Novels2Search

Chapter 22

"Well… perhaps I can lend a hand," Twilight Aster said with a smile.

The fire station's quiet was abruptly punctuated by Twilight Aster's voice. Her tone was soft, worn thin by pain and exhaustion, but it was steady, calm. Although she only looked like she was around college aged, she had an aura of authority and wisdom, a beacon of hope that stood out in stark contrast to the grim atmosphere.

"I apologize for my untimely unconsciousness," Twilight Aster said as she opened her eyes wholly. Her voice was hoarse, every word a clear effort, but there was a certain determination in her tone. "I must have given you all quite the scare."

Jennifer rushed to her side, a bottle of water in hand. "You shouldn't be moving," she warned, her voice trembling with anxiety. "You’re badly injured."

Twilight Aster nodded slowly. "I remember...there were too many of them...I...," she coughed, wincing in pain, "I got separated from my squad. I was leading my squad with two other girls - Dawn Lily and Midnight Blossom. We were patrolling the city outskirts searching for a villain when we were ambushed. We engaged — Red Masque, the leader of the Blood Moon Syndicate and his henchmen, but the monsters...they appeared out of nowhere and soon, my squad was overwhelmed."

A heavy silence fell over the room as everyone digested her words. The thought of dozens of monsters overwhelming a team of Magical Knights was chilling.

"But how did you end up here?" Jacob asked, his voice full of concern. "I didn't see you anywhere in sight on the way in."

"I don't remember much," Twilight Aster confessed, a hint of frustration in her voice. "After we were separated, I tried to regroup with my team, but everything devolved into chaos. I was caught up in a fight with what seemed like a large, mutated police officer, and the next thing I knew, I was alone, badly injured, and on an adrenaline dump. I spotted you entering the fire station in the distance and rushed over before my injuries overtook me."

Jennifer helped Twilight Aster to take a sip of water, her brows knitted in worry as we digested the information.

"Hey uh, did you... did you happen to see what happened to Red Masque?" Black Star asked.

A slight frown creased Twilight Aster's brow. "No," she said after a moment, "we lost track of him just before the attack. He must've used the confusion to escape."

"I see," he murmured, a thoughtful look on his face. I could tell there was more he wanted to ask, but he held his tongue, perhaps to avoid raising suspicions.

"I couldn't help but overhear your discussion," Twilight Aster continued after a few moments of silence. "You wish to rescue your friend from Refuge Zeta?"

I nodded, my heart pounding in my chest. "Yes," I said with a hint of desperation in my voice. "And Jacob's family. They're all trapped in there."

Twilight Aster's gaze fell on Jacob, then shifted to me. There was a quiet understanding in her eyes. "You're quite brave," she said, her voice low but firm. "I don't know what I can do in my current state, but I will try to be of assistance. Unfortunately, I depleted my reserve skill points in the battle and will not be able to restore myself to full. I barely escaped death with my protective aura exactly at zero."

The room went silent at that. The severity of Twilight Aster's injuries and her depleted magical powers were like a splash of cold water. We had hoped, even if only a little, that she might be able to lend us some of her strength.

"I can still provide aid, however, but it's a desperate option for certain. I'll expound in a bit," Twilight Aster quickly added, sensing our disappointment. "And you, Miss Russo, you have not figured out your transformation Origin yet, have you?”

I shook my head, my heart thudding in my chest.

I remembered the moment Bastet had granted me these powers, the sudden rush of magic, but when it came to the actual transformation, I was at a loss.

“Umn… well… I was actually hoping you could shed some insight into that,” I started. “I think learning to transform as soon as possible would be a big boon here, and I was hoping you could help with that.”

"I see," Twilight Aster murmured thoughtfully. "Well, the transformation of a Magical Knight is an extremely personal thing. It is typically drawn from an individual's noble motivation for becoming a Magical Girl. An origin so to speak. Each transformation is different."

I blinked at her, surprised. "Noble motivation? Origin?"

She nodded. "It is typically an instinctive oath tied to an emotion or sentiment closely tied to your reasons for becoming a Magical Knight. It could be a deeply held belief, a cherished memory, or a moment of realization. It is something that gives you strength, a powerful motivation that pushes you to protect others, even in the face of danger. We transform into ascended states of sorts by channeling our magical energy while clinging onto our origins. The System established by our ancestors is unfortunately flawed and merely facilitates what we can achieve naturally. A transformation becomes as easy as breathing once you understand your Origin."

