Chapter 22: Lilian's Birthday

FOUR DAYS BEFORE THE WAR MERITS CONFERMENT CEREMONY

It was the 31st of October. In our world, it would be Halloween—a day filled with costumes, candy, and haunted tales. But in the world where our story takes place, this particular day held a different significance: it was the birthday of one of the Coral Peacocks' senior members, Lilian Fraser. Normally, birthdays would be celebrated with cake, warm wishes, and gifts. But this time? This time, it was about the meanest prank imaginable.

And, as always, it was Russell's idea.

For the past few hours, Russell had been under the influence of an unhealthy amount of alcohol—courtesy of Sharya, who had decided that instigating his "drown his sorrows" regimen was the best course of action. Not that Russell didn't have many sorrows to drown, mind you, but he claimed he was doing it to "surpass his drinking limits" as some bizarre training regimen.

Lars sat on the couch nearby, watching Russell sway back and forth in his seat. "You sure you're okay, Russell? That much alcohol can't be good for you," Lars said with concern, scratching the back of his head.

Russell waved a dismissive hand in Lars' direction, a grin plastered across his flushed face. "Don't worry, Lars! I've got this! I've been training for this... I'm gonna outdrink the best of them. Even Vanessa couldn't hold a candle to me!"

Lars blinked. "Who's Vanessa?"

"Doesn't matter!" Russell slurred, gesturing grandly, his hand knocking over an empty glass on the table. "What matters is that Lilian's birthday is coming up, and I've got the perfect plan!"

Lars wasn't so sure about this "perfect plan," but one thing was for certain: trying to argue with a drunk Russell wasn't going to get him anywhere. And he wasn't about to use his Mind Magic on him either—messing with someone's brain in this state could have serious consequences. No, as much as Lars wanted to intervene, he had to hope that whatever chaos unfolded would at least be somewhat harmless.

"I still think you should cut back," Lars muttered, leaning back in his chair.

Meanwhile, Sharya sat on the floor, legs crossed, flipping through a stack of papers she had pilfered from Russell earlier. "I dunno, Lars. This prank could be fun. Besides, it's not like we're going to ruin her birthday." She grinned mischievously. "We're just... enhancing it."

Lars sighed. "Enhancing it how, exactly?"

Russell, in a rare moment of coherence, stood up abruptly. "We're going to make her think she's been cursed! A dust curse!"

Lars raised an eyebrow. "A dust curse?"

Russell nodded eagerly, wobbling slightly on his feet. "Exactly! I'll coat everything in a fine layer of enchanted dust. It'll get everywhere—her clothes, her hair, her food. But not just any dust... magical dust that'll give her the creeps!"

Sharya, laughing hysterically, leaned forward. "Wait, wait. You mean... the dust won't actually hurt her, but it'll just be annoying?"

Russell gave her a proud nod. "That's the genius of it. She'll think something awful's happened, but it's all in her head. No harm, no foul!"

Lars rubbed his temples. "And this is how we're celebrating Lilian's birthday?"

"Yup!" Russell replied cheerfully, stumbling forward and throwing an arm around Lars. "And you're helping!"

The next morning, the plan was set in motion.

Theresa, their youngest squadmate, had already decorated the base with vibrant green and pink vines, wrapping around the banisters and hanging from the ceiling like festive streamers. She'd taken the time to bake a cake, her Plant Magic helping with some... unconventional methods of speeding up the process.

Oda had woken up and used his Spatial Magic to head to Kiten and buy the prism magic user her present.

It all looked like a normal, pleasant birthday celebration. That was, until Russell showed up with several bags of enchanted dust.

"Ready?" Russell whispered, eyes glinting with mischievous glee.

Lars, now fully roped into this nonsense, gave a weary sigh. "Let's get this over with."

The prank started innocently enough. While Lilian was out training in the forest, they spread the dust around her room, in her favorite armchair, and even on her beloved broom. The enchantment on the dust made it shimmer slightly, and anyone who touched it would feel an eerie, crawling sensation that sent shivers down their spine. It was harmless—but extremely annoying.

