{lisa}
The morning sun bathed Javir's garden in a warm, golden light.
lisa sat on a stone bench, feeling about fifty tis heavier just from the weight of everything. Next to her, Armia tried to lean on lisa for support, but... well, given their size difference, it was very awkward.
Off to the side, Isabella and Kimiko stood close together, the kitsune's fluffy tail occasionally brushing against her mother's leg, as if reassuring herself that Kimiko was still there. Raven lurked in the shadows... which ant she was standing around in her usual stoic, half-brooding way, her grey eyes alert and wary.
Javir paced back and forth, her sunlight-colored hair catching the light with each turn.
[What a fucked up situation,] lisa thought, her red eyes scanning the faces of her friends.
"Alright," Javir said, finally coming to a stop. "Now that we're all here, lisa, can you recount everything that happened last night? Don't leave out any details."
lisa took a deep breath, feeling the weight of everyone's eyes on her.
"It started when Isabella showed up at my door," she began, her voice steady despite the turmoil in her gut. "She was soaked to the bone and looked like she'd seen a ghost."
As lisa spoke, recounting Isabella's story of the Shadow Mage attack and Kimiko's miraculous resurrection, she watched Javir's face carefully. The woman's expression remained neutral, but lisa could see the gears turning behind her eyes.
"And then," lisa continued, her voice softening as she glanced at Armia, "just as Isabella was finishing her story, Armia showed up. She... she told us about the attack on her family. About Darien."
Armia's jaw clenched, her eyes fixed on the ground. lisa reached out, placing a comforting hand on the darian's muscular arm.
When lisa finished, a heavy silence fell over the garden. Even the birds seed to have quieted.
Javir nodded slowly, her brow furrowed in thought. Read latest stories on My Virtual Library Empire
"It's clear what the Shadow Mages were trying to do," she said finally, her voice grim. "They've been attempting to deal with lisa directly for years. But yesterday, it seems they decided on a new approach. If they can't handle lisa herself, perhaps they can eliminate those close to her."
Armia's head snapped up, her golden eyes flashing with a mix of anger and confusion.
"But they didn't kill ," she growled. "They killed my brother. Darien barely knew lisa. How does that fit into your theory?"
Javir's expression softened.
"You're right, Armia. And I'm sorry for your loss. But I don't think Darien was the target. I think... I think you were."
[Oh fuck,] lisa thought, the implications hitting her like a punch to the gut. [They weren't after Darien and Kimiko at all. They were after...]
"Armia and Isabella," lisa whispered, the realization dawning on her. "They were the real targets. Darien and Kimiko just got caught in the crossfire."
Kimiko nodded slowly. Armia looked down, hunched over.
"Precisely," Javir confird. "The Shadow Mages were likely hoping to eliminate lisa's closest allies. They probably assud that without her friends, lisa would be more vulnerable."
[Those bastards,] lisa thought, anger bubbling up inside her. [They went after my friends to get to .]
"We need to do sothing," lisa said, her voice hard with determination. "We can't just sit around waiting for the next attack. We need to deal with the Shadow Mages once and for all."
Javir held up a hand, her expression cautious.
"I understand your anger, lisa. But it won't be easy. We can't truly deal with them unless we know where their base is located. That's the only way to strike a decisive blow – by attacking their headquarters directly."
lisa turned to Raven, hope flaring in her chest.
"Raven, you were one of them. Do you know where their base is?"
Raven shook her head, frustration evident in her usually stoic features.
"They always blindfolded when going in and out of the headquarters," she said, her voice tinged with regret. "It was a security asure, specifically to prevent anyone from giving up the location if they were captured or... turned."
[Dammit,] lisa thought, her fists clenching in frustration.
"Well, there has to be soone who knows. Higher-ups, maybe? Soone like..."
And then it hit her.
"Wait," she said, sitting up straighter. "What about Miria? Or... or the queen? They were both involved with the Shadow Mages, weren't they?"
"lisa, they're both dead," Armia pointed out, her voice flat.
"I know," lisa said quickly. "But maybe there's sothing we can find. So clue they left behind. It's worth looking into, right?"
Javir nodded slowly, a spark of approval in her eyes.
"It's not a bad idea," she admitted. "We'd need to be careful, of course. Investigating a dead professor and the late queen could raise so eyebrows. But if we're discreet..."
Isabella snorted, her tail swishing with amusent.
"Oh yeah, because we're all known for our subtlety."
