Zoldyck

The Wyvern Crown

█ 𝕱𝖎𝖗𝖆𝖓𝖔
█ 𝕱𝖎𝖗𝖆𝖓𝖔

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................... ████████████ ████████████ ████████████ ████████████ ████████████ ████████████	█ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █	“Vierus gave birth to the Empire, but it is the Aosta which gave birth to Viera.” No words encapsulate the importance of the Aosta Valley to Viera more than this particular phrase. Named after the river that courses through the region, the Aosta Valley is home to some of the most fertile and valuable lands in all of Viera. This prime agricultural real estate has given rise to many great city-states which call the Valley their home. Holy Trentua, industrious Udilazzo and mighty Amilcar are but a few examples of the renowned urban centers of the great Aostan Plain. Yet all these appear as mere petty states when compared to the power of the Grand Republic of Firan, based around the city of Firano. Firano controls the Piave region of the Aosta Valley, commonly referred to as Viera’s Golden Heart due to its golden wheat fields which stretch as far as the horizon. This gift from geography, combined with Firano’s central location in the Aostan Plain and access to the Aosta itself, has turned the city into one of Viera’s great entrepots. Turning it into one of the most vital hubs of trade and industry in all the land. The extravagant guild manors, packed storehouses and extensive arsenal are some examples of the way Firano’s wealth has manifested itself. The massive domed structure in the center of the city, La Cupola Populare, is the political heart of the Republic. Once, a little over a decade ago, the Grand Republic of Firan was ruled from here by the Council of Peers; a governing body composed of representatives of all the great Patrician Houses of Firano. Following his triumphant victory in the Firan League Wars, also known as the Years of Iron, Ludovico Sforza launched a coup backed by his dreaded Iron Regiments. Adopting the traditional title of Consul, he stripped the Council of most of their powers and became sole dictator of the Republic in all but name. The people of Firano follow the teachings of the Vieran Conclave. They believe that Vierus was the one true God and that it was He and His Saints which drove out the devils and daemons which used to infest the old world. While it is true that the Conclave’s worldly power has waned in the last century, there are still many zealous followers of the Faith and Firano still hosts several hundred priests in different temples and convents scattered across the city.

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The Wyvern Crown

𝕿 𝖍 𝖊 . 𝕾 𝖋 𝖔 𝖗 𝖟 𝖆 𝖘 . 𝖔 𝖋 . 𝕱 𝖎 𝖗 𝖆 𝖓 𝖔
𝕿 𝖍 𝖊 . 𝕾 𝖋 𝖔 𝖗 𝖟 𝖆 𝖘 . 𝖔 𝖋 . 𝕱 𝖎 𝖗 𝖆 𝖓 𝖔

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_{█ G I O V A N N I . L U D O V I C O . S F O R Z A}

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▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔	█ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █	twenty. 188 cm. The Young Viper, Scion of House Sforza. | ♫ Born as the intended spare, Giovanni was thrust into the role of heir to the House of Sforza at a young age. While his life has not exactly been a sheltered one, the boy has never had the chance to truly live a normal childhood. Being the sole remaining child of the Serpent of Firano, he has been kept under a close watch by his unloving father. Exposed to his mother’s operas and tutored by the enigmatic Nikephoros Monophtalmos, Giovanni has developed a sense of wanderlust, a thirst for knowledge and an aversion for violence; possibly in defiance to his father. Known to be outspoken and to wear his heart on his sleeve, Giovanni strives to live up to the nobility of the great men of myth and legend. His greatest companion is his dog, Sulla, a Cane Corso who mirrors his owner in being loyal to a fault, and by being exceptionally stubborn to boot.

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_{L U D O V I C O . A R M A N D O . S F O R Z A █}

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fifty-nine. 175 cm. The Old Serpent, Consul di Firano. | ♫ A man marked by a harsh childhood of poverty and strife, Ludovico is a man with little love and even less patience. He ascended the political ladder of Firan from the very bottom and has now sat at the very top for more than a decade, turning the formerly free Republic into his personal fief. While known amongst the Vieran nobility to be calculating and ruthless, he can also be very pragmatic and almost appear magnanimous. This is shown in how he organizes many feasts and festivals, meant to keep the citizens of Firan not just obedient, but glad to be under his stewardship. The loss of his firstborn, Leonardo, deeply moved him. His relationship with Giovanni is one of necessity, seeing the boy as heir first, son second.	█ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █	▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔

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_{█ M A R G H E R I T A . G I U L I A . S F O R Z A - D I . R O S S I}

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▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔	█ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █	fifty-one. 184 cm. Prima Donna di Firano, Di Rossi Matriarch. | ♫ Born in the honored House Di Rossi, Margherita would end up as the sole surviving child of the famed politician Giulio Di Rossi. While House Di Rossi had an incredibly prestigious name, most of its power had waned in the decades preceding her birth. Margherita found herself used as a tool to further the family’s goals of regaining their former glory. She received the greatest education available, turning her into one of Firan’s greatest artistic minds. All in an effort to make her the most eligible bachelor in all of Firan, if not Viera, hoping to profit off one of the Republic’s rising stars. And as it turned out, none rose faster than Ludovico Sforza after his famed campaigns in the distant lands of Tharzyum. The marriage was not a happy one. Most attribute this to Ludovico’s cold and ruthless personality, but that isn’t the whole story. For Margherita, as it turns out, is quite the womanizer. She rarely spends time at the Sforza estate, preferring to live secluded and focus on her role as Firan’s premier sponsor of the arts. Due to rarely seeing him, her relationship with Giovanni is very distant. Yet she does care, in her own way.

