“I've fallen so far. Just when I think I've hit rock bottom the ground shakes and crumbles beneath my shattered body. All consuming darkness. Nothing left. Nothing… nothing…”

(«^») Aurora Faelina

8E/438Y/10M/87D 6:00 AM

By the end of the first day I was already dying. Not literally dying mind you, but sitting there doing nothing was pushing me off the edge. Every morning I had to eat five rations, and down two of the water vials just to stay alive.

“How can you people stand this stuff?!” I yelled as soon as I finished. I nearly vomited.

“Is your royal palette not accustomed to eating purely for nutritional value?”

I gave Ashebelle a long hard look, “No.”

“Well, suck it up because this is what you're gonna be surviving off of for a while. This is literally all I've eaten for my entire life.”

“How can you go on like that?!”

“Firstly, keep it down. We're stowaways right now. The last thing I need is your suddenly loud mouth getting us caught. Secondly, I've spent my entire life just surviving. I can't afford fancy food that costs thousands of vials, sometimes tens of thousands.” She didn't even look up from what she was doing. She had a leather bound, parchment filled book at her side.

“I guess class differences never really occurred to me…” Ashebelle just scoffed, and went back to what she was working on. I crawled over to her side and stared at the book she was referencing. It was all handwritten. The handwriting was hasty, but still somehow decent. The page it was turned to detailed combat gifts that were used in conjunction with weapons instead of being used on their own. There were notes like, ‘damage scales with the effort of the attack’ and ‘higher tiers results in decent damage boosts’. I picked up the book and started flipping through it. I found one page on a temporary enchant that was simply a piece of paper that copied the image of whatever it was placed on, “You're a craftswoman, Ashebelle?”

“What's it to you. Aren't I just a monster who kills and steals indiscriminately?”

I gave her a long hard look, “The soul aura and tier of this item are too high. You could get away with it being one, and simple, and still be able to cast it and create the paper. Although only once, and it'd make a cubic foot of the paper. As it is this item isn't very useful since it isn't permanent, but with the tier, and soul aura at simple and one you could make the spell permanent and have an easier time crafting it.” She ripped the book from my hands, and opened it back to the page she was referencing.

“Stay out of my shit. I'm just here to make sure you don't die. I'm nothing more than a guide and a bodyguard to you. Let me do my job in peace.”

“Well, what are you doing right now?”

“Tch…” Ashebelle sighed, “I miss when you were just a wretch on the floor refusing to do nothing. Specifically refusing to talk. I'm enchanting this blade since I have the time. While we were with The Von I made them both into heroic weapons. I don't duel wield but I like both of them so I did it for both of them. Since the scabbard is a combat scabbard, while the blade is sheathed it'll still retain its effects since they're functionally one weapon, but apart only the actual blade will be enchanted, which is fine by me. The actual enchantments are a secret. I can't have anyone knowing them.” She glared at me.

“You know you don't have to be such a jerk…”

“Like I said, old habits die hard. Being nice gets you killed in my line of work.”

“I guess…”

At the time I had very mixed feelings on Ashebelle. She was such an abrasive girl. She had threatened to kill me, she literally kicked me when I was down, and she was constantly insulting me. She really did seem like a monster… something I would stand by for a while… but at the same time she was trying to get me to safety. Or so she told me…

At the time I still wasn't sure I could trust her, but I was in a position where I couldn't do anything about it, whether I trusted her or not.

She'd just kill me if I ran away.

Was this woman of lies, cheats, theft, and murder truly my savior in a cruel world?

Or was she just as cruel as the world trying to kill me?

(«^») 8E/438Y/11M/43D 4:32 AM

The trip was taking longer than expected. I was so bored out of my mind that I actually continued to pester Ashebelle with conversation even though I normally would just keep quiet and do nothing. At some point she started ignoring me, but when I continued to try and talk to her she just looked at me, and told me “If you're this fucken’ starved for entertainment, entertain me. Go in the corner and exercise. Train your body. I'll spar with you for an hour a day too if you just let me do my damn work in peace!”

So that's what we did. I exercised a different area of my body everyday, and when I was done doing that I trained my aura, and read some books on magic theory that Ashebelle had let me borrow.

Every morning Ashebelle would spar with me to help my fighting technique.

