/// pov: Freya September 16, 1087 Hospital of Kazfel
“One day, you will meet a foe who could bring oblivion to those you care for in this world, Freya! Your best as it is right now is not enough. Keep marching, you should never be satisfied!”
Freya stared out the window, the curtains slightly blowing from the chilled autumn air that made its way inside. She was reciting something while being stuck in a daze, talking to a dead man from lifetimes ago; “I will fight till my flesh falls off my bones. I will keep marching until I'm satisfied, unlike you, Father.”
Her eyes then slowly shifted to the journal, the only thing that had been keeping track of the endless worlds she fell into; every subtle change that she jotted down in those pages. However, there were a few gaps, from missing pages that had either fallen out or were uncompleted. The only thing she remembers vividly is her father's harsh lessons and early parts before the first loop, yet she doesn't remember how she first met this Witch or why her hatred for her brother came to be. The one thing she can remember clearly, though, no matter what, is her dove.
Freya rolled onto her back and sat up, looking at the journal before reaching out ? to flip through to a fresh page. She looked at the small end table to see that the doctor had left a pen behind. She picked it up and immediately started writing down everything that had happened.
Journal Entry 82:
Where do I begin? I had to erase the previous paragraph that I had written before entering Kazfel. The Rifts are not an overhead looming threat like in my past worlds; in fact, they have been dormant for five hundred years, according to Cornelius, who also did not foresee the prophecy in his cauldron in this timeline. Something's not right. The witch is more involved than before; she mentioned they are closer to Charlotte this time as well. I must keep my guard up, now that Nicholas is constantly popping up by her side. All I remember about him from Constant Worlds is that I dislike him for an unknown reason. The same thing goes for Cornelius.
Besides all ?my earlier encounters, I will talk about the current situation. A rift opened up in the castle. I'm unsure how that was even possible. Still, his majesty, instead of fleeing, was engulfed by it and turned into a follower overnight. The rift probably couldn't fully corrupt him because of the crown, but when it was finally taken off his head, it was too late. I wonder, though, if the King turned into a Rift Beast, could other guardians- no, I don't want to think about that. The good news is I have the crown; so far, only four more relics remain. The bad news is that the crown caused irreparable damage to this version of my body; in fact, the voices of past disciples of Akrelus echo louder than before. I am in a hospital room now, and Charlotte is far different from my previous encounters. She seems more put together, headstrong, like a leader; I guess I am that way too, but I do feel a bit of sadness that still courses through her veins. She doesn't trust me because of the Rift King. I will explain all this to her at a later date.
As Freya was writing in her journal, a faint knock was heard at the door. She immediately closed it in case it was Cornelius again, but when it opened, the younger doctor poked his head in.
“You're awake! Sorry if I disturbed you, it's just that there was a small hole in the door and I was wondering if you caused that?” he asked with an awkward smile.
Freya looked up at the ceiling, “Oh yeah, that was me, sorry, a fly flew into the room, and I thought I could lightly shoot it with a spark, I didn't mean to do that.”
The young doctor walked over to the window, “Oh, it's alright, but I will say it's kinda drafty in here, let me close the window a bit so you don’t get cold, I mean, I don't know if you can, do you get cold?” he asked, reaching for the window lever.
“Oh, Lady Freya, did you hurt yourself? There's some blood here?”? he exclaimed,
Freya felt a shudder crawl down her spine, forgetting about her previous encounter with the Witch, “O-oh yeah, I cut my finger somehow when I opened the window; it is okay though, I completely healed it.” She said in a staggering voice.
The young doctor looked at it closely before using one of his cleaning wipes he kept in his coat pocket, to sterilize the area for now. He then walked towards Fraya, to the machine that was taking her vitals.
“Lady Freya, are you sure you are okay? It says here that you were having somewhat of a panic attack from your heart palpitations on this grid, and you were moving way too much for just opening the window?” He questioned her again, this time with a more stern voice.
Instead of avoiding eye contact, Freya immediately stared him down and boosted the confidence in her voice; “Sorry, when I get nervous, I do small exercises like small jogs or jumping jacks; I did it before opening the window.”
The young doctor was still skeptical, but he just sighed and attached the papers to the clipboard he was carrying. “Lady Freya, please don't lie about this, but are you experiencing hallucinations, or?” Before he could finish his question, he noticed the room was getting warmer. He then looked at Freya, whose breathing was heavy.
“Oh, don’t take this the wrong way, please! I meant what Lady Charlotte also experiences; she said you might need a potion called Everbreeze. Here I have it in my pocket.” The young doctor scurried into his coat to show her the only thing familiar to her at the moment.
Freya reached out for the bottle and stared at the swirling purple liquid. “Tell Charlotte I said thank you. Also, can I ask how long it may be until I am released?”
The young doctor let go of the bottle once it was in Freya's firm grasp, “I have to tell you this now, you need a couple of more test from my colleague and then Lady Charlotte is going to escort you to the court to have a meeting with the Royal Committee tomorrow, I will give you some more time before you see him.”
“Tomorrow? Why not today?” Freya asked in a panic.
The young doctor showed her the clipboard; “You are healing much slower than you were previously, when you first got here, and it concerns us. The test you may participate in may vary until we observe a subtle change in your regeneration. Also, Lady Charlotte wanted you to rest while she sorts out some things before you see the Royal Council.”
The young doctor turned around to leave out the door, and once Freya heard the door close, she held the potion close to her heart, listening to the ringing voices in her head, “Charlotte, I will save us. I believe a prophecy can change.” She whispered as she uncorked the bottle with her thumb. She raised it to her mouth. Freya could smell the valley of flowers before she chugged down the potion; the voices started to die down until her mind was finally clear.
“The warrior in red and blue must strike a blow to their truth and desires so they can ascend. That sentence has haunted me since my sixth birthday. It's one of the few things I can remember after all this time. Charlotte, even if I must clash with your truths, I will save you with my desires.”
/// pov: Charlotte September 17, 1087 Royal Committee Court Room
Charlotte sat at a long table with twelve chairs on each side, while a giant throne sat at the front center. She looked down at her gloves, which were still stained with the black blood of her fallen soldiers, the only thing left of their existence.
“How did I not see a threat so close to home before I left? Why didn’t the Lich tell me about this? I shouldn't worry about my sins at the moment. Freya is in more trouble than I am here, after all, she did technically kill the king. Now that I think back to it, she called him uncle.” She kept staring down at her gloves until a familiar voice broke the silence.
