<Foreign Signal Lock Acquired>

<Source Identified: Anya Petrenovsky>

At this point, I didn’t know which was worse, the searing agony consuming my burned body or seeing an old friend alive. I saw Luden die at the stake two years ago, that should've been the end of him.

My thoughts felt like they were being feasted on by piranhas in an infested river, because no matter how much I tried to wrap my head around the facts none of it was sounding plausible at all.

How could the Delvian army recover a mage corpse in such a state? Has their technology progressed that far? I mean, who brought his body to them in the first place?

Damn it… Damn it all!

I tried to grit my teeth in anger, but half of my jaw seemed to be mangled. All I could manage was a low grunt akin to a drowning pig.

…

My thoughts began to dull as I drifted higher above the skies however through the blur of my failing vision, I caught glimpses of fragments of my own skin peeling away, exposing my nerves and muscles.

The whole situation felt grotesque but I oddly felt distant from my situation as my mind chose to be elsewhere, no...it had to. Otherwise, I would have gone mad from the pain by now, truthfully speaking I didn’t even understand how I was still alive.

Despite my mind's greatest efforts it was evident that with each passing second I could feel myself slip further away from reality. But through sheer luck, something within my vision emerged ahead sooner than I expected.

I managed to spot a friendly outpost through the ash-choked skies of the battlefield. 

It was a large castle fortress carved into the mountainside with a dozen soldiers lining its walls. Some were stationed behind silver circular devices embedded along the ramparts…Medusa Eyes, most likely. I couldn’t focus long enough to be certain.

It didn’t seem under attack.

Not yet.

I could make it there.

Without hesitation, I tilted my N.F.U. to descend. But I had overestimated what I could manage to control at this point.

For a brief moment my mind slipped from my consciousness creating errors in the rune language of my boots which faltered to stay afloat making me tilt backward.

“Shit! What’s…” 

I tried to immediately readjust myself forward but all it did was lunge me into a spiraling descent.

A violent pressure surged through my skull, as if my blood had begun to boil as the world began spinning wildly out of control. I need to control myself, if I can’t control my fall I’ll die. Die!

I tried to look around but everything was a haze of lights collapsing into a kaleidoscope of distortions which eventually turned dark.

What’s going on? I need to open my eyes! Open…Open!

Halfway through my fall, the speed boiled a fizzing sensation within my stomach, I felt like I wanted to vomit.

Oddly enough an idea arose from that pain, because if I could still feel a sensation in my stomach that means I can somewhat control my body.

At the very least I need to open my rune shield.

I urged my burnt hand to reach for the gem on my neck, to press down on it. 

I wiggle my hand once…twice. 

Then as a green flash lit me–

Impact.

I feel like…I think I hit something… like stone, maybe. A wall most likely.

There was loud shouting. The sound of boots splashing through mud and shadows rushing toward me.

“A mage?!” a soldier cried, already running. “Get the healers—now!”

Their voices were such nuisances, all I wanted to do at this point was rest but their hands were on me before I could resist.

"shath af" I tried to speak but my jaw wasn't moving...no I don't think it was there anymore.

Everything was so annoying and strange, I could feel their touch but all my mind wanted to do was sleep.

Yeah, sleep sounds nice.

Eventually, the darkness had overwhelmed my senses and when I came to I was in a completely foreign place wrapped head to toe in bandages unsure of what time or day it was. However, an orange glow through my window told me it was late in the afternoon.

My eyes felt restless as I opened them, it seemed like I was in a quaint med bay of some sorts, but what caught my attention wasn’t the cold food on the table by my bedside it was the three figures in the room besides me.

Two men in black uniforms towered my bedside with rigid postures, their silver wolf badges gleamed faintly on their chests with the afternoon light, they were high-ranking, no doubt. 

Their presence was definitely concerning as both of them seemed like the kind of men who didn’t come to see if you were recovering.

A glimpse of the third figure immediately explained their presence though, she was perched lightly on the window sill, wearing a flowing white dress that stirred with the wind alongside long strands of her silver hair which drifted weightlessly around her body, as if she was a ghost untouched by reality.

Her pale blue eyes were gleaming like sapphires as they were fixed towards the distance, but with a single twitch the lady slowly met my gaze and I found myself staring at a face so serene, so impossibly composed, it could have been mistaken for that of a saint.

“Lady…Josephine” I forced myself to speak.

“Anya, what a truly unpleasant sight this is, I didn’t expect to meet you in such a state.” Her soft voice seemed to caress my ears. “What do you remember?”

I shifted, inching my eyes up to meet hers. “The past few weeks are… blurry. But I still remember why I’m here.” My breath dried itself as I tried to push myself up.

