Raimond gazed at Crowcairn before him, shrouded as it was by an unnatural grey barrier that shielded it from the outside world.

The past day had been a relentless series of unexpected and illuminating events, but he had certainly not anticipated finding himself back here, and under these circumstances. Just moments ago, he had been locked in battle with creatures hailing from the Blazes, alongside his temporary allies, within a manifestation of one of the six Vile’s strongholds. Yet, now, here he was, back where he had started, puzzled over what had caused this abrupt return.

The baleful area that had enveloped him and his companions prior to his transportation left little doubt about the perpetrator’s identity, but it offered no explanation. If the Vile’s manifestation had already reached a level where it could perform such feats within its citadel, he doubted it would have stopped at merely removing its intruders. There was indubitably more at play, and Raimond supposed he would have to work his head to deduce what that might be.

His first task was to uncover what had transpired on Baroness Hartford’s end of things. Her absence upon their return to the chamber where they had parted ways was not entirely surprising, but Raimond had hoped they would catch up to her still. Regrettably, progressing through the citadel without the woman’s aid had proved somewhat tedious, even when he had begun using some of his more potent incantations.

Perhaps Raimond had been a tad too lax in the approach he had chosen to employ with the noblewoman. Although he was now convinced her involvement in these events was far from simple, he had opted to observe while circumstances still allowed him to do so. The details about what was happening remained something he could only speculate on, as did the Baroness’ motivations, and he preferred not to decisively act under such uncertainty. He did not believe that she held malicious desires.

However, in hindsight, a more proactive approach may have been best.

Turning his gaze, he contemplated the massive structure that towered over the overcast horizon. The Vile’s citadel stood intact, and presumably, the threat it represented remained undiminished. In normal circumstances, Raimond would interpret his forcible expulsion from it as a sign of impending danger, warranting an immediate return to oppose whatever the citadel’s master was planning. But in this case, he was not quite so confident that was the best course of action on his part.

Looking back at the village of Crowcairn and the faltering Sanctum barrier protecting it, Raimond furrowed his brows. He couldn’t speak entirely as to why, but he had a feeling that something significant was about to unfold. The Phantom Sanctum obscured some of his senses, yet he detected an odd, unfamiliar presence within, which held a noticeable weight to it.

As he pondered, the barrier shook, becoming increasingly transparent. It wouldn’t be long before it collapsed entirely, granting Duke Valentino’s people unrestricted access to the village — a fact that boded poorly for Crowcairn’s inhabitants.

For a brief moment, Raimond considered whether this was an opportunity for him to intervene and prevent unnecessary bloodshed, but he quickly dismissed the idea. He was all too familiar with the deep-seated animosity between the Tribe of Sin and the empire, fueled by centuries of fighting and ideological differences. Even if he were to make use of his authority as a deacon, he could, at best, stay the hand of some of the duke’s men, while the villagers were unlikely to heed the counsel of someone they deemed an irredeemable sinner.

And he supposed they were right to, in a manner.

Though it pained him, he acknowledged that his focus should remain on the Vile and the mysterious presence within the village, rather than on the villagers themselves. That matter had to be resolved before he had the luxury to worry about anything else.

A rift appeared in the grey barrier before him, signaling its imminent collapse. Moments later, the entire Sanctum began to dissolve, as if a scar upon the world was being healed.

With it gone and Crowcairn’s silhouette emerging against the backdrop of the night sky, Raimond cast Candlelight Insight, allowing him to peer through the darkness. He followed this with several casts of Luminous Gaze and Luminal Projection, conjuring magnified images that revealed diverse scenes from multiple perspectives.

Adjusting and configuring the magic for a few seconds, he took stock of the unfolding situation.

One of the images shifted to reveal two of the knights who had accompanied Raimond in the citadel, their expressions etched with confusion as they looked around, standing beside a collection of small sheds and byres a few hundred meters from Crowcairn. Allyssa also showed up on another image, not far away, and after a brief search, Raimond located Shin as well. It appeared he wasn’t the only one brought here.

