The golden lounge was just as they remembered. No matter how brief their respite was during the night of their arrival, they distinctly remembered the comfy couches.

It was utter bliss to sit on such soft, mushy cushions. Even the constricting armour Exrite wore did little to dampen its delightful embrace. Shallowly engulfed by the cushion, she diligently watched the dignified Anoma take a small sip from her fragrant cup.

“Frostbitten.” Was the first word to leave her mouth as she clinked the cup onto the short, wooden table.

After Exrite’s appearance as the Maiden of Time and the Exrenity, she let the fact easily slip through her armour. While she did want to question it, she realised that there would be no point in asking.

The manifestation of ‘impossible’ sat across her, after all.

“For such an ancient race, why’re you following Exrite in the first place?” She asked the seated Frostbitten, who sat on either side of Exrite.

Her question sparked interest in the priestesses, who lurked on the far ends of the table. The mystery of the two Frostbiten hadn’t left them since their arrival in Farshard.

There shouldn’t be a reason for them to follow a human around, unless they knew Exrite was going to become the Exrenity, or perhaps the Maiden of Time.

But it wasn’t like that at all. In fact, their reckless plan to meet with the Maiden of Wisdom included a human Exrite, who would’ve had their curse lifted. It was as stupid as it sounded, but Khaos didn’t give a damn.

He would carve his own future, one fist at a time.

As he sat nibbling on biscuits, he answered Anoma with a smile.

“Exrite saved us. Do I need to say anything more?”

His straight forward attitude made Exrite warmly smile as she looked down at her tangled fingers. Frosty let loose of a quiet sigh before gently leaning onto Exrite.

“That’s the gist of it.” Frosty’s voice was harsh, but also kind.

They knew Frosty or Khaos wouldn’t give any more answers concerning their connection with Exrite.

“My, fate does many strange things.” Talia hummed, engrossed by their unlikely bond.

“Far too strange.” Anoma sighed, tapping her plated arms. “I guess we’ll have to take what’s served to us. Are you three part of the Guild?”

Exrite stared up at her and quickly answered.

“Sorry, but we aren’t. If you’re going to ask us to join, we’ll have to decline.”

“I wasn’t going to invite you anyway. I was only wondering, since you’d have to be magically analysed before joining. Your secret would’ve been leaked.” Anoma explained as Cardinal sharply nodded beside her.

Her analysis spell was something inherited, rather than learnt. It was unknown why that was the case, and it was an area of research Cardinal was interested in.

The spell would essentially tap into a person’s body, checking for their mana capacity, gender, race and even their names. It seemed to work on both the body and mind, but Anoma wasn’t so certain herself.

It was contrary to how magic normally functioned. One would require a chant, or a clear image of the concept. However, she didn’t understand the concept of the analysis – except for what it does, yet it still functioned fine.

“Good thing we didn’t stop by one then. See what would’ve happened if you led us, Khaos?” Frosty said bitterly, teasing her brother who muffledly groaned.

“Hey… at least it didn’t happen, right?” He tried to look on the bright side of things.

Exrite, being in between the two, suddenly became squashed by the might of Khaos and Frosty’s leaning weight. As much as she wanted to say something, she was too busy smiling at their little argument.

“Exrite, before you end up getting crushed I want to ask – what sort of training did you have in the past?”

It was Anoma who spoke, wanting to roughly gauge Exrite’s capabilities since her analysis failed.

There wasn’t really anything that stood out to her, other than her knowledge of magic and handling of a crossbow. Her swordsmanship, while decent, was far from good.

The thought was embarrassing. If it weren’t for the Heart of Time, along with Frosty and Khaos, she would’ve been long gone.

“I have some decent knowledge of magic, and I’m pretty good with a crossbow.”

“… that’s it?” Anoma blurted after a moment of silence, as if she heard her wrong.

“Yeah- “

“Don’t screw with me!” She suddenly slammed a fist onto the table. “Baseline or not, that’s far too weak! How did you even become the Exrenity in the first place!?”

The room shuddered under the might of her roar.

Exrite’s eyes slightly narrowed. Irritation swelled within her heart as her fists lightly clenched.

“I already know that. Even if you tell me, it won’t change the fact that I’m weak.” Her voice was heavy, but she didn’t show any signs of contempt towards the angered Anoma.

Because she knew that she was beyond weak. Her curse was ironically her strength, and now that it was gone – she was but a human in the body of a doomed Exrenity, and a clueless Maiden.