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_{N I K E P H O R O S . M O N O P H T A L M O S █}

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sixty-eight. 172cm. Dux Phokos in exsilum, Prima Scolae. | ♫ Not much is known about old Nikephoros’ past from before he came into contact with Ludovico Sforza, except that he was the Duke of Phokos. When the two men met it was not under auspicious circumstances. Both Nikephoros and Ludovico fought on behalf of the Basileus Alexios XII of Tharzyum, the Neo-Vieran Empire, and his final stand against the Marmuk Sultanate. While the campaign was doomed, Nikephoros had proven himself to be amongst the wisest men of Tharzyum. This caused Ludovico to persuade the old Duke to join him when the inevitable time came to abandon the City Of Heavenly Splendor. Now settled in Viera, Nikephoros initially served as Ludovico’s most trusted advisor during the infamous Iron Years, serving in that role until Ludovico assumed the Consulship. After the dust had settled Nikephoros would take on the new role of tutor to the young Giovanni Sforza. He quickly developed a fondness for the young boy, almost treating him like a grandson. Quickly dismissed as an infirm old man, the old Dux Phokos still has a trick or two up his sleeve which might surprise even the most cunning of opponents.	█ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █	▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔

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The Wyvern Crown

<sup>Beneath the gilded skies of Viera's grace,
Where rivers sing and mountains form embrace,
The olive groves whisper of days of yore,
When Viera's heart beat proud, yet torn to war.

Her cities gleam with marble's ageless glow,
Where art and trade in endless riches flow.
Yet brothers quarrel, kingdoms stand apart,
A fractured dream within a tender heart.

Rise, Viera, from thy silken slumber deep!
Let not division thy bright future sweep!
From Piavan hills to shores where azure lies,
Unite as one beneath the sunlit skies!

For all thy sons and daughters hear the call,
A single banner to raise, a single hall.
Oh, land of beauty, wealth, and storied past,
May Viera's union reign supreme at last!</sup>

-F L O R I O D I V O R A R E-
Vieran poet, writer and philosopher

Commencement: A Farewell to P.R.C.U. [COMPLETE]

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_{Location: The Beach - Dundas Island, Pacific Ocean}

Human #5.023: The End

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_{Interaction(s):}

Previously: Promises Made

Step by step, Katja could feel her heart rate accelerate the closer she got to the campfire. She could feel the tension in the air as she approached the members of Blackjack, as well as some strangers from another team she had only occasionally seen in passing, their faces dour and uncertain. Seeing them like this, so low on morale, served as a reminder that they were all suffering in their own ways. Katja felt a knot in her stomach at that, as she hadn’t been there for them for a long time. Where had that old Katja gone? The one who would always support her fellow Blackjacks and try to cheer them up, no matter what? She didn’t know for certain, she had been lost ever since that night in the tent, only resurfacing sometimes before being drowned again in self pity.

No longer, Katja pledged inwardly. Her team needed her, or at least they needed all the support they could get. So, steeled by her new found determination she was going to give it to them no matter what.

At least, that was the plan.

But as the South African got within earshot of the rest of her classmates she was met almost instantaneously by the man she once had a crush on. And her heart wept for Rory, bound in that wheelchair because she hadn’t been there to protect him. Katja cursed her own weakness and cowardice. She should have been there, then all of this would have gone differently. Then maybe, probably, things would have been better and people wouldn’t be injured or… She couldn’t think of it, not without tears flowing down her cheeks again.

Meeting his gaze, she recalled how Rory had reacted to seeing her after those damned Trials. His apprehension, his apparent fear for her. It had hurt much then, but that pain paled in comparison to what she felt now when she met his gaze. One of contempt, hatred and disgust. And when he opened his mouth to speak, the knot in Katja’s stomach turned gordian.

“What…?” Was all Katja could really utter at the initial flurry of accusations. It was both in amazement as to how Rory knew about her former affiliation, but also in response to how everything he said was twisted, how it was all wrong. She tried to interject, but overwhelmed by this sudden ambush, all Katja could do was meekly stammer. “No… That’s not… I never…”

Then came Rory’s final verbal assault, his coup de grace. And as he uttered those final words, Katja’s ramshackle grip on reality shattered. She wanted to scream to the heavens. She wanted to collapse on her knees and sink down into the earth. Tear at her own flesh to distract from the pain inside her. But instead of doing all of that she remained standing, motionless as a statue. She had no right to any of that.

As despair overcame her and millions of things flew through her mind, it was one thought that stood out to her. Perhaps, she thought, it would be best to end it all. Right then and there. Give them their pound of flesh. After all, while there were many errors in Rory’s words, the core issue remained true: She hadn’t been honest with her team while she should have, especially after the Trials. No matter her intentions, she had brought this on herself and Katja knew that it was too late now to make amends. She was certain that none of Blackjack would want anything to do with her anymore after this reveal.

It was then that Harper, blinded though she was, almost immediately followed up on Rory’s words as she snapped at him for his final twist of the knife. While not outright defending her, which Katja knew she wouldn’t deserve anyway, it helped bring her back from the brink. Helped to, at least partially, get rid of the thoughts of ending it right then and there. Like a triage on an open wound.

A wound torn open again almost instantly by Aurora, as the redhead began her tirade. Just like with Rory, it was filled with speculation and half truths. But unlike with Rory, Katja was a lot less taken aback by this next flurry of accusations. She didn’t know why, but Rory’s words had touched her at a far deeper level than Aurora’s. Maybe it was because Rory’s were meant to hurt whereas Aurora’s were those of righteous anger. Maybe it was because Rory was crippled. Maybe it were her feelings for Rory which made his words sting even more. Or maybe it was a combination of all of these.

The further Aurora got into her diatribe of Katja, the more the latter felt a surge of anger well up inside her. Out of all the people present here, Katja felt that Aurora should have been the one who must’ve understood her reasons as to why she’d ever sided with Hyperion. Had she not suffered under their reign of terror too? Could she not see that her goals were noble, not even for a tiny sliver of it? Katja’s breathing slowed down as she tried to compose herself, her fists balled and her jaw clenched shut.

Katja met those sapphire eyes and was about to snap back before Banjo interjected. She was completely blindsided by the Aussie’s kind words. It was almost enough to completely check her anger that she had felt towards Aurora mere seconds earlier and it took all her will and self control to not break down and cry at his words. But before she could say anything to her friend, he was already gone.

Perhaps she would have followed Banjo, to thank him for his words and to tell him that he shouldn’t feel responsible for her actions. Maybe she would have reached a sort of serenity where she could think reasonable and leave on her own accord, with some regretful parting words perhaps. She certainly thought of it.

