Vivian Greer. The woman who was always composed, elegant, and immaculately put-together. This time, she looked nothing like her usual self. Her hair was slightly disheveled, and her eyes held a wild, desperate gleam. She was trembling with frustration as she spun around and shouted, "Gianna, what is going on?"

Then Gia stepped forward, her expression heavy with emotion. Her usually calm brown eyes shimmered, filled with hurt and disbelief. "That's enough, Vivi," she said softly, yet firmly. "I know everything. It was you. You were the one behind all of this."

Vivian blinked, stunned. Her lips parted as if to speak, but Gia didn't stop.

"I trusted you... like a sister," Gia continued, her voice breaking. A single tear traced down her cheek, catching the light as it fell.

Vivian's voice trembled as she tried to regain control of the situation. "Gianna, don't let this damned druid poison your mind," she said, gesturing sharply at me. "Whatever lies he's told you, you can't believe them."

She turned back to Gia with pleading eyes. "Why would I ever do something like that? You know how much I care about you."

Then, she whirled around to face me, anger replacing the vulnerability in her voice. "And you… what gives you the right to accuse me like this? Where's your proof, huh?" She looked around quickly, locking eyes with the reporters who had gathered nearby, clearly hoping to sway them to her side. "There's no evidence. Nothing but a baseless accusation. He's just trying to ruin me!"

With a calm breath, I reached into my pouch and pulled out another pouch I put there. Raising it high for everyone to see, I said clearly, "Agnar, hold her hands. Both of them."

Vivian's eyes widened. "Hey! Let me go! What do you think you're doing?!" she screamed, thrashing in Agnar's iron grip, but it was no use. She was caught… angry, panicked, and powerless.

"You wanted proof, didn't you?" I said coldly, my voice as steady as ice. "Then I'll give you proof."

I reached into the pouch and carefully pulled out the Jasper Ring, its green gemstone gleaming ominously under the light. I turned to face the crowd of reporters, all of whom had their eyes fixed on the ring in my hand.

"This pouch, and this ring, once belonged to the assassin who tried to kill Gianna Elmira. Not once, but on multiple occasions," I declared, my voice ringing out through the room. "Gianna herself can confirm it."

Gia nodded silently, her expression grim. The room grew quiet.

"This ring has a specific magical function. It allows the wearer to communicate directly with the owner of another," I continued, slipping it onto my finger and channeling a thin stream of Mana into the gemstone. A soft green glow flickered to life at its core.

Vivian's face drained of color as the matching ring on her finger began to glow in response. "N-no! I don't know anything about this!" she stammered, her voice shaking with panic. "This is a setup! This has to be the ring I gave you, right?"

I held up the ring I wore on my other hand. "This one is mine, the one you gave me. And this," I said, lifting the other ring, "is Gia's. The one you gave to the assassin so you could communicate with him."

Once more, I channeled Mana into my ring. Again, the ring on Vivian's hand responded, emitting a faint green light, undeniable and damning.

I looked her straight in the eyes, a cold smile on my lips. "Now, Vivian. How do you plan on explaining this?"

Her composure finally shattered. She screamed, "You! You bastard! If it weren't for you, everything would've gone perfectly!" Her voice was wild, frenzied. Gone was the refined woman everyone thought they knew. Now, only the truth remained, exposed and unmasked.

"You all heard her confession," I said calmly, turning to the Royal Guard stationed nearby. "Arrest her."

Gia, unable to hold back any longer, stormed forward. Without a word, she slapped Vivian across the face. The sound echoed through the room, but Gia said nothing. She simply turned and walked away, tears silently slipping down her cheeks.

The room erupted into chaos. Reporters shouted over one another, throwing questions like arrows, their attention split between me and the now-detained Vivian. But I ignored them all. Without a word, I turned and walked out of the chamber.

***

"I still can't believe it's all over," Gia said softly, wiping the last of her tears with the back of her hand. Her voice trembled slightly, but there was relief in her eyes. She turned to me, her gaze steady. "And everything you said turned out to be true."

I nodded, quietly. The air between us felt lighter now, but the weight of everything that had happened still lingered in the room like a shadow.

"How did you know?" she asked after a pause. "That Vivi and El… had a special relationship?"

I let out a slow breath, recalling the moment that had first sparked my suspicion. "It was the way Elliot ran to Vivian when she screamed from inside the room. He didn't hesitate. His panic was real. And it was stronger than when you were nearly crushed by the chandelier," I explained. "After that, I started paying close attention to their interactions. The glances. The subtle tension. The way they always seemed aware of each other, even when no one else noticed."

Gia's brows furrowed as she pieced it all together. "S-so, the motive… was really just like you said before?" she asked hesitantly.

"Yes," I replied with a slow nod. "Vivian found out you were going to expose her lover after the performance. She panicked. She tried to silence you before you could say anything. Maybe… maybe she did care about you, once. But love, twisted and desperate love, blinded her."

Gia lowered her head, the pain in her expression returning. Her voice was barely a whisper as she spoke again, almost as if singing to herself. "The Lament of the Fallen Star…" She glanced up at me. "Just like that song. Vivi, who used to be kind and thoughtful toward me… lost her way. Her heart led her down a path she couldn't come back from."

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I hesitated for a moment, unsure if it was the right thing to do. But then I stepped forward and pulled her gently into a hug. She didn't resist. She stood there quietly, leaning against me, letting the silence comfort her in a way words couldn't.

Vivian Greer and Elliot Grey. Once respected, admired, even loved. Now, the truth had caught up to them. And justice had been served.

They were both where they belonged.

In prison.

***

I spent the next few days staying close to Gia, making sure she had someone by her side until everything was truly over. With undeniable evidence and her own public confession, Vivian Greer had been officially sentenced and thrown into prison. Justice, it seemed, had finally been served.

