“Your words mean nothing to us! Nothing!” The voice rang out, thick with fury and betrayal. 

“We will never forgive you for what you did to Rose. She wasn’t even one year old!” The tall dark dark-haired man’s breath was uneven, his body rigid as the weight of his grief twisted in his chest.

The light-haired woman stood by the window, green eyes flickering with detached amusement. The breeze caught the strands of her hair, making her look almost ethereal—but there was nothing soft about her. She turned slowly, her expression carved from ice. “Forgiveness?” A bitter laugh slipped from her lips. “Ha! I don’t care about something so trivial. Your sister had no powers. She was weak—she will always be weak. I would sell her back to those idiotic scientists if I could.”

His hands clenched into trembling fists. Rage boiled inside him, clawing at his ribcage. “She was one year old!” he roared, voice raw with emotion. “It takes at least two years for Saika to fully develop their powers!” The words tore from his throat, thick with anguish.

She tilted her head, eyes gleaming with cruel amusement. “Then she should have gained them faster. She has my blood, after all. She should be better. But no—she’s just another failure. Just like you. And Sakura, too. You’re all failures.”

Glass shattered against the wall as his fury exploded into action. “How dare you speak down on my sisters!” The world blurred in red-hot anger. “They are incredible—far better women than you could ever dream of being!”

Her glare sharpened as she closed the distance between them, stepping forward with slow, deliberate intent. “Watch your tone, boy,” she spat, voice dripping with venom. “You have no idea what kind of woman I am. Your sisters will always be useless. They have no meaning in this world. They never will.”

His fists curled tighter, his entire body vibrating with unchecked rage. Without hesitation, he struck her across the face. “You witch!” he snarled, the words nearly breaking apart from the force behind them. “You’re the useless one! All you care about is throwing yourself at men! All you do is sleep around, chasing your selfish desires. You never cared about anything—anyone—other than yourself. You threw Rose away like she was nothing, and you WILL regret that.”

His breath was heavy, his voice like steel. “I hope you enjoy knowing your children hate you. You’ll never see us again. And if you ever find us…” He stepped forward, eyes dark and unyielding. “I’ll cut your head off.”

He turned sharply, his steps heavy with anger as he began to walk away with his sister. But something inside him twisted, forcing him to stop. His shoulders trembled as he turned back, his voice cutting through the air like a blade.

“You don’t deserve to be called Aradia,” he spat, his tone laced with venom. “The only part of your name that fits is the witch. You are no goddess, no queen. You’re nothing but a courtesan—a temptress who tramples over the feelings of others to satisfy your selfish desires. You drain the souls of those around you and leave them hollow, suffering in silence. You are the worst kind of being to ever exist.”

His voice cracked, the weight of his fury and sorrow spilling out. “You ignored my father’s beliefs, discarded them like they were worthless. You left him to raise his children alone, to bear the burden you abandoned. His only joy now—his only light—is us, his kids. You mean nothing to him anymore.”

He paused, his breath uneven, his gaze burning into her. “So goodbye, Mother. I hope you enjoy the emptiness you’ve created. One day, I’ll come back. And when I do, I’ll make sure you regret every single thing you’ve done.”

Without another word, he turned away, his sister following close behind. His steps were resolute, but the storm inside him raged on.

When they left, as they stepped through the portal, the vibrant glow of the mansion behind them faded, swallowed by the shifting boundaries of space. Earth—an unfamiliar world in an entirely different universe—awaited them on the other side. When they emerged, the air was heavier, tinged with the scent of damp earth and ancient stone. Their base stood before them, nestled deep within a dense forest, its structure worn by time yet standing resilient against the elements. The distant hum of life stirred beyond the trees, but here, in this quiet threshold between worlds, only the rustling leaves bore witness to their arrival.

As they arrived at the base, Sakura looked at her older brother, “Indigo, are you alright?” she asked.

Indigo nodded. “Yes, I’m alright, Sakura,” he replied while ruffling her hair.

Sakura smiled and hugged him. “Let's go see Rosie and Oscar,” she said before heading into a room full of alchemy tools.

“Hey!- don’t touch that, idiot! You're going to burn your skin...” a strong feminine voice yelled out.

