Further into Sharmarli, the Holy City…


    Flourishing markets. Luxurious inns. Bustling streets. Birds chirping in the trees. The air is light with the scent of spiced meats and freshly baked bread. Merchants’ chatter and travellers’ voices mingle with the distant melody of a minstrel’s tune – a symphony of life that reminds me of downtown in the big city, back in my world. It’s all so… nostalgic.


    Anna and I sit with Eris on a little bench nestled by a fountain in the heart of a bustling plaza, watching the crowds ebb and flow like a restless tide. It’s not a quiet place, but the rhythmic trickle of water blends with the murmur of passing voices and sounds… settling into a comfortable equilibrium. It’s nice enough.


    Oh, and we don’t have crazy fans hassling her anymore! That fiery display of mine from just now must’ve scared them off!


    Heh. Good riddance! Some of those fans might’ve been concerned for her – but they were overwhelming poor Eris, pelting her with questions and demands like she owed them. I had to step in. I had to tell them all to fuck off.


    And honestly? No regrets. None!


    Been a while since I had to raise my voice like that, though. But hey, it was for a good cause… and that’s all that matters! Even if, right now, the undercover Sacred Shield agents assigned to Eris’ security are keeping their distance from us. From me!


    Oops. Oh boy.


    “Sorry about earlier, Anna. Arisa…” Eris finally speaks, her voice soft and her gaze downcast. “I don’t know what came over me earlier. Ah. And I’m sorry you had to shout at them, Arisa. They’re good people… but I…”


    “Don’t worry about it, Eris...” Anna says warmly, flashing me a sweet, demure smile. “Arisa’s good at what she does… and she does it with a smile!”


    “Best in the business,” I say, grinning. “I aim to please.”


    Eris sighs, tucking a stray lock behind her ear. “Lady Nhaka sent me to fetch you, but fans recognised me at the docks – even with my armour. More kept coming… and I felt bad turning them away… so I had my bodyguards hold back.”


    “So that explains the impromptu fan meet…” I muse out loud. “It’s rough being famous, eh?”


    Eris glances up, her lips twitching in something almost like amusement. “It has its perks and challenges. Mostly challenges these days. That said… I wasn’t expecting someone dressed like that to be so fiery and fierce!”


    “Dressed like…?”


    She’s looking at me now – properly looking – her gaze trailing from my hood down to my gown, my gloves… and my legs. Her eyes flick all the way to my feet, lingering on the high heels propping them up. And she’s blushing! Just a little.


    “Oh. I know, right?” I say with a cheeky grin, wagging a finger. “Hey, what can I say? Looks can be deceiving. But even so… Anna insists I’m a proper lady, just like her!”


    “At least until you open your mouth…” Anna teases with a sly smile, tilting her head playfully as she throws me a wink. “We’re still working on that.”


    I nod. “Yep. It’s slow going… but we’re making steady progress!”


    “I’m grateful that you and Anna were there for me just now…” Eris says as she shakes her head, smiling slightly. “Ah. If Anna’s your Paladin, and she has you by her side every day…”


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    “Yup. She’s one lucky Paladin!” I declare. “And I’m the luckiest Healer on Nisha to have her with me.”


    Eris’s smile fades into something wistful. “I know how that feels.”


    She tilts her head back, gazing at the sky – a bright, crisp blue dotted with drifting snowflakes. “I had someone like that in my life once. Mister Roland – my Manager. He was brave and kind, just like you two. But I’ve… yet to hear from him.”


    “Oh, right. Anna mentioned you retired from showbiz?” I ask, tilting my head. “She heard it from your studio – there was an announcement and everything. Very official.”


    Eris nods slowly. “It’s true. I’m… retired. How long has it been? Four months? Longer, maybe? I’ve lost count. Feels like forever since Lady Nhaka called me to her side.”


    “Why did Miss Mezalune recruit you into the Sacred Shield?” Anna asks hesitantly. “Umm… if you don’t mind me asking!”


