Sora strolled quietly through the streets of the capital, the soles of her boots tapping softly against the cobblestones as her grey eyes wandered from stall to storefront. Banners swayed overhead, merchants called out their deals, and the scent of warm bread drifted from a nearby bakery. It felt almost festive, though she knew it wasn't.
The city had been rocked by a violent attack not long ago. And yet... life moved on. She was amazed at how quickly everything had been rebuilt and reopened, as if the people here were simply used to enduring chaos. That alone said more about the Empire than words ever could.
Even so, she worried slightly. The Slaechulan Kingdom had declared war not too long ago. She didn't fully understand why any nation would willingly provoke a power like the Dalthun Empire.
Pride, maybe. Desperation, perhaps. Whatever the reason, she could only hope things didn't spiral further. War wasn't something she wanted to see more of.
But no. Today wasn't for worrying.
She shook her head and let out a small breath, pressing a hand to her chest. She had an important mission to complete: Finding a birthday present for Arden.
That's right.
A very serious, very delicate, very critical operation.
She hadn't had time to search earlier; between cultists, fighting, training, near-death experiences, and trailing after Arden like a loyal shadow (not that she minded). But now that she had a moment to herself, she would put it to good use.
The only problem… was figuring out what to get him.
Maybe a sword? Arden seemed to like those. Even if he didn't need one, maybe a beautifully crafted blade with some rare gemstone in the hilt would catch his interest. Though… he'd probably just put it on a shelf and forget about it. Still, it was something.
Her second idea was far more ambitious. Absolutely absurd really. A relic. Something ancient, magical, and valuable. The kind of thing that might make his eyebrow raise just slightly. That rare reaction she always tried to earn. But such things weren't exactly lying around.
High-level dungeons were rare, dangerous, and usually cleared out by people like Arden long before she could even think about going near them. The closest one had already been emptied by him not long ago, so that was out.
Even so, she knew he didn't expect anything. He probably wouldn't even remember his birthday was in two weeks. But she remembered. Of course she did – it was important after all. And she'd find something that would make him grin. She'd march through every district, check every oddity shop, interrogate every street vendor if she had to.
With a tiny nod and a quiet "Mhm!" under her breath, she clenched her small fists in front of her chest, determination flaring across her delicate features.
...And then her thoughts wandered straight off a cliff.
She accidentally recalled something Arden had said once; a teasing suggestion, tossed out so casually she hadn't known how to react. He'd told her she could always just give herself as a present. And when she'd asked what that even meant, he'd replied, "You know, like wrapping yourself up like a gift and waiting for me on my bed. Without clothes. If it was you, I'd probably like it."
It had been one of those rare, flippant comments he made with such a straight face that she couldn't tell if he was actually joking or not.
Her cheeks ignited. She shook her head hard, trying to banish the memory, flapping her sleeves like she could physically chase the thought away.
And then—
"Hm? Is that you, Sora?"
She squeaked in surprise at the familiar voice, as though she'd been caught doing something scandalous.
Lysandra approached, dressed as casually elegant as ever, striding over with the kind of presence that made it seem like she owned every room… and now, apparently, every street too. "What are you even doing out here?"
As Sora opened her mouth, probably to defend her dignity or at least not look like a complete fool, Lysandra barreled on before she could get a word in.
"Damn scientists back at the palace," she muttered. "They've had me doing tests all day. If they ask me to sit still under another runestone, I swear I'll blow a hole through the tower ceiling."
Sora's embarrassment melted quickly, a soft, amused smile taking its place. She looked up at the devil girl's face, her usually prominent horns nowhere in sight. She blinked in surprise and tilted her head.
"Your horns…? They're gone?"
"Hm?" Lysandra stopped mid-grumble. "Oh, these?" She tapped the empty air where the horns should've been. "The only useful thing those robed lunatics managed to give me, a potion that turns them invisible. Apparently, they had one lying around this entire time. Makes me want to throw them off the battlements."
Sora giggled softly behind her hand. "That's true. Arden wouldn't have had to buy you that silly hat to hide your horns, then."
Lysandra's crimson eyes narrowed slightly. Not at Sora, of course, but at the memory of that hat. "Tsk. Don't remind me."
No one could stay annoyed at Sora. Not even Lysandra. There was something about her, gentle and harmless like a patch of sunlight in the middle of a cold world. And despite all her complaining, Lysandra didn't seem all that displeased to have run into her.
