Kojo observed the girl on the bed in front of him. He sat beside Adriana, who was using healing magic to tend to her wounds, her hands gently cradling the girl's head.
He had brought the girl to his house along with Adriana Keo and Mekna. The meeting was paused, but he needed to see this before heading back. Now that he was up close, he could see the girl's delicate features.
Her light blue hair that cascaded down her back was matted with sweat and dust. Her clothes, once pristine white, were now tattered and stained, the hems of her skirt frayed and torn. Barefoot, her feet were bruised and bleeding, a testament to the arduous journey she had endured.
(She likely misplaced her funds or was swindled. At some point, she probably sold her footwear.)
Kojo grunted, his eyes drifting to the necklace hanging around her neck. It was an intricate piece, a gold cross with three horizontal bars, the top one being the shortest, the middle one the longest, and the bottom one of medium length. The middle bar had an additional piece that made it look like a cloth had been loosely draped over it, with parts of it hanging on either side.
This necklace was one of the reasons he'd taken her in.
He activated his Scan skill, focusing on her energy flow. An aura of white flames enveloped her, shimmering around her like ethereal wings with streaks of gold. The flow itself was unusual, yet strangely familiar. It resonated with the energy he had felt from Yukio and Leo, and even at the chapel in the Capitol.
Holy Magic.
There was no mistaking it. This girl had some connection to the Holy Land of Ezkanur. But if she was from that far north, why would she come all this way? And how did she know his name? Kojo pondered, straining his brain to get a reason why someone connected to the church would want to contact him specifically.
"Maybe she's a fan?" He thought to himself.
(Don't be stupid. No one would be a fan of your dumbass.) Sysia's voice rang in his head.
"Then what is it?" He questioned.
(I don't know. Just forget it for now. No use beating yourself up about it now. The only way to know is if she wakes up.)
Kojo sighed, acknowledging Sysia's logic. He glanced at Adriana, who was sitting beside the girl. Her hands glowed with an emerald light as she channeled healing magic, stabilizing the girl's volatile energy.
Adriana looked up at him, concern etched on her face.
"Her energy is… unstable," she explained, her voice soft. "As if it's come into contact with a strong opposing energy. Like fire with water."
"What could have caused that?" Adriana wondered aloud, her gaze searching Kojo's for answers.
Kojo shrugged, "We won't know until she wakes up."
She nodded and returned to stabilizing the girl. From the corner of her eye, she noticed his lingering gaze.
"What is it, Kojo?" she asked.
"Nothing," he replied, trying to shake off the feeling of suspicion.
So far, Adriana seemed normal. A bit weak, perhaps, but nothing unusual.
"Is it about my Transcendence?" she asked, her voice gentle.
"Are you worried about my personality changing?"
Kojo flinched. "No, of course not. You're still you. Right?"
Adriana smiled, turning on her stool so that she faced him.
"I am the same girl you've always known. But I feel… different. More… connected somehow." She looked down at her open palms.
"It's hard to explain."
"Don't overthink it," Kojo said, squeezing her shoulder gently. "Everything's going to be fine."
Adriana touched the hand on her shoulder, reassured.
He turned towards the door.
"I should get back to the meeting. You look after her, and make sure you rest."
With a swift movement, Kojo vanished, using his Warp skill to teleport back to the meeting room.
As soon as he left, Keo entered, carrying a basin of warm water and soft towels on a tray.
"Has Master Kojo left already?" She asked, looking around.
"Yes, he just left," Adriana responded, turning back to their sleeping guest.
"Mekna is preparing supper," Keo said, stepping into the room.
"Thank you, Keo," Adriana replied. "We'll start cleaning her up."
As Keo put the tray down beside the bed, Adriana began to undress the girl, gently removing the tattered cloak. She touched the necklace in an attempt to take it off. The girl stirred, her hand instinctively reaching out to grasp Adriana's, frightening her. She then began whispering incoherent sentences.
"No, don't… I need to change things… I must stop… This time I....."
A wave of images, vivid and disturbing, flooded Adriana's mind.
A magnificent city at the base of a mountain with a large temple at its summit, shimmering in the sunlight.
Changing to a brutal war, Maajin warriors clashing with knights in a snow-covered mountain range.
