Omen of a Bluebell

It takes hours for him to explain everything, the bookshelves blurring again and again as he pulls more material, only to hand it over once he’s done.

By the time its over, my thoughts are a tangled mess of names, factions, and implications too large for any one person to manage. After hearing the name of the Emperor himself, my rage drowns out any concern I might have had.

I should have expected it—but having proof that he’s directly responsible for my family’s deaths still sends me over the edge.

The Archivist never stops, though.

Now, with it all laid out before me, I can barely look at the papers without feeling sick—and a little terrified. Every mark and sigil… it all fits together in ways I wish it didn’t, painting a bigger picture that leaves a foul taste behind.

What unsettles me most is that the people behind it all… aren’t who they’re supposed to be.

Hundreds of reports say the same thing.

Over a few short years, everyone with real power changed.

Not subtle changes.

No... changes like the Emperor not caring about beastfolk at all.

Then, suddenly, he despised them. Enough to fund a secret campaign to erase the foxkin entirely. And then create similar plans for the rest.

Or the Empress.

Once known, by most accounts, for her barely concealed hatred of the marriage.

Now, she dotes on him. Supports him. Plays a central role in the Empire’s push to acquire powerful relics—one of the very reasons they leveraged to attack the foxkin tribes.

Each shift happened quietly, as if it had always been that way.

It’s not just that they changed. It's how completely they did.

I try to make sense of it all, but it's just too much. Then the Archivist moves.

As if in reverse, he splits into dozens of copies in a shower of golden light, each one slipping down a different corridor. When I look again, his tag has shifted back to what I saw when we first met.

Bearkin Scholar

Level ??

I’m tempted to ask him what all that’s about, but I get the feeling it’ll be another Omen, and I just don’t have that many secrets to spend.

When we finally leave the sealed chamber, my Starlight Bangle slightly more full of papers, ledgers, written accounts, and more, the air outside the Archives feels thinner than I remember. Lighter.

Or maybe it’s just me. I feel so… hollow.

The bearkin guides me back to Bella's side, and he activates the privacy runes before stepping outside of the blurry bubble that surrounds us. She sits quietly across from me, her usual sharp confidence muted to something more careful.

The silence stretches long enough that I almost start to appreciate it, but then the names are there to erase any calm I might have gained.

Aurelian Vayl Etheron and Ilyne Vion Etheron, the Emperor and Empress. Their son, Kaelren. The Archduke and the Archduchess, who each rule over territories the size of entire kingdoms. All three of their armies Generals. Even the Archbishop of the Empire’s Church.

And dozens more.

And that’s not even touching the possibility that they aren’t who they claim to be. The best guess from the information the Archivist had available is that it's some form of necromancy pulling the strings, but even he isn't certain.

Whatever it is, something else is orchestrating everything the Empire is doing.

If there's some group—or worse, someone—capable of pulling the strings of an entire gods-damned nation...

How the fuck am I supposed to close that gap?

Bella interrupts my mental spiral, her voice soft, “You understand now why I was so tense.”

I nod once, fists clenched so tight that I feel my claws digging into my palms. I can’t bring myself to say anything. The words won’t come out right, anyway.

She sips her tea.

Somewhere in that mess of intrigue, among all the names he listed, are the ones who are ultimately responsible for the death of my family. Of my people. Of my clan.

They smile at parades. Shake hands at summits.

All while carving the world into neat, bloody pieces.

I want to tear them apart.

But I can’t. Not yet.

The thought burns like acid in my throat, but I’m simply not ready. Not for them, and not for this. I can’t even touch the edges of what they control without risking everything.

The Archivist is right. Scruffy, too, though I think I only now understand the true scope of his warning. One wrong word, one wrong choice, and I’ll end up dead or trapped before I ever get close to my goal.

So I’ll wait. I’ll learn. I’ll grow.

Because now I know where to start.

If I want to make them bleed, I’ll need power. Real power. Not just strength or mana, but knowledge. Leverage. Control. And I’m already on the right path, because the best place I can think of to gain all of that and more is the Elderwynd Academy.

The very same academy that taught the ones I’m going to kill.

And, as luck would have it, it brings me closer to one of my targets: Kaelren Etheron, the Prince of the Empire of Etheron himself, who is currently in his final year at Elderwynd.

He wasn’t the one who drew the swords or wrote the orders—he was a boy when the massacres began. But that doesn’t make him innocent. Even as a teen, he stood on platforms and used his voice to smooth hatred into marching orders.

He spread lies and propaganda. He fanned the flames. As he grew, he did what all corrupt nobility do—he protected his family’s power. He ordered records erased, dissidents executed, and the truth buried.

All while praising the Empire for its righteousness.

That’s enough.

How to deal with him without getting caught, though…

Bella looks at me over the lip of her teacup. “You’re quiet.”

“Thinking,” I answer.

She nods. “Good. Thinking is what keeps people like us alive.”

