Skylar walked up the staircase leading back into the Townsquare, she glanced to her left and saw Striga conversing with Delish.

  Delish put a hand to his chin frowning, “Even so, this all happened so fast… And with such perfect execution, it’s not unreasonable to assume that someone was pulling the strings.”

  Striga nodded in agreement, “Be that as it may, I have it under good authority that Skylar wasn’t the one behind this mess of events.”

  Delish narrowed his gaze, “Good authority? I’d advise you to remember that personal feelings are a second priority when it comes to your position.” he then folded his own arms, “More importantly, you and Detion, you're scheming something aren’t you? The way you acted in the room, was off, as were his responses.” Delish stated without much hesitation.

  Striga frowned at that but folded her arms, “I’ve been working long enough to understand that… As for your accusation… I haven’t the foggiest idea what you're referring to.” she then glanced to her left and saw Skylar standing there, “Ah, speak of the devil, anyone ever tell you that you have strangely perfect timing?” Striga questioned as she started to walk up to Skylar leaving Delish alone without a second thought.

  Skylar folded her arms, “So that’s why you were acting so strange earlier…”

  Striga put a hand on the back of her head, glancing to the side nervously, “Yeah… Sorry bout that, couldn’t be too careful you know?”

  Skylar nodded before looking to the broken wooden platforms that littered the ground, “...I’m not sure I should have agreed to this fight.” she muttered, “I hardly had control of myself during the fight with Midus. If he didn’t leave when he did… I don’t even want to think about what I would have done.” Skylar looked down at her hands and clenched them into fists.

  Striga frowned at that but turned to look to the sky, “...This is hardly the place to talk, if you have a moment, wanna head back to my bar with me?”

  Delish narrowed his gaze and walked up then his eyes fell upon the golden gauntlet that Skylar now wore a scowl appeared on his face before he looked back to Striga, “Don’t think you can escape my questions so easily, we will speak later.” with that he started to walk off back to his estate.

  Skylar folded her arms and arched a brow, “He seems… nice?” she trailed off at the last word.

  Striga sighed, shaking her head, “Sorry, he’s a bit tense at the moment, can’t say I blame him considering we're going to war…” Striga then blinked looking at Skylar, “Ah, but enough of that for now. Come along.” Striga then started making her way back to the bar with Skylar close behind her.

  Chapter 5: The Screams Of Blood.

  “You sure you want this by the way? I know I was the one who brought up your name in there, but frankly, if you want out I wouldn’t blame you… you're still a kid after all.” Striga asked the question as she walked behind the bar counter and started preparing drinks.

  Skylar folded her own arms, “What? You think because I’m a kid I can’t handle this?” Skylar said with a frown.

  Striga paused at that, looking over her shoulder for a moment before looking back to the drinks in question and with a small sigh spoke,

  “I’m not doubting your skills, Skylar. I’m not that foolish, but I’m worried about you from a mental standpoint… War is where the darkest parts of humanity come out. And if you come out the same person you were before… well, I’d call you a liar.” Striga frowned bitterly, “Just… think it over, okay? No one would blame you for wanting to leave.”

  Skylar’s mouth opened to let out a retort but she stopped before the words could even leave her lips instead of looking to the counter and closing her eyes, “I’ve already changed a lot in the past year… And I can’t honestly say it’s all been for the better, but even so.”

  A memory of Tetra flashed through Skylar’s head, a memory of his smile, and she grits her teeth clenching her fists, “I can’t just stay back here and do nothing. I’d rather die than let that happen.” Skylar’s eyes widened when a glass was set in front of her.

  Striga smiled at Skylar and leaned forward, “Then drink well, eat well, and live life to its fullest, with the people who you care for the most. Do that and make sure your life is something that people can talk about.” Striga declared with a smile.

  Skylar looked down to the glass, and reached forward, “...3 years.” She uttered the words as she reached up taking a sip from that glass, “3 more years, and then I’ll be gone from this world.” she spoke as she slammed the glass down onto the table, Striga paused at that staring at Skylar.

  “You say ‘live well.’ but how can I do that, when every moment of my life is spent afraid of the moment… That single moment where I know I’ll die?” Skylar grit her teeth and raised her left hand. It was shaking, “I fight and fight and fight because it’s the only thing that can get my mind away from that feeling…” Her hand clenched into a fist and she looked up at Striga, “You can give me advice, you can tell me how best to wield my strength, but don’t you EVER tell me to live well.”

  Striga stood there in shock at Skylar’s sudden outburst, she then looked to the ground, “I-I’m sorry I didn’t know…”

  Skylar blinked and then glanced to the side before grabbing her glass and downing the whole thing before leaning forward and resting her hand on her arms, “...Sorry…” Skylar frowned as she let go of the glass, “I’m just… tired I guess. I have a lot on my mind, and no way to put it into words.”

  Striga paused before downing her own glass, she then looked to the empty contents, “I may not be the best with words… but if you do have the time, I’m here to listen Skylar.”

  Skylar blinked, then looking up to Striga’s eyes, there was something about them, kindness and honesty the two things Skylar had rarely seen in another warrior.

  She wanted desperately to put her trust in Striga, to tell her what her heart desired most, but.

  But she couldn’t, not when she herself could hardly understand what was going through her head, Skylar instead bit down on her lip and slowly turned away, “I’m sorry.”

  Striga frowned then but nodded slowly, “I suppose that is only to be expected…”

  Skylar blinked looking at the door, she saw a version of herself smiling wickedly at her, it spoke only 2 words, “More blood.”

  As soon as it appeared this person vanished, and in that moment Skylar looked back to her glass, “I…” information darted around in her head, she had to help these people, her morals wouldn’t allow otherwise.

  But she also needed to ensure that she was in a healthy state, she couldn’t go to the Kingdom, nor any of the doctors in Jubilee.

  After all, she was a very unique case, “...Shit…” she uttered the curse as she narrowed her options down.

  Striga of course arched a curious brow, tilting her head to the side, “Something the matter?”

  Skylar reached up and scratched her head, “...I’m going to have to head to Pand?monium.” she wasn’t too pleased by the idea, she didn’t exactly have a lot of fond memories of the place.

  And… she never did tell Julieta what happened to Tetra.

  This however did little to clear up Striga’s confusion, “Pand?monium? Why there?”

  Skylar glanced away from the door and traced her finger around the edge of the glass in front of her, “...Ever since I fought Midus, I’ve been… seeing things, not nice things. Like, blood guts and the like.” Skylar then narrowed her gaze, “There’s also a voice, one that I’m not particularly fond of.” She then blinked.

