--Oswald Perspective--

Earlier in the day.

Getting up early was part of my daily life. But today I had to get up much earlier than I was accustomed to. There was much to do.

Alena would be having her coming-of-age ceremony today, but I could not wave away my suspicions about her. Alaster seemed to be fitting the mold of a messenger of Lumin, so how was Alena different?

She seemed to have at least some affinity for fire magic, so I wanted to just think she took after her mother. However, when she was afflicted with miasma, I could no longer deny the possibility she was associated with the parasite. The origin of dark mana.

Despite that, she is my daughter. No matter her origin I would do all I could to protect her. Even if I would be labeled a heretic for it.

If my suspicions were correct, Alena had a similar affinity to dark magic as Alaster had to light magic. I debated trying to escape with her and Lily, avoid the ceremony altogether, but what if I was wrong? And she was just a normal girl and my worries were nothing?

So I took another route. Prepare for the worst, and hope for the best.

To the south of Aston was a country called Crosta. The world outside Aston was a mystery to most Astonians, considering it corrupted and mostly desolate. The only meager trading caravans that came from there were heavily vetted at every stage. Making the merchants themselves very careful about what they say to avoid losing access to the limited trade available.

Still, some news could get through. Usually incidental, a book a child hid away for the trip, or secret messages being passed along to allow some outcasts to stay in communication with their family. The order cracked down on that anytime it was discovered. But plug one hole and another will appear.

Thanks to that, I knew that the outside world did not have the same thoughts about demons as we did in Aston. It would be Alena’s best chance if the worst came to pass.

So I prepared her an escape route, a letter detailing my thoughts, and a guide to help her get away. Kamil was here though, so I worried my plans would not be sufficient.

Another matter was Lily. She was close to Alena, so suspicion would be on her as well. I could not risk the order discovering the twin’s origin, even with her not remembering the night. The order had ways to extract information.

Alaster was safe, I only worried he was getting far too close to the order and their ideals. But he was safe at least and I had to hope he would be able to learn the truth himself someday. They valued him, putting that girl Rose so close to him to better tie him to the order.

I went out to the pond near the village with some supplies. I was careful to avoid being seen by the order as I did so. There was a dead tree there. I had been out here before planning it out, so I chiseled out a large enough cavity to fit some supplies in and used some twigs and moss to hide it.

When I returned I was quick to head to the bath, going through the woods was not something I had done in years so I was covered in all manners of forest debris.

“What did you need to do out in the woods?” Alena asked as I exited the bath. She was sharp, like her mother.

I had to tell Alena something, this plan would not work at all if I had to explain it to her in the moment.

“Come with me Alena, I want to have a little chat,” I said as I brought her to my office.

The talk was hard. Alena was a tough girl but I could see the fear in her eyes. I gave her a letter I had prepared that detailed my thoughts about her, and my plan to keep her safe. I would not be able to go with her.

After our talk, she left and I closed the door. The talk was far harder than I expected. I had more to do though. Now I had the best I could do for Alena so it was time for her Mother.

I walked to the back of my office and grabbed a saddle bag from my cabinet. This was Lily’s escape plan. Opening my desk I grabbed another letter, this one addressed to Lily and put it in my pocket.

Before I left I listened through the door, I didn’t want Alena to see me leave, it was best to have only me privy to the entire plan.

She seemed to have gone to her room, so I quietly left the church, making sure to not look suspicious, but also stay out of sight of anyone I could.

There were horses tied up near the bar, they were the orders horses. The horse trough was out of sight, but I still worried about any of the order seeing me here, so I worked quickly. All the horses seemed tame thankfully, but I still tried to pick the one least likely to rebel at a different rider. I changed out its saddle bag with the one I had.

The saddle bag had a red flap, something to make it stand out from the others. My preparations were complete, now if nothing happened I would only have to switch the bag back and no one would be the wiser.

As I went to head out. I saw Alena come out of the church, so I hid quickly to not let her see me. I could hear her come closer and then call out to Lily and Alaster. They were close too it seemed, so I had to be careful.

I walked around the back of the bar and through an ally, there was not a lot of space to get out unnoticed so I decided to wait. Once people started to gather it would be easy to sneak out.

