"So, Georgie...where are we going?" Rael leaned over the piece of wood separating the driver's seat of the wagon from the back end.

"Well. It's a secret..." George kept his eyes on the road ahead as the horses kept moving.

"You're not even gonna give me a hint?" Rael pouted as she leaned her head against George's torso.

"Okay, sweetheart...how's this?..." George lowered his gaze and took a deep breath. "I'm gonna show you where you were born."

"That just seems like an outright answer." Rael pulled herself off of George and the piece of wood. "Still, I'm excited to see!"

"Mhm...Avures, you awake back there?" George looked behind him.

"Huh...yeah, partially." Avures had shot his head up on hearing his name. He could sort of hear their conversation, but it was real early in the morning and he was tired. It took a second to click...but then Avures remembered. This must have been the trip George was talking about all those months ago.

"Good. I'm thinkin' we'll go visit Rael's birthplace, and then stay in Kakodo for the night. Sound good to you two?" George looked back towards the dirt road ahead.

"Actually...George..." Avures looked over to him.

"What is it, lad?"

"Could we...go to that village?..you know, where I-..."

"Say no more, lad. We'll go there too if that's what ya want." George smiled and nodded.

"Thanks..."

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"Mister Felsta, I humbly thank you for allowing me to stay at your manor during this short time." Olicia bowed to the Ventrix's father.

"Ah...of course. If you are a friend of my son, you are welcome here..." Velix rubbed the back of his head as the three of them entered into his manor.

Olicia was greeted to the sight of a massive foyer. White marble floors and walls made up most of the structure with red carpet lining the paths. There were rooms to the left and right some feet away from the entrance, and a dining room straight ahead that could be partially seen. The doorway to said dining room sat in between and past two stairways which went up and led to two halls.

"Come. Breakfast should be ready soon." Velix walked over to the dining room. Ventrix followed behind, and so did Olicia.

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"So, what's the word?" Lylas leaned up against a building in the city.

"Apparently, and this is from what one of my fourth year pals told me..." Bif walked up to Lylas and leaned up next to him. "There's some sort of big thing going on in the woods."

"Well no shit it's a big thing." Lylas rolled his eyes. "What's the deets?"

"They're getting all the white-heads and fourth years to do some "house-cleaning" as they call it. Do you remember the other day when we were messing around in the woods?...and we saw those hooded dudes?" Bif nudged Lylas.

"Oh man...that was weird." Lylas shook his head. "So there was something to it then?"

"Yeah yeah. Apparently, it was some cult shit going on. Tonight, after the sun sets, they're all gonna smoke em out of hiding and purge them." Bif smiled. "That's why they wanted everyone off-grounds."

"Makes sense...having a whole buncha' people like us around might scuff things up." Lylas shrugged. "Still, ya thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Brother..." Bif shook his head and turned to Lylas, putting his hand on his shoulder. "Oh I'm fucking thinking it. I wanna watch Miss Grula tear apart some cloak-heads."

"Right? Ha-ha!" Lylas and Bif fist-bumped. "Dude, we've never seen them go all-out. I'm sure Zen has some like, super magic shit."

"Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen him like...do anything besides little parlor tricks..." Bif scratched his chin.

"Ya know...I think you're right. Grula is usually the one who does things with us." Lylas crossed his arms.

"Man...I wanna do things with Miss Grula...know what I'm saying?" Bif nudged Lylas again with a big sly grin on his face.

"Then make your move already, bro." Lylas shook his head and turned away.

"I can't yet. I got to make sure I don't flunk out first." Bif shrugged.

"Oh yeah...how the fuck do ya not know how to read or write?"

"C'mon...It's hard."

"Ya also found out a way to mess up copying my work. Tsk-Tsk."

"I'm gonna work it out, okay?!"

"Totally. Anyways, let's sneak back onto the grounds later."

"For sure."

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"Thank you for the meal, Mister Felsta." Olicia thanked the man once more before she started to dig in.

"Right. Ahem...if I may, Olicia Yulva, tell me about yourself." Velix looked across the long table at the girl.

"Well, I come from Mudstow, which is way east of here. It's mostly a humid, muddy swamp. I was...recommended to the Academy." Olicia took another bite of her food.

"And I suppose that's because..." Velix's eyes narrowed.

"I'm the natural with the chain..." Olicia shrugged.

"Make no mistake here, I had you figured out the moment I laid eyes on you." Velix stared at her. "You can hide it under your hair like so, but there's a certain give to one who bears a sigil."

"I-..." Olicia froze up...was she going to die? She didn't realize that he had already known.

"However, my son assures me that you are "not like that" in his words. So, using his mother's judgment, I won't persecute you." Velix took a bite of his food.

"I...don't understand." Olicia shook her head slowly. "From what I had always been told, Felsta's would kill demon sigil bearers without remorse..."

"Are you saying you want to be slain?" Velix set his fork down.

