Chapter 6- New Beginnings
"You've got a what in your head?!" Shez shouted at the top of her lungs after Byleth informed her family of her mysterious new partner once they were alone at the house. The loudness in her voice actually caused the blunette to recoil a bit. They were sitting around the kitchen table, with Sothis hovering beside her partner.
"Sheesh," Sothis complained. "Could your sister get any louder? I know our situation is pretty unusual, but surely her reaction is a little extreme. At least your father has enough sense to keep his surprise in check."
Sure enough, the Blade Breaker did stay largely composed upon hearing the news of his eldest daughter suddenly having a second conscience within her, unlike his younger daughter, who was currently staring at her sister as though she suddenly sprouted a second head. It was hard for Byleth to gauge what he was thinking, but at the very least she had a feeling that he knew she wasn't lying. Now she had to convince her little sister that she wasn't crazy.
"Oh, this will be entertaining," Sothis mused, smiling in amusement. "Good luck, Byleth."
"You're not helping," the blunette grimaced before speaking aloud. "You heard me. For as long as I can remember, I've been having these strange dreams showing me people and places I've never seen before. One of those dreams revolved around a small girl with green hair sleeping in a stone throne. Well apparently, that particular dream was actually something else, as this same girl awoke within me during Serena's funeral and we talked for the first time."
Jeralt stroked his beard slowly as he pondered over what he heard. "You've described this girl to me before, but I don't think I've heard of anyone like that. And you said that you had a conversation with her this time? Did she give you her name at all?"
Byleth gave a short nod. "Yes. She called herself Sothis, but apparently she is also known as 'The Beginning'."
It was just for a brief moment, but the paladin's eyes went wide in shock. "Sothis? That name. It can't be." His words were a quiet whisper, making them nearly impossible to hear. The only reason Byleth caught it was due to her experience with hunting for game. That also meant that a certain someone also overheard it too.
"Hoh. It seems that my name struck a chord," the greenette commented. "How very interesting. I wonder if he has some clue as to who I am. Well, don't just sit there. Push further!"
Byleth gave her partner a quick nod, which looking back, probably gave her younger sister more anxiety as she tried to process everything. Internally, the blunette felt a little guilty questioning her father in this manner as he tended to keep his past a secret from her. Granted she barely asked about it to begin with, so she didn't really see an issue with this. "Do you know that name, Father?" she asked curiously.
Jeralt was silent for a few moments, as if debating on what to say. After what felt like an eternity, he finally said, "No. It's nothing. I was just misremembering."
"Liar!" Sothis shouted in frustration, glaring daggers at the older man. "You obviously know something and are deliberately not telling us! Phooey, humans can be so frustrating at times."
As much as Byleth wanted to disagree, she knew the younger girl was right. Her father clearly knew more than he was letting on, but wasn't keen on sharing it. Did it have something to do with his past? If so, just what was Jeralt like before she was born? What kind of life did he have? Just so many questions piling on top of each other.
She felt tempted to press her father for more answers, but never got the opportunity to as that's when her sister finally regained her ability to speak. "Um, you're not lying about having a ghost girl living inside you, are you?" Shez asked nervously.
"I am not a ghost!" Sothis exclaimed. "I may not know who I am, but I am very much still alive. She's lucky I don't smite her for that comment right now."
Already, Byleth could feel a headache brewing. It took a lot of effort not to cradle her head before turning her attention to the purplette. "I'm not lying to you. There really is another person living inside me. Also, Sothis doesn't like being called a ghost. She said something about smiting you for making that comment."
If Shez wasn't freaked out before, she sure was now as all the color drained from her skin. "Smite me?! What's that supposed to mean? Wait, can she possess you? How do we know if you're really Byleth or not?"
"Relax, Shez," Byleth said calmly, trying to soothe her little sister's concerns. "It really is me. Sothis can't do that. Wait, can you?" That last sentence was directed towards her invisible partner as she glanced in her direction.