But none of this came to pass, as Lorcán decided to add his voice to the discordant choir. Katja would have likely walked away on her own, but when he decided he had the right to strip her of being a Blackjack, something in her snapped. While Rory had basically said the same, it felt very different coming from someone uninjured and whose childhood was spent in a veritable utopia in Katja’s eyes. Out of all the ones present, to Katja he had the least right to judge her, for what did he know of the reasons that could have driven her into the arms of Hyperion? What did he know of the outside world? He might have thought of himself as the prince of P.R.C.U., but she was no subject for him to exile whenever he saw fit.

Katja’s anger was about to overtake her. She wanted to rebuff Lorcán, to unleash that torrent of emotions that reached a boiling point inside her. His words seemed to be the final straw that was about to break the camel’s back. But just as Katja was about to open her mouth another question was asked. This time by Haven, who had been sitting silently next to Rory all this time.

“No.” She hissed through clenched teeth, her eyes still on Lorcán before turning to face Haven. Her expression instantly softened when her gaze fell on the wingless girl. Tears welling up in the corner of her eyes as she was again reminded of the fact that she hadn’t been there when her team needed her the most. She knew it meant little, but she hoped that Haven could see that she was genuinely sorry for the poor girl. Blinking away the tears, Katja cleared her throat before repeating herself, this time paying heed to come across less confrontational. “No, I had no idea they were planning anything, let alone that.” She spoke earnestly.

Katja recalled the Trials and those awful memories she was forced to relive. Taking a deep breath, she spoke softly next, more so to herself than anyone present.

“If I had known what they had planned I would’ve torn out that fucker’s spine myself.” Katja said in a low growl. She looked down at her fists for a second as she felt her nails dig deep into her flesh, her blood slowly seeping through the bandages as they failed to stem the crimson flow.

“I know that I hurt all of you, that I betrayed your trust. So go ahead! Hate me. Insult me. Do whatever you think is just, for I deserve it.” She made sure to make eye contact with all those who would meet her gaze. “I know I have no right to ask for forgiveness, not now. Not ever.” Katja straightened her back, clicking her tongue once before shaking her head once. “But this?” She gestured around her, taking in the group in front of her as well as the campus in the distance. “I will not be blamed for something I had no part in. I never killed anyone, I didn’t bring P.R.C.U. down and I sure as hell am not going to be someone’s scapegoat!”

“Yes, I was part of Orcinus. But unlike what some of you seem to think, I didn’t join them to hurt fellow Hypes! I joined them because they promised a vision for the future. Where we wouldn’t be forced to wear collars in public to mark us out. Where we wouldn’t have to hide on some cold God forsaken island and be under constant oversight to ‘control our powers’. A future where we, the Children of the Hypegene, could be free. A future where no one had to wake up in fear of an anti-Hype raid. A future where you didn’t get bricks thrown through your window because of what you are. A future where children wouldn’t have to witness their parents be butchered in front of their fucking eyes because they were different!”

Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she took short breaths in quick succession, trying to reign in her emotions as they finally started flooding to the surface. Taking a second to regain her composure, Katja spoke again.

“I regret what Orcinus became. As I said, I joined them to make the world a better place for Hypes. For us. But when the Harbi- The fucking janitor took over it all went to shit. My mistake was not coming clean with you guys. Something I should have done a long time ago. But I was afraid that if I did, I would lose all of you. I could not go through losing another family, not again. Because unlike what any of you may think, that is what you are to me, and you always will be.” Her eyes met Lorcán’s for a moment. “Even if you don’t want me to.”

Katja lowered her head, her hair blocking her face as she remained quiet for a few seconds.

“I am done running. I intend to go to the Foundation and make sure that all those fuckers will remember P.R.C.U., that they will grow to rue the day the set their sights on this island. I will drag those accursed pyramids into the sea if I have to. This is my atonement for my sins.”

Raising her head again, she looked at each face around her, her eyes filled with determination as tears rolled down her cheeks in a seemingly unending stream.

“I will avenge Amma or I will die trying!”

Commencement: A Farewell to P.R.C.U. [COMPLETE]

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_{Location: The Beach - Dundas Island, Pacific Ocean}

Human #5.004: Promises Made

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_{Interaction(s):}

Previously: Abyss

There was a break in the clouds, as strong winds carried them away from the island and towards the mainland. A seagull brazenly flew against the wind, struggling with each beat of its wings against the power of mother nature. It had been doing this for a while now, peering down into the ocean to spot any possible prize waiting to be claimed. A security drone, set on an automated patrol path, nearly collided with the animal. The drone paid no mind to the gull, which evaded the bothersome machine at the last possible moment before turning its attention back to its hunt.

Observing the bird like that, one would almost be jealous of it. How simple its life must be. No need to worry about terrorists, conflicting loyalties or homicidal freaks. The only thing on your mind being base needs. And, apparently, the occasional mechanized interloper.

Gazing up at the struggling animal was Katja. She stood waist deep in the water, immovable like a wave breaker as the waves crashed into her. She had been standing here for what could have been hours or only a handful of minutes, she honestly didn’t know. Nor did she care. Nor did it alarm her that her clothes were drenched by the sea water, possibly ruined forever. It was because she wore her school uniform. It’s not like she was going to need it anymore anyway.

She had bandages wrapped around her fists, stained red from wounds incurred earlier in the day. Over time they had absorbed the salty sea water, resulting in an ever present burning sensation in her hands. Katja tried focusing on that pain, trying to find some distraction, any distraction from the turmoil that was waging inside her.

If only she had been there, Katja thought.

It would have been different if she had been there.

Katja had been in bed when she got the news. She had been feeling sick for a while. Whether it was due to an actual illness or her mental state she did not dare to say. Though if she had to wager, it was probably the latter. The whole business with Haven had left her rattled. She was sure some, like Harper or Rory, were going to want to ask questions about how she had known Haven’s location. To be fair, it had been a guess, she had nothing to do with Haven’s kidnapping. But that she knew of a former Children of Hyperion hideout would have raised red flags for even the most dense individual.

