“Zain and Rina? Why are you asking me about those two?”

  Cracking the pool ball down the table, Raza landed a clean shot sinking a four-ball into the corner pocket. Raza and Kieran were standing in an upscale bar, surrounded by the hum of low conversation and the soft glow of crystal chandeliers. The two of them opted to wear expensive suits over their usual military attire.. The scent of expensive cologne and aged whiskey lingered in the air, blending with the soft hum of jazz playing in the back. A waitress leaned close into Kieran hoping to get his attention.

  “Sorry, I’m spoken for,” Kieran dismissed her smoothly before lining his next shot. “With the Mage Selection coming up, those two are talked about by some of the other officers."

  Raza moved to the nearby table, picking up his glass of bourbon. He swirled the amber liquid, watching the ice shift before taking a slow sip. “What else can I say? They’re some of the best this generation has to offer. I only know maybe one or two other candidates who exceed them.” Raza replied casually. “Individually, they’re probably above average at best,”

  Kieran sank shot after shot in effortless succession . “High praise from someone like you.”

  Raza paused, weighing his thoughts before sharing them with his second-in-command. “Rina’s ability, according to her mentor, has more potential than Zain’s. His Spell Art turns his words into magic. From strengthening his fists to adjusting his surroundings. It’s a solid ability, I'll give him that, but it lacks depth.” Taking a slow sip of bourbon, he continued. “That said, they were discovered and personally recommended by a high-ranking mage. That alone speaks of their potential.”

  Kieran watched as Raza lined up his shot. “Right… I forgot she took them under her wing.” His gaze narrowed, contemplative. “Still, there are stronger magic users in their age range. What sets those two apart?”

  “Damn it.” Raza snapped. He missed his shot, the cue ball rolling off course giving Kieran ball in hand. He leaned on his cue stick, considering his words. “Talent and pure strength mean very little in our line of work. So long as you have a decent ability and a little imagination, you can overcome anyone in a fight.” Raza looked up, thinking back to the two mages-in-training. What sets those two apart is something else.

  “The reason they were chosen is their bond. Those two grew up on the streets, surviving Arkham’s slums. Zain, in particular, honed his ability by fighting anyone who dared to cross them or the other kids at their orphanage. Every battle sharpened them. Doing that from a young age requires a certain type of conviction.” Raza set his glass down. “Experience, ambition and the right set of abilities, it’s quite rare to have all of those at such a young age.”

  Kieran nodded. "If growing up poor was enough, half of Arkham would be military by now. That can’t be the only reason they were chosen?”

  Raza chuckled dryly, swirling the last of his bourbon. “No, my friend. You see that’s exactly what makes them special! Their shared history together.” He leaned forward, voice low but certain. “I don’t put much stock in Mage Ranks, but if we’re speaking based on the military’s views… I’d put Zain as C Rank and Rina at low B. Being generous of course.”

  Kieran arched his brow. “But that doesn't reflect their true ability?”

  “Exactly.” Raza’s grinned. “They’ve survived and fought side by side their entire lives. That’s what sets them apart from the rest of their peers. It’s not just about raw power. They have a trust and resilience that only hardship can forge. In a lot of ways the battles that they got sharpened their claws far beyond that of most peers.”

  “I suppose it’s similar to how that war made our generation strong,” Kieran mused noticing Raza idly spinning his pool cue between his fingers.

  “Their struggles, everything they endured. It sharpened them into something more. Judging them as individuals would be a disservice to what they’re truly capable of. As a team? I’d be surprised if anyone their age could rival them outright. Hell they may even have the strength to rival an Mage Corp officer...”

  Raza had a contemplative smiled as he watched the white cue ball roll across the felt. It stopped just shy of the solid blue two-ball. “But then again this new generation’s still pretty young. Who knows? There might be a talented pair out there who can eclipse them…"

  “I would’ve gotten here sooner, but some mages got in the way.” Espoir shrugged casually. His eyes narrowed as he saw Aria’s condition. Her hair was mussed from battle, one of her eyes covered by her messy bangs while the rest of her was bloody and disheveled. “You’ve seen better days.”

  Aria remained frozen, eventually able to speak to the strange man. “Why are you here?” She asked shakily. “This doesn’t concern you.”