By the time Lilian returned to the base that afternoon, everything was in place. The squad members all acted perfectly normal, greeting her warmly and pretending they had no idea about the prank.

But as Lilian made her way to her room, something strange happened. Her keen senses picked up the faintest trace of magic in the air. She paused, frowning as she touched the handle of her door.

"What the...?" she muttered under her breath.

As soon as she stepped inside, the enchanted dust began to work its magic. She sneezed immediately, her face scrunching up in confusion. "What is this?"

Lilian's sharp eyes scanned the room, but the dust was so fine, it was nearly invisible. She brushed her hand against the table, and that eerie, crawling sensation shot up her arm, causing her to recoil. "Oh no... Am I... cursed?"

Why was that the first conclusion Lilian jumped to?

She was a very superstitious person. Bellatrix hadn't done her any favours. And of course the drunken Russell decided to capitalise on that.

From the shadows outside, Russell, Sharya, and Lars peeked around the corner, watching with bated breath.

"She's falling for it," Sharya whispered excitedly, barely holding back a snicker.

Lars, despite himself, found the whole situation oddly amusing. As long as Lilian didn't actually freak out, this could turn out to be one of the squad's more harmless pranks.

As long as Lilian didn't actually freak out.

Lilian, however, wasn't someone to be easily rattled. With a steely look in her eyes, she grabbed her broom, marched back out into the hallway, and shouted, "Alright, who's the idiot who cursed me?"

Russell immediately burst into laughter from their hiding spot, giving away their position. Sharya's face lit up with mischief as they were discovered. Lars, trying to keep his composure, just shook his head with a sigh.

And thus, the prank was exposed.

Bellatrix Delmira stirred within Lilian, an unsettling force surging to the surface as her emotions boiled over. The prank had been more than Lilian could handle—what started as playful fun had somehow turned into a bitter reminder of her isolation, the chaos around her amplifying her inner turmoil.

Russell's drunken laugh echoed in her ears, Sharya's teasing smile was still in her mind, and Lars' sympathetic glance only deepened the storm brewing inside her. Her pulse raced, heart hammering against her chest as she tried to suppress it, but Bellatrix, the darker, more aggressive side of her, wasn't having it this time. It was too late.

The room's energy shifted in an instant. The warm laughter and light banter froze as the atmosphere turned heavy, almost suffocating. A cold, dark aura enveloped Lilian, and her normally calm face twisted into a cruel smile. That signature red enveloped her hair. Bellatrix had taken over.

"Well, well," her voice cut through the room, darker, dripping with malice, "I suppose it's time I joined the fun."

Her hand twitched, and a burst of intense red light crackled around her. Bellatrix's signature magic, far more volatile and aggressive than Lilian's usual style, sprang to life. The air around her shimmered with a menacing energy, and before anyone could react, she summoned an ethereal spear made of dark, pulsating mana.

Russell, still tipsy, squinted, realising the mood shift far too late. "Hey, Lilian, what're you—"

A burst of energy sent him flying backward, crashing into a nearby wall. "It's Bellatrix, darling," she corrected with a twisted smirk. "And you should learn to watch your tongue."

Sharya stood up immediately, her cheeky demeanour gone in a flash. "Whoa, Lilian—Bellatrix, let's not get carried away now—"

Bellatrix's red eyes flashed dangerously. "What? Are you worried? Afraid I might ruin your little game? I'm done playing."

With a flick of her wrist, another wave of red mana lashed out, but this time Sharya was ready. She rolled out of the way, her Clone Magic activating as she summoned a duplicate of herself to distract Bellatrix. But the alter ego was faster than she'd anticipated.

"Nice try, darling." Bellatrix smirked as her spear dissolved, only to reform into a swirling vortex of dark energy. She pointed a finger, sending tendrils of shadow after the real Sharya, who barely dodged the attack.

