Swallowing dowallic taste that threatens to escape her throat, Emily blinks away the system messages and stands up shakily.

  “Does it normally create that much of a rea? Did it work?” Diego asks the old man dubiously.

  “O’ course it worked ya brat,” he growls, followed by a swift e to Diego’s shins. “That there rea’s what ‘appens when a feisty ories to fight back!”

  Tries and succeeds, you old coot!

  Emily takes a deep breath to trol her anger and tries to prevent it from showing on her face, raising her hand to pce The Clock ba her pocket.

  “Actually, I have a great way of testing. Stop girl.” Diego ands.

  Emily freezes and looks towards Diego with a cold gaze.

  “Give me that watch.”

  “Shit,” Emily mutters, instantly activating The Clock. “There’s no way I’m meeting that asshole again without my safety b.”

  ***

  She finds herself ba her room, the residual pain from the mental attapletely gone. She breathes a sigh of relief, reag up and massaging her brows as she remembers the experience. A question floats to the forefront of her mind.

  If I gave The Clock over to him and he pressed the button, would I be forcefully reset? Wait, no. The system said intrinsic equipment could only be used by the owner.

  Shrugging off the thought, Emily opens the system to che the test notification.

  ˉˉˉˉˉ

  [Mental Fortitude (passive)]

  User has resisted the mental attack of a stre while sufferial exhaustion, their will has been proven!

  -Grants +10% mental resistance

  _____

  Wait, while sufferial exhaustion? Was the backsh from looking at that surveilnce spell that bad? Iing, but I’m not sure how big a differehese resistances make. I assume the increases from different skills stack, so with the 20% increase from Magietwork, I should be at 30% total now. Will 100% block all mental attacks?

  She’s pulled out of her questioning as Herber bursts in again. Emily slips into her practised lies, once again going to the shopfront aloo front the Mandrago mages. She repeats the same process as st time, following them to their estate, but this time she keeps The Clock csped irouser pocket the eime, never giving them a ce to spot it.

  She meditates while waiting for the elder to arrive, and after grittieeth through a gnawing pain, far lesser tha time, while resisting his spell, she rises and waits for Diego to voice his pints once more.

  “Did it work?” he asks.

  “O’ course it did! ‘ow dare you doubt my work,” the old man growls.

  Diego coughs awkwardly and tinues.

  “I’m so sorry for doubting you, venerable elder, your work is as exquisite as always.” He bows humbly, not a trace of the haughty attitude he usually assumes.

  “Gah, ungrateful brat!” the elder grumbles while hobbling back towards the door.

  The moment he leaves, Diego’s arrogaurns, and he orders everyoo sit in silence as he himself takes a seat and starts to meditate.

  Emily happily plies, settling back down into a plush seat and falling into her owation.

  After an hour of waiting in silence, a servaers the room.

  “The Patriarch will see you now!” The man announces before bowing and leading the way out.

  Emily stands, havi a minuscule increase in the mana held within her circle.

  It’s very slow, but it seems meditation grows my circle. I wonder if it will reset with me.

  She once again finds herself surrounded by the fes. However, they now ck the air of caution they had while esc her to the mansion.

  The group is led to the bottom of the stairs, where the servant steps to the side and bows. They tinue up without him and are met by a rge eborate door, simir in design to the estate’s gate, with a engraving of roots and leaves spanning its surface.

  Diego pauses before it, gesturing for those behind him to stop, before nervously adjusting his robes and cheg his posture. Emily takes a deep breath herself, her hand squeezing The Clock for fort as she braces to meet the terrifying mage again.

  The rge doors split apart and slowly swing open, without making a sound, and a powerful, familiar presenstantly washes over them. The hairs on the baily’s neck stand up as the group begins moving through the door, resisting the uling pressure.

  It’s much more bearable now. He doesn’t feel angry.

  The room they enter is a graion hall, with t ns of smooth limestone and banners of the family’s emblem hung above. In the tre of the ceiling is a beautiful crystalline delier, covered in glistening golden mana crystals, filling the room with pure mana-dense light.

  The rich green carpet from the stairs tihrough the tre of the room to an imposing throne, carved out of a wood Emily reises as acacia and upholstered in plush gree. C the wood are tless engraved runes pulsing with power.

  I wonder if they have better magical wood or are they stuck with just standard acacia?

  Seated ohroh his legs crossed and his resting on his fist, is the man Emily expected. His pierg blue eyes, which resemble Diego’s now that she sees them in the same room, send shivers down her spine even without the stormy rage swirling within them.

  The group es to a halt a few metres before the throne and the noble mages give a light bow with their right fists on their hearts and their left arms behind their backs. Emily quickly moves to follow and stays silent as Diego speaks.

  “We humbly greet the Patriarch, Marquess Niandrago!”

  “Rise. Is this the alent you thought it necessary to introdue?”

