"Anyway, Vierna, do you go to the academy or...?" Tessa asked, her voice casual but curious.
"Ah... I just arrived a few days ago," Vierna replied. "Right now, I don’t know if I could even enter an academy, even after the experiments are over."
"You can." Tessa’s reply came quickly, certain.
"If being a merchant’s daughter taught me anything, it’s that my hunch is rarely wrong."
The pause that followed carried a peculiar familiarity. Shoulders eased, breaths softened, and the space between them felt familiar. It was as if Tessa’s words had unlatched a door no one had noticed until it swung open.
She imagined it. Wearing a student uniform. Carrying books instead of supplies. Learning, chatting, sitting shoulder to shoulder with others like her.
"Anyway," Tessa said, rising from her seat, "I have to go. It’s getting pretty late.”
"Ah, yes. Sure. It’s a pleasure, Tessa."
"Likewise. If I ever drop by the research facility, I’ll certainly look for you. Wait—that’s allowed, right?"
"Haha, I doubt it. But I appreciate the sentiment."
Tessa gave a small nod and turned away, leaving with the same grace and quiet presence she had carried from the start.
Vierna lingered for a moment, then stood as well. The warmth of the fire had dulled, and the noise in the manor had thinned to scattered echoes. The feast was clearly nearing its end.
Then she wandered again.
Past the outer balconies. Through side halls lined with oil paintings and ancestral crests. Past corridors where laughter had already gone quiet.
Eventually, she caught sight of the Arkmarschall. Not cloistered away in some guarded chamber, but standing among the guests, speaking easily, a glass in his hand. Beside him, as always, was the Herzogin (Duchess). Their presence was a reminder that in Einhartturm even the highest did not place themselves beyond reach. They bled, talked, ate alongside the rest. Perhaps this was why Einhartturm endured: its spirit held fast because its leaders chose to stand among their people, not above them.And what she heard stopped her just at the threshold.
General Berbaris was singing.
His voice rose clear and steady, carrying through the hall without strain. Notes lingered in the air, full and unbroken, as though the stone walls themselves had been tuned to hold his song. Conversations faltered, heads turned. By the time he reached the refrain, the crowd was caught, breath held and glasses forgotten in mid-air. It was no ballad of love or lament, but a patriotic hymn, the kind sung in triumph after a victory. The lyrics spoke of unity, sacrifice, and a homeland worth bleeding for, and in that moment the feast became more than celebration; it felt like a vow renewed.
If Einhartturm wasn't the place it was, it would not be strange to imagine Berbaris as a singer instead of a general.
She left the hall once the song ended, but the sound did not leave her. The echo of it clung to the corridors, soft as a hum beneath her thoughts, as if the stones themselves carried his voice onward. Even in silence, she found herself walking in rhythm to the memory of his song. It pressed into her chest, heavy yet stirring, leaving a lasting impression she knew would not fade quickly.
She gave him a small wave.
He only nodded in return. He was Hauptmann of the 3rd Division, after all. There was an image to maintain. Vierna didn’t take it personally. She knew what Alb was really like underneath all that brass and silence.
Eventually, her steps brought her to the balcony.
The night welcomed her with a certain gentleness. Above, the moon hung and watched her.
Despite arriving only a few days ago, it felt like she had been here a lifetime. She had bled here and claim it as her home.
And the moon had seen all of it. It bore witness to her transformation without judgment, it allowed her to simply be.
She gazed at it as though speaking with the weight of her heart, lost in the deep ashen glow of the moon.
“The moon, huh?” came a voice from behind her. It was Lina.
She must have wandered off too, and fate had brought them to the same quiet place.
“It is so beautiful,” Vierna said.
Lina leaned on the railing beside her. “Hmm. I never paid that much attention to it, I guess.”
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Vierna gave a faint smile. “Well... the moon might’ve been the only thing that didn’t pity me back at the orphanage. In a way, it’s my second real friend. Besides Matron Elra.”
The words slipped out softer than she intended, carrying a depth of longing that shadowed her smile.
“You don’t need to worry about that anymore,” Lina replied, nudging her. “You’ve got me now, don’t you?”
“As a friend? No, Lina,” Vierna said, voice soft. “You’re something else to me. Something so... intimate.”
Lina’s eyes widened.
“Kidding, You’re my best friend,” Vierna added, voice playful.
Lina slumped against the balcony rail.
“Would you please not do that?” Lina groaned.
“Hehehe. No promises,” Vierna said, eyes gleaming. “Like Alb said... you’re too cute to be left un-teased.”
Lina gave her a half-hearted glare, but didn’t bother to hide the smile creeping up.
They stayed like that for a while. Two girls on a balcony, talking like they had all the time in the world.
They traded stories about the feast: who spilled what, who said something dumb, what foods were actually edible. They even joked about people they found attractive.
