The Dark Before The Light

"What are you reading?" Jia asked, her small footsteps padding softly on the floor as she approached Acacia and peered curiously at the open book.

"Monsters," Acacia replied, her finger tracing a detailed illustration.

"Am I in there too?" Jia asked, her eyes wide with a mixture of apprehension and fascination.

"Don't be silly, Jia! We're in fairytales, remember? Pretty girls don't belong with scary monsters," Poppy declared with an air of authority, her newly braided hair bouncing.

"Fairytales?" Jia tilted her head, a puzzled expression on her face as she looked at Poppy.

"Mhm! Grandma used to tell me all about them," Poppy affirmed, a fond smile touching her lips. "And then we can be princesses, just like Senior!" Poppy exclaimed, puffing out her chest with newfound importance.

"What?" Acacia's head snapped up, her brow furrowed in confusion as she tried to parse their sudden declaration.

"The esteemed Princess of the Ruins," Edwin drawled in a deliberately mocking tone, earning him a sharp glare from Acacia.

"Sadly, my dears, the age of princesses in Encer is long gone. It's all just… simple living now," Acacia sighed dramatically, a hint of playful irony in her voice. "And traditionally, one can only claim the title of princess through a direct lineage to royalty."

"So… we can't be princesses?" Jia asked, her voice tinged with a touch of disappointment.

"Ah, but there's a delightful little loophole," Acacia said with a mischievous grin, her eyes twinkling. "You see, we are related to royalty." Edwin visibly shuddered at her words, a look of dawning horror spreading across his face.

"Really? Who? Who is the royal?" Poppy and Jia exclaimed in unison, their eyes wide with eager anticipation as they crowded around Acacia.

"Why, none other than our very own esteemed and valiant Edwin, of course!" Acacia declared with a theatrical flourish and a wide smirk. "Not only is he of royal blood, but he was once a king himself!" Poppy gasped dramatically, her hand flying to her mouth, while Jia looked from Acacia to the unresponsive Edwin with bewildered curiosity.

"Mister! Is it true? Were you really a king?" Poppy turned to Edwin, her voice filled with awe. They found him curled up against the wall, his back resolutely turned towards them, as if trying to disappear into the very stones.

"It's just… silly fairytales," Edwin mumbled into the wall, his voice muffled and dismissive.

"Did you ever rescue a beautiful princess from the stomach of a monster? Did you conquer mighty kingdoms and chop off the heads of all the nasty villains?" Poppy asked, her eyes shining with the fantastical images her grandmother had painted as she tugged insistently on Edwin's arm.

'Goodness, what manner of bloodthirsty fairytales did that poor child's grandmother tell her,' Acacia thought, one eyebrow arching in amusement and slight concern. 'Although I'm surprised that she isn't... affected by her grandmother.' Acacia stared at Poppy's face for a moment before looking down at her book.

"If only conquering was easy without the tiresome consequences," Edwin grumbled, though a hint of wistfulness coloured his tone. "Now, cease your royal inquiries and go entertain yourselves." Poppy and Jia exchanged disappointed glances, their pouting lips evident even as they reluctantly scampered off to find another source of amusement.

Acacia continued to flip through the monster encyclopedia when a sudden, violent rattling sound echoed from the area where Elric was being held. She turned her head to glance at the door.

"Shall we simply disregard him?" Edwin asked, his voice laced with a hint of weary resignation.

"Seems the most prudent course of action," Acacia replied with a shrug, her gaze returning to the book. "Hopefully, Bella will reach a decision regarding his fate sooner rather than later."

"She won't," Edwin said with a sigh, shaking his head. "She probably wants to cling to the idea that he wasn't entirely wrong, that there was some justifiable reason for his actions. Denial is a powerful thing. Honestly, she could do so much better."

