Eva questioned as Soivan walked into the room. 

“Who are you mad at now?” He asked while looking at her from a comfortable distance. 

“Stupid Koven and this other idiot! And why are you standing over there? It’s not like I’m going to hit you or something.” 

“She’d sooner hit me,” Koven’s voice came from a device in her hands. “And I’m not even doing anything. I’ve been trying to get her to listen, but we’d all be damned if she could at least do that.” 

“Come on. You’re both too stuck up. Besides! We’re still waiting for our third. At least have some fun.” The last voice was one Soivan did not know. 

“What are you even doing?” His question made her realize his proximity had shortened, but she gladly showed him the screen after thinking for a moment. 

“We’re… uhm… playing a game. Me, Koven, and two others he knows. The one that sounds too happy for her own good made it.” Eva said as she showed him the screen. 

It was a rather well put together device. Like a slightly thicker tablet with a few bottoms on either side and a microphone built into it. The screen was rather large and, upon looking at it, he immediately took into consideration the cutesy art style which was displayed. An overhead view but with a pixelated style to everything, and there were specifically three things of note. There were two chibi esque characters standing around waiting, what looked like multiple other typical enemy type enemies dressed as security, and a full map layout in the corner filled with all sorts of symbols and marks. It was all extremely detailed for such an artsy game. 

“And she made this? That’s quite skilled work.” Soivan’s praise gained an immediate response. 

“Why thank you! Where have you been hiding such a cutie~?” 

“Hey…” Eva spoke while staring at him attentively. Soivan could almost feel the jealousy radiating off of her. 

“Don’t worry, it was just a compliment.” She quickly turned away. 

“Hmph. Okay.” That wasn’t a good response. 

“Aw, is she sulking now? You’ve got your hands full with that little mean girl. Give her a hug and a kiss and I’m sure she’ll be all happy!” 

“Shut up!” Eva responded, but was quickly surprised when Soivan followed through with the advice. Her initial thought was to get angry… but, needless to say, that thought subsided almost as fast as it came. 

“Are you feeling better?” Soivan asked. 

“Don’t ask me that…” 

“Yeah, she’s definitely feeling better~.” The voice spoke up again. 

“So, what exactly are you doing on this game? And who is this person?” Soivan asked. Eva looked as if she were thinking for a moment before explaining. 

“It’s just a simple game we play that she put together. We get missions and we complete them, but the objectives vary. The locations can be kind of tricky too.” She moved the screen so he could see it better. “They have a different view from us, but we’re all working together. That character right there is Koven.” 

“Koven?” Soi looked at the screen where he spotted a character dressed like your typical fantasy type spy. All black clothes with a few straps and belts with throwing knives and a fancy knife. His face was covered with a black mask too, but there were two big white eyes displayed. “Well, the design certainly fits him.” 

“I hope that wasn’t meant to be some kind of insult.” Just as he spoke the character's eyes narrowed. 

“Wow, this really is advanced. The characters even display the expressions of the people controlling them… but who is this?” He said while pointing towards the other character. A lady with a full white, skin tight suit in contrast to Koven’s character. Their mouth was covered, but their hair was held up in a pearl blonde ponytail which reached down to their ankles. She had two handguns on her person and what looked like a heavier rifle on her back. 

“That’s… Valorakt. The one who made this game, and she’s smarter than she looks and acts. It’s almost like being a dumbass is her pastime.” Eva said. 

“Hai~! Aren’t I the cutest? Go on, you can say I’m the cutest,” the words came along with her character doing a little dance akin to what you might see from the latest cross country idols. 

“What’s she doing?” Soivan asked with a raised brow. 

“Ugh! She’s fucking emoting! Stop before you get us caught!” Eva responded in her typically agitated tone. 

“Aw, but I’m having fun!” Valorakt retorted. 

Soivan looked on with slight interest, but that interest only rose when considering it was something Eva was interested in. He’d never known her to play games. Perhaps that was what drove him to his next question. “Can I try?” 

Eva went silent, but it was even more ominous when the recently bubbly Valorakt also went silent. She looked at him for a moment, as if gauging his capabilities off a glance. There was something about having her stare at him that was both comforting and terrifying, almost as if she’d pull him apart with her eyes and see every weakness he had… but she’d never say anything like that, and he knew it. Eva, for the most part, was too kind when it came to him. He didn’t ask expecting her to give him whatever he wanted, and to some degree he would like it if she did consider how well he’d perform, but he knew as well as anyone else that the answer was decided the moment the question was asked. 

“Sure. I’ll show you how everything works.” Eva responded in a casual manner. 

“Absolutely not!” Koven quickly shot back. “I’m not gonna fail… lose this because this soft ass fucks it all up!” 

“That wasn’t very kind. I think you should give him a chance,” Valorakt added. 

“You just say that because, as smart as you are, you’re a fucking dumbass.” 

“…do you want me to peel the skin off your legs?” 

“Both of you shut up!” Eva interrupted them. “My Soi will be fine, it’s not like it’s all that difficult, and this is an easy mission.” 

“Easy for you, sis. You’ve been our team operator for years now. This mission requires perfect stealth or it all goes to shit. We can’t be caught or let any alarms get triggered. All of that will result in a complete meltdown and full scale battle.” 

She considered Koven’s words, but then quickly ignored them. Turning her attention to Soivan. “You’re practically an ancient already, right?” 

“Huh?” Soivan responded, but was met with an endearing smile. 

“Yeah, you’ve got this. Not like this would be hard for you anyways.” 

“Oh… uh… alright.” His attention was drawn back to the tablet when he noticed a pop-up on the side of the screen. A little face with a black mask covering the mouth, black shades covering the eyes. Short,  stark white hair like light itself and a cap covering their head. “What’s that?” 

Eva looked at the screen quickly before sighing and handing Soivan the tablet. “That’s our fourth. Nova. She’s late, as always, but she’ll be essential for this. She’s saying she’ll be here in a couple minutes. After she shows up this is all going to start. So I’ll explain how this game works to you in the meantime.” 

“Heheh~. It’s almost time to start!” Valorakt said as her character began dancing again. 

“Can you stop moving around so much? It puts me on edge.” Koven said as his character moved to the other side of the room. 

“Both of you check your equipment and make sure everything is prepped and ready!” Eva said before smiling at Soivan. “I’m gonna be on mute for a bit.” 

“Hurry up. It shouldn’t take long to explain,” Koven responded. 

“Don’t be stupid, Koi Koi. They’re obviously going to do something naughty~.” Valorakt stated. 

“What?!” 

“Byeee~. We’re going on mutes! We’ll be here when you’re ready!” Valorakt’s voice was the last thing key heard before silences, but you could clearly see the two characters arguing on screen. 

“Will those two be okay?” Soivan asked, but Eva was quick to push the question aside. 

“That doesn’t matter. It’s time for some very intense teaching. As dumb as she acts, Val catches onto a lot.” 

There was no doubt in his mind that Eva was enjoying this. Especially after taking several minutes to indulge in him. She seemed to be in an oddly more cheerful mood now when compared to the previous interactions with the others, but what was more difficult to imagine was how she managed to accurately use the equipment she was explaining to him. Not that her explanation wasn’t perfect, but there were so many specific details that it was hard to imagine her being capable of monitoring all of the information at once. She not only monitored everyone’s characters, but she also monitored their injuries, weapons and equipment, alongside their heart rates to make sure they weren’t pushing themselves too hard. All of that alongside keeping a careful eye on the map and positions of enemies, civilians and the objectives they would need to accomplish. It wasn't an understatement to see she had the hardest job of the entire group!

