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Elena smiled softly as she watched them happy together.
Despite how much everything had changed in the last year; she was happy that her girlfriend had her mother to be with.
"..."
But then loneliness crept in.
She looked down in silence.
Elena felt Elisa and Monica’s hands rest gently on her shoulders and saw them nod reassuringly.
"It’s okay. We’re going to find her."
"Yeah...!"
"T-Thanks..." Elena sighed. "It has been a year, though. Can we even do anything? Mom’s... she’s gone... I don’t know what to do anymore..."
"Hm..." Olivia sighed. "The Undead invasion from the Netherworld has intensified over the last year since your mother disappeared. The revelation that the ga connected to another world spread everywhere, and the servers shut down, leaving countless players in the dark. And now that mysterious world you were connected to... you can no longer reach it?"
"We’ve been trying for a year, but sothing is blocking us," Elena sighed. "I don’t know what it is, but I’m so worried about my little brother. I left him there thinking he would be safe, but... will he be? We left our ho—the Domain—and it beca a shelter for the spirits, but... Hah, even now I don’t know what to do."
"It all truly feels hopeless, doesn’t it?" Olivia sighed, patting Elena’s shoulders. "But don’t lose your will. We will find a way. For now, I’m really grateful you’ve tried your best to adjust to the Magus Society. I know it wasn’t what you expected, and maybe not even what you wanted, but if you had stayed unprotected outside, you would likely have been captured by so organization or the governnt. It was the least I could do. SWORD agreed to the deal as well. They’re taking care of Elayne’s Domain and protecting the endemic spirit life forms. Those spirits are now openly cooperating with SWORD to take down invading Undead, Demons, and even Hollows, which have grown so nurous lately."
"Yeah..." Elena nodded. "I hope they’re doing okay. I haven’t visited in two months..."
Elena and her friends could still teleport back to the Domain, but their busy lives ant they did so only sparingly throughout the year. The survivors from Avalon had made the Domain their ho. With the Druids and SWORD working together, it had beco a sanctuary and a central hub of spiritual energy in Canada—a precious source of that rare power, which might hold the key to gaining an edge against the slow yet relentless invasion of otherworldly beings.
...
After watching the magician battles with a distant, uninterested gaze—longing for nothing more than to see her mother and brother again—Elena walked out of the arena alone. She stood on the terrace of her room in the clock tower, staring at the night sky.
"What can we even do...?" she sighed, gazing at her cursed wand. "What can we even change? It’s all... so pointless without my mom..."
Elena had taken her beloved mother for granted. Every day, she had always been there, caring for her, cooking delicious als, buying her clothes, loving her unconditionally, working tirelessly, all for her sake.
At so point Elena had even hated her for no reason. Though she had apologized and worked to nd their relationship, it still didn’t feel like enough.
"We didn’t even get to say goodbye. I wasn’t prepared... Why did we have to lose? Why... why was I so weak that I couldn’t stop him from taking her and everyone else? My mother was too kind, too reckless, but... but can I really bla her? That’s just who she is... that’s my mom."
Her red eyes stared down from the tower’s height. Her face slowly paled. "I wonder if I could die if I fell from here... Maybe if I die... maybe I can go to the Netherworld... and reunite with Mom..."
Elena began climbing the wall, looking down as the breeze brushed across her face. "M-Maybe if I weaken myself enough with a powerful self-inflicted curse, I could—"
Knock, knock.
Soone knocked and then opened the door. It was Anna. "Elena? Are you there? Why don’t you co with us for dinner? Master Olivia said she’ll take us to a fancy place—ELENA?! WAIT! ELENA!"
Anna rushed toward her girlfriend, who was about to leap. A blade of curses pierced Elena’s heart, weakening her to a mortal level.
A fall would almost certainly be fatal.
"Anna? Ah..."
Elena slipped at the last second and fell from the tower.
"AAHHH!"
Anna scread. Her magic surged from her aura as a giant blazing phoenix manifested and dove downward to catch her.
"ELENAAAAAAA!"
As she flew toward Elena, Anna stretched out her hand.
Their fingers nearly touched, but Elena fell too quickly.
"Nnnggh...!"
In a reckless, heroic act, Anna dislocated her own arm, extending it far enough to grab Elena. She healed it instantly and pulled her back into a tight embrace.
"...Anna."
"Elena! What do you think you were doing?! What the hell is wrong with you?!"
"A-Anna... I... I don’t... want to live in a world without her..."
"Elena! Don’t say that! I love you! Don’t leave , please! Don’t leave !"
Anna began to cry as she held Elena close. Both girls sobbed beneath the moonlight. Elena slowly returned to her senses, realizing what she had almost done, and apologized through her tears.
"I’m sorry... I-I don’t know what happened to ..." Elena sighed.
"Why would you ever think about doing sothing like that?!" Anna asked, voice shaking.
"It’s... because I thought I could reunite with Mom in the Netherworld..." Elena sighed.
"Even if you did, you wouldn’t know where she is or what happened to her...!" Anna sighed, tears streaming down her face. "And wouldn’t that go against her wishes?! She sacrificed herself to save us—to save you and your little brother!"
"...You’re right," Elena sighed, closing her eyes. "I’m sorry... I’m sorry, Anna... I didn’t think... I... I’ve been so depressed. Sotis these emotions just consu ..."
"It’s that wand again..." Anna sighed, gently taking it from Elena’s hand. "Is it the Cursed Spirit inside? Was it manipulating you?"
"N-No, I..." Elena muttered, then rembered how she had been holding the wand, caressing it, staring at it for so long. "I don’t know..."
"Haaa..." Anna sighed, facepalming as she stored the wand in her bag for now. "From now on, use the wand Master Olivia bought you..."
"Okay..." Elena nodded.
"I guess you don’t want to go eat. Let’s go to bed," Anna said, taking her hand. "I’ll stay by your side at all tis. Don’t worry. I won’t leave you alone... okay? Sorry if I made you feel lonely when I was with my mom, but... she’s my mom, Elena... I can’t just... ignore her because..."
"I know..." Elena sighed. "It’s my fault... I guess I was jealous that you... you still had her. I’m sorry. I really shouldn’t have those feelings at all... I’ve beco such a terrible person."
As they flew higher, returning to Elena’s room and settling onto the bed, Anna kissed her and held her close.
"You’re not a terrible person. It’s natural to feel that way... sorry," Anna said softly, kissing her nose. "I love you, Elena... I really do... I don’t want anything to happen to you... so please..."
"I-I know... sorry..." Elena nodded through her tears, hugging Anna tightly. "I love you too, Anna... You’re the only one who has kept going... Thank you for being here for ..."
"I’ll always be here for you, no matter what..." Anna whispered as they cuddled together, holding hands. "Always..."
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