"I... I get it," I murmured, my mind immediately going to Albert’s close call. "I think... I think I understand what you mean. An instinctive oath? I accepted the call to save my best friend Albert's life when he was infected by one of those monsters. Is that relevant?"

Twilight Aster nodded, her gaze softening a bit. "That would be a good place to start. But fundamentally, there is much more to it than simply saving your friend under duress. What is the root emotion that drove you to accept the power? What is the true depth of that desire? What makes Albert so important to you that you would take such a leap of faith? Simply shared experiences isn't enough. What did you feel in that moment? What is the antithesis?"

I hesitated, thinking about her question. There was a silence, almost suffocating, but no one broke it, waiting patiently for my answer. The emotion that drove me to accept the power... Albert and I were from the same neighborhood, grew up together, faced the same struggles... was it camaraderie? A sense of shared hardship? It wasn't romantic, that's for sure. We had as pure of a two-way platonic relationship as it got.

"No," I finally said in a whisper, shaking my head, "it's more than that. It's not just about shared experiences or because he's my friend. It's because... because he never gave up, no matter how hard things got. He's always pushing forward, always taking the initiative. He's the reason I didn't give up when things got tough. That moment when I saw the blue energy spread, I felt panic and despair. Albert, he's... he's my..."

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I paused, stumped by my inability to put it to words. It was at the tip of my tongue.

Twilight Aster smiled softly at my words, her eyes twinkling. "I think you're close, but I can't say it for you. You have to understand it in your own heart first. Then, you'll be able to trigger the transformation."

I frowned as she reached out an arm to touch my hand gently.

"Now, other than that, I would appreciate an understanding of what we are working with here. Miss Russo, could you explain your current set of skills and attributes? I would like to know what we are working with here.”

"Sure," I nodded, summoning my status screen with a flicker of thought.

I quickly gave her a rundown of my baseline attributes and skills, starting from my mediocre physical attributes to my assorted list of light and energy-themed skills.

Twilight Aster blinked at me, clearly taken aback. "A Magic value of Twenty-one? But that's... that's beyond exceptional, Sienna. The average Magic value for a Magical Knight your age is about nine or ten, and rarely does it exceed fifteen even with a lifetime of training. Your magic attribute exceeds an average knight's by approximately four standard deviations. This is almost unheard of. This… this has to be a mistake. How old are you again?"

Her surprise seemed genuine, and the caution caused a knot of unease to form in my stomach, which I didn’t understand. "Yeah, uh, I’m fifteen and I was actually supposed to start on the Magical Knight Corps logistics track at Kaleidoscope High.”

Twilight Aster’s eyes narrowed slightly as she digested my words, her surprise slowly giving way to something akin to suspicion. “Your magical attribute is extremely high for someone who was not chosen by the time you started puberty. From what I can gather, you demonstrate heroic attributes as well. That is... peculiar," she murmured. "Usually, girls with such high values are chosen and trained when they're as young as eight or nine. The selection process is rigorous when it comes to children in the school system to ensure we don’t miss out on such valued prospects. There is absolutely no possibility that you escaped notice."

I frowned, taken aback by her words. "Really? But... that's... that's weird. I...," I trailed off, my mind racing with what she was saying.

Why hadn’t I been selected? I was left in my own cloud of doubts and confusion, unsure of what to make of this information.

Twilight Aster just hummed thoughtfully. "Well, regardless of why, it seems you have potential, Sienna," she said at last, a note of approval in her tone.

"All Magical Knights have an innate versatile [Talent] that they can build upon. Your Talent, Luminary Conversion, allows you to manipulate and negate the corrupting energy, correct? I suspect its properties do not end there.”

Twilight Aster paused for a second, staring at me again with narrowed eyes before continuing. “With the ability to control that energy alone, it would be an extremely potent skill, one that could tip the scales in our favor. And with your innate Magic value as high as it is, you could become one of the most powerful Magical Knights of the generation."

Her words echoed in my mind, overwhelming in their weight. Me? One of the strongest Magical Knights of the generation? It was so far from what I thought of myself, it felt like I was hearing about someone else entirely. And yet, deep down, part of me wanted to believe her. To cling onto that idea that maybe I could really make a difference. That I could save Albert.

