<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline">Day 10th of Month 4: Gless - Rosetta</span></span><br/><br/><br/>It certainly had been quite some time since Guilford last returned home.  As always, it did not feel like a war was being fought once he had set foot in town.  Everyone still greeted him warmly, and even with the knowledge that the second war had begun, the people of Rosetta tried their hardest to not make him feel the pressure of it. How kind of them to consider his position as a Seraph. This was his home town after all, and there's nothing better than to enjoy peace in one's home. These people probably thought that, and he greatly appreciated their efforts.<br/><br/>Having shared a moment with the townsfolk, Guilford made his way to the Rosenwulf Manor. He had come home for a purpose after all. At the gates of their manor stood his mother, waiting for him as usual with her kindest smile. "Welcome home, Gil." she greeted him with open arms, and like practiced routine, Guilford let himself fall into her embrace. It was the little things like these that gave her comfort. There was just no way he could bear to deny her such comfort; even if it meant she sometimes treated him like a big baby.<span style="color: #0080FF">"I'm home, mother."</span>he hugged her back, glad to have been finally given a break and be here.<br/><br/>"My, my. Look at you!" his mother chirped in delight. "Your eyes are brimming with brightness!" she leaned in for a closer look. "Did something good happen?" she asked while staring at him inquisitively.<br/><br/>Guilford's eyes sharpened for a moment before his whole expression softened to that of a sheepish grin.<span style="font-style: italic"><span style="color: #0080FF">How to respond to that?</span></span>he thought internally. It was definitely not enough to establish something concrete, though he had to admit,<span style="font-style: italic">that time</span>was something special. Guilford did not want to assume and speak out of place but.. his mother had been dreaming of<span style="font-style: italic">that one day</span>she had in mind, and she was still sharp as ever about it! She would know if he's sad, she would know if he's lonely, she would even know if he's feeling upbeat, but today's remark had a hint of knowing even though it was in the form of a question. How? Just how in the world do they do it?<span style="color: #0080FF">"I..uh..well.."</span>he struggled for words, surprised that his mother had put him on checkmate so easily. Dangerous.. dangerous indeed.<span style="color: #0080FF">"We can talk more about it later mother, I'm a little tired from the journey."</span>he countered, albeit desperately to get out of the spot. Even if Lady Karrie was his mother, he was a Seraph, and she should not take his tactics lightly.<br/><br/>"Tired from not having ridden Thunder and taken a Wyervia instead?" Karrie squinted her eyes before letting out an assertive 'mmhm' to go along with her idea.<br/><br/>She got him. Guilford thought he might as well concede now rather than make a fool of himself more.<br/><br/>Karrie giggled then moved to Guilford's side and snaked her left arm around her son's waist. "Well then, let us be on our way, your father awaits us." she said. Somehow, Guilford could sense that there was no longer any point to discuss anything with his mother. Apparently, she already seemed to have an idea stuck in her head, and it will be next to impossible convincing her otherwise. Guilford sighed but walked on, a smile gently played on his lips as they headed home.<br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________</div><br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline">Barrens: Eve's Fortress</span></span><br/><br/><br/><span style="color: #8080FF">"Why..."</span>Eve grumbled angrily.<span style="color: #8080FF">"Why isn't this working?!"</span>she hissed before shooting out bolts of Sin randomly. Several of her Dark Valkyries had to duck out of harm's way from some of her bolts.<span style="color: #8080FF">"What am I doing wrong?!"</span>Eve grilled herself in frustration. She hastily moved around the large ritual circle, carefully examining her ingredients; they were all accounted for.<span style="color: #8080FF">"Just what am I missing?!"</span>she nearly wanted to pull her hair out. Once more she circled back to where she last stood. This time, she was examining the seals involved for the Rite of Creation. Despite her discerning eyes, she could find no flaw in the formation of the seals. Spacing was done right, the flow lines for magic was correct, even the incantation itself was perfection! Yet why does her lord refuse to wake?!<br/><br/>Irritable red eyes looked up from his notebook.  Eve had demanded his and Syndra's presences to welcome their great lord back.  If only the God would hurry up and<span style="font-style: italic">come back</span>.  This was the third time they'd all been gathered just to see Eve complain.  This was a waste of his time.  He had experiments to oversee.  He had just returned to the most recent progress updates Anrui had sent him when he felt red eyes boring into him.<span style="color: #8080FF">"Amon, do you have anything to contribute?"</span>Eve would never stoop to admit her fault to any other but she could.. request aid.. occasionally.<br/><br/>"Have you considered using the Rebirth seal instead of the Renew seal?"  Amon asked aloud, "or trying the ritual on a more magically powerful night?  