I released her and stood up, still within the confines of our cone of silence. With deliberate slowness, I folded my arms and fixed her with a contemptuously stern gaze. “Elenora Beatrice Perez, I demand you promise me—right here, right now—that you will never enter into any pact with the demon king!”

She scowled. “It was just an example of the lengths I’m willing to—”

“No, it wasn’t! It was a declaration of sacrifice, and you meant it.”

Nora gripped the blanket she sat on tightly, her eyes fixed on the floor.

I continued to stare at her. “If I’m not allowed to do it, why should you be? Double standards be damned.”

“I know you don’t want to kill him,” she whispered. “And I really don’t know what you see in him, but then… I don’t know what you see in me, either. So, I have to give you the benefit of the doubt that it’s at least worth it to give him a chance. But he only gets one!”

I almost relented, relaxing my posture and moving in for a hug at her self-deprecating statement. At the last moment, I caught myself, steeling my resolve. “You still didn’t promise me.” I thrust out my left pink. “Pinky swear!”

“Fiiiiiiine.” She linked her pink with mine. “I swear.”

I tightened my grip, preventing any escape. “What do you swear, exactly?”

“I, Eleanora Beatrice Perez, promise you that I will never enter into any pact with the demon king.”

“Alright then.”

“Can I have my pinky back now?”

“…I’ll think about it.”

“Rae!”

I let go and sat back on the bed next to her. “Even though you were being ridiculously absurd, you make a good point. We should figure out something to negotiate on in exchange for his help, but without asking him… I can’t come up with anything I’d be willing to part with.”

Nora shrugged slightly, signifying she didn’t have any ideas either. After a pause, she asked, “Relias told you we need his scythe to get into Paradise?”

I nodded. “Yeah. That’s… sort of why I sent Amos on ahead in warning. I don’t want to sneak up on him. That would just upset him even more than he already is.”

Nora’s head tilted back and forth a few times. “What are you going to tell Relias in the meantime?”

“I… don’t know. Every time I bring up His Evil Majesty, he just… loses all reason.”

“If I were you… I’d play it cool.”

“Huh?”

“Just tell him you plan to confront him and leave it at that for now.”

“But he’s expecting me to—”

“It’s going to take time to manage his expectations,” Nora advised. “Right now, he’s still treating you like a kid, even if we’re all telling him you’re not. Let’s work on fostering mutual respect and team trust before directly attacking the Golds dogma on demons.”

Her advice seemed sound, but I had to question the end of it. “The Golds? That makes us sound like a sports team.”

“The Holy Order of Gold is too long,” Nora said with a sniff.

I smiled weakly, glad she was willing to move to a lighter subject. “You’re right. It’s ostentatious.”

She looked down at her multicolored robes. “Uniforms are pretty cool though, gotta admit.”

“Thank you,” I replied immodestly. “Apparently, I had an eye for this sort of thing.”

Nora raised an eyebrow. “Oh, I’m certain Cybill had a major hand in the design.”

“Heh, you’re probably right.”

“So… how long before we sneak out into the city?”

“Ah?”

Nora fluttered her eyelashes. “You’re not going to just hang out in time-out, are you?”

“There are some things I want to look into…. The problem is, there’s a whole bunch of people in the temple with the duty of keeping me in, and then there’s all the people out there, too.”

“I’m sure Vernie can help… once she sobers up.”

“She wasn’t—”

A rhythmic knocking interrupted us. “Delivery!” Vernie said from behind the closed doors.

After dissolving her spell, Nora hopped up and let her in. “I thought you were sleeping something off?”

“That’s what I wanted you to think,” Vernie agreed lightly.

Nora’s eyes narrowed. “Do you trust me yet?”

Vernie blinked. “As much as anyone else in the Order, why?”

“The three of us need a Girl’s Day Out.” Nora folded her arms.

Vernie appeared momentarily confused, “What? Oh… you mean you want to get out of the Temple? Hmm. I’d wait a day or two. You know, let the masses die down a little.”

“Still, you’ll work on it?” Nora pressed.

Vernie nodded. “Yes, I think there’s a benefit to it, especially after what I found.”

Curiosity piqued, we both asked, “What did you find?”

“This.” Vernie handed me a packet of parchment curiously tied together in the corner with a piece of string. “It’s a little over my head, but I think it’s important.”

I read the title aloud, “A Comprehensive Analysis of Animus Production in Hybrids and Humans.”

Abstract

This paper challenges the prevalent belief that hybrids inherently generate more animus than humans, proposing instead that the production of animus is universally influenced by stress levels among all non-demonic sentient beings. Through empirical research and magical monitoring, we examine animus outputs across various species under controlled stress scenarios. Our findings aim to contribute to a deeper understanding of animus dynamics and promote equality among all non-demonic sentient beings.

