Ken yawned and nearly slumped forward but managed to catch herself at the last second.
"You don't need to stay," Olivia commented. "You can go get some rest." She remained next to the unconscious Davi, with Ken on the other side, no longer healing the raven-haired man since she had run out of mana.
A scowl formed on Ken's face, and she shook her head. "Nowhere else for me to be. This stupid guild gets mad at me because shitty things keep breaking."
Olivia let out a small snort at that. "Yep. The Curse of Phoenix Flight. Shockingly, the curse hadn't gone off that much with her. There were a few cases where she slipped on a loose floor panel or her clothes ripped in embarrassing ways while she was dueling Bruno, but that was about as far as it went.
She didn't fully understand the way the curse worked, but it seemed like it would flare up during times of great negativity when near people who didn't have the curse. This seemed to be brought on by those people as well. The more someone thought about the curse or questioned it, the more likely it was to go off, even if this happened through thought, and so when a person with the curse was near people who didn't have it, those people might question what would happen mentally, and that alone can trigger the curse to go off.
That was one of the reasons being in the medical ward wasn't triggering it. So much was going on, and everyone was dealing with their own issues that nobody even glanced their way. The staff was working overtime to heal all the injured citizens, and the patients were in too much pain to think about a member of Phoenix Flight being in the bed next to them, which caused the curse to lie dormant.
Anytime she or Ken would leave the ward and try to explore the base or head outside, they'd always bump into younger Shining Sentinel members, and that almost always triggered the curse, since those sorts of people weren't very fond of them.
That was the twisted nature of the curse. It made people view them in a negative light since luck would never be on their side, but the curse would seemingly only activate when they surrounded themselves with people, and those people began to question them. It wasn't very surprising that this curse had claimed so many lives. Being a Knight was next to impossible, and yet for the people of Phoenix Flight, they somehow still managed to do good.
Olivia sighed, and she stared down at Davi's sleeping face. "I wish he would just wake up."
"It's annoying," Ken agreed. "He's causing a lot of stress for us all. Why did he even fall into this stupid coma?"
"Maybe he just needed some rest?" Bruno suggested. "I mean, he did do a lot in that last battle and had to be healed multiple times."
"I-Is he going to be okay?" A meek voice asked. Olivia turned, and her eyes widened at what she saw.
It was one of the girls. One of the first people she had helped save. Such an event had become a distant memory in her mind, but she was reminded of Garon and everything else the instant her eyes locked onto the other girl. This girl was one of the ones who had become a mutant. Her skin had bits of scales, and her eyes were the twisted yellow kind a snake might have.
Hannah was her name. She was one of the first girls she had broken out of the ice. The girl stood, shivering, and wrapped up in a hospital blanket. She had been injured during the battle but was one of the lucky ones who survived, only receiving a painful stab wound. Unfortunately, the healers weren't coming near the mutants, so they were forced to get healing from their own people, which was suboptimal.
Hannah didn't come alone either. Next to her, helping her stand, was her mother, who had a broken arm, and a guard who looked mostly fine save for an eyepatch he now wore.
"Will he be okay?" The guard piped up.
"What do you care?" Ken asked snidely.
"Ken." Olivia frowned at the redhead's response.
The guard didn't flinch. Instead, he quietly stared down at Davi's sleeping form. "That night when the snake finally died, I spoke to Mr. Garon." Olivia flinched at his words, and her hand slid down to her wand in case it was needed. "He told me about how he always wanted to be a Knight and how he respected them the most because they were heroes. That same night, Mr. Garon died. I'm sure he went out the way he wanted to and gave it his all. I like to think his death is what helped Mr. Davi save all the girls from that snake. He saved our village and freed those girls. He even left a vast amount of wealth behind. It was like something in a fairy tale. A Knight who doesn't take any gold and actually gives you more gold after he saves you. I thought that would be it, you know? Like our paths wouldn't ever cross again, and yet he showed back up with even more supplies. He helped us again, and then when the attack happened, he was one of the first people to be in the fray. He and his brother stopped our town from being utterly destroyed by that female puppet. Without them, there wouldn't have been a town for the rest of the Knights to come and save. I think he is the kind of person Garon would have respected a lot, and so I also respect him. He isn't just any normal Knight. He is the savior of Daisy."
Olivia looked back down at Davi. "He often tries to help others. I think he secretly likes it."
"H-He helped Susie out also," Hannah spoke up, her voice cracking. "He taught her how to fight without damaging her Core. S-She might be able to become a Knight now, like she always dreamed."
