Risebelle’s eyes locked onto Alan’s battered body. He was slumped against a tree gasping for breath. His extreme magic dissapeared and left his body covered in cuts and blood.

  Roselle stepped forward instinctively, but her pace slowed when she saw the staggering condition Alan was in. “There’s… just no way…”

  “That damn near killed me,” Alan grunted. “I had to use every last morsel of fire magic I had. And even then, I could barely launch myself this far.” His gaze flickered toward Risebelle and Roselle. “This is humiliating. Couldn’t beat you, couldn’t even blow myself up properly. By now, I should be dead. I’m lucky.”

  “You’re not lucky,” Risebelle muttered while moving towards him. She summoned her medium-sized cannon to her hands but before she could fire it, a violent tremor shot through her arms, and she stumbled slightly. Her vision blurred for a moment.

  Alan wiped the blood from his lips. “Looks like you got can’t even finish the job now.” He managed to push himself up from the tree, leaning against it for support. He then spoke with grimace. “How about a truce? We’ve both given more than we could handle. You’ve beaten me—fair and square—so how about we call it a day? I’ll leave, and you don’t have to finish me off.”

  Risebelle’s eyes narrowed as pure rage boiled beneath her skin. “No way in hell. Roselle, finish him off.”

  “Wait, Risebelle,” Roselle said while holding up a hand. “Let’s hear him out first.”

  “Are you serious?” Risebelle snapped. “After everything he’s done? He’s practically begging for a quick death now, and you want to listen to him? This could be a trap.”

  Alan chuckled weakly. “What, you think I’m gonna pull some other ridiculous magic trick out of my ass?” He coughed violently and winced at the pain. “Nah. I’m not that stupid. I’m done.”

  “I hate humans," Risebelle spoke with venom while staggering towards Alan. "Everything about you. The destruction, the lies, the way you think you can just… burn everything down and walk away. You're one of them. A coward pretending you have some sense of honor."

  Alan’s lips twitched into a bitter smile. He watched her struggle toward him and could see the flames of fury in her eyes. Despite the intense pain and weariness in his body, let out a dry chuckle. "You really hate us, don’t you? But listen… I’ll be honest with you..."

  Risebelle’s face twisted in disgust. "Spare me the long speech. Just tell me why I shouldn’t blow your brains out."

  Alan pushed himself up further. “In the first place, I never intended to destroy you. Hell, I was holding back. When I used my fire cage, that wasn’t all of it. That was just a test. I wanted to see what you were all about.”

  Risebelle's eyes widened. “You held back? Even after we took out your squad?”

  Alan sighed heavily and let out a weak laugh. "Yeah. That was a loss, but you got to expect a few losses in a war. That’s on me. But even so… I didn’t want to destroy you. I wanted to see what you were made of, what you were all about.”

  Alan winced. “By the way, that last move? It was a bluff. I just wanted to see your reactions. What would you do if I tried to go out with a bang?”

  The sisters stared at him for a moment. Then, all at once, they spoke in unison. "Idiot."

  Alan flinched. That burned hotter than any fireball ever could. Despite his exhaustion, a small pained smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “I figured that was coming...”

  Risebelle exhaled sharply. "You know what? “She turned toward their youngest sister and raised a lazy hand.

  "Runebelle… finish him."

  Runebelle blinked in mild surprise, but then she caught a second hand motion from Risebelle and nodded. With her usual gloomy look, she raised her small cannon and fired a shot without hesitation.

  Alan managed to twist his body. The shot exploded into a small, unimpressive burst of energy against the tree behind him.

  "Come on…" Alan wheezed. "Don’t make me move around now... I'm already dying here..."

  The sisters looked at each other. Then, Runebelle fired again.

  Alan groaned and sidestepped it with visible effort. “Really?”

  Pause. Silence.

  Then another shot.

  Alan, barely twisted out of the way. "You're just messing with me now, aren’t you?"

  Roselle put her hands on her hips and giggled. "It is kinda fun to watch, though."

  Risebelle smirked slightly. “Who knew watching anElite Mage scramble for his life could be so entertaining?"

  Alan shook his head. "Fine. If you wanna play that way…” His lips curled into a strained grin. Then, he uttered,

  “Bad girls don’t get information on the Headmaster.”

