Jennifer walked through the streets, her father walking close by. Few words had been exchanged between them, after he’d inspected her once and made sure she was alright. She stole glances at her father, at the light brown hair that swept backwards, and the stubble he’d begun to grow. Wrinkles were starting to appear on his face, and she found her gaze drifting down to his hands. Overdrawn and injured, they were covered in thin black lines. Scars from the surgery afterwards. Her father had changed after the incident. Not as radiant anymore, and neither as reckless. He’d grown cautious, afraid. She’d learned that from him, caution and patience. Though she’d never been good at either.

Each step closer to their home had her gut sinking further. Just why had she been so afraid of telling her parents? She had told Keith, told her Master, told Rumina as well. If there was a threat from the demons finding out her little secret, then it was already way past the point of concern for such by now.

Jennifer jerked, remembering the spider currently sitting on the nape of her neck. She ignored the glance of concern from her father, catching up.

Jennifer sent to the spider, trying to calm her racing heart. Really, it was her fault for being so distracted, but being aware of that didn’t make her emotions any more settled.

the spider exclaimed happily, and Jennifer couldn’t help but smile at the cheery voice.

Feeling slightly less trapped in a spiral of her own thoughts, Jennifer studied her father’s expression as he walked. To find anger, frustration, fear. Anything. She’d expected him to be angry, expected him to demand answers for why she’d put herself at risk. Yet this entire time, he’d walked in silence, with the only expression being of concern, when he’d tried to make sure that she was okay.

Xar buzzed in her head, and she gave a light nod instead of a telepathic reply.

Jennifer’s eyes widened ever so slightly in surprise, as she turned to look at her father once more. This time, she found her gaze directed towards the creases next to his eyes, the brows that were bent inwards in a frown ever so slightly, the lips pressed together, and the fists at his side, clenched. He was concerned, just as concerned as any parent would be to know that their daughter had just ran into the dungeon and almost gotten herself killed. But even now, he was giving her space, and time. To speak up on her own terms, to talk to him when she was ready to.

Jennifer felt her chest turn heavy, feeling stupid for trying to keep her family out of things to protect them. She should’ve let them know. From the very start, she should’ve let them know. Hugged them tight and told them of the terrible nightmares she’d lived through, and relied on them to help her.

She wiped at her eyes, trying not to cry publicly. She would talk, it was about time she had a talk with her family, and told them what was up. They will forget, as the next reset would come, and perhaps she would lack the courage to talk to them again. But for now, she would share, and let them know.

Because even if they forgot. She would not. And that was reason enough.

Jennifer said, raising her hand to her neck, to gently brush one of the spider’s many legs.

An image of the spider thumping his abdomen proudly protected itself in her mind.

Jennifer smiled, feeling a lot better than she had moments before. She stepped behind her father as they reached their homes. Her mother opened the door, her gaze stuck on Jennifer’s arm wrapped in bandages for a long moment as she walked in.

“H-hey mom,” Jennifer said, raising her hand in a half wave, under her mother’s gaze.

“Get in and have a seat. I’ll need to clean those bandages up,” her mother replied. With an impassive gaze, she closed the door, before giving her a light squeeze on the shoulders.

Jennifer shut the door behind her, as she stepped in. It was nostalgic, in some ways, to see her mother angry at her. Ever since her father’s accident, and especially after Keith was born, Jennifer had never had any arguments with her parents. It was the rare squabble between her and Keith that happened now and then at best.

Jennifer told the spider, feeling amused by its antics.

Xar seemed confused, but didn’t comment. he asked, as she sensed the spider curiously looking around.

“Jenn! You’re back!” Keith’s excited voice echoed, accompanied by little footsteps as the boy rushed out and tackled Jennifer in a hug.

“Ouch, easy there champ. I’m hurt, you know?” Jennifer said, patting her brother’s head.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Keith said, glancing at her arm. Stepping back, the boy glanced at her, as his previous excitement returned quickly. “Did you fight something strong? How was it? Was it scary? A delve sounds so awesome.”

“It was scary, very scary. But also exciting,” Jennifer said with a smile. She heard a cough from her mother. “and very stupid. I’m probably going to get in a lot of trouble. So don’t you go thinking that jumping into the Dungeon is alright,” she added, lightning tugging on Keith’s ear before she let them go.

“You need to finish your studies Keith. Let your sister rest, she’s just come back,” Jennifer’s mother said.

