Alpha Instinct

Leonard was startled by Saito's reaction. The last thing he expected to see in his life was Saito being truly frightened by anything. "Master Saito... Master Saito, what is it?" Leo asked, visibly concerned.

"That girl... She used... divine energy... How is that possible?" Saito clutched his head with both hands, desperately trying to find a logical explanation for the impossible.

He stood up abruptly and began pacing the cabin, stroking his beard, his face contorted in a deep frown, lost in thought.

Leonard grabbed a towel from the headboard of the bed, wet it, wrung it out, and gently placed the damp cloth on Evelyn's forehead. "You have to get better, Eve..." he whispered, his voice thick with worry.

Saito, meanwhile, made his way to a bookshelf at the back of the cabin, in the part that was still under construction. This section of the cabin was a mess, tools and materials scattered everywhere. He rummaged through the books, muttering impatiently, "Damn it, where is it...?", "Not this one...", "Lost again...?" His frustration grew with each passing second.

"Found it!" he exclaimed, finally pulling out an ancient tome, a book that seemed almost as old as he was.

Carefully, Saito sat down on the floor, right where he was. He delicately opened the book, its pages yellowed and brittle, and began to leaf through it, his eyes scanning the text written in a long-lost, ancient language.

Kaleb approached Saito cautiously. "Can I help you, Grandpa...? I know a thing or two about energy..." Kaleb offered sincerely. He was genuinely worried too, and this wasn't the time for jokes. He understood that if something had rattled Saito this badly, it was serious.

Mikaela gently touched Leonard's head, then pulled up a chair and sat beside him. "Leo, I'm going to use Immaculatus. It will make Evelyn more comfortable," she explained softly.

Leonard nodded, grateful. "Thank you, Mikaela."

Mikaela activated her ELEV, and a soft, pearly white light emanated from her hands. She placed them lightly on Evelyn's chest, and the light spread, enveloping the unconscious girl in a warm, soothing embrace. The lines of pain on Evelyn's face seemed to ease slightly, her breathing becoming a little less ragged.

"Here! I found it! Effigy!" Saito shouted from across the cabin, his voice filled with a mixture of awe and dread. His finger traced the words in the book as he translated aloud: "The first effigies found in the Tower of Light were objects that carried skills, possessing divine energy. The first items of the pantheon to descend upon Humbra."

"Where did she find an effigy?" Mikaela asked, her voice laced with disbelief. "There isn't even a god of shadows, let alone a related tower." She stated, her words firm.

"Oh hoo! Indeed, you are right, my young lady!" Saito said, a spark of excitement in his eyes. Saito continued, "They are objects that carry the power of the relevant God, teaching hidden techniques of S+ rank, some even for single use, as such power ends up killing the user. The towers and gods present in the world are..."

As Saito was flipping the page, Kaleb chimed in, reciting, as if from a textbook, "The seven Gods of Humbra are:

Goddess of Light, responsible for humanity.

Goddess of Energy, responsible for climate and mana.

Goddess of Earth, responsible for animals and Leirions.

God of Water, responsible for the four seas and lakes.

Goddess of Wind, responsible for destiny.

God of Fire, responsible for wisdom and combat.

God of Constellations, the leader of all, responsible for justice and order in the universe."

"Well said, my boy," Saito said, a flicker of pride showing briefly before he masked it with his usual nonchalance. "So, according to the scriptures, there are no gods of shadow or darkness."

"So you're saying Evelyn is... evil? Demonic?" Leonard asked, concern etched on his face.

Mikaela was the first to answer. "No. I'm from the Church of Light. I can sense demonic energy. Evelyn doesn't have even a trace of negative energy."

Saito added, "Exactly. I also didn't sense anything evil coming from that energy. On the contrary, it's pure and primordial!" Saito said, as if remembering something from his distant past.

"You seem nostalgic, Master," Leonard observed.

"Well, let's just say I was there when they finished the search for the Tower of Light. Oh, ho!" he said casually, as if it were a minor detail.

But the reality of those words hit Mikaela like a physical blow. She stared at Saito for a few seconds, speechless. When the first word finally formed on her lips, she simply fainted, collapsing. The constant use of her energy to ease Evelyn's pain, combined with the sudden, overwhelming shock, had been too much.

