The colossal starship descended, its shadow swallowing the castle as it settled on the field. The main ramp hissed open, and Jinx emerged. She moved with a purpose, her long strides carrying her past the bewildered guards, a blur of motion that spoke of an urgent destination.
"Greetings, Lady Jinx—" Chloe's greeting died on her lips as Jinx swept past, not even a glance spared in her direction.
Chloe's gaze shifted to the starship, just in time to see Josephine, stepping onto the ramp. Her eyes were locked on Jinx's retreating form, a flicker of something unreadable in their depths.
'Why is she hiding such an important matter?' Josephine wondered, confused by Jinx's action.
"My Queen," Chloe said, quickly hurrying to Josephine. "All the materials and territories are listed here." She offered the Queen a data tablet.
"Thank you," Josephine replied, taking the device, though her thoughts were still clearly on Jinx.
"Chloe, I need you to get me something."
"What is it?" Chloe asked, surprised.
"I need a DNA sample."
"Huh?!" Chloe was dumbfounded.
Josephine's expression grew serious. "I need Jinx's DNA. Just get me a hair, or anything."
"My Queen, I'm sorry, but why do you need it?" Chloe pressed, her confusion deepening.
"Don't ask," Josephine's stare was unwavering. "Just tell me if you can complete this task."
"My Queen, all the commanders have personal maids or helpers, but Lady Jinx doesn't. No one can get close to her. Not only that, her room is at the northern side of the castle, far from everyone else. As far as I know, no one can enter her courtyard. Getting something like that would be... more than difficult." Chloe explained, her voice filled with apprehension.
"Then steal it."
Chloe's eyes widened. "Won't Lady Jinx be mad? What if she mistakenly kills me when I get caught?" she asked in horror.
Josephine sighed in annoyance. "You...? Forget it, I'll get it myself."
She placed the tablet on Chloe's chest and walked past her, following Jinx's path.
"My Queen, please be careful," Chloe whispered urgently, stopping Josephine in her tracks. "There's another reason no one can or wants to enter her courtyard."
"Other reason?" Josephine looked at Chloe over her shoulder.
"I don't know," Chloe said, approaching Josephine, who had turned to face her.
"It's just a rumor amongst the maids... They say ghosts are around the courtyard, like guards."
"Ghosts?!"
Josephine burst out laughing, a deep, resonant sound. She placed a hand on Chloe's shoulder. "Don't listen to such rumors. Just keep up the good work."
With that, she walked away, a silent thought echoing in her mind. 'Ghosts? How naive.'
Chloe watched her go, a worried expression on her face. She couldn't say or do anything to stop the Queen. The main question remained:
'Why is the Queen after Lady Jinx's DNA?'
_____
[Jinx's Courtyard.]
BAM!
The bedroom door slammed shut, the sound a physical manifestation of Jinx's rage. She tore off her black cloak, throwing it onto the bed with a furious grunt. Her breathing was ragged as she stripped off her clothes and stood before the full-body mirror. Her skin, save for her face, was covered in a mosaic of black scales.
"Why? Why now? I thought... I thought I sealed you away?!" she screamed at her own reflection.
The reflection smirked back, an eerie, confident smile. "Don't you get it? We are one. You can't just seal me away." The reflection gestured to the discarded cloak on the bed.
"That can't keep me locked forever."
"You!" Jinx's teeth were gritted in pure fury. "Then what do you want?!"
"Die."
"Apart from that!" Jinx's fists clenched at her sides.
The reflection scoffed, crossing its arms over its chest. "You asked me what I want. I'll go if you die. It's that simple."
Jinx lowered her gaze to the floor, her fists trembling with the force of her grip. "I already told you... I can't do that. If you won't leave, I will make you."
She sank to the floor, closing her eyes.
"What are you doing?" The reflection asked, a hint of panic in its voice. "Doing that will injure you...!"
Jinx activated an unknown energy, far more potent than her usual celestial energy. It pulsed around her, causing the very air to hum.
"You! I said stop!" the reflection yelled, its voice desperate now.
"You won't get anything! You'll only injure us both!"
The reflection watched in horror as countless images flickered above Jinx. A blurry figure of a woman holding a baby, then three blurry figures—a man and two women—and a massive, unknown red ship.
"NO?! STOP!!! YOU ARE GOING TOO FAR!!!" the reflection shrieked.
A red energy surged from Jinx's body, coalescing into the shape of a huge female hand with a prominent red diamond ring on the index finger. The spectral hand moved toward Jinx, then shattered into a million sparkling particles.
"NOOO!! Stop! You are hurting us both! Please!!" The reflection pleaded, and with a final shimmer, it vanished from the mirror.
PIFF!
Jinx coughed up a mouthful of blood and collapsed. The black scales on her skin began to fade, her natural blue color returning in seconds.
She lay on the ground, dazed and utterly exhausted.
"Diamond ring," she muttered in a weak voice before her eyes fluttered shut.
CLICK
A faint click sounded from the door.
"Jinx, you in there?!" Josephine's voice called from the other side.
No reply.
"Jinx? If you don't answer, I will break the door down," Josephine warned.
Still no reply.
"Alright then. Hope you won't be angry." With a powerful kick, Josephine struck the door, splintering it open. She scanned the room, her eyes falling on the scattered clothes before settling on the figure on the floor.
"JINX!!" she exclaimed in shock.
____
[Back To Sunny.]
Ellen staggered back, a flash of memory burning in her mind. Her face paled, the blood draining from it instantly.
"Are you okay?" Sunny asked, noticing her sudden change.
"We... We have to stop it," Chloe said, her voice filled with horror.
"Stop what?" Sunny asked, confused.
'What is wrong with Ellen? Ever since she unlocked her bloodline potential, she has been acting weird.' he thought.
"Dad, we have to stop them!" Ellen yelled, pointing into the distance, in the opposite direction from where she had first pointed.
"Stop who?" Sunny asked again.
"I don't know... But if they get what they're looking for, it will be trouble," Ellen insisted, turning to face him.
Sunny looked from one location to the other, then met her gaze.
"Honey, we already have three objectives. First, to locate Star. Second, the fruit. And last, the gate to get out of this zone. If we follow your words, our workload will increase. But I do want to know something." He stared straight into her eyes.
"What are they looking for?"
"Something called the Chaos Ring," Ellen answered without hesitation.