Some time went by and I could hear some commotion starting up. Now would be a good time to go. But when I got up to head out of the alley Lily was standing at the end of it. I didn’t see Alaster and Rose with her thankfully.

“You’re up to something” She accused. Sitting in an alley like this was abnormal, I had to give her that. But this did give me an opportunity.

“We need to talk, are Alaster and Rose still here?” I said. The seriousness in my voice seemed to register with her.

“No, they headed over to get some stuff from their tent. You are being shadier than usual.” She always knew I was keeping things from her, thankfully she trusted in me enough not to call it out in front of the twins.

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“Come with me,” I said, directing her to the back of the bar. She followed and we went to the horses.

“See this horse here with the red saddle bag? I want you to steal it and escape the village if something happens tonight”. I told her. I was a bit surprised I blurted it out like that but Lily did hate when I skirted around things.

Lily froze and looked at me in disbelief. Words seemed to escape her.

“Here, this letter contains everything I have kept hidden from you. I hope all this amounts to nothing, but I am sure you will read this letter regardless after tonight. But hold off until tomorrow at least. The path out of town goes north but get to a southern path as soon as you can. I hope you can still ride a horse?” I continued.

“Yea…. I think I can…. What is happening, Oswald?? Is Alena alright?” She was getting hysterical, though I could not blame her.

I reached over and hugged her. “I am sorry for all the years I have kept things from you. I hope tonight nothing happens and you can beat me within an inch of my life tomorrow, but please. Trust me here”

She said nothing and did not return my hug. I could see she had more she wanted to say than she had words for, I only hoped the letter would give her those answers.

“It will be starting soon. I have to go” I said, turning back and heading back through the alley and toward the square. Regardless of what happened now, Lily was going to know of my deception, but it was a small price to pay for her security.

“You better be ready tomorrow Oswald, I am going to make it hurt,” She said as I entered the alley. I could hear her choking on her words a bit. She was a smart woman.

I got to the square just in time to save Alena from making a terrible mistake. She looked ready to slug Kamil and that would destroy all my hard work. I wanted to laugh at how easily my carefully made plans were almost foiled by her antics.

After Alena headed to the tent. Kamil grabbed my arm.

“Oswald, why can’t we go back to the good old days? You had such potential for the order” He said. I was going to be part of the order before I was sent to this village to act as a priest. Back then Kamil was a good friend, but those days were gone.

“This is punishment, you know that Kamil, after what happened with Bradley I made mistakes” I replied. Bradley was our friend, he had been caught with contraband and I helped him get away. Thankfully I was not killed for it, but that was only because I still had uses.

“But is this punishment?” He asked. I glared at him and pulled my arm away. “If you will excuse me.” I spat as I headed to the tent. I could not feel a trace of my friend left in him. I hoped Alaster would never turn out like him.

Entering the tent. Alena looked ready to break something. That helped raise my mood, she has always been more aggressive than any girl I knew. Part of her charm.

She told me how my spending was being called into question by Lily. But she truly had no idea, not yet anyway. Regardless of how tonight went. I didn’t have a penny to my name.

The ceremony was ready to begin, so I headed out to start it. Everything led up to this moment and I could feel my anxiety rising. But I had to be strong and get through this.

I got on the stage, and standing before the mana crystal I put my hands together to start the prayer.

“Oh, Lumin, we are here today to witness the birth of a new follower. To endow them with your power so we may rid the world of the taint that plagues you”

We shall destroy the taint. Recited the crowd.

“We are your tool in this world, your tool to cleanse this land”

We shall cleanse the land.

“We bask in your purity, and seek to return this world to the utopia you created”

We shall purify the world.

“Tonight. Alena Farrell joins your ranks. May you grant her power that suits your will”.

Alena shall follow your will.

I ended the prayer and turned to get Alena. Now was the moment of truth.

“Alena, it’s time,” I said as I opened the flap, she was already walking toward me, so I just let her pass by. Cheers erupted as she did. To everyone else this was a grand occasion, I hoped that was all it ended up being.

Alena got on the stage and looked around, and then at me. I put on my best smile, hoping to alleviate any fears she had.

