SirRFI

Ever since she was a child,
Arisha held extraordinary power.

She could look into moments...
Special moments, in which time was stopped.

Moments where the wind froze, and the world sunk into silence.
Where not a single leaf so much as twitched.

Arisha liked those moments.



Shenn
Fascinating.

One day, Arisha encountered a man
as she was exploring some forsaken ruins.

Shenn
What's your name, girl?

Arisha
Arisha.
Who's asking?

The man laughed.

Shenn
I am called Shenn.

Shenn
Would you like to learn magic...
Arisha?

Without a moment's hesitation, Arisha nodded.

That's how her new life begun.



Arisha followed Shenn to his tower
and began to explore her innate powers.

She had a talent for controlling mana.

To help her, Shenn crafted a focus.

When she used it, Arisha could manipulate
mana particles however she pleased.

Even as she grew in power, the moments where
time stood still continued to seek her out.

But they were no longer pleasant. They had become
moments of pain and nightmare.

Unbearable loneliness pressed down upon her,
crushing Arisha in darkness that felt eternal.

She would be trapped in those moments until she blacked out.
When she awoke, Shenn was always at her side.



Arisha
What's happening to me?

Shenn
Everything will be all right.

Shenn brushed her forehead as Arisha trembled in fear.

One night, as Arisha slept...

Shenn's blade pierced through her chest.

It was a ritual to seal the god from the otherworld,
who was lurking inside Arisha's body.

When it felt the ritual begin, the god began to fight back.

Mana surged out of Arisha and attacked Shenn.

He screamed from the pain, but never let go of the sword
in his hand.

The image of Arisha thrashing reflected from his eyes.

But he never let go. With one final cry, he poured all the mana
he could muster into the seal.

The seal was complete.
The room grew still.

A pair of glasses and a longsword clattered to the ground.



When Arisha finally awoke, she picked up the glasses, puzzled.

They belonged to someone...
Someone who cared about her...

But she could not remember who.

She wandered for days, aimless, not knowing who she was.

Her body was marked with rune magic, but she couldn't
remember what had caused them.

She headed to the city, hoping the magician who lived
there would be able to help her.

On the way there, a group of masked men surrounded her.

She readied her mana for a battle.

Masked Man
Peace, girl. We are not here to fight you.

One of the men spoke. She could not tell which it was.

Masked Man
We are here to check on the heretic's power,
To make sure it's been successfully sealed.

Masked Man
It's in a different form than we expected,
but it appears to have been sealed.

With that, the masked men turned to leave.

Arisha
Stop! Who are you?
What do you know about me?

The men paused.

Masked Man
I almost forgot.
He told us to tell you...

Masked Man
Witch of Time, the person you seek
is no longer in this world.

A shadow tugged on Arisha's memory...



A man's laugh... A sharp face
adorned with a pair of glasses.

The memory flickered and was lost...

Arisha felt tears flowing down her face.

She vowed to find an answer.
She wouldn't return to the tower until she did.

Arisha left the forest and arrived at a town.

The town's name was Colhen.

My sister looked stunning as she gazed in the mirror,
styling her hair.

Big Sister
Well?

Lynn
Beautiful! You're the most beautiful in the world!

My sister would smile and ruffle my hair
whenever I said that.



My mother sent me to spear lessons ever since
I was little, because I was so weak.

My spear teacher was a man a year or two younger
than my sister.

My sister would often come to my lessons and watch me.

I liked how she would smile at my teacher.

I also liked how he would smile back.

I hoped that things would work out between them.

And I thought that they would.



When my sister found out she was being married off,
she cried and cried and cried.

Lynn
Why don't you just run away?

Big Sister
Some things are just beyond our control.

I heard that country she was marrying into had ten
times the military force of ours.

Even as she prepared for a marriage she didn't want,
my sister would smile at me.

Lynn
How can you smile at a time like this?
Why?

A few years later, my sister returned to our castle.



She was sick with tuberculosis. Her face was gaunt.
I still thought she was the most beautiful person in the world.

She passed away a few days later.

During her last moments, my spear teacher was holding
her hands. He did not attend her funeral.

That night, he vanished.

A little later, a messenger came from the east.

He said that a soldier from this country had attempted
to assassinate their king. It was an act of rebellion.

