Alice sat in a break room of the facility where she found herself. Nearby, The Lander's young son, Milo, was playing with some toys. It was still early in the morning, and The Landers were still resting. Originally, they were going to get up early because of Milo, but Alice suggested that she could mind him until they had their full rest. After a quick explanation to Milo about the situation, he went about playing while Alice sat nearby.

An hour had passed, and Milo seemed to grow bored of the toys. That's when Alice heard him stand up and come over to the table where she was sitting. He sat still for a moment, then made a confused noise.

"Miss?" he said.

"Yes?" Alice replied.

"Why are you ignoring me?" he asked plainly. Alice deduced that he must have been looking at her or waving at her to get her attention. But when she didn't turn, he thought she was ignoring him for some reason.

"I'm not. I just can't see you. I'm sorry if I didn't notice you sooner," she said.

"Can't see?" he asked.

Alice turned in the direction of his voice and pointed at her eyes. This was something she had learned to do when she was young, as children were much better at understanding things they saw rather than heard. There was another moment of silence, and then he spoke again.

"Oh… I'm sorry, miss," he said. His voice was thick with shame, and while she didn't blame him at all, he probably still felt terrible about it.

"It's no issue, and you can call me Alice if you want," Alice said. Milo audibly thought about it, then seemed confused again.

"Mom and Dad told me to be 'spectful, I don't know…" Milo said. Once again, it was prudent of his parents to mention that. They didn't know her opinions on nobility and the like, but it was getting in the way of a healthy conversation.

"It's really fine at the moment. I'm just like anyone else," Alice said. Milo made more noises as though he was thinking and made a kind of defeated whimper.

"Mi- er, Alice? What's happening?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" Alice asked.

"Everyone's scared and sad. Mom and Dad said *Ni-*, uh, *Andromeda* is here. But I haven't seen her. Is she okay?" he asked.

Alice wasn't sure what to say. It wasn't her place to tell him about what was really happening to her. As for why everyone seemed scared, there was real danger coming their way. She didn't want to lie either, so she thought of another idea.

"Can I ask you something?" Alice said.

"Ask me?" he said.

"Yes, can I ask about Andromeda? What is she like?" Alice asked. As much as she was genuinely trying to change the subject, there was a selfish sliver of an idea in asking this. She wanted to know a little bit about Andromeda from someone else. It was the insecure part of her psyche that couldn’t get over the idea she left.

"Andromeda? She's…" Milo started, then he paused. "I don't know…"

The way he said that was strange. It wasn't just that he didn't know; it sounded more like he had feelings that he couldn't put into words. "Do you want to talk about it?" Alice asked.

"A little… Do you have any sisters?" he asked. The change in topic surprised her, but she answered quickly.

"I do, an older sister named Lorina, and a younger sister named Edith," Alice said.

"Whats having a sister like?" he asked.

She knew who the Landers were. Andromeda talked about them frequently. It was one of the few things she was open to talking about freely. The niece of the capital's most esteemed Arcanist. A family having even a single child touched by mystical blood when the parents were not was one thing, but to have the same family produce two was, by all accounts, a miracle. Thus, when her passing came, it was a painful day for all magekind. This young boy in front of her was the young brother of that girl.

"It's not something I can easily explain. We've had our ups and downs, but I care for them deeply, and I believe they do for me as well. They're… a comfort, even when they aren't around," Alice said.

"I had a sister, I think, but I don't know her. Mom and Dad said she *went away* when I was young. They cry sometimes. Some nights I would ask them if they were sad, but they never said they were. But I heard them sometimes. People cry when they're sad," Milo said. Alice knew all too well what that pain was like, though in her own unique ways, but she was perplexed by something.

"I meant to ask about Andromeda, did I not say?" she said.

"I… I wanted to know what it was like. Because I thought… *she*…" he started. Alice felt as though she stepped on a proverbial landmine by asking that, but if she wasn't careful, this would end poorly.

"Do you feel like she's your sister?" Alice asked.

Milo gasped, "How did you know?" he asked, genuinely surprised.

"A guess, you seemed to have a hard time thinking about it," Alice said.

"When she first came home, she was a bit scary. She didn't talk or move much. Then one day she *woke up*, and for a while, things were great. Mom and Dad smiled more, things were happy. They didn't cry! Then…" he stopped short.