One quiet afternoon, while the sun filtered lazily through the windowpanes, I turned to Gia. She was sitting across from me, a warm cup of tea in her hands, looking far more at peace than she had in days.

"So," I asked, breaking the silence, "what are you planning to do now?"

Gia gave me a soft smile, a trace of weariness still lingering in her eyes. "I'm not sure yet," she admitted. "I think I'll take some time off… maybe find a new hobby, something peaceful. Honestly, I just need time to be alone and breathe again."

She reached into her satchel and pulled something out, a familiar glint of metal. It was the ring. Vivian's ring.

"This was returned to me as part of the evidence file," she said, holding it out to me. "The ring Vivian wore. You should keep it. Along with the one you're already wearing. But on one condition…" She paused, a playful twinkle in her eyes. "You have to contact me. Often."

I chuckled and raised an eyebrow. "So, you're planning to wear yours again? Are you sure about that? Considering it was once used by the assassin?"

Gia laughed. A light, genuine laugh that seemed to shake off the last shadows clinging to her. "It's still better than having to use Vivi's," she said, rolling her eyes.

I nodded and accepted the ring. Maybe I can give the other one to Sam, I thought. He'd be thrilled to study it.

"Well," I said, standing as I slid the ring into my pouch, "looks like this is where we part ways."

Gia rose with me and smiled brightly. "But definitely not our final goodbye."

Without warning, she stepped forward and hugged me tightly. I returned the embrace, gently, carefully. This girl, no, this young woman, had endured far more than anyone her age should have. I could only hope that the days ahead would bring her healing, not more pain.

After we parted, Gia handed me a pouch. I opened it and froze.

"This… Gia, this is too much," I said, eyes wide. "The contract stated sixty thousand, not this."

Gia waved a hand dismissively, grinning. "You saved my life. More than once. That's worth a lot more than what we agreed on. Besides," she added with a wink, "have you forgotten? I'm filthy rich."

I let out a sigh and shook my head, smiling despite myself.

At the very least, with this, I could finally pay off my debts without having to dip into Sam's stash.

And most importantly… I could continue my build.

***

After returning to my usual routine, I set about tying up some loose ends. The first thing on my list was visiting Sam. As expected, he was overjoyed when I handed him the Jasper Ring.

"Are you serious, Sir? This can be used for long-distance communication?!" he exclaimed, eyes gleaming with excitement. He turned it over in his hands like a rare artifact. "I could probably study this for weeks!"

We spent some time running experiments together. As it turned out, if one ring was linked to multiple others, I could sense the specific connection I wanted to activate when channeling Mana into it. It felt like tuning into a frequency. Each bond carried a different signature, a faint tug in a certain direction.

Sam, being the genius that he was, had already figured out how to calibrate the rings. "By aligning the Mana flow pattern between two rings, you can establish a fixed connection," he explained, sketching out a quick diagram. "Kind of like creating a Mana thread… but way cooler."

I watched him work, still amazed at how his mind operated. "You're ridiculous," I said with a grin. "A ridiculous, brilliant kid."

He laughed. "Give me some time, and I might even be able to improve the design. Maybe add some enchantments, or reduce the Mana cost."

For now, at least, we had a reliable way to contact each other, especially in emergencies.

After spending a few more days with Sam and Luther, it was time to move on. My next destination: Willow's End.

My destination in Willow's End was clear: I needed to visit Tyranael Val'darion, the Druid Shaman himself.

This time, he spotted me first and called out before I could even knock. He happened to be standing in front of his home, looking rather contemplative.

"Leafshade," he greeted in his deep, resonant voice. "Have you gathered enough Mana Stones to seek information about the Soul Fragment?"

"Hey, Elder Val'darion," I replied with a small grin. "I wish I had. But actually, I need your help with something else."

Unfortunately, my stones weren't enough for both.

"I want to learn a spell."

He narrowed his eyes, suspicious already. "Another spell? That's your sixth in less than a year. Honestly, I don't even know what to say anymore."

"I just got really lucky this time," I said, shrugging. "Managed to snag a few extra stones from a quest."

"No need to justify it to me," he said, waving me inside. "Come. This will take a while."

I followed him into his dwelling, and we got straight to the ritual. One by one, the Mana Stones I brought were transferred into my body.

By now, I was used to the sensation, and, truth be told, I'd grown to enjoy it. The rush of raw energy flooding through me was oddly refreshing, like taking a deep breath after holding it underwater. Empowering, even.

It took hours before the ritual finally ended.

"I hope you choose your next spell wisely," Elder Val'darion said as he finished. "And after this one, Mana Stones alone won't be enough."

"I'm aware," I replied firmly.

"But before I head into the Sanctum of Trials," I added, pulling out more Mana Stones from my pouch, "there's one more thing I need your help with."

He raised an eyebrow. "And that is?"

"Can you upgrade my pouch?"

"What kind of upgrade?"

"Soulbound," I said.

He let out a small chuckle. "Let me guess, Sylvas inspired you?"

I nodded. "And I already know the cost."

I handed him my old pouch and the required stones. Honestly, it had served me well, but it was a pain trying to pull out my staff in the middle of a fight or emergency situation. Every second counted in battle, and fumbling for gear wasn't an option.

The upgraded version allowed me to retrieve and store items much faster.

It didn't take long for Elder Val'darion to complete the upgrade. The new pouch was now integrated with my body.

He gave me a brief rundown on how to use it, and I tried the Mental Summon. It was... awkward. The item flickered into my hand a few inches off-target and almost fell.

Putting it back in? Equally clumsy.

"Yeah... this'll take some getting used to," I muttered under my breath.

Still, after testing every function and making sure everything worked, I finally made my way toward the Sanctum of Trials, to claim my next spell.

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