The heart-wrenching wails of a young girl echoed through the laboratory. Grief-stricken, Petula hung her head, her grip tightening around her elbow as the Florian's voice began to break. Tennyson's fists trembled at his sides, his heart sinking under the crushing weight of guilt.
Reeza clung desperately to the side of the pedestal used as an operating table, her legs buckling beneath her. Harsh tears streamed down her face as she gazed at her mother's still form. No matter how intensely she willed it to be false, nothing changed—her mother lay breathless, her life cruelly extinguished by the forces of evil.
As her body slumped to the floor, a distant memory resurfaced. She had been ecstatic, having amassed half of the funds necessary to free her mother. That day, she had rushed to the woman's cell to celebrate, a hopeful spark in her eyes and joy in her heart.
She vividly remembered her mother often garbed in a kimono. Despite their dire circumstances, she always wore a wholehearted smile and often encouraged Reeza to forget about her and live her own life. Now that her body was no longer hidden behind the concealing garments, Reeza could see the gruesome wounds that marred the woman's skin—a harrowing telltale of the life of abuse she had endured alone.
"What was the point?" Reeza cried out, her voice laced with anguish. "What was the point of stealing and hurting so many people if I couldn't even save her in the end?"
"Casimir was undeniably the worst kind of scum, but he wasn't exactly stupid," Daisuke argued as he strode into the room. "You'd expect him to milk every opportunity for profit before severing ties, especially when the opposition hardly poses a threat."
Everyone glanced down at Reeza's broken form on the ground. Daisuke, in particular, regarded her with a mixture of emotions. But the most predominant had to be anger. While her situation was tragic, her deeds were extremely selfish—and countless people were affected by her actions, including Zephyr.
Daisuke had been burned far too many times, and he had already promised himself that unnecessary kindness was a burden he no longer intended to shoulder, especially when he didn't stand to benefit.
As malice slowly reared its unpleasant head, consuming what little sympathy he had in his heart for the girl, Daisuke's fingers began unfurling. Every fiber of his being was telling him to summon the Lipanthyer's Fang and end her miserable life then and there.
But just as he was about to concede to the dark deed, his fingers stilled. Before the power of his eyes, a strange entity manifested itself. It was in the form of a stall bird, electricity flickering from its wings as it hovered defensively in front of Reeza.
DING!
[The Djinn, Voltina, fiercely guards her prospective contractor.]
…A Djinn? Daisuke frowned inquisitively. What's that? And am I the only one who can see it?
[Name: Voltina
Level: 27 | EXP: 12,864/113,906 (11.29%)
Race: Lightning Djinn
Current Species: Yellow Canary
HP: 2875/2875
[Mysterious and elusive elemental beings often regarded as the messengers of Guardian Spirits. Djinn are inherently shy and peaceful creatures with the extraordinary ability to sense the goodness in others. On rare occasions, they form sacred bonds with individuals with whom they share a profound and uncanny connection.]
Without warning, the Djinn invaded Daisuke's mind in an attempt to cool his rage. Like the pages of a flipbook, he was shown snippets of Reeza's character and lifestyle that weren't readily seen on the surface.
It was the girl's morning routine to make the arduous trek down to the irrigation canal to fetch water. The sun was unforgiving, and the wooden pails of water almost dwarfed her tiny frame, but she pressed on, refusing the help of others.
As she made her way through the busy market, she paused for a break at a familiar storefront, watching with a small smile as the plumehearts pecked at scraps of bread on the busy cobblestone street.
Buying a freshly baked loaf with a fraction of her pilfered coins, she tore off a piece to offer to a stray Bearhound lurking in an adjacent alleyway, its puppy-dog eyes breaking her heart. Next, she divided the provisions evenly among the homeless children in the slums, not paying heed to their racial backgrounds.
Finally, she delivered the remaining half to the captives held by the Casimir, ensuring they stayed nourished and well, all while keeping her efforts hidden from prying eyes.
The unforgiving sun was directly over head now. Reeza slumped against the rough stone wall in the back alleys, exhaustion evident in her posture. With her charitable act complete, she was left with nothing but a stale, moldy piece of bread.
