There, laying in bed more exhausted than she had been before going to bed, was Aphmau. It took her a moment to properly open her eyes, mostly a shine of surprise filling them once she finally did. She was still dressed in the frilly, purple underwear Cadenza had provided for her, her black hair frizzy, and her lips swollen.

Emmalyn is worriedly fretting over her as I finally approach, both just as confused as the other as they stare back at one another. Emmalyn is unable to contain her shouting and Aphmau looks like she hasn't slept in thousands of years.

"I TURN MY BACK FOR ONE SECOND AND THEN YOU WERE THERE! WHAT DID YOU DO?!?!"

"Woah, calm down there, tiger. Don't get your panties into more of a twist than they already are," I finally speak up, a nervous grin more than likely on my face as I drag Emmalyn off of Aphmau to give her more space. I move a little closer, giving her forehead a quick feel to ensure she's not too hot before backing away to view her a little better again, "Geez, you look like shit... You feeling okay?"

Aphmau doesn't hear my question, her eyes glazed over as she thinks to herself. Eventually, she comes back to, auburn eyes widening as she sits up a little better. She gazes between me and Emmalyn, "I... I-I was dreaming a-and I was in this completely different place, it almost felt like a different dimension an-and there was Garroth-"

As she rambled, I placed my hand on her shoulder to ground her. My eyebrows furrowed at his name and I was unable to stop myself from interrupting her, "Garroth?"

"He kissed-... H-He kissed... kissed...," She stopped herself, her cheeks flushing a brighter shade. She lets out a sigh before continuing, "It felt like a dreamworld... There was a huge tree and-and it was just... It was weird..."

It takes Emmalyn and me a moment to respond, both of us trying to process Aphmau's words. Emmalyn speaks up first, "So you believe the dream had something to do with you disappearing?"

"I-I mean, it felt like another dimension, yes, but I...I don't know what to think about the entire thing... If I was gone here and I was...," Aphmau hesitated after working herself up again, only to calm back down when she loses her footing, "...I don't know what to think about all this."

Emmalyn tosses around Aphmau's words more in her head after that, her thumb and index finger rubbing at her chin for a moment before lightly tugging on her bottom lip as she further thinks on it. I ignore her thinking and mumbling to instead go to Aphmau, who's a little more than worked up and confused over the whole predicament. I grab her hand closest to mine between both of my hands, rubbing my thumbs over the back and palm of her hand to calm her breathing. I send her a reassuring smile and the panic in her face goes away for the most part, a small, pained smile returned my way, "While I don't exactly know what to think of it myself, I will say that I'm glad to know you weren't hurt and that you're now back with us and safe. Would've really fucking sucked if you died before we could finish the wall for Phoenix Drop..."

I manage to gain a laugh from her and that's enough for me-

"Aphmau, you might have been with the actual Garroth," Emmalyn perks up, eyes a little wider and her hand flying away from her face to adjust her glasses as she fixates her gaze back in our direction. Her dilated pupils are almost scary.

"Emmalyn, what the hell are you talking about?-" Her statement sends me some form of anxiety, mostly that I'm not the only one thinking that she might've actually come across Garroth through her dream traveling.

"I've never heard anything like this before, though scholars have documented things that might be attributed to this...," Emmalyn continues, sounding more like she's walking herself through her own line of thinking. Her tone remains questioning, "I don't even know... I DON'T EVEN KNOW AND I WANT TO KNOW!" Emmalyn pushes me out of the way, grabbing Aphmau's hand as I'm forced to let it go and getting on her knees as she tightly and desperately holds it close, "TAKE ME WITH YOU IN YOUR DREAMS!"

Emmalyn's finally lost it...

Aphmau's only able to stare in, what I assume to be, horror as Emmalyn's grovels at her bedside. There's almost tears in her eyes and her glasses are once again crooked. I lightly grip Emmalyn's shoulders before tugging her a little away, just enough so Aphmau can slip her hand from her pale clutches just a little easier.

"T-That couldn't have been the real Garroth. N-Not with what he... It just doesn't make sense," Aphmau retorts after, her hands holding her sides and rubbing at her skin like she's trying to reassure herself. She glances around the room a moment, eyes slightly narrowing when her gaze finally returns to Emmalyn, "A-And I don't even know how I got there in the first place, let alone how to take you with me!"

"I don't care about that! I care about that place you went to..." Emmalyn definitely has tears in her eyes now. She somewhat deflates a moment, perking up right after, "Hm... Now we're going to NEED to delve deep into another subject of dream sequences-"

Emmalyn goes on a tangent about this whole thing maybe having something to do with dream weavers or something. I grab her shoulders, tugging them gently and dragging her body away from Aphmau's enough for her to let go of her hands. It feels pretty irrelevant after that and I instead let my mind wander to earlier, when I almost had my body overtaken by some weird voice. It's obvious the two event are connected, given that it didn't happen until this whole Aphmau disappearing in her sleep thing started and it didn't stop until Aphmau came back.

Who could've possibly been talking to me and doing that, though? I'd been hearing it every now and again, but it's recently picked up since...
Since Zane brought Irene's relic with him to Phoenix Drop...

Pfft, whatever. They can't have anything to do with it. Aphmau absorbed the relic and the only other way to explain it would be if Soteria's relic were involved in some way, because of my family heritage, but it can't possibly be connected to that. There's only the Irene relic and I know for a fact that Soteria's relic has been lost for years. There's no way that's connected at all... Zane wouldn't have had it or I would've known...

...right?-

"I NEED TO GO TO THE LIBRARY NOW TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS! DON'T YOU DARE MOVE!" Emmalyn's shouting brings me back as she points a threatening finger at Aphmau, slowly backing out the door before rushing completely out, yelling something about telling Cadenza that Aphmau's back. Aphmau and I share a nervous look for a moment before laughing it off.

I sit at the edge of her bed, gripping the foot of the bed as our laughter dies down. Aphmau is still a little nervous, but now relatively more calm than when she first poofed back into bed, "I guess I just stay here?"

"Yeah, and you'll be here forever with how lost she gets in libraries," I joke in response, gaining another faint giggle from her.

Aphmau lays back against her mattress, releasing a small sigh through her nose. I pat her ankles once she looks to me, giving her a smile. She smiles back and it's enough for us both to know that everything's going to be okay.