And speaking of the objectives, she had informed Soivan that they would be accomplishing four in total. The facility they had chosen to attack belonged to a corporation which was apparently working against their own. She said the players who occupied it were currently away, which meant now was the optimal time to strike. They’d make their way through the building stealing key files while erasing the rest. Then they’d split up and run a decoy operation with one of them reaching the upper floors and causing a commotion while also destroying some form of autonomous weapon which was under development. During that time the other two would shut down the security system which would halt reinforcements, keeping the other players from responding quickly enough to catch them. It was all rather intricately planned. 

All those things aside, there was still the fourth and main objective… the facility itself was run on a large energy core, or at least that was what Eva called it. “Think of it like a hyper-condensed battery capable of running the entire place. Their main objective is to destroying that core and causing a mass shut down of the facility and its supporting systems. With that done they’d extract from the area and escape without any other issues.” 

“Well, that… certainly sounds like a lot.” Soivan said as he examined all the different actions and icons he could access. She quickly too the opportunity to lean on him. 

“Don’t think too hard about it. You’ll mostly be giving out direct orders through talk anyway, so the rest is just extra. If you need to give specific instructions you can tap areas on the screen to point them out to the others. They’ll see and react accordingly.” 

The way she smiled at him was both comforting and lovely. “Are you sure you don’t want to handle this yourself? I’d rather not mess this up and have you upset with me.” 

“As if I’d be upset with you. All you need to do is your best and I’ll be right here. If things get too hectic, I’ll step in. If I don’t intervene then you can take that as meaning you’re doing perfectly!” She was definitely too excited. 

“Alright. Got it. I’ll keep looking at the controls and learning as many things as possible. Like these little symbols… what are those?” 

“Oh! Those are grenades." She started explaining while purposefully leaning onto him as much as she could. "The ones next to those are specialized. Koven has smoke grenades, Valorakt has EMP grenades. The symbols near Valorakt are the magazines for her guns and the adjacent bullets. Koven’s character will only be using a blade, but you see he has a few throwing knives as well.” 

“Why is that number next to one of Valorakt’s magazines so big?” Soivan asked. The question itself made Eva seem tired. 

“Let’s just… hope you don’t need to find out… hopefully… that being said, if things devolve into direct combat everyone will start moving autonomously.” Eva spoke as she placed a cherry between her lips. 

“Autonomously? In that case, would that mean I failed?” 

“Hm? Nope. That just means there was no method of avoiding conflict. It’s typically how things end up when we’re dealing with other players. In that scenario you’ll just be giving situational awareness callouts… or we could just ignore them and I can get my time alone with you.” 

“Koven would throw a fit, I’m sure.” 

It had quickly become a rather anxiety inducing endeavor. At first the experienced seemed like they’d just be playing a game together, which on its own would be a good way for the two of them to spend time as a couple. Or at least that was what he had thought. Soivan had expected a simple game for relaxation or fun, considering Eva never played games at all, but now it turned out to be just like everything else. Some intricately put together series of extremely difficult mechanics and tough decision making. It felt less like a game and more like a job, but that would fit the short tempered lover he chose all too well. She rarely gave herself the chance to play around, so it came as no surprise that even her games were strictly put together. But to think it was made by a friend. 

It felt like it might have been a better idea to just let her handle it, but he wasn’t going to back down now. Not after all of the encouragement and positivity she gave him. If he chose to give up before it even began she would no doubt believe she’d failed to make him feel like he could do it. Instead it just seemed better to let her handle her own role for the team. Either way, it didn’t matter. Seeing her smile was enough to make him feel as if he could accomplish this with flying colors… funny he was seeing it like a test… but time to think about it had expired. Another message popping up on the screen with the same character image from before. Apparently they were a few seconds away from them. 

“Well, I guess it’s time to get started, huh?” Soivan said as Eva occupied her favorite position lying across his lap. 

“Don’t worry, I’ll be right here for support! Now is the time to tell the others Nova is closing in. You’ll begin when she’s with everyone.” 

“Right.” He turned his attention fully to the display and pressed the same button he had seen Eva press prior to mute themselves. It looked as if Koven and Valorakt’s characters were calm, and for a moment he was pleased that their characters displayed a semblance of their personal attitude in their speech. But after he pressed the button it was time to begin. “Are we all present?” 

“If it isn’t Eva’s cutie. I’m set and ready to go~!” Valorakt was going to be easy to get along with. 

“That didn’t take long.” Koven was clearly still unpleased by his interference. “I’ll assume you took everything she told you to heart. I’m not trying to deal with more than I have to here.” 

“Oh don’t be such a spoilsport, Koi. Just because he’s taking away from your brother and sister bonding time?” Valorakt poked at him. Soivan could see him shoot her a look, but Valorakt ignored it. 

“I should tell you both that… was it Nova? Nova is nearly there and should be arriving any second.” Soivan informed them. 

“Got it~!” 

“I already contacted her while you were being trained by Eva. She’ll need no explanation as to what the situation is.” Koven responded. “Check your shit Valorakt. Make sure everything is loaded and ready.” 

“No need. I’ve been ready since we got here. It’s got me a bit excited, but with a new operator this’ll be fun. And hopefully I’ll get to test out this baby!” She added while tapping the large box strapped to her back. 

A ping on the screen caught Soivan’s attention. A notification signaling an addition to their party before the chibi stylized face from their messages had appeared next to Koven and Valorakt. Nova had officially joined the group, and the first thing he noticed was her equipment popups. A bunch of shotgun shells and several small magazines of high powered ammunition, but the grenades were the more notable part. She carried both fragmentation grenades and plastic explosives. He could see her weapons plainly now in her information. A semi automatic shotgun and a large handgun with a suppressor… it all looked like it was unmarked and entirely custom made. 

A short surge of static and her voice finally came through. “I’ll be down it a second.” 

“It’s about time. Could you have taken any longer?” Koven asked to which he could audibly hear her tongue click. 

“Shut up, Koi. Or did you forget I'm helping out of the kindness of my heart?” 

“Someone's in a bad mood today.” 

“What was that?” 

Valorakt’s hands clapping together was the signal for them to stop. “That’s enough you two. Let’s try to get along for the sake of our operator, alright?” 

Soivan could see Koven’s dissatisfaction on his character’s face, but it was at that same time another character fell from the open vent on the ceiling. Nova looked both relaxed but also somehow upset at the same time. The character looked somewhat sad, but also with an outfit that screamed causal and sporty. Black jeans, a black tank top and a large white hooded jacket. Earrings dangling at her ears below a white baseball cap which matched her short hair perfectly. Even her eyes were almost entirely white. Clearly that was a color she enjoyed with a character like that. Especially when considering the white sneakers on her feet. 

“What’s up. I’m ready to go. Is Eva still here?” Nova was quick to call on the princess who quickly responded. 

“Yeah. Did you need something?” 

“I expect to be paid properly for being your boyfriend’s training dummy. I thought I’d let you know early, before we do this.” Eva sighed. 

“Fine. I got it. I’ll make sure you’re compensated.” Hearing Nova laugh in response made her slightly pissed. “You were joking, weren’t you…” 

“At least you can catch on to that. Oh, by the way.” There was a slight paused as her character did a small unenthusiastic wave towards the screen. “Let’s try to have some fun with this, dude. Hopefully you’re not as stuck up as your sweetheart.” 

“Oh, uh. Yeah. I look forward to working with you.” Soivan responded before turning to Eva. “She certainly sounds confident, if not a bit arrogant.” 

“Relax. So long as you know what you’re doing this should be easy enough. No need for the insults.” 

Nova seemed like they’d be easy enough to get along with, but underestimating the volatility of anyone connected to Eva could always spell a huge mistake. Perhaps that was why Soivan chose to proceed with the same caution with which he treated the rest of them. If he had to compare them with Eva it would no doubt mean there’s always the chance of them attempting to kill him at some point if he wronged them in some way. But with everyone present, it was time to begin. He did another quick check over all the functions he’d be using and the details he’d be checking, looked the map over quickly and made sure nothing had been forgotten. 