“But I wanna test your amazing potions!~” a semi-masculine voice whined out.

“Huh- Hey! Oscar stopped-” A sudden boom came from the back of the room, and the two of them fell.

The blast tore through the air, shaking the walls. Glass shattered. A thick, bitter scent filled the room.

Indigo and Sakura rushed in, their hearts hammering, barely processing the swirling haze of smoke.

Oscar stood frozen, eyes wide with shock, his sleeve singed.

Rose’s potion—unfinished, delicate—had been knocked over. The mixture hissed against the floor, bubbling violently.

For a moment, no one breathed.

Then, relief. No fire. No uncontrolled magic. No elemental chaos.

Just the lingering tremor of what could have been.

“The hell happened in here?” Indigo blurted out, worried they had gotten hurt.

Out of the smoke, a fiery red head popped up. “Nothing really, that dummy bumped into one of my potions and knocked it down…”  Rose scoffed as she stood up and dusted herself off.

“I’m sorry, I was just curious~ I didn’t mean to break it~” Oscar whimpered and hugged Rose’s waist desperately.

Rose rolled her eyes and patted his head. “Stop being a baby, I'm not mad at you,” she said.

Oscar smiled brightly. “Are you sure?!” he stood up, holding both of her hands in his own. 

Rose’s face warmed up a bit, and she looked away. “I'm positive.” 

Oscar smiled and kissed her hands. “Wonderful~”

Rose pulled her hands away. “Alright, alright. Enough touchiness..” She returned to her desk, sighed, and moved her hair out of her face.

Oscar spotted Rose’s siblings and immediately understood—this was a moment that didn’t need him. With a quiet nod to himself, he turned on his heel and slipped out, giving them the space they deserved.

“Was she sad?” Rose asked with no emotion while gathering some ingredients for another potion.

Sakura walked to Rose’s side and helped her. Indigo shook his head. “No. She was a jerk.” He ruffled Rose’s hair.

Rose felt a pain in her chest. How could the person who gave birth to the three of them be so despicable? “She doesn’t deserve Dad,” Rose said. She strode over to the shelf, grabbing an empty cauldron before placing it firmly on the table. Without hesitation, she reached for the ingredients, laying them out with practiced precision, ready to begin.

Sakura nodded, “You're right..” She put a hand on Rose’s shoulder. “Are you alright?”

Rose looked away, pushing Sakura’s hand away. “Why would I be upset… she threw me out. I feel nothing towards her.” Rose grabbed the ingredients and put them in the cauldron.

“Rose, " Indigo said quietly before touching her shoulder and pulling her into a hug.

Rose was shocked by her brother hugging her. She disliked being touched, he knew that.  She stiffened and kept her hands at her side. But she understood his intention. 

“You deserve better,” Indigo spoke in saikan and gently caressed his sister’s head.

“Thank you.” She buried her head in her brother's shoulder

Rose sighed, “I feel a little better now. Thank you,” she said before pulling away from the hug. “I need to finish this batch of potions, I'll come find you guys when I'm done. Tell Oscar he can come in, will you?” 

Indigo nodded before walking out. Sakura looked at Rose, then followed him. When they left, Oscar walked in and stood next to Rose. “Hey there, Rosey.”

Rose smiled, “Hello, Oscar. Could you get me 5 Ækan scales?” She ground the ingredients with steady, deliberate force, the motion almost cathartic. They would blend more easily this way—pulverized into something new, something useful.

Oscar nodded and went to get the Ækan scales. He looked over to Rose and frowned slightly while walking back. He set the scales down as he looked at her. He knew she wasn’t alright. He could see it on her face. She was in pain, stuck between her feelings towards everything in her life. Every thought pulled her in a different direction, leaving her trapped, adrift between fear, love, and the weight of what she could never fully control. He knew she was suffering.

Rose took the scales and snapped them in half before setting them aside with the other ingredients she needed. Then she went to grab a knife so she could cut the Components. Her hand was shaky. 

Suddenly, the knife fell to the ground with a loud clatter. Rose grabbed her hand, her body shaking violently. She fell to her knees, her eyes wide as she clenched her wrist, “What the hell…”.