She tells me in in-depth detail what fully happened, including her lip locking with Garroth. There's a bright blush on her face as she recalls it all, her eyes a little wider as she thinks over it all again, "I never thought he'd ever do... I'm so surprised he kissed me..."
Her fingers graze over her lips as she thinks it over, reminiscent with a small smile on her face. A little after, her hand comes up to her forehead, giving it a rub with a small grimace.

"You good?"

"Ugh, I've got the biggest headache ever," She responds, staring up at the ceiling with an exasperated look.

"Get some sleep. You did travel to and from some random dream dimension instead of actually sleeping," I tease, taking her covers and pulling them to her chest, "I'll make sure no one bothers you-"

Before I can finish, Aphmau is out cold. She lightly snores and I almost feel like a mother watching over her child after a long day, even though it's still very much morning. With a sigh, I head back downstairs.

Just as I do, Cadenza walks through the front door with tears in her eyes and a hopeful look on her face. She stops when she sees me, silently asking, "She's just upstairs, taking a small nap"

Cadenza is quick to wipe her eyes, sending me a nod before she quickly pulls me into a hug. I wrap my arms around her, holding her close as she buries her face in my shoulder. She begins to sob after a while, murmurs of "Thank Irene" on her tongue. I can only rub her back as she does and we sit there like that for a moment...

"I'm so scared," My hold on Aphmau tightens as we speak amongst ourselves, away from the visiting figureheads, "I-I didn't think Zane would find us- F-Find me. I thought we were safe and now I've put you in the middle of a war because of my selfishness! I... I should've told you sooner... When we first saw him in the plaza..."

"(Y/n), it's okay," Aphmau reassures, pulling away and cupping my cheeks as she looks up at me, "You had your reasons and I know now. We're going to win this and everyone will be okay, okay? I promise..."

While her words meant so much, I knew her promise was only to calm me down. Aphmau's heart rate told me she was just as worried as I was about the whole situation. I couldn't help but feel like this was all my fault...

But we need to focus on the security of our holds on one another, and the bond we've formed over all this time. As lord and guard, as acquaintances, as friends, companions, and... goddess and guard...

"Sorry. Sorry...," Cadenza pulls away with a face covered in tears and snot, but she's still as beautiful as she's always been. She gives me a pained smile and I know it's only a sliver in comparison to the mourning she did with our disappearance and her father's following death. She's expressed that she can never put that grief into words, but I don't need words to possibly even imagine what she went through, "I just... I was so scared that I lost her again. I... I can't lose you guys again when I just got you back into my life..."

The room is colder than it usually is, lonelier than it's ever been. The estate no longer has the same dim light it had before. Now, it's but a husk of a home. It's a prison cell that I can never escape without scars. Zane manages to make the pain worse, plunging and twisting the knife deeper and deeper into my heart with every fucking chance that he gets.

Emerald eyes seem to haunt my dreams, bless my nightmares. A reminder that this fate, the fate of Vylad Ro'Meave, is my fault, because I was so selfish and couldn't accept what was given to me. Zane is always sure to remind me of that fact. My selfishness is the originator of my mourning, the mourning of a piece of my heart that was finally pronounced dead.

But I already knew of his fate and the confirmation only told me that I wasn't dreaming and that I wouldn't wake up from the nightmare I'm forever trapped in. He's gone.

"I know how you feel, Cadenza," I reassure, bringing her to her kitchen sink and running the water. I quickly go and get her a face rag, running it under the faucet before I return to her. I gently pat the rag against her face with a small smile, "But she's back. We still have her and I'm going to insure that we don't risk losing her again..."

Cadenza only cries more at that, making it a little harder to clean her face, but I get the job done. Her face is still flushed from the tears afterwards, and yet she's still as radiant and beautiful as Cadenza has always been. She's older, more mature, and a lord with so many repressed emotions and so many responsibilities. She's so different and yet still the same.

It hurts knowing that I missed out on 15 years of bonding and growth with Cadenza, because Zane is a selfish bastard and Garte was too corrupt to see his faults...

When Zane gets out of the Irene Dimension, I hope to be the one to end him.

"All clean," I tease Cadenza, giving her nose a small boop. It makes her laugh and I know I've accomplished something then, "Are you heading up now?"

"Uh yes... yes. I'm going up," Cadenza responds, her voice barely above a whisper. She sounds more like she's hyping herself up to go, nodding her head to herself before she straightens a little taller, "I'll take care of her from here. You go ahead and explore a little if you'd like-,"

"I'd prefer to stay close..."