Waning crescent moons draw more magic into them and steal from the spell."<br/>It was his preference not to speak superfluous words that kept the "you idiot" from being said.  But those who knew him well enough, like the smirking Syndra, would hear the silent words.<br/><br/>Eve glared at Syndra, firing a line of Sin from her index finger that grazed the other by the hair before boring a hole through the brick wall behind them. Had she been a lowly sinner, her head would be rolling on the floor right about now. Her mockery wouldn't slide this time, not in the face of a critical moment.<span style="color: #8080FF">"You snicker now, yet you did not have much success in your own plot, losing your retarded toy Vulcalina in the process."</span>she laughed at Syndra.<span style="color: #8080FF">"And you dare mock me for my failure? Don't make me laugh more than you already did."</span>she hissed irritably, cursing the fact that she still had to ask Amon to say something instead of them willingly contributing to the return of their lord. Now Eve felt the need to succeed even more given that those two demons have grown too fond of not having to answer to authority.<br/><br/><span style="color: #8080FF">"Leave."</span>she commanded in a low tone. She couldn't stand her frustration but she didn't want to lash out in front of those conniving two.<span style="color: #8080FF">"All of you."</span><br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________</div><br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline">Gless - Rosetta</span></span><br/><br/><br/>Midnight. Despite his best efforts to fall asleep, Guilford could not separate himself from the thoughts that lingered. He had tossed and turned restlessly on his bed, to no avail. It was only a matter of time before he found himself standing on their courtyard, staring at the ever-flowing water from the center fountain, seemingly mesmerized by its moonlit sparkle.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"Can't sleep?"</span><br/><br/>The deep voice belonged to his father, who was just now coming out of their front door. He too seemed distressed, though that fact was cleverly hidden behind years of refinement from being a noble. It took family to be able to discern the minute telling each member of the Rosenwulf lineage had. Guilford responded with a light smile, before turning his gaze back towards the fountain's flowing water.<br/><br/>"Your mother has finally fallen asleep." Rannulf informed his son, folding both hands behind his back as he stood side by side with him. "I think it's safe for us to talk now." he added, glancing at Guilford who had fallen into a pensive mood.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"It's no use hiding it from you huh?"</span><br/><br/>Rannulf's eyes widened a bit before bursting into a light chuckle. His son dared to hide things from him? He's a hundred years too early for that. "I've known since I heard you were coming home." he answered his son, the cheerfulness fading in an instant. "What ails you, my son?"<br/><br/>Guilford sighed almost reflexively. The sheer amount of thoughts he had were near unbearable for any normal person, most of them about his duties that took precedence over everything else of course, except for... he hesitated. Yes, except for one thought.<span style="color: #0080FF">"How can I sleep when my knights are out there fighting a war?"</span>he voiced out the first thought that came in mind.<span style="color: #0080FF">"And I'm here instead of out there on the battlefield with them..."</span>he trailed off, realizing he might have spoken out of line. He did not mean to sound like he did not want to come home no, far from it. He was just about to apologize when he felt his father's hand rest above his right shoulder.<br/><br/>"Don't." Rannulf said, softly spoken but resolute. "You have your duties as a Seraph. We understand. This is not the time for sentiment."<br/><br/>With his father's words, Guilford bowed his head in apology. He was getting worked up for not being able to do more despite being one of the two who had the biggest responsibilities above any other knight.<span style="color: #0080FF">"A knight from my squad is currently in a coma. I don't know if she'll ever wake up."</span><br/><br/>"Believe in her son." Rannulf gazed upon the starry night. "Of the many things we find in life, hope is one of those that gives us strength when we need it the most." he went on, turning his gaze back down to Guilford. "Continue to give her a reason to hope. That's the only thing you can do for her now."<br/><br/>Though his words were simple, Guilford knew that what his father was saying is something easier said than done. Still, it felt nice to receive guidance once in a while; it was comforting.<span style="color: #0080FF">"I also..."</span>he trailed off, images of that tender moment flashing back as clear as day in his mind. He could still feel it, her soft lips upon his. That was without a doubt, the best day of his life, and he was sure of it.<br/><br/>Before Guilford knew it, he was back in dreamland..<br/><br/>"Mmm?" Rannulf gave him a verbal nudge but when there was no response, the older man simply smiled and said nothing, allowing his son to wallow and savor the moment.