  Espoir tilted his head slightly in confusion. “You broke into the Citadel alone. Of course it concerned me,” he said flatly.

  “That doesn’t change anything,” Aria countered, although her voice wavered slightly. “There’s no reason for you to put yourself in danger for me. This is my fight. I only agreed to help you with your hunt for Eldritch and grimoire users.”

  “Well, you’re not entirely wrong…" Espoir hummed thoughtfully. "This isn’t a grimoire or an Eldritch. But just as you promised to help me with my cases, I promised to do everything I can to help you find your family. But even if I hadn’t made that promise I’d still be here. We’re friends, after all!” He beamed.

  “Are you stupid or just insane?”

  Off to the side, Rina and Zain watched the scene unfold, equally baffled. “She even has a good-looking boyfriend helping her break in,” Rina sighed, her tone laced with a bit of envy. Zain shot her a sharp glare as she watched the strange pair bicker. “Seriously?”

  Espoir’s head tilted as he looked over at the soldiers. Thinking for a moment, he had a playful grin. “Boyfriend? Nah, I doubt I’m her type.” He winked. “Nope. Today, I’m here to help deliver her revenge. You can call me Espoir.”

  “Don’t introduce yourself to our enemies!” Her initial irritation faltered when she caught sight of Espoir’s usual carefree smile. At the moment she knew she wasn’t alone.

  “…Thanks,” Aria said quietly.

  Espoir blinked, caught off guard. “Hmm? What for?”

  “Nothing. I just felt like saying it.” Returning her attention toward their foes. Her gaze sharpened back to her usual cold and calculating demeanor. “The guy on the left uses spells by writing on objects. The girl on the right has some kind of teleportation ability. Be careful, they work well together and switch positions using each other's abilities.”

  Espoir nodded, smoothly shifting into a battle-ready stance. “Got it. You handle the girl since you’re faster than me and can counter her better.” Without hesitation, Aria summoned a rapier through Aura Composition. The slender blade shimmered to life as Aria tightly readied it.

  “Why can’t they ever be reasonable…” Zain sighed, pulling out a pen. Calmly, he scrawled something onto his palm, his aura flaring subtly as the ability took effect.

  Rina nodded, determination hardening her features. “We have orders to defend the archives. The longer we hold them off, the closer reinforcements will get.”

  The four stood across one another in a stand-off. Then Zain’s lips curled into a smirk, eyes locking on Espoir. “Don’t hate us too much, we’ve got our reasons for being here too. Besides, I can’t let you one-up me in front of my girl.”

  “I’m not your girl…” Rina muttered, drawing her blades.

  A bronze-colored symbol ?? appeared on the back of Espoir’s hand. Pressing his palm to the floor, his body took on the texture of the marble tiles beneath him. Without hesitation, he and Zain collided, while Aria charged straight toward Rina.

  Espoir deflected Zain’s strike with his shoulder, countering with a sharp elbow aimed at his opponent’s jaw. But Zain moved quickly, wielding his baton like a blade. Espoir shifted back just in time, narrowly dodging the slash as the weapon’s edge grazed his sleeve.

  Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Rina closing in for a strike. He spun around, but before the blow could land, Aria was already there intercepting the attack with her sword.

  “I told you to be careful,” she scolded, following up with a sharp kick to the soldiers torso. Rina blocked the blow but was sent sliding back across the floor.

  Aria’s eyes widened as saw Zain lunged toward her out of the corner of her eye. Before the hit could connect, Espoir snatched Zain’s wrist to the side, twisting his arm aside and releasing a quick burst of flames from his fingertips.

  Zain hastily threw up a barrier just as the explosion erupted. The blast hurled him backward, aura flickering as the shield barely held. He winced, feeling the toll the defense had taken on his reserves.

  Espoir smirked as Aria rolled her eyes “I was going to dodge that…"

  Zain and Rina eyed their opponents, exhaustion creeping into their limbs with every breath. “They’re not bad…” Zain muttered, a hint of begrudging respect in his voice. Rina gave a small nod, her gaze fixed on Aria with steely determination. “I’ll handle the girl. Be safe, okay?”

