image [https://i.imgur.com/9pKYQr6.png]

Deep in the night, the winter moonlight revealed a frantic commotion occurring down below. The dead and decayed trees raced by as a young girl sprinted through the woods with great haste. Everything around her was an absolute blur, only highlighted by the faint trace of white snowflakes dancing in the air.

Her bare feet smacked against the cold, snowy and hardened ground with each panic filled step. Despite the pain she felt, the girl made no effort to stop. It was clear that the only thing on her mind was escaping whatever was behind her.

There was no way to tell what she was running from, but the look of terror on the girl’s face justified her rapid pace. Not once did she ever turn around, fearing that it would only slow her down. As her speed increased, the only sound that she could hear was the thunderous heartbeat pounding in her chest.

Unfortunately, the girl’s quickened cadence was interrupted by a perfectly hidden tree branch under the snow. Her foot connected with the stiff wood, causing her to fall face first onto the frigid ground. She tried to stand just as quickly as she fell, but the slippery snow caused her to trip again.

She slowly flipped herself over and sat there, breathing heavily and looking down at her hands. They were stained with crimson blood from her palms to her wrists. Curiously though, this blood wasn’t hers nor was it fresh, having dried up considerably during her frightened sprint.

The girl stared at her bloodied palms as panic began to flood in like an unending torrent. Her expression grew more fearful once she remembered the events that caused her hands to look like bloody canvases. She forcefully closed her eyes and gripped her body tightly, hugging her arms close to her chest.

Her panic attack continued to surge as her body shook from the winter’s chilling bite. Moments later, she heard a voice calling her name. It started out incredibly faint but with each call, the voice drew closer and closer.

“Elise.. Elise… ELISE!”

Suddenly she opened her eyes and thrust her body upwards out of bed, panting heavily and dripping with cold sweat. No longer was she in a freezing, snowy forest, but a quaint little bedroom with a small flame going in a nearby fireplace.

“Goodness Elise, were you having another one of those night terrors?” An elderly woman asked the girl with great concern on her face, reaching over and wiping the sweat off of her brow.

“Oh, uh, yeah… Sorry, Grandma.” Elise replied, pushing her Grandmother’s hand away from her forehead.

“Don’t apologize, child. I know you’ve been through quite an ordeal. I pray to the Core everyday that you’ll be able to be free from those haunting dreams.”

She gave Elise a warm smile before walking towards the door.

“Breakfast is almost done. Come down when you’re ready.”

Elise simply nodded at the request, prompting her Grandmother to close the door shut.

‘Gah, how many times have I had that nightmare this week?’ Elise looked down at her shaking hand and sighed, closing together a tight fist as she pondered her thoughts.

She eventually pushed her sheets to the side and got out of bed, walking over towards her bathroom. Once inside, Elise stopped at the sink mirror and stared back at her dark green eyes.

Her messy black bangs slightly impeded her vision, causing Elise to blow air from her lips upwards. The short burst of air did nothing but tickle her forehead before settling the bangs back into their original place. Elise sighed again and hopped into her shower, making no effort to tend to her hair any further.

Once she finished freshening herself up, Elise swiftly went down the hall to the kitchen where her Grandmother was already seated. She pulled out a chair at the table and took a seat, glancing over at the fairly tiny stove and countertop to her left. This house was quite small for two people, but it served its purpose enough to keep them warm and safe.

“Your father stopped by earlier…” Grandmother said as Elise took a hesitant bite of piping hot porridge.

“What did that bastard want?” Elise coldly replied, her face housing an expression of absolute disdain.

“What do you think? The only time he shows his face is when he needs money.”

Grandmother placed her spoon down and leaned back, letting out a hefty sigh in the process.

“Why do you keep helping him? He clearly doesn’t give a damn about you and he for sure doesn’t care about me.” Elise wondered, still irritated that her father was even mentioned. Grandmother simply shook her head, disagreeing with Elise’s statement.

“Because he’s my son. Regardless of what he’s done, I won’t abandon my last living child. I have faith that he’ll see the error of his ways and change for the better, I just need to patiently wait.” She firmly replied with a warm smile.

“Tch, patiently waiting won’t do you any good…”

As the two continued to eat, Elise noticed that her Grandmother kept looking at her with a curious expression.

“Is there something on my face?” She plainly asked while rubbing her hand on her cheek.

“No, but I do have something else to tell you.” Grandmother replied, setting down her spoon again as she stared Elise directly in the eyes.

“Yesterday at my shop, a well dressed man from LaVeda gave me quite the surprising gift.”

“What kind of gift?” Elise was now intrigued and no longer focused on her food, giving her Grandmother her full attention.

“Well, after I helped him find a book he had been searching for, he was so incredibly grateful. Even though he paid for it, he insisted that the payment wasn’t enough to cover for my assistance. He wouldn’t take no for an answer…” She took a brief drink from her cup before continuing on.

