As I'm looking at Rem I notice her eyes narrow a little. I think she can smell whatever scent is on me.

Ram steps forward "Are you alright?"

I turn my attention to her and smile "Absolutely! Sorry bout scaring ya. Bad dream. Could I have some time alone, please. I'd like to think."

She nods "Of course." As soon as they exit I jump outta bed and dress. After giving then a couple of minutes I head out, looking for one door. I think I know who can help me and I hope she'll be fine with it. I find the door quickly, knock and enter Beatrice' library.

She looks up at me and speaks before I'm able "You again. Come to annoy me some more, I suppose."

I raise an eyebrow "You remember me?"

She frowns "Of course I do."

Wonder why? Fuck it, I have more pressing matters. "I need to ask you something. Do I have a… weird scent on me?"

She frowns again before sniffing the air "You have a couple. The worst is the smell of the Witch, I suppose." I think for a moment. Witch? Would that be why Rem attacked me? She did say I smell like them. So what does this mean?

I turn the question to Beatrice "So... what exactly? What Witch? Am I cursed or something?"

A shake "I doubt it. If you have never heard of the Witch then I doubt you are aware of the Cult. I would believe you were touched by the Witch at some point, I suppose."

The cult? Hmm. "Do you have any books on this Witch? Or this cult?" I need to know what I'm dealing with.

"I do. I will find them for you, I suppose."

I nod "Thanks. I'll leave you to it."

I leave and move back to my room, running into Emilia and Puck. "Good morning Takara. I was quite worried when you were not in the room. I do hope you are well."

I smile at her "I'm fine. Went lookin' for a bathroom and ended up meeting Beatrice. Sleep well?"

She nods and Puck speaks "Are you sure you should be walking around at the moment? As tough as you seem, you still took a lot of damage yesterday."

I realise that he has a point. I should be hurting. Why hadn't I noticed that? I answer honestly "I'm fine. Guess I heal pretty quickly, y'know." Probably something to do with this Return by Death thing. "I'm gonna rest up til lunch. I'll see you both there."

Emilia smiles "I shall see you shortly." Heading into my room, I sit on the bed. Time to make a plan.

By the time lunch rolls round I have an idea set. At first I decided to just run away, forgetting the problem. I realised quickly that it wouldn't do me any good plus I ain't the type to run from a problem. I could tell Roswaal but then he'd probably end up asking questions I don't think I could answer. So I settled on getting to that night and...well, hiding. I'll persuade Beatrice to let me stay in her library. As before, Ram knocks and informs me about lunch. I follow her out. The same conversation happens again between me and Roswaal and I ask to stay at the mansion. If I make it through this I'll ask about work. For now though, I need to learn what I can about this smell on me.

When lunch is done I invite Emilia on a jog with me, her accepting. I meet her at the main doors "Ready?"

She looks a little apprehensive but nods "It will be the first time I have run for exercise but I believe I could use some."

Puck appears "I think you do."

She pouts at him as I laugh my ass off. I turn to her after calming down "Right. First thing we need to do is stretch. Don't want your muscles cramping on ya."

"That is very true."

I go through some simple stretches with her before we set off. It's a really nice day, and relaxing, but I can feel that I'm being watched again. Rem, no doubt. At least this time I know who it is. A thought comes to mind, something I don't think I've asked about yet

"Hey, Emilia. How does magic work?"

She slows to a stop, panting hard, before answering "It is a force within. You learn to direct it in a certain form and, as long as you have the necessary mana, can use it as you see fit. You can also use mana to enhance your physical abilities, to a degree."

Mana, huh? "Can anyone learn it?"

Puck answer this one "As long as their gate is unlocked, anyone can. Are you interested?"

I think this over for a moment "Not for the actual casting but I am interested in the enhancing." That could be very useful.

He floats over "Would you like me to unlock your gate? After I do, if you wish to learn magic you can."

I have a couple questions first. "What kinds of magic are there? I know Emilia can use ice. I'm guessing there's more than that."

He grins "There is! The basic types of magic are fire, water, air and earth. There are also light and shadow but they are rarer. Rem and Ram use magic, Rem water and Ram wind. Roswaal can use any type."

Really, now? Guess I shouldn't fuck with him. On to my second question "What happens when you run out of mana?"

Emilia answers this one "Your pass out. Think of mana as your life force. If you spend too much your body has to recover. It should not do any lasting damage though."

Note to self, if I learn magic, limit usage. I turn back to Puck "Go for it. I wanna see what I could use."