Cadenza nods before she heads up, no other words needing to be shared amongst us. I settle into Cadenza's comfortable couch, letting my mind wander.
~~~~~

I open my eyes and find myself in a field of fire again, one all too familiar. I constantly find myself coming back here, confused and anxious as to how this point even came about. It plays out the same:

I'm stuck in the center of it all and searching for Aphmau. Once I do find her, she on her knees and crying desperately in front of a ruined portal. She always has a red scarf tightly wrapped between her fingers and she never wants to properly face me.

She's always either mad or disappointed, mourning or shocked. Denying or yearning. Her reactions are always different, but the effect of the feelings are always there.

Anytime I get closer to her, the dream switches to something else. Sometimes, it's a distant memory; other times, it feels like a distant dream. Half of the time, it's both.

I'd really rather wake up than go through this whole sequence again, but I know the only way out is to go through it as many times as I need to. So I stand to my feet and look around my surroundings. As always, there's a path, clear as day, and I walk through it until I come across her...

Except I don't come across her this time. Aphmau isn't there, just a lone, ripped scarf in her place.

"What the hell?" I lean down, taking the cloth between my fingers. My hand clenches around it as I look around again, confused, "This... isn't right..."

I glance back at the cloth, which has now turned an emerald green color rather than the dingy red when Aphmau's holding it. The portal in front of me, which is usually busted and broken beyond repair, is lit and weakly built. There's nothing else to do, so I go through it while tightly clenching the cloth between my fingers.

The glow that surrounds me as I cross through isn't the usual blinding light of a portal, but instead a dreamy haze that clouds my view. It takes me a moment to blink away the feeling, met with the brightness from the sun above as it's warmth engulfs my figure. A small laugh from beside me catches my attention, a woman there in its place that reminded me of looking in a mirror.

She had (e/c) eyes that stared into my soul, intimidating and somehow gentle; long (h/c) hair that reached her midriff and cupped her face nicely; and (s/t) skin that held birth marks in similar places to yours. It was like looking in a mirror, aside from her hair being done differently and the clothing she wore being more reminiscent of an older time. She held a familiar symbol on the pendant of her quiver's strap. It was a symbol I knew a little too well, the pendant it lay on shining under the light and reflecting blinding light as the rays touched it.

She laughed again and it made me feel embarrassed. She stepped closer to me, circling around me and inspecting my form without shame. I only felt my face grow warmer when she squished my lower face between her fingers, turning it side to side with approving hums (or, what I hoped to be approving) before releasing me with a small smile and a nod, "I'm not used to seeing you face to face like this, little (Y/n). You're practically a spitting image, huh?"

"Yeahhhh?" I can't help the questioning in my voice, considering I don't really know who this woman is other than the fact that she looks like me from hundreds of years prior to now. She, again, laughs, more than likely at my very obvious confusion.

"I'll try to make this quick, seeing as I haven't interacted with you beyond fully inhabiting your body and affecting some of your decisions in regards to survival, but I am you-," She starts, quickly stopping herself with a small hum as she tosses around the word choice, "Actually, scratch that, I'm kind of you? Or... you from a different time? Umm...." She's really struggling to find her words.

"You're a version of me? That doesn't really make much sense...," I respond in her moment of thinking, stepping away from her to get a little more space between us. She immediately takes notice, "The only way it would make sense would be through reincarnation or something similar-,"

"I am Soteria and you are the holder of my relic. You are one of my descendants and I chose to be reborn through you when your mother, Miracle, became pregnant," She interrupts, gripping my shoulders and pulling me close with a gentle smile, "Better to explain through that way and make it quicker..."

I blink. Once, twice, thrice-

"Huh?"

"Well, you're the reincarnation of me, Soteria, and-"

"No, I-I heard you," I reassure her, removing her hands from my shoulders and setting them at her side, "But you've obviously got the wrong person. Sorry..."

She stares at me a moment, blinks once, twice, thrice-
And then she laughs, bellows out like I told the funniest joke she's heard in centuries even, "No, no. There's no mistake, you've had my relic since you were a day old. I know exactly who I'm inhabiting. You're (Y/n) (L/n), inheritor of the lordship of Carsistle. It's a title you ran from after being married to Zane Ro'Meave of O'Khasis to instead be in the arms of Vylad Ro'Meave. Your mother is Miracle (L/n), the result of-,"

"And that's where you're wrong. Heh, my mother isn't Miracle, my mother's name is Mystic. My aunt Miracle went missing a little before I was born and I've never met her," I correct, very matter-of-factly, "And there's no way I have the relic when it's been lost for years. I would've known if I had the relic and I would not be alive if I had it, I assure you. My ex-husband would've made sure of that."

She sighs, running the palm of her hand over the front of her face in exasperation. She brings both hands coming up and massaging her temple with her pointer and middle fingers. She mutters, "Now I understand why Irene chose to go into a deep sleep instead of reincarnating..." She takes a deep breath before slowly releasing it, "Okay, I don't have much time left, but I neeed you to understand that you are my reincarnation and that next time I tell you to do something, you should let me lead you through doing it, okay? Okay, good!"

She gives me a tired smile, pats my head, and sends me back through the portal. Her farewells ring through my ears and I suddenly feel slightly misplaced as I fall through the portal again.

I fall on my face on the other end, quickly attempting to sit up after. The field isn't on fire anymore, but it's instead covered in beautiful flowers of many different colors. There's small, woodland creatures roaming around and happily buzzing amongst themselves like there wasn't a forest fire there mere moments ago.

"That wasn't a very graceful fall," I hear above me, a sudden shade covering the side of my body as a figure approaches. I contort myself to see a little better, a warmth immediately blooming on my cheeks as a warm smile and emerald eyes come into my field of vision. It's a look I'm so used to seeing, filled with a love I've only ever seen from him, "(Y/n)..."

"Vylad-,"

"It's time to wake up, (Y/n)..."

"...What?" I can feel the smile on my face drop as he leans down to be at my level, his own smile gone and instead replaced with a stern, forward look, a look I only see on him when he's handling business.

"Wake up, (Y/n). Wake-"
~~~~~

"Up!" I bump my head on the table as I jump in my seat, bumping my head against whoever was towering over me before hitting my head on the table again.

"Ow!" I rub my fingers over the area in hopes of easing the pain. I slowly ease my head up the next time, met with an equally in pain Laurance, also rubbing at the mark I just left on his forehead from his interruption of my sleep. Serves him right, he's learned his lesson.

He lets out a low groan, turning his attention to stare at me again with a small glare, "Good morning to you too, sunshine."

"Serves you right for waking me, you big baby," I respond, rightfully sticking my tongue out at him before sitting up a little more, "I assume you're here to see Aphmau? She's right upstairs. Just be careful, she just came back and she isn't-,"

"Thanks!" Laurance doesn't let me finish as he quickly runs upstairs to go see her.

I can only sigh, "...fully dressed...." I get up from my seat and follow him up the stairs, just in time to see Aphmau awaking from her little nap since returning. Luckily, she didn't disappear this time.

"Ughhhhh... I still feel like I wanna stay in bed a little longer, but I know I have things I need to do today...," Aphmau grumbles to herself as she sits up, just as Laurance and I reach the top of the stairs. I don't miss the way the corners of his lips curl into a relieved smile, or the way an adoring look comes to his eyes and his pupils dilate. He's at her bedside in an instant, carefully watching over her, "Laurance? Laurance!"

"Aphmau! You had me so worried..." He pulls her into a tight embrace, too afraid to let go as he holds her against him, "Where were you?"

Aphmau explains what happened, from her perspective, to Laurance, who nods in understanding. He takes in her words, tossing them around in his mind as she recalls the event. Her face flushes again when she talks about Garroth kissing her, quieting down a little as she remembers who she's talking to, but Laurance doesn't have much of a response to that portion.

"Cadenza told me..." He reassures afterwards, crossing his arms and nodding again as he processes the information again, "I'll tell you one thing, that doesn't sound like the Garroth I knew... to do something like that so suddenly. It's just not what I remember of him..."