“So, I asked him if he would give my granddaughter a recommendation to attend LaVeda University this fall and he agreed!” She reached over and pulled out an all white envelope with a golden LVU crest etched directly in the middle.

“Here, take it.” Grandmother said while handing it towards Elise. However, to her surprise, Elise’s expression was everything but excited.

“You did what!? Why would you ask him for that?!” Elise exclaimed with an irritated frown, clearly annoyed by the mere thought of going to this school.

“I just thought that it would be good for you…” Her Grandmother’s hopeful voice trembled with each word.

“Good for me!? Grandma, I don’t belong in a place like that! I’ve barely been in a good headspace this year, but now you want me to attend a school filled with a bunch of rude, judgemental, snotty rich kids? You can’t be serious right now!” Elise stood from the table, slamming her hands down with a hefty thump.

“Surely you haven’t forgotten the last time I tried to go to school. I was treated so terribly because of my Father's stupid reputation. It was absolutely miserable…”

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“I know. I know… But, you can’t hide away from everyone forever, Dear. Even if the Burton family name has been stained beyond repair, you can still make a life for yourself. You shouldn’t be wasting your youth like this.” Grandmother’s lips began to quiver as tears welled up in her eyes.

“That’s not for you to decide!”

Elise was fed up at this point and so she swiftly walked away from the table, heading towards the front door. However as she stepped past her Grandmother, she felt a hand grab her arm. In the heat of the moment, Elise forcefully yanked her arm away.

The motion caused her Grandmother to fall out of her seat and onto the cold, wooden floor with a loud thud. Elise quickly turned around and raced to her Grandmother’s aide, immediately regretting her little tantrum.

“Grandma! I’m so sorry, are you okay!?” Elise frantically asked as she slowly and gently raised her Grandmother’s old, frail body. She nodded while tears rained down from her face.

“Please Elise, I beg of you, attend the school. Seeing you here like this does nothing but break my heart. You are too special and too strong of a Vesta to spend the rest of your life wasting away with me. People need to see just how great you are.” Grandmother said through multiple whimpers and loud cries.

“This could be the one chance you get to actually bring about the peace you need. The peace that could wash away all of the darkness that's been haunting you. So please, please, heed this one request from your grandmother…” She continued, filling the room with tear filled echoes.

Elise sat there with a blank expression until she eventually sighed. She tenderly wiped the tears from her Grandmother’s face and gave her a firm, yet reluctant nod.

“Okay, Grandma… I’ll go. Just, stop crying, alright?” Elise softly said with a slight smile. This response brought about more tears as her Grandmother leaned forward and hugged Elise tightly.

‘I hope I’m not making a mistake by doing this…’

Elise sighed once again as she patted her on the back, patiently waiting for the embrace to end. The room grew quiet while Elise pondered many thoughts, including her upcoming adventures at LaVeda University.

image [https://i.imgur.com/d60vRFl.png]

The sun beamed high in the sky on this early fall afternoon in the nation of Volaire. Trees in the distance had barely begun their colorful transition, highlighting the horizon with a faded green and yellow hue.

A few miles south of Ariana City, a convoy of multiple Volairen soldiers and two carriages donning the Belouis crest were traveling along a wooded pathway. The heavy trot of the soldiers' armored horses thundered across the ground as they reached the halfway point to their destination.

In the leading carriage sat Felicity of Six and a couple members of the Volaire Council, while the second carriage housed Queen Azhane Belouis, the head maid Nadine, and Graymoor of Two.

The trip was going as smoothly as it possibly could, but for some reason, Graymoor couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched. His body tensed up as he focused his gaze towards the window, anticipating the worst.

“Is something the matter?” Azhane asked, noticing the sudden shift in his body language.

Before he could reply, a loud commotion of horses neighing and soldiers yelling for help began to fill the area. Although it was incredibly brief, it sounded as though a great battle had just occurred. The carriage came to a sudden stop, causing Azhane and Nadine to fall forward out of their seats.

“Your Majesty, are you okay!?!” Graymoor yelled, catching her in the nick of time. She simply nodded as he gently placed her back in the seat.

“What was that?”

Azhane looked out of the rear window, trying to get an idea of the situation.

“Seems like it's another ambush. Don’t worry though, we’ll keep you safe.” Graymoor summoned forth his Manifest, Illusion Hand, and exerted his Core Energy. His eyes started to glow a light blue color, causing the sword in his hands to brightly glow as well. Within a few moments, the commotion along the path had ceased completely.

Outside of the carriages stood a group of seven individuals dressed in black and red robes. Underneath their hoods were black, metallic masks that strategically hid their eyes and noses. Their attack on the convoy had made short work of the guards surrounding the carriages, but as they finished up, the entire area around them flexed and shifted.

“What the hell!? Where did all of these other carriages come from??” One of the masked men exclaimed, confused as to why there was now an endless line of carriages stretching along the path in both directions.

