Both Sora and Kacee stared in shock, for differing reasons, I assume.

Kacee’s jaw fell slack as she blinked once, twice, then a third time. Her eyes widened with disbelief, staring at me as if I had spoken Swahili, then her shoulders fell slack as she palmed her face, a heavy sigh escaping her.

Sora’s expression turned a hilarious combination of pale and flushed, eyes narrowing as she pursed her lips. Her brows furrowed as her nostrils flared, jaw setting and shifting from side to side. She pinched the bridge of her nose and exhaled through her nose.

As one, the two of them met gaze. I could see the reluctant comradery the two shared in their long-suffering expressions.

I couldn’t fight the amused grin that appeared on my face at their reactions. It had been so long since I had felt this relief, this burgeoning amusement that filled my chest.

Kacee sighed once more through her nose before facing me again. “As much as I hate to ask, can you please repeat that?” Her voice had a strained quality to it as if I had squeezed her vocal cords with my question.

“I’m the next Demon Lord.” I ignored Sora’s vocal displeasure, her audible groan reaching me as she leaned against the wall behind her.

My old friend walked over to the table and pulled out a chair, dropping down onto it with a huff. “That’s what I thought you said.” She groaned as she shook her head. “This could be disastrous; I hope you know.” I arched a brow at her. Kacee exhaled noisily, pushing a hand through her bangs. “When I took over command of Twin Flags, I swore that I wouldn’t repeat what my predecessor had done. I refuse to hide important information from my subordinates.”

I hummed at her answer, pulling out a seat at the table to sit. I offered her a smile. “Do you trust them?” I already had an idea of her answer.

“With my life.” She parroted my earlier response, a knowing smile on her face.

“Then tell them.” I gave a lazy wave of my hand.

Kacee blinked after I answered, disbelief entering her gaze. She furrowed her brow as she studied me. “I can’t- What- How-” A frustrated breath escaped her as she palmed her face. After a moment of silence, she turned a distrustful glare towards Sora. “I figured you would be trying to stop this.”

Sora gave her a deadpan glare, even as I noticed a pulsing vein beneath her bangs. “Joseph is my King. Though I may disagree with some of his choices, I must follow through.”

“A follower has to ensure their leader doesn’t do stupid shit.” Kacee countered, her glare darkening. “It’s obvious you don’t like it, so why allow your ‘King’ to make such a choice?”

Sora’s expression twisted, brows furrowing and nostrils flaring. Her lips curled downwards as black lines began to appear on her face. “It would behoove you not to question what isn’t your business. Have I told you how foolish it is to allow a Witch into the heart of your headquarters unsupervised? No, I have not.” Her bangs slowly shifted to an unnatural white, as black veins appeared in her narrowed eyes. “Keep your unnecessary opinions to yourself, Hero.”

Kacee’s expression shifted, an angry veneer crossing her face. She rose to her feet and narrowed her eyes angrily. She set her jaw. “A Witch, huh? I’ve heard of your type. Harbingers of chaos and death; the stories always start by telling of a Witch that led the Demon Lord to his throne. You and yours have always started the beginning of the end.” Kacee contemptuously waved a hand at Sora. “Is this your attempt to subvert my friend? Will I inevitably be forced to fight him for the sake of the World?”

Sora’s lips curled into a sneer, lifting her chin to peer down her nose. “Is this all the famous Lady Fitzgerald is capable of? A slave to prophecy and inevitability?” She snorted and shook her head. “Already resigning yourself to the whims of those who proclaim to speak for their God? How disappointing.” Sora simpered mockingly, waving her hand towards Kacee as if to brush her aside. “You may as well as have stayed a prisoner of the Royal Family.”

Kacee’s expression fell into an enraged stoicism, eyes flaring with emotion. Her hand clenched into a fist, the muscles on her arms flexing and tensing as her shoulder hunched.

Sora stared at her with a triumphant, but cruel smirk, a daring spark in her darkening eyes. She let her hands rest lazily at her side, hanging open and ready.

