Welcome!

Thank you very much for all the comments and the support! I hope you will enjoy the new chapter :D

Enjoy the update :D

Chapter 19: Blurred

Something soft hit him in the face and Magna jerked awake. He found Luck grinning wide from the other side of the room, reaching for the rolls of bandages one of the healers had been nervously rolling and stacking previously.

"I'm awake, you idiot!" Magna immediately grunted out. It was still dark outside and the whole room was gloomy. Nova, still on the bed, her breathing shallow, made the atmosphere of her usually bland yet interesting room, depressing. Her being so frail made the whole room lack a certain kind of energy. What Magna used to associate with a safe space was now a dying space. It was beyond depressing. The worried glances the healers exchanged whenever they entered didn't help one bit.

"The snoring gives you away," Luck giggled. Magna threw him a dirty look. He stood, tossing his shades on the desk and his hand going through his loose hair. He hadn't gelled it. There hadn't been time for that. Receiving the notice about Nova's condition had made him jump out of his bed, grab Luck and rush over. He'd barely even stopped to tell Vanessa what was happening. That had been five days ago. Since then, people had come and gone, while Luck and Magna made Nova's room their home.

The healers all came and went, spending almost as much time as the two of them did in the room. Magna had learned all of their names by the second day and felt a smidgeon of guilt for causing such nice people so much trouble in the past.

William, or Will, as he preferred, was definitely the one who hung around Nova's bedside the most. He checked on her fever, prepared her medicine and often changed her compresses. He even brought books into the room, old tomes which were falling apart at the seams, and would chant in different languages from them. He was nice enough to Magna and Luck, but always eyed them warily.

Mary had an air of motherly love and scolding to her. The red never left her eyes, from all the crying, but nobody ever mentioned it. When Magna and Luck came first, she was the one to grab them in a bone-crushing hug and tell them the details. She cooked a lot. Magna supposed that that was her coping mechanism. She cooked and she cleaned. She'd washed every single clothing item in Nova's wardrobe. Twice. She'd even cleaned the drapes. At times, Magna would come back from a bathroom break to find Mary in Nova's doorway, watching, a handkerchief pressed to her mouth and nose. He never commented.

Elizabeth was the blonde bombshell. She was the prettiest lady Magna had ever seen, definitely competing with Vanessa for the top spot there. She came often, but never entered the room. Her amber eyes were like a hawk's, predatory and calculating. She spoke in hushed tones with the other healers, but never attempted to get involved. Still, Magna recognized the look on her face. She'd been worried about Nova, too.

Owen was the bossman, definitely. He was older than the other healers, came into the room quietly and commanded respect. He had been the one to send a missive to them. He had been the one to summon all the records on Nova's last mission. He had squeezed them all for information and then proceeded to assign tasks. Will to Nova's daily duties, to seek out a possible source of contamination. Mary to the road, to retrace the healer's steps on the last mission. Elizabeth to the archives, to find anything similar that had previously been recorded. Magna and Luck to Nova's room, to take care of her and talk to her. They hadn't done much talking. Magna had begun to associate Owen's appearance with big news. He never came to see Nova unless he had made some progress. The last one had been some scalding goo that was supposed to expel curses from a person's body. Magna could still remember Luck holding Nova down while they poured it down her throat. He'd been frozen still, himself. Still, the bags under Owen's eyes gave him away, despite his apparent composure. He wasn't sleeping much, like the rest of them.

But, Nova's entourage of worried friends didn't end with her companions from the Tower. From their own Squad, Vanessa, Yami, Finral and even Charmy came. Vanessa went in the morning, every day, for the first three days. Then, she was sent on a mission. She had brought each time bouquets of hollyhock and foxgloves. She'd told Magna and Luck not to move them from Nova's bedside, too. Yami had wandered in one night, stayed for a while, leaning onto the window and smoking, watching the sleeping girl. He'd only asked them how she was doing, before leaving. Finral and Charmy had arrived together, bringing mountains of food. The former clearly being used for transport purposes by the latter. Still, the food had been welcome. In the cozy dining area of the Tower, they'd all gathered, Knights and healers alike, eating in somber silence. Then, someone had begun telling funny stories about Nova, Magna couldn't recall who, and there was so much laughter for that one afternoon. Then, the healers were back at work and Magna and Luck were back in the depressing room.

