Valeriana had stood in the same spot for the last few minutes, daggers in hand, in front of me. The few side-glances she spared me were filled with more concern for my mental than physical health. I had no doubt I looked utterly insane as the hysterical cackle had only started to die down.

“I’m fine,” I spoke. “Try giving her another order.” The Arachne had slumped back down. Technically she was only ordered to stand. The situation was bizarre and would require more attentive testing. I could not think of a reason for the seal to be reversed, yet it did. And evidently, we shared the same owner.

“Stand up,” Valeriana commanded, and as the Arachne obeyed, she gave another. “Look at me.”

Slowly the Arachne lifted her head, and for the first time, we saw her face, her own face; sharp features adorned an angular face as red daggers stared at us. She was quite beautiful, exotically so– well, if you’re willing to ignore the scowl.

“How is this possible?” Valeriana asked in a whisper to me.

“The seal backfired?” I replied. “I have no idea. We could ask her, though.” I nudged my head.

Addressing the Arachne, I asked, “Hey, demon, what the fuck just happened?”

Her lips did not part as they sat, twisted in a snarl.

“Answer him,” Valeriana ordered. “Truthfully,” She added.

“He did this!” The Arachne hissed. “It’s all his fault, this freak. He even broke a divine oath. You should kill him now before the Goddess’s wrath befalls us all.”

The words bounced off Valeriana as her expression remained passive facing the Demoness.

“Stab your arm,” Valeriana gave another order.

Two red eyes widened as one of the amputated legs rose and dove at their holder’s arm. The impact was uneventful as the stub hit the Arachne’s forearm, only leaving a bloody smudge behind; the action too quick and abrupt for it to be staged.

The Arachne was still befuddled as she began to stiffly move towards the table, intending to grab one of the daggers on top.

“Stop!” However, Valeriana was of a different opinion. “Sit,” She said, and the Arachne followed – going down on her knees.

The following fifteen minutes were spent in jaded interrogation. She was working alone. No accomplices, no allies, none at all. And apparently, no other soul even knew about this place. Our way back to the dungeon would, as she said before, only be available tomorrow; a two-way door that could only be accessed once a day. As we reached the reasoning for the kidnapping, the questioning came to a halt; it was simply too ludicrous.

“The prophecy is real!” The Arachne insisted.

An exasperated sigh escaped me. Prophecies are something I wished no part of. Getting dragged into someone else’s world-saving convoluted nonsense was the last thing on my list. I could barely afford an ounce of freedom already.

She was ordered to only speak the truth, and in hopes that she was twisting it in her favor somehow, I asked, “So you’re saying, the one and the only reason you attempted to enslave me was for the fulfillment of this particular prophecy?”

“Yes,” She replied with a snort.

“Relay it again,” Valeriana said, her ears standing upright, attentive.

“A human, yet not. A hero, yet unsummoned. He shall shatter the perennial cycle, bring havoc and turmoil, yet also harmony and tranquility. A savior, a tyrant.”

I watched as the Arachne spoke melodically, almost singing each phrase – the retelling of a story she knew by heart. And unfortunately, Valeriana was captivated by the performance, leaning forward, intently listening to each word spoken.

The Arachne finished, her chest puffed, gloating. “That means jack shit,” I remarked and watched in amusement as she quickly deflated, shooting me her most offended look as if I had insulted her very being.

“It’s abstract gibberish. The only somewhat clear requirement is being a male. That’s it. The human part is up for your own interpretation, and the title of a hero is very loose. I could be a random human of this word who saved a toddler from drowning, and I would meet all of the ‘requirements.’” I shrugged. “However, I could tell you that I’m not who you’re looking for. I’m definitely not a hero – at least according to the goddess.”

Valeriana seemed convinced until I reached the last part, her brows crossing in a frown; however, before she could speak, the Arachne interrupted.

“No,” She said, her voice steady, lacking a shred of doubt. “You’re wrong. This is about the one who will break our curse. My mother is never wrong. This is why the Thaçeen was made. There is no other meaning to the prophecy.”

“Are there more of these locating stones?” I asked.

“No,” The Arachne briefly answered.

“Is this interpretation of the prophecy something wildly shared by your kind?” I bluntly asked.