So, with her constant worrying about not just being exposed, but rejected by those she cherished the most, Katja chose self isolation. And honestly, she wasn’t looking forward to the dance regardless, so it worked out as a nice excuse.

That was until news of the attack reached her.

All of the self pity, the doubt and the concerns melted away like snow before the sun. Instead she felt like she had to get out there to see if everyone was alright, if she could lend a hand. But more news started to trickle in before she had even been able to get dressed. Dark tidings of chaos and carnage. Many of her class had seemingly lost their lives, but one name was repeated in particular. The name of one of the most gossiped about students in all of PRCU. The one they feared. The one they scorned. The one they envied.

The one she had befriended. The one she still felt for.

Amma.

Everything after that was a blur to her. The only things she managed to recall was because her dorm served as a constant reminder. She must have fallen into an uncontrollable rage as she had torn down everything in her own room. Her fellow roommates had quickly evacuated the dorm, trying to avoid any potential harm.

The only clear memory Katja still had was of her staring at herself in the mirror. She recalled exactly how she looked. Her hair was a tangled mess, tears were streaming down her face, her breathing irregular and heavy. What she saw in that reflection disgusted her. There, looking back at her, stood a weakling. One who supposedly prided herself on her strength and her sense of camaraderie. What a pitiful sight she was now. What Katja was looking at was nothing more than a coward. A coward and a liar. She could not bear the sight of herself, feeling her rage surge back again. And before she knew it she punched the mirror. Once. Twice. Thrice. Cutting open her fists on the razor sharp shards that were left. All to get rid of the sickening image.

If only she had been stronger. If only she had been there.

Katja was brought back to the present by the pricking feeling of tears welling up in the corner of her eyes. This had been happening a lot lately, a feeling that had felt alien to her only mere weeks before. Now, she was becoming used to it far too quickly for her liking. Even so, she did not fight it. If anyone considered it a sign of weakness, then so be it, she had already proven herself to be a weakling. But if there ever was a time to let the tears flow, now was the time. For Amma.

A sad smile formed on the large girl’s lips as she recalled that first day back after summer break. It was on this very beach that Amma had been the first of Blackjack that Katja reunited with. A soft chuckle escaped her lips as she recalled the bearhug she gave the raven haired girl. She remembered being enamored by that awesome power of hers and how much it stung to be hit by those tendrils of raw destructive power the day after. The irony wasn’t lost on Katja that Amma seemed to constantly be the reason for tears to stream down her cheeks, as she laughed a soft, mirthless laugh.

Katja lowered her eyes, looking out into the horizon. Another wave hit the girl, unyielding to the force of nature. She thought back to the conversation she’d had with Amma back in the gardens around the medical ward. She embraced herself, placing her hands down on those very shoulders Amma had permanently marked.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t keep to my end of the deal, Am.”

She spoke in a soft, hushed voice. The sound only barely carried over the waves of the turbulent Pacific Ocean. She kept her eyes fixed on that far off horizon. Its vastness stretched on, seemingly endless. As if it were the edge of the world.

“Wherever you are, I’ll make it up to you.” She spoke louder now, no longer a faint shaky voice but one filled with determination. Katja lowered her arms, the waves gently touching her injured hands again. She turned around, breaking her gaze over the horizon only at the last moment before making her way back up the beach.

“I’ll make sure you won’t be lonely for long.” She continued, seemingly to herself as her feet walked on dry land once more. Her kilt, drenched in the ocean’s water, clung to her legs as it dripped profusely. Katja barely noticed it. If anything, it’d mask the tiny droplets that fell from up higher. Those that had been streaming down her cheeks for a while now.

A light in the corner of her eye then caught her attention. A campfire blazed fiercely at almost the exact same spot as it did at the start of the year. And surrounding it were faces that Katja had been avoiding for far too long. Fate was here to seemingly force her hand. Enough running. Enough cowardice. It was time to rejoin Blackjack, whatever that might entail down the line.

But as Katja set her first tentative steps towards that familiar flame, she looked up to the sky one more time and uttered her final promise to her departed friend.

“We’ll meet each other in the afterlife soon, Am. And whether it’s HELP, the Foundation or God Himself, I’ll drag all those bastards responsible down with me!”

Commencement: A Farewell to P.R.C.U. [COMPLETE]

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_{Location: The infirmary - Pacific Royal Campus - Dundas Island, Pacific Ocean}

Take On Me #3.070: Every Rose Has Its Thorn

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_{Interaction(s): Amma @Rockette sort of}

Previously: Abyss

Katja had woken up early this morning. She’d been stirring all night in bed, unable to sleep in the unfamiliar confines of the infirmary. During Haven’s rescue she had taken quite a blow to the head from a chunk of ceiling as she’d tried to keep the way open for the rest of them to escape. And so Katja had been asked to stay the night there as they were trying to make sure she didn’t have a concussion.

She was up and about right before the sun was about to rise over the horizon. Gazing through her window, she could see the dimly lit garden and was reminded of her conversation with Amma a few days prior. It had been hard to overstate the effect that conversation had had on Katja’s mental wellbeing. She had been on the precipice of the abyss, to the point she had even been contemplating death, only to be pulled back from the brink. Offered a small ray of hope by that girl who had so wounded her days prior.

That girl, Katja realized, whom she still cared for so deeply.

She had been wrestling with her emotions for days now. The whole affair with Haven’s capture only preoccupied her thoughts momentarily. And even then her feelings towards the team as a whole and her fears of exposure hung over her like a sword of Damocles. And yet now, in the silent halls of the infirmary, she kept seeing that broken girl sitting on the stone bench. Feeling emotions she thought had been consumed by wicked arcs of red lightning.

But the more she thought about it, the more she realized that hadn’t been the case at all. Even during the Trials, when the wounds were still fresh, she had felt the need to comfort Amma when the girl displayed fragility for only the briefest of seconds. The traumatic events experienced during the Trials had just overshadowed her feelings, consuming most of her mind with dread for her future. That fear was still there. In fact, she imagined she’d never get rid of it all together. But at least her mind had been distracted enough that different thoughts could be formed again. Or rather, be confronted by them again.

