Annabelle’s Bastion

“ARIA!”

“HEY, ARIA! … ARIA! … ARIA, WHERE ARE YOU?!”

Aria unsteadily lifted herself, only to stumble and nearly fall. She had to use the wall as an aid to stand because not a single part of her body felt normal.

Not pain, thankfully—she didn’t think she’d be able to take such an unbearable agony again. Even remembering it earned a shiver.

Every limb she had felt like it hadn’t been used in years. She gave up on attempting to walk and fell back to the ground, resting against the tree.

Best to give them time to recover before she embarrassed herself further.

Instead, she focused on the qualitative change in her being.

She noticed the differences immediately, owed to her exceptional mana control.

Surprisingly, the changes weren’t what she thought; she initially believed it would take a section of her mana, similar to her barrier. But rather than being annexed—split apart to provide an independent power source for the Apex Sigil—it was ripped. A tear that was noticeably slowly recovering.

It would take a while to heal, during which time her capacity for normal abilities would be lower… significantly lower.

But with that tear, she felt a connection to her new power, along with an innate understanding of what the ability is and how she could use it.

That feeling must be what Annabelle was talking about. With that understanding, the doors to barrier control and manifesting the ring were suddenly far easier.

With a thought, Aria disabled her barrier and felt a sudden connection to an even larger body of mana.

“Annabelle…” she muttered, clenching her fist. “Thank you,” she whispered.

The ability was much more substantial than what Cole reported the core used it for. It was almost too perfect for her—something that almost completely matched what she wanted.

Well, she wanted some kind of enhancement-related one, but this was better.

Far better.

She could create weapons with seemingly no limits on what they could be or do.

However, she couldn’t use it yet; it had conditions.

To create the weapon, she had to absorb it in its entirety. Whether that would destroy the weapon or if it was some sort of scan, she had no clue. But the ability was astounding; it was almost tailored to her and how she wanted to fight. Presumably, she could use the weapons as extensions of herself to cast abilities.

It was basically like having an infinite arsenal of Mithril weapons. She patted her katana, but she had absolutely zero intention of testing on that.

Eventually, her limbs recovered, and her body felt relatively normal.

“ARIA!” Came the nearby shout of Cole.

He sounded panicked.

Aria carefully stood and activated her enhancements to descend the tree.

A short distance away, she saw Cole searching the forest for her with his hand beside his mouth for shouting.

“What?” she said as she approached him. “Did something happen?”

He jumped. “Oh my fucking god, finally!” he swore and released a heavy breath. Then, he scowled. “I’ve been looking for you all day! Did you drop the teleporter?! They fucking left! All of them—left us both behind and fled!”

“What?” she said as she pulled out the small device from her pocket.

“Yeah, that’s what I said!” He exclaimed, his widened eyes glued to the device. He took another deep breath and shook his head. “I guess your teleporter wasn’t the only one; they’re gone. Same for the camp. It looks like they took the entire fucking area with them,” he said with urgency.

He fell to the ground like he hadn’t slept in days, leaning his head against the tree.

Aria returned the teleporter to her pocket, but internally, she was anything but calm.

How could they possibly have a teleporter? They weren’t something given out so carelessly—they were partly mithril. From what she knew from Gromak, Bastion didn’t have a steady source of it and didn’t hand it out lightly. In fact, they didn’t hand it out to anybody below a certain rank.

There was no way for them to have one… unless… an image came to Aria’s mind.

One of Ashton fidgeting with an object in his pockets, something he had done since the beginning of the expedition.

“Ashton,” she said. Then, she nodded to confirm her thoughts. “It was him. He was working with the intruder.”

That would explain his presence in the first place since Annabelle confirmed he wasn’t a top performer.

But that made the scenario more nonsensical. Bastion wouldn’t leave them on the planet, and he would get discovered. They would get rescued, eventually. Did he underestimate Annabelle’s value? Even if Bastion decided not to, Alisha would disobey those rules to get her people back.

