"Hey..."
"..."
"Stop acting like I just committed a crime."
"..."
"Alright alright. It is my fault."
The wolf finally looked back at her, looking at her expression to see if she truly meant it. Then it turned its head away and continued trotting toward wherever it wanted.
Aefia let out a sigh, rubbing the bridge between her eyes. The butterfly sat perched upon her shoulder, fluttering its wings softly as she walked down the hallway to her room.
The only mistake she had done—in the wolf's perspective—was for some wierd reasons, talking to Nada. Aefia for one thing...
"Listen... I don't know why you see Nada like that. She is my cousin. I am not certain what happened in that dungoen since... My memories are a bit foggy. But I assure you, that she is alright to be around," she told the wolf cub.
It turned around, mid-stride. Its pupils dilating as if it were shocked.
"I know for one thing that you are a personal manifestation of my powers—when a part of my powers from using my special skill had been seperated—and that it gives me a good oppurtunity to kidnap you and make you my pet." She continued, her face devoid of any residual emotions from the betrayal.
She pulled out the key to her room door from her pocket, and twisted the door knob open to let themselves inside, then locking the door with a sharp click.
She turned around to face the little cub and folded her arms, tilting her head with a smile on her face. "And... I also know for a fact that a part of my forgotten memories are in you mind... So you can speak."
The little ash-grey cub stood frozen in the middle of the quiet room, its tail stiffening as its deep amber eyes locked onto her. For a long, silent moment, it simply stared at Aefia, looking almost offended that its secret had been unravelled so easily.
Then, it let out a sharp, dramatic huff and hopped up onto the edge of her writing desk, settling down like a miniature monarch demanding an audience.
"You are shockingly infuriating, do you know that?" a tiny, echoes-in-your-mind voice resonated inside Aefia's head—haughty, crisp, and sounding altogether like an overly dignified noble trapped in a fluffy grey body.
"And 'pet'? Pet?! I am a grand manifestation born of your own magic, you stubborn human! You didn't 'kidnap' me, I merely permitted you to carry me!"
Aefia couldn't help the light laugh that escaped her lips. She walked over, leaning her chin on her hands atop the desk, directly at eye-level with the huffing creature. "Oh, absolutely. You permitted me by whining, growling, and playing dead on my shoulder like a dramatic stray cat."
The cub bared its tiny fangs, turning its snout away with a sharp tch. "I was adapting to tactical retreat. There is a difference."
"Right, right," Aefia hummed playfully, reaching out two fingers to lightly scratch behind its grey ears. The cub instantly flinched, opening its mouth to snap at her fingers, but as soon as her nails hit the sweet spot behind its ear, its eyes half-closed in involuntary bliss.
Its back leg even gave a tiny, subtle twitch before it caught itself, snapping back to attention and swatting her hand away with a soft paw.
"Refrain from touching the head without formal permission!" it declared, puffing out its small chest.
"You act just like a cat," Aefia mused, her eyes crinkling with amusement. "In fact, since you are a little piece of me operating on your own accord... I am calling you Puppet."
Puppet's ears shot straight up. It tilted its head, its amber eyes blinking rapidly as if processing the name. "Puppet? Puppet?! I am an elemental force of nature! A fiery, majestic spirit of—"
"Puppet," she repeated, poking its nose.
The wolf cub let out a long, defeated squeak of smoke from the corner of its jaw, slumping its shoulders. "Fine. Whatever. But if you call me that in front of that treacherous cousin of yours, I will bite your boots."
Aefia chuckled softly, though a heavy wave of exhaustion suddenly washed over her frame. The temporary adrenaline from returning to the facility had completely faded, leaving her limbs feeling like lead.
She dragged her feet over to her bed and collapsed onto it face-first, turning over with a heavy breath and resting her left forearm across her eyes to block out the faint room light.
Puppet gave a small, feline-like leap from the desk, landing silently on the soft mattress. The cub trotted up to the head of the bed and curled itself into a neat, fluffy circle right next to her head on the pillow, resting its chin over its tail while keeping a watchful eye on the door.
