Jennersen stood frozen in her chambers, watching the frightened aide before her. She had found a thread that might lead her to understanding this world she was meant to save, but it was already fraying in her hands. The girl might as well have been looking at a snake preparing to strike - every movement Jennersen made only seemed to increase her terror.
The silence stretched between them, heavy with the weight of past crimes she hadn't committed. How do you earn trust when your borrowed face has already betrayed so many? How do you prove sincerity when history suggests every kindness is merely prelude to cruelty?
"What's your name?" Dana finally asked, trying to keep her voice gentle.
"Mira Ellis, miss." The response came automatically, trained into the girl since childhood.
"Pleased to meet you, Mira." Dana extended her hand with a smile she hoped looked genuine. "I'm Jennersen Salvarose."
Mira stared at the offered hand as if it might transform into a viper. After a moment that stretched painfully long, Dana let her arm drop. No point forcing what wouldn't come naturally.
Something about this situation required absolute honesty - the kind that might seem like weakness to someone like the original Jennersen. Dana took a careful breath.
"I don't know what this party is about," she said simply. "I know it's supposedly in my honor, for surviving the raid, but..." She gestured at the manse's bustling activity beyond her door. "Everyone's preparing for something, and I seem to be the only one not privy to what it actually is."
Mira's expression shifted from fear to confusion, then suspicion. "Is this... is this one of your games, miss?"
"No games." Dana sank into a nearby chair, letting genuine frustration show. "Everything's happening around me, for me supposedly, but I'm being kept at arm's length from all of it. Why would a party in my honor be so secretive about its true purpose?"
She watched understanding dawn in Mira's eyes - not just of the situation, but of something else. The girl's posture changed subtly. She wasn't silent from fear now, but from calculation. She knew something, something Dana needed to know, but uncertainty held her tongue.
Dana felt desperation rise in her chest. Without thinking, she reached out and grabbed Mira's thin arm. "Please," she said, the word carrying more weight than she'd intended. "I need help understanding this."
Mira hesitated, then something in Dana's desperation seemed to convince her. "The party is for you, yes. To celebrate your survival." She spoke carefully, measuring each word. "But the Doctor is coming. And... several members of the Operating Theatre."
Dana let go of Mira's arm, turning to her Axis terminal for clarification. The Doctor - that was simple enough. Dr. Daylor Salvarose, head of their house, the stern man who'd greeted her upon waking in this world. But as the terminal supplied more context about the Operating Theatre members and one crucial detail about a refused governess, a clearer picture emerged.
Her father was using her survival as political currency. The party wasn't just celebration - it was presentation. He was bringing influential members of the Operating Theatre to meet his controversial daughter, a massive risk given her reputation, but one he apparently needed to take.
"The governess," Dana said slowly, pieces clicking into place. "She was supposed to prepare me for this, wasn't she? To make sure I didn't embarrass myself - or him."
Mira nodded. "She arrived this morning, but was turned away at the gates. No one knows who gave the order, but..." She trailed off, implications hanging heavy in the air.
Dana felt her borrowed heart sink. Someone had deliberately sabotaged her father's plans, ensuring she would face the Operating Theatre without preparation. They were using her infamous reputation as a weapon against her father's ambitions.
"And the party is tonight," she said quietly.
Mira watched her with new interest, perhaps surprised by how quickly she'd grasped the situation. "Yes, miss."
Dana leaned back in her chair, feeling the weight of political machinations settling around her like a net. Her hunch had been right - inhabiting Jennersen's body had dropped her into a web of entanglements she barely understood. And now she had mere hours to prepare for a political debut that could make or break her father's position in this strange, sick world.
She looked at Mira, who seemed less frightened now but more wary - as if trying to decide whether this apparent vulnerability was genuine or part of some elaborate scheme.
Dana or Jennersen,as she is known in this world, sat back in her chair, staring at the ornate ceiling of her room as her thoughts raced. Hiding in her room all day was not an option—not only because it would look suspicious but because it wouldn't help her navigate the growing storm around her. Yet the alternative, diving headfirst into an arena she didn't understand, felt equally daunting. Earlier, she had taken action to try and make sense of the chaos, and all it had done was reveal just how deeply out of her depth she truly was in this sick and strange world.
