-azure rose-

[https://i.imgur.com/Lc3JDtl.png]

A raging vortex of mist appeared abruptly in the center of an unlit room. The violent winds ceased just as suddenly as I was thrown out from its core.

My body slammed against a table, sending it towards a cupboard along a nearby wall. The strike knocked a varied assortment of knick-knacks to the floor—the clatter of which drew the attention of others outside the room.

“Gaah…”

I clutched my right side and let out a soft grimacing sigh while struggling to my feet. Pain wracked my head, but my mind felt lucid for the first time in ages.

I was finally in control of my self.

How long will I have before that bastard wrests my mind under his hold once more?

I have to warn her.

My thoughts were of the red-haired woman I’d been sent to kill. The heir to the Vanixian throne.

Since I failed to complete the job, I’d probably be locked away in the dungeon as punishment once he discovers his hired thugs won’t be returning.

If I can double back to that place and give her a warning before I lose myself again, maybe I can explain the situation and—KILL THE VANIXIAN HEIR. ALL VANIXIANS ARE HERETICS. ALL HERETICS MUST DIE. KILL ALL—

I doubled over in pain as those dreadful words pounded in my head once more.

Orders from a wicked king.

Dark magick which has forced me to carry out so many heinous crimes…

My right fist was clenched tight. I grabbed at it with my other hand but my fingers slipped along the knuckle. A hot and sticky fluid dripped down my palm. Exerting every fiber of my will, I was able to relax my right hand, revealing the damage my nails has inflicted to my palm.

Damn him. And damn this whole false kingdom.

I made my resolve and mist began to condense around me.

A moment later I was ejected from a familiar storm of mist, this time in the outskirts of the ruined city that woman was holed up in.

The battle was already over.

A quick look showed those thugs had been obliterated by some sort of magick spell, but it made no difference to me. All I needed to focus on was tracking down that woman—not that finding her would be difficult, as her unique magicka signature was impossible to miss.

I sneaked my way into the city, slowly making my way towards her presence and eventually ending up outside of a manor guarded by two men standing watch at the entryway.

Casting AURA OF SHADOWS to greatly conceal my own presence I crept across the grounds and approached the door.

I silently cast INVISIBILITY and quickly slipped past the two men, opening the door as gracefully as possible before the spell’s effect expired.

Footsteps sounded from above me and I avoided being spotted by a guard rounding a hallway on the second floor by diving into a small room off the common area.

How many armed guards does one woman need?

Well, I guess I can’t really complain since she’s being targeted for assassination… but come on!

I’m not here to kill you… right now, at least.

The footsteps quieted and I peeked out to check if the common room was clear once more. Having confirmed I was safe, I headed back into the main hall to track down my target—but the moment I stepped out of my hiding spot, the front door opened and the two guards walked in.

Dammit! Did I enter during a shift change or something? If only I had time to stake this place out—No, no! My own thinking is being tainted with that bastard’s mind control. It’s not as if I want to be sneaking around and casing noble manors!

“Hey, who is that? I don’t remember letting in… Wait a minute, a girl clad in darkened armor, ain’t that the description for that magickian assassin? Eh, Haldin?”

I drew my blade, taking a step back. My eyes darted between two hallways on either end of the room to escape through.

The guards drew their weapons as well, shouting at me to disarm and surrender, leaving me no choice but to run. I took a single step forward and my mind was slammed with a wave of pain.

Repetitive orders pounded in my head with an overwhelming ferocity, and I briefly blacked out from the sensation.

When I opened my eyes both guards were on the floor with deep grooves carved out in their breastplates, presumably from my own sword. One of them was completely out, having maybe fainted, and the other one was staring blankly forward.

Whatever the case, I disengaged from the both of them quickly since the sounds of someone coming down the closest hallway echoed. I ran hurriedly down the opposite hall, coming across what seemed like a study.

Perfect. I’ll leave a note explaining what's going on and then I’ll return home before I lose myself again.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

I pulled some paper out from a desk and quickly scrawled a note to warn the girl about the schemes of the wicked king.

Renault won’t stop until—

KILL THE HERETIC. KILL THE HERETIC. KILL THE HERETIC—control over my self shattered once more as the unrelenting shouting in my head raged at nearly full force. I tried to write a warning, but struggled as my mind was being dragged into an abyssal pit.

Three more armed guards emerged from the hall I’d raced through, and challenged me. I was forced to stop writing, and my consciousness waned.

Brief glimpses of combat stained my mind as I watched my body fight against the guards from the sidelines.

My screams echoed in my mind as I struggled to gain control for even the briefest of moments. I threw myself through a pair of side doors into the cold.

