Selene had taken the rare chance to hone her trade in peace. Even though abusing a semblance for combat didn’t allow her to put the perks of dancing into practice yet, it was a splendid pastime. Her agile movements were rehearsed to excellence, technical in approach, and dazzling above all else. If only it could last longer before somebody slipped into the dorm rooms. “W-Who are you?” She hopped back at the sight of a forgotten peer.

“What? It’s me. You know, Terrance. I’m in your class.”

“Oh. What are you doing here?”

“Just looking for someone.” He scanned the environment, although considering the size of the dorm room there wasn’t much to miss. The closet, however, proved enticing.

Alecto joined into the calamity without even knowing it, walking out of the wardrobe and steadying her sword at the sight of a stranger. “Who are you?!”

“I’m Terrance! Does no one seriously remember me!? And as I said, I’m on the prowl for somebody missing.”

“…It’s not me, is it?”

“Unfortunately for me, not right now. Just an old accomplice of mine. But ever since that unfair victory, I’ve been waiting to get even.”

“What are you talking about?” She asked.

“The sparring match. Between you and I. You cheated.”

“Oh, right. I probably forgot because it was such a cake walk.”

“Gargh! You haven’t a clue who you’re talking to-” Terrance broke out in another insane outburst, looking completely unhinged until a glimpse at Selene brought him back to reality. He switched back to his standard self. “Aha. I mean, it’s clear there’s nobody here! Till next time!”

Terrance scurried through the front door into an uncharitable and unmoving Lucifer. Without any need for further conversation, he trotted around him just the same.

“Is that coffee!?” Alecto cheered, spotting a lone cup in his hands.

“Affirmative.”

“…Can I have it?”

“Affirmative. But only if you can tell me who that faunus was.” He asked. The pair shrugged.

“Terrance. Claimed he was looking for someone, then implied he had a bone to pick with me. Not that I care, mind you. I’ve always got my back, when it comes down to it you’ve always got my back, and if that fails we’ve always got Nadia…” Alecto spoke too soon, savoring the taste of Lucifer’s gift.

“…She’ll come back. Right?” Selene assured.

“It’s been too long. Maybe she’s just testing us. Otherwise, maybe she really did leave.” Lucifer didn’t know how to soften the blow, but he had a saving grace. “She’s from Mistral, is she not? Sources point to a settlement in that direction, led by a patron of the Kingdom no less. If she wanted to spend a couple nights anywhere, she’d be there.”

“So you’re suggesting Nadia’s hiding out in a village to the east?” Alecto sought further clarification.

“Affirmative.”

“Okay. You wouldn’t be telling us this if you didn’t have an open schedule. Let’s get going. And when we get there, you’re going to apologize, affirmative?”

“We’ll see.” Lucifer opened the door for his two teammates, launching the search for the third. A few strides and they were already stopped, the stampede of four friends breaking into the hallway and nearly toppling them over. Rade, Zara, Beleth, and Lexy all piled outward in that order.

“Move!” Zara in particular broke away, apparently having been dragged into the conflict against her will. Selene noted she was clearly sleeping a moment prior, clutching her sheets. A greater mystery was how she ended up a part of the pandemonium when her bed was out of the crossfire, outside.

“Nothing to be afraid of folks! But hey, don’t let me stop you!” Rade squirmed away as well, but rather than retreating back inside, he took refuge behind Team Lance and scribbled a quick paragraph into the Fear Index. The final two charged down the hallway, Lexy brandishing an ornate violin and Beleth gaining ground to reclaim it.

“Do I even want to know?” Alecto finished face-palming.

“You’ll give me questions, I’ll give you answers! For a fee. Knowledge for knowledge!” Rade bowed.

“You’re right. I don’t want to know. But if you’re offering, we’re looking for Nadia. You didn’t spot her, did you? What am I saying? Of course you didn’t. I was the last one to see her.”

“Are fears all you keep in that book?” Lucifer inquired.