"Technically I can," Sothis confirmed with a nod. "We do share a body after all. But it would take far too much effort for me to do so, plus you can technically resist me to a degree depending on your mental strength. Then there's the moral factor, and I honestly I find taking permanent control of your body distasteful. At worst, I think I would only take control if you were in serious danger and you can't rely on your own abilities to escape it. Of course, it's not like you and your family have any reason to believe me. For all you know, I could just be lying so that you'd lower your guard and take you over when you least expect it."
"No, I believe you," Byleth replied, surprising both her family and the amnesiac girl. She didn't know why she felt this way, but she just had this hunch that this girl wasn't a bad person. Maybe it has something to do with her resembling that woman caring for those strange creatures, or maybe she was just being naïve. Either way, she just couldn't convince herself that Sothis is a bad person. "Sothis said that she can take control of my body at any time, but she promises to only do so in an emergency."
"And you believe her?" Shez questioned.
"I do. I honestly believe that she means me no harm." And she meant that. She really did. "If she was really a bad person, I don't think she would be so open to me about what she can do. I trust her, and I want you both to do the same."
Boy was she putting her family on the spot. She felt a little guilty for pressuring them so much, but she felt that it would be best to nip this in the bud while she can. She could feel Sothis's gratitude for sticking up for her, which made her feel happy in turn. Partners are supposed to look after each other after all. That's what her father taught her, anyway.
Eventually after a few minutes of silence, both Jeralt and Shez caved and said they were willing to trust Sothis as well. Now came the elephant in the room. On one hand, Byleth debated whether or not to tell them this given the circumstances, but on the other, it could prove disastrous if her sister found out at a later date. Hesitant on what to do, she turned to her partner for advice.
"We've come this far," Sothis said with a shrug. "Might as well see it to the end. Besides, I sense something strange about your sister. I think it would be best if you were honest with her about my powers rather than hide it and risk making her hate you."
Byleth agreed with her sentiment. She didn't want Shez to hate her. They were a family now, and she didn't like the idea of keeping secrets from her little sister. She was curious on what Sothis found strange about the purplette though, but that was a topic for another day.
Bracing herself for what is to come, Byleth carefully thought about the words she was about to say. "There's more. Sothis is able to rewind time."
"WHAT?!" Shez shouted in a predictable fashion, with Jeralt looking just as shocked. It took a few seconds for the younger Eisner to recollect herself. "Does that mean she can go back and save my mom?!"
And there it was. The topic that Byleth dreaded to talk about with regarding Sothis's powers. Just how was she supposed to reply to that without breaking Shez's heart?
"I think I have an idea on what to do. But first, I must ask. Do you trust me, sincerely?"
"Of course. Do what you must."
Byleth closed her eyes as she felt a foreign power surge throughout her body. She felt stronger, more so than she felt in her entire life, but at the same time, her body felt like a foreign entity. She felt some instinct to fight it, but instead allowed it flow through her. When her eyes finally opened, it wasn't her doing at all, in fact she felt like she was being more of a backseat driver than the person actually steering. Had she looked into a mirror, she would have noticed that her eyes were now a deep green. Sothis had also disappeared from sight, but the blunette knew where she was.
"Hello, Jeralt, father of my vessel. Hello, Shez, my vessel's little sister." The voice coming from Byleth's lips was not her own, but someone else's entirely. She could see the worry in her family from her backseat observation as they also realized who was actually speaking.
"You may relax," Sothis said calmly, raising her (or rather Byleth's) hands as if surrendering. "Byleth is fine. I have simply switched places with her so that I can explain my abilities in her stead. Believe me when I say that I mean you no harm, especially Byleth."
"So you're Sothis then," Jeralt spoke up in skepticism. "Just how did you come to reside within my daughter?"
