Lory lowered his hands, dispersing the spell that let him see at great distances. It had allowed him to mark the closeness of the monsters even as the scout gave his update.

Twenty minutes. They had twenty minutes until the fight of their lives.

The army was large, full of a mix of skeletal undead, sand colossi, and every light-forsaken creature imaginable. Ripples in the sand progressed against the wind, hiding the sand wurms that moved beneath, while the air flickered with invisible gashdokuro.

Large packs like this were unusual. Most monsters mixed with other kinds about as well as they mixed with humans. It was obvious something was driving them, forcing them to cooperate. The question was how deep that control went. A truly united attack from a horde like this could wipe them out in an instant.

The king stood next to Lory, posture straight, hands clasped behind his back. If Lory had let him, the king would still be in his tent, staring at the instruments that would indicate any magical change within the city. Instead, he was out here, forced to stay still and firm for the sake of the eyes that were now on him.

"What about—?" started the king.

"—No change." Lory didn't need the instruments to measure the still prominent pulse of miasma flooding the town. "Give it time, Your Majesty. It has only been an hour."

"You mean it's already been an hour," grumbled Kuu. They would need to act soon, and the king knew that. His hands jerked like he meant to run them through his hair, but he managed to keep them clasped behind his back, the action only visible to Lory.

A loud boom sounded in the distance. Lory pulled up his spell again, assessing the sound. They had sent magicians ahead of the path of the monsters, hoping a set of traps could both destroy and break up their ranks.

"First round has been activated," said Lory. "They were partially successful…" he squinted, letting out a loud sigh. "But the horde is speeding up."

"Again?"

The lines on the king's forehead deepened as he glanced briefly at the city walls.

"We can't wait any longer, can we?" said Kuu.

"We cannot, Your Majesty." Any longer and they'd be setting themselves up for failure.

The king pulled a hand from behind his back, then hesitated; the moment he finished raising it, he would lessen Kuon's chance of survival. The champions could either wait to invade the city and help Kuon, or they could help protect the people. They couldn't do both.

His hand wavered only a moment longer before finally raising.

The general standing a few paces away took the message, sending it along with the men as another one blew a horn; a domino effect of orders and movement, everyone readying themselves for battle. Platoons advanced out onto the battlefield. Half of the champions were already near the front.

Shin came up next to them, accompanied by Dyrus and—Lory's heart clenched—Duchess Woods.

The Duchess wore a silver breastplate, a deep maroon cloak enchanted with defense magic keeping her face hooded from the sun. Her bracelets hummed with light magic, ready at any opportunity to unleash the stored magic she kept there. As a battle mage, her sheer power was unmatched by anyone, but Lory was afraid in the face of an army this big even her combustion magic would be the equivalent of a pebble in a river. That was what they all were, really, in the face of such a force.

She gazed openly at Lory, and he felt the pull of that gaze as he always had. He'd never seriously questioned the automatic resistance he felt against answering the unspoken—and sometimes spoken—desire in her questioning eyes. Not until this moment.

"We keep them here," said Kuu. "For as long as possible. We hold their attention and give Kuon, Kanae, and Hiroaki as much time as we can."

"Yes, Your Majesty," said Jelly, though her eyes were still on Lory's.

I'm too old for you. He pleaded to her silently. I'm too occupied by my work and dedicated to my countrymen. I keep too many secrets.

A lock of wavy hair hung from one side of her face, and he longed to reach out and touch it. To tug it back behind her ear beside the other strands gathered in a high bun.

We may die today.

He held out a hand to her.

Surprised skittered across her face before it warmed to a smile. She took the offered hand, letting him guide her toward the front.

"Shall we rain down fire together, one last time?" he said.

Her smile turned coy, a confidence honed through experience radiating from her.

"Nonsense," she said. "There will be other battles to come. But, I suppose, if you want to, I can agree—so long as you promise me tea and cakes afterward."

"Duchess—" he started.

"—Jelly, Lory," she huffed, her energy disappearing into a sincere plea. "Please."

She was too dazzling. Too unique and incredible. Lory had loved his late wife, and he always would. Could he be so selfish as to desire that sort of love again? To indulge in it? He was a logical man who knew how to set aside feelings to see things rationally. But at this point, was it rational to keep denying what could be between them?

They passed the troops and marched down the line, hand in hand, the air choked with anticipation and fear. He would help lead this little army; the company of men and women who chose to fight logic, to side with hope, and give their lives for the sake of a miracle. How could he claim to be a logical man when these were the comrades he kept?