The acceptance of her flaws only added more fuel to Anoma’s flames.

“You knew how weak you were, yet you still went on to take the role of the Exrenity!?” Her scolding voice didn’t seem to affect the unfazed Exrite, who only stared back with silent eyes.

And there, she smiled. It was self-ridiculing, wry and full of mystery. Her shimmering eyes glistened beneath the overhead light and slowly became gentle slits.

“Yeah. I know.” She relaxed her hands. “But after my time in solitude for so long, and the arduous trail we followed for months – and the promises the Gods whispered… in the end, I had no choice but to become the Exrenity.”

Her voice slightly wavered towards the end, but she held through. It was never her intention to become the Exrenity. She didn’t even know what it was until they revealed it to her at the last second.

“The Exrenity, the Maiden of Time – do you really think I wanted all of this? I only wanted to be free from my curse, and travel with Khaos and Frosty.” Exrite calmly confessed, her eyes finally closing.

Silence followed. Anoma didn’t know how to respond to her after hearing that. She honestly believed that Exrite had foolishly taken the role of the Exrenity. But the stark realisation caused to regret her sudden outburst.

A quiet sigh left her lips, the pent rage expiring with her breath.

“So you were forced into all of this by the Gods, am I right?” She crossed her arms and leaned forward. “Strange, as to why they’d choose you.”

“I’m just as confused as you are.” She admitted before opening her moist eyes.

Exrite understood how she felt. For someone like her to be the vessel of their Gods, it was infuriating that she was so weak. But despite that, she still wouldn’t give up.

She couldn’t afford to regret or feel guilty of the past. What she was given, was what she had to work with. Even with her horrific past, she was at least thankful that it led to where she was now.

And as the Maiden of Time, she had every potential to become powerful. Not even the sky was the limit. Surely, Gaia’s strange hope in her would come to light if she kept moving forward.

“You’re just Exrite then.” Anoma hummed, suddenly angering Cardinal who held nothing but awe and respect for the Maiden. “I’ll help you get stronger, but don’t you dare expect me to be patient with you.”

“If you’re going to be like that, then let me help you. I’m the headmaster of the Institute of Magic. With my help, I’ll ensure that you become a proper Maiden.” The old wizard offered with a hand on their chest.

Exrite wasn’t so sure about that. While she was definitely interested in learning magic from someone like him, she didn’t want to follow the path of a Maiden. After all, she hadn’t forgotten their ultimate goal –

The liberation of the Maidens.

The farfetched death march quickly entered the realms of possibility with her newfound body. Exrite couldn’t help but to grin, as if the Gods had planned this all along. Or better yet, Gaia had.

“If it’s just for magic training, I’d be glad to have your help. Just stop treating me like that.” Exrite smiled.

“It’d be an honour to- “

A sudden slap echoed from the frail man’s back. Anoma growled in annoyance to Cardinal’s way of talking to Exrite.

“Like she said, treat her like everyone else. I hope you won’t regret that, by the way.” Her rash way of speaking was almost like Frosty’s, which made her laugh.

“I’ll endure it.” She earnestly spoke.

Anoma didn’t seem to enjoy Exrite’s unfazed attitude. She sighed, frowning at the girl who sparked a nostalgic memory.

The way she so easily accepted her own faults rubbed her the wrong way.

While thinking of such things, Cardinal suddenly left the couch at the glance of an iron fob watch.

“Already this late? I need to return to the Institute and oversee the construction of the airship. I apologise, Exrite, but we won’t be able to start until things calm down. With war barely in the horizon, we need to ensure our people come first.” He deeply bowed his head, causing Exrite to click her tongue.

“Don’t worry about me. And if you do that again, I’ll just ask someone else to help me with magic.”

In an instant, the old man erected himself and whistled.

“Ho? My apologies then. Come visit the Institute in a few days when things die down. I’ll let them know you’ll be coming.”

“Yeah. Thank you. I’ll definitely stop by.” Exrite warmly smiled.

It meant everything to her to have the help of a renowned mage. With her incredible mana capacity, she wondered just how strong she could become.

In this body, at least.

As he bid farewell to the others, he left, whistling an odd tune. Anoma shrugged her shoulders and dug a hand into her cheek.

“I hate that song.” She muttered before directing her gaze at Exrite. “It’s the same with me. The next few days will be busy. I need to start warning adventurers of traveling out to the west and put up resource requests. Not easy being a Guild master, so don’t blame me for being so rash with you.”