They walked side by side down the bustling street, the market alive with voices, color, and motion. But as they rounded a corner, they were suddenly met with an unexpected sight.
A ceremonial horn sounded, followed by the ringing of a bell. A crowd had gathered along the sidewalks, cheering and waving flags. Local guards formed a line to keep people from spilling into the street, clearing the way for a procession of carriages and marching soldiers approaching from the city's outer gate. Even Sora hadn't realized how close they'd wandered to the city's edge.
It looked like a welcoming parade, with soldiers returning home from the front. Most likely their first clash with the Slaechulan Kingdom.
Sora's eyes lit up as she spotted Seraphina at the front, marching alongside Heimer. She raised her hand instinctively to wave, but then faltered, lowering it slowly as she caught the mood in the air. The rest of the crowd quieted, too, as the soldiers drew closer.
This wasn't a triumphant return.
The men who approached looked drained, bloodied, and broken. Victory might have technically been theirs, but the cost was written all over their faces. The kind of cost that stripped the celebration out of a win.
The people weren't stupid. Everyone had known those "peace talks" were a front, a baited hook dangled in public just long enough to look pretty on paper. So for the Empire's elite to walk into that knowingly and still come back like this… it hit harder.
It meant whatever trap had been laid wasn't just expected, that it had been worse than expected. Worse enough to break soldiers like them. Worse enough that even Seraphina, usually sharp as a dagger and twice as smug, looked like she was barely keeping herself upright.
The flags stopped waving, and murmurs spread like wildfire. Some in the crowd shouted in disbelief, their voices rising into anger, demanding answers. After all, wasn't the Empire supposed to be invincible? Weren't demi-humans supposed to be no match for The Dalthun Empire?
Seraphina couldn't even bring herself to meet the crowd's eyes. Her gaze stayed low, jaw clenched. But Heimer nudged her hard, his elbow jabbing her ribs. "Chin up," he muttered. "You brought these ones home, didn't you?"
She shot him a brief glare, but she knew he was right. With a breath, she lifted her head again, squared her shoulders, and marched onward toward the castle. But even if they'd made it back alive… how was she supposed to face Radames with these losses?
As the soldiers passed, the crowd slowly began to thin, some losing interest, others still shouting for explanations that would never come.
"It seems like they had a tough battle," Lysandra muttered, glancing sideways at Sora. "I wonder what the Slaechulan king sent at them. Seraphina's probably got it tough, so we should probably leave her alone."
Sora lowered her head, nodding. "Mhm, you're right. But…" She looked up at Lysandra again. "Isn't it kind of unfair? After everything they went through… to be met like this?"
Lysandra scoffed softly. "Of course it's unfair. But that's how battle works. No one returns completely victorious every time, and they can't expect a warm welcome when all people see are the losses."
"Still… we need to cheer them up somehow!" Sora said, voice firm with uncharacteristic determination.
Lysandra placed a hand on her shoulder, shaking her head. "The last thing they want is pity. You'd just make it worse by trying to comfort them. Especially Seraphina."
Sora's shoulders sagged a little, and Lysandra let out a quiet sigh, rubbing the back of her head and glancing off to the side.
"Anyway, since we're here, how about we go shopping? That's what you were out here for, right? Probably to buy a gift for your boyfriend or something." she added, trying to sound casual, though the slight awkwardness in her tone gave her away.
Sora blinked up at her in stunned silence, then turned beet red. "H-how did you know? A-also, b-b-boyfriend!? I don't have a— I mean, I… it's not—"
Lysandra rolled her eyes. "I can't think of any other reason you'd willingly leave Arden's side. And you were obviously looking for something, going store to store like that."
"W-wait, were you following me? How long…?"
"Long enough to know you're terrible at hiding anything," Lysandra said with a shrug. "Your reaction just now confirms everything. So, what's the occasion? An anniversary? Or… are we talking about a ring?"
That was enough to send Sora into a full-blown panic, her face practically glowing as she flailed her hands in front of her, sputtering wordless denials.
Lysandra sighed again, watching her with a hint of amusement. "Hopeless," she muttered under her breath. Turning around, she grabbed Sora's hand as she dragged her along. "Come on, let's find a gift for him."
But Sora didn't budge, frozen in place.