"Jelly."

The horizon was darkening from the press of creatures filling its view. A cloud followed them, crackling with dark magic that promised to swallow the sun. But none of it seemed important. Jelly had paused in their walk, her face highlighted by the last rays of the rising sun. He took a breath and made his decision.

"I'll be sure to have a special cake ordered for our date."

Pink rose to her cheeks as her magic hummed in response to her emotions.

"I'll hold you to that," she said, now prickling with energy and…anger? She held up a painted fingernail, waving it at him. "Lory, you know I will—Honey cream, by the way. With fresh strawberries—I will claw through a thousand decayed wurm carcasses to make it. Don't test me!"

He couldn't help a smile, his answer lost in the call of another war horn and explosion of magic.

Itsumi's hands twitched, then tightened their grip on the inhibitor's railing as the sound of rapid-fire explosions ripped through the distance. That had to have been the first round of traps, meaning the battle had officially begun. It took an embarrassingly large amount of control to keep her flow of light magic into the inhibitor steady. She needed to hold out as long as possible and too much magic would wear her out too quickly.

Murasame, who stood next to the tent's entrance, pulled back the flap to peak outside. He was one of three other soldiers assigned to guard her and the inhibitor, the other two stationed right outside the entrance. The man was still recovering from his episode with the rot but was far enough along that he had been assigned back to active duty. At least in a protective capacity. He would be one of the few that would travel with her when they called for the retreat.

"That was just the first round of traps," said Murasame. "Well within our timeline. Nothing to worry about."

"I wasn't worried," said Itsumi quickly.

He raised an eyebrow.

"I wasn't," she insisted. "At least…not about that."

"Ah."

The man rubbed the back of his neck as if he could rub away the memories she knew he was exploring. There hadn't been much else to do as they waited. Thinking had become an inescapable enemy during the long silence that stretched between updates.

"Do you think they made it?" he blurted for possibly the hundredth time.

Itsumi raised her eyes to the heavens, praying for her nerves to hold.

"I don't know," she said. "But if anyone is mulish enough to live against the Accursed, it would be Kanae."

"They're all mulish," scoffed Murasame. "Not that it really helped them in the end…"

Itsumi hurled a searing glare his way; he turned quickly away, hunching, chastened.

The awkward silence stretched between them again. Another boom sounded at a distance, and this time her hands did come off the railing for a moment. Stars, it was getting closer. Every sound was a shot of fear cutting through her skin.

How did people deal with this sort of anticipation? Had Kyoko felt like this during the fight at the palace? Or Hikaru when he had saved Mosall those months ago? All she wanted to do was run and hide under her covers, waiting for the storm to pass. Maybe her brother had been right. She wasn't a fighter. She should have left.

She scrubbed her eyes quickly, not wanting Murasame to see the shame leaking through. Murasame suddenly groaned, and for a moment she thought she had been caught crying.

"I'm such a coward," he said. "He would have gone with them."

"What?" This was new.

Murasame hung his head, his usual haughty stance broken by what was eating him inside.

"The prince!" he said as he waved a hand in the air. "When they were all talking about going into the city. I mean, I nearly died from the rot. If anyone else is immune to the miasma, it would be me. Kanae was beaten to hell and Hiroaki isn't even a fighter but they both went. But me? I said nothing. If it had been Hikaru...he would have gone. Without hesitation."

She said nothing, new shame swelling hot within her. He was right. Hikaru would have gone. She had been desperate to help not a few hours earlier, and now here she was, cowering just at the hint of conflict.

Their silence returned, only now it was interrupted by the occasional bang of magic.

"I wasn't originally a demi-goddess." Rosa smiled, almost embarrassed, as her tiny hands gestured in the air. The dry heat in the chamber had lessened with the few torch flames already extinguished; nevertheless, Kyoko watched, and listened, as she continued. "I watched over the earth with my sister, observing and ruling over all living things that resided here. More than any other creatures, humans fascinated me—and my fascination grew until it wasn't just enough to watch. I wanted to be with them. Walk with them. I wanted to be one."

Rosa gave a sheepish grin, glancing at Kyoko as if she would laugh at her "silly" wish to be human. And maybe that's what Rosa's sister had done, but Kyoko was too entranced, her head spinning by the implications of what she was being told.

