Chapter 11: Buried Deep in The Earth

The soft glow of the candle illuminated the drying ink and highlighted them on the white paper, Bronya staring at the words she had just written with thinning lips and a frown. She set the borrowed pen between her fingers down on the table and brought the paper close, examining every sentence and letter intensely.

Behind her, Seele was quietly doing routine maintenance on her scythe, tinkering on the giant weapon which she had disassembled to its smallest components on her bed. A linen of white fabric was spread over her sheet where she put her tools and weapon components on while Seele herself was sitting cross legged over it.

When Bronya asked for a place for privacy, she certainly did not expect Seele to invite her to her bedroom. She had requested for a less intrusive place in the house instead of Seele's room, finding the prospect itself a bit daring and disrespectful, but Seele waved the concern off and told her to join her in her room. Seele told her the rest of the house was vacant and that she did most of her works in her room. Bronya did not want to argue further after that.

So, here she was now in Seele's room. Occupying the only table Bronya knew Seele would've used as her worktable otherwise. She tried to hold her tongue but the more she did, the harder it was to ignore the uneasiness she felt until it slipped out of her mouth with none of her order.

"I'm sorry," Bronya blurted out and she immediately clamped her mouth shut. But the deed was done. Seele paused on her work and looked up, a scowl on her face as Bronya turned to face her.

"What for?" Seele asked, bringing a chipped blade up to eye level and glared at it, her purple orbs glinting back in the silver, sharp metal.

She could see Bronya over the blade, looking at her with troubled grimace. "For intruding and troubling you. You should've been using the table instead of me."

Seele sighed, tossing the blade away into a separate box where the rest of the damaged components were for repair later and taking a new one from her supply box. Somehow, Bronya could feel the sigh was not entirely of her dismay to the state of the blade. "I told you it's okay. You worried too much over the small things."

"But still..."

"But not, princess. Are you Overworlders always high up your asses or something? If someone told you it's okay, then it's okay, get it?"

"I'm sorry. I've never personally troubled someone to such an extent. I don't want to overstep my boundaries."

"Really? Not even once?" Seele asked, incredulous. "There must be times where you asked for favors, right?"

"I tried not to," Bronya answered simply and Seele blinked, perplexed, "life as a government official is difficult, moreso when you're the Supreme Guardian lineage. People will try to take advantages of your position by offering things seemingly out of goodwill only to ask for paybacks later. It's difficult if you're not careful so one has to learn to take care of oneself."

Seele scoffed. "Rats. So it's the same with down here, just nicer in appearance."

"There's always people like that."

Seele raised an eyebrow, a mocking smirk gracing her lips. "So, you're not worry that I might see this as an opportunity to curry a favor from you? I thought you'd be smarter than to trust people so easily."

Bronya fell silent for a long moment afterwards. Seele, who had been waiting for her answer, returned back to working on her scythe yet she lacked the focus she had before. Her smirk of mischief disappeared, thinking that Bronya did not deny it because it was true she didn't trust her enough, while an ugly feeling akin to disappointment settled on the pit of her stomach.

Which was why when Bronya spoke next, she nearly cut her finger on the blade of her scythe because of what she said.

"I believe, while selfish people like that exist, the opposite is also true. I've received helps before, ones which were done out of the goodness of the heart, and will continue to do so in the future. I know that you are a good person so I trust you. Even if you ask me something in the future, I know it will be for the greater good," Bronya confessed, giving Seele a warm smile. "You are the most selfless person I have ever met, Seele, and it's an honor for me to meet such a wonderful individual like yourself. I know how difficult it is to care for others tirelessly without hope for rewards."

Seele huffed, yet the smile she had had not gone unnoticed to Bronya. "Well, you're hopeless without me, so..."

Bronya chuckled. A comfortable silence descended upon them afterwards. Seele continued working on her scythe and Bronya was left to finish the letter, putting it in a plain white envelope and held it on the table for her to absently stare at.

"What are you writing, anyway?" Seele asked after a while and Bronya looked back to her, finding a pair of curious purple staring back to her silver ones.

"A letter."

Seele rolled her eyes. "Yeah, no shit. I mean, what is it about?"

"I'm planning to confront my mother," Bronya began, tone solid without a hint of doubt and Seele frowned, "so I need an... assurance, to ensure that our efforts will still continue regardless of my presence."

Seele's frown deepened. "You're saying that in case you're gone, you'll still have someone working to fix everything?" She asked, distaste clear in her feature. "Are you planning to die or something?"