And she was rough. We didn't have mock weapons on hand, so we used our real weapons. And she sparred like she was actually trying to kill me. Luckily for me, my lunar aura could take a few hits, but after that we had to stop so she didn't actually kill me. For the first few days, I whined about but a few days in she said something that struck me.

“I really am trying to kill you when we spar. You should be trying just as hard to kill me. You know why? If I go easy on you you'll never be prepared for your first real fight. You need to fight like you mean it when you practice, because if you don't you don't know what to expect in a real fight. So quit your bitching.” She gave me a long hard stare with those black eyes of hers.

Those black eyes that represented a clear, cold winter night.

Over the days Ashebelle was continuously sick. Phasing in and out of illness. It would only last a few days at a time, then stop, but then it would come back again.

By the turn of the month and 43 days, I had woken up, for once, before Ashebelle. I propped myself up and looked around. I could still feel the ship rocking with the waves, so we apparently weren't on land still. Ashebelle was having sneezing fits in her sleep. Scattered around her were various books. Some of them were personal journals kept on her studies, and the rest were all on magic theory. I picked up the book on her crafting notes. I flipped through it a little, and found the page on the paper that copies whatever surface it's put on.

To my surprise, she actually took my advice. Her notes were changed. The soul aura was one, it was simple, and it was permanent. I restrained a chuckle.

I looked over at the sleeping girl. At the moment her draconic features weren't visible. Her skin was very pale, almost as if untouched by the sun. Her straight, pure black hair, stretched just past her shoulder blades. Every so often she'd start sneezing repeatedly. In that one moment I admitted to myself that was quite a beautiful monster.

She was a vulgar, improper, wrathful, dangerous, deceiving, cheating, thieving, murderous monster. But she was beautiful.

I stared at her for a moment more before I saw a future where the ship gets rocked heavily to the side.

I started panicking and shook Ashebelle awake. “Ashebelle… Ashebelle! Wake up!”

“Fuck, what is it?” She sprung up without a hint of sleepiness.

“I think we're about to get attacked!”

“How do you know that?”

“I'll explain later, we need to pack up and get out of here!”

“If you're wrong I'm stabbing you. It's really dangerous to leave this crate right now.”

She got up and moved all our belongings into an extra dimensional bag she carried around with her. She opened the door to the crate, and grabbed my hand tightly. In fact her hands were very small, but the strength she carried in them was immense. It hurt. “Don't let go, stay behind me.”

I nodded, and as soon as she finished her words a the ship rocked to the side as a loud boom echoed throughout the ship. I almost lost my balance, but Ashebelle kept me sturdy and started running.

(«^») Iris Exurrana

I booked it to the top of the ship, passing by many confused and panicked sailors along the way. When I got to the top, I looked around, trying to get my bearings. To the west was the shore of a green forest. To the east was a dreadnought, firing at us. “Shit… this ship won't survive an attack from that thing…” I started running plans through my head before Ana pulled on me to the east side of the ship, “What’re doing?!”

“Jump!” I didn't respond, I just took the lead.

Just before we got to the other side, the ship rocked again as 90 missiles hit the broad side of our ship, tossing us over the side. I lost my grip on Ana as we both plunged into the open ocean.

(«^») Aurora Faelina

The last thing I remember before blacking out in that moment was the horrifying scream Ashebelle let out. I hit the water, and started slowly sinking, unconscious.

(«^») Iris Exurrana

FuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckFUCK!!! Was the only thing going through my head.

I plunged into the water, and swam with all my might, then activated my gift, so I wouldn't have to struggle so much. I grabbed Ana’s hand, and used the same technique to get to the surface. But the shore was a little under 12 miles away. I could only see the tree tops on the horizon. My gift would only get me so far. So I used it until I ran out of lunar aura, and swam the rest of the way.

Now, I was a pretty fit person, but swimming several miles like that while carrying someone was exhausting. With each stroke I struggled even more to make the next.

But I was Iris Exurrana. I wouldn't, no couldn't break. I wasn't gonna let it end like that. I swam and swam trying my absolute hardest not to pass out from severe exhaustion. After what felt like several, agonizing days I made it to the shore. I pulled Ana onto the sand, and collapsed onto the ground.

(«^») 7:14 AM

I woke to the sounds of soft sobbing to my left. There were two men dressed in light leathers. One of them was over Ana, pinning her to the ground.