He nods before closing his eyes, concentrating. He opens them and frowns. "What? What's wrong?"

He looks at me with a quizzical expression "Nothing is wrong but there are two things. First is your magical alignment is Shadow."

I nod "That's cool. Didn't think it would be a rare one. The second thing?"

He frowns again "Your gate is already open."

Both Emilia and I look at him with surprise. How the fuck? I recover and ask "How? I ain't met anyone who could do that for me."

He shrugs "I have no idea, unless it has been unlocked since birth."

Ok, odd. "Basically then, I can learn magic if I want to?" He nods, still frowning. I get the feeling that there's something he ain't telling me.

Before I can ask, however, he starts to float away "Betty is calling. I shall see you both later."

I turn to Emilia "Who the fuck is Betty?"

She chuckles "He means Beatrice. Shall we continue?"

I nod and start jogging again, us finishing a lap round the mansion where Emilia goes back inside, looking like she'd drop at any moment. I keep running, thinking. Wonder what Puck wasn't saying? No real use getting worked up about it. Just focus on the task at hand and I'll worry about it later. I need to find a way to get this smell off me. I reach the main doors again and head inside, still thinking furiously. I'll just carry on as normal, researching this cult and the witch, and find a way to escape fate.

I rest til dinner, requesting some books on the history of Lugnica from Roswaal, which he happily provides. After dinner I start to read. It's weirdly relaxing. I learn that Roswaals family have been here for generations, always an influential force. I run through the politics, military and ecological history. Nothing on the cult.

I do, however, find some stuff on this witch. The Witch of Envy. She was a half-elf and did some terrible shit! And I find her name. Satella. Why the fuck would Emilia use THAT as a fake name? Least I know why half-elves have a bad rep. It's way past dusk when I decide to turn in.

The next day is pretty much the same as the first, with a small difference. Beatrice summons me to her library. I head there and let myself in. "You wanted me?"

She grabs a book off a table and walks over. Standing in front of me, she says "This is what you were looking for. I will not let you take it out so you will have to read it in here, I suppose."

I nod "That's totally fine. Your place, your rules. I'm not gonna read it just yet though."

She rolls her eyes "At least tell me when you are ready to, I suppose."

I nod again and turn to leave "No problem, I'll let you know."

I think I found my way to safety! Alls I need to do now is keep on learning and try to keep away from Rem. Just til this matter is done.

My schedule for the next few days is simple. Any time I ain't asleep, eating or training, I'm reading and learning. I know a lot about this country now. During this a realisation enters my head. When Rem was, for want of a better word, interrogating me, just before I died she said that her sister was too kind. Does that mean Ram's the one who killed me? Come to think of it, I don't remember Rem doing anything when my throat was cut. Holy fuck!

During this revelation I hear a knock. "Come in!"

It opens and Ram's standing there, a tray in her hands. "I brought you some tea."

Even with the knowledge that it was Ram who killed me, I smile broadly. What the fuck is wrong with me? I should be scared but instead I'm grinning like a fool! I got it bad! However, I think I can do something here. Maybe I can get one sister on my side.

"My thanks. Hey, you got any duties that you need to see to?"

She looks at me as she places the tray on the table "Not currently. Do you have a request?"

I grin "Not really. I just would like to invite you to talk for a bit. The only person I really know round here is Emilia and I'd like to get to know you, too. How bout you join me in some tea?"

She stares at me for a long moment "If you wish. I shall get another cup."

She heads out and I almost explode. I get to hopefully gain an ally and I get to spend time getting to know Ram some more! She enters the room again and takes a seat, filling her cup.

She looks at me "What did you want to talk about?"

Setting my book down I make myself some tea. "Honestly? Anything. How long you been here, What you like doing. Whatever comes to mind. Personally, I've only been in Lugnica for a handful of days. Been one hell of a handful though."

We go through our various circumstance, how long they've been working here, how I got here and all that. As we talk about hobbies her eyes light up for a second when I tell her I play music. She asks about my family and I answer honestly. She skirts the topic when I ask.

Overall, I have a genuinely good time with her. Gods do I need it! Then I bring up a topic she obviously does not like. "Can you tell me anything about this cult I've heard of?"

Her eyes narrow "They are a bunch of murderers and fanatics. I have spent too much time here. I bid you goodnight."

With that she stands and, grabbing the tray, leaves. I stand and undress. Right, the cult did something to really upset her. And Rem, judging by the whole… murdering me… thing. I gotta find out what. I think on it as I lay down for the night.

