“EHHH?!?” Silver was in shock.

Lina, concerned by Silver's sudden reaction, asked, "What's wrong, Silver?"

Silver shivered slightly. "It's just... I haven't been to the surface in a very long time. Leaving my domain makes me a bit uneasy."

Alden smiled. "Don't worry, Silver. We'll make sure you're safe, and we won't be far from here. We’d appreciate your help in all this."

Silver gathered her resolve. She straightened her posture and replied, "You're right. I've faced the hellish battleground of Inu's Domain, and compared to that, dealing with the surface world should be manageable. "

Silver, with newfound confidence, spoke a single word: "Moderation."

In an instant, the silver-haired girl who had been in the midst of the playful role-play disappeared from the scene, and appeared before silver leaving everyone present in a state of shock.

Silver, now the center of attention, began to explain. "Each domain has its own set of rules and energies that must be balanced," Silver elaborated. "Moderators are individuals chosen to maintain that balance. They are entrusted with the well-being of the domain and its inhabitants. My Magical connection with them allows me to call upon their assistance when needed."

The silver-haired girl moved up to silver’s lap. She looked up at Silver with a pout on her face and called out, "Mama, I was playing! Why did you summon me like that?"

Silver gently patted the girl's head and smiled. "Luna, I have to step out again, but this time it may be for a longer time than usual. You'll be in charge while I'm gone, okay?"

"Okay, mama," Luna replied with her pout changing to a smile.

Luna skipped away to resume her play. Silver focused her magical abilities on transforming her attire. With a graceful wave of her hand, her silver battle dress shifted and reshaped into a more elegant and cold-resistant outfit.

Silver admired her new attire for a moment, which was suitable for the surface world's chilly climate. She then addressed the group with a confident smile, "I think this should do for the surface level.”

The group began their journey back to the surface. Silver moved gracefully alongside the group with her silver hair being so bright that it lit up a portion of the underground that she was walking under.

"You know," Becky thought to herself while scratching the back of her head, "there's so much magic in this world. It's kinda crazy to think about. Me and Sybil? Our magic levels are pretty low. I mean, look at someone like Dj! He's got magic oozing out of him, and he's got this charm that's, like, heart-melting." She sighed dreamily at the thought of Dj. Unbeknownst to her, she raised her hands up to her face and muttered aloud, "Dj’s just a major badass..."

Silver, walking gracefully beside Becky, overheard her words. She became intrigued. “Have you met Dj in person?” Silver asked.

Silver's inquiry about Dj immediately caught Becky's attention. She blinked in mild surprise at the question and then grinned. "Oh yeah, we've met Dj," she replied. "He's quite the character, you know. Charms his way into everyone's hearts. Why?"

Becky's response left Silver slightly suprised, but she quickly regained her composure. With a nonchalant shrug, she remarked, "No particular reason. I was just curious."

While walking side by side towards the surface, Becky felt a twinge of jealousy while observing Silver's ethereal beauty. Normally rough and tough, Becky found herself hesitating to ask a question. Her cheeks flushed slightly. Finally, she tried to speak. "Hey, Silver, um... can I ask you something?"

Silver turned her serene gaze towards Becky. "Of course, Becky. What's on your mind?"

Becky asked, “You’re like... really pretty and all that. It's kind of unfair, you know? What’s the deal with that?"

Silver seemed puzzled by the question. "What do you mean, 'what's the deal with that’? I'm just being myself. Is there something bothering you about me?"

Becky felt her cheeks burning with embarrassment after blurting out her question. She shuffled awkwardly beside Silver while trying to find the right words to explain herself.

"It's not like that," Becky muttered.

Silver, sensing Becky's unease, offered her a gentle smile. "It’s okay, Becky. You can talk to me."

Becky hesitated for a moment, then leaned in closer to Silver, speaking in a hushed tone to ensure no one else could hear. "I… I guess I'm just… envious. I ain’t used to feeling like this, you know? But then here I am seeing you…you’re a damn beauty. It made me question myself a lil bit...."

Silver listened attentively as Becky struggled to articulate her feelings. Silver was taken aback but maintained her calm demeanor. She gently placed a hand on Becky's shoulder and said, "Becky, it's natural to feel that way sometimes. But remember, beauty comes in many shapes and forms. Your strength is it’s own kind of beauty."

Becky nodded slightly. "Yeah, I guess you're right," she mumbled.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

Silver smiled warmly. "Dj… he appreciates strength, in all its forms."

Becky's cheeks flushed again, and she stammered, "Oh, uh, it's not about Dj, really. Well, maybe just a lil bit…”

Silver chuckled softly. "I see," she replied while placing her hands behind her back. "Well, just be yourself. You have a natural beauty that can also catch his attention."

"I… uh, thanks, Silver,” Becky managed to say in response.

The group ascended the stairs from the underground realm. A subtle shift in the surroundings greeted them. The climb had felt remarkably short compared to the long climb they had to do in order to get down, but the world above had transformed. What had been a clear, sunny day when they descended now had changed.

Gentle snowflakes danced from the gray skies above. They blanketed the city in a serene layer of white. The distant sound of laughter and playful shouts filled the air.

Lina checked her watch and noted that it was already 12 pm. It seemed that time had passed differently in the underground realm, where they had spent what felt like mere hours.

Lina turned to the group and commented, "It's amazing how different things can be just beneath the surface. We should head back to our original objective now that we're back in the city."

The group spent hours wandering through the city, inquiring at various locations, and asking people if they had seen anyone resembling Kintovar. By 3 pm, they decided to take a break and gather in a cozy restaurant.

