"...Latanya?"

Van wiped the trail of tears that still slightly dampened his face as soon as Latanya floated out of the bushes. Right when he finally calmed himself down and was about to start his conversation with Evangeline, Latanya suddenly popped out of nowhere.

No, it was more like Evangeline pulled her from the bushes with her Skills. So does that mean that Latanya was…

"Where you… eavesdropping?"

"W… what's this!?" Latanya tried to wriggle her body, but alas, her situation was the same as Van's-- she wasn't able to move what seemed to be an invisible rope shackling her. "Un… Unleash me, Van's mother!"

"How long have you been here, Latanya?" Van could not help but blink a couple of times as he looked Latanya straight in the eye.

"What do you mean how long have I been here? I was here before you and your mother started biting each other's asses!" Latanya roared as she still tried to struggle her way out of Evangeline's invisible clutches.

"Now tell this woman to unleash me from her infernal powers!" Once again, she tried to wriggle her body, the two glorious mountains that adorned her started to jiggle right in front of Van as she did so.

"..." Van let out a long and deep sigh before turning his head towards Evangeline, "Can you release her? We won't be able to talk with her here."

"Latanya…" Evangeline muttered as she looked at Latanya from head to toe before releasing her from her grasp, "So that is the name you found for yourself."

"What are you even fucking talking about?" Latanya quickly stretched her body as soon as she dropped to the ground, "Your mother is as weird as you are, Van."

Latanya then approached Van, patting his shoulder before letting out a long and deep sigh, "I saw everything, you can cry on my arms later if you want to. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone how you cried here like a baby," she then let out a light chuckle before walking away.

"..." Maybe he shouldn't have asked Evangeline to let Latanya go after all, "Talk then, why did you leave me all alone?"

Van then focused all of his attention on Evangeline. He had been hearing a lot of things about his mother lately.

She was the first System Holder?

She deliberately left for his sake?

Why was she so tall when Van was as small as he is?

And seeing as the Headmaster of the Academy, as well as Angela Elton, was calling her master earlier, it would seem that they were already fully aware of who he was from that start. There were so many questions that were popping out of Van's head that he didn't even know what to ask first.

"I told you, I did not leave your side and have always been watching you."

"You've said that many times now. I am asking why."

Even though Van seemed calm now, his heart was persuading him otherwise. He still felt something heavy weighing on his neck, enough for his head to droop down. But still, he persevered, looking at Evangeline straight in the eye without blinking.

"I saw you once right here a few months ago," Van then pointed towards the lake, "That was you, right?"

"Correct," Evangeline quickly nodded.

"Why… didn't you say anything to me?"

"Because I was not here for you."

"...What?" Van furrowed his eyebrows in confusion as soon as he heard Evangeline's words, "But you just said you were watching me?"

"I was and I am."

Soon, Evangeline's voice returned to its usual cold demeanor, "But I was not here for you at that moment…

...I was here for that."

"...That?" Van's eyebrows knitted even further as he turned his head towards the direction where Evangeline was pointing, only to find Latanya still there, looking at the two of them, unmoving.

"Latanya? What are you still doing here?" Van could not help but scratch his chin, "Evangeline, I already told you to let her lea--"

"I… can't leave."

Before Van could finish his words, Latanya suddenly took a step forward, standing directly in front of Van and almost placing her colossal bosom on top of his head.

"What do you mean you can't leave?"

"I… can't leave you, Van."

"...What?" Van did not know where to look as Latanya's bosom covered most of his vision, "Is this your doing, Evangeline?"

"Not at all," Evangeline shook her head, "If anything…

...It is yours, my child."

"..."

"What… what is going on here, Van?" Latanya's voice started to tremble as she felt a sudden urge to embrace Van. She had felt this way before for him, a lot of times, as a matter of fact. But never this strong.

"Evangeline, enough!" Van then stomped his feet as he made his way towards Evangeline, "Stop your tricks!"

"I told you that we are connected," Evangeline once again shook her head.

"And what does that have to do with--"

"She too…

...is connected to you," Evangeline breathed as she pointed towards Latanya.

"...She's my sister?"

"Impossible!" Latanya screamed. If they really were related, then what has she been feeling all this time!?

