Chosen By The Lover's Constellation-Chapter 127: Children of Mana, Part Eleven

{December 4, 239 2E}

The crisp morning air hung heavy around the chapel as Lianna sat opposite Olin.

Somehow, the 1 hour a day Olin had initially proposed turned into Lianna spending most of her time here.

Today, just like all the previous days, her mind was clouded with memories that refused to fade.

As Lianna attempted to clear her mind and focus on her breathing, memories from her lonely childhood flooded her consciousness like an unstoppable tide.

She saw herself as a young girl, standing alone in the dimly lit corridors of the orphanage where she had spent her formative years. The sound of laughter and chatter echoed in the distance as the stinging in her heart built up with every second that passed.

She remembered how the other children whispered and pointed. How out of place she felt.

Her mind drifted to the countless nights spent huddled in bed, tears streaming down her cheeks as she cried herself to sleep, longing for the warmth of a loving embrace that never came.

As the memories washed over her like a tidal wave, Lianna struggled to maintain her composure, the emotions threatening to overwhelm her already fragile defenses.

"Lianna, what troubles your mind today?" Olin’s calm voice cut through the silence, drawing her attention back to the present.

"... The memories," Lianna confessed, her voice barely above a whisper. "I just can’t push them away, I don’t know."

Olin regarded her with understanding eyes, his expression gentle yet firm.

"Sometimes, the only way to overcome our past is to confront it head-on," he suggested, his words laden with wisdom. "Perhaps it’s time you faced those memories, spoke to those who were there, or those who weren’t when you needed them."

Lianna mulled over his words.

"Miss Taylor..." The name slipped from her lips almost instinctively, a spark of realization igniting within her.

Olin nodded approvingly, sensing the shift in Lianna’s resolve.

"Sounds like you have someone in mind. I will give you some space," he offered, stepping out of the chapel to allow her the privacy she needed.

With a deep breath, Lianna reached for her phone, her fingers trembling slightly as she scrolled through her contacts.

She hesitated for a moment, her thumb hovering over Miss Taylor’s number.

[Hm... Will this actually help?] Lianna wondered. [I guess it wouldn’t hurt to try.]

And yet, she couldn’t bring herself to call her just yet. There was something there, something stopping her. Like a cracked, fractured wall Lianna was peeking through that she was tempted to push down once and for all.

Before she could stop herself, she called her.

The line rang once, then twice, before a familiar voice answered on the other end.

"Good morning, Lianna. How are you?" Miss Taylor asked, her tone light and casual.

"I..." Lianna paused.

[Fuck. What should I even say?]

"Mhm?" Miss Taylor asked on the other end.

"I... I just need to talk," she managed to choke out, her voice thick with emotion.

There was a brief pause on the other end of the line before Miss Taylor spoke again, her voice soft and comforting.

"Well, I’m here for you. What’s on your mind?"

Lianna took a deep breath.

"Do you have time?" She asked quietly.

"I could make some," Miss Taylor replied.

"I, well," Lianna stammered, "I... Wanted to tell you about some stuff."

"Go ahead," Miss Taylor quickly replied. "I’m all ears."

There was, in her mind, no way to breach the topic without it being at least a little awkward. So, Lianna went about it by saying:

"So, there was this one time..."

About an hour later, Lianna had burned through dozens and dozens of stories. Things that happened in her life, moments in which she very much could have used the reassuring presence Miss Taylor was offering now.

And, Miss Taylor listened to every word intently, patiently.

As Lianna reached the end of her recounting, her voice trailed off, and she realized tears had been silently streaming down her face for some time now.

Olin, who’d of course come back in some minutes ago, sensing her emotional state, brought her a cup of tea, silently offering her some support.

When Lianna finally fell silent, Miss Taylor said:

"Thank you for telling me all this, Lianna... I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you when you needed someone. I wish I could have been."

Lianna took a deep breath, feeling a weight lifted off her shoulders as she heard Miss Taylor’s words. With a gentle smile, she replied:

"It’s okay, Miss Taylor. I’m... pretty much over it at this point."

"Pretty much?"

Lianna giggled.

"Yeah. Pretty much."

On that note, there was a brief silence. It was only a few seconds, but something happened in that time. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

As Lianna’s thoughts began to quiet, she suddenly realized she had reached a state of calm she hadn’t experienced in a long time.

The memories had stopped bashing against her mind.

"Lianna, are you still there?" Miss Taylor’s voice brought her back to the present.

Lianna blinked, snapping out of her reverie, but her eyes sparkled with newfound excitement.