“Are you ready, my Soi?” Seeing Eva so enthusiastic about it made him feel like nothing would go wrong. What reason was there to have doubts if she was so confident? 

“Yeah. Just giving it one more look over.” Soivan responded. 

“Good.” She clung to him in as casual a manner as she possibly could. Almost as if treating him like a living pillow, but that was how she had always been. She found comfort in him most others could not fathom. Perhaps that was why she had so much confidence. Her hands rising and fingers intertwining at the back of his neck acted as her method of demanding his attention. As much as he'd like to believe otherwise, she'd likely keep acting like this the entire time.

A pause, a shared stare, then a relaxed sigh. She wasn’t going to allow him to panic either… so what was the point in waiting? “Okay. With everyone ready, let’s start now. I’ll begin giving out instructions.”  

It was rather amusing, watching as their respective characters all moved into their positions right next to the door. However, it was at that very moment the attention to detail had truly begun standing out. Each of them had their own set of personalized animations, they each idled differently and moved with their own specific character nuances. If Valorakt had really made this game as Eva had said, then she was no doubt good at what she did; yet he had never heard of the woman or any of her other products before. Still, with how accurately they moved it only meant he’d have more to pay attention to. Now was the time to test how everyone moved and reacted to commands. 

“An armed security guard will be moving by the door in the next few seconds. Koven will deal with him. Valorakt and Nova begin making your way eastward down the hall.” 

“Alright,” Nova responded. 

“You got it cutie~.” Valorakt never broke character… 

“Beginning operation in three… two… one…” Koven’s count down ended with his character quickly sliding around the corner and taking down the guard with expert precision. Not a sound was made, but his knife plunged into their neck regardless. A visceral animation for such a cute little game design. “Clear.” 

“Let’s go,” Nova called out to Valorakt as the two of them moved down the hall. 

“There will be three guards at the junction ahead, two on your left and one on the right. The two are talking; the one is drinking a coffee. All of them are armed. Valorakt, deal with the two on the left from a distance. Nova, close the gap and take down the last one.” 

“Got it,” Nova confirmed. “Let’s do this, Val.” 

“I’m with you sweet pea.” 

They moved quickly and efficiently, compared to what he had initially expected from their attitudes. Valorakt slid around the corner and with only two bullets both guards dropped immediately. Once again, rather visceral animations for in-game headshots, but not nearly as bad as what Nova did. The guard saw Valorakt put down the other guards, and his mug of coffee was quickly dropped to instead prioritize his rifle. But seeing the mug caught and shattered against his head immediately made that effort meaningless. She would then proceed to grab his head, flip him over her shoulder and drive her heel directly down on his neck. Decapitation. And a rather cruel one at that. 

“If you make messes like that we’ll be discovered in no time,” Koven commented as he regrouped with the team and they continued rushing down the hall. 

“Calm down. It’s not like it matters anyway.” Nova responded as Soivan spotted something ahead. 

“A group of six up ahead. Four civilians, two guards. The civilians are talking with them so it will be unavoidable to deal with them separately.” 

“Do you want them all dead?” Nova asked. 

“Not if it can be avoided, right?” Koven said with an annoyed tone. 

“You should tell Koi to handle it,” Eva suggested while poking at his abs. “He’s got an... area stun. He can tackle the entire situation on his one. Teamwork is the name of the game, but they all specialize in their own fields, and they’re all rather good at this.” 

“You’re giving compliments? Well… thanks for the tip.” Soivan responded before returning his attention to the others. “Koven. I’d like you to stun them all and handle the issue. Incapacitate the civilians, handle the guards as you see fit.” 

“Affirmative.” His voice was as levelheaded as always. 

“While they handle that, could you elaborate on their specific roles? What they do best or what abilities their characters can perform?” Soivan looked at Eva, deep in her own thought for a moment, then she made sure to get close enough to the device for the others to hear her. 

“Listen. Soivan is going to be using you based on your expertise from now on just as I would, so don’t expect to do things out of your range of skills.” She said before moving away from the device and pointing to Koven’s character. “Koven chose a character much like himself. Quick, quiet, and very agile. He specializes in fast stealth takedowns and one-on-one confrontations. He can use an area of effect stun that will immobilize anyone within a certain range, but the range is pretty wide. Valorakt, although it may not seem like it, is the fastest of this group. Her speed alone makes her the most efficient damage dealer on our team and she will never miss your standard enemies with her weapons. She can use a multi target laser attack to deal with large groups of enemies and is best suited for clearing groups when things go awry. That said, she’s also good for quiet and ranged takedowns.” 

Soivan looked at Eva expecting her to continue, but when she didn’t mention Nova it left him feeling as if she was intentionally trying to avoid saying much about her. “What about Nova? Does she do anything specific?” 

“Nova… well… hmm.” Eva paused before leaning her head back. “It’s hard to put it into words. It’ll be easier to just let you see. For now, just use Valorakt and Koven for the quiet stuff and Nova when you need a way out of something tense.” 

“I’ll take your word for it.” There was a short pause as they watch the team of three approach the area stated previously. Another corner, but a single turn. There was no avoiding the group and Koven would be dealing with this alone. His character seemed rather skilled at stealth, so it was kind of exciting to see what he’d do. “They’ll be right around this next corner. Be careful.” 

“Noted. And don’t treat me like an amateur. I’m going quiet on coms.” Although his voice was gone, Soivan could clearly see the character continue moving forward and rounding the corner along with the others. 

They were spotted immediately, but a wave of energy flew outward from Koven’s character before everyone halted in place. Two knives throw at the two guards, both hitting their marks before he rushed in and knocked out all of the civilians with quick strikes to their heads. They didn’t bother stopping, and Koven retrieved his weapons just as fast as he’d thrown them when passing by the bodies. Eva was right, he was good at this game. It was difficult to imagine them struggling against anyone at this rate, but that was when Soivan noticed the marker in his screen coming into view. 

“The room housing their servers is up ahead, down the second left and through the fourth door on the right. That’s where you’ll be gathering the files. If you keep moving at this pace you’ll avoid any guards, but there are three civilians in the room and two guards at the door. Koven will handle the civilians. Nova deal with the security. Valorakt, you get the files.” Soivan’s orders were simple and required no fuss. Perhaps that was why they all agreed to quickly. 

“Got it. Just move straight past them, Koi.” Nova said as they approached the room. 

“Don’t tell me what to do. Just make sure you do your own job and cause as little damage as possible. Get the uploads done quickly, Val. Time is precious.” Koven was back on his coms, but still serious. Clearly he took his games seriously. 

Valorakt, of course, was not the same. “Don’t worry; I’ve got this. I am the number one hottest hacker~!” 

“Void take me,” Koven sighed as they rounded the corner. His eyes were locked onto the door the moment it came into view, and upon approach he didn’t hesitate. “Let’s go!” 

The door burst open and Koven moved between the shelves housing all of the electronics like a phantom slithering through shadows. The guards attempted to act and stop him, but Nova quickly did her job. The first one attempted to grab his gun from his side, but she took hold of his arm and snapped it in half. The second tried to stop her and only found a foot directly against his face. Her attention spun back to the first and her fist ended him instantly. A punch strong enough to twist his head backwards on its shoulders. And the second couldn’t even pick himself up fast enough to keep her from punching him in the stomach and, upon him moving to clutch his abdomen, grabbing and tearing off his bottom jaw. 

“Holy shit! Child of life grant mercy!” Soivan exclaimed as he watched Nova’s character wipe the blood from their hands onto their clothes. “Why is this game so violent?!” 

“Maybe I should have warned you. The game has a good bit of violence and gore… but Nova’s character is particularly violent at times.” Eva responded. 

“Is there no other way?” Soivan asked to which Eva looked somewhat dissociated. 