"I do not know. All that I can recall before today is that I spent a long time sleeping in a dark place, all alone. Besides my name and powers, I do not remember anything about myself. It's only because of Byleth unconsciously calling out to me that I have awakened."
"I see. So these powers of yours? Can you really turn back time?"
"To an extent, yes. I should also mention that I only possess a fraction of my true power. I'm afraid that traveling back to the point Shez's mother perished to try and save her is beyond me at my current strength. If I was at full power, I might be able to do it, but I do not know when that will happen. Not to mention that even if I was at full strength, messing with the flow of time at that scale always comes with risks."
"What do you mean?" Shez questioned. Byleth was curious too, since this did concern her too.
"The flow of time is a fickle thing," Sothis explained. "Make one small change and it will have a ripple effect that can lead to unintended consequences. Perhaps you turn back the clock to save one person, but that leads that person to commit mass murder somewhere else later in the future. I believe this is called the Butterfly Effect, though I'm not sure who came up with it. Not to mention that the farther you go back in time to change certain effects, the bigger the ripple will be. I know this may sound cruel, but I do not think it is wise for you to have Byleth go back and save your mother even if I manage to regain my full power. Even I cannot predict what would happen if we made such an attempt."
That made the purplette's eyes water up as she realized that her mother was truly dead, which sent a pain into Byleth's heart. She wanted to go comfort her sister and dry her tears, but her body wouldn't obey her commands. Thankfully such sentiment was shared with Sothis as she rose from her chair and trotted over to the younger girl before pulling her into a warm hug.
"This is from both me and Byleth," Sothis spoke up, surprising the younger Eisner. "I am truly sorry for the death of your mother, young Shez, and I wish there was more that I could do to help, but my hands are tied. If you need someone to hate, then hate me, not Byleth. I don't you two to have a falling out because of me."
That seemed to do it as the dam within Shez broke and she began to cry once more, burying her face within her sister's gray shirt. Sothis allowed the girl to vent it all out. Her grief, her anger, everything. Even though they were total strangers to each other, it didn't make it any easier to break the news to her vessel's sister. Still, this was a much better alternative than giving her a false hope. She could sense that by addressing this now while both Shez and Byleth are still young and the wounds of Serena's loss still fresh, this would open up a better path for the two sisters. That was what she hoped for, for both her sake and the sake of her vessel.
This went on for several minutes until Shez finally calmed down and parted from Sothis. Her eyes were still a little puffy and her grief still raw, but the greenette knew that she would be alright.
"Thank you, Sothis," Shez said once she regained her voice. "I don't think I'll stop wishing that my mom was still alive, but I do understand your concerns. If you think that it's too dangerous for us to go back and save her, then I won't push you. I'm sure Mom would say the same if she were here."
Sothis gave the younger girl a warm smile, which felt weird on Byleth's end since she was still stuck as an observer. Is this something she'll just have to get used to from now on? Oh well, at least she knew that her sister won't hate her because of this.
"Um," Shez continued, looking somewhat nervous as she glanced away from her sister and towards the table. "If changing the past is a no-go, then is it possible for you all to help me get revenge on those mages? I know that this is a stupid request and probably the last thing my mom wants me to do, but I can't stand the fact that there's more of them out there, and probably just as determined to get their hands on me as Myson was."
Byleth felt her gaze being lifted towards Jeralt as they all thought over the girl's request. By all accounts, yeah, it was beyond reckless. They don't know anything about this enemy, much less their numbers or where they were living. It would be suicide for a single mercenary company to wipe out this unknown enemy, one that wasn't shy of sicing Demonic Beasts on innocent villagers just to get their hands on some child. However, despite her rationale telling her otherwise, Byleth wanted to help her sister in her quest for revenge. Those mages hurt Shez by killing her mother, and that was all the justification she needed to make them pay.
"You're as reckless as your sister," Sothis commented, sounding somewhat smug. "You sure the two of you aren't related?"