Lars stepped in, his naginata drawn, eyes filled with concern. "Bellatrix, you need to stop this. It's gone too far."

Bellatrix turned her gaze to Lars, and for a brief moment, Lilian's softer side flickered through, but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared. "Too far?" She let out a mocking laugh. "You think I'm done, don't you? You've never understood, Lars. None of you do."

With that, she swung her hand upward, and the ground beneath them trembled as dark tendrils erupted from the floor, aiming to ensnare them all. Lars' eyes widened, quickly casting a spell to shield himself with Mind Magic, but the force of Bellatrix's attack sent him skidding backward.

Sharya regrouped beside Lars, panting. "This is bad. I didn't think she'd actually flip out like this."

Lars' expression was grim, sweat trickling down his forehead. "This isn't Lilian. This is something else entirely."

"I'm right here, you fools!" Bellatrix growled, summoning a dark barrier to surround herself. Her magic flared, growing more unstable by the second, feeding off the swirling tempest of her emotions.

As Russell staggered to his feet, his body aching from the impact, he finally understood the severity of the situation. "Shit… We messed up, didn't we?"

Lars and Sharya nodded. They had to bring Lilian back, somehow. But how could they reach her when Bellatrix was in full control, hell-bent on destruction?

…

"Bellatrix..." Lars muttered, realizing what had just happened. He slowly backed away, his hand already going for his naginata.

"You think you can toy with me like that?" Bellatrix's voice cut through the air, low and venomous. "Foolish."

Without warning, the colors around her twisted, refracted like light through glass. She extended her hand, and an array of bright, multicolored beams shot forth, piercing the space in front of her.

"Prism Magic: Fractured Reflection!"

The beams split, scattering around the room and ricocheting off every surface, turning into a deadly light show. Each blast hummed with dangerous energy, creating an intricate maze of light that encircled Russell, Lars, and Sharya. The prismatic rays flared, threatening to slice through anything they touched.

Russell, still stumbling from the remnants of his drunken state, yelped as one beam narrowly missed him. "Whoa! Hey! It was just a prank!"

But Bellatrix wasn't listening. She was already weaving her next spell, her fingers drawing patterns in the air as more crystalline prisms materialized around her, floating menacingly.

"You thought that would be funny?" she hissed, her voice edged with malice. "Let's see how you laugh now."

Sharya reacted first, pushing herself off the ground, summoning her Clone Magic to create several duplicates of herself. They darted around the room, trying to flank Bellatrix.

"Don't let her cast another spell!" Sharya shouted, but even she sounded unsure.

Lars, now fully on guard, lunged forward. His naginata hummed with energy as he slashed toward Bellatrix, aiming to disable her without causing serious harm.

"Too slow." Bellatrix's words were ice-cold as she raised her hand, summoning a radiant shield of light.

Lars' blade struck the barrier, but instead of breaking through, it was thrown back as the shield dispersed into a million sharp, glass-like fragments. They shot outwards, forcing Lars to jump back, barely dodging the counterattack.

Russell managed to sober up just enough to weave his own magic. His Dust Magic began swirling around him, creating a protective cloud. "I'm not about to die over a joke," he grumbled, extending his hand to cast a defensive barrier.

But Bellatrix was relentless. "You're in my domain now." She snapped her fingers, and the room darkened as she summoned a dome of shimmering light around them. Inside, her power grew more intense, every beam of light controlled with precision.

"Prism Magic: City of Jerusalem!"

Lars knew they were in trouble. Bellatrix's- or Lilian's- Prism Magic was far more dangerous when she was like this—she didn't hold back. Each flash of light in the dome threatened to end the fight in an instant.

Lars' eyes darted around the dome of shimmering light. Bellatrix's Prism Magic had taken full control of the space, and each beam seemed to hum with deadly potential. He knew that they were outmatched in raw power. The only way to stop Bellatrix was to break through her emotional state and bring Lilian back.