"I tried to descend a few times, but each time I did, I sort of…burned up all the humans around me," continued Rosa in a rush. "I realized that as a goddess of fire and life, mortals could not handle my presence for long periods of time. No matter how hard I tried to suppress my divinity, they would either die or be crippled every time. I almost gave up, but then I spotted some humans trying to summon me: a pair of brothers in a desert wasteland."

Every torch sparked with a loud crack. The world went completely black for a second before roaring back in with a blaze of light. Kyoko winced, eyes adjusting to her surroundings.

"Where…are we?" She looked down at her feet. "I'm standing. Wasn't I just lying down?"

"We're in my memory," said Rosa, who stood beside Kyoko. She only came up to Kyoko's chest, still a small child. "This is all in our shared consciousness, so you imagine yourself standing, you are able to. I thought it would be easier to show you parts of what happened."

She motioned to their surroundings. They were in a mud-brick room, much of it filled with odd trinkets. Papers peeked out of books, half of a foreign set of armor hanging on the wall. All of it had been shoved unceremoniously to one side, leaving an open space at one end of the room. There, a pair of men stood, completely still, as if the entire world had frozen.

One was tall with dark hair and a close-shaven beard. His attire was of light, rough linen, with a single dagger bound to his waist. While she didn't recognize this man, Kyoko did recognize the other one in the room. His had been the face she'd seen in the flashes of Rosa's memories. He had a strong jaw with bright, kind eyes. His attire was dark, with a long cape and twin swords strapped to his side. Despite being shorter than the other, he held more of a presence. He was also undeniably handsome.

Rosa held out a hand to indicate the second figure.

"You may recognize him," she said. "This is Hikari Hizuri, the first king of Ashuron."

"The first King," whispered Kyoko. She circled the two men—brothers, Rosa had called them—with an open mouth. Hikari's form was frozen mid-step, teetering on the balls of his feet as he pulled back from the center of the room. She could see some of Kuon in Hikari's straight nose, and though the eyes were a deep blue compared to Kuon's green, they were the same shape. The brother stood just behind him, hands curled tight to his chest in anxiety.

What are they pulling away from?

In the far center of the room sat two oil lamps, spaced evenly away from each other on the floor. Both were different yet ancient in design, their decorative curves and embellishments tarnished from age. One looked like it may have once been gold, a large red ruby set into the cap. The other had a reddish hue with a body so squat and round the neck was hardly present. Both held a pure red flame. Despite everything else in the memory being still, the flames in the lamps continued to flicker.

Rosa walked to the two lamps, gesturing at them. "This is why I came to them while I ignored the others," she said. "These two were prepared. They found ancient lamps that had once housed djinn."

Kyoko looked up sharply, but Rosa shook her head. "No, not the Dark Djinn. There are other djinn out there not tied to dark magic, but to the desires of their masters. These two lamps have their own history, which I won't go into here, but the important thing is that they were incredible magic artifacts, able to house powerful beings."

"Did they trap you in one?" said Kyoko, horrified. How could their founder do such a thing?

"No. Hikari would never do that," Rosa rushed with a bite as if Kyoko had insulted her directly. "The lamps were here to help me. They allowed me to contain my energy through an external source. I was able to split my divinity into two and place each half into the lamps. I became mortal."

"You were mortal?" she whispered as if speaking too loudly would scare away the idea.

Rose's eyes glittered with amusement. "If you keep getting surprised about everything, this will be a very long story indeed."

"Can you blame me? This is a lot to take in." She bit her lip, thinking through what she already knew. "So…these became your first tethers? Like, how Kuon said there was a lamp that had kept you tethered here and allowed you to interact and bond with the kings? Or is this that same lamp?"

"I'm not sure," said Rosa. "I can't remember the latest years of my life, remember?"

"Yeah, sorry." It didn't matter anyway. Masato, Kuu's brother, had broken that lamp. It no longer existed and considering that breaking it had caused Rosa to die, it didn't seem like the same thing.

"I can see you overthinking things," said Rosa. Kyoko glanced away, pouting. She was right. "Wait until I finish my story, then I will answer your questions as best as I can."

Rosa waved a hand, and the images blurred. Now Hikari and his brother were standing further back, shock blossoming across the brother's face. Hikari's expression, however, was one of pure awe.