  -No come to think of it, this voice has been around longer. It was mostly quiet but there was one other time…

  When was it?

  Skylar racked her brain for the answer, and then it came to her, “Pride…”

  It was her clash with Pride that this whole thing started, some sort of bloodlust welling up within her.

  She had always been quick to violence, but even this was a bit much.

  Hallucinations are quite a sign that something was wrong.

  “To make a long story short, I need to go there. I can’t explain anything beyond that.” Skylar explained.

  Striga let out a long sigh, before looking upwards and folding her arms.

  “...I understand your need to go there, but the trip will take about 3 days tops in one of the metal airships. And 3 days back. The distance between Jubilee and Pand?monium is the entire cloudsea… To be frank, you’d be cutting it close. REALLY close, there’s a chance the battle will already result in flames by the time you arrive.” Striga explained, it was harsh but it was also the facts.

  Skylar, then looked to the table with a frown, “...But the storm isn’t here anymore. Isn’t it possible to make improvements to the metal airships?”

  “That’s-” Striga paused before blinking, she then cupped her chin with her hand “Hm, hold on a second you… might be onto something there.” She smirked, “Just wait here a second, I’m going to grab someone who might be able to help with that.”

  Striga then quickly ran out from behind the counter and through the door, leaving Skylar alone, “...Well that was something.”

  “I can never get a read on that girl.”

  So Alma spoke, and Skylar nodded in agreement, “Every time I think I’m getting close she does something to catch me off guard.”

  “There is something else about her though, something unnatural.”

  Skylar arched a brow at that, “You think she’s a god?” Skylar had considered the possibility herself, but…

  “No, it’s not that… it’s something else, something I can’t quite figure out.”

  Skylar’s brows arched upward at that, “Something that has even you stumped? Now there’s a rarity.” Skylar then turned her gaze to the door as it opened up, she half expected Striga to walk through the door once more.

  Only for her to immediately tense up as a man walked in, not just any man though, A High Executioner.

  She recognized this man, it was the same one who came to pull Striga away the last time she was in this bar.

  Skylar gulped, but worked up the courage to speak to this man, “Striga isn’t here right now…”

  “I’m aware.” The man declared walking forward without hesitation, he then sat down on the stool beside Skylar, “I’m here to speak with you.”

  Skylar arched a brow at that, not hiding her surprise, “...What about?” Of course, she erred on the side of caution; her blood was both human and god after all.

  The man looked at Skylar and then closed his eyes, “Tell me, why do you fight?”

  Skylar’s eyes widened at the question, “Why?” She looked at the glass on the counter, and memories of her island flashed through her head.

  Followed by Leo, then Tetra, and The Kingdom as a whole, “...I suppose it’s to prevent tragedies. A little silly now that I think of it, going to war is bound to cause more tragedy.” she then reached out to that glass picking it up and examining it, “...I guess, I’m just selfish, I can’t help everyone, and to get to those who’d hurt the most people… I have to kill a lot of others.”

  The man let out a hum, before holding out his hand, “My name is Dion, a pleasure to meet you miss…”

  “Skylar.” Skylar accepted the handshake as she set her glass down, “Skylar Shadewalker.”

  “Skylar? Not Valery.” Dion arched his brow surprised.

  “Oh come on, that name hasn’t fooled anyone since I got here.” Skylar sighed, removing her hand, and putting it on her hip, “But… is that really all you came here to ask?”

  “Of course not.” Dion then looked to the bottles, “If anything, I find myself tempted to appoint you to a High Executioner status.”

  “Well, I’d have to politely decline if you did.” Skylar responds with a frown, “Sure being an Executioner has benefits but it just doesn't suit my interests, I want to kill both gods and humans… I just want to protect this world.”

  “And your own life? Is it a factor in what you wish to protect?” Dion questioned locking eyes with Skylar suddenly.

  Skylar’s eyes darkened at the question, “Why would I factor in something with no value?”

  “That’s simple really.” Dion retorted with a sly smirk, “That which has no value in your eyes, holds intrinsically and indescribable value in the eyes of those you’d call your allies.” Dion then stood from his chair and began to walk to the door, “Regardless, I’ve done what I’ve came here to do, I’ve taken your measure, and I can say this with certainty,” he stopped at the door before looking over his shoulder, “Should you stray from the path of righteousness, I’ll be the one to kill you Miss Skylar Shadewalker.”

  Skylar raised a glass leaning forward, “Your welcome to try,” she then poured another bottle into her glass, “Just know when you're on the other end of my blade, you're the one who asked for it.” she smirked, taking a swig of her drink.

  Dion let out a chuckle as he left the building.

  High Executioner.

  She half expected that man to bear his steel then and there, but she’s admittedly glad he didn’t despite her boast she wasn’t sure she’d be able to beat that man in a fight in her current state.

  Skylar then looked down at the gauntlet on her hand, “...What is it that causes them to trust me so?” she found herself questioning this with a frown.

  Try as she may, she simply couldn’t think of an answer.

  Skylar’s brow twitched when the door to this place swung open, Striga came through with a beaming smile with what seemed to be a young man being dragged by his left ear, a pencil was tucked away firmly behind his right ear, “Ow ow ow ow! Striga please, you're gonna tear my ear off!” he shouted as he was dragged into the building.

  He was practically thrown onto the chair beside Skylar, he tumbled forward, and Striga went behind the counter without missing a beat.

  This young man was wearing a set of goggles upon his black hair, a black jacket adorned his torso, his shirt was white with several black spots, and his hazel eyes glanced over to Skylar, “Er, hello.” The man muttered, before glaring at Striga, “Did you really have to drag me over here!”

  Striga poured another glass of her drink of choice smirking, “Of course I did. Well, okay maybe I

  didn’t…” Striga smiled playfully, “Just stick around Jack, trust me you're going to love this.”

  Jack sighed leaning forward onto the desk, “...Alright then. So long as the drinks are on you.”

  Striga smiled softly, “Of course, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  She then grabbed an additional glass for Jack, before pushing it across the table.

  Jack reached out for the glass and began to take a drink from it.

  As he did so Striga spoke up once more, “Skylar here mentioned the idea of upgrading our airships, particularly with improved mobility since the storms are no longer an issue.”

  Jack paused at that, setting his glass down, he then let out a hum.

  “...Well it’s certainly not impossible, we have already experimented with the idea of thrusters and the sorts in the past, and with the storm gone it’s certainly more feasible…” Jack then looked to his glass, “The main issue of course is the way we connect the thrusters to the ship, even without the storm, the speed of the ship always seems to dislodge them.”