Feelings she couldn’t ignore.

---

Eternity.

That’s how long it felt like Katja had been standing in front of Amma’s door. It had probably been seconds, a minute at most. But still, time seemed to slow in front of that seemingly imposing doorway. But eventually, finally, she mustered up the courage to knock on the door. With no reply forthcoming she figured Amma must’ve gone on a walk similar to the one she made only moments ago. With that in mind, Katja opened the door, as she had something she wanted to give to the girl.

In her hand was a bouquet of flowers, freshly picked from the gardens. Katja wouldn’t say she had any skills in flower arranging, but she’d like she did pretty well with this piece. It consisted of ten flowers in total, each of a unique type ranging from a fiery Dutch Carnaval Dahlia to a large King Protea. A beautiful black rose served as the centerpiece of the bouquet.

But as Katja walked through the door she saw she had made a terrible mistake.

The open curtains cast the entire room in the morning glow of the rising sun. Katja immediately noticed the damage done to the room, reminding her of how their tent had looked in the aftermath of that fateful conversation. There was only one bed seemingly occupied in the room, betrayed by a lithe shape covered in blankets with a small light on the nightstand next to it that burned brightly. Katja considered turning back for a moment, not wanting to disturb the sleeping girl. But given how she was here now anyway, the least she could do was bring the flowers to Amma’s bedside.

After carefully pouring water into an empty vase from one of the unoccupied nightstands, making sure she wasn’t being too noisy, Katja made her way over to Amma. The girl’s back was turned towards the entrance, but the raven hair made it no secret as to who she was. Having approached with as soft a footstep as she could manage, Katja turned the nightlight off after putting the flowers next to it, given how the sun was now fully illuminating the room anyways.

Katja was about to turn around and leave when she spared a glance at Amma. Seeing her like that, being so close to the smaller, it made her heart beat faster. She did not know why, but she felt compelled to stir her. So she reached out to the girl’s shoulder, stopping only an inch away as she suddenly felt the raw HZE energy of Amma touch her palm. Katja was no stranger to the sensation of Amma’s powers, far from it. But in this moment it felt different. As small sparks of red and silver bounced back and forth between the girl’s shoulder and Katja’s hand. Katja wasn’t sure if she was being repulsed by the energy, or if it actually attempted to drag her closer.

She sat there for a few seconds, contemplating what to do, whether she should actually wake her. But in the end she decided against that, opting to close her fist, breaking the momentary connection with Amma’s stray HZEs, and step back to face the window.

She was greeted by the sight of a beautiful sunrise. The dawn of a new day, a new beginning. With the thoughts stirring through her mind at that moment, she couldn’t help but feel emotional. Overcome by them, she couldn’t help but feel the need to air out her thoughts, even if it was just to herself. Or perhaps in the hope that Amma would hear them.

“I was in a dark place the other day. When we met in the gardens.” Katja glanced down at the bouquet of flowers she’d brought, a wry smile on her lips. “But talking to you got me out of that mindset. Or at the very least, you set me on a path to heal my scattered mind. And for that I wanted to thank you, Am.”

She paused, a fragment of doubt seeping into her mind questioning whether she should continue. But she felt a need in her heart to come clean.

And so she did.

“Back at the beach I had wanted to ask you a question. One that I had later wanted to ask you in the tent too, before…” She winced for a moment as red arcs of violent lightning flashed before her mind. “Well, before that happened.” Katja chuckled softly at her understating that terrifying moment. Taking a breather for a minute before circling back. “Back then I actually wanted to ask you to the dance, Am. Not as a friend, like I offered to some others, but because I…” Katja paused, contemplating on whether she was ready to open this can of worms.

She considered that she was.

“You were different, Am. Different from all the others. You were unique. A challenge!” She hesitated for another moment, a shaky breath escaping her lips as she was reminded of the nature of her next words. “An objective.”

“You were never meant to be more than that. An objective, a task, a mission. But as I hung around you, doubtlessly annoying you at every opportunity with my sticky determination, I couldn’t help but be drawn to you. You truly were, are, a different breed from the others. And I don’t know why but, you made me feel things I can’t quite explain. Even though you never particularly tried anything special to elicit those emotions.” Katja’s voice croaked for a second, forcing her to clear her throat with a soft cough before continuing. “And yet, here I am, struggling with these emotions just the same.”

She could feel a sting in her eyes and a tremble in her chest. She could see her reflection in the window, the image that of a girl shaken by her emotions. She couldn’t bear to look at it and so she averted her eyes, eventually landing on the black rose in the center of the bouquet. It had tilted slightly, making the whole arrangement seem off. So Katja reached down to correct it, but in doing so she got stung by one of its thorns. Looking at her thumb, she could see a tiny amount of blood pool out of the pinprick. Katja couldn’t help but smile at the irony that out of all the things, this flower would be the first real thing to spill her blood after that night.

Having fixed the bouquet, Katja decided that it had been enough and made her way back to the door. Door handle in hand, it was only then that she spared a brief glance in Amma’s direction with a sad smile on her lips.

“Rest well Am. You deserve it.”

Commencement: A Farewell to P.R.C.U. [COMPLETE]

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_{Location: Academic Quadrangle - Pacific Royal Campus - Dundas Island, Pacific Ocean}

Take On Me #3.058: Abyss

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_{Interaction(s): Amma @Rockette, Rory @webboysurf, Harper @Qia}

Previously: Strife

Katja had been walking at the tailend of the Blackjack quartet as they followed Harper’s trail. Deep inside Katja hoped she had been wrong, that whatever trail there was wouldn’t lead to the old maintenance shaft. But she soon realized that with every corridor they entered, every corner they rounded, every step they took, the group got closer to that sub-basement.

It was hard to make out from a distance, being covered by overgrowth and all, but if you knew where to look then it definitely stood out. Harper struggled slightly with opening the access hatch to the shaft, but she had managed to pry the door open before Katja could step in. She then turned around and asked for any volunteers. To Katja, there was no question who should go first.