"No no!" Olicia threw her hands up in defense. "But, I feel like I'm missing something. What do you mean by..."not like that"? I'm not really knowledgeable about this stuff..."

"Huh? I was under the impression you knew." Ventrix tilted his head at Olicia.

"Mm...most bearers of the demon sigil are typically killed within the early years of their lives by either chance, or us. So, it's not surprising to see that you might not know." Velix wiped his mouth with a handkerchief. "And you don't seem to be laden with a desire to kill...so it appears my son's observations were correct."

"Can I please get some context?" Olicia sighed.

"The demon sigil is a twisted and demonic power to inherit. It's beastly, and demands blood. It consumes the souls of those slain by it's wielder. And when this happens, it reawakens even stronger than before. This reaction causes the user of the sigil to become blood-lusted. A merciless and heartless killing machine. It's adaptive powers widen, it's magical benefits grow, and the physical form of the wielder strengthens...until it reaches an apotheosis of evolution. This has only ever happened once, and it was a great predecessor of the Felsta family who slew them. Ever since, it's been the responsibility of the Felsta family to ensure this never happens again." Velix stared off at nothing straight ahead of him as he explained.

"That seems strange. If bearers are that dangerous, why doesn't the kingdom persecute them? And why did the Academy accept me?" Olicia tapped her fork against her plate lightly.

"Killing a demon sigil bearer is sanctioned and endorsed, but not openly done or executed by the kingdom itself. Bureaucrats are bureaucrats. And kings, kingdoms, or whatever else to themselves. They want all the safety, but none of the work. Typical, but our family is up to the job, always. As for the Academy...it represents another problem within what I've mentioned. They have their own jurisdiction, rules, laws, and whatever because of the service they provide. That Headmaster would let in a thousand mass murderers wanted for execution if they could swing a sword well enough." Velix's tone fell to one of disgust.

"You know...your initial apprehension to full-on sparring with me now is understandable, Ventrix." Olicia sat down her fork. "But...I don't really feel that blood-lust you mentioned."

"That's because your sigil hasn't truly awakened. You haven't consumed the soul of a person you've killed." Velix picked his fork back up. "The last time we found one at your state...that is, grown and pure, we sent them off to a monastery to live rather than killing them."

"Huh...I guess that makes sense...but I don't want to be sent to a monastery." Olicia shook her head.

"I figured. I didn't plan on doing so anyways. That's why my son will take responsibility of making sure you don't become a monster." Velix pointed his fork over at Ventrix. Ventrix looked up surprised.

"Huh?" Ventrix looked between his father and Olicia with a stunned gaze.

"Don't look shocked. You insisted she was pure. So, make sure she stays that way." Velix didn't bother looking back, continuing to eat his meal.

"I'm just not sure how to-"

"I want to stay that way..." Olicia took a deep breath and let it go. Velix looked over to her, and he couldn't help but wear a small smile on his face. "If I ever become like that, Ventrix...I want you to kill me."

"Olicia...you...can't ask that of me." Ventrix looked at her, his face visibly cringing.

"There is a single weakness to the demon sigil. Wherever it is located on the body of the wearer..." Velix made a slashing motion with his fork in the shape of a cross. "If you can cut a cross overtop of it, it's power will cease to function, and the wielder will be paralyzed until the wound closes. Two minutes...that's how long it takes for the sigil to close that wound."

"Ventrix...I'm not kidding, or grand-standing. Now that I understand...don't let me end up like that." Olicia locked eyes with the blonde-haired boy...

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As the wagon was pulled along the path, George sat there, directing the horse. They had traversed the open field to the south of the capital, and were now starting to enter the forest. Avures and Rael had dozed off in the back of the wagon. They did leave pretty early, so it didn't surprise George. But, he had to get them away from there as quickly as possible. And, he especially wasn't looking forward to the talk and conversation they were all about to have. George sighed, realizing that there was no easy way to do what he needed to do.

The wagon kicked up and shook George. He looked around. Looking back, the wagon rolled right over a rock. He then looked to the two kids, both sound asleep with Rael leaning over onto Avures. He smiled and sighed. George knew that having Avures here might also help with what he needed to do. Still, it wasn't too far away now. As the horse kept pulling along, George felt the wagon shake. Not in the usual way either. He looked at the trees around him...the leaves and branches were swaying and shaking around. George had an awful feeling. This was further cemented when the horse pulling his wagon started to get jumpy.

"Agh!...c'mon you!" George whipped down on the horse. "Get moving, girl! We don't have time!"

The horse suddenly leapt forward, shifting into full speed. The sudden jolt awoke both Avures and Rael.

"What's going on?" Avures gripped onto the side of the wagon. Rael did the same.

"Something big is after us!" George directed the horse as best as possible through the forest.

"What's after us? How big?" Rael was shaken back and forth.

"Witch Beast!" George looked back in horror as his eyes finally saw it.