  Skylar arched her brow, “Wait, how do you even connect them?”

  “Oh, we melt a hole into the back of the ship, and connect it that way,” Jack said with a smile.

  Skylar blinked and shook her head, “I don’t know why I was expecting better.”

  Striga shrugged, “Heat’s actually the only way we can make additions to the old models of our airships, most other elements immediately trigger a shutdown system, this is to protect our ships from gods, and the occasional lightning strike from the storm.”

  “Thank the divinity’s for the Blank Crystals.” Jack muttered, “So many lighting-related deaths would have happened if it wasn’t for those things…”

  Skylar nodded in understanding.

  Blank crystals.

  Or white crystals, a crystal with no elemental energy within it, it can be filled up with any element so long as it’s channeled into the Blank Crystal.

  In the case of airships, a Blank is always on a special container, and when the ship is struck. The electricity is always drawn to the Blank Crystal.

  Granted Skylar hasn’t seen it in action herself, but she recalled a brief lesson on it.

  …

  Wait a second.

  Skylar then blinked an idea coming into her head, “Wouldn’t it be possible to connect the thruster through a different means?”

  Jack chuckled, folding his arms, “If you have an idea, I’d love to hear it.”

  Skylar then stood up, “We already use the Blanks to keep Lighting from killing anyone within the ships…” Skylar then put a hand on her glass, “...I think… We could use blanks, for a similar method. In order to keep the thrusters in place.”

  Jack blinked at that, before leaning backward in his chair, “And what kind of magic would be able to do that? Lighting? No, that wouldn’t work there’d be no way to contain the spread, fire would just melt a hole through the ship. And Ice? Plasubal, if you want to freeze to death yourself.”

  Skylar closed her eyes before extending her right hand, “...I was thinking something like this.” To her left the wind began to shift and crackle before a hand began to appear, not just any hand, a draconic hand, it mirrored the movements of Skylar’s left hand.

  Jack’s eyes widened at the sight, “...Eight hells below… Draconic Magic… That’s… impossible.”

  Striga watched with interest, “So you would think…” She then smiled widely, “Go on then Skylar we’re listening.”

  Skylar then smiled in response, she moved her left hand and had the draconic hand pick up a nearby cup, “Now the plan I have isn’t foolproof, but these hands don’t require much mana… I could keep at this for days and still have mana in reserve for a tough fight. And more importantly, the grip strength on the hands is…” she closed her hand around the glass and it began to crack before shattering, “quite good.”

  Striga frowned, “...That was one of my good glasses.” she pouted.

  And Jack cupped his chin in thought, “You would hold the thrusters in place, from within the ship, keeping them from getting dislodged…” Jack narrowed his gaze, “A fine plan, but should you falter for even a second then you’d create an air vacuum… And all hell would break loose.”

  Skylar frowned at that, she was confident in her abilities that much was true, but to go on for such a trip without a single twitch.

  No, she wouldn’t be able to do that.

  Skylar let out a sigh and dropped back into her chair, with a look of dejection as the draconic arm vanished from the air.

  “If only there was some way to stick these things to the ship…” she muttered, “Like a magnet.”

  Jack blinked at that comment, “Like a magnet… Wait…”

  Striga arched a brow, “Eh? Wait a minute, you don’t mean to tell me…”

  “A MAGNETIC CONTAINER FOR THE FIRE CRYSTAL OF COURSE!” Jack suddenly shouted, “It’s so obvious, so simple! But it’d work!”

  Striga winced at the idea, “And you're certain it won’t get pulled apart at the speed of the airship?”

  “It’s still a distinct possibility, yes, but it’s far less likely with this design I have in mind.” He reached for the pencil on his ear and motioned for Striga to pass him a paper.

  Striga did as she was asked, and immediately Jack began to scribble away, “The thruster itself uses a cluster of fire crystals for a boost in speed. For this, we need a cylinder of a certain metal, particularly one covered in an alloy that can handle that kind of intense heat.” Jack explained as he drew the cylinder in question on the paper, it was a simple design, a crystal in the center, and two open holes on the front and back, “Now of course, we’re already going to burn two holes into the back of the airship, this is where the magnets come into play.”

  He drew out a spherical circle, “We’d put this onto one side of the cylinder, attaching it to the inside of the ship and creating a seal… of course, there’s no guarantee that it won’t jostle loose, so Skylar would need to keep them in place with the Draconic arms.”

  “B-But wait didn’t we just say that was problematic?” Skylar questioned.

  Jack nodded, “If it was just the cylinder it would be, but the spears here would make it so that a slight twitch or the like wouldn’t result in instant death, you’d just need to ensure it doesn't fall all the way out… That’s not to say it’s completely safe, but it’d work.”

  Skylar looked at the paper in question and looked at it with an arched brow, “Yeah, I think it could…”

  Striga then folded her arms, “So are you going to use the Blank to have your magic run automatically, Skylar?” Striga questioned.

  Skylar blinked, “Er, well no. It requires commands from the original user to function, it’s more so me wanting to test if Draconic magic can even be thrown into a crystal.”

  Striga then let out a hum, “Well then there is still one major problem.”

  “Huh?” Skylar arched her brow.

  Striga pointed to Skylar, “If you're busy holding the thrusters in place, then who’s gonna steer the ship?”

  Silence overfell the room.

  Jack’s pencil snapped on the paper, and both Jack and Skylar let out groans as they slammed their heads onto the table.

  “So fucking close, and then another roadblock…” Skylar growled, that was the problem with her entering the place under an alias, she had few people she could bring with her.

  Nobody she knew would be available.

  Striga looked to Skylar and sighed, “Very well, I suppose I can come along.”

  Jack looked up, “Eh!? What are you talking about, aren’t you supposed to oversee the duties of the soldiers?”

  Striga shrugged, “My beloved can see to that task, something tells me he’d try to do it anyway.”

  Jack glanced to the side, “Why do I get the feeling that I’m going to be the one getting in trouble for this…”

  Skylar looked to the ceiling, “...This plan is still kinda stupid isn’t it.”

  “You're asking me to rig up a thruster, in essentially thirty minutes, be glad it isn’t more dangerous,” Jack responded with a hiss, clearly annoyed just by the prospect of such a thing.

  Striga turned to look at Jack, and put a hand on her hip, “I trust you can get started on the preparations right away?”

