An empty expanse, nothingness stretching as far as the eye can see. There was one point of familiarity though, a single bed colored of a silvery grey. Fairly small, Damien hadn't slept in this bed in some time, for it was his bed, from back when he was a child. Though sitting on that bed was the one person he wanted to talk to right now.
"Gramps!" shouted Damien as he sat up on his plain white bed before grabbing tightly on his head, "Ah! That hurts, shouldn't have done that."
Taking a look around, Damien guessed that he was in the infirmary Matilda referenced before he passed out. The pain in his head reminded Damien that he should probably stop doing that, it could not be good for his health.
Glancing outside, Damien noticed that there were only a few of those flying light eels, fairies, he remembered Krista calling them, around. Must be late then… or early, Damien still wasn't entirely sure how time worked here, but he did know he'd been out for a while.
The infirmary wasn't far from what Damien had come to expect having spent a month in Stellar. The same white curtains separating several beds meant for rest, staffs hung on the wall with etchings that looked like branches from a tree, and there was the skeleton of a human with a fish tail… Actually, the more Damien thought about it, that was not normal.
"Awake?" asked an annoying and overly familiar voice. Matilda Ornate, she was scribbling furiously on a small notebook as she briskly walked around Damien's prone body, "That was quite fast, I had expected you to stay asleep for a few days at least. I guess you've suffered from wilt or wither before."
"Professor Ornate, how long have I-"
"Matilda," she interrupted, "My husband prefers Professor Renate, Darjla prefers Headmaster, and Marylin goes by Moonflower, but I prefer to just go by Matilda. A pleasure to meet you Damien."
She had her arm outstretched for a handshake, so far the most curtesy she'd shown him, "Fine, Matilda then, ouch!" cried Damien as Matilda pulled his arm towards herself and took a bit of his blood.
"Honey Bear said I shouldn't draw people's blood while they are unconscious, well technically he said without their consent, but I think this is fair middle ground."
"Honestly, I should have known better. Krista and Amelia, where did those two run off to?"
Matilda had scampered off to a microscope to study the blood as she spoke, "Funny story there, actually, I had asked if I could study you for a bit in private, and Amelia, bless her, was willing to arrange something with me, but mean ol' Cousin Krista wouldn't have an of it. I was only barely able to get you away when my servants and her escorts restrained her. Something about her running out of time, because of her I had to let three of those servants go on medical leave."
"That sounds just like her," Damien thought with a smile, "You called Krista cousin. Are you related to her and Amelia by chance?"
"Mind you that I've only ever officially met with Krista once before, when she was only five, but my father was Krista's grandmother's brother, a duke, so I'm pretty well off… if that interest you?"
"What are you getting at?" Damien asked even though he could already tell that he wasn't going to like the answer.
"I want to be your teacher, your mentor, whatever you want to call it!" Matilda cried as she ran back to his side, "I saw it, a person with six affinities, and I can't let that go. Based on your test, you're still a novice at utilizing your affinities at best, but for my purposes that's the best! You're like a perfect putty that I can morph and shape and study- mentor."
"Let me just make something clear. You're offering to pay me… to teach me?"
"I'll pay, I'll beg, I'll- no I don't think I'd do that, Sugar Bear wouldn't appreciate it, but whatever you want, I can probably get it."
Damien considered exactly what Matilda was offering him, a second chance, and she didn't even know it. Ever since his failure to persuade New Dawn to mobilize their troops to give him aid in his crusade against Shining Twilight, Damien had been left at a bit of an impasse. With no way to return home for nearly a year, and only one lead about whereabouts of Shining Twilights operations, given to him by a man who ended up pissing themselves unconscious, caused Damien to all but fall into a depression. Had it not been for Krista incessant nagging, he'd probably still find himself in that huge, comfy bed.
Now an incredible opportunity had fallen into his lap. The resources of a daughter of a duke would serve his purposes well. All Damien had to do was accept her offer, and all he'd have to do is take Matilda on as his instructor…
"No, I don't think it's going to happen," Damien finally responded.
"Why not!" Matilda cried indignantly.
"Well, first of all, I already have a teacher. Second, you're crazy. Lastly, You have literally kidnapped me, honestly, the fact that I'm having a normal, at least as normal as it gets, conversation with such a blatant kidnapper says as much about me as it does you."
"I prefer insane, thank you."
"Yes, agreeing with me helps your case so much. Next, like I said before, I have business I need to attend to, and I'd prefer as few people as possible knew about my business as possible."
"Does that business have something to do with Journey and Shining Twilight?"
Those were names Damien was not expecting to hear, contrary to what he originally believed, Matilda knew far more than he thought, "Excuse me?"
"Just call it one of the perks of being wealthy and well respected. Not much that goes on behind castle walls doesn't at least reach my ears. It also helped that Amelia is the talkative sort."
"That girl," thought Damien, "Alright then, let's say I agree with your little terms. Definitively, what can you offer me?"
Matilda smiled with sick glee, "Not much, just a room, alone, with the head of Shining Twilight and his second in command."