Leopold Vermillion came, much to Magna's surprise. He'd met the noble in passing only, and was rather surprised when the boy wanted to check on Nova, in her room. He'd only come because of summons to relay mission details, as far as Magna knew. The desire to see the girl had surprised them all. After he left, only a few hours passed before Remi Beaumont stumbled through the door, sweating and wide-eyed. He'd asked a lot of questions about Nova's state. A noblewoman from the Lions followed right after him, a woman who'd introduced herself politely as Genevieve. Next, there were more Knights from the same Squad. The three of them came together, making a rather odd group. Magna didn't remember their names, but there had been two men and one woman who resembled a porcelain doll. They'd stayed for only a few hours and asked to be notified if they could help or if there were any changes.

But, the strangest visitor to the girl had definitely been the tall, lanky blonde man who hadn't offered his name. He'd just smiled enigmatically when asked for it and instead turned the conversation skillfully towards Nova's condition. He had asked for some time alone in her room, kicking Magna and Luck out to the dining area successfully. He hadn't come back since.

"I think her hand moved," Luck said, making Magna look over to Nova. He stared at the limp fingers on the white bed sheets. A twitch.

"Her hand moved!" Magna jumped up, but Luck was faster. Before the Fire Mage got close to the bed, Luck was already sitting on it, Nova's hand in his. "I'll go tell Will," Magna told him and rushed out. He'd become pretty savvy when it came to the layout of the Tower in the past week. He found Will easily enough, breaking hard in the dining room. "He-" Magna coughed. He gasped for air.

"Hehe?" Will asked flatly, voice dripping in sarcasm, his eyebrow raised. He was clearly miffed to have been distracted from the book he'd been reading.

"Her fingers moved!" And then, Will was on his feet, too.

Luck didn't want to let go of Nova's hand while the healers piled into the room, coming forward to take their colleague's temperature, check her pupils for reactivity and do all kinds of other tests he didn't know anything about. He stayed stubbornly in his spot, even offering a glare when Will tried to move him. He zapped the healer, shamelessly.

"W-what time is it?" The croaky voice had everyone sighing in relief. But, Luck didn't pay them any mind. He was too focused on his Nova. He reached out to the nightstand, pouring the tea from the pot into one of the cups.

"Two hours past midday, Friday the sixteenth," he said in a cheery tone with a smile, not betraying his own relief. He fed the girl the tea which had been meant for him and Magna. She didn't protest, sighing happily when the warm liquid helped her undoubtedly dry mouth and sore throat. "Welcome back," Luck grinned wide. Very wide. The feeling in his chest was as good as after any exciting battle. "Thought you'd gone into the light for a bit there."

"Voltia!" One of the healers scolded, but Luck didn't give a damn. Those green eyes were on him, inspecting him, looking at him. There was something a bit off about the gaze, but he didn't care. He didn't give a damn. The forest-green was back, open, and watching him. The world could burn.

"My throat hurts," Nova said in the same weak voice, not looking away from him, still.

"I'll get on that," the woman healer said, getting those eyes to move to her now. Luck hated her a bit in that moment. He wanted them all gone and out of the room so that his Nova could look at him again. Her fingers twitched in his hand and he squeezed them gently.

"Nova," Magna came over, sliding onto the bed also, hugging the girl from the side. She reluctantly smiled up at him, patting his arm softly with her free hand. "We were so worried. You won't believe all the people who came to visit you." Then, the Fire Mage sat down and began retelling the events of the past week, focusing mostly on all the attention Nova had gotten. He also added bits and pieces about their own Squad, something they'd been updated about through Charmy. Finally, he told her the juiciest stories about recent scandals, engagements and the other goings-on in the Kingdom. All the trivial gossip Nova liked to be up to date about. Magna knew her well, just like Luck did, and for once, Luck didn't mind him prattling on about the irrelevant details.