"Yes, yes, Davi is amazing." Ken rolled her eyes. "Let's not praise stupidity for bravery, however. He's in this state because he stupidly tried to go after the villains on his own after they were getting away. There was no need for him to do that."
"He's your friend; don't you care?" Bruno frowned.
"Of course I do." Ken's scowl grew. "And he's not my friend! He's a coworker. That's why I care. I have a right to be pissed and think the avoidable thing he did was stupid, don't I?"
Olivia reached over Davi's body and took Ken's hand, squeezing it. "It'll be okay." She tried to smile. "I'm sure he'll wake up. You can yell at him then."
Ken didn't say anything and just kept grumbling under her breath. Hannah and the others also remained, all of them just quietly standing there. They all waited and hoped for some sign. Maybe he would twitch, or his eyes would crack open, or he'd make a groan, but nothing happened.
Davi just kept sleeping.
It would take a miracle for him to suddenly wake up-
The door to the room burst open, and everyone jumped. Father stepped into the room, followed by a silver-haired beauty in a witch costume. His eyes scanned around, taking in the sight of all the patients and healers who were frozen now that he arrived.
"Carry on." He waved his hand, and that managed to get most of the healers back into action, everyone going back to their jobs. Eyes were still fixed on Father as he quietly walked forward and made his way over to Davi Hawker's bed, followed closely by the witch that floated through the air behind him.
Olivia barely paid him any mind, however, as her eyes were fully fixed on the silver-haired woman. It was Evelyn. The real Evelyn. Not the fake version she would make in the World of Paths that Maya controlled. This was the real deal!
Ken's eyes narrowed as she also took note of Evelyn.
"Captain?" Brunor raised an eyebrow at Father, but Father ignored him.
Father kept his eyes locked onto Davi, and he sneered slightly. "All this for him? I hope Laerton can explain herself." He sighed. "Evelyn. Do it."
Evelyn's body twisted through the air, and she raised her staff up. "Wait-" Ken began, but it was too late as Evelyn brought it down.
"Ril Moonlit Void." A silver light erupted from her glassy staff, and then Evelyn no longer stood in the hospital room. Instead, she found herself transported to somewhere else. It was an endless void that stretched on forever.
The ground looked like water, yet she was able to stand on it, waves crashing in the distance, and a starry sky hung above with a massive moon that cast its silver light down upon her. In front of her was Davi's bed, and Davi remained sleeping in it, but everyone else, the rest of the medical ward, and those who had been nearby weren't present.
Moonlit Void was her greatest spell, one she created and based on Davi's Shadow Vault but altered with her own skilled Enchantments and Vows. This spell was one of the ways she was able to train Davi so well back when the two of them traveled together, and it was thanks to this realm that she could do what was required to fix Davi without being interrupted by nosy peasants who would frown upon her type of magic.
Yes, indeed, here it was just her and Davi, and no one would be able to get in her way-
"Where the hell am I?" Olivia asked in pure panic.
Evelyn's smile faded slightly, and she cocked her head to the side, finding Olivia Lot was also in her starry void. The girl had somehow followed her in.
"Oh," Evelyn said quietly. "That's interesting. Right. You must be Olivia Lot." Evelyn smiled and had dozens of plans already forming. "It is good to meet you."
***
Meanwhile, in another part of the palace, Susie Nyx rested in a metal chair. The room she was in was extremely small and looked like the kind you'd see in interrogation scenes during movies or TV shows. It was cold, and there was one-way glass on the wall, a metal table that was in front of her, and chains that bound her wrist, and that was it. Besides those things, the room was bare. Not even a door, as the only way to enter the room was through magic.
On the other side of the table, a woman was seated. She had short blonde hair that was combed back and dull eyes that had heavy bags under them. Her face had signs of stress all over it, and she wore white robes that were clearly from Mordheim.
Susie stared at her with a blank face, and the woman stared back. "You're a captain?" She asked quietly.
"I am." Laerton nodded.
"Which one?"
"The Captain of Phoenix Flight."
Susie gave a weak nod. "What do you want?"
"You know why I'm here," Laerton said sternly.
Susie let out a sigh. "As soon as we arrived here, the Knights began to question the people of my hometown, trying to learn why the attacks happened. One of them blabbed that those puppets were after me, right? So you want to know why."
"That's right." Laerton's eyes narrowed. "Tell me everything."
"Like I told the other Knights who asked me, I don't know-"
Susie felt pain flood her senses as Laerton grabbed a fistful of her hair and slammed her head down into the table. She felt her nose bust open, and her ears started to ring, blood running down her face. Her eyes widened in shock, and she couldn't move her head as Laerton kept a strong grip on her, keeping her pinned down.
