Date: April 23rd, year 1286 Location: Headquarters of the Fourth Branch, Crystal Rose

  Haaaa, what do I do…

  Nyx thought, lying on her back while staring up at the featureless white ceiling. She was in a small room in the dorms of the Fourth Branch’s headquarters with white walls, no windows and a gray carpet covering the floor. The shattered remains of a wooden desk were sprinkled around the room and a few wooden shelves on the wall with nothing on them were hanging above the white bed she was resting on. A lamp consisting of a glass dome containing a floating ball of white light was clinging to the ceiling, lighting up the room. Her peasant’s dress, tattered by months of travel, had been replaced with a simple white dress from the Branch’s infirmary a week ago.

  I’m so… lost. Is Lady Night really me?... Why am I attacking humans, then? And she is more powerful than me, can I even do anything?... This doesn’t make sense, this doesn’t make sense… Aaaah, and here is that feeling again.

  Nyx gets up and takes a piece of wood from the destroyed desk on the floor in her palm. She closes her fist, a sharp pain spreading around her hand. When she opens it, what remains of the wood are dust and splinters, somehow incapable of piercing her skin.

  …This isn’t enough anymore. The feeling is still there. I need more.

  - “It’s getting really dark in here…” Nyx hears Vanessa’s distant voice whisper inside her mind. “Nyx, try to calm down. It’s normal to be angry, but-”

  Leave me alone. I don’t want to listen to you right now.

  - “You know, it’s taking me a lot of energy to have this conversation. The least you could do is liste-”

  Stop talking to me.

  - “...Think about dad. He wouldn’t want to see you like this.”

  SHUT. UP.

  The lamp on the ceiling shatters, and the small ball of white light inside it is snuffed out. The room slowly turns dark, progressing faster directly around Nyx. It was as if a pool of darkness was emanating from her body. Vanessa’s voice fades, but another sound catches Nyx’s attention. Someone was knocking on the door.

  - “Nyx? I heard something that sounded like glass shattering, and knowing you, you're probably covered in cuts right now.” Julian asks from the other side of the door. “You good?”

  He is met with silence, and decides to open the door. He finds Nyx hunched over in the middle of the room, breathing heavily and staring at him while the light of the corridor behind him filtering through the doorframe reveals her face. Her black hair was greasy from being unwashed for so long, and the shine of the cross shaped stars in her eyes was gone. Instead they were just a deep blue, which would almost make her look almost like a regular person if it wasn’t for how wide they were open despite the neutral expression on her face.

  - “I’m fine.” Nyx bluntly replies. “Leave.”

  - “Yeah that’s definitely fine. I was just dropping by to tell you the doctor said you can remove your cast and that Agnes wanted to see us, but we might have a bigger problem.” Julian replies, leaning on the doorframe. His hands were wrapped in bandages, with red spots visible here and there.

  - “I’m…” She looks down at the ground. “I’m not a problem.” She then looks back up at Julian, tears forming in her eyes. “Am I?...”

  - “Uh, no?...” He replies, taken aback. “If it’s about that Lady Night, you’re definitely not the same person. You’re not responsible for what she’s doing.”

  - “But I’m… she’s…”

  - “Nyx?...” A faint voice says from behind Julian.

  Beatrice enters the room. She was wearing a white dress similar to Nyx’s, and the scars on her arms due to imprisonment were nowhere to be seen. She was nervously fiddling with the lock she carried around everywhere.

  - “Beatrice?...” Nyx stares at her for a few seconds. “Oh, how long has it been?”

  - “A week.” Beatrice replies. “I knocked on your door but you didn’t answer, so I thought you were sleeping. Same the next day, and the day after.”

  - “I’m sorry… I just…”

  - “It’s okay.” Beatrice walks up to her and holds her hand. “I’m not mad, I know you’re very sad.”

  The cross shaped stars in Nyx’s eyes appear again, shining on Beatrice’s face. The latter looks around, staring at the wooden debris.

  - “You were also very angry.” She observes.

  - “I’m sorry, it’s just…” Nyx fumbles on her words, her tears now streaming down her cheeks.

  - “Julian told me everything. I know one thing, you’re Nyx and Lady Night is Lady Night. I don’t care what she says, she’ll never be you to me.”

  - “Beatrice…” The light fully returns to Nyx’s eyes, producing a powerful flash and lighting up the room. Nyx’s mouth slowly shapes itself back to its usual smile. “You’re right! I can’t keep dwelling on this for too long, the humans need me! And I need to be there for them before their civilization falls!”

  - “You’re back to normal!” Beatrice smiles back at Nyx and jumps in her arms.

  - “Well I’m glad that turned out alright.” Julian comments. “Next time, talk to me alright?”

  - “Next time?” Nyx blinks a few times. “Weren’t you supposed to leave?”

