Standing in the corner of the pink playroom, Lilith exhaled, eyeing Celeste and Jack with the latter chewing on a toy block.

“Cel! Stop chewing on that!” Jack exclaimed, much to the girl's dismay.

“But me hungry!” The golden princess retorted.

“You just ate! You keep eating you'll get chunky!”

“I’m chunky!”

“No. Bad! Give me the blocks!”

“No!”

“Give me the blocks Celeste!”

“NO!”

Celeste bolted, the girl attempting to run, but not before Jack reached out, levitating the girl with air.

“And where do you think you're running off to?!”

“WEE!” Celeste let out before she was spun and brought back to Jack.

“Gimme the block.”

“Up! Up!”

“Celeste, be a good girl and give Daddy the block.”

“Up!”

Jack sighed.

“If I send you up, you have to give me the blocks, ok?” Jack said, the girl nodding enthusiastically as Jack smiled.

Lilith turned, her red eyes glaring at Sahaqiel.

“What the fuck are you smiling about?” Lilith spat.

“Oh nothing. What are you smiling about?”

“Fuck off,” Lilith spat, returning to Jack's inner sea.

“Wow. For all your murder tendencies You're really just a big softy huh,” Sahaqiel teased, joining Lilith in the expansive void with Ruby held aloft in her arms like a doll.

The raven-haired woman narrowed her eyes but said nothing, walking into the golden cracked orb centered in the middle of the endless void.

Immediately her vision was flooded with equations. Thousands of floating sigils passing like a torrent of water let loose from a dam.

This was information. In its purest form. A complex weave of mana circuitry that incorporated all that Jack was and the spirits within him. In this shower of gold, there were cancerous blots, black voids, and warped language. Damage done to Jack's soul that was unseeable under any microscope.

Lilith went to work, the black specter purging strings of code with the precision of a surgeon that were untouchable to Sahaqiel.

Unlike the angel who had a rudimentary understanding of rune codes, Lilith was taught how to transcribe them since the moment she was initiated into Project Savior.

Here, Lilith spent most of her time accessing the data stream, cleaning up the corruption that was an ongoing byproduct of Jack's existence as a vessel.

Sahaqiel was capable of mending and stitching things back together, of repairing soul damage, but what she couldn't do was target and erase the lines of bad code.

This is where Lilith came in.

Using her powers of destruction, Lilith cut out the cancer, eliminating the corruptive information before Sahaqiel replaced it. On the surface level, Jack felt nothing, each action seemingly insignificant but if left untreated…

Well, Lilith didn't want to stop existing just yet. So she reluctantly worked with the angel, cutting out the corruptive properties that would turn Jack into an abomination.

“Lilith. I've been wondering, what type of deal did you make with Jack?” Sahaqiel asked, observing each pattern Lilith cut out and every code she weaved.

“None of your business.”

“Well, it IS my business, especially when it concerns our host. Jack is a good person, and if you hurt him-”

“What? You'll destroy me?” Lilith snickered. “You failed the last nine times, what's a tenth try little angel? If you're so worried, ask your crush. But before you do that how about telling him about the secrets you've been keeping from him? Or the plan you're conspiring with Selfia with?”

Sahaqiel frowned, her feathers ruffling a bit. The angel glared at the fallen soul, concerned about the pact that Jack had made with the devil before her.

All Sahaqiel could sense was an abomination. A warped and twisted being that oozed resentment and anger. And although she appeared human, Sahaqiel could see the woman's monstrous nature spurred on by the Infinity machine.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

And Jack had struck a deal with it. One cut off from Sahaqiel with no input from the angel.

“What cunt? You have a staring problem?” Lilith said over her shoulder.

“Respectfully, you're a bitch,” Sahaqiel said, turning with Ruby's legs dangling and storming off as Lilith snickered.

In silence, Lilith sat, observing the angel discretely until she left, leaving behind Ruby that sat in front of her.

In the void, only the two remained, Ruby staring at Lilith who ignored the woman.

With the angel preoccupied, Lilith pulled at the data stream, images appearing all around her of memories that weren't Jack's.

Lilith’s memories.

Everything that she was laid out in the vortex around her.

The Smiling Man, the doctors, the children. All of the memories of her time as a test subject.

After an hour, Lilith fixed her red eyes on the knight who did nothing but stare.

“Fuck you.”

****

Affixing his sleek black jacket that accentuated his muscles, Jack frowned, rolling his shoulders as he stood in the cramped dressing room.

“Is… this really necessary? I thought the Galla was supposed to be about the royal family?” Jack asked, adjusting the white frilly mask he wore on his face and his dyed jet black hair. Taking in his outfit, he wore all black save for his mask and the red contact over his eyes. “Don't we need to be like… noticeable? Also this damn thing is itchy.”

“It IS, about the royal family, but also those who support it,” Selfia said, standing behind a partition that separated her and Jack as Brigit worked on her make-up. “Our anonymity is to give everyone a chance to mingle and voice their ideas. Think of it as more of a meet and greet, but, minus the orgies.”