"W-What are you doing?"
Laerton kept a stern look on her face. "The rest of the Knights are all big wusses, but I'm not. The fact is, whatever this group wants, it includes one of my fellow guildmates. I might not be a proper captain, but I am still in charge of keeping them all alive. I already almost lost that particular member, and I don't plan to lose him again. I've already spoken with a few others who survived the attack, and they did indeed say that the Lord of Threads personally wanted you. Why?"
"I don't know-"
"Then think of something," Laerton growled. "I'm not playing. I won't sit by and let these fuckers do as they please. I want every detail on them. Why the hell did they come for a nobody like you?"
"I'm not a nobody!" Susie's body suddenly grew rigid, and her eyes flickered. "My father was Garon Nyx, one of the best guards in our village and a hero. You want to talk about your "guildmates"? Well, how about we talk about the one who murdered my father! That bastard Davi killed my dad! Did you know that? That bastard you're trying to protect is a monster!"
Laerton froze, and her hand finally slackened, letting go of Susie's hair. She pulled her arms back and folded them, a frown crossing onto her face. She considered her words for a few seconds before finally speaking up. "Are you sure?"
"Am I sure?" Susie growled once more and glared up at the captain. "He admitted it. He said he killed my father! I can tell when a person is lying or not, and it told me all I needed to know!"
"So you believe that Davi killed your father?"
"I do-" Susie felt her head pound as her Lie Detection trait activated and caught a lie. "I-I'm sure he did it-" Her head pounded again. "He said he did it. He wasn't lying. He's a bad person-" She winced and grabbed her head. "He's evil!"
Laerton let out a sigh. "Be honest. The rest of your village seems to only have good things to say about my idiotic youngling. They say it isn't the first time he has saved your village, either. Does Davi seem like the type of person who would kill your father?"
"H-He said he did it."
"I'm sure he did." Laerton nodded. "And I'm sure that to him, he also did."
"What?"
"Do you know what a hero complex is?" Laerton asked. She tapped the side of her head. "Some people fancy themselves heroes, and then you have others who think so little of themselves and hate themselves more than anything else that they get it in their head that it is their duty to help someone. They exist only when they help someone; if they fail to help, it is their fault. They're borderline suicidal and not right at all. That said, they make for good warriors because you can throw them onto the frontlines and let them go nuts trying to fight to their hearts' content until they die. These sorts of folks would say that they killed someone because that person died while they were trying to protect them, and because of how sick in the head they are, they'd really believe that they were to blame for the death. Masochists, the lot of them."
Susie's face paled. "Are you saying Davi got past my Lie Detection and said he killed my father because he blames himself?"
"I'm not saying anything." Laerton shrugged. "I would like to ask, though, did you ever question how your dad died? Did you ask why he did it? The events that led up to the death? You could have likely learned more info if you thought to ask sooner."
Susie's shoulders slumped slightly, and she glared down at the table almost as if she were trying to drill a hole in it. Her brain and her heart suddenly ached. A deep throb that wouldn't go away.
Why couldn't he just be an evil bastard?
She had recalled his words. The first time they met, and he claimed he killed her father, he told her to come hunt him down. After her latest fight with him and Laerton's speech, she was certain. Davi was someone who wanted to die. He was practically looking for any excuse to throw his life away and had nearly let her kill him.
He was like a robot that wanted to be shut off but was programmed to help people. She kept recalling the words of the villagers. How they spoke so highly of him, and then she kept recalling the way he fought and put his life on the line not just for her town but for her as well.
Davi was a complicated person.
"Next time you see him, why don't you talk to Davi some more?" Laerton hummed. "I don't know what happened between him and your father, but just as you want to believe your father is a good person who could do no wrong, a lot of people have that same sort of faith in Davi, the reckless idiot who saved their lives. It's just food for thought, okay?"
"Okay…" Susie muttered quietly. Her lip quivered slightly, and she fought back tears. "I-I'm sorry…"
"What are you sorry for?"
"I-I don't know." She harshly rubbed her cheeks and shook her head. "I hate my life." She sniffed out. "It used to be good. Hannah and I were together, and we both had dreams of becoming Knights. I was amazing with my fire magic and was at the top of my class. Now all that seems like a distant memory." More tears began to flow down her face. "Those guys destroyed my town and killed my people, and I could do nothing. I had to rely on a guy I hate to save the day, and even he didn't do that good of a job. I couldn't even keep Hannah safe. Why am I still alive? Why did so many people have to die? It isn't fair."