"No, I doubt that my mother will hurt me..." Bronya trailed off, "but she's still my superior. If I were to disobey her orders, I'd still be arrested. I'm not immune to justice and rules, after all."

"You sure have it rough."

"Not as rough as everyone else," Bronya admitted and Seele snorted. "It's a small price to pay."

"Just don't die because it'd be suck for everyone else," Seele said with a shrug. "So, who you want me to deliver it to? I presume it's some Overwolder, right?"

"Are you sure that you're willing to take the burden?" Bronya asked worriedly but all she received in return from Seele was a pair of narrowed eyes.

"Don't think I'm stupid, princess," she growled warningly and Bronya winced. "We both know you want me to deliver it since the beginning."

Bronya fell quiet. Shame flooded her heart and she lowered her gaze to the floor. Of course Seele knew. She was the only option. The Astral Express crew were criminals in the eyes of the Silvermanes, to have them roaming the city was akin to putting the lamb in the wolf's den. Their faces were plastered on every walls and corners it would be impossible for them to walk in the open without being recognized immediately. Kiana was the second option since she was not around when they were evicted and chased but Bronya trusted Seele more.

"Her name is Serval," Bronya said as she stood up, approaching Seele who was looking up at her, "Serval Landau of the prestigious Landau family. She runs a shop called Neverwinter Workshop in the Administrative District near the stairways to Qlipoth Fort."

Bronya extended her hand, in it was the letter, and Seele glared at the item as if it had just insulted her and her mother, whoever she was or wherever she was. Sighing, she snatched it off Bronya's hand and asked "Can we trust her?"

Bronya did not even hesitate. She simply nodded. "Yes. I knew her since I was young. She and my mother have a little bit of history. She'll believe you once she reads the letter."

"What do you want me to do? What do you want me to tell her?"

"Destroy the Stellaron. Whatever it takes, whatever the cost, it must be destroyed so none of this will continue. Enough people have suffered due to my mother's negligence. Never again."

Stelle was this close from beating her highest score recorded when someone decided to come to visit. She groaned, tried to multitask and failed pathetically as her thumb slipped on the screen of her phone when she stood up which sent her game character to certain doom into the sizzling pit of lava lining in the stage. Stupid game didn't even have a pause button but she supposed she was more stupid for still playing it despite that one fact.

For the first time in almost an hour, she looked around the living room and scowled at what she saw. March was passed out on the long sofa, snoring lightly, while some of her pink strands got into her slightly parted mouth yet she seemed too far deep in slumber to notice it.

Dan Heng was sitting near her on the floor, reading something from a small book Stelle wasn't sure where he obtained from. He heard her groan and looked back at Stelle, expression flat as usual as they engaged in a little staring contest.

Waiting, urging.

Another knock and Stelle admitted her defeat.

She mumbled something that wasn't really a word, pouting, while Dan Heng smiled a near imperceptible smile at her antics, or his victory. One couldn't really tell with him. Sighing, she made her way to the front door, ready to shove someone off the cliff if it was something unimportant.

"Yo!"

It was Kiana.

"Sorry for taking so long."

And Mei. Of course. These two didn't really go alone if they could help it with the former being such an affectionate cat that would stick around and engage in physical contacts as much as possible. There was also food Mei carried which Stelle's brain automatically tagged as priority target.

Mei's cooking was heavenly. If she was to describe it, it was like receiving the grace of the Lord when she was at the lowest point of her life, which wasn't saying much since she lived a grand total of three days but still. A grace that tasted like it was made of the pieces of paradise. March actually shed tears of joy when she wolfed down her portions earlier, plural because one wasn't enough. Actually, she ate four. Which should explain why she was sleeping like the dead.

Stelle was glad Mei actually gave them a lot before, otherwise there might've been bloodbath and a murder scene that greeted her instead of Stelle. Still, she could feel her stomach rumble despite having eaten twice her normal value already.

She was pulled out of her stupor when Kiana elbowed Mei slightly, the grin she had turning smug as she not-whispered-but-pretended-to at Mei. Stelle could hear every word and syllable Kiana uttered perfectly.

"I told you the food is good, just look at her she's about ready to pounce at it."

Stelle glared at Kiana and Kiana feigned oblivious. "I'm perfectly fine to simply have Mei alone to join us."