Oscar went to comfort her, but she glared up at him. He gulped, not wanting to upset her any more than she already was.

“Please leave me alone,” she said quietly.

 Oscar’s expression tightened, her words striking deeper than he expected. A weight settled in his chest—something raw, something he couldn’t shake. He let out a slow breath, eyes lingering on her for a moment longer before turning away. Without another word, he stepped out, leaving her with the silence she needed, even if it hurt to do so.

As the door closed, Rose hugged her knees to her chest. She clenched her fists and sniffled, “dang it..”

“She’s upset..I think we should give her space.” Oscar said quietly, he had walked out of Rose’s workshop and walked to Indigo and Sakura. Indigo nodded.

Indigo, Oscar, and Sakura all stood there, looking at each other awkwardly. “So, what are we supposed to do now?” Sakura asked, worried about her sister.

“Give her time. She needs to sort out her feelings. If she needs to do that alone, we have to let her.” Oscar said, quietly looking towards the alchemy room. 

Rose buried her face in her knees. “Why do I care? She left me and hurt dad…” She clenched her fists and slammed her hand on the ground, leaving a cracked mark on the hard tile.

She got up, movements stiff with frustration, and wrapped her hands in bandages with sharp, deliberate tugs. The fabric tightened over her skin, a poor substitute for control, but at least it kept her hands steady. She shoved on a pair of gloves, flexing her fingers as if testing their restraint, then strode out of the room without a second glance. Her pulse was fast, thoughts tangled—she needed space, needed air, needed something to drown out the storm raging inside her.

She ignored her siblings and best friend as she left. She was in a bad mood and didn't want to accidentally take her anger out on them. As she walked out of the building, she felt a hand rest on her shoulder.

“Instead of beating a poor tree, why don’t you train with me? It’s a better experience, plus you can try to find a resemblance of mom in me.” Indigo chuckled and gently rubbed her shoulder.

“Yeah, right, you are the only one that has absolutely zero resemblance to her.” She sighed then nodded slightly, “sure, I’ll train with you.”

Indigo smiled and patted her head. “Alright, let’s go,” he said and walked out with her. Sakura looked towards them and sighed.

“Rose feels guilty. I can tell.” Lost in thought, Sakura made her way through the winding halls of their headquarters, her footsteps echoing against polished stone floors. The building was sturdy, worn by time but unwavering, with dim lanterns casting a soft glow against dark wood-paneled walls. Stacks of documents cluttered side tables, and maps—some old, some newly marked—lined the walls, detailing their ever-evolving mission.  

She reached the director’s office and pushed open the heavy oak door. Inside, the air carried the scent of aged paper and ink, a testament to the countless decisions made within these walls. A long desk sat at the room’s center, meticulously organized, while shelves lined with ancient tomes and bound reports towered in the background. A window, narrow but deliberate, let in just enough light to reveal the room’s quiet authority.  

Sakura crossed the space and settled into one of the desks, exhaling as the weight of their work pressed against her shoulders. The world outside continued to turn, but here, in this room, every choice mattered.

“Don’t hurt yourself, darling. You need to be at your best when you’re working.” A deep voice called out as a tall man in a suit walked in with some papers and set them on his desk. 

“Sorry, Irese. I’m just worried about Rose,” she said before moving her hair out of her face. 

“She’s very strong, you know. My arm still hurts from training her the past few weeks,” Irese replied before going through the papers he had. He read over them carefully, then a surprised look crossed his face. “Sakura, come here..”

Sakura got up and walked over to him. “What is it?” She looked down at what he was reading, and her eyes widened. “That’s written in Elvish! None of our business partners speak elvish…”

Irese nodded, “You’re right. But I do.” He said, then read the letter to her

“My Dearest Irese. You are wise beyond your years, but have yet to realize the potential and the strength of those around you. In due time, you will be faced with hardships that you cannot overcome by yourself. It is up to you to seal your destiny by trusting in your companions. Do not ever mistreat them.  You will come to understand just how powerful they are and how they can change the fate of every creature in this world. Do not fret such power, seek it instead. With powers like that combined with your own, many lives in this world will be saved. That is your destiny. When all seems lost, look to those who bring out your strengths.”