Rana, Present Day

She suspected that had been a larger turning point for Lea than previously thought. She hadn’t seen Lea again until their escape, but Lea must’ve started dressing more conservatively around then. Besides emotions, unfocused Charm amplifies the five senses, subconscious thoughts, and reactions.

Regardless of desire, people are attracted to beauty. The eye is drawn to exposed skin. Perhaps the Libra girl came to resent being constantly watched during her stay in the Facility? At least, with Lea covering her arms and legs with long dresses, Charm would draw the stares to her face… and those nervous, fragile eyes Rana had to protect.

:Do you think we should keep going?: Lea had asked.

This would’ve been a difficult decision for Rana without the heavy influence of faerie magic. Daniel had drilled the ‘Sunk Cost Fallacy’ into her head. Time wasted on their journey meant nothing. However, none could say whether they were closer to leaving the Wilderness or reaching the T.O. at this point.

Besides, Kenta wouldn’t accept retreat. Maybe, there’d been a slight chance on Day 1 they could’ve convinced Kenta not to leave if they’d presented a united front. But, now, nothing short of death would divert this Kaminoke for long.

Should they keep going?

If she said yes, was that logic talking or what she thought Lea wanted to hear? Rana felt exhausted from cross-examining her every thought for traces of Lea’s magic.

If she’d been able to tell Daniel about this, they could’ve worked together to keep their minds clear. Doing this by herself was like a drunk person guessing their ABV—her judgment was already compromised. Though sharing the weight of this responsibility tempted her, she wouldn’t tolerate endangering Daniel.

The biggest threat wasn’t being Commanded.

A person Broke when that person’s Will opposed the Command and failed. If Lea Commanded one of them to get her a glass of water on accident, nothing would happen. They’d have brought her one anyway if she implied she was thirsty.

No big deal.

If Lea, in a fit of rage, Commanded one of the others to commit murder, they’d reject that Command with their whole Will—resist head-on and succeed in defending themselves.

Big deal, but salvageable.

By that token, Lea’d likely waste her energy Commanding an enemy to surrender or leave. Instead, hate would bolster their Will, allowing them to resist instructions they didn’t like with ease.

The danger came when Lea gave a harmless Command, put all her power into it, and one of the others hesitated. If they resisted a Command and rallied their Will around mere niggling doubts, her magic would crush them utterly.

Explaining this threat would plant a seed of fear and reap a harvest of suspicions.

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Daniel had a history of underestimating his opponents. For that reason, he’d lost two mock battles, once with the Shew Stone and again on the practice field. While his tenacity in challenging strong adversaries made him grow at a fast pace, against Lea, it would destroy him.

Although Rana had taken the heaviest dose of Charm, having touched Lea multiple times, she was also the best equipped. Only Rana had formally trained in mental defense. Both her cognizance and resolve had been tempered in Toad Hell.

An insidious secondary threat lurked behind the first. ‘Charm’ is emotional gravity, accelerating everything towards Lea. Admiration, jealousy, affection, hatred. The despised became more detested, the repulsive more disgusting, and the beloved more adored.

However, if the sum of a person’s warring feelings for Lea is positive, Charm dims the negative emotions. Since her friends are all on the positive side, they don’t explode with vitriol at her when she aggravates them. In turn, someone who dislikes Lea has any good feelings towards her muted.

Fear, doubts, and suspicions accumulate. Eventually, these emotions tip the scales and overwhelm the dimming effect. If her friends worried about the danger Lea posed too much, they could flip from love to hate.

Rana wouldn’t let that happen.

Besides, she knew firsthand being Charmed wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. The friendships and love in their group were real and worth protecting.

Since they first assembled, the others unconsciously positioned themselves around Lea in a defensive perimeter. Regardless of the situation, on the road or lounging around, they always seemed to put her in the middle. They hadn’t been told to do this, and no one tripped over themselves to get in position.

Their thoughts gravitated towards Lea in her presence, but not obsessively. They made their own choices with a somewhat higher consideration for Lea than otherwise. When Lea spoke, it was a different matter.

Passive Charm used emotion, sight, smell, and touch to connect the Libra with those around them, even while unconscious. Lea’s actions shaped that magic. Her words pulled on the bonds she’d formed with people, molding ideas with the power soaked into their hearts.

Someone like Gancanagh could inspire mind-melting lust, hyper-intense jealousy, murderous hatred, or zealous fervor. While he could Break people’s Will through brute force, his ability to influence minds was far more dangerous. He left insanity in his wake, and society crumbled at his feet. If he’d taken Lea as an apprentice, she’d be a beautiful thirteen-year-old monster, capable of enthralling entities magnitudes more powerful with nothing but sweet words.

If Gaja was right, Charm wasn’t a weapon but a gift. Maybe if Rana knew the right way to use it, she could offer Lea advice or guidance.

:I am sorry. I should not have tried to ease my burden by laying it on your shoulders,: Lea withdrew the question and straightened her back as Rana squandered another opportunity while lost in thought. :I am the leader. I know what is at stake. I take full responsibility for the Red Tail incident. Our lives are in my hands, and I have to… have to…:

Lea deflated, unable to finish.

:I don’t know anymore,: Lea dropped her formality and continued recklessly, :I’m a failure. I wasn’t supposed to be the leader. Nes was the oldest. Nes had the confidence and the voice and that look that made you want to believe in him. He’d know what to do. He wouldn’t have let this happen.:

Lea was crying again, like last time.

Rana had to get Lea off this train of thought; to bring her out of a spiral into depression. Rana knew she had to say something. To speak her feelings.

:Don’t stop.:

Two pathetic small words were all she could manage when her friend needed her most. How weak was that? Rana felt ashamed she couldn’t offer more.

The tears slowed, and Lea wiped them away, composing herself. :You’re right. I can’t stop; I can’t give up. The others need someone to rally around, or they’ll fall apart. I need to bear it for their sake.: One last sniffle ended her crying. :Rana, thank you for being there for me to lean on. I’m glad you took my hand when we escaped Eastwood. That you trusted me. Since then, I’ve wanted to say thanks for holding onto me.:

No. Lea shouldn’t be thanking her.

It was Rana who owed a debt.