“Yep. But I keep plenty more up here.” Rade pointed to his forehead. “Fire away!”

“We’re going to a city state awaiting to the east, and I don’t know why you would, but maybe you know something. I’ve heard the ruler’s from Mistral. My research also leads me to believe it’s a town in the sky.” Lucifer filled him in, but the last detail caught everyone’s focus, most notably Alecto’s.

“The sky? Who’d ever heard of a town in the sky?”

“I can think of one.”

“Mellow Crest!?” Rade piped up.

“That’s right. You’re familiar?” Lucifer crossed his arms, impressed with the scarecrow’s insight.

“All too much. And that’s right, it does rest in the skies, although it’s hardly a simple town! You’d be a fool, although not unfounded, to believe you could reach Mellow Crest without a ship. The only path up on foot is to climb on these big vines that burrow deep into Remnant! If you’ve got a sharp tool like this pitchfork, it’s second nature!” Rade’s already overflowed movements sparked with extra excitement.

“Can’t say this is the first time I’ve seen a flying city, but never one I had to scale myself. Although, as Mistral is an ally of Atlas, I can’t say I’m surprised to see them steal our ingenuity.”

“No, no! I’m sorry to burst your bubble, but Mellow Crest didn’t copy Atlas, if that’s what you’re insinuating! The aristocrat in charge came up with the idea on their own! And no, they don’t use that primitive tech from Atlas, quite the contrary! The masses of Mistral are no stranger to all kinds of foreign tools and methods, sometimes it may even feel like some form of wizardry…” Everyone looked at him, dumbfounded at the rant. “Okay, you got me. It’s wizardry. If I wasn’t so busy, I’d really venture to tag along! It’s been awhile. But… I have my hands full here.”

“This is a personal mission anyway. But you have my thanks. Anything else we should know?”

“Nadda! But do me a solid, please. If you run into Mellow Crest’s Baroness, tell her I said hello.”

“If we see her, we will.” Alecto felt it was due in return for the help. Nothing of any real consequence stopped them after that, safe for a bushel of meadows and lengthy rocky inclines. At one point the flashes of lightning over a gray cluster of cliffs captured Alecto’s attention.

“Wouldn’t we need to pass through Summit’s Blight to reach Mistral?”

“We’re not going to Mistral, remember? It’s a branch thereof. While the Blight takes up a great hemisphere of Sanus and holds both the detestable White Fang along with, ahem, other individuals, Mellow Crest is well out of its reach- north of the mountains.”

“You really don’t like the White Fang, do you?” Alecto interrogated, not realizing the shivers she inflicted upon Selene with the mention of their name. “There’s a prominent group in Remnant’s history known as the Old Fang, but experience shows they’re not the same. What is it about them that’s so terrible? They just seem like a militia group to me.”

“I find the issue trivial, although as evident from our current circumstances not everyone agrees. All I’ve ever known of the White Fang is misery. Clearly Nadia’s seen this so-called other side of the coin. I’m still not convinced it exists.”

“They target humans, least that’s what I’ve been told, and more or less experienced myself. My only run in with them was our first adventure in Summit’s Blight, but were we faunus would the White Fang have stopped us? I don’t recall them mentioning anything about humans.” Alecto said.

“Are you likening what we’ve faced to a splinter group? Say what you will, at most everyone agrees the White Fang commits great transgressions against humans. If you’re somehow suggesting ‘Herald’ and his men weren’t among them, some evidence would go a long way for me.”

Selene cut in. “I didn’t know Nadia felt so strongly about this. I didn’t know anyone could. The… White Fang, to me and Lucifer, is the cause of a terrible war our lands endured. I thought there’d be less here, but…” She paused, losing her train of thought. Merlin skittered into her arms for mutual comfort.

“I’m just saying, as an outsider the only vibe I got from them was a need to protect their territory. I’d probably be more on board with you if Nadia wasn’t playing the odds.” Alecto reasoned.