It was a roundabout way of apologising for earlier, and it brought a pleasant smile across Exrite’s face.

“It’s fine. I’m used to it.”

“Used to it you say… “ Anoma wondered about that, but didn’t have time to spare and ponder about it all day.

The armour loudly clanked as she got onto her feet. With stern eyes, she gazed at Khaos and Frosty.

“I’m looking forward to seeing what you two can do.” Her gentle tone made Exrite shut her eyes and let loose of a silent sigh. “And you, Exrenity. I hope your crossbow skills can save you.”

The rashness in her voice returned.

“And we’ll find you in the Guild?” Khaos curiously asked.

“No, I’ll be coming for you. It’s easier here in the courtyard than the Guild grounds. Unless you want a crowd to watch you.” She left them, walking until the hallway where she abruptly stopped and spoke, “Until then, take care. And Exrite, don’t take anything I say personally. I just can’t accept you the way you are right now. Your ticking will also have to wait.”

And with that, she left. Exrite wanted to say something, but the words failed to leave her lips.

Upon seeing Exrite’s silent words, Frosty rested her entire weight onto the girl. Khaos munched on another biscuit, but not before placing a giant hand onto Exrite’s shoulder.

“Think she hates your guts?” Frosty jokingly asked as Inkshard migrated to the central couch.

“I hope not.” Exrite muttered.

Inkshard sat twiddling her fingers as the tried to find the right words to say. When she heard that Exrite had arrived as the Exrenity unwillingly, she remembered her words back in the Chapel.

It was a ‘choice’ between death or to become the Exrenity.

That wasn’t a choice at all.

“She’s right about me being weak, but honestly – it’s not like I had a choice. And I’m still trying to compensate for it in my own way.” Exrite suddenly complained as she sank into the back of the couch.

While she enjoyed taking the role of a lurking bolt shooter and sometimes a mage, it was regrettable that those were the only two things she was good at. Her swordplay was… decentat best.

If she widened her scope, especially as the Maiden of Time, she surely could come to the forefront with Khaos and Frosty.

However – she knew that it would still be risky. After all, she wasn’t honed like Frosty in evasion, or could tank mighty blows like Khaos. Even after becoming stronger, she would likely have to continue her role of supporting them from afar.

But she didn’t dislike that. She was rather comfortable being in the backlines.

In the midst of her thoughts, Talia stared at her and the Frostbitten with curious eyes. She wondered whether Exrite was alright after she was bashed by the Guild master for being the Exrenity.

To some degree, she also realised that Exrite may not be fit for that role. But what did she know? If the Gods, according to Exrite, forced it upon her – then they perhaps saw something she didn’t.

But what exactly was unknown. In the end, she could only trust the judgement of her Gods. She was a priestess, after all.

“But the Maiden of Time – that’s amazing.” Inkshard uttered in awe as she stared deeply into Exrite’s sky-blue iris.

It was mesmerizingly beautiful. The gentle sapphire gem gracefully shimmered and was enhanced by the contrasting red jewel beside.

“You only noticed?” Khaos spoke muffledly as he finished the last of the biscuits from the silver bowl.

“Of course not. I was only saying what came to mind. But really, I didn’t think the person who arrived at our chapel wearing weird gear would eventually become a Maiden.”

“You’re not alone on that one, Inkshard. The Exrenity is one thing, but a Maiden? Exrite, you’rereally being toyed with by those damned Gods.” Frosty spoke with nothing but spite towards those who had forced this all upon Exrite. “They must’ve known about this, which was why they didn’t give you any choice.”

Talia suddenly found herself humming “My my” to herself. All of a sudden, everything seemed so clear. It would be the first time a Maiden would be under the control of the Gods. When she realised this, she couldn’t help but to pridefully smile.

The Children of Balance were the ones who brought forth the Maidens to lay order across the reigning chaos in the sacred lands of Six Point. For one to finally return to their creator – it invigorated her.

However, before she was a Maiden, she was Exrite – a human.

“Sis, have you thought about how important this actually is?” Khaos suddenly asked, causing the woman in question to turn towards him.

“What is?”

“Exrite as a Maiden! We actually have a shot at doing this now!” His excited voice caused the entire floor to tremor as Inkshard let loose of a yelp.

Frosty just stared at him with cold eyes and a distorted wince. But, after letting him bathe in the awkward silence for a while, she couldn’t help but to lightly grin.

