40 Synchronisation

Her boots clapping against the moss-covered stones, Aurelia shuffled towards the high-arched tunnel that cut through the ancient wall. As she made her way south, the princess felt her heart pound a furious rhythm against her ribs. Her stomach churned, and a fine sweat beaded on her forehead.

After climbing a winding staircase, she rested a hand against the cool, damp stone to catch her breath. "What is happening to me?" Aurelia murmured, her voice lost in the enormous space. Was this fear? Or was it something else entirely?

Fifteen minutes of walking brought her to a clearing, and every sensation in her body screamed at her. Undoubtedly, something bizarre lurked within that silver Armatus.

She was certain of it.

The mobile suit was parked, kneeling on the grass within the grand space enclosed by the defence tower's outer wall. A small group of people huddled near the giant steel frame.

Triss Mercy and one of her Novitius mages, both clad in black, were inspecting an unconscious man on the ground. Nearby stood a Wildren and a man with hair as white as snow.

From Triss's calm demeanour, the guests appeared to be non-hostile, yet Aurelia recognised none of them.

Narrowing her eyes, she examined the new arrivals. Something about the silver-haired man seized her attention. Each strand seemed to sheen, dancing elegantly in the gusting wind. His shoulders were broad, complementing a towering height that put him a head above Triss Mercy. His frame was wrapped in a loose grey tunic and black trousers.

But most noticeably of all, an aura clung to him — something deeply, achingly familiar.

It reminded her of someone she knew. Someone she knew very well indeed.

Hope, sudden and fierce, glimmered in her eyes. Without a second thought, Aurelia found herself rushing forward.

Triss inspected the unconscious man, her gaze locking onto the purple glyphs encircling his throat. Their venomous tendrils slithered into his skin like deadly serpents.

"O' Mother Gaia," she breathed, clasping her hands. Concern was etched onto her pale face. "He bears the Deadman's Brand."

The Deadman's Brand was an arcane spell designed to kill its victim, slowly but deadly. It was a specific curse that only the Shadowbringers could wield, assassins trained under the Celestius of the Sagittarius Division, Jovian Xan Zepharion, the most feared assassin in human history.

Rumours swirled around Jovian's origins. It was said that at just seven years old, he had taken a man's life. Not just any man, but a Stellius mage. And he had done it with nothing more than a paperweight.

If that wasn't shocking enough, he had carried out the assassination undetected, leaving nothing behind but whispers. Tales of his ruthlessness spread far and wide, painting him as a cold-hearted killer who lived solely for the thrill of the hunt.

If Ignius Lux Draconus, the former Celestius of the Ares Division, was the master of thundering war, then Jovian was the master of silent, unseen death.

Triss scanned the group, her expression grim. Then she hesitated, her voice wavering as a blush crept up her neck. "And… he's also missing his… penis."

"What?!" Jack blurted out, his forehead creasing. He opened his mouth to ask for clarification, but thought better of it. The others seemed equally disturbed, choosing to remain silent.

"Umm… Triss-y, can you do anything about it?" Lupus eventually asked, resting her hands on her hips. She exchanged a glance with Jack, a look that said, I'm doing everything I can for this Armatus knight.

Jack nodded slowly in acknowledgement.

"I'm terribly sorry. I might not be able to heal him completely," Triss admitted apologetically, bowing her head to them. "His condition is far worse than I initially anticipated. The brand is already spreading throughout his body." Her eyes, brimming with kindness, lingered on the man's pained face.

"But I thought you could," Lupus said in disbelief, scratching her upper arm. "Haven't you registered your Essence of Iasis as mythic in the mage directory?"

"Yes, that information is accurate," Triss responded softly, "but I do not possess the immense mana required to perform this level of healing."

Jack's shoulders slumped. Seeing his genuine despair, Triss's eyes darted to the ground in guilt, as if she were somehow at fault.

"But there is— Huh?!"

Her sentence was cut short as a girl lunged past her, tackling Jack from behind.