  Jack looked at his glass before taking a swig, “Sure, shouldn’t be an issue.” He set the glass down and then got up from his chair, he then blinked and looked to Skylar, “...But I have a condition, in exchange for this, I’d like your assistance with a project I’ve been working on. An… Energy sensor of sorts.”

  Skylar arched a brow at that, “Energy sensor?”

  Striga sighed, “It’s been a favorite project of Jack’s for some time now, just oblige him, it’s always quick tests. Literally a minute or two of your time.”

  Jack nodded, smirking, “What’s more, it won’t be this instant, I wouldn’t dare ask for your assistance during war preparations, unlike some people.” Jack glared at Striga, who only smiled innocently in response.

  Jack sighed, turning to the door and he gave a two-fingered wave before walking out of the building.

  Striga then let out a yawn, before stretching, “Guess I’d better grab my things, and inform the necessary people of the plans…” Skylar nodded slowly, before looking down at her glass, “Maybe I should speak with Geralt.”

  “That old geezer?” Striga arched a brow, “Hm, come to think of it… he always did like making odd gear, and yours is… certainly odd.”

  Skylar shrugged at that, “Maybe so, but it perfectly suits me don’t you think?”

  Striga stifled a laugh, “About as well as a bear wearing a dress.” she then cupped her chin, “Actually… considering the way you fight… Yeah, I guess it suits you best in combat.”

  Skylar blinked at that, before frowning, “I’m insulted, but I’m going to choose to take that as a compliment so I don’t break anything else in your bar.”

  “Much appreciated.” Striga responded as she walked out from behind the counter, “Now then since we both have places to be, would you do me a favor and flip the sign on your way out?”

  Skylar nodded standing up from her chair, with a smile.

  This was going to be a long day…

  But something tells her it wouldn’t be a bad one.

  ***

  Midus walked forward, the halls were dark and dearer even on the best of days, they all looked the same as well.

  Making it near impossible to find your way in this place, it was a trap intended to confuse intruders, Midus stopped in place.

  “You lost.”

  Lust’s words still rang in his ears, and he watched as two soldiers walked past him, they didn’t say anything.

  Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  Oh, but Midus knew better, ‘what a washed-up old man’ ‘that’s our commander? How pathetic, losing to a child.’

  He knew that had to be their thoughts, “Lose…?” Midus grit his teeth clenching his hands into fists, he slammed his fist into the right wall with enough force to create cracks in it, he had fought in over 10,000 battles, never losing a single one.

  And then this ignorant child, this worthless girl, claims a victory off him?

  No.

  No, he wouldn’t stand for it, he was Midus, he was The Empire’s finest, and he wouldn’t remain beaten by some girl in swaddling clothes, and a useless twig for a weapon.

  “I’ll kill her…” Midus decided, at last, any semblance of honor had left him.

  Replaced simply by the desire to see Skylar Shadewalker suffer in the worst ways possible.

  She would join in the war to come, of that much Midus was certain…

  The problem then came, how would he ensure that he was the one that’d face off against this child?

  …

  An idea came to mind, it was likely that this girl would find some clever way to challenge him to a duel.

  But if she didn’t.

  If she chose the path of a coward.

  Then he’d simply kill every last person on this island, innocent. Friend. Foe. It mattered not, the girl couldn’t stand senseless bloodshed and she’d be drawn to him like a moth to the flame.

  The glint of insanity began to appear within Midus’s eye, and he smiled wickedly beneath his helmet.

  It was on this day that The Black Wolf would begin to stalk its prey.

  This was going to be a long day.

  But something told him…

  It was going to be the worst one of Skylar Shadewalker’s life.

  And that thought alone filled him with joy.

  ***

  Jenna sat alone in her mansion, she looked at her plate and saw a rare sight, it was empty.

  She could refill it with ease, yet instead, she chose not to do so.

  Not yet at least, instead she took this moment in time to clasp her hands together and place them on the table.

  “Think,” she muttered the words.

  She had to think, events were unfolding in this world in a most destructive path.

  One that if played out wrong, could ruin each and every one of her plans.

  And she wouldn’t stand for that, if worse came to worst she would take to the field herself.

  She closed her eyes.

  “No. Calm down, The Eternal’s have been trying to draw you out ever since the incident you caused at The Kingdom…” she spoke aloud to better sort through her thoughts, she lifted her right hand and placed it upon her head, narrowing her gaze at her own reflection, “The best I can do is watch from a distance… But perhaps, I could give a fully unsuspecting individual a nudge…” Jenna smiled at the thought and opened a nearby pink portal, “It has been some time since we have spoken, I wonder how well she is getting along…” Jenna then began to walk towards her portal, “Dear Julieta.”

  ***

  (Some Time In The Past.)

  “Mommy Mommy! Look at what I can do!” A child with green eyes declared proudly, her silver air flew elegantly through the air, as a small bit of green energy danced around her fingertips, and she sent a gust of wind floating upwards, causing blades of grass to dance along the wind with her power.

  Julieta, still in her youth, looked down with surprise at the young child, “Oh my, you're already growing to be a talented young mage aren’t you Sara.” She made the declaration with a smile showering the child with praise.

  Sara responded with a beaming smile as she sent another pulse of wind magic flying upwards, “Hehehe wind magic is the best!”

  “Oh yes, I’m certain you’d be saying that when you're soaring through the air and a bird decides to take a dump on you.” A young male’s voice interjected, clearly disgruntled as he approached, and of course, if his comment on the matter didn’t give it away, there was currently bird poop atop his head.

  Julietta chuckled at the sight of her disgruntled lover, “I did warn you didn’t I?” she declared with a hand on her hip.

  “You did, and I chose to ignore you.” the man muttered as he walked up to the small cabin to his right, there was a set of water crystals laid out on the side, he reached out and grabbed one, raising it aloft over his head, and activating it causing water to pour out from the bottom and land over his head.

  Pouring down over his face and letting the bird fecal matter drop to the ground, “Daaaad, can’t we play! I wanna play!” Sara pleaded with her horrifyingly accurate impression of big puppy dog eyes.

  The man internally cursed his weakness to adorable puppies as he knelt down and smiled, “Just a second little one, I’ve got to speak with your mother about something important. Why not head out to the fields over there? I’ll join you shortly.”

  Sara pouted of course, but when she saw the look in the man’s eyes she decided it would be best to leave him be for a moment, “Fine… But you better play with me when you're done!” she declared as she ran off towards the fields.

  “Play she says…” The man muttered as he stood to his full height pocketing the water crystal, “And how the hell am I supposed to keep up with that bundle of energy…?” he said with a sigh as he walked over to Julieta.

