Something was wrong, Nobara thought as she clenched her left hand. Her fingers felt numb, her wrist was stiff… she tried a dexterity test under the table and found that she couldn't manage to touch her thumb to her pinky. The movements felt sluggish and stiff. The numbness lessened up her forearm, but it was still noticeable.

"Are you sure Majima is okay? I really don't like how he just disappeared like that," Emiya said, a deep frown on his face as he once again glanced at the clock. He had been gone for a few hours, and it was dark out.

It would be a lie to say that Nobara wasn't worried. They just learned that the entire criminal underworld wanted his head, and suddenly he vanished? She liked Majima. Of course, she was worried, but she still sat at the table and nodded. "Majima is fine," she said, and she had no clue if the words that left her mouth were a lie. She wanted them to be true. "He wouldn't just leave without good reason, and I doubt that anyone could force him to leave without him kicking up a fuss."

Which there hadn't been. Meaning that he had left willingly.

And if that was the case… then there wasn't a whole lot that they could do. Life wasn't like the movies. When people vanished, they normally weren't seen again. Or, in her case, she found them smeared over the walls and ground after they had died a gruesome death at the hands of a curse.

They could look for Majima. Spend the night tearing through the town and fighting Yakuza all the while. Yet, the only thing they would accomplish would be getting themselves killed - they were two teenagers against an army of thugs with guns.

Nobara had been in this situation enough to know that sometimes, you just had to cut your losses. Even if it meant damning someone to a fate that they didn't deserve.

Yet, all the same, Nobara found herself standing up - her body disagreeing with her brain. "I'm going to go look for him," she decided, a few seconds after reassuring Shirou and Sakura.

"How are we going to find him?" Shirou questioned, instantly ready to help. Shirou and Majima really were more alike than they were different.

For a moment, she had no answer. How were they going to find him?

Then she suddenly did.

Nobara opened up her handbag and revealed her toolkit. "Magecraft?" Sakura questioned softly - she seemed a little too soft-spoken for Nobara's tastes, but being gentle wasn't a flaw by any means. Plus, she had great hair, and her outfit was cute.

"Not exactly," Nobara hedged, mostly because she didn't feel like giving another explanation of what Jujutsu Sorcery was. She grabbed a strawman and a vial that contained a single red hair - one of Majima's. He left it lying around, so he had no right to complain if she used it for her sorcery. She fed the hair into the strawman, binding it to Majima.

As soon as she did, she realized that something was wrong. The left hand of the strawman began to wilt. The damage appeared to be in his forearm, but she somehow knew that he wouldn't be able to use his left hand. Much like she was struggling to.

Nobara frowned, but she put a pin in the questions that correlation brought up in favor of holding the strawman up. "Resonate," she intoned, infusing her cursed energy into the doll, making it levitate over her palm before it started to move towards the door of the living room.

"This'll let us find Majima, and tell us what kind of condition he's in," Nobara informed them, to Shirou's awe. He was way too easily impressed. This was really basic stuff for her, but it was also something that she never bothered to use much. After all, if she was trying to find a person… then more often than not, she would be looking for a corpse, and then the technique wouldn't work.

Nobara steeled herself as she got up, following the strawman as Shirou spoke to Sakura in a low voice. At the very least, Majima was alive. She just had to -

All her thoughts were dashed when Nobara opened the door with a bit more force than necessary, intent on locating Majima and rescuing his dumb ass, only to find him standing across from her draped over a purple-haired woman with a some kind of leather bondage mask over her eyes.

She felt a shiver race down her spine the moment that Nobara looked at her. The same shiver she had felt when they drove by the Church.

"Yo," Majima greeted, lifting his head up to look at her - dried blood on his face. It covered his hands too, and she saw a red stain on his white shirt underneath his jacket. That was a lot of blood. It soaked into his jacket and his pants. Despite that, his eyes were as clear as ever.

Nobara took in a deep breath as a weight she hadn't realized that had been on her shoulders disappeared. Yo? Really? That's what he was going to say after pulling a vanishing act and coming back looking like he had gone fifteen rounds with Mike Tyson in his prime?