“Would you believe me if I said she seems to be holding back? I can only imagine things getting worse for you if you don’t get used to it. She makes normal morbid behaviors almost seem normal.” 

“You know I can hear both of you, right?” Nova’s voice interrupted them as they watched her character raise a middle finger towards the screen. Now her character’s face had gone from relaxed to pissed. 

“Don’t be upset,” Valorakt’s character patted her on the head while passing by. “You’re the one that normally lets everyone know you’re not a kind person. Besides, aren't they both cute?” 

“I'd prefer they keep their binding time to themselves, then.” Nova stated while dragging the bodies from the door to the back corner of the room. 

“Aw, are you still feeling bad when you see other relationships? I told you I'm on the market still~.” 

“I'm fine; don't say unnecessary things,” she responded while sitting on the floor and resting her head against the wall behind herself. “It’d be easier if I could just sleep all day.” 

“Don’t get complacent,” Koven spoke as he watched the door. “We’re still on the clock. How much longer, Val?” 

The woman hummed a tune which seemed both familiar and yet entirely original. She bounced on her toes as her fingers sped across the keyboard in a fashion that looked entirely impossible. Of course she’d choose a character that was good with electronics and computers if she was as good with them as Eva made her seem. If she could put together a game like this, Soivan could only expect her to be done with this in a matter of moments. Perhaps that was why he found himself pampering the princess who had managed to sneak herself to a position sitting on his lap. She was definitely doing this on purpose. Trying to distract him, attempting to steal his attention. And it almost worked. Then Valorakt's character expression changed. She still had a smile, but one of her eyebrows rose higher than the other. A few more seconds of typing and she’d finally stop. 

“Alrighty! We’ve got good news and bad news.” The words themselves made Koven sigh. 

“What’s the issue Valorakt?” Soivan asked. Eva was, once again, displeased.

“So you see, I can get the files easy enough… buuut they’ve got it wired to a very complicated security system. I can disable it, but that will take some time.” 

“How much time?” Koven asked. 

“At least fifteen, Koi. That’s time we don’t have. What we can do, however, is slow the reaction down so we have a time limit before the alarms raise. But we’ll essentially be on a warpath to the security system before things get a bit too funny.” Valorakt said as she continued fiddling with the keyboard. 

“How long will it take you to set that up?” Soivan asked her. The question made her smile. 

“I’m glad you asked! That’s already done, cutie Soi~.” Soivan looked at Eva expecting her to have something to say, but her silence in response brought a hefty bit of unease. 

“Well," he paused to clear his throat. "Then we’ll continue with that as a part of our plans,” he started before looking over the map again. “Nova, I’m sending you a direct path to your next objective. From her on out you’ll be separating into teams to handle separate objectives. Koven and Valorakt will be going to deactivate the security systems as quickly as possible with my guidance. Nova will be heading off to deal with the autonomous weapon system. The systems should be down first before you reach the upper floor where that objective is. So once you reach it there’s no need to hold back. Go all out.” 

“Alright. Got it,” Nova responded. 

“I’m ready to start things off on your order, Soi Soi~.” Valorakt informed him. 

“Don’t fucking call him that!” Eva demanded from her comfy position. 

Soivan watched their characters form up on the door. Valorakt’s characters bounced around in an excited manner, Nova’s stretched before looking as if they were ready to get back into action. Koven’s still looked unbelievably calm. A character truly fitting his attitude. “Okay. We will begin in three… two… one… start.” 

The door burst open just as Valorakt’s countdown began; the timer itself also appearing on the screen for for him and Eva to see. All three of them moved in the same direction, but the moment a path opened up leading to a stairwell, Nova’s character image separated from the rest of the group as she split off and began her ascent. Soivan kept his eyes on Koven and Valorakt, which meant it was only a matter of time before she was out of sight entirely. 

“I’ll switch perspectives to you so I can—” 

“No need,” Nova responded before he could even finish. “I’ll be fine on my own. Just make sure they handle things right down here.” 

“If that’s what you want… Koven, Valorakt, you’ll be heading down the hall and taking your second left. There will be guards, but none of them are actively in the halls and are all in adjacent rooms. Once you turn that corner you’ll be moving through a larger room directly ahead where it seems research and development are conducted. There are several guards and civilian in there.” 

“Affirmative. Will we be clearing them all out?” Koven asked. Straight to the point, as always. 

“I’d prefer the civilians are left unharmed, just like before, but there are far more here than before. At least twenty unarmed civilians and fifteen guards. I’ll have you deal with the civilians while Valorakt deals with the guards. Her ranged options will be invaluable here.” He could almost hear the excitement from her silence. 

“Understood. How are the halls looking?” 

“Still clear. No one is stepping out into the, wait… a guard is approaching the next door on your left. That room has two other guards and a single civilian. It looks like a secluded office space. I’ll leave that to you.” 

“On it,” Koven spoke while drawing the blade from his boot. 

His pace rose ever so slightly and, just as the door opened, the guard’s head was sent flying from its body. His character’s movements were just as efficient as before, with the dagger thrown at the next closest guard’s neck before he flew across the room to grab hold of it. Only a single precise movement from that had both guard’s within that space decapitated with a satisfyingly clean slice from one side of the room to the other. As if the air itself had been sliced through. Before the civilian could even make a sound, his boot collided with their chin. That was more than enough to have them unconscious. Soivan couldn't help but notice how surprisingly easy to work with Koven could be when he wasn't actively treating him like an enemy. Eva, meanwhile, looked exceedingly proud.

“Good work,” Valorakt complimented him with a smile as she tossed the first severed head into the room with everyone. “Let’s keep this fun dance going~.” 

“Right. More fun than standing around in line at the fair,” Koven responded and they shut the door and continued making their way down the hall. 

“The fair? You go on dates like that?! You’re so old fashioned, pretty boy.” 

“It’s a good opportunity to mess with people. Not to mention, it has good romantic setups when you get on certain rides and visit the right places,” he responded as they proceeded around the corner. 

“How cute! You’re almost making me jealous.” Valorakt said before spotting the double door ahead of them. “Give me your orders captain cutie~.” 

“The security is as follows. One guard directly ahead, two on the immediate left, one on the right. There’s a large machine in the middle of the room and four guards on ether side. Two guards on the opposite side of the room and the remaining four will be on the catwalk above. Can you handle all of that?” The question made her character’s image smile. 

“Just give me the go ahead.” Valorakt responded. 

“This’ll be a good opportunity to see what she’s capable of when you need to use her later.” Eva said while placing several kisses on his jaw. Soivan merely ignored it as best he could.

“Go on. I’ll leave it to you.” 

There was a certain expectation he’d accumulated when Eva had told him she was the fastest of their group. The woman he had chosen as his own rarely gave out compliments to others; so it was natural to expect something above average. However, he wasn’t expecting character speed to vary as much as it did. She rushed forward at what might have been past three times their previous pace, and as soon as she burst through the door there wasn’t a single hesitation with her actions. Two shots to her right and a leap forward resulting in her feet colliding with the chest of the guard ahead. As they fell back to the ground she sent a single bullet to her left and one down at the floor beneath herself. Moments after entering the room and the initial security was already dead, and yet she didn’t stop there. 

The body beneath her feet was quickly used as a platform to somersault high into the air; her two handguns fanning out as she ascended with bullets flying in all directions. It was quick, accurate, and didn’t take long before her feet connected with the ground. She even posed like some kid after finishing their gymnastics performance, but that celebration didn’t last very long. Koven had begun dealing with the civilians before she had touched the ground, and by the time she had touched down he was dealing with the last ones. 

“Perfectly done~!” Valorakt exclaimed. 

“Then let’s go, we’re on a timer. Unless you’ve forgotten,” Koven spoke while passing by her and running out the door immediately. 