Their reaction made sense. A beautiful woman now stood between the two lamps. Her resemblance to the young demi-goddess was obvious. Adult Rosa had lost her round cheeks and grown into a square jaw that may have looked masculine on another person. Her eyebrows were dark and full, her eyes literally red as the flames. So too was her hair, Kyoko half-expecting it to crackle.

"The brothers had summoned me to help their dying city from destruction," said Rosa. "Ashuron was not yet formed, so the nomad people of the deserts struggled to get by. Tribal warfare was common, and peaceful people like the Hizuri's small group were often the victims of hard circumstances."

Rosa strode up to Hikari, gazing at his face with unmistakable tenderness. She reached out to his arm, pausing before her fingers made contact. "Hikari offered to sacrifice his life in exchange for my help. He was always like that, willing to take on incredible burdens to help his people. It wasn't necessary of course, as I was happy just to be able to be here, but he was willing all the same."

Kyoko's eyes flickered between the two, the dots connecting.

"Hikari was the one you fell in love with," she said. "You were in love with the kingdom's first king."

Rosa's smile grew. "Oh, Kyoko. I didn't just fall in love with him. I married him."

The scene dissolved into sand, another scene revealing itself bit by bit. They were outside now, hovering above an old but well-cared for colored plaza. It withstood the pounding feet of dozens of dancers, several musicians, and hundreds of partygoers mingling and eating, all frozen in time. Standing on a slightly raised dais, Rosa and Hikari stood above the rest, linked arm in arm.

Hikari was mid-laugh, his eyes crinkled with a softness that glowed like the setting sun as he gazed at his new wife. A gentle tug of her painted lips hinted at the mischievousness that had certainly caused his smile. Their joy was palpable. The child Rosa gazed at them as well, an echo of that same happiness on her face.

"They all but worshiped us," she said. "It didn't matter that I was mortal now, same as them. I had light magic, and enough power to save them from starvation and conflict. Hikari was already well known and respected as a scholar, warrior, and adventurer. They thought it was natural that we would be married."

"Did you have children?"

"We did. Half a dozen, to be exact." She saw the question in Kyoko's face before she could ask it. "Yes. That is why all Hikari's descendants can use light magic. It is my goddess blood—distilled thought it is—running through the generations."

Which made Kuon a direct descendant of the Goddess. As was Lory, Shin, Izumi, and literally anyone that could use light magic. A thousand years had spread the blood far and wide across Ashuron, bringing a little of the goddess's light and protection to her lineage.

That included her.

It hit her like a punch.

"I'm one of your descendants," said Kyoko, but Rosa shook her head.

"Child of light you may be, but that is not from my blessing. You came into that all your own. I suspect it had something to do with who—or what—you were in your past life."

"Wait."

Her past life? What did that even mean?

It took a few seconds of grappling with that before pushing it away for later. They didn't have time for it now. That would be a long brain melt.

"You're saying that if I didn't get my light magic from you," she said slowly. "I could still be my dad's child?" She didn't even care about unraveling everything else Rosa's statement implied. As Rosa nodded again Kyoko's heart lifted in joy—then plummeted a second later.

No, she still didn't know for certain. Her mother might still have cheated, but with another man who didn't have light magic. Or maybe she had multiple affairs. The rift between her parents had been present for as long as she could remember, and Kyoko had been the heart of it. That much she had been able to sense, even as a child. But there was a possibility that she was still her dad's legitimate child.

Rosa saw her disappointment. "I wish I had more answers regarding you and your family," she said. "But that is all I know at this point."

"No, it's fine. You've already given me more answers than I had before." Along with more questions, but her light magic was her own. What that meant for her or the rest of the world was for another time. There were more important things to consider.

"You married Hikari," she said, "Then...what? Everything seems happy to me."

Rosa pinched her lips together in distaste. "Not exactly. There was one person who was not thrilled by our union."

The world dimmed, the party guests and surroundings fading to a soft gray. Only one man remained in color, standing on the outskirts of the festivities. Pure loathing painted his face as he regarded the happy couple.

"Hikari was not the only Hizuri to fall in love with me," said Rosa. "His brother was jealous and angry that I chose Hikari over him. The feelings festered until he decided to take action. To 'help me choose the better option'." She spat the words, talking faster. "What senseless anger. I would never have chosen him, even if Hikari had not been there. He couldn't accept that, and he—" She let out a frustrated sigh, the anger draining to resignation. "He found another lamp, this one occupied with a djinn."

