"What is she doing here!?" Larkin demanded, his voice cracking slightly as he pointed at Amara with an unsteady hand.
"I tagged along," Amara replied easily, a short chuckle leaving her as she shrugged. "Relax. I will not capture you yet. I will do that after all of this is over." She crossed her arms and let her gaze sweep across the room, openly assessing everyone present—until her eyes landed on a single person.
Her smirk vanished. Her arms slackened at her sides.
"…"
"…"
Clara stared back at her, just as frozen.
The room went quiet as every gaze shifted between the two of them. The resemblance was impossible to ignore. Beyond the obvious similarities—blonde hair, blue eyes—they shared the same general build, the same height, even the same facial structure. Where Amara's features were sharper and more severe, Clara's were softer, gentler, but the likeness was close enough to be unsettling. They were not twins, not like Zee and Mae, but to anyone who did not know them, the difference would have been easy to miss.
Amara was the first to break the silence. She folded her arms again, more out of habit than confidence, clearly still unsettled. "So you are the one he was talking about," she said. "The one I keep getting mistaken for. Clara, right?"
"Uh—ye-yes," Clara answered, her voice tight with nerves. "Clara. That is… that is me." She hesitated, then glanced toward Xain. "Um… is she the one you told me I reminded you of, Xain?"
Xain snapped out of his own shock and nodded quickly. "Yeah. Yeah, she is. Her name is Amara."
Clara turned back to her, forcing a small, uncertain smile. "It is… nice to meet you?"
Amara let out a quiet breath and turned away. "Let us just move on," she muttered sharply.
Clara flinched and looked down, her hands tightening at her sides.
Amara faced the room again, composure mostly restored. "I assume you have all been working on some sort of plan," she said flatly. "So let us hear it. Whatever it is, I assure you that with me here, it will go far better than whatever you were expecting to accomplish on your own."
Prince Mark and Zara exchanged brief glances, the same thought passing between them. *Their personalities are certainly not the same.*
Elsa, meanwhile, did not look away from Amara. Her stare was focused, calculating. *Could she be…* Her gaze flicked briefly to Clara, then she let out a silent sigh. *Maybe I will tell her after this is all over.*
"We actually have not formed a plan yet," Quincy spoke up, her tone measured as she stepped slightly forward. Her eyes flicked briefly to Amara, uncertainty clear in the way she held herself. "We are still waiting for people to return."
"And besides," Even added, openly skeptical as he looked Amara up and down, "how are we supposed to know you aren't all talk?"
"You can ask those three," Amara replied without missing a beat, tilting her head slightly as she gestured toward Xain, Zee, and Larkin. "They can tell you exactly what I am capable of." Her gaze hardened just a fraction as she continued, "And if that still is not enough, then you should know this—I am a sorceress who has fought and drawed with Annabel."
The effect was immediate.
A ripple of murmurs spread through the room, expressions shifting from doubt to outright shock among those who did not know her.
"If that is true," Prince Mark said after a brief pause, his voice regaining its composed authority, "then your assistance would indeed be greatly appreciated."
"Just stay away from me," Larkin cut in sharply, pointing at her again, "and Xain, and Zee, and Mae. Actually—just stay away from people in general."
Gurion turned toward him, brow furrowing in confusion. "Why are you so scared of her, old man?"
Larkin snapped his head toward him. "She tried to kidnap me several times," he said flatly, then jabbed a thumb toward Zee and Xain, "and she almost killed them several times too!"
Every head snapped to Amara.
She shrugged, entirely unbothered. "That is accurate," she said casually. "And I will attempt to do so again after this is over."
A chill settled over the room.
"But… why?" Clara asked softly.
Amara did not answer. She did not even look at her.
"…Duly noted," Zara muttered under her breath.
Xain rubbed the back of his neck and let out a tired sigh. "Do I need to worry about you coming after us the moment this is over?"
Amara responded only with an amused exhale, the faintest hint of a smile tugging at her lips.
That was answer enough.
The Fiend shifted closer to Xain, subtly positioning himself between the two of them.
"Excuse me, everyone," a voice called out.
They all turned toward the doorway, where the Guard Commander stood at attention. "Sir Edluar, Sir Ulrich, and Sir Amos have returned," he reported. "They have brought a considerable number of people with them. Sir Samwell, Madam Annabel, and Sir Calvinel have also returned, and they request to report to you."
Quincy let out a long breath she had clearly been holding and nodded. "Good. That is a relief." She straightened, clapping her hands once to draw attention. "Alright. Let us move to a larger room." Her gaze swept across the group, her expression serious. "And everyone, mentally prepare yourselves. I have a feeling the final battle is going to begin very soon."