Time slowed again as the knife whistled towards my face, its razor-sharp edge glinting in the firelight. I tried to move, to avoid the deadly projectile, but my body refused to obey. Fear and pain held me in a vice-like grip as I watched the small sliver of metal hurtling towards me in slow motion.

Suddenly, I saw a flash of movement out of the corner of my eye, followed by a bolt of light. I turned my head just in time to see a rain of glowing arrows shoot through the air. The first one had redirected the path of the knife, and the volley was impeding Red Masque's charge. He turned with a bristle and parried the rain of arrows.

I'd come so close to death just now. Everything hurt so much, and my survival barely registered to me.

A golden figure suddenly stood silhouetted between Red Masque and me, and I felt a wave of relief wash over me as I realized that it was none other than Dawn Lily. Her tussle with Arsenal had left her breathless and heavily injured, but she still managed to come to my aid.

Red Masque growled, squaring off against Dawn Lily with a snarl. "Do not interfere. I will see this to the end by any means — is a young girl you hardly know worth your life?" he spat.

Dawn Lily stepped forward, her bow and arrow transforming into a quarterstaff. "A Magical Girl never abandons a friend in need," she said firmly, "No matter the odds!"

Red Masque shook his head. "Then we will be at an impasse. But know this: I will not be stopped so easily. The girl must die immediately," he replied, disappearing from view to reappear next to Dawn Lily with his daggers drawn.

Dawn Lily reacted quickly, parrying his attack with her staff and their weapons clashed together in a symphony of metal. Sparks flew as their blades struck each other again and again, their movements becoming more fluid and graceful with each passing moment as Dawn Lily pressed an offensive to drive him away from me.

It was like watching a dance, but even with my inexperience, I could tell Dawn Lily was outmatched. Pain wracked my body, but I couldn't look away as Red Masque continued his onslaught.

I could see the determination in Dawn Lily's face, but it was clear that she was struggling to keep up with his speed and skill. I numbly realized she was being reckless, threatening Red Masque with an all-out reckless offensive to get him away from me.

Suddenly, the air buzzed with a roaring noise and I saw drones flying overhead like insects. Dozens of drones surrounded the duo with weapons pointed their way, aiming to line up a shot against Red Masque. Were they friendly? Wait.

I blinked through my haze.

“Oh no. No, no no. I let you go without a real fight. Why am I so worthless?”

It was the voice again. The second woman’s. The young, airy, and bright voice.

Who was that?

Just then, something inside me stirred. I clutched my side and felt a hot object pressing against my skin. With shaky fingers, I pulled out a knife from my lungs and screamed as the pain washed over me. At some level, I knew it was a bad idea, but it just hurt so much I couldn't take the pain of it sticking into my lungs anymore.

My vision blurred as I looked down at the trickle of blood dripping down my arm from the wound in my chest. As seconds passed, I felt the world slipping away from me, but somehow, I wasn't falling over dead or unconscious.

"Sienna..."

I finally recognized the voice. How could I not know it? It was lighter, airier, but still familiar. Too familiar. I should’ve been ashamed

The voice echoed in my ears, and the pain slowly began to slip away.

My delirious thoughts drifted to the last fight we had before I set out for Kaleidoscope City.

She had warned me about the dangers of getting involved with Magical Knights and the dangers it would bring. I'd never thought I'd actually become a Magical Girl, but here I was, a last minute reject draft as the world came to an end.

Miraculously, I'd never gotten an injury worse than a few scrapes and bruises through my childhood. But here I was, bleeding out with several knives in my back from a fight I had no chance of winning.

"Sienna! Stay with me! Keep your eyes open!" one of the drones buzzed near my face, interrupting my thoughts.

I blinked and looked up. The world had become hazy and indistinct, but I could make out the blurry shapes of Red Masque and Dawn Lily still locked in combat.

Yes. That's right, Albert had managed to seize control of the drones from Techtron. That was impressive. Of course he did.

The sound of clashing metal and grunting filled my ears as I struggled to stay conscious. I wanted to help Dawn Lily, to be useful in some way, but my body refused to respond.

