It was real. And it was happening. Right here. Right now. She is in danger, and I'm not sure of how much longer I can protect her. I must tell him...
•.✦.✧.✦.✧.•☾☀•.✦.✧.✦.✧.•
I leave Serina with her mother, with whom I know she'll be safe, as Val has dedicated her whole life to protecting her, and I go down to the labs in the basement. I throw away Emiline's swab and swab my own throat for the testing. Then I go back to the playroom, where I find the little girl curled up in a ball, asleep on a beanbag.
I approach her very slowly, careful not to be detected and wake her up. I'd already turned off camera, so I had 15 minutes to get this done. I kneel over her and place my hand on Emiline's neck...
I close my eyes and focus all of my being onto healing. I feel my hand grow warm, and within three minutes, I know it's been done. I healed her. She will no longer feel the pain of her strep throat, and she will be able to eat. No one will know that it was me, they will just think it healed naturally, as her test will be negative.
•.✦.✧.✦.✧.•☾☀•.✦.✧.✦.✧.•
It felt like forever, but eventually, it becomes time to clock out. I run as fast as I can to Valeria's house, where I find Sebastian in the garage working out.
"He's here! He's made contact with Serina! I did my best to pretend like she was just imagining things but I think she saw right through me... He's going to find he, and we won't be able to protect her!"
Sebastian drops the 180 pounds he was just casually benching, sits up, and looks at me calmly.
"HELLO? Did you not hear a word I said? He's made contact with her. He's going to find her and kill her, man."
He takes a sip of his water and continues to look at me. He waits a few minutes before saying, "Dude, chill out. So long as I'm here, that filthy son of a bitch won't lay a finger on her. Plus, He can't get through the portal, I made sure of it. And any monsters he sends here, will get a big punch into oblivion."
I take a deep breath and start to relax a little. Sebastian does always know what he's talking about, and if he says Ser is safe, then she's probably safe.
"So, is that why you came back? To protect her? H–how bad is it back home?" I ask.
"Well, I won't lie. It's getting worse. Shadow's captured three of the major kingdoms, half of Agualor, and is moving on to Florae. And I'm still unable to contact any Fri. So, yeah, things are horrible back home.
I came back because there's nothing else I can do. My units are protecting Florae as we speak. Sooner or later, whether Val likes it or not, Serina, ready or not, has to find out who she truly is..."