Another image revealed a woman with silver-grey hair, accompanied by three four-legged demons, approaching the village. Malachi, Raimond presumed. He had been working under the assumption that she was one of the prime instigators of the recent turmoil, so her presence in Crowcairn not only raised a multitude of questions, but it also reinforced his suspicion of a connection between what was unfolding before him and the broader crisis.

Further supporting his theory, Raimond observed Baroness Scarlett herself, standing almost at the opposite end of the village. Magnifying the floating image before him, he noted her stern expression, which did not seem to showcase any sort of confusion as she moved at a quick pace towards the village.

Crowcairn, when viewed from above, presented an unsettling picture of lifelessness. Its homes and streets were devoid of any visible activity. The village’s epicenter, previously the site where the Sanctumbrum had been unveiled, and the location where that mysterious presence seemed to reside, now appeared as an inscrutable void in Raimond’s magical scrying. He frowned in contemplation. Was this an effect of the Sanctumbrum then, or was that presence somehow responsible?

Even as he considered that, he shifted his attention to another image, showing him the encampment outside the village’s reaches where Duke Valentino’s forces had been stationed during their siege. They were now advancing, weapons drawn, towards a smaller group of black-clad villagers preparing to defend their fellows. The two sides soon clashed violently.

In most circumstances, the outcome of such a battle might have been uncertain, or at the very least protracted, but this situation was different. Over the hills, behind the duke’s men in the distance, Raimond noticed another group advancing towards Crowcairn. Though their numbers were modest, the distinctive glimmer of gold from their armor marked their identity.

The Dawnbringers.

With their arrival, the fate of the Tribe members seemed sealed. For Raimond, this development might offer an opportunity to steer events towards a less tragic conclusion — or it could complicate matters even further, depending on what commands the other deacons had given the Dawnbringers regarding his presence.

For now, a brief window remained before the duke’s forces could claim victory and the Dawnbringers arrived. It would be wise for Raimond to use that time wisely.

Dispelling his incantations, he started towards Crowcairn in a light sprint. Shortly, however, he noticed a figure he had seemingly overlooked, approaching him at considerable speed. Casting Luminous Gaze again for a closer examination, Raimond recognized the individual as the Baroness’ ever-steadfast retainer, Fynn.

It was not long before the white-haired young man reached Raimond, coming to a halt in front of him. A strong gust of wind swept over Raimond, tossing his hair out of order.

“Why, I had been wondering where you disappeared to,” Raimond remarked, smoothing his hair back into place while eyeing the youth. Fynn looked as stoic as ever. “Is there a particular reason you sought me out amidst these circumstances?”

Fynn gave a firm nod. “Scarlett has a request.”

Scarlett generally avoided running when she could afford to. It simply felt too undignified. However, her usual concerns about appearance felt like a faint echo in her mind as she hastened towards Crowcairn. Earlier, she had seen Malachi, flanked by a few of the woman’s demons, heading towards the village, and there was no telling what could come from that. Despite many of Malachi’s demons having been incapacitated or killed back in the citadel, the woman remained dangerous. Dangerous and angry.

Even Scarlett, who was usually not attuned to such matters, could sense the presence within the village. Most likely, it was Rosa and the Heartstone now residing within the bard, keeping Anguish in check.

Upon reaching the village, Scarlett was surprised by how empty its streets were. While she assumed some villagers would be engaged with the duke’s forces, the complete absence of activity was unexpected.

Making her way through the village and towards the presence she could sense, she kept a watchful eye on her surroundings. Although she liked to believe she could defend herself well enough at this point, an ambush could still prove dangerous. Unlike Malachi, she didn’t have any demons to protect her, and Fynn hadn’t returned from delivering her message to Raimond.

Passing empty homes and drawing nearer to the village’s center, Scarlett stopped abruptly when rounding what looked like a small smithy. Before her, a half-spherical, stark white dome similar to the Sanctum’s barrier obscured the area ahead. Unlike the Sanctum’s barrier, which only felt subtly out of place when you looked at it, this dome felt glaringly alien, like a wound upon the very fabric of reality.

A scowl creased on her brow. What was that? It shouldn’t be Anguish’s doing. Demons, while unnatural relative to this realm, didn’t do things like this.

