The halls of the Restricted Sanctum were quiet and eerily calm. The foreboding darkness seemed to have diminished since the fight in the bright chamber. Saya and Aria gazed in awe as the cloud that once swallowed them had retreated, leaving only a standing mist to lay at their feet. As they made their way, the group speculated as to why the malevolent presence had weakened. One speculated it was the result of Denarius’s death, another Elesa’s awakening, or perhaps even a combination of the two. Regardless of the reason the walk back was far more pleasant for it, although perhaps the glee from their victory would have neutralized its dour effects all the same.

Penelope and Elise shared sweet nothings as they led the pack, the former causing the latter to blush time and again with compliments and adoration. Elise’s heart fluttered with euphoria, the shackles of her form at long last released. Risia in turn was met with far more uncertainty, a deep seeded repulsion filling her. Perhaps she felt so on edge because of some unsettling feeling deep within, one she refused to voice or acknowledge, despite Lillia’s ample attempts to get her to open up and talk with her. Elise looked back to her with concern every so often, further causing the former priestess’s anxiety to continue to build.

“What?” Risia finally said.

“Sorry,” Elise frowned. “I…” she took a deep breath. “Perhaps this will sound strange, but I’m worried about you.”

“You, worried about me?” Risia pouted, “How about you mind your own business witch.”

“Hey, you’re a witch now too,” Penelope scolded her. Risia cringed at the reminder.

“Penelope,” Elise frowned.

“S-sorry,” Penelope apologized. “I just…”

“I understand,” Elise smiled. “I appreciate it, but I don’t want to antagonize her.”

“Yeah, sorry. You’re right,” Penelope nodded.

“It’s okay Risia,” Lillia said to her. “I know that you said that you had a bad history with witches, but we’ll show you, they’re not all bad.”

“I don’t get it,” Risia grumbled.

“Huh?”

“I said I don’t get it!” Risia snapped. “Why are you treating me like this.”

“Well, uh…”

“Because you don’t deserve to be alone… not with them,” Elise said sullenly. “Even after all you put me through, you still don’t deserve that. No one deserves what happened to me.” Risia began to say something, but she bit her tongue and simply nodded. She feuded with the frustrating feelings filling her and clenched her fist. She tried to suppress herself, but her frown betrayed the sense of anxiety that had taken hold of her. She tried to hide her thoughts in the voiceless halls, but could not avoid the concerned gaze of the older witches behind her.

“It’s strange,” Elesa sighed.

“What is dear?” Relia asked.

“Risia, she… she took a great deal of pleasure in torturing Elise and I,” Elesa frowned. “Whenever I was conscious of what was happening, I recall being filled with anger and rage when I saw that malicious grin on her face. But now… I can’t even muster even a quarter of that animosity any longer.”

“You don’t have to say any more. I understand,” Relia chuckled. “Perhaps it’s pity, or maybe it’s a wayward sense of optimism, but I want to show her that things can be better. That all of that hatred was wrong. That what the church told her was nothing but lies.”

“Yeah,” Elesa nodded.

“You two really are incredible, aren’t you,” Aria chuckled. “I don’t think I could forgive someone like that. Not if they hurt Saya like that,” she chuckled and shook her head. “No, not think. I know I couldn’t. After all, I’ll never be able to forgive Zerto for what he did to Saya and everyone else,” she looked towards Saya who smiled and nodded.

“I do not think I will ever forgive him either. Especially if what Denarius said is true,” Saya frowned.

“Denarius?” Lillia said questioningly, the others looking to Saya with uncertainty. “What did he say exactly?”

“He said we were mistakes,” Saya frowned. “That Zerto did not know that we could become witches thanks to mother’s blood. If that is true, then that means that he… he chose to do this to us, because we were not what he desired. After all the pain he caused mom and Relia, he decided to run from the truth and hide who we are, no matter how it hurt us,” her voice began to shake with anger and sadness.

