Morning Sun Church''s mood has dropped even lower. The Scroll of Exorcism was destroyed because of Malcolm. One of the greater defenses the church had against the spirits is now mere scrap. Francesca has reached her boiling point, seeing red as everything was going against her. A ''real hero'' who is trying to play by his own rules. Calling her Lumina even after telling him her real name. It is a massive insult that sends Francesca into a rage and the onlookers into a deep fear.


    Ren is in the middle of this. If he can find a solution to this, it might fix everything. He looks to Father Yu. "Is there another church with a Scroll of Exorcism that we can use?"


    Father Yu adjusts his collar. "There should... but seeing that Miss Francesca as no standing with them—"


    "But that did not stop you from giving ours away to a random guy!" Fury fills Francesca''s eyes, contempt pointed to Father Yu who started this whole mess. "You just go around and give away everything just because someone calls them a hero, right?!"


    A tense step inches Ren closer to Francesca. He thinks that telling her to calm down would be counterproductive, so he tries to ease her into a different way of thinking. "Malcolm has not won, Fran. Maybe we can not go to the cemetery instead...?"


    "But...!" Francesca''s hands ball into a fist. "I needed to prove myself. I needed to show my parents... and myself... that I can make decisions for myself and follow through on them..." Her frustration squeezes tears out of her eyes. This was suppose to be a rite of passage that she assigned for herself, and everyone is failing her.


    Seeing Francesca like this hurts Ren. The smart thing to do is to tell her that she can get another chance soon enough. To avoid disaster by not test fate. He is close to doing that, but his sympathy for her makes him want her to breathe easily. Also taking into account that the town would be in danger of ghostly possessions, it feels like he leveraged the town''s safety against Malcolm''s demand to be Francesca''s hero. Now Ren places the blame on himself.


    He looks again to Father Yu. "Can she learn an exorcism spell that she can use without the scroll?"


    A shaking of Father Yu''s head pours cold water on the idea. "Guided learning can take weeks to see results." The cleric raises his eyebrows as he looks at Ren''s staff. "I assume that you should be versed in such teachings."


    Ren did not have to learn his magic in the traditional ways. They were starting level spells that Jikan gave him when he elected to be a mage. Of the spell he could have selected, he opted for the status affecting Sleep Mist and the versatile Forceful Push over more offensive magic. He quickly thinks of an excuse for his lack of understanding in the regular way magic is learned. "I am self taught."


    Father Yu nods. "So you relied on the ''epiphany'' method? You are fortunate and clever to get as far as you did."


    "Epiphany?" This seems like information that Ren can use for later. "How exactly did that work?"


    "You did experience strain when you learned your magic, correct?" Father Yu asks.


    Ren lies to go along with the cleric''s misunderstanding, "Yeah...? I guess so...?"


    Father Yu nods, "Magic can be learned through trial and error, though it is risky. One would imagine that learning to light something of fire could end up with having the user immolate instead, after all."


    With a sweep of his hand, Ren gestures to Francesca, "Then can Fran learn an exorcism spell from an epiphany?"


    The cleric looks over to his student. "Teaching known spells to students is the more preferable method. It is a matter of safety. Which is why I discouraged Miss Francesca from studying by herself."


    "But I don''t really have a choice now, do I?" Francesca says with venom from her lips.


    A jolt of fear rings out through Ren as he needs to talk Francesca down. "Maybe we can do something else?"


    "Like what?!" Francesca shoots a glare at Ren, the feeling of her connection with him snapping.


    With a step back, Ren brainstorms what to do. Time to Think is on cooldown, so his silence is felt in real time. His goal is to protect Francesca, but she is driven to do something during the night of the full moon. Without the Scroll of Exorcism, they can not deal with the ghosts unless she somehow gets an exorcism spell. He is a mage, so it should not be impossible for him to try his hand at it. He lack affinity with light, however. If Francesca getting an epiphany is unlikely and dangerous while she has good affinity, what chance did he have? Maybe there was a different school of magic that can use exorcism magic or something that can fight off ghosts other than light.


    Something comes across Ren''s mind. He needs to take stock of what they have at their disposal before doing anything risky. He has Sleep Mist and Forceful Push. Forceful Push might work as it is a telekinetic spell, but it does not do damage itself. Sleep Mist requires someone to breathe it in, so that is not effective against ghosts that no longer have the vestiges of life.


