The next day, morning at the Adventurer’s Guild…

Here we go again! My turn to pick the job this time. Something simple, hopefully! Anna needs a chance to cast Sanctuary in a real fight – preferably against a Monster that isn’t too difficult!

The noticeboards are packed with Guild Missions, most of which contain the usual requests you’d expect on the Isle of Spirits. Hmm… I’m leaning towards this one involving a Giant Spider nest in the woods nearby. Simple enough, right? Or maybe…

“Arisa!” Anna exclaims, her voice shaking as she grabs my arm, pointing urgently towards the entrance of the guildhall. “Look!”

I spin around and freeze at the sight of a Warrior staggering into the hall, blood streaming down his battered armour, the tang of copper thick in the air. His weapon is missing… and frost-like vapours rise faintly from his bloody wounds.

“Help me… please…”

His voice is barely a whisper. Receptionists and adventurers rush over to help, but before anyone can reach him, he collapses onto the floor with a sickening thud.

“I need…”

Anna and I push through the crowd as quickly as we can, joining the scene. Amid the onlookers, two healers from the Order of Selene are already at work, working alongside their paladins to mend the Warrior’s wounds. Joining them, Anna and I add our magic to the mix, pooling our Mana into keeping him alive.

But something’s wrong. Even with all six of us casting Heal after Heal on him in rapid succession… his wounds still won’t go away. He’s no longer bleeding, but his injuries remain raw and gaping. Somehow, our magic isn’t enough.

“This should be working,” I mutter, my voice tense. “It should be enough!”

“Arisa…”

Anna looks pale; her Heal casts faltering as she expends the last of her Mana. The other healers and paladins are exhausted, and their Mana reserves are also fully spent. I grit my teeth and push on alone… though it feels like I’m pouring Mana into a bottomless void. I’m casting Heal after Heal… and despite my best efforts… the Warrior’s wounds remain open, his presence becoming… colder.

“Help… me…”

He clutches weakly at my wrist, and I flinch. His fingers are like ice, biting into my skin with a chill so unnatural it feels like it’s freezing the marrow of my bones! And uh… this sensation… this aura of cold he’s emanating… it’s not the first time I’ve experienced this. Not in Nisha, but rather, in the frozen lands of…

Oh, shit. Fuck me. My pulse quickens as memories of Arcadia flood back into me. That icy touch, the shadowy void in his wounds swallowing magic… it all screams of demons. But that’s impossible – we’re on the Isle of Spirits! So early in the timeline, too…

But the evidence is undeniable. My instincts scream what my mind refuses to accept – the presence of a Demon’s corruption within this Warrior. My thoughts spin, desperate for another explanation… but there ain’t one.

Good grief. Is this really happening? The Order of Selene trains its healers and paladins for this very scenario – the day we might stand on the front lines against the demons of Arcadia, should they ever rise again as they did the previous timeline, at the end of days. And yet, even so… the idea that this is occurring right now, during what oughta be peaceful, halcyon times, the calm before the storm… sends a chill down my spine colder than the Warrior’s icy touch.

But I… can’t afford to be afraid. I’m the Hero destined to slay the Demon Lord, and it’s my duty to handle this. With all my strength and power… from one timeline ago… I shall!

“You’ve done enough,” I tell the other healers and their paladins, my voice firmer than I feel as I continue channelling my Heal into the Warrior. “I’ll take it from here. Go to the Ecclesiarch and tell her everything.”

They nod grimly, their faces grave as they hurry off to the Chantry to seek reinforcements. The Order of Selene knows how to keep such things quiet, especially in a crowded guildhall. No need to panic the public. Not yet, anyway… at least until we can confirm what’s happening.

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“Arisa…”

Anna’s voice is soft, but I hear the tremor in it. She’s pieced it together, too. Even if, like me… she doesn’t want it to be true.

“We can’t treat him here,” I say, forcing calm into my tone. “We need to move him away from the crowds. Help me carry him, please.”

“Okay. I’m on it.”

“Move him on the count of three. One… two… three.”

Anna carefully cradles the Warrior in her arms, her movements precise and gentle as she lifts him from the ground. The effort causes his wounds to reopen, fresh rivulets of blood seeping from the gaps of his tattered armour. I focus and channel another Heal into him, letting the demonic shadows festering within his wounds feast on my magic to buy precious seconds, minutes… however long it takes to keep him alive.

“Don’t worry. I got this. Just keep him steady,” I tell Anna, meeting her worried gaze before turning to a nearby receptionist, urgency sharpening my words. “We need a private room. Now!”

She nods and rushes off to prepare one, beckoning us to follow. My Mana is slowly dwindling as I continue channelling Heal… but I’m not giving up! Whatever darkness has infested this man… I’ll be damned if I let it win.

