The woman’s name was Alicia. She was the same age as Will and Velle and was struggling as they had been with Daego’s curse. Velle’s comforting touch that had broken up her forming crystal had bought Will some time. Alicia was describing how she had slowly started to feel more and more hopeless because she felt like she hadn’t made progress. Velle nodded, she understood the feeling well. “What do you do when you haven’t seen yourself make progress in a while?” She asked.

                Velle shrugged. “When I was younger, I’d just focus on something small- some kind of minor thing I knew would help me. Progress isn’t necessarily moving forward, sometimes progress is just not moving backwards.” She didn’t really know how to answer.

                Will offered an out for both. “Velle just came back after a three-year hiatus in which she couldn’t really make progress. She’s in a similar place to you right now, that’s part of why I invited her here.” He spoke quietly.

                Velle looked across where the other group had been. She could see the crystal about to finish forming and she looked at Will with a look of warning. She looked back at Alicia. She had to decide imminently. She swiveled her head around and spotted two other Daegos with massive power crystals moving towards the building at great speed. She exhaled slowly and intentionally. “I’m sorry to cut this short, but in thirteen seconds the other critical case in this building is going to transform into a Daego. Additionally, I can detect that there are two others from outside this facility headed here right now. They’re all going to move straight to me.”

                The other two looked at Velle after her sudden pronouncement with a mix of confusion and sudden fear. “Wait, so we’re trapped?” Asked Alicia.

                Velle shook her head. “Will can use the ambient magic circles around arranged for defense to go protect others, however, I don’t know how fast you can move so it’s likely safer for you to simply sit there and I will protect you.”

                Will gave her an angry glare. “You say that as if I can’t help you protect her here.” He came across as annoyed at the suggestion.

                Velle was unmoved. “You have four seconds. Either go protect the others or don’t, it’s not my fault if someone I can’t reach from here is hurt.”

                Will started to protest when they heard the scream from through the wall as the transformation began. There was no longer time for conversation, in the sudden rush of adrenaline time once against slowed down, he could still feel the pulsing rumbles from the two outside Daegos coming straight for Velle. He hated it when she was right about anything. As much as he could think circles around her, her ability to take decisive action was still faster than his. He stood up and ran out of the room. Velle turned to Alicia. “What you’re about to see will look strange to you, but I ask that you trust me about this.”

                She nodded, tears starting to form in her eyes. In that moment the wall burst open as the Daego next to them tried to swipe at Velle. Alicia had no ability to see time slower, but if she could, she would have seen Velle suddenly launch into action, her hand once again sheathed in a blade of magic severing the hand that would have otherwise hurt them both. In the same moment a massive black wing sprung forth from Velle and deflected the hand off to the side, her free hand now grasped the shortened limb and pulled the Daego in one swift motion across her body, cutting where its crystal sat in one swift move destroying it.

                A second wing prevented a second wave of building material from hitting Alicia as the two other Daego’s crashed through the wall behind them. Velle enhanced her own strength again and punched the first one back where it came from, a sudden row of rising dust where it skidded across the ground. The second one was dispatched with ease as it was off balance from dodging its fellow. The last one stood up just in time for a ice-lance to embed itself straight through its body shattering its crystal. A fight that would have taken a team of mages a few minutes took Velle under one.

                As soon as the chaos had erupted it was over, and Velle sat back down in her seat calmly next to Alicia. She made a short exhale as if she had just done a light exercise. Alicia stared at her. “How did you do all of that?” She sounded curious.

                Velle shrugged. “I took the cores out and crushed them. It’s the fastest and safest way to make sure they can’t function anymore.” She spoke in a placid tone.

                Alicia smiled. “That’s so cool! We should hang out when I get out of here, I’d love to hear about your adventures.” She had excitement in her voice.

                Velle made a face. “Well, like I said. There’s not adventure- I spent 3 years in the void and came back like this.” She gestured vaguely to herself.

                Alicia didn’t seem to mind, and the two talked about what they would want to do in the future when Will arrived with some medical personnel to check on Alicia and the others. They found that the individuals who had evacuated from the other side of the two rooms had made it out just in time before they had been attacked and had only a couple minor bruises. Velle and Alicia on the other hand were fully unscathed despite the trio of daego bodies half-crashed through the walls around them. They were conversing as if nothing had ever happened, and it confused everyone except Will who simply sighed and waved the others off them.

                During the interim Alicia had resolved to ask if she could go to a local nature preserve with Velle for a hike so they could both get out and go for a walk. Alicia asked Will about it and he said he’d check if he could get a waiver approved for her. Normally one wasn’t supposed to get out of the facility until treatment had resolved, but he’d see if there could be an exception made. With that settled, they said their goodbyes and Velle made her way back to the circle to at least maintain the appearance of using transportation correctly.