The glittery red butterfly, which had been resting near her shoulder, fluttered into the air. It drifted down to land gently on Aefia's exposed collarbone, its delicate wings glowing with a warm, faint crimson light.
A soft, soothing warmth spread across her skin as the tiny creature began to mend the remaining invisible micro-fractures and hidden bruises left behind from the dungeon collapse.
Aefia slowly lifted her arm off her face, tilting her head to watch the glowing insect finish its work. She held out a pale index finger, and the butterfly obediently glided up, landing softly on the tip of her finger and beginning to walk in little, curious circles around it.
"Hey, Puppet..." Aefia murmured, her voice thick with incoming sleep. "Don't butterflies have really short lifespans? Won't it... disappear soon?"
Puppet shifted slightly on the pillow, not even bothering to open both eyes as it replied mentally, "Normal ones do. But magical butterflies born from concentrated pocket dimensions have remarkably long lifespans. In fact, if it absorbs enough ambient magic energy, it can even split itself to become multiples whenever it pleases."
"Is that so?" Aefia rested her hand on the bed, watching the tiny red wings flutter. "Butterflies are such fragile beings, though... One wrong pinch and it's gone."
"This one is hardly fragile," Puppet countered with a slight curl of its snout, watching the insect intently. "It survived a dimensional collapse. Besides, it can disguise itself as a piece of jewel or an ornament whenever you need to hide it from prying eyes."
As if to demonstrate Puppet's words, the glittery red butterfly gave a final, cheerful flutter, before settling onto the metallic ring on Aefia's finger. Its soft wings hardened into a polished, crystalline ruby structure, seamlessly blending in as a gorgeous, handcrafted butterfly ornament attached to her band.
Aefia's lips curved into a faint, satisfied smile.
"Alright... that's enough explanation for today," she whispered softly. "The next morning will be quite stressful... Given that..."
Her eyelids grew impossibly heavy. Clasping her hand gently near her cheek, right beside the warm, soft fur of the curled-up wolf cub, Aefia finally let out a quiet breath and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.
Outside her door, a pair of footsteps silently retreated. Not leaving a single trace of evidence of their stalking.
***
Three days later.
Click.
Aefia set her tray down as she did normally. Then sliding into her usual place beside Helio, who was always as irritated as she would be at the place arrangement.
Nada was mid-sentence, talking idly about the week's training schedule, while Sasha lazily picked at her breakfast. Helio didn't even look up at first, merely shifting his tray a fraction of an inch to give her room. Aefia smoothly joined right into the conversation, offering calm, mundane remarks whenever a topic floated her way.
Perched right beside her plate, however, was Puppet.
The wolf had shrunk itself down into what looked like a small, living plushie. It had tiny, translucent wings fluttering softly at its back, though its sour expression completely ruined any attempt at looking cute. It openly glared at everyone at the table with unadulterated hatred.
Suddenly, Puppet's deep amber eyes locked onto a golden, freshly baked bun sitting on Aefia's tray. Without a second thought, the tiny creature pounced, snatching the bun in its stubby paws and devouring it in three aggressive bites.
"Ah... immaculate," Puppet declared out loud, its high-pitched yet dramatic voice echoing across the table. "A sacred bread of divine light! Far too pure for the likes of these cowards!"
Helio stopped his fork mid-air, slowly turning his head to stare at the small, wing-bearing plushie. He let out a flat, unimpressed exhale. "Cringe."
Puppet's ears shot straight up. It spun around on the tabletop, tiny paws clenching into fists as it glared up at Helio.
"Cringe?! You dare utter such a word to me, you walking golden broomstick?! Look at that hair! It looks like someone melted a cheap brass coin and dumped it on your head! If I had a mirror, I would offer it to you so you could weep over your lack of taste, you glorified dandelion!"
Sasha choked back a snort behind her hand, while Helio's eyebrow twitched subtly.
Nada finally turned her eyes toward Aefia, letting out a long, long-suffering sigh. "Look, Aefia... Respectfully, stop bringing strange things along to the cafeteria. And especially with us."