“Saya,” Elesa frowned. “That man, he…”

“Saya!” A cute voice called out to them, halting their conversation. Before any of them had realized it, they were back at the main chamber below the cathedral. Elise quietly cringed as she saw the remains of the dreadful armor that imprisoned her laying in pieces upon the ground. The others turned to face the cute voice, Iris eagerly running towards them. She slowed down as she beheld a certain familiar face. “Mom,” her voice fell to a whisper. She looked at the others, noticing a few unfamiliar faces, although with a moment one was more familiar than she thought. “You… you’re…” she began to tear up. “ELISE!” she ran into the arms of her older sister.

“You’re…” Elise fell speechless as the small woman cried into her chest. A gentle smile crossed her face as she began to realize who the girl was. When they parted ways, she was still so young, and even here within these walls, she had heard the rumors of how her sibling had been rejected and become cruel and cynical over the years. But the girl in her arms resembled none of that. Instead, her smile was far more childlike, one she could vividly remember running through the halls back then. “Iris,” she hugged her sister close.

“We’re free,” Iris sobbed. “We’re finally free.”

“We are,” Elise giggled, ruffling Iris’s hair a little as she placed her cheek on the short girl’s forehead she eyed her mother who gave a joyous smile upon the girls before drawing them both into a hug. As she held them, she glanced towards Saya, giving a small shake of her head, encouraging her to join in. The four hugged.

“We’re all here,” Elesa’s warmth caressed the girls, a sense of relief coursing through them all, each beginning to cry. “We’re all finally free and together.” The others looked on with smiles, even Risia’s face cracking with a gentle grin. All save one who huffed and added herself into the group.

“Don’t forget me,” Lillia protested, surprising the four, before they all began to giggle and laugh. “It was so lonely being apart from each other,” Lillia admitted. “I’m glad we’re finally all together. It’s been too long.”

“It really has,” another bouncy voice agreed. The group looking to the smiling pink haired buna.

“Honey!” Elesa and Relia said with shock and excitement respectively. The two prepared to run and hug her as well when the buna held up her hand.

“We’ll have plenty of time for hugs and catching up later,” she giggled. “But for now, we have to hurry. Things seem to be calming down outside, so we best make our escape while we can.”

“I… I had not thought of that,” Saya whimpered. “How do we get out of here?”

“Follow me,” she waved them along. Iris nodded and helped direct them, sharing a gleeful smile with Honey. “While you were all off saving those two… three?” She corrected herself. Lillia attempted to explain only for Honey to shake her head. “You’ll have time to explain later. But while you were dealing with that, Iris, Reginald and I went to secure our escape route. He’s waiting up ahead with a carriage for us.”

“Will that be enough?” Aria asked.

“I would imagine so,” Nerivi nodded. “Things were quite hectic outside when Relia and I made our way in. A bunch of demons and priests were fighting the paladins in the streets.”

“That was still true until a bit ago,” Honey commented. “But things have changed.”

“Changed how?” Nerivi questioned.

“I don’t know what exactly happened, but all the demons seemed to suddenly come to their senses and abandoned the priests,” Honey explained. “It seemed like the spell they were under was suddenly broken. That was about the time Iris and I went to find you all.”

“The demons were freed?” Saya repeated. “But how is that possible?”

“I’m not sure,” Iris frowned. “But it seems like the contract that Ilo’s device created was broken.”

Penelope looked to Risia with concern. “You were the closest to Denarius. Do you know anything about it?”

Risia sighed. “Father Denarius,” she frowned, “he tended to keep stuff like that to himself. Although I believe I heard him mention a talisman of some sort he had to hold onto to keep them at bay.”

“You mean that black gem thing?” Aria asked. “But wait, I thought that was a witchbane.”

“I can’t say for certain without seeing it myself,” Iris brought her hand to her mouth in contemplation. “But he may have combined the two. A lot of nobles tend to magically fuse such objects together so they don’t have to carry around so many of them.”

“Whatever the case,” Honey interrupted them, “the demons have fled the city, and the paladins are currently apprehending the priests. It won’t be long before the paladins come back to the cathedral to find anyone hiding out here. So, we need to leave as quickly as we can.”

* * *

The group emerged at a sizable loading dock, Reginald hitching a second horse to the carriage as they approached. “Reginald!” Penelope called to the paladin. The man looked up and waved to her. “Come on Elise,” she giggled as she dragged the princess with her.