But I was quickly brought back to reality by her next words.

"But remember, power and talent does not equate to control. Even with your incredible magical potential, you must train and understand your abilities to be effective. Rushing in without proper preparation could result in disaster. That's something you cannot afford, especially if you're planning to rescue your friend."

I nodded, her words striking a chord within me. I knew she was right. I needed to understand what I was capable of, and more importantly, to learn to control it. But…

I shook my head, “Unfortunately, finding time to train isn’t a luxury we have right now with Refuge Zeta overrun or worse. I’ll… I’ll figure out this transformation thing. Worst comes to worse, I'll have to get the hang of it on the way to the shelter."

"Perhaps," Twilight Aster said thoughtfully, her gaze pensive as she studied me. "Or perhaps there is a way I can assist you, despite my current condition." She closed her eyes, her brow furrowing slightly as if she was focusing on something intangible. A ripple of energy washed over the room, a visible wave that made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. I watched her, a cold shiver running down my spine as she visibly paled. Her body wobbled, and she almost fell, but Jennifer was there to steady her.

"Here," Twilight Aster said, panting heavily as she handed me a small glowing crystal. It pulsed with a strange energy, a soft golden light that was almost soothing to look at. "Use this... A... a crystal... for my skill. [Astral Mending]."

I frowned, puzzled. "I don't understand. What's this for?"

"It accelerates my healing... by sharing my aura with yours," Twilight Aster explained, her voice strained. "I will suffer a massive penalty to my physical parameters and general alertness, but... it could get me back to a reasonable fighting form in an hour or two instead of days."

"But won't it weaken you further?" Jennifer asked, her tone worried.

Twilight Aster gave a small, weary smile. "We can't afford to wait," she said. "If Sienna is to stand a chance, she needs someone with experience by her side."

I watched her, my heart heavy as I clutched the crystal in my hand. She was putting herself at risk, putting her trust in me. I couldn't afford to let her down.

"And in return, I ask of you, Sienna, to promise me that regardless of what happens, you will survive, you will train, and that you will grow strong," Twilight Aster said, her gaze serious. "You have been given a great gift that few possess. Do not squander it. Use it to protect those who cannot protect themselves."

I nodded, swallowing hard. "I promise, Twilight Aster," I said, my voice firm. "I won't let you down."

“Now, Henry was it? A word. In private, please.”

Henry – or rather, Black Star as I now knew him – quirked an eyebrow but complied, following Twilight Aster to a corner of the room. His face was as inscrutable as they spoke in hushed whispers, but there was an air of seriousness about him that I hadn't seen before.

Although I couldn't hear their words, I couldn't help but wonder about the nature of their conversation. Twilight Aster's gaze was intent, her tone firm and authoritative. Despite his flippant nature, Black Star listened to her in silence, his demeanor uncharacteristically respectful. What were they talking about? Was it about Refuge Zeta? Or was it about the rescue mission?

Did Twilight Aster know about Black Star's connection to Red Masque? She had mentioned the villain earlier, and Black Star had asked about him. Could she have figured it out?

I watched as they finished their conversation, both looking grim. Twilight Aster placed a hand on Black Star's shoulder, something he allowed without resistance. There was a finality in that gesture, a seriousness that resonated within the room.

"Alright then," Twilight Aster announced, turning her attention back to us. Her voice echoed through the heavy silence. "Jacob? Henry? Sienna? Let's prepare ourselves for what comes next."

I couldn't help but feel a strange mix of dread and anticipation.

What would I find at Refuge Zeta? Would Albert be safe? Would we be able to rescue Jacob's family? And how would I face the challenges ahead?

One thing was for sure though. I was not the same girl I was yesterday. I was Sienna Russo, a Magical Knight Cadet with an exceptional Magic value and a powerful Talent. Despite my doubts and fears, I was determined to use my newfound abilities to protect those I cared about.

As I watched Twilight Aster and Black Star, their hushed words still a mystery to me, I realized that I was about to step into a world far beyond my understanding.

I would figure it out, one way or another. For now, my focus was on the task ahead. Refuge Zeta awaited. Albert awaited.

It was time to pack up and prepare for the rescue mission.