Chance Meeting

I sat outside alone while we were taking from traversing to East Spring. I couldn't get Luke's voice out of my head. His voice haunted me and I could still feel his strong hold on me. As I stared at the sky, Aria walked toward me then she sat beside me. I looked at her then looked back at the sky.

"It's cold out here, y'know...You shouldn't sit out here alone." Aria said.

I didn't respond.

Aria looked at me then let out a soft sigh. "Come inside and get some warmth. If you get sick—"

"Enough." I said and closed my eyes. "Just let me be alone."

Aria looked at me once again and noticed how much I was hurting inside. She gently placed her hand on mine. "I can't...Not while you're struggling alone. You need someone..."

I opened my eyes as I felt her touch. I looked at Aria and noticed her concerned look. I sighed and looked off into the distance. "You shouldn't worry about me. I'm not someone you want to be around right now... not as I am."

"Claudio..." Aria said softly then stopped herself. She stood up and sighed. "Whatever, just come inside. It looks like it's gonna rain anyway..."

Dearie watched as Aria walked back inside the Spring Forest Inn then looked at me. "Claudio..."

I stood up as well and walked off into the distance. I needed to clear my head as my mind was obviously clouded. I didn't want to be around anyone except Dearie at the moment. I didn't care where I went, I just needed to walk around and clear my mind.

Leo watched from the window and sighed softly. He turned around and shook his head slightly. "I wish I knew what I could do to help him..."

"His entire world has fallen apart knowing the truth. We can't help him until he's processed the reality and defeated the Phantom that now haunts him." Addis said as he helped Madris prepare dinner.

"I can't just sit here and allow my—" Leo started then sighed. "I can't allow Claudio to suffer alone because of Luke. I am part of the reason his spirit is aching because what he said is true. I could've saved her and him...for the first time that day I wasn't ten steps ahead, but behind."

"The most we can do is let him figure out his next courses of action. He is the only one that can truly save the Darlings that are trapped in this living nightmare. If you do truly still wish to be a father figure in his life, allow him to seek the light through Yascha." Addis said.

Leo grunted softly and sighed. "I guess.."

______________________

"Alert: We have gone too far from the others. We should—" Dearie started.

"Dearie..." I started and looked at her. "It's alright. I just need to clear my mind..."

Dearie nodded and noticed I stopped in at a secluded area. We noticed a large bear with magic markings along its fur, a white dress hanging off a tree branch and a few fireflies flying around the area. It all looked so beautiful and serene. It was a calming sight. I took a step forward and heard a twig snap.

The bear was immediately alerted and looked back at me and Dearie. I grunted as it began to stand on its hind legs. The bear roared loudly alerting the woman that was in the lake. The woman noticed me and her eyes widened.

[Alert: New Darling Nearby!]

[Name: Cecilia Springstone]

[Age: 22]

[Birthday: May 1st]

[Occupation: East Spring Princess]

[Hobbies: Ruling over East Spring, Strolling around Spring Forest, Finding her true love.]

[Price: $5000]

The woman I noticed as insanely beautiful having a nearly perfect complexion, light blue eyes, long pink hair, and a slender figure.

"B-Bjorn! Attack!" Cecilia cried out.

Bjorn roared and dashed toward me. I grunted and dodged his first strike then groaned as he struck me away with the back of his arm. I rolled on the ground a bit then stood up, impressed with the capabilities of Bjorn.

"Analysis: Bjorn is 100% capable of close quarters combat. Proposal: Defeat Bjorn." Dearie said as she also got ready for battle.

"Kill Bjorn to grow stronger." Luke's voice said in my head.

I grunted as I held my head then noticed Bjorn charging toward me. I barely dodged his attack and struck his stomach, knocking him backwards then rushed forward. I went for the next attack, but Bjorn blocked my attack then countered with a palm strike, blowing me away. I recovered and hurled a Light Blast toward him. Bjorn dodged the Light Blast then his marking shined and he formed a sphere of earth energy between his paws then launched it at me. I dodged it and a bead of sweat rolled down my cheek.