The two men were having a conversation, something I was vaguely aware of before I woke up.

“I don't wanna wait any longer!”

“Well, don't there's another right there!”

As soon as I was actually awake the man was crawling over me, half naked. In an instant, I pulled my combat scabbard out, releasing the scythe, and pushed him back. I then swung, cutting a chunk of his leg off cleanly with the edge of the scythe. Lightning energy making it all the worse.

I then pulled out my actual blade, and shoved the other man off of Ana, and cut his leg off as he staggered back.

Both of them fell to the ground, screaming. I shot the one that tried me, killing him. But the one that was on Ana I needed alive for just a few moments, “I'm going to brutally murder you in about a minute you worthless piece of shit. So tell me what direction I need to go in the avoid the rest of your kind.”

He pointed to the north. “Please don't kill me!”

“You gave up that chance when you touched Ana.”

(«^») Aurora Faelina

I watched as Ashebelle stabbed the pirate on the floor over and over. At first she was screaming in anger, but by the end of it that turned to maniacal laughter.

That laugh is something that would haunt me.

(«^») Iris Exurrana

I listened as Ana continued to cry, ever so softly in the background. It was quiet.

That weep is something that would haunt me for the rest of my life. In that moment I was losing it. I was absolutely seething, and the mixture of that and the joy from killing those two made me feel like I was going insane. I probably looked like it too. I continued stabbing his body long after he died, and after a while I just collapsed onto my knees and continued laughing.

Get a fucking grip you're probably scaring the poor girl! I thought to myself. I forced myself to stop laughing, and at that point I just looked hollow, and dead. Gently, I cleaned Ana, and dressed her in new clothes. I picked her up in both arms and marched southwards not paying any mind to my surroundings. Eventually I ran into a camp. It was filled with people, probably over a hundred. But I continued walking. I realized that that fucker had lied to me, but I needed to get moving. I needed to get this poor, poor girl to Saela. But they wouldn't allow it, as I continued marching in I was surrounded by everyone in the camp. They all wore the same light leathers. Plenty male, plenty female. Many of them carried both a short saber and a revolver on them. They all stared me down, waiting for a response.

“I take it I'm not allowed to walk freely from here?” No response, “If that's the case then I'll surrender.” I can't take on every single one of them at the same time. “But, if I may, I ask that you guarantee this girl's safety, and that I be allowed to watch over her.”

A man walked through the crowd. He wore a set of clothing strikingly similar to mine. At his side was a nine millimeter pistol. He didn't carry a blade. Or at least not openly. He walked up to me, smoking a crimson grass cigarette. He took a big hit, and blew the smoke to the side. “Even us thieves have a code of honor, Miss. Part of that code of honor is letting the decent live, while sending the not so decent back into The Cycle, and taking everything they own.” He tapped his cigarette to force the ashes off the tip. “I'm gonna take you back to our home and see how you fair on that, yeah?”

“Just promise me no harm will come to this girl.”

“If she passes the test, then I can keep that promise. If not, you can fill in the blanks.”

(«^») 8E/438Y/11M/71D 6:01 AM

We spent the entire trip in a dark cell. It wasn't necessarily awful, but it was definitely not the best of places to spend a third of a month. The entire time I was in there I was mulling over that man's words. The thought that I might not pass whatever test this was terrifying. I had no doubt Ana would. But I was not a good person. I was a girl who cheated, lied, stole, and killed for a living. It was something I enjoyed too.

As time went on Ana’s words from before we left Alexandria started to replay in my mind.

I sat in my cell, barely able to sleep each night and let my mind be consumed by those thoughts. It was like my own personal Hell.

The words ‘I'm not a monster’ turned to ‘I can't be a monster’ turned to ‘Maybe I am a monster’ and by the last day I spent in that cell, I finally whispered to myself.

“I really am a monster…” I still hated hearing it, but admitting it to myself just made me hate myself.

(«^») Aurora Faelina

The days I spent in that cell were just a blur. After what had happened on the beach I shut down. I refused to let myself think because I felt like if I did I'd just break down crying again. At some point the letters to and from Iris flashed in my mind. All the times I told her I wanted a life like hers. How much I loved the idea of living like she did.