Having knocked down a clearing of trees way behind them, a humongous beast stood on all fours. Even the tallest of trees didn't look as big in comparison. The beast had gray scales over the majority of it's body, and black scales over top of it's head, back, and legs. It's eyes were a solid red, and it's mouth had a long, long lining of sharp and pointed teeth. The mouth stretched from one side of it's head to the other, and directly above it were two nostrils. The head itself was shaped like a rhinoceros's head, however shorter in proportional length. Unlike a rhinoceros, it's head bore no horn, and it's ears were pointed sideways towards the back of it. The neck of the creature seemed short. It's legs were round and thick, and were short in comparison to the length of the body which was almost as wide as it was long.

The beast let out a long, higher pitched and horrific sounding screech. All three of them immediately plugged their ears and winced in pain. The horse started to neigh and make it's own noises in protest as it carried the wagon along. Then, the beast began it's true charge. Basically galloping on all fours, it gained incredible speed and was quickly advancing on the wagon. Rael and Avures were practically frozen in fear as it inched nearer and nearer. George did what he could to maneuver through the trees, but it was a pointless affair. They were quickly losing ground with each adjustment, as the beast need only knock the trees down in it's path. George needed a plan, and quick.

"Avures! Rael! Throw magic at it! Do something!" George needed time.

Though they both had their weapons on them, they were of no use here. Rael acted fast, putting her hands together, and pulling apart. A fireball appeared in her hands. Moving it onto the palm of her right hand, she increased the size of it to be almost as big as the wagon itself. She moved her arm up straight, and catapulted the sphere of flames towards the Witch Beast. The ball exploded straight onto the head of the beast, and a cloud of smoke emanated forth. The shaking stopped. But it soon resumed, as the creature's shape burst through the smokescreen and charged ahead.

"Perfect Da-" Avures focused, but was swiftly cut off.

"Lad, no! It'll cover the ground all around! You'll spook the horse from moving forward!"

"Darn!" Avures lamented, stopping the technique. It was time to try out something he put more practice into. Avures had spent time practicing Protection type effects, seeing as how it could prove useful.

Avures focused, and without any movement, a long, wide wall of darkness appeared behind the wagon. Dusk Wall, but on a larger, and more solid scale. It stood for a few seconds before the beast tore right through it, advancing closer still. Avures had no other option at hand as far as he could think. So, he continued to put up wall after wall. The beast's advance slowed, but it still tore through the wall and maintained it's chase.

"Why is it chasing us to begin with?!" Avures felt his body getting weak as his mana drained.

"It's locked on to a scent!...Rael! Reach into my bag back up here!" George got an idea. "Avures, do you know anything that can hide our presence?!"

"I have...a trick or two!" Avures responded, still laying down walls of dusk.

"What am I looking for in here?!" Rael leaned over the separator and reached into George's bag.

"A small, black bag! It should be smaller than your hand!" George continued to navigate through the trees.

"Uh...Got it!" Rael took the bag out and held it in her hands.

"Good! Pour the contents into your hand, and keep a tight grip on it!"

"Okay! It's like a bunch of sand!" Rael poured the black bag's content into her hands. It was a mixture of white and black looking specks.

"Avures! Stop what you're doing! Rael! Listen carefully!"

"Got it!" Avures stopped with the walls of dusk. He started to pant, and catch his breath.

"Rael! Throw that stuff in the air towards the Witch Beast and light it on fire! Then! Cover your eyes! Avures! As soon as that happens! Cover our tracks and scent!" George was praying that the kids would be able to do this.

Avures and Rael looked to each other and nodded. Avures covered his eyes as Rael threw the powdery mix into the air. She quickly pointed her index and middle finger at the powder in air. Covering her eyes with her other hand, a tiny bolt of flame escaped from her fingers and hit the particles. The moment it did so, a tiny explosion occurred, and a blinding flash of light encompassed the entire area behind them. Avures and Rael were safe, but could tell how bright it was even with their hands mitigating most of the light. George could see the bright light on the trees on the path ahead. The beast screeched out, but this time, sounded more in pain than anything else as it's entire eyesight was taken over with a blinding light of brilliance.

It was Avures's time now. Once the light stopped, Avures uncovered his eyes and saw the beast stopped in it's tracks behind the wagon. He had just enough time. Avures focused, and without moving, a dark mist started to rise from the ground all around the forest. At the same time, a very transparent sphere, centered on Avures, took form all around the entire wagon, horse included. Avures continued to stand there and focus, keeping the technique active. As his mana pool drained, his soul started consciously pulling in Flow, and converted it into mana. Suddenly, the weariness from using a lot of mana faded as he felt his body being resupplied as he expended it. Avures breathed a sigh of relief. Truth be told, this was the first real scenario he ever used his shade in. One last screech could be heard from the beast before the shaking reoccurred. This time, however, it was much slower and started to fade out.

"Looks like we shook er." George sighed loudly, thankful it all turned out okay. "And good news is that we won't be seeing her for the rest of our trip. We're home free."

