Lily had seen many great fighters come and go. Her own father was one of the best she’d ever seen; yet out of the dozens, out of the hundreds, none of them dared to go against the nobility.

She’d seen the consequences of nobility firsthand when passing through a village and witnessing the devastation unleashed through a spite filled argument, when seeing children decapitated for insulting a noble. The carnage laid bare for all to experience, and the hopelessness in everyone’s eyes.

She’d asked her father once while her tribe had passed by a village in shambles trying to put itself back together again. Even to her eight year old mind, it had been clear the villager’s efforts were in vain. However, they still tried, placing stone slabs only for them to crumble apart.

“Why can’t we help them, Father?” a bright eyed and eager Lily had asked. Their fruitless endeavors tugged at her fragile heartstrings, and her young mind couldn’t comprehend why they weren’t helping them. Surely with all of them combined, they could restore the village to its former splendor!

Her father had grabbed Lily by her shoulders and gently steered her away from the dying village, until she could no longer see it. He’d gone down to his knees and made a show of being eye level with Lily, cupping her face in his huge hands as she squirmed uncomfortably.

Lily never forgot what she saw in her father’s gaze that day; unadulterated sadness and defeat, carrying over not just his measly years of living but centuries of oppression weighting on him. She wondered how he could live like that without letting hopelessness crush him.

“It’s just the way it is,” he whispered. Only later did Lily recall how tortured her father sounded.

It’s just the way it is.

Lily, being an impressionable young girl at the time, simply nodded and skipped away to join her friend. It crossed her mind as they were leaving and she caught a glimpse of the village, that maybe her father was wrong. So much death and hurt couldn’t be right.

It’s okay. Father is always correct!

So deep in her child-like conviction was she that Lily was able to bat away any doubts she had. This carried on even as she grew and was a witness to more examples of the cruelty nobility could deal out.

Mourning at the ashes of a town. It’s just the way it is.

Hurrying past a bustling merchant village that had been transformed into a slave settlement. It’s just the way it is.

Pits in the dirt packed to the brim with disfigured corpses, maggots crawling out of gaping wounds and their misty eyes staring blankly into the night sky. It’s just the way it is.

It ashamed Lily to admit this but it was easier to pretend nothing was wrong when it didn’t directly affect her. She loved that about nomads; she could always leave the bad memories behind with the town they were associated with. As long as everyone she knew was safe, she could pretend that the little voice in the back of her head whispering this was wrong wasn’t getting stronger.

Until it did.

When rows of soldiers marched into their camp and demanded for their leader to show himself. It’s just the way it is.

When they ordered her tribe to remain in this desolate landscape and mine the turrian for ore, never mind the fact they weren’t suited for such tasks in any shape or form. It’s just the way it is.

When the food supplies quickly ran dry and the miniscule amount of water evaporated. When scuffles broke out over the barest of scraps and toxic liquid. It’s just the way it is.

When her father left her. When her friends became distant. When she found herself to be all alone. It’s just the way it is.

Lily grew to despise it. The mantra which she’d held so steadfast to her heart became a sickening leer, mocking her inability to make a difference. But no matter how hard she tried, the words kept coming back to her, like an insistent itch she couldn’t help but scratch.

But why!? Lily wanted to ask the ghost of her father, to shake him for answers. Why was ‘this’ the way it is?! Surely living like this wasn’t what the gods meant for humanity!

It’s just the way it is.

The words repeated themselves over and over in her head. Lily became secluded, drawing further into herself to prevent more harm. The words were etched into her mind, drowning everything else out and leaving her a husk of a person who mindlessly went from one day to the next, just waiting for her body to give out and be one more insignificant tally to the endless lives the nobility had taken.

Maybe this is when I finally die. Lily mused half-heartedly, the beating barely registering. Her body was already shutting down, it wasn’t going to be much longer before it happened. The rain of blows wasn’t stopping any time soon. Lily closed her eyes, resigning herself to her fate.

Until an ear-splitting screech cut the air and the heavy hits suddenly stopped connecting. A new shadow passed over her, and there was a brief scrimmage.

Lily didn’t dare move, her breath catching. This wasn’t how things were supposed to happen. The sudden change in her well-worn schedule completely threw her off.

A tiny voice, perhaps the last remnants of her childhood, insisted that her father had come back. That somehow, he was helping her fight back. Lily stamped it out as best she could but unlike all the other times, the voice persisted.

The guard let out a pained grunt and Lily heard metal dig into dirt. Her heart throbbed; surely the only person who’d help her was her father! Her curiosity overwhelmed her and she opened her eyes.

