Lyrica did not expect to reawaken, with a sword inches away from stabbing her. That was definitely not what she would describe as the terms of the contact. The armored knight twisted a second blade up as she dodged the first causing her to have to awkwardly roll away. The blade clanged against the stone floor. Lyrica quickly glanced around the chamber, it was definitely the same as she usually awoke in, right after forcing Brio to heal her. Where was Brio...

Ah. She could hear a voice behind her.

“... you can’t even kill the target properly? I know you have Lady Sioga’s patience, but you don’t have mine.”

A voice echoed back, “Well, excuse me High Defender. You sure aren’t helping.” 

“Helping with what? This whole assassination seems like a waste. If what she said about the target ending the world is real, then killing them makes sense. Though I’d rather take a person who doesn’t exist according to the world into custody to study.”

Lyrica slowly started to try and creep away while the two were speaking nonsense, making it to the door before she heard a blade swing in the air. She ducked, and then swore as a rune of force hit her in the abdomen, knocking her out into the hall. She recovered quickly and found both paths blocked, one by her Brother and the other by the knight.

“Demon, we have you surrounded. Surrender and your death will be swift. Lady Radiant Cysgod is a merciful one.”

Lyra scowled, “Lady Radiant Cysgod? Twins, is that what Leannan is making you call her?” She was regretting accepting whatever test she was being given if she was going to actually use that title.

“You dare speak the name of Lady Radiant Cysgod so frivolously you Demon?” The knight asked.

 “I’m more concerned she knew the name, Deidre.”

Lyrica glanced at the knight biting her lip. She turned to Brio, “Brother, what the fuck are you doing?”

“Brother? I think you have me confused with a member of your kind, Demon.” 

“Brioche Aria Protothea, that is your birth name is it not?”

“Lady Sioga warned us you would try and confuse and trick us, but I was mostly certain she was worried that you’d try to trick my cousin’s beloved Deidre.” 

“Beloved?” In her head the fragment of her Lara shrugged. Right, she needed to get her a body. After whatever this was got done.

“Yes, foul demon, I am the betrothed of Lady Lara. Does the love I harbor hurt you? Burn your uncaring heart with emotion outside of what a Demon can feel?”

Lyrica struggled to keep a composed face, this was too funny. But she needed to escape, obviously. She doubted dying was what Leannan wanted here. Best to play the role set up for her.  “Ah, is that so... Bloody Knight.”

“Do not call me that.”

“I can call you as I please, Deidre. After all, this world is another failure. And I will reset it even without the Tune Somnia.” Lyrica grinned.

“Silence!” Roared Deidre activating both of her sword and swinging them down. Lyrica grabbed her wrists and tapped both of the chambers and rolled away towards Brio who was still warning Deidre to stop and not act rashly. They exploded knocking Deidre into a wall and also knocking the wall to bits as well. The familiar runes of protection surrounded her, but it had still clearly effected her. Lyrica quickly sucker punched her brother in the crotch, before grabbing his inker and after a second of consideration smashed it against the floor leaking its toxic contents into the hallway. And then she began to run away.

She ran out into the party, which for some reason was still in full steam. Perhaps the terrorists hadn’t attacked this time. She quickly hid herself among the crowd and tried to stay calm. This was so annoying.

“Hey, I’ve never seen this cutie.” A voice behind her said slurring a little.

“Twins, how many drinks have you had Morsdea?”

“I didn’t know they were alcoholic, Faira. Hey, you... you’re cute. Kinda look like that asshole from the Empire though. And those clothes. Ughhhh.”

“My apologizes for my friend, she’s a little drunk. I’m Faira. This is Morsdea Doch.” She offered a hand shake which Lyrica reciprocated. 

“Lyrica. Lyrica Protothea.”

“So, why are you at the Dominus’s Party?”

Lyra started to answer and then stopped, she couldn’t very well say she was drug here by her brother because, well such things weren’t true. “Oh you know, on a whim like he does. Or rather you don’t know I’m guessing.”