Obviously, he wanted her dead for whatever reward he was offered, but this wasn’t the way. She didn’t think him that foolish.

“What?” Cole exclaimed, looking at her in shock and disbelief. “How? Explain, please.”

Aria explained her observations: Ashton’s fidgeting with something in his pocket, his animosity toward her, and her theory about the rewards for getting her killed. It was the only theory that made sense.

Cole didn’t respond and stood, a grave look on his face as he silently walked out of the forest.

Aria followed. She wasn’t as concerned about them leaving since Alisha would immediately know something was wrong. She may even kill Ashton herself… probably not. Earthlings were too valuable to Bastion.

Besides, Aria would much rather be the one to wield the blade. When she made it back, he would die, punishments be damned. She didn’t mind the targeting of her… but Annabelle?

Even a swift death would be a mercy.

They reached where the new camp once was, and it was as Cole reported; all the materials were gone.

“Are they really so cold as to not even leave us a tent?” Cole mumbled.

“The teleporter takes everything in its range—whether they all agreed meant little.” It wasn’t like her to have such optimistic thoughts.

She didn’t want to think all the expedition members were that vile. Ashton, maybe, but others like that Rose girl didn’t strike her as the evil type.

“I guess... that explains it.” He pulled a blade of grass. “But, what now?”

“Our plans haven’t changed—we still have a teleporter.”

They needed to search, even if it would end up taking longer.

“You aren’t worried?”

“Why?”

Cole sat on a nearby rock. “Way I see it, he thought his best chance of killing you was to trap you on this planet.” He shook his head. “But that doesn’t make sense. Like you said, Bastion wouldn’t leave us to rot. If not for us, then Jaxon and Frost. So, why?”

Aria nodded in understanding. “The intruder.”

“Exactly. Ashton, assuming he’s working with the intruder, might have reason to believe they’ll come back to kill you.”

“How long has it been?”

“Since you left?” He paused, thinking about it. “A few hours, I think.”

Surprising. She thought she’d be out for a while after absorbing the Sigil.

“By now, Jaxon took the fight away from us, or it’s over, and he’s dead.”

“Dead…” he whispered. “If only… if only I didn’t succumb to that damn illusion! Twice… fucking pathetic!” He slammed his fist into the rock.

His frustration was warranted—he should not have fallen back into what he broke out of.

Although he may have been killed if he was awake.

“We will spend the remainder of the day searching,” Aria said. If they couldn’t find even a trace, she’d send him back by nightfall.

“Yeah, yeah…” Cole took a loud, deep breath, presumably to collect himself. Finally, he shook his head. “Speaking of searching… I thought about it, and I think we have it wrong.”

“Why?”

“The fight was headed to the core, right? Meaning Jaxon couldn’t control the direction it went. He was getting pushed back, so there was no way he had any say in how that battle went.”

Aria nodded. “It’s unlikely he is fighting somewhere away from us. He’s dead, injured, or at the academy with Annabelle.”

Given how long it’s been, the situation was all but over. They just had to pick up the pieces to figure out what happened.

He raised a finger toward Aria. “Which also means the intruder probably doesn’t intend to kill you.”

“Right,” Aria agreed, lightly nodding. Although, that may have only been stopped because of Annabelle’s presence. Which added more to her previous theory… one she did not like.

But then, what was Ashton’s goal? Jaxon already confirmed Bastion would return to the planet, so there was no possibility that something changed and she was truly stranded.

Perhaps it really was as simple as pettiness.

Regardless, it didn’t matter. Aria shook her head and put her focus back on the priority.

“Theorizing is pointless—we must find Annabelle.”

He stood. “And Jaxon.”

“Yes.”

“Thanks for the concern, kids,” Jaxon’s voice suddenly came from above, low and strained, catching their attention immediately. “Miss me?”

“Sir!” Cole excitedly shouted as he jumped off the rock.