  Zain’s tired grin spread across his face, playful even in the heat of battle. “You’re the boss.” Espoir and Zain returned to their duel. Every strike met with an equal counter. Neither gave an inch as they faced off.

  Meanwhile, Aria and Rina were locked in a high-paced dance of blades. Aria’s switch to a rapier had shifted their battle, its speed and range left Rina with little room to activate her ability. Aria pressed her advantage, landing a flurry of rapid jabs that forced Rina onto the defensive. Without hesitation, she somersaulted forward, delivering a sharp kick on landing.

  But Rina was quick to respond, throwing two knives into the air; buying her a split second of breathing room. Aria’s eyes narrowed as she noticed something unsettling: Rina’s minor cuts had already begun to vanish, her ability somehow accelerating her healing. Undeterred, Rina spun her daggers, coating their edges in a shimmering light-grey aura. She lunged forward, aiming to shatter Aria’s aura-forged rapier with force.

  Sidestepping, Aria made a make-shift semi-circle of constructed aura around herself, acting like a shield. Rina’s slash shattered the shield as Aria landed a punch to Rina’s stomach. Rina coughed out as she slid back and fell to one knee. Wincing from the blow, Rina’s eyes glowed as Aria raised her leg to end the fight.

  In an instant, Aria was slashed across the shoulder, Rina had switched from her throwing knives to a short dagger. Crying in pain for a moment, Aria grit her teeth as she clashed blades together. As Aria’s blood dripped, she aimed for a stab. In an instant, Rina attempted to counter with a slash.

  Aria realized Rina only ever used her ability after a certain amount of time. She seemed to dodge and move faster than Aria could perceive, however she only did it after a minute. Is it on a set timer?

  Unknown to Aria, Rina’s Spell Art: [Time Storage] is unique among Spell Arts. In simplest terms, Rina stops time for everyone except herself. Once the ability is active, Rina can passively charge her ability at a ratio of 1 minute to 1 second. For every minute that passes after Rina activates her ability, Rina gains one second she can stop time. In stop time, Rina is the only one who can interact with the world around her. Additionally, the maximum amount she can handle is six seconds of stop time before her aura reserves force her to resume.

  Aria didn’t know how Rina’s ability worked, just that after a short period of minutes she was able to reposition herself instantly and go for counter attacks. From fainting her throwing knives to getting unsuspecting counter attacks. Aria noticed earlier that only Rina was affected by her ability. Glancing at her rapier, Aria knew she could force Rina to either use her ability or force her to heal. A single solid hit would suffice.

  Espoir leapt back as he noticed Zain made the floor lose traction. He wrote the word ‘ice’ on it making it harder to dodge. Espoir's defensive aura was shattered by a solid right hook sending him sliding back. “An ability to turn writing into reality?”

  Zain smirks. “Nah, just descriptions. It’s pretty useful actually.” Zain looked at Espoir with slight interest. “I’m surprised you aren’t using that fire blast move.” Espoir dodged a hand slash from Zain as he adjusted his footing.

  “Would be lame to fight you like that when your already injured.” Espoir shrugged casually. “So what’s your guys deal?” Espoir asked, kicking Zain back. He noticed Aria and Rina’s fight and accepted he was keeping Zain at bay.

  Smashing a nearby table with his punch sending splintered pieces of wood into the air. “I’m protecting Rina until my last breath. She’s stronger than me but I’ll be damned if I don’t continue following her on her journey.” Espoir understood Zain’s conviction now. He wasn’t obligated to Albion but rather he followed Rina on her path as a soldier. “What about you? Are you following that psycho swordswoman too?”

  “Nah, she only follows me because it benefits her.” Espoir reached into his coat for a moment. Taking out his dagger, Espoir transmuted a chain to it giving him more range

  Noticing Espoirs weapon, he let out a sad laugh. “Man, here I thought we were having fun.” Espoir threw his blade at Zain, assuming he’d try to block. As Zain went to hit the blade away, Espoir retracted the chain as he pressed his palm on Zain’s stomach. A green triangular symbol appearing ??. “Verdant Gale.”

