Ophelia's boots clicked softly against the polished wooden floor as she stepped into the apartment, her heart light and her lips curved in an unrestrained smile. The weight of her weeklong mission, the dangers she faced, and the exhaustion she carried had melted away the moment she crossed the threshold of her home.
"I'm back!" she called, her voice bright, almost musical. "Tridra! I'm home! You're not going to believe the kind of week I had!"
Her bag dropped by the door, forgotten, as she hurried through the apartment, her anticipation bubbling over. Each step quickened as she moved from room to room, searching. "Tridra?" she called again, her voice softer now, tinged with confusion.
When she reached the bedroom, the slightly ajar door drew her closer. "You wouldn't believe the things I've seen," she continued, her voice growing louder. "But none of it matters now because—"
She froze.
The sight before her was like a dagger to her chest. Tridra lay tangled in the sheets, her bare back exposed, her short black hair tousled. Beside her was a man Ophelia didn't recognize, his arm draped lazily over her waist. The world seemed to tilt, the air stolen from her lungs.
"Tridra…" The name fell from her lips in a whisper, fragile and broken.
Tridra's violet eyes widened in shock and guilt as they locked onto Ophelia. "Ophelia, wait, I—"
But Ophelia didn't wait. Her hand gripped the doorframe so tightly her knuckles turned white, her body trembling as disbelief gave way to grief, anger, and betrayal. "No…" she whispered, her voice cracking. "No, no, no. This… this can't be real."
The man stirred, sitting up awkwardly, muttering something incomprehensible as he scrambled to gather his clothes. Ophelia didn't even look at him as her tear-filled eyes were fixed solely on Tridra.
"You…" Her voice broke, raw with emotion. "You said you loved me."
"I do!" Tridra cried, pulling the sheets around her. "It's not what it looks like, Ophelia, please!"
"Not what it looks like?" Ophelia's laugh was hollow, bitter, and laced with pain. "What else could it possibly be, Tridra?!" Her voice rose, a mixture of a cry and a shout, her hands clenching into fists at her sides.
The room fell silent, the weight of the moment pressing down like a suffocating fog.
"I… I thought we had something real," Ophelia continued, her voice trembling. "After everything I've been through, after losing Alexandra, I thought… I thought I could finally open myself up to someone again. And it was you, Tridra. It was you."
Tears streamed down her face as her knees buckled, and she sank to the floor, her body wracked with silent sobs. She hugged herself tightly as if trying to hold together the pieces of her shattered heart.
Tridra stepped toward her, reaching out hesitantly. "Ophelia, I—"
"Don't," Ophelia spat, her voice sharp and venomous. She looked up, her tear-streaked face a mixture of heartbreak and fury. "Don't you dare touch me."
The man, now fully dressed, muttered an apology under his breath and slipped out of the room, leaving the two women alone.
"You don't get to apologize," Ophelia said, her voice quieter now, but no less intense. "You don't get to fix this. Do you know what it took for me to trust you? To let you in?"
Tridra's lips quivered, her own eyes filling with tears. "I made a mistake. A terrible, horrible mistake, and I—"
"Stop," Ophelia interrupted, her tone cutting. "You don't get to call it a mistake. You didn't trip and fall into bed with him. You made a choice. You chose to betray me."
The words hung in the air, heavy and irreversible. Ophelia stood shakily, wiping her tears with the back of her hand, though they were quickly replaced by more. She turned her back to Tridra, her voice hollow now.
"I loved you. God, I loved you so much. But now… now all I feel when I look at you is disgust."
She walked out of the room, each step feeling like a weight dragging her down, leaving Tridra standing there, frozen and silent.
In the living room, Ophelia paused, the echo of Tridra's sobs behind her. She wanted to look back, to say something, anything that could mend the jagged edges of her heart. But she knew there was nothing left to say.
"I thought you wanted to change," she frowned. "But you haven't. You never will."
And with that, she stepped out into the cold night, her tears freezing on her cheeks as the pain threatened to consume her.
…
(Present Day)
A woman entered the cart—short black hair framed her sharp features, her violet eyes gleamed with intent, and emerald earrings dangled as she moved.
It was Tridra.
"My Lady, I apologize for not speaking to you these past couple of days. I…" Tridra's voice trailed off momentarily. "I just wasn't in the right mindset. However, I have no complaints about continuing to serve you."
Upon hearing no response and just feeling Ophelia's eyes trace her body, she quickly said, "I will take my leave now."
"Wait."
Ophelia's voice cut through the air as she stood from the couch. She approached Tridra, her movements slow but deliberate. Though small in stature—no taller than 5'6—and thin, Tridra's beauty was undeniable, even with heavy bags under her eyes and tear marks streaking her cheeks.
Stopping just before her, Ophelia gazed down. Tridra's eyes dropped nervously, but Ophelia lifted her chin with a single finger, forcing her to look up. Tridra swallowed hard, her nervousness plain, as Ophelia released her chin.
"I heard you wanted to be a better person," Ophelia said, her tone steady. "From what Alexandra told me, you seemed very genuine about it."
Tridra nodded quickly. "Yes, I—"
Ophelia interrupted, her voice sharp but calm. "Then what is your plan?"
"H-Huh?" Tridra stammered, caught off guard.
Ophelia sighed, her expression unreadable. "Your plan. What steps are you going to take to become a better person? Do you have one?"