“Elise?” Reginald gawked at the girl blushing under his gaze. “You mean this is…?”

“H-hi…” Elise nervously played at her hair hoping her friend would react well to seeing her.

“W-wow,” Reginald scratched at his cheek. “You, uh… You look great,” Elise looked away, a shy smile taking her face. “Yeah,” he chuckled looking her over. “This suits you a lot more than that stuffy armor, yeah?”

“Right?” Penelope laughed. “She’s so much cuter and happier and, and… look at how big her smile is, and how cute her blush is, and…”

“Alright, alright. I get it,” Reginald laughed. “She looks great. Now slow down and breath ya little love bird.” He grinned, his friends smiling back. “Seriously, Elise. I’m glad you’re finally with us. For real this time.”

“Thanks, Regi,” Elise smiled. “It means a lot.”

“Hurry up and get in you three,” Nerivi instructed them into the carriage. “Reginald, you’re with me. They won’t be as suspicious if one of their fellows is with me.”

“Right!” Reginald nodded as he climbed into the driver seat. Elise and Penelope swiftly filed into the carriage, prompting Nerivi to snap the reins, driving the horses on and leaving the cathedral behind them at last.

Within the carriage the group finally caught a moment to relax, once more resuming their tearful reunions, giggles and smiles filling the cramped space. Risia hid in the corner, uncertain of what to do, watching the group joyfully talk amongst themselves.

“You going to be okay?” a woman’s voice asked her. She turned, the blue haired witch that defeated her frowning at her.

“What do you care?”

“Don’t be like that,” Relia frowned. “We may as well get along since we’re stuck together now.”

“Pah,” Risia grunted. “Yeah right. Just drop me off somewhere. I’ll figure out what to do on my own. I had to back when I was a kid.”

“No.” Relia rejected her immediately, shocking her. “You’re not some normal human anymore. Like it or not, you’re a witch now,” Risia cringed at that statement. “And we take care of our own,” Relia gently held Risia’s hand in her own, surprising her. “We’re all we have in this world. For better or worse, we’re all together now,” she smiled gently.

“But I…”

“She’s right,” Elesa nodded, hugging up close to Relia and smiling at her before looking back to Risia. “No matter what led us to this point, you’re still a new witch. You don’t know how to control those powers, and you need our help.”

“No, I don’t,” Risia snapped. “I don’t need…” she flinched as she felt mana well into her hand, a small twister forming in her grasp. She closed her hand and shook her head. “I’m not like you. I’m not letting this power rule me. I…”

“Risia,” Elesa gave her a stern look. “If you continue to act like this, your magic will go out of control. You’re a witch. Your magic is tied to your emotions. Burying them and repressing yourself is only going to hurt you. It might even kill you,” Elesa’s voice began to soften. “So, please. Let us help you.”

“I…” Risia’s voice trembled.

“I know what happened to you. I know what you had to go through to get out of that place and get into the cathedral,” Elesa explained, Risia looking to her with shock and horror on her face. “It’s going to be okay. We aren’t what you think we are. We’re not like the priests. You’ll be safe with us.”

“What the hell is this?” Risia’s voice finally collapsed with sadness. “Why? Is this some kind of joke? You of all people are being kind to me? After everything that happened? After all the hell I had to go through? It’s not fair!”

“It’s not fair, you’re right,” Elise said, stroking her hair. “But I promise you it’ll be alright.”

“I… I…” Risia whimpered.

“What’s that all about?” Honey asked.

“We kinda missed what happened too,” Aria frowned.

“Yeah, and I don’t know anything about what happened with any of you,” Iris pouted.

“I guess we should all trade notes then,” Lillia laughed.

“Yes, I…” Saya began to agree.

“Hey, everyone!” Nerivi’s muffled voice sounded from the front. “We’re going to be leaving the city soon. Where should we be heading?”

“Oh yes, about that,” Saya looked to the others, all with an uncertain look on their face. All save two. Relia nodded at her as Aria held her hand and smiled. “Reginald, do you know where the town of Remnis is?”