She had been staring silently at the returning soldiers, her face partially hidden under her bangs, but now her eyes widened, almost blank for a second, like something inside her had been yanked out. Her breath hitched, one hand clutching at her chest, and then she quickly reached for Lysandra's sleeve with a trembling grip.
"...Sora?" Lysandra looked over her shoulder at her.
"Lys… we need to go. To the palace. Now."
Lysandra blinked in confusion. "What?" She turned toward Sora, noticing how pale she suddenly looked. "Hey, what's gotten into you? You look like you've seen a ghost."
"We have to go," Sora repeated, a little more insistently. "Please, something's wrong. I think… I think he's—"
"H-hey, calm down! What's gotten into you?"
Feeling Sora only tighten her grip further, staring sightlessly into her arm, Lysandra clicked her tongue and gently guided her towards a stone bench near one of the quieter streets just off the main road. "Let's sit for a second. You're clearly spooked."
Sora followed her without complaint, her steps shaky. Once she sat down, she clasped her hands together tightly in her lap, her eyes fixed on the ground. Her lips parted slightly, but no sound came out.
"What happened?" she asked, more firmly this time. "You were fine a second ago. Did you see something?"
Sora sat there quietly, wringing her hands in her lap. Her bangs hid her expression, and she didn't speak.
"Tch…" Lysandra folded her arms under her chest. "Look, you need to start opening up to me if we're going to be working together. You can't just… collapse or panic without telling anyone why. That's not how this works."
Sora flinched at her words, biting her lower lip. Then, in a soft voice, she whispered, "I…" Sora's voice trembled as she tried to form the words. "Just now… for a moment… I couldn't feel him anymore. Like he was gone. Completely gone."
Lysandra tilted her head. "Him? You mean Arden?"
Sora gave the tiniest nod in response.
Lysandra snorted. "Don't be ridiculous. That monster doesn't die. He probably stubbed his toe and glared holes into it. How would you even know if—" she suddenly stopped herself, her eyes narrowing and her brows furrowing as she studied the girl beside her. The twitch of her fingers. The way she didn't look up.
"You…?"
Sora hesitated, then gave a meek nod. "I…I'm his familiar," she said quietly. "Through our bond, I can feel when he's safe… and when he's not. Just now, I couldn't feel anything at all."
Lysandra blinked, quiet for a moment. Then she groaned, dragging a hand down her face. "Oh for… how did I not notice?" she muttered to herself. "The way you always call him 'Master' like some loyal dog… I thought it was just your weird personality."
Sora fidgeted beside her, shrinking a little into herself. "I didn't want to say anything. I thought it might bother you. Or… or that you wouldn't believe me."
Lysandra glanced sideways, her tone sobering. "If what you're saying is true, then whatever killed him… must be in the palace." She paused. "That's where we last saw him, after all."
Her eyes narrowed further. "Is he still…?"
"N-no." Sora shook her head quickly. "The connection came back just as fast. He's alive, but…" She clutched her skirt tightly, her knuckles turning white. "That doesn't mean he's safe."
Lysandra turned toward her, this time without her usual sarcasm. "If what you're saying is true," she said slowly, "then whatever killed Arden… or tried to… is probably still in the palace. That's where we last saw him, right?"
Sora nodded again, more firmly this time.
"Well," Lysandra stood up, brushing her skirt down with a little sigh, "I guess we don't get to finish our shopping."
She stretched out a helping hand to Sora. "Let's go and see if your Master is still breathing."
Sora looked at her hand for a moment before taking it and standing up on slightly shaky, but mostly stable, legs. Lysandra then shifted her grip and held her hand properly before starting to drag her along as she practically ran back to the street.
Sora almost stumbled for a second but regained her footing and tried her best to keep up with Lysandra's longer strides. She only hoped that Arden was safe. If he wasn't, then she didn't know what she would do.
After successfully managing to hitch a ride to the palace gate and presenting the badges issued by the emperor to the stationed guards there as identification, they were allowed inside and quickly made their way through the palace, running down the hallway.
"Do you know where he is?" Lysandra asked, slightly panting as she kept pulling Sora along.
"T-to the right, at the end of the hallway. T-that's where I feel his presence from!" she managed to gasp, breathing heavily. Lysandra immediately redirected them, and they finally reached the doors to what Sora recognized as the training room where Seraphina and the village girl tended to practice combat.
Exchanging a glance and a nod, both of them placed their hands on the handle and pushed open the door at once, met by the sight of a translucent dome covering most of the training grounds. They could barely even take a step inside before colliding into it.