“Now that's a pity, those were your favorite gloves. Well, I guess an early gift for your birthday was worth buying after all.”
Charlotte turned around to see Duke, another Royal Knight from the Frozen Calvary, holding a box with a blue ribbon closing it shut. He gave a warm smile and pulled up a chair, sitting beside her. “Here it's from Voceiepi, it was handcrafted,” he smiled, but deep down, Charlotte knew how he felt.
“Duke,” she whispered, “I killed, I killed, I ? killed l-” Charlotte couldn't bring herself to say it, but instead of a resentful look, she felt him touch her shoulder.
“Charlotte,” he sighed, “From what I saw from Cornelius' depictions and read from your report on everything, this was not your fault. He was gone before you even saw my brother.” Duke said softly as he watched the frost creep up onto his hand, yet he didn't pull away.
Charlotte sobbed, and her tears fell on the gift. Duke immediately leaned over to hug her. He felt the sheer cold pierce through his skin, and when he let go, he noticed she stopped.
“I am going to bury these gloves in two separate graves, one for my fellow soldiers and one for Fredrick.” Charlotte sniffed
Duke choked back his tears and nodded. “Which hand did you slay him with?” he asked.
Charlotte raised her right hand with a look of shame. Duke pushed the box forward, urging Charlotte to open it. She sighed and untied the ribbon, revealing her present.
“Thank you; they are beautiful.” Charlotte smiled as she looked down at a new pair of gloves. She took off her older ones and carefully took the new ones out of the packaging.
She slowly put them on, and a smile crept onto her face as she looked at how blue the silk was.
Duke smiled, “Think of it as an early departure gift for the new adventure ahead, and I will put these in the box.” Duke folded the stained old gloves together and placed them into the box. “Oh, before I forget: the ribbon Fredrick chose for your gift here.” He picked up the ribbon off the table and made a braid strand out of Charlotte's hair; he then tied the ribbon into a bow at the bottom, holding it in place.
She couldn't help but close her eyes; “I will carry us to the end of this, Fredrick, I promise.”
Duke put the lid on top of the box and got up from his chair as he watched the clock pendulum sway, “She will be here soon, and I won't lie, I don't want to be in her crosshairs. I wish your Akrelus good luck, Charlotte.” He said with a faint chuckle.
Charlotte clenched her fist as she heard the doors open again and the sound of heels echoing around the room as they approached.
“Leaving so soon, Duke? Oh, and I still need that report from Voceiepi!”
Duke sighed before rolling his eyes and sitting back down in his chair. “Hello to you, too, Ethel,” he sighed and grumbled afterward. “Looks like I was shot down.”
Ethel grabbed the back of his chair, “I heard that. Since you still don't want to do your homework, I will send you to complete a task now that you are Lady Charlotte's right hand. I need you to go to the castle library and grab the king's journal from the molten safe. Take out the old book with yellow pages. Got it; the yellow pages, here's the key.” She said, taking a rusted key out of her pocket.
Duke growled and snatched the key out of her hand and got out of the chair before he stomped out the door. He looked back at Charlotte, who just kept staring down at the table. “It's not either of your fault, and Ethel Im on the left hand, Fredrick was her right hand!” he said before slamming the door after he left.
Charlotte's eyes widened, as if those words lightened the weight; “it was neither of their faults”. Ethel walked up to the front of the table, taking her seat to the left of the throne.
Ethel glared all the way down at Charlotte, “That is not your seat, Charlotte. You should be seated two seats down on the right of the table. I taught you the proper etiquette for this.”
Charlotte pushed her chair backwards. The screeching noise made Ethel seethe, and she watched as Charlotte moved up the table to sit in her proper spot. She still had her head down, not wanting to hear what Ethel wanted to say.
“Gone for two uncharted days, and you come back acting like this, seriously, did my teaching just leave your heads?” She mumbled out.
Charlotte's finger twitched in response, yet she kept silent.
“And this king slayer, are you even sure she is the Akrelus in the acclaimed prophecy?” She asked sternly.
“Yes,” Charlotte responded coldly.
Ethel continued to stare her down; “It's a shame that you can't do this prophecy anymore; you are going to cancel it and let that Freya girl ascend alone, right? I mean, we need a ruler, and you were chosen to take-”
“ETHEL!” Charlotte exclaimed and stared, struggling to contain her tears. Please, I don't want to be here right now. I know you go on tangents when you are worried, and you become moody when things aren't going your way, but please, not now! Please.”
Ethel stared at the girl in shock, her mouth closing before she could rebut with another word. She huffed and watched Charlotte sit back down, who folded her arms on the table and lay her face down, sobbing.
“I'm sorry, Charlotte. You are right, I am worried and scared, not just for the kingdom but for you as well. I taught when you were not even as tall as a stump. Your mother asked me to teach you everything the Royal Scholar would know before you were born, and I confirmed I would keep that promise after your delivery. I'm sorry about Fredrick's death; I taught him too, and prayed to the ancient one to give him a pleasant spot up there,” Ethel whispered.
Charlotte sniffed and lifted her head, looking at her teary-eyed, and Ethel sighed, handing her a handkerchief. As Charlotte blew her nose, the doors opened again, and a flood of people in suits walked into the room and to their designated seats. The Royal Council was about to begin.
/// pov: Freya September 17, 1087 Hospital of Kazfel
For the first time in what felt like eons and after many hours of being tested, Freya was standing at the front desk with the two doctors who operated on her for her checkout. Many people stared at her, including the young boy again, who squeezed his bear tightly. When she stared back, she realized something about him: he had a spark in his eyes, one familiar to hers. Before she could turn around and talk to him, a royal soldier called out her name.
“Freya Guistiza. We are here to take you to the Royal Council Hall. Please follow us. Lady Charlotte has already paid for your medical procedures. Please give me your satchel,” he said with a hint of disdain as he walked towards the front door.
Freya turned towards the door while biting down on her tongue, being ticked off by the treatment from her former soldiers of a past life. She then turned her head to the left corridor, where she saw the young boy, who had now disappeared like a ghost.
She slowly took her satchel off and handed it to the guard, who snatched it away. Then, she followed him to a horse-drawn carriage that was ready for departure, with two other soldiers waiting for her arrival. She stood in front of them, feeling their piercing glances look down at her as if she were a disgusting criminal.
“You will sit between those two. So don't try anything, gold blood.” The soldier ? Freya demanded and then pushed her towards the carriage.
Freya sucked her tongue at them and gave a glare that made the other two soldiers got into a readying stance. She sighed and loosened up her face so she could calmly ask them an important question: “Where is my sword-staff ?”
