Chosen By The Lover's Constellation-Chapter 140: Children of Mana, Part Twenty-Four

The group staggered to a halt, their breaths coming in ragged gasps as they collapsed onto the ground, exhaustion weighing heavily upon their weary frames.

The adrenaline of the battle began to wane, leaving behind a profound sense of fatigue that seemed to seep into their very bones.

Caroline’s frustration bubbled to the surface, her voice laced with irritation as she voiced her discontent.

"We should have fought him," she grumbled, her tone edged with frustration. "We had the numbers. We could have taken him down."

Lianna shook her head, her expression grave as she countered Caroline’s argument.

"No, we wouldn’t have stood a chance," she insisted, her voice tinged with exhaustion. "Jack literally absorbed Olin. He was too strong."

Caroline’s brow furrowed in annoyance, her patience wearing thin.

"What would you know about fighting?" she retorted, her voice sharp with irritation. "With our combined strength, we could have overwhelmed him."

Vayn spoke up, her voice a little quieter than normal as she gazed back at that tower.

"I could barely keep up with him," she confessed, her tone tinged with frustration. "I don’t know. Skill-wise, it didn’t feel like he knew what he was doing but he was just so much faster, so much stronger, that it didn’t matter."

Zura and Enverna remained silent, their expressions unreadable as they processed the events that had transpired. The weight of their failure hung heavy in the air, casting a shadow over their weary spirits.

Caroline’s frustration boiled over, her irritation evident.

"AGH! I can’t believe we’re letting a child of mana boss us around like this," she snapped, her voice tinged with resentment. "She tells us to leave and we all just listen!?"

Lianna met Caroline’s gaze, her own eyes flashing with defiance as she stood her ground.

"You should be happy that I did. It’s only because of me that you’re still alive," she countered, her voice firm and unwavering.

Caroline’s anger flared, her frustration reaching its breaking point as she stormed off, her footsteps echoing in the distance.

Left in her wake, the group sat in weary silence, the weight of their failure pressing down upon them like a suffocating blanket.

The stillness of the night enveloped the group as they sat in contemplative silence, the weight of their recent defeat heavy upon their shoulders. It was Zura who finally broke the quiet, her voice hesitant as she voiced the question that lingered on all their minds.

"What do we do now?" she asked, her tone tinged with uncertainty.

Lianna sighed softly, her expression weary as she shook her head.

"I’m not sure," she admitted, her voice heavy with resignation. "We need a plan, but I don’t know where to start."

Enverna’s brow furrowed in thought as she considered their options, her gaze distant as she weighed their next move.

"We stick to what we said previously. We should reach out to the other Constellations’ Followers," she suggested, her voice measured and calm. "Xi, Athene, Desmond. They might have insights or resources we can use."

Lianna nodded in agreement, recognizing the wisdom in Enverna’s suggestion. "That’s a good idea," she conceded, her voice holding a note of determination. "It’s worth a shot."

With their course of action decided, the group rose to their feet, their movements sluggish with exhaustion as they began the long journey back to Garriden. Though uncertainty still loomed on the horizon, they walked with renewed purpose, their resolve strengthened by the knowledge that they would not be alone in their struggle.

Hopefully, anyway.

---

{Caroline}

The fading light of dusk cast long shadows across the training grounds as Caroline relentlessly attacked the practice dummy, her movements fueled by a mix of frustration and determination.

With each forceful swing, Caroline felt the weight of her doubts pressing down upon her like an oppressive blanket. The rhythmic clang of her blade against the practice dummy echoed through the silent training grounds, a stark contrast to the chaos that raged within her mind.

As she delivered each blow, her thoughts drifted back to the harrowing moment when Jack’s magic bolt had streaked through the air with deadly precision, aimed directly at her. It felt like that memory had been burned into her mind and wouldn’t be healed away anytime soon.

She could still feel the rush of adrenaline coursing through her veins as she watched the shimmering arc of magic hurtling toward her.

In that split second, time seemed to slow to a crawl, each heartbeat echoing like a thunderous drumbeat in her ears.