  She put a hand on her hip, “You're just going to have to figure it out, we did promise to ensure she’d live her life to its fullest didn’t we?” Julieta questioned, before tilting her head to the side smirking mischievously, “Or were you just saying those things to get into my pants Tetra?”

  Tetra rolled his eyes at her remark, “Of course not, I just didn’t think she’d be this energetic… I’m going to throw out my back by the time she becomes a teenager.” Tetra closed his eyes for a moment before looking back to the fields, “...but I do still love her, almost as much as I love you.”

  Julieta frowned at that, “Okay enough with the flirting, the only time you ever get like that is when you're about to deliver some bad news.”

  Tetra folded his arms, “Well… You're not entirely wrong.” he looked over his shoulder back to Julieta, “We received reports. Of a God of particular strength, we aren’t sure where she came from but she exceeds any rating we’ve ever given to a God. Something beyond an S rank…”

  Julieta paused at those words, “That’s… disconcerting…”

  “You're telling me, the issue is… we received 3 different reports all talking about the same god.” Tetra’s gaze turned serious, “In 3 different locations, all located far apart.” the implications there were plain for anyone to see.

  Or at least plain to anyone who was familiar with the strange magics that gods could wield in the first place, beings not bound by the typical elemental laws… it’s part of what made them so hard to combat against.

  Julieta narrowed her gaze, “So what? They’re a teleporter?”

  Tetra shrugged, “That’s the running theory, but…” Tetra put on a scowl, “I came into contact with this god myself… She called herself Jenna, she looked like a kid… A fucking kid, around the same age as our Sara…” Tetra closed his eyes putting a hand on his head, “I almost killed her…”

  Julieta frowned before walking up to Tetra, she wrapped her arms around him pulling him into a hug, though she was shorter she reached up and brushed the back of his head, “...This job has never been easy, not for either of us… Surely you must be tired.”

  Tetra said nothing to that, instead, he looked upwards.

  Julieta took that as a sign to continue, “I know you want to protect this world… And I know it’s to keep your own daughter safe, but this can’t be good for your health…” Julieta looked up looking at Tetra's face, “Please, just… take a few days off, at the very least that’s all I ask.”

  Tetra paused at that, slowly he looked back down to Julieta, and opened his mouth to speak his own response.

  …And then a scream came.

  A scream from the fields, Sara.

  Sara had screamed and immediately the duo broke apart, Tetra began to speak, but his words didn’t reach Julieta, her ears were ringing, her senses distorted, and the fields around her began to distort.

  She looked to her left, and Tetra was gone, the fields of grass that once littered this area died out in an instant.

  And Julieta found herself running, her body moving on its own as she swatted away the corn maze.

  Sara.

  She had to find Sara.

  She had to find her daughter.

  She had to…

  …

  Her legs ground to a stop, there in the center of the fields, blood dropped into the soil, and empty hollow eyes stared down from above.

  A spike made out of ice extended high into the skies, and there atop it, Sara was, the spike had impaled her through the stomach, her jaw was torn off to the side, and blood continued to pour out of her mouth, although it had slowed to a drip.

  Her left eye was missing, and claw marks dotted her face, Julieta stared up at the sight with horrified eyes.

  And in this moment only one thought came into her mind.

  “This is all my fault.”

  (Present Day.)

  Julieta’s eyes snapped wide open and she found herself covered in sweat, she reached up slowly putting her right arm over her head.

  She took a couple of moments just to lay there, breathing in and out.

  In.

  Out.

  Such simple movements allowed one to regain their calm, such simple movements indeed.

  Julieta then slowly removed her arm and sat there for a moment. Bags were under her eyes, it had been some time since she’s ever had a good night’s sleep.

  Perhaps she wasn’t in the best state of health, but she was the only one left that could do this job.

  So she forced herself to sit up, it was going to be a long day.

  ***

  “And that’s the story of how I Geralt! Slew the entire Eastern Empire!” Geralt declared proudly.

  Meanwhile, Skylar stood on the other end of the counter with an arched brow, “...I only asked if you could make sure my blade was in fine condition, why did you go on a ten-minute trade about the Eastern Empire? I didn’t even know there was an Eastern Empire.”

  Geralt’s gaze turned dark as he turned his whole body to the right, “And nobody ever will…” quickly he turned back around and smiled at Skylar, “Now then your blade was it!”

  Skylar slowly reached up her right hand to remove her sword from its sheath, choosing to ignore the implications of what Geralt just said, “I’m starting to see why a lot of people refuse to do business with you.” she commented as she set her sword down upon the counter.

  “Bah, people just understand high-quality work when they see it.” Geralt declared as he began to examine the blade, “Still, I only just gave you the sword, I’m surprised you wanted it inspected so soon.”

  “I’ll be heading out on a trip for a while, not sure how long I’ll be gone… Figured I’d rather be safe than sorry.” Skylar explained as she looked at her sword.

  “That and you're also not sure if you did somehow break it during your little ‘beast’ moment.” Alma added with a smug tone.

  Skylar said nothing to that, not because she was denying it, she just didn’t want to be seen talking to Alma in public.

  That little stunt she pulled by borrowing his Dragon magic earlier was about as far as she could take it without raising too much suspicion.

  Geralt looked over the blade, before reaching down below the counter and pulling out a bottle filled with a silver liquid, “Well, the blade itself looks to be in fine shape, but I can offer this to you. It’s a repair gel, hard to come by, and usually a premium product. But I can offer it to you for 1 gold piece.”

  Skylar arched her brow, “And how much is it normally?”

  “A platinum.” Geralt said with a shrug, “Granted the materials needed to make it are only about… 900 silver? It’s just so dangerous to make this shit, that frankly charging anything less than a platinum would cause outrage.”

  “...Dangerous how?” Skylar put a hand on her hip eyeing the liquid with concern.

  “Eh, beasts love the smell of these things, uncap the lid and if you aren’t in a safe area, every monster within a thousand miles will come running. But it can repair any damaged weapon, no matter how bad the case.” Geralt stated this with confidence as Skylar handed over a gold coin, “It could also work to make a good trap…” Skylar muttered.

  “Heh, that’s why I like you, little miss, you see a super dangerous item and immediately start thinking of ways to twist that danger to your benefit. A natural-born warrior if I’ve ever seen one.” Geralt declared handing over the bottle.

  “Mhmm, and does this substance have a name? Or am I just going to have to call it ‘white and sticky’?” Skylar questioned.

