Arrival

"Lilin," Annie whispered, "Wake up."

Lilin groaned as she woke. She slowly sat herself up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. It took a few blinks to bring everything into focus, but she could see the castle. The pleasant haze of slumber wore off, leaving Lilin to wrangle with the unpleasant reality of what she now had to do.

"Alright... We're reporting our success to the King first, right?" Lilin asked.

Annie hesitated. She was still so used to asking Lilin what was going to happen that she almost assumed the question wasn't for her. After a moment, she nodded. "Yes. Let's present the taxes. I will need to send them back some money, is there any delivery services?"

Lilin nodded. "Yeah, there's an underground delivery service that works independently of the Wind General. You can give them a message and some pearls and they'll deliver them to the town in around a week."

Annie nodded. She wouldn't be around to see her promise come true, then. She kept her face stoic, though. She was prepared to face death, but if Lilin was at all attached to her then she may have an issue with Annie's death. Annie knew that not telling her was a bit selfish, but the young woman had so much on her plate already, and Annie couldn't bear the thought of her being hurt by this right now.

"Alright, then. Lilin, let's go see your father."

With that, they walked to the throne room.

"Lilim. Ten. Enter."

Annie and Lilin both knelt to avoid the blade of air shooting for their heads.

"Approach me and report."

Lilin stood and approached. She was nervous, but somehow the fear of facing the King wasn't as great as it was the last time they were called here. Being beside Annie was no longer a burden, it was something that gave her strength. She didn't feel safe because she was protected, but more like no matter what happened, she'd have Annie after it was all over. She knelt once more when she got closer.

Annie walked with Lilin and knelt at the same time. Knowing her life was ending soon made the fear of death all the less prevalent to her than ever. The Demon King no longer scared her. She was here for Lilin, to keep her safe and to help her make the right decision when the time came.

"You were successful in collecting the taxes. You will deliver the money to Second, the librarian. Now, be at ease."

Suddenly, the oppressive atmosphere eased. Annie saw Lilin standing, so she stood as well. The King spoke once more, his voice still imposing but no longer unnaturally so. It was no longer the voice of somebody projecting his power, but one of a strong leader.

"Ten. Lilim. Your actions are deserving of pride. I was aware of the village's hardships, and believed they would not pay their taxes even when threatened. Your compliance and success speak volumes."

He turned his head to Lilin.

"My daughter. In recent times, I have taken note of your shortcomings. However, in light of this success and your improvements with Ten, I will grant your wish. Henceforth, I will refer to you by your chosen name: Lilin."

Lilin's face lit up. "R-Really?" she asked, hardly able to believe her ears.

"You've proven your worth, Lilin. You are now worthy of my respecting your chosen name."

Lilin nodded, bowing deeply. "Thank you, father. I can think of no greater honor for me."

The King's head, still covered by a helmet, now turned to Annie. He studied her expression, seeing the signs of aging plain as day. He knew what was happening, giving him the perfect thread to pull.

"Ten. Your condition is undesirable. There is no true cure for it. Or, rather, there is no conventional cure for it. A damaged Core cannot be repaired unless it is changed. I alone hold the key to change your Core, and to change your fate. If it is your wish, I will transform you into a demon. Your condition will not be fully repaired, but all symptoms would be repressed indefinitely. You would be forever young, just as I and Lilin are."

Annie's eyes went wide. If what the King was saying was true, she wouldn't have to be in this body. She could be young again, for the third time, but now in this world. She could use magic, like she had hoped to before. She couldn't even process the possibilities. More time with Lilin, enough time to find Charlie again. She could visit the village again, see Brady grow up, watch Euwelyn grow into a woman unburdened by the stress of a corrupt ruler she felt responsible for. It would be another new life, and a promise that she wouldn't ever grow old again.

But she knew that that was wrong. As wonderful as this world was, as beautiful as her new life had grown to be, there was more to her than that. She had her family to watch over, and she wanted to be there waiting for them when they came to the other side as well. As tempting as it was, she couldn't accept. So, she slowly shook her head.

"My King, I am honored, truly... However, I cannot accept. I was born with this body, and I choose to live in it as it is, conditions notwithstanding. Your offer is more than praise enough, your Highness."

The King nodded slowly, thoughtfully. Behind his helmet, he was wondering what her game was. Given what he had seen of her, perhaps she was being genuine about truly not wanting to change her body. She was clearly not of this world, so her values might be different. He could not think of anybody in this world who would deny the opportunity to become a demon. Either way, he suppressed the anger in her denial. She would not be a factor for much longer.

"Very well, Ten. So long as you do not hold the debt over me, I see no reason to deny your request to stay as you are. Lilin, you are to stay by Ten's side just as before. However, this is not for Ten to make up for your work, but so that Ten will not be lagging behind herself. Now, you are both dismissed. You will deliver the money to the Librarian Second, and you are free to roam the castle as you will for the rest of the day. Now, depart."

Lilin bowed again before quickly walking out, Annie hurrying to follow behind her. Annie was lagging behind by quite a margin, which Lilin started to notice. As they exited the room and the doors shut behind them, she finally brought it up.

"Annie, your aging thing... How bad is it?"

"Oh, dear," Annie said with a bit of strain, "don't worry about it. My Core just needs some time to be replenished, and I'll be better."

Lilin glared at Annie, shaking her head. "I know better than to believe that, Annie. I'm not an idiot. The deficiency you have means your Core is barely gonna fill itself."

Annie sighed, shaking her head. "Dear, I... I don't want to linger on it much, but I promise you. I am doing quite alright, it's something I've grown used to. After all, it's not like this is the first time it's happened to me."

Lilin nodded slowly, not knowing of the double-truth Annie was using. She figured that if Annie had been like this before, then it would go away eventually. She breathed a sigh of relief and started walking. Annie felt really bad for lying now, and began to second-guess her decision. Perhaps she should tell Lilin what was happening....