Chapter 13: A long fight – Arianna

Arianna settled onto the mattress in Danielle’s office, her fingers absently tightening around the fabric of her pants as she tried to calm her nerves.

Around her, the others shifted into position—Joseph cradling Jessica in his arms, Violet curled up against Nadine, and Noah nestled between his parents. The room was quiet except for their soft, steady breathing and the occasional rustling of fabric as someone adjusted their position.

Liam, Danielle, and Marcus leaned against the wall, meditating there as they didn’t have enough space.

Cassis’s voice was calm and steady as he guided them through the meditation process.

"It’s actually quite simple, though the experience differs slightly for everyone. But for most, this method works."

Arianna let out a slow breath, closing her eyes.

"First, close your eyes. Concentrate on your heartbeat. Listen to it—feel the rhythm of life within you. Breathe slowly, in and out, and let your breathing synchronize with your pulse."

Arianna followed his instructions, inhaling deeply and exhaling just as slowly. The sounds of the room faded into the background as she homed in on the steady thump-thump of her heart.

"Second," Cassis continued, "turn your awareness inward. Feel the changes in your body from your awakening. There is strength coursing through your blood, through your very being. It may feel subtle now but follow it. Trace its path. See where it leads you."

The words washed over her, guiding her deeper into herself. She could feel something—an unfamiliar warmth humming beneath her skin, an energy flowing through her veins like a quiet current. It wasn’t just her pulse anymore. It was more than that. It was… power.

Arianna’s brow furrowed slightly as she followed the sensation, tracing its flow. It wasn’t erratic or chaotic; it had a steady rhythm, pulsing in time with her heartbeat.

"Now," Cassis instructed, "try to see it. Not with your physical eyes, but with your inner eye. Focus. What colour is it?"

Arianna focused harder, willing her mind to grasp onto something—onto anything.

A flicker.

A faint shimmer in the darkness.

Her heart leapt. There it is—

Then it was gone.

She frowned, frustration creeping in. She tried again.

For a fleeting moment, she thought she saw it—a glimmer, a thread of something just beyond her reach. But every time she tried to hold onto it, it slipped away like water between her fingers.

Across the room, the others sat in silence, immersed in their own struggles. Minutes passed.

Finally, Cassis called an end to the exercise.

Arianna opened her eyes, blinking against the dim light. Judging by the shifting movements and quiet sighs around her, no one else had succeeded either.

Cassis, however, looked completely at ease. "Don’t feel discouraged," he said, glancing around the room. "The first time is always difficult. When Sapphire told me about meditation, I had serious trouble too. It took a lot of practice before I got it right and found my elemental ability: fire."

Arianna studied his face.

She knew the truth. He had learned to meditate in the other future—the one that no longer existed. When she’d first met him, months from now he hadn’t discovered his elemental affinity yet. But he had worked so hard, she had seen it through her screen. That’s why he had already mastered it.

She wasn’t jealous, but she was disappointed in herself. I need to do better. I will do better. He doesn’t have to do this all alone again.

Cassis stood, rolling his shoulders. "We only have ten minutes left on the timer," he announced. "It’s time to get into position."

The room shifted into motion. The fighters stepped forward while the others prepared to hunker down in the small office.

Cassis took his place directly in front of the door, his stance strong and unshaken. He gestured for the others to fall in beside him. "Mom, Liam, Benny—you’re with me. We’ll take the first shift. The rest of you, stay back, rest up. When we start getting tired, we’ll swap out."

Arianna nodded, knowing her role. She wouldn’t be on the front line—not yet. She had to stay alert, ready to heal the fighters if they got injured.

Thanks to the meditation, she felt her reserves replenished. She could cast two, maybe three more heals before exhaustion set in again. It wasn’t much, but it could make the difference between life and death.

Arianna exhaled and opened her Patron Shop.

Time around her stopped.

The dimly lit office, the tense figures preparing for battle—all of it froze as if the world itself had been put on pause.

She glanced around the interface, scrolling past countless items—some too expensive, some useless, others tempting but impractical. Her eyes locked onto the Basic Swords first. Sturdy, reliable, and affordable at 50 CP each.

She bought four.

Next, she found Defensive Rune Rings—simple silver bands inscribed with faint, glowing sigils. They weren’t strong, but they offered an extra layer of protection—it would make them a little sturdier. That could mean everything in a fight like this.

30 CP per ring.

She bought five.

Her CP balance dropped down to 0 CP again, but she didn’t hesitate.

As soon as she exited the shop, time resumed.