"Are you sure?" Rael sighed too.

"That beast only hunts around it's home. The mountainous caves back there. We're heading a bit more south than that." George confidently said as he allowed the horse to slow down.

"So you knew about that thing?..." Avures squinted his eyes as he kept up the fog and barrier. "Why did we go around this way then?"

"It might sound strange, lad. But it's the only way we can reach the place. It has to do with a curse bound to the beast and location." George shrugged.

"What was that stuff, Georgie?" Rael looked at the empty black bag.

"Ah, just something a trader gave me. Said it was some fine dust that made a blinding light when burned. I was planning on using it for later, but it worked out here." George knew they weren't too far away now. "Also, good job, lad. You can let down the magic now if ya want."

"I'm going to keep it up, unless you need the fog lowered to see." Avures kept staring out.

"Then go ahead, lad. I know the way from 'ere even with the fog." George continued guiding the horse along...

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

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"This is my room." Ventrix entered through a door on the second floor of the manor, and gestured for Olicia to follow in as well. She obliged, taking it all in. For someone of higher class, she felt the room was quite simple and bare. There were some dressers, a bed in the center, a closet, a window, and an ornate clock on the wall. There were knick-nacks here and there, but otherwise, it seemed that Ventrix didn't have very many things.

"Simple...I like it." Olicia walked over to the window and looked out. A view of the entrance to the manor greeted her eyes. It was a lot like the Academy's, though, with way more flare about it. Bushes trimmed into shapes, a variety of colorful flowers, and even a marble statue.

"I've never been very...worldly, as most would describe it. The most valuable and dear things to me that I own would be my sword, and..." Ventrix stood at his closet door and looked around before pulling out a black case. "My violin."

"Oh...you play an instrument?" Olicia tilted her head. "I think I remember you mentioning that once or twice."

"Mhm. My mother taught me how to play it. She's a very...big preacher in what she thinks is important in life. Music is one of those things. Do you play anything?" Ventrix laid the case on his bed and opened it up.

"Uh...I did learn how to play the flute on my own. Though, I don't think it's as hard as playing a violin." Olicia shrugged as she watched Ventrix pluck lightly at the strings.

"It's not about difficulty. I'm asking because I want to know if you want to play with me...which, I actually do have a flute around here somewhere. If you're willing..." Ventrix sat the violin down on his bed.

"I'd love to." Olicia smiled.

"One second." Ventrix shuffled out of the room and down the hall.

Olicia looked around the room some more. Compared to her room back home, it was large. And calling it simple was almost a crime considering she only really had a single dresser and her book. But, that's what it was. She couldn't deny either that she would be very much the opposite of Ventrix. Ventrix was minimalist by choice, she was minimalist because of the size of her coin purse. Though, she didn't feel even a hint of jealousy or anything. If anything, it felt like there was a misjudging of his character.

"Here. Found it." Ventrix walked back in, silver flute in hand.

"Oh, thanks. What do you wanna play?" Olicia took the flute from his hands and observed it. It looked pristine, like no one had ever touched the thing.

"Can you read sheet music?" Ventrix reached into his violin case. Olicia nodded. Without looking, Ventrix pulled out two sheets. He handed one to Olicia. "This is a song my mom taught me. It's her favorite."

"Oh..." Olicia looked at the sheet...a well-paced, high strung song. She began to adjust the flute. Something felt...off. Not with the flute, but with the general air of the place.

"It's mostly done in higher pitches. Hmm...come to think of it, this is the first time I've done a duet with someone else." Ventrix finished tuning his violin, and plucked some of the strings.

"Hey, Ventrix...where is your mom?" Olicia held the flute and sheet firmly.

"Huh? Oh...she's out back. You know what...I think she'd enjoy this. Let's play outside with her. I have some chairs and things to hold the sheets. Let's go." Ventrix walked over to the door. Olicia shrugged, not seeing an issue with it.

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Entering the backyard of the manor...Olicia could see a white fence around the place. There were some tables and canopies, most which looked well-decorated. She could see the music stands Ventrix mentioned, but she didn't see his mother anywhere.

"Over here..." Ventrix waved Olicia along as he walked towards a small structure some feet away. Her eyes had first glanced over it, seeing it only as a building for decoration. It wasn't big at all, and in fact, seemed like a small unit for storage. But, upon inching closer and closer, it looked more intricate. A white marble exterior, and an open passage to the interior. Ventrix brought two chairs along to the front of it with the stands. Once she stopped where Ventrix was...

"Ventrix...your mom...is she-"

"Yeah... is something wrong?"

"You never mentioned it."

"I didn't, did I?"

"No."

"Sorry if I gave you the wrong idea then." Ventrix looked at the building. It was a tomb, a mausoleum for his mother. He smiled. "She believed in not talking about the deceased as if they are completely gone, but rather, how the things they said and did for you still affect you to this day."

"Wanting to make friends...all that...honestly, I hope it doesn't sound weird, but you'd get along great with my mom."

