In the dead of night Maria and Sin returned to the factory, where someone was already awaiting them. Clad in a business suit a woman was lighting a cigarette at the entrance of the factory, her pale blue eyes pinned on them. Sin let out a low growl as she felt the woman's gaze on her, but Maria quickly stepped passed her. "Rea, what, are you doing here?" Her voice was trembling, dread spreading through her body. 

"I thought I checked on my little cousin, though you weren't home, or should I say, you had already moved." Rea slowly approached them, towering above Maria. "Don't try any games, I know what you are, and your uncle does too. You're lucky that you didn't do anything serious yet, at least I hope so." Sin took a step forward, but Maria quickly held her back, silencing her growling with a firm stare before she looked back at her cousin. "How do you,  does uncle know? He knew, all this time?" There was a moment of silence as  Rea took another smoke of her cigarette. "Of course he did. Or did you really think every uncle is that generous and omnipresent? Ah dammit Maria." She shook her head. "Come over tomorrow. But leave that abomination here, uncle may be able to help you. From family to family,  trust me." She walked past them, fading into the dark. "He's kept your little adventure under wraps for now, but even he can't blind the other families forever. Quit before it is too late." 

The dark seemed to envelop her, growing more dense until she was gone, faded from vision. When it dissipated, Rea had vanished, leaving the two to their own devices. For a while Maria just stared out the gate, her mind racing. "He knew, all the time?" 
They descended into the factory and through it to the stronghold in silence, with Sin trembling in muted rage. 
Inside the Stronghold they found the wall leading to Yggdrasil's chamber opened. Sin put her bag and books away into a corner, the sight of her beast-sister only worsening her mood. "Would you look at that, the useless twig wants to finally be of use?" 

Maria ignored her servant's ramblings and made her way to Yggdrasil, who was visibly distraught. The vines and roots that covered the room were writhing, countless eyes once more opened and staring off into all directions at random. Sin followed her master, a weak black flame surrounding her fingers. 
"So, are you finally going to make yourself useful, little sister?" She barked at Yggdrasil, who turned her dead eyes to her master, ignoring Sin. "The intruder was in contact with one of my sisters." 

Maria blinked a few times, the topic change rousing her from the cycle of dread her mind had been stuck in. "What?" Was all she could mutter in response. Yggdrasils vines tightened around the room, the very stone of the walls cracking lightly. "The intruder had Elaine's marks all over her. I've been searching all across the city, spreading my roots where I could, but she continued to elude me, until now. And maybe if my dear elder sister was not too busy resembling a rabid dog, she would have noticed as well." 

Sin clenched her hands to fists, lowering her gaze to the ground. Slowly she began to calm down, and when she looked back up the same insincere smile of before spread across her lips. "How very well done of you, I am proud that you finally contributed. Perhaps in a few decades you will finally have amounted to more than an exotic garden plant." Maria sighed at their continued bickering and folded her arms in front of her chest. "Can't this wait? We are talking about my family here, and they knew, they knew the entire time. And now they have one of my beasts?" She bit her teeth together, her fingers twitching. "What do I do now? Rea said I should come and it really, sounded like a threat." 

Yggdrasil waved away her concern. "It is most certainly a trap, trying to separate you from Sin. But that does not mean you cannot use it to your advantage." The countless eyes upon her vines were now focusing on Maria, the overwhelming feeling of being watched still made her nervous, which her beast ignored. "They are underestimating you. There is no other explanation as to why they did not tell the other families of what is going on. They think they can beat you because you are a weak-willed amateur, and then take the credit for safeguarding their rotting rule. You should abuse that with utmost cruelty." Her pale lips contorted into a smirk, the look of which caused Maria to gulp. "And how, do you think I should do that? I don't even know how to fight." 

"You don't need to, you have Sin, and Me." Yggdrasil ran a hand across the branches of the tree she was fused with, plucking a single black fruit from it and handed it to her master. When Maria took it her first instinct was to drop it, only with all of her willpower could she hold onto the fruit and give it to Sin. It was only the size of a cherry, covered in a cold, wet membrane and was constantly pulsing with an eerie resemblance of a heartbeat. "Sin knows what to do with this, it will let me aid you two when you storm their home." Sin looked at the fruit with nothing but pure disgust. "You really are as disgusting as ever, little sister." With a sigh she dropped the fruit into a pocket of her jacket, much to Yggdrasil's blatant amusement. 