She took a deep breath, then spoke loudly, making sure everyone could hear: "Gifts from Sapphire." This really was the best way to explain some things.

The room went silent for a moment. Then, Cassis turned toward her as she held up the weapons and rings.

She stepped forward and handed out the swords and rings—one of each to Cassis, Liam, Benny, and Danielle. They could swap the equipment when someone else took their place fighting.

The remaining ring she gave to Joseph—so that Jessica could wear it. “The monsters will be after her. And she is by far the most vulnerable person in this room. So, it makes the most sense.” Joseph, Elena and Benny had tears in their eyes and accepted.

The room filled with murmurs of thanks to Sapphire, some quiet, some fervent.

[+100 FP (for receiving sincere prayers of gratefulness from a group of mortals)]

[+100 CP (for helping mortals escape from certain death)]

Arianna read the green message and felt some hope come back to her. Even the system acknowledged that they now had a chance to survive. “The system just told me we could survive this.” Sure, that was maybe more optimistic than the system had said but she was an optimistic person. Cassis looked back at her and gave a small smile.

Then the timer reached zero and a piercing wail echoed through the house.

Jessica was crying again.

The sound was just as loud, just as relentless.

Elena’s face twisted with worry. "She hasn’t stopped since this started… What if—what if this damages her voice?"

Arianna answerd: “First we have to survive this. After that I will ask Sapphire how to heal it if she really damaged it.” Elena looked gratefully at her.

Then—

CRASH.

The house shuddered.

A deep, resonating bang followed.

Cassis’s eyes narrowed. "That was the front door."

A pause. Then—more noises.

Screeching. Snarling. The pounding of heavy bodies slamming into walls.

The foundation seemed to groan under the assault. Fists, claws, weapons—everything was being thrown at the house from outside and inside.

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But the walls held.

Then—movement at the only door into this room.

A shadow. Then another. Then a flood.

Monsters.

Cassis moved first, his new sword cutting cleanly through the first creature that entered. The monster fell, blood spraying across the floor—

But another took its place.

The others at the door braced themselves.

Liam swung wide, knocking back a goblin. Benny barely dodged a clawed strike before plunging his blade into the attacking beast’s throat. Danielle parried, blocking a jagged spear before countering with a quick stab.

Arianna stood back, clutching her baseball bat, ready to move if someone fell.

The monsters kept coming.

Jessica’s cries never stopped.

Arianna took a shaky breath, gripping her bat tighter.

It was going to be a long night.

The fight went on.

A relentless, brutal onslaught of monsters, their bodies piling up at the entrance, their blood staining the floor.

Benny, panting, tapped out first. Elena took his place.

Danielle held on for a little longer, but exhaustion caught up to her, and Marcus stepped in.

Liam was still going strong, each strike steady, each move calculated. And Cassis—Cassis was like a stone in a raging stream.

Unmovable. Determined.

The cuts and bruises accumulated on all of them, but nothing serious. Not yet.

Then—

A minotaur appeared at the door. A hulking beast, twice the size of any goblin, a head taller than a human, with thick muscles and a log-sized spear clutched in its hands.

E-Rank. She could feel his power.

A heartbeat later, the minotaur struck. Liam barely had time to react before the spear plunged into his stomach. His breath left him in a strangled gasp, and he staggered backward, eyes wide in shock.

Cassis moved instantly. He lunged in front of the minotaur, forcing it back with a brutal counterstrike. Joseph rushed forward, yanking Liam away, the spear still lodged in his body. "I’ll take his place!" Joseph shouted as he shoved Liam toward the back, taking his spot at the door.

Danielle and Arianna were at Liam’s side in an instant. Danielle’s hands trembled, tears brimming in her eyes. Arianna swallowed the panic rising in her throat. " Help me get the spear out! I can’t heal him with that still inside him."

Danielle didn’t hesitate. With a deep breath, she gripped the spear and pulled. Liam screamed. Arianna immediately pressed her hands against the wound, focusing all her mana into a Heal. The wound began to close, but too slowly. Liam’s breathing was ragged, and his skin turned dangerously pale. He had lost too much blood.

He would survive—but he wouldn't be fighting again tonight. His body went limp, unconscious from the pain.

Danielle and Arianna dragged him to the mattress. Danielle clutched him in a desperate hug, silent tears falling onto his face.

Arianna barely had time to process before she turned back to the fight. Cassis was still fighting the minotaur. It was strong. Too strong.

Arianna’s mind flashed back to the orc from before—also E-Rank—and how it had taken all of them together to take it down.

But Cassis was stronger now. He summoned fire to his blade. His Elemental Blade skill.