  Geralt put a hand through his beard scratching at it, “Hm, well first off never say those three words ever again. And secondly, it’s official name is, The Devil’s Elixir.”

  “...Fitting.” Skylar decided at last, before pocketing the substance, and grabbing her blade from the counter putting it back into her sheath, “I’ll be seeing you later then.” Skylar turned to leave the building.

  Geralt nodded watching the young girl leave.

  The door shut behind Skylar and she found herself looking down at the city, workers were already running two and fro, soldiers preparing for the battle that would come in the next week.

  A war that was only possible due to the battle between Skylar and Lux.

  “I really can’t go anywhere without encountering some sort of god…” Skylar sighed heavily as she started to make her way up to the top of the city.

  “As exhausting as that is, you have to admit it’s beneficial for your quest at the very least.” So Alma said.

  “Beneficial or not, I’d still prefer if I was able to fight these things in less populated areas, you know how I feel about innocents dying in a clash.” Skylar grimaces just at the thought.

  Alma didn’t respond.

  A little out of character for him, he almost never wasted a chance to poke fun at Skylar.

  Maybe he was just being sensitive?

  Skylar shook her head and blinked as she looked at her airship, Jack had knelt down right behind it, the thrusters were already in place, but he seemed to be examining them further.

  He held some kind of dispenser in his right hand, he ran it along the small holes that the thruster left, Skylar walked up and knelt down beside Jack, “What’s that?” Skylar questioned with a smile.

  “A sealing compound my buddies in the workshop have been working on, I make no guarantees that it’ll work, but it’s certainly better than the plan we have right now,” Jack explained.

  “Really? So you just decided to test it on a whim?” Skylar questioned with her left brow arched upwards.

  Jack scoffed, “Of course not. That’d be stupid.” He then lowered the spray and glanced to the side before scooting to the second thruster, “I er… I made the holes too big. So it’s either this or wait a week for a new airship.”

  Skylar frowned at that standing up, “You know the more I learn about you, the more concerned I become about this trip…”

  Jack sighed, “I’m good at designs and drafting, it’s the building portion of my ideas that I’ve always sucked at… Even something as simple as this, I can hardly get it right on my own… That’s why I needed a crew to work with, not that anyone ever believed I could do this… Save for Striga.”

  Jack then smiled softly as he continued to spray the compound, “She listened to my ideas, and talked through them with me… in fact, she’s the whole reason I’m part of the council, not to mention the fact that she found my whole team… I owe her a debt that I can never hope to repay. It’s why I had to do this on my own.” Jack then stood up, looking at Skylar, “Either way, that should be enough. I’d still recommend holding the thrusters in place, at least for the first minute or so, if they don’t budge then you should be fine to let go.”

  “Well, that’s wonderful.” Striga’s voice suddenly interjected, “Because this whole day has just been one big mess after another…”

  Skylar arched a brow at that, “How so? Did something happen while you were away?”

  Striga folded her arms and looked at Skylar, “Delish is missing, no one’s seen him all day after our little spat. What’s more his airship isn’t docked anymore.”

  Jack’s eyes widened at that, “Wait you don’t think…”

  “That he went off to the Empire by himself? I do.” Striga folded her arms, “I don’t think he’s foolhardy enough to try and take on the whole place by himself, but I wouldn’t put it past him to try and scout out the area alone.” Striga sighed, a look of worry was on her face as she looked out to the cloud sea.

  Skylar saw the look and walked up to her airship, “...Do you wanna go after him?”

  Striga’s eyes widened at the suggestion, The Empire was so far out of the way from their current destination that it almost seemed like insanity to suggest such a thing.

  “...No.” Striga decided after a bit, “If Delish is just going to scout things out, he should be fine… And if we go after him now, it’d be likely that we’d just end up compromising his position.” So with that logic Striga took in a breath, “He has his duties, and I have mine.”

  Jack frowned at that, before he looked at the airship, “Regardless everything is all set up, whenever you two are ready… All Skylar has to do is push a button on the inside of the ship… Right on both thrusters, not the most convenient of activation method I conceded, but you asked for a rush job.”

  Striga knocked on the side of the airship walking up to the entrance, “I’ve had Detion take care of the rest of preparations, but you know how he can get some time, do me a favor and keep an eye on him, Jack.” Striga stated with a sly smirk.

  Jack sighed, turning away from the duo and he started to walk back to the city, “Consider it done.” he said, giving a two-fingered wave as he vanished from view.

  The duo Skylar and Striga then entered the airship.

  Skylar immediately walked to the back of the ship and saw the buttons.

  Buttons.

  Not ‘Button’.

  Plural

  “He did this to spite us didn’t he?” Skylar questioned as she looked over her shoulder, Striga chuckled as she reached the steering wheel.

  “Unlikely, like he said, it was a rush job.” Striga then gripped the wheel, “And it shouldn’t be a problem for you isn’t that right?”

  Skylar folded her arms and looked to the thrusters, narrowing her gaze at them, “Course not, and what about you? Little miss multi-mage got a handle on my wind magic?” Skylar questioned with a cocky grin.

  Knowing full well that her magic would be essential to traversing the skies at the speed they’d be going.

  Striga saluted and stuck out her tongue mockingly, “Aye captain!”

  Skylar cracked her neck and held out both of her hands, summoning the draconic arms from the air, “Then let’s get moving shall we?”

  The edges of the draconic arms pressed the buttons, and near instantly the duo were sent flying.

  The ship soared at great speeds, nearly double the speed of a regular airship.

  And yet the duo remained unfazed with a wide grin on their faces.

  Jack however watched the sight from the distance, his goggles over his eyes, “Strange. The storm is gone… and yet, this sense of dread that it always imposed. Why has it yet leave?” he turned and started to walk down the stairs, “Perhaps, this dread is caused by the fear of what we stand to lose… to the dangers of this world.”

  ***

  It was a normal day just like any other.

  John was a normal man, attending to the fields, and watering the gardens.

  Trimming the wildlife, ensuring the creators on the top layers were properly looked after and fed.

  And of course, watching the sky as a giant metal airship comes crashing down upon a nearby tree that he just worked so hard to trim.

  …

  Wait what?

  Sure enough, he wasn’t crazy, a giant metal airship did just crash into one of his beloved trees and he fell down in despair.

  John was a normal man.

  Who would soon be the subject of cosmic suffering in the name of hilarity.

  A thud could be heard from within the ship, and Skylar busted the door open before climbing out her hair was a mess and she looked over her shoulder shouting, “NEXT TIME I’M DRIVING!”