The scene swirled again, darkening almost to black as the light of the sun vanished. The brother knelt before a large creature, humane in appearance and shape but colored a deep blue. Gold chains and bands encircled its wrist and arms, its chest bare save for a thick gold band encrusted with gems that hung front its neck. Its legs disappeared into a condensed smoke that tapered off into the neck of a lamp. The most terrifying thing was its dark beady eyes, the depths of which sought out and caught hold of the brother's desperation.

Kyoko's eyes widened.

"The Dark Djinn," she whispered.

"Not quite yet," said Rosa, eying the monster warily, as if it could come to life, even in her memories. "He was but a djinn at this point. The brother summoned the creature to claim his first wish but asked for one of the three forbidden wishes. The djinn refused to grant it."

"The brother...wished for you to fall in love with him?" guessed Kyoko. Of the three forbidden wishes, it was the only one that made sense. There had been no death mentioned that he could have wanted to be reversed and wishing for more wishes made little sense at this point. That left love.

"He did," said Rosa. "And when the Djinn refused, he found a way to work around it, as mankind is prone to do. He wished for the ability to fulfill his own wishes."

It clicked into place, her stomach twisting at the thought. A faint bluish glow lit the brother's face as he knelt, his chin tilted in deviance even as he begged for his desires. This man...he had been the first Accursed!

"He was foolish," said Rosa. "Any pity I felt for him vanished with what happened next. The djinn agreed to fulfill the wish, but only if the brother retrieved something for him. He needed the essence of a goddess. My essence. The brother stole one of the lamps that held half of my divinity and presented it to the Djinn, corrupted by his desperation, and more importantly, dark forbidden magic."

A whirlwind swept up the scene and Kyoko stepped back, buffeted for the first time by the memories she had entered. They were outside again, this time surrounded by vast dark sand. An enormous creature loomed a dozen stories above her. There was no mistaking him this time, it was The Dark Djinn.

Its appearance had changed dramatically. Thick lines wound around the creature's arms, encircling its neck and chest with its jagged runes. The golden bands and chains that had previously decorated its body had become corrosive and black, their designs no longer beautiful, but instead terrible as if the metal had burst. Four arms now protrude from its side, overly long and reaching up as if to grab the sun and tear her down. From its torso, a tornado struck the ground in substitution for legs.

A lone figure stood near the Djinn, and even though the brother's appearance had changed, she recognized him immediately. He held one of the lamps that had housed Rosa's divinity close to his chest.

The first relic created by the bond between Dark Djinn and Accursed.

The scene was so frightening that it took Kyoko several ragged breaths to realize that everything remained still. It seemed to be alive! Gods, if this was what Hikari had faced, it was no wonder the stories of his battle with the Djinn were still spoken of with awe and respect.

"The brother succeeded," whispered Kyoko. "So, the Dark Djinn was created using part of your divinity. Is that why the Djinn is able to have multiple contracts, fulfilling multiple desires?"

"It is," she said. "Their relics act in a similar way to the lamps of traditional djinns. They serve as the intermediary, binding both humans and monster together in their wills. It is also why he is able to grant abilities to its holders, much like how I'm able to grant powers to the champions that form contracts with me."

"I hadn't even thought of that."

"The similarities are there once you start looking for them," said Rosa dryly. "His power is but a perverse imitation of my own mixed with his, but it is powerful. So powerful it required me to take back the other half of my divinity to fight him, becoming a demi-goddess."

Troops emerged from thin air around the Djinn. They were a ragged bunch, carrying battered swords, spears, and barely outfitted in any sort of armor. They would have been overwhelmed immediately, had it not been for the dozen or so troops at the head.

Hikari stood at the front of the group, gold from the rising sun crowning his head in a soft glow. Rosa was beside him, as were seven other people with a similar aura.

"Hikari rallied his seven most trusted friends," said Rosa. "They became my first champions. Though the other side had created more Accursed, we were able to succeed. We destroyed the Dark Djinn's body and drove the remnants of the Accursed away. It would have been a total victory...had the brother not gotten away."

The scene faded, and Kyoko found herself back in the gilded chamber, blinking at the ceiling. She groaned, pushing herself up to a sitting position. She had regained much of her energy, but she still didn't feel well enough to stand.

Rosa's gaze was on her delicate hands, small and childlike compared to the adult grace of her memories. Her fingers traced the outline of her fourth finger, as if she could feel the ghost of a ring there. It had to be odd, reliving these moments of her life with no ability to change them.

