The remainder of the afternoon was harrowing. Once Lynn had settled, we tended to Destiny and Lara immediately afterward. They similarly screamed and flailed as if an invisible force was tormenting them. Thankfully, their plights weren’t as desperate as Lynn’s, and the fear of going into shock didn’t come up again. In the meantime, we offered kind words, nurturing hands, and some light soups to get some of their strength back when it was over.

Ravyn had assured us that we’d done all we could, but the periodic fits of whining, crying, and screaming had me wishing there was more we could do. She explained that the girls’ perception of time may be warped, and it would take a few days to work itself out. For the life of me, I couldn’t understand how Celestia could treat people like this and still maintain her composure. There was no excuse for the way she acted. I ground my teeth any time I thought about her.

At first, Destiny, Lara, nor Lynn could speak in complete sentences, which was jarring, to say the least. Ara spent the majority of her time at Lynn’s side but took breaks to accompany Ravyn, Cannoli, and Tristan on their half-hour rounds to check in on the girls. She and Tristan were tight-lipped for a good part of the day. Sometimes I’d catch Tristan staring wistfully out of a window, pacing the kitchen, biting his nails. All questions I tossed to him were answered with very few words, and he seemed stuck inside his own head. I didn’t want to bother him. He had me worried.

It was hard to fall asleep that night, even with Keke by my side. Even when I did, it was shrouded by nightmares.

To my relief, I was greeted by Cannoli’s cheery smile when Keke and I left the room the next morning.

“Matt, Keke!” Cannoli had deep bags under her eyes, but the light in them said she was too excited to care.

“What’s up?” I asked.

“The girls are talking! They can speak again with coherence!”

Keke and I exchanged looks before I breathed a heavy sigh. “That’s great to hear.”

“Come on, come on! Ara’s talking to Lynn right now!” Cannoli snatched up our wrists before we had a chance to protest, then led us to Lynn’s room.

Cannoli stopped in front of the door, knocked, then put a hand to her ear. “Come in,” came Ara’s voice.

“Hold on,” I said as I put a hand on Cannoli’s shoulder. “Should I really go in there right now? What if she freaks out?”

Cannoli shook her head. “Lynn understands what happened—Ravyn’s talking to her right now. Besides, I got permission from Ara herself!”

Keke seemed as uncomfortable as I was about it.

“Well, if you’re sure,” I said, running a hand through my hair.

Cannoli gave one of her trademarked nods of approval, then pushed the door open. “We’re here,” she hummed.

Ara and Tristan were sitting on the left of Lynn’s bedside, while Ravyn and Ceres had the side opposite. Lynn was propped up by a handful of pillows, her hair in two braids over her shoulders. She turned her head to see us, albeit slowly, blinked twice, then offered a slight bow.

“Please, you don’t have to move. How are you feeling?” I asked.

Lynn’s eyes went wide. “The other man who was staying here.” Her voice cracked, and she coughed into her fist. She held a small cup of tea in her spare hand while Ara rubbed her back. “Y-you are the one Celestia was looking for.”

“I’m very sorry,” I said immediately. I know I couldn’t take full responsibility, but I couldn’t deny that a big part of why this happened to her was because of us. The least I could do was apologize.

“Matt,” I heard Keke whisper.

“I’m sure you’ve had the situation explained to you already, but I feel you deserve at least that much.” I was struggling to make eye contact with her. It was one thing to see her asleep or hear her writhing in pain as she woke up. But it was an entirely different thing to look directly at her while she was conscious. The gravity of the situation weighed heavy on my chest, and if this was even half of what Tristan was feeling, then I could suck it up and give her the respect she deserved.

Lynn’s lips formed a straight line. “I understand that Celestia has been replaced.”

Ara nodded. “Yes, sister.” She took one of Lynn’s hands in her own. “I will see to it that what Celestia did never occurs here again. You have my word.”

“And mine,” murmured Tristan. “I will play my part here. Celestia will see justice by the hands of the Queen.”

“I see,” said Lynn.

An uncomfortable silence swept the room for a while. My toes began to squirm, so I thought to ask about the other girls. “How’re Destiny and Lara doing?”

“They’re awake,” Ravyn said with crossed arms. “They’re coherent for the most part, but we’ll still need to watch over them for a couple of days.”

“Alright.”

My situation felt awkward, out of place. Much of what was happening was outside my jurisdiction. Unless it had any direct effect on my Party, then this was really none of my business. Even so, I wanted Tristan and Ara to know we’d be here if they needed anything. There was no reason for them to shoulder this burden alone.

“If there’s anything I can do to help, just let me know,” I said. “Anything at all.”

“Thanks, Matt.” Tristan finally smiled, but that was the end of it.