And then, just as the bolt threatened to strike true, Lianna had intervened, pushing Caroline out of harm’s way.

"AGH!" The mere image of that moment in her mind’s eye was enough to make Caroline snarl.

She could feel the rush of displaced air as Lianna’s body collided with hers. The hairs on her arms stood on end as she recalled the crackling energy of Jack’s magic bolt, the sheer force of its impact enough to send shivers coursing down her spine. It was a sensation she would not soon forget.

She couldn’t shake the realization that Lianna’s quick thinking had saved her life, a fact that both humbled and infuriated her in equal measure.

As she continued her assault on the dummy, her mind churned with questions and doubts.

Her "training" was abruptly interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps, and Caroline’s gaze hardened as she turned to face Enverna’s arrival. The tension between them was palpable, thickening the air with an unspoken challenge as Caroline fixed her with a steely glare.

"You may as well just tell me the truth at this point," Caroline said, turning her eyes back to the dummy.

"What truth?"

"Lianna," Caroline said, without looking at her. The name tasted bitter on her tongue. Her voice sharp with accusation. "Is Lianna more than just a pawn to you?"

Enverna met her gaze evenly, her expression completely neutral.

"Yes," she admitted quickly. "Lianna is my friend, Caroline. She’s never been my ’pawn’."

Caroline scoffed, her lip curling with contempt.

"And how long do you think that’s going to last?" she retorted, her tone laced with skepticism. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"What?"

"Children of mana aren’t exactly known for their loyalty."

Enverna’s brow furrowed in frustration, her patience wearing thin.

"Caroline, I don’t know what you’ve been through or what you’ve heard about, but Lianna is her own person," Enverna retorted, her voice carrying a note of urgency. "She has proven herself to be kind and reliable, time and time again, risking her life to protect people. Me, Zura, hell, even you!"

Caroline’s expression remained guarded, her skepticism unyielding.

"And all of that may have been done strictly for the purpose of getting you to lower your guard."

Enverna’s brow furrowed in frustration, her patience wearing thin.

"Do you truly believe that?" she shot back, her voice tinged with disbelief. "Do you think The Lover would choose someone inherently evil as her follower?"

A bitter laugh escaped Caroline’s lips, her eyes narrowing with suspicion.

"The woman quite literally wields an artifact that allows her to control Fiends. Not just that, but she might be the only person who can use it. How do you know that The Lover isn’t conspiring against you? Maybe that is why she stopped us from killing Jack even though we had the opportunity. Maybe she plans to switch sides. Maybe The Lover isn’t as benevolent as you think," she shot back, her words dripping with cynicism. "Maybe she’s using Lianna to further her own agenda."

Enverna’s eyes flashed with indignation, her resolve hardening with each passing moment.

"That’s all so incredibly absurd," she retorted, her voice tinged with anger.

Caroline scoffed, a derisive smirk playing at the corners of her lips.

"You’re too trusting, Enverna," she countered, her tone dripping with disdain. "You’ll see soon enough, I’m sure."

Enverna’s jaw clenched, her fists balling at her sides as she fought to keep her composure.

"Fine," she replied, her tone weary. "Believe this delusion of yours. But don’t expect me to stand by and let you disparage her character without cause. You disgust me," she spat, her tone raw with emotion, before turning on her heel and storming away.

Left alone with her thoughts, Caroline’s grip on her sword tightened, her chest heaving with the weight of her emotions.

With a frustrated growl, she hurled the weapon to the ground, the clang of metal against earth echoing through the silent training grounds. Collapsing onto the ground, she sat in brooding silence, the weight of her doubts and fears pressing down upon her like a suffocating blanket.

Again, that moment played back in her mind.

Lianna shoved her out of the way of a powerful spell. For a moment, Caroline wondered what would have happened if Lianna had been hit instead. Would that have meant that Lianna would have sacrificed herself to save her?

[There has to be some angle to this. Something I’m not catching,] Caroline sighed. [Or... Or, am I just wrong?]