Changing to Kojo, his eyes wide with a terrifying rage, standing over a lifeless yet familiar body, his energy flaring dangerously, the world around him crumbling.
Changing to Sharone, her eyes cold and cruel, plunging a blood-red spear into Kojo's heart.
Changing to Kojo, his eyes now lifeless and hollow, sitting upon a throne of bones, overlooking a desolate wasteland littered with bodies, a mountain of corpses at his feet, a mountain of corpses at his feet. Every living thing, including herself and everyone else, lay dead, their grotesque forms twisted and contorted. This Kojo, an immoral parody of his former self, let out a chilling laugh as a surge of power began to dismantle space and rend time, illuminating the world in a sinister glow resembling the rising of a red sun.
"A crimson dawn…" Adriana muttered, her voice barely audible.
She blinked, disoriented, looking down at the girl who was still clutching her hand. A cold sweat beaded on her forehead.
What had just happened? Was it a side effect of her Transcendence? Had she somehow connected with the girl and glimpsed the future?
Was this why she was here?
"Mistress?" Keo's voice startled her.
Adriana shook her head, forcing a smile. "Sorry, I spaced out for a second."
She gestured for Keo to come closer.
"Let's help her," she said, her voice calm, though a deep sense of unease had settled within her.
"Everything will be fine," she reassured herself, but the chilling images continued to haunt her.
Was this the future? Or was it merely a disturbing glimpse into the girl's troubled mind?
Adriana shivered, a shiver that had nothing to do with the cool winter air.
Kojo appeared in the meeting room. The leaders were either dozing off or chatting idly.
"Well, it figures. We've all been working hard this whole time," he thought to himself.
(I believe it'd be optimal to postpone the rest of this meeting for another time, taking into account the fatigue.)
"Yeah, you're right," he agreed.
Before he could take a step forward, Felix walked up to him and bowed, slamming his forehead into the ground with a loud thud.
"Please forgive me!
*****
Sharone walked down the familiar street, her feet carrying her towards their house with a sense of familiarity. She was walking with Lin and Koniko, who followed behind her. She had been looking forward to coming home and relaxing after a long day of missions. As she walked, the various races that lived within the city—Humans, Orcs, Gnomes, Minotaurs, Sharpling, Lizardmen, Merfolk, Centaurs, and Gorgons—moved about their business. She looked up and saw some Harpies flying overhead and sighed.
The city was bathed in a sense of eerie normalcy, as if the chaos and destruction that had ravaged the outskirts just hours before had never occurred. People strolled through the streets, going about their daily business with a sense of detachment, their faces a mask of calm indifference. This was due to the fact that the breached area had been isolated, so the battles never reached the people. Sharone did notice some people with worried expressions and overheard them whispering about the dragonkin that had come and gone like phantoms. But they weren't that worried. The atmosphere was one of quiet resilience, as if the city's inhabitants had grown accustomed to the idea of violence and destruction being a distant, but ever-present, reality.
As she walked by, she could hear the sound of merchants hawking their wares, and the clanging of hammer on anvil from the blacksmiths' shops filled the air, creating a sense of familiarity and routine. Children laughed and played with the freshly fallen snow, their carefree shouts and giggles as they had fun. One of the snowballs hit Sharone in the face. She glanced at the children. They looked at her with apologetic eyes, but she just smiled and conjured some snowballs and pelted all the children. They laughed as they ran away, trying to avoid being hit. A thought flashed through Sharone's mind. She was using more and more of her vampiric abilities nowadays. Her smile wavered. She felt a tug on her elbow and looked down. A little girl was looking up at her with bright blue eyes. She bent down and separated her hands. The snow around her melted, and the water flowed in between her open palms, forming a doll of a fairy. She enchanted it so that it wouldn't melt. She put her hands under it, and it landed in her palms. It was soft and fluffy. She handed it to the girl, who took it happily and ran over to show it to her friends. Sharone straightened and turned to walk away.
"Thank you, sister," the little girl called, waving at her.
Maybe using her vampire side more wasn't such a bad thing. If she used it to bring more smiles instead of...
She quickly ended that train of thought and smiled at the girl waving as she walked away.
