A few days ago, 27 November, 2538 CE

  "Steve! We need to turn back to save Jack and his family!" Aurelia shouted, her voice commanding as she stood behind the pilot’s seat.

  Friederich yanked her away. "Are you crazy? They sacrificed their lives for us! We need to rendezvous with Celestius now!" he shouted, trying to knock some sense into her.

  She glared at him with frustration. "No! I’ll never accept that!" she cried, her voice straining with conviction.

  "Aurelia, please, we’re this close to crossing the border! Enough of this nonsense!" Friederich argued, grabbing her wrist.

  Steve and the Virgo mages looked on, unsure of whose order to follow.

  She pulled her hand free, her eyes welling with tears. "No! You don’t understand, Fried. Jack is more than that."

  Amused, he scoffed, "What do you mean? Are you falling for him or something?"

  She didn’t answer. Her lips quivered as she bit them, her face downcast, watching her trembling body.

  Then, without warning, she shoved her guardian out of the way. Friederich lost his balance and slammed into the side of the craft.

  Aurelia’s hand had already reached the emergency latch.

  Everyone stood frozen in shock.

  The side door swung open, a whirlwind flooding in. She looked back over her shoulder at her guardian.

  "Fried, I’m sorry," she whispered, her voice barely audible beneath the roaring wind.

  Friederich’s eyes widened. "Aurelia—No!" He screamed.

  But before he could finish, the princess leapt from the craft and vanished from sight.

  Friederich rushed to the door against the pushing wind. He saw Aurelia diving towards the ground, until a portal opened mid-air and she disappeared into it.

  "Foolish girl!" As he prepared to follow, hands grabbed him from behind.

  "Friederich! Please don’t do it!" Triss’s voice snapped him out of it.

  Exhaling hard through his nose, he calmed himself before turning to her.

  "I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be doing something as irrational as the princess," Friederich muttered bitterly, placing his hands on Triss’s shoulders. "Thank you, Triss, for reminding me."

  "It’s alright, Sir Prime Guardian," Triss nodded quickly.

  Calm and collected, Friederich then turned to Steve. "Steve! Take us closer to the battle zone in the north. We’ll try to locate the princess from a safe distance," he ordered firmly.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  "Roger that!" Steve bellowed, adjusting the controls.

  ***

  The sheer absurdity of the story stole his words. Zetius’s jaw went tight.

  "Damn it…" he finally hissed.

  He knew Aurelia better than anyone. Brave, yes, but at times, monumentally reckless. And the worst part? No one had ever been able to stand against her will. Not once.

  The dim light of the room carved deep shadows across Friederich’s face, settling into a grim mask.

  “It’s all my fault,” he said, his voice low and strained. “I couldn’t stop her… and your sacrifice was for nothing.” His fingers worried at a gemstone. He bit down hard on his lip, the sharp sting a welcome distraction from the shame coiling in his gut.

  Zetius placed a firm hand on his friend’s shoulder. "You know I know her well. This isn’t your fault. What happened next?" he asked solemnly.

  "So we tried locating her, right? But once we arrived at the battlefield…"

  "Where we fell…" Zetius interjected, his face shadowed with pain. Yet I refuse to believe Frain is gone. As long as I live, I’ll find her.

  Friederich nodded sombrely. "Yes… We saw your body and Lupus’s—" He paused, the haunting image flashing in his mind. Words stuck in his throat.

  Zetius drew his lips into a thin line, patiently waiting.

  "If Jack really is your vessel…" Friederich exhaled heavily before continuing, "then I’m truly sorry for your loss." He bowed, his voice filled with sincerity.

  "It’s all in the past. Time shall never be reversed, as Cronos is shackled away for eternity," Zetius said, reciting a verse from his master’s old teachings.

  "Right…" Friederich muttered, then added, "We saw her mourning over your vessel. But the enemy detonated an Arcanite disruptor. It knocked her out cold. We attempted to fight back, but we were hopelessly outnumbered… I had no choice but to order the pilot to turn the cruiser around. That day, we lost so much, but we couldn't afford to lose it all."

  "Right…" Zetius agreed, "Are we to believe Rhok Wagner and Master Ignius were in collusion?"

  "That seems to be the case. From what I’ve heard, many suspect Master Ignius defected. Ordinary mages couldn’t possibly break a Binding Oath so easily. Such a feat would require higher intellect, archmages from the Zodiac councils," Friederich observed, folding his arms.

  "I agree," Zetius replied, piecing together the new wave of information.

  "Where are Triss and the Virgo mages?" Zetius asked, arcing his blow.

  "We parted ways at Poranthis. Then Ziyue and I caught a domestic flight here. You met her this afternoon."

  "The bob lady," Zetius recalled.

  Friederich gave him an awkward look. "Yes, that assassin mage. I’ve heard she’s Celestius Jovian’s prime disciple."

  An intrusive thought crossed Zetius’s mind. Why does her hair have two different colours like that? Is it some kind of new trend?

  Snapping back to the moment, he asked, "And Steve?"

  "He’s under investigation and currently being held at Poranthis Police Station," Friederich answered honestly.

  Only bad news. Zetius’s face dropped. His shoulders slouched. It felt like their entire plan had collapsed into nothing.

  Chaos was brewing everywhere. His family and friends, either gone or lost.

  Exhaling sharply, "So what now? Since you're here in Lilybend, this can’t be just a coincidence. You must have something concrete." Zetius asked flatly.

  Friederich straightened and locked eyes with him, his pale blue eyes burning with resolve. "Of course. We’re planning to rescue her from the northern fortress."

  Zetius’s lips curved into a smirk. "Then let me join you. Just like old times."

  "With great pleasure!" Friederich exclaimed, lifting his fist halfway across. "Umm, Jack?" he asked hesitantly, unsure which name to use.

  A smile lit Zetius’s face. "Zetius is fine," he replied warmly, bumping the side of his fist into Friederich’s.

  "Welcome back, Zetius Zel Celerius," Friederich said firmly.

  "Let’s rescue Aurelia. I’ve got a bratty kid to teach a lesson or two," Zetius muttered, the fire of confidence gleaming in his eyes.