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chapter 2: Forget-Me-Nots

  “Saviour, I see you, too, are bound within this lonely tower, much like I. Tell me, what fate has led you here?” said Estoc perched on my shoulder as we strode following the carpet path hoping to find an exit.

  "I... don't know. I was drunk, acting silly, and now I'm here."

  “I see”

  See what? What do you see? The talking mouse lady just said ‘I see.’ What do you seeee?

  Moments like these made me wish I knew how to talk to new people—how to connect instead of resorting to my usual tactic: a well-placed knuckle kiss. I clenched my fists, my shoulders tensing, which seemed to alarm Estoc. Not wanting to scare the tiny thing, I quickly forced myself to relax.

  “Sorry,” I muttered.

  I always cringed at how easily ‘normal girls’ opened up to each other, spilling their hearts to complete strangers—only to turn around and gossip behind their backs days later. And yet... I envied it.

  Maybe this was a good opportunity to try this whole socializing thing?

  "Nice weather today, huh?"

  K.O.

  I’d finally done it. In half a decade as a professional boxer, this was my first self-inflicted knockout.

  “Oh? Was that the Saviour’s attempt at polite discourse? How... adorable.” Estoc let out a tiny laugh, then patted my visor with her paw—surprisingly gentle for someone so smug. “You will get the hang of it... eventually."

  I sighed. Yeah. I don’t think we can be friends.

  “Well, that was amusing. should I not know what to call thee?”

  “Hmm… my name is…” I trailed off, my brows furrowing. My name—I couldn’t remember it. Wait.what? It felt like my lungs had turned inside out, like I was trying to gargle them down my own throat. How could I forget my own damn name? For fuck’s sake.

  Estoc tilted her head. “That is quite the look of distress for a mere name. Have I asked something improper?”

  “It’s not just my name, Ms. Estoc. I don’t remember anything about my past. Only pieces of the heavy stuff.” Ever since my encounter with her, I had been obsessively looking inward, trying to pick apart my menacing circumstances. But now—I was aware. Too aware. I had no idea what I was doing. Where I was going. Or even where I was. For all I knew, I could choke on this dusty air and die.

  I knelt, the stone beneath the carpet cracking slightly under the force. My hands clenched around my visor as if holding it together would somehow keep me from falling apart. I was about to hyperventilate, and no amount of breathing technique could fix me. I don’t want to cry in a place like this.

  Then—everything went dark.

  And I mean literally.

  At least it spared me the humiliation.

  Something warm, impossibly soft, pressed against my cold helmet. A faint heartbeat echoed in the darkness.

  “Ms. Estoc?” I rasped.

  "Hush now, little lambkin. All shall be well, in due time."

  “Weeh…” I cried like a little girl. The last time I cried like this was… I couldn't remember. Maybe it was coal to the flames.

  “There, there”

  ……………………………..

  The woman in front of me was… unreal. Regal, eerie, and utterly composed. Her midnight gown was embroidered with golden filigree, ambient even under the faint sunlight filtering into the library. Long sleeves draped from her arms, trailing in ghostly tendrils. A corset, laced tightly around her waist, emphasized how effortlessly she carried herself. To her, wearing such attire was as natural as breathing.

  Her face, pale. Framed by wild cascades of raven black hair. Her lips curved into a faint smile, patinent. Knowing. As if she had seen every bit of fear and uncertainty clawing at my heart. Atop her head sat a circlet-headpiece hybrid, crafted from gold and adorned with tastefully placed pearls

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  It hit me like a punch to the liver.

  This was Ms. Estoc.

  “Ms. Estoc can turn into a human?” I was flabbergasted.

  "Nay, child. ‘Tis the other way around." she corrected smugly.

  Before I could react, she reached forward, carefully prying open my visor. Then—without hesitation—she pinched both my cheeks adoringly, as if I were some hapless kitten.

  “Aah, we have the same hair,” she mused, her voice lilting with amusement.

  I gawked at her, utterly lost for words.

  “The form of a rodent is far more suited for recovery,” she continued, her fingers finally releasing my poor cheeks. “And, I must admit… ‘tis much less painful to endure time spent in a cage.”

  “I… I don't know what’s happening to me” almost about to repeat the episode again.

  “Shh ... .I have but a sliver of mana left. I shall cast a spell—it will guide thee to safety.”

  Before I could process her words, she brought her hands together and poised her fingers in an alien gesture. A faint ashen glow gathered between her palms. Then, With a delicate motion, she unfurled her fingers, allowing a tiny raven-like bird to emerge from the dim light. It was my first time witnessing magic. True magnificent magic.

  With a soft thud, she collapsed, her form shrinking in an instant. When the glow faded, the proud woman was gone—only a small, unconscious mouse remained where she had stood.

  “Ms. Estoc—!”

  ……………………………..

  Throughout my life, I’ve been two things: an orphan who scraped and clawed for every morsel she could get, and a second-rate professional boxer who fought for whatever paycheck came her way. It wasn’t elegant—just bloody. But I had to play the hand I was dealt.

  I’d never been in a position where someone trusted me. I didn’t know how to feel about it—didn’t even know what I was feeling. But one thing was certain: I couldn’t disappoint Ms. Estoc.

  Carefully, I placed her onto the cold metal of my gauntlets. Guilt pricked at me—I wished I could offer her something softer. But I had no idea how to remove them. This would have to do.

  "Kraawk." The raven called out, its voice rasping like old parchment tearing. Then, without hesitation, it took off, striding forward on delicate claws.

  I hurried after it. Right turns led to left, stairs twisted upward, then down—endlessly down. Straight hallways stretched for what felt like hours, only to double back into another dizzying loop. It was a pattern my dumbass brain had no hope of deciphering.

  And then, finally, it seemed to have ended.

  Before me stood a massive, ancient door—towering and imposing, carved from black stone. No handle. No keyhole. No instructions. I stared at it, waiting for some grand revelation. When nothing happened, I lost patience. Seemingly complex problems tend to have simple solutions. So, I kicked it.

  To my absolute disbelief, the damn thing shattered. I had a lot of questions. None of them mattered. I was too mentally drained to give a fuck.

  The raven proceeded as if nothing had happened, leading me up one last spiral staircase. At least this time, I knew it would be the final stretch.

  At the top, another door. This one had a circular knob.

  Oh wow. Finally, something I know how to operate.

  I turned the knob, stepped inside—And the journey ended in a bedroom. A grand one. The kind you'd expect in a castle. Heavy curtains draped the windows, rich furniture filled the space, a wardrobe stood near the wall, and a large work desk sat beside an ornate bed.

  Safe.

  The raven vanished, its duty apparently fulfilled. I carefully placed Ms. Estoc on the bed and sighed.

  At least it had to be better than the gauntlets.

  [Notice: Owner Bl1ghtedPixie_XD has unlocked ‘MASTER CONTROL’]

  [Would you like to access it at the moment, Y/N]

  ...What. The. Hell.

  “Yes??”

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