Chapter 56: Hard Fight

By SodiumChloride12, derived from Fire Emblem, owned by Nintendo.

A/N: I'm going to take a week off. Partly it's so I can get some rest (I'm at that point where my vocabulary is starting to simplify), but mostly it's so I can edit out some errors my awesome reviewer's informed me about. That person is doing me a great service, and it'd be foolish if I didn't spend some time to heed their advice.

Life's admittingly been tough lately. My college semester is over, and recently I seperated myself from a less than optimal friend group. I'm going to spend this time rekindling my relationships with my family and picking up a hobby...all while engaging in social distancing of course.

Best of luck to y'all. I'll be seeing you in two weeks.

N: We continue on the fight between Lyn, Samuel, and the false doctor. However, first we look on how this all started. The backstory of Dr. Swift.


The cold winter air breezed through the land of Caelin. It coursed through every orifice, opening, and aspect of society. Frost covered the land, turning its populace into a stagnant husk of humanity, a far cry to the vibrant life it once led.

Gone were the celebrations of mighty harvests, as in their place were the quiet praying of the religious. Meanwhile, the jousts and feasts of old served as a memory to the joyful, warmer months. The people found themselves huddled inside their homes with nothing to do, and thus they fell to tasks they'd put off for some time. Clothe weaving and tool-repairing became common occurrences in these times of quiet boredom.

However, with the huddling and fraternization of large groups of people, so did the manifestation of disease. The people habitually suffered through bouts of smallpox, measles, and influenza. These harbingers of death would kill large swathes of people within a short amount of time, sometimes even knocking out whole villages if they neglected proper quarantine. That was a reality that heavily weighed down on professionals like Dr. Swift, whose research into those "Big 3" (Smallpox, Influenza, and Measles) of diseases was essential towards the overall health and stability of the nation.

Dr. Swift worked long hours in his quest to find the long sought after cures. He travelled to affected villages to look after the sick. He observed them and noted their symptoms, putting all the vital information into a notebook he would share with his peers. This notebook eventually took on a name of its own, amicably called the Salutem Encyclopedia.

However, for all the knowledge contained within the Encyclopedia, no cure can be found within its pages. No amount of labor on Dr. Swift's part could ever change that, as the technology of the time still didn't accept abstract concepts like germ theory. Thus, people continued to die on the doctor's watch...

At first, Dr. Swift hardened his heart against the realities of death. He carried on for years treating patients to often detrimental results. However, this all came crashing down one fateful day when he took a house call regarding a sick little girl. She was a small tike known around to be an enthusiastic soul, but when Dr. Swift found her, she was already in the late stages of smallpox. As with many other patients, Dr. Swift was powerless to help her and she died three days after initially contracting the disease.

Usually, Dr. Swift would silently carry the burden of this loss. But the little girl troubled him in ways he hadn't known possible. She had an uncanny resemblance to his blonde-haired sister who'd passed away when she was young, and her death reminded the doctor of his cherished sibling. That's all it took for the prolonged burdens of his profession to sink his soul, and he broke down sobbing inside his office at Castle Caelin.

Why does our existence have to be this way? He thought. I wish I could rid the world of all disease and make humanity go through less suffering.

However, he knew such a fantasy was impossible. Eliminating all disease would be akin to removing the morality of humanity itself, and such a task was restricted to the divine nature of gods. He could never hope to acquire the talents of a god, and if he tried, he'd only invoke the Creator's wrath. He had to avoid that at all costs, but such thoughts ultimately lead to the same question explored by the handful of atheists hiding amongst the Elibean faithful...

Why would a benevolent god allow its children to suffer at the hands of these terrible ailments?

Dr. Swift fell deeper into the pit of misery. He continued his life in silent suffering, unwanting to become a burden to the people around him. He knew that he would have to continue this way until the day he died, as is expected of a doctor in the medieval period. But that all changed one faithful day...