The minotaur bellowed in pain—the flames searing its thick hide far worse than steel alone ever could.

But there were still other monsters. Marcus, still fighting, was struggling with only one arm. A kobold nearly got past his defences. He barely managed to kill it, but he was breathing hard, his body swaying. "Dad, tap out!" Cassis ordered. Marcus hesitated, but Nadine had already stepped forward to take his place.

Still, the minotaur remained. It was weakened but still dangerous.

Then—

It roared and charged straight for Cassis. He didn’t move. Instead, he braced himself, shifting his weight—his sword held steady. The minotaur impaled itself on his blade. The steel sank deep, piercing through the monster’s chest. But it was too close. Its jaws snapped shut—Cassis managed to turn aside so it didn’t bite his head off, only into his shoulder.

Arianna’s breath caught in her throat. Cassis’s body jerked as teeth tore into him, but he didn't let go of his sword. With his free hand, he gripped the minotaur’s head, keeping it trapped against him. His voice was steady, but strained. "Kill it now. I can’t hold on for long."

Before anyone else could react Arianna moved. She swung her bat over Cassis’s shoulder, her Bludgeoning Skill activating.

Once.

Twice.

Again.

Again.

The sound of cracking bone. The minotaur went limp. Cassis shoved it off, its corpse collapsing at his feet. Arianna felt her stomach turn. His shoulder was ravaged. Blood poured from the jagged wounds, torn muscle exposed.

And yet—

He didn’t even flinch. "Switch!" he called. Marcus immediately turned back and stepped into his place. Then, Cassis grabbed Arianna’s wrist and pulled her further back into the room. His grip was strong—too strong for someone so injured. His voice was calm. "Do you have another heal in you?" Arianna didn't answer. She just healed him. The gaping wounds knit together, the bleeding slowed—but her hands were shaking.

"Great work," Cassis said. That was it. No pain. No weakness. Just those two words. Arianna’s chest tightened. Her fingers curled into fists. She didn’t know if she was angry or sad, but it hurt to see him like this. Shrugging off injuries like they meant nothing. Like he meant nothing.

She had seen worse injuries on him before in the future and she had cried and worried for him. But it had still been seen through a screen. It wasn’t the same. It hadn’t been so real before. But for Cassis it had always been real.

Arianna acted before she could think. She stepped forward and hugged him. Tightly. "Don’t get hurt, idiot."

Cassis froze. For a moment, his whole body went stiff—like he didn’t know what to do. Then, slowly, he relaxed and awkwardly put his hands around her, just lightly, like he was afraid of holding on too tight to her.

His voice was quiet, softer than she’d ever heard it. "I can’t promise that." Arianna squeezed him tighter. For just a second, it felt like the battle wasn’t happening. Just a second.

Then, behind them—

A new shriek. Another wave of monsters. The fight wasn’t over yet. Not even close.

Arianna let go of Cassis, heat rushing to her face as embarrassment crept in. She quickly avoided his gaze, pretending to be more focused on the others.

Cassis, for his part, acted as if nothing had happened. He turned back to the group of resting fighters. "Are you close to reaching level five?" They nodded, their expressions determined despite exhaustion weighing them down.

Cassis let out a small breath of relief. More people with classes would make this fight easier. They could handle F-rank monsters fine, but E-ranks were a different story.

"The minotaur and the orc were on the weaker side of rank E," Cassis told her quietly. Arianna shuddered. The thought of even stronger monsters made her stomach churn. She pushed it aside. No use thinking about that now.

Cassis rested for only a short moment before swapping back in. Elena was exhausted. Her swings had slowed, and her stance was sloppy. She needed to step back. She didn't argue when Cassis took his place at the door.

Elena staggered back toward Benny and the children, who were huddled in the furthest corner from the fight. Violet hugged Noah tightly with one arm, while Noah cradled baby Jessica in his small arms.

Arianna’s gaze caught on Violet’s hand. She was still gripping the kitchen knife she had used to kill the goblin for her awakening. Her tiny fingers clutched the blade desperately, white-knuckled. Her eyes—wide and unblinking—were glued to her mother, Nadine, fighting at the door.

Arianna swallowed, a pang of sorrow hitting her. Such a strong little girl. Violet who was just eight years old herself had automatically taken on the role of the younger children's protector. She shouldn’t have to be. None of them should have to be.

Anger boiled in her chest. Why did the children have to go through this? Why did they have to be strong just to survive? Their lives before—they weren’t perfect, but they were peaceful.