"Eh, doors don't work on me." Kiana countered casually with a shrug. "There's nothing to be ashamed of, I know Mei's cooking is the best. I'm actually willing to share this one even though it's mine."

Almost instantly, Stelle's demeanor changed. She adapted a warm expression and gesture, offering the entryway for the two to go through. Mei who saw it couldn't help but giggle. "Please, big sis, make yourself at home!"

So there's that. Stelle, a Stellaron vessel superhuman whose mood had been terrible since she died in her game, was tamed with food cooked in a disaster control tent with bare minimum ingredients in an equally limited time. Here she was now on the floor, happily munching on some things she wasn't even sure what, just that it tasted good.

Dan Heng was looking at her as if she was some sort of exotic specimen before he shook his head and returned to reading.

March was roused from her sleep when the delicious smell hit her. She dreamt of grilled meat and Rotisserie chicken in her slumber only to wake up chewing on her own hair. Aside from the disgust as she pulled her spittle laden pink locks out of her mouth, she also felt immense disappointment when she realized it was all just a dream. That was until she sat up on the sofa and looked down towards where Kiana and Stelle were on the floor, busy stuffing their faces with food.

They both saw her up and locked gaze with March, not stopping their hands and mouths as they continued to dig through the food. March was stuck in a state where she was unsure whether she had woken up or hadn't and that what she saw was a dream or not.

"Woghughligheshom?" Kiana asked between mouthful, at least March thought she was asking and not choking on something.

"What?"

Mei scolded Kiana by pinching her arm lightly. "Kiana, don't talk with your mouth full."

"Soghyy." Kiana took a large gulp of water and sighed, grinning at March. "Would you like some?"

The pinkette stared at Kiana, the food, and back at Kiana. Her mouth watered yet her stomach protested at the idea of downing more of those delicious flavors. She was stuck in a conundrum and there was nothing she could do about it.

"I think... I think I'll pass," she finally decided after a long silence, not without great sadness and disappointment. Both Kiana and Stelle shared a look, shrugging, and continued to eat, oblivious to March's inner turmoil. "Mei, can we... Um, can we have more of your cooking later?"

Mei hummed, smiling. She was also eating but in much more leisure pace and much more lesser portion than the two, occasionally feeding Kiana a bite or two of her own food much to Kiana's delight. "Of course, March. But I don't think we'll have much time after this so maybe once we back to the Express?"

"Yes, that's fine."

"Have you always been such a supreme cook, Mei?" Dan Heng asked, intrigued, and March glanced at where he was. She didn't see him sitting on the carpeted floor since he was obscured by the headrest of the sofa so March had to peer over it.

"Well, not everyone starts good at something so that will be a no," Mei's smile turned nostalgic while Kiana snorted beside her, causing the latter to actually choke on something this time. Mei calmly handed Kiana her water before continuing. "I was terrible, in fact."

"That is hard to imagine," Stelle chimed in, still staring at Kiana as if she was an idiot. "I mean, this is great."

The girl raised the food to emphasize her point and Mei chuckled. "I never cooked for myself," she began, "I was born in a rather financially fortunate family. I had maids and butlers that would fullfil our daily needs so I never stepped into the kitchen to cook."

"Huh, what gives?"

"They were gone," Mei said softly and they paused to look at her, excluding Kiana who kept eating seemingly without a care. "My father was framed for a crime he did not commit and his corporation was swept under. In an instant, the life I had was over."

"So... they left you?" March asked tentatively and Mei nodded. "Is that why you decided to learn how to cook?"

"Not really. I was stuck in a state of depression afterwards and I couldn't care less about what I ate. Everything tasted bland so I didn't really try."

"That must be terrible." March offered somberly and Stelle nodded in agreement. Dan Heng had closed his book and had his entire attention directed at Mei. "I'm sorry to hear that."

Mei smiled warmly. "It's okay, you guys. It's in the past."

"I don't see how this correlate with your cooking skills," Dan Heng stated flatly and March gasped, slapping his arm lightly to reprimand him.

"Dan Heng! Be a little tactful!"

"I'm just saying."

Mei giggled at the display. It looked familiar to her. Actually, a lot of youngsters acted more or less the same to each other and that included themselves, once. It was hard to believe that she, Kiana and Bronya were grown up adults now and were in turn responsible in guiding the kindlings.

"Kiana is responsible for that."

At the mention of her name, the Kaslana looked up for the first time only to see four pairs of eyes staring down at her. She raised an eyebrow. "What? Is something on my face?"