"Zetius!" Aurelia cried out, wrapping her arms around his waist.

Jack yelped, startled by the impact.

Lupus's eyes widened in shock, watching her husband get embraced by a stranger right in front of her.

Spinning around, Jack managed to dislodge the girl. "Whoa! Young miss, who are you?!" he snapped. Now that he could see her properly, he guessed she was no older than fifteen — her round face and wide eyes gave away her youth.

He studied her for a moment. Aside from striking red hair and eyes, there was nothing particularly remarkable about her. She was 'mid', as his old DebrisX crew would have said, nothing to write home about.

Aurelia's expression mirrored his shock. She recoiled as if struck by lightning, stumbling back to land hard on the ground. "W~who are you?!" she shouted, her face draining of colour before flushing a furious crimson.

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Lupus shot Jack a menacing glare and yanked his collar. "Who is this lost child? Since when did you start preying on children?! Answer me, Jackie!"

"What?! I don't know this girl, Lupus!" Jack yelled back, his face a mask of earnest confusion. "She just popped out of nowhere and called me Zetian or something." He turned to the girl.

"I'm… I'm sorry! I mistook you for someone else," Aurelia stammered sheepishly. Despite her words, she offered neither a bow nor any other gesture of apology.

Lupus released his collar and blurted. "I'm sorry too."

Jack adjusted his tunic, dusting his shoulders and shooting her a glare for his lack of trust.

Triss and her mage chuckled at the drama. "Now, now, everyone," she announced, her divine voice carrying an authority that instinctively drew their attention. With a theatrical flourish, she gestured towards the princess. "May I introduce you to our catalyst?"

"Catalyst?" Aurelia asked, pointing at her own face with a slight tilt of her head.

Triss nodded twice before turning to the others. "I believe that if Princess Aurelia Sol Solara lends me her immense mana, I might be able to fully utilise my mythic essence."

A princess, really? Jack hid his smirk as he edged closer to Lupus. "Lupy, what does she mean?"

"She'll borrow mana from the princess to power the healing spell," Lupus explained in a low voice. "Her own innate mana capacity isn't enough to amplify her Iasis."

"Wait, you can do that?"

"Yes, but only if the princess has a sufficient mana reservoir and is willing to perform the channelling ritual."

Putting her fists on her hips, Aurelia drew a condescending smirk onto her lips. "Mm! I'll do it!" she declared, full of confidence. She glanced at the dying man, a flicker of pity in her eyes. If she could save a life with her mana, she would gladly do it.

"Wow, that weird girl is actually nice," Jack mumbled, earning a nudge from Lupus. "Willing to help a stranger without a second thought."

"Show some respect, Jackie. She's the princess of Solis Aeternum," Lupus scolded.

"My bad, my bad," he said, waving a hand dismissively.

"Then we shall not waste any more time," Triss suggested, motioning for Aurelia to step forward. "Princess?"

The princess eagerly complied, hovering her palms towards the reserved mage.

"Oh? You're familiar with the harmonious channelling ritual, Princess Aurelia?" Triss asked, glancing over her shoulder.

Aurelia nodded.

"That's a relief. Then let's concentrate!" Triss instructed, clasping her hands to her chest. Her mind began shaping the human anatomy — first the rough outlines, then the intricate network of blood vessels, muscle fibres, and bones. She envisioned the flow of rivers and the currents of wind.

Aurelia did the same, aligning their focus.

Soon, emerald leaves materialised from thin air, fluttering around them. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, twisted and danced, each glowing softly with intricate glyphs etched upon its surface. A luminous veil of energy rippled outward, cascading like an aurora across the tower.

Shimmering waves of light painted the stone in hues of green and gold, their brilliance reflecting off the highest spires.

Jack and Lupus stood in awe. The ritual was more than magic; it was a spectacle of life itself, both mesmerising and profoundly serene.