<br/><br/>When Guilford realized the amount of silence that had gone by between them, he looked at his father and opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by him. "Protect her." Rannulf said firmly. "Cherish her and love her with all your heart Gil. Just like I do with your mother. Until the day comes for you to introduce her to us, we'll be waiting." the smile Rannulf had never left his lips. Guilford could only sigh in defeat. Was he that easy to read?<span style="color: #0080FF">"Yes father. I will."</span>it was the only appropriate thing to say, and Guilford meant it with everything he had.<br/><br/>"I don't suppose this is what you're really troubled about is it son?" Rannulf finally asked<span style="font-style: italic">the</span>question. It took Guilford a few moments to collect his thoughts and when he did, his eyes grew fierce. Resolute purple eyes met his father's and with a tone matching his resolve, Guilford made his request.<span style="color: #0080FF">"Train me, father. Someone out there is the reason for my unease."</span><br/><br/>Rannulf raised a brow at the unusual request. For his son to ask for guidance, it simply meant that the one who gave him this much unease was<span style="font-style: italic">that</span>noteworthy. "Son, do you realize what you are asking for? The Old Sword deviates from the current teachings."<br/><br/>It was true, the First War's intensity was the catalyst that gave birth to that lethal form of swordplay, meant to kill rather than to save. Yet Guilford knew that this was the only way he had if he wanted to stand a fighting chance against that man, the Black Knight. Of the few times they crossed swords, Guilford had to draw upon some skills from the Old Sword just to keep up.<br/><br/>The resolve reflecting in Guilford's eyes made it hard for Rannulf to argue. "Very well. I do not know how much help this old bones could give you but we should start at first light. You do not have much time correct?"<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"Yes, unfortunately."</span><br/><br/>"It's fine. As long as you still remember your basics, a few days would be all I need to show you."<br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________</div><br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline">Day 11th of Month 4: Gless - Caleta, Grand Cathedral</span></span><br/><br/><br/>"Hyuga!" Natalia called the Dreamer for the umpteenth time.<br/><br/>The other was once again stuck with his research. This time, he had a small-scale experiment prepped with the help of some unusual books gathered around his work table. Having explicitly told everyone that he was not to be distrubed, Hyuga had deliberately ignored Natalia's cries for his attention, focusing solely on the big moment of his experiment. However, with Natalia hovering around his back calling his name every 0.93 seconds, it was immensely disturbing; it felt like being repeatedly stabbed by a dagger in the back. With a swollen vein and a scowl on his face, Hyuga turned to their youngest squad member.<br/><br/>"WHAT IN LIGHT'S NAME DO YOU WANT?!" he roared, obviously fuming.<br/><br/>His sudden outrage sent Natalia into the darkest corners of quiet land, instantly. She bit her lower lip and her eyes began to water, seemingly on the verge of tears. Hyuga immediately felt bad for yelling at her and simmered down with a sigh. How could he remain angry at the sight of that puppy-dog face?! He scratched his head and smiled at the female knight. "I'm sorry Nat, I didn't mean to yell." he apologized sincerely. "What is it?"<br/><br/>Still shaken from being yelled at by the normally aloof knight, Natalia could offer no response. Instead, she simply raised her holy whip in front of Hyuga for him to see. The weapon was battered and bruised, like it had finally outlived its usefulness. Seeing her weapon's current state rendered Hyuga speechless. The fortifications and enchantments he imbued the weapon with was by no means of the amateur level. He had crafted that Holy Whip with the intent of allowing the weapon to withstand the test of time itself—of course taking into account the many battles it will no doubt see along its journey. Still, for Natalia to have worn it down by this much? Hyuga looked at the distraught knight before him and wondered just how in the Light she managed to break one of his finest creations.<br/><br/>Sensing the unvoiced question in Hyuga's eyes, Natalia fidgeted. "I've been... working really hard..." she twiddled her thumbs, averting her eyes from Hyuga's curious ones. "with my whip techniques..." she added shyly.<br/><br/>"Oh? Is that so?" Hyuga mused, crossing both arms above his chest and looked at Natalia speculatively. "For you to practice this hard and almost break your weapon.. what kind of whip techniques are you working on exactly? Is there<span style="font-style: italic">someone</span>in particular you plan on whipping?<span style="font-style: italic">He</span>must be really tough.." he teased the younger knight and chuckled heartily.<br/><br/>"Wha..? I-I do not harbor such perverse thoughts!" Natalia countered, her cheeks flushing red in the process. Hyuga however, seemed to disregard her words and just took the whip off her hands.<br/><br/>"You wait here, I'll fix this for you." he offered and disappeared into the backroom of their quarters.<br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________</div><br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline">Day 12th of Month 4: Gless - Grand Cathedral, Training Grounds</span></span><br/><br/>It was already afternoon but the furious clashing of steel against steel continued to resound in the open training grounds. Alfrei, Joaquim, Vlad and Georg were still out and about, honing their skills since morning. It was three against one, Alfrei versus Georg, Joaquim, and Vlad's Delta Formation...