“I know. It’s barely a shot, but it’s the best one we have. I’m just not as optimistic as you are.” She folded her arms and squashed her face against Exrite’s plated stomach. “A day-old Maiden verses a hundred-million-year-old Maiden… we really are idiots.”

Talia seemed confused by what she meant. When she turned to her daughter, she saw the clenched fists and her tightened body. Inkshard, who had seen many adventurers come and go, grew somewhat attached to the group. They were the first people, apart from the higher ups in the kingdom and the Heroes who she could talk with on even ground.

She knew they were going to leave –

And most likely never return.

The harrowing reality for the far-from-mature priestess wasn’t something she could easily accept. It was the same for the Heroes, who were currently preparing to leave for Fairant first thing at sundown.

She didn’t want to be alone again.

“What’s wrong Inkshard?”

The soothing voice came from Exrite, who noticed the tears swelling by the corners of her eyes.

“Ah- I… no… I was just thinking about them, you know? The Heroes.” She desperately wiped the tears away as Talia swiftly approached her.

Before she could say anything else, warm hands suddenly wrapped themselves across her body as she fell into a motherly embrace. Every ounce of resistance left her the moment her mother’s sweet scent filled her with nothing but loving warmth.

“My, are you worried about them, dear?” She brushed her daughter’s hair.

“… yeah.” Inkshard’s voice was muffled and meek.

Talia soothingly hummed and smiled.

Exrite tapped Frosty’s head with a gloved hand as Khaos quickly stood from the couch. Within moments, they quickly began to move away from the mother and daughter.

“Sorry. We’ll leave you alone for now.” Exrite quietly spoke before leaving into the hallway with the two following close behind.

Not once did they look back, but Exrite couldn’t help but to feel envious at the sight of their embrace.

She wondered what it would feel like to be embraced by a mother.

With their disappearance, Talia softly spoke to Inkshard.

“Dear, have more faith in your friends.”

The cuddled Inkshard began to shiver as she dug her face deeply into her mother’s neck.

As an only child, and born in a family of priestesses, she was isolated from her peers since birth. Stuck within a gilded cage, she watched countless of people come and go. Attachment was rare, and only for her mother and a select few. But when it happened to someone else – they would inevitably disappear.

It wasn’t a curse. It was simply because she couldn’t leave her bounded role. She didn’t hate being a priestess.

She just… wanted company.

Her prideful façade crumbled to the warmth of her mother’s embrace. Her silent tremors slowly turned to muffled sobs and sniffles as Talia continued to comfort her only daughter.

"Let it all out. I’ll always be here for you, Inkshard.” She soothingly assured, as the young priestess finally wept.

* * *

Somewhere along the vast courtyard, a small group of knights circled around a darkened figure. From an outsider’s perspective, it looked like an arrest. However, the grey-armoured knights were merely curious of the woman’s origins and race.

It was the first time they had seen someone with such lusciously dark skin and impossibly pale hair while having a rather young-ish appearance.

“Could she be a demon?”

“Nonsense! What kind of crap are you trying to spout?”

“Aye, what if she’s an elf?”

“But they’re not that dark.”

“Then she’s a dark elf!”

Uru’s eyes finally opened as she smiled to one of the knight’s guess.

Earlier, she garnered a lot of attention for her umbral dark skin tone, which immediately brought some to inadvertently call her a demon. However, upon a closer inspection, she had normal eyes and a human-like figure.

As more knights drew in to get a closer look of the never seen before race, she grew wary that they would end up figuring out she was a demon.

And so, like the manipulative succubus she was – she asked them if they could guess her race. Depending on their answer, she could adopt that as her temporary racial identity.

She tapped the nose of the knight who had cried that she was a dark elf, easily charming him with unholy seduction.

Dark elf seemed to fit well with her. She knew of the race, but only in myths since they lived in the outskirts of the Depths. They were apparently a sub-race of the elves, who were characterised by brown or dark skin and pale hair.

However, she didn’t think they’d be as dark as herself.

But it seemed to work, and her natural charms only helped to facilitate the disguise.

“Wonderful. You easily figured it out. I wonder what I should give you in return.” Her voice was tantalising.

The man stared at the tip of Uru’s finger as he gulped. A bead of sweat dripped from his forehead, his eyes tracing the lines of the ‘dark elf’s’ luscious chest.

His resistance to her charms made her chuckle as she cut her eyes aside, seeing a familiar face in the distance. Immediately, the man regained his composure as he leaned over on his knees, taking deep breaths.

“Cold feet aye? Realised that she’s too big of a catch for ya?” A shorter knight laughed at him and slapped his back.