Laurance makes a good point. Garroth wasn't ever one to be so bold when acting on his feelings. Sure, his betrayal and actions during the war were a little... outrageous, but he was never to just act on impulse in regards to his feelings unless pushed to the brink. It only fuels my theory that he had to have been having a little more influence than any of us were led to believe.
Then again, the dream could have been a manifestation of Aphmau's feelings if it wasn't actually real, or it could have been real and Garroth could have also believed that it was all a dream. That would explain him... kissing her when he couldn't even confess his feelings to her before...

"I don't know... It kind of makes sense," I speak up, gripping the end of the bed and squeezing the mahogany wood between my fingers, "He could have also seen it as a dream, or one of the last chances he'd get to see you again, and just acted on his feelings. They aren't exactly something new."

"Well..." Aphmau mumbles, hesitating with her next words before sighing them out, "Emmalyn thinks it might've been real..."

"No, it had to be from how real you're describing it, Aphmau," I add, leaning forward a little, "You literally disappeared right under our noses! And got some lip action!"

Laurance sighs almost knowingly, because while Emmalyn may be a little... off her rocker sometimes, she still knows a little more about Irene and magicks than the rest of us. Her opinions on the subject are typically more aligned with what's happening, even if she's just a little quirky. Laurance knows this and he knows he can't argue that logic, even if he wants to deny himself the plausibility that Garroth has more game than him, even in a dream reality.

I've taught Garroth so well ('꒳').

"I wouldn't have any idea on that..." He finally responds, uncrossing his arms from earlier, "All I know and care about is that you're safe," His hands take hold of hers again, his thumbs rubbing soothing circles over the backs of them as he pulls them closer to his body by her palms, "If this dream really is another reality then... we might have to have someone watch you while you sleep. I assume (Y/n)'s probably going to lead the charge more on that, seeing as she was your personal guard before."

His sudden calling out of my name has me slightly jumping. I thought he had completely forgotten about my presence with how enamored in talking to Aphmau he was, but that was completely disproven by the expectant look in his light blue eyes. I can only clear my throat to recover before properly reassuring them both, "I- *ahem*- Y-Yeah... I'll keep a close eye on you to make sure you don't die, Aph."

She giggles a little at that, but Laurance shakes his head in an almost disapproving manner before returning his full attention to Aphmau again. He continues on, "I want to know how and why this happens to you. The last thing I-"

"WE!"

"-We need is for you to go to another reality where The Shadow Lord is waiting for you," There's a shimmer in his eyes, the most sincerest of looks I've ever seen on the Casanova of Meteli's face, "I won't be able to reach you if I can't get to you..."

They stare at each other for a moment, completely lost in one another. It hurts, in a third-wheeling kind of way, to watch and Laurance holds himself back from reaching out more to her. I don't bother to correct his pronoun usage when the moment is so crisp. I almost want to leave. Holy fuck is the sexual tension real.

"You're right..." Aphmau pulls her hands away and sighs, a soft flush in her cheeks as she holds herself. She clears her throat as she tries to move on from all of that like it didn't just happen, "I should see if Emmalyn has found anything..."

A relief washes over me at those words and I can feel my body piping up at the excuse to leave the saucy atmosphere, who's creation I bared witness to against my consent. I stretch out any other awkwardy jitters I feel, the bed creaking in the background as Aphmau gets out of bed.

"Absolutely. The sooner we figure out more about you, the better," He continues to ramble on, turning to me as he talks,  "I'm going to also speak with Cadenza about setting up a rotation for the ladies to watch over Aphmau tonight with you, (Y/n)..."

"Yeah, thanks. I'll try to somewhat limit how long they're awake so it won't pull away from any of our plans," I add on with a small smile, glancing over at Aphmau as she stretches just to insure she is actually physically okay outside of her fatigue.

"Aphmau, you should get decent-," He also turns his attention back to Aphmau just as she's fully out of bed, the blanket that was covering her scantily clad body no longer covering her scantily clad body. Her lacy, royal purple bra and panties are on full display for any prying eyes, which isn't something I initially think much of when I've seen literally everything left up to the imagination of others. Laurance, on the other hand, loudly gulps as he takes in the rare sight of Aphmau dressed with barely anything. He's speechless and stuck gawking until I, very loudly, clear my throat. He hurriedly stutters out his next words like a fish out of water, averting his eyes from her form altogether, "M-My apologies! I didn't realize you were..."

"Geez, Laurance. Trying to sneak a peek at your lord's undergarments? That's not very professional and gentlemanly of you~" I teasingly add fuel to the fire, the red on his cheeks growing deeper and spreading more across his face.

He's quick to take his leave after that, "Uh, I'll be talking to Cadenza now. Let me know if I can help with anything!"