    Meanwhile, the only spell Francesca has is Word of Mending, which is a healing spell. As Ren thinks about it, he remembers something. "Wait!" He turns to Father Yu, resolve strengthening his stance. "The ghosts are undead, right?! Would using healing magic damage them instead?!" It is something that is present in many different games he has played. The counter to the undead is not exactly light magic, but instead is the promotion of the living.


    Francesca perks up at the question and looks to Father Yu for the answer. Father Yu rubs the back of his head. "Uh... That would be a fair summary..."


    "Then I don''t need an exorcism spell after all," the healer says with some hope.


    However, Father Yu cuts in, "But healing the spirits to serve as attacks would be cruel. An exorcism allows them the ability to ascend and pass on to the next part of their journey. But if they are given healing to the point the destabilize, they do not get that chance. You can make an argument that it might be acceptable under certain circumstances, but in this case, the ghosts are the dead people of Lycore."


    The remainder dampens the mood of everyone who is listening. They are scared of the full moon, but some in the church have loved ones that are buried in the cemetery. They would want the best for them. Some others, however, prioritize the preservation of the living.


    "They are already dead! That''s too bad for them!"


    "My grandparents are buried in the cemetery! Who here doesn''t have family in there?!"


    "There is the natural order of life and death!"


    "So would you want to be destroyed after you die?!"


    "What even is waiting for us when we die?! We could be absolutely numb to it all!"


    "The ghosts target their families and enemies! They are still people!"


    The Morning Sun Church is in an uproar as divisions form. Ren looks at Father Yu who is trying to calm the uproar. Instead, Ren moves to escort Francesca out of the building. "We should go. Now!" Francesca is still hot from her previous crash out, but she does not want to stay here any more. She pushes ahead of Ren as she forces her why out.


    ***


    "Stupid Yu...! Stupid Malcolm...!" Francesca rants as she and Ren walk through the streets of Lycore, but to her home. "Stupid everyone...!"


    Ren is trying to be careful about how he wants to approach this. Francesca has simmered down, but not by much. One wrong step and he can set her off again. He glances at Time to Think and the sands are still resetting back to the top bulb. It seems that he can not rely on it more than once in an emergency, taking maybe an hour or more per use. Thinking as he is walking with Francesca, he knows that the worst thing he can do is tell her what to do. So if he can get her to tell him what she is thinking.


    "We have something to use against the ghosts, but..." he offers with the ending up in the air.


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    Francesca spits out the grim reality, "Word of Mending would mean ending them for good."


    "Is that something you are willing to do?" The question from Ren is warranted, leading Francesca to grumble from the back of her throat.


    "Well... Going on a journey means having to kill people, if necessary." She steps out of her way to kick a pebble on the ground to vent her frustration. "It''s basically the same thing..."


    That is one of the things that Ren had to contend with as the reality of this fantasy situation hit him. He is not sure if he was ready for it. His two spells were selected because they were useful but not deadly. His eyes focus on Francesca as he takes a step closer. "But if you could avoid it...?"


    "Well, duh! I am not heartless," she spouts off as she folds her arms.


    The street ahead is crowded with people going about their business as usual, calmer than what was happening at the Morning Sun Church. As Ren watches them move, he whispers to Francesca, "And what about everyone in the city?"


    She looks at him with a stern look. "What?"


    Ren scratches his cheek as he looks away. "They are going to be in danger during the full moon. I know that you want to prove yourself, but do you have a feeling to protect them?" He asks serious from the corner of his eye, "Do you think that this is the right thing to do?"


    The healer casts her gaze down. "Well... yeah. I can be a hero, if that is what you are asking."


    "That is great to hear," sighs Ren.


    That irks Francesca a little. "You thought I wouldn''t?"


    "No, it''s just that..." Ren stops before facing her. "Can I be honest with you for a second...?"


    A moment of quiet pauses them before Francesca answers, "Sure, why not?"


    With a small nod, Ren carefully explains, "Before I met you, I thought you were going to be the gentle kind of girl. But given everything that has been happening, you got sharp edge. I was just happy that you were not on the complete opposite side of the spectrum where you were apathetic."


