She was not alone.
Anastasia could feel it. Another presence. Her breath caught in her throat as she stared into the darkness with wide eyes, listening carefully for signs of another. There was only silence. Anastasia could only hear her own breathing. She scrambled to her feet and kept her back pressed against the wall, afraid of whoever—or whatever was out there. “
H-hello?” she called out, her voice breathy. “
Is anybody there?” Only the echoes answered back.
A sense of urgency rushed through her body, causing her to tremble in fear. Holy Knights. Have they caught up to her? The thought alone was enough to make her heart beat erratically. Anastasia knew not how to defend herself. Her screams would go unheard. No help would come. She was isolated. Away from her kingdom and her family. A small defenseless girl roaming the frozen forest by herself.
Fear. It ran through her veins like poison in her bloodstream. She was frightened. All she wanted to do was go back home to her Kingdom, back to her loving mother and father. Anastasia blinked back tears, her eyebrows tightly knitting together. She loathed herself for being weak. But weak was all she could be. “
Show yourself,” she commanded with her fists clenched, mustering up all the inner strength she could.
For the other individual in the cave, there was a sense of hesitation as the command was uttered; however, there was a calling that urged her to listen.
It had only been a few seconds of reluctance to reveal herself to Anastasia; her camouflage against the elements and the human eye vanishing right before her—the equally tattered and green-haired woman appearing against the adjacent wall across from Anastasia in a sudden magical flicker. Her hand barely grasping the unstrung bow with disinterest; no hostility.
“
You are not Jotun.”
Anastasia yelped in surprise. A woman! Was she not alone in the forest, after all? A deep breath left her lips, one from relief and surprise from the woman's sudden appearance."
Jotun..?" she asked, still in a state of shock.That subsided, however, when a wave of familiarity washed over her. This woman looked familiar; the green hair and blue eyes were something Anastasia had recognized. "
Have we met before?" She asked with a bewildered expression, her eyes squinting as she looked her over with curiosity. Hazel eyes turned green, widening as realization dawned on her.
"
You.. I know you."
The woman shook her head, still trying to gauge whatever thoughts she was having. If Anastasia knew her, why couldn’t she herself recall it? There was a sense of familiarity between the two, but for the moment it seemed even the slightest bit of clarity was rather one-sided and minuscule.
“
I… don’t know if we have. Who are you? Why are you here?”
Anastasia recognized her face from the many posters that emblazoned the walls and littered the grounds. The faces of the Seven Sins. "
Envy," was all she could utter, her voice so low it sounded more like a whisper.
As soon as the name left her mouth, she fell to the ground, clutching her head in agony. Memories flooded her brain in that instant; her skull felt like it would crack. But these memories did not belong to her. Anastasia was seeing them through the eyes of someone else.
Envy. Her doubts vanished like a bubble. Anastasia got up to her feet and looked at the green-haired woman, still gasping for air after what had just occurred. One hand was on the wall, afraid she'd lose her balance. Her head was spinning. "
Y-you're one of the sins. I've been searching for you and the rest." Without warning, she ran toward the woman and grabbed her hand, squeezing it, her eyes pleading. "
You have to help me. Help me find the rest." There was a desperate look in her green eyes as they stared right into her blue ones.
There was a flicker in the green-haired woman’s eyes for a brief moment as Anastasia interacted with her— Envy as she had recognized her. It was hard to tell, but the green-haired woman’s mind had been invigorated from days upon days of confusion, doubt, and speculation. It had only been a few seconds and despite things being likely clearer it did not seem that the Sin particularly grasped everything that had rushed back into her. As Anastasia pleaded with her to help her find the other six it did, however, seem like the blankness in the green-haired woman’s eyes began to clear and become replaced by something else entirely through.
Despite being a little bit flustered, the young woman looked to Anastasia with the emptiness in her voice replaced by energetic sass.
“There’s no reason not to. I certainly don’t enjoy wandering aimlessly with no idea of who I am or what happened. I’m bored of this place anyway.”There was a pause for a moment as she looked down at the cavern floor before back at Anastasia.
“And it’s not Envy. It’s Kieamiera.”A big smile crept across Anastasia's lips, revealing her perfect white teeth. The fears and doubts she previously had subsided in that instant, replaced by relief and pure bliss."
Kiemiera," she acknowlodged her name with a small nod."
Fate has brought us together. I know it," she touched the woman's arm lightly, her touch a gesture of kindness. Anastasia felt more determined than ever. She had found her inner strength. A companion. A new resolve.
"
We must find the rest—and soon. The Holy Knights are after us," her facial expression darkened, her eyes drifting back and forth, as if afraid they would show up at any given moment. "
First we must leave this forest and find a nearby town to get our bearings," Anastasia said, slowly approaching the small opening she had previously entered the cave from. Without wasting another moment, she got down, giving Kiemiera a sideway glance before positioning herself to leave. "
Let's go."
Anastasia wasn't sure how she knew, but a small voice told her fate would lead her next to Sloth.