“In the trunk, along with your stuff now, get in,” he responded.
Freya kept her head high as she walked and sat between the soldiers. Once the carriage started moving, she stared off into the far distance, looking at the familiar houses and streets she had memorized by heart.
“Did Charlotte also go through such discrimination from my soldiers in my past life? I would have heard of it, so why? Ugh, and now we have to go to the Royal Council. We are running out of time; we should depart by tomorrow or at least the next day. Ancient one, please, at least tell me Ethel is not here, because if she is, I might make my tongue bleed.” Freya tilted her head up to see the blue sky, feeling the sun's rays bounce on her skin.
From all the turns, she could immediately tell they were getting closer; the bakery would appear soon, and then in five more paces. They were just passing the playground. Due to all the kids screaming and playing, it was almost like nothing ever happened at all yesterday. Freya opened her eyes to see that the bakery was right in front of them, and the silhouette of the Royal Courthouse. The rising smell of cherry bread spread through the air, and it was the only thing keeping her content.
Then, after a very harsh turn, they arrived at the destination. The soldier to the right poked her to move and follow directly behind the soldier to the left. Freya just kept biting her tongue again and followed directions, stepping down and standing in a straight line to the grand doors of the courtroom.
Their footsteps echoed off the quartz flooring that reflected the sky from the windowed roof. The woman at the front peeked up at the soldiers and nodded her head, only to resume her work. Freya knew the layout perfectly as they walked up the stairs past other courtrooms, which had to be empty for today's meeting.
“So, why am I here anyway?” Freya asked without a response.
Upon walking up to the third floor, Freya got to see more tapestries, and specifically the ones that were once hers were replaced. Instead of a phoenix, it was, of course, a blue dove representing Charlotte. She felt a pit land in her stomach,
“Alright, you can enter,” the soldiers said as they made it to the door of the Royal Committee and walked on opposite sides of it, keeping guard.
Freya took a breath and opened the door, feeling all the separate eyes gaze at her, including the ones that meant the most to her.
/// pov: Charlotte and Freya, September 17, 1087, Royal Committee Court Room
Charlotte lifted her head, watching Freya bow towards the Committee, while Ethel gave a scornful look at her.
“Hello committee members; I hope I am not running late. I am here at the request of Lady Charlotte Liberta,” Freya recited.
“I deny you from entering this meeting; this has nothing to do with the common folk!” Ethel proclaimed.
Freya stayed bowed, waiting for the highest in command's answer, who was Charlotte.
“Charlotte, sit down!” Ethel soon demanded.
Charlotte stood and turned to face Freya, then, from the corner of her eye, looked at Ethel, who took notice and immediately looked away from her frozen gaze. She then walked over. To her, who could hear her approaching, was waiting for Charlotte's approval or denial. Charlotte then reached out with her hand, and before touching the top of her head, afraid, she grabbed onto her shoulder.
“From now on, Lady Freya Guistiza and I are equals, for she is Akrelus’s disciple. You are welcome here, Lady Freya,” Charlotte said with a broad voice that shocked Freya.
Freya stood up in response and looked at Charlotte, only for her to swiftly turn around, yet holding on to her hand, guiding her to the table. Freya sat down in the chair that had previously been Charlotte's, causing Ethel's jaw to drop.
“This is preposterous! You can’t just decide things like this on your own! There needs to be a vote.” Ethel exclaimed with hostility, while other council members stayed quiet.
Charlotte put her hands on Freya's shoulders, as if she were protecting her from the elderly lady's words. Freya rolled her eyes but kept biting down on her tongue.
“Ethel, I now have higher authority than you because I'm ? next in line for the throne. So this is my wish: Freya has the same amount of authority as I do.” Charlotte said calmly before stepping to the side.
She waved her hand and made a chair out of ice and sat beside Freya.
Freya glanced at her, watching that bitter expression on her face harden; “I’m so used to her cowering behind a staff, I never knew how much of a confident person she could truly be.”
Charlotte swiftly glanced at Freya, who was staring at her, and felt the tension of everything loosen to the point she could rest her shoulders.
“I still refuse! Everyone else can sit here and lay their heads low, but I won't allow this! Do you not remember what she has done? Where’s Cornelius? He would agree with what I have to say!” Ethel defended.
“In the hospital for trying to read my brain before surgery.” Freya shot back.
Ethel scoffed, “Well then, Charlotte, the only way I will accept this is if you marry this commoner with golden blood.”
“Ethel, that's enough! Are you forgetting our dear Charlotte has the same blood in her veins!” A stern woman's voice broke everyone's attention, even causing Ethel to jump back in fear.
Everyone looked on at the Kirin woman who caused the commotion:
“Lady Charlotte, I will say as the leader of Taivas, we accept your decision towards Lady Freya, but we are not getting anywhere. I think we should continue the discussion about leadership,” the Kiren said, putting her hand on her chest, bowing towards the two, showing respect.
“Well, unless there is either an official statement by the royal arcanist or there's a marriage proposal, I am not continuing this meeting with a kingslayer,” Ethel grumbled.
Freya stood up, tired of the taste of blood, and looked down at Ethel; “I had to do what I had to do to save those I could! I got brain damage from it, and even worse, I put the future of our kingdom in jeopardy! You don't have to call me Lady " or anything of the sort. All I ask is let me help with this prophecy. After all, it is my duty.” Freya said with a fierce tone.
Charlotte then spoke up while looking up at Freya, “Also, it’s too bad that Cornelius is out of commission for a bit, but if you need us to marry, I could get us a document right now that says so.”
“What?!?” Freya exclaimed, jolting away from Charlotte; “(Where did this confidence come from!)”
Suddenly, the doors opened ? as an old man with a cane limped into the room; “Now, now, Charlotte, there’s no need for such rashness; after all, technically Equila and Akrelus are already married in many stories.”
“Cornelius?” Ethel gasped, seeing the old arcanist smile as he sat in the chair beside her.
Cornelius chuckled and sighed, “On behalf of all the Royal titles, I apologize, Eloma, to you and all the Kirins of Taivas. I know you have to go to the mountains as soon as possible.”
Eloma bowed once more towards Cornelius and sat down beside another Kirin, who held her hand, squeezing it as if it were to help her. Freya also sat down, and Charlotte looked on at her and sighed.