Introduction

Animus, the mystical energy linked to sentient beings' negative emotions, has been extensively studied for its properties and applications. Notably, it is often cited as the root cause of animus overload—a nearly universally fatal condition characterized by exposure to toxic levels of ambient animus. Prevailing beliefs within the diverse communities of Speranza hold that hybrids, due to their dual heritage, inherently produce more ambient animus than their human counterparts. This assumption has fostered discrimination and has significantly shaped policies affecting human, hybrid, and mixed communities. Our research challenges these claims, proposing that stress, rather than genetic makeup, is the primary determinant of animus production across all non-demonic sentient species. By debunking this widespread myth, we aim to promote a deeper understanding of animus dynamics and advocate for more equitable societal practices.

Literature Review

Existing literature on animus production predominantly focuses on qualitative assessments and anecdotal evidence, often overlooking systematic study. Previous research by Althor (2023) suggests that hybrids exhibit higher animus during a variety of scenarios requiring the completion of simple tasks; however, these studies failed to control for external stress factors. We revisit a newly unearthed but previously held historical theory proposing that animus production is dynamically responsive to psychological and environmental stress (Ambrose, 2501), setting the foundation for our hypothesis.

Methodology

We selected 50 hybrids and 50 humans from diverse backgrounds and subjected them to a series of controlled stress-inducing experiments. Animus output was measured using the Animus Flux Meter (AFM), a magical device calibrated to detect and quantify negative energies emitted by subjects. Stress levels were systematically increased using the Tiered-Threat Scenario Test (TTST), which simulates various threat levels in a controlled environment.

Results

Data analysis revealed no significant difference in baseline animus production between hybrids of all sub-types and humans. Under stress, both groups showed a marked increase in animus output, correlating closely with escalating stress levels. These results were consistent across different types of stress, including physical, emotional, and magical.

Discussion

The findings refute the myth that hybrids inherently produce more animus, highlighting stress as a universal amplifier of animus output. This suggests a need for a paradigm shift in how communities understand and harness animus. Furthermore, the implications for policy and education are profound, as they support a move towards more inclusive practices that recognize the capabilities and needs of all non-demonic sentient beings.

Conclusion

Our research confirms that animus production is influenced more by stress than by the genetic makeup of hybrids versus humans. We recommend that all societies revise any policies or practices based on the disproven assumption of hybrid superiority in animus generation. Further research should explore the mechanisms through which stress influences animus production to develop better support systems for all non-demonic sentient beings.

I was flabbergasted. “This is… a scientific paper?”

This world… had science? Well, magical science?

“That stamp at the bottom.” Vernie pointed to a five-pointed star inside a runic circle. “That’s the old mark of the Dark Mage Tower.”

Underneath the stamp, someone had written, ‘Respectfully submitted to the Holy Council on this 24th day of the third month of Fall, in the year 3496.’

It took me a moment since I was used to Earth’s calendar, but I finally realized, “This was submitted… four years before I was born!”

We all looked at each other, our faces mirroring each other’s disgust.

“Bastards!” Vernie swore. “They knew it was all a lie!”

“It looks like a few pages are missing, though,” I noted in defeat. “The diagrams and references aren’t here. Without that, the research is incomplete.”

“Experiments can be duplicated,” Nora insisted. “Actually, that would be the best damning evidence of all. If we can reproduce the same results, we can show that not only did the Council know about this before their campaign against hybrids, but they hid it and destroyed evidence refuting their own rhetoric!”

“I wonder why they saved this part, though… Don’t people usually try to destroy all the evidence?”

“Collateral for keeping your allies in check?” Vernie suggested. “It’s always important to have something on everyone in these kinds of situations.”

We all gave a non-committal shrug, unable to find a better reason.

“We’ll have to confess about how we obtained it…” I looked at Vernie contritely.

She shrugged. “I don’t care about the consequences at this point. It’s too important not to share. We can give it to Relias tomorrow during the huddle. I’m sure Aleph and Tetora will be interested in it too.” She stood up slowly. “Well, I’m off—”

“Hold it,” I said, gesturing for her to take her seat once more. “This isn’t what you found in Pravum’s drawer.”

Her eyes widened. “How’d you know?”

“Whatever was in there, Father Irijah knew the contents. And I had asked him about animus in hybrids; he told me he didn’t know. So now, what did you find in there?”

Vernie looked back and forth between Nora and me nervously. “Sorry… It’s just…”

I held out my hand expectantly.

Wordlessly, she hung her head and reached under her collar, pulling out another folded parchment. She extended it to me without looking up. It took two tugs to get her to release it.

I unfolded it, unable to make it past the title of ‘Last Will and Testament of Raelynn Lightbringer.’