    “Ah. I’m not sure, to be honest...” Eris muses, her gaze drifting. “It was arranged between her and my Studio – I had no say in their decision. I tried to refuse… but they wouldn’t hear me out! And when I asked why… they just said it was for my safety and wouldn’t explain further.”


    “That’s so annoyingly vague…” I mutter, frowning. “Sheesh. Do you remember anything before they sent you away? Might give us some clues to make sense of this.”


    Eris hesitates, her fingers tightening in her lap. “I know it sounds strange… but I don’t remember anything before the day I was sent to the Palace of Lights. Whenever I try to think of anything before that day… my mind goes blank. And I hate it. I really do.”


    I glance at Anna. She’s watching Eris intently, a slight frown on her face, a distant look in her eyes. She knows that feeling. That aching emptiness of forgetting something important. They’re kindred spirits in that way… and I get it.


    “It’s like you’ve forgotten something,” I murmur. “That right?”


    “Yes!” Eris nods, eyes lighting up. “Whatever’s missing is surely related to the emptiness I feel! And it’s…”


    Her voice falters. She shivers slightly as though a cold wind passed through her. And her eyes... they glimmer with unshed tears… but she fights to hold them back.


    “It’s why I… don’t do what I do anymore. I try to every day, but I just… can’t. It’s like a part of me is locked away… deep in my mind. And I…”


    “Eris…” Anna says softly, her voice a quiet reassurance as she rests a hand on Eris’ shoulder. “Arisa and I are here for you. Whatever you need, we’ll help however we can!”


    Eris exhales slowly. “Thank you, Anna. Arisa. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. We’ve only just met… and yet, I feel safe in your presence. Relieved, even. It’s strange, but it feels like I’ve met the two of you somewhere before. And I wonder… why do I feel this way?”


    I tense up, my heart caught by something heavy. I remember Eris’s last words in the previous timeline – when we struck her down as the Demon’s Voice. In those fleeting seconds before the end, she was herself again. Lucid. Grateful. And she… thanked us for our mercy… for ending a fate worse than death.


    Fucking hell. I wanna say that it is what it is and cast aside that nightmarish memory… but I know, in my heart of hearts, what happened that day in that timeline, how it ended… it ain’t right. And it shouldn’t be so in this new one.


    That’s why we’re here, aren’t we? To set things right.


    “Maybe it’s because you’re my biggest fan, Anna…” Eris continues, letting out a soft chuckle before sighing. “Because we have so many shared memories and emotions through my songs! But that doesn’t explain why I feel the same way about Arisa. Unless, she’s also…”


    “Well, uh… I do like some of your songs…” I say sheepishly, rubbing the back of my neck. “Anna had me listen to a few of your records back at the Chantry!”


    Eris tilts her head slightly. “Ah! So you’re indeed another fan of mine, Arisa! Not my biggest fan, perhaps… but we can work on that!”


    For the briefest of moments… I spot a flicker of doubt in her eyes. It’s like she senses that I’m bullshitting her… that there’s more to how she feels about Anna and me. But she blinks it away in a heartbeat – as if I had imagined that uncertainty of hers.


    “Anyway… this isn’t going how I wanted it to.”


    Anna raises an eyebrow. “What do you mean, Eris?”


    “I was supposed to bring you and Arisa to Lady Nhaka with a grand city tour along the way…” Eris explains, shoulders sagging. “But instead, I got swept into an unexpected fan meet… and now I’m just sitting here, wallowing in anxiety and self-pity. Ahh…”


    “It’s not too late for that!” Anna exclaims, eyes shining with excitement. “It’s still bright and early in the morning… and Arisa and I would love to tour the city with you as our guide!”


    “Hell yeah!” I add, flashing a grin. “I’m up for a tour!”


    Eris blinks. Then, slowly… her lips curve into a smile. Gracefully, she rises from the bench, facing us with a hand over her heart.


    “Shall we, Anna and Arisa? Let me show you ladies the wonderful wonders of the Holy City!”