“Now let's address the big tuskel in the room. His Majesty is no longer with us. From the knowledge I gained from Lady Freya, he turned into a monster from something called a rift. It’s nothing we have ever seen in recent days; however, she has prior knowledge of this, so please, Lady Freya, can you explain what we are up against?” Cornelius said his voice was far stronger than Ethel's, who just sat up straight, staying quiet.
Freya sat still, staring at Cornelius, lost in thought; “How am I going to explain this as if I am from this timeline, no, this world? They have never even seen a Riftwalker up until now. This partially had to be a trap.” She started bouncing her leg because of the sudden pressure.
Charlotte took notice and placed her hand on her thigh, causing her to ease down. Freya slowly turned her head to Charlotte, who smiled and nodded, urging her to speak up.
She stood and looked at all the different diplomats and higher authority figures staring at her. Their faces were all familiar to her, so why was she choking?
She then suddenly heard and remembered a familiar silhouette talking to her; “Sometimes I explain my research like I'm a knowledgeable professor to him so we can help you~” the voice said cheerfully.
Freya looked on in silence. “Explain, explain my knowledge. Knowledge comes from research, I should explain it like that! Yes! Research!”
She took a deep breath, ready to explain her research. “One of my passions growing up was the uncertainty of our kingdom and what lies outside of it, and from what I gathered from different literature, there are things far scarier than they seem, and we only got a taste of it. They called them rifts, things that would slice into our reality through thin air. They would call them other things, but the most prominent was the Cancer of the sky.” Freya paused to look at Eloma, who had fear wash up on her face.
“What's worse is they could show up anywhere and anytime; they are everyone's enemies, not just humanity, but Kirins, Dracons, Demons, and even Avians are not safe. These rifts would start off ?small and produce oozes that could corrupt living creatures. I saw a picture of a rabbit on one page corrupted, and if corruption goes unchecked for too long, it could go to the point of no return.” Freya then turned to Cornelius, who smiled back at her.
“You were in my mind, Royal Arcanist, so you must have seen all the illustrations I also studied from past prophecies. It was something my late mother left me, and ever since I researched about this more than anyone, I soon found out why some golden bloods ascend and some rarely even live to see the age of fifteen or cause unknown illness, which is why Charlotte and I must ascend.” Freya then looked at Ethel, “If there isn’t an ascension soon, Kazfel and probably other kingdoms will fall to ruin.”
A man with a halo on his head and wings raised his hand before he spoke, “My question is, do we not have any of these writings in our libraries? Why haven’t we taught our brightest minds and learned to study this cancer in our world?” he asked calmly.
Ethel choked, flabbergasted, then quickly stuttered a response: “Cause this is forbidden knowledge! No one should have these books besides the King himself and Royal professors!”
Cornelius tugged on Ethel's sleeve, trying to warn her, as an angry crowd of people stared at her.
“You were hiding this for eons! My Ancient One, we might as well tear down the lies the royals of Kazfel have been hiding!” A Dracon representative said furiously.
As the room began bickering, pointing fingers at one another for secrets, Freya sat back down and looked at Charlotte, who gazed at her as if she were lying. She put her head down in defeat.
Finally, after the Dracon and the Avian started screaming at each other,
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
“Why are Avians even here? I thought this was below your species?” The Dracon scoffed.
“Aren't you a walking fire hazard?” The Avian shot back.
Charlotte stood up and raised her arm in the air, stopping everyone's bickering; “I understand you all are furious. I am too, not at the lies and the constant hostility at this table, but it’s the fact that no one here asked me my opinion on the matter, as the next chosen to the throne by our late king, or being the reason for a prophecy.” She announced before getting up and moving to the king's chair.
Before Ethel could yell, Cornelius used a spell on her to stick her lips together, making her unable to talk. She then hunched over, losing all willingness.
The Avian and Dracon sat back down, and Eloma went from the verge of tears to a faint smile.
Charlotte closed her eyes and calmed herself while Freya stayed looking down at the floor, with the words Charlotte told her in the hospital playing in her head constantly.
“First off, can we apologize to Eloma and all the other Kirens in the room for causing too many emotions to surface?” Charlotte asked, like a disappointed teacher talking down to her students.
The room filled with apologies, and Eloma bowed back, forgiving everyone.
“Now that the air has settled, I will tell you all my decision; I have chosen-” before Charlotte could continue, the door opened once again with Duke panting from a loss of breath, covered in soot from the castle's ruins.
“I have the king's journal, Mrs. Ethel!” he shouted out.
Freya looked up to see him holding Akrelus; “Why do you have my staff!?” she exclaimed.
“Oh yeah, I was told it was forgotten in the carriage, so I brought it up for you, sorry, Ms. Uh, what's your name?” Duke asked with a cheerful smile.
“Freya,” she responded coldly.
“Oh, you're that Freya; Charlotte kept talking about you in the hospital, did you know she actually, whoa!” Before Duke could finish his sentence, Charlotte spread ice on the floor, causing him to slip.
Charlotte flushed, looking away from everyone at the table, “Duke, please give me the journal, not Mrs. Ethel.”
Duke saluted before jogging over to Charlotte, handing over the book. He then walked over to Freya, handing her Akrelus, and winked at her as he stood idly beside her.
"I'm allowing Duke to remain here as well, to be my right hand in place of Fredrick at the moment," she said, flipping through journal pages; “You all may have received a letter about an entity that named the Lich visited the palace about the prophecy, that me and the holder of Akrelus will both have to ascend,” She looked at Freya who clutched onto her staff before continuing.
“Well, three nights before the Lich appeared, his majesty was having nightmares of the same thing the Lich was saying and the recent attacks, especially with the rifts and zombie-like creatures. He then rambled to me for hours about me growing a pair of golden wings with another person by my side and flying off somewhere unknown, in a room of gold. The Lich confirmed the first bit, referring to the castle's attack: “The first faces you once knew will turn evil and true, and that will be the first clue towards doom.” She was also right about Lady Freya being in the small village of Magneal and being my other half. So if the nation, no, but if the world is going to be under threat, then I should follow my duties not just as the head of the Royal Knights, but as the next leader to follow this prophecy, and maybe even change fate. Will you all allow me this?” Charlotte asked, with the room whispering amongst one another
Freya stared up at her. She could see that the anxiety of talking to all these figures was taking a toll on her. “Duty, in another life, you told me I tethered myself to that word like it was my responsibility, never giving myself freedom, yet you are no different. Well, this version of you is no different.”
Eloma raised her hand and spoke out, “Lady Charlotte, what if the prophecy that the king foretold is true? Who will take your place?”