As the cold, bristling winter cleared way for spring, Dr. Swift found a mysterious letter on his desk. It came penned in solid black ink and enveloped in a blood red envelope...

Dear Dr. Swift,

It's come to my attention you've fallen into dark times. Fear not, I have a solution to the diseases ravaging the countryside. Enclosed with this message are instructions for a special potion that can give you the intuition you need to cure the disease that took your sister, that accursed scourge of smallpox. Do not ask how I know of this, but be assured I am on your side...

The potion requires a sacrifice to be effective. You must give up part of yourself. Worry not as the effects are temporary, but know I have warned you.

From, Anonymous.

Dr. Swift didn't know what to make of the message, and so he ignored it for several weeks. However, the crushing feeling of futility against the behemoth of disease eventually pushed him to make a decision he would regret. He ignored his conscience and made the silvery potion to the mysterious agent's specifications. Once he finished that, he drank it...

The effects were not instantaneous. Initially, the middle-aged man felt little difference in his overall sense of being. However, as weeks went by, the doctor felt subtle changes to his body. His skin turned a light complexion of gray, and his eyes lightened from their original shade of brown. His temperature went down several degrees, and his lips turned blood red. Nobody was aware of these changes besides himself, as the mask used to protect himself from disease now doubled as a physical veil for his visual characteristics…

But that wasn't all. As time went on, he gradually lost consciousness throughout random periods of the day. He found things around his office that had mysteriously been moved, or in other cases, damaged or destroyed. In addition, his equipment and research papers were tampered with, all under a veil of amnesia. He didn't understand how these things came to be, but this became clear to him soon enough.

To Dr. Swift's horror, a separate persona had taken hold of his body. It took control during isolated portions of the day, though its intentions were as mysterious as the letter's author. Dr. Swift felt terrified from this discovery, but before he could attempt to stop it, it was already too late. The separate persona which took on the moniker of the "Doctor", stole possession of his body for the final time, and Dr. Swift's soul escaped into the afterlife never to be seen in the mortal plane again.

Thus, Dr. Swift's time on earth ended and the monster he helped create took a firmer grip on reality. This monster stole its accomplice's identity, seeking to complete the mission Dr. Swift never could complete himself in its own disturbing ways. It sought to cure the world of the "Pestilence", a disease in no way related to smallpox. However, this only came secondary to his ultimate wish to please the man who'd sent the late doctor that after-mentioned letter...

A puppeteer hiding in the shadows. Who will stop this villain from achieving his goals?


Castle Caelin...

"You accursed snake!"

I swing my blade at the false doctor with all my might, but grimace when it only slices through air. My foe contained limberness comparable Lyn despite his lanky appearance. Even so, he had only dodged by a margin of several inches, and this motivated me for further aggression.

I exclaimed, "Get back here! I won't lose to the likes of you!"

Lyn's sitting nearby, clear from the dangers of battle nursing to her wound. I'd give her my pouch of elixir to stop the bleeding on her ruptured artery, though it was taking some time to regain her bearings. This left me to deal with the false doctor and his "patients" alone.

The false doctor's patients were a half-dozen (or so) zombie-like creatures with blank faces and gray skin. They're rather insignificant enemies to deal with alone and only took a couple sword swings or a few fire spells to kill. However, what they lacked in with terrible tangibles are more than made up for with sheer numbers. I find myself dancing in between the individual minions to avoid getting overwhelmed…

The doctor cackled, "Mwuahaha! Do you really think you can hurt me with that little sword of yours! You need to humble yourself, young man!"

He whispers an incantation, and a bolt of cool, white lightning cruises through the air. The magic lands squarely on my chest, crushing it with its package of powerful holy light...

"Aaack!"

I scream out in pain and cough out a pint of blood. That hurt. However, I knew that this alone would not kill me. My high resistance aspect secured that much. Even so, I can only take a few more of these before I meet my end. I need to be more careful about how I traverse through the field of battle, otherwise all the trouble I took in getting to this point will be for nothing...