"If your uncle really expects only a frightened girl, then their defences will be no match for me and Sin. This is a great opportunity, my master." Her glee faded and made way for a much more serious tone. "We must be swift and thorough, my master. I will breech whatever defences they have, so you and Sin can enter and retrieve Elaine. Nothing is more important than recovering her, I cannot overstate this. You should also abuse their pride, my master. They are the only ones who have even an inkling of your ambitions, as well as your location. You must have them killed, all of them. If you don't then our enemies will descend upon this stronghold with all of their fury." 

Maria was beside herself. She could hear Yggdrasils words,  but they fell upon complete incomprehension. "They're my family, I've known them all my life I can't, do that." She gripped her chest, feeling as if it was about to burst. She was about to lose control, when Sin stepped up and took her hand into hers. "My master, there is no other way. They have shown that they are your enemies. You must not let mercy weaken your resolve." Maria bit her lip and leaned into her servant, staring back at her pleadingly. "They and dad are all I have left, Sin. They were always there for me ever since Mom died." 

Sin laid her hands upon her masters shoulders, bringing her face mere inches away from hers. "My master. Your enemies here are mages, who could see and know everything you were doing, no? They were always a part of your life, always benevolent, yes?" Maria nodded quietly, their closeness calming her until Sin's next words caused her body to turn to ice. 

"Then why did they let your mother die?" 

All thoughts washed out of Maria's mind as she heard these words, memories and feelings blending together, robbing her of coherence until all that was left was an overwhelming feeling of dread. 

"If they were this benevolent, my master, then they should have done something, no? Instead all they did was show their condolences, show up at the funeral looking sad, and giving you throwaway comments about how sorry they are, isn't that right? They were keeping you under surveillance, my master. The only shame is that you only got to see this now." 

Every word that came out of Sin's mouth caused the feeling of dread to grow within her chest, she felt sick, but unable to reply. Sin carefully wrapped her arms around her master, turning her away from Yggdrasil who was looking at them with disdain, but without a word. "Our main priority is to retrieve my little sister, yes, my master? You must not decide on their fate this instant, it is fine to reserve your ultimate judgement, that is your right after all." 

Maria stared off into the distance, without truly seeing anything in front of her. "We will, attack, just like Yggdrasil suggested." she muttered quietly, slipping out of her servants embrace. "I need, I need rest." Sin bowed deeply, hiding her glee. "Of course, my master. I shall discuss the details of our strategy with my darling sister while you rest, I hope your companion can replace my presence." Maria only gave a weak nod before lurching away, out of the chamber and into her bedroom. Without bothering to change she grabbed Sir Screech and hid under her covers, crying herself into sleep. 

After the door to her room closed shut Yggdrasil finally spoke. "Lying is like breathing to you, dear sister." Her words caused Sin to wave her hand in dismissal. "I did not lie, I only told our dear master what she needed to hear and what was likely." Her words caused Yggdrasil to scoff. "This is exactly why I urged her not to trust you, Sin." All eyes on her vines closed and the great beast fell silent, a smile slowly creeping across her face. "I found the place. They really do not know of my presence, lovely." She shooed Sin away with her malformed claw of a hand. "I will need the night to get my roots into place, and you should consider opening your first circle." Her words caused Sin to laugh out loud, her tongue falling out of her mouth and hanging down for its full extend, all the way to her wrists. "You think I need to open the first circle for a single nobody and some of these heroes? Don't let your disdain make you forgot who you are talking to." 

Her words did not phase Yggdrasil, who crossed her arms. "There are a few of them who have strength that can give you troubles as you are, why not release more and ensure you will win with ease?" 
Sin shook her head, and turned to leave. "It is a matter of pride, my dear young sister. How could Sin be feared if she needed to stoop that low to beat commoners? And don't forget, our dear master is young and inexperienced." She looked back at her one more time. "I fear she could not bear the sight, let alone control me then."