"I'm just doing what Serena asked me to do, to protect Shez. Those mages are still out there, and if they find out about Shez, they'll come after her again. They won't be a problem if I eliminate them."
"Well, you are right about that, but I think it's a little too soon for either of you to go looking for revenge. Focus on getting stronger so that you can accomplish that goal. You will have my aid, of course, as I too feel the need to make them pay, though I do not know why. However, if you and Shez do wish for this, I only ask that you both don't let it possess you to the point of obsession. Both of you deserve to live normal lives. Don't ever forget that."
"I won't and I'll make sure Shez doesn't either. As the older sister, it's my duty to look after her. I won't fail."
Sothis let out a giggle. "Of course you won't fail. You have me after all," she thought before speaking aloud. "Byleth and I are willing to assist you, Shez, but we don't want you to lose sight of who you are. Even with my amnesia, I know that revenge can lead you to make decisions you never thought you would make. 'Don't forget your promise to Serena,' is what Byleth is telling me."
"I know. I've read enough stories to know what to expect from seeking revenge. As long as I have you all, I don't think I'll lose my way." Shez forced herself to laugh. "Plus, I can't see myself playing the villain. I'm way too stupid to try it."
She did have a point. After all, she did blow up a tree just because she wanted to try using dark magic. Then there were the countless stories of her getting lost in the woods due to her terrible sense of direction, where sometimes she would end up near the foot of the mountain. Honestly, it was a miracle that Shez was even still alive given how reckless she was. Byleth sure has her hands full as the older sister.
"Guess I'm outvoted," Jeralt said reluctantly, seeing that there was nothing he could do to deter his kids. "If we happen to come across those mages and are able to take them out with no issue, then I don't see an issue with it. However, we won't be making any moves until we learn more about them. Luckily Serena provided us a way to gain that intel, but we'll have to wait until the seal breaks to use it. Just promise me neither of you will do anything reckless."
"We won't!" Shez and Sothis/Byleth said in sync, the latter finally returning control to her vessel, which naturally caused Byleth's eyes to return to their usual blue hue.
As she moved back into the corner of her vessel's mind, Sothis let out a yawn. "Ah…so sleepy," she said tiredly. "All that talking really wore me out. I think I'll rest for now. If you have need of me, just call and I'll answer."
"Okay. Thank you, Sothis." Byleth could feel the greenette's presence recede within her mind. It still felt a little weird sharing her body with another person, but she'll just have to get used to it. There was so much that she didn't know about the entity residing within her, but she had a feeling that they'll figure it out together as they keep moving forward.
"Okay then," Jeralt spoke up as he rose from his chair. "Byleth, I want you to help Shez pack her things so that she's ready to go. We can't bring everything, so I'll leave it up to you two to decide what has to come. Obviously make sure to include Serena's diary. I'm gonna go tell the others about our new addition and then finalize things with the elder. Depending on how the latter goes, we might be out of here in a day or so."
"Understood," she replied instantly.
"Leave it to us!" Shez added with a smile, even if it did seem somewhat forced.
The girls then watched as their father left the house. Once he was gone, they quickly began working on which items to bring for the younger Eisner's new life as part of a mercenary company.
Just what the hell was Jeralt getting himself into? First he's become a father of two kids, with the younger one probably going to give him gray hairs over her typical antics. Now his older daughter has a dream girl she can talk to or even possess her body and control time. When is his life going to go back to simple?
Oh well. There's nothing he can do about it now. He's still not comfortable with the idea of hunting down those unknown dark mages, but he could see the threat they posed to Shez. It will be a long time before any of them learn the reason why those mages are so desperate to get their hands on the girl, but no matter what, he won't let them take her. That's the only way he can make it up to Serena for letting her go off on her own.
Still, why the hell did Byleth's dream spirit girl have the same name as the goddess of Fodlan? And those eyes when Sothis briefly possessed her. It took everything he had not to flinch in fear. Those deep green eyes reminded him so much of Rhea, the woman he once served so faithfully long ago.
