Chrysalis To A Butterfly [Kiana Kaslana X Male OC]

Where Dreams Began II

Meanwhile, across the street, inside the cosy ambience of 'Restorante Rossini Pizzeria' sat Kiana with her arms crossed as she gazed at the raven-haired boy. His sea-green eyes were filled with concern and a tinge of fear.

"Kiana?" He tried to initiate a conversation but stopped when he noticed her glare intensifying.

"Bronya," Sussanah, who had somehow ended up in this lover's quarrel, gazed at the silver-haired girl pleadingly. "When will they make up?"

"Makeup?" Bronya smirked. "They did that hours ago."

"What do you mean?" Sussanah replied in shock. "Miss Kiana looks like she will chew his head when she gets an opportunity."

"Just because she understands him," Bronya continued. "Doesn't mean she had forgiven him for his behaviour this morning."

Bronya stopped as she chose a pepperoni pizza for herself. Her fingers pressed the order button on the black tablet they had provided. She then motioned Sussanah to ask if she wanted one, to which she shook her head, indicating not now.

"You see," Bronya picked up the conversation again. "Our Sal has a habit of taking on needless responsibility for things he had no control over. The same happened this morning, too. When the letter arrived, Sal's reaction was, 'It makes sense. After all, I was part of the spy group.'

In contrast, Kiana was trying to fight for him. Now imagine a person you deeply cared for suddenly is branded a criminal for a crime against humanity, which he didn't commit. Then you fight to protect him, but the person themselves doesn't believe that they are not guilty."

Sussanah nodded, her orange eyes filled with sadness as she glanced at Sal and Kiana. Ever since she delivered the letter to them, Sussanah hadn't believed that Sal would be tried. In her head, it felt like a cosmic joke. After all, in the Kolosten War, if it weren't for Sal, many Valkyries would have lost their lives, including her. And for that reason alone, she admired him—maybe a little too much.

"Do you think he is a criminal?" Bronya asked, breaking Sussanah's train of thought.

"No," She quickly replied. "I could never. He-" She stopped as a distant memory resurfaced. It was during her initial days when she had first met Sal. Back then, he was a member of the infamous Velesflëge. A faction of Schicksal that was rumoured to be filled with devils in the form of humans.

Only the most ruthless and violent Valkyries joined Velesflëge. And sadly, Sussanah wasn't one of them. Throughout her time as a trainee, she kept the members of Velesflëge at an arm's distance. She would walk away if they were in the same room as her; even in the cafeteria, she would just avoid them. Something about them instilled fear in her. Was it their aura? Or just their conduct, she wasn't sure.

Then, one day, disaster struck when Sussanah was out on a field mission as a trainee. Her squadron had been deployed to neutralize chariot class Honkai beast at Warsaw. However, they realized the information was wrong on arrival, as the beast in front of them was an Emperor Class.

Sussanah and her small team fought valiantly against it. They didn't give up, and despite being unable to contact HQ, they didn't lose hope. But there was only so much a B-Rank Valkyrie could do. As she fell to the ground, she was face to face with the blue-pink eyes of the beast. Its hands wreathe in the blood of countless it crushed as it roared, giving a stench that smelt of flesh mixed with iron.

Sussanah, at that moment, remembered her family. She prayed for their excellent health and surrendered herself to death. Her only wish was that it could be painless. But that is when her comm returned to life, and Rita's voice flooded in.

<Valkyrie Sussanah, if you are alive, please respond.>

However, Sussanah, who was just inches away from Assakasa's blood-stained jaws, couldn't move. Her arms were frozen, and her tongue had betrayed her.

A flash of white light accompanied by red lightning blurred her vision. Everything after that was a blur for her. She could hear the Honkai beast roar in anguish as a metallic object impaled it; there were successive explosions and then one last roar before the beast was slain. By the time Sussanah recovered, her vision battle was over. And the one standing before her wasn't the Honkai beast but a young boy, almost her age, whose sea-green eyes were filled with concern and compassion.

He wore the metallic black and golden striped Velesflëge uniform, and on his shoulders were two stars denoting his rank: Hauptnavitan (Captain). He held a reddish-black longsword in his right arm and stretched his hand to her. Sussanah, who was in a daze, didn't know what to do and thus fainted.

Later, she learned his name after Durandal visited her in the hospital. And then, one day, Sal himself visited her. He had brought some fruits and asked her about recovery. Back then, she was too flustered to have a proper conversation, but still, she enjoyed talking with him. After getting discharged, she would converse with Sal during lunch and dinner, sometimes even catching him during his morning exercise routine. They weren't anything significant, but to Sussanah, they were some of the fondest memories from her trainee period. And as the two-year trainee period ended, so did their friendship.

Sussanah graduated and joined Squad Phosdjinns. Meanwhile, Sal became part of the infamous Operation Dusk, and then later, he was sent to St. Freiya, Where Dreams Began.

"Sussanah?" Bronya waved her hand, trying to bring Sussanah out of her daze.

Sussanah quickly shook her head as she regained her composure. "I am sorry, I zoned out."

"That's fine," Bronya eyed her suspiciously. "But you never answered my question."

"I don't," She started as her orange eyes gazed at Sal, who was trying to apologize to Kiana. "For me, Sal Apocalypse can never be a criminal."

"I see," Bronya took a sigh of relief. "Only if we can prove it to the judges tomorrow."

Sussanah nodded in agreement.

"What about our lawyer?" Sussanah inquired.

"I called Fu Hua," Bronya replied as she brought out her phone. She was checking for any new messages. "She said she knew someone. Though honestly speaking, trials like these already have a predetermined result. If Theresa wants to hang Sal, there is nothing we can do except," She had an evil grin. "become a fugitive and run."

"No!" Sussanah raised her voice but soon stopped. Her cheeks were flushed with embarrassment.

"I am only joking." Bronya chuckled. "Anyways, the lawyer Fu Hua called should be here with us anytime now."

Sussanah nodded as she checked the time. It was five in the evening, and she had to return to Iustisia Palace and report to Theresa before seven. She sighed; if the lawyer didn't arrive in the next thirty minutes, she would have to leave.