An echoing crash reverberated within the room, catching both of their attention. Two pairs of eyes riveted towards me as I pulled my fist from the hole I punched through the table. “When I asked Sora to meet us here, I didn’t do it with the intent to start a fight,” I spoke evenly, my tone deceptively light, as I shifted my attention between them. “I wanted to reconnect with an old friend. I wanted to hear what has changed from someone who would know the world as I did.” I stood and stared at the pair in front of me, an odd sort of emptiness settling in my chest in place of the anger I felt surfacing earlier. “Yet, all I’m experiencing is a disappointment.”

I turned an empty glare towards a mystified Sora, whose wide eyes and faintly upward curling lips met my gaze. “This is the ­second time I’ve seen you argue with someone who disagrees with you. I don’t know if this is a habit, but I’m already tired of smoothing over your mistakes. Check your attitude.” She flinched at my words, looking away with shame as the black receded from her pallor.

When I looked towards Kacee, I couldn’t help but notice the surprise and inquisitiveness behind her bewildered stare. “Honestly, I’m disappointed in you.” Kacee blinked at my statement before eyes narrowed. “Sora’s purposefully trying to get a rise out of you, and you just let it happen. Since when have you entertained the selfish whims of someone trying to provoke you? Has Verum changed you that much?” I shook my head, eyes closing as I sighed. “I guess I’ll have to keep looking. Where’s Rudy when you need him?”

“Okay, okay. I get it.” Kacee groaned as she released a breath, pinching the bridge of her nose. She took a moment to gather herself, breathing in and out slowly. When her eyes opened, she stared at me in confusion. “You’ve changed.”

Hearing her say that, more than Sora and Alba’s observations of my sternness, made me pause. Neither of them knew me before coming here, so their statements didn’t have the same weight, but with Kacee… “In what way?”

She pursed her lips, eyes narrowing. “I can’t place it, specifically. You’re still the same when it comes to your attitude and demeanor, but…there’s a weight to you now.” Her eyes searched my expression. “Your gaze is harder now, too.”

I snorted at her answer. “Getting backstabbed by the one you consider a brother does wonders for losing what naivete I had left.” My voice hardened by the end of my statement.

Kacee grimaced, her eyes falling. “Yes, I suppose so.”

That caused me to stiffen, staring at her intently. “Did you know?”

She nodded once. “It’s one reason why I left the capital.”

“One reason?”

“Of many.” Kacee did not elaborate, though I caught a sense of understanding. We looked away from each other at that, neither of us unwilling to further explain.

“You said something earlier, about Witches being a ‘bringer of chaos.’ What do you mean?” I asked her; changing the subject.

Kacee frowned at the question, turning to face Sora. “I can’t answer the question adequately. What about you?”

Sora huffed a smile, lips curling as she studied Kacee. “Not going to assume that I’ll be biased?”

“I know you will,” Kacee replied, her tone almost bored. “But I don’t think you’ll lie.” Sora’s smile fell, eyes narrowing. “Joey isn’t stupid. Neither of us is. With an explanation right from the source, Joey and I can come to our conclusions.”

“And learning of a Witch’s duty can give you that?” Sora sneered at her.

“It can help,” I answered for her, getting a surprised look from my companion. “I want to know more about my role, beyond seeking out my Generals and taking my throne.”

Sora frowned at that, before turning to look out the window. After a few moments of silence, she huffed out of her nose. “Fine. But please listen well and don’t interrupt. I’d rather not repeat myself more than necessary.” Closing her eyes, she seemed to father herself. “The first thing you must know about a Witch’s role is how a Witch is created.”

Sora’s gaze turned guarded as her lips curled upwards, an empty smile that promised nothing. “What is the worst thing you can do to a person?” She paused, but not long enough for her to get an answer. “Give them hope, foster it, encourage it. Make them believe that life will get better; that no matter how bad it is, good will always triumph.” She spat to the side, her lips curling downwards to show something ugly and wrong. “There is no hope when it is all taken and crushed underfoot before you. To create a Witch, you must fill an innocent maiden with hope. Make her believe in the beauty of humanity and the kindness and mercy of the strong.” She spoke the words with scorn as if they were mockeries of the language. “Then, when she has proclaimed her unyielding faith and belief, you crush it. You break her world-view most thoroughly and cruelly possible. You take away everything she’s ever loved and hold it right in front of her, an arm’s reach away.”

