“Tell me everything that happened up until this point, Feodora Cicer.”

Jade demanded as I sat on the porch. The rain and storm had let up, and I found that I couldn't stand thinking about everything that was revealed to me only moments ago. The Radiant Order took all kinds of things into evidence. There were design sheets, materials, fire starters, and all other atrocious tools made… for the sake of killing. All contrasting the wonderful person I thought I was getting to know.

"Feodora, listen… you need to snap out of this and tell me everything, or things will only get worse from here."

I looked up at Jade and nodded.

“Alright… let me tell you what happened when I found Yuu Yuu at the lake.”

I explained to her how I caught Yuu Yuu in a lie regarding if she overheard Eve and I chat. About how Janova used her cloaking to spy on us. That would be the reason why the bomb went off when Eve was watching it. Janova likely put Eve in a pocket reality and messed with the original, effectively framing Eve. I then went on to tell her of the strings, and how Janova revealed herself to me. How I battled to keep Yuu Yuu, but eventually, she took her away. And after, I raced to the cabin with my suspicions only to reveal the truth.

The knight listened until the end without saying a word.

“Wow… that’s a lot to go through, Feodora.”

Jade sympathized as she continued.

“I’m going to question you more on Janova. What did she look like?”

I thought back to that monster.

"She had long blue hair that went past her feet. A dress that exposed her shoulders. It was dark-colored with bubble patterns. She… reminded me of a princess you'd see in those stories for kids."

I could see the expression on Jade’s face change from stern to… shocked.

“That’s her… the god of chaos.”

She put her finger to her lip.

"But then, if that really was Janova… you'd be dead right now, Feodora. Or you'd be trapped within a pocket reality that you wouldn't be able to break yourself from."

The knight said.

"I don't understand it either. But it was Janova taking control of Yuu Yuu… forcing her to speak and say anything she wanted.”

I said.

“Yes, that’s what the strings do. There were plenty of times in the past that Janova used those strings. But the level 3 versions were stronger... and fatal. We were forced to kill Radiants who were in her control."

The thought of it made my stomach turn.

"That's sick…."

I spoke.

“That’s Janova…”

Jade got down to my level.

“Hey, I want you to explain something to me… and don’t lie to me… do you truly believe that Yuuna isn’t in control of anything and it’s all Janova?”

“I would like to. The alternative is Yuu Yuu is a willing participant in these serial bombings…."

I confessed.

“If she really is just a doll, a tool that Janova is using as a vessel to do her bidding…."

The knight sat next to me.

 

 

“Then maybe you can still be together, Feodora?”

Like a knife, Jade stabbed me in the heart.

"I don't know how intimate your relationship was with Yuuna, Feodora. I can only imagine the pain that's going through you right now…."

She sighed.

"The fact that you're involved with someone who is being accused of something so atrocious... is hard, Feodora."

It made me sick to my stomach as I looked away from her. I didn’t know what to say as I stared off into the darkness of the night. Jade sighed as she continued.

“Listen, you are going to be interrogated by the Radiant Order and anyone else who thinks you are even remotely connected to this. So, you might as well speak to me about your feelings before it’s too late.”

Like the investigator she was, she began interrogating me for every ounce of information.

“Do you believe Yuuna from the Light Camp is a tool for Janova to use?"

I nodded.

“Do you think she doesn’t have a will or mind of her own?”

I stopped…

The truth was… I didn’t believe much if anything of what Janova was spouting. Even she said Yuu Yuu had a personality. It would make her upset when Yuu Yuu didn’t do what she said. Everything Janova said… was a contradiction. But saying that to Jade… would be implicating Yuu Yuu to a higher level than I was ready for.

But then…

Would I be willing…

To lie to the Radiant Order to protect her?

“I can already see that you’re planning to lie to me.”

My heart dropped as I looked into her golden eyes.

"I've been watching people for over 1000 years… I can see when they are hesitating. I get that you love Yuuna… I understand that you want to protect her…."

Jade took my hand. I was warm but determined as she squeezed my fingers.

"But I need all the facts to come to an understanding on what to do. You might lie to me, and that lie would turn out to be the thing that gets Yuuna killed."

“… Why did you have to say that, Jade?”

I closed my eyes. My priority was to protect Yuu Yuu… but first, I needed to find her. Maybe if I did… I could chat with her and find out why she's doing all of this…

I… I didn’t want to believe that Yuu Yuu was a cold killer. That gnawing feeling in my gut told me that she… might also be a victim in this somehow.

“When I was fighting Janova…."

I confessed.

“She would call me Feo. Even when she possessed Yuu Yuu… out of her lips would come the name… Feo.”

I turned to Jade.

“She never called me by my full name… Feodora.”

“What does that mean, Feodora?”

Jade asked.

“That means… Janova likes to call me Feo… while Yuu Yuu uses my full name, Feodora. That's how I began associating the person and doll that I was fighting earlier… with only Janova.”

Jade continued to listen.

“I’m not sure what happened… but my guess is Janova took charge of everything. I… I believe that they are two people… using one body. And something tells me that Janova is bound to Yuu Yuu’s body somehow.”

 

 

“So, you admit that Yuu Yuu and Janova aren’t the same… and are working together?”

I bit my lip as I admitted the truth in my heart.

“Yeah… I do. But I also believe that Yuu Yuu isn’t bombing the city for fun.”

The knight waited for a bit, then patted me on the back.

"I believe you too. There's likely more going on here than Yuuna and Janova being the serial bombers. With all the evidence, there has to be more to this..."

She stood up with her arms crossed.

"But that begs the question… who gave them the materials to do all of this. Yuuna didn't get it on her own. There's… a larger conspiracy going on, and I'm willing to find it."