I looked back up, only to hallucinate the figure of Albert standing over me again, taking the hits from the bullies meant for me.

Why was I so useless, unable to protect myself or anyone else? Dawn Lily had already been cut several times in the fight, trying to save me.

"Oh my sweet child. My daughter. What have you gotten yourself into? I should never have tried to protect you the way I did." my mother's voice said softly in my head. “I should have prepared you…”

Her voice was sweet, like a nightingale singing to the skies.

My mother's voice was soft and gentle, her love washing over me like a wave of warmth. Tears scythed down my cheeks as I remembered all the times we had spent together. All the moments we had shared sewing together old clothes and reading books on our musty sofa, her voice filling the room with stories of magic and wonder. I hadn't realized how much I missed her until now.

"I'm sorry, mom. I love you so much," I whispered, my voice barely audible even to myself. "I'm sorry I was such a disappointment to you. I wish I could have been stronger."

To my complete surprise, I felt a warmth in my hoodie jacket, and I numbly reached down in surprise. My fingers curled around the soft fabric of a stuffed cat the little girl had given me earlier that day. At that moment, I knew that the little girl had somehow managed to hear my prayer and her soft voice drifted through the air to me.

My eyes flickered open again, and suddenly, Red Masque and Dawn Lily in frozen in time as the world turned a dull gray. The sight that greeted me was both terrifying and sobering: Red Masque was holding Dawn Lily up by her neck, a resolute, hard stare on his face.

Just then, something remarkable happened. The once lifeless stuffed toy began to stir and move. Its eyes glowed brightly pink in the hazy light, and it hopped off my hand with a little "meow" of surprise, floating in the air with little, glowing pink wings.

It then flew up to my head and with a single tap, bops me over the head. In that moment, I felt something inside of me break free from all the pain and sorrow that had been weighing me down for so long.

"Listen here, now!" a new voice cut through my thoughts as the stuffed cat crossed its arms. It was a lively woman's voice, full of energy and confidence.

"You are not a disappointment! You have so much strength and courage inside of you, and you have already proven that by becoming a Magical Girl. You have saved the lives of so many people already. On your first two days, no less! And you will continue to do so. You are not weak, you are not useless. You are. A hero, Sienna!"

"You?!" my mother's voice spoke again, her tone surprised. "H-how could it be?"

"It's a long story, and I don't think I'll get the chance to explain. Sienna is close to death, which is one condition that allows this," the second voice replied. "But right now, we need to focus on the situation at hand. Sienna and my nephew are still in mortal peril and general danger, and the emo little puppy over there clearly needs a therapist."

I blinked, trying to focus on the voices. The pain in my chest was a dull throb now, but it still made it hard to think straight. Who was the woman speaking to me? And who was her nephew? I couldn't process the information, but somehow, I felt like I trusted her.

I blinked my eyes, trying to focus on the conversation, but everything was a blur.

Who were they talking about? Red Masque? It didn't matter. All I knew was that I needed to stay awake, needed to help in any way I could.

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I tried to sit up, but a wave of vertigo washed over me and I fell back down, groaning. The pain in my chest was slowly ebbing away, but it was being replaced with a dull, gnawing ache. I looked down and saw that my wound was not bleeding as profusely as before.

Then, the stuffed cat flew down into my lap to look me up in the eyes.

"Sienna... you have to listen to me. You are headstrong, short-tempered, and reckless. But you are strong, and you are brave. Too brave, just like your father, God rest his soul. But it is that bravery that will save you and your friends. You must use it now. Your Resilience skill will see you through this. Focus inward, find your strength and push through the pain," the second voice spoke, its tone filled with encouragement. "You can use what remains of your mana to stem your wounds, if you focus hard enough. It won't heal them, but it will see you through long enough to survive."

I tried to focus on my breathing, to let go of the pain and the fear, to find the strength that the voice was telling me was there. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, my hands unconsciously moving to the wound in my chest as I did so.