“It wouldn’t hurt to at least give me a compliment.” That was the only time her character image displayed dissatisfaction, but she still followed behind him. “So, what have we got now Soi?” 

“You’re clear for now. If you continue down this hall it’ll be empty, although some of the rooms are occupied. The security room itself has one person inside. A guard. You can deactivate the alarms from there.” 

“Roger that chief~!” Valorakt responded. 

“Why does she talk like that?” Soivan asked Eva, but it was at that same moment she had apparently grown tired of being ignored.

Her hands grabbed his collar and tugged him down with her as she fell on her back on the couch. He couldn't bring himself to be seriously upset with her, and especially not when knowing just how much she enjoyed having his eyes on her. Almost as if she couldn't resist the sensation. Almost like a clingy cat. The moment they were together she needed to be touching him in some way, close enough to feel, near enough to hear his very heart beating. On one hand it was endearing to a completely unreachable level, but on the other hand it was always over-the-top and she'd quickly get upset if she didn't get her way in that regard. As if she could kill anyone who dared to disturb them or attempted to take his attention away from her. But perhaps that was why she wasn't so hostile towards everyone else at the moment. none of them were truly close enough to steal the attention he could be giving her.

“Why do you think? She’s smart, but she’s an idiot. I much prefer her when she’s serious and yet that’s hazardous for my health. It’s difficult to tell when she wants to be your friend of kill you when she takes things seriously.” 

“Really? If she’s threatening you I can deal with her.” Eva was surprised to see how serious he’d gotten. 

“It’s nothing so intense, mon amour. She’s just a bit psychotic. If I had to give any warning I’d tell you to never lie to her. She will know and she will hate you for it. She's been through a lot, so I feel bad if I'm too mean to her.” She said in an unsettlingly relaxed tone. And yet it was more unsettling to hear her say she felt bad for anything at all!

Eva had always been equally difficult to decipher when it came to her feelings towards others. Calling her paranoid wouldn’t fit, but Soivan would never do that to begin with. He’d sooner call her cautious; yet she had every reason to be. Walking a tightrope or on eggshells wasn’t proper. Instead it was more like she tread burning coals while having to pretend it didn’t hurt at all. A façade and yet he had to question how much of it was fake and how much was true. But there was no point in denying the validity of their bond, and especially while she was currently vying for his attention and affection. Someone could only give so many kisses in a single day, and she was unwilling to let him go. Almost as if she were in some sort of trance. Playing the role of Woxia only made the Gimnai stand out even more when it showed itself.

He could almost swear, when he wasn’t looking directly at her, out of the corners of his eyes he could really see her. See what she hid. Just on the fringes of his peripheral vision he could see the black hair and gray eyes. The ivory of her cheeks and corners of her wide smile. The secrets she held dear, and yet he knew them all. As if she were gracefully fulfilling her role in some play… and he knew the truth would make her livid. But that wouldn’t be enough to separate them. That’s what it meant to be soulmates. Right? To not worry about these types of things? The faith that nothing would drive a wall between them solid enough that they could not simply tear it down. And yet Eva… she always found a way to tamper with expectations.

“Yva…” the name slipped out like a whisper. A subconscious call he hadn’t expected. And yet her ears twitched. 

“Hm? What? Are you giving up?” It was vague. He couldn’t tell if she’d even noticed, or perhaps she didn’t care. As if him calling on her was natural, and he couldn’t shake the familiarity of her name on his lips. She looked… happy. “I’ll take over if you want me to.” 

“No, it was nothing. I’m fine.” She shrugged at his response, but only truly looked unpleased when he turned his attention back to the others. “How are things going you two?” 

Looking at the screen he’d see Koven and Valorakt already in the security room with the door shut behind them. The guard had gracefully taken a bullet to the back of his skull, and Valorakt was already busy typing away at his station. “We’re all good. It’ll be done in a moment, with a few minutes to spare.” 

“Soivan,” Koven’s voice caught his attention. 

“Yes?” 

“Once we’re done with this Nova is going to begin her task. That means being fully undetected goes out the window. We move quickly and decisively. We don’t take detours unless we must, but with security offline we shouldn’t have to. Direct us, and if you just give commands then make it quick. We’ll mainly be doing things on the fly unless you say. Alright?” 

It was odd hearing Koven ask him for any form of confirmation like this, but it made sense. He clearly wasn’t trying to lose. “Got it. Just make sure you both maintain your health.” 

“Aw, he’s worried about us! So cute~.” Of course Valorakt would make it a joke. 

“He’s right. We can’t afford any mistakes here, Val. Once we start moving from here we stick together and handle things with precision… I know I shouldn’t have to tell you that, right?” Koven’s words almost made her character’s image seem to look overly serious. 

“Don’t get ahead of yourself, Koi. Let’s not forget the basics of respect when referring to your seniors.” Surprisingly Koven had nothing to say in response, although his character’s eyes were now annoyed. “Alright, Nova sweetie?” 

The sound of static clicking signified her return to coms. “What? I just got where I need to be, so are we good to go?” 

“One more little tweak aaaannnnd we’re in the red~!” 

The phrasing was off, or at least that’s what Soivan thought until he saw the security screens all switch to pictures of Valorakt’s character. It was just her face staring, and yet it wasn’t until he examined their surroundings that he noticed her face was now on every single screen in the complex. Then the eyes began glowing red as it laughed in the most maniacal way possible, in her very own voice, without any restraints. The alarms blared… but it was abnormal. There was a beat to it, almost synthetic in nature. And then it quickly became apparent what she had done. Deactivating the alarms features then activating it anyway, but only after making it into a synthesized rhythm. 

“She turned the alarm into music?” Soivan asked while lifting himself from Eva. 

“She always does shit like this,” Koven responded. “At least it won’t call anyone now. That means you’re good to go, Nova.” 

“Hm, I’m not gonna complain. I can fight to this. Going dark on coms. Be ready for turbulence.” Nova said in an unnaturally calm voice, but shortly after her disabled communications the entire building rumbled. 

“What was that?” Soivan asked Eva. 

“That would be Nova. She’s starting her objective fighting the autonomous weapon, but you just need to focus on the other two. Nova will be fine. By now the civilians will be evacuated and the halls will be reinforced with security. All you need to do is get them to the core.” 

“Okay. That should be easy enough. I’m ready whenever you both are,” the words themselves were like a green light to them which Soivan didn’t understand. 

Valorakt’s character looked completely pleased while reloading her handguns with fresh magazines and removing the suppressors. Meanwhile Koven’s character checked all of its weapons before readying his dagger in one hand and a few throwing knives in the other. “Ready, Koi?” 

“Don’t act like we’re friends, Valorakt. Let’s get this done right and fast.” 

“You’re not mad about what I said earlier, are you?” 

His eyes were quickly back to annoyed. “Be quiet and focus before I lose my patience… Let’s go.” 

“You’ll have a lot of security guards on your left the moment you exit that door,” Soivan informed them. 

“I know. That’s the direction of the core.” Koven responded as he burst through the door to a hail of bullets. Soivan knew to expect a lot from Koven, but it was still amazing to see his character plant their feet at the center of the hall and deflect every single bullet with the dagger alone. Sometimes he’d throw one of his knives to kill an unprepared assailant, but that only lasted until he gave his own command. “Now, Val!” 

“On it!” Valorakt was an entirely different breed of fighter, and her speed wasn’t for show. She looked as if she were moving even faster while rushing the position of the security team, but the moment they started preparing to turn their aim to her it was like a blur of white coiling around the hall. Her momentum carrying her around the walls and ceiling as she spiraled in their direction sending her own wave of gunfire which didn’t leave a single one standing. The moment she came to a halt Koven passed by her without stopping, and she followed behind him while reloading her weapons once again. 

