In the following few days back, Isabella had become increasingly...frustrated...
Even if I couldn't show her love directly, I could still be intimate with her. That part of me still worked, fortunately.
However...
There was the issue of Cassandra.
She was acutely aware of everything happening around their body and that made things awkward.
She wanted to switch in while Isabella and I were...having a romantic moment.
For a while, she kept trying to force the issue until I told her to stop.
I had to promise her another reward for allowing us to spend some time together.
She wanted me to hug her and stroke her hair...
Isabella would only tolerate so much, but reluctantly agreed.
This agreement, by the way, came after a lot of negotiating. This was due largely because Cassandra wanted the exact same treatment as Isabella. She was supposed to be my slave, but wanted me to show her the same kind of love as my wife.
It wasn't that I still held the torture against her, it was just that Cassandra wasn't my wife. And I didn't want to betray Isabella's trust. Not that it would be possible since they shared a body.
Regardless, I eventually convinced her to accept what I was willing to give her.
Truthfully, she was just happy that I paid attention to and trusted her.
We finally arrived at the port city and decided to turn in the request later. It was already dark and we needed to get to the Inn for dinner.
Once we had eaten, we headed over to our room. Before we laid down to sleep...
There was a knock at the door.
"I'll get it!" Cassandra said happily.
She walked over to the door and opened it.
Behind it was a familiar woman. She looked like a beautiful young lady with a teal-colored dress. Her hair and eyes were also the same color.
"Umm...you're not Isabella...are you?" Iris said.
I immediately jumped out of bed and looked at her.
"I'm Cassandra. Her twin sis-"
"IRIS!" Isabella shouted.
She grabbed Iris, pulled her into the room, and slammed the door shut.
"Hey!!! Not so rough! Wait...so it is you? Who was that other person?" Iris said.
"That's a long story..." Isabella said.
"Hmm...it looks like you have two souls in your body..." Iris said.
"Iris..." I began.
"Mizik! It's good to see you two again. Come here!"
We both walked over and she hugged us tightly.
"I'm so glad to see that you're alive! I love you both so much... I don't know if I could go on if I lost you both as well..." Iris said.
"It's a good thing you arrived. We need to get out of this world. It's awful here," I said.
"Right...Delvandal is infamous for being a chaotic shithole... This world is nuts. I even heard rumors of Novak being here..." Iris said.
"Yeah, we dealt with him a few days ago. He nearly killed me, but some guy named Kronos showed up and killed him instead," I explained.
"Kronos...? Huh...well, I'm glad that you're okay. Unfortunately, I can't take you to Excelsis right now. I'm already breaking the limits on who I'm allowed to have with me up there," Iris said.
"Wait...what do you mean?" I asked.
"Well, I currently have Carlos, Jallah, Rune, and Leiso. The situation is still very-"
"THEY'RE ALIVE!?" Isabella shouted joyfully.
"Y-yes...those four are alive. Johann also made it out okay. He was helping me look for you," Iris said with a weak smile.
"Are...you okay?" Isabella asked.
"Ah...I'm fine... I've already had plenty of time to cry my eyes out. I must have cried for weeks..."
"Have we been here for weeks? We traveled through the Firmament and have been here for a while, now... I can't tell at this point," Isabella said.
Iris looked strangely at us.
"Two things. First, you went through the Firmament and survived!? And secondly, you've been missing for over three months. Maybe longer than that from your standpoint! You know time moves differently across creation, right?" Iris said.
"Ehm...the Firmament was pretty terrifying... We felt like we were being crushed alive without the ability to use any magic at all..." Isabella said.
"Mhm, I had to hold onto Mizik for dear life the entire time! Not that I minded! He was so warm and comforting. Being so close to him was a dream come true!" Cassandra chimed in.
"Did...did your eyes just change...? Along with your personality?" Iris asked.
"No. I'm Cassandra. Isabella's twin sister. Some things happened and we share a body now."
"Twin sister...? Aren't you the one who tortured Mizik?" Iris asked quizically.
Cassandra's expression turned into one of depressed agony.
"I...really wish people wouldn't talk about that... I feel terrible... I..."
Cassandra dropped to her knees and started crying again.
"I'm the worst... I hurt my darling Mizik!!! I'm despicable!! Uwaaaaaa!!!"
"Umm...please calm down! I'm sorry for bringing it up, okay? Please stop crying!" Iris said.
Cassandra slowly stopped whimpering and stood up. Then she rushed over and hugged me tightly.
"I love my darling Mizik! I won't hurt him ever again!!!" Cassandra said.
"Wow, Mizik. You're quite the ladies man, aren't you?" Iris said.
"I'm not a ladies man!" I said angrily.
"Suuuure... First it was the Princess, then Leiso, then this...weird girl..."
"Hey! I'm not weird! I just really love Mizik!" Cassandra said as she rubbed her face on my chest.
I just stood there uncomfortably.
In the short time I had been around Cassandra, I learned that it was better to let her finish or she would cause a commotion...