Tridra's eyes darted around, searching for an answer. "I do… roughly," she managed. Ophelia continued to stare at her, seemingly waiting for her to elaborate. The silence pressed on until Tridra spoke again. "My plan was to follow you and… help people out?" she offered weakly. Her shoulders sagged as she sighed, dropping the act. "I apologize. I haven't thought about it as deeply as you would've wanted."
Tridra dared to glance up, expecting disappointment. Instead, Ophelia's face remained expressionless—a neutrality harsher than any scorn.
Without a word, Ophelia turned and began walking past her. She gestured for Tridra to follow. They stepped outside into the bustling camp, carts lining the dirt road as people hurried to finalize preparations.
As they walked, Ophelia asked, "Do you know how to fight?"
Tridra hesitated before answering. "I'm alright with daggers… but only because the missions I went on were so dangerous that, if I got caught, I was as good as dead or captured. In my opinion, no amount of training was going to help me escape, so I put my all into making sure I wasn't going to be caught."
"So you only learned to defend yourself," Ophelia stated plainly.
"You could say that, yes," Tridra replied. "My job mostly involved espionage. I've never done assassination work."
They stopped in front of a group of Holy Knights, each armed with weapons that gleamed in the sunlight. Ophelia stepped aside, revealing Tridra to the group.
"From now on, you will train with them," Ophelia declared.
Tridra's eyes swept over the weapons—maces, swords, axes—but not a single dagger. The closest were the twin short swords carried by one knight. Her confidence faltered, but before she could protest, Ophelia turned to glance at her.
"If you're displeased," she said, her voice cold, "then the next time you see me, come with an actual plan."
Ophelia walked back toward her cart, leaving Tridra standing in the dirt. Embarrassment washed over her as she stared at the ground. The Holy Knights exchanged awkward glances until Alexandra stepped forward, her smile warm and inviting.
"It would be best not to disappoint her next time," Alexandra said with a wink. She gave Tridra a gentle nudge toward the group. "Here, let me introduce you to my squad," Alexandra continued, her voice cheerful as she led Tridra closer to the waiting knights.
Not even half an hour later and the caravan set off, a mix of workers and Holy Knights forming a protective perimeter around the line of carts. Ophelia remained in her own cart, separated from the others, while her servants occupied the remaining vehicles.
The procession reached the towering pylon marking the edge of the Holy City of Jangbrat III. Holy Knights stationed at the gate began their inspections, carefully examining each cart and its occupants. Everyone was ordered out of their carts and gathered in a small designated area beside the pylon.
One of the inspecting knights, a stern man with sharp eyes, turned to Steven, the caravan leader. "I believe you reported there would be seven Holy Knights," he said, his tone suspicious. "Why am I counting eight?"
Tridra, disguised in a full set of Holy Knight armor complete with a helmet that concealed all but her eyes, stood silently among the others. She was more than likely a wanted woman, especially after escaping prison and evading Stegertath. Steven hesitated, clearing his throat and glancing at Ophelia momentarily.
Before he could speak, Ophelia stepped forward, her voice calm and commanding. "I apologize for the misunderstanding. I failed to inform him that I recently recruited another Holy Knight. I trust this will not be an issue."
The inspecting knight froze, his posture stiffening at the sight of Ophelia. Her reputation was well-known throughout the Empire, and her words carried an undeniable weight. He quickly nodded. "No issue at all, my Lady, however, I do need to verify their identity. Please take off your helmet for a moment" he squinted his eyes.
"Are you saying one of my people is untrustworthy?" Ophelia sneered, immediately activating [Golden Tongue].
"I apologize for the rudeness. This is just standard procedure," He replied, feeling a slight gnawing sensation in the back of his mind.
"I believe they can be skipped over. We are on a tight schedule… so are you willing to take responsibility if I am late for my meeting?" Ophelia's eyes narrowed, sweeping the Holy Knights around the pylon.
Of course, this was a lie.
Everybody couldn't help but divert their eyes and with the help of [Golden Tongue] fully piercing the man's mind, he replied with, "I apologize for my rudeness once more. Please proceed."
Upon everybody returning to their prior positions, with a signal, another knight placed her hand on the pylon. A glowing wave of energy rippled outward, activating the structure and propelling the caravan across the massive river encircling the city with a burst of teleporting light. They emerged on the far side, near the southern pylon, where a gargantuan guard stationed there gave them a brief wave as they moved past him into the forest.
The caravan pressed onward, making its way toward the distant Sunbolt Mountains.
Inside her cart, Ophelia reclined on the couch, her gaze fixed on the wooden ceiling above her. Her eyes remained wide open, her expression blank, lost in a distant thought.
The quiet was broken by the sound of the door opening. Alexandra entered, her steps light. She chuckled softly at the sight of Ophelia's stillness, breaking her trance. Ophelia lowered her head, blinking as Alexandra sat beside her.
"She is very kind," Alexandra said with a knowing smile.
Ophelia's response was a bit flat. "We've discussed this before. Someone can be kind, warm, and welcoming, but bad habits are still bad habits. They're hard to break."
Alexandra tilted her head. "Despite how much you make it seem like it's hard to trust her, you still trust her, don't you?"
Ophelia paused, her expression unreadable. "If things go wrong," she finally said, "I have a feeling I can trust her more than anything else in the world... after you of course."
Alexandra leaned against Ophelia's shoulder, her tone teasing. "Hmm~ really~? Somehow that still makes me jealous."
Ophelia smiled softly in response. She closed her eyes, but her rest was disrupted by a voice—an echo from deep within her mind.
"Ophelia! Run! I will hold them back for as long as I can! Please! Survive! And... I'M SORRY! I'M SO SORRY!"