She forced the thoughts away. Now wasn’t the time. Turning back to the fight, she did a quick assessment. She had one more Heal left. That was it. She also looked at her CP. Some more should have come in. She acknowledged inside her head that she had killed the minotaur to save the whole group.

[+ 20 CP (for healing an injured mortal)]

[+ 20 CP (for healing an injured mortal)]

[+ 40 CP (for killing a sentient being)]

[+ 100 CP (for saving a group of mortals)]

Her inner scale shook and came to rest with the virtuous side beeing heavier.

Now she had 180 CP. She could buy three small healing potions with that. Relieve flooded her. But she didn’t want to only use healing potions, she needed to be able to heal better. Liam was still out because her healing couldn’t replenish his blood and it almost hadn’t been strong enough to heal his injury fully. But she knew that if she upgraded her heal spell, she would one day be able to give Marcus his arm back.

If she wanted to achieve that and keep going, she needed to become stronger. The only way to do that now was to meditate.

She moved toward Danielle, who was clutching Liam’s limp hand.

"I need to meditate," Arianna murmured. "Otherwise, I won’t be able to heal anymore. Can you watch the fight and shake me if I’m needed?"

Danielle hesitated—but for the first time since Liam’s injury, she looked away from her son.

She nodded. "I’ll watch."

Arianna let out a slow breath. Good. Danielle hadn't seen Cassis's wound. If she had, she'd probably be just as shaken as Arianna.

Settling herself, Arianna closed her eyes. She shut out the world. The crashes. The roars. The shrieks. The sound of steel cutting flesh. The endless, agonizing cries of baby Jessica. It was so hard to ignore it all. But she had to. She had to find her mana. She had to be able to heal.

Arianna sat cross-legged again, her eyes closed, struggling to steady her breath. Frustration gnawed at her as she failed, once again, to glimpse the colour of her elemental affinity. She could feel the energy coursing through her, pulsing in time with her heartbeat, yet the moment she tried to focus, it slipped away like water through her fingers.

Her hand clenched around the sapphire pendant at her neck, seeking comfort in its cool, familiar weight. But as her fingers tightened around the gemstone, it grew warm against her palm, pulsing with an energy that was not her own. A gentle current of power flowed into her, weaving seamlessly with the strength already within her. The pressure built, growing heavier, until she felt as though she might be crushed beneath it. Sweat beaded at her brow, but she refused to let go.

Then, suddenly, clarity.

For the first time, she saw them—tiny, glistening motes of mana swirling within her, crystalline and unmistakably blue.

[You have discovered your elemental affinity: Water.]

[Spell "Elemental Barrier" has evolved into "Water Barrier."]

Arianna's eyes snapped open as she gasped for air. Heart still pounding, she hastily pulled up her status page, scanning the new description of her spell:

Water Barrier (Creates a protective barrier of water with a five-meter radius around a designated point)

There were no further details, no explanation of how to use it beyond the bare minimum. Just like with Heal, she would have to figure it out through trial and error.

As her breathing slowed, she took a moment to glance at her level—7. Her brow furrowed. If she was already this high, that meant Cassis must have reached level 8 or was very close. Just how many monsters had they slain while she meditated?

Arianna lifted her gaze to the battle. Cassis still stood at the forefront, blade flashing as he cut down yet another beast. Danielle had taken her place beside him at some point, swapping in for her husband. To Arianna’s left, Marcus now sat, ready to shake her awake if needed. Nadine rested near Violet, the little girl curled up beside her mother. Benny had rejoined the fight in her place, swinging his weapon with weary determination.

Scrapes and bruises marred nearly everyone’s skin—everyone except her. It was her role to heal, to stand ready, but simply watching as they endured injury after injury was growing unbearable.

At least her meditation had yielded results. She could let out five or six more heals. But only because of her necklace. Her fingers still curled around the pendant. What exactly are you? she wondered. Why do you hold this kind of power? Where did you come from? Why did you come to me?

Before she could chase those thoughts further, a sound cut through her swirling questions. A wet, guttural crunch. A gulp. A tearing noise.

Arianna’s breath hitched.

It wasn’t until she saw it with her own eyes—the limp corpse of a hyena-like monster being dragged backward by a clawed hand—that the realization slammed into her.

The monsters were eating their dead. She had wondered how the monster corpses hadn’t already formed a barrier in front of their fighters. This explained it.

Then she saw it. Cassis was also watching the corpse being dragged away and for a split second there was fear on his face. He immediately schooled his expression into grim determination. But Arianna had seen it and dread settled inside her. What would an experienced warrior like Cassis be afraid of?

“What’s wrong?” she asked him through the party chat. It took a while for him to answer.