Gaiza plunged deeper into the mystical forest. "I can't let Elena's life be consumed by darkness," Gaiza thought to herself. "Even if there's just a small chance that I can save her from the path she's on, I have to take that chance. I refuse to believe that the Elena I knew is gone forever!"

Gaiza's resolve propelled her through the forest. The evening shadows played tricks among the trees, casting a somber light over the path ahead. She finally spotted Elena, standing alone amidst the rustling leaves.

"Elena," Gaiza called out softly.

Elena turned at the sound of Gaiza's with surprise. "Gaiza? What are you doing here?"

Gaiza approached cautiously,. "I came to find you."

Elena's eyes narrowed slightly. "Why? You should be by 'Princess Aliana's' side."

Gaiza took a deep breath, "Because you're my friend, Elena. You were always there for me before you became the right hand of the headmaster."

Elena's face hardened slightly at Gaiza's words. "Gaiza, you have to understand, things have changed between us. I made my choices. We're not friends anymore."

Gaiza took a step closer, "But Elena, I still care about you. I don't want you to suffer here."

Elena shook her head, "You're clinging to a memory, Gaiza. That friendship... it's in the past now."

Gaiza frowned, "Maybe you've given up on being my friend, but I haven't given up on being yours. Remember all those times I tried to reach out to you? Every chance I got, I wanted to talk, but you always pushed me away."

Elena's gaze softened momentarily while looking away, "I had to," she replied quietly. "I had no choice."

"But you do have a choice now," Gaiza insisted. "The headmaster is dead, the Academy is gone, and we have a chance to go to the city. Didn't you use to tell me you always wanted to see what it was like?"

Gaiza's words stirred something within her, a conflict she had been wrestling with ever since she took on the mantle of responsibility at the Academy.

"I..." Elena began but struggled to find the right words. She looked down at Gaiza's hands which was now held out. With a sigh, Elena took Gaiza's hands in her.

"Gaiza, I don't know what to do anymore," Elena admitted, "Everything I've known, everything I've worked for... it's all gone now. The Academy, the Headmaster... it's all in ruins. I thought I had a purpose, a path to follow, but now..."

Gaiza sighed. "The headmaster changed you, Elena, and not for the better. She brainwashed you, and you didn't even realize it. Princess Aliana was going through the same thing, realizing the headmaster’s brainwashing."

Elena's eyes widened in shock at Gaiza's words. "Brainwashed?" she echoed. She could feel a storm of memories swirling within her, fragments of conversations with the Headmaster, moments where she felt an inexplicable pressure to conform, to obey. The thought alone was enough to send a sharp pang of pain through her head.

She remembered the Headmaster command and instruction. Every conversation with her ended with the headmaster saying, “Loyalty above all else.” The words seeped into Elena's subconscious like poison. The headache intensified and Elena winced, clutching her temples.

Gaiza watched with growing concern. "Elena, are you okay?" she asked softly.

Elena tried to compose herself, but the overwhelming realization of her manipulated thoughts and actions was too much to bear. She looked at Gaiza with anguish and confusion. "I... I didn't even realize. I thought I was doing what was right, what was necessary for the Magical Academy..."

Gaiza stepped closer with her hands reaching out to Elena’s shoulders. "It's not your fault, Elena. The Headmaster twisted everything. She made you believe you had no choice."

Elena's legs felt weak. She sank to the ground with tears streaming down her face. "I pushed you away, Gaiza. I hurt you. I... I didn't mean to."

Gaiza knelt beside her. "I know, Elena. You were manipulated, but now you see the truth. We can start over, leave this behind, and build something better together."

Elena sobbed openly.”I don't know how to fix this," she confessed, "I feel so lost."

Gaiza wrapped her arms around Elena, holding her tightly. “Come with us, Elena…”

She wiped away her tears and thought for a moment before responding. "I'll come with you and Aliana. I want to start over, to rebuild the friendships I've lost, and to rediscover the person who I want to be."

Aliana had been watching from a distance, concealed behind the cover of the trees. She smiled and then prepared to leave before hearing Gaiza call out,

"Princess Aliana."

Aliana turned in surprise. She approached them with relif on her face.

"Gaiza, is everything alright now?"

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Gaiza, still holding Elena, nodded. "Yes, Princess. Everything is going to be fine. Elena has decided to come with us, to start anew."

Aliana's face lit up with a warm smile. She stepped closer to Elena, extending a hand in a gesture of welcome.

"Elena, welcome to the 'icy' family," Aliana said with a playful wink. "We may have some chilly moments, but I promise we're a warm-hearted bunch at heart."

Elena managed a faint smile through her lingering tears. She took Aliana's hand, feeling a sense of belonging she hadn't experienced in a long time.

"Thank you, Princess," Elena replied. "I'm ready to start anew, and I'll do my best to be a loyal and trustworthy member of your team."

Aliana nodded.

"We'll start fresh in the city," Aliana affirmed, "and together, we'll build a new family."

The trio, now united by a shared resolve and the promise of a new beginning, returned to the lab. Night descended upon them. The rest of the group had already prepared for bed.

Kintovar emerged from her room, her sunglasses finally off, revealing her weary yet content face. She blinked sleepily, and said a single phrase,

"Pineapple juice."

Her words drew puzzled looks from those present, but they knew better than to question Kintovar's sleep-induced utterances. With a few chuckles and jokes, they bid each other goodnight and settled down for some well-deserved rest.