“They’re good at this,” Soivan commented before spotting more enemies for them to take care of. “Another group around the next corner on your right.” 

“How many and how close?” Valorakt asked. 

“Seven. At your pace they’ll reach the corner at the same time as the both of you.” 

“Thank you, thank you. You’re up Koi.” 

“I know,” Koven responded as the sound of footsteps came into earshot just as the entire compound rumbled and shook again. 

“They’re slightly stunned from the tremor,” Soivan informed the duo. 

“Good callout. Moving to intercept.” 

Koven’s character, for the first time since they’d started, sped up to outpace Valorakt and rounded the corner. He didn’t even allow them time to pick up their weapons or gather their bearings. His character only ever seemed to target vitals and this was no different. Skillfully dissecting each person who stood between himself and his objectives. Heads flying, limbs falling to the ground, or several stabs to the body was all it took before they pressed forward. And Soivan couldn’t help but consider that at this pace they’d reach their objective in the next few minutes. Then he noticed their next obstacle. 

“You’re making good progress, but it looks like they’re waiting up ahead for you. Defensive positions and barricades have been setup in multiple positions and they’ll likely have a good advantage.” 

“We’ve got this one, don’t worry.” Valorakt assured him before asking the important question. “Are we free to utilize all our stuff?” 

“You mean your extra equipment? I didn’t think you’d ask.” Soivan’s question made Koven sigh. 

“Make use of everything. It makes sense that we could handle most of this without it, but there’s no reason to neglect it. It will make steamrolling through this next situation much easier.” 

Soivan sighed. A part of him wanted to deal with all of this without wasting any of the items they’d procured. Especially when he didn’t know how it translated to in-game cost. But, if they were okay with it, he had no reason to hold back. “Then I’m permitting you all to use your equipment as you see fit. I’ll direct you if I feel it’s necessary.” 

“Understood.” Koven responded. 

“Roger that chief~!” Valorakt said, and yet the mood seemed to shift. As if their previous banter and casualness faded away. 

They moved forward with strict precision and as soon as their enemies came within view they began moving like a well oiled machine. Koven took the lead as bullets started flying, but his speed did not slow at all. Again making a spectacle of his character’s precision as he deflected every shot and sent them into the walls, floor and ceiling around them. Meanwhile, at his back, Valorakt aimed her own handguns over his shoulders and casually gunned down anyone standing in their way. As if they’d done this very thing hundred, possibly thousands of times. And yet when the gunfire focused on their position and finally managed to pin them down, a grenade flew from behind his back. 

It wasn’t too flashy, a burst without much flare, and yet it immediately caused all of the electronics on the security guards to spark and malfunction. The scopes on their rifles no longer working and their accuracy failing, the communication between them cut off without their own radios functioning, and both Valorakt and Koven wasted no time taking immediate advantage. He moved forward, akin to a hawk swooping to its prey, and sliced through anyone who allowed him to get close. All the while Valorakt kept her distance and avoided bullets while returning her own with peak accuracy. Gunning down the furthest enemies until none were left standing. A hallways coated in blood. 

“Enemies dealt with, we’re continuing forward.” Koven informed Soivan as the two continued down the hall. “Keep us updated on any changes.” 

“You’re both okay for now. You’ll be reaching the main objective soon, so stay on your guard.” Soivan responded while examining the map. 

 It was odd. For a moment everything looked normal, but then he spotted something slightly different from what he’d become used to on that short time. His brow furrowed slightly and that caught Eva’s attention. Especially with how closely she'd been watching his face. “What’s wrong?” 

“This enemy symbol in the room with the core looks different from the rest,” he said while showing her the screen. “Is this some kind of boss or something?” 

Eva’s eyes widened, staring at the symbol which floated above their head. “It’s a... player…” 

“A player? I thought you said there wouldn’t be any of those.” 

“There shouldn’t be. My information was completely valid. This shouldn’t be happening. They’ll be forced into the confrontation, and they’ll likely know they’re coming. Let Koven know.” 

“I thought as much. Koven, Valorakt.” There was no response, but he didn’t truly need one. “Things have changed. You listen too, Nova. There’s a player in the room with the core. We currently don’t know why. There aren’t too many enemies in the room with them, just eight in total, but that will be just another headache.” 

“Alright. At least we know what to expect. Are we retreating?” The question made sense and would normally be the proper choice… 

“No. We’re pushing through this and finishing the mission. Valorakt, you’ll be running crowd control, dealing with the lesser threats and keeping the room clear while providing support for Koven. Koven will be dealing with the other player. I expect you both to utilize every weapon at your disposal. Failure is not an option.” 

Koven’s character image looked shocked. As if he didn’t expect such strict and bold directions from Soivan. But it’s exposed eyes quickly sharpened like knives. “Confirmed. Valorakt, we’re in the red.” 

“No more games? Now this is gonna be just the type of fun I like~.” She responded with her character eyes now a velvety shade of red. “Beginning operation!” 

It was at this point Valorakt finally placed her weapons into the holsters at her hips. Reaching for the large weapon on her back, she removed its covering to reveal a weapon the likes of which no one seemed to be expecting. An M61 Vulcan. Koven merely watched as she accelerated past him and towards the door while spinning up the twenty millimeter rotary cannon with a wide smile. Opting to refrain from stopping and instead using her momentum to jump at the door and knock it clean off its hinges. As much as they’d hoped they’d be prepared to defend against them, no one was truly ever ready to predict what Valorakt would do, and especially not when she came sliding into the room on the very door itself. 

Theatrics were nothing new for her, but for everyone else involved it proved to be its own form of violence. Sliding across the room with a loud screech of metal against metal, a hail of gunfire shouting out from wall to wall as she spun in circle, surfing on the metal door. The bullets themselves tore everything apart and only really stopped when hitting the walls of the room, but that meant nothing in comparison to the bodies. A hazy red mist quickly filling the area as guards were riddle with indiscriminate fire. Her laugh only made it seem even more chaotic, and when no one else was left standing besides the player in question the rotary barrel of her weapon settled on him and did not cease. 

Getting a good look at him would reveal a rather basic man in a fully white hazmat suit. However, its hood was pulled over a helmet which featured a black glass mask… None of the bullets reached him. Intercepted by what looked like a net of pure electricity. “Now it makes sense that you made it this far.” 

“Wait, I can hear them too?” Soivan asked Eva who was now fully focused. 

“Yes, but you should pay attention to their surroundings. You’re the eyes in the back of their heads, and things will probably get more hectic. Besides. He’s about to start.” Soivan wondered what she meant, until he noticed Koven closing the distance. 

Valorakt stepped back the moment she noticed the player getting closer, and it was in that very moment Koven sped past her and took the lead. Only a single word to signify his seriousness he now had. “Engaging!” 

His dagger closed in on the player, but was intercepted right before it connected. A metal rod about a foot long, but sturdy enough to keep from being broken. “You people are crazy. All units! Authorizing maximum deadly force!” 

Koven watched as the rod sparked with electricity before it stretched into what he could only describe as a blade of pure energy. He would have almost taken it seriously if it weren’t for Valorakt chuckling slightly on the background, but he knew exactly why she was doing it. She knew that personally hated flags weapons like this and pointed it out whenever they saw them. Like the things you see in movies that never made sense to him. He didn’t want to hear her say anything at all. 

“Be quiet, I’m trying to focus.” He said before she could speak. 

“He looks like the typical villain though, right?” She started while Soivan watched her take out her phone and snap a few pictures. “He could really throw us some cool one liners! Make this super cinematic~!” 

“Is she serious?” Soivan asked. Eva just pinched the bridge of her nose. 

“Just watch the door and stay quiet. Expect the weapons to be stronger and their defenses to be higher. You heard what he said,” Koven told Valorakt as he readied his own weapons. 

“You’re not my boss. It’s not your job to given instructions.” She pouted back to him. 