“Y-yeah.” He choked and wondered what that sudden urge of lust was.

Uru broke away from the knights and approached the oncoming figures. Seeing that they had finally understood the woman’s origins, the knights parted and resumed their duties. Some continued to gaze off at her, as well as the nearing party of three.

“You took your time. But I suppose it’s the price of perfection.” Uru licked her lips as she came to a stop. “It looks good on you, Exrite.”

The armour Exrite donned was immaculate, and it perfectly complemented her majestic being. She smiled in response to Uru, while Frosty tiredly looked at her.

“Thanks, but it’s kind of tight and clunky. I’d rather something a bit looser.” Exrite complained, knocking on her plated chest.

“What happened to you and the knights?” Frosty asked with little energy and folded arms.

Uru hummed, “Were you worried, Frosty?”

“Huh? I’d be an idiot to worry about you.” She immediately retorted. “So, what happened over there?”

The demon pressed her lips with a finger and hummed.

“I was just squeezing some information out of them. I’m quite impressed that they knew of the dark elves.”

Exrite tilted her head slightly and inspected Uru from head to toe. She didn’t know exactly what a dark elf was, but if Uru wanted her guise to be complete, she only needed one more thing.

She brought a hand close to the side of her head, “Don’t forget the ears.”

“My hair should cover it. Besides, an illusion can take care of this quite easily.” She slowly joined them, taking Exrite’s side as she quietly hummed to herself.

Frosty didn’t dare to break her line of sight from the demon. Even if she was a part of their mission, she still couldn’t trust someone as murderous and manipulative as her.

With a sigh, she could only hope that Exrite’s call wouldn’t come back to bite her.

They began traversing the plains at a mild pace. The scenery surrounding them was as mesmerising as they remembered, apart from the charred circle of grass Amy left.

Khaos found himself devouring the sweet air, immersed by its lovely perfume. Even Frosty was awed by clumps of flowers that lay scattered across the field.

“How nice.” Exrite softly muttered, her eyes mellowing to the sight.

Her admiration was discretely towards a gardener, who took pride in their work and held a cherished smile. It was lovely – to see someone wholeheartedly smile without a care in the world.

She knew of her own flaws but insisted to keep moving forward with sheer Will and a hint of recklessness. It was a shame that her Eye made it impossible to leave the past behind. And for that, she knew that mere Will could do nothing to prevent her inevitable madness.

Delving deeper into the rabbit hole, she saw a future where she may never smile again. It was ridiculing – but that was reality.

Even so, she couldn’t help but to smile in the face of that.

Not at herself.

Not at the future.

But at despair.

For no matter how hopeless it seemed, she didn’t waver.

“What do you think, Exrite?” Khaos suddenly asked, jolting her out from the trance.

Blankly blinking, a surge of chatter and festive noises battered her ears as an array of colours flooded her vision. Reality morphed around her all of a sudden as she stared around with a confused face.

“… about what?”

“You. What will Acacia say when she sees you?” Frosty gave her a peculiar look.

Exrite looked down at herself and pondered. Despite Acacia being under the direct control of the Commanders, she refused to reveal the truth of her body. Instead, she came up with a rather simple solution.

“I’ll just say I’m my sister.”

“And Uru?” Khaos patiently asked as he dodged a few oncoming people.

“A dark elf.” The charcoaled woman answered.

They garnered many stares on their journey through the widened road. Some in awe to the female white knight, who donned a strange variant of the armour. Many others however, curiously wondered as to who the dark woman was.

The elves in particular had the strangest response. They hid their faces, or avoided eye contact at all costs, particularly the pure-blooded elves. However, the shorter ones were more fascinated by her and would stare in awe at the woman’s majestic beauty.

These were of course Elmen, who were a race almost exclusively found in Colight and in some parts of Vevillen. As their name suggested – they were half elf and half human.

Only Uru noticed this clear distinction as they calmly walked through the littered streets. As a demon who had personally passed through Vevillen, she wondered if any of them had been alive long enough to recognise her.

The thought whetted her appetite.

* * *

Arriving at the colourful entrance of the little flower shop, Exrite quietly hummed at the sight of the gorgeous potted plants. They made mental preparations before setting foot into the store, with Frosty giving Uru a stern reminder to keep her act together.

When they entered, a burst of delectable scents bombarded their nasals. There were more plants in the shop this time, with newer shelves filled to the brim with bizarre flowers.