“But-” Keith protested but a silent glare had him let out a sigh of defeat. Glancing towards Jennifer, he stepped closer and motioned for her to bend down. Curious, Jennifer obliged, as Keith stepped forward and whispered in her ears. “I didn’t tell them.”

She stared at Keith’s proud and shining eyes and she pet his head once more. “Good job. I’ll teach you some more stuff when I’m free,” she replied.

With an excited nod at the prospect of learning more magic, the young boy turned back around, and rushed back to his own room.

Jennifer walked to her mother, and seated herself on a chair, who quickly began to peel back her bandages, to replace them with new ones. She grimaced slightly upon seeing the darkened flesh on her hand, with cuts and stitches running across them. Even though she knew that it would all go away by the next reset, the sight didn’t feel any less worse for it.

Her mother gently removed the remaining bandages, before she carefully began to wrap her hand once more. Jennifer sat in silence, trying to run to come up with the right words to begin. Something wet touched her fingers, and she saw her mother wipe at her eyes.

Jennifer froze. Another drop of tear fell onto her hand, and then yet another. The rustling of the bandages continued, as her mother wiped at her eyes.

“Mom, I— please don’t cry,” Jennifer said, finding her own voice trembling.

“How can I not?” her mother said. Her voice turned raw, as she raised Jennifer’s hand. “Do you see what you’ve done to yourself? You could’ve lost your hands, just like your father. You could’ve died in there and we would’ve never known,” her mother said, tears now flowing freely through her eyes. “Do you understand how scared I was when an adventurer came to tell me that they’d found you unconscious in the dungeon of all places. Heavily injured as well. How can I not cry, Jenn, if you make me worry like this?”

Jennifer found tears filling her own eyes, at the sight of her crying mother. Her throat clammed up, emotions heavy on her chest. ”I’m sorry. I just- I had to mom. I had to. My life is the last thing that’s at risk. Everyone in the city will die if I do nothing. Everyone will die if I don’t do my best to stop our enemies.”

“The demons, is it?” her father said, stepping into the room. He walked towards where Jennifer sat, taking a seat of his own. “I’ve heard some details from your friends. I’d like to hear the rest from you.”

Jennifer glanced around warily and her father took a cue. Taking a stone out from his pocket, he shattered it. With a flash of light, a ward sprung up around the chamber. “You can talk now,” her father added, the crushed stones vanishing from around his palm.

With a nod, Jennifer tugged her bandages loose, turning her hands towards her parents. A glowing symbol formed on it, shimmering with a blue light. “This thing on my hand is the Mark of Time. A Mark from a trial of the gods themselves. It prevents me from dying. Or- not quite. Everytime I die. I go back in time, to the start of this month. This is my fourth or fifth time going through this month now,” Jennifer said.

“Does that mean—” Jennifer’s mother gasped.

Jennifer nodded silently. “I’ve died multiple times now. No matter what I tried, it all resulted in my death.”

“Do you have to do this? To put yourself at risk?” her Father asked.

“Do I have a choice? I refuse to leave an entire city to be massacred just because I was too much of a coward to do anything about it. If I don’t do anything, thousands of people will die. And they will never come back. The Alliance itself may fall, if the Demons are allowed to progress their plans. We’ll just delay the inevitable. Plus—” Jennifer glanced down at her hands. Injuries marred them, but beneath the surface, she felt her mana pathways. They sprawled all over her body, reaching down near her abdomen, where her mana pool sat.

Silently, she invoked [Blood Dagger], streams of blood rising from her injuries to farm a dagger that rested in her palm.

“This is a chance for me too. A chance to grow. I'm growing. Faster than I've ever grown. I can take on increasingly greater risks with my Mark. It feels rewarding. As much as the fear of losing everyone around me scares me, I can grow more than I have ever before,” Jennifer said, tracing a finger along the edge of the [Blood Dagger]. It was cloudy now, a green sprawl of something within the deep red of her blade. The poison from the serpent. She could move it at her will, use it a drop at a time.

Jennifer looked up to meet her father’s hand. “Things are very dangerous. There’s far stronger people than me involved in this war. Guilds, no, the entirety of the Alliance itself. But I’ve also been given the chance to stand among these people. To make a change to the world around me. All our lives, we’d been told that the ability to change the world rested with power. But I finally have a chance to hold that power for myself. In just a couple of months, I have grown stronger than I had ever been before, and I can keep going further still. I have to do this,” Jennifer said, her eyes set with determination. She wasn’t sure completely about the things she said, but they felt right.