“He’s right though,” Soivan started. “If you’re expecting stronger reinforcements you should be prepared to deal with them when they arrive so he can focus on the fight.” 

“Boo. Fine, but only because you’re nice~.” 

“Good. This shouldn’t take long.” Koven said before rushing the player. 

It was odd yet reassuring to see Koven play. Just watching the screen made it obvious which of the two was more capable in combat. The other had their electricity sword and also fired off bolts of electricity every so often, but Koven was easily able to avoid all of that and close the distance. They clashed several times, and yet each time Koven managed to land a solid cut on the player. A simple yet refined technique. Whittling down the enemy until they eventually couldn’t withstand the serious of attacks anymore. But that was also when Soivan noticed something on the display. Several groups of enemies moving in their direction. 

“Valorakt. You have what looks like ten large groups of security heading in your direction. Some of these icons are some I haven’t seen before.” 

“Hmm. Got a description for me sweetie?” Why was she always so calm? 

"DON'T CALL HIM THAT!"

“Some of the icons have layers, others have hazard symbols, some have crosses, and a handful have skulls.” It was odd to see at first, but clear as day. The icon for Valorakt’s character had made an expression almost as serious as Koven’s. 

“Are you certain? You said skulls?” She asked to confirm. 

“Yes. I see at least six or maybe eight of them.” 

“Requesting the use of my room clear and limiters removed.” 

“That’s fine. I suppose there’s no need to hold back now.” Soivan gave the okay and proceeded to watch as she pulled two handles and cranked some switch on her Vulcan. But he was still left wondering something. “Eva. What’s so serious about these other enemy symbols?” 

“The symbols? Hmm," she paused as she leaned in closer. She clearly didn't need to at all, but she did use the opportunity to rest her head on his lap. "Well, some of those bitches are normal, but the layered ones are armored. It’s take significant damage to kill them compared to others, but Valorakt’s gun can handle that. The hazard symbols use grenades, but they’re only stun grenades because they can’t destroy the building. The crosses are an issue because they’re skilled with their movements and use heavy caliber guns. The skulls are dangerous because their weapons can kill… players. The characters are lost if they lose to those.” 

“That sounds scary. Then I’ll make sure to keep my eyes on them and let them know when to avoid them.” Soivan said as Eva buried her face into his lap. But he could tell her attention was now strictly on the screen. 

Koven continued chipping away at their primary enemy, the player they had not expected, but now a sound had caught both the player and Soivan’s attention. A whirring which only seemed to grow louder with each passing second, and soon the source was obvious. Valorakt, whose face was still completely serious, spinning up her Vulcan at speeds it had not been going before. Soivan had wondered what she meant when she asked about removing limiters, but as the air itself picked up around the spinning barrel and dust swirled around it as if stirred into a twister, that question answered itself. She didn’t move or flinch in the slightest, not even when the player had attempted to attack her when noticing what she was doing. But there was nothing to worry about with Koven watching her back. 

She saw the guards rounding the corner down the hall ahead of her, but even then she stalled until enough of them had entered the open. They ducked behind barricades and shields, with the most heavily armored of them taking point and leading them forward. All it took was the first sound of a bullet being fired as a loud rumble shook the building, and she held down the trigger into a wailing storm of lead and blood. The walls rendered to the concrete beneath, bodies torn into pieces, the lights flickering or shattering entirely as she swept the entire hall clean of enemies and continued to fire as her bullets ricocheted off the walls and down the adjacent halls. A literal wave of destruction until the barrel of her weapon glowed a white hot and flames themselves spread from the spinning barrel. A torrent of heat, then a wave of fire before the barrel itself went flying across the room as molten metal and steel. 

“Well that sucks… how many more do I have?” She asked to which Soivan answered calmly. 

“Two hazards, six crosses, all eight skulls still remain.” 

“Got it. What do you want me to do?” 

Soivan thought for a moment, before tapping a specific location on the screen. “If you can see my marker, one of the hazard enemies died here. If you can get a hold of their grenades you’ll have stuns. Use those and clear them all out.” 

“Understood. I’ll be—” 

A sudden pained cry from her back caught both of their attention, turning to see Koven’s dagger lodged into the players shoulder before Koven himself jumped back and knelt on the ground. Preparation for the most graceful approached he could muster, rushing their position as electricity grazed past him, his body seemingly flowing around the electricity blade before his hand grabbed the knife. It was one quick and accurate motion, the type of thing to be expected from him, the close flip over his body as the knife was dislodged yet also used for an instantaneous slash across their back. A crescent wave of electricity bursting from the wound before Soivan noticed Koven’s character. Their eyes growing uncomfortably wide. 

“Get down! Now!” Koven called out as he quickly rushed over to Valorakt. She could only see it for a brief moment, the way the player’s would glowed and pulsated, before the door which she had kicked from its hinges earlier was placed between them and the player. Then, a constant wave of electricity pulsed out in all directions. 

“That’s a bit overkill,” Valorakt joked, but she could see Koven still taking significant damage. It would only do so much to hold up a metal door as defense against electricity. “We have to think of something fast.” 

“Why’s that?” Koven asked but was cut off by gunfire. It was at that point he’d realized Valorakt was still in combat. “Shit!” 

“Got nothing for us cutie~?” Soivan had no idea how she seemed more relaxed now when the situation had only gotten worse. But he’d have to commend the strength of her personality later. He did have one solution to this, but he had no idea just how affective it would be for them with how things were now. 

“I can think of one thing… Nova?” The sound of static made him sigh. 

“What’s up?” A nonchalant and calm answer for someone who’d been causing so much commotion with the constant rumbling. 

“Are you free? Koven and Valorakt are caught in a pretty bad situation with a player and some dangerous enemies. How long do you think it would take you to get there to help them?” 

“How long?” She paused for a moment as if checking something. “Hmm. Permission to use full strength for this mission?” 

“Of course. If that’s what it takes.” Soivan answered. 

“Alright. I’m reconnecting with the team and coms,” she said before her picture appeared back on the display with the others. Her white clothes were now entirely red and her expression looked annoyed. “Mark their position for me.” 

“It’ll be right here. Can you see it?” 

“Yeah I can see it. I’ll be down in a sec.” 

“Huh?” Soivan responded, but that was also when Eva tapped him on the cheek. 

“Nova is best with stealth and combat takedowns, although she’s pretty damn violent. But since you gave her permission to go all out you’re practically done now.” Eva said before she stood up and began waltzing off. “I’m gonna get a coffee. I’ll be back.” 

“You don’t need anymore sweets. You’ll be up all night if you eat anymore.” Soivan called out to her. 

“Don’t spoil my fun handsome man.” Eva’s response came from the kitchen, but Soivan’s attention was quickly drawn back to the game when Nova could be heard yelling. 

“You're so annoying. Just die you fucking piece of shit!” 

“Was that Nova?!” Valorakt asked. 

“Val! Come over here and get down!” Koven demanded and, to Soivan’s surprise, she listened to him and got as close to him as she could. 

With the door at his back, Valorakt pressed against him shooting in the opposite direction with Koven himself slicing every bullet out of the air which came at them. Cinematic was a good word to describe it for a game, but then Nova could be heard again. Less of a scream and more like a primal roar... then the rumbling started again, yet it grew louder with each passing second until it became a violent shaking. Then, with a heavy impact, the ceiling between them and the hallway crumbled and collapsed into a cloud of dust and debris. The electricity didn’t stop, but the player was clearly now focused on whatever this would be. 