"If it's hard to talk about, you don't have to," Alice said.

"No! No… I was happy, we were happy… But I did something…" he said. Alice didn't respond, as it felt as though he would continue. "A man came and said something that scared everyone. Andromeda said something, and Dad got mad. He yelled at her, and I got scared. I've never seen him yell before. I ran and got hurt."

"What happened?" Alice asked.

"My leg broke, it hurt so much. I was so scared… Then she helped me," Milo said.

"Andromeda? How?" Alice asked.

"She did something. Then she screamed. My leg burned, and she fell over. Then my leg wasn't broken. Dad said she healed me," Milo said. "She was gone for a while, but she woke up again. Then she left," Milo said.

Alice wasn't sure what he meant, and he didn't seem to know either. The way he made it sound was that his injury was healed, but Andromeda wasn't a Medea. It was also unclear what "gone" meant. He said “wake up”, which meant she wasn't her normal self. Something that sounded a bit familiar.

"Was it my fault?" Milo asked.

"Oh no, no no no" Alice said reassuringly. "It's not your fault at all, Milo. Sometimes things happen, and it's not because of anything you did. She went to Cylas, I was with her the whole time. She talked about all of you so much, she missed you a lot."

"Then why did she go?" Milo said, his emotions started to get the better of him.

"People come and go, and sometimes they don't come back, but they will always wish they could," Alice said. "If it makes you feel any better, she left me too."

"She did?" Milo asked.

"Yes, it was quite sudden, and she didn't even say goodbye. I came here to find her, but…" Alice started.

Alice didn't know what to finish that with. She knew that Andromeda was awake again, and that she was even talking, but something in Alice's heart made it feel wrong to approach her now. She didn't know what might happen, for all she knew Andromeda wouldn't even care. She was an Arch Mage after all, their entire friendship might have been a cover for something else.

She knew that Milo and his parents were well cared for. The way she spoke about them was something that could only come from the heart. But in comparison, she was just an acquaintance. That thought scared her more than anything. In her mind, it was almost more worth living in the dream that she had a friend, than facing the reality that might not match it.

"Alice?" Milo said. Alice came back to reality only to realize that there were tears in her eyes. Milo's voice came from in front of her.

"Oh, I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-" she started, then she felt two arms wrap around her tightly.

"Don't cry. You're too nice to cry," he said softly. Alice felt something give in her heart, a warmth she hadn't felt in years. For a moment, she was cast back to the days past with her dear teacher. She held Milo in her arms and embraced him. For a long time, the only feeling she knew was sound and touch, but nothing felt as personal as feeling someone else. Any amount of honeyed words could be spoken with time, but a touch could say the world in an instant.

"No one could ever blame such a kind soul as yourself, dear boy," Alice said, only a moment later realizing what she had said. As Alice held Milo in her arms, a strange feeling tickled at the back of her mind. A warm and bright sensation enveloped her whole being.

It was the sense. Not just a flash of lightning or fuzzy shapes in a dream. Alice saw herself at the center of a massive flow, swirling in every direction. She saw herself and Milo at the edge of the room. She could see what must have been Argo and Catherine standing behind a door. Further than that, she saw every man and woman, every door and window, every plant and insect. It was all bathed in a warm light. The flows were as clear to her as they had ever been.

"Alice, you're crying again," Milo said, still in her arms.

"*I'm*… fine," she whispered, her mind barely able to process all the stimulation she had been without for so long. Then she patted Milo on the shoulder and stood up from her seat. "Say, do you want to go see Andromeda?" As soon as Milo agreed, Alice gently took his hand, and they marched directly toward Andromeda's new containment room.

-----

Argo and Catherine, both of whom had just witnessed the entirety of Alice and Milo's conversation, stepped out from behind the door and entered the room. Argo was once again having trouble sleeping, so he and Catherine had only stayed in bed for a short while. When they woke up, they were about to step through the door when Alice and Milo started talking. After that point, neither of them felt compelled to interrupt.

Now inside the room, they both had complicated feelings. Until this point, Milo had seemed like such a cheerful but oblivious boy. To think that he had been withholding such painful feelings made Argo's stomach turn. Catherine, on the other hand, felt pride in her son. When he saw that Alice was hurting, his first instinct was to try and help her. It pained her all the same that he didn't tell them about his troubled feelings, but Catherine could take solace in the fact that he was still a good boy.