"Oh, you're back? I thought you pulled a runner, so I ate your portion of the food Shirou made," Nobara informed, reaching out to him pulled him into the house. Blood dripped from him, betraying how bad his wounds were. Her gaze slid to the purple-haired woman who also looked worse for wear - a few cuts in her short black dress. There was a slash in the fabric across her stomach, and a stab wound in her shoulder. Or what looked like it had been a stab wound. The only trace of the wounds were the blood that was left behind.

"Really? Was it any good?" Majima questioned as Shirou emerged from behind her, his eyes widening dramatically when he saw the condition his older brother was in. She expected him to freeze. Panic a bit. It would have been normal. That was a reaction that had to be trained out of people. Instead, Shirou immediately sprung into action.

"Bring him to the living room. I have a medical kit," Shirou ordered, like busted-up idiots stumbling through his door was an everyday occurrence. Maybe it was, for all she knew. The woman looked to her, letting her guide them to the living room. Shirou was retrieving a large red bag while Sakura was moving the table out of the way. Though, she went still when she saw the purple-haired woman.

Majima groaned as he was dropped on the floor. Nobara began taking off his jacket and she didn't miss a beat when she saw the nasty wound in his forearm. He also had a stab wound in the back. Based on the lack of active blood flow, it wasn't an immediately fatal wound, but that didn't mean it couldn't become one.

"That's Rider, by the way," Majima introduced the purple-haired woman, who helped her by tearing off Majima's shirt since it was soaked with blood. There, Nobara saw that he had plenty of other injuries. Nasty bruises covering his ribs and stomach, some of which bled from the skin tearing. Then he looked at Sakura, "Shinji is still alive. Well, he was the last time I saw him. Your… grandfather took him after giving me Rider."

"Master," Rider said, directing the words at Sakura instead of Majima, though the idiot didn't seem to care.

"Rider…" Sakura trailed off as Shirou knelt next to Majima. He had a rather competent medical kit - plenty of bandages, disinfectants, and so on. Yet, when he went to go apply them, his hands stilled when he saw the wound on Majima's arm.

"Majima, you need to go to a hospital," Shirou informed, wrapping the wound with bandages. "I'm not going to be able to do anything about that arm. And you could be bleeding internally from the stab wound or any of those bruises. What happened to you?"

Rider knelt next to Majima, calm and poised. "I did," Rider answered, and for a moment, Nobara glared.

Bitch.

Her hands curled into fists, but she forced them to unclench as Majima picked up the explanation. "Shinji wanted to kill me for humiliating him or something. But, for the most part, it was the Yakuza that worked me over." Shirou stilled, while Sakura gasped. "They knew where I was, so I figured I'd send them a message." he explained, winching as Shirou silently applied some disinfectant spray to one of his injuries.

Idiot.

Before Nobara could stop herself, she pinched his cheek, making him look at her. "So you just left?" she asked, a lot going unsaid in the simple question. Majima's eyes softened, looking suitably ashamed.

"I didn't want to drag anyone into my mess," he defended himself as he looked away. That was… he was also leaving something unsaid, but Nobara didn't know what. "And the Grail War will start soon. I don't have time to sit at a hospital waiting to heal up. Did we ever figure out how to get the thingamajig out of Shirou?"

Sakura, surprisingly, spoke up. "Rider?" Could she help?

Rider looked to her, then to Majima, causing a very loud silence fill the room as all attention shifted to her. "Majima - my wish is for Sakura to be happy," she informed, looking Majima in the eyes, though hers were hidden. Sakura seemed almost ashamed when she heard that. "Does your desire for the Grail contradict that wish?" she asked, her tone perfectly calm, but Nobara heard that sinister edge to it. If she didn't believe him, then she wouldn't hesitate to kill him.

Majima took on an unusually serious expression as he met Rider's look. "No, there won't be a conflict of interests. I'd like it if Sakura was happy too," he said, his tone so serious that it actually made Shirou look between his brother and his friend, wondering if something happened between them while he wasn't looking. Most interesting, Sakura's reaction wasn't to blush or anything.

Like her namesake, Sakura seemed to wilt like she was dying on the inside. Her expression looked so fragile that a single touch would shatter it, and she seemed… afraid. Not at all what Nobara expected.

Rider, however, was satisfied. "Then I accept you as my Master," she said, placing a hand to Shirou's chest. He looked a bit confused, but it was quickly obscured by a blinding flash of light. Nobara squinted as she watched Rider retract her hand, a sheath materializing from Shirou's chest - it was wide, fit for a broad sword, made of some golden material with blue enamel decorating its exterior. It wasn't leather or any kind of fabric. It also didn't look metallic either. The light only lasted a second before Rider held the sheath in her hands.