Charlotte stopped to think for a moment as the other royal parties kept bickering until she looked out the window and saw two birds flying adjacent together; “Freedom”? echoed in her mind. She then looked at Freya, who stared back at her, unsure whether she should help.
Charlotte then remembered how Freya fought; she wasn't bound to a staff as her main weapon; she had the freedom to choose. “What if the people all around Kazfel could choose the next heir to the throne?” She asked, and the room fell silent again.
Ethel then tapped Cornelius, asking to speak on the matter by pointing at her mouth. He rolled his eyes, and with a swish of his finger, her mouth unzipped.
Ethel continued the proposal, “That is a good idea; the Royal Family has many contenders from different branches. Maybe we could gather the best of them and, of course, add some families from the Kiren, Dracon, and Avian families. Is that fine with all three representatives?”
“Such a change of heart? And so, suddenly.” Cornelius mumbled, only to be elbowed by her.
She cleared her throat, “Well, if what I have read ? about the past ascensions in our history is true, then there needs to be an ascension. I just want to know if we really need to sacrifice you, Charlotte. Are you sure his late majesty wrought down you both?” Ethel asked one more time in a loathsome tone.
Charlotte flipped through the golden pages, past all the faded ink, to the last chapter; as her eyes glided across the page, meanwhile all Freya could do was look away from the hurt she was about to face.
Charlotte took a breath and began reading the last thing the king ever wrote: “My head pounds every time I step into the throne room, and my heartbeat is getting heavier. Ever since the Lich came to tell us about the prophecy, I knew my dreams were no longer my imagination but the prophecies made for the next ascension. The girl I saw as my daughter, leaving this plane of existence with another with fiery red hair. I will tell the clerics and doctors about this headache later. I can't even see the words I’m writing down clearly anymore. I also keep hearing something calling my name every time I'm alone. That voice I even hear now. I - - -”
Charlotte stopped as she saw the monster scratching at the very bottom of the page, with a giant tear falling from its eye; it looked exactly like the Rift King. She dropped the journal in front of Freya and Ethel, who were horrified.
Freya snapped out of her shock and took the journal and stood up, showing everyone at the table the drawing; “That monster is what he turned into, he turned into-”
An ominous voice cut Freya off: “The RiftKing~.”
Charlotte and Freya's eyes darted to each other. Charlotte put her grip on the hilt of her sword, preparing for the intruder. While Freya pointed her staff at a lingering shadow on the table, making everyone in the room dart out of their chairs.
“Now, where do you think you are going? The prophecy has only begun, and who else to tell you what needs to be done than the deliverer?” The shadow taunted them as an ominous, cloaked figure appeared from the corner of the room and stood guard at the door, blocking the exit.
“Litch/Witch!” Freya and Charlotte both yelled out before looking at each other.
The Shadow formed, and the Witch/Litch appeared in front of the two girls standing on the table; “Hello, dove, and hello, my arrow, glad to see you both finally together. Oh, and to lighten the mood of you both being together and to show I bring no harm to anyone, I even have a gift.” A hand crept along the table in front of Charlotte and formed a bouquet of black roses and dahlias, with two yellow tulips in the center.
Freya ran beside Charlotte, and Duke was already pointing his sword directly at the litch/witch.
“What do you want?” Freya demanded, but the litch/witch just smiled at her.
Charlotte picked up the bouquet, looking at the arrangement of flowers; “Thank you, ?but please tell us why you showed yourself unannounced with that figure?” she politely asked, looking over at Nicholas, still standing guard.
The litch/witch walked over to both of the girls. They watched every step she took on the table, leaving behind a trail of smoke.
“I wanted to just see you both together in one room, and of course, tell all these people the prophecy, since it seems his highness wasn't clear enough. I never enjoyed a leading role, but sometimes you must bite the parts of the meat you hate.” She said, stopping in front of the two girls, looking at Freya with a smile. Freya responded by baring her teeth.
The Lich turned towards the three representatives. And the two royal executives who sat at the table, still holding their ground. She bowed and waved her arm in the air, showing a display of lights, “Decreed by the ancient one to me is that if the disciples and bore of Akrelus and Equila do not ascend, then Kazfel will fall into a pool of rotting despair. The pair must waltz together and grow wings of gold, and fly off into the outer plane created by the Divination Orb. However, they must also fight the enemies of blue and red, with different goals. Equila, with her warming heart, will be in the castle of prosperity, while Akrelus, with his chilling temper, will be in a town where those start a journey. Only when the two opposites attract one another will the prophecy come true.
It will start with the first faces you once knew turning evil and true. In a valley of galloping emotions, the heroes will continue to the bluest lagoon. The underground mines of molten sapphires, and the clouds above will rain spears. Finally, the last piece is in a frozen tomb; only then does the clash of red and blue create a golden sky from sacrifice and love.” She turned around once more towards Charlotte and Freya.
Freya stared up at the lights to see all the past events, from their meeting in the forest and Nicholas’s encounter, even showing the king's transformation along her final moments after defeating the Riftking, were shown in the display with the jiggered crown infusing into her skull. The Litch/Witch smiled as she squatted down to eye level with Freya.
“I wonder how this story will end? Will you shoot or will you lower your bow at the end?” The Litch/Witch said as she brushed Freya's hair with a shadowed claw, but she couldn't react as she watched blue and red figures fighting in a room before vanishing.
Meanwhile, Charlotte took notice of the Litch/Witch and walked in front of Freya, who shortly snapped out of her trance; “Thank you for the show, but I think it's time for you to leave!” She said sternly, putting the bouquet back on the table.
The Litch/Witch stood up as the room darkened, and only her orange eyes were the only thing seen in the dark. Before completely vanishing, Freya heard her voice echo in her head: “This will be the last performance, so make it a good show.”
“The last show,” Freya whispered as the light returned to the room.
The rest of the royal committee ran out in a hurry. Freya looked behind her to see that Nicholas had also disappeared without a trace.
“Lady Charlotte, I believe your system of voting for the next ruler is a better option than keeping you. I vote that this journey for the prophecy should commence.” Eloma said, raising a finger in the air for a vote.
“The Dracon leader believes we are all in the same fight, no matter what, and if this voting system shows that we are not monsters, I vote yes.” The Dracon said, raising his talon in the air.
The avian representative scoffed, “You got a pretty good deal being a part of the royal committee; we won't vote for the chance for those lizards to rule over our lands.
Ethel also kept her finger down, “I'm sorry, I do agree with the voting system, but not now. The castle is in ruins, and we at least need a figurehead for our people's morale. Surrounding towns are also in a state of panic. Imagine the citizens' reactions to all this and their king being dead. We need to wait for things to calm down.”