A door opened behind them, and Carrion and Ferdinand entered. Both men looked equally haunted, and in Ferdinand's case, it even looked like he had just finished throwing up.

"Oh, pleasant morning, I hope?" Ferdinand said, his voice slightly shaken.

"A bit, I guess?" Argo said, distracted by their appearance. Catherine didn't miss a beat and produced a handkerchief from her pocket to wipe away a bit of dribble from Ferdinand's cheek.

"It looks like you need to sit down for a short while, sir. You too," Catherine said, pointing both men toward the nearby seats. Shaken as they were, they didn't argue with Catherine's commanding tone and sat down. "Is there something wrong? Neither of you seem well."

It was a surreal and faintly terrifying sight. Two of the most powerful men Argo had ever personally known sat in front of him, looking as though they had seen a ghost.

"I'm not sure I could impress the full weight of what I've seen on those who are not familiar with the situation," Ferdinand said. Then, in a moment that betrayed how attuned he really was, Argo hit the nail on the head.

"It's about Andromeda. If I had to guess, something is wrong with her," Argo said idly. As a surprised look came over Ferdinand and Carrion's faces, even Catherine seemed taken aback by the guess.

"How did you know?" Ferdinand asked.

"Well, I'd be surprised if something more dramatic than her situation were happening right now, and if both of you are shaken about it, then you just found out whatever it was. If it was something like all of us being in danger, you would be taking charge, not all shook up. That, and the only thing that way are some offices and her room. I don't know why either of you would be talking up a clerk like that, so I guessed it was her," Argo said. Carrion, Ferdinand, and Catherine were all silently shocked by Argo's train of thought.

Then Ferdinand cleared his throat. "Has anyone ever told you that you have a good head on your shoulders?"

"I don't know if I'd say that, but I do want to know what's wrong," Argo said. Ferdinand collected himself and turned to Carrion, who gave a nod.

"I assume you're familiar with souls? At least somewhat," Ferdinand asked.

"I only know what Nico told me when we were kids. Something about magic and how we do it," Argo said.

"That much is true. Essentially, it is what makes up the core of our being. It's an existence made up of mana, but it is like a fingerprint for our being. Andromeda's, however…" Ferdinand said.

"It seems that hers

is broken, but she is still alive regardless," Carrion finished.

"What does that mean?" Argo asked.

"If you imagine a person as being made up of three parts—a mind, a body, and a soul—then just as one might suffer damage to their mind and body, one can also have their soul become damaged. If enough damage is suffered to the mind or body, the owner would die. The same goes for the soul. Andromeda's soul is so incredibly damaged that the detectable fragments of it range in the millions. This should lead to them dissolving into nothing, eventually causing her death. But instead, the shards of her soul remain, and in fact, they are breaking even more," Ferdinand said.

"How?" Catherine asked.

"I have no clue, but it would explain several things about her condition. A soul is made up of mana, and even if every fragment inside was only made up of a few particles of mana, that would lead to quantities of mana that are frankly hard to describe," Ferdinand said.

"Even the most potent mana catalyst that we have access to would not contain all the cumulative mana she possesses. While I've heard that she has suffered some negative health effects before, she should have been dead a thousand times by now. The fact that everywhere she steps isn't a smoldering crater of mystical energy is beyond me," Carrion said.

"Is that why her room is full to bursting with the stuff?" Argo asked.

"No… I don't think you quite understand the true scope of the issue at hand," Ferdinand said, wiping his brow. "What we have been experiencing is not even close to what her body should be venting. This is a *leak*," Ferdinand said.

-----

Every step Alice took through the halls was another moment she had to remind herself to breathe. There were so many sensations that filled her mind that it felt like she barely existed in the middle of it all. Even before, she always felt distant from everything, but now it felt like she was looking at a speck in the middle of the night sky.

Despite that, Alice kept her course. She knew where Andromeda was from the singular box in the middle of all the flows that seemed to be a dark spot she couldn't get a read on. Arch Mage Carrion and his people really made good on their word that no leakage would make it out without being processed first. It did make it impossible for Alice to actually sense Andromeda, which left her feeling strangely sad.

"Miss Alice, I thought you can't see? How are you walking around?" Milo said beside her. She had almost forgotten he was there despite holding his hand while they walked through the halls.