Uru uttered “cute” at the sight of a squishy, soft-toothed plant – which desperately tried to nibble on the petals of a nearby flower. She recognised the plant species and wondered if it was tameable.

Seeing the wonderful gazes of the group, a puff of pale smoke left the woman’s lips. She gently tapped the air with the glowing pipe and delightfully hummed at the dark woman.

“Interested in that one? That’s a Jeymawer. Perfectly tamed, and imperfectly fertilised. It can’t harm a single soul with those soft teeth.” Acacia spoke with a fine, lucrative voice.

She passively sat behind the counter, resting her head on a gentle fist. Her dark brown eyes were calculating, noticing the familiar duo behind what she thought was a white knight at first glance.

But the armour was different, and for one to be traveling with the Frostbitten and now a bizarre woman – she must’ve been acquainted with them in some way.

“Oh? Back already? Your group seems to be a bit different now.” She tilted her head as they approach the counter. “Did something happen to Exrite?”

“He’s with the priestesses.” Frosty claimed.

“That’s a shame. I was hoping I could guilt trip him again.” She joked, twirling the pipe in circles. “Although a monster like that probably can’t feel remorse or guilt.”

“… it depends.” Exrite answered, tapping Uru’s stomach.

Her words lingered with her for a moment. Exrite certainly felt guilty for nearly killing her at the time, but in that moment, it seemed like it was the perfect option. Because of her stealthy assassination, and the timing of her attack with the bandits, it was easy to conclude that she was undoubtably an enemy.

At least that was how Exrite saw things. Whether it was skewed or righteous didn’t matter to her – it was her perception. And if it was wrong, then someone could tell her otherwise.

She ended up warmly smiling upon remembering the desperate cries of the Heroes.

“And you’re a new face. Have any idea what you’ve gotten yourself into?” Acacia wore a smug smile as Uru rummaged through her cloak.

“Yeah. I know everything about these guys. You don’t need to hint it at all.” Exrite kept an eye on the busy Uru, unaware of Acacia’s inspecting eyes falling onto her.

“Hmm. That face is kind of familiar. Have we met before?”

A sudden chill ran down her spine.

“Y-you’re mistaken. I mean, I might look a bit like my brother, but that’s besides the point – we brought back the limeite you requested.”

“Ah! So that’s what it was. You’re his sister, hmm? Yeah, I can see that resemblance.” She lifted her face from the supporting fist and beamed with a satisfied smile. “And a white knight no less. Monsters really thrive on the same blood.

A bead of sweat thankfully disappeared as Exrite quietly dropped her shoulder in relief. She had managed to convince her for now, but she was still curious as to what she meant by“have we met before?”

It didn’t sit right with her, and she could only hope that it didn’t mean anything significant.

Frosty this time around wasn’t glaring at Acacia, but instead, held a friendlier face. After dealing with Uru, it seemed like trying to trust a money-centred woman was the least of her concerns.

Uru presented a large chunk of limeite. The size was impractically large, and as she dropped it onto the counter in front of Acacia –

“PFFFF- ACK *COUGH* W-Where the fuck did you get this from!?” She suddenly entered a fit of coughs, the inhaled smoke seeping out with each pained word that left her trembling lips.

In all honesty, Exrite thought that the amount hauled was unsubstantial. But according to Acacia’s reaction, the chest-sized chunk was more than enough.

“The mountains- “

“But at this size!? How the fuck didn’t you not get caught carrying this thing around!?”

All eyes somehow fell onto Uru as she pridefully smiled, a hand patting her hollow abdomen through the vined cloth.

Such a large amount of limeite could set a person into perpetual wealth. Acacia failed to comprehend how they even found such a thing, when only thumb-sized snippets and ores were the biggest batches recorded.

The only reasonable, plausible explanation was that they somehow reached the bottom of the city, where every ounce of biomass was concentrated. Nothing else could explain the phenomenon – absolutely nothing.

Looking back at the group, she noticed their unceremonious faces and mockingly smiled at herself, uttering “You truly are monsters.”

“Does this finish our quest?” Khaos nonchalantly asked as he rubbed the back of his head.

“O-of course it does! In fact, you’ve gone above and beyond with this!” She cried, slamming both palms onto the counter as she stood erected with purpose. “Just… ah. Forget it. My clients will be more than pleased with this.”

There was a gentle smile on her face all of a sudden. Her eyes narrowed sincerely as she spoke.