Could it be a coincidence that the girl shared the Goddess's name? It was too soon to draw any conclusions. All he had were his suspicions and no evidence. Still, there was no denying that Rhea was involved with whatever was going on with his eldest daughter. Just what did she do to Byleth when she was born twelve years ago? Just that fact that she didn't have a heartbeat was suspect enough, let alone how the blunette conducted herself prior to befriending Shez.
All this did was make him more suspicious of the archbishop's motives. He could never forget the day she brought Byleth to him when she was born. Her tone may have sounded as caring as ever, but her body language revealed her true feelings. The way she held the quiet baby so closely, it came off as more possessive than motherly. It was like she wanted to take Byleth away from him, and that terrified him, forever breaking his trust in the archbishop. He wasn't even allowed to see Sitri's body, with Rhea instead keeping it under heavy lock and key.
It was then that he knew he had to take Byleth and flee the monastery. It was no longer safe there. To accomplish that, he set a fire at Garreg Mach, using it as a distraction and a way to fake his daughter's death, while the two of them fled into the night. From what he heard afterward, Rhea was pretty distraught over losing Byleth, but he no longer had it in him to feel sorry for her. All he could do was keep running, doing everything he can to keep his daughter out of her reach.
Now, after learning the name of the girl from Byleth's dreams, Jeralt couldn't help but think that only Rhea knew what was going on with her. Should he return to Garreg Mach and demand the archbishop to explain herself? No, that was too risky, especially since he now had Shez to look after. There was no way he could guarantee the safety of his girls if they went to the monastery. Still, he couldn't help but wonder if he made the right decision to leave that day.
"I wish you were here, Sitri," Jeralt muttered in longing, looking up at the cloudy sky. "You may not know what to say, but you always managed to brighten up the room."
With a heavy heart, the Blade Breaker began to look for his mercenaries to fill them in before meeting with the elder to wrap up their contract. He didn't know what awaited him and his family after this, but all he could do was keep moving forward. He had to, for the sake of those who were gone.
As it turned out, packing for the mobile life of a mercenary wasn't easy. There was only so much Shez could bring with her, and it pained her to leave everything behind. This was the only home she had known, but after today, she won't be living here anymore and instead wander the continent with her new family. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't nervous about this.
"Shez, I'm packing up these shirts. You're gonna want comfortable clothing if you're going to travel with us." That was Claire, the medic of Jeralt's Mercenaries. Apparently, Jeralt, no she should probably call him "Dad" now that he's adopted her, asked her to help since she would probably be a better judge on what can be brought. Altria was supposed to come too, but she never showed up, apparently getting distracted by Nathan and the others, who were still helping out the other villagers.
In all honesty, Shez was glad for the help. As much as she liked Byleth, the girl was practically hopeless on what to bring aside from clothes. Apparently the blunette's never had any toys or books, which seriously made her question her new dad's parenting skills. It looks like she'll have to fill in that role by introducing her elder sister to new books and how to have fun, along with her training on to better express herself. Byleth was already making progress since she actually made a groan when she brought the last part up.
"Okay," Shez answered back as she examined her mother's book collection. "Are any of my coats good? Winter's coming up, and I'd rather not meet my death of cold."
"They'll work. Your mother has good taste. A shame I never talked to her much before she…" Claire stopped herself right there, but the purplette didn't mind.
The death of her mother will always haunt Shez, most likely for the rest of her life. But she can't wallow in her grief forever. She had to keep her promise to never lose her smile, no matter how hard it may be to do so. Those dark mages will pay for what they did, but she won't let her thirst for revenge consume her. Serena wouldn't want her to do that.
Although, if Shez wanted any semblance of a chance to succeed in getting her revenge on her mother's murderers, she'll need to become stronger. Byleth was only a trainee, same as her, but she was a total beast. Just where does her new sister hide all that strength? She remembered her mom mentioning that Crests gave people various abilities depending on what they are. Some increased their magical prowess, while others enhanced their physical ability. Could Byleth have one of those Crests?