<br/><br/>"Aggh!" Alfrei grunted as he was thrown off balance by Vlad's shield bash. He skidded a few meters back before finally succumbing to his fatigue. The young Vice Captain dropped to his knees, sticking the tip of his left sword to the ground to help him stay up. His breathing was ragged, his muscles ached, and his stamina was dangerously low. It was his idea to spar with the older knights three to one with the goal of improving their battle sense but.. he definitely had not expected their Delta Formation to be this tough.<br/><br/>On the other hand, Georg and the other two could also feel the strain of their spar creeping up on them. Alfrei had proven himself to have grown much more skillful after being taught by Alona. Well, all of them did benefit from Alona's lecture but Alfrei was by far the one who showed rapid development. His left hand strikes were now equally as powerful as his dominant swordarm and there were instances where his reflexes would match that of their Captain's but still, he had a long way to go as far as consistency is concerned. But for Alfrei to have held all three of them off from forcing his submission, it was remarkable in its own right.<br/><br/>"Should we stop here for the day Vice Captain? You look winded." Georg suggested out of concern for their physical conditions.<br/><br/>"No. I'm fine, I can still go.." Alfrei huffed and forced himself back up to his feet. He took his stance once more and smiled confidently at the others. "One last round please.."<br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________</div><br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline">Day 14th of Month 4: Lindela - District 5</span></span><br/><br/><br/>It was already afternoon when Lance had finally finished<span style="font-style: italic">schooling</span>the other six members of his newly formed squad. Oddballs the lot of them. He already went through enough trouble picking them out of the re-hashed pool of talent provided to him, and he still had more trouble lying in wait with whipping them into shape. The Lion sighed in exhaustion. He pulled out a towel from his pack and dried off the new beads of sweat that were still forming around his face. His thoughts began to drift as the minutes ticked by. Would he be able to lead these knights effectively in battle?<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"Captain! Catch!"</span><br/><br/>Before he could react, a bottle of water smacked him right in the face. He was already in too deep with his thoughts that his motor functions have dulled to a certain extent, preventing him from reacting to Yulia's potentially fatal water bottle toss technique. This was the fifth time for Light's sake! By the time he thought Yulia should get scolded, his new Vice Captain already had that sheepish, apologetic expression that screamed 'sorrryyy' that always got the best of him. Lance could only sigh, rubbing the sting away from his face before picking up the fallen water bottle. He watched her approach and take a seat beside him, both their eyes looking at the sorry lot of knights lying unconscious before them.<br/><br/>"Aren't you being too harsh on them Captain?" Yulia questioned his methods.<br/><br/>Lance scoffed. "Would you ask that of your enemy?" he countered simply, watching one of his knights twitch in unconscious delight.<br/><br/>Yulia sighed. She was lucky enough to be able to barely keep up with her new Captain that she had a little less to prove than the others. "I guess not." she mumbled. "So uhh... when do you think they'll wake up?" she mused, already thinking about the next session.<br/><br/>"In about an hour or two." Lance chuckled. "You find this amusing don't you? Perhaps you should join them next time, seven against one. Maybe you could even the odds for them and teach them a little bit about your formations." Lance suggested, a touch of slyness in his tone. He still needs to pay her back for hitting him with water bottles every time.<br/><br/>Yulia jerked from her seat at the suggestion. The last time she sparred against her Captain with the others, they hindered her movements by a great deal that she ended up getting knocked out as well. "I-I'll pass! I'm already preoccupied just keeping up with the current island events for you while you train them Captain!"<br/><br/>"No. You can't weasel your way out of this one Yulia. I've already made up my mind. You're with them next round." Lance rose to his feet and picked up his spear. "I'll check on the events and reports myself to give you and them some time to come up with a strategy against me. Use your time wisely." he instructed her with a grin before walking back to their command center.<br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________</div><br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline">Day 15th of Month 4: Gless - Rosetta</span></span><br/><br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"I wish I could stay longer father, mother.."</span>Guilford bowed in respect.<span style="color: #0080FF">"but duty calls."