Finally, the twins chose a pastry, with Midori choosing a mushroom-filled bread and Duncan choosing a croissant. Mavislin chose a big raisin danish and began to eat it. Suddenly, Midori started crying out of nowhere while still holding onto the bread.
Duncan and Mavislin stared at the little girl with puzzlement. Mordred stood by the side and tried to reach out to the poor girl to comfort her but realized it was only a dream. The Valkyrie quickly pulled the crying girl into her embrace and rocked the child back and forth.
"It's alright now... You can cry all you want but don't eat and cry at the same time, alright? There, there... Let it all out now. No one is going to hurt you anymore while I'm around. It's the first time you've cried ever since a long time ago, so cherish this feeling."
"Because you never know how powerful it is to have emotions within you. Come on now, let's continue eating," said the Valkyrie, wiping the snot and tears away from the child using a napkin.
Midori nodded and smiled as her brother forced a little grin when looking at his sister being so happy with the food. Mordred knew why Midori loved and respected that Valkyrie so much. Mavislin didn't care if they were emotionless or children who couldn't feed themselves.
The Valkyrie treated those twins born out of darkness and suffering like her childhood friends. The three of them looked so happy while wolfing down on those pieces of bread. Then, the ground broke underneath the Knight on the spur of the moment, and she plunged downwards.
Mordred was now freefalling into a bright area while flashes of pictures danced around her. All the images were of Midori and Mavislin spending time together and the child meeting more friends. The montage consisted of the days after the rescue and the experimental days.
Lastly, Mordred landed on a rocky floor. The skies were amber while the whole place looked barren. Midori appeared in front of the Knight of Rebellion and walked closer to Mordred.
"So, that's why I respect Lady Roydon and my background. Now I'll ask you, are you okay with working with me after seeing all that?" asked Midori.
"Of course! I am happy to work with you, but could you tell me one thing about Mavislin?"
"What would that be about?"
"Why would she accept you or me? For what reason? Is it out of pity or..."
"I think you knew the answer, but you refused to believe it. It's the same denial that you've questioned yourself countless times on why you rebelled against your King. But if you must know, Lady Roydon took us in because it was part of her work."
"She didn't want us to die after many had already perished. Lady Roydon lost her home and knew how lonely it was to be the last one alive, so she made a point to save all the victims first before fighting the enemy. The one thing she told us was that she hated seeing children suffer."
"That's why she saved us. Lady Roydon determined to save us all from the horrors of those chambers by hook or crook," answered Midori, with a small smile.
"You're right... I have been in denial on why I followed the King so blindly and cluelessly."
Midori woke up to the same bed filled with toys in the Valkyrie's room with that last thought. The child looked lost as she scanned around the room. Soon, the Old Chapel dropped a white fox plushy into her lap to ensure the child was safe from any harm.
Back to the afternoon lesson of the rest of the kids, Rina was ready to continue to test the kids on their offense and defense. They were starting with the Flower Mage's favorite child, Nasima. Mavislin and Ashley were standing by to watch the duel unfold.
"Nasima, let's do something different from the rest, shall we? After you unleash the most offensive Elemental Spell towards me, I want you to continue attacking me as if I were your enemy. I want to see how you perform in agility and combat," explained Rina.
The timid child was afraid to face the Butterfly Girl after seeing Rina in action, but Circe coaxed her to do it. Nasima took her place in front of the Flower Mage and inhaled deeply. The child's Elemental Aura started to flare in grey as Nasima closed her eyes and concentrated.
Nasima woke up in a world like the rest of her group mates. Circe had doors while Amani had cards. Midori had a world filled with blades that could come when the child demanded it to pop out. Nasima was in a place that looked like a giant black and white chessboard.