This feeling of unease wouldn’t leave me.

“Your majesty, as you have requested, I have sent the guest home and locked down the palace. Chris, Elma, and Minty have also been sent home.”

I could feel the guardians on the move. As Queen, the whole palace is my domain, yet there are still those who would slip past me.

I placed my hand against the imprint on the wall. It was the same size as my hand. A battle was fought here, and I was none the wiser—neither through the eyes of any of the guardians or the palace’s defensive spells.

How could so much happen and I, of all people, not know about it?

That guardian was fighting something. Who?

“My Queen, as requested, a guardian has been assigned to all remaining in the palace.” My steward and Myrian have gathered with me.

“Your majesty, if I may, we should move to the war room. A host of diviners are awaiting you. I have also sent for Lumina, but she is reluctant.”

“I understand. Today was her day off, after all.”

“My Queen, you don’t think it's Darkness, again?”

Are the heavens truly so cruel? Does Darkness descend upon my home once again? No. This is different from last time. Last time, Darkness did not use such subterfuge. He is not afraid to storm the gates and march directly into the throne room.

There was also that strange guardian.

***

[Do you remember on the morning of the finals,]

What is the point in writing anything if there is no one to read it? I ask myself that sometimes. If the people I wish to share it with will never read it, how is it any different than a flight of fancy? Forever resigned to my memories.

[I'm the kind of guy who's ill at ease and only knows how to fight.]

If I am alone, do I still need to concern myself with how others see me? Does it matter how I see myself?

[Honestly, I… I…]

If only I could exist in my idleness. To live only in my fantasy. When I see Lawrence, myself, in the mirror, I hate what I see. I wish that person wasn’t me. Yet, when I transform into Kyrie. I see a person who I am not. All the things I couldn’t be.

[Sekiha Love Love Tenkyoken!!]

‘My Queen, you’ve been staring at your notebook for some time. Are you alright?’

“Hm? Oh, sorry. I’m doing alright. I just can’t think of what to write.”

‘It looks to me like you don’t know how to write what you’ve been thinking about.’

I closed my notebook with a sigh. “What anime do you want to watch next?”

‘Oh, let me put another one on.’

Valoria removed the discs from the DVD player and sorted them back into the box before loading a new set. When was the last time I watched this much anime in one sitting? On a CRT, no less.

‘This one is a little bit longer. Fifty-nine episodes this time.’

“That’s a whole five hours longer than the last one!”

‘Not true! If we skip through the opening and endings, we should be able to reduce three minutes per episode. Oh, except for episode twenty-seven, since the episode plays into the ending.’

I had forgotten how annoying it was to watch something on DVD. And I don’t mean the image quality. It's these damn advertisements at the start of each disc that you can’t skip!

I took a glance at my phone. Five minutes after midnight. I wouldn’t have minded staying. But Ryce must be wondering why I haven’t shown up for work. And we’ve only just finished our second anime.

“Valoria, you know I’ll have to go home eventually, right?”

Valoria paused for a moment just as she was about to start the first episode.

‘I’m aware.’

“Will you be sad if I leave?”

‘I won't.’

“Oh…”

‘Do not get me wrong. Even if you are not her, you are my precious and irreplaceable friend. If for nothing else than giving me this moment.’

Every so often, I feel this scatter of emotions. I’m not sure what to say, and I can only grasp at the words in front of me.

“Even if I never become her? Even if you never see your friend again?”

‘My friend was sealed away with Darkness one hundred forty billion years ago. Someday that seal will be undone. You and her are completely different people.’

“Even though I’m supposed to go back in time and do what she did?”

‘Ooohh, is that what this is about? You could die right now, and Kyrie will still have done what she did.’

***

Lumina kicked open the door to the war room. “Myrian! There had better be a good reason for summoning me on my day off!”

Myrian quickly rushed over to calm her. “Lumina, you can’t be causing such a scene.”

“And why not?! I had to cancel plans to take my niece to the park with her friends! I haven’t even been away for a full day! I think I have every right to cause a scene! Even if it were in her majesty's presence, I would still cause a scene!”

Myrian sighed and stepped aside from Lumina to kneel before me.

“Ah! Y-your Majesty! P-pp-p-pppay frog-give my insolence!” Lumina quickly bowed her head and took her knee next to Myrian.

“We have already stopped time across the planes. Your niece will still be there when you return.”

“If I may, your majesty, what happened while I was gone?”

“Steward, if you will.”

My steward bowed and began speaking. He briefed Lumina on the sudden casting of judgment and the guardian in the gardens. How the guardian ran off after I had casted my spell.

There was something about that guardian. Not that it mattered now. When I chased after it, I found myself lost in my own castle. As if its defenses were working against me.

By the time I undid the spell, all that remained of the guardian was evidence that a battle did occur. I’m not even sure if it could be called a battle. When I used my scrying to peer into recent events, it was as if time itself was being torn asunder.

A literal moment in time is now lost to existence.

“I see. And you were hoping I could untangle this mess with my divination magic.”

“That is so. Now, if you would, please.”

Lumina stood and conjured her planisphere. Its projection of the heavens accurate right down to the areas of reality where time has stopped and the areas that have not.

If there were anyone who could learn what was happening beyond my view, it would be her.

She peered into her planisphere as the past and present became known to her. Events from the start of today leading up to moments before that guardian cast her spell. “Huh, that’s strange.”

“What do you see, Lumina?”

“Nothing. A magical seal is blocking my view.”

“Truly, that cannot be. If it is a spell that needs undoing, tell me when and where so that I may dispel it.”

“Well, that’s the thing, your majesty.” Lumina projected her planisphere, revealing the von Kyrie magical seal. The royal family’s magical seal. “If you want to know what happened, you must undo the magical wards protecting this realm.”

***

I was left with a lot to think about. What is my life?

It feels like such a mess. I wanted to leave it all behind and live only for myself. Then Bridget shows up and tells me I have some grand destiny. The only cost was that I accept the me I always wanted to be.

Now I’m being told that none of that matters. Why am I even here?

“Valoria, I think it's time that I went back home.”

‘That probably is for the best. Thank you for spending this time with me. It meant a lot more than a being like myself can express.’

“Don’t worry about it. I had a lot of fun…”

‘Don’t worry, I understand. You’re like her in that way. Always worrying.’