The clock showed nine in the evening as Keela put down the quill she held as she stroked the last line on the parchment. A full month of constant paperwork and complaints had dug two deep dark circles under her eyes, the weight of her responsibilities was bearing down on her. Velka had fallen asleep already, parchments laid about the bed, a spilled ink vial next to her. Throwing Bertaut’s old coat over her shoulders, she opened the balcony door and rested her arms crossed on the railing, looking down on the city. A few new villages and colonies had popped up on the map, her kingdom expanding further. The Noclye kingdom was beginning its life anew, through blood, sweat and tears. Rubbing her temples, she took off her glasses, setting them on a table to the side and let out a long, drawn out sigh. Dagia had remained tame after the preceding incident, prosperity and calm finally falling on her own home.

Taking in a weary and sharp breath in, she went back inside and made her way to the meeting room, finding Saphielle asleep on the table as well, on top of the documents she was redacting at the time. Grabbing her gently, Keela carried her to the appropriate room, as marked by the sign by the entrance. Setting her in bed and covering her, she was interrupted as she was about to leave the room by whispers and groans.

“...don’t… I can’t…” moaned Saphielle in her, sleep, turning around.

Pausing with a sad look on her face, Keela turned around, checking if she was being addressed by the sleep talking.

“...Haela… why did you die… I… need you…” added the sleeping advisor, grabbing a secondary pillow in a hug in her sleep, a singular tear drifting down her cheek.

A grim look on her face, Keela nodded to herself and left the room, shutting the door as quietly as she could. She went back to the meeting room, grabbing the documents and setting them in a neat pile, being careful with the open ink vial. She was interrupted by the flapping of wings, an owl landing on the open window sill. Looking at it, she noticed a small rolled up piece of paper on its leg. As soon as she grabbed it, the owl left, its purpose done. Unwrapping the small message, Keela’s eyes quickly darted over it, reading the four or so lines it contained.

“We have taken the kids hostage. Come to the old Architect’s house so that we may discuss. Come tonight. Don’t be late”, read the paper in an ominously messy handwriting.

Crumpling it in her hand, she immediately opened a portal to the teleporter room, bolting out as soon as she traversed. In the small courtyard garden, four cloaked figures stood, wearing golden masks, three of them holding Ethan, Tessa and Beatrice at knife point. Walking down the stairs calmly, the coat and her dress floating behind her as she raised her hands in surrender, she approached the figures.

“I’m here. What do you want?” she asked, her expression unflinching and cold, in many ways reminiscent of Bertaut’s.

“Don’t be so hasty queen Kalianore, there’s plenty of time to talk”, replied the figure, their voice modified to be unrecognizable under the mask.

“With all respect -- and that is not much, I’d rather get this over with as soon as possible, I’ve had a rather long day and I don’t want to add to a series of problems that already are on my shoulders.”

“That’s mighty cold. The kids are right here you know?”

“I’m not being cold. I love them to death and there isn’t much I wouldn’t do for them. My tone is simply because of my weariness.”

With a gesture from the leader, the three kids were brought closer, as if to hammer in the feeling of precariousness that was over her head.

“So, what is it you want? I can’t die, my country would be in trouble. There’s a precarious balance to keep”, she said, sighing heavily.

“Your indifference is a tad heart wrenching”, replied the leader, cocking their head to the side as if to indicate being puzzled.

“It’s mostly to keep my composure and hold from doing anything reckless.”

“Smart, your highness.”

Keela paused, eyeing the situation. She wouldn’t have much trouble getting rid of these people usually, but her energy levels were at an all time low from the constant overwork and responsibilities.

“You didn’t answer. What do you want?” asked Keela again, insisting to get it over with as it was much unneeded stress to spring on her.

“It’s not that simple Kalianore. We can’t simply let you walk away here”, replied the figure, twirling a knife in their own hands.

At this point, Saphielle had probably been woken up by a servant and read the message on her bedside table , rushing to the teleporter room and quickly transcribing the runes on the hastily drawn piece of parchment, grabbing her bow in the process. Keela assumed this, instead relying on someone else for once. Saphielle approached on the mezzanine, nocking an arrow in her bow and drawing it from a spot where she couldn’t be spotted, twisting the winds in her favor.

“We really need to wrap this up, I have a lot more work to do”, said Keela, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

“So late at night? This isn’t good, your majesty, you really ought to take care of yourself”, replied the figure, clearly toying with her.

As the last word left their mouth, the three people holding the kids had an arrow go through their heads, planting firmly in the ground. Using the opportunity, Keela dashed and kicked the figure in the jaw, making them fly backwards.

“Go! Run! I’ll keep them busy and meet you outside!” she screamed at the kids, other figures dashing in to attack.