“I’ll go first.” The tall blonde said as she cracked her knuckles before taking a step forward. “I’m able to take a lot more punishment than the rest of you, no offense intended. So if there’s something down there waiting for us, chances are I’m standing the highest chance of being able to tank it.” She said with a rueful grin.

After waiting for Harper to step aside, Katja set off onto the staircase leading down into the dark unknown. The flickering lightbulb provided barely enough illumination for the staircase, and it didn’t even light up the bottom. So she might as well have been walking into an endless void. That did not deter Katja though, who’s steps left small stomps whenever she walked, as she activated her powers in anticipation of anything.

And yet, despite that preparation, she was still caught off guard when something did hit.

A series of sudden tremors violently shook the shaft as muffled explosions could be heard coming from down below. A decades-long collection of dust fell down from the ceiling and the flickering lightbulb finally gave out, plunging Katja in almost complete darkness, save for the light coming from the entrance hatch. Yet the lack of light was of the least concern to Blackjack’s giant, as the tremors had caused her to miss a step.

And thus, cast in total blackness, Katja fell down the remaining flight of stairs. The suddenness of it made her yell out in surprise, followed by a few swears in Afrikaans. Luckily it turned out that she had almost reached the bottom anyway, so at least it didn’t take long.

“I’m fine!” She yelled up the stairway as she slowly got to her feet with a groan. While none of this was planned, at least she was glad none of her teammates saw her embarrassing tumble. Fishing her phone out of her pocket, she activated its flashlight to quickly survey her surroundings before waving up the staircase, to signal that she was indeed safely down there.

“Coast seems clear, there’s nothing here that seems out of the ordinary-” Katja interrupted herself as she heard a noise that shouldn’t be here. The sound of rushing water.

Katja turned her flashlight around, pointing it into a long corridor that undoubtedly led towards the main room of the sub-basement. And as she did, the thing she feared turned out to be a reality.

Water was rapidly spreading over the corridor’s floor. In fact, by the time Katja had turned around the water had already reached her, and it seemed like the level was going to be rising at a terrifyingly rapid rate. Alarmed, Katja swore once more before she yelled out back to the rest of the group.

“Guys! Unless any of you can breathe underwater, we’re gonna have to hurry!”

Commencement: A Farewell to P.R.C.U. [COMPLETE]

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_{Location: Canis Dorms, P.R.C.U. Campus - Dundas Island, Pacific Ocean}

Take On Me #3.053: Strife

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_{Interaction(s): Amma @Rockette, Rory @webboysurf, Harper @Qia}

Previously: aqua regia.

Katja closely followed Amma as they strode towards the Canis dorms. Any group of students that were in their way quickly dispersed at the intimidating sight of the determined pair. Katja rolled her wrist a couple times, the one Amma had touched a few moments ago. Katja had felt a cold shiver crawl up her spine at the first moment of contact. It had been the first time since that night in the tent that she had been truly exposed to the awesome powers of the Raven haired girl. But the sensation had felt off this time. Katja still felt the anger and hate in the energy, but it was different. There was no malice this time around. And so the damage had been negligible, with only a few hairs singed but not enough to leave a permanent mark. The sensation of grazing Amma’s powers like that felt weird but paradoxically also reassuring to Katja. It made her feel more at ease with her friend’s powers, almost back to the level it had been back on the beach.

She didn’t reflect too much on that though. She didn’t have the time.

They reached the Canis dorms as fast as they could without breaking out in a run. As they approached the building they could see Harper and Rory step out. It seemed that fortuitous timing for once was on their side. It was the first time she saw the two of them since the Trials, so it took Katja a moment to adjust as she was greeted by the scars and the new hairstyle that her two teammates now bore.

With Rory leading the pair, Katja immediately thought about how distraught he must be. He was probably most affected by Haven’s disappearance. Katja wanted to walk up to him and give him a reassuring embrace. Tell him that everything was going to be fine. That they’d find Valkie in no time. But as she tried to walk up to him and meet his gaze, she saw his eyes flick away from her the instant they met.

Seeing him like that, Katja’s step faltered before she aborted the movement all together. She had no idea why, but Rory’s refusal to even look at her harmed her much deeper than she thought it should have. A feeling that was only exacerbated when his only recognition of her presence was when he walked up to Amma, purposefully keeping her in between himself and Katja as he started whispering something to her.

Katja cast her gaze downward, away from the pair next to her. That feeling of loneliness she had felt for days before talking with Amma slowly came back to her. Crawling back from the recesses of her mind that she had thought she’d banished it to. Loneliness that she had felt for years before finally coming to PRCU. A loneliness that she was sure to experience for the rest of her existence when the truth came out and be thrown in a deep, dark prison cell while she would be rejected by all of Blackjack for aligning herself with the Children of Hyperion splinter group.

She attempted to rid her mind of these depressive thoughts, not wanting to inexplicably break down in front of everyone. But it was hard as she could feel the tears starting to sting in her eyes, fighting with all the strength she had to keep them from spilling out. She had to focus on something else, think about something different. So she rolled back to the start, to what Amma had said earlier, to where Haven could be. It helped little, instead different thoughts intermingled. One moment she thought about Haven, the next about her own future, then to the words spoken by Amma before suddenly thinking back to her past.

Deep and dark…

Lowest rooms imaginable…

Children of Hyperion…

Where no light would reach…

Katja’s eyes widened while a shuddered breath escaped her lips as all her thoughts suddenly aligned and led her to a revelation. There was a place she had heard about while at Orcinus. One that had been used as a hideout by one of the more infamous members of the Children of Hyperion back when Hyperion still walked this Earth. The area had been off limits for years, before she had even joined PRCU. So it’s likely none of the current student body would even know it existed. Though she had never been there herself, she knew of its existence through the reminiscing of older members. And through them she also knew how to get there.

Katja closed her eyes for a brief moment, taking slow, measured breaths as she quickly reflected on what she was about to do. Speaking up would put her at risk. But, burying her nails into her palms, it didn’t take her long to at least utter a single phrase. One she knew might very well doom her.