'This bear can also use magic..? What the heck is this bear..?' I thought to myself.

"Hmph...I guess I can see how much I need to actually try." I said and was about to awaken my Angel Mode.

"Enough." A woman's voice said.

Both Bjorn and I looked where the voice came from then noticed a woman walking forward.

[Alert: New Darling Nearby!]

[Name: Verin Ravafina]

[Age: 25]

[Birthday: March 20th]

[Occupation: East Princess's Bodyguard]

[Hobbies: Protecting Her Princess, Playing chess, Fighting against strong opponents.]

[Price: $4500]

Verin was just as beautiful as Cecilia was, but had long purple hair, pale purple eyes, and a slightly thinner figure than Cecilia. She wore white robes and shoes with a pendant around her neck and a Crest on her right hand.

Verin looked at me and crossed her arms. "You've stumbled upon someone you're not meant to see yet and at that seen her bare skin. If you we're an Agent, I'd have you dead."

I scoffed and glared at Verin. "Have me dead..? Tch...In your dreams. You're the same Verin that Madris and Detre spoke of aren't you?"

"The one and only." Verin said and stared at me.

I stared back at Verin and could feel her staring into my soul. Cecilia and Bjorn watched us and felt the tension between us.

Verin closed her eyes and turned away. "The sounds of nature didn't go quiet so you aren't much of a threat. You're already here so you might as well join us for supper. It's nearly ready."

I watched Verin walk away and calmed down. Verin's appearance was like a miracle on its own as I didn't know how far I would go in the battle against Bjorn. I sighed softly and followed Verin.

"I know you're here to save us from going into war with West Spring, but this war is far bigger than you could possibly understand. We are fighting to expand East Spring. There can only be one Princess ruling these lands." Verin said as she sat on a tree stump.

"That's stupid." I said.

"Why do you think so?" I asked.

"Are the two Princesses Sisters?" I asked.

"We are along with our half sisters Detre and Lia." Cecilia said as she walked toward us. "We couldn't come to an agreement to split the lands so we have to fight for it."

I crossed my arms and looked at Cecilia. "That's stupid though because you won't need to fight if you two can come together and rule as one. You shouldn't kill your sister over land..."

"E-Ehh?! Heavens no! I wouldn't dare to kill my sister, but we have our needs. With an expanding kingdom with new citizens, we need bigger land." Cecilia said. "Our two kingdoms can not fit with the land we want.."

I looked at Cecilia then at Verin. Verin shrugged as she agreed with Cecilia's statement.

"If you want to save both Kingdoms, you'll have to save West Spring as well which is nearly impossible taken you are only one person. Plus your Live Decoys have a time limit and they can't last forever." Verin said and opened the lid to the pot.

I looked at the contents inside the pot and saw she was making stew for the cold weather. "I see..."

"Claudio can definitely save both Kingdoms!" Dearie said and flew toward Verin.

"You have a lot of faith in your Master. That's a first an HDS had this much faith in their owner. Why do you feel so confident in his abilities?" Verin asked.

"Because since the first day we met, taking down all the other System Wielders and Nexus Members, I knew his abilities were what Dearie Corps needed to become free from Reverence Corps! No one doubts Claudio!" Dearie said.

Verin prepared the first bowl of stew for Cecilia then handed it to her. "I beg to differ. He can barely save himself so how can he save us. He hasn't even saved any other Darling, and counting Daisy...it's cheap. She's not even all that."

I grit my teeth and stood up. "Take that back.."

Verin looked up at me and set down her spoon. "There's a reason why Daisy is held to such a high standard and it's because she's the easiest to please. She's not hard to impress or hard to have sex with taken she was so desperate for love."

"Verin..!" Cecilia exclaimed.

"Shut up, you don't know a thing about her! You don't know anything so how dare you talk down about her?!" I yelled.

"The truth is hard to swallow isn't it..?" Verin asked and stared at me.