"I can't… But a long time ago, my dear teacher taught me to feel the world around me."

"Feel the world?" Milo questioned.

"It's a little hard to explain, but I guess the best way to say it is that you see with your eyes, and I see with my heart," Alice said. Milo was quiet for a strangely long time, and Alice could sense that he opened his mouth several times as if trying to speak, only to stop himself short. When they turned a corner, Alice suddenly pulled him to the side, and a moment later, a tile from the roof fell.

"Whoa!" Milo said, a note of fear and surprise in his voice.

"Are you okay?" Alice asked.

"That was so cool! Did you sense that?" Milo said, surprising Alice.

"Yes, I did. I didn't know it would move until we got close, though."

"Can I do that?!" Milo asked excitedly.

"Ah…"

The answer was no, and as much as she knew she should have said that, something in her heart kept her from doing so. "Maybe, but it will be really hard," Alice said. He bobbed and weaved and made wooshing noises like the excited young boy he was. She knew it was cruel to give a child hope for something they couldn't accomplish, but it didn't feel right crushing his excitement. He seemed to radiate it so much that she couldn't help but smile hearing him wonder.

A few minutes later, the two of them arrived at Andromeda's room. A few magisters were inside minding the situation.

"Hello, Lady Magrisal, what brings you here?" one magister said.

"I'd like to see Andromeda for a bit, if that's alright," Alice asked.

"Who?" The Magister said. Alice's entire mind did a somersault as she remembered the whole Arch Mage situation, but without missing a beat, she corrected herself.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I meant to say Arch Mage White. Andromeda is a friend of mine from school," Alice said. With everything else going on, it had completely slipped her mind that Andromeda was an Arch Mage.

"I see, well, should I ask High Magister Ferdinand to come over?" the Magister asked.

"Is it fine if it's just us?" Alice asked. The magister paused and looked between himself and the other two in the room.

"I believe you're cleared to enter, and the venting cycle is in high gear, so I think it would be fine. Just know that if even a single thing goes wrong inside, we'll have to come fish you out," the Magister said.

With a nod and a smile, the Magisters let her in through the door. When the door slammed shut behind them and the gears behind it started turning, Alice felt all connection to the outside vanish in an instant. Instead, it was replaced with a blinding blast of pure mana. Not a flow in the traditional sense, it felt like a rush of high-pressure water passing through a hose. Except this was in every direction, all at once.

Milo gripped her hand tightly, and he seemed to be shaking slightly.

"*Ni-* Andromeda?" Milo said quietly.

"Milo? *Alice*!?" Andromeda said, rising from her seat at the table. Alice had to focus incredibly hard just to see Andromeda's form against the torrent of mana erupting from her.

"Yes, it's us. Milo wanted to come see you," Alice said. Even through the mass of mana, Alice saw Andromeda's face drop.

"O-Oh, yeah?" Andromeda said, her voice stuttering. Milo let go of Alice's hand and walked over to Andromeda. He looked up and around at her.

"Why do you look so funny?" Milo asked. Only for Alice to chide him.

"Milo, be nice. It's not like she can control what she looks like," Alice said, then she paused, "I think." Once again, Andromeda made a complicated expression. Andromeda slowly sat herself down at the table, with Alice and Milo sitting across from her.

"So… I'm glad you're still alright," Andromeda said.

"I appreciate the concern… but I think we need to talk, don't we?" Alice asked.

It hurt, a lot. Alice wanted to reach across the table and hold Andromeda in her arms, tell her about all the things she had dealt with—the medea that attacked her and her family, and all the craziness in looking for her and finding her. But it didn't feel right. She didn't know what Andromeda really thought. After all, she only knew the Andromeda who wasn't an Arch Mage, or a target of assassination, or someone who was potentially a master of magic. She didn't know if the Andromeda she knew was real or not.

-----

Alice was right there, and so was Milo. While she was happy to see him, Whisper seemed to sense that something was off about Alice. There wasn't the usual warmth she expected. The way White described her, Alice appeared distant.

That's not to say Andromeda didn't expect this. Given how she left without a word, even though they had plans for tea that night, Andromeda couldn't blame Alice for being cold towards her. From what she gathered, Alice had been through hell—attacked by a Medea, barely surviving, and witnessing an attack on the college. It felt wrong to assume that things would immediately return to normal. Even without knowing the details, all Alice had was the fact that Andromeda had left, and for that, she was attacked.