</span><br/><br/>Rannulf comfortingly held his wife Karrie, who was on the verge of tears again at their son's departure. Though Guilford had managed to stay with them for longer than he was usually allowed, the amount of quality time they actually spent together was only about as much as they could manage. Guilford had spent his days at home under the tutelage of his father, hoping to improve his swordsmanship in preparation for the battles that have yet to come. It was painful to watch their son still wearing the mask of a Seraph even at home, but both parents knew the weight of their son's duties. If anything, they could only feel proud of him for having endured this long.<br/><br/>"Remember what you have learned from me Gil, and you should be fine."<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"Of course. Thank you for everything, father."</span>Guilford bowed to him before turning to his mother.<span style="color: #0080FF">"Mother, next time I come home, I'll bring her with me."</span>he smiled brightly. Though he had no idea how he would make<span style="font-style: italic">her</span>agree to it, he'll figure it out somehow. For now, this was the best way he could think of to ease Lady Karrie's worries.<br/><br/>Muffling her sobs, Lady Karrie reached out to brush her hand on Guilford's cheek. "We'll be waiting Gil." she said, mustering every bit of courage she can to put on a smile. With one last grateful look, Guilford turned around and walked towards the Wyervia waiting for him.<br/><br/>Any other words would only make it more difficult for his mother.<br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________</div><br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline">Day 15th of Month 4: Gless - Grand Cathedral</span></span><br/><br/><br/>The sound of a Wyervia making a forced landing on the courtyard gathered the attention of the knights wandering about the Grand Cathedral. Among those knights were members of Squad Eight, who started gathering close to the landing zone knowing that their Captain has returned. He had been gone five days, leaving Alfrei in charge of the squad with only minimal instruction. Apparently, everyone figured out that it was his way of giving them as much free time as he could possibly grant them given the circumstances.<br/><br/>The hiss of the wyervia's doors depressurizing echoed just after its engines simmered down to a low murmur. Moments later, Guilford disembarked from the vessel. Squad Eight was just about to greet him when Georg stopped everyone in their tracks. "Hold on everyone! Don't move and observe the Captain." he said with a serious tone.<br/><br/>The rest of the squad had to squint their eyes to note any possible changes the older knight might be referring to but couldn't find any. Alfrei sighed. "He looks the same to me. What are you on about?" he asked Georg who only shushed him with one hand. "Look carefully. It's not so hard to spot."<br/><br/>Natalia tried her hardest to spot the difference until.. "Ahh! He's missing a leg!" she yelped. The jaws of the others dropped upon hearing what she said. Joaquim had to smack her head for making a fool out of herself. "Oww!! That hurts!" she complained. "There's nothing wrong with the Captain obviously!" she iterated, glaring at Georg for making such a fuss.<br/><br/>"Wrong." Hyuga finally spoke up. He appears to have lost interest in Georg's game and turned around, ready to head back inside.<br/><br/>"Oh great dreamer, please do enlighten us!" Joaquim coaxed the black-haired knight. "What is it that your keen eyes have spotted?"<br/><br/>Hyuga sighed and looked down, scratching his head in the process. "The Captain is smiling." he told them. "He's never done that before, smiling because he's finally returned to the Grand Cathedral."<br/><br/>Five heads simultaneously turned to look at their approaching captain. True enough, there was a semblance of a smile on his lips.<br/><br/>"Bingo! The power of youth! Nice work Hyuga! Excellent observational skills!" Georg said excitedly, gathering the attention of the others. "None of you may have noticed this back in Bastille but apparently, the Captain and Master Leth--"<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF"><span style="font-style: italic">"We talked about business, Georg."</span></span>Guilford interrupted him.<br/><br/>The older knight froze. Just as he was getting to the juicy tidbit too! He turned to face his Captain and bowed in greeting with a sheepish smile. He also noted the curious looks the rest of squad eight had nailed on him. It was as if they were telling him that they needed to talk about<span style="font-style: italic">that</span>later.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"Exactly like the one we'll be talking about soon."</span>Guilford added.<span style="color: #0080FF">"How is Fiona?"</span>he smoothly changed the subject.<br/><br/>A gloomy ambiance hugged the small congregation of knights. None of them had heard better news since she fell into a coma. Every day after her rescue, Alfrei made it a point to make time and visit, as did everyone else. However, nothing much has changed since then. Even with the better facilities in the Grand Cathedral, Fiona was still fast asleep. "You should probably talk to Akira, Captain." Alfrei pointed out. "He's never left Fiona's side." he added.<br/><br/>Guilford nodded in response to the suggestion. For now, he needed his knights to focus on something else entirely.<span style="color: #0080FF">"I'll meet everyone at our quarters in fifteen minutes. I'm assigning tasks to each of you, details will be discussed shortly."