Despite the sense of normalcy, however, there were subtle signs that all was not quite as it seemed. She noticed that the city guards were more visible than usual, their eyes scanning the crowds with a mixture of vigilance and unease. There were also a number of raiders moving here and there. This was a measure to ensure that there were no interlopers in the city. She looked towards the direction of the wall. The city's walls, too, told a story of their own, with scorch marks and pockmarks from the recent battle still visible, a grim reminder of the violence that had threatened to engulf the city.
Yet, even these signs of turmoil seemed to blend seamlessly into the city's fabric, as if they were just another part of the urban landscape. The city, it seemed, had learned to adapt to the rhythms of war and violence and had developed a peculiar sort of resilience in the face of adversity.
Voices behind her brightened her reverie. It was then she remembered that she was walking with Koniko and Lin. Sasha had gone to battle the Goblin King, and Kojo had gone home after sending them a telepathic message to inform them about recent developments.
Kojo had informed only those within their group about information that he'd withheld from the various chiefs and the Duke himself. It was due to this knowledge that she was worried. Sasha had caused a rip in space-time, which prompted the appearance of a Deity. She wondered what would have happened if Dona wasn't around. Now she worried what would happen if Sasha did it again. She knew for a fact that whatever had come out through the rift wouldn't be pleased to make a second appearance, and while she trusted Sasha, she had to bear in mind that the succubus was still a warrior and a sucker for conflict.
She sighed.
She'd just have to hope that Sasha didn't do Sasha things and go over the top. She felt a small tremor in the ground. It was subtle, but a tremor nonetheless.
Her attention was once again drawn to the two girls behind her. Koniko was being emotional for some reason, and Lin was trying to calm her down. She was about to scold them, but her expression softened when she saw Koniko was teary-eyed. Koniko was also another loose cannon in the group. While Sasha was a loose cannon of energy, Koniko was stoic with tomboyish characteristics, but she could get emotional for the most trivial of things.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Sharone asked.
Koniko looked up, her eyes red and puffy.
"I just can't do it, Sharone," she said, her voice shaking. "I tried so hard, but I just couldn't. Everyone else is getting stronger, but I'm still stuck in the same place."
Sharone looked at Lin with a puzzled expression. Lin smiled awkwardly.
"She thinks she couldn't prove herself in our recent battle," Lin explained.
"But wasn't she the one who defended the wall, rounded up all the remnants of the attackers, and taken out... what's his name? Some guy called Phantom?" Sharone asked with her eyebrow raised, looking even more puzzled. Lin put a hand on Koniko's shoulder.
"We all completed our missions, but only Adriana and I have gotten stronger."
"You don't understand. I was this close to also becoming transcended. Now I'll never have Kojo," she whined.
"Oh? Is that what this is about?" Sharone asked, folding her arms.
Koniko tensed, then began to sob. Sharone shook her head.
"If it's about our agreement, then you, Sasha, and Adriana have the advantage. You all grew stronger. Though you got a partial boost, you shouldn't be worried. Sometimes, it just takes a little time."
Koniko wiped her eyes and straightened.
"You're right," she said, finally calming down.
"Wait. Why did you mention Sasha? Wasn't Adriana the only one who grew stronger?" Lin asked.
"You didn't notice? Sasha obtained a Supreme Enchantment," Sharone informed them.
"Huh?"
"Since abilities are etched into the soul, and only a strong soul can house that power. Wait, I guess it's due to my ability to see the souls of people," Sharone said, thinking.
"But you should have sensed the change in her aura, right?"
Koniko deflated, her shoulders slumping.
"Hey, hey, it's okay," Sharone said quickly, waving her arms as she tried to comfort her.
"I'll try to calm her down, Sharone. Why don't you head home first?" Lin suggested.
"Alright," Sharone nodded.
Lin smiled and led the crying girl away, trying to bribe her with food and snacks as they moved. Sharone watched them go, a concerned expression on her face.
"She'll be fine after a while." She turned and walked away.
As she turned a corner, she heard a faint whisper in her ear.
"Things have gotten really interesting while I've been away." Sharone's shadow spoke with a grin.
Sharone's eyes narrowed. She knew that tone, that inflection. It was Nefaria, the daemoness and Apostle of Doom.