"Bellatrix, snap out of it!" Lars shouted, though he knew his words would likely fall on deaf ears. He had faced her alter ego once before—this was not going to be easy. He tightened his grip on the naginata, preparing for the worst. "We didn't mean to hurt Lilian, and we certainly don't want to fight you."

Bellatrix's eyes narrowed, her lips curling into a cold smile. "It's too late for apologies." Her voice was as sharp as the light that surrounded her. "If you're not ready to face me, you shouldn't have provoked her."

With a flick of her wrist, Bellatrix unleashed another spell. The prisms around her pulsed, then exploded outward, sending a cascade of light shards flying towards her enemies.

"Prism Magic: Shattering Spectrum!"

Each shard cut through the air with frightening speed. Lars immediately activated his defensive spell, his naginata glowing with a bright aura.

"Mind Magic: Infinite Thought Shield!"

A translucent barrier appeared in front of him just in time. The shards slammed into the shield, cracking its surface but failing to break through. Lars gritted his teeth. Even his strongest defensive spell was being tested.

Sharya, meanwhile, wasn't about to stay idle. She activated her Clone Magic once more, creating several copies of herself to distract Bellatrix. The copies moved in perfect sync, darting around the dome as they tried to find an opening.

"Alright, time for some real teamwork!" Sharya shouted, weaving in and out of the prisms.

Bellatrix saw through the attempt. Her eyes glinted with malicious amusement. "Do you think illusions will help you?" She raised her hand, and beams of light converged on Sharya's duplicates, disintegrating them in an instant.

Russell, finally shaking off the last remnants of his drunkenness, shot forward, using his Dust Magic to create a swirling cloud around Bellatrix. "I'll keep her busy—Lars, find a way to break through to Lilian!"

But Bellatrix was not fazed. She extended her hand, the light from the prisms intensifying and slicing through Russell's dust cloud like a blade through mist. He cursed under his breath as he quickly leaped back to avoid the onslaught.

Bellatrix turned her attention back to Lars, her eyes cold and unyielding. "You think you can save her?" Her voice dripped with disdain. "Lilian is weak. She lets herself be controlled by fear, by doubt. But I am not."

Lars' mind raced as he deflected another wave of light beams with his shield. He had to reach Lilian. There had to be a way to bring her back. His naginata glowed brighter, and he gritted his teeth, pushing his defensive spell to its limit.

"Sharya!" he called out. "Can you hold her off for just a moment?"

Sharya gave him a quick nod, determination flashing in her eyes. She moved swiftly, summoning more clones to confuse Bellatrix and buy Lars time. "You got it!"

As Sharya engaged Bellatrix in a game of cat and mouse, Lars closed his eyes for just a moment, focusing on his connection to Lilian. He had to find her within this storm of emotions. He knew Bellatrix was born from Lilian's deepest fears, her insecurities turned into a weapon.

"Lilian," he whispered, his voice filled with urgency. "I know you're in there. We need you."

Suddenly, a voice echoed in his mind—a faint, trembling whisper.

"Lars... help..."

Lars' eyes snapped open. There was still hope. He just needed to reach her.

But Bellatrix wasn't done yet. She unleashed her most powerful attack yet, her voice filled with venom. "Prism Magic: Spectral Annihilation!"

The dome filled with blinding light, beams of every colour exploding outward in a dazzling and deadly display. Sharya was barely able to avoid the blasts, her clones vaporised instantly. Russell put up a dust barrier, but it was clear that even he couldn't hold out much longer.

Lars knew he had no choice. With a roar, he charged forward, breaking through the last of the light beams with sheer force of will.

"Mind Magic: Subjugation!" He thrust his naginata forward, directing his magic not at Bellatrix, but at the source—Lilian. A tendril of mental energy shot out from the blade, aiming to pull Lilian out of the depths of her own mind.

For a moment, the light in the room stilled. Bellatrix faltered, her expression flickering with confusion.

"Lars…?" Lilian's voice, weak but present, reached out to him. "What… what happened?"

Bellatrix's hold was slipping. Lars pushed forward with everything he had, hoping to bring her back before the alter ego could reassert control.