Sora lifted a hand, and a green sphere appeared above it, pulsating as if in tandem with a heartbeat. It glowed an ethereal verdant aura, illuminating the conference room. Black splotches faded in and out, weaving left and right, up and down. The light illuminated her passive expression but brought attention to her glowing amber eyes. “Hope. Some believe that hope is a manifestation of Holy energy. Power reminiscent of Angels from an Era long passed.” She clenched her hand, snuffing the ethereal energies. “A Witch is born when that Hope is torn away, and Revulsion replaces it. An unending loathing for those who destroyed what the new Witch formerly loved.” Her eyes flickered, black veins spreading outwards before they dispersed. “More often than not, it is the selfishness of humanity that sparks such a change. A change that makes it impossible for a Witch like myself to feel love once more.”

She waved a hand to the side, the glow in her eyes dimming. “With that in mind, is it any wonder why a Demon Lord gains a desire to destroy humanity? The one who guided them showed them a truth of the world: that humanity is a curse that is meant to be culled.” Her intense gaze honed in onto Kacee, narrowing as anger flared her amber glare. “That is my belief. My experience with the people of Verum. It is my earnest belief that for humanity to be saved, it needs to be culled, the chaff cut free.”

Kacee gulped, eyes wide as she stared at Soralynn. Her visage shook as her lips quivered, opening to reply before she closed them to clench her jaw. “Is that…what you’re trying to influence Joey to do?” Her voice shook, with fury, with fear.

Even I felt similar, despite having spoken about my role before arriving at Xadria. Is that ‘balance’? To callously trade lives for the sake of cutting out the cruel? Who has that right? To decide who lives and dies at the flip of a coin? I don’t want that right. I don’t even want to think about it; to consider how cold I’d have to become for such a choice to not break me. I want to be free, to live my life how I wish, but I’d rather the cost not be the lives of countless others. Everyone has the right to be free, to live however they want, and I don’t want to be responsible for stealing the freedom to live from others, just so I could see the next day, unshackled.

It would make me no better than those who had ripped Maggie and me from our moth- our parents.

What of Rorick and Faithe?

When their names came to mind, a cold hand gripped my heart as a chilling mist settled in my chest. That’s right. I had already caused the death of two people for my freedom. Am I already on that slippery slope? Have I already fallen into the path of the Tyrant? Have I begun the descent unto the monster that’d callously discard countless lives for self-interest?

What would it cost next, to stay on my chosen course? Whose life, whose freedom, would I have to trade next time?

“No.” Sora’s answer caused my thoughts to stutter to a halt, even as Kacee stiffened, disbelief coloring her expression. At my friend’s reaction, Sora snorted and gave her a mocking smile. “What? Am I not allowed to entertain unwanted thoughts? Or are you saying that I’m a slave to my deepest whims? Because that’s all they are, whims.” She gave a mocking laugh, shaking her head. “I’m not so weak-willed to give into thoughtless desires.” Sora sneered as she leaned forward. “I’m not a human; so afraid of my meaningless whimsy, that I’d blame it on the target of my hatred. I know, and accept, my prejudices.” She cocked her head to the side, giving Kacee a mockingly inquisitive look. “Can you say the same?”

Kacee met her gaze with determination, even as her pale expression betrayed her instinctual fear. “Even saying that you underestimate the kindness of the common man. You allow your hypocrisy to color your words.” She shook her head. “If you hate humanity so much, then why act to protect it, if indirectly?”

Much to her evident surprise, Sora’s expression softened. “Penny saved me.” Her gaze then hardened as she stared at Kacee’s slack-jawed mien, amber eyes glowing menacingly. “That’s all I’ll say. I must fulfill it, and I will complete it, even at the cost of my life.”

Kacee blinked at the answer, brow furrowing as she studied Sora. She closed her mouth and set her jaw, eyes hardening as she continued to stare my companion. “I don’t trust you.” Her stern tone caused Sora’s brow to arch in amusement. “I don’t like you.” Sora’s lip quirked into a half-smile. “I’ve made a decision.”

