Chosen By The Lover's Constellation-Chapter 200: Eternity, Part One

The air in Lianna’s dorm room hung heavy.

The silence pressed against her like a physical weight, broken only by the ragged rhythm of her own sobs. Outside, the Watchful headquarters pulsed with subdued activity, hushed conversations, and the clatter of armor clinking against armor as people walked around.

Here, within the confines of her walls while the others went out to give Lianna some space, Lianna was alone with her sorrow.

Cynthia’s image was still so fresh in her mind. The image mocked her.

[Lover,] Lianna reached out to her in her mind. [Just... Tell me one thing. I don’t care if you have to use up some power, just do it. Okay?]

A moment passed.

... Alright.

Lianna took a deep breath.

[Could I really not have saved her? If you warned me, could we really not have done anything?]

Another second passed.

No.

Another message came.

Anyone else being there would only have made things worse.

Trust me.

Frustration simmered, turning the tears back into a hot, angry prickling behind her eyes.

A sudden, sharp rap on the door jolted Lianna from her despair.

Instinctively, she took a dagger out of her Inventory and got up.

Tension coiled in her stomach as she crept towards the door, knife clutched in a sweaty grip.

"Who’s there?" she called out, her voice barely a whisper.

A gruff male voice responded:

"Delivery for Lianna Velcross."

Lianna hesitated, suspicion gnawing at her. This wasn’t the usual time for deliveries, especially not of the personal kind. Taking a deep breath, she cracked the door open just enough to peek through.

A tall figure shrouded in a dark cloak stood on the other side, as mysterious as all of Miss Taylor’s friends were.

A single sealed envelope was clutched in his gloved hand.

"What is it?" Lianna demanded, keeping the door firmly in place.

"This was entrusted to me for you, Miss Velcross," the man replied, his voice muffled by the cloak. "Cynthia Taylor’s will."

The words struck Lianna like a physical blow.

Cynthia’s will? It felt too soon, too intrusive on a fresh wound.

Yet, a morbid curiosity stirred within her. With a shaky hand, she reached out and took the envelope, the parchment cool and smooth against her skin.

As the door shut with a soft click behind the messenger, Lianna sank onto the worn couch, the weight of the envelope mirroring the weight in her heart.

She tore it open, the white paper crinkling softly. The legalese swam before her eyes for a moment before clarity cut through the fog.

"Everything... all my riches, equipment, homes, and property..." the words blurred together as Lianna’s vision swam.

A sob escaped her lips, raw and uncontrolled. Cynthia had left her literally everything she had.

Grief, raw and undeniable, washed over her again.

It was a burden as heavy as the inheritance thrust upon her, a painful reminder of all she had lost.

But, Lianna would put it all to use.

[I won’t let you down, Miss Taylor,] she swore. [I promise.]

---

Fury warred with grief within Lianna as she navigated the streets.

The vibrant city life, usually a welcome distraction, did little to pierce the thick veil of sorrow that clung to her.

Every shout from a street vendor, every peal of laughter from children playing, all of it only served as a painful reminder of the silence that now permeated her own life.

Reaching the outskirts of the city, she found herself standing before Cynthia’s virtual reality training center.

Lianna wondered how often Cynthia must have walked through these glass doors.

Lianna knew she needed to multiply that number if she was going to beat the bitch that killed her.

Pushing open the heavy doors, Lianna stepped into a cool, dimly lit space humming with the quiet whir of advanced technology.

A soft blue glow emanated from the central console, bathing the room in an ethereal light. G.E.M. greeted her in a neutral yet strangely empathetic tone.

"Welcome, Miss Velcross," G.E.M. intoned. "A pleasure to meet you under such... unforeseen circumstances."

Lianna, her red and green eyes burning with a mix of determination and sorrow, nodded curtly.

"There’s no pleasure in it, G.E.M. As Cynthia’s successor, I now own this facility, right?"

A brief silence followed, as if G.E.M. was processing the new information.

Then, it continued.

"Indeed. How may I assist you in your training, Miss Velcross?"

Lianna squared her shoulders, her voice firm.

"I want you to give me the most demanding simulation possible. I want to face the toughest, most unrelenting Fiends you can come up with. No mercy, no holds barred."

There was a hint of hesitation in G.E.M.’s response.

"Of course, Miss Velcross. However, I must warn you, such a simulation could be quite hazardous, even for a skilled warrior like yourself. Remember, you can still feel physical pain in the simulation, even if it’s not real and it’s halved. It’s still there."

"I’m not here for a walk in the park, G.E.M. I’m asking for this level of difficulty because I need it. Give me your best shot."

G.E.M. remained silent for a moment longer, then a faint hum resonated from the central console.

"Very well, Miss Velcross. Prepare yourself. You are about to enter a Category Five Fiend Simulation."

A feeling of anticipation, laced with a touch of fear, coiled in Lianna’s stomach.

She put on her headset.

The world dissolved into a swirling vortex of colors before solidifying. Lianna found herself standing on a barren wasteland bathed in crimson light.

The air hung heavy with the stench of sulfur and decay. In the distance, a horrifying chorus of screeches and bellows pierced the air, announcing the arrival of her adversaries.

