TW: Violence/Gore/Insanity/Slight Depression

Northern Akaris Continent

18th of Hanashi (6 of 10 Months)

In the Bunny Farm...

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I slowly open my eyes to be instantly blinded as I quickly shielded my face with my hand. Ugh, why must I be in direct sunlight when I wake up?!

Wait... I HAVE NEVER HAD DIRECT SUNLIGHT ON MY FACE!

As I start to look around a hand on my waist quickly jogs my memory.

"S-shiyo...don't get up just yet..." I glance over to see that the hand belongs to Quari in her button-up sleepwear. "I need more cuddles..."

TOO CUTE!

How did she even say that while still sleeping?!

I glance back out the window, the sun is just above the shoreline. Plenty of time; so I slowly move myself back to being wrapped in Quari's arms to slowly drift off to sleep once more...

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"Shiyo!"

"SHIYO!"

"SHIYO!!!"

I quickly jolt awake at the third call. I have never heard Quari more panicked in my life. "W-what is it, Quari?"

I look over to her to just see her eyes, petrified at whatever she is seeing or has just looked at.

"Shiyo...we need to run. Now." She quickly threw me a bag that she had in her hands, which landed in my lap. I nod and open up the bag to see my clothes and our combined gold coins. Enough for a few days at an inn in a big city, for a few months on the road.

"O-Okay, why are we running?" I ask as I was quickly changing, not caring about who or what is seeing me doing so. We are in a rush, no time for privacy in my mind.

"I don't know who it is or what they are, but there was loud bangs all morning from the south getting louder and-"

Bang

Bang

BANG!

Suddenly the back wall blew open as I jumped onto Quarilaie to block the blast as shards of wood and glass flew across the entire room currently filling with smoke.

"Quari! *cough* *cough* A-are you okay?!" I said, looking below me to see her with a few scratches on her fact and neck which would scar. If only I moved faster!

"*cough* *cough* Y-yes, I'm *cough* good. Now let's-"

We both paused as we heard the click of a heel from the remains of the wall.

Click

"mmmmm"

Clack

"I spy with my lit-tle eye..."

Click

"two very new-"

Clack

"pets~"

We were both frozen in fear, trembling, while looking back at our attacker who had long, dark red hair, blue eyes, and an obviously used knife in her hands. Still dripping.

"Now...what numbers will you be~" she said, licking the blood off the knife.

"I think you'll be number sixteen..." the woman spoke, pointing the knife at Quari.

"And you'll be..." she turned her knife towards me, "my favourite pet~ Isn't that right, former Empress Miza~?"

"NO!" I shot back, getting up, turning towards her. "We are not your pets, and Miza is not who I am!"

"oh~hohoho?" she said, having the blunt edge of her knife widen her grin, "I see I have a fighter~ good."

I just looked at her like she is insane. "You want me to fight?! No, I am not a fighter, in fact, I am glad I saved this spell in my gem to be executed!"

"Spell?!" Her grin turned sour, "The hell are you talking about?"

"Oh, well...it is something that my Kingdom was always known for...wouldn't you say?"

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I look up dazed from the ground, seeing Shiyo talking back to our intruder as she pulls out a purple gem.

No- not that gem!

"Saisho no! You promised!"

"I'm sorry, Quari, but this is our only way..." she said to me, reassuringly. No. "Jikkō suru!"

Then the view around my flashed a bright, blue light as I was knocked out.

A few weeks prior:

"Watashi ga eishō suru toki, anata ni, watashitachi no rei o anata ni awaseru yō ni tanonde kudasai!" Shiyo yelled out before jamming it in a purple gem, "Inpei no hōseki!"

As she finished, I think it was time to make my presence noted, "What are you doing, sweetie?"

"And you can see here, Quari, that I have figured out how to store spells in gems so I can cast them in limited time."

I looked at her, puzzled, "But why, we aren't starting fights now are we?"

She laughed at me remark and put her hands up in defense, "No no no! I know not to do that around you, but it is a rather risky procedure."

"What?!" Why would she do this if it is dangerous?! "What do you mean risky?!"

"Ah, well it takes up a good chunk of power to cast the spell, and another large chunk to hold it in. With the cost of executing the spell, it could very well be suicide."

"WHAT?!" I am too annoyed at this point to even process my anger. Sorry, Shiyo, but you're getting my wrath. "WHY WOULD YOU KILL YOURSELF?!"

"No!" She held her hands out, that's a mistake. I could cut them off if I was a slight bit angrier. "No. I have only stored one spell, it is a simple warp spell that will check the wills of people across the land and send us both to them. I am only using this if I know fighting back is suicide."

I suddenly felt something cast across my cheek, I was crying...

"Please...please don't use it. I can't live without you..."

"Okay, Quari, I won't. Until death do us part, remember?"

"Yeah...until death do us part..."

Back to present:

As the world came back into view, I lifted myself onto my feet, trees dotting the corners of my vision as I looked up into the grey sky. I quickly turned to where Shiyo was to see her, outfit burned, scars littering her arms with purple mist coming off. She used too much.

"Shiyo-" I said, devastated, as I ran over and held her up on her feet. "H-how do you feel? Are you okay?"

Her breathing was slow and ragged as she grabbed onto me. "I...I feel...empty."

I could only start to tear up at this... she's dying to save me! Why can't I do anything?!

"Am...am I dying?"

I simply looked at her through my tear-stained vision. "I don't think so, sweetie. If it makes you feel better, you could take some of my mana?"

"A-are you sure? It takes a good couple weeks for most people to regain mana." Even near death, she is looking out for me.

"I'm sure, but leave me with a survivable amount left. 'kay?" I said, trying to cheer her up.

"Y-yeah, okay...but I don't think I can do the chant, may I try another way?"

I leaned in closer for her, "Go ahead." As soon as I said that she pulled me into a kiss as I felt energy leave my body. I always thought it was through blood. As the energy left I soon didn't have enough strength to hold her up and suddenly collapsed on the ground with her.

She soon let go of me and smiled slightly. "Sorry...I was a little greedy and took a majority...I should heal soon."

"That's okay...wait- heal?" She didn't tell me about this!

"Well, that's why I always looked healthy, high mana aids in healing, see?" As she lifted her hand to point to her face, I noticed a majority of the scratches soon closing as the purple mist created a small haze over us both.

"What is this?" I asked out loud, not even knowing I did.

"Sorry, but the downside to my warp spell is a curse..."

"Shiyo...y-you better explain fast because I thought you were about to die which was completely false. Now you are saying we are cursed, stop lying!"

"No! I was not lying! If I didn't get mana we both would have died!" Wait...what does she mean both? "The warp joined our souls so if one of us dies we both do! Until death do us part, remember?"

I just sighed and gave into my emotions. "No, Shiyo, death won't do us part. We are together forever, don't forget that!"

"Okay...together forever...my wife..."

"Together forever..." I say once again, snuggling up to her as we see people crowding around us as we both fall asleep...

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To Be Continued

2332 Words

(A/N: Well, it is once again very short and dark! I hope you enjoyed! This was a challenge to make since I have had school blocking me from continuing plus a resurgence of writer's block. As I said in a previous chapter, the fluff is now 99% gone. The most fluff is either bittersweet, spur of the moment, or unintended as the story continues. I am trying to fix my passive voice over time, but stopping passive voice is hard so sorry if this didn't come across right! Hope you all have a great day! Next time is the Vol II Review Chapter!!! Cya all then! Keep enjoying Lumeni: Ekpyrosis! <3)

-Sai~