Then, was it caused by the Sanctumbrum? Anguish could have been involved in activating that, at least, and Scarlett knew the artifacts possessed a type of teleportation feature to the Tribe’s homeland. But if this was that, it differed vastly from her expectations and bore no resemblance to how the Kilnstones operated, another Zuver technology with a similar purpose.

Hesitating before the strange dome, Scarlett felt an instinctual aversion to entering. It was as if an inner voice screamed that she shouldn’t approach it.

But both Rosa and Malachi should be on the other side.

She looked around, but neither Fynn nor Raimond could be seen, and she doubted that Allyssa and the others would know to head here. That meant she was on her own for now.

Resolved to face what lay ahead by herself, Scarlett steeled herself and stepped forward.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

The sensation was every bit as jarring as she had anticipated. It felt like immersing in a tub of ice-cold water, except the water seemed intent on distorting and assaulting her very being. As though she was momentarily detached from her physical self, at the mercy of this bizarre anomaly.

And then, after she didn’t know how long, she found herself in a vast grey and white void, stretching endlessly before her. Like the white dome she had stepped through, this space felt fundamentally wrong, an affront to the natural order, and it seemed to target her specifically. Although there was no perceivable end to this place, in the distance, something loomed, its focus squarely on her.

An indescribable, overwhelmingly crushing pressure pressed down on her, stifling her breath, and grinding her thoughts to a halt.

Suddenly, windows of text materialized before her.

[Name: S̙̘̲͛͑̊̇͞c̵̟̳̻͍̰͔͙ͩ�̧͔̣̩̤̦̭̔̔͋ͯ�̨̥̱ͦɾʅҽẗ̛̺͖͍̻͕̰͈͚́͋t̴̺͉̙̞͖̻͂ ̢̘̖̿̽H̷̜̳͎̲̟͌̿̾͗ą̼̰̺̾ͫ̊ɾ̿҉̤̳̞̳̗̥ƚ̖̣͇͙̝̖͕ͬ͊͆͆͜ϝ̛̥̺͕̟͈̙̹̜ͪͬσ̛̮̗ͣɾ̩̜͚̾͂͊ͦ͟ԃ͎̪ͮ̑͐͠]

[Skills:

[̼̭̬̬͈̞̋̈́̒͜�̧̘̜̰̻̜̺́ͣ͛͛ͅ�͚̜̞̺̓͜ͅ�̢̰͚̪͇͕̾̏ͅ�̮͎̲̿͆̒͠�̷̦̺ͯ�͖̘̘͓͎͈ͤ̓̉ͥ͜�̡̹̩͇̭͎̜̯̬̀ͬ̾�̛̱̩̋̓̈́͐ͅ�̶̜̹̳̘̥̇̄ͨͅ�̷͔̩ͨ̊�̡̤̲̠ͪ̐͆�͓̤́͠�̢̩͍̻̬̮͎̺̠̋̈]]

[Traits:

[Dignified August]

[Supercilio̩̗̘̦͒́u̧͚͙̪̯̝͚̝̬ͩͭs̳̺̗̰͍ͤ͜]

[Cavaliєг]

[Call̥̹̘̮̝͒̕�̻͕͇̍͋̌͐͜�̷̝̳̭ͦͅ�̭͕̩̱͔͛ͤ͑ͦ͡ͅṵ̶̪̣̤̮̭̺̂̃̈́s̜̝͇ͧ̊͠]

[Overbeariɳɠ]

[Conceited̹̝̣̙͚̺͙ͬ͞]

[Third-rate Mana Veins]]

[Mana: ?̓͂̈҉̖͕?̮̫̻̈ͧ͜?̴̼͔̫͎̬̼͈̻̌̋̆?̴͚̳̖̗̺͇̌͐ͅ?̵̗̺̜̭̞̣͖̯ͮ?͈̹ͩͯͦ̉͝/̨̦̪̺̰̳̬̈́ͧ?̶͕̳̬͙̮̩͈͔͂͆̾͗?̴̪̺̰͓̟͓ͪ?̯̼̹̓͒̈́͟?̃҉̖̗͍̖?̤͉̮͓̯̥̃̓ͮ̑͢ͅ?̨͕͉̺͙̠̜ͤ̓̈]

[Points: ??]