Leonard caught Mikaela before she fell, gritting his teeth. "Master, she's crazy about this Goddess stuff. You should be more careful..." he muttered, carefully placing Mikaela on another bed.

Meanwhile, Evelyn, who had remained unconscious, coughed and, suddenly, opened her eyes and sat up, looking around, disoriented. "Where... where am I?" Her voice was a thread.

"Evelyn! Are you okay?" asked Leonard, approaching quickly.

"I... I don't know...," she replied, her voice weak and confused. "The darkness... so cold... Raviel... he..." The words came out disjointed, fragments of hazy memories. She put a hand to her head, a look of pain crossing her face. "Kori... I..."

Before she could complete the sentence, her eyes lost focus, her body trembled violently, and she fell back, unconscious again, convulsing.

"Oh hoo, they don't make Neumonds like they used to… Help her, you stupid!" Saito said, shrugging impatiently.

Leonard loosened Evelyn's clothing, trying to make her more comfortable. He held her body firm, a steady anchor against her violent tremors, waiting for the seizing to pass. Her jaw, clenched tight, teeth grinding together, slowly relaxed as her body finally went limp.

Kaleb asked, "So, what do we do now? Because, sincerely, this is crazy."

Saito replied, "You need to postpone your return to Armeria for a while. Evelyn needs a Soul Stone from another Elite, or she will die."

"You say that like it's easy to just go around killing the shit out of Elite Leirions," Kaleb said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Do you have any idea what you're saying? Elite! They don't exactly grow on trees, you know. Or humanity would have perished a long time ago."

Leonard looked down at his swords, his expression hardening with resolve. He needed to save Evelyn. "How much time do I have, Master?" he asked.

"Maybe a week. Ten days at most, if she's strong," Saito replied.

"Do you have a plan, Leonard?" Kaleb asked. "You can't just stumble upon Elites. It's not like picking berries."

"I don't have a plan," Leonard admitted. "But I have some ideas." He paused, thinking hard. "Ideas... and a debt to collect."

Kaleb groaned. "Why does that smell like major trouble to me?"

Saito chuckled. "Ah, youth. Enjoy it while it lasts... I'll take care of both of them. You prepare to leave. Whatever you're going to do, do it quickly."

Leonard looked out the cabin window. The sky was clear, a deep indigo canvas speckled with the brilliant light of countless stars. The four moons of Humbra hung in the sky, their different phases casting a complex interplay of shadows across the landscape. It was almost night.

"I need to prepare the horses," Leonard said, turning to Kaleb. "Help me. It's going to be a long journey."

"Are you going to tell me where we're going?" asked Kaleb.

"Come on, I'll tell you on the way," Leo said, with a mischievous smirk.

They stepped outside. Leonard made his way to where the horses were tethered, checking their saddles and supplies. He carefully inspected Smiling and Absolution, running his fingers along their blades.

"Finally," he thought, his grip tightening on the hilts, "Finally, we'll have our revenge." He pictured the grotesque face of the Elite leirion he wanted, the creature's mocking laughter echoing in his memory. "I'll make you pay for what you did to him."

Kaleb approached, carrying a saddlebag. "So," he said, trying to sound casual, but with a distinct undertone of curiosity, "are you going to spill the beans, or am I going to have to pry it out of you with a crowbar? Where are we galloping off to?"

Leonard turned, his eyes cold and hard, like chips of dry ice. "We're going to the Wailing Wetlands," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "We're going to hunt the Fleshripper!"

Kaleb's jaw dropped. It wasn't just any Elite; it was another named Elite. Fleshripper was way tougher than even Ursulos Rex. After all, this one had a certain level of intelligence.

"We're gonna get absolutely fucking wrecked. We're definitely gonna die... Just the two of us? We're screwed..." Kaleb said, his voice a mix of disbelief and resignation.

"Don't be ridiculous. Let's go. Mikaela will catch up with us when she wakes up," Leonard said, already mounting his horse and turning it to depart.

"I must've pissed on a statue of the Light Goddess when I was drunk to deserve this shit," Kaleb muttered, mounting his own horse as they rode off.