She couldn't help but laugh at the silliness of the thought. "Yeah, as if. Mom said that only nobles tend to possess Crests, and even that's rare. There's no way the daughter of a mercenary could have one."
Still, she did have to wonder about her sister's new spirit partner. It did terrify her at first as she feared that Sothis might end up taking Byleth away from her, but after interacting with the girl, she felt her fears ebb somewhat. It was strange that Byleth even had another person inside her, but Shez just chalked it up as one of her sister's quirks.
It was disappointing that Sothis's time powers couldn't be used to save her mom, but upon hearing her explanation, Shez couldn't help but concede. As much as she wanted her mom back, she didn't want it to cause her new family any trouble. If her mom's death couldn't be changed, then she'll just have to live for the gremory's sake. Yes, she liked the sound of that. That's the best way to honor her mom's memory.
Oh, speaking of which, she definitely wants to bring all of Serena's tomes. She and Byleth will need them if they want to continue their magical training. Luckily the gremory had all the ones they needed, covering all the different types of magic, including dark magic. Ooo, maybe she can finally start practicing dark magic again! She was getting excited just thinking about it. Would Jeralt mind if she blew up a few trees for target practice? Eh, probably now that she thought about it.
Of course it brought a pain to Shez's heart that her mother won't be able to continue her training into the mystic arts. Serena had a real passion for it and always loved teaching it, which made Shez love it too. It felt wrong to continue her studies without her mother's guidance.
"It can't be helped though," she thought to herself. "I can't rely on Byleth to protect me forever. I need to learn how to defend myself so that I never feel that helpless again. I refuse to lose anyone else in my family."
Strengthening her resolve, Shez began collecting all of her mother's tomes from the bookshelf. As she did so, her gaze turned to her favorite story, the Heroes of Aincrad, which lied on top. Both the cover and pages had been burnt beyond recognition, likely the act of one of the mages that broke into her house. It would seem that they didn't like the content within it. It broke her heart to see the last remnant she had of her birthmother destroyed, but she had to keep moving, otherwise the weight and grief would crush her in an instant.
Once she was done collecting the tomes, she returned to her room and placed them in one of her bags along with her mother's diary. Both Byleth and Claire looked like they were wrapping up too since they got most of Shez's clothes packed. Thank the Goddess that she was an adventurer, making most of her clothes shirts and pants. She'd be screwed if all she had were dresses, especially ones not fit for travel.
"That should be everything," Shez declared. "I'm sorry to have taken up your time, Claire. I know you're busy with her mercenary duties, but thanks for helping me and Byleth out."
"Don't mention it," the cleric said kindly. "There's not much I could have done otherwise since I'm not as fit as the others. This was a good way to pass the time. If you need anything, just let me know. Also, to fill you in, our sleeping arrangements are based on gender, which means you and Byleth will be sleeping with me and Altria."
"That makes sense. I look forward to bunking with you."
"Actually I used to sleep in Father's tent," Byleth added. "But he snored so loud that I barely got any sleep. Eventually Claire noticed and forced him to have me stay in her tent."
"Well of course I'd make sure you'd get enough sleep," Claire scolded as she lightly tapped the blunette's head, who just simply took it without retaliation. "I may not have any kids of my own, nor desire any, but that doesn't mean I'm heartless. As the team medic, it's my job to make sure everyone in the company is healthy, including you, Byleth. You need plenty of rest if you want to grow up to be a strong mercenary."
Shez couldn't help but giggle in amusement. She could feel all her anxiety melt away like the mist upon a meadow. She had this feeling that everything will be alright.
"Hey, if we're done," she spoke up suddenly, "there's something I need to go do. I'll be back soon."
"Where are you going?" Byleth asked. "I'll come with you."