Lily had been so assured of her father being her savior that when she saw a slim figure in place of broad shoulders, she was hit with a wave of conflicting emotions. She slumped, the rush of energy dissipating rapidly. She knew it wasn’t fair but at that moment, she hated her savior.

Father…don’t you love me anymore?

With detached indifference, Lily studied her impromptu savior. It’s that outsider, she realized dejectedly. Her name is Alice, right?

Unconsciously, her fingers dug into the earth. Tears ran down her face, droplets sinking into her knees and the dirt.

Of course, Lily thought bitterly. It’s an outsider who saves me…no one else.

The noble was talking now, ranting on about how dare a peasant touch him. Lily lowered her head, waiting for Alice to leave. She didn’t know what the outsider expected, dashing in like that and laying hands on a noble. Lily couldn’t deny it warmed her that a stranger was willing to risk her life for hers, but it was overpowered by the harsh reality Lily had been forced to learn as a child:

The nobility ruled the world. And everybody else was trash to them.

Lily heard the sound of footsteps pounding into the dirt. Even though she knew it was going to happen, it didn’t change the twang of pain, the confirmation another person had abandoned her. She stiffened her body, prepared for the beating to begin anew.

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What really happened was the sound of flesh slapping metal and vicious flames erupting to life. Lily nearly bowled over when an almost tangible heat rippled through her; more than that though, there was an intense pressure settling into her bones. A familiar one that affected Lily whenever she used her Skill.

What is she doing? Lily marveled at Alice’s impudence. It was unreal. Even when Alice’s black flames traveled across the noble’s armor, it was difficult for Lily to wrap her head around the events unfolding before her.

All her life, she’d known with ironclad certainty that the nobility were leagues above people like her, that the gap could never be bridged. But for the first time ever, Lily saw fear in nobility’s eyes.

It sparked something in her. A hope, perhaps. Maybe vindictive satisfaction. Whatever it was, Lily loved it.

While studying the fight, Lily noticed a flash of steel unsheathed from the guard’s side. Her stomach plummeted. Right away, Lily knew Alice couldn’t dodge; she was too invested in the fight and her fire hid the sword from her line of view. If Lily just remained silent, the guard would kill her.

And then everything will go back to normal. The same old routine, skirting around the obvious truth while acting as slaves for nobility. In time, Lily could erase this moment from her memories and carry out what little time remained in her life.

Or she could make a difference. Here, and now. Lily was too scared to incite change, but maybe, just maybe…she could protect the girl who wasn’t.

“Watch out!” she screamed.

Unbidden, her father’s words sprung to the forefront of her mind. You can watch, but never intervene. Let the fools throw their lives in service to an unrealistic ideal that’ll never be achieved. All you have to do, Lily, is survive.

Lily clenched her jaw while Alice left backwards and exchanged words with the noble. All her life, she’d followed her father’s words as a divine rule but what if they were wrong? Was she fine with doing something she knew deep down wasn’t what she wanted, even at the cost of everything she held dear?

A more selfless person, perhaps someone like Alice, would have said yes. What greater worth was there than giving up your life in servitude to others? But Lily wasn’t like that, she didn’t have the steel within her necessary to make those kinds of sacrifices.

Alice conjured orbs of flickering black fire over her palm and Lily flinched. She’d barely seen them in action during the battle against the serpentine but Lily had been completely incapacitated then. The use of her Skill completely drained her and she had been sheltered safely out of harm’s way. Even from the distance she was at, Lily could feel the heat of Alice’s Skill radiating like a furnace. But more than that, she felt the Skill.

Lily had been connected to Alice. She doubted the girl in question even registered it, but to Lily, it was as noticeable as the serpent rampaging. An intricate bond, forged by the same higher power that created the Skills.

Normally when Lily used her Skill, she learnt stuff she never wanted to. Personality traits they’d hidden under a mask, secrets buried deep inside, guilty desires…of course, when she let it slip that she could see all those things in a misjudged attempt to get closer with her tribe, it only served to push everyone away. No one wanted to be subject to Lily’s Skill, to be stripped apart and laid bare for Lily to see.

But Alice’s Skill, like everything else about her, was out of the norm. There was something sinister on the other side of the rope, something that tugged on the connection and whispering sweet promises. It threatened to tug Lily into the darkness contained inside of Alice, and she knew she would never come out. Whenever Alice used [Anarchy Flare], this unsettling sensation that something was off was most intense. Lily had nearly cried in relief when Alice collapsed and the bond was snapped.

Now, Alice summoned those same ominous flames. Hurtling them at the noble, who responded by casting a quick spell. He moved, looking like he jumped through space, disappearing and reappearing every few feet as the fireball slammed into the ground behind him.