I stumble back and catch myself with my blade. Wiping some blood from my lip, I shake a sinking feeling in my chest…

My lung has collapsed. I need to take it easy…

Looking back at the false doctor and his minions, I weigh my options...

Okay, there only seems to be one way to go about this. I need to deal with the minions first before I can touch the doctor. That's my plan of attack...

I sigh and lift the bottom end of my mask, which had fallen down slightly. Perhaps I've been thinking about this all wrong. I don't need to deal with this wretch alone. I can just flee with Lyn and let the army deal with this.

S: That sounds like a good idea. You're still too weak to deal with these guys. Grab Lyn and go!

Committed to this new venture, I turn around and run towards the heir to Caelin. She looks at me surprised and cautiously observed the blood dripping from my chest.

She said, "What's going on? Are you hurt?"

I replied, "Yeah, but that's not the point. I am not equipped to deal with these guys, and you're still too injured to make much of a difference. We need to go and warn the army about this guy."

Lyn nodded in agreement. She said, "Good idea!"

Taking the initiative, I lift her up from the ground and we quickly make a dash towards a gap in between two patients blocking the hallway. One of the gray creatures tried to stop us with its bare hands, but I lower my shoulder to truck it onto the ground. Now, with nothing in our way, we were scot-free…

If only it were that easy…

Thud!

We bounce off the side of an invisible, magical wall. It knocks me off the flat side of my feet and sent me straight back into the unprepared arms of Lyn...

"Oof!"

The sheer velocity and weight of my body flings us both onto the ground, but somehow we avoided serious injury. We rise from the ground confused, though it doesn't take long for us to realize what had just happened.

Lyn asked, "What was that?"

I rest my hand on what just hit us, and I note its translucent properties. It acted much like a solid, though irritating to the touch…

I replied, "An invisible wall composed of...dark magic. It stung when I hit it too. There's no doubt about it, that bird-faced mongrel has us trapped."

The false doctor observed us like a hawk stalking its prey. Meanwhile, I attempt to break through his spell, first with my own magic, and then with my blade. However, all my attempts proved futile.

I muttered, "It's no use..."

!

"Kenan! Watch out!"

Noticing Lyn's warning, I turn around just in time to catch the sword of a minion with my metal hand. The blade creeks and flexes, but doesn't shatter under the pressure of my strength. Unfortunately, I'm in no position to stab it or conjure a spell, so I'm helpless should another one of these things join the fray.

S: Samuel! Your red dagger! Give Lyn your dagger!"

I exclaimed, "Lyn! My dag— get back you faceless curr! There's a dagger on my waist!"

My dagger glittered in its position on my belt. Acting on her instincts, she fluidly pulled it out of its guard and slashes the creature's arm. Weird black liquid oozes from its wound...

Lyn said, "What is that?!"

The liquid appeared metallic in nature, with its closest counterpart being mercury. However, it moved and squirmed like a symbiote searching for a new host, wriggling around aimlessly in its quest of attaching to organic life. At first, wriggled around blind to our presence, but then the liquid inched within a foot of my person…

And shot directly up my nose.

!

Consumed with fear, my hand phases through the blade, and I free myself just in time to catch the ooze with my metallic hand. I follow this up by swiftly reciting the fastest fire spell of my life, a task that would've made my magic teacher proud.

"Pulvis ex igni summam potestatem ades!"

Magic courses through my hand, and it turns red hot. Anger coursing through me, I incinerate this being of darkness with everything I have...

I exclaimed, "Get off me!"

The ooze takes the flames head on, writhing up like a burnt piece of vegetation. Now sufficiently weakened, I chuck the symbiote halfway across the room, where it disintegrated into gray ash. Lyn nods her head in recognition of what I had just done, but she's still too shaken up by that experience to do anything else.

Pointing my finger at the doctor, I exclaimed, "You...let us out! Or do I have to come over there and make you?!"

