It was a small room, quaint and homely. A circular carpet covered the wood floor, bookshelves lined the walls. A small couch sat underneath a square window, the only source of light for the room. Three figures stood in the small space.

The first was a well-dressed man wearing something akin to a butler's attire. Neat, tidy. That was the impression he gave off. But underneath his glasses hid empty eyes. Devoid of life, emotion.

The second was a woman. She wore smart clothes and stood absolutely straight, they stood side by side, a comparison was easy to make. Neat, tidy, stern. That was the impression she gave off. At least this time, she hid no empty vessel behind fancy fabrics.

The last was a short man dressed in long, blue robes, white and yellow stars covering the surface of the blue. He wore a hat of a similar fashion, a circular, long, pointed hat with the same design. Underneath the hat lay a face full of kindness and wisdom, with a long, gray beard holding onto his chin.

The two were talking in a sophisticated manner, their words quiet but loud enough to be perceived as anger. The one man simply sat on the couch, smiling as the angry words were directed at him.

Librarian: “This year is already a mess. The student council’s decision to introduce this new system was too hasty, rushed even. It’s unlike them to do this, and it's unlike you to let this happen.” The librarian was pacing back and forth, though his eyes were unmoving from the strange old man.

Ms. Bofard: “Principal, do you understand the consequences of what happened yesterday? A boy who can’t fight had achieved the honour of entering the S class but not only that, he came first in the practical exam! Do you know how much unrest this will cause, how many students would be angered? How many noble families looking for vengeance? This is a nightmare! Never before has the school seen such a predicament such as this. Never!”

The old man only smiled and nodded along with their words until he was given the chance to speak. “Charles, Mary. I know you’re upset, but the rules are rules. We gave the student council freedom and power, they used it justly. The rules were set in place and the boy succeed fairly. While there are some questions I still have, I could find no evidence that he was cheating. The boy played fair, and even if he didn’t, that means his own skill surpasses mine.”

Ms. Bofard: “But that’s absurd!”

Principal: “Then you have your answer. I value not our social standing but the validity of the school. You should know this by now.”

The two were silent as the Principal spoke. His words were true and despite their frustration, there was nothing they could do about it. The principal stood up and put his hands on their shoulders in a comforting manner. The old, callous hands were reliable and the two sank felt their worries slowly seep out from their shoulders.

Principal: “You may not have noticed it yet but he is quite remarkable. Able to hide his mana signature at such a young age, the ability of invisibility and other powers I have no idea about. There is more to the child than you think. But it was his personality that shone the brightest. I could feel endless kindness and compassion flow out of him, the people around him find themselves addicted to his person. Give it a few more days, he might surprise you.”

The two nodded and the Principal smile widened. “Come now, let’s drink some tea. Charles, can you prepare some Earl White?”

---

Aenios: *achoo*

I stood up after I felt a sneeze coming. Strange, there shouldn’t be any dust in this place. All the blood would have sucked it up.

I look back down at my handy work. The corpses of the nasty men ay strewn on the alley floor. Skin flayed and rats eating the delicious insides. All while they remained alive, screaming, screaming for help. Screaming for it to stop. Begging for death.

I wouldn’t give that to them though. As they reached the brink of death, I healed them, gave more flesh for the rats to eat their fill, more flesh for the flies to lay eggs, more flesh for the maggots to crawl around in. Their muscles are all tunnels now, tunnels for parasites both big and small.

Their boss stood in front of them, watching their suffering, the tears in their eyes, their broken minds, bodies and spirits. I could tell that he was completely under my control.

Aenios: “You know, you were right. No one came after all! That’s pretty impressive considering how much your men screamed.”

Goon #1: “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA”

It seems one of the rats crawled inside his body. It was warm, soft and full of food. A great place to build a nest. The boss had already soiled himself countless times but it seems he still had some left in him. If it weren’t for my condition, I think I would have already passed out from the smell.

Aenios: “I’m a decent person. I’m merciful. I have to let you know that I’m killing you, I can’t really let you go after meeting me. The “real” me anyway. How you want to die however, that’s up to you. We can spend a few more hours like this - “ I point at the squirming men on the ground. “Or, I can give you a quick death, you won’t feel pain and you won’t suffer. It’s your choice.”

The man wasn’t chained, nor was he bound. He simply sat there the entire time, unable to move due to fear. Finally, he started to show signs of life.

Boss: “K-Kill me quick. P-Please… I don’t want to die like them…”

Goon #2: “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaAaaAaaaaaAAa..AA.a….aA...Aa….” A faint smile started to appear on his face as his body was finally going to give way and he would begin his descent to hell. I can’t let that happen though. With a simple *snap*, his body regenerates and his mind becomes whole again.

The screaming continues.

Aenios: “Okay! You’ll get your wish… after I get mine. You see, I’m looking for something. Two things actually. The first is a certain bandit organization, ever heard of them? I heard they were hiding around here somewhere. The second thing is a black market. One exists doesn’t it? I mean, where else were you going to sell your slaves?