“His Majesty turned into that thing; we saw the Litch show us in her projection, meaning others could be in the same predicament or worse. If the girls could stop rifts before the conjure, that would save countless people.” Cornelius said as he raised his finger.
Luke and Freya also raised their fingers. A smile crept up ? Charlotte's face, “Then it’s settled me, and Freya will take up arms towards this journey, after we deal with the people's concerns. We will leave in less than two weeks. Luke, prepare some soldiers to adventure with us. I need you to stay here as head guard, and Freya.” She looked towards the girl, her heart skipping a beat from nerves, “I will need to talk and prep with you alone.”
Freya nodded in response before clutching her staff, feeling Ethel's sharp gaze pierce through her.
“This voting is a bad idea, you will see, the Arch Angel will not let this happen!” The avian representative yelled as he swiftly left the room.
The Dracon bowed, “Thank you, Lady Charlotte, for including my people in this meeting. I will tell Lord Keavus to be given a letter shortly, yes?”
“Of course, after all, you all are a part of Kazfel, which means you also have a say in this, oh, and may I have your name, sir?” Charlotte responded with a reach for a handshake.
The Dracon shocked reached for her hand, his talon wrapped around her completely, “I don't really have a human name, but I guess you can call me Paul? Yes Paul! I read that name once and liked it!” Paul said with a smile beaming brightly.
Eloma smiled at the sight and watched Paul leave with his tail wagging back and forth.
“Lady Eloma, should we be heading out now?” Her consort asked, concerned, but she just smiled and stood up.
“Lady Freya, may I talk to you?” Eloma said quietly
Everyone else looked surprised as Eloma quietly walked to the opposite corner of the room. Freya silently followed her until they were both face-to-face. She looked up at the woman looming over her. She watched as mist slowly flowed out of her hair, and two single tears slid out of her closed eyelids.
“Your emotions are very alarming, little deer. I feel fear and confusion boiling deep inside your soul. Yet there's a sense of pride, keeping it bottled under pressure, and biting your tongue is not very healthy,” Eloma said quietly as she put her hands over her heart like a protective shield.
“I'm sorry, Lady Eloma, a lot has happened these past few days, and it's riled me up. I know emotions can influence Kirens; I should have used a form better for self-control to stop them from reacting.” Freya apologized, clenching Akrelus in response.
Eloma slightly opened her eyes, revealing their glossy tint that reflected the little light that touched them; “Love. The emotion you feel is love. Little deer, I can sense that you struggled with heartbreak over and over, and when that Lich showed up, it spiked.”
Freya stayed quiet and looked down to the ground; “(I have only met Eloma two other times in all my lives, Nicholas was right, she is very perceptive, no wonder she's the leader of the Kirens.).”
“I didn't mean to embarrass you, little deer,” Eloma reassured her, lifting Freya's chin to face her again. “I already know how you feel about Lady Charlotte, which is why I'm rooting for you. She believes that everyone has freedom, but now she must feel caged. Please help her spread her wings, and maybe you can heal yours. After all, Equila and Akrelus are two halves of the same coin. I pray that Fowlean will protect your hearts.” Eloma said before letting go of Freya and bowing.
Freya remembered the RiftKing's Kiren pin that was on his coat before he transformed. She turned around to face her to say something important to the Kiren, “I'm sorry that his Majesty got corrupted, but I'm sure before he transformed he was thinking of the one he loved.”
Eloma smiled and whispered his name, “Theodore”.
Charlotte was standing with Eloma’s assistant, who immediately walked to her, grabbed her hand to help guide her.
“Lady Eloma, thank you for showing up. I was surprised to see you here while the other two sent their representatives.” Charlotte said lightly.
Eloma bowed, “It was my pleasure. I believe we all should have been here, especially ?when it came to Theo- His majesty.” Eloma said quietly before squeezing her assistant's hand.
Charlotte looked past her to see Freya walking to the window. “I would also like to thank you for voting for the idea of the people now choosing who leads them.”
Eloma stood back up, “But of course, no species is better than another, and the Avians have to see that, eventually. I apologize for my outburst. I had a dear friend who also had golden blood.”
Charlotte raised her hands, “No, no, it's okay after all; there was a lot of emotion in the room, I understand completely.” She said staggered
Eloma laughed, “Lady Charlotte, I would actually like to aid a bit more to your prophecy, so if it's alright with you, I would be honored to send my nephew to be a part of the cavalry. He is a healer, not really a potion maker, but I can guarantee you that if you were on death's door, he would revive you completely back to health,” Eloma suggested.
“Of course, we could use all the help we could get! Thank you, Lady Eloma!” Charlotte said with enthusiasm.
“I will send you a letter for when he's ready for his departure. Have a wonderful day, Lady Charlotte,” Eloma said before walking away with a smile on her face.
Charlotte gazed, fixated back at Freya staring out the window, the mysterious woman who knows so much. She slowly approached and raised her arm, hesitant to ask questions after their confrontation at the hospital.
“I know you're behind me, Charlotte. I’m sorry for my actions.” Freya said solemnly, watching Eloma enter her carriage.
“Freya, what did she mean by lowering your bow, and what was all of that imagery?” Charlotte asked softly, “I know you know something I don't, again.”
Freya stood still, frozen in time: “It's the prophecy. At the end of our journey, you and I will duel.” She answered.
“It was like she was addressing that you have already experienced something, the whole' will you lower your bow thing, and she teased you.” Charlotte shot back.
Freya bit her tongue before turning around to face her; “She was probably talking about Akrelus and Equila; think about it, not much is known about these two being together, just that they were in love. What if, before they turned to stone, they got into a fight, and we might follow in their footsteps before ascension?” Freya said, trying to keep her voice steady.
Charlotte squinted her eyes before walking around Freya to look out the window. “You are probably right, and after all, we could try to figure out a way to not let that come to fruition.”
Freya stayed quiet, pressing her tongue harder; “Did Lady Eloma give you a scolding? You are very quiet?” Charlotte said in a teasing tone.
“Something like that, I have to practice self-control,” Freya responded. She could taste her own blood filling her mouth again.
Charlotte could tell something was off and shifted her body towards Freya, “I see; I'm sorry for the way I talked to you at the hospital; it wasn't right. I was also wondering if you would like to stay with me at the royal cabins since the castle and quarters are uninhabitable.”
“Yeah, I would love to!” Freya said a little too excitedly before bringing her composure back into place.