That earns a small, humorless laugh from me. “People like us, huh?”

Her lips curve faintly. “The ones who know too much.”

I nod again, and my fists loosen. I close my eyes and force myself to take a deep breath, hold it in for a bit, then release it in a heavy sigh. I imagine it taking all of my tension with it, and my shoulders droop, my neck loosens, my hands open.

When I open my eyes again, I find Bella’s crimson gaze locked with mine.

“Are you ready to have that talk, now?” she asks, one perfect brow raised.

I plaster a smirk on my face and nod. “Sure. What’s first on the agenda?”

“First, I want some reciprocation. I shared my Status. Now, it’s your turn.”

Her voice brooks no room for argument or avoidance, and her glare intensifies the instant she sees me shifting in my seat.

I give up, slumping in the chair and taking a moment to just enjoy the softness of their cushions. Then, with a sigh, I share everything.

***

It takes another couple of hours, in the middle of which the bearkin brings us some food—a couple sandwiches piled high with meats, veggies, and a creamy sauce that leaves tingles on my tongue—and another fresh teapot with a fruity scent wafting from it.

By the end, I feel thoroughly rung out. She choked on her tea when she saw my Status in full, but still dug deeper. She wanted everything, and left no stone unturned in her interrogation.

She also asked about the most recent System Update I pushed through, introducing the new dungeon type, but she didn’t seem all that interested in it. I did get a snort out of her when I mentioned that her father voted against the idea, though.

On the flip side, I learned a lot about her, as well. Like why she was sent to the academy in the first place, and why she’s alone.

Apparently, that’s also my fault. In a roundabout way.

It turns out that the Bysmara Dominion relied fairly heavily, albeit reluctantly, on the Church’s combatants to hold back the monsters of the Chasm—the deepest Tunnel entrance ever discovered.

Then the Update changing religious Classes happened.

Most of those fighters weren’t good people to begin with. They were apparently the sort to abuse the power the depths had given them.

Of course.

When the Update hit, half of Bysmara’s best were wiped out in an instant, and the rest just weren’t enough. The Dominion lost layer after layer—dungeons going uncleared, supplies dwindling… everything started to collapse from within.

That’s when her mother decided to send her to the Academy.

For safety, sure. But I also know—based on everything I’ve seen her do for me—that she’d have thrown herself into the Chasm to help however she could. There’s no way her own mother didn’t also suspect as much.

As for why she is currently alone… long story short, her mother was right. Bella decided to go by herself in secret, so that she didn’t pull from the already limited supply of reliable fighters just to act as her guards.

She is surprisingly thoughtful, despite the haughtiness and denial.

Not much later, we're back on the streets. The air outside hits me like a slap in the face, all humidity, warmth, and the scents and sounds of city life in all its messy glory.

I’m just over twenty gold richer, too, thanks to the Sliver and Glimmer I unintentionally offered the bearkin. Intentional or not, though, I wouldn’t say no to that much coin.

Bella, on the other hand, ended up several gold poorer after paying for our visit.

I stretch languidly, my tail shivering with tension as my arms reach for the Tunnel ceiling. When I come down with a satisfied sigh, I catch her snapping her gaze away in an attempt to hide that she’d been peeking.

I look down at myself and smirk.

Like many of the outfits I’d gotten with Cari, this one is among the more revealing sorts. A basic sleeveless red crop-top, with low-waisted black pants tucked into a matching pair of dark leather boots.

Just something simple I threw on this morning.

But it's enough to catch her eye, and in the months around the girls at Tails and Temptations, I’d learned to recognize the looks and enjoy the attention. It’s a far cry from how I was before the update, where I’d hide every inch of my skin and wear a hood at all times.

My smirk turns into a smile, and I sidle up next to her to loop my arm through hers. The tips of her ears turn a pretty shade of red, and my smile turns into a grin.

“I believe you promised to take me on a date,” I say impishly.

“W-what?! I did no such thing!”

Gods, she’s fun to tease. Did I pick up too many bad habits from Krissy and the other girls?

“Oh?” I let my ears droop in a pout. “But you promised to take me back to that stall from the other day…”

“That is not a date! Why must you twist my words so?” she huffs, face turned away and hidden behind her scarlet locks. “I was just being friendly. You looked so pitiful when we left it behind, so I had no choice.”

“Hmm… is that so?” I murmur.

She bristles. “That’s quite enough of your nonsense. Now if you don’t mind, there’s somewhere else I’d like to go, as well, and I intend to make it before they close.”

Just like that, she’s once more guiding me through the crowded streets of the undercity. Our first stop is, surprisingly, at a bookstore. Since we’re still in the wealthier district, the place is more library than bookshop, and stepping inside all but erases the outside world from my senses.

It’s unbelievably quiet, and the scents of the city are gone entirely, replaced by dust, ink, and aged paper. It tickles my nose, dragging up memories of late nights, telling myself I'd put the book down after just a bit more.

