Having concluded her lessons for the day, the Overseer sent everyone home.

When Delta and I got up from our bench, Kliss walked to us and followed close behind us as we walked home.

Her imposing, armored figure towered over us, emerald eyes glinting. We walked in silence, unsure of what to say or do in her presence.

As we approached our house, Kliss finally spoke up. "I hope you'll take to heart what we discussed in class today," she said. "Remember, the Empire depends on each of its citizens to uphold the principles of Equality."

Delta nodded. "We understand, Lady Overseer. We'll do our best to serve you and follow the path of Equality."

Kliss gave us a curt nod. "I expect great things from both of you. Do not disappoint me."

I knocked on the door. The lock slid open in a minute revealing our father. His face dropped when he saw Kliss. I noticed that there was a metal collar on his neck with a ruby gemstone. Infoscope 1 identified it as:

Tracking collar LV 30

As we entered the house, Kliss followed us inside.

"Dad, what's going on?" Delta asked nervously.

Mom came out of the kitchen, she was wearing a similar collar.

"I put these tracking collars on your parents," Kliss told us, examining our reactions. "Alas, it had to be done as they would not cooperate with me willingly."

"Why?" Delta asked.

"Your parents are bound to Ishira," Kliss explained. "By wearing these collars, they are restricted in their movements and their actions can be monitored. It is simply a precautionary measure to ensure the safety and stability of Skyisle while I hunt for the priestess of Ishira."

I was perturbed by the artifact collars but had to keep quiet, least a similar collar end up on my neck.

Dissident house arrests were quite common in USSR. The most famous case of house arrest happened in 1917 in Tsarskoye Selo when Tzar Nicholas II and his family were captured and imprisoned in their house and then later executed by the Bolshevik secret police in a cellar under the orders of Chekist Commissar Yakov Yurovsky.

"You Gods-damned Redcape," my mother hissed at Kliss.

"Yes?" Kliss arched an eyebrow.

Mother grumbled a swear under her breath.

"Watch your tongue, Cassandra," Kliss said. "I am the Overseer of Skyisle, tasked with protecting everyone here. I understand that the previous Overseers did a piss-poor job of maintaining order, but know this - I am a lot sharper than my predecessors!"

A high level [Charisma] pulse radiated from Kliss and struck my parents. Mom shuddered and took a step back.

"Will you renounce your devotion to Ishira?" Kliss asked my parents.

"No," Georgi said.

"N-no," Mom clenched her fists, her silver-blue eyes filled with defiance. "Ishira guided and protected us for generations. Your so-called Equality is nothing but a facade, a means to control and suppress the freedom of the people of Skyisle!"

Kliss's gaze hardened. "You have been deceived, Cassandra. Ishira's promises are hollow. The true path to progress lies in the principles of Equality, where every citizen has the same opportunity to thrive and contribute."

"Equality?" Our dad growled. "You speak of equality while collaring and monitoring innocent people? That is nothing but tyranny! Our children are not aberrations! They're both level zero!"

"You two are not innocent," Kliss said. "I cannot allow the influence of Ishira and her followers to undermine the stability and harmony of this village. I suggest you reconsider your loyalties, if not for your own sake then for the sake of your children."

Kliss waved a steel-covered hand at us as if she was hanging our lives in the balance of the decision of our parents.

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"My investigation revealed your children are not aberrants," she said. "However, there is a high chance that they might become infected by Astral Phantoms in the future, thanks to the vile machinations of Giovashi Incandictia."

"Giovashi saved us from..." My dad started to speak.

"Giovashi sent a dragon to Skyisle!" Kliss snapped with another heavy pulse of Charisma that sparked against my Ward-Shield. "She tricked you, you infernal morons! Giovashi gave Cassandra a prophetic dream about your own daughter so that she could manipulate your wife into a sacrifice of power... so that one day Giovashi herself could turn your child into a dangerous monster!"

"W-what?" Mom blinked.

"Don't you get it, you daft woman? Giovashi's goal is to appear as a hero by setting your daughter up for slaughter in the future!"

I could see the conflict in my parents' eyes as they grappled with the information Kliss was presenting.

Delta and I exchanged worried glances, unsure of what to say or do.

"How can we be sure that what you're saying is true? Ishira has been our guiding light for generations," Cassandra said.

"I understand your doubts, but I have seen the consequences of Ishira's influence firsthand - the ever-scorched forest," Kliss said. "I will not fail you. The collars on your necks are for your own good, they will not allow you to sacrifice more Skills to Giovashi, will not allow that blasted witch to manipulate you into turning your own children into abominations!"