  She shouted this as she leaped out the side of the airship dropping onto a puddle trying desperately to fix her hair as she did so, Striga was next to climb out with a sheepish grin, “OH come on, I wasn’t that bad was I?”

  Skylar turned around and with an angry red hue on her face shouted, “I have seen CHILDREN fly a ship better than you! Have you ever even driven an airship before!?”

  Striga paused at the question tilting her head upwards, seeming to think of the question before looking back down, “Nope!” the chipper and innocent way she said that was enough to suck out any anger Skylar still had.

  Instead, she leaned forward defeated, “Whatever… Let’s just get a move on before my last brain cell commits suicide.”

  “You're the boss.” Striga declared with a sheepish smirk, decided not to comment on the rather dark humor that Skylar had.

  Skylar made her way towards the large cabin that she had used to enter the lower layers of this place last time, “Have you ever been to Pandamonium before Striga?”

  Striga shook her head, “Nope, not even once it was never a part of my duties and I’ve almost always been restricted to Jubilee alone… Not that I could ever fathom why…”

  Skylar let out a quiet, ‘huh’ at that.

  It was certainly a little odd, but then again so were a lot of things about Striga.

  They still had a bit of a walk, Skylar opened the door and saw the spiral staircase, she glanced over the edge and saw a glowing beam of light near the bottom, “Oh good the infinite staircase trap is off. That one was annoying.”

  So Alma commented.

  Skylar said nothing simply walking down the staircase as Striga followed behind her.

  “...So since we’ve got a bit of a walk, were you born on Jubilee?” Skylar asked the question desperate to fill the dead air with some sort of conversation.

  “Ah.” Striga glanced to the side, “Nope, though it’s true I’ve lived there for most of my life now… So it’s still home to me.” Striga then blinked, “what about you? Were you born in The Kingdom?”

  Skylar blinked at the question, she took a moment to think about that, amnesia was a bitch.

  “No…” she said after a moment’s hesitation, “I was born on Hic Svnt Leones.” she said those words though she truly wasn’t sure if that was correct either.

  Her mother was there…

  But her father…

  …

  Nevertheless, Striga dropped the line of questioning upon hearing the name of the island, instead an apologetic look appeared on her face.

  I guess news of that island sinking reached even Jubilee.

  Soon enough they reached the glowing light at the bottom of the staircase and began to walk through it. Skylar recognized the hallway, and she sighed, “Been a while since I’ve been here…”

  Striga, not being the one stuck in awkward silence, decided to speak up, “So when was the last time you came here?”

  Skylar let out a hum at the question, “I guess when they had a level five breach? It was… pretty bad, I had to fight Draco followed by a giant dragon that also happened to be an S rank god…” Skylar blinked, realizing the absurdity of the sentence she just uttered, “...There’s no way in hell I’m not traumatized is there?”

  “To be fair, most ‘heroes’ in general go on in life despite being severely traumatized.” Striga pointed out.

  Skylar frowned at that, “I know that was an attempt to make me feel better, but it really just made me more concerned about the state of our world. A for effort though.”

  Striga chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly, her eyes widened slightly when she realized the hallway opened up into a large cavern filled with tents, and thousands of people walked to and fro.

  Skylar put a hand on her hip, “Jesus, so this is what this place looks like when it’s not in lockdown… I never thought it’d be so crowded…”

  Skylar’s eyes settled upon a familiar tent, the unmistakable smell of a fresh brew of coffee came from it.

  “And yet for everything that’s different it would seem some things stay the same,” Skylar looked over her shoulder and smirked, “Let’s go on then.”

  Skylar glanced around, as she approved the tent, taking note of the apparel the people here wore.

  They seemed to be two types, full armor with weapons, and lab coats.

  Makes sense, this place was made to study strange and unique lifeforms after all. Scientists and protectors would be the primary focus.

  She found their gazes were already upon her, it made her… anxious, Striga seemed to be in a bit of a worse state than Skylar though.

  She looked pale.

  Skylar was about to say something, an act of concern, that was until the sound of breaking glass came from the tent ahead, followed by what sounded like a young girl shouting, “SHIT!”

  Skylar blinked at that recognizing the voice, though it was not the one she was expecting.

  Skylar bolted forward while the gazes were directed away from her, Striga followed close behind of course.

  There straight ahead was the familiar counter, the set of tables all filled with workers enjoying their drinks, and…

  Shina?

  Shina was currently sweeping up shards of glass off the floor with an embarrassed look, “Sorry! Sorry, I’ll be with you in just a moment, I need to clean this up befor-” Shina’s eyes widened as she looked up, “Skylar?”

  “Shina?” The two hadn’t seen each other in a year and yet they both recognized each other near instantly.

  This was… strange to say the least Skylar was under the impression that Julieta ran this place, and yet here Shina was, Shina suddenly beamed, “Alright everyone out! We got a VIP here!” The guests started to groan but were promptly shut up by the glare of Shina, they could have argued, but that would put their time in this refreshment area at risk, and that would be a fate worse than death here.

  So for the time being everyone stood up and walked out the door, Shina arched a brow at Striga, “She with you?”

  Skylar nodded, “Yeah, her name is Striga. Hope that’s not a problem.”

  Shina nodded slowly, “Skylar, Striga… and Shina. A triple S team.” Shina smiled walking behind the counter, “Anything I can get for you two?”

  Skylar walked up to the counter, “Yeah you could get me Julieta, I’m in need of a checkup.

  Shina’s gaze turned to Skylar and she sighed, “I was worried that was why you were here… Sorry, but I don’t have clearance to get to her, she’s down on the 5th level.”

  “Seriously? What the hell is she doing down there?” Skylar questioned with a sigh.

  Striga sat down and arched her brow, “The fifth level?” She questioned Skylar with an arched brow.

  Skylar glanced over to Striga before sighing, “I guess I can explain it, to recap. This place is home to different kinds of beasts, and creatures. They’re all split up into different categories. Or Levels, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. 5’s are the most dangerous.”

  “6 actually…” Shina muttered glancing to the side, which caught Skylar’s attention quickly she shifted her gaze.

  “6? Hold on a second, it was 5 last time I was here… wasn’t it?” Skylar confirmed.

  Shina nodded slowly, “It was. And now it’s six.” Shina looked at the table, “That area is made specifically for Titan’s.”

  That caused the entire table to go silent.