"O-Okay, y-yeah! Bye, Laurance!" I can't help the bursts of laughter that I let out at the awkwardness that just unfolded, especially with the embarrassment in Aphmau's voice once the realization dawned on her. She lightly shoves me when I don't stop laughing, the dark shades on her face only encouraging my enjoyment of the situation. She groans once she realizes I'm not stopping for another while and settles for making up her bed to save herself from the situation.
~~~~~~~

Aphmau shoved me downstairs and went ahead and changed while I recovered from my laughing session, which lasted a looong while. She eventually came down in the dress Cadenza gave her, which was relatively pretty on her, even if it wasn't the royal purple color I was so used to seeing Aphmau in. The aqua blue and silver colors still complimented her very nicely.

As she leads the way out of Cadenza's home, she rambles on about wanting to check out some of New Meteli on our way to meet back up with Emmalyn. We don't make it too far due to Cadenza, Laurance, Katelyn, and Crumb standing not too far from the entryway, a guy with black dreads and seafoam colored eyes as well as a shorter girl were standing near and conversing with them, "Hm? What's going on?"

They don't notice us until Aphmau's next to Cadenza. All attention immediately turns to her, concerned and relieved looks on most of their faces as they look her over, except Laurance, who's face goes a bright shade. Cadenza's quickly morphs into starry eyes as she takes in Aphmau's appearance in the dress she provided her with, a knowing look forming as she circles Aphmau a few times.

As the two begin talking, I head over to Katelyn. She appears to be amused, probably from the multiple conversations transpiring around her. I give her a small wave, which she returns, "I'm guessing Laurance already brought up the watching idea?"

"Yep. Looks like I'm getting first watch, so you can get a little rest for once," Katelyn responds humorously, lightly nudging me, "Knowing you, you probably still won't get much sleep unless someone knocks you out for the night."

"Ha ha, very funny, Katelyn,"

"I would know. At least your insomnia isn't as bad as it used to be," She recounts, her pale fingers gently poking at my forehead, "Any one with a brain would've thought you were trying to die of exhaustion back then..."

Zane's words ring in my ear every night now, making it impossible to fall asleep. How could I when he could kill me at any moment in my sleep? I wouldn't give him the benefit.

The only time I get any rest is when I'm in his room, where I can pretend that he's still there by my side. His pillows still faintly hold his smell and his room reminds me of my happiest moments, all with him giving me his loving smile, the only comforts I have left.

"Hah, you would try to too if you dealt with Zane the same way I had to-" The shorter girl beckons me over, a somewhat anxious look on her face that she tries to mask with a smile. I tilt my head, "Will you excuse me for a moment, Katelyn?"

As I approach closer, she awkwardly holds her hand out with a nervous smile a slight bounce in her stance as she introduces herself, "Hi, I'm Cadence. I'm one of the guards here in Meteli and figured I should make my acquaintance with a friend of Cadenza's."

I take her hand and give it a nice, firm shake, matching her nervous grin with a reassuring smile, "Nice to meet you, Cadence. I'm (Y/n)-"

"I already know all of your names," She mentions, somewhat off-handedly, her grip tightening, "I make sure to know everyone that enters these walls," Her smile grows a little more menacing, "Especially if they sleep in the same quarters as my lord."

The pang of deep respect I suddenly feel for this girl is immeasurable, even if I'm having my life threatened by this, seemingly, unintimidating and tiny girl.

The other guy grips her shoulder, giving it a squeeze before lightly tugging her away from me, "Calm down, Cadence. If they were a threat, they would've been handled by now."

She huffs as she's forced to let my hand go, crossing her arms and slightly pouting, "Zack, you're no fun."

'Zack' rolls his eyes at that, nodding his head in my direction afterward, "Nice to meet you, (Y/n). I'm Zack and I'm the head guard of Meteli. I apologize for the behaviors of my guard, here. She's still getting the handle of things around here."

"It's alright. I understand. She means nothing but well for her Lord, like a good guard should," I respond with a laugh. Now that I get a good look at them, Cadence is on the shorter side, closer in height to Aphmau, and seems around the age Dante was when we first met him, just a little older. I would maybe even say around the age I was when I first met Aphmau.

Her auburn eyes hold a kindness to them once I do introduce myself, any anxiety I felt easing away. Even though she's been alive for many centuries, she doesn't look older than her mid-twenties and there's an innocent ignorance in her eyes as they shine with wonder and thirst for experience. It's scary how close in age she appears to be to me, and yet, I know she's experienced many lifetimes over that many wouldn't be able to bear. Maybe it's a lesson that I'll never have my bearings-

It's crazy to think I've known Aphmau for over 3 years now, and even crazier with each reminder that it's been over 18 years since Aphmau's been introduced to the world for everyone else. She's even more than I signed up for and still retains the goodness that I was told Irene was supposed to embody, even without fully knowing just who she is.

It's so... scary to think about...

"See, (Y/n) gets it," Cadence murmurs with a nod, huffing slightly through her nose. Zack rolls his eyes at her persistence, slightly nudging her after to slightly throw her off.

After a small bit, Aphmau decides to move further towards the library and explore Meteli in the process. Not too far after, we run into another one of Cadenza's guards and Aphmau decides to be nice and introduce herself. And because she also needs proper directions to the library or we'd be stuck looking for it all afternoon...

"Um, excuse me..." He turns around from what he's doing at the sound of her voice, an annoyed look on his face.

"Hm, what do you wan-," However, his face is what throws me off when I'm met with crimson colored eyes and an aura that only a certain type of people give off. I grip Aphmau's wrist a little too quickly, who, in turn, gives me a confused look. I'm unable to really say anything as my voice catches in my throat at the sight, "Oh... Oh! I apologize for addressing you so abruptly! Had I have seen you before you spoke to me with such a sweet voice, then I would have addressed you the way you deserved to be addressed!"

"W-Which is...?" Aphmau continues on with talking to him, but my hand gravitates towards my sword on my hip. I can't trust him.

Vylad shields me behind him as Gene approaches the stranger in front of us, his words coming out in a low murmur, "Don't watch..."

I pay his warning no mind as I try to see past him to understand what's going on. Zenix's laughter only peaks my curiosity more. Sasha shakes her head at their behavior, stepping a little closer to Gene and the stranger, "Gene, it's not worth it. He obviously has no idea what he walked into-"

She doesn't get to finish, the stranger's cries of pain drowning out the rest of her statement. Vylad blocks most of the action, the bright flashing from whatever's happening being the only indicator for me of what Gene could have possibly done to warrant those noises.

Vylad turns his body towards me, a tired and distressed look in his emerald eyes. He stares past me with a blank look in his eyes, his pupils dilating as they widen in realization. Emerald drag down to meet my own (e/c) eyes before he pulls me in for a tight hug, whispering, "Don't ever let your guard down around any of them..."

His flirting with Aphmau is enough for her to leave, which she almost does until he draws her back and actually, properly introduces himself, "My name is Vincent. I am second in command here in Meteli and one of Cadenza's guards. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Seems Meteli has a record for having casanovas as guards," I mention, releasing my weapon, but keeping my guard up just in case, "And a certain kind of eye."

Vincent doesn't take too kindly to the comment, sending me a small glare as he looks me up and down. He scoffs before a small smirk comes to his lips, "You would know, wouldn't you? There's a small sprinkle of it in yours too,"

"Maybe you should consider shifting, too, (Y/n). You've already got bits of crimson in your eyes," Zenix isn't shy in grabbing my face, his thumb and index finger widening my eyelids to show off the weird colors in my irises. I shove him off, blinking away any discomfort he caused, "Wouldn't it be nice to have them fully be that beautiful color like the rest of us? Just convert already."

"No, thanks," I mumble in response, scooting away from him for breathing room. Vylad isn't shy to pull me closer to him, his grip protective.

"Why? Are you scared to die?" Zenix gets in my face again, chocolate brown eyes menacing and confident. He holds up a dagger and presses it to my throat, slowly running the blade across my skin in a slick movement, "Or are you scared to wield such power?"

"Lay off, Zenix," Vylad pushes him away, taking the dagger out of Zenix's hand and holding it away from him. There's a look in his emerald eyes I'm not using to seeing, the light in them gone, "(Y/n) isn't like us."

I roll my eyes at his comment and that's enough for him. He turns his attention back to Aphmau, his grin turning into a confident smile as he addresses her, "If you need any help, please don't hesitate to ask."

"Actually...," Aphmau starts, tone a little confused sounding after hearing us go back and forth, "Where is the library?"

Vincent explains that it's next to the blacksmith, pointing out its direction and showing us what the big building looks like, "You're allowed to read as many books as you want inside, however, Cadenza is very strict about people taking them elsewhere. We once had a bandit come in, take a book, and burn it," He mentions off-handedly, getting a little scruffy afterward at the idea that someone would even do such a thing. Sure hope that doesn't come up later or anything, "Some people don't want to know about things that can better society, I guess... Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"I'm actually good, thank you," Aphmau responds rather politely for someone that was just catcalled by this random shadow knight guard.

"Glad to help. If there's anything I can help you with, let me know," He responds with a nod. He gets a little bashful after, putting his head down as he continues, "Um... If you happen to meet Cadenza, don't tell her about the whole... Me hitting on you thing? N-Not to say I'm trying to hide it from her because you are beautif- But, yeah... She hasn't been in a good mood since her friend Aphmau went missing. She's safe now, but I don't want to cause Cadenza anymore stress today..."

...
..
.
"Pfft... HAHAHAHA!" I can't stop myself from bursting with laughter at his words. Aphmau is quick to smack my arm, even though she too is laughing, though awkwardly, at the situation. She grabs it afterward and tries to drag me away. Vincent stares at us confused, which only increases the enjoyment I gain from the whole situation, "Ohhh my Irene!"

"D-Don't mind her..." Aphmau manages to push me away, but it takes a little longer for my laughter to cease. She sighs, nervously smiling as a sweat rolls down her forehead, "At least he doesn't know I'm Aphmau... He would've been mortified..."

"That would've been even more hilarious!"

"(Y/n)!"
~~~~~