I felt a warmth spreading from my heart, slowly moving through my body, and as it did so, the pain began to recede. I opened my eyes, and though everything was still hazy and vague, I could see a faint, golden aura beginning to emanate from my chest.

I tried to speak, to ask who she was, but my throat felt parched, and my words came out in a hoarse whisper. "Who... are you?"

"I will not disclose that without your mother's permission, even on your ostensible deathbed. This is already complicated as is, and you are both overdue for a heart to heart," the woman replied. "But for now, you can call me Aunt Jinny."

Aunt Jinny. The name sounded familiar, like it had been said before. But I couldn't recall when. I felt a sense of familiarity, like I'd known her forever.

All that mattered was that she was here now, helping me through this pain. I nodded weakly to thin air, too tired to protest. My chest felt heavy, and even with the warmth of the aura, I knew I was still hurt badly. My sight blurred again, and I closed my eyes, focusing on the warmth within me. I needed to keep it going, to keep the aura flowing, or I'd lose consciousness.

"A— I mean, Jenny, Jin, I—" my mother's voice cut in, her tone hesitant as she spoke. "Jenny... are you...?"

The toy almost seemed to sigh in my lap.

"I'm dead, Maria. I'm sorry. I really am. This is an interaction between your abilities and hers, along with Sienna's. I know this is a lot to take in, but we don't have much time. Sienna needs to compose herself. Now."

My heart stopped. My mother was talking to a dead person? Was I really hearing their conversation? My mind was reeling with the weight of this revelation. But at the same time, I couldn't bring myself to care. All that mattered was that I had to survive this. I had to get out of here.

"I know it's hard. I've watched you from afar for all these years, seeing you suffer and struggle, unable to say anything. But you need to be strong now. For Sienna. For yourself. Remember what you taught her," Aunt Jinny's voice spoke again, her tone firm and resolute. "I know that you will make the right decision. You've always tried your best to be a good mother to Sienna. Now it's time to let her go and take up arms again."

"Jenny, I can't. We've hid her from this world for so long. She can't handle this. She's just a child. Not only that, but there's the cascades I made bringing her down. It’s too dangerous," my mother's voice replied, filled with desperation and fear. "I can't lose her. Not like you. Not like Elio and the others."

"She's not a child anymore. She's a Knight! She's already faced more danger and death in the past two days than most people do in a lifetime," Aunt Jinny replied. "It takes a strong soul to control the corrupted core within, as well. You have to trust that she is strong enough to handle this. Sienna has the power to save this world, to change the course Nox set. Don't you see that?"

There was a moment of silence, the weight of Aunt Jinny's words hanging heavy in the air. I opened my eyes again, focusing on the golden aura emanating from my chest. I could feel my mana depleting, but I knew I had to keep it going.

"There's only so much you can do with your [Talent] sealed to keep watch over her, Maria. She will survive if you reclaim your Origin and help her. It's time to stop hiding. It's time to fight back," Aunt Jinny continued, her voice growing more urgent. "You can't just let Sienna die so the kid can take the easy road. You can't let Red Masque continue to spiral into madness. You have the power to stop him. Use it. But if you refuse to take action, you risk losing your precious daughter forever. Do you want that?"

My mother's response was barely above a whisper. "No. No, I don't."

I could feel the tension in the air, the weight of the decision that my mother had to make. Aunt Jinny's words were harsh, but they rang true.

Aunt Jinny's voice softened. "Then don't let it happen. Sienna needs you now more than ever. You can save her. You can save everyone. Trust in yourself. You are stronger than you know. Hell, you were one of the strongest in our generation. The skill you used may have gotten her in this mess on a fluke, one in a billion chance she’d run into him, but it’s running out of fumes. You'll have to act now."

I could feel the tension in the air as my mother wrestled with her thoughts. I wanted to help, to offer some kind of encouragement, but I was too weak. All I could do was keep the warmth inside me flowing, to keep myself conscious.

My mother's breath hitched as she spoke. "I know. I'm scared. I'm scared I won't be enough to save her.” There was a brief pause, like my mother was composing herself. “But... but I will do it."