“Really? I guess he does seem like the type to invite people on a whim.” Fairah said. “You see a red head around here? Yellow eyes? Sharp teeth?”

Lyra must have show some emotion as Mors took it as a yes, “Where did you see her?”

“H-hey, I didn’t say I saw- uh, is that her over there?” Lyrica pointed at a general direction, accidentally pointing to Deidre and Brio and... Zurah. Twins, what the fuck was her luck. She really hoped it was this world’s Zurah and not the cult leader.

Faira and Morsdea drug her over as Deidre and her glared at each other. Mors smiled, “Zurah! There you are. Ugh, and here are the joyless imperial drones.”

“Ah, thank you, Ruskalykan. You may hand the Timeless Demon over for it’s execution.” Brio stated. Okay seriously Leannan? Timeless Demon? This was getting harder and harder to take seriously.

“Demon? This cutie?” Mors pulled Lyriva’s cheeks. “Rather rude don’t you think.”

 “Hand her over, Morsdea Doch, we would rather not start an incident between our countries.”

Zurah leaned into Lyrica and smirked, “Interesting world this time, don’t you think Lyrica? Really, I think my goddess would enjoy the chaos the new Ci’sgo’tte has brought.” 

Oh, goodie. It was her Zurah. Great. Lyrica hated this even more.

“Oh come on now, how do you know Zurah?”

“I don’t.” She lies.

“How rude, and after all we’ve been through.”

“Been through? You mean trying to kill me?”

“I told you my love, I’d let you live if you’d just give up and join me in the-”

Faira swore, “Stop trying to recruit people into your cult, Zurah.”

“It’s not a cult. It’s a religion.”

Deidre grabbed Lyrica, “We are taking this one for execution. Unless you want to die as well stay out of it.” They drug her out into the hallways and into a room where Lyrica sat on the table despite being told to kneel.

“Any requests? And no, living is not acceptable.”

“Yeah, can Deidre kill me. I’d rather not die by the hands of a man.”

“Very well.”

Deidre stepped forward and raised both her blades, canisters still broken and slightly leaking. Lyrica bit her lip, there was no point keeping in her back pocket. She spoke a word, in a tongue indescribable. A hand emerged from her shadow and in the air drew runes at speeds that scared even Brio. The blades of Deidre turned to snakes causing her to drop them in fear. Lyrica, kicked the table at Brio and ran away out of the room and out of the party.

She made her way down the street and quickly picked her way through alleyways as she had so often done and made it to the edge of the city. From her left slid out Leannan.

Lyrica glared at her, “Oh good, it’s you.”

“Oh, calm down. I told you, this is a test.”

“What did you do?”

“I may have… used the hands of fate to have your parents killed early. The words they spoke were more me being bored.”

“I wasn’t born? Leannan, that’s- wait. Is that why I can’t remember this timeline?”

“I don’t know. Good job escaping by the way. Even with Zurah there.”

“She didn’t do anything.”

“Really? Weird. Anyways, I need you to play my villain. Really motivate your beloved Deidre and brother Brio.”

“Really? I thought you promised me some things.”

“If I defeat the other sides, you will. Besides, enemy to lovers is your favorite trope right?”

Lyrica groaned, “Timeless Demon though?”

“Yeah, cool right? So, for now get to the capital, and pretend to attack me in a few days. I’ll make sure you escape. After that, go fuck around like I’m sure you always do.”

“You’re lucky my other options aren’t on the table.”

“Zurah would welcome you immediately.”

“I like having some autonomy.”

“Yes, yes. Now get going. Got you a horse.

Lyrica groaned and started to mount the equine. “I might have to make you bleed to make it convincing.”

“I doubt you could do that now. My skin is quiet thick.”

Lyrica laughed a little, “If somehow we do this next time, get a better test.”

“If you prove loyal here, why would I need one?”