"Life is rarely fair." Laerton reached out and placed a hand over one of Susie's. "I won't lie and say that it gets better or that there is some light at the end of the tunnel. The truth is, growing up sucks. Things change and go wrong constantly. It is up to you on what you want to do, but you're alive right now, so that's got to mean something. You can tell me what happened. I want to know everything. Pay those bastards back for what they did. Help me so that I can kill them."
Susie gave a weak nod. "I really don't know a lot."
"Any information will be good."
"Okay. I-I remember they called me one of the seven."
"The seven?"
"Yeah." Susie nodded. "This doll looked like a grim reaper. He said he served the Lord of Threads and that I was one of the seven. They said I inherited the Core and had to die for that. They kept going on about fate and destiny and said that I should have died earlier and that my existence was causing a weird ripple or something like that, and it was their job to kill me."
Laerton felt uneasy as she recalled Grampa Green's words. First she gave her blood, then her flesh, then her eyes, then her voice, then her core, then her heart, and finally her head. Seven offerings.
She wanted to know more, but that stupid old man fell into a coma once again. Father said he'd find a memory mage, but delving into the mind of someone as ancient and messed up as Grampa Green wasn't an easy task. Even the King would have a hard time doing that, so who knew how long it would be before they managed to get any info out of him?
The only one she knew of was Merlin and Miranda but those two wouldn't have the mana required to enter Grampa Green's memories safely. At least not yet.
"Do you have any idea what they were talking about?"
Susie shook her head. "No. I-" She hesitated for a moment. "This might sound silly, but I was reminded of a dream."
"A dream?"
She nodded hesitantly. "When I was a kid, my mother and I once went on a trip to this church at the top of a mountain. On our way up there was a horrible landslide, and we were trapped under rubble. I ended up blacking out during the event, but I had the strangest dream. One where a great and powerful beast saved my mother and me, and he gave me something. I remembered it because in that dream, this strange beast said to me, "You can have all that I won't need anymore; you can have my Core". Of course, this was just a dream. I woke up hours later, and we had actually been rescued by some Arcane Knights from the Umbra Mortis guild. Still, for some reason, I couldn't shake that weird dream from my mind. I haven't thought about that incident in years. Not until the recent attack."
Laerton's stomach did a nervous flip again. After hearing what Grampa Green had said, she had some ideas, but Susie's words confirmed a lot of it.
Seven people had been given something from someone, and whatever those things were, some group was after them. A lot still didn't make sense, though. Like, how did Haru tie into this? What was Rome, and what did those men mean by 'correcting' destiny? Was Susie supposed to have died in that landslide but survived?
There was still so much that was up in the air.
Laerton slowly stood up. "Thanks for the information. I'll speak with Father about this and see what we can dig up. I have some clues and leads."
Susie gave a weak nod. "What's going to happen with me and the others?"
"I don't know," Laerton hummed. "I'll make sure it is something good, though. I'm tired of people suffering." She turned and left the room after that. As soon as the door closed and she was taking a step out, someone else spoke up and got her attention.
"So," Tori rested against the nearby wall. "What did she say?"
"You weren't listening to it?"
Tori huffed and glared at the captain. "I tried, but you decided to flood that place with your mana and shut off all the cameras. Why? What secrets did that girl tell you?"
"Nothing important." Laerton waved her hand in a casual manner. "You spoke to her also, right?"
"I did, and couldn't get any info out of her. Are you saying the same is true for you?"
"Yep." Laerton popped her lips.
"Really?"
"Really. Oh, but there is one thing."
"Yeah?" Tori raised an eyebrow.
"I discovered why the Lord of Threads wanted her specifically."
Tori's eyes lit up. "Why?"
"She has a Golden Core," Laerton explained. "I could sense it. My guess is the Lord of Threads wanted her to be a puppet. As for the attack, it likely was just a wrong place, wrong time. He was just testing his weapons out and decided to use Daisy as his testing grounds."
Tori's look shifted. "You can't expect me to believe all that, can you? Come on, if you're going to lie, at least make it a good one."
Laerton snickered. "Nothing gets past you, does it, blondie?"
"I get the feeling you don't like me."
"So you do have a brain."
"What did I do?" Tori growled.
"I'll say this just once." Laerton's eyes narrowed, and the mana that surged from her made Tori take a cautious step back. "Leave my guildmates alone. Don't think I haven't caught your spells spying on my base. Piss off. Or else."
Tori was left shaking as Laerton turned and left. Blood trailed down Tori's lip from how hard she bit it, and her thumb came up, tracing it. "Honestly." A heavy red flush began to creep onto her face. "Phoenix Flight really is perfect. They'll fill the role of the villain perfectly."