  Zain is shot across the room as a blast of air smashes him into the side of a bookshelf. As he recovered, Espoir landed a stomp, smashing him through the shelf collapsing it. As he laid in a pile of books, Zain’s eyes widened as he saw Rina was losing. Struggling to get up, he found his legs were now apart of the floor.

  "I transmuted them to stay in place. If you do your teleport you might rip them out." Espoir glanced up to see the two female soldiers in a fast battle of blades. Wonder if she’ll drag the fight out any longer…

  Rina was on the back foot as Aria barraged her with short stabs. Even with her aura, it was clear Aria would soon break through and land a decisive hit. Closing her eyes, Rina used her ability to stop time for three seconds. Coating her daggers in aura, Rina aimed for a slash to immobilize Aria's legs. slicing into her from the side, Rina resumed time mid arc so that the hit would connect. To her surprise, Aria coated her body in her own aura, taking no damage. How?! Rina looked terrified as she’d never fought someone who countered her time stop.

  Aria got a quick slice on Rina making the soldier skid back. “When you're afraid of taking a strong hit, you use your ability.” Aria had noticed Rina only ever got her teleporting counter hits when she was in a position that looked dire. Due to this, Aria predicted it this time and coated herself with her aura before the her attack went through. Aria assumed Rina's Spell Art had a condition to activate it, similar to how she stores notes on her enemies. Clenching her rapier, Aria began to fuel the aura rapier with her power as she aimed to break Rina’s defense. Sensing the tide turning, Rina realized that she only had 2 seconds of time stored. If she’s using her aura offensively she won’t be able to defend. Rina intended to use her one opening to end the fight. “I will end the fight right here.”

  Aura has pros and cons to its usage. Between using it to fuel an ability, using it to aid combat, and defend, magic users only have a finite amount. While Aria doesn’t have to actively fuel her aura constructs to keep them around, she still has to use her aura to create them. From all her fights today, Aria was nearing her limit with her aura. She knew she had to end the fight right here,

  I’m neither a hero nor a good person. These soldiers are defending their homeland from an invader, they are no different than I was. Aria had no ill will towards them. From her perspective, Rina was no different then how she was a time ago.

  Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

  Even if they aren’t bad people, for my and everyone else's sake I can’t lose until I reach the truth about my family.

  Taking a half step back, Aria’s legs tightened as a teal aura filled the tip of her sword and pulsed throughout the room. Looking at Rina, Aria’s eyes narrowed on her target.

  “Second Dance: Adante.”

  [Adante] is a charged attack. By holding a stance, Aria focuses her aura into a fixed point on her sword and body. After the five second restriction is met, she can release a powerful aura infused attack on a target with a note. Additionally her speed is temporarily increased once released. Unlike a typical aura based attack, which has a higher cost on her reserves, Adante has a relatively low cost compared to her other spells due to the more refined condition.

  In a burst of speed, Aria closed the several-meter gap between them, aiming a single, piercing thrust that would finish this fight. Rina’s purple eyes widened as she realized not only was Aria fast, but she had also managed to charge up a powerful attack. Realizing too late, Rina caught a glimpse of Aria’s aura rapier just before a massive impact exploded in the room.

  As the dust cleared, drops of blood dripped onto the tile floor. Rina’s eyes were wide and unmoving, frozen in fear. Eventually, she blinked, noticing a head of dark green hair in front of her. Zain stood between Aria and Rina, his arms raised as blood dripped to the floor. Aria’s rapier had pierced his hands. The young soldier kept his legs steady, holding his arms up to block the attack.

  “Z-Zain!” Rina finally cried out. Zain forced a confident smirk. “Idiot… How could you forget so easily?” His arms shook as Aria kept her blade level, the rapier piercing both his arms, its tip less than a meter from his eye. “I told you since we were kids that I’d protect you no matter what. Did you think just because we’re soldiers, that changed?” On his wrist, Zain had the word ‘Protect’ tattooed on his forearm. The green-haired boy was shaking, yet he made no effort to run. Instead, his arms remained raised, determined to keep his promise to his last breath.

  “Stop…” Rina said quietly. Her eyes were low as she accepted that her and Zain lost. As Espoir walked over, Aria dematerialized her constructs. Her rapier disappeared in a thin trail of glowing blue light. Her gaze remained low, hiding whatever she might be thinking.