[Main questline “Rising action” has been dismissed]

[All current questlines have been dismissed]

[——————————————————————————]

Her eyes widened. What—

[Main questline has begun: Rising action]

{Conflicts are brewing as powerful factions have started moving on the continent of Tanrelia. The Tribute of Dominion stands as th͆̎̊̈́҉̩̮̩͍̠ͅé̡̟̯̹̒̏ ͎̪̙̙͓ͮ̕f̘̣͈͙̔ͦ̀̚o̭̥ͫ̽͜c̠̩̤̯̭̤͓͓̃̈͒̀a̶̩̥̞̽̔l̨̺̘̾ͬ̉ ̪̘͓̉͋͑͛̀p͉͕͚̳̙͔͖̪̌̀o̴͖͉̰̘ͬ̽ͤí̫͇̼̽̏̊͘n̜̳̝͖͉͙̍̀ẗ͍̭́͂̃́̚ ̸͓̮̬́̆̿ỏ̤̬ͯ͠ͅͅf͙͎̾͞ ̵̣̬͈̞̗̜͕̠ͧ͒t̺̞͍̣̲ͫ̕ḧ̴̹̜̣̳͇̣͆ë̴̘͙͕̠͔́̽̓̈ͅͅs͙̲̮ͥ̓̔͠e̷͎̪̰͔͚͖̟̝̓ ̴͔̪̞̪͇̞̟̈́̽̌ͧc̃̎҉̥͖ḽ̺̜̲̄̑͌ͮ͘ȃ̢̰̞̳ͨs̳̳̪ͪ̑ͤ͡ͅh̔i̢̱̖̞̒ͨͯn͊ͣͦͯ͏͕͚g͚̺̰̫̯̰̀̃͛͜ ̙̪͇ͭ͌̑͗͘d͕͔̖̹̮̰̅͜e̢͇̰̻̝̞̥̯̱͆͌s̴̠͔̝̑ͭ͒i̢̖̫͍̯̫̓̂g͕͔͇̃ͫ͌ͣ́ň̘̖̬͇̣͉͉̫̚͞s̸̟̭̺̪͐̑̏,͙͉̹̗̞̣̰͌͠ͅ ̠͎̪̬̻̀ͤ̈́̓̕r̸̬͇̝̼̝͇̄e͎͎̟̩̣͔̖͌̐̎͘s̺͈͇͔ͨͤ͜t̨̰͇̳ͫi̙̬̼̻̳̎̋͢n̥͙̣̲̳͕ͤ͝ͅg̸͈̲̟͖͔ͭ̆ͅ—

[Main questline “Rising action” has been dismissed]

[——————————————————————————]

[Main questline has begun: Rising action]

{Conflicts are brewing as poweͬ̉҉͙͔͔r͕̼̲̱̜̰̭̃ͦͯ͜f̈ͯ҉̻͇̞͖͉ṳ̮̦͕̣͚̗̉̀ͧ̎͝ͅļ̹͎̹̬̽ ̰͎̹͕͍̝͎ͫͭ̾́ͅf̒ͤ҉͔͔͍â̵̱̲̪̯̙̘̓ͦ͊c̷̺̠̞͔̜̜̱̰̑ͯt̛̬͉̞̥̠̲ͫ̈͐ͩi̸͇̟̫̙̰̳̹͇ͫŏ̠̖̻̭̻̏ͯ͆͢n̶̞͚̥̉s̛͙̗̣̞ͤͦ�̴͇̘ͫ̆̎̀�̦̦̳͇̰͖͚͎ͬ̐͌͟�ͦ̇ͮͨ͏̺̼̮̠̹

[Main questline “Rising action” has been dismissed]

[——————————————————————————]