"What the hell is this…?" Lysandra asked in slight annoyance, pounding her fist lightly on the unyielding surface. "Some kind of barrier?"
Sora took a few steps forward, one hand slowly reaching out to touch the barrier, then pressing her palm against it. "Not quite… it's a spell Master sometimes uses when he wants to be alone. But this makes no sense..."
She turned to look at Lysandra, continuing her explanation. "It's a high-level spell that allows him to create his own 'dimensional space', as he calls it. Sort of like a small world he can control."
"Of course he can." She rolled her eyes, not surprised by his absurd abilities at this point. "But that doesn't explain how he could've possibly been in danger. If he's in a private space he created himself, how could he have died? Is there some kind of drawback that risks his life?"
Sora thought for a moment, her lips turning into a small frown. "There shouldn't be. At least not one that would kill him."
"Is there a possibility that someone might have entered his space?" Lysandra suggested, a hand under her chin. "I mean, even the most skilled spells can be overwritten by another."
"But for someone to be able to overwrite Master's spell…"
"That's right." Lysandra finished for her. "That means we're dealing with something far greater than the cultists we were so worried about. The Empire… no, the whole continent could be in danger if that person or thing is allowed to roam free..."
As they continued to muse, Sora turned to face the barrier and put both palms against it, her hands beginning to glow softly. "We have to forcefully remove it. That's the only way we can save Arden!"
"You're right… but how? Do you have anything that can nullify a spell?"
Sora paused, before slowly lowering her hands as the light dimmed. "N-no… not really."
"The other option would be to overwrite his spell, and neither of us are powerful enough to do that. All we can do is wait, as much as that infuriates me."
"Can't we call for any of the court mages in the palace? If we ask Radames, he'll surely–"
Lysandra's hand shot forward, gently flicking her forehead. "We can't tell anyone about this, you idiot! Think about the chaos it'd cause if they found out a being on par with or possibly stronger than Arden!"
Sora whimpered softly at the hit, instinctively bringing up a hand to rub her forehead, but she knew that Lysandra was right. They couldn't afford to cause a panic now, especially not with the recent battle with the Slaechulan Kingdom and the whole deal with the cultists.
Suddenly, the barrier shimmered and began to fade from the top down. Sora's eyes were locked on the middle of the room, her heart stuck in her throat. As it dissolved, she saw familiar boots, then another pair, and another. But her world had narrowed to just one person.
The second there was enough space, she darted through, sprinting across the floor and throwing her arms around Arden in a desperate, shaking hug.
He seemed surprised for a second, his body stiff, before his arms slowly came up to hold her. One hand gently cradled the back of her head, his fingers in her hair as she pressed her face into his chest.
"You're okay," she whispered, her voice muffled against his torn coat. "You're okay." She said it like a prayer, her fists weakly thumping his chest not in anger, but to let out the fear that had been choking her. "I was so scared. I felt it... I felt you disappear."
She finally pulled back to look up at his face, and her breath caught. "What happened to your clothes?" she asked, her voice rising with new worry. "And your glasses! They're broken!"
Her hands, already glowing with a soft, golden light, fluttered over him. She carefully took the broken glasses, her magic washing over him, cleaning off the blood and dirt and fixing the worst of the tears in his clothes. Her focus was total. Nothing else existed but making sure he was safe and whole.
It was only when she was done, her magic fading and her hands resting on his chest, that she noticed the other two standing off to the side, giving them space. The village girl cleared her throat softly.
"Excuse me, Sora?" The girl pointed to her own injured side, looking pained. "I think some of us need more healing than others. Just saying... It's really starting to hurt, so whenever you're ready."
Sora blinked, jolted out of her single-minded focus. She looked from Arden's now-clean face to the girl's pale one. Arden gave her a small nod, and she hurried over. "Ah, right, sorry! I was only thinking about Arden..."
"Sorry for being so useless, Master!" Lilith wailed, clinging to the village girl and rubbing against her like a cat. It only seemed to annoy the girl, who tried to shove her off.
Sora couldn't help but sigh, but a small, real smile finally touched her lips. She clasped her hands together, looking at all of them: the unreadable Arden, the hurt but tough village girl, and the dramatic Lilith.
"I'm just so glad you're all okay," she murmured, almost to herself. The relief in her voice was a quiet, solid thing, finally settling in after the terror of thinking she'd lost him.