The doctor chuckled, "Why so much confidence? Do you hear yourself? You sound like a lout unfamiliar with their own strength. Tell me, are you accustomed to bending to the will of others?"

!

I stand in striking silence. I wanted to talk back, but his words removed all the wind from my sails. That's because my opponent had just took to light an unwelcome truth...

I really did bend to the will of others. Whether it be a bandit on the battlefield, or a high-class marquess in Ostia. I've been so used to being weak that I don't know how to seem threatening. Thus far I'd been making do by swearing and yelling a lot...but my opponent saw straight through that. Odds are, Lyn probably had too.

I replied, "T-That's none of your business."

Ugh...

I'm expressing weakness in my voice, and I can't tone it down. All of my confidence evaporated in an instant. He has all the momentum now, and I just know that Lyn feels that way too. Deep down, I feel like a loser trying to play the part of a hero. Nothing more, nothing less...

However, I acted too quickly to discount Lyn's fortitude. She was the anchor that kept our relationship together when we were lovers, and now she served that same role in a different capacity. To keep our wits ahead of the enemy, and to never give up no matter what.

She stepped forward, and suddenly the surrounding air changed. I'm in awe of her strong sense of defiance, and I let her take the floor. She exclaimed, "You do well to keep your mouth shut. This wall may keep us from going out, but it also serves as your prison. A sentry will be here by the end of the hour, and once he finds you I can guarantee the Caelic army will stop you."

The doctor replied, "Oh? You'll be long dead before that comes to pass. Not only do these walls block people, but they also muffle sound. Nobody is aware of what we're doing."

Lyn said, "But it can't be long before the sentry comes by."

The doctor cackled, "Hehehe. Ms. Lyn, when was the last time you'd checked the time? I see your friend has a pocket watch in his possession."

I gulped. Digging down in my stained pocket, I retrieve my watch and open its case. I learn the time, and my heart sank to the center of the earth.

"..."

Lyn asked, "What time is it? Kenan..."

"…"

"Five past six. The sentry's already made his rounds. He won't be back until seven o'clock."

I ball up my shaking fist and press it against my head. This situation felt incredibly stressful for me, and I'd do anything to have a nice, warm glass of green tea. What am I supposed to do? The enemy both outarm and outnumber us. I...I just...

!

Noticing my shaking hands, Lyn rests her hand above my shoulder. Her grasp sends a nostalgic aura of comfort through me, and my racing heart becomes as cool as ice. She whispers honeyed words into my ear...

"It's okay, Kenan. We'll get through this. I know we can."

It'd be wrong for me not to admit that this felt a bit weird. These were the very hands that tried to kill me nearly six (effectively 12) months ago. Lyn truly represented a type of human rare here in Elibe. She really understood how to get to people's hearts, although she didn't know how to deal with her own.

I replied, "T-Thanks Lyn. I'm sorry, but I think I require your assistance in this matter. Can you fight?"

Lyn silently nods while brandishing the sword that used to belong to the doctor's former patient. It was a rusted steel weapon unfit for normal combat, but it'll serve well in Lyn's possession. I know of it.

She said, "Do you take me as a damsel in distress? I have to admit, it hurts to move my right arm. However, if you keep that side of me covered, we should be okay. You can be my peerless right-hand man, and I your fearless warrior!"

!

Hearing those words sends chills down my spine. This whole engagement was eerily like the one where Lyn and I had first met. My companion noticed this too, and she covers her mouth as if doing that could erase what she had just said.

She said, "Oh my, I didn't mean to say that. I'm sorry, you just remind me of someone I once knew. Someone I cared a lot about..."

"W-What..."

She shakes her head and regroups her bearings. I do the same. Now was not the time to ponder the past, but to secure for ourselves a future without being six feet underground. I grip my fist tight, and placing myself on Lyn's right-hand side, I lurch forward to begin combat. Together, we screech out a battle cry that exemplified the ferocity and desperation carried deep within us both.