  “Tell us one thing before you go; why do all this?” Rina asked Aria. “The war has been over for years. How can you fight and hurt so many people just for whatever is in that vault. Is this truly worth killing over?”

  “Over?” Aria repeated. “Is that what you people think? That the moment your nation decides to stop murdering us we are allowed to go back and live normal lives?”

  Rina and Zain looked at Aria confused, not understanding Aria’s question. Rina calmly stood up and met the swordswoman's gaze.

  “Even if you're hurting, that doesn’t make attacking and hurting innocent people right.” Rina put her hand on Zain’s shoulder as she regarded the swordswoman. “Zain and I lost our families early on in our lives. It was hard. We lived on the streets and had no one. Despite that, we learnt we could use magic and joined the military to make a positive difference in the world. I know it's possible to suffer and not let it consume you, our lives are proof of that. We found a way to move foreward through our connections!”

  Aria stood motionless, her eyes low and covered darkly by her bangs. “You know nothing...” Her voice was quiet, almost as if she was speaking to herself. Rina and Zain looked at her confused.

  "You know nothing about me or what I went through!"

  Aria’s eyes were wide with anger, her body shaking. "The only thing you know is that I’m from Easenna and here for the war vault. My family and everyone I know were either killed or separated beyond my reach. My brothers, my best friend, neighbors, countrymen, comrades. They were murdered, violated, our lives were destroyed by that war. The ones who did survive are now forced to live with these scars. Even the Easennians who came to your land seeking refuge suffer because your government keeps their information and possessions locked in that very vault. How the fuck do you think that's comparable to not having a home?!” Aria clenched her fist tightly, drawing blood.

  Closing her eyes for a moment, Aria took a recomposing breath. "Time stopped moving for me since then... So to me the war never ended. Not yet. You speak of how you overcame your hardship through your connection, it’s not that I don’t understand. Any connections I have are long gone. If you think revenge is worthless, that's fine, but I will reach what is in that vault. For myself and my peoples sake. "

  Zain and Rina looked at each other stunned by Aria’s speech. Her grief was palpable as they truly had no idea just what she went through. Espoir, meanwhile, watched the scene unfold with a sympathetic look. He figured Zain and Rina weren’t bad people. Seeing as they were roughly the same age as them, Espoir understood the only difference between them and Aria is that they were born in Albion and only knew what the nation told them. They had no way of understanding what Aria went through.

  Finally speaking up, Rina adjusted her uniform. “I'm sorry you went through that, truly. If the military truly has wronged the Easennians living here then it should be our job to fix it.” Arias' eyes narrowed dangerously as Rina stepped forward. Closing her eyes for a moment, Aria constructed a longsword.

  “Rina, you don't need to fight her.” Zain looked worried as Rina and Aria prepared to face off. His childhood friend took a cautious look back at Zain. “It's our job as soldiers to correct a mistake like this. I'm asking you to stand down and let us bring what happened to your people to justice.”

  “Justice…” Aria readied her sword. “You're right this is a battle of justice. However I refuse to accept whatever you people wish to do. You aren’t from my nation and the only justice I trust for my people is our own.” Aria looked at Espoir who was watching this unfold concern. “Don't try to stop me.”

  “Hey I'm just here to help you. Who am I to interfere with destiny?" Espoir raised his hands up in surrender. He knew that both of them were not going to back down from this fight.

  Aria kept a neutral gaze as she strutted back for their duel. Rina held her daggers eyeing the swordswoman cautiously.

  Both dashed forward in a final burst of speed. Rina used her time stop, as Aria stood frozen for a brief moment Rina readied her daggers to aim precise strikes to defeat her. In a single moment her blades cut through Aria but to her shock it did no damage. Aria had predicted her ability and used her aura to protect herself before she stopped time.

  What?! Rina's eyes widened in disbelief before she could respond, Aria landed a powerful kick to Rina sliding her back. Wincing from the blow Rina saw a note appearing on her. As Aria aimed a final slash, Rina grit her teeth bracing herself for the blow. Aria knew this victory was hers, she had already figured out the moments Rina used her time stop.

