> “Every day could be the last, and every step could be the final one. Breathe in, breathe out, do you feel your chest rise now? Does your heart beat strong, and does your mind race to feel, to confirm, to reassure you that you are alive? What about now? What about then? Which path would you take if you know death is waiting on every corner?”
> -Nilaku Lisir, Daughter of Time
Past, Present, and Future. Lula, Sri, Niki. In the time-optional lands of the Retribution Fields, the sisters walked a fine line between normality and chaos that most would find mind-bending at best and inducing ego death at worst. How could one’s past be older than the present, and one’s future not knowing what present choices turned them the way that they will be? No answer could satisfy all whims, and their father, Trisakti, opted to not think too much about what his daughters really were and focused instead on what they could be.
And so the triplet were sent to school, educated in various matters and subjects and tutored extensively to ensure the heiresses lacked for nothing mentally. At least, that was the plan. The reality was that everyone avoided the triplet, with them free to wander and ponder and stare at everybody that passed their way. Even now, the trio used this freedom to spy on one of the targets their father assigned to them; a typical, self-possessed heiress with silver hair and a penchant for trouble.
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School was a mixed bag for Kurosanti Silver. On one hand, the school she attended was the Armkar Society for Learning of All Ages, which, despite its name, was a respectable neutral ground where the various powers of Blood Falls could send their young to have a taste of what the real world had to offer. This of course completely ignored how only three factions of real significance controlled Blood Falls, with the rest of the major players opting to reside on the periphery or in the depths untouched by most people.
So now Silver had to think about what she could’ve done to catch the attention of the most annoying triumvirate in existence. Most were not even aware that Sri had sisters, but Silver saw them once, when by chance her eyes saw Sri walk through a time-broken patch of the neighborhood. It would be hard to forget the towering woman with orbs of fire and ice upon her shoulders, or the dragon with eyes upon its back and venom on every touch.
She thought first that they were bodyguards meant to protect against attacks made from the past and the future. The heiress had several such measures put in place as well, but further discussion with her father corrected her of this view. The Trium Illustricate princesses, apparently, had no need for protection, as no harm that befell them never stuck. Instead, their attackers would find their history rewritten, their identity made to reconcile with memories of the world they knew and the world that was.
It was an absurd power, even by the standards of the Retribution Fields. That all this was figured out in the first place was by trial-and-error, with waves of mercenaries, vengeance-fueled loved ones, and the occasional psychopaths brought into the fray. Trisakti was put into the spotlight for creating such an unreasonable force, and in an attempt at compromise, disowned his own daughters from the group’s line of succession.
Which means discussions were in order.
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The invitation raised some eyebrows, but ultimately Sri and her sisters decided to meet with the spoiled Silver heiress. The door to the abandoned classroom was unlocked and inside, sitting on a plush chair with guards on each flank, was Kurosanti Silver. Sri stepped inside and immediately realized why this place was chosen. Invisible to the naked eye, a time-fractured region ruled over part of the classroom, unveiling Lula and Niki for the world to see, much to their displeasure.
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"This. Trap.” Niki said what was on everyone’s mind instantly upon seeing the arrangement before the trio.
“You can’t be too careful with who you’re dealing with in this forsaken place.” Lula spoke in turn, readying the twin orbs upon her shoulders for a reckoning. Silver’s guards reacted in kind, one with guns out and the other simply took his glasses off and glared at his enemies with glowing red eyes.
“Stand down, both of you. The barks of the Trium Illustricate’ disgraced princesses holds no weight here or anywhere else. Nothing will happen as long as we don’t touch you, and face it, the three of you are at the end of your rope trying to dig your way out of the hole your exile has put you in.” Silver said while gesturing to the couch laid out to the side.
“We have much to discuss.”
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“What do you think about marriage?” Silver came out of the gates with no warning.
“W-What?! Marriage? W-With you?!” Sri stammered as she became the very picture of a tomato.
“I guess when the time comes, I’d be ready for it.” Niki said matter-of-fact.
“Don’t. Care.” Lula shrugged with her tail.
"Well, I do. I’m aiming for the perfect marriage. And I have just the groom for it.” Silver snapped her finger and her guard with the glowing eyes snapped to attention. He produced an invitation and put it on the table before Sri and her sisters.
“Uhm, thanks?” Sri said as she picked up the invitation and unfolded it. “Wow, you’re going to wear that in public? And why is your husband on fire?”
“It’s because she wants to marry the Fire’s Heir. The one everyone wouldn’t stop talking about; some big shot from another Godhome.” Niki grabbed hold of the invitation from Sri, rolling her eyes upon laying a look upon Silver’s choice of wedding dress.
“Impressive. Hunger.” Lula yawned and stretched before deciding to flop her body unto the waiting laps of her sisters, to their dismay. “Meeting. Purpose? Alliance?”
“Yes, that’s the gist of it. I’m looking to clear the board. Bring down the competition all in one go, and I have just the thing for it. Well, almost.” Silver lazily conjured an image of a black orb that gives off a sinister aura. “A butchery recently came into possession of a rare godly curse extracted from the body of a hapless godling. It was supposed to be sealed, but escaped by possessing a Logamaton. I’m sure you can see where I’m going with this.”
“If. Helped. What. Reward?” Lula asked through a mouth on her tail.
“Who’s to say we wouldn’t just take it for ourselves, Silvy-Wilvy?” Niki countered while glaring at Lula. “A bomb as good as what you’re saying is bound to be worth something to the right buyer.”
“Yes, well, they would have to make said bomb in the first place, and who knows how to make it? You? The Darah Daging? The Forty-Fourth? I doubt it. The design is a Silver special. But I’m guessing what’s really gnawing at your bones right now is why I’m telling you all of this, why I invited you here?”
“It would be nice to know.” Sri said with forced cheerfulness.
“It’s because I want us to be friends.” Silver spoke while holding Sri’s gaze. “I’m tired of all the backstabbing, the power plays, the politicking, and not knowing who you can trust.” She finished her cup of tea while taking note of how each of her guest was receiving this revelation.
“I would really like that! I really would!” Sri almost jumped from her seat were it not for the sister lain on her lap. “But I know I shouldn’t, not when-“
“No good deed goes unpunished.“ Niki said her piece without a hint of emotion. “Kindness doesn’t exist down here, where all the devils play. You are a terrible liar.”
Curiously, Lula was the only one that remained silent, though that might have been due to her having fallen asleep on the laps of her sisters. The vibration of her purrs was loud enough even for Silver to hear, and so the Silver heiress decided to end things on this note, for now.
“I think you’ll find that I have never lied in my life. But I forgive your caution, because your reasoning is sound. I will wait one day to hear back from you girls, whether we will join forces or remain foe once more.” Silver’s guards took their place walking behind their charge as she left the classroom, not bothering to close the door behind her.
Just as well. Lunch time was at hand.