Now, I had it, and I hated it. I was stuck with this monster of a woman. I was running away from assassins. My life was being dictated by a shadow organization infamous for their acts of evil. I was…

I was raped…

I didn't have what it took to live like this. I couldn't defend myself. I wasn't like Iris and Ashebelle who were strong. People who had grown up living in danger.

I was breaking down little by little. Pieces of me were being chipped away. Little by little, I was fading away.

At some point the cell door was unlocked and the man from before let us out.

“You haven't caused us any trouble so far. Come out. Enjoy your last two days on my ship.”

I looked over to Ashebelle who looked back at me with dead eyes. She got up and pulled me to my feet, and started walking out, gripping my hand tightly. “Don't let go… I'll keep you safe…” Her voice was slow and dead as well.

She didn't seem like she was okay. Her hands were shaking. She was sick again. She seemed tired. Others on the ship noticed, but none of them said anything to us. Ashebelle kind of wandered aimlessly around the ship until we got to the top. Eventually she found our way to the man, seemingly the leader around here. The entire time she held onto my hand tightly, refusing to let go, even once.

“I never got a name.” The man asked. He was leaning on the railing smoking a crimson grass cigarette.

Ashebelle stood besides him, and leaned on it too, but on her back. “Neither did I.”

“Andras. Andras Ylnoi.”

“I can't give you my real name… Call me Ashebelle. Or Vete Cethyr Lethana if you're looking to do business…” Ashebelle sneezed mid sentence.

“The Silent Storm, eh?”

“It's what the police in Alexandria call me… I work for The Von as an ace… That's what they call me too…”

“A fellow thief I see.”

“Oh, I'm much more than a thief…” I could hear a hint of sadness in her dead tone. “Mind sharing that?” She nodded to the cigarette in his hand. He just handed it to her in response, “Thanks…” She took a couple of deep breaths, and took a few hits, holding the smoke in her lungs for thirty seconds each. She then passed it back to him. She sighed a little, “I needed that.”

“You don't look too well.”

“I'm fine. I just haven't gotten too much sleep is all. Never really been on a ship until recently, so sleeping has been a rough bit.” That was a lie. I knew she was lying because she slept just fine when we were in that crate on the trade ship.

Andras gave her a look, “Try not to die, yeah?”

“What're you worrying about me for? Ain't I just a prisoner to you?”

“You might be our prisoner but you're also someone I can respect. I saw you swim out to shore carrying that girl after she got knocked out by debris and thrown into the ocean. You swam what, twelve miles? And then I heard about what you did after the… incident on the beach… it seems to me like this isn't the first time you've had to rescue her. You seem to care about her a lot.”

“I'm just doing my fucken’ job. If she dies I don't get paid, simple as that.” She was hiding something in those words I couldn't tell exactly what, but that wasn't the truth. Or maybe not the whole truth.

“Uh-huh. Go enjoy some of the food we have on board. We're celebrating today before we get to Britannya.”

(«^») 8E/438Y/11M/72D 13:56 AM

Iris Exurrana

Sometime that morning we hit the massive docks of a city made up of shacks built into jungle trees that were fifty feet or so thick, and close to 400 feet tall. I could tell from the front of the boat that the trees were all hollowed out, and had some form of transport from bottom to top. Wooden canopies stretched between the trees in layers forty feet from each other all across the city. It also seemed like the trees were in a perfect grid, but it was hard to tell. In the middle of the city stood a white marble tower that was over 800 feet tall. The city itself was quite compact. Large but nowhere near the size of Exana. It seemed the canopies were made to provide enough square footage to provide for all the people here.

They didn't waste any time taking us to the marble tower in the middle of the city. They also had other prisoners, but they took them elsewhere. People stared as Andras marched me and Ana into the tower. The tower was only about ten feet wide, and tapered to a point at the top.

But as I imagined, the inside was enchanted. Inside of it was a grand marble palace, which seemed modernized compared to the city that surrounded it. There was a woman, wearing an outfit like mine, but much without the slight witch aesthetic.

“Andras, you return. And you bring me a prisoner?”

“Yeah. These two you might want to read for yourself.”

“I see. Come forth, you two. I don't bite.” She gave us a wide grin.

Again, the entire time I was holding onto Ana’s hand, making sure I didn't lose her.

I walked forward, “Before we do this, this girl is carrying a letter with instructions. If anything happens to me, I want to make sure those instructions are carried out by someone you trust.”