"HWUAAAAAAAAAGH!"


Nearby...

Ugh, I can't believe that lady sniffed me out. Pity...

Matthew sulks alone in the castle mess hall. Before him was a single plate with an uneaten egg roll, it's cold texture unappetizing for consumption. Matthew sticks his fork into it as to solicit a response, but the roll cracks when its solid exterior touches the fork. A somber reminder of the bleak situation the young thief was in...

Upon being discovered by Lady Estelle, Matthew went back to the tent and allowed the effects of the disguising potion to wear off. After that, he spent several hours trying to find Lyn and Samuel to no avail. He'd since resigned himself to eating subpar food at a bottom-rate cafeteria, and boredom became the new norm.

What do I do now? Matthew thought. Wait until the army comes? No, I can't do that. I should keep trying to find Sam, but where do I go?

Matthew had already searched most of the common areas in Castle Caelin. He checked the library, garden, training grounds, and even the royal chambers. Erm...never mind how he secured access to that last part. Thieves have their ways.

!

Voices permeate through the silence. They're scruffy and reminds Matthew of older men. Lying his head low, Matthew shamelessly eavesdrops.

The first voice said, "Aye, I just came from the Eastern wing of the castle. It was a simple job really, nobody ever goes out there. I just gotta make sure the supplies we have stored there aren't being tampered with."

The second voice, presumably a friend, replied, "Hey, that's not true. I hear Dr. Swift's moved his office out there. What a weird fellow he is, Chet."

Matthew's ears perk up like a rabbit. His training as a spy have taught him how to recognize a piece of vital information, and this conversation intrigued him...

Chet said, "A weird fellow? He's way more than that, Baker. I hear he's been eyeballing the princess as of late. Creepy bastard, I don't want to think about what forbidden things go on in his mind."

Baker replied, "Tell me about it. I went to his office for an eye exam, and the lout barely looked at me when he said I was infected with the Pestilence. He wanted to stick a needle in me to conduct more tests. But I didn't listen. I snuck out of his office the moment he turned his back on me."

Flabbergasted, Chet said, "Are you serious, man? Why didn't you report him to the MP (military police)?"

Baker said, "I really should have, but I know the marquess has been favoring that man since day one. I don't want to get on his bad side and lose my job, you know?"

"..."

The pair walked past him and eventually came out of an earshot. Satisfied with his new trove of information, Matthew understood where he needed to go. Blade firmly on his waist, he marches faithfully towards the eastern wing of Castle Caelin...

Interesting. He thought. Let's hope I can find something useful...


Time. To a man like me, it's perhaps my most precious commodity. It's essential for decision-making, and can be the difference between life or death. However, do not think having Time in abundance is always a good thing. Sometimes, it can be a hinderance in what I'm trying to accomplish. Much like what I'm doing now.

Tick. Toc.

The time is half-past five. We have thirty minutes until the sentry comes by again. It's only been a half hour since we began fighting the doctor and his patients...but I wish we had less time to fight this mongrel. We have so much time left...but we're already at our wits' end.

Exhausted and dazed beyond comprehension, I lean against a nearby stone wall. My body is bruised and bloodied, though my chest's in much worse condition. I'd taken the brunt of our opponent's magical attacks, most of which were targeted at Lyn. It hurts to breathe, and my heart feels like it's at the cusp of collapsing under its own weight.

I wipe my mouth of dry blood, and look over at Lyn. She's not doing much better, and had during the battle torn her hamstring while dodging an attack. In addition, cuts and scraps covered her body like she'd gone through knife storm. It felt like we were looking straight at death's face, and it wouldn't be long until we succumbed to its embrace.

We had done much damage to the enemy. Several patients lay dead on the ground, their eerie black ooze seeping into the ground like oil. Broken weapons litter the ground, and the walls simmered black from magic. Fortunately, I'd managed a couple of blows on the false doctor, but our efforts were minute compared to what needed to be done to secure victory. Several minions still walk the earth, and the false doctor continues to torment us with his speech.