A silence instantly fell over their spot. Aefia went quiet, her expression unreadable, while Puppet gritted its tiny sharp teeth, ready to launch another verbal assault.
Before the cub could speak, Aefia's face contorted into a gentle, polite smile. "Alright. I will keep note of that."
Puppet violently snapped its head toward Aefia in sheer shock, its jaw practically hitting the table. Take it back! its outraged expression screamed. Do not apologize to her!
Aefia didn't look at Puppet. Instead, she tilted her head slightly toward Nada with an airy sigh. "Though today, unfortunately... Puppet followed me here, so I couldn't really stop it from coming with me. If you want Puppet out, you should tell it yourself."
Puppet immediately puffed out its small chest, floating up a few inches into the air. "I am guarding her! I go wherever she goes!"
Nada paused, staring at the tiny stubborn creature floating between them. She pinched the bridge of her nose. "Fine. But then it has to stay very silent."
Without another word, Puppet flew up and settled firmly against Aefia's shoulder, crossing its stubby arms and glaring daggers at Nada the entire time.
Aefia casually finished the rest of her food. Standing up from the table, she gave a swift, polite wave to her squad. "See you all later."
She walked out of the cafeteria without a single glance backward.
Once they reached the quiet hallway outside, Puppet leaned close to her ear, looking up at her with narrowed eyes.
"Just what is going on inside your head?" It asked mentally. "Why play along with them like that?"
Aefia didn't answer.
She turned down the main administrative corridor, stopping in front of the facility office. She raised her hand and knocked firmly against the heavy door, calling for Avry.
A short while later, the door clicked open. Avry—the very woman Aefia thoroughly despised and had once openly threatened—stepped out into the hallway.
Aefia leaned back against the opposite wall, crossing her arms over her chest. "I want a private conversation. I hope you can pay the time to your favourite Wildcard."
Avry scanned her up and down before scoffing slightly, turning around to lead Aefia into a secured, soundproof room nearby. Once the heavy door sealed behind them, Aefia didn't waste any time.
"Since you have heard about my contribution to the recent dungeon," Aefia began, her tone cold and direct, "you should at least consider one request from me."
Avry rolled her eyes, leaning against her desk. "Listen, kid. The faculty members can't just grant a mere Candidate's request simply because you contributed to something major, saved lives, and are volunteering as a subject for our experiments—"
Aefia raised a single hand, stopping Avry mid-sentence.
"That isn't what I came to talk about," Aefia said calmly. Her dark eyes locked onto Avry's with an intense, unwavering focus. "I want to go on solo dungeons. The stronger, the better. Unless... You want me to spread out your dirty little secrets to the rest of the facility."
Avry froze for a second, catching her breath at the unexpected demand. She studied Aefia's calm, unblinking face for a long moment, weighing the risks against the sheer utility of candidate performance.
Finally, Avry let out a dry click of her tongue.
"Fine," Avry dismissed her with a wave of her hand. "It's acceptable. I will talk with the faculty board and get it approved. Now get out."
Aefia turned without a word and walked out of the office, the door shutting behind her with a heavy thud.
As they walked down the quiet, empty corridor leading back toward the residential quarters, Puppet hovered near Aefia's head, floating beside her shoulder.
"Why did you do that?" Puppet asked, its voice dropping its usual pompous tone, genuinely curious. "Asking for high-grade solo dungeons is practically throwing yourself back into the fire."
Aefia kept her eyes fixed straight ahead, her footfalls quiet against the metallic floor.
"What I could conclude from returning from that dungeon..." Aefia said softly, "...was that I am still very weak. I need to get much stronger than I was before, and that too... very fast."
She paused briefly, her fingers lightly touching her temple.
"My memories being foggy is already a major problem," she continued, her eyes sharpening with a ruthless determination. "The only way I can keep myself safe is to go into those dungeons, clear them alone, make a name for myself, and gain power... so that people learn to stay out of my way."
***********************
First draft: 22.11.2025
Rewritten: 31.10.2026