“That won’t last if we don’t find her.” Lucifer got them back on track just in time to see the now iconic trio of vines. Snuggled amidst a glorious valley caked with roses, sun flowers, and perfect grass were the three massive strings that acted as chain links, currently entombed from the clouds into the feat of nature. Each one formulated a broad triangle in accordance with the domain’s edges, although they all reconvened in the center, fading into the white puffs. The perimeter of the landscape was sealed with waterfalls and cliffs, although none reached this sky-fortress. A fair few waterfalls cascaded from the kingdom itself.

“Woah…” Nadia and Alecto alike, and not to the contrast of their friends, were justifiably impressed with the spectacle. Even the peaks of the city’s structures were a thing to marvel at despite being barely visible.

“If you think this is impressive, you should see the view up north.” Lucifer said.

“It’s still really nice, though.” Selene shook her head. “There’s so much snow back in Atlas, nothing like this. It’s hard to pick a favorite.”

“What, you’re telling me Atlas flies in the air?” Alecto snorted.

“You don’t know the half of it.” Her team leader had a smug inflection.

“Whatever. No killer forests, maze mountains, or police states. Just a nice, safe haven.” Alecto let out a long winded sigh.

“I’m hoping you’re right. Let’s get in there and find out.” Lucifer set an example by galloping down the fields. Without needing any command, Alecto bound onto the first clump of briar, gaining purchase with her blade. Falling brought a real risk of tumbling into the craters which housed the footholds.

Lucifer followed the smart strategy, but his free hand was available to be held out. Selene paused, gulped, and then followed his signal. She jumped over the relatively small hole, and Lucifer took care of the rest. He grabbed her hand and guided her onto his back with one slick movement.

“Hold on, right? Just like we practiced.” He appointed, grabbing ahold of his cape and tossing it around to envelop Selene.

“Right. You know I’ve never been scared of heights, silly!”

Although they were technically trespassing, Mellow Crest didn’t seem to mind. Especially upon entering the City of Tears, it was clear Team Lance and their mascot Merlin were more than welcome. Certainly it was an odd sight to see four travelers crawl over the enlarged branches into the center of the urban dominion, but as long as they didn’t present a threat nobody challenged it. Visitors were common after all, and seldom cast away.

“Where do we start? This place is really pretty! No wonder Nadia would hide out here.” Selene dusted off her dress.

“We could just start asking the civilians.” Alecto raised her mask, comprehending the unlikely chance of a combat situation in as serene a province as this one. They took to her suggestion, tolerating the strange but understandable glances or pauses that came forth when someone was questioned. “Does this place actually get much traffic? As we’ve seen it’s sort of… off the beaten path, shall we say?”

“As Rade made clear, the use of a bullhead, or dropship would help. Or, perhaps it’s an isolated state. We made it up here without much contention from neither the elements nor the populous. Do you really think that’s an anomaly?” Lucifer ranted.

“It could be, how am I supposed to know?”

“Oh, look! Maybe he knows!” Selene pointed at a familiar face down the road. He couldn’t be missed, with his sheets of leather and tendency to release a macabre ambience wherever he stood.

“Boreas!?” Lucifer repeated himself upon reaching the junction.

“Hmm? Ah, Team Lance. Well, most of them, anyway. How did you find Mellow Crest?” Team Burnt’s leader only drew his eyes off the Beryl Rhinestone for a moment, but soon paid full respect by addressing his friends in full.

“Pretty much for that reason. We were hoping Nadia was here. Did you see her?” Alecto answered.

“Unfortunately no. Still missing, is she? A real shame indeed. But you’ll find her. If anyone could, it’d you three.” His response prompted Merlin to stomp his feet in a tizzy. “Four, rather. Excuse me, as you’ve broached I’m here on research affairs. Baroness Miku, I was hoping, would have some insight into the Rhinestone’s connection with Summit’s Blight. I was mistaken.”

“Miku? Who’s that?” Selene said.

“It must be this ruler we’ve heard so much about.” Lucifer caught on quickly. “Where is she?”

