Notes

Elsword: Infinity Sword

Aisha: Dimension Witch

Rena: Night Watcher

Raven: Veteran Commander

Eve: Code: Battle Seraph

Chung: Tactical Trooper

Ara: Asura

Elesis: Crimson Avenger

Add: Diabolic Esper

Lu: Diabla

Ciel: Demonio

Ain: Apostasia

Rose is irrelevant.

So is Laby.


Chapter 1


"Two tickets for Naruto Shippuden please!"

"Alright, here you go. Have a lovely date, you two!" the clerk chirped.

Ara's face flushed. Do we really seem like a couple? She glanced at Add who was fiddling with his Dynamos. He doesn't even seem interested in the date. "Add, I got the tickets, let's go."

Add wasn't sure if this was such a good idea, but he was too deep in. "Alright." This date would decide if the pangs at his heart he kept feeling were for Ara.

As they entered, they were unaware of the red-headed siblings sneaking in. "Elsword, are you sure you didn't want to hang out with Aisha instead?" Her brother seemed to be focusing his gaze on something else before turning to her.

"Yup, positive! Besides, she's off doing her sparkly magical girl stuff. Go get the seats, I'll get the popcorn," he replied. He watched as his sister headed off to the theater. Suddenly, he saw a flash of orange out of the corner of his eye.

"Oh, shit. It's Ara. I still gotta get the popcorn, whatever." He lined up behind Ara. He hoped that she'd just get her popcorn and leave. But fate seemed to differ. Someone appeared to have fallen and screamed in surprise which prompted Ara to turn around in question, smothering Elsword's face in her chest. "Damn Ara, your tiddies!" he exclaimed. Oh, shit. Ara looked down at him.

"Elsword? Weren't you going to hang out with Aisha today?"

"NOPE! Why does everyone think I like hanging out with her?! Anyway. . gotta go!" With that, he dashed off.

What was that? Ara thought.

Afterwards, as Add sat in the theater, he waited a good amount of time for Ara. She didn't ditch him, did she? She didn't seem like the type of person to do that without a good reason. Suddenly, the doors burst open and Elesis entered. That was a surprise, she wasn't exactly a movie person. Add's heart began pounding as he stared at the red-haired knight. Ara had then appeared after her and Add assumed his heart was beating for the older girl.

Elesis had been unaware of both Add and Ara and instead took a seat, awaiting her brother. Add decided to put his feelings to the test and determine whether or not Ara was the one for him. He had originally thought he wasn't capable of loving anyone but had gotten tired of his heart saying otherwise.

Later, the movie ended and Add turned to Ara. I hope this is a good idea, he thought. "Since you must have asked me out on this date for a reason, do you want to be my girlfriend?" he asked with red cheeks. Ara was shocked at the sudden offer but she accepted nonetheless. She beamed and hugged him. The white-haired boy was caught off guard by the sudden affection and awkwardly patted Ara's back. Ara had leapt out of her seat causing it to squeak quite loudly. The noise caught Elesis's attention; she looked over and noticed the two. She was devastated; she could feel her eyes welling up with tears as she dashed out of the theater.

"Oh, shit, it all went wrong," Elsword deadpanned before chasing after his sister.

The new couple got up to exit the theater when Add noticed Elesis had disappeared already. As he realized that, his heart seemed to calm down. He concluded that it must be due to the fact that he finally asked Ara out despite the fact he began to feel upset at Elesis's absence.

Elesis had headed home to silently mourn the chance of ever being with Add. She had reluctantly admitted to herself that she liked Add, regretting it at this point. The knight was devastated as her heart was broken in two. When Add and Ara arrived home, Ara suddenly announced they had begun dating. It had crushed her heart even more so she left to do a dungeon and take her mind off things.

Elsword was left attempting to fix the situation as bad as it was. He decided to ask Rena, the mom of the group. He entered the kitchen while Rena was currently cooking. Cooking what, nobody knows. "Hey, Rena," he called.

"Hmm?"

"What do you do if, say, the guy your sister loves asks out another girl in front of her but you're pretty sure that he likes your sister? Hypothetically speaking."

". . Add did what?!" she exclaimed.

"Wait, you knew?"

Rena stopped cooking and turned to look at Elsword. "Everyone knew, even Eve, and she doesn't even care! Now, what exactly happened?"