He also demanded an apology from my mom
for sending such a frail bride.

My mother shook her head when the messenger stated
that all would be forgiven if she sent another bride.



That night, my mother came into my room holding
a knife.

One flash of her blade, and my hair fell to the floor.

Mother
My daughter, the princess, has died today.
Flee with the rest of the citizens.

Mother didn't even say goodbye.

Mother
I'm so glad that I taught you how to use a spear...

I left the castle with shortened hair.

I could hear the shouting of the solders of the east
on my heels.



As my hair re-grew, I hardened my resolve.

I would get stronger.

Lynn
I am Lynn, princess of the lost kingdom.



Later...
A campfire burned brightly.

The man threw in more wood before asking.

Mysterious Man
So, what's a kid like you doing here?

Lynn
What's an old man like you doing here?

Mysterious Man
Old man? What? I'm only twenty!

Lynn
I'm not a kid, either.

Mysterious Man
Okay, okay. You win.
What's a young lady like you doing here?

Lynn
Searching for someone strong.

Mysterious Man
You don't say. How come?

Lynn
I have something to reclaim.

Mysterious Man
Yeah? Then maybe you're looking for me.
I'm a lot stronger than I look.

Lynn snickered and stood up to go.

Lynn
That's my cue to exit. I'm Lynn.
It was nice to meet you.

Lann
My name is Lann.

Lynn
Well, Lann, if you're really as strong as you think
you are, we're bound to meet again.

Lann
You can count on it. Take care, Lynn.

Lann shook Lynn's hand with a smile.

The chirping of birds could be heard echoing
through the forest.

Since a young age Evie had an
extraordinary talent for magic.

When she could barely walk, she summoned
a magical light, without even thinking about it.

That's when Evie's father decided to teach her magic.

Father
Evie, your talent is a gift from the goddess!

Her father hired the best magicians to be her teachers
and filled her library with spell books.

She read every single one of them.

Basic magic, healing magic, astrology, alchemy...
Even books about ancient magic, now long gone.

Little by little, the pressure began to overwhelm her.

Father
Evie, your talent is a gift from the goddess!

That's what her father had said that day.

And he had smiled so brightly, just for that moment.

She wanted to make him smile like that again.

But he never did. No matter how hard she studied.

When she looked at her father, all she saw was the sad, lost
expression he'd worn ever since her mother had gone.

It was all too much. Evie began to dream of escape.

She gazed at the sea and longed to travel far, far away.

She never expected the opportunity to come so soon.



Father
Tonight. A boat leaves for the west.
You need to be on it.

Her father slipped her a single ticket.

She was to go to the magic school in the west.

Evie
What about you? Aren't you coming with me?

Father
I will. Later. You are to go first.

It was the freedom she had longed for,
but she found herself shaking.

Whether it was from fear or excitement,
she couldn't be sure.

That night, her father had to all but push her into the
carriage heading for the port.

...

A knot settled in Evie's stomach as she sat in the carriage.

This was what she'd wanted, but something
didn't feel right.

Evie
Maybe I'm not ready for this...

Evie made the carriage turn around.



As they approached the manor,
Evie's worst fears were realized.

The manor was engulfed in flames.

Evie
Father!

Evie rushed into the manor.



Black Magician
The daughter of the traitor who attempted to
dethrone the holy king with lies!

A hooded figure stood in the entryway, as if waiting for her.
He chanted a spell.

Evie fought back with everything she had learned
in her long years of studying.

She defeated the magician with the last ounce of her strength...

But she could not save her father.

Father
Look how you've grown...
You've made me... so proud...

Now go be... the person...
you want to be...

He spoke the words with a smile brighter than
Evie had ever seen. And then he was gone.

...



With nothing left, Evie headed to the magic school her father
had chosen for her. For many years, she studied.

Evie
I've decided to become a mercenary.

Evie graduated as valedictorian. Her declaration after the
ceremony shocked everyone who knew her.

Her teachers and peers tried to convince her there
were much nobler uses of her talents.

But Evie had never forgotten her desire to choose her own destiny.

Evie
I want to help the common people,
so that they never lose hope.

That's what she said, but she also wanted to be free.

And in the carriage on her way to Rocheste,
Evie was freer than anyone.