"Yeah, noodles. A whole lot of noodles," Stelle deadpanned and Kiana proceeded to slurp down said noodles into her gullet.

"Did you not hear what Mei said?" March asked incredulously and Kiana blinked.

"I did."

"She was having a moment."

Kiana glanced at Mei and shrugged. "She's telling y'all story, whatchu want me to do? Reenact the scene?"

"Well, you can comfort her?"

"She's not in need of comfort, March, she's feeling proud."

True to her words, Mei was looking at Kiana with a certain degree of pride and not without reason either. "It was all thanks to her that I found passion in cooking," Mei told them after a moment, "she came to me one time and showed great interest in local cuisine."

Kiana hummed. "It was an onigiri. I transferred school to the Far East so I was intrigued to a lot of stuff. Mei happened to be one of them."

"So, Mei fed you and you guys became friends?" Stelle deduced for the rest of them and Kiana nodded. "When was this?"

"Highschool. Mei was a second year while I was a first. At that time I saw her as the best senior someone could get because she was so kind and caring."

"... you're not saying that because she fed you once, right?"

"Eh..."

"Kiana was kind, too," Mei interjected with a fond laugh. "She was the only one who came to talk with me."

"Wait, what?"

"Remember what happened to my father, March? My friends and teachers shunned me after the news broke out. Those who wanted to gain my family's prestige left me because I no longer had them. The rest of my school days went painstakingly slow and gloomy, at least until Kiana showed up."

"Not so bad of a love story, right?" Kiana chirped cheekily, earning a giggle from Mei, while March stared at her almost in reverence.

"It's very sweet," the pinkette said with a smile, "I'm glad you guys find your happiness."

Her gaze settled on the silver rings on Mei and Kiana's fingers and they followed it. Grinning, Kiana brought hers up to eye level for the pinkette to see better. "Not too shabby, huh?"

"What is that saying?" March asked, gingerly taking Kiana's hand and turning it around while searching the small words imprinted in the glinting surface of the ring. "From Origin?"

Mei brought hers up and and read hers for March, "To Finality."

"What do they mean?" Stelle asked out of curiosity, though the smile on her face was still very much visible. "Mister Welt said you guys are the Herrscher of Finality and Origin respectively."

"That means we are one and the same, my guy," Kiana laughed merrily, wrapping an arm around Mei's and leaning in against the taller woman who smiled and proceeded to pat her head like she would a cat. "We are connected in soul and everything! True love, yeah?"

"No, I mean how strong are you? Mister Welt is the Herrscher of Reason, right? I can tell that he is pretty strong, so what about you?"

"Well, I'm very strong," Kiana began lightheartedly while Mei chuckled. "But it's not important, is it? As long as it's enough to protect those I hold dear, then it's enough."

"That responsibility is not meant to be carried alone," Mei chimed in, smile turning solemn as she regarded the trio. "When you vow to protect, you must also ready to be protected. Love goes both ways. Those precious to you think so about you, too."

"... you know," Kiana began after a short pause, tone thick with somber nostalgic feeling. Something in her gaze shifted as her hold on Mei tightened, an action Mei returned with a squeeze of her hand on Kiana's. "We both once thought that we must carry the hardships of loving alone. We both ready to sacrifice ourselves in exchange for the other, not knowing that we hurt one another until we realized the pain of separation."

March gasped. "Separation? You two?!"

Mei smiled gently at her. The idea must have been foreign to her, to see Kiana without Mei or the other way around, but it had happened once. Never again.

"I had to go into the darkness so I could return Kiana to bliss. I made a deal with the devil so Kiana could live."

"We fought over it, literally I must say, and ended up hurting each other in the process," Kiana supplied. "We could've talked. If we were a little but more mature, a little bit more understanding, we wouldn't have to fight and our separation would be far less painful. But we were just a bunch of kids in helpless predicament, blindly in love and hurt too much to see."

"What happened?" Stelle asked, voice barely a whisper. Beside her, March was looking at the two women with wide eyes while Dan Heng adapted a more intrigued look.

"A lot happened," Kiana answered for them both. "Our teacher had just died, I was drowning in guilt and quite literally killing myself slowly. Mei... She just wanted to save me, as did Bronya and many of my friends but I was too stupid to understand that. Mei had to beat some sense into me for me to understand."