  Emily shifts unfortably uhe intense gaze she feels b into her as it brings back bad memories. She still feel the dense mana enveloping the man, calm for now, allowing Emily to rex slightly, but warning of a brewing threat.

  He has no reason to attack me.

  “Yes fath-”

  “Do not call me that here!” Nicos growls as Diego grasps his throat and chokes for air.

  Emily fli the sight.

  Like that.

  After a couple of seds of watg him writhe, the Patriarch releases whatever spell he cast.

  “My apologies, Patriarch,” Diego mao spit out between choked breaths.

  How is he casting spells? It doesn’t look like he’s doing anything.

  “This is Emily Coldstohe daughter of a aker from the city, and the one who stole htning crystals. She’s fifteen and already a self-awakened first circle mage. I thought you would like to know about such a promising new prospect.”

  Emily gnces sideways, notig the creepy grin on Diego’s face again, sending a chill down her spine.

  No.

  “She stole those crystals from the Hollow Warden?” the Patriarch asks with an edge to his voice, his eyes narrowing at Emily.

  A siing pressure s arouhis time only stealing her breath, not her movement. She reaches for her throat with her free hand, keeping The Clock held tightly iher even as her lungs scream for air.

  “What of her family?” the Patriarch tinues coldly.

  “They’re still alive,” Diego says, receiving a fierce gre from the Patriar return and scrambling to expin himself. “She asked us not to kill them, so I decided it would be easiest to get her to cooperate if I didn’t. I’ll send some servants to kill them the moment I’m done here.”

  FUCK!

  Emily’s expression torts with rage: lightning flickering in her eyes as she gres. The Patriarch doesn’t take kindly to her dispy of open hostility, flig a fiowards her, instantly shattering her leg.

  “Good. We ’t have mortals stealing from us, so we o send a message whery.”

  I ’t do anything. They’re still going to kill Dad. And this time, Anna too!

  Emily’s teeth crader the force of her ched jaw as she’s ed with seething fury and anguish. She locks eyes with the Patriarch as time starts to wind backwards, searing his enraged teo her mind.

  I’m going to tear you to pieces one day.

  ***

  Emily falls bato p her room, the paper scattered by her awakening still mid-air. However, the moment the papers settle to the floor, her rage slips away, ice flooding her heart as the gears in her mind frantically whir along a new logical thread.

  I couldn’t save my parents. I may not be able to save Herber. But maybe I keep Anna alive.

  She abruptly stands up, casting aside her chair as Herber bursts in, ign him pletely as she paces bad forth, bitihumb.

  In the loop where Diego killed Dad after I talked to him, he didn’t kill Anna immediately. The Patriarly said he o send a message, and who better to spread a message than a lone survivor? I just o try a Diego to phrase it right, and there’s a ce she’ll live.

  As a pn clicks into pce, Emily finally aowledges Herber’s existend looks up at him. He starts in surprise when he sees the look in her eyes, and his only grows as her face softens frid determination into a bitter mencholy.

  “Emily, what’s wrong? What have you done?”

  Emily fli his words, frowning as the phrase digs into her sce.

  “Emi?”

  “I don’t want to expin this one,” she mutters tiredly, reag up and activating The Clock quickly.

  ***

  Emily meets Herber again, ba her usual mask of calm, as up to greet the Mandrago mages without telling him not to enter.

  They ehe shop again, following the same script to a T, until Herber enters as they’re cheg Emily for mana.

  “Carlos, we don’t need him, deal with it!”

  Emily looks away as the dagger is plunged into his throat, allowing herself to look away from a death that will soon be undone. After his body drops to the floor, akes no moves to head further into the building, and they all atiently fuel to finish cheg Emily.

  “She’s a first circle mage!” he cries after a few moments, igniting the greed in Diego’s eyes.

  “Good! How old are you?” Diego starts the repetitive questioning.

  “Fifteen.”

  “Has anyone ever taught you magid how did you awaken?”

  “No one has ever taught me. I found the crystals in the wred experimented with them until I was able to extract the energy. Then I just followed my instincts and it worked.”

  “Wonderful!” Diego beams. “e with us and bee a vassal of the Mandrago family!”

  “Okay.”

  Diego turns on his heel, striding towards the door.

  Goddess! He didn’t eveion me agreeing to leave with him after he killed my dad. Has anyone ever said no to him?

  “Carlos, burn the body,” he says dismissively over his shoulder.

  “Wait! Please leave his body so my sister give him a proper burial. His grave will be a remio people not to make the same mistake as me,” Emily picks her words carefully, watg for a rea from Diego.

  He looks back over his shoulder with irritation, but a cruel glint fshes in his eyes that Emily doesn’t miss.