She moved her head slightly, looking past me, “Andras?”

“I hold respect for you Ashebelle. I'll have it done.

“Now let's begin. You first, Ashebelle. Give me your hand.”

I held out my left hand, the one that wasn't holding onto Ana. She took it and stared into my eyes. It looked like she wasn't even really there, but after a moment she started frowning. Oh shit…

“I see…” She then let go, and grabbed Ana’s hand, making her yelp, “Don't worry, child… I'm sure you'll pass…” She then stared into Ana’s eyes for a few seconds.

She let go and started grinning, which soon turned into deep hearted laughter. “What's so funny..?” I frowned at her.

“You're both idiots!” She continued laughing.

“What does that mean..?!”

“Nothing! Nothing…” She regained her composure, “You both pass. Go. Continue your journey. Andras here will provide transport. But.”

“But what..?”

“On the condition that you return that garb to me.”

“What this coat and her..?”

“It was once a late friend's my mine. I'd appreciate it if it was returned.”

I gave her a long hard look, “This cost me a lot of money. I expect an equivalent replacement.”

“But of course. Bring her Io’s armor, Andras.”

Andras nodded and left, coming back with a set of armor.

When I saw it I was happy with it. The armor came with a tattered black cloak. Near the neck it had a belt that kept it together, and had two small wings that made a frayed V shape on the shoulders. The right arm would be covered by black wrinkled leather, and the left side of the armor was just an opening with some fur. The armor itself had four plates, and they were all placed so the bottom of the plate was diagonal. The top plate covered the left side more, while the bottom three covered the right side more. The bottom three plates all came to the same point on the left side, but were separated slightly, and curved outwards on the bottom. Underneath the armor was a black feminine fine chain gambison that split diagonally at the bottom and ended in the middle. It was designed to look like a skirt. Covering the sides, and back on the bottom half of the gambison was a fifth bell shaped plate that covered two thirds of the body, from the shoulders to the knees, but only showed under the first four plates. It came with fine chain stockings, and simple boots that were wrapped by a black leather belt.

I put it on right then and there, not caring enough that there were several people watching. I tossed her the clothes and the remnants of the blade I reforged.

“Firstly, you're bold. Secondly, you copied the blade? I was gonna ask for it but your blade is black, not silver like the original.”

“I'm good at making every use I can out of my vials. Oyaneh. I gotta get to Saela.”

“Oyaneh, god breaker.” She smirked at me.

(«^») Aurora Faelina

8E/438Y/12M/31D 1:59 PM

It would take another sixty days for us to arrive at the port that lead to the train to get into Saela. In that time Ashebelle and I sort of locked ourselves away, trapped in our own minds. Neither of us talked. Ashebelle would force me to eat and drink every single day, but I knew she was barely sleeping. We hardly talked. We didn't leave our room. But every second she could, even when we were sleeping, Ashebelle kept a tight grip on my hand. We barely moved so it didn't cause me any issue.

But this whole situation we were forcing on ourselves was only making things worse.

(«^») Iris Exurrana

I tried my hardest to keep my mind idle, but most of the time I just felt depressed. I felt crushed because I failed her. The one time in my life I fucked up so badly I actually regretted it.

Ask anyone who knows me and they'll tell you I live by the words “Forgive and forget, and never regret" but this was something I wouldn't forgive myself for. Something I'd never forget. Something I'd forever regret. I tried to keep my mind from dwelling on it, but it was too much. That scene replayed in my mind over and over and there was a voice telling me it was my fault. That I didn't protect her. At some point I seriously considered just driving my fucking sword through my heart, both to end the pain, and so I would never be the cause of her pain again. I would toy with my sword in my left hand, and just imagine it piercing my heart, going through me like the bullet I fired that killed this girl’s mother.

I killed the queen of Alexandria. I almost killed her daughter, the girl who I'm actually supposed to be protecting with every ounce of my life.

I hated myself so much. I wanted it all to just end, but the good ending was far away, and the bad one would mean I would fail this girl again.

All I could do was persevere.

(«^») Aurora Faelina

When we got on the train it was nearly empty. Just a single man sitting next to me, to my right. Ashebelle still insisted on holding my hand. The train ride would take seven hours. I watched the window as the mixture of cherry blossoms and other oddly colored trees blurred past. The train traveled at around 500 miles per hour, making it hard for me to focus on the nature. Every so often I would just look around the train. Anything to keep my mind busy. I didn't want to think because I only thought bad things. They would only push me off the edge even further.