"Not my proudest accomplishment," Mei said jokingly and Kiana laughed, earning a few strained smiles from March and Stelle while Dan Heng hummed. "Talks are important. They're necessary for you to understand each other. Sure, a simple talk won't solve everything but it's a start. You have to start from somewhere and that somewhere is a talk."

Kiana nodded in agreement. "Share your thoughts and feelings to those around you. Your friends and family care for you." She gave the three teenagers a soft smile, one that meant more than words could tell. "I can tell that you three care for each other. Welt and Himeko, too. Now, though, you can also rely on us as your family so feel free to bother us with everything that is bothering you, yeah?"

"Okay."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

A silence followed as Natasha stared at her in a long, unblinking moment which Bronya returned with her usual stoic silver before, eventually, the doctor sighed tiredly in acceptance.

"If you say so."

Bronya nodded and Natasha began to leave, yet in her way she couldn't help but to glance at the man standing beside her. She said something to him briefly and his distraught eyes found Bronya as he nodded.

In an empty alleyway of the central Boulder Town, Natasha's boots echoed dauntingly until the woman disappeared and away, leaving Bronya and the man alone. She crossed her arms and shifted on her legs, waiting for him to talk first. Partially because she wanted him to take his time but mostly because she didn't want to overwhelm him, which she knew she did. Too many people she spoke with looked at her face and got reduced to a stuttering mess because of who she shared it with and it got to the point where it became an annoyance to Bronya.

"Ma'am..."

"Just call me Bronya," Bronya interrupted with a sigh, "I'm not the Supreme Guardian heir."

He looked confused but nodded anyway. "Miss Bronya, please find my daughter and bring her back to me! She's the only one I have left!"

Bronya looked at the man silently as he bursted into tears, for those who didn't know her could only see cold indifference but if her friends were there they would've seen the concern hidden in the pools of silver, a true feeling guarded by years of stoicism. She let her arms down and walked towards the man, putting a hand to his shoulder comfortingly. "I will do my best."

That was all she dared to promise, for it was an uncertainty she was facing. Bronya refused to give the man a false hope so instead she gave her what was within her effort, namely the best of her capability.

He was too deep in his sorrow and worry to answer verbally but he did nod to Bronya. Giving one last squeeze, Bronya made her way out the alleyway, face morphing into a scowl that scared more than just one passerby. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and skimmed through her call history, dialing the one person she wished not to bother but knew had to.

It took her four rings and once the call was picked, Bronya had to move her phone back when a rather boisterous cheer exploded from the other end lest she wanted to damage her hearing.

"Hello?"

"Mei, do you have a moment?"

"Of course," Mei said and Bronya could hear Mei shuffling up to her feet, "Kiana, let go of my hand! Bronya is calling!"

"Huh? Bronya? How is she always screwing up our fun time together?"

Bronya could physically feel the annoyance bubbling in her chest. "Maybe you need to learn to not have sex in the living room in the middle of the day so I wouldn't walk on you both? Having a little bit of restraint help," Bronya hissed back harshly, drawing a few awkward gazes from around her.

Kiana snatched the phone from Mei's hand. "Hey, man, first of all, fuck you. Second, at least Mei and I didn't hack the bathroom's doors and hog it for myself to have an unrestricted threesome. Lucky bastard."

Bronya flushed. It was a one time occurrence yet Kiana never let it die even once. A retort sitting at the tip of her tongue but before she could deliver it, Mei had already had her phone back. "Sorry about that. What is it that you want to say?"

The flame died down and Bronya sighed. "Can you meet me back in the town?"

"Just me?"

"No, bring everyone. We have a situation."

Bronya allowed the barest hint of urgency to seep into her tone, just enough for Mei to catch and understand. Her best friend went quiet on the other end before Bronya heard her sigh.

"Understood."

She hung up after that, not wanting to dwell on further and worry Mei even more. Putting her phone back into her pocket, Bronya sat on the nearest bench to wait, its rusty frames creaking under her weight.

It happened shortly after Mei and Kiana left. Bronya decided to stay behind so she could monitor Lysetia's condition in case she gained some unwanted derivations after her limbs regrow, keeping an eye on the sleeping girl while waving the gratitude her parents gave her with a warm, reassuring smile, when suddenly a man barged in with Natasha close in toe.

Bronya knew it was trouble when she saw Natasha frowning when she entered. The woman barely reacted to her patients and their injuries so it must have been something else entirely. Look and behold, her deduction was on point, as it always was in the past though Bronya wished she was wrong for the first time.