“I’m sorry? Did you say orgy?” Jack spun, his jaw agape as Victor Belfusa entered the room. “Did you say orgy?”

“As requested your highness, the Mark V,” Victor Belfusa said, unlatching a container nearby and showcasing a pair of hands that were so lifelike, Jack nearly thought they were real.

“Lightweight carbon fiber with gelatin infill, wrapped in synthetic meat layered by pig skin,” Victor explained, pinching part of the machinery that pulled like flesh before bringing them to Selfia.

“Battery life?” Selfia asked.

“Eh, twenty hours with consistent use. Sixty on standby. Five for combat mode. It features a motion charger to generate energy based on the friction from movement.”

“Excellent,” Selfia said.

“Combat mode?” Jack asked. “Think it’ll come to that?”

“Maybe. You said it yourself that we should be on alert due to Ivan and the High Table.”

“I mean, I also said we should cancel the gala. So that innocents don’t get hurt,” Jack replied.

“Trust me, Jack, there are no innocents. Every person attending is a noble or a profiteer.”

“What about their families? Their children? I've read the guest list, Selfia. Not everyone that is coming is bad. And not everyone is being arrested,” Jack frowned, noticing an inconsistency in Selfia's plan.

Selfia peeked around the partition, the now blonde woman sighing.

“Don't worry about it. You're just there to smile and wave. Eat good food. And at the end, we'll reveal ourselves with a grand speech and all,” Selfia explained, a floating hand on Jack's shoulder while Victor and Bridget helped connect the new arms to Selfia's metal shoulder connectors.

Jack frowned, but ultimately, this was the price he had to pay to find his sister.

“Selfia. I've been thinking…”

“Oh dear, do you need first aid? A doctor? I hope you didn't hurt yourself.”

“Ha! Very funny, no… I… I would like to move back to my home after Ada gives birth. Just for a few months. To help her with our child,” Jack said as Bridget moved to adjust his mask. “Ada and I think it's important to raise him- or her with our people. Again, only a few months. And I can split my time between here when you need me and there.”

“Ok.”

Jack blinked. “Ok?”

“Yeah. Sure. If you want to move back to your home, by all means.”

“That's… that's it? A simple yeah?”

“Yerp,” Selfia replied. “A few months of air would do us good.”

“Oh…” Jack said, not expecting the response. “Wait, us?”

Selfia leaned around the partition again, a mischievous smile on her face.

“Oh yes, I believe by this time next week, the region should fall to General Olivia's forces. I plan on turning the area into a gate to the frontier for its natural resources.”

Jack narrowed his eyes. “And… how are my people involved?”

“Well, officially, nomads aren't imperial citizens. And if I were to decree that they were, I'd get a lot of blowback from my supporters. So, Hoshido City is being classified as a special autonomous zone. Don't worry, I've got it all planned out. Although your little village may be a lot different than you remember it.”

“I see,” Jack said, a feeling of unease taking him.

“So, how do I look?” Selfia stepped out from behind the partition, the woman now in a black dress, black frilly half mask with her false arms exposed.

The dress itself was cut low, accentuating her breasts and pale skin with emphasis on her shoulders that showed no signs of deformity.

“Well? Don't just stare at me!”

“Ah, right,” Jack replied, recovering quickly with his eyes drawn to the golden pendent on her neck. “You look good. Really good. I honestly can't tell that your arms are fake. The skin is amazing.”

“Damn right it is boy,” Victor said, “Took me a whole damn month to get that skin like that.”

“Uhm. Sir,” Bridget cut in. “You really shouldn't call the king, boy.”

The man grunted.

“Anyway! Are you ready?” Selfia asked.

“Yeah. I'm all set,” Jack replied, smoothing down his suit with his matching black gloves.

“Good. Then let's go.”

“Go? What do you mean go? The gala is in an hour isn't it?”

“No… it's right now?” Selfia said, raising a brow.

“Wait, I thought it was at seven?”

“No, it's at six.”

“But it isn't even night out?”

“Does it have to be night to dance?”

“No but…” Jack frowned, suddenly feeling put on the spot. “I just… I thought we would have more time to practice…”

“Well, you're the one who wasted time playing with Celeste.”

“I wasn't playing with her, I was chasing her. She got into the kitchen and stole all of Kamila’s bags of blueberries. Which, by the way, stain everything they touch,” Jack countered. “I spent most of the day scrubbing the floors and don't get me started on the glitter.”

“Why didn't you just tell the servants to clean up?”

“You mean Kamila.”

“She is a servant and that’s her job. Even if you two fuck occasionally. But what you do with Ada and Kamila in the bedroom is your business.”

Jack frowned, noticing Bridget's shocked expression.

“Why am I sensing I'm in danger?” Jack sighed.

“Come on, no cold feet now! Let's go!” Selfia said as the door opened to the sound of music, chatter and applause as dozens of people mingled in a room filled with high-class nobles.