  - “Yeah about that. I did say Agnes wants to see us, she’ll explain everything.”

  They all exit the dark room, and Nyx follows Julian through the corridor while carrying Beatrice on her shoulders. The sun was high in the sky, illuminating the tower, its rays reflecting on all the windows covering the tower. Julian looks back from time to time, noticing that the light emitted by Nyx’s pupils was flickering on and off. He keeps silent as they reach the stairs, and the stone steps begin moving on their own and carry them to the upper floors. A few minutes later, they are in front of the large double door to Agnes’ office, and Julian pushes it open.

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  - “Elf boy!” They all hear from inside the office, and Julian clenches his teeth in irritation.

  Angelica was laying on the couch, drinking tea while Agnes was sitting at her desk, partially obscured by a mountain of paper. She was wearing a white shirt with a sleek, silver lined black jacket thrown over it, along with a wide silver lined cape wrapped around her shoulders with a chain. Over her black straight pants were long black cavalier leather boots going up to her thighs, with iron soles and a similar metallic lining on their upper folds. Agnes raises her head when she hears Angelica shout, revealing the heavy bags under her eyes.

  - “Alright, everyone is here.” Agnes says as she gets up from her chair and stretches.

  - “What’s she doing here?” Julian asks, pointing his finger at Angelica.

  - “She’s planning to help us.” Agnes walks over to one of the sofas around the table Angelica was next to.

  - “The elf piqued my interest.” Angelica adds. “Besides that, it’s not like I have anything better to do in this city, my magic instructors are complete cowards!” She loudly laughs.

  - “That's… great…” Julian sighs before sitting down across the table, on the exact opposite side.

  Nyx sits on the sofa next to Julian’s, and Beatrice sits on her lap.

  - “Alright.” Agnes speaks up. “Let’s break down what we know, and establish where we’re going from there. I am incapable of overlooking Lady Night’s actions, so I’ll be doing my best to expose her operations without getting caught. Her current goal is unknown, but we know that she conducts human experiments in order to create artificial Night Touched. On top of that-”

  - “Wait, what?” Nyx cuts, her forehead wrinkling as she deeply frowns. “She’s INTENTIONALLY making Night Touched?...”

  - “Yeah.” Julian answers. “They can control them, and according to Sergius after he was interrogated, other people will most likely pick up his research where he left off now that he successfully made one. By the way, might as well say this now: I’m not planning on leaving Crystal Rose for the time being. I’ve decided to help Agnes, so I’m going to enlist into the Arcane Guard.”

  - “I’ll help too.” Nyx whips around to look at Agnes. “I have to do something.”

  - “Are you sure?...” Agnes asks. “You’re a bit young…”

  - “I can't sit there and do nothing while I’m harming humanity!”

  - “...Alright.” Agnes concedes. “I guess you’re both going to try to join the Guard.”

  - “Me too!” Beatrice raises her hand.

  - “That’s a categoric no.” Agnes firmly replies. “Nyx and Julian at least can hold their own if a situation goes haywire. Plus, we have laws against employing people under the age of fourteen.”

  - “Ah…” Beatrice looks down, disappointed.

  - “You can try your luck later. Anyhow, this is where lady Angelica Ironside comes in. I’ve been gathering information during the past week while trying to survive all the paperwork that vandalizing the headquarters of the Fifth Branch generated…”

  - “And you’re complaining?!” Angelica exclaims. “I’m still neck deep in all the political problems you mercilessly shifted onto me!”

  - “You did destroy the main hall.” Julian remarks.

  - “Only to assist you in your quest for revenge!”

  - “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I was just an innocent bystander who tried to help law enforcement.”

  - “Spectans and their legal intricacies.” Angelica sighs, sinking into the couch. “Ah, how I miss simpler times…”

  - “Ahem.” Agnes clears her throat. “According to my intel, the altered slime used by the Fifth Branch to control the Night Touched might be produced and supplied by a few possible sources. It would require a significant amount of funding to import monsters from the ancient Elven lands, so the people we’re looking for are most likely tied to nobility, and I suspect multiple big names might be involved. Their routes are unknown, but I suspect they would want to avoid gathering to discuss that particular subject matter at their own homes, to avoid suspicion. They would need an excuse to all be at the same place, at the same time.”

  - “An event… like a ball, or a dinner?” Beatrice asks.

  - “You’re thinking in the right direction ! In about two months, a new high standing theater called the Emerald Lotus is going to open its doors to the public. Almost all noble families in Crystal Rose are invited, so this should be the perfect opportunity to gather intel without raising suspicion.”

  - “But we aren’t invited though.” Julian observes.

  - “Have you not heard?” Angelica grins. “Lady Angelica Ironside is here to offer her assistance.”

  - “Huh ?” Julian looks her up and down. “We’re not trying to blow up the theater.”