Aria similarly stared in shock and stepped back, making way for him to land.

“Rough fucking day,” Jaxon said as he roughly hit the grass.

“Sir, are you alright?!”

He looked terrible. His clothing was tattered and stained with blood. Numerous cuts and bruises marred his skin, and a deep gash on his forehead oozed red. Blood trickled down his arms, and his breath was heavily labored. His left arm seemed lifeless.

“Where is Annabelle?” Aria asked the moment Jaxon raised his body.

“I’m fucking peachy, thanks for asking, shithead. Little pain in my head, light scratches on my arms—can barely feel the left one, actually.” To accentuate his point, he lifted his left arm, grimaced, and then let it fall. “Yep. Shit.”

“Annabelle is missing.”

“No shit.” Jaxon snorted and sat on the rock. Once he did, he sighed and analyzed Aria from head to toe, then nodded. “You absorbed it. Good. I know people who would fucking kill for what you just got.”

“Where is she?”

Instead, Jaxon looked at Cole. “Tell me, did you two decide to play stupid fucking heroes and stay behind?”

Before Aria could erupt, Cole stepped forward. “Sir, Ashton had a teleporter and was likely working with whoever attacked you.”

That even caught him off guard, and he squinted at Cole—making him flinch. Even injured, he was capable of emitting that kind of lust for blood. “What?”

“S-sir… it happened while I was in the forest, and Aria was absorbing her Sigil…” Cole explained all of it, even having Aria show the teleporter he had left behind as evidence. Aria was upset that he mentioned it, but it was too late now. Jaxon’s face grew darker as it progressed. By the end, any urge Aria had to shout at Jaxon for ignoring her question was gone.

His aura was violent—not killing intent, but unadulterated brutality.

“...We went into the forest after their vehement refusal to lend us aid. I... was immature in my frustration, but by the time I got back to apologize, they had already left.”

Jaxon carelly stood. “You have the teleporter.”

“…Yes.”

“Use it.”

Absolutely not.

“Where is Annabelle?”

Jaxon closed his eyes for a second but shook his head after. “Good fucking question.”

“You don’t know? What happened? Where did she go? … How?”

“Knocked the fuck out—just woke up a few minutes ago.”

“Can you sense her?”

“Tried, I can’t.”

“Then we can’t leave,” Aria said, shaking her head. “We have to find her.”

“Not a chance in hell.” Jaxon stepped up to her, creating an imposing image with the blood going down his face from his forehead. Yet Aria would not back down. Not from this. “I’m barely holding on, in case you couldn’t fucking tell. Don’t know why I’m alive, but I can’t face him again.”

“You... you will allow him to take her?”

“Allow.” He glared at her. “What? You think you, a weak, naive student can do a damn thing to him? You gonna ask him nicely for Frost? Beg? Hands and knees? How do you suppose we even find the bastard when he caught me by surprise? Hate to break it to you, but I can’t fucking feel where he is.”

Aria’s fists clenched, but none of her usual responses worked on someone so much stronger than her. Not that she had any. She wasn’t so naïve as to think she was being logical.

But still…

“I won’t—”

“Shut the fuck up,” Jaxon interrupted. He snorted, but the action caused him to grimace. “Fuck that hurts. I’m your damn leader… is what I would say, but you’re a hopeless fuck. Listen to me. That man is so far beyond you that a fucking sneeze will rip your weak-ass bodies apart. The moment my sense of Frost was cut, we lost her. Understand?” Anticipating Aria’s coming interruption, he raised a hand. “Alisha needs to learn of this. That is my priority. Only someone of her caliber can organize the rescue party you want. Make no mistake; we will find her. He won’t hurt her; she’s too valuable.”

Of course, Aria knew that. She knew all of that from the beginning. His words rang true... that’s why they cut so deep. Yet, she found it impossible to accept.

Leaving Annabelle behind? Fleeing without even trying? She’d rather walk to the kidnapper and die.