At some point the man next to me started inching his hand closer to my leg, and I started having flashbacks. I yelped a little as he got closer.

(«^») Iris Exurrana

I was ambidextrous, but not perfectly so. I was more inclined towards my right hand. Me, never wanting to trust anyone, thrust my blade into the seat, in the space between the man next to us and Ana, making her jump. It was meant to scare him, but I ended up slicing his finger just a little. Not enough to really hurt, but to anyone that could be taken as an act of war.

“You touch the girl, you die.”

The man chuckled lightly.

“Perceptive. I take it you noticed the poison on my nail?”

“I could smell it. But I wasn't going to do anything unless you made a suspicious move. Which you did.”

“You have lots of names in the Undercommon throughout the world. Liar, Cheater, Thief, Killer.” He looked at me with crimson eyes, “Monster.” I stabbed at his hand, but he pulled away just in time. “You've earned quite the reputation for yourself, Vete Cethyr Lethana.”

I stood up and pushed Ana behind me. I grit my teeth, I might've accepted being a monster, but I would never accept being called one. I spat at him, “Fuck off. I'm giving you five seconds to get as far away from us as possible before I force feed you Exurra Steel.”

“No fun. Let's do this the hard way, yes?”

“Your choice.”

I started a swing at him before I took twelve bullets to the chest, where I only saw him fire six, and the assassin had teleported a few feet to the left of me. I stopped confused, “What the fuck did you just do?”

“You work for The Von, yes? Then you should know information does not come freely in our lines of work.”

“Tch.” I glared at him and was baffled by the fact that there were several of him, all mimicking his exact movements. I took the blade out and thrust the center clone, passing through nothing. This time I took seventeen bullets, the last nine I only noticed actually being fired. I collapsed onto one knee, holding myself up on my blade. My blood aura was completely depleted, but my lunar aura was untouched. I can still fight.

(«^») Aurora Faelina

“You idiot!” I watched as Ashebelle collapsed, and screamed. I didn't know why I was so worried about her. I hated her. But in that moment I didn't want to watch her die. I pulled out my symbol of Yofiel and made a small gesture, while blue and red light danced around my hands, making a life link between me and Ashebelle.

Ashebelle got up, and held her sword out to the man, then she rushed him. The shadow clones made him a hard target, but she was relentless, and through sheer luck, she hit him on her first attack. As soon as she hit the clones flickered, and disappeared for a moment. Ashebelle had spun, forcing her blade into his chest. She let go and continued her momentum, and when she was facing him, she tore the blade out, then cut clean through his left shoulder, severing his arm completely. The man screamed, then shot seventeen more bullets, again half of them seemingly coming from nowhere. I collapsed as the bullets hit, the pain Ashebelle was experiencing sending my body into agony. The extreme sudden drop in lunar aura was real, and I could feel every ounce of it draining. I took out my symbol of Yofiel and made several gestures with it. Why am I doing this?! I don't trust her! Don't I want her to die?! The man used that weird magic again, but this time only half the bullets hit, the rest were all off mark. Ashebelle swung at one of the clones, passing through nothingness. I gasped, “No!”

That was it. We were done for. Both of us would die.

We

Would

Die

Both of us barely had Lunar Aura to speak of. If he hit once more, which he probably would, we would undoubtedly die.

(«^») Iris Exurrana

Long ago, as a birthday present Aurora had sent me a pocketwatch. Inside was a note that read, “Happy birthday, from The Heiress of Alexandria and General Yalina Lotfi Excalibryanna!”

Behind it was a picture of the oh so famous war hero and general of Alexandria.

In the letter I received from her along with the gift Aurora said she told the general about me, and that when she did the general seemed overtly happy, but something was off. She insisted that Aurora send me the pocket watch as a gift.

I still have that pocket watch, and when I was enchanting my sword I designated it as the catalyst for casting the two non-passive enchantments.

I knew what was happening. I was a smart girl, I could identify magic when used. He was stopping time for around six seconds, just enough to empty a clip, reload, then empty it again when the magic stopped. That's why I couldn't see half his bullets being fired. I took up my stance, preparing myself for the next barrage of bullets.