“No.” Came the one-syllable reply accompanied with a cold stare.

With all that said and done, I was satisfied. There weren’t any more people coming for me. This entire affair was the work of a lunatic, a zealous fanatic chasing a cause they had twisted into their own narrative.

However, Valeriana was more curious. “What is this curse?” She asked.

The Arachne’s face scrunched up, her nose raised in disgust. “We demons have to seek you out, weak, inferior creatures, if we ever wanted to bear children. It is blight befallen by the goddess, a dependency on lesser forms.”

Valeriana showed no reaction, only a nod acknowledging the words spoken. Seemingly done, she folded her arms and stood, the daggers hung on her belt.

I winced, feeling my chest flaring up. Sitting down on the ground and leaning on a nearby wall, I closed my eyes and focused inside. I had never seen my manapool before. I could only sense it was there and how full or empty it was. Even though I knew where it was located – my abdomen – I had never been able to precisely locate it, that was until I followed the failed attempt of the invasive seal.

Envisioning the area was surprisingly simple now. Mana appeared as blue, viscous strings floating through and faintly illuminating the otherwise dark room. The quiet blue braided clouds were pierced by a miniature oak tree, rooted in the middle of my manapool, covered in green leaves and protruding heavy thick branches. One, in particular, was enveloped in a blanket of the liquid-like mana and extending outwards – leaving the confines of the room.

I was captivated by the alluring scene, and the more I examined it, the further it threatened to entrance me; however, upon noticing something, I was quickly awoken from my daze.

The room had deep cracks and gashes, splitting the walls open and allowing the mana to escape. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t interact with the sight in front of me, only helplessly observe.

My eyes opened to only finding the Arachne present; however, feeling warmth to my side, I looked over. Valeriana was sitting close by, eyes unfocused, in a world of her own. Deciding not to bother her, I headed straight for the place with the most solutions available. Manapool, healing, artifacts, I tried every possible idea and combination.

Nothing. There were absolutely no items related to my condition, nor anything for a non-physical injury. If I were to guess, it’s probably the mage’s guild doing; with total control over the shop, they were dictating what’s sold and what’s not, deterring mages from outsourcing their ‘exclusive’ services.

I let out a heavy sigh as my shoulders relaxed.

“What’s wrong?” Valeriana quietly asked.

“I’m not sure,” I replied. “Something is wrong with my manapool, and a health potion won’t cut it. I probably need to revisit the healing ward again, maybe even the mage’s guild.”

Valeriana’s expression tightened. She placed a hand under her shirt and fumbled with something underneath her arm. A second later, she had a small pouch tied to a strap dangling from her palm. Opening it up, she brought out the lens I made. I raised a brow. I never knew she had always kept it on her.

She pointed it at me and gaped. I shared her expression as a realization hit me. How did she even turn it on? I don’t know how this hadn’t crossed my mind the first time I saw her using it. To use an engraved item, you had to not only understand what it does but also the words written, and I hadn't taught her either.

“Edward, you’re… ” She whispered, her voice quivering.

“Leaking. Yeah,” I spoke. “It’s not that bad. There is only some mild pain now.”

The genuine worry in her eyes made me crack a smile. It was nice to have someone who cared about you, even if it weren’t for all the right reasons. I placed an arm around her shoulder and guided her towards me.

Offering no resistance, she wrapped herself around me and buried her head in my chest. We stayed in place for a minute or two until I started hearing some faint sniffling.

“Val?” I called out.

“I’m sorry,” She whispered. “I’m so sorry.”

“Sorry for what?” I asked, hugging her tighter. Was she blaming herself? “Scouting is my job, Val. You did nothing wrong. I fucked up, not you.”

“But, I-”

“You lost your cool, yeah.” I interrupted. “There is a first for everything. You live and learn. What’s important is to learn from our mistakes. Besides,” I raised her head, two wet eyes staring into my own. “we have the main culprit here. You can release any frustrations you have on her.”

She maintained the locked stare for a few more seconds after I was done talking. In a flash, she jumped onto me, squeezing me in another hug tight enough to knock all air out of my lungs.

Separated, she was beside me again with a smile on her face and a slight blush on her cheeks, her tail wildly swinging. A mocking snort drew both our attention. The Arachne was unhappy with the display.