“For all these years, I’d chased after the Academy thinking that if I became a famous [Enchanter] I could heal your hands. I could give something back to you for everything you have done for me. It felt true, and it was. But I was also lying to myself. I wanted to help you dad… but if you’d never gotten in that accident. If you’d never lost your magic. I still would’ve chased after my dreams anyway.”

A deep sigh came from her father. “All these years, I thought I had been a burden on my family. I thought I’d forced you into something you only did because of my own mistakes,” her father said. Leaning ahead, he set his hand on top of hers. Jennifer grabbed his palm, feeling the coarse hardened skin on the inside of his inner index, from years of enchanting.

“You've changed Jenn,” her father said.

“Dying does that to you,” Jennifer replied, regretting her words a moment later. Her mother moved in closer, grabbing her in a hug.

“Please just. Take care of yourself Jenn. You’re talking about such big things, I can’t even begin to fathom. I don’t know what the stakes are, or why this is so important that my daughter has to suffer so much. I don’t know and I care nothing for it. I just pray to Sera, that you stay safe.”

Jennifer leaned into the hug her mother gave her, enjoying the warmth for a moment longer. “I’d expected that you’d say no. And try to keep me confined.”

“I really want to,” her mother replied, tightening her grip on Jennifer’s body. “No mother would wish for her child to go to war. But what other choice do we have but to support our children in the choices they make? I could kick and scream at you, threaten you all I want, but would that stop you? Instead of all of that, I would rather support my daughter as she braves the world, and pray for her safety instead.”

A tear made its way down Jennifer’s cheeks, as she buried her face in her mother’s shoulder. “I really don’t deserve you mom.”

“Don’t say stupid things. You’re our daughter, and there’s no deserving in any of it,” her mother chided, pulling out of the hug as she wiped her eyes.

“You’re right. I’m sorry. Also sorry for not telling you before. It took me a long while to gather my courage,” Jennifer said, wiping her eyes as well.

“The prince of Zandria is helping me, and I will be meeting with him soon. Things are finally starting to look up. And I know that we won’t solve anything this month, perhaps not even the next or the next one after that. But as long as I keep trying, we won’t lose. As long as I hold on, we might be able to save everyone.”

“It seems you’ve made up your mind,” her father said, getting up from his seat. “Come follow me Jennifer. I have something to give you.”

Jennifer watched her father walk into his chamber. She turned to look at her mother in surprise, who gave her a light nudge, motioning her to go ahead.

Rising from her seat, Jennifer followed into her father’s room. He stood near his work table, books lining the place as he pulled open a drawer. From inside, she saw him taking out something resembling a pen, but made entirely of mana stone. A little diamond shaped nib was attached to the end, and she quickly realized it to be a carving crystal.

“They gave it to me when I finished my studies and became a certified [Enchanter]. It’s a rite of passage, from master to apprentice. I know that I couldn’t finish my own duties, and that may have been for the best, given Haireth’s skills, yet this much, I had always hoped to do when you had graduated from the Academy,” her father said, glancing down at the crystal in his hand. He took the crystal, grabbing Jennifer’s, and placed it inside her palm. “I want you to have this.”

Jennifer stared at the crystal in her hand.

“I know that your own path and circumstances are different, but I hope that you never forget your origin. And why you began walking on this path in the first place,” her father said.

She gave a nod, yet an odd sensation distracted her. Her [Blood Dagger] was shivering, almost beyond her control. She felt her dagger tugging at the crystal, and she brought it closer to the dagger.

Her blade turned to blood, swirling around the pen as it crawled up. A moment later, the blood solidified, turning to glass once more. Yet the blade’s form had changed. Spirals ran across its edge now, forming a sharp carving tip at the end. She saw the mana crystal from her father assimilate with the blade’s structure, as streaks of green poison spread themselves out evenly in one of the spirals through the blade.

Jennifer stared in wonder at the blade in her hand, as she felt a strange one-ness with it. Her blade, it wasn’t just a weapon. It was a tool, a tool for her magic, and her Enchanting.

“Thank you,” Jennifer said, as she hugged her dad.

“I’m proud of you Jenn,” her father replied, and Jennifer let the sensation take her in.

the spider exclaimed and Jennifer laughed out loud.

Even if her parents would forget everything, and even if all of this would be just a memory for her in the far future. She was glad that she had shared.