The travel to Evanee's undisclosed location had not been an easy one – nor was it a quick one. She had already cost herself a week, leaving only 39 left for work. The time gone was minimal, but she remained displeased with herself at the moment nonetheless. She did not depart from her guild for this time to lollygag and continue to ignore what she had for so long. Evanee had 280 days until she needed to return, and every last one of those days had to be used efficiently and strategically if she ever hoped to grow stronger.
Stronger.
She needed to be so much stronger.
The months had passed by quietly, and Evanee began to disregard her strength; she disregarded her routines; the amount of work she needed to put in to maintain her pristine status became practically nonexistent. It was frustrating – infuriating, even. This was not how she wished to be known. While the Carlisle may very well be the youngest ace among the guilds, she would be damned if that meant she was going to be the weakest.
It wasn't just her title that was at stake anymore, it was her reputation. The Nymph Mage had grown increasingly soft over the months since Twilight Zone rose to the radar, and that was even more frustrating than her lack of ambition. That wasn't her; Evanee was not the sweetheart girl next door. She was a powerhouse. A body of strength. She was not kind, and she knew she had begun to give off an impression that stated otherwise. These next nine months in solitude would reinstate what she had suppressed for so long.
Evanee Carlisle was coming back.
She was coming back better than she had left.
And there was someone she knew she could count on to make sure of it.
.
.
"So, this is the little girl of wonders you speak so highly of?" The voice easily belonged to a male, and an elderly one at that. His figure was shrouded by darkness, but the unlit room glimmered with a synthetic light from the stars accenting the wall. It was like a galaxy - an eerie, unwelcoming galaxy, but a galaxy nonetheless; despite how it lured you into its embrace, it dared you not take another step further. Quite the contradiction, but a beautiful and intriguing one. One that drew the little girl and her companion in.
"Yes," the other male responded, though it was clear his age paled in comparison to the silhouette's, "you'll see quickly what I mean if you teach her. I promise." He pushed the young girl forward, into arms' length of the male before them. The latter reached down, grasping the sides of her jaw in his forefinger and thumb and lifted her chin towards him, examining what he could in the limited lighting. The most prominent features had been her striking emerald irises and the mint tips of her midnight locks. He only maintained his grip on her briefly before nodding and removing his hand.
"I see it already," he proclaimed, "there's more than promise in this one. I'll take her in. Return in a year's time and she'll be ready."
"Alright," he replied with obvious reluctance. "Behave yourself, Ev. And don't grow too fond of this place, we need you back at the Zone."
"Sure..." She folded her arms across her chest and turned to face her companion, a bit of a stubborn pout left on her expression as he began to make his exit. Thankfully the lack of lighting didn't make it easy to see... "I'll see you in a year, I guess."
The elder then waved him off. "Do not be tardy in regathering her, Caelestis."
The younger nodded as he reached the door and pulled it open. Light poured in from the outside, illuminating his crisp platinum hair and gentle smile. "I wouldn't leave my best friend here for good. Don't worry."
He then departed, leaving the ten year old Evanee Carlisle in the possession of the elder. He reached down once more, grasping her by her shoulder and spinning her around to face him. His voice was now stern and cold, more so than it had been seconds before.
"Do not think this is going to be pleasant. By the time this is over, you'll have power unfathomable for someone of your age, and I expect it to only grow as you do. Ruthless is what you'll become."
Evanee nodded as a slow smirk curled the corners of her lips. It was exactly what she wanted to hear.
"Perfect."
.
.
"It's been a while, Evanee..."
"Yeah, seven years. I'm sure there's no need for me to explain why I'm here, so let's not waste any time on it, eh?"
The man grinned. It was not genuine; it was sardonic, patronizing. He did, in fact, know why his past disciple had returned, but he wanted to entertain the matter. Besides, seven years was quite a long time to go without any contact. It was quite rude that she appear out of the blue in such a manner.
He would know, though. It was, in a sense, his responsibility for her being such a way.
"Now, now. We both remember what I said to you eight years ago, at the beginning of your lessons, is that correct?"
"...Yes, it is."
"You've lost your edge, is that correct?"
Her eyes rolled and her arms were crossed atop her chest conservatively. She was being mocked, and as much as she wanted to snap, she simply couldn't. She practically owed this man her life. A huff exuded her lips as she nodded, once again answering with hesitation: "Yes."
"Explain to me exactly why that's so, Evanee. I know I taught you better than that."
Explain? God, it sounded so fucking embarrassing. She was ashamed of herself and she didn't want anyone seeing that - let alone the man that paved her path. She succumbed to her emotions - to compassion. Two things she gave up so early on in the pursuit of strength. Two things she knew would make her weak. And that's exactly what happened.
"I'm waiting," the elder chimed.
She hesitated even more before actually swallowing her pride and speaking up.
"I'm weak because I care." It was a mumble; barely a whisper.
His ancient ears were not bad - certainly, he heard her. But he needed her to be louder. To own up to exactly what it was that softened her out.
"Come again?"
"... I said I'm weak because I care, Kiron-san. Because I let people grow on me. I'm weak because I'm no longer ruthless."
Because I let people grow on me. Ah, he'd expected those words to come.
A guild was no place for someone like Evanee.
Someone who craved all the strength she could possibly achieve. Someone who wanted nothing more than to be the absolute best.
Kiron could change all of it for her.
He could fix her.
Put her back together the way she wanted to be.
And so...
"Evanee, remove your Twilight Zone guild mark."