She then turned her head and completely disregarded Sora, facing me. “I will accompany you and make sure you don’t lose yourself, Joey.” Kacee’s expression softened, and she offered me a smile. “You’re my friend. The last thing I want is for you to become what you hate.”

My felt throat felt thick at her heartfelt statement. I gulped as I blinked away the tears that threatened to come forward. “What about Twin Flags?”

Kacee’s smile widened into a grin. “You know what’s most likely to turn a man into a monster? A lack of options. We shall accompany you, Joey.” Her grin turned proud as she crossed her arms. “There’s very little you can’t accomplish with the varied talents that the Twin Flags company can bring to bear.”

For the first time in a while, I felt a smidgeon of hope spark within my chest. She’s-

Sora snorted, bringing our attention to her. “You can’t be serious. Joey’s the next Demon Lord. Do you honestly think that as superstitious and ignorant as the average person is, that they’ll be willing to help?” She glared at Kacee, anger coloring her tone. In a way, I can understand where Sora’s coming from. Her cynicism rang true, considering what we’ve encountered with Rorick and Faithe and their refusal to accept my words.

“My people are far from average,” Kacee stated with the confidence to move crowds.

Sora narrowed her eyes at her, lips curling in distaste. “We shall see.” With that, she stepped away from the window and walked over to the door.

I stood and walked with Sora, but turned back to Kacee. “See you later?”

Kacee grinned widely, a confident glint in her expression. “Don’t worry. When we see each other again, I’ll have the whole company at our back.”

Our back. I couldn’t help the excited grin that grew on my face at Kacee’s words.

Sora and I approached the guild to finish my registration finally. The sea of people striding alongside us framed our trek, even as they moved around us. The ambient sound of chatter from pedestrians and the clopping of horses dominated the atmosphere. We walked in relative silence, though Sora seemed to be fuming, if her scowl, clenched fists and pulsating vein in the forehead, meant anything. “Sora?”

“Am I irrelevant?” She asked me out of the blue, stopping as she turned to face me, desperation warring with anger. The foot traffic around stuttered for a moment at our sudden stop, but after a few ignored dirty looks, people continued to walk around us.

I blinked at her question before I gave her my answer. “No.”

“Then why do you accept the help of all others around us, even after everything I’ve offered? Am I not enough?” Sora’s expression crumbled, frustration, and anger filling her gaze.

“Because I refuse to let you shoulder everything on your own.” I shook my head at her bewildered stare. “The role I’ve been given that I now carry is one that I can’t do on my own. I understand that; I accept that. I can’t reach my destination alone, but that’s why you’re here.” I lifted a hand, hesitated, then placed it on her arm. “I need you, Sora. I didn’t know that when we first met, but I know that now. I never could’ve made it this far without you.”

Sora shook her head. “You underestimate yourself. For all your ignorance, you’ve learned quickly and adapted well.” A reluctant smile appeared on her face. “Give it a week or two, and it’ll be like you’ve been a part of this your entire life. My presence won’t be necessary for much longer.”

“Will you shut your damn mouth?” My frustrated retort caused Sora to stiffen, her eyes widening and mouth falling open as she stared at me. I accepted her statements of me learning quickly; the stories and games I’ve played had helped, but they were nothing compared to the legitimate experiences I’ve had. But as she spoke, I couldn’t help but feel an uncomfortable twinge in my chest at her self-recrimination. It sparked a fury that I refused to ignore. “Stop. Just stop. You’ve been nothing but a great companion and friend.” I leaned forward so that our faces were only inches apart. “You’ve shown me a new life, one that I’ve wanted for as long as I could remember. You’ve…” I paused, a genuine smile appearing on my face. “…helped fulfill a dream I’ve had since childhood.”

I pulled her against me, wrapping my arms around her. She felt soft but warm as I heard her suck in a sudden breath. She stiffened at the contact, shifting ever so slightly at the touch, but made no move to pull away. “Never second guess your worth again. I won’t stand for it.” Sora didn’t respond to my words, so I just listened to her breathing. We stayed like that for a few tense seconds before I felt her arms return the gesture, wrapping around me as her hands grabbed at my jacket.