"This is a song my mom taught me. It's her favorite."

"Well...I'm sure your mother wouldn't mind you associating with...her. So, I won't mind either."

"So, using his mother's judgment, I won't persecute you."

"Mhm. My mother taught me how to play it. She's a very...big preacher in what she thinks is important in life. Music is one of those things."

Come to think of it, Olicia thought back on all the ways Ventrix and his father mentioned his mother. It was never about how she "was", but about how they still thought about her. It was indescribable, but Olicia felt something inside of her. Respect? Joy? It was hard to tell. But, it made her smile.

"What a wonderful way...to remember someone." Olicia sat down in the chair and put the music sheet onto the stand. Her body lightly shook with nerves as she stared at the mausoleum. Ventrix followed suit.

"Are you ready?" Ventrix rosined up his bow, and raised his violin.

"Sure..." Olicia put the flute up to her mouth...

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"Aight, lads! The decoy team is playing run-around with the beast right now! They know what they signed up for! And those bastards are willing to lay down their lives to kill these godless heathens!" George pointed towards the wood-line where they all came from. Several groups of men yelled with fervor and spirit.

"We aren't going to let that go to waste, now are we lads?!" George raised his fist in the air. Rapturous screaming ensued from the groups as they raised their fist in tandem.

"Then let us purge this place of it's sin and defilers! Let us purge this place of those who worship an envoy of demise! Let none escape...pure destruction! Charge forth!" George pointed towards the temple that lay ahead. A structure of one floor, and many underground dwellings under the cover of it's stony exterior. The groups raised their weapons, and charged in the entrance to the building. George walked behind them slowly with another figure with him.

"This is it then." Velix strolled alongside George with his sword unsheathed.

"Aye...if all goes well, the Cult of Woe ends here..." George clenched his fist. The sound of battle started. Loud and fierce was the clashing of metal, and the sounds of fiery explosions from within. The two of them rushed in behind their men...

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"We're here..." George stopped the horse. The wagon's wheels stopped, and the three of them stepped off.

"This...is where I was born?" Rael's voice hit a tone of confusion and disappointment. Avures looked at the building, and knew something was terribly wrong. A stone temple which looked partially destroyed from the outside.

"Yep..." George sighed. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "C'mon..."

"Georgie..." Rael shook her head. But, she followed behind. Avures did as well.

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The sound of fierce battle echoed throughout the chambers. Screaming, clanking metal, the expenditure of mana...all of it rang in George's and Velix's ears as they cut down another group of robed cultists.

"They're like filthy roaches! Packed this tightly in here together!" Velix quickly cut apart another robe-wearing man. "We should torch this damn place!"

"We can't! We need to figure out what exactly they're guarding in here!" George sliced a cultist's arm off before jamming his blade into it's heart.

"Very well! I'll carve us a path downwards! Cover my rear!" Velix's sword glowed a bright white.

"Gotcha! Lead us in!" George put his back against Velix's back.

The two men sifted further and further into the temple. There were slopes, stairwells, and rooms that led to more rooms. Each one seemed to house a hundred more cultists than the last. His men had been faring well, but it seemed like they had only grazed the surface of the nest of cultists...

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"This place is a mess..." Avures remarked as they all walked through. George and Rael used their magic to light up the place. Stone pillars were broken apart. Decorations torn asunder. Skeletons lined the floors. And a white and black ash seemed to cover just about every surface.

"A great battle took place here..." George looked around the place, spotting the paths he had once went down so many years ago.

"Georgie...this isn't a funny joke anymore." Rael felt herself getting cold as her discomfort grew.

"Darling...it's not a joke." George shook his head. "As much as I wish it was..."

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With a blinding light, and a single slice, Velix cut down a horde of at least twenty men. However, even with the sudden deaths inflicted by him, twenty more seemed to climb out.

"That's that Felsta quality, isn't it?" George was doing what he could to fend off a group of cultists from the back.

"Indeed! However, I'm nowhere near close to being done yet!" Velix's sword grew bright again. "We need to really clear these fiends out! Have any aces up your sleeve, Mottis?"

"Straight Bet won't serve us well in a situation like this...but..." George reached into the bag to his side. His hand gripped a hard, round sphere with a hint of string sticking out. "I've got something...aim for the pillars!"

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"Whoa...what happened here?" Rael looked at the path ahead. The floor had been sunk in, and led to another floor downwards.

"A bit of improvisation. It isn't much further now..." George hopped down onto the rubble, with the other two following suit.

"Georgie...I still don't understand...can you please explain?" Rael bowed her head as they moved forward.

"A long time ago, this place housed cultists...Woe Cultists...an insider had tipped us off about something big going on in here. They also told us how to find the place." George maneuvered around and found the last stairwell. "So, we launched a surprise raid on this place...that is, me and my men."

"Wait, what?" Rael questioned.