“Thank you for this. Really, I didn’t expect you to bring back such an amazing chunk of limeite. Hey, how about I restock you with some equipment?” Acacia brought her hands to her hips and grinned.

“For another favour?” Khaos asked.

“Hah! I know what you’re thinking; this business isn’t run by goodwill or fair trades at all, but this is an exception. Consider this my goodwill, not as a bought-out supplier or a merchant – but as Acacia Floorah.”

She impressed them with her utmost sincerity. Only now, did Frosty smile at the woman as she held out a gloved hand towards her.

“If you insist, then I’ll be taking another one of those cloaks.”

“Absolutely. I hope I can rely on you again. Of course, I’ll be paying you handsomely for it, both before and after considering these results.” She sternly clutched Frosty’s hand.

Exrite wished she was in her normal body as she idly stood by, smiling at Acacia’s change in attitude towards them. As she looked down at her palms, the woman suddenly called her.

“I didn’t catch your name, Exrite’s sister.”

She looked up chuckled.

“Just call me Frost.”

“Well then Frost, tell your brother that I said, ‘thank you’. He’s more than welcome to come back here. Just don’t forget to rub in the fact that he broke my nose, shot a bolt into my stomach and tried to kill me.” She mischievously grinned.

Exrite forbid herself from wryly smiling and nodded.

“Your group is definitely weird. The Exrenity, two Frostbitten, a white knight and now… I think a dark elf. But honestly, I won’t be surprised if even a Maiden joined your party.”

Exrite immediately entered a fit of coughs as Uru quickly clamped her wrist. Without any warning, Exrite was tugged around with the demon towards the front door.

“My apologies, but we only arrived to deliver the limeite. Frosty, Khaos, we’ll meet back in the castle.” Uru spoke in Exrite’s stead, who was too busy trying to calm down at the close call.

“Yeah… “ Khaos was still dazed by Acacia’s ‘joke’.

“Uru wait!” Frosty dashed for the demon, a hand pressed firmly against her back. “I’m warning you – do not let Exrite go insane. The moment she fazes out, you do whatever it takes to bring her back. Got it?”

Her face was mere inches away from Uru’s. The demon bared her glistening, unsharpened teeth as her black eyes returned.

“Who do you think I am, Frosty? Such a thing won’t occur under my supervision of a Maid- “

Exrite immediately cupped Uru’s mouth for a brief moment as she cleared her throat. Uru stared at Frosty for a moment longer, the blacks of her eyes becoming white again.

A heated steam left her moist lips in a sigh.

“Trust is an issue for you, young Frostbitten. I hope you can get over it sooner or later.”

“Trust isn’t an issue at all. I can’t trust someone who tried to kill us- “

“I understand; however, no world works in such a way where only trust drives people together. The sooner you understand that, the better.” Uru spoke her last words before leading Exrite out the doorway.

“Sorry Frosty! Sorry Khaos! We’ll meet at the lounge!” Exrite cried and gently waved before disappearing into the blinding light outside.

Left alone in the mildly lit store, Frosty grit her teeth. With the black strands of hair covering her eyes, her fists tightened.

“… what could you possibly know about me, Uru?” She uttered in a silent whisper.

A whisper that was drowned by the choir of voices beyond the light.

* * *

The afternoon sun began its decent across the blue sky. Vibrant wisps of clouds did little to shield the lands from its dazzling warmth. Along the crowded main path, Exrite and Uru walked shoulder to shoulder, talking about various things.

Uru gladly answered many of her curious questions, seeing as Exrite was genuinely asking rather than trying to make small talk. She admired the tenacity and diligence of the girl who knew so little of the great world of Corozin.

“So dark elves come from the Depths, and normal ones are from Vevillen?” She asked. “Then what’s the difference between them?”

“I’m only aware of their magic and appearance being different. Their entire existence is a mystery. They’re darker, slightly shorter but bear more muscle and other strange growths. Where the elves excel in magic pertaining to nature, the dark elves are the harbingers of death. If any known race was closest to us, it’d be them.”

Her explanation caused Exrite to hum to herself in wonder.

“There’s so much duality in this world.” She nearly laughed. “You can’t tell who came first, can you?”

“Never. Even humans weren’t the first to inhabit this continent, neither us.”

“Really?” Exrite revealed her surprise with a high-pitched voice. “I’m not sure how much of that I can believe. Sorry Uru.”

“It’s fine. Humans love feeling special, so it’s only natural.” She gently brushed a hand against the girl’s luscious cheek, the calming ticking bringing her to a soft smile. “I hope that doesn’t hurt your pride.”