"That was inside of me?" Shirou muttered, frowning at the sheath. What hopefully was a catalyst for the Servant that had won of the last Grail War.

"It was. The mystery is strong within it - it would heal any injury and grant eternal youth, but the power lays dormant within. It's attuned to one person - King Authur." Rider informed, sounding unimpressed. Nobara blinked a few times, processing it.

King Authur? That had been one of the servants in the picture? So… King Arthur was a...

"Cool," Nobara decided on, looking to Majima. "Then we just need to summon her up." Which would heal Majima. Because she really didn't care to see him in this state. It was hardly the first time she saw someone injured, and she had seen far more grievous injuries, but she'd prefer it if Majima was healthy and whole.

It was still weird to think that King Arthur was a girl, though.

Majima nodded, forcing himself to stand up and waving off Shirou's attempt to help. "Let's go make a summoning circle," He said, and thankfully, that was one lesson Aozaki bothered to teach him. However, Sakura shook her head as she offered an apologetic look at Shirou.

"There's already one in Senpai's workshop," she informed them, and even Shirou seemed surprised by that.

"Is that what that altar was?" He muttered with a shake of his head, dismissing it as unimportant. And with that, Nobara found herself in a shed that was overflowing with junk. Broken appliances filled the shelves, and were stacked up in corners. There were odds and ends laying about - pipes, a rock, and glass? Though, after moving a few boxes, Nobara saw the summoning circle. A pentagram.

"Who should be the master?" Majima questioned, looking at Shirou and Sakura. Nobara was out of the running since she didn't have any magic circuits. Shirou opened his mouth, but Sakura beat him to the punch.

"I… would like it if Senpai and my lives were peaceful," she voiced her opinion. A conflicted expression passed over Shirou's face. It was clear that he was willing to fight. However, Rider spoke up.

"Shirou, you would make a poor Master," Rider informed, making Shirou flinch back. "Your magic circuits lay dormant. It is unlikely you could properly provide mana for a Servant, weakening them greatly." she informed him without any care for his pride, making Majima frown.

"The same should apply to me, shouldn't it? I can only produce four units of mana with my circuits. Shirou was picked as the heir because he had twenty-something circuits," Majima said, earning a dumbfounded look from Shirou.

"What? I've been making my magic circuits for years now, but I've only ever managed to make one at a time." Shirou explained, making Rider tilt her head.

"Make…?" she trailed off before she shook her head, "No, it's not relevant at the moment. Majima - you should be the Master of the second Servant," Rider decided, placing a hand against his bare chest. "Because your mana production is increasing even as we speak." she informed him, catching Nobara's attention.

There was a beat of silence before Rider nodded to herself, "I see. Majima, you have nine magic circuits. That produce ten units of mana each." She informed, and that… was impossible, right? "Three of which formed during the duration of our contract. I do not understand what exactly is happening with your circuits, but you are the most suitable choice for supporting a second Servant." Because his circuits were growing in response to… what?

Majima seemed to work that over in his head for a moment. He had spoken about Magic Circuits to her. How the amount you had was determined at birth, which is why he was never considered to be the heir. From the Mage Association's point of view, Majima didn't produce enough mana to even be called a mage. Yet, he's suddenly forming extra magic circuits from thin air?

However, Majima simply nodded, "Alright," he said, carelessly tossing the sheath into the center of the circle. And then he began to speak. The magic circle glowed in response to his incantation, the shine growing brighter and brighter and brighter until-

A shiver raced down her spine.

A girl appeared, materializing in a cloud of golden sparks. She was on the short side, with her blonde hair was done up in a braided bun, had bright green eyes, and a heart-shaped face. She wore a royal blue armored dress and heavy-looking metal gauntlets, in one of which she clutched an invisible weapon. It was the same girl from the picture the Russian man had made. So, King Arthur really was a girl? There was a crowd in the shed, but the girl, the Servant, King Arthur, leveled a look at Majima.

"Are you my Master?" she questioned, a serene look on her face that lasted all of one second before it twisted to one of surprise when Majima began to fall forward.