"Nah. I'll be fine. I'm not going too far. You won't even know I'm gone." She then bolted before her sister could argue any further, but not before snatching her favorite book off of the bookcase.
She ran out of the house as fast as her legs could carry her, her path fixed to her destination. As she ran, she heard the various villagers call out to her, with some of them looking surprised by her sudden burst of energy. She ignored all of them as she kept running, not stopping until she saw her mother's tombstone.
The elder and the others had finished burying Serena's body, the disturbed soil forming a small pile. Underneath here was the only family Shez had ever known, someone she idolized and loved with all her heart. Earlier today, she was stricken by grief, tears pouring from her eyes. Now her eyes had regained their usual light, her spirit reinvigorated.
"Hey Mom," Shez greeted with a faint smile, keeping her book close to her chest. She knew that the gremory can't hear her, having already returned to the Goddess's embrace, but she just couldn't help herself. She didn't put much thought into her words, so instead she decided to say what was in her heart. "I miss you. I wish you were still here. There's so much you had to teach me, and I'm sad that you'll never get the chance to finish it."
She slowly approached the grave and knelt beside it. "I'm sure it must have been hard raising a wild child like me, but I'll always be grateful that you put up with me, all the way till the end. We may not have been blood related, but you'll always be my mother. I'm sure you're worried about me, but I'll be fine. I won't waste this life you gave me. I'll live on for your sake. I'm not alone, not while I have Byleth, Jeralt—I mean Dad, Claire and the other mercenaries." Her eyes were starting to water, but she held on. She had to stay strong for her mother's sake, otherwise she'll never rest in peace. "I'm going to get stronger, so much stronger that those mages won't take anything else away from me. I'll make sure that they'll never make anyone else suffer what I went through. That will be my end goal, but I swear that I won't lose sight of who I am. I'll always be the daughter of Serena Edelfelt, the strongest gremory in all of Fodlan." She then rested her book against her mother's gravestone before rising to her feet. "Thank you for all that you've done for me. I hope that you continue to watch over me from where the Goddess dwells. I love you. Goodbye."
And with that, she brushed the dirt off her legs and turned to leave, fearing that she'll start to choke up if she stayed any longer. As she began to make her way back home, a gentle cool breeze brushed past her, catching her long hair. The wind came with no warning, but it felt so soothing, like she was back in her mother's arms.
I love you too, sweetheart. Take care of yourself.
Shez let out a sudden gasp. That voice in the wind. Could that have been…? She looked around but didn't see the gremory anywhere. It must have been her imagination. Still, she took that as a good sign, like her mom was still here, looking after her like always. The mere thought of it brought a smile to her face, the very one her mom adored so much.
Glad that she got the closure she needed, Shez continued making her way back to the house. Come tomorrow, her life will be forever changed as a new beginning awaited her. Little did she know that this single vow would forever change the fate of Fodlan.
The Verdant Wind blows. The Crimson Flowers bloom. The Blue Moon rises. The Silver Snow falls. Where this path will lead, no one could say for sure. Only the flow of time holds the answers.
To be continued
Wow, I kinda started to tear up a little when I was finishing this off. Can't say that I've ever had that experience before when I'm writing. And hey, I managed to get out an update so quickly. What can I say. I felt really motivated to get this chapter out. I hope I did a good job with writing Sothis, but I figured that she wouldn't be so sassy with Shez considering her mental state at the time. Speaking of which, I hope my handling of Shez in this chapter was believable. I'm worried that people will say that she recovered too quickly, but I feel like she wouldn't let this hold her down, especially with regards to her promise to Serena. Needless to say, this will be with Shez for the rest of her life and I look forward to going more in-depth with it in future chapters. Anyway, like I said in the previous chapter, starting from now, there will be timeskips here and there to help speed things along so that we can get to the events of the main game. I'm especially excited about that, as I'm sure you all are. I'll see you guys next time!