However, it only made Valeriana grin. “You know, once we return – I’m going to cut off every limb you have and watch you bleed out, helpless.”

The Arachne paled as I saw a shiver run through her body.

“Edward?” Valeriana spoke. As I turned to her, she continued, “look at this.”

The glass piece was pointed at the Demoness, glowing brightly.

I narrowed my eyes at her and asked, “Are you a mage?”

“No?” She replied, confused. “We can’t manipulate mana. We only have our innate abilities.” Her tone was monotonous, seemingly stating something obvious. Burying her head in her hands, she groaned. I could barely make out a mutter. “How did I lose to these morons?”

Ignoring her moans, I ordered. “Use your shapeshifting.”

Her command of treating my orders as if they were Valeriana’s kicked in again as shadows rose from her neck upwards, engulfing her head and forming a thick black mist around it. A few moments later, two familiar white ears plopped down.

Manipulate mana, my ass. The shadowy figures were made of thick condensed mana. The Arachne had a manapool at least ten times my own. I didn’t bother hiding my envious glare. Though, a few ideas popped into my head. Maybe I could extract it somehow? Use it as my own, an ‘organ’ transplant.

The Arachne raised her head and met my gaze; however, it wasn’t long until she gulped and averted her eyes.

And unsurprisingly, the shop had no mana collars.

“Edward, you’re making a scary face,” Valeriana noted.

I chuckled at the irony. Returning the glass lens to her, I spoke, “I’m just thinking about the future. Maybe the bug could be useful.”

The Arachne scowled but said nothing. Addressing her, I asked, “Is there anything dangerous in this house?”

“No,” She replied.

“Dangerous to me, I mean.”

She paused for a moment before saying, “The basement.”

I turned to Valeriana, but she waved dismissively. “I’ll stay here. I want to have a chat with her.”

According to the owner, we were in the Elven continent. The elves really loved their forest, or at least their part of the Lamassu. Since they shared it with the Beastkin, they had erected an invisible barrier and called a portion of it theirs. The area we were in was so far south that it was completely desolate.

The wooden house consisted of a living room, two bedrooms, a kitchen, a bathroom, and finally, the room we arrived at. Plains stretched around us, encircled by high hills. The area was completely silent save for the occasional chirp and the buzz of an insect. There was very little to explore inside. Everything was … normal, only the basement shrouded in mystery. I didn’t attempt to unravel it, though, only observing the door covered in various engravings and wards.

Both girls were in the same spot. However, one had a shadow cast on her face while the other had a wide grin, her ears pointed forward.

“What did I miss?” I asked

“Nothing,” Valeriana replied in a cheerful tone. “I just laid down some ground rules.”

“I see,” I said, intending to find out more later. I ran my eyes around the room, carefully examining it as it was the only one left in the house tour. The trinkets on the table and shelves were odd, I couldn’t figure out what they were for, but luckily I knew someone who did.

“Hey Spidey, what are these for?” I asked.

Her head snapped my way, four dark stumped appendages rising in the air as her face contoured into a snarl. Yet, all that came was the word. “Enchantment.” Followed by a much quieter, “Master.”

Valeriana nodded approvingly as one of her orders was executed. I chuckled a little at the display. “Who are they?” I asked again, pointing at the framed picture.

“My parents.” The Arachne answered, her voice carrying an edge.

“They look happy,” I noted offhandedly. “Where are they?”

“Dead.”

“Well, sorry for your loss,” I replied in a dry tone. I didn’t bother feigning sympathy for someone who tried enslaving me not long ago.

She had definitely gotten her looks from her mother; the father was a handsome blonde elf while she was an almost exact replica of her daughter, however, with a notably larger chest. I had to wonder whether the man was consenting to this or not. The Arachne had tried screwing with my brain before; no doubt her mother had something similar, or possibly even more potent.

Judging by how uneasy she looked, the Demoness was fond of this picture or unhappy about my bringing up the subject. Probably both. In the blink of an eye, it was gone.

A sharp intake of breath, following by a shaky voice “What have you done!?” She was barely containing her emotions.

I met the two red daggers head-on and held them. “It’s right here,” I said, returning the photo.

Angry, confused, she asked, “How did you do that!?”