"And she clearly had feelings for him. It's not easy to just switch those off, especially since she believed she knew him, the real him before they actually started dating. That foundation, however flawed it might be now, makes it even harder to let go." She sighed softly, her attention only partially returning to the fascinating, if gruesome, illustrations in the monster encyclopedia.

As Acacia delved deeper into the monster encyclopedia, her focus narrowed to the intricacies of their abilities, meticulously studying their strengths, weaknesses, and survival tactics. She paused on a fascinating entry describing a creature that could spontaneously grow extra limbs and teeth, a startling adaptation primarily used to intimidate potential predators. A thoughtful frown creased her brow as she tilted her head, absorbing the information. Her gaze drifted down to her own hand, her fingers flexing slightly. She brought it closer to her face, a sudden curiosity piqued.

She set the book aside and closed her eyes momentarily, she concentrated on the flow of mana within her blood, a familiar warmth thrumming beneath her skin. She became acutely aware of the rhythmic pulse of her heart and the subtle currents of energy that accompanied even the slightest movement. With deliberate intent, she directed a focused stream of mana towards the bones and tissues of her fingers, then sent another, more concentrated surge towards the outer edge of her left palm. A strange pulling sensation bloomed within her hand as if her internal energy was straining to breach the surface.

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Furrowing her brows in concentration, she exerted a gentle but firm mental command, urging the mana outwards. Her palm began to tremble almost imperceptibly as the skin slowly swelled, forming a small, distinct bump. She persisted, channelling more mana into this nascent growth, visualizing the bones within her hand subtly shifting and reconstructing themselves. The bump gradually elongated, stretching outwards until it approximated the length of her pinky finger. Tentatively, she willed it to move, and to her surprise, it responded, flexing and extending in coordination with her other fingers, albeit with a slightly stiff, unnatural quality and lacking the familiar creases of her natural digits.

"Interesting," Acacia murmured, a hint of surprise in her voice as she wiggled the newly formed finger, her gaze intently studying its slightly alien appearance.

'Since I have regeneration, and I can clearly manipulate tissue growth, I wonder if I could extend that to my bones as well? Force them outwards, perhaps, to create a makeshift shield?' The memory of the man from the cafe flickered in her mind. 'Or maybe combine both? Use my blood and bone as defence defence? Given my ability to shape them, there's a whole realm of experimentation waiting to be explored.'

Driven by this sudden curiosity, Acacia gripped the newly grown finger and deliberately twisted it at an unnatural angle until it snapped with a soft crack. Ignoring the twinge of discomfort, she used her fingernails to dig into the root of the finger and pulled the finger out. She then consciously suppressed her natural regenerative abilities, watching the wound well with blood. With a focused mental command, she stilled the flow, then began to manipulate the crimson liquid, directing it to swirl and coalesce around her palm. Envisioning a specific image as she moulded the blood, layer upon layer, until a solid, crimson gauntlet encased her hand. She tapped it experimentally; it felt surprisingly hard and resilient. She opened and closed her fist, watching the armour flex and shift with her movements. Catching Edwin's utterly bewildered expression, she couldn't help but feel a flicker of amusement.

"I am far too tired for this display of… biological innovation," Edwin sighed dramatically, pushing himself to his feet. Without another word, he turned and wearily exited the ruined building, leaving Acacia to her peculiar experiments.

Acacia glanced over at Maximus, but he remained deeply absorbed in the romance novels, a soft smile playing on his lips, seemingly lost in his own world. She turned her attention back to her hand, the crimson gauntlet of solidified blood dissolving into shimmering motes of mana as she ceased her mental command, leaving her skin unmarked. Picking up the heavy monster encyclopedia once more, she began to study the various creatures with renewed focus, her mind actively cataloguing their abilities, strengths, and, most importantly, any potential weaknesses.