My Wrath Symbol shined a bit as Verin said. I went for the immediate attack on Verin. "You don't know anything!"

Verin's eyes shined and she trapped me in her energy, stopping me. She stood up and looked me dead in my eyes. "You need to calm down...you know it deep down that she was the easiest to make fall in love with you despite her being an Agent. Even Arabella knew it.."

"She's talking down on your precious Daisy...and you're gonna allow that? What a shame, I know I taught you better.." Luke's voice said.

The sounds of nature grew quiet, causing Verin and Cecilia to pay close attention to me. Even Bjorn grew slightly afraid because of my dark presence.

"You know nothing of what all she's been through...The people she's lost. Her pain...her struggles! NOTHING! So who are you to decide how important she is?!" I yelled and dark energy surrounded my body.

'He's resisting me..? How..? What the hell is this power..?' Verin thought to herself.

"You don't decide anything..." I said then broke out of Verin's hold. "I won't let anyone talk down about Daisy!"

I was about to attack then felt someone strike the back of my neck. I grunted then passed out and the person caught me.

Verin looked at the person and noticed it was Mihr. "Mihr..?"

Mihr looked at me then looked at Verin with a frown. "What you said about Daisy...what were you trying to accomplish?"

Verin sat down and crossed her arms. "Just telling him the harsh reality. He can't save East and West Spring. Not as he is, not while he has that monster inside him."

Mihr looked at me and sat down on the grass and laid my head on her lap. "He and Daisy are one of the same. Struggling with losses and life. He loves Daisy and by his reaction you can tell he does. He was willing to kill you for talking down on Daisy."

Cecilia looked at me and noticed how hurt I was looking even while resting. "I remember seeing him often in Oakridge and Woodcrest with his parents. The news of what happened...everything and I can relate to his struggles of losing parents..."

"He's fighting a battle internally and it's a battle I've never seen before...A Phantom haunts him. The Phantom of his father, Luke. He's been lied to for most of his life. He can't regulate his emotions anymore. He's a wreck...my wreck.." Mihr said and gently rubbed my head.

"I understand you're his Guardian Angel...but what do you see in him? When I look at him and felt his energy, he's an exact replica of Luke Rose. He's the son of a monster who's taken our freedom." Verin said.

"So is Ryan, but the difference between he and Ryan is that Claudio is a True Miracle. A miracle that I was happy to bestow upon him at his mother's final wish. You won't understand it because you haven't lived or experienced what he did and is going through just like you don't know what Daisy has been through." Mihr said.

"I believe he can save us. It's within Yascha's Will to see it through. He's just walking through a path of pain and confusion. Claudio is and will always be my best Miracle." Mihr said and looked down at me, seeing my more peaceful expression as she rubbed my hair gently.

Verin looked at me and sighed softly. "If you say so, but don't be surprised when it all fails."

Mihr smiled as she looked at me. "He won't fail. His Willpower is strong...the strongest I've seen. He's never bowed down to life before and he won't start now. I believe in him...I trust in him as our Savior..~ He was able to make my sister happy and that alone speaks for itself."

Dearie looked at Mihr and smiled then looked at me. "It does..."

__________________

The next day arrived and I woke up, noticing I was resting on a bed. I sat up and held my head then heard Addis walking into the room I was resting in.

"Finally awake aren't you?" Addis chuckled softly.

I looked at Addis and looked down. "Yeah..."

I touched my chest and felt a slight weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I could feel Mihr's presence with me even though she wasn't here. I smiled a bit and closed my eyes.

"Well, we're all ready to go. Take some time to get ready. You don't have to rush." Addis said then turned to leave.

"Addis...can you do something for me?" I asked.

Addis looked at me. "What's up?"

"Verin...I met her yesterday and she's strong although I can't remember much from last night. Can you tell me about her abilities before I enter a duel with her?" I asked.

Addis looked at me and smiled. "Sure. I'll tell you about her as we are on the road. I'll make sure you're prepared."

"Thanks..." I said.