The next couple of days continued to improve. Cannoli, Ravyn, and Ceres could get more sleep than before, and the color in the girls’ skin was starting to come back. Ravyn and I stayed out of sight for the most part. Lynn’s mannerisms reminded me a lot of Cannoli in some ways now that I wasn’t on guard—exceptionally understanding, kind, and soft-spoken. All the more reason why Ravyn and I stayed out of sight most of the time. Even if she wasn’t about to admit it, we got the feeling that we were making her uncomfortable.

Destiny and Lara were about the same. From what Tristan and Ara told us, they were still a bit uneasy about us. Understandable, seeing as we’d drugged them and left them at the mercy of Celestia. Just an apology wasn’t going to get me very far. But, there wasn’t much for us to do until they were back to full health, so Keke, Ravyn, and I spent some time wandering the town.

Tristan, Ara, and Ceres spent a lot of the hours while the girls were sleeping to try and ease the tension in the town, expressing that the Defiled threat was a false alarm. From what I heard, Tristan and Ara were completely upfront about the situation. Some girls expressed disdain for her departure, but their tune changed when the circumstances behind her expulsion were explained. Gradually, the curtains and shops opened, and girls filled the streets. It was good to hear the hum of conversation again.

A few days had passed before Lynn, Destiny, and Lara came downstairs in freshly laundered maid uniforms. They wore bright smiles, and Destiny was on the verge of tears.

“I-I can’t thank you enough,” said Destiny.

“Thank you for coming back for us,” said Lara.

Both of the girls curtsied.

Can take the girls away from Shi Island, but can’t take Shi Island away from the girls.

Ravyn stared blankly, then clicked her tongue. “We had to set things right. Mou ii.”

Tristan beamed. “It’s as she says. I speak for myself, but I know Ara and everyone else here feel the same way. Something had to be done about Celestia. About Shi Island. I’m so sorry that I didn’t realize how bad things were on the island sooner.”

“Eheheh.” Destiny waved her hands through the air and shook her head. “I-It’s nothing you did wrong. W-we believed in Celestia.”

“I didn’t,” Lara said, one brow furrowed. “I won’t lie. I fantasized about trapping her in a gaol of rock and letting her starve.” She stood her ground when she got wide-eyed looks from everyone except her sister. “Those daydreams kept me going through the day.”

I admit it was nice to see one of them speaking so frankly.

Destiny clasped her hands in front of her. “We were never proper maids.”

“You were always proper maids,” Tristan corrected with his lips pursed and his brow furrowed. “It’s Celestia’s loss that she never saw that. I don’t want her indoctrination to poison your mind, Destiny.” He looked at Lara. “You either, Lara. I want each of you to be your own person. Please.”

A soft smile tugged at Destiny’s lips. “Thank you, Tristan.”

Lara put a hand to her mouth. “You address him by name.”

“A-ah! Slip of the tongue! Haha!” Destiny’s face went beet-red. “Guess he’s just bringing out the most natural parts of me!”

The late-night visits die hard, I see.

Lynn put the tips of her fingers to her lips and smiled knowingly. “Oh, my.”

Ara cleared her throat, and the room quieted. “I think it would be best if we discussed what occurs from here.”

“Are you coming with us?” Cannoli asked, grabbing hold of Lynn’s hands.

Lynn shook her head. “I will remain here with my sister. However,” Lynn gestured to Destiny and Lara, “these two have agreed to accompany you.”

“Assuming you’re okay with a pair from Leche,” said Lara.

“Your origin doesn’t dictate your importance,” said Tristan. “I would love your company.”

“You’re an [Alchemist] and a [Conjurer], right?” I asked, despite knowing the answer.

Destiny and Lara nodded enthusiastically, then mirrored each other with matching peace signs across their faces as if on cue. “The [Alchemist] and [Conjurer] duo, at your service!” they said in unison.

Lynn giggled. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen that. I’m glad to see you’re back to your old selves.”

“Mostly,” Lara said in a barely audible mutter as she stared to one side. “N-not my idea.”

“We learned it from Tr—err, the Young Master!” said Destiny. “He said that girls in his old world did this sorta thing all the time at his school!”

You sly devil.

A pink hue decorated Tristan’s cheeks, and Ara raised a brow. “Is that so?”

“Hey, Ara, it’s not really that important,” said Tristan. “It was, uh, a long time ago.”

Then, Ara swung her hips to the side, imitating the same peace sign across her face we saw moments earlier. “[Rogue] Ara! At your service!” There was a pause as she held the position. Her face distorted to all sorts of expressions I’d never seen before.

Keke covered her face and began to snicker.

Ara drew a deep breath, then straightened her back. “Perhaps I will leave such actions to those more capable than I.”

“That was really cute, Ara,” Lynn said, giggling.

The room filled with laughter. I would’ve never thought that Ara would become such a household name for our group. It felt wrong to leave her here on the island while Tristan departed. But such was the duty of a man from Nyarlea.

Destiny and Lara were sure to make great companions. With Tristan and our Party’s help, I was convinced we could move mountains. I was sure that time and the vast deserts of Ichi would put us to the test.