"Sorry sweetheart, I never really told ya what I do for a living. Not by intention either...but yeah, anyways...place was filled to the brim with vermin. They were guarding something..." The three of them finished climbing down the stairwell. There was a long room with many pillars. Most of them had some damages, but were mostly intact. At the end of the room, a shrine stood along with what looked to be a cradle made of wood...

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"This...this was what they were guarding?..." Velix panted as he cleaned his sword off with a cloth.

"I can't believe it...this can't be right..." George scoured the shrine, sifting through various gems and books. He found a particular book and scroll. Opening the book at a reference point indicated by a feather, he read...

"It's not some chalk lines for a ritual, nor is it some ancient artifact of their own creation..." Velix shook his head as he slowly walked up.

"I guess you could say it's of their own creation..." George kept looking through the book. Velix nudged him lightly.

"You know what I mean though. Mottis...they were guarding a..." Velix walked up and peered into the cradle.

"A baby...but not just any baby either..." George set the book down and opened the scroll. "According to what I'm lookin' at...this baby is a catalyst. A perfect vessel...for the Witch of Woe..."

"What? How does one even quantify that?" Velix looked at the baby. The baby stared back at him with crimson red eyes...

"Something about signs, and conditions...it's a lot of mumbo-jumbo, being cultist scribblings and all...this child is meant to inherit the soul of the witch." George dropped the scroll and looked overtop of the cradle with Velix.

"Then that means..." Velix looked with horror at the child.

"We have to kill her..." George reached down with both hands and lifted the baby from it's cradle. He stared the child in the eyes. The child stared back and babbled, not saying any coherent words, but just making sounds. The baby then giggled. George felt his heart race.

"Mottis..."

"I don't know if I can do it." George tried to keep a serious, plain face, but he could feel himself waver. "You'll have to do it."

"You can't ask me to do this..." Velix turned away.

"Well...Woe hasn't been around for a while...as far as everyone knows, she disappeared completely around the age where Ozix was slain...so..." George carefully cradled the baby in his arms.

"So...you're saying that maybe killing the baby isn't necessary?" Velix turned back and watched the baby's face as it cooed.

"Possibly...after all, there'd be no soul to inherit..." George lightly tickled the baby's belly, making her erupt in laughter. He felt himself smile.

"Mottis...if that's your choice, then I'll follow along. The men upstairs might protest you, so allow me to take handle over the situation, and you run off to the nearest village." Velix walked over and put his hand on George's shoulder.

"Velix...thank you. I'll be right back over! I swear it!" George cradled the baby with both arms and ran towards the staircase.

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"Right here..." George put his hand on the cradle. "This is where I found ya."

"W-what?" Rael slowly walked up to the empty cradle and stopped in place. "Are you actually saying...this is where I was born?"

"I can't exactly tell ya because I don't know myself, sweetheart. But, this is where I first found you..." George stared down in the cradle. "You laid right in here."

"Georgie...I...-why?" Rael shook her head and stepped back. "I don't understand."

"There's no easy way to explain it to you. And I wish there was, darling...I wish there was...so bad..." George's voice faltered for a moment. He quickly took a deep breath and recomposed. "According to what I found here, your birth, your creation, was perfectly aligned. You were meant to be a vessel for the Witch of Woe."

"..."

"The Cult of Woe, her explicit and devout followers, were going to resurrect her using your body as a catalyst to inherit her soul." George kept staring down at the cradle. Avures walked over to the shrine slowly and quietly. He picked up the scroll and book and scoured through it. Despite the incoherent babblings that lay within from the cultists George mentioned, in between the lines, it seemed that everything they mentioned lined up with exactly what he said.

"..." Rael's eyes were wide and blank as she watched George.

"But, when I looked upon you in that cradle...when I held you up..."

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"Who...are you?" A middle-aged woman opened up her door. The sight of a slightly bloodied George carrying a baby tightly in his arms stood in front of her.

"I don't have the time to explain, miss. Just take her, and I'll be back..." George slowly brought the baby closer to the woman.

"Okay..." The woman held out her arms and received the baby...

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"So, this isn't your baby?" The woman sat on a rocking chair, holding the baby girl.

"No...I found her abandoned a couple of days ago..." George sat in a chair opposite of the woman.

"Hmm...and your work keeps you too busy to take care of her?"

"Yeah. That's why I can't keep her...but I'll stop by and visit as long as you'll have me. I'll bring supplies too. I can understand how hard running an orphanage might be...Misses Greene."

"You don't have to do that...though...I would certainly appreciate it. Especially after the incident in the village west of here."

"Something happened over there?"

"An entire village...slaughtered, burned to the ground...a few more kids, parent-less...even a small baby." Misses Greene shed a tear as she held the small infant in her arms.

"Damn..." George gritted his teeth and clenched his fist.

"Mister Mottis...I wanted to ask you since you brought her here. What's this girl's name?"

"Huh?...I don't know...I guess she didn't have one before I found her." George shrugged.

"Then, maybe you could name her?"