"Y-Yeah, I’m here," she replied eagerly. "Um, Miss Taylor, thank you for listening, but I have to go now."

Miss Taylor’s warm smile was evident in her voice as she responded:

"Of course, Lianna. Remember, you can call me anytime you need to talk."

With a quick goodbye, Lianna ended the call and turned to Olin, her face radiant with joy.

"It worked, Olin!" she exclaimed. "I did it! I-It was only for a bit, but... I was able to clear my mind for a moment."

"Good, good," he said, a hint of emotion in his voice. "I’m glad to hear we’re making progress."

With a newfound sense of hope and determination, Lianna sipped her tea, savoring the moment of peace she had found.

It tasted awful, but, well, victory wasn’t always that sweet, really.

---

Mel glanced at her phone, contemplating whether to call Lianna and see if she wanted to hang out, but before she could make a decision, her phone buzzed with an incoming call from an unexpected caller – Al’has Varim, the leader of the Starsign Association.

Surprised, Mel quickly answered the call. "Hello?"

"Mel, it’s Al’has," came the commanding voice from the other end of the line. "How have things been going in Garriden?"

Mel’s mind raced as she tried to gather her thoughts. "Um, things have been alright," she replied cautiously. "Nothing out of the ordinary."

Al’has was not one to beat around the bush. "Have you attempted to use Lianna’s artifact yourself? We need to know if any child of mana can harness its power."

Mel hesitated for a moment before answering. "No, I haven’t," she admitted. "I... I didn’t think it would be a good idea without knowing more about it."

There was a brief pause before Al’has spoke again. "Very well. That’s understandable," she conceded. "But there’s another matter I need you to attend to."

"What is it?" Mel asked, her curiosity piqued.

"There have been rumors of powerful Fiends gathering outside of Garriden," Al’has explained. "I need you to investigate these rumors and report back to me with your findings."

Mel’s heart quickened at the mention of Fiends. "Understood. I’ll head out immediately."

Exiting the city, Mel approached the guards stationed on the outskirts of Garriden.

Mel walked up to a group of scouts, their faces grim and tense as they recounted their recent encounters with the Fiends.

"Good morning. I’m with the Starsign Association, could I have a word with you?" One of them stepped forward. "Have you seen any Fiends lately?" Mel asked, her voice steady despite the unease gnawing at her insides.

The seasoned veteran with weathered features and a steely gaze replied:

"We spotted them a few days ago, near the outskirts of the forest," he began, his voice low and gravelly. "At first, it was just a few scattered sightings, but then they started appearing in greater numbers."

Mel frowned, her brows furrowing in concern.

"How many are we talking about?" she inquired, her heart sinking at the prospect of a large Fiend presence.

The scout glanced at his companions before answering.

"Ten, eleven, maybe," he admitted grimly. "They were just wandering around the area. Aimless."

Mel nodded, considering that.

"And have they been aggressive?" she pressed, her voice tinged with apprehension.

Another scout, a younger man with wide eyes filled with fear, spoke up.

"A few of us encountered a small group yesterday," he recounted, his voice trembling slightly. "They attacked without warning."

Mel swallowed hard, her mind racing with the implications of the scout’s words.

[Hm... A raid is looking more and more likely every day.]

Suddenly, a chilling silence descended upon the group as a dark shadow loomed overhead.

Without warning, a massive Fiend materialized before them, its grotesque form twisting and writhing with malevolent energy.

[A Fiend? Popping up with no mana storm nearby?]

The scouts pulled back, alerted and frightened.

Instinctively, Mel drew upon her magical abilities.

Including one spell she’d been working on recently.

Charged Bolt - 50 MP

{Spell}

{Uncommon}

{Class: Sorcerer}

{Desc: Take time to power up a projectile. After a few seconds, unleash one powerful strike.}

"Keep it distracted for a bit," Mel instructed the others as electricity began to crackle at her right palm.

They did the best they could. None of them took too much damage, which Mel was thankful for.

After a few seconds, she finally unleashed a barrage of magical energy, striking the Fiend with unrelenting force.

The Fiend let out a deafening roar as it crumbled under the onslaught of the spell, dissipating into nothingness before their eyes.

As the dust settled, Mel’s heart pounded in her chest, adrenaline coursing through her veins.

Taking a moment to catch her breath, Mel realized the gravity of the situation.

[... I do need to see if I can use that artifact myself. If I can’t, then... I hope Lianna can pull through. For everyone’s sake.]