A few hours later, the weight of information in the monster encyclopedia finally began to settle in her eyes. Acacia closed the book with a soft sigh and blinked a few times. It's been a while since I've dedicated this much time to study. My eyes feel a bit strained. She stood up, the heavy tome in her hands, and walked out of the ruined house, leaving Maximus still engrossed in his reading. Stepping into the open air, she stretched her legs, a small yawn escaping her lips as she surveyed their surroundings. Suddenly, a sharp creaking sound echoed from within the house, followed by a figure bursting through the doorway with desperate speed. He stumbled and fell heavily onto the rough ground just outside.

Acacia blinked in surprise, recognizing Elric. His wrists were tightly bound, and raw, irritated skin circled his ankles, evidence of chafing against coarse restraints. Dark bloodstains marred his clothing, and a soiled cloth was tightly tied around his mouth, effectively silencing him. Everyone present froze, their gazes snapping towards the unexpected arrival. Elric attempted to sit up, but a groan of pain escaped him before his wide, frantic eyes locked onto Acacia. He strained against his gag, a muffled yell escaping him, the words indistinguishable. Acacia noted that the wounds on his arms appeared to have healed, but a significant injury on his leg looked untreated and still raw.

'So, the healing was finished at that time,' Acacia thought, her expression settling into a neutral mask as she registered Maximus's looming presence behind her and the low, dissatisfied grunt that rumbled from his chest.

"Are you alright, sir?" Vincent's concerned voice cut through the tense silence as he hurried towards the fallen Elric and knelt beside him.

Acacia slowly approached, her gaze steady as she watched Vincent carefully loosen the gag. 'He looks utterly spent. Doubtful he poses much of a threat in this state, but still…' She glanced at Maximus and instantly he moved forward, his large hands gently but firmly lifting Elric from the ground, holding him in a tight, almost crushing embrace.

"Ugh… where's Erla? What have you done to her? Why aren't you dead?" Elric gasped out, his eyes blazing with confusion and animosity as he glared at Acacia.

"Erla? I'm afraid that name doesn't ring a bell. This is the first time we've met since you… departed," Acacia replied, tilting her head slightly, her expression, one of genuine puzzlement. Elric's confusion deepened, his eyes darting around frantically before settling on Vincent's worried face.

"Vincent? What… what's happening? Why are you here? Weren't you supposed to be… in the South? What happened to the others?" Elric stammered, his voice laced with disorientation.

"Me?" Vincent said, his brow furrowed with concern, "I've never had the pleasure of meeting you before today."

"Vincent… why? Why are your eyes… green?" Elric stammered, his voice cracking with rising panic. "What is happening? Where is Erla?!" Fresh tears welled in his eyes and streamed down his dirt-streaked cheeks as his confusion morphed into desperation. He thrashed weakly against Maximus's unyielding grip, but the embrace held him fast.

'Elric knows Vincent's name, but the wrong eye colour? A doppelganger with a similar name?' Acacia's mind raced, her gaze flicking to Vincent, who was now intently focused on the distressed Elric. Her attention then swept across the small crowd that had gathered, and she noticed them, several individuals with the same striking green eyes as Vincent.

"How in the blazes did he manage to escape?" Edwin's voice cut through the air, laced with annoyance, as he pushed his way through the onlookers, Fafea close behind him. Acacia squinted her eyes slightly as she registered Edwin's green eyes, a stark contrast to Vincent's eyes.

'This… this isn't right. Either I'm spiralling into paranoia, or something deeply strange is going on here.' Acacia took a slow, deliberate breath, trying to quell the unease that was rapidly growing within her.

"Put him to sleep," Acacia instructed, running a hand through her hair, her fingers working through a few tangled strands as she felt Behemoth wriggling between her strands and fingers. Maximus, without hesitation, released Elric from his crushing hold, his massive fist then connecting with the side of the man's face with a sickening thud. Elric slumped instantly, his body going limp. Acacia flinched slightly at the brutal efficiency. "I was rather hoping for a… less violent method," she sighed, watching as Maximus matter-of-factly began dragging the unconscious Elric back towards the ruined house by his feet.