She reached out her hand to me.

“And I want you as a lead investigator on this case. Even though you have personal ties to it, you are an asset I'll need to help figure things out. The stronger we go at this, the faster we'll find Yuuna, Feodora."

Like the hero she was, Jade brought up my morale.

"You're right, Jade."

She gave me a smirk as she turned back to the Radiant Order. Jade began investigating, and I closed my eyes to think back to all the times… when Janova was speaking instead of Yuu Yuu.

When Yuu Yuu spoke in the third person… that was Janova talking through her.

When Yuu Yuu spoke by saying "I," Yuu Yuu, the timid loner, spoke those words.

At the times when she would call me Feo… that was Janova.

When she called me Feodora, that was Yuu Yuu.

It was becoming apparent. Two different people were speaking to me at the same time. Two people embracing me… and even falling in love with me without my knowledge.

“Does that mean… Janova truly is in love with me too?”

The thought was hard to grasp. I never met Janova until tonight… but in her warped mind, every touch when she called me Feo… was me looking at her instead of Yuu Yuu. It only begged the question…

“How did those two come to be?”

 

If that is the true Janova of the past, how did she survive when Jade said she died 200 years ago in the war of the gods?

What if this isn't even the same Janova? Too many questions were in my mind.

But the most pressing issue was…

“Why are they bombing Radiant City?”

 

 

It wasn't time to break down. I had to collect myself and look at this as an investigator. By doing this, I can find all the evidence then slowly clear what was going through Yuu Yuu’s head. So, I walked over to a few Radiants, inspecting the bombs they had gathered.

“Ah, is there any way I can help?”

They looked up at me.

“Oh, you’re Jade Opal’s dark vessel. The one who is dating the suspect?”

I put my hand on my hip. They were already looking at me suspiciously.

“Yeah…”

"Right now, we don't need your help. You've done enough calling this in, and we have to do our primary investigations. We have this place covered. I suggest you go to the knight station and give a formal statement."

I nodded.

“Right.”

I agreed.

“Feodora.”

Jade called out to me. I rushed over to her.

“What is it?”

“The Light Camp just contacted the knight station. Elizera wants me to come and hear the statement. I want you to come along.”

“Me?”

"One, so you can make a statement of your own… and secondly, I don't trust the Light Camp, especially if Yuuna is involved in the bombings. I want you to hear everything and see if you can help us."

I closed my eyes.

“I… I can’t believe this is happening… but I made Yuu Yuu a promise, Jade."

I looked up at her.

“I promised that I’ll protect her and stay by her to figure things out. I have every intention to save Yuu Yuu from Janova… I’ll be beside her until the end.”

The knight nodded.

“I respect that, Feodora. Eve is being released, but I'm giving her to Mellissa Ann Cafree. Together they are going to work to find any other bombs if there is some left."

Jade said as she began running in the forest. I trailed behind her. I could have moved faster while shadow walking, but I wanted to stay beside Jade.

“Mellissa and Eve?”

“Yeah. Eve is under my care by Radiant Law. So, I’m handing her off to Mellissa. I want Countess Mellissa to help us find any more bombs that Yuu Yuu and Janova could have placed.”

“I see.”

I thought about the bombings once again.

“Hey, did the bombings before the knight station have a target?”

“No, they seemed to hit for the reason of causing damage.”

“Has… anyone died in them?”

The knight shook her head.

"Thankfully, no. But we have had victims who were hurt."

Together we raced through the forest.

 

 

“But… the last bomb’s target was Elizera, right?”

I asked.

“I’ve been thinking about that too. It seemed that the motive changed in between. Why Elizera, that would be the question. Since we have a culprit in mind, we can dig further into their connection and why that bomb was placed in the first place.”

“Yeah…”

I don’t know too much about Yuu Yuu’s past. That might have been the best place to start. Finding Janova was like looking for a needle in a haystack. I don’t have the power to perceive her. So, my next order of business would be to learn as much as I could about both of them. That way, I can slowly uncover the reasons for their actions.

“Jade… are you sure Janova died back then?”

"Yeah… I stabbed Janova through the heart and ripped it out myself."

Her words were cold. We slowed down as we reached the exit to the forest. As we walked, we could see the Radiant City glowing in the night.

“The Janova of the past was a psychopath who would kill anyone she saw. Her goal… was nothing short of domination of the world by waging war on the Radiants."

The knight recalled the past.

“She almost won… but we tricked her long enough to finally take her down. The Janova of the past… didn’t know the word love.”

With her powerful gaze, Jade turned towards me.

“She couldn’t feel love or anything for that matter. She… was broken and wanted to destroy everyone who helped destroy her.”

In awe, I listened to the knight.

"It takes an extraordinary event to become a level 3 user, Feodora. Something so powerful that your views change forcefully. Janova suffered that along with other aspects, and it caused her to go insane."

As if imagining the past, Jade turned away slightly.

"Janova couldn't love. She was too destroyed as a person to feel empathy and heartache."

Coldly, she spoke about her former enemy.

"And that's why I can't rationally believe that the same person screaming about love to you… is the same, Janova. There’s still a possibility that she is an imposter.”

I thought of the bratty woman that didn't look much older than me. What she said was horrible. How she acted was violent, and she would scream obscenities at me… But she didn’t add up to what Jade was saying. It… was like she wasn’t who she claimed to be.

 

“We’ll figure this out, Feodora.”

The knight concluded as she began rushing off to the Radiant City. I followed behind her.

“Yeah, I’ll figure this out and save you, Yuu Yuu.”

My determination peaked as we raced to the city.