He said, "Hehehe. You took me for quite the ride there. Unfortunately for you, it's just not enough..."

He raises his hand towards us, and a minion armed with an axe dashed forward. Lyn tried to move, but her body refuses as she's reached her limit. Overcome with emotion, I muster the last of my strength to parry the blow, and use my final ounce of mana to deliver a fatal fire spell into its brain.

"Pulvis ex igni summam potestatem ades!"

The beast falls over once its head became ash, and I do too. The burgeoning effects of Mana Deprivation grips me like a familiar enemy, preventing me from moving again. My hazy eyes glide over to Lyn's, whose face wrought with despair when she realized our helplessness.

Lyn muttered, "Kenan, are you all right?"

Unwilling to lie, I replied truthfully, "No. I'm done here, Lyn. When the false doctor approaches again, I want you leave me here and defend yourself to the best of your ability. I'll just slow you down."

Lyn shakes her head, "No! You've had my back, and now I'll have yours. We'll fight to the bitter end!"

Unable to hold my emotions, a tear comes down the side of my face. Lyn drops down and grabs my hand like I'd were an old man about to die at my bedside. I didn't want to die. In fact, I feared death.

I said, "Lyn...I'm so sorry. I tried so hard. I couldn't prevent the worst from happening again..."

A look of intrigue streaks across her face. She asked, "Again? Lieutenant, what are you talking about?"

I replied, "Lyn...I'm not...my name is..."

!

A swift contraction overwhelms my chest, and my right arm goes limp. Soon after, everything goes black...


Lyn gently lies Kenan onto the ground, and a new sense of vigor courses through her veins. She used this new energy to firmly lift her blade from the ground, and after setting her feet, prepared herself for the next wave of minions.

Staring at the doctor, she said, "You! You will pay for what you had done!"

The doctor snickered through his porcelain mask, "Those are big words for someone who's about to die. Do you want those to be your last?"

Lyn silently (and defiantly) spits at her villains direction. This was the sacaen way of showing disrespect towards an enemy, and although this gesture was lost on the vile doctor, it did well to lessen the anxiety pent up in Lyn's heart. She did her best to hide that accursed emotion from her enemy, and thankfully that venture was successful.

She can't afford to lose this fight. She needs to survive, both for herself and the stranger passed out on the ground. She digs her heels deep into the earth...

She exclaimed, "Come at me, you vile beast!"

Just like that, a trio of the last surviving patients attacked. They came at her with flailing arms amid their blank faces, an unsettling sight to everyone but the most hardy of men. With that being said, it was probably a good thing Lyn's a woman. She had no fear, with the only emotion in her body being her determination to survive.

The sacean blood in her veins activated, and she cuts down the first beast cleanly with her blade. Black ooze originating from the wound spurts out towards her, but she'd seen firsthand what it can do to a human being. Focusing on her footwork, she sidesteps the liquid seamlessly, allowing it to soak into the cobblestone floor far from reach.

She fights through the searing pain in her shoulder. She dispatches the next minion just as easily as the last one, and decapitated it. It crumbled onto the ground like a rag doll, its gray skin almost mixing with the ground. This too dissociated into a puddle of black ooze, and Lyn had to take great care in avoiding it.

Yuck. She thought. I need to make sure this thing doesn't grab me...

Jumping over the ever increasing lake of black ooze, she impales the final minion of this villainous false doctor. Unfortunately, she neglected to damage its head, and the minion reached out to grab her with its talon-like hand. Lyn only stabs it with a dagger after sustaining a deep cut on her forearm.

Crying out in pain, she exclaimed, "Ack!"

She trembled backwards and nearly collapsed back on the floor again, but a rush of adrenaline kept her afloat. Her blood drips onto the ground like some perturbed leaky fountain of crimson. Lyn did everything in her power not to look at it, otherwise the mere shock may eliminate the last vestiges of strength she had left.