“I can show you later,” I spoke. “Or maybe not. Either way, I’ll be keeping this for now.”

“You will regret this human,” She threatened.

“Watch your tone,” Valeriana warned.

With little to do and the burning in my chest hitting more frequently, I returned to where I sat before, leaned back, and waited for sleep to wash over me.

Valeriana shifted again. Her tail whipped in anticipation, but still, nothing came. She nuzzled in closer and pouted. She had waited for Edward to fall asleep, so she could sneak up to his side. His hand twitched again, and she stiffened. But she could only sigh in disappointment again, taking in another whiff of his scent.

Time elapsed as she waited. And seeing as her wish never came true, she steeled herself and took matters into her own hands. Quietly she picked Edward’s arm and placed his hand on top of her head. Her face felt hot as she remembered how good it felt last time. It was unfair, she thought. How come it felt so good when he did it?

A chortle sent her heart racing, threatening to jump out of her chest. She was laughing, the damned bug. Valeriana quietly muttered an order to shut her up. Returning back to her master plan, she felt fingers brushing against her ear, but they simply fell to the side. She tried again, more forcefully this time, intending to wake him up and pretend she was asleep. It was selfish, but she had to. He had been sleeping for a few hours already.

A tinge of worry hit her as every time, the hand would drop down, limp. She was shaking him awake now. This wasn’t funny anymore. Yet, no matter how hard she tried, he wouldn’t open his eyes. Lost, she sought any help she could find.

“Demon!” She cried. “What’s happening!?”

The accursed creature shrugged, and she had to send another order. “Come here and find out.”

She was testing her patience as the demon stood up, stretching, and leisurely walked towards them. Pressing her ear on his chest, she listened for a heartbeat. Valeriana contemplated cutting another part of the disgusting black sticks on her back.

“His pulse is steady,” The demon stated. Stepping back, she drew her hand and slapped his sleeping face, leaving a bright red mark.

Valeriana gasped. She almost drew her daggers; however, the demon’s words gave her pause.

“He’s in a deep sleep.”

Her eyes widened. She knew what that meant. A girl she used to spar with was hit on the back of her head. She would not wake up no matter what they tried, only returning back years later. Valeriana had heard a white mage had to attend to her every day. Would Edward need that too? Would he ever wake up?

“What should I do?” She asked the demon. However, the latter only smirked. “Listen, demon. The only reason you’re still alive is that he wants you for something. What do you think happens if he doesn’t?”

That had wiped off the smug expression. “I don’t know; I’m not a healer. Just do what he suggested. Get him to the healing ward, and maybe hire a white mage.”

She already knew that. She was wishing for a miracle, one Edward always made possible. Seconds, minutes, and hours went by as she waited for the demon to open the portal. She checked again, making sure his heart is still beating. Soon, they would be out – back to the village, to the guild.

The demon shifted, putting on her glamour, and turning to the obscene Rabbitkin. Together they both held onto his body as they exited the room back into the dark dungeon. They went directly to the guild. All of the previous sly protests of the healers were squashed. Valeriana threatened each and everyone who dared to raise any. However, no matter how insisted, they found nothing wrong – saying there was nothing wrong with him physically. She would have to get a mage to examine him.

Valeriana approached the Guildmaster first, but he was nowhere to be found. He chose the worst possible timing to leave the city. So, she went to the mage’s guild. She threw some gold around to hasten things up, but to no avail. There were no white mages available, at least what they told her. No matter how much she offered, they would chant how they could only place her on a list and notify her when one is present. She even revealed her status as a councilwoman’s daughter, but it didn’t make a difference.

So she waited at the inn, sitting beside his bed, waiting for the mage’s carrier. Hana and Luna would check on her every once in a while, but otherwise, she sat, restless.

“Valeriana, someone is here for you,” Hana interrupted her training. She had started swinging her sword, practicing her motions, relieving her uneasiness and boredom.

“Who is it?” Valeriana asked.

“Your sister,” Hana replied.

Dropping her sword, Valeriana rushed to the inn’s lobby and embraced her sister, who gladly returned the hug, ignoring the dampness of the sweat-soaked clothes.

“Anny,” Valeriana whispered, “I’m so glad you’re here. I need your help.”