“I’d ran into her at Town’s Square. You’ll find it’s easily seen.” He raised his hand to the heavens, pointing out the tallest spire.

“Got it.” Everyone but the alchemist migrated to the Clock Tower.

“We’d stay and chat, but we’re on a mission. Sorry.” Alecto stayed behind to pat Boreas on the shoulder. Although considering his height, she could barely reach.

“Don’t be. We’re all caught up in work these days, myself included. Go. Find Nadia, and when you do, make it clear we’re all waiting for her return.”

Alecto nodded and ran to catch up with the caravan. A series of detours revealed how lost she really was. “H-How did I lose them!?”

Contrary to the bristling positivity and high energy provided by the city, Grimm were here. They had somehow seeped through the cracks of defense, allowed to fester out of public view to create admittedly low numbers. No real threat for the knight, rather a nuisance. She was excited to put Grimm of any type or number in their place.

A sprinkle of young Grimm were far too easy. Taking advantage of the sanctuary and intelligence that came with old age, a moderately powerful Boarbatusk swept itself into the brawl with full intent to do away with the invader.

“I’ve never seen a clock tower double as a bell tower. Where are all the mechanical parts?” Selene was occupied with the real task at hand, now waiting in the landmark with everyone but Alecto.

“The plaque here says there are no internals, that somehow the clock is kept in motion by command of the Baroness. The same could be said of the entire city. How poetic. She keeps both time and space in order.” Lucifer summarized the text.

“She’s really powerful enough to keep Mellow Crest floating in the air? What about when she’s sleeping?”

“I’m not sure. More puzzling is the idea of her citizens moderating themselves. Is she the only enforcer here?”

A complete stranger intervened. “Well, sort of. The denizens here are no different from those in Mistral, or Vale for that matter. They’re good people, and they understand that with protections and compassion, contentment must be traded.”

“So there’s no police. But there is an entity willing to drop everyone at the first sign of dissent. That makes it fear based, does it not?”

“Quite the contrary! I would never do anything to hurt the townspeople.”

“’I’? You’re the Baroness!?” Nothing ever slipped past Lucifer.

“Please, call me Skyler. It’s a pleasure to formerly meet you! You’re from Atlas, are you not?”

“Affirmative.” He shook her hand.

“And you must be?” Skyler leaned down, smiling.

“Miss Selene Virtus!” She giggled.

“Selene Virtus. Ah, I see. It’s an honor to meet you both. Did anyone else come with you?”

The double doors made way as Alecto, along with her polar opposite, barged inside without regard for the inhabitants or their architecture. Seeing as it was the only option, her sword was jammed in the armored back of the Boarbatusk, and without any way to control it, the Grimm was headed straight at Skyler.

‘Gah!” Alecto and her sword lost their hold on the steed and flew into a wall. The Boarbatusk was forced to halt, Skyler taking matter into her own hands. An arcane staff warped into her hand. Making use of such a tool allowed her to freeze, levitate, and lob the foe out the front door. Casting Boarbatusks out of her domain seemed effortless so long as she wielded the constellation-riddled cane. “S-Sorry!”

“Woah! Where did you get that?” Selene buzzed.

“I made it. It took me awhile though. Wanna see? There’s a great story to go with it, actually. Remind me to tell you some other time. Surely you didn’t come to Mellow Crest just to hear me talk about myself, right? What business do you have here?” She passed her weapon down to the teenager. While Selene was busy examining the artifact, her pals revealed the details of their quest.

“We’re looking for a young girl named Nadia. She always wears a blue hood and cape. You’d know her if you saw her. Only problem is… you wouldn’t see her.” Lucifer began to realize how difficult it was to find the ultimate rogue in a haystack the size of Vale, let alone Remnant.

“Why’s that? Has she gone missing?”

“Well, sort of. She knows exactly where she is, I hope. Because she didn’t get lost, she just… ran away.” Alecto said, glaring at Lucifer.