The sky began to dim and their surroundings filled with a dark blue hazy fog, significantly reducing their line of sight. Even the once vibrant and lush trees were all beginning to die and decay.

“There, that should do for now. Felicity can take it from here.” Graymoor whispered with a confident tone while watching the assailants look around with perplexed expressions.

“Keep your wits about you, this is probably the work of that illusionist in the Six, Graymoor. Don’t be fooled by his tricks.” Another assailant replied with a calm tone, slowly approaching a carriage and opening the door to see what was inside.

“So what are we going to do? Search every single one of thes-.” Said one of the members until she suddenly stopped talking. Everyone looked back and their eyes immediately went wide. Her head had been sliced clean off her shoulders, leaving behind a perfect cut. It flew through the air before rolling along the cobblestone and stopping at their feet.

The assailants were speechless as they looked down, staring their comrade in her dilated eyes. The group slowly focused their gaze towards her slumped body and noticed a silhouetted figure emerging from the fog. Felicity of Six slowly stepped forward with her left hand gripping the handle of her Manifest, a scarlet colored katana named Bloodshed.

Her dark blue ponytail swayed in the wind as she glared at her opponents, sizing up the remaining assailants and daring them to make their next move. Once her presence was fully revealed, one of the assailants wasted no time retaliating. He aimed his Manifest forward and fired multiple poison covered daggers towards Felicity.

As the attack approached, she simply waved her right hand upwards with one swift motion. Suddenly, all of the blood that leaked out of her prior kill came to life, quickly rising off of the ground and forming a curved veil around Felicity. The bloody veil flexed and strengthened itself, causing its deep red fibers to drip along the ground.

Once the blades made contact, they were absorbed into the veil and after a brief pause, were rapidly deflected back towards the assailants. To their surprise, the daggers had been completely transformed, now assuming the shape of intricately fashioned bloody spikes.

The speed of her attack was significantly faster this time as well, causing two of the assailants to be caught by a relentless and brutal volley of sharp bloody blades. The remaining four enemies wasted no time and dispersed into different directions, dodging the rest of the attack with swift flips and dashes. However, as they looked towards the bloody veil, they noticed that Felicity was no longer behind it.

In a single blink, Felicity appeared behind them with an unreal amount of speed, the tempo of her movement nigh impossible to track with mere eyesight. She gripped her katana tightly and slashed it in every direction, prompting her blade to make very subtle and precise contact across their bodies. Her Manifest appeared to be glowing a deep red as it cut through the air with terrifying ease.

The assailants swung their Manifests around aimlessly, hoping to block and end her assault. However, despite their efforts, every attack they dished out simply hit her afterimage. Once Felicity’s onslaught finished, she landed in her original spot and slowly began to sheath her Manifest. The further she pushed it down, the more grotesque and stomach turning the sounds of the blade became.

After her opponents landed and surrounded her, they noticed that they hadn’t taken any damage from her seemingly vicious attack. They were all still standing and fully intact. Without a single delay, they rushed Felicity with their Manifests aimed outwards. Just as they got close, Felicity gracefully held up her right hand and snapped her fingers.

Immediately, the little cuts and wounds Felicity made across their bodies burst into a bloody frenzy. The assailants dropped to the ground, their bodies now completely lifeless and limp as blood oozed out of every crevice. Felicity looked down at them with a devious grin, her dark blue eyes shimmering.

“Give your Empress my regards in Hell…” She muttered with a dark chuckle, licking the blood off of her fingertip.

“Must you be so gross?” Graymoor said as he approached from the fog. Once Felicity turned around, the surrounding area began to shift back to normal, revealing the two carriages in their original spots and the lush fall trees highlighted by the sun above.

“Gross? Tch, there’s a lot of nutritional value in blood, ya know? You should try it sometime, it might help with that annoying attitude of yours.” Felicity replied with a snicker. “Anyways, you all should go on ahead. I’ll take care of this here and meet you all later.”

Graymoor rolled his eyes and went to the front carriage, escorting the two council members out so they could join the Queen in hers. As everyone took their seats inside, the carriage began to set off, racing towards its original destination with haste.

“Are you alright, My Lady? Surely you must be frightened by these assassination attempts. This has been, what, the third time in two months?” Council member Omar asked with a concerned expression.

“Yes, I’m fine and I’ll continue to be fine. Empress Ramos thinks she can affect the way I move throughout this nation, but she will have no such luck. Once I get my abilities back, these attacks will cease. I just need to hold on until then.” Azhane replied, crossing her arms in frustration.

‘How much longer must I go without my powers? It’s been almost seven months since I lost them, surely my Manifest has recharged by now.’

Azhane let out a heavy sigh as she looked out the window, feeling incredibly helpless in this moment and wishing she didn’t have to rely so much on others to keep her safe.

The remainder of the trip was tense and quiet as everyone continued to be on edge, wondering if another attack was imminent during their travels.