"..." Evangeline, for the first time, let out a different emotion as her eyes blinked numerous times, looking at Van with her eyebrows slightly knotted, "No."

"I see," Van placed his hand on his chin, "You did live for more than a thousand years."

"I have only borne one child in this life, Evans… and that is you and you alone, my child."

"So you say," Van let out a tiny scoff, "Then how are we connected? Please stop delaying it, I want you... out of my life again as soon as possible."

"Very well," Evangeline nodded before floating, crossing her legs as if she was sitting in the air, "It may have come to you already that I was ultimately the one who sent you here, to the Pit."

"..."

"Every action that you took has led you here. And I also made sure that they will throw you here."

"..."

"That's disgusting," Latanya, even though she was feeling an uncomfortable wave crawling throughout her skin, still managed to let out a word of disdain as she heard Evangeline's words. Van, on the other hand, remained quiet.

"You wanted me to meet mister Hercules?" Van commented.

"No, he was just… an extra," Evangeline slightly tilted her head, "A treasure that now belongs to you is here."

"...Treasure?" Van, as well, slightly tilted his head to the side as he remembered Hercules mentioning something like that in passing. "What treasure?"

"You must have felt it by now," Evangeline said, "After all…

...it is connected to us… to you."

"Connect--"

Van's eyes then widened before he turned his head towards a certain direction.

"W… what?"

Latanya could not help but stutter as both mother and son suddenly looked at her, "What are you two even talking about!?"

"It is truly amazing what the artifacts of their gods could do," Evangeline muttered as she once again looked at Latanya from head to toe, "To become flesh and blood throughout the years, it is a marvel."

"What are you saying!?" Latanya quickly waved her hands from Evangeline's words, "What artifact nonsense are you talking about!?"

For some reason, her heart was beating rapidly. But soon, it almost stopped entirely.

"The Staff of Asclepius, God of Healing."

"!!!"

"Latanya!?"

Van quickly rushed towards Latanya as she suddenly dropped to the ground as soon as Evangeline finished her words, "What are you doing!?" Van once again roared at Evangeline.

"Showing her what she truly is," Evangeline said as she descended from the air, "...and her rightful place."

"N… no," Latanya let out a stuttered gasp, her eyes trembling as different visions fluttered in her mind, "No, no, no…"

"Stop this!" Van said he gently lifted Latanya's head, tilting her whole body on her side, "She has nothing to do with this!"

"I am afraid she has everything to do with this, my child," Evangeline placed her hand on Latanya's head, caressing her face as softly as possible. Van, however, quickly slapped her hand away.

"Stay away from her."

"...As you wish," Evangeline slowly backed away, "But do know there is no stopping this, my child. It will revert back to her natural form…

...and it will once again return to where it belongs, back to you."

"You're fucking crazy!" Van shook his head, "She doesn't belong to anyone. She…

...is free."

"It belongs to you now, Evans." Evangeline repeated her words, this time, her tone was filled with resolute, almost adamant-- no, it was almost crazed, "She will be the strongest feather that will complete your wings...

...absorb her!"

And now, for the first time, Evangeline raised her voice.

"No!" Van's eyes quickly let out a golden sparkle, before instantly disappearing from his spot. Latanya as well, was gone.

"..." Evangeline, who was now left alone at the lakeshore, could only look towards the direction where the trail of golden lightning led to. And after a few seconds, a small smile crept on her face.

***

"Victoria!"

"Eek!"

"Hm?"

"Van!? What are you… isn't that Boss!?"

Different hums of expression echoed throughout the Encampment as Van suddenly appeared out of nowhere, screaming.

"What is it?"

Victoria, upon hearing her name being called by Van, quickly ran towards his voice with a slight smile on her face. Her smile, however, slightly faded as soon as she saw him carrying Latanya. But before she could even start to pout internally, Latanya started screaming in pain.

"!!!"

And without even hesitation, she rushed towards Latanya and placed her hand on her forehead, quickly activating her skill to calm her down.

"Be still, plea--" These words, however, were Victoria's last words before her eyes completely blanked out.

"...Victoria?"

Victoria, as if petrified into stone, completely stopped moving.

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