  “Don’t talk bae or question my decisions from now on,” he says, pausing for a sed as a small grin forms on his face. “However, just this once I’ll grant your request, since you are ing along so willingly. Miguel, go inform the sister why her father is dead.”

  Miguel vanishes into the building, causing Emily's heart to beat a furious rhythm.

  They wouldn’t just kill her nht?

  He returns a mier, followed by frantic footsteps that send a wave of relief over Emily.

  “It’s done,” Miguel says as he walks in, stepping over Herber’s corpse and joining them as Diego instantly leads them out.

  Emily gets one look at Anna, standing over their father’s corpse, with a look of horror on her face, before they step out of the shop. Seeing Anna’s anguish, Emily resists the urge to cry as she follows Diegh the city once again.

  A short while ter, after another brainwashing attempt and a lot of meditating to pass the time, Emily returns to the main hall of the Mandrago family residehis time, as they cower in front of the terrifying Patriarce again, the versation takes a slightly different route.

  “This is Emily Coldstohe daughter of a aker from the city, and the one who stole htning crystals,” Diego informs him with a self-satisfied grin creeping past his fear. “She’s fifteen and already a self-awakened first circle mage. I thought you would like to know about such a promising new prospect.”

  “She stole those crystals from the Hollow Warden?” the Patriarch predictably asks, stealing Emily’s breath once again and frowning slightly as she doesn’t react, simply fixing him with a detached stare and rexing her lungs, not even trying to breathe. “What of her family?”

  “We killed the father ahe only other child – a daughter - with the body as a warning to anybody else who’s thinking of stealing from us.”

  The imposing man’s lips twitch ever so slightly at the news, and he releases Emily from his choke hold.

  “Good! Send a servant to leave a mark on her face. She’ll be a living remio those mortals not to touch what’s rightfully ours,” the Patriarnounces as a chilling gust of wind flows through the room.

  Shit. I’m sorry, Anna, but I think this is the best I do to keep you alive.

  Emily activates The Clock agaiurning back to finally face her father. And to tell him about his death.

  ***

  As the pressure ing from Emily’s awakeniles, she sits in sombre silence awaiting Herber’s entrance. As she listens to the footsteps approag, she draws her focus inwards for a moment, cheg on her mana circle.

  The increase from my meditatio. Of course it fug did.

  Herber bursts through the door and looks at Emily.

  “What in Goddess’ name happened here? Are you okay?”

  “I'm fine, I…“ She hesitates for a split sed before sighing and visibly defting as she restarts. “It wasn’t me. Don’t worry. you sit down, though, I o talk to you.”

  Growing increasingly ed by Emily’s serious tone, Herber walks out of the room and soourns carrying a chair. He gently pushes the door with his foot, leaving it slightly ajar, and pces his chair dowo Emily.

  “What’s the matter, Emi?” he asks with .

  “You know when those nobles came and asked for all the scrap I gathered from the Hollow Warden?”

  Herber’s face falls as he realises the gravity of the situation instantly.

  “You kept something didn’t you?”

  “Yeah. And I think they find it now,” she replies, her mask of apathy falling away as her eyes well with tears.

  “Wait, they find it now? Was that what that thundercrack was?”

  Emily, surprised by how quickly Herber works it out, takes a sed to respond.

  “Uh, yeah it was. We o escape the city. we ask some of the merts you know to smuggle us out?” Emily asks, voig her final hope to run away from the iable.

  “No. If the Mandrago family es here and ’t find us, the ey will be alerted.”

  And the Patriarch may act.

  “’t we try? I deal with any guards that get in the way!”

  Herber shakes his head, unwavering in his judgement.

  “There are too many guards in the docks for us to get by unnoticed without having to cause a rge otion. The moment we do, there isn’t a single ship there that will take us. No one will risk the Mandrago family’s wrath for the pitiful we could give them. We also won’t be able to get anywhere on foot in the desert. Our best ow is to give them whatever you kept. I’ll cim responsibility. Hopefully then, only I’ll be punished.”

  Hearing her father's resolve to die for her mistakes, Emily breaks, realising she won't be able to persuade him to try to escape iime they have.

  Tears flow from her eyes as she drops her head in her hands and starts sobbing. Herber gets up from his chair and moves forward to pull Emily into a hug.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispers between sobs.

  “Ssshh, it’s okay! It’s not your fault,” he calmly soles while patting her head.

  Emily stays in her father’s embratil she hears the shop bell ring out. She pulls away and looks into Herber’s eyes.

  “I’ll tell you everything before you die, I promise!” she swears with determination, taking out The Clock.

  Herber looks at her with fusion as she wipes her tears on her sleeves, then turns back time once more.

  ***

  “What in Goddess’ name happened here? Are you okay?”

  Emily takes a deep breath before answering.

  “Grab a seat and I’ll expin. We o talk.”

  A couple of seds ter, Herber is ba the same position as the st loop and Emily begins speaking.