This is it. Today is the day. All I need to do is, well, hide for the night. Get to tomorrow and go from there. First of all, head out and act normal. I can do that, right?

I dress and head to breakfast. Taking my seat next to Emilia I notice Rems glare. Yup. Definitely staying outta the way. I know that they need to go out later and I'll have a few hours to relax before the night hits.

"Takara, are you ok?" Emilias voice breaks my train of thought.

I smile at her "Yeah, I'm good. Just got a lot on my mind, y'know."

She looks at me, concerned "Would you like to talk about it? That helps, sometimes."

Hmmm. I can't exactly tell her everything but I might be able to tell her a little. I could possibly let her know about this Return by Death thing. May as well try, right? I pitch my voice low, keeping this just between me and her "I-I have a weird ability. I can Return by Dea..."

I'm cut off by a sudden, extreme pain in my chest. I hunch, breath coming in ragged gasps.

I feel Emilias hand on me "Are you ok? What happened?"

That's a fucking question I want answered! I take a few deep breaths and raise my head. The first thing I see is Rem, looking like she's about to rip my head off. Guess the smell on me got stronger.

I force my attention to Emilia "I'm fine. A little heartburn. I think I've been pushing myself too much."

She sits back "Then tomorrow you will be taking a day off. You can spend some time with me, if you wish."

I nod "That sounds awesome. I think I'll take you up on that offer. If you'll excuse me, I need to continue."

I rise and head back to my room. After that I'm tense. Too tense. I grab my knife and slip it into my jeans. I need to be prepared. My hands are shaking. C'mon Takara. You can get through this. I sit down and read through some stories to take my mind off everything for a while.

Before I know it, it's time for lunch. The twins shoulda left by now. I take a few deep breaths and go out to the dining room.

As I enter Emilia looks at me "Are you sure you are alright, Takara? You are quite pale. Are you coming down with an illness?"

I sit "Nah, just didn't sleep too well. Tired, is all."

At least that was honest. I barely slept last night. She leans over to me, concerned "You really should take better care of yourself! Especially after this morning. You only have one life, after all."

Honey, if only you knew! I nod and start eating. The twins made this, I can tell. It's awesome. We make a little small talk, mostly about our individual pursuits, and part as lunch ends. I head to my room and carry on reading for a bit before I decide to head out onto the grounds and train.

To my surprise Emilia is sat on a bench, taking in the sun. I call out as I approach, making her jump

"AHH! I did not expect you to be coming out, Takara."

I grin "Yeah, I thought I'd do a little training while it's nice."

She gives me an interested look "Are you running again?"

I pull out my knife "Nah, practising some blade work." An idea springs to mind "Could I ask a favour?"

A nod "Of course."

I don't know how she's gonna react here "Could you... fire at me?"

She frowns "Fire... at you?"

"Yeah. Throw magic at me, cast it, whatever. I'd like some training against a mage."

Puck appears "I do not think that a bad idea."

With Puck on board Emilia accepts, moving to a point about ten meters away. I ready my blade as she gets ready "I will not be using my full strength here. I do not wish to harm you." She legitimately looks worried.

I assure her swiftly "Not a problem. It's speed I'm lookin' for. If I can dodge it then I don't need to worry bout gettin' hit, right?"

This calms her and we begin. After about an hour and a half I call the session as I notice the sun starting to set. The twins will be back very soon.

Gotta say, that was fuckin' impressive. I've seen Emilia use magic before but that was with Elsa. I didn't have the time to appreciate it. It's seriously cool. I thank her for the practice and head inside. After a few minutes I was able to dodge most of what she threw. For now though, it's almost time for the last part of my plan.

Finding her door I enter the library "Hey Beatrice. D'you mind if I read that book tonight? And any more ya might have?"

She looks at me for a time "You can, as long as you are quiet, I suppose."

I bow my head "Thank you. I shall be along later." All I need to do now is get through dinner.

Thank the Gods that dinner went quickly. I don't think I could have taken another minute being glared at without saying something. I move quickly, getting changed and heading to the library. After some initial grumbling and a reminder to be quiet we both sit and read.

Holy fuck this cult is disgusting! They worship the Witch and, in her name, kill whoever they see fit. No fucking wonder the twins hate them. I already do. As time drags on I choose different books, going through fables, myths and legends.