This meager portion was all she allowed for her unworthy self. With a sigh, she forced it down with a swig of water, her expression reflecting a mix of sadness and resignation. Even as she ate, her eyes couldn't help but search for the next target of her questionable deeds.
Daisuke sighed inwardly as the Djinn disappeared. While I didn't kill anyone, her deeds are no different from what I was doing in Dusthaven. I tried not to think about it, but I'm sure we were hurting many people by robbing the vendors of their hard-earned goods.
"Do you remember any details about the people who brought her mother to you?" Daisuke asked, his gaze falling onto the remorseful neurolchemist.
The man's forehead crinkled as he rummaged through his memory. "…She was brought in by a young man after supposedly attacking an important guest."
"And then you!" Reeza sneered, lurching forward with a raised fist. "You killed her!"
Daisuke caught her hand, his expression unreadable. "Calm down," he commanded in an ominous monotone. "You seem to forget that you've unwillingly hurt innocent people, as well."
Reeza recalled Zephyr's pained yelp and bit her lip in regret. Then she glanced at the scientist with disdain, still unable to forgive him for what he'd done.
She understood her mother's nature well; a true pacifist who wouldn't harm a soul. It was inconceivable for her to defy authority, knowing full well the potential repercussions it could have on her daughter as well.
"That's impossible!" Reeza argued vehemently. "My mother would never do something like that, no matter the situation!"
"This young man," Petula asked hesitantly, unsure whether to participate or remain quiet. "…What exactly did he look like?"
Tennyson glanced up at the ceiling as he contemplated. "He was a young man, maybe fourteen; small-statured, half-lidded eyes, and bronze hair."
"Fynch?" Reeza's eyes quivered in shock as the name rolled off her tongue. For a moment, she couldn't fathom why he would do such a horrible thing, but as a recent memory replayed in her mind, she began to understand.
Fynch sat at a crowded table in the cafeteria, eating the unappetizing slop that passed for food. Around him, his comrades indulged in beer, sharing tall tales of daring adventures and unforgettable women.
A loud guffaw erupted from one of the men as he playfully slapped another on the back, causing beer to spill across the table. Fynch quickly stood up, but not before a splash of beer soaked his crotch.
One of the men chuckled, pointing at the suspicious stain. "Ahh, to be young again~" he teased."
"Puberty's tough to handle at that age," another chimed in with a smirk.
"With so many delectable women walking around, it's no wonder," added a third man as he smacked the rear of a retreating Beastkin, winning another round of laughter from his companions.
Fynch was red in the face from all the baseless accusations, but he knew it was a waste of time to reason with the drunkards. But at least he would let off some steam by yelling at them.
As he was about to suck in a lungful of air to let them have it, the front doors burst open and in sauntered a small-statured girl with a hulking bag upon her back, her face twisted into a fierce and contemptuous scowl.
Fynch watched her with admiration as she fearlessly approached their leader and his imposing bodyguard. She spoke her mind before nonchalantly twirling on her heels to leave. Fynch was awestruck; he had vowed a million times that he would muster up the courage to speak with her but was never man enough to do it.
Already feeling the heat of embarrassment from his soaked crotch, he figured he might as well go all in and lay his cards on the table.
"Hey, Reeza," he called before she could slip through the door. "I've been scouting a group of adventurers. They've been hunting on the third floor of the dungeon for a few days now. Their gear looks pretty expensive. What'd yah say? Wanna take 'em? We can split the rewards 40-50?"
Reeza frowned, her gaze darkening. "Not interested," she scoffed with derision, shoving him aside so that she could leave.
Fynch watched her go, the enthusiasm in his eyes transforming into something sinister. He loved and adored her beyond compare—years of worshipping her like a goddess shattered in an instant.
Now all he could think about was making her feel even a fraction of the pain her rejection had evoked in him.
As the bastard's smug visage appeared in her mind, Reeza bit down on her lip so hard it started to bleed.
"I'm so sorry," Petula whispered as she embraced her tightly, their bodies trembling as they both sobbed.