Inside the restaurant, the three sisters, Roselle, Risebelle, and Runebelle, decided to try their hand at drawing Kintovar to help with the search. Each of them was armed with a piece of paper and a set of colored pencils.

Risebelle's drawing was the first to be revealed. When she turned her paper around, the group was met with a rather simplistic stick figure. Kintovar was depicted as an angry stick woman, complete with sunglasses, a stern glare, and hair flowing down. Risebelle had clearly emphasized a Kintovar with a no-nonsense attitude.

Becky burst into laughter when she saw Risebelle's drawing. "Wow, Risebelle, you really captured the doc’s fierce personality there!"

Sybil, with a grin, chimed in, "I think Kintovar's expression says it all."

Alden commented, "It's a unique interpretation, to say the least."

Lina added, "It's certainly…artistic."

Roselle followed, and her smile of anticipation grew into embarrassment when she revealed her drawing. The image on her paper showed a well-drawn figure, but it was missing essential details. Kintovar lacked her characteristic headphones, lab coat, sunglasses, and even her pants. Instead, Roselle had mistakenly drawn her with a dress.

Risebelle leaned over to get a look and teased, "Trying to make Kintovar look all sweet and innocent, huh, Roselle? Since when in the hell does Kintovar wear a dress like that?"

Roselle blushed furiously when Risebelle pointed out this error. Becky leaned in to examine Roselle's drawing, a smirk forming on her lips. "Well, someone's got a soft spot for the doc," she teased, nudging Roselle playfully.

Sybil glanced at the picture and remarked, "It's not about sweetness or innocence. We need an accurate portrayal, not a romanticized one."

Alden nodded in agreement. "You should try to keep it as true to her appearance as possible."

Lina added, "Remember, our goal is to find her, not create an idealized version of her."

Runebelle's drawing, the last to be revealed, was even more impressive than Roselle's in terms of artistic skill; however, it portrayed a completely different woman who was well-drawn but….

Becky She shot up from her chair, pointing at the artwork, and shouted, "THAT'S NOT THE DOC!!!!"

Becky's outburst drew the attention of everyone in the restaurant. Sybil, unable to hold in a laugh, said, "Well, that's certainly not the Kintovar we're looking for."

Alden chuckled. “Well, it's quite the artistic interpretation, Runebelle."

Lina added, "Let's focus on the features we know for sure."

Roselle looked at Runebelle's drawing and giggled, "Well, at least she’s very creative, right?"

Runebelle shrugged this off and said, "It's just a drawing…"

Silver, with a serene smile, suggested, "Perhaps we should combine all our efforts and create a composite image. That way, we cover all possible angles."

Silver took her turn at drawing. She gained details from Risebelle, Roselle, and Runebelle. Becky shouted at any minor mistakes or inaccuracies that she perceived.

Despite this, the composite image they created began to take shape, merging the collective impressions of Kintovar from each member of the group.

Once they saw Silver's drawing, the sisters, Roselle, Risebelle, and Runebelle, who knew Kintovar best, felt that something was missing. They exchanged thoughtful glances, and Roselle finally spoke up.

"I think the drawing looks great, but Dr.Kintovar's presence is more than just her appearance," Roselle began, "She has this... warmth and wisdom about her that's hard to capture on paper."

Risebelle nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it's like she's always looking out for us, even when she scolds us. That's what makes her who she is."

Runebelle added, "And her smile. Kintovar's smile… when she does… It's like a beacon of hope..."

Becky leaned back in her chair and sighed, "So you guys miss the doc eh…Yeah, I miss tha doc sometimes," Becky admitted with a smile. "I always think about what it would've been like if we'd ended up together. I'd be smashing things left and right with my hammer and getting stuff done. But here we are, searching for her instead. I just hope we find her soon."

Lina took a look at the drawing, then she said, “Hold on”

Lina, with a confident look on her face, took a moment to gather her laptop and set it up on the table. She scanned the image Silver had drawn and began working diligently in her digital art program.

Minutes passed, and Lina's fingers flew across the keyboard. She meticulously adjusted the image. Finally, she brought up the enhanced version on her laptop screen. It looked exactly like Roselle, Risebelle, and Runebelle remembered, capturing Kintovar's essence perfectly. However, there was one issue that Roselle pointed out.

"Hey, Lina, the hair color is a bit off," Roselle noted

Lina nodded. "Oh, is it a bit too orange? Let me fix that." She made the necessary adjustments, changing the hair color to a more accurate shade of yellow.

With the alteration complete, Lina turned the laptop around to show the group the updated drawing. It now resembled Kintovar in every detail.

"There we go," Lina said with pride. “Now THIS has got to be the perfect Kintovar drawing."

Silver smiled. "That's the power of teamwork. It makes the dream work. With this picture, I'll be able to transform into Kintovar and help you in your mission."

The group gathered around. With the drawing of Kintovar in her hand, Silver closed her eyes and began her transformation technique. Her body shimmered with a faint silver light. Slowly, the features on the paper began to come to life.

First, her hair shifted from its natural silver hue to a vibrant shade of yellow, cascading down her back just like in the drawing. Her eyes transformed into the same striking color of blue as Kintovar's, and her face took on the one that was mostly seen upon the face of the missing scientist.

Silver’s clothing shifted to match the attire depicted in the drawing – a red coat, black pants, and even the signature pink headphones and sunglasses.

In just a few moments, Silver had become an almost perfect replica of Kintovar, holding a pose with one hand on her side.