He didn't mind because Nova wasn't looking at Magna. She was just listening and occasionally responding. Instead, she was looking at him. Inquisitively, softly, like she sometimes did. Her fingers were warm in his, and Luck found that he didn't much care about anything else. She was awake and she was watching him.

Mary helped Nova bathe while Will got some food and tea ready. Soup, he'd said. She should only eat some medical soup for the first few days. Then, after that, if she was able to keep it down, she could try something a bit more substantial.

Luck didn't leave Nova's room. He helped Magna change the sheets on the bed, the two working like a well-oiled machine. They had been tasked with cleaning bedrooms at the base, so they had a nice routine when it came to laundry and bed sheets. They fixed everything up, opened the window and let the sunshine in. When Nova came back to the room on wobbly legs, supported by Mary, Luck was instantly at her side. The older healer didn't even protest his taking the girl's hand and helping her into bed. He carefully aided her when she pulled her legs in and then tucked her under the covers. Soon enough, he was back in his position at the side of the mattress, holding her hand.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, grinning. She didn't comment on his smile. She never did. It didn't vex her. It didn't creep her out. His Nova didn't mind his antics. She accepted him as he was, creepy manic smile and all.

"Better," she said in a soft voice. Too soft for Nova. She needed food. "The shower helped." Luck looked at her hair, seeing it damp, and frowned. He let go of her hand only briefly to go rummage through her wardrobe. There, among her things in the drawers, he found towels. Large, light purple, fluffy towels. He got one and went to the bed, reaching over to dry her hair. She let him.

Luck was reminded of that material gathering mission she'd taken him on. The mineral treasure hunt. He recalled she'd taken a towel and dried his hair. How much he'd enjoyed the feeling of someone finally taking care of him. It wasn't intrusive, because Nova was never intrusive. It wasn't emasculating or patronizing. It was just nice. He hoped that she felt the same about this.

When he was happy with the state of her hair, he hung the towel out to dry on the short clothesline outside her window. Then, he was back at the side of her bed, taking her hand. Her fingers were nicely warm. Not cold, like in the past few days. Not hot like when she burned with fever the first few days. Nicely warm, just like they usually were.

"Scoot forward a bit," Magna reminded them both of his presence, making Nova look at him. He had a brush in his hands. She did as he asked, the boy sitting behind her. Then, he carefully untangled her hair and braided it into two intricate braids, on each side. Luck raised an eyebrow.

"Got some practice on those? Were you aiming to be a hairdresser in your previous life?" He cheekily commented, getting a grin from Nova. He didn't like how quiet she was. She was never usually this quiet. Sure, being knocked out for a week did a number on a person, but he didn't like the silent Nova. He wanted her to scold him. And he knew just the way to get her to do it.

"Shut up!" Magna retorted, finishing the second braid. Then, he patted Nova's head softly. "Don't scare us like that again soon. I could take it in a few months again, but at least a bit of time for my soul to recover." He stood from the bed, going to grab a cardigan for the girl.

"I'm sorry," Nova replied in a small voice, looking down at her hands. Magna returned, placing a warm cardigan over her shoulders and patting her head again.

"Nothing to be sorry for," he grinned at her and she smiled back. Luck didn't wait. He zapped the girl, like he usually did, across her ass. He'd always done that, for some reason. At first, it was to get a reaction. He had tried doing it the same way as he did with everyone else, but it didn't feel right. Getting that blushing glare, but not a peep about the zapping stirred something in him. Some kind of a predatory instinct. Like he got before a battle. Sure enough, she'd gone from silently glaring to just jumping at the zap, then standing still while she calmed down, then ignoring him. He still enjoyed doing it to her, seeing the blush on her cheeks, but zapping Magna was much more interesting. He always had loud reactions which resulted in nice little spars.