"Her hair moved like dark silk," Vierna began, hands gesturing like she was painting the image midair. "That’s a perfectly innocent observation, right?"
Lina gave her a long, unimpressed look.
Vierna leaned back on the railing, a sly grin blooming.
"And her body… oh God, those curves it was like she was carved by God himself. The kind of figure that makes you forget how dangerous she probably is. She looked like an assassin who just happens to be beautiful like someone who strikes your heart, both metaphorically and literally, when you least expect it."
She tilted her head slightly, gaze still caught in the memory.
"Honestly? If she told me to kneel, I’d probably just hand her my entire soul and ask if she wanted anything else while she was at it."
Lina made a noise somewhere between a sigh and a scoff.
"Must be nice," she muttered.
"Haha, see? Too cute. Don’t worry, Lina, you’re still the closest one in my heart," Vierna said, half-laughing, half-mocking. "Although... I wouldn’t mind sharing your space with Tessa. Two is better than one, right?"
“Viernaaaaa,” Lina groaned again.
“Kidding! haha”
They sat for a while, simply watching the moon.
It hung above them like a quiet god, surrounded by a field of stars that shimmered across the deep black sky. There was something sacred about it—hallowed, almost.
As if the night itself had paused just to let them comprehend the vastness and the majesty of it.
For a moment, it felt like this could last forever.
They hoped, quietly, that the facility might allow moments like this again. Just one more hour. One more night beneath the moon.
But hope like that was wrong, wasn’t it? It made them seem ungrateful. The procedures were there to fix them. So they shouldn’t hope for rest, or for moonlight. They should hope for the next procedure instead.
Then suddenly a voice cut through their solemn ‘prayer’.
"It's time, come to the front gate. We're going back."
It was unmistakably Halwen’s voice.
They departed—returning to the place they called home.
At the front gate, Halwen awaited them. A carriage stood ready to take them back.
As Lina and Vierna approached, he said something—quiet, almost inaudible.
Vierna didn’t catch the words. She glanced at him, but his expression gave nothing away.
So she let it go.
Whatever he said, he clearly didn’t intend for it to be repeated. The trio entered the carriage, and just like that, they were on their way.
"I know tomorrow is technically still your vacation," Halwen said, "but considering the responsibility the Arkmarschall left in your hands, it’s best we use that time for something else."
"Yes, Herr Halwen," they replied in unison.
And with that, the version of Lina and Vierna who had enjoyed the party faded into sleep—while the soldiers of Einhartturm awoke once more.
"Meet me at the meeting hall tomorrow at 7 a.m. I’ll brief you on the details of Plan Ewige Schlange," Halwen added.
The two girls gave a salute before turning to talk quietly with each other.
Eventually, they arrived at the facility. It seemed Halwen lived there too. After passing through the front gate, they split at the corridor. Lina and Vierna returned to their room and took another shower. After that they prepared for bed.
"Well, today’s been a blast. Let’s hit the hay—and don’t you dare snatch my pillow later," Lina said, clutching her pillow like a prized possession.
"Actually, Lin, before we sleep... I think you forgot something," Vierna replied. Her tone made it clear. This was important.
"What?"
"You’re going to read my book. I can’t befriend someone who actually believes Draghul drinks blood. Look here, it's a good book."
Lina stared at the thick black tome Vierna held up. One glance told her everything she needed to know: no pictures. The kind of book that made reading a nightmare.
"But we’re on vacation."
"Not for you, young lady. Now sit down and learn."
"Nope. You ain’t making me." Lina bolted across the room.
"Wait—!"
They spent the next ten minutes chasing each other like lunatics around the bedroom. It seemed that when no one else was around, the children they used to be came back in full force, wild and unrestrained.
Realizing there was no way to catch Lina through sheer speed, Vierna decided to tap into a forbidden branch of magic. The most ancient and primal spell ever written.
A technique no one could defend against.
And given its severity, Lina’s best option was to start praying.
"Lina… I just wanted you to read my book. Why do you have to be so mean to me?"
She said, mock-crying. Tears fell like raindrops in cold night. It was surprising that someone who never entered a theater pulled off this kind of stunt. Maybe she did some water making magic with her eyes? Who knows?
Lina knew very well that those were crocodile tears. Shed by someone trying to trap her into the snare of pure boredom.
"Viernaaa…"
"HUAAAAAA!"
Vierna’s crying grew more desperate, like she just failed the entire world. Failed to make her friend read her book. Lina knew it was all an act. A ridiculous charade.
But still... she couldn’t help it.
"Alright, fine, fine! Let me read it."
"Yay!"
Just like that, the crocodile stopped crying.
The pair spent the evening reading the book together.
Right now, they were just two girls joking around. Reading books together.
But tomorrow? That was a different story.
Tessa Or Lina?