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Later, inside an inn room in the Adventurer’s Guild…

The curtains are drawn, shielding the room from the midday sun. Soft and scented with fresh linen, the bed offers a comforting sense of reprieve in these dire circumstances.

I’m still channelling my Heal on the Warrior, keeping the bleeding at bay as Anna carefully lowers him onto the bed. It’s taking a bit of a toll on me… and by now, I’m feeling a bit drained… but it’s all good. I’m a Healer, and this is what I’m trained to do.

Still, good grief. This isn’t exactly what I had in mind when I said Anna needed practice casting Sanctuary in combat. I was hoping for something a bit more… controlled. Not this.

“His wounds are still open, even with you casting Heal constantly…” Anna murmurs, frowning as she studies the Warrior’s unmoving form. “Could it be a Shadow Parasite?”

“Yeah, you’ve got it,” I reply solemnly, my hands glowing white and blue as I ready another Heal. “It’s a Shadow Parasite. You know what they do, right?”

Anna nods, worry evident in her eyes. “They’re spawned by a Shadow Fiend and used as Mana batteries to sustain long-distance spells – things like Mind Control…”

“Exactly,” I confirm, casting another Heal to stabilise the Warrior further. “And judging by how hard he’s fighting… I’d say he’s doing an incredible job resisting demonic influence.”

“The Codex Rinnah says a Paladin can use Exorcism to kill and expel demons infesting mortal flesh…” Anna says before hesitating. “But then, umm… I’m not a fully-fledged Paladin yet.”

“Neither were our fellows from just now,” I say, nodding grimly. “But that’s fine. I’ll try something else. It may or may not work.”

“What do you have in mind?”

“I’m gonna use Dispel Magic to draw that little bastard out of him. Shadow Parasites are made of magic… so it should work. But it’s gonna attack us at full strength. Ready?”

Quietly, Anna nods and unsheathes Ascalon, resting its massive blade on her shoulder. We step back from the bed, creating enough space to swing her claymore.

“Right. Time to get to work…” I say as I plant Elizabeth into the ground, ceasing my Heal spell while Anna takes a defensive stance in front of me. “Let’s do this.”

With an outstretched hand glowing white and blue, I channel Dispel Magic into the Warrior’s body. The reaction is immediate – darkness spills from his wounds, pooling on the floor before coalescing into a grotesque, shadowy arachnid – a Shadow Parasite separated from its host, the air thick with its malevolence.

Furious from being drawn into the light, its obsidian mandibles click menacingly as it lets out a shrill, chittering wail that echoes like nails scraping across glass.

Anna tightens her grip on Ascalon, murmuring a quiet prayer. “Rinnah… I trust in your blessing… that I may triumph over our enemies…”

The Shadow Parasite lunges, its jagged fangs aiming straight for my chest. But before it can so much as graze me… Ascalon arcs through the air in a blinding flash. With a single, decisive guillotine stroke, Anna cleaves the little bastard in two, obliterating its shadowy, ichor-like form. Dark, viscous splatters cover the floor for only a moment before evaporating into nothingness, leaving no trace of the Demon behind.

“Arisa…” Anna gasps, lowering Ascalon as the tension begins to ebb. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Nice work, by the way,” I reply, clapping her shoulder firmly before returning my attention to the Warrior. “I just hope he’s okay…”

Kneeling by his side, I place a hand gently on his chest. His breathing is shallow but steady – just unconscious, is all. Asleep. He’s still bleeding… but with the Shadow Parasite gone, it’s nothing a well-placed Heal can’t fix for good.

And so, Anna and I work together, casting Heal in tandem. This time, the bleeding stops completely. Warm and all-encompassing relief washes over me – he’s gonna be alright.

“He’s stable now,” I say, offering Anna a small smile. “He just needs rest.”

Anna doesn’t smile back, her expression troubled as she glances towards the window. “But what now? Mom and the others from the Order will secure the town and evacuate the surrounding outskirts… but if there’s a Shadow Fiend out there…”

I exhale sharply, running a hand through my hair. Anna’s right – this situation is pretty fucked. For a moment, as I was basking in my relief of saving that Warrior’s life… I forgot all about the implications of his situation. That if demons are on the Isle of Spirits… I…

“We can’t let this go unanswered,” Anna presses. “If there’s a Demon this close to home, we need to take the fight to it!”

“That’s my plan, Anna,” I finally say, my voice steady. “But for now, we wait. We’ll get our answers when he wakes up.”

We settle into a tense silence, watching over the Warrior as he sleeps. Rinnah willing… he’ll wake up soon.