</span><br/><br/>The rest of squad eight acknowledged and watched their Captain proceed into the cathedral. As soon as Guilford's back disappeared behind the cathedral doors, five heads turned back to Georg. Natalia was the first to speak up. "So, what was it you were trying to say earlier?" she asked. "And make it snappy Georg, you have ten minutes."<br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________</div><br/><br/><br/>For some reason, Guilford found himself nurturing an emotion he would normally get rid of in a hurry. In the long years he had walked the halls of the Grand Cathedral, he have had multiple experiences of having anxiousness in every step, but not like this.. this time it was<span style="font-style: italic">different</span>. Given the current situation, with the war starting its first leg, the Grand Cathedral was bustling with activity. Scribes here and there crisscrossing almost every carpeted path there was, Advocates and a lot of Knights going in and out of designated function rooms ranging from squad quarters to mission briefing rooms, archive outlets down to infirmary wards. Even the chapel section had seen some use from all forms of Light believers. Still, despite having all that reason and distraction to keep him on his toes, Guilford still found himself unable to focus, and that his heart was pounding wildly in the cage that was his chest.<br/><br/>Having made his way up to the second floor, Guilford noted the lack of change in the cathedral's state of hyper-activity. More so with the emotion he carried with him. If anything, it was only getting stronger. He was starting to get frustrated when a sparkle of white suddenly came into his field of vision. Lo and behold! There she was, the source of his anxiousness crossing the hall intersection that separated the cathedral East wing from the West. His heart throbbed, it throbbed so much like it was about to burst! Only then did he finally understand what it was that haunted him all day long, what this feeling was.<br/><br/>He missed her...<br/><br/>Just about to raise his hand and call for her attention, Guilford suddenly stopped before he could make any noticeable motion. A flock of five Scribes came into his line of sight, chasing after the female Seraph. They had documents in hand, undoubtedly for her viewing. It only took them seconds to surround her while keeping up with her pace, until the lot of them had completely gone from his sight. Overshadowed by duty, Guilford sighed. What was he doing daydreaming to begin with?!<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"Master Guilford, welcome back."</span>a voice spoke up from behind him.<br/><br/>Guilford turned around and sure enough, he already has his own flock of Scribes to deal with, five of them too. Each one held documents as well, and they looked eager to get them out of their hands. Guilford took a deep breath before reaching a hand out to take the documents.<span style="color: #0080FF">"It's good to be back. Are these reports from Lindela?"</span>he asked one of them.<br/><br/>"Yes Master Guilford. We have compiled them priority-wise at the Council's request, for you and Master Lethe's viewing."<br/><br/>Guilford briefly scanned through the reports he now had in hand before expertly shuffling them to a neat stack.<span style="color: #0080FF">"Very well, the four of you may resume your duties. Thank you."</span>he directed the other four at the back before turning his gaze to the one that remained.<span style="color: #0080FF">"Walk with me please."</span><br/><br/>The two made their way to the cathedral's West Wing, where Guilford's squad quarters was located. The Seraph invited the Scribe inside and closed the doors behind them, activating the reinforced privacy wards he had asked Hyuga to set up before he left for Rosetta.<br/><br/>"A-am I in trouble? Was my compilation not to your liking Master Guilford?" the Scribe worriedly asked, even after being invited by the Seraph to take a seat.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"Worry not. I have absolute confidence in the data management ability of every Scribe such as yourself."</span>Guilford eased the Scribe's worry.<span style="color: #0080FF">"I asked you here for a favor."</span>Guilford mentioned, feeling a little hesitant about his request.<br/><br/>"Anything if it means I could help Master Guilford!" the Scribe's eyes brightened up. It was not everyday that they are asked for a favor, especially by a Seraph, and in person too! He was excited.<br/><br/>Guilford remained placid, this matter was of great sensitivity. It was of absolute importance that this scribe understood the gravity of what he was about to ask. Then again, perhaps it was for the best if he kept the scribe's knowledge down to a need to know basis.<span style="color: #0080FF">"Alright, I appreciate your eagerness truly, but the nature of this request requires bending several rules. Think you can handle that?"</span><br/><br/>The excitement fell off by a notch at the mention of rule-bending. The scribe began twiddling his fingers in anxiety.<span style="color: #0080FF">"It's nothing major. I just need you to pull some documents for me coming from the old archive without logging it."</span>Guilford continued.<span style="color: #0080FF">"I know the council had strictly instructed the scribes to keep track of the flow of records coming and going from the archives, but I need this one off the record. Can you do that?"</span><br/><br/>"M-may I ask what this is about s-sir?"