Time stopped, then restarted.

It was do or die.

I pulled it out of my pocket watch and ran it against the blade, stopping time. Enough for me to say the chant.

“Yi sefe Iris Exurrana, ye jeh vene usis ni seve ana'lese yi, vini yi aye haelis nil, yil, ye lethyr vini yi iya ana'nise... ana'nise. Time shatter!”

As soon as I finished the chant, I created a time differentiation between me and the world. For that one moment, I had the reflexes and the speed to nullify any blow.

Eighteen bullets traveling at mach three from point blank range? No problem.

I slashed my sword in eighteen different directions, performing eighteen different deflections and cuts as if doing it all at the same time.

Clang! The first bullet gone. Clang! The second. Gone. Clangclangclangclangclangclangclangclangclangclangclangclangclangclangclangclang!!! All eighteen bullets.

Gone.

Gone motherfucker, gone!

“H-how?” The man looked on in terror.

“Yi sefe Iris Exurrana, yi ana exurra, yi aye ana ni, God Shatter!” I ran the pocket watch against the blade again, and took up my stance.

Left leg stretched back, right leg in front, and bent. Both hands holding my blade parallel to my face, pointed at my target. As I spoke the words, darkness gathered around the blade, swirling into it in a spiral. Lightning roiled from the blade, fueled with wrath.

And the only reason I could do this was because I knew he poisoned Ana. I was seething, so bursting with anger it overflowed right back into a weird calm. There was no escape. I was fucking furious. If only he hadn't poisoned Ana this wouldn't have happened. I could only cast it if I was under extreme anger or sadness. It was built as an ‘oh shit’ attack. If you were in its range it would hit you. I swung my blade, sending a projection cut of lightning and darkness that consumed him, and destroyed him, through the raw manifestation of my wrath. He didn't even have time to scream. Once it hit the wall of the train it dissipated due to anti-magic but I was grateful for that. I didn't even consider that it might destroy the train. But most structures like this were fitted with powerful anti-magic because shit like this happens way too often.

I'd honestly be surprised if it wasn't fitted with anti-magic.

I collapsed onto the ground, and blacked out. I was so low on blood aura that I just needed to rest.

(«^») Aurora Faelina

The city was in sight. After Ashebelle collapsed I immediately noticed that she was hyperventilating.

You see, I was a priestess of Yofiel, a dead goddess of life, light, and love amongst other things. Which meant I had received medical training. When she collapsed I had to make sure she was okay because I remembered that man mentioned poison.

Now, poison was usually magical in nature. It would hurt you over time, which was slower than just normal damage dealt. But it bypassed solar aura, which, the only I can describe it, an aura that reduces incoming damage.

So, I had checked Ashebelle and myself.

Luckily, I was fine.

But Ashebelle…

Her Blood Aura was decreasing, and rapidly too. She would need some form of anti-magic, because when I identified the poison it was what we call ‘Corrosive’ which stopped Blood Aura and or Lunar Aura replenishment.

The city was in sight, but still an hour away. I knew she would die in that time.

I started panicking. I had learned how to make cures, but I had never practiced them.

“Ashebelle! Ashebelle!!! Wake up!!!”

“Ugh, what..?”

“He poisoned you! Y-y-ou’re gonna die before we get to Saela!!!”

“Huh..? Oh… I guess that's fine… I've done my job… you're here safe… I can rest now…” She started going back to sleep.

“No! No no no no no!!! You can't die now!!!”

“I'm barely conscious, Aurora…”

Aurora?! “How do you know my real name?!”

“Huh… oh I've known for quite a while now…” She took out the catalyst she used earlier, a small pocket watch.

The same pocket watch I gave to Iris, “How did you get this?!” I yelled as she handed it to me.

“Shhhhhhh… at some point on the trade ship it occurred to me that you're Aurora… The last letter I sent you I remember saying ‘you're more important than I ever will be’... I thought long and hard about that letter and I realized that the only person who could live like you said would be royalty… and I remember you telling me you're an only child… I've known for weeks at this point that you're Aurora… I was just too scared to tell you that I'm Iris… I've always been too scared to tell you what my real life is like in full detail…” She coughed a little, then laughed lightly, “I didn't wanna ruin the image you had of me in your head… you always thought of me as some kind of hero… but no… you were right about me… all I am is a monster… a lying, cheating, thieving, murderous monster… it's funny now, knowing that a monster like me is gonna die protecting an angel like you… like some kind of tamed Nightmare… I do have infernal blood in me after all…” She laughed again.

