Chosen By The Lover's Constellation-Chapter 202: Eternity, Part Three

{Enverna}

Enverna paced around the dorm room, her spear twirling lazily in her hand.

Occasionally, Enverna would think about Lianna and wonder if she was doing alright. After that letter, Enverna was just worried Lianna would do something rash.

But, at the same time, Enverna had something she wanted to do herself.

She sat on the couch, pulling out her phone.

With a sigh, she scrolled through her contacts until she found the one she was looking for: Athene.

The phone rang twice before Athene’s voice crackled through the speaker.

"Enverna? This is a surprise."

Enverna chuckled softly.

"Yes, I know. This isn’t a social call. We’ve found out the enemy’s name. Vy."

There was a brief silence on the other end. Enverna could almost hear the gears turning in Athene’s head.

"Vy, huh? And you need me to dig up some information?"

"Exactly," Enverna replied, her tone serious. "We need to know everything we can about this girl. Where she came from, who she’s been seen with, anything that could give us an edge."

Athene paused and Enverna could almost see her pacing side to side, taking this in.

"Alright, I’ll see what I can find. At least we have a name, now. No promises, though. This might take a while."

"Do what you can," Enverna said. "That’s all I ask."

"Yeah, yeah," Athene muttered. "I’ll be in touch. Don’t expect miracles."

Enverna hung up the phone and leaned back against the couch.

[Alright. What else can we do?]

---

Lianna came out of the simulation center, her hair wet.

Every muscle in her body hurt, and she felt empty inside.

Training was her only solace, a way to deal with her grief. But it wasn’t enough. Vy’s words echoed in her mind, a constant reminder of the danger she and her friends were in.

Lianna pulled out her worn notebook. It was Cynthia’s legacy in a nutshell: a collection of resources and contacts. Lianna flipped through the pages, her eyes scanning the handwriting.

She saw a section titled "Informants." She felt a flicker of hope. Maybe Cynthia had seen this coming.

A name jumped out at her. Haylie.

Taking a deep breath, Lianna dialed the digits, her heart pounding against her ribs.

After a single ring, a gruff voice answered.

"Haylie speaking."

"Hello," Lianna said, her voice surprisingly steady. "My name is Lianna Velcross."

A beat of startled silence followed, then a hint of recognition crept into the gruff voice.

"I was wondering if you’d reach out to me."

"What?"

"Cynthia mentioned you. Often."

Lianna’s throat tightened.

"She did, huh?"

The raw emotion in her voice hung heavy in the air. Curiosity flickered on the other end of the line, but Haylie was a professional.

"Look," she said, her voice softening slightly, "I know what happened. But, I already tried to look that girl up when Cynthia asked, and..."

"No," Lianna interrupted, her voice firm. "That’s not what I called about."

Haylie paused, thrown off balance.

"Then what can I do for you, Miss Velcross?"

Lianna closed her eyes, picturing Vy’s letter. She took a deep breath, trying to keep her anger bubbling up.

"I need information," she said, her voice dropping to a low murmur. "About the Watchful’s past. Any recurring enemies, past conflicts... anything you can find."

Another pause, longer this time. Lianna could practically hear Haylie weighing the risks.

"I can’t imagine this search being too useful, but I could look around for you," Haylie finally said.

"I think it’s necessary."

Haylie sighed.

"Alright. I’ll see what I can find."

"I appreciate it, Haylie," Lianna said, a flicker of gratitude warming her despite the tension. "Just... keep it discreet."

"Of course," Haylie replied. "Give me a day or two, and I’ll see what I can dig up."

With that, the line went dead. Lianna stared at the phone, a sliver of hope battling the weariness in her heart.

Maybe, just maybe, this was a step in the right direction.

---

Later, Lianna smelled pine and freshly cut grass as she stepped onto the porch of Cynthia’s house.

"Wow... It’s... More modest than I would have expected," Enverna said.

This place too had been left to Lianna after Cynthia’s passing. Given how easily accessible the group was at the Watchful’s headquarters, Lianna figured they may as well come and stay here if it was possible.

Enverna, Mel, and Zura stood beside her, looking curious.

Soon, they walked inside.

"Welcome home, Heiress Velcross," a voice said from inside.

Lianna jumped and then recognized G.E.M.’s synthetic voice.

"G.E.M.? What are you doing here?"

A robotic chuckle filled the air.

"I’m here to keep Miss Taylor’s property safe. It’s my job."

Before Lianna could respond, the front door opened. G.E.M.’s blue holographic interface came to life in the doorway.

"Would you like a tour, Heiress?" G.E.M. asked politely.

Lianna hesitated, then nodded.

Exploring Cynthia’s home felt wrong, yet she couldn’t ignore the flicker of hope that she might find something left behind, a clue, anything.

The tour began in the living room. G.E.M. showed Lianna the security measures and hidden compartments Cynthia had installed.

Lasters, alarms, etc.

As they moved from room to room, Lianna noticed a worn armchair and a bookshelf filled with tactical manuals.

Finally, G.E.M. led them down a hallway and stopped before a door.

"This is Cynthia Taylor’s private armory," the A.I. announced. "Access is... Granted."

Lianna approached the door, feeling a mix of emotions.

The door opened with a retinal scan and voice verification. Inside were all sorts of weapons, things Lianna had seen in her Player Shop, even.

The girls walked around and touched some of the items that caught their eye. Lianna held up a purple bow with a crystal gem in its center, pulling its string back.

"Let’s keep moving," Lianna said. "We can take a closer look in a bit."

Next, G.E.M. led them to Cynthia’s private quarters.

Here, the atmosphere shifted. The stark functionality of the armory gave way to a space that felt curiously personal.

A cozy reading nook, a desk overflowing with half-written notes, and a photo of a younger Cynthia with a team of smiling Watchful agents adorned the walls.

A pang of grief shot through Lianna’s chest.

Finally, G.E.M. led them to a small simulation chamber tucked away in a corner of the bedroom.

"This is not a training simulation," the A.I. explained. "Miss Taylor explained it was more of a personal recreation."

Stepping out of the simulation chamber, G.E.M. led them back to the bedroom.

As Lianna paused by Cynthia’s nightstand, her gaze fell on a stack of neatly folded letters.

[Wait a second...]

They were addressed to Lianna.

A wave of emotions threatened to engulf her. Grief, confusion, and a flicker of anger.

Cynthia had written to her, yet these letters remained unsent. Why?

Lianna reached out, her fingers trembling slightly, and picked up the top letter.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she broke the seal, a single tear escaping and tracing a glistening path down her cheek.

Enverna, who of course noticed, placed a comforting hand on Lianna’s shoulder.

"No," Lianna shook her head. "I should read this later. Uh... On my own time."