  Piercing her arm, Rina was forced to use her Spell [Rewind] to prevent serious damage. By making a set point, Rina can rewind her body’s state using her ability to heal. As Aria’s rapier cut through her, Rina had been placed at the very spot she marked. Attempting to use the distraction, Rina went for a decisive slash with her dagger but Aria had predicted this. Raising her leg, she had prepared to attack from the moment Aria slashed her.

  She figured out my spell too?! Besides her mentor and Zain, nobody had figured out her abilities in battle before. Rina’s eyes widened as she tried to use her time stop before looking down in disbelief. A glowing blue flat note ? appeared on Rina’s palm as she tried to use her ability. The moment Aria stabbed her, she had placed a flat Note to reduce Rina’s aura output with what little aura Aria had remaining. At that very moment, due to the note, Rina was unable to safely use her timestop to dodge.

  I see… It appears this girl's version of justice won in the end…

  A loud cloud of debris filled the hall as a crater was formed from the attack. Rina’s eyes widened in disbelief. Zain swapped with Rina at the final moment, he laid there unmoving with a satisfied smile.

  Ten Years Ago…

  Why haven’t mommy and daddy come yet? Zain thought to himself. The six year old was sitting on a bench as loads of refugees came to Arkham, surrounding the airship port. Thousands of refugees were piling into Arkham as a result of Eldritch attacks throughout the continent. Zain’s hometown had been attacked by one so his family sent him to the city while they helped drive it away with forces from Easenna.

  They’ll be back… Right? Zain thought as he looked around. He was alone in a city he didn't know.

  "Are you okay?" A small voice asked a small green haired boy, breaking him out of his depressing thoughts.

  Startled, he jerked his head up to find a small girl with long silver hair and purple side-locks staring up at him. She looked to be about his age, her face was round and she had big purple eyes. Her clothes were covered in red stains, most likely blood, but it didn't appear to be hers. He knew she must have been one of the many refugees.

  "What do you want?" He asked in annoyance as he quickly wiped his tears. If his family were here, his dad surely would've laughed at him for crying in front of a girl while his mom would’ve scolded him.

  "I don't have anyone to wait with, so I figured I’d wait with you… You seemed sad." She informed him. Rina pointed toward one of the military members who recomended she sit with him.

  He blinked at her for a few seconds, unsure of what to say. She didn't have anyone? Did that mean her family was gone too? He chose not to say anything to her and rested his head on his knees. "Whatever," He replied. Zain didn’t want her pity, he just wanted his family here.

  "So why were you crying?" She asked after a moment of silence.

  “Why wouldn’t I be?” Zain mumbled, wiping his tears to not seem so emotional. “My mom and dad haven’t made it yet.”

  Rina grabbed him by the face, making him even more confused. “Let go.”

  “Nope.” She said bluntly. “Not until you stop crying! You should smile so that when your parents do show up they’ll see you happy and brave! I’m not letting go until you smile.” True to her word she kept her hands in place until Zain eventually gave up, offering a half-assed smile to get her to release him.

  “I don’t understand girls…” He mumbled to himself. Rina beamed as she explained she also came to this city ahead of her family. She smiled brightly as she walked with Zain, not leaving his side as the members of the military ushered the children away.

  “You know I used to read stories about knights…” Rina smiled as she stared at the airships. “It’s pretty nice, having someone strong protecting people and upholding justice.”

  “Is it?” Zain asked, watching the unbridled joy in her eyes as she shared her favorite stories. “Thanks… For being here. I’m Zain.” Rina blinked as it dawned on her she never introduced herself. She felt silly grabbing him without even knowing his name. “Oh! I’m Rina.” She beamed.

  “Since you like knights… I suppose I should be brave and protect you like a knight. At least until our families arrive.” Zain grabbed a nearby branch, playfully swinging it. “Consider it a promise!” Rina giggled as she grabbed her own stick chasing after Zain to duel her. A week after they had met, Rina got the news that her parents never made it to the airships, but instead were killed as a result of a stray Eldritch appearing in her region. Zain learnt he had been the only one of his family to survive many years later. From that point on, she stopped talking. Despite being at the same orphanage, they barely interacted. Unknown to her, Zain still kept an eye on her, whenever she wasn't looking. From butting heads with other orphans… To Zain, Rina was the closest thing he had to a family after some time. He was her knight.