"The little... dinky rat in the crease scared the shit out of me," Aphmau laughs out as we climb out of the cellar, shivering at the very recent memory, "Geez..."

"Barn rats are absolutely horrible. That poor woman is finally free from their tyranny," I respond back, putting my (s/n) away.

Aphmau and I took a detour from immediately going to the library, which led to us coming across a woman named Aerith, who was suffering at the hands of rats in her basement. Luckily, we were there to help.
Also, there's totally not a weird coincidence between the villagers of Meteli having the same name as characters that totally aren't from a totally not real game called Final Fantasy 7. That's totally not happening.

"Y-You did it! YOU REALLY DID IT!" Aerith is more than ecstatic when we come out holding the dead rats, her deathly hugging more than enough proof of that as she holds on to us for dear life, "THANK YOU! THANK YOU SO MUCH!"

"Don't mention!"

"Y-You're hugging... too... tight," I can see the darkness creeping in as my air runs thin, a bright light shining in the distance.

"You don't know how much this means to me," Aerith let's us go, the brightest smile on her face. The darkness fades and my senses return in a dizzying rush, almost unable to hold myself up until Aphmau holds me up with a nervous laugh. Aerith slightly perks up as she pulls something out of her pocket, offering it to us, "Here... Take this. It's not much, but... Well, I hope you can find use for it. Thank you again, m'ladies."

She gives each of us a piece of colorful fairy bread. It's covered in numerous sprinkles and cheap butter and the bread is relatively soft to the touch. We both store it away for later.

"Now, to find out what to do about these raw rats," Aphmau mumbles with a shiver, looking at them with absolute disgust.

"We could save them for later,"

"Later?" Aphmau stops as she turns to me with a confused look, head tilted, "Later how?"

I stop with her, raising my eyebrow at her for not immediately assuming, "Eating them, obviously."

Aphmau takes my rat corpses from me without a second thought after that, holding them by their tails and letting them dangle as she walks further back into Meteli. I follow behind her with a roll of my eyes. Guess she'd rather be forced to desperately hunt for food if we ever start running out, her loss.

We've eaten rats before. Does she think she's too good for them now? For shame...
15 minutes in the Irene dimension really changes a person.

As she leads us further in, making sure to keep the rats away from my possession and out of my view, we come across another guard. He's blonde and has dark blue eyes. He's a little... nervous? Anxious, maybe? And his eyes don't ever stray from staring above Aphmau's neck as we approach.

"Hi... My name name is Cloud. I'm a guard here in Meteli, it's nice to meet you..." And his eyes continue to stare lower, but definitely not at the ground. He almost looks like he's staring at-

"What are you looking at- ," Aphmau starts, also realizing that he isn't really looking at her face. Her cheeks grow a bright red suddenly, "H-Hey! My eyes are up here, Cloud!"

"Huh?! What?" He jumps at her words, his face completely flushing red. He shakes his head in a comical manner as he quickly tries to defend himself, his face only growing more red by the second, "NO! I WAS LOOKING AT THE RAT CARCUSES YOU HAVE! OH NO! NOT THAT!"

It's hard to keep my laughing to myself and I don't bother to make it any better, "Oh yeah? So you weren't checking out my friend's assets?"

"N-NO!," We've ruined this poor kid, "I WAS WONDERING... I CAN DISPOSE OF THOSE FOR YOU! I WASN'T— I SWEAR—,"

"Okay, yeah, sure, that's what they all say: 'I'm just looking at your rat carcuses'" Aphmau adds. I shake my head in a disapproving manner.

"Y-You can put them in that crate over there," He averts his eyes from us, completely turning his face away as he points us towards a couple of crates, "We dispose of the contents of that crate everyday, so feel free to put those types of things there."

And, as he pointed out, there was a crate and there was disposable items in it. So maybe... he wasn't looking at Aphmau's boobs. Good to know.

"Whew... That wasn't awkward at all!"

"Not in the slightest,"

We continue on our way to the library, deciding that we've done enough damage to Meteli's guardship for one day. As we enter, we meet the librarian, Tifa, and ask her if she's seen Emmalyn.

"Have you seen a blonde girl with glasses? She's really talkative and into books and Irene and those sorts of things?"