Usually so I can get more notes down on how I might gain access to the System. Definitely not because I was too engrossed to stop reading.

The place seems less impressive than the Archive, but it’s still a beautiful collection of books, and I can’t help but look on in a mix of excitement and wonder. Then I catch Bella watching me with a gentle smile, only for her to hide it the next instant.

I pretend not to notice her being all kinds of sweet.

Did she take us here because I talked with her so much about reading?

If she did, then this is more of a date than the promise of skewers. For a moment I’m tempted to point that out. But the look on her face says that she’s just as excited to explore this place as I am, so I hold back.

Barely.

We split up and spend a good hour just roaming around, coming together on occasion to share our finds. When we find our way to the counter, there’s a small line. In the wait, I get a peek at the three books she has tucked in her arms, as if to hide them from me.

This is further proven when she turns away from my prying eyes, keeping them out of my line of sight. I smirk.

In my own arms, I hold two books. With my recent windfall, I decided to splurge a little.

The first book is “Twelve Trials: An Account from Tyndal the Bloody,” a book about a solo Delver who went to the twelfth layer, recounting the journey. It’s a book I’d never had the opportunity or funds to read before, and neither are the case now.

The second is for Bella. I just have to buy it without her realizing what it is, then it’ll be too late for her to refuse it.

Just the thought of handing it to her sends a thrill through my spine in anticipation.

Blessedly, Bella seems intent on keeping her purchases hidden from me, so she forces me to step back a pace as she pays for her own books. Once they’re tucked safely into her storage device, she finally lets me up to the counter.

Then it's my turn to wave her off.

She gives me a scandalized look before glancing at the books in my hand, but like she did to me, I turn my body away, hiding them from her gaze. I give her my most smug grin as she fishmouths at me for a bit, seemingly stuck between disbelief and indignance, then spins around and walks out with a huff.

Now three gold poorer, I join her outside the store. She glares at me for a moment, then rolls her eyes.

“If it pains you so much to spend coin, I could have just paid for you,” she says, folding her arms under her chest.

I perk up at that, and draw out my response, “Really?”

“I won’t go buying an entire store for you, but a few books? Yes, I can manage that.”

“Aw! You’re so sweet. I knew you were—”

“Yes, yes, enough of that.”

I meet her withering glare with a grin.

She scowls at me.

I wink at her.

She gets flustered, and quickly turns to rejoin the crowded streets, only to pause a moment before grabbing my hand. She refuses to meet my eyes as she leads the way once more, and it only takes us ten minutes to make it to the stall with the delicious smelling meat skewers.

The man behind the counter all but sprints to and fro, serving the juiciest, most delicious smelling meat skewers I’d ever seen with an efficiency that puts Cari’s reception work to shame.

Then it’s finally our turn.

I give Bella my best puppy-dog look, ears tilted back against my head and tail drooping. She rubs the bridge of her nose and sighs.

“Just get as many as you want.”

I order twenty.

The return trip to the inn is difficult, on account of my tail trying to wag its way free of my butt as I nibble on five of the skewers between squeals of delight. As expected, they’re delicious.

Perfectly seasoned with… whatever magic makes meat taste this good.

And juicy, and warm, and they just fall apart in my mouth and oh my gods they’re so good!

When I finish the few I didn’t store away, I let out a pitiful whimper. Bella gives me a look, as if I’d done one of those indecorous things that bothers her so much again. But I don’t care. I want more.

But I can save them and have more later… you can do this, Emilia. Restraint. Re. Straint.

I'm already munching on another skewer procured from... somewhere.... when the perfect distraction hits me just as we’re about to enter the inn.

“Wait, how did you even know about the Tylean Leaf Inn? Or that particular bookstore? And how do you navigate the undercity so well?” I ask.

“Because I’ve traveled a lot as part of my duties. With the railway system your Republic put together, it made those travels significantly easier, and each time I used them I would pass through this city. So… I picked things up.”

“Then why not just stay on the surface? We could have left a message for somewhere up there, as well.”

Her cheeks take on the faintest tinge of red as she answers, “W-well, that’s because I would like… to remain unbothered. Yes, that’s it. If I had taken us to the surface, I would have been identified, announced, invited to various noble houses, and all sorts of other tedious things.”

She nods, like she's convincing herself. A wicked smile splits my features as we step inside the Tylean Leaf Inn.

“Aww, you wanted to hang out with me some more? That’s so sweet!” I say, my eyes swimming with fake tears.

“That is not what I said!”

“It’s what you meant though…” I coo, fluttering my lashes at her.

She gives me her meanest glare yet, but her blush has long since traveled down into her neck—a clear sign that I am right on the mark.

Gah! I definitely picked up some terrible habits. She's just too fun, though!

That’s when a familiar bespectacled redhead with far too many adorable freckles slams into my side, damn near bowling both Bella and I over before crushing me with a hug.

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