She walked up to the mana crystal, took a deep breath, and put her hand on it.

For a moment, nothing seemed to happen, but then I noticed a heat haze coming off her. I was much closer so only I probably saw it. Making them think maybe she has no mana, but heat like that meant….

BOOM

I was almost blasted back, I felt my eyebrows got singed and some of my hair. The heat blasted my face but I remained transfixed on Alena. A giant fire tornado was spinning around her. I had never seen mana manifest that strongly before.

I had heard Alaster had a similar thing happen with his wind magic before….

As I was thinking, the tornado was blasted apart. Replaced with a black ball of smoke. My worst fears were realized.

I looked over to the left and locked eyes with Lily, she was panicked and looking at me for answers. I closed my eyes feeling tears starting to form and lightly nodded to her. When I opened them she was already gone. I wish I could have told her I loved her, writing it in the letter wasn’t the same.

I looked back up to the stage and the miasma was starting to dissipate. There was no time.

“ALENA!!!!!” I screamed. She had to remember my words, to run if I called her name. It was inconspicuous so the paladins would not feel it was unnatural, which should buy me some time.

Alena glanced around before quickly running towards me. Good girl.

She jumped and cleared the stairs, the mana empowering her.

“I love you” I whispered as she passed me. She made no effort to stop, and in the next second, I heard the bushes behind me rustling as she charged into the woods.

The tent was in the way of the paladins, so I could not see their reaction but I could hear it. Kamil was barking orders, telling them to chase and kill the demon. Like I thought they would. I still had one job to do though.

I headed around to the left. Thankfully I didn’t have to tell Lily to go and could move on to the last stage of my plan. I looked over to the paladins, seeing them still distracted for the moment with most of them heading into the woods, and Kamil talking with Alaster and Rose.

I used this moment to get to the church. Once I entered I breathed a sigh of relief. It was over. I had done all I could.

As I walked through the church I reminisced about their childhood. I was proud to have been their father and I hoped Lily could forgive my deception, not that I felt I deserved it.

I went to my office and sat down, grabbing a packet out of my drawer, and in a lower cabinet, a wine glass and a bottle of wine.

The wine was the gift Lily had given me all those years ago as thanks for helping her. I had saved it for when Alaster and Alena came of age.

I poured the small packet into the glass, before uncorking the bottle and pouring myself a glass. I needed to make sure that my knowledge would not end up in the hands of the order, my execution was already certain.

I took a sip as I looked around the room. There were various toys that the local carpenter had made for them that they had long since outgrown. I kept them here and put them on the shelf. There were also children's books I had gotten to help with raising them.

They brought me endless joy. Alaster being taken hurt, but he always stayed in contact and Alena always brightened my day.

As I looked around. The door swung open and Kamil entered.

“So this is where you were!” He yelled. I could only smile, if he was here, he was not helping chase Alena.

“I always had a feeling there was something about that little bitch. Having a brother like that and not having light mana? She isn’t even Alaster's brother is she?” He accused. I was angry at him for calling her a bitch, but just continued to smile and poured myself another glass. My hands were unsteady making it a challenge.

“Not going to talk eh? Well, where is the whore? Didn’t see her at the bar. Where are you hiding her?” He asked.

That got me too angry. I glared at him as I took another sip, my hand unsteady, making it hard not to spill some.

Kamil stared at me for a moment, seemingly dumbfounded as I didn’t respond beyond my expression. He may have climbed the ranks, but he was slow at times.

He looked down at the packet sitting by the bottle and his eyes went wide.

“You didn’t…..” He cried.

I smiled again, reaching to grab the bottle to pour myself another cup. But my arm had no strength, and the bottle fell to the ground, shattering. What a waste.

Kamil stared at me in disbelief. So used to getting what he wanted that he didn’t know what to do when he didn’t. I was tired, I wanted to sleep. In the morning Alena could wake me up and we could go have breakfast with Lily. Alaster and Rose could join in. Oh, how I would have loved for tomorrow to turn out like that.

I closed my eyes starting to dream of sitting and having breakfast with my family one last time. A time that would never come.