"You're stronger than her, Lilian!" Lars shouted, his voice filled with urgency. "Come back to us! You don't need to hide anymore!"

Bellatrix staggered, her face contorting in frustration. "No… I won't be silenced again!" She raised her hand, trying to muster another spell.

But it was too late. The connection between Lars and Lilian grew stronger, and Bellatrix's form began to waver. The prisms around her dimmed, their sharp edges dulling as Lilian's consciousness fought to regain control.

Lars gave one final push, pouring his energy into the spell. "Lilian! Now!"

With a flash, the dome of light shattered. Bellatrix screamed as her form dissolved into fragments of light, retreating back into the depths of Lilian's mind. The battle was over.

Lilian collapsed to her knees, breathing heavily, her usual self once again.

Russell walked up to her, all the alcohol scared out from his system. He then hugged Lilian, tears in his eyes.

"I'm sorry," he said, his body being shaken by his sobs. "I love you, Lilian. I didn't think that my harmless prank would cause so much trouble."

Lilian, despite all her emotions, blushed and then returned Russell's hug back.

"Should we give them some time?" Lars asked Sharya, his breath still heavy from the battle.

Sharya nodded. The two made a hasty exit, and Russell and Lilian were left alone, kneeling next to each other.

Russell broke away from their hug and looked up, tears still in his eyes. His face was sunken in remorse, and as he wiped the tears from his eyes, he began to speak, his voice low.

Russell's breath was shaky as he tried to collect himself, wiping away the last of his tears with trembling hands. He was never the type to break down like this, but seeing the toll his prank had taken on Lilian—no, on Bellatrix—had rattled him to his core.

"I… I don't know what came over me," Russell said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I thought we were just having fun, but… I never wanted to hurt you like this."

Lilian stayed quiet for a moment, the weight of everything that had happened settling in. Her emotions were still a whirlwind—anger, embarrassment, sadness—but as she looked at Russell, his vulnerability began to soften the storm. She sighed softly, her shoulders relaxing as she met his gaze.

"It wasn't just your fault, Russell," Lilian said, her voice calm but laced with exhaustion. "I should've known better. I should've kept Bellatrix under control… but when the prank happened, I just… I lost it."

Russell looked at her, the guilt still etched into his features. "But I pushed you. I didn't think about how much stress you've been under, about how you're dealing with Bellatrix on top of everything else. I… I'm so stupid."

Lilian shook her head, her expression softening. "No, you're not. You've always been there for me, Russell. I just… I wasn't ready to face her. And when I couldn't control it, I lashed out at all of you."

She reached out, placing her hand on his shoulder, and gave him a gentle squeeze. "We both messed up. But I'm okay now."

Russell's eyes flickered with hope, though the guilt lingered. "Are you sure? I don't want to lose you over something so stupid."

Lilian gave a small, reassuring smile. "You won't. I just… I need some time to process everything. But we'll be okay."

There was a pause, the silence between them filled with unspoken words. It was a lot to take in, but the worst of it was behind them. Bellatrix had retreated, and Lilian was still herself. That was all that mattered for now.

"I'll make it up to you," Russell finally said, a hint of determination in his voice. "I'll do whatever it takes to make sure this doesn't happen again. I promise."

Lilian chuckled softly, a bit of her usual self returning. "You don't have to do anything grand. Just… maybe lay off the pranks for a little while?"

Russell managed a sheepish smile. "Deal."

They sat there for a while longer, the tension between them slowly dissolving into something lighter. The battle had left them both drained, but there was a quiet understanding now. Things might not go back to normal right away, but they were both willing to work through it.

As the moments passed, Lilian's mind wandered to Bellatrix—her other self, the side of her that emerged when she was overwhelmed. She wasn't just a manifestation of anger or fear; Bellatrix was part of her. And sooner or later, Lilian knew she would have to face her again.

But for now, she was grateful for the peace.

A/N: Happy birthday in advance, Lilian!