Switching her blade over to her left, she eyed her final opponent like a gladiator on their last legs. The pain pulsating from her legs, wound, and shoulders had given her vision a tint of red. Every part of her body was telling her to stop, to give up. But she won't. She will kill this damn doctor, even if it kills her.

The doctor cackled, "My my, what do you think your doing princess? Why won't you just keel over and die like your friend over there? It'd save us both a lot of trouble..."

Lyn said, "I don't know who or what you are, or even why you're doing this. But know this. I will stop you here. I will not cease to resist until my dying breath!"

The doctor laughed, "Hahaha! That's exactly what I want to hear! You are an excellent specimen in life, and I'm sure you'll be even more exquisite in death! Come, let us dance the waltz of everlasting servitude!"

He draws his cane and unscrews the bottom half to reveal a short rapier. The weapon leaves a bright glare against the isolated rays of sunlight, and its sharp edge sends a sharp chill down Lyn's spine. The sight made her look on in utter disbelief; the late Dr. Swift wasn't known to carry to such a weapon on his person.

But Lyn couldn't spend an eternity gawking over the unexpected blade. The doctor sprung forward like a hawk, twirling the air in a manner impossible by regular human standards. She somehow parries his initial blow with her sword, but the sheer force behind it caused something to snap...

!

Lyn instinctively grabs onto her shoulder, tears falling down the sides of her face. Her entire left arm had suddenly gone numb; the culprit of which likely being a newly dislocated shoulder...

"Agh!"

The doctor attacks again, this time delivering a deep cut across Lyn's back. Blood spews across the ground, and with it so did Lyn herself...

She had finally hit her limit. She was done for.

Her villain stands over her struggling body like a usurper who'd just taken the throne. His black jacket rides with the wind coming from a nearby window, and he takes a moment to adjust his black brimmed hat. This was his moment of victory. His moment of triumph.

He bends down and grabs Lyn by the scruff of her collar. She squirms to resist, but her energy is fleeting. She was at death's door, as was the Lieutenant's breathing heavy breaths on the ground.

He said, "I'm afraid our time here is up. You put up a good fight, but your body's infected with the Pestilence. I will cure you of this disease, and together we will serve my master."

Hardly able to breathe, Lyn replied, "Y...You...I...won't...no..."

The doctor snickered, "No need to speak, princess. Hold still so I may pierce your heart."

The doctor retrieves Lyn's small red dagger, and holds it near her chest. Holding her firmly with his left arm, he prepares to do the deed that will finally bring this all to rest...

...

But he would never have the chance.

BOOM!

Suddenly, a crack ruptures through the calm air. A small flash of light followed by a thick black smokescreen covered the field of battle, forcing the doctor to drop his hostage. His upper body recoiled back in an instant, and the doctor experiences pain in his chest he'd never thought possible. It sends him back trembling back towards the doorway of his office.

He exclaimed, "W-What?!"

The smoke clears, and he notices a lone figure standing with a small cylindrical object in his right hand. The object had a smoke hole at its end, with the metal being red-hot. Wincing his eyes, he can hardly believe the man behind it all.

He exclaimed, "You...what did you do to me?!"

Lowering his weapon with shaking hands, Kenan lets fly a devilish smirk. He was hunched over in a barely tenable position, and his body aches with countless injuries. However, there was a crazed sense of madness to this man, an insanity not seen at the beginning of the battle. Kenan had succumbed to his demons from within and carried on using the power of his diluted mind.

He spoke with an scrambled overtone, "I-I got you...I really got you. I thought for sure this thing would blow up in my face. I...I really am a genius. He..he..."

He ruffled the curls of his hair, though it didn't take long for him to burst out laughing.

"Hehe. Hehehehe. Hahahahaha!"

Lyn and the doctor look on with horror as a chilling, purple-black substance surrounded the crazed man like a flame. It distorted the very light around him, though not for much distance. It was unlike any of them had ever seen before.

