Chương 94: The Weight of the Seal

While Joker and the others were walking around the capital, the four women were gathered in a private room on the upper floor of the teachers' and companions' wing. The room was simple, with a wooden table in the center and a few chairs around it. The late afternoon light came in weakly through the window. Lysithea sat at the head of the table, her hands clasped together. Elara was to her right, Mirella to her left, and Graciela a little farther away, arms crossed and with a serious expression.

The silence had already lasted several minutes when Elara finally spoke in a low voice: — They released part of the seal yesterday. I felt it. Especially from Joker and Harley. When they came back last night, their eyes were different. Brighter. More… unstable. Mirella agreed, her face tense. — I saw it too. Harley was laughing by herself in the hallway, as if she had heard something no one else could hear. And Joker… he was smiling, but it wasn't his usual smile. It was sharper.

Graciela grumbled, tapping her fingers on the table. — I didn't like it one bit. Those two are already dangerous when they're under control. Imagine when they start letting go of the reins. Lysithea remained silent, looking at her own hands. Her gaze was distant, as if she were replaying something from the past. Elara watched her for a few seconds and then spoke more softly: — You're thinking about that afternoon, aren't you? Lysithea took a moment, but eventually nodded slowly.

And for a moment, the four women seemed to travel together into the past.

A few years earlier, the orphanage was still small. Joker and Harley were about eleven years old — he was only a few months older than her. At that time, the seal did not yet exist. It was a sunny afternoon. Everyone was together in an open field near the orphanage — Lysithea, Mirella, Graciela, Elara, Joker, Harley, Astrid, Rina, Marina, Sylvara, Lirien, and Kuroe. Since the entire family already knew exactly who Joker and Harley were (including that they were reincarnated), no one tried to hide anything.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. They were testing the limits of the two's power. At first, everything was controlled. Joker mixed shadows with illusions and agile movements, jumping and spinning through the air as if performing acrobatics, while Harley combined raw strength with chaotic explosions and fast spins, looking as if she were inside an invisible Globe of Death.

However, as time passed, Joker and Harley became more and more excited. What started as a test turned into a kind of competition between them. They kept increasing the intensity without realizing they were losing control. At a certain point, the two decided to test a combination of their powers together. That was the moment things went out of control. A violent wave of pink energy mixed with shadows advanced too quickly. Lirien, who was closer than she should have been, couldn't dodge in time.

The impact hit her full force and threw her against a tree. She fell unconscious, with a cut on her head. The entire field fell silent. When the dust settled, Joker and Harley were standing still, with expressions of shock. It seemed as if only then had they realized what they had done. Astrid ran to Lirien first, followed by Marina and Sylvara. Lysithea, Mirella, Graciela, and Elara also approached quickly. Lirien remained unconscious for three days.

That same night, after Lirien was taken back to the orphanage and treated, the family gathered. The atmosphere was heavy. Joker and Harley were visibly shaken. They didn't try to justify themselves. They simply stayed silent, sitting on the floor, while the others took care of Lirien. It was that night that Joker and Harley had a serious conversation with each other. For the first time, they truly felt fear — not of being hurt, but of accidentally hurting someone from the family.

After talking between themselves, the two reached the same conclusion: they needed a limit. Not because they were weak, but because they were too dangerous when they lost control. It was Joker who proposed the idea first. — We create a seal — he said to Harley. — Something that limits our power. That way we don't risk actually hurting someone. Harley agreed, but added with a crooked little smile: — And it'll also be more fun. Being too strong is boring.

Enemies think they're hot stuff, but they're really just ants compared to us. If we stay fully unleashed all the time, there won't be any fun left. The two went to the other girls and explained the idea. To their surprise, Astrid, Rina, Marina, Sylvara, and Kuroe also wanted to put on the seal. They said it seemed "fun" to have a limit, and that they didn't want to become much stronger than the others. Lirien, even while still recovering, also accepted the seal after she woke up.

When Joker and Harley apologized to her, Lirien simply gave a tired little smile and replied: — It was scary… but after it was over, I almost felt like laughing. You two look like kids when you get too excited. Before they sealed their power for good, Joker and Harley exchanged a look. One of those looks that only they understood. — And we also left a way… — Joker said in a low voice, almost playful. Harley finished, spinning her finger in the air as if tracing an invisible circle: — A way to bring us back.

In case one day we need to take all of this off. Like a backup circus trick. Just ours, for now. They didn't explain anything else. They didn't say how it worked, where it was kept, or how it functioned. They simply smiled in that way that was both dangerous and sweet at the same time. The others didn't ask. If the day ever came, they would know. Or perhaps the moment itself would reveal the way. And so, by everyone's own will, the seal was created and placed on them.

Back in the present, the four women remained silent after the memory. Lysithea was the first to speak again, her voice low: — That's why the seal was created. It wasn't something we forced on them. They wanted it themselves. Especially Joker and Harley. They were afraid of accidentally hurting someone from the family. Elara added in a softer tone: — And also because they thought being too strong would get boring. They wanted things to keep being a challenge. Mirella furrowed her brow, still worried. — Even so…

yesterday I saw that when they release a little, their minds change. It's not just power coming back. It's like something inside them wakes up. Graciela grumbled, tapping her fingers on the table: — Then we need to be prepared. Because if one day they have to release everything… we have to know how to bring the two of them back. Lysithea looked at the three women in front of her. Her gaze was tired, but firm. — We will bring them back. Even if it costs us dearly. Because they are ours. And we don't abandon family.

The silence that followed was different. As if all of them were thinking about the same thing — that "way" that had never been explained. A mystery kept for years, waiting for the right moment to be revealed. End of Chapter 94