"Is that where the story ends?" said Kyoko.

"Not at all," said Rosa. "We soon realized there were still more Accursed at large, and while we had destroyed the djinn's body, his soul was still out there making wishes. We couldn't figure out how that was possible as the djinn needed some tether to stay in the world. Eventually, we did find out what had happened."

Her fingers stopped, and her eyes dropped in aching regret.

"The brother," she said. "Hikari's brother. His name was Vaith. He became the tether for the Dark Djinn's soul and bound himself irreversibly with the creature. That was how it has been able to survive."

Goosebumps erupted on Kyoko's arms.

"Vaith was the brother's name?" said Kyoko. "But-how? That's what we call the Dark Djinn, how is he still alive? That was a thousand years ago!"

"I'm not certain with the memories I currently have," said Rosa. "The bond extended Vaith's life and he is still alive at this point. But Kyoko, this is very important. I want you to listen very closely." Her red eyes bore into Kyoko, suddenly as intense as the shining sun. "Vaith lost himself. His consciousness. His essence. His entire soul was burned up and swallowed by the Djinn's powers. The brother that Hikari loved no longer exists in any form—and what happened to Vaith could easily happen to you."

Silence hung, even the flames quiet as they flickered ceaselessly in their perches. Kyoko's heart, somehow, was miraculously still.

"The only reason," continued Rosa, her voice loud in the silence. "and I mean the only reason you have not been swallowed up by my soul is because you have your own source of light magic. No one else, even if they were blessed by my blood, would be able to keep their own sense of self after touching that flame. You are a natural creature of light, and as such, have some protection. But just as a stream can be swallowed by a river, that distinction may not last."

"You're trying to dissuade me from transferring more of your memories," said Kyoko. "It won't work. I will not wait here while my friends and family die, no matter the risks."

She felt no fear. Not even a single flicker in her stomach. She knew what she had to do, and it didn't matter what the consequences could be. Rosa knew this, of course she did. They were bound now, irreversibly. Even if they did find a way to undo that bond, a part of her would always be with the demi-goddess just as some of the phoenix's soul would be a part of her.

"Kyoko," said Rosa slowly. "Are their short lives worth risking your entire existence?"

Kyoko's eyes narrowed. "Wouldn't you do the same for Hikari?"

Rosa's smile was gentle as she stood up. "I knew I wouldn't be able to dissuade you, but I had to try."

She took a few steps back. The ring of torches followed her, gliding silently to keep her in the center. Rosa stretched out a hand.

"You will have to touch the flames yourself," she said. "I'll move as fast as I can to take the memories back, but it will still be painful. We'll have to take breaks between memories."

"Whatever it takes." Kyoko stood. Her legs wobbled, but they held.

Something else suddenly clicked. As a spirit, she shouldn't feel physical sensations, yet she had felt exhaustion, pain, and many other things since entering here. It was because Rosa was slowly absorbing her essence. The thought should have terrified her. Instead, it made her stand taller.

With steady steps, she approached the first flame and stretched out her hand.

Thank you all for reading!

So, it has been a while. I first got stuck because there were so many POVs and I didn't know their order. But I know it now!

Also, life happened. For example: Husband and I are building a house and will move in September. Husband officially sold his first book and is in the middle of edits. Toddle-Blush is super cute and I spend as much time with him as possible. Also, Birthdays, holidays, baby showers, put in charge of church activities, sick toddler, nearly kicked out of the apartment, budgeting classes, friend emergencies, bookclubs, and work sucks and takes all my energy. These are my excuses! Thankfully, most of them are good things.

Hope you are all doing well and that the chapter can be one good thing in the day for you. I'm constantly humbled and flattered by your encouragement. My motivation would not exist without you!

Kay, I'm done. Got to go to bed.

P.S. GUEST! I'm so sorry. When I moved all my other art to Intagram I didn't move them (Kuu, Shin, Julie, Naomi, Reino) because I no longer liked the pictures. But not to worry! When this monster is finally done, I plan on cross-posting it on A03 with pictures and just, drawing more in general. (As well as majorly fixed grammar and spelling errors.) So glad that "improvement" is a thing that happens. But yes, I'll eventually get them up again. I'm just taking my sweet time. Because I can.

-Blushweaver

Hey Party People, Long time no leaving a note at the end of my sister's story, is how that saying goes. I hope you enjoyed it, and that you are surviving the zombie-less apocalypse alright.

-Im0ut0