[Main questlineḥ̸̪̤͂ͮ͒�̢̲̗̤͇̼͙̏̽͊͂�̛̳͓̜̳́̓�̋̐̃͏͈͖͇̭͍͕̤�̷̣̦̘̺͕͚ͪ�̡̤̤͉̥̙̱̣ͣ̾̓͆�̨͎̫͉̥̬̯͛̓ ̢̪͉̯̻̱͎̙̇�̬̱͌̉͘�ͤ͐͑̂͏̮̤̱�ͧ̈́͋҉̤̗̟͕̜͙�̥̝̹̬͈͎͙͕̾͘�̬̬̩̥̪̪ͯͨ̓͝ͅ�͔̲͚̯ͣ̕�̛͉̗̺͈̯̹̄̊�͚͉̠̲̰̩̊̈̚͘ͅͅ�̧̮͍͓ͤ�̢̺͓̜͚͖̓̂�̯͙̤̭ͤ͢�̶͙̜̱͓̬̏ͣͬ�͈̺̝̮̦͙̣̎͢:̯̻͓̣̌ͭ͊ͥ͞ ̶̫̻̪̞̰ͤͧͅͅ�͈̰̲̠͖̥̄̏̎ͩ͠�̶̻̗́ͭ�̵̬̼̱͙̼͚̥̯ͧ̔͗�͈̠̥̜̳̙̗ͫ̅͝�̝̯͔͔͒̑͋͗̕�̪̫̊͢�̧͙̹̤̠͛̽�̠̪͓ͥ̆͌͘�̶͖̼̱̭̪͙̭̮̐�̼͙̟̌̐͜�̭̦̭̥̟͉̲̂ͣ͌̊̀ͅ�ͩ͛̃҉̝̤̥̠̤͍̯�̡̘͈̠͕͖ͮ�̱͇̹ͩ̑̃̀̚ͅ�̡̺̥͉͖̣̂̊̅�̵͈̜̞̹͉̼̙ͫ ͉̪̠̗ͬ̿͝�̢̞̝̼̗ͦ̔̌͗ͅ�̢͙̣̦͕̺̖ͯ͑�̴̬̣̙̼̺̫͐ͬͬͮ�̡̝͈̹̾̉ͅ�̤̪ͮ̏ͥ͞�͎̫͖̼̫̌́�̫̥̈́̑́�͋҉͕̳̗̳�̵̭͙̳͛ͮ͛͂�̏ͫ͗҉̲̯͎̥�̸̳͉̟̝̫́

[Main questline “Rising action” has been dismissed]

[——————————————————————————]

The pressure bearing down on Scarlett intensified as the text before her became increasingly distorted, growing more oppressive, as if dissecting her essence. It felt like her head was going to burst, and the part of her that was clinging to clarity feared that this was it.

Then, everything went black.

When she reopened her eyes, she found herself standing in the village, but her mind struggled to grasp her surroundings, reeling from the experience she had just endured.

[Main questline has begun: Rising action]

{Conflicts are brewing as powerful factions have started moving on the continent of Tanrelia. The Tribute of Dominion stands as the focal point of these clashing designs, resting in the heart of the ruins of Beld Thylelion}

[Objective: Enter the ruins of Beld Thylelion before all others]

[Reward: Additional Skills Menu privileges]

[Failure: Demise]

[All existing questlines have been resumed]

[Name: Scarlett Hartford]

[Skills:

[Greater Mana Control]

[Greater Pyromancy]

[Major Pyrokinesis]

[Greater Hydromancy]

[Superior Hydrokinesis]

[̼̭̬̋̈́̒͜�́ͣ͛͛�̓͜�̢̰̾̏ͅ]]

[Traits:

[Dignified August]

[Supercilious]

[Cavalier]

[Callous]

[Overbearing]

[Conceited]

[Third-rate Mana Veins]]

[Mana: 2041/12063]

[Points: 36]

Almost as if to reaffirm their existence, system windows popped up in front of her, bringing her back to a semblance of reality. She stared at them, blinking.

What had just happened? Why had it happened? How?

Had the system literally bugged out? And that thing that had seemed to observe her…

Her breath caught when she noticed something different about her status window.

There was a new skill there. A skill that she couldn’t read.

…What did that mean?

Her focus was suddenly shattered by several screams. Turning, she saw a few black-clad Tribe members clashing with three four-legged demons at the other end of the area she found herself in, with Malachi standing behind them.