    Francesca furrows her brows, "Hey! I''m pissed off right now. If I was not being taking on a ride left and right, maybe you would see who I am."


    "Well, I''m listening."


    The quick and direct statement catches Francesca off-guard. She knows what he is doing. He is trying to calm her down by having her talk about herself. Typical. She stays quiet as they continue to walk. However, her breathing slows. This is all so stupid to her. "Well... Most of my life, I was pretty fortune. A lot of people say my light and that was that. But..." she struggles to find the words. "I think most of my personality is wrapped up in the light magic in me. The time I spent with Father Yu... He thought me about disincline, about the light, the gods... about Lumina..."


    "Did you have any impressions about Lumina before finding out that you are her vessel?" Ren asks as Francesca moves to squeeze her staff consolingly.


    "Well..." Francesca tries to look back. "I think that... I saw her as being pretty good. Not perfect, but I felt like I would have trusted her if I ever saw her."


    "And what about your life outside of the church?" Ren swifts the conversation to keep the focus on who Francesca is as her own person.


    Firming her grip, she looks up at Ren. "There was not really much time I spent out of church. I needed to learn how to use my light magic a little, but it was also my main source of education."


    "Do only the rich and privileged get to go to school?" Ren asks as he recalls the same thing in his memories.


    "A good one, sure." She nods. "But... I was always expected to do great things because of my gift. And now, I have to."


    "Would you prefer to do less?"


    Francesca scoffs, "Ack, yes! I never really got time to myself. I was a little girl with sparkly magic, and then WHOOSH!" She sweeps her hands to the side. "Charity! Memorizing the names of every deity and their jobs! History about the finding Allevmore!"


    "Which is...?"


    "The kingdom," Francesca answers. "I was never given any time for myself. I would go home and help Mom make dinner for Dad, talk about my day, and sleep. Everyone else gets one day off every week, but not when you go to church."


    Ren ponders for a moment. "Are you just fend up with the church? You don''t hate it, do you?"


    "I..." She sighs with uncertainty. "I guess? It''s just..."


    "So, are you worried that being the vessel is going make it even worse for you? That it is going to make you more connected to the church?" Ren probes.


    Francesca glares at Ren. "What are you? A therapist?"


    "If you need me to be." Ren''s face is inviting bright.


    "Don''t try to be cute." She looks forward and increases her pace.


    Ren stops to consider the following. Francesca is facing an identity crisis from discovering she is Lumina''s vessel. This links her closer to the church that she is getting tired of. Her own parents and the actions of the past Lumina are deciding her faith for her, and Malcolm is trying to insert himself into it. It is already obvious that Francesca has a lot on her plate, and it is a perfect storm that threatens to swallow her up. The best thing for her to do is to get some freedom. Which is exactly what she asks from her parents. She asked to be sent on the journey with him if she cleansed the cemetery. She knows what she needs. That is why she is not backing down.


    With a serious expression, Ren turns to Francesca. "Are there potions in this world?"


    She looks at Ren, "Yeah, why?"


    Ren cuts straight into talking about strategy, "Even if we had the Scroll of Exorcism, drawing upon our magic means we can only fight for so long. We would need potions that replenish our magic reserve anyway. But since we don''t have the scroll, Word of Mending is all we got. The need for potions has increases."


    "Stupid Malcolm," Francesca spits. "Do you know how potions work, Ren?"


    "You drink it and get its effect. Maybe health potions can be applied directly to wounds?" Ren guesses.


    She rolls her eyes, "Well, you''re right, but it is a little more complicated. You can only drink so many potions at one time because it fills your stomach. The magical effect can be felt immediately, but the liquid remains."


    Ren understands and asks, "And if we are moving around a lot with a full stomach, then we can make things worse for us."


    With a nod, Francesca explains, "Yeah. I can throw up if I have to, but I can''t do anything else while I am doing it."


    "Please don''t. That''s disgusting." Ren takes a step away as he calms his nerves.


    Francesca crosses her arms. "That is something Father Yu did teach me though. You have to be willing to do those in emergencies."


