Mid-afternoon, in Eris’ suite…

Since Lady Mezalune’s servants tidied it up, this room’s been clean, cosy, and practically gleaming. It’s like stepping into one of those top-tier hotels from back home – or maybe even better! Every corner’s in perfect order, spick and span.

Ahh… such comfort! Such luxury to die for! But what I treasure most about it right now is the peace and quiet with just me here. Anna and Eris are still out exploring the Holy City, after all. It’s right around the time for afternoon tea, so…

Focusing intently, my eyes flare hot with Mana as I cast Clairvoyance, extending my sight across the sprawling lights of the Holy City. From the heavens above, its vastness takes my breath away... and I zero in on that quaint little café we passed a few days ago while on the way to the Palace of Lights – the Café le Phantasmagoria.

I envision the Café’s image in my mind, recalling its warm, inviting décor and the iced coffees and chocolate chip cookies Eris couldn’t stop raving about. As I hone in on the spot, my vision sharpens, and I spot Anna and Eris at a cosy alfresco table, surrounded by other patrons enjoying afternoon tea. A generous platter of cookies and two tall glasses of iced coffee sit between them. Anna’s eyes sparkle with joy, and Eris… her expression’s softer now, her smile more genuine, less forced than the energetic, peppy front she had to maintain as a Bard.

Good grief. The cookies and iced coffee look incredible – probably better than anything the Chantry and the Order of Selene could muster! Part of me aches to join them, to be there with them. But no, not now. I can’t. I need this time for myself to reflect quietly on everything Lady Mezalune said. After all that chit-chat, it’s what I truly need.

I kick off my high heels and sink into the sofa. It's a bit chilly, soft too – perfectly comfortable, you’d think. But I’m perched rather rigidly, staring at the gleaming surface of the coffee table.

Oh, fuck me. Even my reflection’s staring back at me on the glass surface of the coffee table, wondering what the fuck’s wrong. Lady Mezalune’s words keep circling back in my mind, tugging at me, gnawing away. It’s the last part especially, what she said about me and Anna... about letting go…

Ugh. Fuck me. I need to loosen up! So let’s start small – I lean back and let the sofa embrace me. I take a deep breath and let myself sink into that softness, and…

Yeah. Oh yes, that’s better. Much better! Anyway… Lady Mezalune pointed out how I put others before myself because that’s what I want to do, and it’s why I’m worthy to be her summoned Hero. And there’d come a day when I’d have to let Anna go, one way or another. Whether it’s my death or hers, at the end of days in Arcadia… perhaps it’s meant to be.

Shit. That’s fucking grim. But does it have to be like that? I’m a Hero, aren’t I? Just like Lady Claire, who defied fate and threw her Prophecy aside to roam the land and help others in need, and in doing so… saved Anna from the abyss. Just like Lady Iris, resigned to the solitude of her Prophecy. Yet, despite this, she made me swear I’d do better – that I’d keep Anna safe with the strength and power I had gained one timeline ago.

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The intensity of Lady Iris’ gaze that day… it’s like it burned right into my soul! And I’ll be damned if I let her down on that promise. But I also remember what Anna told me before we ventured into the depths of the Highgrove Warrens... that I don’t have to shoulder this burden alone. She’s right – I’ve got her, Lady Iris, Lady Mezalune… and the Order of Selene. And Lady Claire, in spirit. I can’t ever forget that! I may be their Hero in their time of need, but I gotta trust that they’ll be there for me in mine. I may be a Hero, but I’m only one girl. It’s not just my strength that’ll carry us through – it’s theirs, alongside mine.

Hmph. With all these thoughts swirling in my head... what should I do? I remember swearing to myself that I’d defeat the Demon Lord in this new timeline and set everything right. That’s the Hero I wanna be! But in the pursuit of that… I can’t lose sight of who I am and who I wanna be to those I love. I can’t let the heavens fall to see justice done, y’know? It ain’t right. But after speaking with Lady Mezalune, maybe there’s a way to bring it all together.

So, how do I defy fate without losing myself? As a Healer of the Order of Selene, I already know the answer – I’ll use my holy magic to protect those I cherish. That’s my way forward! I’d use all of me to keep others safe, and I’d…

“Anna…”

I remember how she trembled back in the Highgrove Warrens when that bastard Mindbender hit us with a Greater Illusion. It broke through her defences like they were nothing, left her terrified, paralysed despite her training. Hate to say it, but it’s the kind of nightmare the Order’s paladins and healers can never fully prepare for – the evil magics of demons are always worse than anyone can imagine. And it always gets worse.

But Anna, she didn’t give in. She fought on, even when her spirit was still quaking after I freed her from that Demon-induced nightmare. Despite everything, she stood by my side, Ascalon in hand, determined to protect me. Now… it’s my turn to protect her from horrors like that.

With newfound resolve and vigour, I stand up and grip Elizabeth tightly, my heart steady. I raise my free hand, letting Mana surge through my veins. Threads of blue and white light weave from my fingertips, forming a radiant lattice. A prismatic barrier begins to take shape – a shield to protect, a promise fulfilled.

Each breath sears my throat like I’m breathing fire, but I keep weaving, my every thought focused on willing each new thread to reinforce my conjured cocoon of radiant, holy energy. As the lattice of light grows to a critical mass, locking into place… I channel a final surge of Mana, binding and stabilising the Mana of the newly created barrier around me.

“Holy fucking Rinnah… I did it.”

Drawing inward, the glow of the magical barrier sinks into my skin, fading into it like Mage Armour. But even as the light disappears, the spell’s presence lingers, soft but undeniably potent, humming softly in my ears. ’m gasping for breath, sweat pouring down my face, but... I can’t help but smile.

So that’s my answer to Lady Mezalune – a ward of Clarity in the face of the inevitable, encroaching darkness. It’s more than just a barrier – it’s a shield against madness, a steadying force to protect those who face the demons of Arcadia and the horrors they wield over the mind.

Damn, though... casting this spell took a lot outta me. My head’s spinning, and my limbs are heavy like rocks. I’m feeling rather… winded. Just a little bit, but I feel it. And dare I say this, it’s not just Mana depletion. No, it’s like I’ve poured a piece of myself into this spell – something deeper, like a fragment of my very soul.

Regardless, this spell – this Clarity I’ll grant to Anna and my allies – shall be another entry into the Akashic Record. As that thought crosses my mind, the golden simulacrum of a massive tome materialises before me, its pages fluttering open. Radiance floods the room, beams of golden light dancing and beckoning me to transcribe my newfound knowledge.

With a deep breath, refocusing myself and my thoughts, I place my hands on the tome’s shimmering cover, feeling its warmth on my palms. As I fixate on its radiance, ink flows from my fingertips, lines of silver creating symbols of Enochian across the pages. Line by line, I transcribe my spell… for the Record.