In less than three seconds, he closed the distance and swung his sword. Alice immediately brought her arms up to cover her face. Lily let out a shriek before she could stifle it as the tip of the blade sliced into Alice’s forearms. A spray of red splattered onto the ground, marking the first blood spilled as a result of this fight.

And Lily had a sinking feeling it wasn’t going to be the last.

She half expected Alice to call quits but once again, she surprised her. Instead of backing away to check her injuries and think of a strategy like any sane person, Alice stepped closer. Lily saw the light dawn in the noble’s eyes as he realized Alice was trying to prevent him from using his sword again but before he could step back, Alice was already pushed against his chest.

She didn’t waste a single second, calling upon another Skill. Numbly, Lily thought it was bullshit how a teenage human had so many Skills and was able to use them at such a frequent rate but what else was new? Alice seemed to take every rule and throw it out the window.

Black tendrils appeared around Alice’s left arm and she latched onto the noble’s wrist, stopping him from swinging his sword. The fiery rope jumped onto the new victim, entangling around the noble’s left arm. He struggled fruitfully but it was only a matter of seconds before he was immobilized.

Growling, he pulled and she stumbled forward. Arcing his back, he brought his head down onto Alice’s skull. Lily grimaced at the sound of metal impacting flesh.

Alice’s head snapped back and Lily was certain that was the end of it. Surely Alice’s neck was sprained, if not broken from the whiplash, and she wouldn’t be surprised if Alice had fallen unconscious from the blow.

Which made it all the more surprising when Alice whipped into action, slamming her forehead into the noble’s helmeted head. Lily gaped as the metal crumpled and the noble staggered back, only to be pulled back thanks to the black rope. Alice started pummeling him, hitting him over and over again as the helmet began to deform under the assault.

Lily couldn’t believe her eyes. How was Alice continuing to fight? She was human, right? Lily couldn’t detect any Body Enhancement type Skills from Alice right now, and she hadn’t used a single spell this entire fight. By all accounts, Alice should be unconscious in a pool of her blood by now.

The noble let out a soul-piercing shriek. With a start, Lily realized smoke trailing off the arm entangled in the black rope. Oh, right. If he doesn’t get free soon, he’ll lose his arm.

The noble had come to this conclusion as well, because his attempts of getting free became more frantic, flailing and writhing. He tried to take the sword with his other hand to stab at Alice, but she batted the prodding appendage away before continuing her beat down.

Lily’s eyes widened. Alice…wasn’t letting up. A cold hand gripped Lily’s heart. Was Alice really going to kill him?

“GET OFF!” he gargled through a mouthful of blood. Lily detected the tendrils of magic wrapping around his fingers and before she could warn Alice, he cast his spell.

A burst of wind exploded from him, powerful gusts blowing Alice away. Lily covered her face; even on the sidelines, the air buffeted her and threatened to knock her over.

Alice was flung into the air and the black rope went taut, attaching her to the noble. For a couple of seconds, the only thing preventing her from being completely blown away held firm; then it snapped and Alice tumbled away.

She landed roughly on the ground with an impact that definitely should have broken her shoulder. Instead, she jumped to her feet like it was just a small tumble and started striding towards the noble.

“W-wait!” he cried out, fear dripping into his tone. He knew, as well as Lily did, that he stood no chance. The last ditch spell had drained nearly all the magic he wielded. “Why are you protecting her!? She’s not one of us, she’s an elf!”

Alice froze mid step and Lily found herself scanning her face, searching for any indication that the words impacted her. Lily recalled the look of stunned excitement on Alice’s face the first time they met, when she realIzed Lily was an elf. It had been a pleasant departure from the normal reaction.

The treacherous voice came back, whispering. If your family turned their back on you, what’s stopping her from doing the same?

Lily meant nothing to Alice. She was simply a stranger who happened to cross paths with her.

A shadow draped over Alice’s face and her eyes narrowed imperceptibly. The edge of her lips curled up into a contemptuous sneer and Lily’s breath hitched. The noble chuckled, pushing himself to his feet.

“That’s right! She’s a dirty-blooded elf! Not worth your precious time or attention! How about—!”

“So what?” Alice asked. The noble spluttered. “What does it matter if she’s an elf? I’m going to save everyone from people like you. To make sure no one else has to live through the pain of losing someone dear to them, because of the wiles of nobility. Your reign…is over.”

He went ghostly white. Lily’s mouth dropped.

Alice’s declaration was ludicrous. Bordering on insanity. Overthrowing a system that’s been in place for a thousand years?

Lily clenched her shirt. It was absolutely insane. But maybe…just maybe…if it was Alice, she could pull it off.