…

Saber caught her Master - only then did she take note of his injuries. He was limp in her arms, and her concern was growing to the point she nearly failed to notice that a woman had stepped into the summoning circle to retrieve - her scabbard?! The woman herself was a Servant, but Saber didn't sense any hostility from her. In fact, she felt that there was a connection was shared between the two of them. After a moment, she understood what it was. They shared a Master. Though, that connection would not be enough to stop them from coming to blows.

"Servant Rider," Rider introduced herself. "He requires healing," she informed before she passed Avalon over to her. Her scabbard. The one that was lost to her. Stolen from her. How different would things have been if it had remained by her side? Saber accepted her scabbard before looking down at the injured young man that was her Master. Taking on two Servants was a fool-hardy endeavor. The demand would be too high, especially if both of them fought at full strength.

Yet, even as she had that thought, she felt the small but steady amount of mana being supplied to her increase a fraction. Then again. Then another time. In a handful of seconds, the mana that flowed into her practically doubled. It was still less than she would like, but it was odd enough that it caught her attention. She placed a hand on him, making the decision to feed Avalon into him to heal his injuries. If for no other reason than it was her duty as his Servant to aid and protect him. The pain on his face lessened somewhat and Saber let out a small breath as his injuries began to stitch themselves back together.

"You were doing so well, Majima. You almost looked cool for a second there," a young woman with ginger hair said before she knelt down in front of her. Saber's grip tightened on her Master, ready to protect him if needed, but there was a soft look on the young woman's face. "Since he decided to take a nap, I'll explain what's going on." she decided, and Saber slide her gaze to Rider.

She seemed to understand the unspoken question.

"He is a worthy Master. At least, he harbors no ill will towards me for maiming him." she answered, and that brought up questions of its own, but Saber nodded slowly.

"I will hear your explanation."

…

It was a rare thing that an explanation left you with more questions than answers, Saber thought as she knelt in the dojo of the Emiya estate, reflecting through the night of what she had learned. To think that Kiritsugu would adopt a child after the Grail War. Even with the added evidence of recognizing the estate, Saber wasn't sure if Shirou spoke of the same man she had once called Master.

The Kiritsugu Saber knew was a cold-hearted, ruthless man that could justify every evil under the sun for his ideals. The man Shirou spoke of sounded like a much more pleasant man.

Regardless, she had been brought up to speed by Nobara because her Master was unconscious still. Rider confirmed that he was developing new magic circuits - he went up from nine to fifteen over the course of the night, though it seemed that as the strain lessened on his circuits, he developed them slower. None had answers for the phenomenon. She learned of his amnesia, that he was being hunted by criminals, and of his blood relation to Shirou.

That his wish was to help Nobara.

It was too early to jump to conclusions. She had already been burned by having faith in Kiritsugu. But, Majima seemed like a noble young man from what she had heard.

It was early morning when Saber heard the door to the dojo slide open. "Saber? Shirou made breakfast," Nobara informed her, and Saber opened her eyes.

"Thank you. Has Master awoken?" Saber questioned, standing up. Nobara shook her head, but she also didn't seem worried.

"No, he's sleeping in. His injuries have all healed up because of your sheath though. He's probably just sleeping it all off," Nobara said, and that was good news, if entirely expected. The healing properties of Avalon could not be understated. Anything short of being instantly killed was recoverable. As much as her fingers ached for the touch of her scabbard, it was better off with her Master. After all, Kiritsugu had more than proven that Masters were the true targets of the Grail War.

Standing up, Saber followed Nobara out of the dojo. However, no sooner than they left, Nobara motioned for her to stop. Saber noticed that the action was with her previously impeded left hand - Nobara had showed some difficulties with moving it, but it seemed a night's rest had taken care of the malady.

Saber leaned forward, curious as to what Nobara was looking at - to see Sakura and Majima in the hallway of the main building. Majima had the blanket around him, and was laying on the floor - completely undignified. Sakura, however, was sitting near him witht he proper grace one would expect from a young lady.

"You know," they heard Sakura state, her voice fearful. What she meant, Saber could not imagine.

Majima was silent for a moment. "Not all of it, but… yeah. I know," he said, and Sakura seemed to take that as confirmation of her worst fear. She hugged herself, her expression stricken - Saber had seen that same anguish when they returned from battle and wives, lovers, friends, and family realized that they didn't see who they waited for. That sinking realization that they had fallen on the battlefield.