"So, I can't say for certain. But I remember hearing something about your appearance changing like a spiral?" Alice asked, her voice notably calm and rigid, as if her words were being chosen carefully.

"I wouldn't know, since I woke up I can't see or hear. I can only be told by Whisper and White what's happening."

"Oh… What happened?" Alice asked, her voice concerned but still distant, as one might be towards bad news about a stranger.

"I don't know, I think I'm broken," Andromeda said.

"Broken?" Milo said, confused. It made sense, it was a difficult thing to think about for his age. Andromeda didn't know if she had the words to explain it though.

"Milo, do you know how your mom and dad feel, how sad they were?" Alice said. Milo nodded, "She's feeling like that, she doesn't want to feel sad, but she is."

"Oh… I'm sorry, *Ni*- Andromeda," Milo said.

"It's not your fault, I'm just happy you're here," Andromeda said.

"*Why aren't you saying anything?*" Whisper said suddenly.

"*What do you mean?*" Andromeda thought.

"*All three of us know full well how much you're hurting right now. Your friend is **right there**, say something,*" Whisper said.

"*What would I even say? 'Sorry I ran off in the middle of the night? Hopefully, you're not too broken up about the **attempted murder** you had to deal with or anything.'*" Andromeda thought.

"*Oh no, I'm not letting you throw this away, this is the first good thing to happen to you in days and you want to ignore it because you're **WORRIED**? You talk to her now, or I will,*" Whisper demanded.

"*White, come on, you know what I mean right?*" Andromeda pleaded.

"*Nope, staying out of this,*" White said.

"*Don't force my hand, if you care about her at all, you'll say something right now,*" Whisper said.

Andromeda sighed deeply, Whisper's metaphorical arm twisting aside, she knew she had to say something. Not knowing what the right words were, she just opened her mouth and started saying the first words that came to mind.

"I'm sorry, for everything," Andromeda said.

"What do you mean?" Alice asked.

"All of this, the attack, making you come out here, getting you involved in all of this, but I'm most sorry for leaving like I did. I won't make excuses for it, but know that if I could, I would have at least said goodbye," Andromeda said. Alice was quiet, and even Milo didn't seem to know what to say, or he just didn't want to get in between them.

"I… I don't know

. I was worried that all of it was just a cover for you being an Arch Mage. You say you're sorry, and I believe that, but were we really friends? I don't want to push myself into something that doesn't involve me, so I've been keeping my distance."

*Oh,* White and Whisper said, the feeling of heartbreak rippling through Andromeda as she herself was feeling the exact same thing.

"Real? What do you mean? I loved every moment I was at Cylas until the end. You, Albert, Rigur, even that asshole Grant. I would have stayed right there if I didn't trust the headmaster. He's the whole reason this is happening," Andromeda said. Alice seemed troubled by this, and then in the depths of Andromeda's mind, she felt the strange color-like feeling she felt before when she focused.

"I want to… I really want to believe you," Alice said, then she put her hand over her heart. "But I have this tightness in my chest, I just don't want to be hurt again. What if you have to go again? I know you will, you're an Arch Mage. How can I be your friend if I might wake up in the morning and see that you're gone?" She went on.

"Alice…" Andromeda said, that's all she could say. All this time Andromeda thought that Alice would be hurt, but seeing the results of that unfold in front of her hurt in a deep way.

"I'm just one person, you know, and all these people are counting on you. You shouldn't worry about me. I… I need to go," Alice said.

"Wait!" Andromeda said. Alice stopped, though she was still facing toward the door. "Alice, what I am about to say is the absolute truth. I will *never* not worry about you, and everyone else, what do I have to do to make you believe that?" Andromeda said.

The room was still, even Milo dared not breathe. Then Alice seemed to strain herself where she stood. "All I want to know is that if you'll be alright." She said. "I already thought you were gone, or worse. I made my peace with that as your friend, things happen, people go, but then I got the chance to come find you. I know you'll give the whole world a second thought before you give yourself the first. So just promise me you'll still be here when I wake up tomorrow. Alright?"

"I will, I—" Andromeda started, but Alice turned around and stopped her.

"No, don't say anything. Don't make promises, don't consider options. If you really plan on taking care of yourself, then I'll see you smiling and happy tomorrow. Then we'll go home and celebrate."