Looking around, Scarlett presumed she was at Crowcairn’s heart, inside a space enclosed by the white dome she had traversed. Villagers, including adults and children, were hastily entering a white portal suspended in the air on a platform at the center, vanishing into it. Beside the portal stood the Sanctumbrum, a black altar pulsating with streaks of dark, crimson energy, seemingly powering all of this.

The air here had an odd, unnatural ambience, though not as intense as whatever void Scarlett had just experienced. It reminded her of her visit to Temisbrook Glade near Elystead, the fairy forest that bridged the Wandering Realm and the Material Realm. In this case, it seemed as if the Sanctumbrum had brought forth a similar phenomenon, creating its own interstitial space in its immediate vicinity.

Scanning the area, Scarlett realized Rosa was nowhere in sight. Most of the villagers had already retreated through the portal, but those who had yet to do so shouted and pointed towards her and Malachi, visibly worried while clutching makeshift weapons. The ones fighting Malachi’s demons, the actual Tribe warriors, were too busy getting mauled to notice Scarlett. Malachi only sent a fleeting glance in Scarlett’s direction before redirecting her focus to their surroundings, as if searching for something.

Scarlett narrowed her eyes. Rosa wouldn’t have had any reason to go through the portal, so was the bard somehow concealed? If so, Scarlett would have little more chance of finding her than Malachi.

Her attention returned to the portal, watching as the last of the villagers hurried to push through it, soon leaving the area around the platform deserted. At around the same time, Malachi’s demons dispatched their remaining opponents, rendering Scarlett and Malachi the sole breathing individuals remaining.

A few seconds of relative silence passed, interrupted only by the demons tearing into their fallen foes’ bodies. Then, a figure emerged from the portal. A tall woman with braided dark hair, clad in clothes reminiscent of a pirate and with a variety of weapons hanging off her belt, including a small axe in her right hand, stepped onto the platform.

Riya, the Tribe’s mad dog.

A small surge of anger rose up inside Scarlett as she recalled how the woman had attacked her estate and injured Garside.

Riya surveyed the scene before her, the woman’s gaze momentarily resting on Malachi and the dead Tribe members being devoured by the demons. When her eyes landed on Scarlett, a smirk played on her lips as she nonchalantly juggled her axe. She then shifted focus to the Sanctumbrum, and with a swift strike, drove her axe straight into it, somehow cleaving it nearly in half. A blinding white light erupted from the artifact, and Riya waved towards Scarlett with her axe before retreating through the portal, which closed behind her.

The ground trembled beneath Scarlett. As she braced herself, preparing to leave if necessary, the light from the Sanctumbrum turned a dark red as the crimson veins on it seemed to widen. The temperature soared, and cracks formed on the ground, lava seeping up from beneath as the white dome above adopted progressively darker shades.

Scarlett glanced over at Malachi, who appeared equally startled by this sudden change, but continued scanning the area like a hawk.

“Sorry about this one, Red,” a voice suddenly rang out to Scarlett’s right. “This was kinda part of the deal to get her help in activating that damn thing.”

Scarlett whirled around, stopping her reflex to conjure a bunch of Aqua Mines as she found Rosa standing next to her. The [Astralbane’s Nexus Heartstone] glowed a soft violet in the woman’s chest as she regarded Scarlett.

The space around them continued deteriorating, growing increasingly hellish as flames erupted from the ground in booming pillars. Scarlett stepped back to dodge one such eruption, noticing Malachi doing the same at the other end of the area.

A scowl formed on Scarlett’s face as she realized what was happening. She looked at Rosa. “Are you aware of what you have done?”

“Yep. I have a fairly good idea.”

“…You fool.”

The bard chuckled. “Not arguing with that.”

Scarlett’s gaze returned to the center, where the platform had taken fire and the Sanctumbrum was starting to look like a molten piece of obsidian. By now, the artifact should have broken entirely, but Anguish had taken control of it, using its power to open an interstitial space that linked the Blaze of Anguish to this location through Rosa.

The air shifted, and a dark red rift began to form where the portal had previously been.

“You should probably book it while you still can,” Rosa said, observing the rift. “I doubt anything good’s going to come out of that. Certainly not anything you gentle, noble-lady types should have to see.”