She would never be able to face Annabelle again if she decided to leave her behind, alone on an alien planet for god knows how long. Stuck at the whim of an entity that she had no hope of resisting.

Jaxon scoffed. “Fan-fucking-tastic. I can see it in your eyes, Aria. The gaze of naïve resolve. That oh-so-familiar fucking gaze... Damn heroes.”

A bronze ring instantly expanded over his forehead.

“You—” Aria reacted quickly, but it was too late—her vision darkened, and she didn’t even know how as she fell back.

---

Cole saw Jaxon’s hand twitch, and the next thing he saw was Aria falling over.

“Sir?!”

“In my line of work—our line of work, people with that gaze head straight to their damn grave.” Jaxon reached into Aria’s pocket and took the teleporter. Once he had it, he gently placed the girl on the grass. “This isn’t a stupid fucking action movie.”

“I... I get it… sir.”

“No, you don’t. You should have used that teleporter immediately; that’s why I fucking left the damn thing.”

“Yes, sir.”

Cole knew from the start that was what they needed to do.

They had no power and no possible routes other than scouring the forest, hoping they found traces. Unfortunately, that would end in failure, something Aria likely knew deep down.

But making the choice to leave Frost behind wasn’t one he wanted to make. Not without at least trying something. He couldn’t. Was it his desire to be a hero? A positive remark on his record? He wasn’t sure.

But to be a coward like the rest? He could not sleep knowing he didn’t even try.

He was immature—still.

“We will have people far stronger than me flooding this damn planet,” said Jaxon toward the knocked-out Aria. “Frost will be fine.” Despite that, there was subtle frustration in his voice.

It couldn’t have been easy for Jaxon to leave something behind. Of course not. No good commander wanted to make that decision—but the best knew when they had to.

Cole had an enormous respect for Jaxon, even greater than his fear of the man and his violent, constant aura.

“What now, sir?” Cole asked.

“We return, report all of this to Alisha, and get the permanent gate built.”

“How... how long would that take?”

Jaxon looked at him and sighed. “A few months minimum, assuming we can build it with no interruption and a steady flow of resources.”

“There aren’t any other gates, sir?”

It seemed odd that they’d have the only possible way to reach the planet. Situations where people got left behind couldn’t have been uncommon, so he expected some safeguards.

“We don’t pull gates out of our asses,” Jaxon answered as he placed the teleporting device on the rock. “The academy was given a temporary one we tuned to this location. But they aren’t handed out like fucking candy. These untuned gates are what we use to launch scouting missions and start expeditions. They’re in short supply because of the low mithril.” He scoffed, shaking his head. “I’d bet most won’t even fucking care about Frost; it just so happens that we want a permanent gate to this place anyway. Common fucking interests!”

So, attuned gates only had a single use, and they likely wouldn’t be able to get another one just to recover a lost student. Not in the short term. From Jaxon’s tone, it seemed not even Alisha could circumvent that.

“I thought, sir, that Frost was special?”

Jaxon himself said he’d place her above every other expedition member combined.

“Exactly fucking right! So why in the hell was she placed in this damn expedition?” Jaxon shook his head and sighed yet again. “Questions above me. All I know is that someone is going to taste their blood for what happened here.”

“Yes, sir.”

Jaxon sighed. “Enough yapping. Prepare to teleport.” His bronze ring extended around his wrist, and he tapped the sphere in the middle of the cylinder. “You’ll see why I’m called the Hunter, fucking bastard,” he muttered as the blinding light shined from the device on the rock.

And with that, the expedition ended successfully, a resounding success, as Cole was later told.

Even if someone was left behind, officially reported as a casualty, only one in an expedition of that size could be considered a miracle for a group as untrained as them.

Yet that small, insignificant expedition seemed to carry with it a weight that fell on the entire magic world and the status of Bastion as they knew it.

One thing Cole felt for certain—he had not seen the last of Annabelle Frost.

And who knew what Aria might do once she awoke?