“As for my condition, Lady Josephine, I—”

“Failure to follow orders. Abuse of authority. Illegal repossession of a classified artifact.” She offered a faint, almost knowing smile as she cut me off. “With the report the Knights have filed against you, my concern here seems warranted.”

“I’m aware of my insubordination however I have my reasons!”

“Your actions would tell me otherwise. As my apprentice you represent our House's status, more importantly you represent me." She gave off another sly smile with the faintest hint of disappointment emerging off her face but it vanished instantly.

"Inform me of a good reason on why I shouldn't have you hung in the gallows by dawn."

Despite her upfront threat it was still hard to get a read on Lady Josephine's real intentions, there was a reason for everything she did, my insubordination was indeed a grave offense but a House Master would not usually concern themselves with such issues, a Sage would be enough.

...unless she knows something I don't.

“I called off air support as I thought it would be more efficient for the Air Units to search for the three remaining M.T.s. With them searching for the squad, as I lost communication with the forward mage squad. In other words, I made a calculated risk to explore the crash where the artifact supposedly was before we could lose it."

"Abandoning your post as a calculated risk?" Lady Josephine's eye brow flared. "Though the artifact is indeed valuable, leaving your position could have led to an enemy flank, hundreds of lives could have been lost that day."

"I understand L-lady Josephine but I saw something more important than the artifact for me to leave.”

Her head tilted slightly. “And what would that be?”

“I saw him…” My jaw tightened, bitterness creeping into my voice.

Finally, a flicker of interest passed through her eyes. “Who did you see?”

“Luden… Faust…” The name felt heavy on my tongue. "Well it was his Noctian clone at first, which should already be impossible but I-" I faltered, even I didn't truly believe what I was about to say.

“He was riding a Hollow with resonant abilities.”

That statement instantly perplexed the officer’s faces however Lady Josephine remained neutral. 

“Are you certain?”

“I am,” I answered, just as quietly.

“I see…” She pulled back with a faint smile forming on her lips. “How… interesting.”

The two guards eventually gazed towards each other whispering to each other I couldn't hear much but the word "Prophecy" was thrown about multiple times, but just before they could reach anymore deeper conversations one of them stopped talking as his eyes glowed a blue hue and his ears perked up.

"Report" The man suddenly stood firm as if he were possessed.

"Go on." Lady Josephine promptly replied.

"A stolen Serian Med ship heading towards point K-12 has killed two Airforce Units. Passengers are suspected to be affiliated with the Mercenary group Bastard Knox. Further reports state that they are accompanied by a Noctian."

"How many?"

"Just one. Your orders Ma'am?"

Lady Josephine seemed lost in thought for a moment. "Albrecht, find Ben and head towards point K-12, capture the Noctian alive."

"And the rest?"

"Do as you will."

"Understood." The guard seemed oddly pleased as he saluted and promptly left the room.

Lady Josephine exhaled. "As you can see, the situation has been changing due to your absence."

As her eyes met mine, I couldn't help but look downcast as a tinge of guilt swallowed my chest. "I apologize My Lady I-"

"However" She cut me off. "The Seele was also recovered due to your actions, you expressed your servitude towards our nation well Anya."

"Thank you Lady Josephine but there's something I still have to tell you, Luden... he talked about
the Moon–” My breath hitched before I could finish, however lady Josephine seemed like she couldn’t care less of my predicament or anything else I had to state.

She rose gracefully and strode toward the doorway as if the matter had already been decided.

“Peter,” she called lightly to the man by my bedside, whispering something into his ear.

The man froze. For a moment, he said nothing and swallowed his dry mouth with a bead of sweat trailing down his temple. Then, with visible reluctance, he stepped forward and gently rested a hand on my head.

Afterwards, a bright flash of light blinded my eyes.

"I understand that you want to become a High Magus however, patience is a virtue that you must learn before you can ever achieve it, get well soon and like I said, we shall put it all behind us.” Lady Josephine said lightly, as she turned toward the door.

Her hand rested on the handle, however something felt wrong I can't put my finger on it but this whole conversation seemed like it had already finished before it even started.

"Wait! Is- is that really all you have to say to me for abandoning my post?"

Lady Josephine paused.

“Anya…” she added, almost gently, without looking back. "Like I have said, without your actions we would not have recovered the Seele, I trust your judgement that's all there is to it. Worry not, I will speak with the Knights regarding this matter."

"I..." I tried to remember what I saw that day to reply back to Lady Josephine but all I could remember was a blurred face of a Noctian and an M.T. that oddly seemed familiar.

The more I tried to think about it, the more my mind began to lose its grasp on the memories of that day.