"She's kind of eccentric? Might do a little screeching here and there?"

Tifa thinks it over a moment before nodding, a fond smile on her face as she motions towards upstairs, "Ah! You mean that lovely girl who is super smart! She's upstairs with her boyfriend. They're in the deities section, reading up on Irene, I believe? Let me know if I can help with anything else."

We nod before heading up, both of us snickering that the librarian mistook them as a couple, "Did she really say boyfriend"

"Wouldn't be the first time someone's mistook them as such~"

Aphmau goes to get the tea, while I decide to peruse the assortment of books in the section. Emmalyn's response tells me enough and Kenmur's blushing at the assumption speaks volumes. I only smile to myself, picking out a random book on the shelf and opening it up.
~~~~

We manage to read for a bit, but we don't come across much. It's all the same mumbo jumbo you'd normally find in scholarly notes and readings about Irene and nothing that we're looking for in relation to Aphmau. I, instead, come across a book on deities visiting people in their dreams, which feels pretty fitting to read after my incident from this morning.

Unfortunately, there isn't much there. Just that it's an occurrence that happens and that there aren't many written accounts of it. There's nothing about Soteria in it at all, and I'm pretty sure she's laughing at me in the deepest depths of my mind.

I offer it to Emmalyn, but she's already read it. She tells me it doesn't provide to the research. That's just sooooo useful.

Cadenza comes in not too soon after that and drags us away for the meeting. She goes on and on about Aphmau meeting her new guards, buuut little does she know.

"Unfortunately, Alister's off doing her own thing and couldn't make it for this one, but she already told me she believes in the Phoenix Alliance being a good idea. Too bad we can't count her vote in her absence or that would be unfair. Now we just have to win over the others," She brings us back to her house, still rambling on and on.

She mentioned Alister being in Meteli last night and that she would more than likely show up to the meeting today, but I'm sure I'll manage to catch her later. It'd be nice to see what she's been up to, seeing as she also had some slight affairs in the past with Shadow Knights. Then again, I'm sure she's been fine and dandy, since witches barely age.

After the events of last night, I wanted nothing more than to bury myself in a hole. Luckily, Alister missed all of that family drama, but she was back early that morning and we were now having tea in her home while I recounted all of the events of last night: the wedding, the Garroth stuff, Zane. All of it. She was very understanding, as always, and was very ready to help me hide a body if need be.

"Well, now I'm more disappointed I missed out on that!" Her golden eyes are wide and she's eating up all of the information I'm giving her, refilling her teacup for the third time already

"Trust me, Silvy, you didn't miss much."

"He threatened to take you back home! Are you going back?" She reaches over, her pale hand lightly gripping my (s/t) one. She gives a gentle squeeze, eyes worried yet reassuring, "You know Aphmau wouldn't let you if she knew you didn't want to go back. I'm not going to let you!"

"If I have to go, I'm going, especially if he starts threatening the livelihood of Phoenix drop," I hate to leave without putting up a fight, but O'khasian lordship is no joke, "I'd hate to put you all in harm's way because of Zane's stupid fucki-,"

I'm interrupted as Garroth opens the door, his helmet back covering his face again. He's panicked, worried. It's obvious from his body language and it's enough to have both me and Alister standing.

"Sir Garroth?" Alister asks, "What's wrong?"

"I apologize for interrupting, but there's something in the woods that you need to come see," Alister and I look to one another, making eye contact before we both nod and hurry out.

Right there, before our eyes is a wyvern, injured and in an endered state. Beside him lies a familiar face in Shadow Knight armor. It's obviously Ungrth and I can only assume the Shadow Knight beside him is none other than Laurance.

Alister moves to their side, inspecting them closer. After a minute, she turns to look at us, shaking her head, "There's not much I can do about the wyvern. It seems he crossed a barrier and crossing a barrier damages them exponentially, especially if they're carrying something with them... There's not much that can be done after the damage is already done."

I'm sure she's doing fine.

Cadenza grabs both of us by the shoulders, a strainer smile on her face as she lightly pushes us forward. Her tone is gentle, yet threatening, similar to a mom speaking to her children, "Go introduce yourselves!"

We're immediately thrown into the wild, or the awkward get together that is this council meeting. Aphmau quickly ditches me to go catch up with Ulrich and I'm left to play nice in the lion's den, with people that I probably haven't made the best first impressions with.

Vincent and Zack are present, as I assumed they would be, but the presence of Gale and Ulrich are a very pleasant surprise. It's nice to know that we plausibly have at least two more people on board with the Phoenix Alliance idea.

"Nice to see ya, stumblebum!" Gale calls as I approach, a knowing grin on his face. He's relatively the same from 15 years ago, his hairs starting to thin and gray just the slightest bit from what I remember, "Seems your guarding a goddess now, huh?"

"Say it's about the same as guarding any lord, former Head Guard of Meteli~," I tease back, heading over to him with a smile.

"This younger generation wouldn't know much about that," His continues our banter without struggle, just like old times. There's more of a deeper tone to his voice, probably with age, and his appearance is somewhat reminiscent of Barrett in a weird, kind of funny way.

"We were at war, ya goof! That's completely different!"

He only laughs me off, turning me around and lightly shoving me in their direction, "Then go talk them into the Alliance. Butter them up for Aphmau, like you used to!"

"Hah, I haven't done that in a while, Gale!"

As Aphmau had her little date with Jeffory in the Pikoro Village's tavern, I got to work with my own investigating. I ensure to pull down my dress a little, show off what cleavage I can, and head towards the heap of guards accompanying Jeffory inside, most of them drunk off their rockers. I sigh before I take a seat amongst them, 'The job of a guard is never done...'

"Hi, guys. Got room for one more?"

Haven't done anything like that in quite a while...
~~~~

"Well, I guess nothing is better than no..." Aphmau sighs as she lays back against Cadenza's couch, exhausted after the events of the meeting. I give her shoulder a reassuring pat, laying my side against it and angled to view her face better, "But still..."

"I'm sure you'll get them tomorrow," I push a stray strand of her hair behind her ear, leaning my chin against my arm with a small sigh through my nose, "We'll just have to woo them and show how useful the alliance is!"

It's enough for her to give a tired smile, sitting up a little better, "Yeah, I guess you're right-," She slightly perks up when Cadenza steps away from the door, straightening a little, "Oh! Cadenza..."