We held the embrace for a few moments, before pulling apart and facing one another. Sora’s intense expression studied me, a faint confusion filling her gaze. She said nothing as she studied me, her cheeks colored ever so lightly with red. Amber eyes gave off a dim glow, searching my blues. “Thank you.” Her words came out a breathy whisper before she turned away swiftly. “Let’s continue.” Curt words pulled me from my stationary posture. We resumed our trek to the Guildhall in silence, though I noticed that Sora walked closer to my side, her hand occasionally brushing against mine. She never did react to that, always facing forward with her stoic mien.

Of course, the moment we returned the guild, after adjourning to a private meeting room, I had to deal with Aspen’s suspicious questions over why I ran from Kacee. “Because of persistent recruiting?”

“Yes,” I replied confidently, nodding to her apparent disbelief. “I’ve had so many offers for joining groups that I’ve taken to running from the more…exuberant recruitment attempts.”

“I…see,” Aspen stated dubiously; her brow arched as she studied me. After a moment, she exhaled with a twitch on the corner of her mouth. “Well, I am glad to see that you’ve come today.” The clerk smiled at with professional pride. “The guild has heard nothing but good things about you over the week. A great attitude; a willingness to offer help; skillfully frugal.” She clasped her hands in front of her atop the desk. “We’re glad to accept you within our ranks, Lyall.”

Warmth rose in my chest at her words, a subtle sort of pride. I didn’t do anything I felt special, just taking it easy over the week, barring the start of it.

Her expression fell as if she had read my mind. “Though, it is a shame what happened with Miss Faithe and her party. I can’t imagine the horrible events that occurred within the dungeon.” Aspen offered me a look of sympathy.

I turned my head to the side, the warmth from earlier falling away. “It’s not something I ever want to happen again. I’d rather not go through such a thing again.”

Aspen didn’t immediately reply, studying with a look generally reserved for those who had just left a funeral. I didn’t how to react to her sympathy, but it didn’t annoy me like I’d assume it would. Still, I’d instead not focus on it, so I decided to continue with our meeting. “So, what’s next? Is there a ceremony or something?”

My liaison’s smile widened, a hint of pride growing in her gaze as she let out a small laugh. “No. No ceremony, I’m afraid. Otherwise, we’d never be able to stop.” She shook her head. “Normally, we finish registration by giving you your ID card and sign on or two more forms to finalize it…”

I furrowed my brow, unsure of how to react to her wording. “Normally? Is my situation different?”

Confusion settled on Aspen’s expression. “Not significantly, but it did bring the attention of a few people. You will obtain your ID, I assure, but you have one more meeting.”

“With whom?”

At that, a complicated countenance overtook Aspen’s face, a cross between frustrated and amused, if the twist of her lips and furrow of her brow indicated anything. “She wanted me to keep it surprise, though I should’ve expected that, considering her personality.” Aspen shook her head. “Still, once I let her know we’ve reached that point, you won’t have long to wait.”

“How long?” I’d rather not fight my way out of here. It would make things very…complicated.

“Not long. Just a few minutes. She wishes to ‘clear the air,’ whatever that may mean.” With that, Aspen stood and offered me an apologetic bow before she walked over to the door and stepped out.

I sat back in my seat and waited, entwining my fingers as I looked around the room. However, that proved to be unnecessary, since I heard the door open before seeing it. An older woman walked into the room. She wore something resembling a pantsuit, but lined with leather and cloth; she tanned skin and immaculately trimmed salt and pepper colored hair that fell a few inches past her shoulders, with wavy bangs that flowed over her eyes. Leaf green eyes framed by faint crow’s feet and bags beneath them studied me as she walked over to the chair across from me. She lifted a hand and pushed some of her hair behind a subtly pointed ear as she pulled out the chair and sat back, placing a folder on the table. “I am Saelseris, Guild master.” Her gaze narrowed at me. “May we dispense with formalities and deceptions?” Her voice was like steel hidden in silk, soft yet stern, as she studied me.

“I don’t know what you mean?” Panic fluttered in the pit of my stomach, but I forced myself to remain calm. It wouldn’t be beneficial to start a fight here.