"What?" Dad sputtered. "What's she talking about? I don't understand." He turned to Cassandra.

"Tell your husband everything," Kliss ordered with another, more potent pulse of Charisma. "Tell him about the prophecy! Tell him that you come from a line of the Sentinels of Almn-Inia!"

Mom broke. Tears rained from her eyes as she narrated her dream to us, told her husband that she was an Alanian Sentinel who lost her parents at fifteen. Georgi's face grew pale. Delta gulped.

"Well?" Kliss said with a dangerous smile of victory. "Do you see the noose hanging over your family now, Georgi?"

"I do," he muttered finally.

"So, that's the reason why you hate me so much," Delta said, looking at our mother. "Why you constantly berate me and never teach me anything about Agromancy or any other magic? Why you dote over my brother and ignore me. You really think that I'm going to kill everyone?"

"I... I..." Cassandra sputtered. "I don't hate you, Destiny... I made that dress for you."

Delta simply glared at mom with her glacier-blue eyes. Kliss had turned Cassandra's own family against her. The Overseer watched the exchange with a calculating gaze, her emerald eyes gleaming with satisfaction.

"I never wanted to believe it," Mom choked out, her voice filled with regret. "But the dream, the prophecy... it scared me, Destiny! I was trying to protect you, I swear!"

"By keeping me and dad blind and ignorant?" Delta hissed. "I'm not some Gods-damned monster waiting to be unleashed! I'm your daughter, and I deserve to be loved and accepted for who I am! Just because I want to glide across the clouds like a bird, it doesn't mean that I'm going to set every house in Skyisle on fire!"

Mom trembled. I was the only one who didn't glare at her. I understood her. I made mistakes once myself.

Delta's words hung in the air, a mixture of anger, hurt, and longing for acceptance.

Mom's face crumpled, more tears streaming down her cheeks. "I'm sorry, Destiny," she choked out, her voice filled with remorse. "I've let my own fears cloud my judgment. I never meant to make you feel like a monster..."

She bent down and hugged Delta. "I'm so sorry." She wept.

My Infoscopes spun like little, invisible Astral submarines around Kliss. Gold threads danced across the Overseer's body. The Vow controlling her was clearly highly intelligent, dangerous. I've had enough of seeing the Overseer's smug face, had enough of her Charisma harassing my family, slowly pressuring everyone to mistrust and hate each other.

Infoscope 1 found the thinnest, smallest, golden thread. I used [Sectus-Tether] to snip it in half.

Kliss twitched. The Vow above her stirred. It felt what I did, but wasn't able to spot the attacker because the Vow had no eyes, no natural predators. Kliss looked left and right in confusion, the smile sliding off her face. The entire Vow above her suddenly dove into the depths of the Astral, became almost completely invisible. Infoscope 1 crashed completely, the tether snapping as I tried to follow the Vow. Unfortunately, my tools weren't high level enough to reach the Vow into whatever distant dimension it truly occupied.

So much for trying to snip it off bit by bit. I sighed mentally. I would have to discover another strategy to destroy that damn puppeteer.

"I... I can see that you are making amends, Cassandra," Kliss said after a pause, scratching at her wrist where I had snipped a gold thread off. "But remember, actions speak louder than words. The collars will remain until I am convinced of your loyalty to the principles of Equality. You and Georgi are hereby under house arrest for one month for attacking an Overseer. Be glad that I didn't simply execute you two on the spot. Be glad that you have good, honest children."

With those final words, Kliss turned and left, red cape swishing behind her.

Delta did not hug mom back. She looked incredibly pissed off, betrayed.

I took a deep breath, rapidly shredding the remnants of the Charisma effect from the edges of my soul with my three Infoscopes.

"Sis, give mom a hug, she loves you," I said. "We are a family, and family sticks together no matter what. We need to trust each other."

I stepped closer to Delta as my Infoscopes tore through the aura-like remnants of the Oveerseer's Charisma influence hanging over her with [Sectus-Tether]. My sister's gaze softened as she looked at me, her anger gradually seeping away.

"We may not have all the answers right now, but we have each other," I continued. "Let's support one another and be honest with each other from now on. I understand why mom didn't tell us anything about her legacy as an Alanian Sentinel or the prophecy. We were children then, but we will be adults as soon as we unlock our Soul Songs!"

Delta's hands slowly wrapped around Cassandra in a hug that grew firmer with each second.

"I... forgive you," she whispered into our mom's ear. "I'm going to fly. And... you're not going to stop me anymore, mom."