She listened to what they had to say, the cause of concern and problem, and Bronya had to consciously suppress a grimace with each word. That meant something considering Bronya's default expression was as flat and cold as a stone.

Apparently, a bunch of kids decided to sneak into Rivet Town after overhearing Natasha talked about her old supplies of medicine in her old orphanage, not knowing the problem had already been solved by Bronya and her power. Fresman, the man who came to her and Natasha for help, informed them of her missing daughter after he searched about the town for her, finding nothing but clues from the locals that pointed to that one exact location.

He tried to go alone to retrieve his daughter but the Wildfires stationed on the outpost overlooking Rivet Town stopped him and sent him back to Natasha. Frankly, Bronya was glad they caught him because he most certainly would be dead if he went alone.

Which, brought the problem back to the table.

A bunch of kids alone in a monster infested town was not good at all. It would be a miracle if they were still alive somehow but Bronya kept the opinion to herself. She didn't wish to cause the man more distress so she quietly accepted his request after turning down Natasha's offer for help.

"Keep the Wildfires around. You need them to help here. I'll go with the crew."

The Wildfire was short on manpower at the moment and Bronya didn't wish to take more of what was left. With Oleg still leading a Search and Destroy mission on the mine, there was hardly half a platoon left to take care of hundreds of people in the town. Though Bronya knew she alone could clear the monsters, there was no hurt in getting more hands and eyes for the search, not to mention her unfamiliarity with the local landscape which was a problem in itself. She could make due of course, but helps were not to be turned down.

Seele would be their guide, as always, and the three teenagers would be a great help. If what people said about Rivet Town was true, then they would have an entire district to scour through. It would take time and time was the essence in rescue missions. A minute too late could be a cost too great.

She thought through the plan while absently staring at the open notebook on her lap, though it wasn't strictly for notes as she also put some drawings along on the pages. Bronya's index finger nursed the butterfly pattern on its cover, unknowingly finding comfort in the action.

She jotted words down, a continuation of the plot for her latest game currently in planning. Though people might find it inappropriate to do something so low priority at such a dark time, Bronya simply couldn't stop herself to steal moments for this. Habits, as it was, were difficult to change once they were ingrained onto someone and Bronya had long found herself needing the distractions in times of silence like this. There could only so much her supercomputer of a brain could run without her feeling the impulse to pour the information down.

Kiana would agree with her. Having so much running in one's head was hard. Although she and Kiana were different, Bronya could see that her best friend was a genius herself.

Of course, Bronya would rather eat glass than to say it to Kiana because however she was, Kiana was still one big idiot. But it would be stupid to not recognize that fact. Kiana, like Bronya, had a brain that ran a different process than normal people's. Kiana was perceptive to minute details, fast learner to a subject, and creative amongst having a photographic memory herself. Unfortunately, all of it were eclipsed by general laziness and dumb innuendos that was her usual frivolities with Mei.

Speaking of which...

She felt the familiar pulses of Herrscher energy that were Kiana and Mei along with that strange, weaker one inside Stelle approaching her. Bronya felt them first before she heard Kiana and the group and saw them through the corner of her eye. Closing the notebook, Bronya looked up and stood to her feet after pocketing it.

"Good, you're here," Bronya said, eying everyone present. Her silver eyes stopped on her counterpart for a moment, mentally noting the fact that she was no longer covered in grimes and blood. "There's not much time so I'll explain right away."

Bronya gestured for them to follow her and they did without hesitation. "A group of children sneaked into Rivet Town to gather medical supplies and haven't returned. We're going to look for them."

"Isn't that place full of monsters?" Kiana muttered worriedly for them and only them to hear. Mei, March and Stelle stared at Bronya's back in horror while Dan Heng frowned in concern. Beside him, Seele scoffed and gritted her teeth angrily.

"Who the fuck is it this time? Why can't children stay fucking put for once?!"

The Silvermane Bronya grabbed her shoulder and squeezed to ease her anger. "Let's just focus on finding them. You can scold them later."

Seele grunted but she conceded. "I'm going to drill some sense on them real hard."

"Of course."

Something had changed between them and although Bronya had no knowledge what of, it was welcomed. The Herrscher allowed a small smile to grace her lips as she led them, ignoring a knowing grin Kiana sent her.

"Someone's happy."

"Shut up, Kiana."

Mei heard their mental exchange and chuckled softly.

TBC