<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"I'm..."</span>he paused, carefully thinking about the next words he should say.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver"><span style="font-style: italic"><div style="text-align: center;">“One and a half months after the battle with Eve, in which two of Abel’s knights died, you and I joined squad seven.”</div></span></span><br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"I am looking into a lead, and I don't have concrete evidence to validate my suspicion."</span>Guilford continued, picking his words ever so carefully.<span style="color: #0080FF">"Given our current situation, I don't want to raise any more flags for concern unnecessarily until I am sure of what to make of this issue."</span><br/><br/>The scribe's facial expression showed a sense of deep thought, like he had been drawn into Guilford's pace. Good. It should be easy to get him on board like this. "Is it that bad?" he asked.<br/><br/>Guilford played along, pulling one hand contemplatively beneath his chin.<span style="color: #0080FF">"Hmm.. I can't say."</span>he muttered.<span style="color: #0080FF">"This is why I need your help, so I can determine if it's just baseless assumptions that we all don't have to worry about."</span><br/><br/>"Okay! I'll help." the scribe sprang back to life. "If I can ease both yours and Master Lethe's worries by a little bit, I'll do what I can." With a determined look in his eyes, the scribe met Guilford's rather surprised ones. "What records do you need sir?"<br/><br/>Well that was easy.<br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________</div><br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline">Grand Cathedral: Infirmary</span></span><br/><br/><br/>Fiona found herself slowly waking up to the cold sensation she felt crawling upon her skin. She blinked a few times, slowly opening her eyes—she was sure she did—yet all she could see was darkness, threatening to swallow her entirely—an infinite void of darkness. Fear gripped her heart in an instant. Where was she? Why was it so dark? What was happening? She tried to speak, yet her words had no voice in them. She tried calling for help, only to find that her pleas was consumed by a silence that was her voice. She was alone and falling, helpless in this vast expanse of darkness. She was scared.. so scared..<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Somebody help me!</span><br/><br/>Despair had begun to consume her emotions, sinking Fiona further into the depths of this dark abyss. She cried. There was no hope, there was nobody to save her, only the haunting darkness that laughed at her, mocked her for her weakness. She had fallen. Fiona pulled her right hand to her face, wiping away the tears that had begun to fall. It was only until she brought her hand close to her face that she realized it. She could see her hand! There was light on it! And a soothing warmth! Where, where was it coming from?! Fiona frantically searched the darkness, until she found a single speck of white in the distance. She held her dimly glowing hand and tried to reach for it—to grab it—but she was too far. She needed to get closer! Closer! She swam, swam her hardest in this sea of black, fueled by her intent to reach that speck of white light, with only her glowing right hand serving as her guide.<br/><br/>It felt like forever, like the distance between her and the light refused to shrink, but she will not give up! She will grab that light that gave her the meager comfort in this darkness.. no matter what! She swam and swam, harder and faster, focusing solely on nothing but the goal. The time she spent swimming felt like an eternity, but finally she was getting close, so close that she could almost feel the light in her hand burning with warmth! She made it... it was within reach! Finally!<br/><br/>She grabbed the light and almost immediately, Fiona felt herself engulfed with the warmth she yearned for...<br/><br/>.<br/>..<br/>...<br/><br/>Did she fall asleep again? Fiona's eyes twitched. They were closed, and she had an apprehensive feeling about opening her eyes, in fear of the darkness that might once again swallow her, but she did so. Little by little Fiona opened her eyes, only to see a blur that cleared with each second that passed, until she was staring at an unfamiliar ceiling. She tried to move, but her body felt too weak to even make any big movement. She sighed. Was she dreaming? How long was she asleep? Fiona's thoughts wandered back to the warmth in her right hand; it was still there. Turning her head slowly to the right, Fiona saw a black-haired individual fast asleep by her bedside. She lowered her gaze toward her right hand, noting that the warmth she felt indeed came from the hand of this individual that held hers. So it was Akira who pulled her out of that darkness? He was the source of that comforting warmth? Fiona felt a rush of heat that shot straight to her cheeks. She couldn't quite explain it but right now, she was seeing Akira in a different light. She tried to speak, just so she could call out to him but her voice remained meek.<br/><br/>She squeezed his hand multiple times, waiting for him to finally notice..<br/><br/>Akira opened his eyes, undoubtedly from the continual gripping sensation in his right hand. Almost immediately, he lifted his face off of the bed, only for his eyes to meet Fiona's dark-brown ones in a standstill moment. Neither one of them spoke the words, but the smile that slid on Akira's lips was enough to convey the unvoiced message:<span style="font-style: italic">Welcome back!