"Speak for yourself," Raven muttered from her shadowy corner.
lisa rolled her eyes.
"Guys, focus. This could be our best shot at finding the Shadow Mages' base."
"And then what?" Armia asked, her voice tight with barely controlled anger.
lisa's eyes flashed with determination.
"Then, we end this. Once and for all."
A heavy silence fell over the group. lisa could practically hear the gears turning in everyone's heads as they considered the implications of what she was suggesting.
[It's crazy,] lisa thought. [But what choice do we have?]
Javir opened her mouth to speak, but before she could get a word out, a commotion from outside the manor cut through their discussion. The sound of hooves on cobblestone and the murmur of a crowd drew everyone's attention.
"What now?" Isabella muttered, her ears swiveling towards the noise.
lisa stood up, curiosity overriding her caution.
"Let's check it out."
The group followed, erging onto the street just in ti to see a magnificent royal caravan making its way through. Guards on horseback flanked ornate carriages, their armor clanking with each step.
And then lisa saw her.
Riding in an open carriage, her white hair cascading over her shoulders like freshly fallen snow, was a girl who made lisa's heart skip a beat. Her grey eyes scanned the crowd, sharp and intelligent, before locking onto lisa's red ones.
For a mont, the world seed to stand still. lisa felt her breath catch in her throat, her heart pounding in her chest.
[Holy shit,] she thought, unable to tear her gaze away. [Who is that?]
"That," Javir said, her voice low and tinged with sothing lisa couldn't quite identify, "is Princess Aria of Syux."
---
{Aria}
Princess Aria's eyes locked onto a figure in the crowd, and for a mont, the world seed to slow down. The nim girl stood out like a beacon, her red eyes piercing through the sea of faces. Aria felt her breath catch in her throat.
[Goodness...]
But as quickly as the mont ca, it passed. The carriage rolled on, and Aria forced herself to look away, her heart pounding in her chest.
[Get it together, Aria. You're not here to ogle the locals, no matter how... blessed they might be.]
She took a deep breath, composing herself before turning to Lord Caelum. The portly advisor sat across from her, his mustache twitching nervously as it always did when he was about to deliver bad news.
"Lord Caelum," Aria said, her voice steady despite the lingering effect of those red eyes. "I need a summary of recent events in Syux. Bring up to speed."
Lord Caelum cleared his throat, fumbling with a stack of papers on his lap.
"Of course, Your Highness. Where to begin... Ah, yes. There have been so... disturbances in the city. Reports of Shadow Mage activity have increased, and there was an incident at the royal gala-"
"Shadow Mages?" Aria interrupted, her brow furrowing. "I thought we had that situation under control."
"Yes, well," Lord Caelum coughed, "it seems they've beco more... bold in recent weeks. There was also the matter of the quarantine-"
Aria's head snapped up, her grey eyes narrowing.
"Quarantine? What quarantine?"
Lord Caelum blinked, clearly caught off guard by her sharp tone.
"The nim quarantine, Your Highness. There was a strange disease that passed from one nim family to another for about a week or two. The court deed it necessary to isolate the nim population until the threat had passed."
Aria leaned back in her seat, her mind racing.
[A disease that only affected nim? That's... convenient. Too convenient.]
"And this disease," she said slowly, "it's gone now?"
Lord Caelum nodded, relief evident in his expression.
"Yes, Your Highness. The quarantine was lifted just recently. It seems the threat has passed."
Aria humd thoughtfully, her gaze drifting back to the crowded streets of Syux. The city looked both familiar and foreign to her eyes, changed in subtle ways during her long absence.
[I've been gone too long,] she thought, a pang of guilt twisting in her gut. [So much has happened, and I wasn't here to see it.]
"I'll need to familiarize myself with the city again," she said aloud, more to herself than to Lord Caelum. "Things have changed more than I expected."
Lord Caelum nodded eagerly.
"Of course, Your Highness. I can arrange for a tour of the city, if you'd like. Or perhaps a eting with the court to discuss recent events in more detail?"
Aria shook her head, her white hair catching the sunlight.
"No, I think I'd prefer to explore on my own. Sotis the best way to understand a situation is to see it with your own eyes."
[And to talk to people without the filter of court politics,] she added silently.
As the carriage rolled on, Aria's mind wandered back to the nim girl with the striking red eyes. There was sothing about her, sothing that tugged at Aria's curiosity.
[I wonder who she is,] Aria mused. [And why do I have the feeling she's sohow connected to all of this?]
Reviews
All reviews (0)