"Weeelll, long story short, Add and Ara were at the movies on a date, I took Elesis there, Add asked Ara out, she saw, and ran out."

Rena grimaced. "How could you let this happen?!"

"How could what happen?" asked a new voice. "Come on, tell me what happened while I was gone!"

About time for Aisha to come home. Elsword glanced over to the purple-haired mage as she made a dramatic entrance, scattering glitter and sparkles all over. Show-off.

"Well, Elsword here," Rena glared at said boy, "was dragging poor Elesis along with him to stalk Add and Ara on their date; she ended up heartbroken from what I heard." Elsword pouted.

"What?! You idiot, I'm gone for a bit and you make trouble?! You brat!" Aisha screeched.

"Brat?! Speak for yourself, old hag!"

"Huh?! You—"

"SHUT IT!" Rena massaged her temples slowly. I'm getting too old for this. "Back to the topic at hand, where is Elesis right now?"

The teens looked at each other. Then Aisha spoke up. "Uh, now that you mention it, I think I saw her going to a dungeon. .?"

"Are you fucking kidding me," groaned Elsword.

"PROFANITY! Anyway, which one?"

There was a sudden silence.

Elsword raged. "YOU DON'T KNOW?!"

"Give me a break! I was tired after controlling time and dimensions anyway! Besides, Elesis is strong, I'm sure she'll be fine."

All of a sudden, Rena heard the phone ring abruptly. She dashed over to it and answered it. "Hello? Yes, this is where Elesis lives. Sh-She's where?! I-I understand, we'll head there right away. Come on, guys. Elesis is in the hospital."

". .She's not fine," stated Elsword.

Chapter 2

Elesis sat upright, with a dead gaze in her hospital bed. Seemingly fresh scars scattered her body, evident of the ambush that had occurred earlier. Her vacant stare was not left unnoticed by the others. They had all squished themselves in the room in a fit of worry, not heeding the nurse's warnings. Eve was outside the room, discussing Elesis's condition. Rena had broken the silence first.

"Elesis, how are you feeling? Eve let us know the doctor said you'll be able to leave in a few days, you'll just be recovering." The elf had concern in her eyes, as did the rest of the group. However, Elesis instead perceived it as pity. Pity for the poor teenage girl, the sole survivor from an ambush that had wiped out her adult comrades whom she had been responsible for.

Elsword couldn't help but feel as if the entire ordeal was his fault. In a heartbroken rage, his sister had left to do a dungeon to take her mind off things; it was all because he had taken her to the theater. Had she not seen Add ask Ara out, this could have been avoided. It was already clear that she was stronger than most, but seemingly running off to do a dungeon to take her mind off the pain in her heart instead of crying it out and eating ice cream like a typical teenage girl wasn't the good way to cope with it.

The elder red-head nodded solemnly, the only sign that she acknowledged Rena. She herself was the least of her concerns. She was the only survivor, but at what cost? Her knights were dead. And it was all her fault. Because she felt weak at Add and Ara dating, she brought her knights along with her out of loneliness and sadness; she killed them.

Love was a weakness. Love made people soft. Made them fragile. How pitiful it was for everything to have happened over loving a boy. Over loving Add. Elesis thought she was smarter than that. Her duty would come first, to protect Elsword and everyone else. Love did not fit into her plans. She'd ignore the feelings for Add that started everything; she would have to show no weakness in order to be stronger.

Rena's face was contorted with concern for Elesis, but she knew she'd want time to herself to think things over. "Elesis, we have to leave now, alright?" The rest of the group filed out of the room gradually, looking back with pity and worry. Only Add remained.

"Bye. . ." muttered Elesis quietly.

"Elesis. About the other day—"

The knight turned and fixated her stony gaze at Add. "What is it, Add?" Her tone was no longer bubbly and energetic, but cold and firm. It unnerved Add, a demonstration of how much she had changed. Her once comforting smile and attitude was now replaced by pain and trauma.

". .Never mind. Get better." With that, the time-traveler exited the room, his footsteps dragging behind him. He closed the door behind him with a heavy heart. What had occurred was quite unprecedented. He then became aware of the others conversing among themselves. Even Eve seemed perturbed as well.

"I took the liberty to scan her and my data scores indicate that despite her multiple injuries, Elesis has been healed. I detected traces of the Dark El inside her," Eve informed the others. Clamors of question and shock rippled through the small group.