Still, perhaps that wasn't entirely a failure. Realizing the depth of her disadvantage gave her clarity, and clarity bred opportunity. She glanced at Mira, who stood nervously at the other end of the room. The young aide had every appearance of someone who wished to be anywhere else but here. Her posture was rigid, her lips drawn into a tight line, and her eyes darted toward the door every few seconds, as though gauging her chances of escape.
Jennersen had no intention of letting her go. Not yet. She had a plan, and whether Mira liked it or not, she was already part of it. The aide's face fell as she saw the flicker of resolve in Jennersen's expression. "I don't want to know what you're thinking," Mira muttered, shaking her head.
Jennersen leaned forward, a wry smile tugging at her lips. "Too late. You're already involved."
Mira groaned, visibly slumping into a nearby chair. Whatever stiff decorum she had maintained earlier was now fully replaced by exasperation. "And what, exactly, is your grand plan, my lady?" Her voice had lost the deference of before, replaced with the raw edge of someone who knew she was being dragged into trouble.
"First," Jennersen began, "we figure out who sent the governess away. If I know who's working against me, I can narrow down who one of my enemies is."
The aide raised an eyebrow. "And how do you plan to do that?"
"Simple," Jennersen said, her tone almost nonchalant. "You'll talk to the other aides. Mention the governess. Watch their reactions. See who seems… happy about her absence. Those are the people who probably played a role—or at least know who did."
Mira blinked. "So… a list of your enemies."
"Exactly," Jennersen said with a small nod. "From big to small. All of them."
Mira let out a long, weary sigh and sank deeper into her chair. The burden of what Jennersen was asking clearly weighed on her, though she didn't outright refuse. She rubbed her temples for a moment before glancing at Jennersen. "Fine. And what will you be doing while I play spy?"
Jennersen's smile widened. She noted the shift in Mira's tone, the casual way she asked the question. It was progress—small, but progress nonetheless. "I'll be working my way through the library," Jennersen replied. "Studying up on the men my father invited tonight from the Operating Theatre and learning some basic etiquette."
Mira looked skeptical. "High society isn't something you can just cram in a few hours. There's a lot to learn, and if you don't get it right, they'll notice."
Jennersen chuckled softly, leaning back in her chair. "I'll make you a deal," she said. "If I survive tonight—if I manage to win over some minds, maybe even a heart or two—you'll help me figure out who sent the governess away."
Mira frowned, clearly weighing the odds. She didn't look optimistic. "You're betting a lot on one evening," she muttered.
"I like a challenge," Jennersen said with a shrug. "And besides, what do you have to lose? If I fail, you'll get to say you told me so."
After a long pause, Mira sighed again and held out her hand. "Fine. Deal. It seems like you won't give up on using me anyways"
Jennersen clasped her hand briefly, the gesture as much a symbol of mutual understanding as it was a necessary step toward action. She let go and stood, nodding toward the door. "Go on, then. Start with the other aides. See what you can find."
Mira didn't move right away. She watched Jennersen carefully, as though trying to decipher her true intentions. Finally, she stood and made her way toward the door, pausing just before she exited. "You'll need to keep your distance from me after tonight," Mira said. "If people see us working together, it could ruin whatever plan you're cooking up."
Jennersen smiled, leaning casually against her desk. "Already making future plans? I'm impressed."
Mira rolled her eyes and muttered something under her breath as she stepped out of the room. Just before she disappeared down the hall, she added, "You still won't pull it off. No one learns high society in an afternoon."
Jennersen waited until Mira's footsteps faded before letting out a devilish grin.
The aide might have her doubts, but Jennersen had an edge most people didn't: her Axis Terminal. If she could use it to gather key information on the guests and the protocols of the night, she might just have a chance to pull this off.
So with a renewed focus, she turned toward the door and headed for the library. Tonight would be a test, but if there was one thing Dana knew how to do, it was adapt. And Jennersen Salvarose, for better or worse, was a name that carried weight. If she could wield it properly, she might just survive this web of intrigue. And she could find her friends, wherever they were.