</span><br/><br/>"Hey.. how are you feeling?" Akira asked her softly, tenderly even, if Fiona had to describe his tone herself. He was so gentle, and his presence right now gave her great comfort. She opened her mouth and was finally able to speak her words, "Fine.. I guess..?" she smiled at him gratefully, "I've been better though.."<br/><br/>"That's good enough." he smiled back at her, "Don't fall asleep again okay? I'll go get Cora for you."<br/><br/>Akira was just about to stand when he felt Fiona's hand suddenly grip his own, followed by a weak pull towards her. When he looked back at her, she simply shook her head slowly with a smile. "Please stay with me.. just for a little while longer." she asked of him softly. She did not want to let go of the warmth in her right hand, she was not ready to.<br/><br/>Not just yet..<br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________</div><br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline">Barrens: Eve's Fortress</span></span><br/><br/><br/>Her heels clacked around the crumbled marble floors of her old fortress. Eve's steps were ones filled with purposeful haste. She and her Dark Valkyries have just returned from an expedition out in the desolate land, in search of a new catalyst of her beloved. She felt her dark heart drumming loudly with every step she took towards the ritual chamber. They had found it! A fragment of their lord that contained much of his essence. The Sinners that have lined themselves up bowed in her welcome, but Eve had no time to play Queen. Right now, she was a servant just the same as them, working towards the glorious reawakening of their lord.<br/><br/>She had not even taken the time to call for anyone out of sheer excitement. Eve simply locked herself alone in the ritual chamber, preparing the necessary steps for the coming rite personally. She had taken heed of Amon's advise about the moon, the reason why she blasted the roof of her ritual chamber open. A shame she had to rely on that twisted demon for help, but he had made her remember that such ancient rituals required archaic procedures. Eve looked up and gazed at the new moon; it suited this coming event perfectly..<br/><br/>A new moon for a new life.<br/><br/>Eve could no longer wait. She moved around the ritual chamber as if she was gliding just above the floor, each of her motions a calculated grace. She began carving the magic flow lines carefully, their measurements observed with keen eyes. There was no room for error. Every detail need to be perfect! As soon as she finished drawing the base flow lines, Eve proceeded to forming the seals. Once again, Amon made mention of a seal swap, Rebirth for Renew, that should be easy enough. Tracing the seal points with her dark power, Eve expertly imbued the seals to the anchor points of her flow lines. She repeatedly did so for each seal involved, moving with haste but not without precision. Lastly, the required ingredients. She had drawn enough spacing for each item within the entirety of the now completed seal for the Rite. Eve placed the items carefully, avoiding each of them from grazing even a tiny bit of the magic flow lines. With one last look at her handiwork, a devilish grin crept up to her lips.<br/><br/>Everything was in place.<br/><br/>Eve slowly raised her arms up towards the moon, speaking in the ancient tongue as she began the incantation. From the first verse, dark clouds began to gather right above her fortress. By the time she had reached the second verse of her incantation, the ground where her fortress stood began to rumble. Eve felt her heart jump at the shaking sensation beneath her feet. It was going well! The Rite was proceeding smoothly! By the time Eve's incantation reached the Verse of Praise, her magic circle began to burn in purple flame. Eve's eyes brimmed with joy and her heart began to flutter in delight. She had never gotten a response from this part of the ritual before but now.. Eve steeled herself and her composure, proceeding meticulously into the Verse of Offering. The rumbling had gotten stronger, the heavens grew darker as Eve completed her offering. The air around her began to feel electrified, and the tiny hairs on her skin stood when a violent gust invaded her ritual chamber. Without hesitation, Eve continued into the last section of her incantation, the Verse of Demand, and upon yelling the last syllable, everything had gone silent.<br/><br/>The dark clouds vanished, the rumbling earth stopped, the electrified air normalized, and the purple flames died out.. only to be replaced by a swirling void of darkness in the center of her magic circle. Eve held her breath, longer than she thought she did. From that void emerged an arm of a man, until his naked being came crawling out of the void in full. He was too weak to stand, let alone crawl for one more step towards Eve. She felt a pinch in her heart seeing the man's weakened state. With a swift motion of one hand, Eve took off her coat and raced towards the man, draping her meager coat around the man's naked body. His dark hair was drawn down, covering much of his face. It was obvious that he was trying to look up to see Eve but could not. Eve carefully moved her right hand beneath the man's chin, cupping it gently before pulling his face up to help him see her.<br/><br/><span style="color: #8080FF">"My lord.. welcome back!"</span>