“I came here to bring you back,” Scarlett replied.

“Then I’ll probably have to disappoint.” A faint smile curved the bard’s lips. “Seems like I’m starting to make a habit of that, doesn’t it? Anyway, what’s keeping this place up and going is me, so if I tried to leave, I’d bet you two stones to one that it’d collapse in on itself before you can say ‘pulchritudinous brunettes’. Pretty sure Anguish feared I’d join you right after settling things here and have her exorcised to the Six Blazes and back, and I haven’t exactly been the host of a comprehension-defying demon for long enough to know the ins and outs of the gig that would let me stop all tricks she can come up with.”

Scarlett scowled. Rosa was saying that only Scarlett could leave. “…Was all of this truly necessary?”

“Probably not, no,” the bard said.

“Then why—”

“But it was my choice, don’t you think?” Rosa turned, her violet eyes locking with Scarlett’s. “I mean it when I say that words can’t describe how much I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. I don’t fault you for the path taken to get here, either. I doubt I could even understand half of it, and I was genuinely content to let things play out according to whatever plan you had cooking, but…well.”

She gestured to the fiery chaos unfolding around them.

“We’ve both seen a scene similar to what was about to happen to this village, haven’t we? I just didn’t want to see it play out again, with you and me being part of the cause this time. That’s all.”

Scarlett watched her in silence, then shook her head. “You believe this was a better alternative?”

She pointed towards the lifeless bodies of the villagers Malachi’s demons had killed, or what remained of them. Malachi herself seemed unfazed by it all, simply staring in Scarlett’s direction, brow furrowed.

“No,” Rosa admitted, her face carrying a solemn expression as she deliberately avoided looking at the bodies and the demons that had been tearing into them. “But I also wasn’t doing it solely for their sake. I wasn’t even just for the kids or the other villagers who managed to escape. Claiming I did it for you would at most be a half-truth. Maybe, probably, I did it for myself.” The woman shrugged. “Perhaps I wanted to experience what it was like to save people for once, to genuinely sacrifice. Plenty of people have called me kind over the years, but I can’t rightly say I’ve ever done something that meant me giving something up. Always been too scared to. In a funny way, I could blame this on you, since you’re the reason I’ve got this newfound courage to act differently from once.”

“…And are you truly at peace with the idea of yourself possibly being that sacrifice?” Scarlett asked, her tone grave.

“Nope. Tell you the truth, I’m scared stiff right now. Can’t feel an ounce of bravery left in any of my bones. Probably used it all up back in the citadel. I can’t deny that there’s a part of me holding onto a sliver of hope that you’ll find a way out for me in this situation as well, but if you can’t…that’s the hand I’ve dealt myself.” Rosa raised her arm and tapped the Heartstone embedded in her chest. “You did a right ol’ number on me with this, and it’s mighty impressive, but it won’t last forever if Anguish stays as she is. I can tell that much. Although she won’t make it much further than this if I ain’t around no more, so at least we won’t have to be worrying about any countries being toppled over and razed anytime soon.”

“This is why you are a fool,” Scarlett said. “The sole reason I carried this plan out was to ensure your survival, Rosa.”

The bard let out another chuckle at that. “I did say I wasn’t going to argue with you about being a fool.”

Her expression suddenly turned serious as she glanced in Malachi’s direction. The silver-grey-haired woman, flanked by her four-legged demons, had started moving towards them, radiating a sharp fury as she navigated the increasingly hazardous terrain.

“Whoops, seems like I couldn’t quite keep that veil up against her forever. Still a novice in that respect, unfortunately. I was hoping to avoid facing a pissed-off half-demon, but what can you do?”

Meanwhile, the rift forming above the burning platform had expanded, revealing a dark void of shadows filled with vague, shifting shapes. A large, clawed hand emerged, gripping at the portal’s edge.

“Aaaand that’s the cue that we’re out of time,” Rosa said. “It really is high time that you made your exit, Red.”

Scarlett simply looked at her, then turned her attention to Malachi and whatever demon was exiting out of that portal. “I will decide when it is time.”