"For the last time, he's my husband! He doesn't love you, Cassandra!" Isabella said.
"Mizik does love me!! Right, Mizik?" Cassandra said.
"I like you as a friend," I said bluntly.
"Haaaaah...Mizik said he likes me! I'm so happy!!!" Cassandra said as she squirmed in place.
Stop putting words in my mouth!
"That's not what he meant! And stop getting aroused! That affects me too, you know!?" Isabella said.
The two of them continued arguing as their eyes changed back and forth.
"This...seems like it could be a tad irritating..." Iris said.
"Like you wouldn't fucking believe..." I said.
Eventually, Isabella placed her hands on both sides of her head angrily.
"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!! I WANT MY PEACE BACK!!! STOP LOOKING THROUGH MY DIRTY MEMORIES OF MIZIK!!!" Isabella shouted angrily.
"Don't yell... I don't want to have to kill anyone else..." I said.
Iris looked very concerned at this point.
"What the hell happened to you two? Leiso gave me the full report, but none of this was included."
I sighed heavily and looked at the 'two' sisters arguing.
"SHUT UP! STOP FIGHTING, DAMMIT!!!" I shouted angrily.
At once, they ceased.
"Uwaaa...Mizik got angry at me... Bad Cassandra...bad..."
"I can't win here..." I said.
"Just be quiet for a moment, Cassandra!" Isabella said.
"Yes..."
I looked at Iris with cold and unfeeling eyes as I began explaining the events that occurred in her absence.
* * *
"So you were cursed by Difar? And you're broken as a result. At the same time, that Kyriel woman was actually Isabella's lost sister, Cassandra? And she fused her soul to Isabella's to deliver herself, Isabella, and also Vengeance to you as a peace offering because she's...madly in love with you and wanted to be free?" Iris said.
I nodded.
Then Iris glared at Cassandra.
"You... You killed Dante..." Iris said angrily.
Oh shit. I forgot something important, didn't I?
Cassandra slowly nodded.
"I was ordered to by Valtheim... It was a mercy that she wouldn't have given him... I also had no choice..." Cassandra said sadly.
She dropped to her knees and bowed her head to Iris.
"I'm sorry for killing one of your Enforcers..." She said.
"Dante wasn't just an Enforcer. He was my friend! You MURDERER!!!" Iris yelled angrily.
Cassandra kept her head bowed.
"I have committed many sins... I am a despicable and evil human being who deserves nothing but the cruelest and most terrible punishment. I deserve a slow and painful death for the horrible things I've done to everyone..." Cassandra said meekly.
Iris just looked down at her in contempt.
"You're lucky that you happen to be in Isabella's body. Otherwise I would-"
I stepped in front of Cassandra.
"Eh...? Mizik...?" Iris said.
"She might not be perfect, but she happens to belong to me at this point. Cassandra is a possession of mine. A slave. She's working to pay off her debt by serving me. She also happens to be a friend now. I intend to use her for killing Difar and since she owes me her life, she has no right to refuse," I said.
Iris sighed and shook her head.
"From what I know, not even souls escape from the Void. That means Kyriel killing Dante was probably...ugh...the best-case scenario... Aside from surviving, of course. It also means I should thank her...but I don't want to."
"I'm not asking you to forgive her, but can you at least tolerate her?" I asked.
"Fine. But I'm not going to make friends with her or anything. Anyway, back on subject. I want to see if I can do anything about these problems you two have right now. Let's start with your curse, Mizik."
I stepped forward and Iris placed a hand over my heart.
"That's a pretty severe curse. He placed a mark on your soul. Or rather burned an engraving inside it. I don't have the necessary power to remove this. I doubt anyone does. But I'll ask the goddess of purity who lives in Excelsis. If she can stop being so 'holier than thou', that is... Now onto Isabella..." Iris said.
"Can you please remove her? I want my peace back..." Isabella said desperately.
"I'll see what I can do..." Iris said as she placed a finger over Isabella's heart.
She paused for a moment and sighed.
"Not possible. Not even close," she said.
Isabella looked at her fearfully.
"Please don't give me that look... I'm sorry, okay? Her soul seems to be threaded into you perfectly around the broken parts of yours. I can't remove it without being able to break a soul tether and that isn't my area of expertise. Also, if you're curious, I checked her alignment. It's a habit... She is completely neutral and seems to be fully devoted to Mizik," Iris explained.
"That doesn't surprise me at all, but what's a soul tether?" I said.
"The thing that keeps your soul attached to your body. I can't remove someone's entire soul from their body. Only awaken its divine Aspects... Besides, even if I could remove her soul, I have nowhere to put it. I don't think she's ready to pass on, so she would just follow you around as a ghost."
"Noooo...I don't want to be like this forever! I want to be alone with Mizik again!" Isabella said while placing her hands on her head.
"Before removing her, she'll need a body of her own, right?" I said.
"Yes! I want a body of my own!" Cassandra said.