After a minute, Triss's eyes snapped open, glowing an ethereal green. Her hair floated as if she were weightless.

"Iasis!" Triss and Aurelia chanted in unison.

The leaves surged, spiralling into a storm with Rhok at its centre. A brilliant green light illuminated the entire space, almost blindingly bright, before vanishing in an instant.

Jack blinked, his vision adjusting. As expected, the Deadman's Brand was gone. Even the man's more… delicate injuries appeared to have been completely restored.

A triumphant smile curled Aurelia's lips. "We did it! Yay!" she exclaimed, bouncing with joy and clasping hands with Triss, who hesitated for a moment before joining in.

"Damn… Magic is both awesome and terrifying," Jack murmured, exchanging a soft smile with Lupus.

"He might remain comatose for a few days," Triss informed them, gazing at the man on the ground, who now appeared to be sleeping soundly.

"Alrighty, we'll take him to Hasenwald as a prisoner of war," Lupus concluded with a nod. "Then we'll decide what to do him."

As they celebrated, a voice suddenly rang out.

"Jackie?! Is that you?!" David called out, stumbling forward with glassy eyes and outstretched arms.

Jack and Lupus spun on their heels. "David?! Is that really you, my friend?!" he exclaimed, a mixture of disbelief and joy washing over him.

"Aye!" The two men embraced tightly.

"I thought you were dead!" Jack said, still blinking in bewilderment.

They pulled back, exchanging broad smiles. From Luna Base to this war-torn planet, neither of them had expected to meet here. Sister Fates truly worked in mysterious ways.

"My good man, how?!" David asked, scratching his cheek.

"I made a descent with some puny bots… Fifty of them," Jack replied with a smirk.

David frowned. "Impossible! If that were true, your brain would be scrambled already!" He blurted, his stumpy fingers reaching out to examine Jack's head. Jack sidestepped the intrusion.

"Well… I employed group commands and a mirroring protocol. That way, I was only controlling ten at a time."

"Hot damn! You've never failed to amaze me, Jackie!" David bellowed with laughter. Leaning in, he lowered his voice. "Is that your missis? You found her, mate?" he asked, his keen eyes glancing at Lupus, who was still deep in conversation with Triss.

Jack's smile faltered, his expression darkening. "They're gone, David… It's a long story." His voice grew quiet, heavy with a grief that sagged his shoulders.

The emptiness that had hollowed him out since that day had never loosened its grip.

"Oh… I hear you." David patted his arm gently, offering silent solace before cursing at the sky. "Damn this bloody war!"

After a moment, Jack looked up. "What about you? How did you get here?"

"You wouldn't believe it," David began, launching into his own tale of survival. He and his crew jumped on a spacecraft during the fall of Luna Base, but its one-shot Earthfall capability had left it stranded with a failed engine.

For weeks, he'd been trying to fix it, only to learn the hard way that an Arcanite engine was a lost cause without the right parts.

"Don't worry about it. I'll see what I can find," Jack offered, nodding towards the vessel.

"I'm relieved! We've got the best Debris collector in heaven or on Earth!" David roared boisterously. He explained that he hadn't been idle; he'd spent his time helping establish a settlement for war survivors, rigging up lighting, electricity, and running water.

"Miracles happen here, mate," he added, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "People show up, war survivors asking for help… And they've got… magic. Healing and all sorts."

"That's commendable," Jack replied, his respect for Triss deepening.

"It's real! See? I told you!" David said, his eyes wide.

Jack bit back the urge to say 'That's my line: I told you so', not wanting to ruin his friend's awe.

"So, you're with Hasenwald now?" David asked, his gaze locking onto Jack's.

"Yeah… I'm just a pilot," Jack said quietly, glancing at Lupus. She met his gaze with a sweet, reassuring smile. "I've got something to protect again."

"I'm happy for you, mate," the big man uttered with genuine sincerity.

With their reunion cemented and a new objective in mind, they prepared for the next chapter of their battle for survival.

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