The man’s eyes go wide as I give him my request. He looks around frantically, desperation covering his face, worry taking over his body and fear running through his veins. “No… NO! I CAN’T! THEY’LL KILL ME!”

I sigh. I don’t think he understands his situation, or maybe the mention of “them” made him forget his place. To remind him, I dangle him upside down the swarm of rats and flies, they jump and try to bite and gnaw his face, his body winces as a defensive reaction.

Aenios: “I’m already going to kill you remember? I’m giving you the option of eternal torture or blissful nothingness. It’s your choice.” I put the man back down on the piles of garbage. He covers his head and hides in a ball.

I wait five minutes. He pokes his head out in order to confirm if I was still there. I was. Finally, he accepted his fate and uncurled, looking straight up at me. His eyes not once looking at his screaming comrades on the floor.

Boss: “Okay… you win. I’ll tell you what I know.”

I smile brightly, my shield visibly glows brighter and presence seems more inviting. I could see him being consumed by the light before shaking his head and reminding him of the situation he was in. “As far as I know, the bandits you’re talking about. They’re called the Semblance. Their leader was apparently from the royal family who was kicked out and made to live on the streets. That wa ten years ago. In that time, he gained a following from the people who were dissatisfied with their lives right now. The organization’s pretty big.”

I listen intently, my shield glowing brighter. “Go on! Tell me more!”

Goony Baboony: “Ah... yeah. Their base is somewhere around here, I don’t know where it is, I never liked them in the first place but if you want to find them, you gotta ask how to join their organization. Eventually, someone will say ‘This is a waste of time’ and walk off. You gotta follow that guy. He’ll lead you to their recruitment program.”

Aenios: “Mhm, Mhm, anything else?”

Goony Baboony: “The black market, they also run the place. If you don’t want to join their ranks, then going through the black market to find them is the only other way.”

Aenios: “I see. So how do I find the black market.”

Goony Baboony: “That one’s easy. Just keep walking around until you find a poster that says ‘black market’. Follow it and you’ll eventually find you way down there. The entrance changes every day, so it’s pretty much up to luck.” He smiled.

His voice, despite the emotional state he was in before, was now calm, even happy. This is the effect I have on people. My emotions are contagious, even towards my enemies. I smiled back. “Are you ready to die now?”

Goony Baboony: “Strangely, I am. Thank you. This is the first time I’ve ever felt true happiness.”

He closed his eyes and spread his arms outward. True to my word, I gave him a quick, clean death. My chains pierced his heart in an instant and his body fell down, back to the scum it came from. At this point, most of his men were dead, the last one alive was on the verge of death, not even my magic could save him at that point.

With success filling me up with confidence, I turned invisible and flew high above the city. Going up, up, up until I was past the clouds, until it was hard to breath.

“Today was a good day.” I thought to myself. Then I began my descent back down, returning to the filth below. Then, I began walking, walking out of the city, past the flat hills, the wall, the forest, mountains and back into the school, where, standing at the front gate was the Librarian, the same look in his eyes as I last saw him.

Librarian: “You… you’re on time? That’s strange. Students are more rebellious thatn that...”

I smiled, I couldn’t stop smiling, I was happy. Even the setting sun seemed to shine brightly as I smiled. Woodland creatures emerged from the forest and gathered at the forest edge, attracted by the strange charisma that filled the space.

The librarian himself was sucked in momentarily before gathering himself. “I suppose you kept your promise.”

I laughed. “Of course!”

Librarian: “W-Well, let me escort you back to your room. Please don’t tell any of the other teachers about this. Especially Ms. Bofard. She can be… difficult at times.”

Aenios: “Rest assured, I won’t tell a soul.”

We walked back into the school silently, the halls were emptied and the rooms dark. When I reached halfway, I thanked him and left. My presence illuminating the halls. Yes, today was a good day.

I walked back to my room, trying to contain my joy. For tomorrow, my plans would finally begin.

---

That boy… was he wearing commoners’ clothes? I walked back in silence, surrounded by darkness. Yes, the darkness that people fear, is one of my closest friends. So why. Why was someone like me, so infatuated with that boy? It made no sense.

The animals too, they left the safety of their forest, without care for the predators and prey that surrounded them, they came just to gaze at him. The Principal was right, I felt like I was being drawn in. This… is not good.

I walked down the halls, my steps orderly, exact and mediated. However, my face was scrunched up into a ball that portrayed only frustration. That boy can’t be real. He must have used magic on me. There was no other way I could fall for human charms. So why?

I continued walking. There was no magic on me. So why? He’s so much younger than me. So why?

*GROWL*

I stopped in my tracks and looked behind me. I could see a black humanoid creature with bladed arms standing in the distance. My face bore a twisted smile. Looks like I found my punching bag.