  …

  Rina said nothing as she held his unconscious body. Guilt and pain filled her as the one she cherished laid so broken and hurt, doing her best to not breakdown in front of her enemies. Aria was silent, walking past the duo.

  “We need to hurry.” Espoir wasn’t sure how much time they’d have left. Aria nodded aware of the current situation. Turning around, she left towards the vault, casting one final look at Rina.

  Even if they aren’t bad people and I’m the one attacking them in their homeland just as Albion did mine; I’ve lost too much to turn back from this path... If I turn back now, everyone's sacrifice will be in vain

  “Shit… you two went through the ringer.” Roxy said softly. Aria and Espoir returned to the bookstore, they looked like a mess. Aria’s borrowed dress shirt was torn up, covered in dirt and blood. Neither of them spoke as Aria walked up the stairs silently. When Roxy looked at her, the store owner flinched. She’s never seen Aria look that defeated. “I’d like to be alone if that’s alright…”

  “Of course.” Roxy nodded watching as Aria headed up stairs.

  Once she was gone, Roxy looked to Espoir. “What happened?” Roxy asked quietly. Espoir sighed as he laid a stack of declassified war files on the table. The top one reading: Aria Fiore Corvo. Age eighteen. Among the intel which included, her rank, birthday, and other personal information from the war, Written in red ink was her Status: Dead

  “We got what we were looking for…” Espoir said dryly.

  Roxy’s eyes narrowed as she looked at the information, understanding what Espoir meant. Sifting through the files, Roxy sighed as she threw Aria’s files into the fireplace. “So Albion really tampered with the Corvos records…”

  Espoir leaned back in the chair, he had a feeling this would be the case. “Yup, we’re back to square one. Whatever happened to Aria’s family is still unknown, someone high up doesn’t want information on Corvos leaking out. I suppose the silver lining is they could be alive somewhere given this information is bad…”

  Roxy nodded. “Likely the council if I had to guess. Someone as revered as her could spark a revolution against Albion in Easenna. Better to let them fade into obscurity than risk the truth ever being uncovered.”

  Espoir slammed his fist into the table in frustration. “We risked our lives over nothing,” he said bitterly. Roxy knew whatever they were feeling, Aria’s feelings must be much worse. Some time later Roxy saw Espoir head to the stairs. With a contemplative smile, Roxy lit the fireplace, burning what little information Albion had on Aria.

  A few hours ago

  “Hey Roxy, where’s Aria?” Espoir had a small basket of various fruits and food. He figured he’d try and cheer her up given the circumstances. Roxy took off her reading glasses as she glanced at Espoir. “Hmm? Oh she ran off to the Archives.”

  An eerie silence filled the bookstore. Espoir let out a nervous laugh. “You got me. I almost believed you for a second…”

  Roxy shrugged. “I’m being serious, Espoir. I told her they might have records on her family that weren’t tampered with.” Espoir’s eyes widened in shock.

  “W-Why? You know how dangerous that is?!” He looked worried. Roxy simply shrugged at him. “You’re the same age… Besides, she has a right to know about them. Who am I to stop her from achieving her goals?”

  “This isn’t a joke, Roxy! If Aria gets captured I don’t think even I could help her against the entire military!”

  Roxy raised an eyebrow, not used to Espoir being so worried. “It’s her family Espoir, she deserves to know!”

  “I know that! But… Damn it, Roxy dying a meaningless death isn’t the solution either! She’s been captured once already, had it not occurred to you how awful it would be to relive that hell?!” Espoir dropped the basket as he rushed out of the store. Roxy looked concerned before sighing. She had originally considered going after Aria as well but knew Espoir was better suited for that.

  Despite his aloofness Espoir genuinely cared for Aria in his own way. Roxy assumed he’d reach the Citadel around when Aria should get there. Even if he tried to keep a distance, The Silver Grimoire did genuinely care for the people around him.

  Sitting on the roof of the bookstore, Aria kept her knees tucked firmly against her chin. Her mind was jumbled as she was now no where closer to her family. I failed them. I thought if I learnt the truth about what happened to everyone it would finally be over… I hoped that this time everyone would be saved.

