[Kliss Elisa Cessna]

I sat in my office rubbing my head tiredly. When it wasn’t the blood Elks it was Mire Beetles, when it wasn’t the Mire Beetles it was Majun Wolves and Hogbeasts. There were lots of things in the forests of Skyisle and they liked to hunt in packs. While decimating these monster packs with my armacus 88 was easy, it was also tiresome and I was getting absolutely nothing out of it - no experience, no levels, no sense of personal fulfillment - nothing.

Trying to organize Skyisle into a proper Imperial town was akin to building a sandcastle on the beach during a windy day. Whatever I tried to do felt for naught because I knew that eventually all of my work would all be washed away by the fact that Skyisle would become consumed by the magogenic fault.

I remembered my childhood on the beach with a small degree of... something? Was it love? I could still feel love back then. I knew on a logical level that I used to love the ocean, but now it seemed like a grayscale, corroded, false memory.

How could I love a large body of water? There was no sense in it!

What felt like a lifetime ago, a seven-year-old girl had stepped into the Cessna Cathedral of Equality. She had walked towards the long line of children and waited patiently beneath the arches of white stone. She was young, bright and talented. She wanted to learn mathematics to unlock the Soul-Song and she wanted to become a citizen of the Empire to help uplift its people. The Priest had evaluated her, checked her over for prior Vows and once she was declared clear, she passed into the Room of Declaration. There, she read the Pact written beneath the pedestal of Goddess Equality, glancing at the beautiful, enormous, white-winged statue. She believed with her entire heart, believed that she was destined for greatness, believed in her purpose and knew exactly what she wanted out of life.

Ten years later, she had upgraded her Citizen’s Vow to an Overseer’s one.

Today, she sat as the Overseer of Skyisle... had power over the lives of 1519 people, and yet she felt, empty, hollow.

I saw my reflection in the stained glass and tried to smile. There was work to do. I checked the Ward records, making sure that everyone in my town was safe.

According to the ward around 117 Longwoods Road, Dante and Destiny left the house of the Alans this morning. I gulped as I read the lines thrice.

Damnation!

The pair of children without Soul Songs did not go into town. The town Ward warned me that they had stepped off the path and headed North-East, towards the magogenic fault.

[Follow them,] my Angel sang in my ear. [NOW!]

[Maybe they're still walking to town, just taking a shortcut?]

[I do not trust them,] the Vow of the Overseer pressed. [They are not what they appear to be. Destiny is Ishira's weapon aimed at Skyisle, embroiled in a prophecy. What if Giovashi's magics guides them to the fault? What if they return as walking corpses?]

A cold shiver ran down my spine. The Ward of Skyisle pulsed once more, it had completely lost track of them! The two kids were heading straight to the magogenic fault!

I rose from my chair quickly and activated the [Invisibility LV 70] field on my armor, vanishing from sight.

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It took me only thirteen minutes to reach the edge of the hex-lantern lit path from which Dante and Destiny departed from Skyisle. I activated my [Tracking] Skill and the footsteps the children left in the Astral became visible to me, igniting in my sight.

I followed their trail into the forest.

A Blood Elk passed nearby, but it did not sense me at all as I rushed past it. The Invisibility Hex embedded in the gemstone of my armor and the fibers of my cloak was a great investment, already paying off. It made me completely imperceptible and silent like a brush of wind.

I followed the trail forward, my breath accelerating, my Angel urging me on, expecting to discover Giovashi Incandictia's dark plot or perhaps even the broken bodies of the two Skyisle children that were supposed to be in my care far beneath the cliff side.

Getting closer to the abyss, I had to slow down and rely on my eyes along as the resonance of doom pouring from the Valley of Death washed and sucked the footsteps away.

Gritting my teeth I searched where they went, losing precious time.

My heart pulsed as I discovered a small, azure lake and an arcane ruin of some sort. I carefully approached the old structure, keeping an eye out for an ambush, my armacus open and ready to strike Ishira priests or other enemies of the Empire.

Creeping into the ruin I spotted Destiny and Dante, sitting next to each other. Roots of a truly gargantuan tree wrapped the remnants of some by-gone era tower interior. Blue flowers bloomed all over the roots and moss, fluttering in the wind. The leaves of the tree were violet and shimmered and sparkled with orange and gold tones.

The Alan twins were alive.

I relaxed, panting to catch my breath. I had rushed over here for absolutely nothing. The children had hex-lanterns close by.

They were safe.

But, what in the Hells were they doing here? I spotted a shovel and a tent, almost entirely buried in freshly cut branches, ferns and moss. Then I saw a bag filled with other supplies.

They were just... camping.

Thank Equality!

I sat down on a nearby mossy rock with a sigh of relief and listened in on their conversation.

"Slava? Kak ti ne nashel eto mesto ranshe?" Destiny said.

I blinked. This wasn't a language I recognized. It didn't sound even remotely close to Ishikarian.

"Ono slishkom blizko k magogennomu razlomu," Dante replied.

[Aberrations!] My Angel screeched, my fingers reaching for the trigger of the armacus on their own.

[Maybe it's some obscure language their father taught them! Georgi isn't from Skyisle,] I mentally snapped, grabbing my right hand with my left. [I've Identified them and used the Truth spell on them both! They're both kind, capable and honest! The Empire needs them!]

[Deception!] the Vow thrummed. [Lies! This is clearly an Almn-Inian tower! They're in cahoots with the Necromancers!]

[It's an old ruin,] I pointed out. [There's no dangerous or active magic here as far as I can see. They're clearly just camping. Look, those are sandwich wrappers!]

My Angel relaxed ever so slightly. I stared at the two kids as they talked, enjoying each other's company. They didn't seem dangerous. They were quite clever for their mountain village upbringing, were definitely close to igniting the Sparks, unlike the rest of the novitiates who could barely add large numbers even after two weeks.

Dante reached into the tent and pulled out a guitar. Destiny smiled.

The boy began to play. Then he started to sing. It wasn't bad. He clearly had talent.

I didn't understand any of the words. Destiny joined in. The song echoed across the old tower, rose in crescendo as the twins sang in perfect synchronicity.

I listened quietly. It wasn't just one song. Another and then another song followed.

The music caressed my senses, felt like it touched my heart.

My hands started to shake. Their duet was... beautiful.

I blinked tears from my eyes. These strange, foreign, catchy songs, I lo...

The feeling vanished. I suddenly felt nothing, just an aching emptiness in my chest where something warm used to be.

I reassessed my feelings and realized that I was jealous of their companionship.

Maybe if I was born five years later and in Skyisle... I could have been friends with them... could have learned their secret language, knew the jokes they were laughing at, could have someone to sing with...

What is wrong with me?! What am I even thinking?

Why?

Surely I was happy... surely I...

[Kill them,] the Vow demanded interrupting my skyship of dangerously spiraling thoughts. He grabbed my hand and aimed the armacus at Dante's head. [They are clearly aberrants! They sing with a tongue not of the world!]

[No,] I hissed, sliding the aim off the boy.

[Yes,] the Vow insisted, bringing the weapon back on target.

My thumb spun the dial to [Destruction] before I could stop it.