Chosen By The Lover's Constellation-Chapter 107: Mana Ties, Part Nineteen

Cynthia nodded solemnly.

"Well, she was lovely," Miss Taylor remarked, turning around. "I’m going to go and let you girls talk this over. If you need anything, or if this lioness comes prowling again, do let me know."

Just like that, she excused herself from the room.

Lianna shifted her focus to Enverna, her eyes reflecting concern.

"Enverna, how are you feeling about all of this?" Lianna asked gently, taking a seat beside her on the couch.

Enverna took a deep breath, her gaze distant as if contemplating how to express the complexities of her emotions.

"I don’t even know where to begin," Enverna admitted. "It’s just... a lot."

Lianna waited patiently, half because she had no clue what to say and half because it seemed like Enverna was going to say more than that.

"I’ve spent the last several years training," she began, "honing my skills in hopes of impressing people." Her voice carried the weight of her experiences. "After I lost my father, Verana married Treon, a mercenary, under the promise that our family would not lose what little influence within Garriden we had. And, the plan was to do so through me."

Lianna listened, absorbing the fragments of Enverna’s life story.

"In my heart, I know I am little more than a tool for them. But, I... They provided for me, trained me, and, in a twisted way, they gave me purpose," Enverna continued. "This has always been about duty. About fulfilling their expectations. But, now that I’ve had a taste of something more," her eyes briefly met Lianna’s, "I’m not too sure I want to continue."

"Why not just leave, then?" Lianna asked, her expression filled with genuine curiosity.

Enverna sighed, a mixture of frustration and resignation etched on her features.

"It’s not that simple. Like I said, they treated me well as long as I did what they wanted. They provided for me, and they... Lianna, I am sure I do not need to tell you how lucky I am to even have a family, right?"

Lianna nodded.

"Yeah."

"Well, even though all of the ’love’ I have been shown is conditional, I still feel like I should give back."

Lianna nodded, understanding the complexity of Enverna’s situation.

"I can imagine that’s scary. You’ve been raised with this duty and responsibility, and the idea of leaving all that behind must be daunting."

Enverna looked at Lianna, her eyes reflecting a mixture of gratitude and vulnerability.

"It is frightening. The very idea of wanting something for myself feels treasonous."

Lianna shifted closer, offering a supportive presence.

"Well, I’ve never been in a position like that, but I can understand fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of disappointing the people who matter to you. It’s a different kind of fear, but it’s valid."

Enverna sighed, her shoulders slumping as she wrestled with conflicting emotions.

"I want to make my own choices, Lianna. I want to keep working with you. I want to explore this world together. But the thought of turning my back on everything I’ve known, even if it’s flawed, terrifies me."

Lianna gently took Enverna’s hand, offering a reassuring squeeze. "You’re not alone in this. Whatever decision you make, I’ll be right here beside you. We’ll face it together, okay?"

Enverna managed a small, appreciative smile, the weight on her shoulders momentarily lifted by Lianna’s understanding. "Thank you, Lianna. It means more than you know."

The room fell into a thoughtful silence, the two women contemplating the complexities of life, duty, and the choices that lay ahead.

And then Zura walked in.

The girl had apparently gone for a run, given her workout clothes and the towel around her neck.

"Uh..." She blinked. "Did something happen?"

"It’s... kind of a long story."

---

{Enverna}

The air in Telvan held a different quality than the open landscapes of Garriden. Enverna walked alone, her steps echoing softly against the cobblestone streets.

Lianna’s cautionary words lingered in her mind, her warnings of potential dangers that could lurk in the unfamiliar corners of the city. Still, Enverna needed this time to think, to process the weight of her decisions.

The city unfolded before her, a stark contrast to the familiar sights of Garriden.

Tall structures towered above, a testament to Telvan’s bustling life. People hurried past, absorbed in their daily routines. The bright lights, even now during the daytime, were almost blinding. The hum of city life surrounded her, replacing the quiet rustle of leaves and the distant sounds of the countryside.

[Hm. This city is alive with stories, with people from all walks of life. In Garriden, everything always felt so... samey.]

Enverna considered the weight of responsibility that bore down on her shoulders, a burden she had carried for so long.

The prospect of choosing her own path, unshackling herself from the expectations, both scared and excited her.

[Can I truly step away from the life I’ve known for so long? The duty I’ve shouldered?]

Garriden, with its charming simplicity, felt like a distant memory. The shift to Telvan had exposed her to a world she never knew existed. She couldn’t deny the allure of exploring this new reality, especially with Lianna by her side.

Yet, the familiar tug of familial duty, the ingrained sense of responsibility, clawed at her conscience.

[It’s not just duty. Treon and Verana treated me well too, as long as I did what was expected of me. Turning my back on them feels like such an ungrateful thing to do.]