This time, however, Nova didn't react at all. Not even a blush. She didn't spare him a glance. He zapped her ass again, this time putting a bit of a kick into it. Nothing. Before he could address it, the door opened, healers piling in with food. Luck let go of the girl's hand to let her eat, frowning to himself.

"Something's off about her," Magna grabbed Luck's upper arm, stopping the boy in the hallway in front of Nova's room. He turned to the Fire Mage, nodding.

"I noticed it, too," he said. "She's too quiet." Magna nodded.

"And too polite," he replied. "Do you think it's just fatigue?" Luck's raised eyebrow was enough of an answer, apparently. Magna sighed, glancing through the open door at the girl who was chatting with her superior, giggling. Her hand was against her mouth. He groaned, fingers going up to rake through his hair. "Look at her hand," he pointed out to Luck. The boy peered over his shoulder, seeing Nova.

"She doesn't laugh like that." They exchanged a look. Then, Luck leaned in, hurriedly whispering. "Nova's been messing around with the Surgeon's scalpel recently. She's been researching curses." Magna gasped.

"That's an offense that can get heads rolling!" Luck shushed him.

"Now you get why I didn't say anything before," he pointedly explained. "As far as I know, she hasn't gone into any kind of experimentation. She's just been reading and collecting info. She told me the other day, the night before she got sick, that after handling the scalpel she began hearing whispers in her dreams. How it spoke to her." Magna seemed to be on the verge of bursting in flames.

"You got it away from her, didn't you?" Luck nodded. "And then she got sick?" It clicked. Luck's eyes widened.

"I brought it back," he said in a slow, low voice. "I thought it might've gotten her sick to be apart from the magic, so I brought it back."

"Where is it?" Magna glanced back into the room, seeing Nova still sipping her soup, calm and in bed.

"In the drawer," Luck replied. "I waited till they searched it and then put it there." Magna turned to him, eyes severe.

"We can't-"

"Let her be alone with it." They nodded to each other, then separated. Luck would take the first shift. Nova wouldn't be left alone with that thing and they would get to the bottom of this.

Luck woke up, blinking rapidly for a moment to get oriented. He wasn't at the base, nor was he at home. He quickly realized that he was sleeping on the visitor's cot that the healers had brought for him and Magna up to Nova's room. He sat up, looking to the side. Magna was snoring away on his cot. Then, Luck glanced at the bed in the corner of the room, by the window. Illuminated by moonlight, it sat empty, covers thrown back.

"Shit!" He jumped, grabbing Magna's shoulder and shaking him awake. "She's gone!" The first drawer of the nightstand lay open. Open and empty. "Crap!" Luck rushed out of the room before Magna was fully awake. He was already zeroing in on Nova's mana trail before the Knight joined him outside.

It was different. Different, but not too much. There were new cobblestones in the streets. She walked up the road, the familiar path from her Tower to the Royal quarters of the Wizard King. Nobody had tried to stop her. Good. She hadn't been found out.

It was miffing to find out that only one tool remained at her side. Only one scalpel. But, it was good enough for her to finish the job. She fingered the cool steel as she walked. Up the steps and to the section meant for the very highest of the nobility.

"Miss Nova," the guard at the gatehouse stopped her. She peered up at him through her lashes. "You know better than to be up and about at this late hour, especially after your ordeal." She schooled her face into a sheepish smile.

"I have some urgent matters to attend to with the Wizard King," she said. The new voice was different. Lower than hers. Cute, in a sense. She didn't like it too much, but she would make do.

"He's sleeping at this hour, miss," the guard replied. "Might be better to check back in when the sun is ou-" Nova's façade dropped and she looked at the guard, annoyed. She snapped her fingers. Nothing happened. "Miss Nova?" Right, different magic. It didn't matter. She moved quickly, stabbing her scalpel into the man. No more resistance.