“Ugh. We’re never going to find her. If she doesn’t want to be found, she won’t be found. She could be five feet in front of us, and we wouldn’t know.” He deplored.

“This Nadia’s pretty stealthy, is she? Where did she learn that from?” Skyler reclaimed her wooden scepter.

“I can only assume she was trained in Mistral, but she’s been our teammate from Beacon Academy as long as I’ve known her.”

“You’re from Beacon!? M-My apologies, it just seemed to me you lot were more… I-I thought you were from Atlas.”

Selene puffed her cheeks. “We enrolled at the start of this semester, to learn how to fight, and kill those big scary monsters!”

“Now you’re talkin’ my language.” Alecto laughed. Skyler herself couldn’t help a few gleeful chuckles.

“If you’re from Beacon, that means you may have met-“

“W-What’s that orange storm over there?” Selene felt it necessary to inject herself in the conversation. It was clear what she was referring to, although it wasn’t as much a storm as it simply looked like one. In truth, the distant atmosphere was so polluted that the sky itself had turned gray, and red. Like an ugly sunset. Amidst the smog that settled among the clouds were a few silhouettes of skyscrapers.

“I’ve been wondering that myself. Only in the past week or so has it appeared.” Skyler looked to the stars in thought. The bloody speck over the mountains was so far she didn’t realize the gravity of its presence.

“What?! Is that…?” Alecto put the pieces together, having visited the nation once herself.

“Servus Portum!?” Lucifer gasped. There was no mistaking it. The slow moving walls, the Kingdoms turning their backs, the Purifiers investigating Summit’s Blight, and Caligula’s promises of purification- It all made sense now. Servus Portum was ever expanding.

“Servus Portum.” Skyler repeated, processing the name. “Should I be worried? My strict apologies, as an isolationist I care little for the affairs of fellow neighbors.”

“This one’s a tyrant with a lust for despotism. If he inches closer, I would be concerned. That mystical polearm inspires confidence, but can it take on a whole armada, and double the number of comrades?” Lucifer didn’t hold back.

“It’s not going to get to that point. I’ll speak to Servus Portum’s Ruler if he falls over the hills. The grasslands of Mellow Crest have remained untouched for a very long time. I’d very much appreciate if it stayed that way.”

“Their ‘Supreme Leader’ is not open to negotiations, I’m afraid. Fortunately, you’ve got plenty of time to change his mind.” Lucifer was well-versed in the whims of war.

“I’m a people person, and I’ve been a prized diplomat for a very long time. I’m sure I can reach him. I’d be more concerned about your friend, truth be told. She didn’t go there, did she?”

“Not a chance.” Alecto scoffed. “Nadia’s too good to get snuffed out by them. No, if anything could catch her off guard, it’d be surprise Grimm. Hmph, as if. Good riddance to any disgusting creature who tries.”

“We better find her quick, then. She’s not here, but if she pops up, I’ll tell her you guys are looking for her. If Mellow Crest didn’t need me, I’d take her to Beacon myself…” Skyler looked away, a sad innocence filling the air. “Maybe at some point you four could hold the fort for me. I’d love to travel to Vale’s Academy sometime.”

“Once we find Nadia, we can all come back here! She would love to meet you.” Selene consoled.

“Leave now, and there’s a better chance that’ll happen. We should get back on track.” Lucifer would have preferred staying, but they weren’t in here on a holiday. If Nadia wasn’t nearby, there wasn’t any real reason for them to be either. “I can’t think of anywhere she’d be, though.”

“Maybe we could check a few smaller towns on the way back. Do you think she could already be gone?” Selene felt a great weight in asking such a thing.

“No.” Lucifer left it that, setting an example by trampling out of the historic settlement and towards midtown, where the binding vines were locked. Skyler waved bye as everyone else did the same. The way back was a mystery to Alecto thanks to her strange Grimm-filled route. A garden with a clear view of Remnant dared to be the only distraction, especially since Boreas had set up shop in the botanical attraction.