Kenan chided, "Oh, what am I going to do? The void beckons me to give in to the chaos! It is so inviting...but I musn't give in. That accursed thing wishes to harvest my soul for the good of mankind! That just can't do...it just can't!"

He raises his arms into the air like he were the head of a cultist organization. Tears stream down the sides of his face, and the substance heightens in intensity. It covered the entirety of his body, increasing with ferocity as his mind dwelled deeper into madness.

Kenan cried, "What is this voice in my head? A little girl? Why are you telling me to calm down? I am perfectly calm, can't you see?!"

"..."

!

Suddenly, the surrounding substance disappears. He lowers his head in numbing disbelief in what had just happened, and his mortality returned. With that came all the pains of the earlier battle, and he crumbled onto the ground as if nothing had happened.

Lyn looks on with shock in her eyes. Barely able to speak, she said, "Lieutenant...What on the Creator's green earth happened to you?"

Kenan raises his head in shame. He only says three words.

"I...I don't know."

"..."

"Mwuahahaha!"

The doctor rises from his state of weakness and approached the incapacitated Lieutenant with his chest leaving behind a trail of blood. Not wanting to stall this any longer, he retrieved an Elfire tome from his pack and prepares to dispose of this nuisance as quickly as possible.

He said, "I've underestimated you. Unfortunately, your luck's run out. Prepare to die."

"Ut ab inferis ad flam—"

"I don't think so."

Kenan raises his cylindrical weapon up towards the bottom of his enemy's chin and cocks its hammer back. The doctor freezes. Somehow, he'd loaded his weapon with a second charge.

He said, "There was a fifty percent chance this thing would blow up in my face the first time I fired it. At this temperature, the odds are at one hundred percent. If I'm going to die, I'm going to take you with me..."

"May this mark the end of the dominance of magic. May the age of science begin."

Closing his eyes, he pulled the trigger...


Far away...

It's midnight, and a cool gush of wind breezes through the Dread Isle. It shakes the trees of their barren branches and spreads thick mist across the lifeless landscape. This included a small prison tucked inside a compound near the Dragon's Gate, a place as depressing as it was desolate.

It was named the Gulak, its namesake derived from some long since forgotten language. Lying approximately 500 feet below ground level, it housed all of Nergal's most important prisoners, including several esteemed politicians, a few supernatural creatures, and a small, mostly human manakete named Laniakea.

They locked Laniakea behind bars, and she rarely saw any light. The little human contact she got came in the form of a guard who would slip a small tray of food for her to eat, but otherwise she existed in absolute solitude. Her cell was pitch black and cold, which didn't mix well with her feeble immune system...

"Achoo!"

Lani's sneezes, and she lifted her hand to feel her hot forehead. The months she'd spent in captivity were some of the worst of her life, and she feared she was catching onto something fierce. Something like smallpox, influenza, or scarlett fever. Even so, she spent her days longing for the time she'd finally be reunited with her guardian, but her hope dwindles with each passing day.

The words of her supreme villain echoed off the walls of her consciousness...

"He's dead! He'll never come back to save you! Submit to my magic! Submit to me, you damn insolent brat!"

Nergal. She learned to fear that name. He would occasionally drag her into a room to whittle down on her resolve. She didn't understand why he didn't just kill her, but he had some mysterious purpose for her. One more complicated than a simple quintessential juice box...

!

A chill travels down Lani's spine, and the thought escapes her. Longing for warmth, she wraps her arms around herself tight, and silently prayed for the safety of her dear Samuel. It was a variant of an old recitation Lumina had taught her a long time ago...

Almighty Creator, I pray that you can protect the wellbeing of that who I hold dear. Please be his shield, and may your grace repel all evils. I am but a humble sheep when compared to your power. Lend us a fraction of your limitless power, as only you can save us from the vile nature of the world...

Please be safe, Sammy. You're all I have left…