*
Human civilisation is truly impressive. Even after terroristic attacks or widespread destruction, life can continue as per normal. There was now a large crater where the police station originally resided, the media blamed it on a gas leak with insistence from government officials staking their own credibility. There were many who were skeptical, but the world government doesn't exactly provide an environment conducive to such inquisition. Ask a question and you might disappear forever.
That's the image people have. It was Wednesday, 28 January. The month would end by this week and February would start on the next week. The flow of time resumes, people's lives continue on unfettered. No one would notice what goes on on the other side, no one would care if their lives remain so tranquil.
"... Sariel, do you have anything more specific to share? About yesterday's business..." (Faramicia)
" This is just a working theory, but they seemed to be abducting prospective magical girls, and also magical girls who are currently active.
Careful if any civil servants show up in front of your house. " (Sariel)
To be more specific, they spirit their victims away right after an 'Event'. However something like that couldn't be prevented, and it's too unsettling to let people know... For now, she made something up.
" That's... Would they be that obvious about it?" (Faramicia)
"They won't fight someone like me or the sentinels. They want to eradicate magical girls, starting from the weaker ones or the ones with potential to awaken." (Sariel)
What could she do to protect the others? What could she possibly do so that she could still go to school everyday like everyone else? Her classmates would say she lost the light in her eyes after her best friends were gone, but school was still full of acquaintances, of those familiar faces that make up her ordinary student life. There's no way she would abandon something precious like that.
'How does it feel to rebel against the world?', she could hear her own voice whisper to her. It sounded odd at first, nobody is used to hearing their own voice. However, hear it enough times and even she would realise it. She isn't like Lastia and Yggdrasil, not that she would know about it. There is no external entity sharing her body with her, all that lay dormant within are other reflections of the same self. So why do these voices persist?
Why does her ego fracture and refract into many other iterations? Refraction?
"Alice. What are you doing?" (Sariel)
Her talk with Faramicia on the roof had just finished. It was lunch break when Faramicia approached her with those concerns. The girl with a head of luscious gold steps out of the shadows at the side of the stair entrance. She wore a school uniform of her own, her healthy vibrant locks contrast against her dull brown blazer, her sharp eyes pierce through the darkness.
"... You don't remember?" (Alice)
"...?" (Sariel)
"Maybe it's working... Well, don't worry about it. You will grasp at what you most desire, with your own will." (Alice)
"... I see. Thank you." (Sariel)
Was it like concocting the strongest poison by putting a bunch of poisonous insects in the same pot? A form of training like any other, an excuse only the current her would accept. Pitting her mind against its own reflections, such a drastic and extreme method could only be concocted by Sariel. It made enough sense to her. At the same time, it was distancing herself from reality. In the worse case, she might be stuck in her own mind and fall into a coma in the real world.
"You're welcome. I have a feeling, we'll succeed this time." (Alice)
She flashes a sweet smile, a steady vigour fills her up. To be frank, Sariel didn't believe she could get close to anyone again. The small things like this still fill her with warmth, having friends who aren't so close isn't so bad either. Was this what she wanted? To keep and be kept at the perfect distance? She was wary of her own feelings, if she was too happy she'd grow afraid that this fleeting happiness will be taken away. The curse haunting her was her own feelings. She's been lost for awhile now, and she didn't know what she herself wanted as well.
Rather, she was fine accepting Alice's arbitrary idea of what she wanted anyway. She might have requested something of Alice at some point in time, even so she has no memory of it. Alice is strange. She mentions things that never happened, yet Sariel felt that she could trust Alice with her full heart.
"...!?" (Sariel)
A faint warmth envelopes her chest along with a lingering citrus scent. She looks down and her nose meets locks of gold.
"... I share some responsibility in that ridiculous training of yours. It's something only you can do, even so if you need an anchor in reality you can look for me. I'm more reliable than I look, okay?" (Alice)
A smile comes to grace Sariel's face too. Her complexion lightens up slightly, a rare show of expression for her. It felt like the heat got to her face too.
"... Alright, thank you. Really. Magical girls like you are why I keep going." (Sariel)
"Heehee!" (Alice)
Being the 'strongest' is a sin that places the world's burden on her. If an enemy no one else could fight arrives, she couldn't rely on anyone to protect her. She'd have to be the first to bare her own neck. Yet, she wanted to be the strongest. She wanted to be what Lastia was to her, to everyone else. That's why she'd never reject a novel method of training. Life was peaceful before she became a magical girl, but surprisingly she had a disposition that liked fighting.
If she had met any bullies after what happened in elementary and middle school, there's no doubt she'd pounce in with a kick or a punch. She's trained her body and exercise on the regular, honing her body like a weapon while focusing on her studies with the rest of her time. As expected, she passed through life peacefully, at least until she met Lastia and Arin. She believed she was talented as a magical girl only to meet them.
It can't be helped right? Before she rescues them from the afterlife, she'll take this time to catch up. It's in her mind and soul after all, not only physically and magically, she has now engaged in mental training. One day she won't just be the 'strongest', she'll truly be the strongest. Was this her wish?
"Now that's a better face. It's hypocritical coming from me when I dragged you into this business...
But we shouldn't forget we're not just magical girls. Enjoying life, enjoying your youth is important too." (Alice)
"Fufu, but protecting that is why I fight." (Sariel)
Today, she made faces no one else but Alice had seen.