Ethan grabbed the dagger the figure had dropped, going over to the girls to ideally to protect them. Keela knocked out another figure and heard Ethan mutter an apology in the background. Bea’s tears flowed heavily as she screamed when the dagger entered her flank multiple times. Within a few seconds of the pain coming to her, she passed out and bled the last of her life, laying on the floor in front of a shocked Tessa and bloodied Ethan. Keela paused as she knocked out the last enemy, the scream echoing in her head. She rushed over to Bea and nestled her in her arms, blood dirtying her dress.

“Bea… Bea wake up… Bea please… Beatrice…” she muttered, pushing the hair out of her face.

The child laid lifeless, vacant eyes staring back at Keela. More figures came through the side doors, surrounding her as she hugged the corpse of the four year old. In a state of pure shock, she didn’t hear the pure shock, tears welling up in her eyes as rage built up in her head. She put the corpse down, losing control. The rest was a touch fuzzy in her memory. Letting out a beastly scream, she assumed a stance lower to the ground, channeling an insane amount of electricity to her muscles, dashing from enemy to enemy, tearing them up with claws of pure mana. She didn’t stop as blood splattering over the flower garden, mudding the water of the fountain even further than it had already been. When no more figures came forth, twenty corpses laid at her feet, showing multiple levels of mutilation. Tessa had been picked up by Saphielle quickly, her eyes hid away from the violence. Ethan had fallen over on his back, terror in his eyes, staring at what was Keela before. Covered in dirt and blood, she turned around towards him, her eyes glowing with hatred.

“Who. Sent. You.” she asked, struggling to get each word out through her gritted teeth.

“It was the king! He had a request for the Ivory Razor!” screamed Ethan, crying and rolling up his sleeve, showing the Ivory Razor parallel scars.

Keela raised her hand, preparing to end Ethan’s life but her arm wouldn’t budge. No matter how much she wanted to dig her claws in her stomach, her arm would not move. Screaming, she was suddenly gripped with a terrible headache, falling down to the ground, grasping her own head, pulling her hair and rolling on the floor while yelling out her pain. Ethan steeled himself, seeing his opening to finish her. He raised the dagger and was ready to kill her. She raised her head and looked him in the eyes, her eyes watery, he saw the Keela he once knew, hesitating. The hesitation doomed him, an arrow crossing his neck, Saphielle standing on the mezzanine, gaze steeled and cold. Keela looked up, Ethan’s lifeless body hitting the ground with a hollow thud. Tears were flowing down her cheeks but she felt only sheer shock, her head pounding. Saphielle made her way down, telling Tessa to stay hidden out of safety but to scream if anyone sprung up. Going up to Keela, Saphielle rested a hand on her sobbing shoulders.

“Come on Keela, let’s go home”, she said, a worried look behind her glasses.

Keela looked up, her rage catching up all at once. Before Saphielle realized, it was too late. She barely managed to soften the hit of Keela’s fist as it hit her stomach, sending her flying into the wall, breaking through and hitting another wall behind it, flipping over a table. The shockwave resonated against the chiseled stone, the greenery only slightly damping the sound.

“Shut up! Shut up! I can’t fucking do this anymore! Everyone around me just dies! Why? Do you know what it feels like to watch your loved ones die one by one?” screamed Keela, blood dripping from her knuckles where the skin had split.

Painfully getting up, Saphielle’s brow furrowed as Keela’s remark bit into her.

“I do. And I’d advise not digging into it”, she said, dusting off her clothes, keeping her faltering composure.

“What, Haela? Do you even--”

Keela didn’t even finish her sentence. Saphielle ran through the opening at an inhuman speed, her fist connecting with Keela’s face, sending her flying backwards and tumbling into the dirt.

“I don’t know where you heard that name but you better shut the fuck up”, said Saphielle, readjusting her cracked glasses.

“You told me that name. What about her? You lost her and who else?” taunted Keela, rage still blinding her.

Saphielle dashed over, punching into Keela’s stomach as she was still on the ground, knocking the wind out of her. Pouncing on top, she pummeled her face with punches, not holding back.

“I had to fucking kill her myself Keela! You’re not the only one hurting! You’re not…” screamed Saphielle, her punches weakening as the tears streamed down her face and dripped off her chin.

“I…”

“Shut up! I get it, you lost someone, but you can’t lash out like that! You can’t just open old scars…”

Saphielle had stopped punching, sobbing into her hands. Keela looked up, wiping the blood off her split lower lip. The realization of what she had just done when the fact that this was the most emotion Saphielle had ever shown dawned on her.

“Is that why you’re always so professional? To keep old scars closed?” she asked, wiping off her own tears.

Saphielle didn’t answer, getting up and hiding her face behind her arm. She walked away to the teleporter room and vanished, leaving Keela in the silence of her own mistakes, lying in the dirt among dead bodies. Covering her eyes with her forearm, she let out a long stuttery sigh, unable to stop her tears yet again.