Charlotte smiled and reached for Freya's hand. “Alright then, let's be off after all; it's in the far south, so it will be a longer trip. I will also tell someone to deliver Sunny to the paddocks there.”
For the first time since they met, Freya felt as if everything was normal, and her heart skipped a beat.
/// pov:????????????????????? Harlif University for Biology and History
You feel a sharp pain in your chest before you cough uncontrollably, waking you ?from your sleeping state. Looking at the clock, you realize you're late and rush to put on a fresh pair of clothes and grab the cursed book sitting by your bedside before running out of your dorm.
Running past many students on the main campus, you rush past the front desk, making a cat Harlif scream at you.
“Hey! Watch it!” you hear another student yell.
You finally make it to the top floor of the university, where a giant classroom is overgrown with plants from the humidity. The classroom is a giant greenhouse. As you look on in awe, you notice the Harlif student you pushed was also attending.
“You do know Professor Springs is always ten minutes late, right? She's too busy half the time even to attend her own lectures.”
Your responses:
- “Sorry, it’s my first day.”
- “So I rushed here for nothing?”
The Harlif student laughed, looking down at you. Before you could walk away from him, he skipped by your side with a grin.
“Well, since it's a new semester, why don't you sit with me today? I have no hard feelings from before.” He said with a grin.
Now that you've gotten a closer look at them, you realize they seem to be a leopard species because of their long, thick tail and cat-like ears. You both decided to sit at the desks at the very back that showed every inch of the blackboard. More students began to pour in, of all sorts, but you took notice that you were the only mortal here. You begin to dissociate from the world around you as you look down at your bookbag, as if it were calling your name.
The Harlif beside continued to banter until he snapped you out of your trance with a single question, “Yeah, it's also my first semester in this class too. I was surprised I did well on the class entrance test. Oh, wait, gosh, I can be so irritating. I forgot to tell you my name. I’m Dominic, I am half Acreen Leopard, what's your name?”
You jolted awake and turned your head to him, trying to ignore the book in your bookbag, “Andrew, my name is Andrew.”
Before Dominic could continue talking your ear off, you see a harlif woman slam a bunch of books she was holding at the front desk, making the room fall silent. All attention was pointed to where she stood as she stared back with a tired glare.
“Welcome to your first semester and probably last semester of History of Biological Mana Properties. This class will not only teach you why some creatures have adapted with mana but also why some have completely gotten rid of it. “She yelled out firmly before turning around to write her name on the blackboard.
You observed every movement, memorizing how she wrote her name flawlessly across the board before she turned around to face the class again,
“As some of you may know, I am the Head Master and one of the lead scientists of this university, Rochelle Springs. And if some of you are truly prepared for this class, you should know by now that what I said about this class was the shortest way of explaining what you are truly learning. You are all here because you seem talented enough and have the same question as me: Why is the Arcana so important to every living organism on this land, and can we use this to cure unknown illnesses?” She said passionately before walking to the closest desk, looking down at a student who was fidgeting from stress.
“According to my calculations from previous years, I believe thirty percent of you will walk out of this class and beg for another high roll credit. Forty-nine percent of you are going to try to tough it out before failing the first exam. Only to realize I will boot you out because of your failure. Then, sixteen percent will just fall out of a passion for this sort of thing and walk out, wasting my time and money. Leaving me the last five percent left of passionate students who have a passion and mind as I do.” Rochelle concluded by closing the nervous students' textbook and pointing to the door.
You looked down to see the student grab all of their things and scurry out the door.
Rochelle followed and closed the door behind them; “Well then, that's one person today if you feel the same. I advise you to close the door on the way out. We don't want the humidity of this room to change.”
Dominic looks at you with a funny expression before reaching into his bag for a notebook.
Walked over to her desk and looked down at a piece of paper; “Here are the rules for my class. Classes are every other day at this time, three times a week. Attendance is mandatory. If you wish for class notes from me, you may ask my assistant in the office. I will stay after class for only one hour, and finally, if you do not get a B average in my class, you will be booted.” Rochelle looked back up and made eye contact with you before smiling.
“Now let's begin!” She said, turning around to write more on the blackboard.
You reached into your bag only to feel the book rubbing against your skin; it felt warm. You eventually find your notebook, trying to ignore its plea to be read again.
“Now, most of you know what an Aura gate is, but just in case you failed fifth grade, it is how people can use magical arts without using a relic. Relics, of course, are made up of materials with lots of mana residing in them, may it be plants or animals, but from recent studies, we found out that plants have a greater tendency to be overflowed with mana due to not having an Aura gate. Every plant in this greenhouse is the eldest of its species; some are even older than Dragonspine itself. This, my students, is how we can cure illnesses through the history of plants. And that's what this class will be studying.” Rochelle said confidently while drawing a diagram in the shape of a tree.
As the class went on, more students left, while some were reading over things in textbooks, looking for an answer to Rochelle's hysterical bantering and explanations. By the time the class was over, the sun was already setting, and the blackboard was almost out of room.
Rochelle tiredly gathered her stuff while muttering, “Class is over today, I can't stay because of a meeting, so I will see the 70 percent of you left later this week.” She left in a rush, dropping some papers here and there.
Dominic looked down at his watch and jumped up, cramming all his papers into his bag. “I'm late for work! I will see you later, Andrew. Stay safe!” he said before running down the stairs. You watched all the students left over from today's class leave out the door one by one before you gathered your things and walked down to the exit.
You notice one person standing outside the greenhouse beside a painting of a tree. She gazes at you before making a gesture to come over to her with her hands. You follow the directions, and she hands you a slip of paper: “You have a meeting with the Head Master, please don't be late.
You rush away, not saying a word to her, worried about your upcoming meeting.
/// pov: Freya September 17, 1087 Royal Cabins
Freya stood in her room at the Royal Canin after a long kart ride beside Charlotte. She looked down at the fireplace before squatting ? in front of it and placing her hand inside. She felt the flames' emotions dance along her hand; its heart was beating proudly of being alive in this moment.
“I know you are here, witch, show yourself,” Freya said, still staring down at the fire.
A shadowed claw revealed itself, crawling into the center of the room from underneath a potted plant. Shadowed, like smoke, started to fill the room, manifesting her physical form.
“Now, this is a surprise. Usually, you are plotting and scheming a way to stop Charlotte from finding the orb before you.” The witch said with a mocking smile.
Freya continued to play with the flame, not looking back, which made the Witch look down at her, confused.
