1 Prologue

Esther walked down the fire filled path. She could still smell the burnt trees. Faint embers still dancing in the air. And next to all of that, charred bodies. Burned to the point that you wouldn't be able to differentiate it from the ground. Some of them still had that blue-purple liquid oozing from nearly every orifice of their body—their mana.

Esther's Blood Work, which took the form of a knife, fell apart little by little. Its job was done—HER work was done. The price was paid. Her friends were safe.

"'To end The War With No End.'" she quoted her kingdom's military propaganda. A lie she told herself to justify the war crime she just committed.

"Esther?" she was broken out of her trance.

A voice, gentle and afraid. She looked up at the young woman standing next to her. She hadn't heard her approach.

The young woman slowly reached for Esther's hand, but Esther pulled away. In that instant, her Blood Work fell apart and a small pool of blood suddenly fell onto the ground. All that remained was the bleeding wound on her palm.

"Esther." the young woman said gently. Esther hated it. She just committed a heinous act. Why was she still so calm and kind towards her? She pulled her close and wrapped her arms around her. It took some time, but Esther eventually wrapped her arms around her too. She buried her face on the woman's shoulder and started to cry.

"I had to do it. I had to. If I didn't...they would've..." Esther couldn't continue. She sniffled and kept on crying.

"Shhh..." her voice still soothing, "You did nothing wrong, Esther."

"It's all wrong! All of it!" Esther said firmly. "This can't go on, Evotella!"

"I...can't go on." Esther said in a lower voice.

"We do good work, Esther. No matter how you look at it, we do the rest of the world good."

"I just forcibly imploded everyone's Mana Drive, Evotella! What good am I doing to the world?" Esther pushed Evotella away.

Unlike Esther, Evotella's armor was virtually clean. She hadn't been given the chance to go out and fight the same way Esther had. Her glistening armor and gold blond hair made her seem like a Valkyrja that had come to collect the souls of the fallen warriors. Esther looked like war itself. Bloodied greaves, gauntlets, even her hair was bloody, not like anyone would be able to tell. After all, her hair was blood red itslef.

"Esther, please listen to me. I know it's difficult for–"

"Difficult?! I can't even tell which memories are mine and which ones are hers! I want them to stop!" she cried.

Esther was frustrated and fell to her knees. Evotella was about to walk towards her, but in the end decided not to. Esther looked at her still bleeding hand and, for a moment, thought about imploding her own Drive. She perished the thought immediately.

"Come here." Evotella approached her and extended her arm.

Esther ignored the gesture and stood on her own. Evotella slowly pulled her hand back and refused to look her in the eye.

"You are Esther Arcana, daughter of Yelena and Zirael Arcana. You are not Ava Estheim." Evotella reminded her.

"I know I'm not. Ava Estheim was hailed as a hero. My mother can't look her own daughter in the eye without fear. My own sister denies that we're related. And my father? My father only sees me as an asset."

Evotella was silent.

"Let's just go." Esther said. "I can't be here any longer."

"Come with me, Esther. Let's just go back and explain everything."

"I know exactly what's waiting for me; I either tell them about how Blood Works are used or I get accused of treason."

"They already know how, Esther." Evotella said in a low voice. Esther could also sense some regret.

Esther shook her head slowly in disappointment. She smiled with disbelief. In an instant she forcibly pulled blood from her wound and once again turned into a knife. Evotella reacted by cutting her own hand and releasing her own Blood Work and pointing it at Esther.

It was a short sword with a thin blade barely half as wide as her forearm. Unlike Esther's though, it was imperfect. Esther's looked like a perfect scarlet knife whereas Evotella's was still dripping blood. The blade on hers was rugged while Esther's was just as deadly as a real knife.

"Guess I should be happy I didn't teach you everything about Blood Work." Esther said.

"You taught me enough." Evotella responded.

"I don't want to fight you."

"You wouldn't win anyway."

"You think the great Ava Estheim developed Blood Work without figuring out a way to counteract it?"

"You're bluffing."

Esther said nothing. Evotella looked her dead in the eyes and inhaled sharply. She believed her.

"You're a real piece of work, Esther Arcana."

Esther dispelled her Blood Work letting her blood drop to the ground again. Evotella didn't follow suit, instead she simply lowered her arm. Esther fidgeted with her fingers and stared at nowhere.

"I have to go. I need to find the Veil."

"The Veil doesn't exist, Esther."

"It does exist. Ava found it I've seen her memories of it. It's the only thing that can cure me."

"What you have is not a disease, Esther."

"And what would YOU call it?"

"I...don't know."

"Hm." Esther smiled. "I'll be seeing you."

"And what should I tell everyone?"

"There's plenty of unidentifiable bodies here. Get creative."

"Esther." Evotella called her out. "I hope you're wrong about the Veil."

Esther stopped and thought for a second. She turned around and looked up at Evotella.

"Honestly. So do I."

Esther then turned around and started to walk away with no specific destination with only memories to guide her.