"Nobara-" Saber began, feeling it improper to eavesdrop on her Master. Nobara, however, shushed her.

"I can't undo the past, but I can do something about the future," Majima began, and Saber found herself curious despite her reservations. What exactly were they speaking about? "That old man is going to die. No matter what."

Sakura aimed a sharp look at Majima, "You can't kill grandfather," she told him. Her tone was certain. She didn't seem to be concerned with the threat of murder that Majima had just uttered. Had she been mistaken about him?

"Can, and I will," Majima refuted, just as certain in his victory. Sakura's hands curled into fists, bunching up her skirt as she looked down at the ground. She seemed to tremble with emotion.

"If you know about Grandfather, then you know how disgusting I am. I'm unclean. I don't deserve anyone's help," Sakura said, making Saber's lips thin. It was to the world's shame that she understood the implication.

"You don't decide if you deserve help. I do," Majima argued, his voice calm. "And I've decided I'm going to help you. You can just deal with it." he said, forcing his compassion on Sakura, completely dismissive of her wishes. He wasn't wrong to, but his delivery could use a great deal of work.

Sakura was silent for a moment. "Why? Why do you even want to help me? You barely know me." She sounded frustrated. Angry. But, underneath it was a layer of fear.

"Hm. If I have to put it in words…" Majima trailed off, thinking about it. "Good things should happen to good people. Bad things should happen to bad people. I don't really believe in God, and I don't trust the universe to dish out karma to the people who deserve it. So, I'll make sure that people get what they deserve." Majima said, and his grand words were more than slightly undercut by the image of him pushing himself across the wood floors like a caterpillar, his blanket covering everything but his head.

Sakura wasn't finished with the conversation. "I'm not a good person," she argued quietly, certain.

"That's also not something you get to decide, and I've decided you're good," Majima told her, his words carrying his conviction. "Shirou cares a lot about you. And I'm pretty sure you have a crush on him-"

Sakura stood up like a bullet, her previous gloom forgotten in her fluster, hiding her face with her hands, but Saber saw her flushed ears poking through her hair. "Majima!" she exclaimed, but Majima didn't let it stop him.

"Oh? I was right? I think you two would be good for each other, so I'll help you seduce him," Majima said, reaching a door and fumbling to get it to open.

"M-Majima!" Sakura exclaimed again, and…

Saber found herself smiling ever so slightly. It would seem her Master was rather headstrong,but he had a good heart. Nobara seemed to disagree based on the sigh she let out.

"That idiot," Nobara sighed, but when they stepped out of the dojo, Saber noticed that she had a slight smile on her face. Perhaps she didn't disagree as much as she might want to.

She looked to Saber, "He's biting off more than he can chew. Would you mind helping me cut up the problem into bite-sized pieces for him, before he chokes?"

Saber nodded. That was an order Saber imagined she would enjoy following.

With their course decided, the two of them joined the others for breakfast. Sakura seemed a bit withdrawn after the conversation they had overheard, though her face was still flushed, and Shirou looked like he didn't get much sleep. Majima, on the other hand, was draped over the table. It seemed that he was stuck in a state of exhaustion. Which left him unable to argue as Nobara set the agenda for the day.

"You did your part, Majima, so you rest up. I'm taking Saber with me," Nobara informed him, making Majima shift his head so his cheek was flat against the table as he looked up at them.

"Do you have any leads?" he asked, earning a smirk from Nobara.

"None, but I know how to find some," Nobara answered cryptically. Her Master seemed to accept the answer without comment, simply nodding.

Saber spoke up, "You can entrust her safety to me, Master." she declared, earning an uncertain look from Shirou. Her Master seemed to treat the oath with appropriate attention and pushed himself up into a seated position, still wrapped up tightly in the blanket he had brought with him.

"Nobara can be a little hot-headed, so watch out for that," he informed her, earning a serious nod from herself and an indignant noise from Nobara. "And if you come across Rin Tohsaka, help her out if you can. We have an… alliance? Non-aggression pact? I lost too much blood by that point, so I really don't remember." he said with a shrug, only for the action to be his downfall as his precarious balance was tipped too far in one direction. He fell backward, unable to catch himself, landing with a light thump, and made no effort to rise back up.

He had already secured a… deal with another Master? He was proactive, Saber would give him that.