---

I was lying down in my bed. The room was comfortable, filled with luxury. Something the church never had. Father told us to live with the simplest of things. All of this… flamboyance, a commoner would find themselves never wanting to leave. I find myself uncomfortable. The room is too big, I feel vulnerable. There were too many doors, too many doors to watch for enemies.

I am Lucianna Luella Francis. At least, that’s what I assume. I was born to the church and taken in by father. Whether father is my real father matters not. He loves me and my sisters equally and we all love him back. However, we could not grow up spoiled, not when the church is under constant threat from the people.

Stories of religion being used to manipulate others have circulated throughout the kingdom, many followers have stopped showing up, doubting the necessity for religion in the first place. “If we have god come down so often, then what’s the point of praising him when he’s in the clouds?”

This corrupt mindset has spread across the populace like wildfire. The church had never seen worse days. The people don’t understand that the church doesn’t exist to serve god, it exists to enforce his will. Oh Lumios, grant us your mercy, forgive your children in this world.

A dangerous threat is coming, something that threatens to tip the very balance of the world. Father’s visions tell us as much. His dreams are all filled with agony. A monster in human form, tearing apart bodies, limb by limb, followed by an evil army of his servants. The battle, he says, will come in ten years’ time. Until then, we have time to prepare.

The church used to be stronger, but now, our army consists of only one million men, something father says won’t be enough for the oncoming battle.

Our army, despite the prejudice we receive, is unbiased. All manners of creatures are allowed to join, as long as they believe in the greater good. No matter you element, no matter your race, the church will be there for you. It is, after all, in service to all ten gods, discrimination would be in direct violation of their wills.

Every night, father would wake up in a cold sweat, go back to sleep and wake up again, repeating the process over and over. In the morning however, he stands so tall, standing in front of the crowds every day. Only I could see his suffering. So, to lessen his burden, I left in search of powerful mages to bolster our strength.

Unfortunately, it meant coming here. Father often told me of the academy when I was younger, but I didn’t care. The church was my home, and the nuns were all the teachers I would ever need. As long as I could help him and the church, I was happy. When I finally came of age however, this predicament happened. Now, somehow, I find myself here, in this lonely, dark room.

Father said it would be good for my future. I don’t care. I wasn’t doing this for myself, I was doing this for the church, my home. I sat up, unable to sleep. My thoughts buzzing in my head. I closed my eyes, I knew one person I could rely on.

When I open my eyes again, I find myself standing on a cloud, high above the world and my earthly burdens. There, standing in front of me, looking ever so glorious was Victory, my patron and my closest ally.

Victory: “Luciana. Having trouble sleeping?”

I nod, she walks over to me and pats my head. “Dear girl. Come now, tell me what’s bothering you.”

I look up, I never knew my mother, but as far as I can remember, Victory was always there for me. “It’s nothing.” I lied. The look in her face… she could tell that easily.

Victory: “Let me tell you a story. It was back before the world was born, back when us angels fought against the corruption that threatened to consume the gods. Lumios, at the time, was still so very weak. He had just created us after all. But this isn’t about him, it was about my sister, Virtue.”

I listened closely. “Virtue was never strong, but her strengths lay elsewhere. She was the first to kill a demon, to taint her weapon in their blood. She bore the first sin so the rest of us could fight. She would lead us into battle, and she never looked back, her presence was almost golden.”

What? That’s not right.

Luciana: “But… don’t you lead the angels in battle?”

Victory smiled gently. “That was… later. Unfortunately, even Virtue wasn’t immune to the whispers of the void. With her every sin, she felt the hold of the void grow stronger on her mind. She was barely stable. We were winning the battle however. Her sacrifices weren’t in vain. The portal to the purple god was near. If we were able to fight our way through the hordes of monsters, we could finally seal it.”

She shook her head in sadness. “She and three of the other archangels decided to finish it once and for all. We were going to sneak past the monsters and seal the portal for good. The plan was going well… then, one the minor angels turned purple. He had lead us into a trap, monsters came flooding in from the space around us and…”

Victory became silent. I had never seen her like this before. “Mercy was attacked, the monster had gouged out her eyes and her body lay on the floor, unmoving. Virtue couldn’t handle the situation and the sins that had been building up in her finally emerged. She jumped into the portal and sealed it from the inside, her mind had already broken. Mercy was fine, but Virtue… she was gone forever.”

Victory grabbed my shoulders and looked directly at me. She looked at me with stern eyes. “Listen, don’t keep your burdens to yourself. No one can support themselves forever. Even if you can’t share them with me, tell someone. Anyone. Please. Don’t end up like Virtue, don’t blame yourself.”

I walked closer and embraced Victory in a hug. “Of course. Don’t worry Victory, I won’t end up like Virtue.” I smiled in an attempt to reassure her. She smiled back. I closed my eyes and left myself in that warm embrace. When I opened them again, I was back in that dark room.

It just wasn’t lonely anymore.