    ***


    Malcolm steps into an alchemist''s shadowy apothecary, his hands pressed against his wounds. The woman with a messy head of hair behind the counter looks at him with a far off smile. "Boo... I was hoping for a surprise." She coos as her slender fingers goes to grab a lesser health potion on the shelf behind her. "Do you have coin?" She turns to face him, her eyes loom in the corner of her eye.


    Malcolm does not answer immediately. Instead, he places one of the daggers that he looted off of the men the day before onto the counter. "Trade," he grunts simply.


    The alchemist looks at the short blade for a long moment. "Don''t you look familiar...?"


    "Hey! Is it good or not?!" Malcolm shouts at her stalling.


    "This makes me happy, young man." The alchemist retrieves the blade and gently hands the potion to Malcolm. "The silent one is elated to see that their injustice was rectified."


    Malcolm pops the cork off of the potion. "Whatever, weirdo." Stepping out into the street, he pours drops of the health potion onto the wounds on his arms. As his cuts close, he comes to terms that he has to be even more careful. Until Lumina is with him again, he can not rely on her to heal him of his damage. Potions were a small backup plan, but they are his lifeline now.


    Despite Jikan stranding him, he still retrained the power of his physical body. His tolerance for pain stayed with him. The blessing of light is gone, and none of his gear is enchanted, but he can still fight and survive. Not that it would matter. Two nights from now, Ren would fail to save Lumina.


    ***


    Under the full moon, the spirits loomed over the cemetery and moved to the city of Lycore. "I cast forth the might the divine to send the evil on its way!" Lumina chanted as the Scroll of Exorcism drew upon her light to trap a ghost in a ring of light. As the ring shrank, the snared soul squirmed before radiating in a bright light. The exorcism was complete when the light faded into transparency. That was one. There had to be over one-hundred more. "I cast forth the might the divine to send the evil on its way!" She repeats as she targets another.


    In the chaos, Malcolm''s sword was ineffective against the ethereal ghosts. What it was good for was getting their attention. With nothing else to do, Malcolm was busy with crowd control in an effort to keep them away from Lumina. That meant that Malcolm had to do a lot of running. Some ghosts followed him to have as a host, but some floated towards the healer that dazzled in the dark. "Lumina!" He called out, "Target the fast ones first! If they even touch either of us, it is over!"


    Lumina nods as she turned the scroll''s face to a faster spirit. "I cast about the might the divine to send the evil on its way!" The ring catches the spirit and stops it in its track. However, there were still many spirits to face. Lumina targeted the fast ones that can put a stop to her, but the slower ones were able to get closer without resistance. When she found them on top of her, she needed to move. She ran further into the cemetery repeating the incantation as she cleared the way ahead of her.


    Malcolm looked at Lumina as she left her post. "Lumina!" He cries out. "You getting further into the cemetery!"


    Lumina recognizes her mistake as she looked around her. The position she was in had Lycore to her back and the cemetery to her front, so she could not get flanked. But since she stepped into the graveyard, she was vulnerable. She struggles to fight her way back, but the ghost were coming from all angles. When one raised from the ground below her feet, it was over.


    Lumina''s eyes dulled and her stance was rigid. Twitching like a marionette, her body became more fluid as a sinister smile crosses her face. "Yes! Light magic! I can make a killing off of it!"


    "Lumina!" Malcolm cried out before everything went into reverse.


    Soon, Malcolm was greeted by Jikan''s indifferent face. To be fair, this was the second time he failed with the cemetery event. "You fared better than when you tried to invoke the power of ''Christ'' on them," she says coldly.


    Malcolm set the record straight. "Hey! I did not mess up this time! It was her fault!"


    "Even so, you still bear the responsibility of protecting her. You operate as a ''tank'' for her, as you have put it. Make sure she never loses sight of you, and make sure you never lose sight of her."


    "And what am I supposed to do if my attacks don''t work? Have her run and abandon me?" he said sarcastically.


    "Yes," Jikan confirmed. "Sometimes, it is better to disengage and regroup."


    ***


    As Malcolm applied the health potion, he clicks his tongue. These next two days do not matter. Ren would not be able to make it that far without the Scroll of Exorcism. Jikan would have to reset time again. Even if Ren tries to get the scroll before him in the next timeline, Malcolm knows what to say to get the cleric to hand it over. The Goddess of Time thought she can replace him? It is already a checkmate.