  - “Do you believe all I’m good for is destruction? I am flattered, elf boy!”

  - “Yeah you’d just make things worse. Remind me, why is she here again?”

  - “The Ironside clan is invited to this gathering.” Agnes finally sighs.

  - “...She’s a noble?” Julian asks, raising his eyebrow in disbelief.

  - “I know this might come in as a surprise, but yes. Polemian nobility is mostly defined by strength, not political grit. And since the government is trying to stay on good terms with their officials, their status is actually recognized in Crystal Rose.”

  - “So you’re telling me we can’t go without her.”

  - “Yes. You could pose as her escorts.”

  - “Great. My first mission is gonna be a fiasco.”

  - “Well, before you can start thinking about that, you better succeed on the entrance exams.”

  - “Wait, there are exams to join the Arcane Guard? What is this, middle school?”

  - “Yes. And you’re lucky you’re not applying to join the Third Branch, most of their exams are practical, and measure magic prowess. At the Fourth Branch, it’s mostly written ones so as long as you study, you’ll be fine. Also, regarding the high school comment I hope you don’t think we hire anyone that says they want to do good or something... We have some measure of standards, Julian.”

  - “Yeah I guess that makes sense, it just... seems like a waste of time.” He looks down, gritting his teeth. "We still left behind all these people in Sergius' workshop, I want to free them as soon as possible."

  - "Julian..."

  - “In that case let’s get started !” Nyx exclaims. “I always passed Solomon’s exams, so I’m confident!”

  - “Lord Solomon huh…” Julian’s shoulders relax as he sees that the light in Nyx’s eyes had completely stopped flickering. “By the way, you should probably tell everyone here what you’re about. They’re probably confused by all the stuff you’re saying.”

  - “I’ll do that once I hear your story! Agnes knows and not me? No fair!”

  - “...” Julian glances at Agnes, who nods back at him. “Alright, I’ll do it.”

  They spend the rest of the afternoon chatting around that table, Nyx constantly providing incredibly insensitive commentary as Julian shared with her what brought him to his point.

  - "I can't believe that I missed out on your confrontation with Sergius!" Nyx exclaims when he's done. "How did you even beat him? I thought your magic was supposed to be weak!"

  - "It is." Julian replies. "In retrospect, he just ended up giving me a really favorable matchup. If it had been a Night Touched like the one you fought on our first day in the capital, it'd be a very different story."

  - "So this is what you were pursuing!" Angelica comments. "What a twist of fate!"

  - "What do you mean?"

  - "I was sent here to refine my magic by my uncle, Theodoros Ironside. He told me to pay special attention to any elves with white hair, and given how little he cares about anything outside his domain, I was more than a little intrigued! So when I saw you fall out of that tower from my room, I decided to come meet you in person!"

  - "Theo..." Julian's mouth distorts into an uncontrollable grin, and he throws his hood over his head to hide his face. "I guess he really did keep his promise huh... How is he doing?"

  - "He recently got done rebuilding his domain in Polemys, after I- Well after an ancient dragon and a true spirit were drawn to attack it by something."

  - "Not sure I like that pause."

  - "Haha, whatever could you mean?"

  - "What's a true spirit?" Beatrice asks.

  - "Oh I know!" Nyx exclaims. "They're very old and powerful spirits by human standards!"

  - "And Theo beat them?" Julian tilts his head to the side, incredulous.

  - "He's probably the most remarkable fighter in the family! And that's saying a lot since I'm here!" Angelica laughs. "He's the one who originally taught me swordsmanship."

  - "Huh. Well I'm happy to know he's doing well." Julian turns to Nyx. "By the way, I've been wanting to ask."

  - "Hm?" Nyx stares at him.

  - "If you're that ancient and only incarnated recently, how come you can speak the common language, or Spectan? Hell, how do you even know how to read? Any languages you know should be extinct by now. By definition, you shouldn't even know what "true spirit" even means."

  - "Wait, we're speaking two languages?!"

  - "That's... definitely not the answer I was expecting. But you're speaking Spectan right now, so where does it come from ? I've also heard you switch to the common language whenever you hear it in conversation."

  - "Huh. I wonder why that might be..."

  - "Right there, I just spoke common and you answered in the same language!"

  - "Did I? I just kind of see images in my head when you talk. Oh I know, I probably just assimilated Vanessa's knowledge of language! Or something like that? I remember doing that a lot back then."

  - "That's shady at best, but I don't think you'll ever find a way to explain it in a way that makes sense." Julian sighs, and gets up from his seat. "Alright Agnes, I'm off to-"

  He turns, and notices Agnes peacefully sleeping on her sofa. He turns to the others and places his finger on his mouth.

  - "Let's all quietly leave." He whispers. "She probably needs some rest after all the work she's done to get us that info."