Chosen By The Lover's Constellation-Chapter 154: Children of Mana, Part Thirty-Seven

{Caroline}

Caroline stood by the window of her room, gazing out at the moonlit sky.

It was a quiet night, but Caroline’s mind was far from peaceful.

Her thoughts drifted back to the events of the day, lingering on the unexpected kiss she had witnessed between Enverna and Lianna.

[Really? Someone like her can get her hands on Enverna, but I "disgust" her? Ugh.]

She had tried to brush it off, to convince herself that it didn’t matter, that it was none of her business.

But the image of their embrace lingered in her mind, taunting her with its intimacy.

Caroline couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy.

For the first time in a long, long while, there was something in her life she couldn’t have.

As she silently stewed in her own frustration, the door creaked open, and Mel sauntered into the room.

Caroline’s instinct was to straighten her posture, to project her usual air of superiority. Mel did not react to her presence in any way, until Caroline cleared her throat.

"Hey," Mel said curtly, her voice devoid of any warmth as she brushed past Caroline and made her way to the bed.

Caroline watched her with some irritation. Mel continued to not notice her at all.

Deciding it was pointless to engage in conversation, Caroline just sat there for a little while longer, until she decided that maybe it was best for her to try to get some rest as well.

She tentatively joined Mel on the bed, curling up on her side and facing away from her.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Caroline couldn’t resist the urge to break the tension that hung heavy in the air.

"Don’t you feel nervous," Caroline asked.

"What?"

"Sharing a bed with someone like me? I mean, I’m kind of a big deal."

Mel’s response was basically a dagger straight to her ego.

All she said was:

"Pfft."

And, that was it. Caroline didn’t hear her voice again for the rest of the night.

Caroline’s heart sank at Mel’s response.

A small part of her had hoped Mel would cower in her presence, and acknowledge her superiority, but instead, she felt dismissed and belittled.

"Oh," Caroline murmured icily, before closing her eyes.

---

{December 25}

Caroline and Enverna sparred in the training arena, their movements fluid and precise as they exchanged blows.

The sound of their weapons clashing echoed through the ring, accompanied by the occasional grunt of exertion.

Just as Caroline was about to land a counterattack, her phone buzzed loudly in her pocket, interrupting the flow of their practice.

"Sorry, Enverna, one moment," Caroline said, holding up a hand to pause their sparring match.

Enverna nodded understandingly, taking a step back as Caroline retrieved her phone from her pocket.

With a quick glance at the caller ID, Caroline recognized the number of one of the scouts she had hired to monitor the activities of the church.

Vayn and Zura weren’t the only ones collecting information.

She stepped aside from the training area, answering the call with a sense of urgency.

"Hello?" Caroline said, her voice crisp and businesslike.

"Caroline, it’s me," came the voice of the scout on the other end of the line. "I’ve got some information you might want to hear."

Caroline’s interest piqued, she listened intently as the scout relayed the latest developments regarding the church.

"Lately, there’s been some talk among the church members," the scout explained. "Seems like there’s been a lot of infighting going on. Disagreements that have turned... well, into actual fights."

"Any reason as to why?"

"Saren’s name tends to come up."

[So, it’s as we expected, then.]

Caroline’s mind raced as she processed the information. Infighting within the church could present an opportunity for them to exploit, a weakness they could potentially capitalize on.

"Thank you for the update," Caroline said, her voice brimming with satisfaction. "You’ve done well."

With a sense of urgency, Caroline ended the call and turned back to face Enverna, her expression serious.

"Enverna, let’s take a break. I have something to share," Caroline said, her tone commanding.

Enverna and Lianna, the latter of which was standing by the arena’s edge, exchanged a curious glance, clearly sensing the gravity of Caroline’s demeanor.

"What’s going on?" Enverna asked, concern evident in her voice.

Caroline took a deep breath, preparing to relay the information she had just received.