“I might know of a place.” Katja said, her voice a strained whisper only barely audible to those around her. She swallowed once before looking up, meeting those eyes she knew would be judging her if she told the truth. But now was not the time to dread about what they might think of her past allegiances, even if she had been betrayed by Orcinus. Haven’s life was on the line and her knowledge might lead them to uncover her location and save her. So she took a deep breath, cleared her throat, straightened her back and spoke up once more.

“I don’t know if it’s where Haven’s currently held but, I’ve heard of a place that fits Amma’s description. It’s been long abandoned, but deep under the Quadrangle there’s a place large enough to base some sort of operation from.” She paused for a moment, feeling the eyes of her fellows upon her, and with them came a last shudder of doubt. She risked exposing herself, exposing her secret. Risked burning it all down. This was her final chance to step away, to cover her tracks. But that would mean abandoning Haven to her fate and to betray the one group of people she cared about the most for the sake of her own safety.

And that was a sacrifice Katja was not willing to make.

“And I know how to get there.”

A sense of relief washed over Katja as she uttered those words. As if a colossal weight was finally lifted off her shoulders. And it was at that moment that Katja realized something.

It was that, perhaps on an unconscious level, she wanted them to find out.

Commencement: A Farewell to P.R.C.U. [COMPLETE]

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_{Location: PRCU Gym, Infirmary Gardens - Dundas Island, Pacific Ocean}

Take On Me #3.016: Mirror Mirror

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_{Interaction(s): Amma @Rockette}

Previously: Brutality

It was the middle of the day and the gym had an abundance of people going about their day. It were peak hours and it showed as nearly every corner of the gym was stacked with students giving their all. Well, nearly every corner.

The ultra-dense weight section was noticeably sparsely populated, despite the abundance of students who would frequently use it. Only a handful would attempt to work out here now, and they mostly stuck to the periphery. Meanwhile, the students who didn’t have anything to gain from the ultra-dense weights made sure to give the area a wide berth.

A lone figure stood in the middle, imposing and towering as she grunted with each exertion of the great mass moved by her powerful limbs. The look in her eyes was filled with a vacant one while her body language was one of erratic rage.

It wasn’t the first time this week that Katja had appeared like this at the gym. In fact, she had been pushing herself to her limit and beyond. Ever since the trial had ended Katja had been going to the gym whenever she had time off. At first glance people wouldn’t really notice. After all, wasn’t she always going to the gym anyways?

But Katja knew that it was different now, and her regular training buddies would have most certainly noticed the difference in her training as well. If she hadn’t been avoiding them all this time, that is.

In fact, she had been avoiding everyone these last days after the trials. Blackjack, members of the Alces sports teams she was a part of, even vague acquaintances. Katja had isolated herself completely from all forms of contact. She couldn’t look any of them in the eyes, she couldn’t trust any one of them. She couldn’t even trust herself anymore.

When the Trials were disabled she had still sat on that very same floor, punching down endlessly at a cruel reflection of her greatest nightmares, now turned into nothing but dust. She hadn’t noticed the Trials going offline, nor had she noticed others trying to talk to her. Her fists just continued battering down into her imagined foe, over and over and over again, as she remained blind to whatever was happening around her. The nails in the back of her head kept singing, kept urging her on to strike! Strike! Strike! They had to put a mask with tranquilizers on her in order for Katja to finally calm down and slowly become sedated.

Katja had screamed bloody murder when she finally woke up from her artificial slumber. She still believed herself to be stuck in the simulation when she was met with the clean, sterile walls of the infirmary. Only through the intervention of one of the psychics was she finally able to come to her senses before damaging too much of her room, or worse.

She had only suffered minor physical injuries and so Katja was quickly discharged. Mostly suffering bruises from more higher impact projectiles and surface cuts from bladed weapons. Nothing a couple bandages couldn’t fix. The only thing that had really required a healer had been her shoulders, an injury that had initially perplexed the medical staff as their analysis sheets from the Trials didn’t mention Katja suffering any such injuries. Still, they had done their best to patch her up regardless.

Katja moved over to the weight rack to replace another pair of plates for a heavier pair. It had been like this the entire week. Where others had gone to therapists, either voluntarily or because they were bed bound anyway, Katja had refused the offer. Instead, she had gone to the gym and racked up PR after PR. And where this would usually be something she’d be ecstatic about, now it only served to fuel her anger even more. If she was able to achieve this within the span of a mere week it meant that she always had this strength in her, that she had always been able to achieve these feats. That she had just been held back by herself. By her own weak will.

Returning back to her spot, she continued with her curls. Her long hair, dripping with sweat after the heavy exertion of God knows how many exercises, covered most of her face. This was intentional, so as to avoid having to look at herself in the mirror. Only sometimes glancing to see if her form was still in order after the additional weight. Of course, it was flawless.

She didn’t dare to look at herself though, not in great detail. As every time she did, she saw someone else. She saw the little girl, weak and crying as she was powerless to stop the injustices done to her family. She saw the monster she had refused the existence of on a fateful night, covered in the blood and gore of all those who she thought had wronged her.

But neither of those scared her the most. For there was another reflection. One that hurt the most.

Just the thought of that one brought out an involuntary growl from the towering woman. One of pain and disgust, of hurt and sadness.

Of betrayal.

It was a reflection of her, dressed in clothes she had only worn very rarely. Practical black clothes, with minor white elements here and there. All of which were covered by a large black hood.

These hadn’t been Katja’s clothes, not per se. They had been hers. They had belonged to someone referred to as the Queen of the Pit, the Lady of the Red Sands. A Sister of a House that was hidden beneath the surface. Poised to strike at its unsuspecting prey above.

It was the reflection of a zealous individual. An ideological idealist and extremist. One who had been loyal to her cause for years, waiting for a chance to prove herself. One who had put her utmost trust in her fellow Brothers and Sisters of the Hypegene. Who firmly believed that they would look out for her as she would look out for them. Who thought that, finally, she had people who would protect her.