  “A few months ago, when the Hollow Warden crashed, I kept one of the items I found. The Mandrago family now has a way of finding it and they’re gonna kill you for allowing it to be kept in this house.” Her voice breaks a little as she pauses, and the colour drains from Herber’s face.

  “After those guys fr-“ She stops again when she hears a creaking in the hallway.

  Fog, she listens for any more noise.

  “Is everything alright?” Herber asks after Emily stays silent for a few seds.

  “Ah, yeah sorry, I thought I heard something. You remember when those guys from the Mandrago family came st time?”

  Herber nods.

  “Well, I took the item I kept, an ore full of crystals, and buried it by the wall.”

  …

  Ten mier Emily finishes her expnation and sits silently, letting Herber process what he’s just heard.

  “Ha,” he sighs, moving forward and pulling Emily into a hug. “You don’t have to lie to me, Emi. It doesn’t matter what’s going on, I’ll still support you.”

  Emily frowns, grittieeth in frustration and pulling away from him.

  “You don’t believe me?” she asks with a hint of betrayal ione.

  “Well, you just told me magid time travel are real with no proof.”

  “Proof?”

  Emily’s mind spins into motion, and she quickly es up with a possible way to prove time travel.

  “I prove it. Go grab a , Dad.”

  As Herber leaves, Emily pulls the mana crystals from her drawer, p the pouch out on her desk. She also grabs a sheet of paper, pg it on the desk in front of her as Herber returns holding a small copper .

  “This is a mana crystal,” Emily says, handing him oo i.

  He looks closely at the glistening gem, starting with surprise when he sees a miniature bolt of lightning shimmering in its depths.

  “I’ve certainly never seen anything like it before,” he says, looking up at Emily. “But it’s ly proof of magic.”

  Emily nods, tapping the sheet of paper.

  “I’ve written the results of ten flips on here. Flip that ten times and they’ll perfectly line up.”

  Herber gnces down at the paper before sighing and nodding his head.

  “Fine, let’s see this then.”

  He flicks the into the air.

  ***

  “And finally, crest,” Herber says a loop ter, showing Emily the royal family’s crest sitting face up on his hand.

  Emily silently flips the sheet of paper, revealing the exact sequence of flips Herber performed in both this loop and the st.

  “It’s not a lot,” she says without much hope. “But is it enough?”

  Herber stares for a moment in disbelief before nodding his head.

  “So let me get this straight. You stole these mana crystals from the Mandrago family and created a time mae with them. Then you awakened as a superhuman magic meid tried to fight against the nobles, who are all mages… And this actually happened?”

  “A Teancer, but yes you have the gist.”

  “Okay, so no matter what you do, they want me dead and you as their servant. But, if they believe Anna serve as a reminder of their power, they’ll let her live with a scar?”

  Emily silently nods as Herber sighs.

  “Do you have any idea what they will do after taking you? Are you sure they don’t have a way of finding out about your dual awakening?”

  “They said something about teag me magic, but other than that I don’t know since I never let a loop go on for too long. I was too focused to save you… Also, I don’t think so? Miguel didn’t realise when he sed me, and I have no other way of learning more about their capabilities in the limited time left – I ’t go further than 24 hours, remember – except provoking the Patriarto sing me himself. But, I don’t want that man anywhere near me in case he stops me activating The Clock, so, I guess we just have to hope,” Emily responds dejectedly, disappointed in the ck of a solution even after resetting time so many times.

  Herber moves forward and pulls Emily into a hug before tinuing.

  “I’m not going to say this isn’t your fault, because we both know that would be a lie, but I don’t bme you. You made a mistake, that’s all. Throughout your life, you’ll make tless mistakes, even with your newfound ability to time-travel, and sometimes you’ll have to live with the sequences. I guess this is one of those times. All you do is try not to repeat the same mistake twice. Always remember that I’m so proud of you, and whatever path you choose iure, if you feel it’s right, I support you wholeheartedly. I love you, Emily, and I’ll never regret taking you as my daughter.”

  Emily sobs into his arms, holding him tight for a few minutes before pulling away.

  “I love you too, Dad. Thanks fiving me a family,” she blurts through her tears.

  Herber chuckles sadly aly wipes her eyes befng at the time.

  “It’s eight now and you said they e at around quarter past, right? We should go talk with your sister. You o say bye to her too, because I don’t think you’ll be seeing her for a while after leaving tonight.”

  “Wait really? I hadn’t even thought that far ahead yet...”

  Herber ruffles Emily’s hair before they stand up, gather the mana crystals, and move through the house to Anna’s room, stopping outside the closed door.

  “Why don’t you go make us some toasted sami sandwiches? O treat. I’ll bring her over after I make my peace,” Herber suggests.

  Emily nods and hugs Herber before heading towards the kit, to make a st meal that will never be eaten.