"I just got off the phone with one of my scouts," Caroline began, her voice steady. "Apparently, there’s been some trouble in paradise. Seems, as we suspected, not everyone in the church is as gullible as Jack’s closer followers. The news of Saren’s potential response has been divisive at best."

Lianna’s eyes widened in surprise, while Enverna furrowed her brow, processing the implications of Caroline’s words.

"That could be our chance," Lianna said, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "If they’re divided, it might weaken their forces."

Enverna nodded in agreement. It seemed her mind was already racing with ideas for how they could exploit this newfound weakness.

"Now, how can we take advantage of this?" Enverna asked quietly. "There must be something we can do. A final nail we can put in the coffin to divide the church in its entirety."

Suddenly, Lianna grinned.

"I got it!" She proclaimed, catching both Enverna and Caroline by surprise. "This might work!"

---

{Athene}

The first rays of dawn kissed the horizon as Athene stirred from her slumber, the soft warmth of morning gently coaxing her awake.

Stretching languidly, she rose from the bed, the silken sheets slipping gracefully from her naked form as she padded barefoot across the room.

With a tired, but graceful stride, Athene made her way to the balcony, the cool breeze caressing her skin as she stepped into the morning light.

She stood there, bathed in the gentle glow of dawn, her gaze sweeping over the sprawling city below.

As per usual, even though she’d quite literally just woken up, her mind went to the same thing it normally did.

[Those girls are in Garriden right now, aren’t they?] Athene rested her head on her palm. [Ah... Maybe I should have followed them.]

Behind her, the faint murmur of last night’s lover reached her ears.

"Athene," a girl called out with a slightly raspy voice. "Come back to bed. You can let your day start a little later, can’t you?"

Athene turned to glance back at the bed, her expression softened by weariness.

"I’ll be back in a moment," she murmured in response with a smile, her voice tinged with exhaustion.

Turning her attention back to the cityscape before her, Athene’s thoughts drifted to her duties as a protector of Telvan.

She wondered if she was doing enough as the Judicator’s Follower, if her efforts were truly sufficient to safeguard the people she held dear.

As she gazed out at the busy streets below, Athene couldn’t shake the lingering sense of doubt that gnawed at her heart.

But even in the face of uncertainty, she remained steadfast in her resolve to defend her city, her determination unwavering in the light of a new day.

Suddenly, the tranquility of the moment was shattered by the arrival of a bird, its wings flapping urgently as it landed gracefully on the edge of Athene’s balcony.

[Huh?]

With a rustle of feathers, the bird dropped a sealed letter into Athene’s waiting hand before taking flight once more into the azure sky.

Curiosity piqued, Athene broke the seal and swiftly unfolded the parchment, her eyes scanning the urgent message inscribed upon it.

As she read the words, her expression darkened with fury, her brows knitting together in a deep frown.

"Jack... in Garriden?" Athene muttered incredulously, her voice tinged with disdain. "And planning to resurrect Saren? Preposterous!"

The mere thought of such sacrilege ignited a fiery rage within Athene, her blood boiling with indignation.

Without hesitation, she rose from the couch, the silken sheets falling from her form as she strode purposefully across the room.

With swift, decisive movements, Athene donned her armor, the polished plates gleaming in the soft light of the room.

Each piece was a testament to her dedication to the Judicator’s cause, a symbol of her unwavering commitment to justice.

As she fastened the clasps and adjusted the straps, Athene’s mind raced with thoughts of vengeance.

Jack’s brazen defiance of the divine laws could not go unpunished, and she would be the instrument of his reckoning.

Gripping the hilt of her sword tightly, Athene made her way to the door, her footsteps echoing with purpose in the opulent halls of her home. She knew what she must do.

"I will bring Jack to justice," she vowed, her voice resolute with determination. "His heretical schemes shall not go unchallenged."

With that solemn oath ringing in her ears, Athene stepped out into the early day, her heart ablaze with righteous fury as she set forth on her journey to Garriden, prepared to face whatever challenges awaited her in the pursuit of justice.