As funny as the circumstances were, the matter of Whisper discovering Naia’s true nature as a Nymph was a serious one.

  I sat her down and spoke calmly, “Whisper, Naia is actually not my little sister... Well, not by blood anyway. She's technically my familiar, and she's not human.”

  “Then what is she?” Whisper asked, her curiosity piqued.

  “Her species is what you'd call a Nymph,” I replied.

  Whisper jumped up, reaching for her training spear. “Vile creature!” she screamed, preparing to strike at the blue, childlike being.

  “Stop!” I commanded, using my Time Control to lock her in place.

  Naia, afraid of Whisper’s outburst, cowered from the attempted strike.

  “Why do you stop me?!” Whisper shouted, her anger rising.

  “She has harmed no one, and can you not see innocence when it's right in front of you?” I demanded.

  “She’s a monster!” Whisper argued, her voice full of disdain.

  “She’s my familiar and family,” I said firmly. “She’s innocent. Their people hate humans due to past aggressions. To them, we are the monsters. And they have more justified reasons to believe so.”

  Whisper’s expression faltered slightly, but her grip on her spear didn’t loosen.

  “One thing you must learn growing up is that not all things are as simple or obvious as black and white,” I said, keeping my voice steady. “You must learn to look beneath the surface to see the truth.”

  "What's the truth?" Whisper asked, confusion still in her tone.

  Internally debating what to tell her, I was about to speak when Theresa stepped forward, her presence commanding attention. She gently touched her temples, and I felt the hum of magic ripple through the air. Some magical exchange took place, and within moments, Whisper was left panting, eyes wide as if the world had shifted beneath her feet.

  I released my time barrier, staying alert. Whisper crumbled, her knees giving out, and she began crying softly, her shoulders shaking.

  I turned to Theresa, my voice low. "What did you show her?"

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  “What we’ve already discovered when we saved Naia,” Theresa replied, her tone soft but unwavering.

  I frowned, troubled. "Don’t you think that’s too much to show a young girl?"

  "Yes," Theresa said, her eyes filled with a mixture of concern and resolve. "But she must learn. Better a harsh truth now than learning to be naive or indifferent forever."

  I let the weight of her words sink in, watching as Whisper’s sobs quieted into tremors, understanding now that some secrets were far darker than she’d ever imagined.

  I didn’t reply at first, my gaze never leaving Whisper. I knew Theresa was right. Sometimes, the truth was the only thing that could set a person free—even if it hurt them in the process.

  Whisper’s sobs eventually subsided into quiet, shaky breaths. I knelt beside her, placing a hand gently on her shoulder.

  “Whisper, you don’t have to carry this alone,” I said softly, offering her some small comfort.

  She lifted her tear-filled eyes to meet mine, her expression vulnerable. “I don’t know what to think anymore.”

  “You don’t have to figure it out all at once,” I assured her. “Just remember, not all things are as they seem at first. Sometimes the world is more complex, but it’s worth understanding.”

  She nodded slowly, though the hurt in her eyes remained. “I understand now... It’s just... so much to take in.”

  “You’ll get there,” I said, my voice steady but kind. “And you're not alone in this. We all have our secrets and burdens, but we carry them together.”

  Theresa, her work done, stepped back, her expression softening as she watched us. “She’ll need time, but she’ll be stronger for it.”

  I nodded, already knowing that this was only the beginning for Whisper. The road ahead would be difficult, but she would walk it with the truth now, whether she was ready for it or not.

  Taking my seat and touching the demon door’s blue Will line, I willed us back into our space. I wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but after acquiring more magic, my Will energy pool must have grown again because I found myself able to travel longer distances, and my ability to do more with the available energy had increased as well.

  Focused on my task, time passed quickly, and we returned to the guild's courtyard.

  “I have an idea,” I said, turning to Maze and Scarlett. “Use your guild seals and travel back to Nemo. Together, you should be able to avoid Jack tracking you, and you can use the recall function to take everyone here directly to him. Once that’s done, I’ll stay and call Grey Cowl. He’ll meet Jack outside. He should be able to arrive either from the teleportation platform inside the guild or the Cullis Gate outside it.”

  Maze and Scarlett exchanged a glance before my mother nodded back at me. “Don’t do anything risky.”

  I grinned. “I think Jack’s going to have enough risk on his plate.”

  The group began executing my plan. We weren’t quite ready to face off against Jack completely. There were still the inheritances of Scythe and Nostro to obtain. Also, there was one other thing I wanted to try before the final battle. This was not a game, and real lives were on the line. I would leave nothing to chance if I could help it.

  With my family having teleported away, I donned my Grey Cowl outfit. My crystal staff in hand, I considered activating my guild seal to teleport to the nearest gate, but I put it away. Neither would I walk out through the demon door. Using my light magic, I activated the teleportation pattern I’ve decided to call a "Spell Formation." With it, I designated the target as outside in the magic dummy training area I was so familiar with and teleported.

  “Time to give you a surprise, Jack!” I say in my time-dilated voice as I disappear from inside the demon door.