Aunt Jinny's voice was filled with relief. "I know you will. I understand you've longed to hear this, but I will say it while I can. I love you and forgive you for everything. But you have to do what's right. For yourself, for Sienna, for everyone," Aunt Jinny said with a gentle tone. "Take care of her, Maria. And remember, you are not alone. Elio will always love you. And you will always be the girl with sad, beautiful eyes to me. My sister in all but blood. My greatest and worst friend, forever and ever."

My mother gasped and choked, and I closed my eyes once more, tears brimming at the corners. The weight of the conversation and its implications was again too much for me to bear.

All this time, my mother had been hiding something like this from me. I tried to take deep, steadying breaths, to focus on the warmth of my own aura and let it wash away the hurt.

A Talent? My mother was a former Magical Knight?!

As I stood there, trying to make sense of everything, I suddenly became aware of a new presence in the room. It was a dark energy, something that made my skin crawl. I turned to see my mother suddenly appear before me in her janitor uniform, her eyes filled with determination and a hint of fear as she looked at me. Then, she closed her eyes, and tears trailed down her face.

I watched in awe as a bright white light enveloped her body, and she began to change. Her frizzled brown hair grew longer and shinier, a deep blue ribbon wrapping itself around it as it flowed down her back. She was becoming younger and more beautiful with every passing moment – like time was being reversed.

Then, in a flash of night blue light, my mother had transformed. Her eyes were now deep blue, punctuated by white sparkles like the night sky, and her hair was a cascading blue waterfall down the middle, highlighted by whites on either side. She wore a suit of armor reminiscent of a bird of the night that glowed with an otherworldly brilliance, with wings made of pure dark-blue mana extending out from her back.

It was a visage that'd haunted my nightmares every year at the parade in Pewterstone. And I knew at that moment that this is what she had been hiding all this time.

My mother embraced me and I subconsciously returned the hug as she whispered in my ear. "I know you need this, Sienna. I may not be able to save you in this form, but I can support you with my aura so that you can save yourself."

The feeling of warmth that came over me was like nothing I've ever felt before, and I felt her tense as she tenderly pulled the knives out of my back.

I felt no pain, and the cuts on my body began to heal immediately, the sharp, dull pains fading away as my mother's Mana flowed into me. I felt my own power grow stronger, my aura brightening and pulsing with renewed energy. Suddenly, I felt an overwhelming sense of power coursing through me; it was as if a dam had burst and Mana poured out from every part of my body.

My mother stepped back from me, and I felt a sudden sense of loss. But as I looked at her, I saw a different kind of strength in her eyes. She was no longer the frightened woman who had been hiding her true identity from me, spending days at a time avoiding me.

"Sienna, my Shadowmeld Affinity Link will be broken soon, as will my ability to watch over you. I am sorry, my dear. I will lend you my strength, but you will need to fight this battle alone. I... I have faith in you."

As my mother finished speaking, her eyes filled with tears once more. She reached out and took my hand, channeling her magic into my body. I could feel the power surging through me, my senses tingling with newfound strength.

"I love you, Sienna," my mother said, her voice breaking. "Please be careful. Promise me you will come home to me."

"I will," I replied, my voice filled with determination. "I won't let you down."

My mother's fingers stroked through my hair with a soft smile, her hand squeezing mine one last time before she stepped back away from me.

"You are my pride, Sienna. Always have been, always will be."

I stretched out my hand, longing for her embrace as my mother's figure began to fade, her bright aura slowly dissipating into nothingness. My heart ached as I realized that I would be alone once again, but I pushed the feeling away, replacing it with steely resolve.

My eyes snapped open, and color returned to the world as the stuffed cat fell lifelessly to the ground. I looked up at Red Masque as he held Dawn Lily up by the neck, his other hand gripping a dagger tightly.

"Hopeful Heart Alchemy…" I whispered and let my inner strength flow outwards, illuminating the burning streets with a warm pink light.

Red Masque's grip on Dawn Lily faltered as he was momentarily blinded by the light.

"Shadow Art: Nightingale's Nocturne!" I shouted.