Katja’s jaw clenched as her grip on the dumbbell tightened as she reminded herself of that look, that reflection. Even with its ultra-dense material, she could feel the object malform under the immense pressure she exerted on it.

Oh how naive she had been.

They had used her. Cast her aside as a sacrificial pawn. And for what? Katja did not know for certain, but she had a vague idea. He had hated Blackjack, he had made that obvious in many of his rants. She had been part of the “accursed ilk of O’Neill”, as he had put it. And it probably stung him that, despite her dedication to the cause of a better world for Hyperhumans, she had never made a move against her team. Even with the new arrivals, one of whom she had an express mission for, she had grown to feel kinship and bonds. Familial bonds.

Perhaps this had been the reason she had been cast aside. Herded into the Trial-shaped pen as a lamb to the slaughter. All because she had stuck to her core beliefs. That Hypes should stick together, no matter what! If they couldn’t see that then they had been the blind ones! They had been the ones led astray by a false prophet!

…She had been led astray by a false prophet.

Her vice-like grip tightened even more around the dumbbell, which finally couldn’t take it anymore and snapped in two. The heavy weights clanged to the ground on both sides. The impact echoed through the gym and for a moment all noise seemed to stop as people halted to see what had just happened in that particular corner of the gym.

A low chuckle rose from the imposing woman as her thoughts were brought back to the present and the realization set in.

She was alone.

Completely and utterly alone.

Her own family had turned their back on her, choosing safety over blood. The group she had been sure would look out for her had betrayed and been willing to sacrifice her just out of petty revenge. PRCU most certainly wouldn’t forgive her, not after what had happened to Tad.

And Blackjack…

They would never forgive her if they found out. Not after the hell they had been put through earlier, despite Katja not knowing a damn thing about it. It was this realization that stung the most. It felt as if her heart was torn out of her chest and crushed right in front of her. Those she considered as close as family, they too would grow to despise her if they ever found out.

She had nowhere to go, no one to turn to. Never before, not even after losing her parents, had Katja been this isolated and alone.

Katja stood still for a moment, or as much as she could as her entire body was trembling with rage and sorrow, before finally picking up the broken dumbbell. As she got up, she glanced up at the mirror in front of her, her hair clearing just enough before her eyes to offer a clear picture.

And what she saw shocked her to her very core.

It was not the child she saw, not the monster, not even the hooded figure.

No, what she saw instead was… Herself. A tired, exhausted mess of black bags under vacant eyes with hollow cheeks. Her hair was a bundle of unkempt strands while her clothes were a messy bunch. She was not looking at any of the things she had seen before.

Instead, what she saw was a thing.

A sick, broken thing.

It was this shock that finally opened her eyes to how destructive she had been to herself this past week. She had always considered it a weakness to ask for help, to search for aid and to seek counsel. But now she was directly confronted with what that path would lead her to.

She had to find help, she knew that now. But where?

Katja didn’t think she had anyone left to truly entrust everything to. Maybe she could’ve gone to Harper, Calliope, Haven, Banjo or Rory before all of this had happened. She cursed herself for not coming clean during the breakfast right before the Trial. Now it was too late. She was sure they would shun her, hate her for the rest of her life.

She knew she didn’t deserve their friendship or kindness. She had always been genuine to them, to all of Blackjack, in her feelings towards them. But still, she had not been truthful about who she really was. Sometimes it would shine through, true. But she had worn a mask all this time. She had deceived them, even if she did truly love all of them.

And that might have been her worst act.

Still, she knew she had to do something, find some help.

And as she thought of it, there was really only one place she could find it. At those therapists she had been so adamant about avoiding all this time. Perhaps, she thought, if she had gone to them five years ago instead of accepting that black letter, none of this would’ve happened.

---

Despite her urgency for help, Katja had been delaying her arrival to the medical area for as long as was humanly possible. Making sure to take the longest possible route from her starting point and taking all the possible detours. Despite a quick shower and a fresh change of clothes, sporting a black band t-shirt and cargo pants, she still looked worse for wear. The exhaustion was clearly readable on her face and the unkempt look was still clearly visible, despite the clean clothes.

The final diversion towards the infirmary led her through the gardens. A supposed oasis of peace and tranquility. Katja had never really understood why gardens were supposed to have a soothing effect before, but as she slowly made her way through it, she realized that she was growing a newfound appreciation for it.

The serenity brought by the lovely garden was quickly shattered though, as Katja laid her eyes on someone who made her heart beat into overdrive and adrenaline rush through her veins. And a phantom pain throbbing in her shoulders.

On the ground, next to a stone bench, laid an exceptionally pale girl with hair as dark as the void. A girl who had been in Katja’s thoughts for months, but who had been in the back of her mind for the past week, as she had struggled with other matters entirely. Seeing her now though, right here, brought all those thoughts back. As well as all the feelings she had felt both before and after that night before the Trials.

Katja wanted to turn around and run away as fast as she could. Out of all the people of Blackjack, PRCU or anywhere in the world, Amma was the one she wanted to face the least right now. She didn’t want the confrontation of malice and hate and sorrow. She didn’t want to experience that pain again. She didn’t want any of that.

And yet, she didn’t turn around.

Instead, Katja carefully walked forward, one cautious step before the other, as she could not tear her eyes away from the girl, her teammate, as she was clearly struggling and in pain. Katja recalled her thoughts and feelings at the start of the Trial, as she saw Amma in a way she had never seen her before. She couldn’t even imagine what hell she had gone through at the Trial.

At the end of the day, she was a victim of circumstance too.

Several more guarded steps later, Katja had reached the downed girl, eclipsing the last few rays of sunshine that pierced through the dogwood’s canopy.

“Hey Am-ma.” Katja said with a strained voice, quickly correcting herself as she remembered what was said to her the last time she called the girl in front of her Am. She cleared her throat with a soft cough before gingerly extending a hand.

“I know you probably don’t want it…” The tall blonde said to Amma as she cast her eyes down, avoiding eye contact with those pained blue orbs of the raven-haired girl before continuing. “But I figured I’d offer my help anyway.”