“No, I get what you mean. No matter how small we are, I guess we’re always trying to become something in our short lifespan.” Exrite shot a gaze to the starless sky and hummed. “It’s just that accepting it isn’t so easy for us.”

“Amusing for you to say that. Weren’t you the one who easily accepted the path of inevitable suffering?”

“I’m acknowledging it. I know it exists, and I know it could very well end me, but I’m not accepting that it’s absolute. The future is just as malleable as anyone else.”

“Don’t interchange fate with the future, Exrite. You’re naïve if you think you can escape from fate.” She sharply retorted.

But even at the face of the bleak reality, Exrite smiled and brought her gentle eyes onto Uru.

“Then watch me. Mark my words, Uru – so long as I’m Exrite, so long as I’m me, I won’t give in. If the future truly is set in stone, then I only need to break it apart – or step around it.” She spoke unwaveringly. “We live here in the present for the future. There’s no point in getting anxious of the road ahead.”

“Even if you can clearly see where that road leads you to?”

Exrite grinned. “It gives us a chance to prepare for it. Call me naïve. Call me an idiot, a moron, reckless or even insane – but the future is an illusion of the current present. It changes as we grow.”

The demon was left dumbfounded by resilience of the girl who spoke with terrifying certainty. If not even her experiences and knowledge of over a thousand years could sway her, then nothing could.

However – she didn’t dislike that at all. In fact, it was something she admired.

And something she deeply envied.

Unlike Exrite, she took the future as something foreseeable and therefore determined. It was her ultimate bias. But as humans who lived for only a century – their ambitions were large and unrealistic. However, they carried a significant weight. Perhaps it was because they opposed fate and the odds, that they were spectacularly different across the spectrum.

Uru pondered on this and found a thumb brushing against Exrite’s lips.

Perhaps it was natural that Exrite, a human, was made the Exrenity and the Maiden of Time. If no one else could stand to fate, then she undoubtably would.

A Maiden to challenge Six Point.

An Exrenity to fight the insanity and protect the Children of Balance.

But most importantly – a human who sought for a place to call home, and a reason as to why she was given the Heart of Time which began turning the gears of fate.

“I hope you know what you’re doing.” Uru removed her hand and stared ahead.

“Yeah… same here.” She hummed and stared into the sky once again.

The professor came to mind once again. Even if the stars had bleak fates, they had an array to chose from. There’s no one single future, but many that unfold as time progresses. Unlike stars however – Exrite had a Will of her own.

And friends to help her out.

* * *

As they made their way through the cluttered roads towards the castle, a single figure caught their eye. It was a woman who looked incredibly familiar, although Exrite failed to jolt a memory of her.

She stood surrounded by children in front of a small store. They engaged playfully with the light-blue haired woman, who cheerfully smiled along with them.

Where have I seen her before?

She didn’t know and shrugged it off. But she kept it in mind.

Uru licked her lips as they came to pass the woman, who suddenly stared motionlessly at her with light-blue eyes. They were hollow, devoid of any life as her smile disappeared entirely. The surrounding children wondered what had happened to the once exuberant woman.

As they passed her, Uru met shoulder to shoulder with the woman, each sending side-long glances as time seemingly froze.

The woman uttered, “Betrayer.”, before they finally parted.

“Did you say something?” Exrite asked the grinning Uru.

“Nothing at all. I just thought I saw a familiar face.”

“You too?”

“Indeed. Although I wonder how her daughter’s fairing.” She bared her teeth through a mischievous smile.

The woman from earlier brushed the hair away from her eyes as she reverted to her cheery self. Engaging with the kids again, life seemingly returned to her empty eyes.

But in spite of that –

“Why are you crying miss?” A child asked.

She cleared her face of the tears and simply laughed.

“I had something in my eye.” She claimed.

“Ehh? Really?”

“Really.”

In Colight, there was a legend that ran through the cities, the towns and even the smallest villages across the Minor and Great Plains. A child-like spirit walked the lands alongside them – a spirt who appeared as an angel to some, and a demon to others.

When hope was given to some, despair was granted to others.

They called it – the Spirit of Balance.

And only recently, when the king had received the letter concerning the anomaly contacting Exrite from Enthile, the tale resurfaced. It became a fact to them, but only a legend in folklore across Colight.

The woman smiled at the gathered children and spoke.

“Who wants to hear a story? – a story of a mother and daughter who visited a small town in a distant land?”