"Hmm..." George lightly smiled as he watched the baby in Misses Greene's arms sleep. "Rael...her eyes sorta remind me of my grandma with the same name...so yeah, Rael."

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"I didn't have it in me to kill you as a baby. There was something so perverted, so...evil...this idea that I would have to kill ya only cause of the circumstances of your birth." George took his hand off the cradle and looked towards Rael. They locked eyes. Avures put the scroll and book into his satchel as he watched the two have a staring match.

"So...that's it then?" Rael's gaze fell flat as she looked down. She brought her hand up to her eyes and observed it. She watched as she flexed her fingers, curled her fist, uncurled it...it felt like there was a slight disconnect. "My life...isn't even really supposed to be my own?"

"Rael." George walked over to Rael and knelt in front of her. He grabbed her hand lightly with both of his own. "That's the thing. It is your life. You're here...you're alive. You're in control of your own fate..."

"Then why tell me any of this?...I could have went on without knowing this...so why?..." Rael's pupils shrank as she pulled her hand away from George. Her vision felt shaky, she felt sweat run down her body.

"Unfortunately...I have to tell you more." George stood back up and sighed. "I only have to tell ya more cause it's precautionary. You're in the Academy...so it's inevitable to avoid now...but, listen close..."

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Some years after the day I found you...I stumbled upon something that reshaped everything I knew about you. News made the rounds within my circle of informants and allies that a schism had occurred within the Cult of Woe. Though to me they were still cultists, I hadn't known the true implications of it at the time...

"That takes care of that..." George sighed as he pulled the dagger from the robe-bearer's throat. "Thanks for your help again, Velix."

"Of course, I love persecuting these people about as much as you do, Mottis...These guys called themselves Followers of Arrogance. Is this a new cult? Perhaps a result of the schism." Velix inspected the body of a slain cultist.

"Tell ya what, mate. They gotta new way of sayin' everything. I'd call myself a Follower of a Good Drink, ey mates?" One of George's men walked up to the scene, laughing.

There was clearly a difference in the way they conducted themselves. Arrogance couldn't even begin to describe it. This faction of them had brazenly attacked a village outta the blue, and tried to pillage a holy site where we met them. But it was the next few moments that everything shook apart.

The three of them heard footsteps. The person walking towards them didn't even attempt to mask their presence. They walked past a set of trees, and stood in plain view of the three men. A small girl stood there in a long, blue dress. Her features...her features...

"R-Rael?" George tilted his head as he looked at her.

"Mottis...is that?..." Velix stood back up on his feet.

"Oy, whose daughter is this?" The man pointed his finger at the girl.

The girl smiled. Her eyes sharpened, and her presence became overwhelming. The man who was pointing at her felt an extreme heat overwhelm him. He fell down to his knees and gripped at his stomach. George was about to check on him, but the man hastily shooed him away before...

A loud explosion rang out. Searing heat, blood, entrails, and other bodily fluids flew out in all directions. A puff of white smoke was the origin point. The man was gone. He was almost instantly blasted to fleshy smithereens. George and Velix both looked on in shock. Their gaze turned back to the girl.

"You will come to remember this day as your greatest. Worship the ground I walk upon, and witness perfection. Arrogance is my name, my crime, and my nature...it's certainly your pleasure to meet me." The little girl stood there, indulging her confidence.

"That's...that can't be Rael." George stood with his weapon in hand.

"Hmm? You make mention of this other person...in the face of me? Willfully not bowing to me? How impudent. Though, I will sin again, and assume that this other person has the same face...the same body as I?" The girl pointed to herself and giggled.

"I don't understand what you're talking about..." George shook his head.

"Come now...don't lie to me. Perhaps if you lead me to one of the two others, I shall grant you the privilege of serving me."

"I want an explanation."

"Making demands of me?...of what perhaps?"

"This other you that I know of...is nothing like you. She's nowhere near as powerful as you are...she's just an ordinary kid. What gives?" George was ready to fight...but he noticed that Velix had practically vanished. He wasn't sure when the blonde man disappeared. He was on his own now.

"She simply hasn't awakened yet. Though, that's a little disappointing...such is the fate of one pulled away from the caring nature of the cult. Though, once I expose her soul to Flow, her true nature will show through." The girl smugly shrugged.

"Would you indulge me more?..." George sheathed his weapon and got down on one knee while bowing his head. "Will she be okay? What do you plan on doing with her? What exactly will exposing her to Flow do? I beg of you..."

"Huh? You changed attitude quick. But you forgot to ask the proper way..."

"Please, I beg of you-"

""I beg of you my...?""

"Please, I beg of you...my queen."

"That's better. Having humility to one's own superior is correct." The girl giggled and skipped forward up to George. "I have no intentions of harming her. I imagine you've taken great care of the other me. I plan to have her join me by awakening her true nature. Our bodies were made to serve Woe, but Woe has long since been gone. Not dead...but not alive...therefore, it's our time to take her throne. When our bodies, and our souls become exposed to Flow, it activates the receptacle inside of us that would draw in the soul and essence of Woe. It's how she would take control, and pilot our bodies. But, with nothing to receive, these receptacles instead serve as a catalyst to awaken a certain nature within us."