The lab, once filled with the hum of technology and the whispers of magic, grew quiet as everyone drifted off into dreams.

----------------------------------------

The lab was bathed in the gentle glow of morning light filtering through the windows. It had been 48 long hours since Roselle, Risebelle, and Runebelle had been placed in their rejuvenation tanks to recover from their previous battle. The time had finally come for Roselle's tank to open.

With a soft, mechanical hum, the tank opened, revealing Roselle's body within. Her young eyes blinked open, adjusting to the light. She looked around the familiar surroundings of Kintovar's lab. She felt a renewed sense of energy and curiosity coursing through her.

Roselle's first instinct was to check her system status, and she accessed the information with ease:

System Status: Online

LifeForce: 100%

Magic: 200%

Cannon Charge: 100%

Timer: N/A

Location: Kintovar's lab

Threat Assessment: None

Project Mage Data Collection: 20% Complete

Roselle's gaze remained fixed on Risebelle's tank, her innocent blue eyes filled with anticipation and curiosity. She could sense that something had changed within her sister during their time of recovery, and she couldn't wait to speak with her.

As the green healing liquid continued its work, gradually restoring Risebelle's strength, Roselle pressed her eyes against the glass, watching intently.

"Risebelle..." Roselle whispered again.

Risebelle stepped out of the tank gracefully. She lowered her eyes, ready to scold her younger sister with her hands on her sides. "I thought I told you not to smudge the glass on the tanks by putting your face on it."

Roselle stared at Risebelle with a serious look. "Risebelle, what happened when I lost consciousness?"

Risebelle's response came with a rare smile. She tilted her head slightly, “What do you think? I had to save the day by finishing the job against Mystimona. I underwent the same thing as you though, and lost consciousness for 48 hours," Risebelle replied,

Roselle raised a hand to her chin curiously, "Did you experience a memory fragment during that time?”

Risebelle sighed." So, I’m guessing you experienced a memory fragment as well, huh?” Risebelle hesitated for a moment before continuing, choosing her words carefully. "I did see a memory fragment during that time, but it's not something I can easily put into words."

Roselle She leaned in to Risebelle. "What did you see in the memory fragment? Was there anything... familiar?"

Risebelle offered a vague response. "It… It was a bit hazy, but there were glimpses of something significant. I'll need more time to make sense of it."

Roselle accepted Risebelle's answer, although she frowned in dissapointment. She looked towards the ground in deep thought.

‘Should I tell Risebelle about what I saw? It was so vivid, and there was something about it... something familiar. But what if it's just my imagination? What if it’s not Risebelle? What if it actually means nothing?’ She continued to think over the possibilities, the silence growing between them.

With a graceful stride, Risebelle approached Runebelle's tank. “Hey, Runebelle should be waking up soon. “

Risebelle looked back at Roselle, but she was gone. She dashed towards Runebelle's tank. ‘Roselle, always so impatient. She's like a child sometimes.’ She thought with a smile.

However, Roselle’s eagerness led her to press her face against the tank, leaving smudges on the glass.

Risebelle's sharp eyes immediately caught the smudges on the tank's glass. She sighed inwardly, a slight furrow appearing between her brows. "Roselle, you really need to stop smudging the glass like that. It disrupts the clarity of the view."

Roselle turned quickly. "I just wanted to be the first thing Runebelle sees when she wakes up. She's always so sad. I think that a happy face will cheer her up."

"Denied."

Risebelle moved to gently pull Roselle away from the tank, but Roselle resisted,

"No, Risebelle, I have to be here when she wakes up!"

Roselle resisted for a moment more; however, Risebelle's strength easily lifted her younger sister off the ground in a few seconds, cradling her in her arms. Roselle's protest faded into a giggle.

Risebelle squinted at Roselle. With a serious tone, she dropped Roselle to the gound.

"You're too impatient, Roselle.”

"Ow," Roselle pouted, rubbing the back of her head where it had bumped against the floor.

Risebelle folded her arms staring back towards the tank. Meanwhile, Roselle quickly regained her footing and darted back to Runebelle's tank. She pressed her palms against the glass, peering eagerly inside.

Runebelle’s eyes at this time were just opening. The first thing she saw was the familiar face of Roselle. It was a scene that had played out numerous times before. Runebelle's gaze met Roselle's, and for a moment, they simply stared at each other with a silent understanding passing between them.

Roselle's warm smile greeted Runebelle. Runebelle stepped out of the tank with her gloomy face. Without a word, Roselle pulled Runebelle into a tight hug. "Thank you, Runebelle," Roselle whispered, "You helped us immensely in the final battle with the magical academy. Your Project Rune form was incredible, and it boosted our magical affinities to levels we didn't even think possible!"

Runebelle's frown persisted, but there was a flicker of pride in her eyes when she finally spoke, "I am glad I could help really... We had to win...”

"Sisters, we have achieved a great victory against the headmaster," Risebelle began, her gaze unwavering. "It's a moment we should cherish, and we are stronger for it. But we must remember that the battle is not over. The humans who seek to harm us still pose a threat to our existence."

Roselle looked slightly worried at what Risebelle was about to say next.

"What I want now is for us to go to the city and finish what we started. We will show them that we are not to be trifled with, and we will ensure our safety and the safety of our creators, Kintovar and Haras, even if it means eliminating every last human in the world."

Risebelle's eyes met each of her sisters. "Let us find Kintovar and plan our next move. We have the strength, the magic, and the unity to protect ourselves and our future. Together, we will face the city, and we will emerge victorious."