“What did you mean by 'this is my last chance'?” Freya muttered.
The witch laughed. It’s exactly what you think. After this time, you can't use the power of Divination to reset everything. This world is not like the others, as you saw with the RiftKing?” She continued as she glanced into the corner of the room to see Akrelus leaning against the wall.
“I mean, look at your weapon, your clothes, your status.” She taunted.
Freya grabbed the fire as she stood up, it blazed with her rage as she balled her hand into a fist; “Was the Rift King your doing? Tell me right now!” She demanded.
The witch stayed calm with the same smile, “My dear Arrow, now why would I do such a thing to his majesty? Have you ever considered what has even happened? Charlotte is now the Head of the Royal Knights. She lived her life, danced her dances, and you danced hers. Meaning your father was not there to slay abnormalities.”
Freya scrunched up her face, annoyed at the response, “Wouldn't Charlotte's mother have taken my father's place ? since she was the Royal Head Knight?” she asked.
The Witch approached closer, looming over Freya, her orange eyes piercing into her soul, “Your father was in charge of killing Rifts, you were molded to do the same, and if you were paying attention, no one here knows how to deal with Rifts, or has ever seen one. Your father died killing the Rift's abnormalities. Do you remember the last one he fought that you had to finish off?”
Freya stared back, “The last of it crawled back into the mountains; it was a severed arm dragging itself into a giant portal. That's where I saw his cape torn to pieces on the ground. That severed arm, was it the rest of the no, it can't be.”
"An abnormality that would become the RiftKing." The only things illuminating the room were her eyes and the flames in Freya's hand.”
“At the end of this arrow, do you think saving your dove is possible?” The witch said before her eyes slowly disappeared into the dark.
Freya stood in the dark until the fire she held tightly dimmed into nothing but ash in her palm.
/// pov:????????????????????? Harlif University for Biology and History
You are sitting down in the main office waiting for your meeting to start with Head Master Rochelle Springs, with your nose deep inside the book you have been reading since you arrived in Magiarde. The bear Harlif at the front desk stops typing to call your name.
“She’s ready for you now, oh and if she's rambling to herself, give it a second.” She said, annoyed, before continuing her rhythmic typing.
You walk down a hallway with plants growing out of many flower pots, until you see a portrait of another Harlif, the only other Head Master, the vines from the plants grow around him, not daring to overlap with his picture. You stand in front of the door and brace yourself, and gently knock. You hear her bickering and arguing with someone, and knock again only for the door to creek open. Rochelle cracked the door for you but ignored your existence.
She walked back to her desk, reading a paper with a bunch of charts and numbers. “No, that's not right, the test subject is a frog that produces its own poison through its skin, there's no way it could also conjure the same condition as that girl.” She continued to talk to herself, sitting down.
The bags under her eyes are alarming, as if she hasn’t slept in days, you try to get her attention:
- Excuse me, Head Master Springs? I'm here for our appointment.
- Well, if you’re busy, I will just head out.
Rochelle glanced up at you, but then started writing in her workbook.
You try to get her attention, “I’m the student from Lenora, the one you personally scouted.”
She stops muttering and writing and glances at you again, this time with her utmost attention.
“Oh yes, you are the orphan from Lenora with the impressive test results. I hope you are keeping your end of the deal for your education, yes?” She asked, closing her notebook.
“Yes, I just got to part eight, and it's very intriguing, this story, it's like it was real,” you reply.
Rochelle leaned over to grab some papers that were sitting under a dragon figure. She then flipped through until she spotted your name in bold letters.
“When I asked about your background from the mother of the orphanage, she said that your family had a connection to the place called Kazfel. Do you know anything about it?” She asked as she grabbed a red pen, ready to write your answers.
You shake your head, “no I have not, my parents died when I was a toddler, so I never got to hear stories..”
Rochelle looked up and nodded; “I'm sorry, but I will tell you that book is probably the only connection you will have with your family,” she said sincerely.
Rochelle stood up and walked to her bookshelf; “Kazfel is a region that is now considered off the map, an ancient city lost in time, but the thing is it still exists. We know this because of the ongoing expeditions and hidden knowledge. People fled Kazfel before a catastrophe; I met an older person years ago who told me it was considered the day the stars fell, and once they left the borders, they could not return, as if there was a dome over the ancient region. Before he could help me with my research and with the book, he passed on. Which is why I scouted you and gave it to the mother of the orphanage. I was surprised to find out you were also very intelligent. At first, I was going to just have you come here as a lower student, but I couldn’t let such potential go by. So, as a way for you to pay for the higher expenses I can't cover for you. You will work it off by reading and jotting down anything useful, and it will go towards the bill. I can’t read what is contained inside because ?the writing is in an ancient text, which only people with Kazfelean blood can read. With your help, this could be our chance to find out what happened,” she said before grabbing a giant notebook.
Your choice:
- Why do you really want to find Kazfel?
- Why are you curious about Kazfel?
Rochelle hands you the thick Notebook of empty line paper, “You were in my class today I talked about how plants hold many desires for medicinal practices, and if there are plants behind those borders, I just might find what I'm looking for.” She said before looking at the picture of a male Harlif standing with her, a precious memory lost in time.
“Now, do you have any concerns or questions?” she asked.
“Yes, after reading for some time, I hear a voice ringing in my head communicating to me, and sometimes I get sick and vomit stuff, not to mention the horrors it does.” You said with a shaky voice.
Rochelle stepped back with concern, “What, Are you okay? Do you need me to evaluate you? And what horrors?” She asked, concerned, as she panicked rummaging through her pockets.
You sit up straight, and wave your hands to reassure her, No. I'm okay right now, as for the horrors sometimes the book will create things, I don't know if they're illusions but it is as if it was adding more to the story, or I will feel pain from reading a certain word.”
Rochelle stopped panicking and looked at you with a look of confusion, “I will need you to try to remember everything you have seen or read that is important until now, and I will also give you my personal number so you can contact me if you feel ill. As another precaution, I will have someone check on you from time to time.”
You respond with a nod and a silent “ok”
Rochelle opened the book and wrote her number along the front page, “I'm sorry if I seem like I'm doing much, but I am in charge of you until the mother of the orphanage signs your papers.”
“My, what?” you ask
She smiles at you, “I would love to stay and chat longer, but I have another meeting about this damn cure for a poisoned frog, I will see you later for class, oh and call me if something is wrong. Not just to say hi”
Rochelle picks up her papers from before and heads out the door, you glance back at the picture and realize the man in the photo is the same as the one in the hallway.