"Wait - Tohsaka is a magus too?!" Shirou exclaimed, shocked. Nobara seemed to take that as their cue to leave, because they were heading for the door a second later, leaving Majima to explain. Stepping through it, Saber glanced up at the gate out of the compound. Her gaze met Rider's masked one, the other Servant having been lurking outside, guarding the perimeter - the woman offered her a curt nod of acknowledgment, which Saber returned. They would not speak, nor were they even truly allies.

There was a good reason why having two Servants was a poor idea. Not only would it be more draining, but… only one Servant could have their wish granted. For now, they were allies, but in the end, she and Rider were destined to be enemies. It was not in her nature to plot betrayal, but she had felt its bitter sting too many times to not anticipate it.

They walked in silence for some distance, stopping eventually before a market where Nobara sighed, "I can't believe Majima destroyed his bike. He knew how much I liked driving it…" she complained, before she turned to her. "We're here to buy some stuff."

Saber wilted ever so slightly when she heard that. Would Nobara insist on playing dress-up with her too? Saber had a similar experience in the last Grail War. She didn't mind it exactly, but… knowing Irisviel was dead did sour the memories. "For what cause?"

"Because, watching you get summoned, I had an idea," Nobara explained, giving Saber an odd look. "I didn't realize it at the time, but I think me and Majima encountered a Servant before. I got an odd feeling about him. Then, I felt it again when Rider showed up at our doorstep. Then I felt it when you appeared."

Saber understood immediately. "You believe you can sense Servants?" She questioned, and if so, that would be an invaluable ability.

"Hm. Maybe," Nobara hedged, clearly hiding something. "But, the important part is that I have some tools in my arsenal that could help out. Back home, Jujutsu Sorcerers had ways to find where curses were likely born. Places of extreme negativity or with a tragedy attached to them." Nobara explained as they walked, and Saber listened with rapt attention as they entered the market - so very similar to Camelot, yet so very different. "My Jujutsu Sorcery isn't one for one with Magecraft, but… I think that one of them might be able to work on Heroic Spirits."

Saber was impressed, "I see. When did you learn such techniques?" Saber asked as Nobara stopped in front of a stall, holding up a crystal on a necklace. For the briefest of seconds, Nobara's expression seemed to freeze. Then she purchased the necklace as if nothing had happened.

"It's just something I picked up," Nobara answered, and what compelled her to lie, Saber could not guess. She swallowed her questions and followed Nobara as she made her purchases - incense, a map, another crystal, salt, various oils, and a mortar and pestle. Nobara inspected the map, leaving it to Saber to carry her purchases. Nobara led them on a winding path, but before long, Saber found that they were standing before the steps of the Ryuudou temple.

The location with the second-largest leyline nexus in the city.

Saber was on her guard as she walked up the steps with Nobara, who seemed absolutely focused on the task at hand. Yet, the attack she was expecting never came. Was it possible that this war's Caster had yet to be summoned? Because the temple would be an ideal base for the Servant - Saber could practically feel the excess mana in the air. They arrived at the top of the steps without incident, granting them a view of the courtyard of a rather grand temple. Part of her insisted that it was lacking in comparison to the cathedrals of her homeland, but that was a part of herself that Saber often ignored.

Without word, Nobara dropped to the ground and began preparing her ritual. She lit the incense, began combining the powders she had picked up and grinding them up even more before adding the oils into the mixture. Once the concoction was finished, Nobara stabbed her finger with a nail. Dipping the bleeding wound into the mixture, Nobara held her finger above the map.

A drop of blood fell onto the map. However, instead of falling straight down, it curved slightly and landed elsewhere. An ignorant person would think that the wind blew the droplet of blood off course. Maps of the city were thankfully something that the Grail included in the information dump of whatever era a Servant found themselves in.

The first drop landed in the city, not that far from the Emiya estate.

The second landed on the Church.

The third landed on the Ezienburn estate.

The fourth landed on the Tohsaka estate.

The fifth landed on the Matou estate.

The sixth landed on Ryuudou temple.

The seventh landed on Ryuudou Temple.

The eight landed on Ryuudou Temple.

And the ninth landed in the city park.

Nine Servants?

Nobara held up the map, giving it a close inspection before she nodded to herself.

"So, that's how it is." she said.

...

The next chapter is currently available on my Pat re on and Subscribe Star, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!