"Sleep," she ordered in an indifferent, cold tone. He dropped on the spot. With a whistle, the scalpel slid free of his leg, flying back into her hand. She twirled it, ignoring the blood. The courtyard was the same. Lavish, over the top. There were new things. The fountain was new. The cobblestones had been laid recently, for certain. She huffed. The bloody castle made on the blood and sweat of commoners. Curse them all.

Nova continued to the side, where the Wizard King lived. She slipped in through the open window, avoiding the two guards at the front. Her new magic would make it troublesome to deal with them. She didn't know what she wielded nowadays. It didn't matter, really. She would get to her target, one way or the other. He would pay. He would kneel before her, begging for his life, before she took it away. He would give her the respect she deserved.

Her path took her to the familiar office. Just to the left of it, she knew, were the quarters of the Wizard King. She knew well enough. After all, he'd taken her there, took her, night after night, enjoyed the pleasures of her flesh. She had been a willing participant, though. She couldn't ignore that. But, everything had ended when she met her love. She didn't want the empty carnal pleasure. She wanted more. She wanted the wild roses and the nose kisses. She wanted the laughter, not the steamed up windows from countless hours of breathy moans. He would instead, kneel in front of her, and pray to the God of Death. There was a single mana source in the quarters. She opened the door.

"Miss Nova, what are you-" She extended the new magic before the man could finish his sentence. He choked, pale blue hands gripping his throat, raising him away from his chair and slamming him into the wall. She hummed to herself, tilting her head. It wasn't bad magic. It wasn't useless. She could make do.

"Where is he?" Her voice was cold. The man with blue hair was staring at her, wide-eyed.

"Who?" He rasped out. She laughed a hollow chuckle.

"Loyalty," she grinned. "It's a quality I admire. Pesky right now. Very pesky." She walked forward, stepping onto the chair in front of the desk, climbing onto the wooden surface, coming face to face with the man. "Is he sleeping?" She grinned, coming a hair's breadth away from his nose with hers. He defiantly stared at her. "I'm certain you know how this goes. Easy, hard, etcetera." She twirled her scalpel. "Where is he?" The man remained silent. Nova grinned. "Hard it is." She sliced a precise line with her scalpel across his arm, cutting a clean, red line. He screamed, flinching away from her. Another set of blue translucent hands came up, pulling his arms apart. Freeing up her canvas. She waited until he was quiet, then motioned with her head to the adjoining room. "I can't feel him in there. Where is he?"

"Miss Nova, think about what you're doing," the man rasped out. "This is a crime punishable by death. If you let me go now, we can all walk away. The Wizard King would forgive you." Nova laughed. A hollow, haunting sound. He would forgive her? He should beg her for forgiveness.

"Where," she separated each word, "is he?" The man didn't say anything. She sliced through the other arm, making him scream again.

"If you're looking for me, I'm right here," a new voice, steady and calm, said from behind her. Nova whipped around, eyes wide. She hadn't even felt his mana come into the room. And, she'd been vigilant. The man standing there was blonde, tall and had a long face. He was wrong. His eyes were purple. Nova tilted her head to the side. He barely had any presence. He was all wrong. Where was the right one?

"Who are you?" She hissed out, seething. They thought they would trick her? They thought they could trick her? What sort of fool did they take her for?

"I'm the Wizard King you've been asking my assistant to point you towards," the man calmly said. "Why don't you let him down, I already make him suffer enough." She didn't obey. Instead, she fully turned to him.

"Do you think this is funny, Aristides?" She spoke a little louder, to the room. "To send in some substitute like a sacrificial lamb? Do you think I wouldn't know it? Are you using your magic now?" The blonde man frowned, stepping forward. Nova quickly pointed her scalpel back at the blue-haired man and he froze.

"I am the Wizard King, Julius Novachrono," he said in an authoritative tone. Nova's eyes narrowed.