"That was a wonderful dinner!" She offers, a forced, closed-eye smile adorning her tanned cheeks. Aphmau can only let out a pained laugh, which is enough for Cadenza to slightly drop her act with a concerned gaze, "...You're worried about us not joining the Phoenix Alliance, aren't you?"

"I mean...," Aphmau takes a deep breath, hesitating with her next words as she tosses them around in her head. She gives it a small, restless shake, stopping and exhaling a long breath, "Yes, I am... But no, not really..."

"Aph...," I warn, narrowing my eyes as she tries to downplay her feelings, "Come on, be honest."

"You can't lie to me, Aphmau. I can see it in your face," Cadenza points out, poking at her cheeks playfully, "Plus, you barely even touched the mashed potatoes I made for you. You always eat mashed potatoes at parties with your meal... I know they're you're favorite."

Her words make me chortle a little in amusement, painting Aphmau guilty through her food consumption. Aphmau, on the other hand, is slightly confused, her eyebrows furrowing and head tilting, "Wait... you watch me at parties?"

Cadenza is quick to stumble over her words to explain herself, throwing her brother under the bus in the process, "Laurance notices these things and made mention of it to me when I asked what I should make for dinner..."

"And because you read like an open book!" I add, which isn't much appreciated given the slight smack I receive immediately after, "Owie!"

I give her a light shove back. It quickly turns into the two of us lightly throwing small hits at each other. At some point, Aphmau and I switch between pining one another on the couch, dust starting to form between us as we tussle more and more-

"Let's put that aside for now," Cadenza quickly intervenes, sweating at the sight of us wrestling on her very high quality couch. She's quick to push us off of each other, sitting between the two of us. She places a hand on Aphmau's shoulder in a reassuring manner, "Aphmau, you have nothing to worry about. I'm 100% sure Meteli will be joining the Phoenix Alliance. My new guards... well, they need time to think about it. I'm sure Vincent and Zack are going to consult Cadence and Cloud. They're my top guards here in Meteli, they're very close."

"(Y/n), have you talked to Garroth recently?" Laurance asks once we're away from Aphmau and the others, pulling me aside after our talk with Katelyn. Garroth left almost immediately after Katelyn confirmed our suspicions that the spy had to be one of the older members of the village, which only adds to his strange behavior over the past few weeks.

"No, he's been avoiding me," I confess, crossing my arms as I lean against a nearby tree, "I'm guessing you've also noticed his weird behavior too? This isn't like him... If something were wrong, he would tell me..."

"I'm sure that if anything's going on, Garroth has it handled, but I do agree this is weird for him," I sigh at Laurance's words, shaking my head as I straighten up.

"You don't get it... It's more than just his pride here-,"

"(Y/n)-,"

"If something we're going on, he would tell me... Laurance, he tells me everything!"

"...But you don't tell him everything, right?"

"Sounds very... familiar," I mention, somewhat holding myself as I think back to how Garroth, Laurence, Dante, and me all used to be. It's hard to reminisce over when that closeness protected us while simultaneously leading to our downfall.

"How long have they been with you?" Aphmau asks.

Cadenza explains more about her guards: Zack being more of a leader of their group as well as being straightforward and sly; Vincent being a "real flirt" (her words, not mine); Cloud being shy, but dependable; and Cadence being sassy while meaning well and really interested in learning and challenging herself. She says they're all wonderful and that's enough for me to believe in them, even if it's for Cadenza's sake.

"If you trust them, I do too, Cadenza," Aphmau sends her a grin, which Cadenza returns. I nod in agreement.

"Glad to hear! I just wanted to—," Cadenza gets interrupted by a loud bang outside, all of us quickly standing to our feet at the sound, "W-What was that noise?!"

I lead us out, Cadenza following close behind me. I'm quick to draw out my (s/n), running further out into the town plaza. The sight before me makes my blood run cold, the village being attacked by a monster I've seen enough to know too well:

The figures are nothing I've ever seen before, dark and shadowy. Zane looks on with a crazed glint in his eyes, unnerved at the sight of them as they exit out of the portal. He pays no mind to my scared whimpers, turning away and leading me with him. His laughter rings in my ears and the soldiers we pass keep their heads low as they allow the creatures to move about.

"Zane..." I grip his hand, stopping and digging my heels into the ground. He tugs his hand away from mine, continuing on anyway, "Zane?"

He pretends as if he doesn't hear me, talking to one of the Jury of Nine members that accompanied us without much care, "Make sure this town burns before you close up the portal, Janus. Lillian, make sure the Lord is handled."

"What are you... doing?" He continues walking, getting into our carriage. He turns to stare at me, an impatient, yet expectant look in his eyes. I turn away from his stare to instead watch as the creatures trip over themselves to get to the unsuspecting village. I'm unable to stop my feet as they move on their own towards the village, pulling out the protective dagger I keep on my person for my own safety, "This... isn't right. You can't do this!"

"(Y/n)," Zane's tone is threatening, one I've heard many times now, but I can't turn a blind eye to this like I can everything else. I start running at them, raising the dagger above my head as I approach the closest one, but Janus is quick to grab me and hold me back. He struggles as I push against him and away from him, managing to get out of his hold a few times. In a quick movement, I throw my dagger at the back of one's head, piercing through it and killing it. Just as the weapon leaves my fingers, more guards come to hold me back and restrain me.

I'm forced into the carriage next to Zane and he doesn't spare me a glance. The doors close and the air is suffocating. The other Jurors present in the carriage either keep their heads low or keep their eyes elsewhere. They know not to say anything.

"Just let them do their job. It's just a little warning for their Lord, so he knows who he's dealing with and why he shouldn't make me or O'Khasis his enemy..."

Shadow souls. A whole fleet of them...

A/n: Hey, guys! Sorry for missing my update last month, but this one got extra long. I'm pretty sure it's double the usual length of a chapter. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed and we're almost caught up to where I originally left off! 🥳🥳🥳

Hopefully, nothing is too confusing here! More context on reader's family drama will come soon! I also plan on making an overview page to keep up with any oc information I add and as a preface to the warnings present in this series.

Once again, I hope you enjoyed.

Alister belongs to dawnie_dawne

Cadence belongs to me and a friend

Anyway, MCI Out, Peace 😋