The city itself mirrored the crossroads she found herself standing at.

She passed vibrant marketplaces where merchants peddled wares from distant villages. The aroma of exotic spices mingled with the chatter of bartering. Enverna observed it all, taking the sights in just in case she actually did end up leaving.

[It’s all quite overwhelming, but it’s also intriguing.]

Her steps took her to a park that stretched out before her, a patch of greenery amidst the urban sprawl.

As she sat on a weathered bench, Enverna mulled over her choices. The path ahead remained obscured, and uncertainty lingered. Would she choose the familiarity of Garriden, the security of a predefined destiny, or would she embrace the unknown, walking alongside Lianna into a future that would be completely her own?

Then, standing by a kiosk just a short walk away, Enverna saw someone.

[Miss Taylor?]

The woman had her back turned to Enverna, speaking with an old merchant.

Enverna got up and walked over to her.

[Maybe I’m being paranoid.]

Summoning her courage, Enverna walked up to Cynthia.

"Um, Miss Taylor?"

Cynthia turned, a pleasant smile gracing her features.

"Enverna, dear. Fancy meeting you here."

Enverna couldn’t help but feel a mixture of relief and curiosity.

"Did you... follow me here?"

Cynthia chuckled, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Oh, not at all. I was just getting some ice cream." She held up a cone of chocolate. "Care to join me?"

[Oh.]

Surprisingly, even to herself, Enverna found herself agreeing, and they walked together back to the bench Enverna was on.

Once they were seated, Cynthia took a leisurely lick of her ice cream before turning her attention to Enverna.

"So, my dear, what’s on your mind?"

Enverna sighed, her gaze fixated on the greenery around them.

"It’s just... everything. My past, my family, this city, Lianna. It’s a lot to decide on and I don’t have a lot of time."

Cynthia nodded knowingly.

"Life is a series of crossroads just like this, Enverna. Each decision we make shapes our journey, and sometimes, the path is not as clear as we’d like it to be. Tell me, what are you afraid of?"

"I’ve always felt like a tool to my family, a means to an end. But, despite that, they’ve treated me well as long as I did what they expected. I feel a responsibility to them. I don’t know if I can truly just leave them."

Cynthia listened attentively, her expression thoughtful.

"Gratitude is a virtue, to be sure. However, the ties of family, the weight of duty... sometimes, they can be little more than chains. You have to ask yourself, is going back to Garriden out of obligation truly a life worth living? Your happiness matters just as much as theirs."

Enverna frowned, contemplating the implications of Cynthia’s words.

"But what if leaving means severing those ties forever? What if it means abandoning a part of myself that’s been ingrained for so long?"

Cynthia leaned back, her eyes reflecting a depth of experience.

"I understand the fear, but, think about it this way... Do you believe they are equally afraid of abandoning you? That they value you the same way? I don’t know what reasoning they presented to you, but if they are willing to toss you aside simply because you wish to remain in Telvan for a time... I would not be as kind to my family as you are being to yours if they did that to me."

Enverna considered Cynthia’s words, a seed of doubt planted in her convictions.

Before she could delve deeper into her own thoughts, Cynthia’s composure shifted abruptly. A call interrupted their conversation, and Enverna noticed a fleeting expression of distress on Cynthia’s face as she answered it.

"Uh, is something wrong?" Enverna asked.

Cynthia made a face like she wasn’t sure she believed what she was about to say.

"... A Fiend raid is about to happen at Telvan’s northern gates," Cynthia announced tersely, her tone urgent.

Enverna’s eyes widened with concern.

"Now!?"

"Yes," Cynthia replied. "Apparently."

"Uhm, w-what will the government do?"

"Protocol is to send all of the guilds and the army in response, but... A raid?" Cynthia asked quietly. "Why? It’s been over a decade since the last raid. Why now?"

Both Cynthia and Enverna basically had a lightbulb appear over their heads.

Something immediately came to mind.

"Y-You don’t think..."

"It could be," Cynthia sighed. "No point in speculating. I need to head over there."

Then, Enverna’s thoughts raced to the hotel she had stayed in upon her arrival, where her mother was likely residing.

The realization struck her like a lightning bolt, fueling a surge of determination.

"My mother might be there!" Enverna declared, a sense of urgency coloring her words. "I’ll go with you."

Without hesitation, Cynthia reached for her communication device and dialed Lianna’s number.

Enverna’s mind raced as she listened to the conversation, her heartbeat echoing the urgency of the impending threat.

"Yes. Yes, we’re heading there," Cynthia declared, her voice authoritative. "I’ll see you soon, then." She turned toward Enverna. "Lianna is on her way, along with likely every player in the city. Stay close. We’ll handle this together."

"Alright!"

On that note, they rushed toward the northern gates.

All the while, Enverna couldn’t shake the mixture of fear and determination within her.