"Aristides Potestas is the Wizard King," she replied. Still, somewhere deep inside, she knew that he hadn't lied. He was the Wizard King. The man's eyes softened.

"Aristides Potestas was the Wizard King," he told her. "He was the thirteenth ruler of the Magic Knights. I am the twenty-eighth." He stepped forward again. "Now, let poor Marx down."

That's all folks!

Reviews:

Kadienewberg:
Long long review made me grin so wideeee! Thanks so much :) I was super giddy to get it!
I have to admit that pressure makes me write to chill out… And I have an exam on the 17th, hence, I've been a beast lol Also been trying to get back into dating, so that's been making me write a ton hahahaha

I'm happy to have confused you, but hopefully not too much? I definitely wanted to draw some things from Law from One Piece, because he's A. badass and B. such a good idea and op with his powers xD I'm a shameless fangirl lol But, from the beginning, I wanted the Surgeon to be a woman, not a man and oooh let me get started. So, I'm a bit of a true crime junky and I looove watching those videos. And, most of the serial killers they talk about are men. Women are usually, if they are lone serial killers, only that way because of some psychotic break, revenge, jealousy or money. So, I thought it would be neat to have this shadowy creepy figure, assumed to be a man, until proven otherwise xD I mean, the very thought that a weak little common-born woman terrorized a kingdom xD hilarious, in a morbid way :P I loved adding bits and pieces of her backstory and then finally having this big flip of a reveal. So glad it went well as a plot twist and not too much of a 'where did this come from?' illogical thing.

Yup! The more Nova uses the scalpel, essentially, the more she uses the magic attached, which brings her closer to the Surgeon. I hadn't even thought about Luck's own possession, but awesome similarity! You've one-upped me lmao xD Nova isn't so much possessed, as merged, I think, with the memories. Experiencing them so first hand brought her so close to the Surgeon. In the previous chapter, there are clear sections of Nova's present and Surgeon's past. At some point. Nova begins to forget who she is. Then, she starts addressing herself as Nova in the past, when it is actually the Surgeon who is remembering. So, I wanted to illustrate them essentially coming together and blending, in a sense. It's not so much possession as a merging. Does this make sense? I hope it does xD I wrote a weird-ass dark chapter filled with too much experimentation, writing-wise, I think lol

I promise to get more info about the Surgeon's reasons for wanting the Wizard King dead in a bit. I added bits and pieces, but there will definitely be more about it. I hope the new chapter partially clears it up? But, yeah, definitely different than Julius pre the clusterfuck that's going on in the manga right now lol

I hope the new chapter lives up to your expectations on Nova's plot to murder the Wizard King? I won't spoil stufffff!

I love that you noticed how the relationships in the trio have changed! I was aiming to subtly have this shift of feelings with Nova and Luck, all the while they have a different dynamic when Magna is about. However, he isn't completely oblivious :P There will definitely be changes for them ahead, but I promise not in a bad way :D

I just adore how Luck in the anime and manga never has 'hot anger'. Like, he gets miffed, but it's always cold and calculating, almost. It's really interesting to layer onto that and see why he's that way later on. To see him make sense of his emotions and then deal with them. I love character grooooowth Q.Q

I understand the being torn on who should snap Nova out of her little episode… Power of friendship or power of love? I was torn, too lol I hope my solution will live up to your expectations :D

Luck and Nova sometimes make me so frustrated… Like, they clearly have a thing for one another, and I want them to get to the confession part, but they're both idiots and have their own issues… For now, they need to get on the same page, and I will do my best to get them there soon :) Needed to wrap up a few timelines first :P

Glad you enjoyed the harsh truth, yet reality, part. The Tower, in the end, is a busy place. The healers can't all be dedicated to a single case, not because they don't care, but because they have their duties. Still, there was always time for at least a bit more work on Nova's case :D Whatever whoever did, through all the various things they tried, obviously worked!

Thanks once again for the lovely long review and I hope you will enjoy the update! Best :D