  “Titan’s…” Skylar muttered rolling the word around in her head for a few more times before growling, “You're keeping Titan’s down here? Are you stupid!?” she slammed her hand down onto the table standing up, “How long has this been going on!? Who proposed that idea in the first place?!”

  Shina’s eyes were wide and she took in a breath closing her eyes, “It was Juileta’s idea.” she whispered, “She believes that by researching the Titan’s further… we might come across a clue involving Stella.”

  Skylar’s eyes narrowed, “Stella… Of course. Of fucking course it’s Stella. It’s always Stella.” she removed her hands from the table letting out a long sigh, she was getting really sick of people looking for this wish-granting device.

  It almost always led to something bad.

  She just couldn’t fathom why anyone would want such a thing…

  Well, that wasn’t entirely true.

  After all, she was fairly certain if she was able to make a wish on that thing, she’d ask for a longer life.

  Of course there was also the chance that the whole ‘dying at the age of 16’ thing was bullshit.

  But somehow Skylar doubted that was the case, it was just something in her gut telling her otherwise.

  Skylar closed her eyes and sighed, “Right… Right… Okay… This is going to be a little trickier than I thought.” Skylar’s eyes opened and she locked them onto Shina, “do I still have my clearance to enter the lowest levels?”

  Shina blinked at that, “Well, yes… It was never removed, but I’m not sure you want to go down there. Julieta hasn’t really been in the best of moods as of lat-”

  “That’s fine, worst comes to worst I’ll knock her lights out.” Skylar stated with a smug expression as she got up from her stool, “Oh, and do me a favor and keep Striga company for a while.”

  “Eh!?” Both Striga and Shina exclaimed as Skylar bolted out of the tent.

  Shina sighed, “That girl, always running off before anyone else can get the last word in.”

  Striga looked over to Shina, “Soo… has she always been like that?”

  “That?” Shina paused, “We… never talked much, but Skylar did always seem to be kind of like a whirlwind, always to and fro… but there was one thing I was certain of when we first met. She was an idiot.” Shina smiled softly as she began to brew a cup of coffee, “An idiot with a lot of talent, she’s one of the best mages this world has ever seen, someone of her caliber has never been seen before.”

  Striga nodded at that, of that fact, they were in agreement, “And what? You weren’t jealous?”

  “Jealous?” Shina hummed for a moment, “No I don’t think I was, perhaps it’s because of this place? Don’t get me wrong I’m confident in my own abilities, but this kind of place kind of has a way of making you understand where you stand in the pecking order.” Shina explained as she brought a cup of coffee over to Striga.

  Striga accepted the cup gratefully, “Heh, wish I could say the same… Lord knows I wish I had half of the strength Skylar does…”

  Shina looked at her own glass, “Mhmm… Strength…” She lifted the cup and took a gulp, “it always seems to come at a price though.”

  Striga watched as Shina drank her fill, Striga then looked down to her own glass, “A price that few would ever be willing to pay… I know the feeling.” she then raised her own glass and began to drink it as well.

  Shina lowered her glass, her eyes covered by the shadow of her hair, “That’s where us scientists come in I suppose, to cheat the will of the divine.”

  (“I don’t think anyone could have seen what was coming on that day…”)

  Skylar walked forward through the caverns, reaching the 5th layer faster than she thought she would, perhaps this place was still burned into her memory after all…

  Though when she arrived she saw something new at its entrance, a large metal gate.

  “...That’s… certainly new…” She began to walk up to it, only to leap backward as the door began to open.

  There on the other side of the gate, Julieta stood with bags under her eyes locking her gaze onto Skylar, a frown plastered upon her face.

  A crimson-red sword was upon her back.

  Skylar’s stance immediately dropped and she let out a sigh, “Should really set out a warning bell or something, I thought you were a wild beast ready to attack me.”

  Julieta said nothing to that at first, simply walking forward.

  “The only beast here is the one before me.” so she declared.

  (“I’m certain it hurt Skylar most of all, she was never the type to take this sort of thing in stride.”)

  A cup fell to the ground, shattering upon the stone, Striga reached out with both hands clasping the side of her neck, tears began to well up in her eyes, and she stared forward as her vision began to blur.

  Shina watched with empty eyes at the sight.

  -P-Poison…?

  Striga reached out desperate to try and stop the girl before her, but her lungs soon gave out and she found herself falling to the ground.

  Shina said nothing as she witnessed the sight instead she walked out from behind the counter and made for the exit of this tent.

  (“No one is ever ready for that kind of sight.”)

  Skylar arched a brow at Julieta, “Er, you think I’m a beast…? Are you doing okay over there Julieta? You… don’t look like you’ve had a lot of sleep.”

  Julieta’s eyes widened at that her teeth gritting and she reached up over her shoulder removing her sword and pointed it forward, “You not only have to gall to return here! But you would insult me as well!?”

  Skylar took a step back, “W-Whoa! Calm down, Julieta! I didn’t come here to fight you! I just wanted to tal-”

  “You’ve said enough.” Julieta hissed anger in her eyes, “You’ve done enough… Enough to ruin all I held dear…” She never let her eyes leave Skylar.

  Skylar however grits her own teeth, “Please, just… put down your sword we can talk this over. We don’t have to figh-” Skylar was cut off by a fireball soaring past her face and hitting the nearby wall, Skylar paused and looked over her shoulder sure enough there was a hole in that wall now.

  “...The time for talk is over.” Julieta then began to walk forward, “Raise your blade, or die like the coward you are Skylar.”

  Skylar grit her teeth and removed her blade from its sheath, “Damn it all…”

  Seeing no other options Skylar bolted forward slashing vertically at Julieta, only to find her blow was easily matched, Julieta then slammed her boot into Skylar’s stomach causing Skylar to stumble backward.

  Skylar pulled her blade back ready to strike once more, only for her eyes to widen as she felt something stab into the side of her neck.

  Skylar’s body instantly went numb and her legs trembled, soon she fell to her knees.

  Her eyes widened.

  -W-Who…?

  Skylar turned her head to look over her shoulder and saw Shina standing over her with a syringe, a liquid was still dripping out of it.

  Skylar didn’t know how to process what she was seeing.

  It was all too much.

  “You needn’t worry, we aren’t going to kill you…” Julieta declared without hesitation, she knelt down and pulled out a collar putting it on Skylar’s neck before kicking her to the ground, “But you won’t be leaving either… you’ll be here for a very long time.” Julieta glared down at Skylar as Skylar’s vision began to fade out; she heard Julieta’s next set of words without any mistake.

  “After all, I don’t grant mercy to murderers.”