"It was hectic, but problems have been solved," Sharone replied coldly as she continued walking, not sparing the shadows a glance.
The shadow seemed to detach itself from the surrounding area, and Nefaria stepped out of the darkness, walking beside Sharone with a sly smile spreading across her face.
"I think you should have left things in my servants' hands and come to observe. I'm sure things would have been more entertaining than what I've been up to."
Sharone raised an eyebrow, intrigued by Nefaria's words. "And what have you been up to?"
"Oh, just ruling the Demon Realm. You know, petty stuff that only a person as great as myself can do," she said pridefully.
"But I've come with information, Sharone. Information that I think you'll find very interesting. You should be honored that I came to deliver it personally."
"I see."
Just then, a voice called out from the end of the alley.
"Sharone! Wait up!"
Sharone turned to see Sol jogging towards her.
Sharone glanced at Nefaria.
This was bad. Sol was out to find the man who murdered his people. And Nefaria probably knew who it was due to her being a member of the cult. These two shouldn't have met, but fate was cruel. Knowing both of their personalities, if Sol was to find out who she was, he'd get heated, and Nefaria would push his buttons. Then they'd fight, and Sol would stop holding back. Nefaria would match his energy, and then there'd be chaos. In a split second, Sharone thought of the various ways she could prevent such a scenario, but Sol had already seen them together, and Nefaria, being a Daemon, could sense his emotions.
She had to come up with a way to stop him from knowing her true identity.
Sol slowed to a stop beside her, his eyes flicking to Nefaria. "I was looking for you. I saw you heading down this alley, and I thought I'd catch up."
Nefaria's eyes sparkled with amusement. "Ah, Sol. I didn't think I'd see you here."
Sol's eyes narrowed, his gaze locked on Nefaria. "I'm sorry. Have we met before?"
Nefaria's eyes sparkled with amusement, a sly smile spreading across her face, and her eyes appearing to glow. The glow in her eyes mirrored in his, and his expression seemed to slowly soften.
"Ah, Sol, do you not remember that time I attended a banquet in the Capitol? I was getting out of the carriage, and my beautiful dress got stained. I was devastated, but then I saw your shop. I rushed in, and you worked your magic. You changed my dress, and not only that, you transformed me into the most fabulous woman in the room. I stole all the gazes from the men, and the women were green with envy. You have a true talent, Sol. I must say, I've never forgotten that night, and I've never looked more stunning."
Sol's eyes narrowed, his expression skeptical. "Really?" he asked, his voice laced with doubt. "I don't remember that at all."
Nefaria's laughter echoed through the alley, a low, throaty sound. "Oh, Sol, you're so modest. I'm sure you just don't want to admit to being a genius. But I assure you, it happened just as I said. You have a gift, Sol. Don't deny it."
By now, Sol had completely fallen under Nefaria's special ability, Ego. She had warped his mind and generated false memories so she could sell the story and hide herself.
Sol shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips. "I think you might be mistaken, Nefaria. I'm just a simple businessman. I'm not all that."
Nefaria's smile grew wider. "Ah, but that's where you're wrong, Sol. You have a talent for making people feel beautiful, and that's a kind of magic in itself. Don't sell yourself short, Sol. You're more than what you think."
Sharone's eyes flicked between the two, her mind racing. Nefaria's smile grew wider, and she winked at Sharone.
"Now he won't be asking any compromising questions," she said telepathically. "Feel free to praise my greatness." Her tone was smug. Sharone rolled her eyes.
"You'll give me the information later."
Nefaria frowned, then turned to Sol.
"What did you come here for anyway?" she said, putting on a convincing smile.
"Oh, I came to talk to Sharone about something... personal," Sol said.
"She has a man, you know," Nefaria teased.
"No, no, it's not like that. We just have an agreement to work together."
Sharone averted her eyes. She felt a bit of guilt for hiding... no, allowing the daemon to have her way with him. But it was best he didn't know about it until she got future information and planned accordingly.
"Why don't you join us for lunch? It's a bit late, but still," Nefaria offered.
"Yeah, okay," he agreed, and they walked towards Kojo's home.
Arin and Jaro looked down at them, observing from the rooftops.