Chosen By The Lover's Constellation-Chapter 180: Star Players, Part Nine

{Lianna}

Lianna, Enverna, and Zura hurried into the dimly lit clinic where Caroline had brought Mel, their footsteps echoing softly against the tiled floor.

The air was heavy with tension as they approached the bed where Mel lay, her form still and motionless under the watchful gaze of a healer.

"What happened?" Lianna’s voice trembled with concern as she addressed Caroline, her eyes flickering between her injured friend and the healer attending to her.

Caroline’s expression was grave as she recounted the events of their encounter with the dangerous assailant.

"We were chasing the girl down. We pinned her down at an alley and... well, I messed up," Caroline admitted. "I got hit by something I shouldn’t have. Then, the girl ran up to Mel and grabbed her. She used some sort of spell then that sucked Mel’s mana out of her," Caroline’s words were measured, each syllable heavy with the weight of the situation.

Lianna’s eyes widened in shock as she listened.

"She just collapsed," Caroline continued. "And, well... She’s been out since."

As Caroline spoke, the healer listened intently, nodding in understanding at the description of Mel’s condition.

When Caroline finished her account, the healer stepped forward, her expression solemn as she addressed the group.

"When mana is forcibly extracted from a person, especially a Child of Mana like Mel, the effects can be severe," the healer explained, her voice tinged with concern. "If all of the mana inside of someone leaves their body, they can fall asleep like this. It’s the body’s way of shutting down to wait for the mana to regenerate."

Lianna’s breath caught in her throat as she absorbed the gravity of the situation.

The healer’s words sank in, and she felt a pang of fear clutch at her heart.

"How long will she be unconscious?" Enverna’s voice was barely a whisper, her eyes filled with worry as she gazed at her fallen friend.

The healer hesitated for a moment before responding, her tone somber.

"It’s difficult to say for certain," she admitted. "But given your friend’s nature, I fear she may not awaken for at least three days."

Silence descended upon the room, heavy and suffocating, as the gravity of the healer’s words settled over them.

Lianna felt a wave of helplessness wash over her as she realized the extent of Mel’s injuries.

Three days. It felt like an eternity.

Lianna sighed.

"Uhm... Can we at least take her back home with us? The people who did this might come to finish the job."

"I’d suggest you contact the police but, yes, if you don’t trust us and you don’t trust them, I won’t stop you."

"Thank you."

---

They carried Mel all the way back to Zura’s dorm room.

Depositing her on Zura’s bed, all eyes turned to Caroline, hoping she could enlighten them a little further.

"The girl’s companions fell easily," Caroline began, pacing around the room. Again, it looked like the fight was playing back right in front of her eyes. "These aren’t seasoned veterans we’re dealing with here. And, I don’t think the girl herself is an exception to this fact either. I believe them all to be amateurs."

"Amateurs? But," Lianna walked up closer, "an amateur took down Xi?"

"Although she’s inexperienced, the girl clearly does possess power. She didn’t have heterochromia," Caroline noted. "So, that ability that allowed her to drain Mel’s mana, it wasn’t an Instinct. Assuming, of course, her Instinct-copying ability is her Instinct. That would mean she has access to magic I haven’t faced before. And, she’s proficient in its use."

[So, she has other tricks up her sleeve,] Lianna thought, hearing that. [This girl’s a real problem.]

"She used one of Mel’s more powerful spells more than once. Her mana pool must be as large as hers, at least, though her spells weren’t as effective. Still," Caroline sighed, her crimson eyes looking down for a moment. "Even though she’s weaker, when utilizing one of our own techniques, she is still potent. One hit from one of her mimicked spells put me down. And... I was unable to stop her from draining Mel."

The group stood in silence around her.

Initially, Enverna and Zura had both looked quite angry with Caroline, but now, after hearing her out, there was a bit of understanding in their eyes.

"I want to face her again," Caroline stated. "I know I can beat her now that I’ve seen her fight. She’s got some nifty tricks, but she’s not *that* powerful. We’ve certainly faced worse."

"It’s precisely for that reason the girl’s probably not going to attack you again," Enverna said. "Just like how she’s not bothering to attack Athene anymore. Her strategy seems to revolve around catching us by surprise."

"Yeah," Zura muttered, "when you’re looking to pick a fight with people who are bigger, and badder, than you, that is usually the go-to strat. If she keeps getting our spells and abilities, though, assuming she can keep using any Instinct or Spell or Trait that she’s exposed to, there’s gonna come a time when she can just straight-up fight us and win."

"You’re right," Enverna stated. "We need her dealt with. Sooner rather than later."

"Indeed..." Caroline paused. Looking up at everyone, Lianna saw a vulnerability in her eyes she had not seen in... Well, ever, since they’d met. "I apologize, everyone. It is my fault Mel went down like this. I’m sorry."

Lianna couldn’t help but walk up and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, don’t worry. It’s not like Mel died or anything. She’ll be back up and running in a few days. It’s alright."

"You’ll just have to make it up to her once she is," Enverna said. "But, yes. It’s alright."

Slowly, Caroline nodded.

"... In the meantime, I will do my best to protect her while she rests. You have my word on that."

"Huh?" Zura asked. "But-"

"No disrespect, but while she’s not extremely powerful, you alone are certainly not enough to defeat her. And, if our plan to bait her out is to continue, Lianna and Enverna will need to do so on themselves now, as that girl’s likely not going to want to fight me again. It’s best if I stay here."

She looked at everyone with quite a bit of conviction in her eyes.

"I know this might come off wrong given that I failed you once already, but I will not do so again. Let me play the part of her guard while you all handle the girl."

Lianna couldn’t really disagree with that idea.

"Alright," Enverna said, clearly feeling the same way. "I do hope you’ll do this job better, though."

"I will," Caroline bowed. "You have my word on that."