Saelseris placed her hands in front of her, resting over the other. The corner of her mouth twitched, but she held her expression still. “One thing we at the guild do not advertise is our ability to ferret out dishonesty in our paperwork.” She waved a hand to the side as if brushing aside debris. “It is a secret that only my direct superior is privy to; something about enchanted ink and paper.” She licked her lips and focused on me intently, eyes pinioning me in place. “It’s able to highlight not only direct lies but also those by omission. Like falsified recommendations, histories, and names.” I managed to keep from flinching, but the narrowing of her eyes only told me that I still had a tell for her to see.

“Aspen, the dutiful clerk that she is managed to contact Relona and proved that her recommendation was true.” Saelseris shook her head, eyes closed with an exasperated resignation. “Honestly, once we cleared that, there was no need to continue further searching your history.” She tapped the table with a finger. “People from all walks of life, from the proletariat to the nobility, choose to join the guild under a new guise; whether it is an escape from the monotony of their lives or to become someone entirely new. So long as they finish their jobs and civil war doesn’t break out, it is of no concern to me.”

“Then…” I spoke into the silence that steeled between us. “Why are we here?”

She opened the file and sifted through the papers she had brought with her. “While we don’t care about people hiding parts of their, the one thing we require above all is the correct manner to address our adventurers.” Saelseris pulled out a sheet, and upon closer examination, I saw that it happened to be my paper. “The name you gave is incorrect. To officially join the guild, we need your real given name.” Her eyes noticed the stiffening of my shoulders, and she allowed herself a small smile. “The guild is granted certain freedoms from the ruling classes from all nations our branches reside, barring the shelter of national criminals. Should you give me your real name, the guild will never disclose such information.”

I paused, opening my mouth to reply, then I closed it. I pursed my lips and met Saelseris' eyes. We locked eyes for a few moments before I finally replied. “What are your thoughts on dead men?”

For the first time in that meeting Saelseris affected a look of surprise, brows rising and eyes widening minutely. “Well, you’re not an undead; otherwise we’d have every priest in Xadria beating down our doors.”

I allowed a tight, closed-mouth smile to grow. “Small mercies, I suppose.” I paused and extended a hand.

“Speak your name, and the forms will change to compensate.”

“Joseph Blaine.”

Her eyes widened as an ambient light flared on the paper, before dimming and dying out. The guild master looked to the article, then to me, before she let out a breath as a smile spread across her face. “I suppose the stories of Heroes being hard to kill aren’t wrong; it appears that the tales of your death are greatly exaggerated.”

I snorted at her words; faint nausea that had filled me slowly slipped away. “Well, yes and no. The horde didn’t kill me. Someone else did.” The arm of my chair whined in protest, and my knuckle cracked.

Saelseris turned her head to face the source of the sound. “I’ll have you know that destruction of guild property will add a demerit to your record and you’ll have to pay for it.” She said nothing more about the subject as she reorganized the papers in front of her, sliding them into her folder.

“My apologies,” I answered her statement as I forced my hand to open; the tenseness in my shoulder slowly bled out as I exhaled through my nose. “How many people will know?”

“Aside from myself, only Aspen, your liaison.” She said without looking away from the papers. “She understands the need for discretion in guild matters.”

“Thank you.”

Saelseris responded with a simple nod. After a few moments of silence, she reached into her jacket and pulled a rectangular card. She held it out to me. “This will act as your ID for guild-related matters.”

I took it from her and felt how coarse the back of the card was, but how smooth the front was — the image of a bared sword and a single bronze star. Strange symbols on the top left of the card shifted before my eyes, revealing my name in written form. “Not very helpful when I want to remain anonymous for a while longer.”

“You do not need to worry. It’s only required to show my contemporaries on request.” Saelseris helpfully supplied. “Guild officials will recognize the magic its presence exudes.” She gave the folder in front of her one last pat before she said one last thing. “I’m curious. What are your feelings on the upcoming festivities?”

I turned my attention from my card to her, seeing the amused quirk of her lips. Allowing myself to relax, I let my shoulders fall and my head to lean forward. “So fucking weird.”