“You're… Iris..?”

“Yeah… I'm Iris… Iris Exurrana… that's the true name of The Silent Storm. Of Ashebelle Levyna. The high tier contracted Ace of The Von.” She spat some blood onto the floor next to her face.

My heart shattered.

It shattered into a trillion fucking pieces. Each shard lacerating my body from the inside out. I started crying. “Iris… no, I can't let you die like this!”

“Why not..? All monsters need to be rid of at some point… they're just taints on the world that you could do without… right..?”

“I'm so sorry… I'm so, so sorry… I should've never called you that!”

“It's true though…”

I slapped her, “No!!! No it's not! You are a hero…”

“Last time I checked heroes don't lie, steal, cheat, and murder…” She laughed again.

“You're my hero! And that's all that matters!!!”

“Then I've failed you as your hero… I should be cast aside and replaced for someone who can protect you every time…”

“No!!! Don't you have any sense of self worth, self preservation?!”

“Only if it lets me do my job… and as I see it I've done my job… now let me rest…”

“No!!! This time I'm saving you. I don't give a fuck if you want to die I'm not letting it happen!!! Open your satchel!”

She sighed, “If you insist…” Slowly, she smeared her blood on the latch of her satchel, and whispered something. “There… Keep it open or it'll lock again…”

She rolled over and curled up into a ball, falling asleep.

I crawled into the bag and started searching through the plethora of books she had, “Where is it, where is it?!” I started sobbing even harder. The clock was ticking.

One minute turned to two.

To three.

To four. “Where the fuck is it?!”

Turned to five. I kept screaming.

Turned to six.

Turned to seven. “Why do you have so many books?!” I started breaking down even more.

Ten minutes. I found the book I needed.

I climbed out of the bag. I had identified the power of the spell. All I needed to do was create a potion stronger than it with anti-magic properties. So, I did like my hero would.

I would cheat.

Every spell limiter I could find, I put on this potion.

I started drawing vahlic runes on the ground, “Revert, magic.” I referenced the book on limiters I had found, “Charge, 1. Materials, 1,900, paper. Blood Casting. Catalyst. Ritual, minute. Gesture. Speech. Signal. Emotional Requirement, Misery.”

I drew the rune out of words. It was a small circle, marked by three half circles 120 degrees from each other. The first one was made up of the effects of the spell in written form. The second was any modifiers. The third was limiters. And in the center contained the rune for ‘life’. As soon as I completed it, the rune lifted off of the ground, and started shrinking, and glowing with yellow energy. I had to sit there and concentrate for 22 minutes. If I got distracted even once, the end result would be failure, and I'd lose both the time and the vials the crafting requires.

1 minute.

2 minutes.

3 minutes.

Every second was agony. Because every second Iris died a little more.

4 minutes.

5 minutes.

6 minutes.

She was already dying in the time it took me to get the book I needed.

10 minutes.

I could hear Iris’ breathing slow with each minute passing, only making it harder to concentrate.

15 minutes.

I continued crying. I had caused her so much trouble. So much pain. I had called her a monster, which is something I should've never done. I made her work so fucking hard for an awful heiress like me that didn't deserve her protection in the slightest. She’d done so much for me, nearly died, several times, and actually was dying right next to me.

And she didn't even care. All she wanted to do was protect me.

Sure, she was harsh, crass, vulgar, and mean almost all the time. But over the weeks I had realized this was just a girl in the end. A girl who had to do anything to survive. A girl who was sacrificing everything to save the one she loved.

A girl I loved back.

22 minutes. The glyph shrunk into a small vial, smaller than my pinky nail.

I cried even harder as I wiped the dust from it on my lips. I picked Iris up and whispered in her ear.

And then I closed my eyes.

And kissed her.

The whisper was the speech component. My symbol of Yofiel was the catalyst. I watched as two of the empty journals I had find gathered dissipated into dust and flowed into Iris’ body for the material component. The light surrounding us was the signal.

And the gesture component was the kiss.

I cried, as misery turned to peace. I cried as I poured all my feelings hidden behind unwritten letters into a single kiss.

I cried as I cheated death.