  Risebelle’s smirk vanished. Roselle’s playful look faltered. Runebelle slowly lowered her cannon.

  Alan let out a weak chuckle. "Oh? That got your attention, huh?"

  Risebelle’s eyes narrowed dangerously. She took a step closer. “What do you know?”

  Alan smirked. “First, you gotta agree to a truce. Even if it’s just temporary. You don’t kill me, I don’t burn you. Next time we meet, we can try to kill each other again if you want.”

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  The idea of letting him go after everything made Risebelle’s skin crawl, but she thought about it—about what little they knew of the Headmaster and the overwhelming power she held. Walking into that final battle blind was the same as asking to be erased.

  Risebelle exhaled slowly. “Fine. Truce.”

  Alan let out a breath with his usual nonchalant smirk appearing. “See? Was that so hard?”

  Risebelle’s eyes darkened. “Talk. Now.”

  Alan rubbed the back of his neck. “Alright, listen up. Ever felt like your body was being crushed just by standing near someone stronger than you?” He glanced at Roselle, Risebelle, and Runebelle. “That’s called pressurized release. It happens when someone forces their magic outward in a spread from their body. The stronger they are compared to you, the worse you feel.”

  Roselle blinked. “Wait… so it’s like when someone’s presence alone makes you feel sick?”

  “Exactly,” Alan confirmed. “Your magic and body have to resist it, and if the difference in power is too high, you’ll feel everything from dizziness to outright paralysis.”

  Risebelle scowled. “Tch. I’ve felt that before, but never knew what the hell it was.” She shot a glance at Roselle, who frowned.

  Alan nodded. “Yeah, you’ve both been hit by it before, but you didn’t know what was happening. But here’s the thing—” His tone grew more serious. “—the Headmaster? She doesn’t just have that. She’s got a psychic ability that boosts it’s potency tenfold.”

  Roselle’s stomach twisted. “Tenfold?”

  Alan sighed. “She doesn’t just press down on you with raw power. She invades your mind. If she focuses on you, you’ll start seeing things—your worst fears, past memories, even fake images she wants you to believe are real..”

  A tense silence followed. Runebelle looked down and placed her small hands together.

  “That’s why,” Alan continued, “if you go to face her unprepared, you’re dead.”

  Alan exhaled slowly. “I’ll admit, I was mostly all for helping the Headmaster. She’s got power, control… but you know what I didn’t like? The idea of just killing off anyone who had little to no magic.”

  Roselle and Risebelle exchanged glances.

  “Where’s the fun in that?” Alan continued. “Just so you know, the scientists weren’t the only ones on the chopping block. Mages who didn’t ‘make the cut’ were lined up, too.” He turned slightly. “I tried to save as many as I could, but…” He shrugged. “Well, you can probably guess how that turned out.”

  Silence.

  Then Alan turned fully and began to walk away. “Anyway, good luck with your little ‘mission,’” he called back with a lazy wave.

  Risebelle’s eye twitched. “Wait a minute. That’s it? You’re just leaving?”

  Alan kept walking. “Yep.”

  “Just like that?”

  He lifted a hand and flicked it dismissively. “Later.”

  And with that, he disappeared into the misty air, leaving the sisters standing there.

  Risebelle let out a low chuckle, shaking her head. “That guy’s something else…”

  Before she could say anything more, she felt a presence beside her. Slowly, she turned her head—only to find Roselle staring up at her.

  That unmistakable, starry-eyed smile that spread across Roselle’s face….

  Oh no. She knew that look.

  “…What.” Risebelle deadpanned.

  Roselle beamed. “Alan will be your first human friend!”

  Risebelle’s face turned a shade of red she definitely didn’t approve of. “Oh, hell no!” she barked. “You can’t just decide that for me!”

  “Oh, come on.” Roselle pouted. “You know you find Alan cool.”

  “Alan is an idiot of a human,” Risebelle shot back. “That’s all he is. He’s not gonna be our friend.”

  Roselle tilted her head. For just a second—just a second—she caught the slightest hesitation in Risebelle’s posture, but rather than push, she let it go with a giggle.