“No luck, I take it? We’re both stuck in a bind then. I’d finally get some accurate measurements if Summit’s Blight ceased these roars. The vibrations, shockingly, can be felt from here, and they’re tampering with my calculations. The Beryl Rhinestone must be stable for this to work, and with every shout it becomes more unruly.” Boreas figured Nadia would be with them at this point if she was found. Most of his attention was on a nearby golden telescope outfitted with trinkets and levers. Sitting in a hopper and jolting this way and that awaited the gem.

“Haven’t found a clue on this thing yet, have you? What makes you think it’s so powerful? My lien’s on it being a ridiculous waste of time.” Lucifer said. At hearing this, the Rhinestone ripped itself out of the cage and rapidly rolled away.

“No! Get that Stone!” Boreas screamed, watching it prance past everyone. Alecto, not familiar with its power, lunged for it nonetheless just to land hard without gaining anything. Selene wasn’t up to chase, let alone jump, but Merlin picked up the slack.

While everyone ran but failed to catch up, Merlin was right on the Rhinestone’s heels. Their race endured winding roads, twisting bridges, and several shortcuts through rivers. Onlookers were mortified at seeing a battalion of armed contenders charge after a bunny, who was in turn locking down a purple pearl.

Finally, Merlin caught it. All he had to do was spring out of Mellow Crest and slide down the trail of vines that served as an exit with as little grace as possible. Everyone but Boreas followed as he believed anything more than four runners a recipe for failure. Skyler, privy to everything taking place in her sanctum, joined him.

“How exciting! I couldn’t be more pleased to see the antics of Beacon so contagiously well-spirited.”

“If the Rhinestone wasn’t so integral to solving Remnant, I’d be more at ease with it hanging in the balance.” Boreas stroked his chin. “It has a will of its own, reacts to the shrieks of Grimm, holds an unmatched sense of power, and I’ve been told it can open seals within Summit’s Blight.”

“Really? Can’t say I blame you for being so enamored with it, then. Go get ‘em.” Skyler smirked. Boreas did as commanded.

“Merlin! Are you okay?” Selene, upon being released from Lucifer, scanned the tall grass. She knew her friend could survive a fall even if he missed the landing, the question was where he was, or if the Rhinestone did anything to him.

“Merlin. Where are you!?” Lucifer repeated her chant, but with his own militant tone. Fearing the possibility of an assault, Alecto assumed a defensive posture. The panic didn’t appear to be well-founded. Merlin, Rhinestone in paw, jumped high into the sunlight and landed in Selene’s arms.

“Gotcha!” She hugged him intimately. The stone whipped itself out of their grasp right into Boreas’s hand.

“Excellent work. I should bring Merlin with me on my travels. He captures this damn thing better than anyone else.” He admired.

“Well, there might be one other who has us beat.” Selene turned to Summit’s Blight, smiling nervously.

“Okay. We’re done in Mellow Crest, and we’ve got your little toy.” Lucifer groaned. “We should be heading back, now.”

“If you keep insulting it, you won’t just have me to deal with. You’ve already seen the kind of havoc the Rhinestone can inflict.” Boreas said.

“I’m not too worried. Not too worried.” With every order of business now at an end, Boreas and Lucifer lead the party as team leaders. The trip back was as demanding now as it was in reverse. But their work was not done, as almost immediately they were situated in an arena perfect for another session of semblance training.

“Now, you’ve gotten better, there’s no question. These portals don’t seem nearly as taxing as they were when we started, right?” Alecto coached.

“Right.” Selene nodded.

“See? You can even talk while doing it!”

“Hey! No fair! You’ve had your semblance for a lot longer than I have!” Her earnest outburst was all in good fun. “I wish I could turn things into little balls and hit them!”

“I wouldn’t say that. We haven’t even begun to tap into the potential of your semblance, and I’m guessing it’s going to be a real winner once we’re done.”

“Can you use your semblance on people?”