The dust began to settle, but just as it did the silhouette within glared past Koven and Valorakt, a piercing red stare before dashing out of the rubble and charging straight past them into the waves of electricity. A split second as she reacted to the damage she'd incurred before outright tanking the pain and sprinting directly to her obvious target. Watching as she sped directly to the core they had been aiming to destroy and didn’t care to turn her attention to anything else at all. Her clothes getting ruined by the lashes of electricity across her body and yet it wasn’t enough to stop her, that same unbridled war-cry echoing out as her fist slammed into the machine and the entire room was enveloped in a surge of electricity. Then, after what sounded like a kinetic whirring, the machine exploded into a burst of flames and smoke. 

“Val!” Koven called out before she jumped up and rushed to the mound of rubble out in the hall. 

“On it!” Valorakt responded as her feet carried her forward before launching her into the air. She didn’t care to use her guns, raising her hands as her fingers glowed a bright white before a wave of white lasers fanned outward and pierced through every single guard. Almost as if they couldn’t be avoided. 

Koven, on the other hand, silenced his communications. Then, from what Soivan could see, he tossed his knife across the room as if it were a boomerang. However, once it circled past the player who was still surging with electricity it looked as if he appeared right behind him and caught it. A single straight cut and a following burst of electricity would see their head fall to the ground, still behind the black glass of their mask. Quick, efficient… at least that was how things turned out in the end. Excluding Nova who emerged from the inferno left behind by the now destroyed core. Clothes ruined and skin burnt in certain areas. 

Koven looked at her before reactivating his communications. “Mission accomplished. Awaiting confirmation to evacuate.” 

“That’s it?” Soivan asked as he watched Valorakt return to the room with the rest of them, her character doing another pop style dance along the way. 

“That’s it! You did good for your first rodeo sweetie! I give you full marks~.” 

“Does that really mean much coming from you?” Koven said. 

“No need to be mean, dummy. Now you can go home and recharge your sister-energy or whatever it is you do during your free time.” 

“You’re both dumbasses.” Nova interrupted. “Are we good to go, or what? I need a shower.” 

“Yeah. You don't' need to ask me. Now, how do it turn this thing off?” Soivan asked. 

“You should see a switch on the top right side of the tablet. Switch that off and it’ll shut off the device. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get Nova out of here and give her the proper attention she needs~.” Valorakt said before Nova glared at her. 

“I can take care of myself, Valorakt.” Nova informed her. 

“Yeah, but that doesn’t matter. It’s not a sin to ask for help. Even when you don’t need it.” 

“Stop talking to me like I’m some child,” she responded before sighing. “Fine. I don't need it, but I appreciate the help.” 

“It’s not about a need. I want to help.” 

“Alright. We’re logging off. Tell Evagelyne everything was done without any issues.” Koven spoke, but all of their communications deactivated before he could even respond. Then their player icons disappeared from the grouping. 

“Well, that wasn’t nearly as stressful as I thought it’d be.” Soivan said as he leaned back on the couch. 

“It never truly is,” Eva responded as she returned with a mug of coffee in hand. She always took rather short steps without much weight, as I’d too regal to make much noise. A formal stride, matching an informal character. Then she sat down in a careful and light manner at his side. Straight, perfect form, enough to make the average observer swoon. Soivan couldn’t help but notice how she couldn’t hide her royalty at all. “So? Did you enjoy yourself?” 

“It wasn’t bad. I can see why you’d play it. If your friend can make games like that I’m sure they’re swimming in a lot of money.” 

“She has money, sure, but not by the way you’d expect. She’s a streamer.” 

“A streamer?” Soivan repeated as if unable to accept such a thing. “You’re serious? So, was she streaming her gameplay or something like that? She makes games and streams them?” 

“Nope. She’s a personality streamer. When I say it doesn’t it make a lot of sense now?” 

“I… see. Yeah, it does. She definitely talks like someone with that type of job and personality.” 

“Right?” Eva responded as she leaned her head against his shoulder. Another sip from her coffee and he could see she was clearly happy. 

Perhaps now was the time to test it again. See if she noticed or, rather, if she cared. Although the thought of a differing reaction made his skin tingle. Soivan had called her by the name she was hiding on pure impulse. The name she was born with. The name Audomattadjia had given her, but she seemed almost as if she didn’t care at all. He wondered if perhaps he was overthinking it. Then he questioned if he wasn’t, if she was entirely conscious of the choice she was making to play-along, as she had grown so accustomed to doing. He had seen it on multiple occasions, the way Yvaxiphoria looks upon those she deems as trash, nuisances, obstacles… traitors. And the thought of her looking at him with that same expression was difficulty to fathom or bear. 

“Hey,” the words caught her attention like a moth to flame. 

“Yes? It’s only the two of us, you don’t have to vie for my attention. You already have it all.” How could she so casually go from the most vulgar language possible to speaking so eloquently? Proclaimed royalty aside, could it be chalked up to her very nature? Chaos itself? 

He turned to face her, and the action itself caused her body to shift. No longer using him as a support to lean on seemed to disturb her more than he’d anticipated. She certainly looked more agitated, or perhaps annoyed, now hat she couldn’t stick to him like glue. Their difference in height was just enough to have him hover slightly over her even when sitting, but perhaps he had gotten closer than he had originally wanted. She leaned back slightly, her cup of coffee held carefully in both hands, her head raised slightly, but her eyes going the rest of the way to meet his. He just wanted to test the waters. See if he alone was the exception. Perhaps it was selfish, but it was his right. 

“Yva…” the name left a slight tingle on his tongue. 

“Huh? What’s up with you? You’re acting kind of weird. I mean, it's cute, but-” 

“Yva… xiphoria…” her eyes went wide. The previously playful smile fading into slightly parted lips. For a moment he could swear there was some spark, yet also heat. A chill. As if the air itself had somehow thickened, but it was only a moment. 

“Oh, I see now.” He felt as if this might have been some sort of mistake. That he’d taken a poor step in the grand scheme of things, but instead he was quickly surprised. 

It wasn’t like her at all. Or perhaps it was? Sure she was a tease at times, and she often clung to him in ways which encouraged glances and stares, but this was certainly different. She kept her mug snuggly between her hands, a particularly warm stream of steam rising from the liquid within, but even that was difficult to focus on now. Especially when she had closed the gap so casually and, without pause, stole a kiss without warning. She didn’t back away, she didn’t resort to any lewd motions, and she didn’t go further than she had to. A simple extended kiss while her eyes, remained locked onto his own. Pupils swirling with an array of vibrant colors. Surprisingly her face wasn’t red at all as if she had no sense of embarrassment, but upon closer inspection the tips of her ears were now a bright red. 

She backed away after Soivan could only assume she was fully satisfied. “Uhm.” 

“What? You were looking at me like you wanted something,” she said without missing a beat. But it was now that her face finally turned red? “Was I wrong?” 

“No. I wouldn’t say that, but it was a surprise.” 

“What the fuck, but you looked like you wanted me to!” She spoke under her breath. 

It was at that moment Soivan concluded the obvious. He was certainly just overthinking it. Yva was paying attention, but she merely didn’t care if it was him. It wasn’t much, but it solidified something more important than anyone else could possibly fathom for him. It meant that he was the only person aside from her direct family who could call her by a name no one should even know she has without an immediate retaliation of violence. On the contrary, she seems to enjoy it! He had privileges with her no one else had access to and, thinking about it now, that would only make sense. 

“I feel like you tease me far too much.” Soivan leaned back as if to relax indefinitely. 

“I’m sorry, darling. If it makes you feel any better I can go start a bath. Then we can watch a movie and I can comfort you all night long.” 

“I don’t know if I can trust a single part of that schedule, Yva.” 

“What? Why?!” She demanded with a now furious stare. 

“Because you know as well as I do that you’ll spend the entire time trying to get me to get you out of your clothes. And, to my detriment, your success rates are uncannily high. So I’ll agree if you agree to keep things calm.” 

He watched as she turned away and sipped her coffee. Yet she refused to remove the mug from her face when she responded. “I’m not making any promises.”