A swirl of mist formed, and I was warped back into my room. My face slammed against a familiar hardwood floor. Whether my mission to warn that girl was a success or not was unknown. Darkness flooded into my mind along those terrible words.

I was a prisoner in my own mind once more…

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Quite a bit of time passed before I regained control over myself.

I snapped back in the middle of a bare, and rather dusty, hallway mid-step—nearly falling forward.

“Kity? Everything alright?”

A woman’s voice called out from behind me.

I slowly turned around to find an older woman in a maid’s uniform a few paces behind me.

A sharp pain raced through my mind and I grasped at my head.

The woman’s face flashed in my memories as I recalled who she was.

“Zieta.”

“I’m right here, my sweet Kity.”

“How long was I… Nevermind. The redhead. Is she still alive? Do you know?”

“Vanixi’s daughter? Yes. That man ordered you to clean up a mess in the abandoned bridge-city. Some inside conspirators got caught and now his spy network is impacted.”

“Then I’ll go back and warn her again, properly this time.”

“Go back? Kity what in the Aether are you going on about?” Zieta questioned me with tears in her eyes. “You’ve been lost in that awful curse for so long. You aren’t thinking straight. Come with me back to your room.”

I batted away her outstretched hand.

“No. I have to go while I can think straight.”

A slight pain had begun to gnaw at my head already. Unintelligible words quietly repeating in the recess of my psyche.

“I’ll return in a few minutes. It was nice to see you again in my right mind after all this time, Zieta.”

My nanny’s worried face twisted out of focus as a flurry of mist condensed around me.

I blinked, and found myself surrounded by ruined buildings. My DANGER SENSE fired instantly, a sharp ping in my mind, letting me know two beings had detected my arrival right away. A few seconds later, another ping informed me a third person had noticed me.

Only the third person was heading my way. Judging by their magicka signature, it was the woman I was looking for.

I recalled her face clearly, as it hadn’t been too long since my conscious self had seen it. Long crimson hair and piercing violet eyes flashed alongside the dreadful pounding and curse-bound words rattling in my head.

The woman was close now.

Just around the corner.

Feet scrapped against stone—and someone that was not the woman I’d been expecting came into view in a hurry.

The short figure froze under my gaze.

A woman’s voice called out behind him, and then she came into view.

She tried to grab the small person, but they wriggled away.

Now it was just us two.

I instinctively drew my hood back to reveal myself. Hoping it would garner some goodwill so she’d be willing to talk to me—since out last encounters had some hostilities.

It was only then that a thought occurred to me.

What was I wearing? Did I show up fully armed? Had I teleported away from the city in something silly?

“Hikita.”

Her voice called my name coldly, but she didn’t rush at me with a weapon drawn.

I desperately fought the urge to pat my body down to figure out what sort of clothing or gear I had shown up in.

It doesn’t matter. The density of the Aethermist makes it hard to see anyway. If I can’t see her outfit very well, she can’t see mine either.

“I’m. Glad.” I spoke, struggling to get each word out. I could feel my jaw clenching involuntarily as the curse worked against me, “You. Managed. To. Return. Safely.”

The red-haired woman stared at. Long enough that I began to wonder if I had fumbled when I spoke or if my clothes were too bizarre, but she eventually responded.

“Are you referring to the traitorous minsters and divisional soldiers?”

Ministers and soldiers? Probably. Zieta said something about conspirators in the city, so yes.

I tried to reply, but my mouth wouldn’t open. So I nodded in response.

“Are there still others in my city like them?”

“Y-e-s.” I strained.

“Did Renault do this to you?”

My mouth clenched tightly, and my neck was beyond stiff. I fought through the pain and managed to nod my head forward just a small bit.

Yes he did! That shitty bastard!

“Will you lose control and attack me?”

“I don’t—” I was interrupted by my hand jolting upwards toward my face. I fought back with all the control I could muster, but it pressed back harder and eventually grasped at my throat. “—want to. But. I. Might.”

Unexpectedly, my DANGER SENSE started to send dozens of pings. A large group of people were right on top of us, narrowly missing the alleyway entrances to the square we were in.

“I have. To leave. Now. I wish. You could. Save. Me.”

The Aethermist condensed on me as I teleported back to the city. I was thrown back into my room, slamming hard against the floor as my knees gave out.

My cheeks felt wet, and I closed my eyes tightly.

I flinched as a hand cupped my face, wiping the tears away with a gentle finger.

“The Mistress would be very cross with you if she knew what you just did.”

Zieta soft voice calmed my heart and I slipped back into the darkness.