“Sure. That’s what it’s meant for. There’s only so many chairs I can slice in two, y’know?” Alecto spun her beloved short sword, taking solace in its presence.

“Can you trap enemies in the globe for as long as you want?”

“They’ll break out themselves, eventually. I’m not sure what it’s like- I’ve never used it on myself. It might be a force of will issue. Maybe… I could test it on you.” Alecto made a subtle move, looking to the ceiling directly at a baroque light fixture. Something changed her mind. “N-Never mind. Bad idea.”

“You’re right! We need to get to work, we’ve been sitting here talking too much.” Selene caressed her braids.

“Not at all! Notice, this entire time you’ve kept this portal going. Keep it up, the more we stretch and sustain your skill the better you’ll get. It’s like a muscle, only we can’t pull this one. Now, if only we could get something out of this portal.” The hellish doorway being referred to was, as usual, a horizontal void filled with whirling lavender clouds. It formed a limitless hole in the floor.

“Watch out! You might fall in!” Selene cried out.

“We’ll see. Something tells me…” Alecto reached forward into the gate to confirm her clawed gloves could not breach the mists. A mythical force kept anything from mixing inside. “Aha! Nothing is allowed in there. I probably can’t fall in, but if I did, would it act like a trampoline or a pool?” Alecto finally posed a question to Selene. She succeeded greatly in distracting the young empress.

“Hmmm…” She considered the possibilities while, directly above her, a force unknown cut the cords holding one of the many lamp fixtures. Lucifer, with the help of a durable lantern, crashed down mere feet from her location. “Ahh!”

In her panic and sudden sense of danger, she tensed on reaction, and from a portal a single skeletal arm was levitated into the air. It landed with a bony crunch. Every dry, skinless finger stayed connected despite no evidence of ligaments.

“Really!? A skeleton hand?” Alecto picked it up in disbelief.

“L-Lucifer!? What’s the big idea?” Selene shrieked.

“I-I’m sorry!” He couldn’t help but laugh, retracting his mask. “Please, forgive me. You were never in any real danger, I had complete control. Trust me.”

“Guys? Look at this.” Alecto approached with the terrifying appendage.

“Were you waiting up there to scare me? Why? Are you crazy?” Selene seemed to be berating him out of embarrassment at this point more so than genuine distress.

“Alecto and I thought you were ready to step it up. After so many tries at this, she was convinced that, as long as you could maintain the portal, a little fear would prompt an impulsive response. That’s how she learned.”

“Guys! You won’t believe this!” Alecto tried again.

“S-So you two set me up thinking that if you almost dropped a light on me, I’d magically summon a beast or something?” Selene squawked.

“It didn’t almost drop on you- I made sure of that. You know I would never do anything to harm you.” He justified. Alecto gave up, waving the spectral arm in front of him.

“Hello!? Look!” She patted his chest with it a few times, to his disgust.

“What the devil!? ” He swatted it away. “Are you insane? Where did you find that thing!?”

“Selene summoned it, airhead. Our plan worked!”

“W-What!?” Lucifer was twice as shocked as he looked a few seconds prior.

“Me? I summoned a skeleton hand?” The thought produced a combo of fright and excitement.

“Yep! Want to take a look?” Alecto held the limb down for a sort of gruesome peace offering. Selene paused, completely entranced with the bones. Even Merlin tilted his head, happy for her. It was amusing how such a grisly, mundane object could produce such awe. Then, without warning, Selene snatched it away and bolted out of the training hall.

“…Yay! I summoned a skeleton hand! I summoned a skeleton hand!” She chanted.

“We… should really go take that thing away from her before she gets in trouble.” Alecto brought up a reasonable proposal.

“…Affirmative.” The soldier, his teammate, and the pet bunny broke into a sprint. Their new task was to reel in Selene, and prep her for greater milestones. A dead, static fragment of a skeleton had to be the beginning of something greater. It was her burden to figure out what.

Entry No. 7 complete.

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