"Make it stop...I hate this!" Isabella cried.
"Calm down... I'm sure something can be done about getting her a body. One will have to be created. Until then, you'll just have to get used to it. Lesser gods that can use both creation and soul magic are an incredible rarity, but I'll start looking. On another note... It pains me to say this, but Cassandra can be of greater help to you than you realize," Iris said.
"I can help Mizik even more!? Please tell me! I want to make Mizik happy!!!" Cassandra said.
"Ugh... You have the same level of compatibility as these two. Probably because of that weird ability they both have. With a few quick adjustments, I can copy Isabella's power to you and force it to change into two Aspects for you. That way, you'll be even more useful to them."
"Won't that take years?" I asked.
"Normally, yes. But this is a unique scenario. It seems like the presence of Isabella's Ultra Aspects and the Blessing of the Creator have made an environment for the rapid manifestation of incredibly powerful Aspects. That much I can tell at a glance."
"But Iris, that might cause another explosion," Isabella said.
Iris shook her head.
"That power is already in you. We're basically just...flipping it over...or something... Is that simple enough?"
"That makes more sense to us humans..." Isabella said.
"That sounds like a lot of fun! It'll be so nice to be stronger for Mizik!"
"Well, in about...a few days to a month or two? She should have two Ultra Aspects. Trust me, you'll need them in this world. Delvandal is not a fun place to be..."
"What do you mean? You don't know how long it'll take?" I asked.
"Umm...I've never done this sort of thing before, Mizik. Like I said, this situation is unique... I can't tell how long it'll take, but I know it's still only a fraction of the time needed for a new Enforcer. In the meantime, you should try to stay occupied."
"What should we do then? While we're here, I mean... We can't just sit around and wait," I said.
"Hmm...do you know what a heart stone is?" Iris said as she placed a finger over Cassandra's heart.
She pulled out a silver thread and motioned for Isabella to switch over.
"No. What's a heart stone?" I asked.
"Delvandal is also well known for these things. The unique and extremely dense magical atmosphere creates an environment that charges the land itself. Many times causing magical crystals to form. Some of these crystals take on even greater properties. They are called: Heart Stones."
Iris pulled out another thread from Isabella and wove the two together. Then she condensed them and motioned for Cassandra to come back.
"How does something like that help me?" I asked.
"You can potentially find a way to increase your power by using them. Truthfully, that is probably your best solution to the Difar problem. I have things that I need to take care of, but I'll be in touch. Do me a favor and try not to end the world, okay? The other gods ruling here have definitely already noticed your presence. They're less than happy..." Iris said.
She gently placed the condensed threads into Cassandra's chest as she spoke.
"Yeah...we'll ask around about these heart stones too. And...can you tell everyone that we're alive?" I said.
Iris smiled weakly and nodded.
"Both me and Johann fought that monster, Cain Difar... He's not someone we can beat, so we have to increase your power, Mizik. He's your fight, isn't he?" She said.
I nodded slowly.
"I'll kill that bastard if it's the last thing I do. I won't let anyone take that satisfaction from me."
"Yeah. I want revenge too. But just try to contain yourself for now, okay?" Iris said.
"Fine..."
After that, Iris bowed her head and disappeared.
Cassandra approached me and leaned way too close to my face.
"Too close!" I said.
She didn't move.
"Are you proud of me!? I'm going to be so helpful! I'll protect you and fight for you as best as I can, Mizik!" Cassandra said.
"Uh...yeah. Sure. Good job," I said hesitantly.
She pulled back and squealed in excitement.
"Yes! I did it! Mizik is going to love me so much!" Cassandra said.
"Will you please stop that?" Isabella said.
For crying out loud...
"Don't start. For the love of Iris, don't start fighting again..." I said.
At once, they both calmed down.
"Cassandra, Isabella is my wife and I'm faithful to her. You might share her body, but you're not Isabella," I said.
"I'll still keep trying! I won't lose to her! It just means I have to work extra hard!"
This girl is tiring me out. I don't have the energy to put up with her advances... Not anymore, anyway... Damn this curse...
I just sighed and laid down on the bed.
Isabella approached and gently laid her head next to mine, then wrapped her arms around me.
"Thank you, Mizik. I'm sorry if we keep bothering you..." She said.
"It's not you. Actually, it isn't specifically her, either. It's the constant arguing. You can't convince her to stop and I don't have the energy to explain it over and over," I said.
"The curse...right?"
I nodded.
"Do me a favor and stop arguing with her. And Cassandra, you stop arguing with Isabella. Try to get along. If you're going to be like this for a while, you might as well learn to live with it."
"Isabella and I will be best friends! It's been a long time since we got along really well, though. Can we be best friends again, sister?" Cassandra said.
"As long as you stop... I mean...sure... Let's try to get along. Not just for us, but for Mizik," Isabella said.
"For Mizik!" Cassandra said.
After that, Isabella hugged me tightly and we both fell asleep.