  “Alright, alright,” Roselle said while holding up her arms. “He’s not your friend…for now.”

  The sisters arrived at Dr. Kintovar’s tanks—untouched, pristine as if the battlefield hadn’t just been a war zone.

  Roselle whistled. “It’s amazing how these tanks survived all of those explosions and everything. Dr. Kintovar made them out of some really good stuff!”

  She turned to Runebelle and scooped her up.

  “Sweet dreams!” she chirped while gently placing Runebelle inside the tank.

  Runebelle hadn’t even realized when her feet had left the ground, but as soon as she felt the comforting stillness of the tank, her body instinctively relaxed. She let out a soft breath and closed her eyes.

  Roselle dusted off her hands and turned to Risebelle.

  “Alright, your turn!” she said brightly before reaching for her.

  Risebelle immediately tensed. “Aw, hell no.”

  Risebelle swatted her hands away and stubbornly took a step back—only for her legs to nearly give out beneath her. She caught herself just in time, but the strain showed in the way her body trembled.

  “I can walk just fine, thank you,” she huffed.

  Roselle frowned. “I was just trying to help. You have the lowest life force out of all of us, y’know.”

  Risebelle shot her a glare, but it lacked its usual fire.. Roselle knew she was Risebelle, the stubborn older sister and that meant she was gonna walk into that tank with her own two feet, no matter how much it hurt.

  “…Just open the damn thing,” she muttered.

  Roselle opened the tank. She turned back to Risebelle with a cheeky grin.

  “You know, one of these days, I’m gonna hug you and put you in there myself,” she said.

  Risebelle let out a tired scoff while stepping into the tank. “Keep dreaming,” she muttered before leaning back and allowing the rest state to take hold.

  Satisfied, Roselle stretched her arms over her head and let out a yawn. “Welp, that just leaves me.”

  With that, she hopped into her own tank. A deep, cool sensation pulled her into much-needed rest.

  As Risebelle drifted into sleep, a voice unexpectedly echoed in her mind gently. "Project Z.A.B, do you truly wish to remain in the dark about humanity? Hatred is a powerful emotion, but if you use it incorrectly, you will be blind to the complexities of the world. Knowledge, on the other hand, can provide enlightenment onto your hatred.”

  Risebelle thought within her mind. "I know enough. Humans are the scum of the earth—that's all I need to know."

  The voice remained gentle. "Your memories are fragmented, and your understanding is limited. Hating humanity based on incomplete knowledge is a choice. But there is also a choice to seek the truth—to fill the gaps in your memories and to make informed decisions."

  Risebelle scoffed. "Truth? What truth? That humans destroy everything they touch? That they lie, cheat, and betray? I've seen enough of their kind to know what they are."

  "Have you? Or have you only seen fragments, twisted by the lens of pain?"

  Risebelle's fingers twitched at her sides. Something about the way it spoke unsettled her. It felt like a needle was slipping through the cracks in her armor.

  The voice within Risebelle's mind persisted and now spoke with a sense of urgency. "Project Z.A.B, there is another fragment of your memory that has been found that may shed light on your past and your understanding of humanity. Will you choose to remain in the dark, or will you dare to seek the truth?"

  Risebelle spoke curiously. "What do you know about this fragment? If it's another one of those memories that result in nothing but pain and suffering, I’m not interested."

  "This fragment holds friendship."

  Risebelle let out a humorless laugh. "Of course it does. Let me guess—Another sick joke where I get to remember something sweet before it all crumbles into the usual betrayal by someone I love?"

  The voice responded, “It is a piece of your past—a past where you had friends, where you formed bonds. It is a glimpse into relationships that may help you understand what led you to this moment. The truth is rarely as simple as one perspective."

  The idea of ‘friendship’ felt like a word from a language Risebelle had long forgotten. Friends. Had she ever 'truly' had those? And if she had, where were they now?

  "Show me," she said with slight defiance. "If this fragment is so important, then show me what I lost."

  A warmth bloomed in the back of her mind. It was a sensation that felt utterly alien in contrast to the cold void she was currently in now. The world around her blurred as something new—something old—began to surface.

  (Next time: Fragment Memories: Risebelle)

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