Only then did Lianna reach out with a practiced hand, a familiar weight settling into her grip as a virtual bow materialized from thin air.

It was time to fight.

The world of grief and loss faded away, replaced by the primal instinct for survival.

Cynthia may be gone, but her legacy lived on within these walls. It was time for Lianna to claim it.

Then she saw them.

G.E.M. hadn’t lied. These weren’t Fiends she’d ever faced before. They were grotesque parodies of life, fleshy masses pulsating with an unnatural luminescence.

Tentacles, each one as thick as her own arm and several times as long, writhed and lashed, propelling their grotesque forms towards her with surprising speed.

Adrenaline surged through Lianna.

No fancy abilities here. Enverna wasn’t around.

This was about skill. That was what Lianna wanted to work on.

Lianna raised her virtual bow. She nocked an arrow, the familiar pull of the string a sliver of normalcy in this madness.

Focus. Breathe. Release.

The arrow cut through the air, a streak of blue light that found its mark in the fleshy expanse of a Fiend.

It let out a shriek that made Lianna’s bones tremble, but it faltered for a moment, its advance momentarily disrupted.

Lianna moved like a whirlwind, firing arrow after arrow. She could feel how much less accurate she was as a result of not having Enverna with her, but it didn’t matter.

Even without the full potential of her abilities, this version of Lianna was leagues above what she used to be.

But there were too many.

One Fiend, quicker than the others, lunged with a sickening snap of its maw.

"AGH!?"

A thick tentacle lashed out, wrapping around her leg with a sickening squeeze.

Panic flared in her chest, a primal terror mirroring the moment before her virtual demise.

The world dissolved into static.

Lianna was back in the real world.

Lianna ripped off the VR headset, gasping for breath.

Her heart hammered against her chest. Sweat clung to her skin.

This was as close as one could get to tasting death without actually being consumed by it.

Even a toned-down simulation hadn’t prepared her for the sheer terror of those Fiends.

But a sliver of satisfaction flickered amidst the fear.

She’d felt the fear, the desperation, and a part of her had reacted instinctively. That was progress.

But, it wasn’t enough.

Wiping the sweat from her brow, Lianna looked towards the central console.

"Again," she commanded, her voice hoarse but determined.

"Certainly," the A.I. replied.

And, once again, Lianna was thrown into that hellscape.

---

The exhaustion clinging to Lianna was a physical presence as she shuffled through the doorway of her home. Moonlight filtered through the window and painted long shadows across the room. Collapsing onto the worn couch, she let out a groan, every muscle screaming its own private protest. Even though all her training had been virtual, her muscles still felt like they were on fire. Enverna, curled up with a book by the window, glanced up with a start. "Lianna? Where have you been?" Concern etched lines on her usually serene face. Lianna cracked open her green eye, a weak smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "Just a training session, Envy. G.E.M. put me through the paces." Enverna’s brow furrowed. "Training?" she echoed, skepticism lacing her voice. "This late?" "Well, I, uh... Didn’t start this late." Lianna offered a dismissive wave. "It was a good session. Got my blood pumping, that’s for sure." The truth was, the training had been brutal, a harsh reminder of the gap between her skills and the challenges ahead. Yet, she didn’t want to burden Enverna with her worries. "Right," Enverna said, but the furrow remained etched between her brows. Silence settled between them, broken only by the tv in the background. Suddenly, Lianna stood up. "I’m gonna freshen up." She went and took a shower. As the water poured down on her, Lianna remembered the girl’s face. She’d only caught a glimpse when she and the others went to that abandoned building, but it was enough. She knew what her enemy looked like. Soon, she was changing into some nightwear. The thin cotton of her nightgown clung to her damp skin from the post-training shower. A spark of determination ignited in her crimson and emerald eyes. Without warning, she crossed the room, her movements purposeful. Enverna’s breath hitched as Lianna straddled her lap, the scent of sweat and exertion mingled with the familiar lilac of her soap washing over her. "Mmm!" Before Enverna could react, Lianna’s lips met hers in a searing kiss, silencing any protest that might have formed. Enverna froze, caught between surprise and a surge of desire. As Lianna pulled away, a breathless laugh escaped her lips. "We need to keep the Love Rush buff active, don’t we?" she teased, a playful glint in her eyes. Enverna’s cheeks flushed a delicate pink. "Lianna, a-are you sure about this?" Her voice barely rose above a whisper. Lianna nearly laughed. Briefly, Enverna became the same girl Lianna had met months ago, stoic, a little shy, and reserved. Lianna’s answer came in another kiss, slow and deliberate, exploring the familiar landscape of Enverna’s mouth. The tension in Enverna’s body melted away, replaced by a yearning that mirrored Lianna’s own. Her tongue poked out from her lips hesitantly and Lianna granted it access past her own. At that moment, the weight of grief and loss seemed to lessen, replaced by the warmth of their connection. Finally, Enverna pulled away, her voice husky. "Alright... Fuck me, then." And, a slow smile spread across Lianna’s face. It was a long day, but Lianna was about to make it an even longer night.