"Is this what grants you your tremendous power?" George kept his head bowed.

"Indeed. It grants us a power stored within that would instead be reserved for Woe herself." The girl put her hand on George, and pet his bald head.

"There's something I don't get. Why is there three of you?" George allowed her to keep going. It was humiliating to a certain degree, but George was the kind who could sacrifice their pride when needed.

"A fail-safe against meddlers who seek to undermine. You were once a meddler...but either by my other part, or by myself, it seems you've fallen for my charms. All of us were created in tandem in order to make sure Woe would live on...but it's no longer her time, it's mine..." The girl continued to smile and pet George's head.

"It's not your time either..."

A blinding and ear-piercing slash rang out in all directions. George picked his head up. The girl in front of him was completely sliced in two. Though, he did not faint, or waver. The two halves fell to the ground, intestines, entrails, and organs littered the ground in front of him. George sighed.

"Ya took your damn time, didn't ya." George stood up and shook his head as he looked away from the gruesome scene.

"I was hoping for a signal from you...but I suppose you learned a lot just from allowing them to continue to talk." Velix seemingly appeared in front of George in an instant.

"To think...she was a little girl...who looks just like Rael...and she had murdered one of our own men in a single moment." George took out a cigar and lit it.

"I'm glad I put enough power into that swing, I'm not sure we could have overpowered her without a surprise attack. Even for a little girl, her mana's presence was...overwhelming to say the least. But, she was so busy talking, she didn't notice me step away...dead from childish arrogance, talk about poetic..." Velix sheathed his sword.

"Is this...yeah...I feel sick..."

"I understand. This isn't the sort of revelation you want to have." Velix sighed. "What now?"

"I guess we clean up."

"I mean about the girl..."

"Rael will be fine...she won't become like this...I mean, she lives in Kakodo...as long as no one thinks to look there. As long as she doesn't get exposed to a high amount of Flow."

"If you're willing to bet on it..."

"Look, even if I wanted to amend what I did seven years ago...I can't bring myself to do it. " George shook his head. "I'll just...keep an eye on her."

That's when I truly became aware of the nature of your existence. This cult had created you with Woe in mind, but gave you the potential to become worse. And not just you either...

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"As long as ya don't try to invoke Flow in you...as long as those freaks don't touch you...everything will be okay. But, you understand why I had to tell you, right?" George put his hand on her head.

"Georgie..." Rael weakly threw George's hand off of her head. She wouldn't look up from the ground. There were not many words to describe how she was feeling. But she felt, pure, utter, dread and despair. "Why didn't you tell me this all before?..."

"You wouldn't have understood. When I heard you were gonna be in the Academy...I knew this day was coming. For what it's worth to you...I'm sorry I waited to tell you this, sweetheart."

"So I'm just some...walking disaster waiting to happen?" Rael fiddled with her hands.

"Rael, darling...no-"

"But that's what you said!...isn't it?" Rael looked up suddenly. "You talked about this thing that happened so many years ago! About this other me, and how they killed a bunch of people! And all it'll take for me to become like that...I don't wanna be like that."

"Rael-"

"No-no-no-no-no-no-no-no! Stop!...you didn't tell me it was going to be this bad...you just said we were going to where I was born. I had no idea it would be like this." Rael wrapped her arms around her head and slumped onto the ground against a pillar. Small streams of tears ran down from her eyes. "I don't wanna be someone else...I don't want to stop being me...I don't want to kill people like that..."

"I didn't think you'd take it this way, sweetheart...but I'd rather ya know, than not know."

"Why? Why-why-why? I could have went on...if it's out of my control anyways...then what does it matter?" Rael's arms went limp and fell to her sides as her head slightly tilted. Her eyes were filled with tears. "...I understand, George...is there anyway you can keep it from happening?"

"I-i-if there was...I would have done it." George clenched his fist and looked away from her. He knew that there was only one way to stop it. "But that's why I wanted you to know. I wouldn't have told ya if I didn't have faith that you couldn't overcome it...if you couldn't keep it from happening yourself."

"...I just have to not use Flow, right?"

"If you don't let a large amount into your soul...from what I understand...that receptacle won't activate."

"...okay...I want out of here." Rael used the pillar to help herself stand up. Her lips lightly trembled, and her eyes were blank as she slowly walked back towards where they entered the room from. George and Avures both looked at each other. George's eyes looked sharp, and his lips were clenched. Avures watched, not a single emotion on his face. But deep down, he felt sorrow for Rael...

"If things went south, lad...I would have had to kill her myself..."

What George had said to him after that battle...it made sense now. But to Avures...it was almost unthinkable. He had a hard time coming to grips with that possible reality. Rael...