  Aria choked back a sob as she felt she failed her comrades, her family, and especially her father. Aria had no closure and was as alone as ever… Unlike last time, she didn’t even have Mary by her side now. Before she could be left to her thoughts any longer, the door to the roof creaked open.

  “You know, when someone says they want to be left alone that isn’t an open invitation.” Aria mumbled. Espoir walked over joining Aria on the roof.

  “Yeah, well you sorta stole my usual hiding spot.” He said plainly, trying to keep an upbeat mood as he looked at the darkening skyline.

  “I don’t understand you…” Aria said lowly. “You had no reason to help me, even with your promise, you still did.” Aria heard him call her his friend but to her their relationship was transactional. He helped her with her family in return Aria helped him with grimoires. Even if she had another reason for following him, why would he risk his life for her?

  Espoir shrugged as he draped one leg over the edge. “Who knows?” Espoir smiled softly, aware Aria hardly considered them more then partners out of convenience.

  Sitting in silence for a moment, Aria sighed. “I could’ve beaten them…” She admitted. Espoir looked at Aria curiously. “Those two soldiers. I know if I fought with all my heart and truly wanted to, I’d have won easily… Yet I couldn’t.” Her voice was hoarse as she admitted it.

  How can I say I’m fighting for everyone when I can’t bring myself to fight in earnest?

  Espoir hummed in thought, unsure what he could say. “Regret not giving it your all?"

  “No, of course not.” Her voice was firm. “I don't kill innocent people. Even during the war, I only killed out of mercy or self defense. I'd be no different then the monsters I fought if I throw away my beliefs just because it's easy.” Aria didn’t blame the Albion people as a whole, so long as they weren’t particularly cruel. Aria understood very few had a choice or knew what her people went through. Zain and Rina were no different then Aria was; someone young fighting for their homeland. Yet, she felt hollow. As if she failed everyone she knew who died.

  How can I bring everyone salvation when I can’t even make peace for a single girl? Aria thought numbly to herself.

  Sensing her turmoil, Espoir closed his eyes in thought. “Good and evil are a luxury. It’s always easier when the danger is a grimoire, or an eldritch. Humans never fit in one box.” Aria listened silently. If not for her breathing, Espoir wouldn’t be able to tell she was still there. Thinking of what else to say, The Silver Grimoire let out a small sigh.

  “This probably isn’t my place to say… But the ones who left your life aren’t gone completely either. That's my personal belief anyway. Rather than being gone for good, I’d like to think they’ve simply gone ahead a little early.” Espoir stared at the city's skyline as he spoke, as if he was thinking of something else. “As long as they’re affecting me, I’ll try to live my life in a way that won’t bring shame to them. That way if and when I'm reunited with them; I can look them in the eyes and tell them I did my best.”

  Seeing no reaction from her, Espoir sighed to himself. “But what would I know? I’m just a travelling mage who wields the grimoire that destroyed the world a long time ago.” Tossing his coat over Aria’s shoulders, the Silver Grimoire's user had a small self deprecating smile. “You never know, maybe what we did today will have a ripple effect and help people. Just gotta start one person at a time right? Those two people we fought might end up as better people through your actions tonight or at the very least learn more about what their nation did.” Espoir bid her goodnight as he left.

  Now alone, Aria thought of her family, her nation, her best friend, and her father. Aware that they’ll simply be memories for now. Aria closed her eyes as she shifted the coat over herself.

  “Until we reunite and I get to tell them I did my best.”

  Spells:

  Aria Corvo

  Second Dance: Adante

  Cost: Low

  Aria charges a powerful remote slash of aura via holding a stance for at least three seconds. While this Spell is both active and fueled with her aura. The maximum this spell can be charged for is 10 seconds. By holding a stance for five seconds, she can release a powerful aura infused attack on a target with a note. Additionally her speed is temporarily increased once released.

  Rina Delsade

  Rewind

  Cost: Medium

  From the moment the spell is activated, Rina creates a single set point for herself. Once activated she can revert herself back to same point, her body and any injuries are reverted along with her present position.

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  Next Time: Chapter 19: A Day At the Lake – With news of people disappearing at a popular lake, Espoir, Aria, and Roxy head over to investigate.