Curiosity gets the better of me, however, and I turn to Beatrice "Hey. I know you want silence but I have to ask. Who are you, exactly? Are you related to Roswaal, just work here or what?"

She lifts her head with a sigh "If it will shut you up I shall tell you. I am no relation of his. He contracts me to look after his forbidden library. That is all, I suppose."

That raises more questions! I get the feeling she'll throw me out if I ask any more though. "Fair enough." I grab another book and carry on.

A light kick to my side wakes me "Get out of the way."

When did I fall asleep? "Sorry. What time is it?"

Beatrice glares at me "It is morning. Now move. I cannot get out with you in the way, I suppose!"

I stand swiftly, mind racing. I made it! I just need to figure out what to do now. I look at Beatrice "Sorry! I should leave too."

She glares at me again "Good. I have been summoned and I cannot move the library with you in it." With that, she throws the doors open and leaves. I take my time, revelling in my survival. I really fucking did it! I got through! I should get changed.

As I move toward my room a piercing scream fills the air. That came fron the servants quarters! I run as fast as I can, coming to a stop outside Rems room. No. Nonono. What the hell happened? I step into the doorway, seeing everyone inside. Rem lies on the bed, still. Ram is on the floor next to her, crying.

"What happened?"

Roswaal answers, looking very angry "I do not know. It seems like a curse."

A curse? I look back to Rem "From what?"

My mind's reeling as Roswaal answers "I wish I knew. Perhaps you have some idea?"

Wait. Does he suspect… me? Before I can form any sort of words Ram stands and faces me "WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS?"

I take a step back "N-nothing, I swear!"

She moves forward, rage and sorrow filling her features "DID YOU DO THIS?!"

Another step back. I need to get out of here! "I didn't do anything."

Roswaal raises a hand, magic playing about his fingers "Why do I not believe you?" Shit! I turn and run, knowing I don't stand a chance.

I run out of the mansion, down the road and turn off into the woods. What do I do? What happened? Is this the price for my survival? Does Rem die if I survive? I notice where I am. I'm by the cliff where Rem caught me. I can fix this! I head over and look out to the mansion. I can fix this! I just need to take a step. I can fix this! I just need to fall. I make the mistake of looking down and fall back. I can't do this. I just can't.

At that moment I feel her. Ram. She storms into view, eyes flooded with tears and an unimaginable rage flowing off her. "You cannot run now!"

I hold out my hands "Ram, wait! I didn't do anything to Rem. I really didn't. You have to believe me."

Out of nowhere Beatrice shows up, looking at Ram "She really did do nothing. She was with me the whole night. And she has barely spoken to Rem since she arrived here." This causes Ram to pause. I can't stand this. What the hell can I do?

Rams glare hardens again. Her voice is angry but… broken "SHE STILL KNOWS SOMETHING! WHY WOULD SHE RUN? I WANT MY SISTER BACK!"

I can't bear hearing her like this. My resolve strengthens. I can't throw myself off a ledge but I know how I can restart. Stepping up behind Beatrice I take a deep breath and do something I've wanted to do for a while.

I grab her drills and pull.

She screams at me and kicks out, trying to reach me. I let go and channel my inner John Belushi with a quick, insincere "Sorry."

I move over to Ram as Beatrice complains. I hold out my hands as I approach "Wanna know something? Seeing you like this hurts. More than I think you'll ever know. It's made me realise that I need to be… better. Made me realise that I can't hide from my problems, that I need to face them head on. I need to be better. Ram. I can fix this."

She stares at me, eyes welling up with fresh tears "How? How can you give her back to me?"

I take a deep breath "You need to kill me. After that, it'll be fine."

She screams "HOW WILL THAT BRING HER BACK?!"

I feel my own tears spring loose "Ram, if you ever only trust me once, trust me now. Do what you need to do. I can fix this."

I sit, calm, waiting on Ram. She stands there, shaking with rage and grief. I have the urge to close my eyes, to not see this coming but I push it to the side. She wars with herself for a while, torn. Sorry Ram but I need you to do this. I need you to take this step. I can't do this myself. I take a deep breath and look straight at her, hating myself for my next sentence.

"Ram. She deserved it."

Her face contorts in anger again and she moves a hand in my direction. Then, black.

My eyes snap open. That ceiling. I sit up and see them. I'm almost overwhelmed with joy. I got another chance. I ain't a fan of how I got it though. As they move toward me I look at Ram. I'm gonna fix this.

Feedback, criticisms and suggestions welcome, as always. See y'all next time.