> Chapter Theme Music: Floral Tribute ~ Nikke OST [Cosmograph]53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN79T0vH4E4
<02/13/134,510 {Avion 133} - 13:59 | Karnak (Atmosphere), Genosis, Altiri Sector Space>53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNRj65pZl0N
<Karnak to ACS414 Date Equivalent: 02/13/-13,046>53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBTL3VDMhgk
"Tell me how she's doing Derria!"53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSkw1foY9Kv
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"Concentrate on escape velocity Lumina!" Junko didn't need to remind me. With every element of my mind, my focus was perfectly split on getting us out of here.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxiCtRO0orn
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"I need to know if we're going to make it in time." Talor. How could I let this happen to you?53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHt4Xz0jQ1V
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"It's no good," Derria responded while helping our sister.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAN8gBFr6qD
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As much as I wanted to keep calm, it was nearly impossible when I looked through Derira's eyes to see for myself. The wound in Talor's stomach was losing too much blood, and that cursed icicle was still poking out, punctured in too deep. Of all the sudden injuries! Why did Talor feel the need to explore the cave on her own today? "Just hang in there. We should be at the medical center shortly."53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡndsONj43Qe
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Rose chimed in just after, coordinating an examination of Talor's weakening body, my sister unconscious and losing more color from her pale skin. "This is worse than a simple hole. Part of her left torso was torn to shreds. There's a small exposure from the bone here, and a fractured rib... I don't think she's going to make it to a medical center Lumina."53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2GOMGVadnt
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"This is Talor we're talking about. I'm not about to just let her die!"53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYmFHxieSgN
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That's my line, Hurma. Still, if that is their estimation, then it means turning around now would be an even bigger waste of time. The closest medical center is on the surface of Karnak. However, our training has taught us to never use the surface-facilities for anything this severe, rather the orbital ones, and there is a good reason for this.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO4Jc9VG8ML
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"I'm losing her! She's lost too much blood already."53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxhdg3GtvcY
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"I'm flying this thing as fast as I can." Must they stress me out so? Talor won't die on us again. There must be a way to fix this!53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXuNvT39fSn
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"Forget the medical center Lumina. She's going to need a full resurrection. The body's damage isn't too severe for the process."53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡINBJnJXcP1
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"Resurrection is still risky," I reminded. After all the countless times I have died and come back to life from those machines, I of all people should trust the process... But the idea of dying even temporarily is still too terrifying. I don't want to chance it, and the success rate is never a guarantee.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ1FzhvG0oQ
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"I don't think the healers are going to be able to handle this one. Hm!" Junko cringed from the visual sight she shared with us, deterred from being certain.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1UCr1ZW8FL
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"Talor! Talor no!"53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5yEg0w4spb
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"Don't freak us out Derria!" Whatever Rose and Derria were screaming about didn't sound good.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBHyh4F7Ach
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"She has no pulse!"53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdzMH2DR7h8
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"Then it is already too late." Hearing their words stopped my own heart and lungs, the impossibility I refused to accept.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡINY57f7B6e
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Luckily for us, Hurma kept her head in the game. "Plan B then. Keep our current speed and make way for Resurrection Station 9. I'm going to get their attention and make sure not a single moment of time is wasted."53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe9vBdlzesA
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"No Hurma. Allow me to handle communications for now." Luna came through for us, unifying all of us to ensure we survive. "I don't want you maximizing telepathy while flying your vessel solo."53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRiEsT3IpOR
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"Don't tell me what I can and can't do." Despite their bickering, the action was already decided a moment later. In the blink of an eye, Talor was declared dead moments ago, and we now had to change course for the resurrection station.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVJYLW3dvBp
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Talor's injuries are too severe to be treated by traditional medical procedures. Therefore, our only remaining option is to use the facility chamber and resurrect her from the dead, using a repaired body, and the only unique soul now trapped in the Astral Plane. This also marks the beginning of our time limit; we now have less than ten days to make this work.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEU7i6zkIGw
Chapter Theme Shift: Sovereign ~ Perfect Blind53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1QMv3FLRxk
<16:09 | Resurrection Station 9>53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9tdUuwlxXu
Not long after docking with the station, we received all the help that we could from the only two staff members overseeing everything. The first order of challenge was moving Talor to an operation room, and the people here went to work removing all of the debris from her corpse, patching up what they could while using ice to seal what damages lingered. Afterwards, she was placed in the preservation chamber.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyt7KI8CvDP
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As for me, my mind opened up terrible and haunting parabolas I never knew existed. Seeing Talor's lifeless body broke me, broke my mind and my heart. The thought of losing her forever, a close family member I could never do without, it paralyzed my entire soul.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ91angz10te
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My sisters experienced similar, though not for nearly as long, and it was Hurma who managed to break through such dark immersion with what she knew we all needed to do."Lumina. Please... We all need each other working really hard right now." She refers to the resurrection process, or rather one of many, the first task being data input from the scanner, something that would be started soon.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAO3z1btChP
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Somehow, I just didn't react, not until Hurma shook me around some more, gently slapping my face so that I may drift from my trance and do what needs to be done.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNZjIx5qgFq
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"You're our leader Lumina. I know you can help us do this. But if you don't start moving right now, I swear you will never be a respected member of Cy-Stars ever again."53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfzLf8kJOVB
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"Hurma? That's not—"53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBxJfF76HeJ
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As she and Junko bounced words, some of what Hurma mentioned dug into me, and it was just enough to awaken to the harsh reality in front of me... There's still time, still a chance. If I sit here and waste too much of it, Talor won't be coming back at all. Truth is, all of them can do this part without me. It only takes about eight to do this job right, and they can succeed with enough time had I remained frozen here forever...53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnlgUloB5an
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But... If I shut down and didn't even try to resurrect Talor, succeeding, I'd never be able to face her again. Failing, I'd never forgive myself. So, stupid as I am being, Hurma has all her wits on her today. If there's anyone I should listen to, it's her aggressive yet soothing voice."Forgive me. I understand what is at risk here. We should use every single moment of time we have, to enter all the necessary data and double-check every parameter." It's going to take literal days to compile everything, so it's best to get started right now.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMPa7zAUUqw
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Hurma let out a brief sigh. "I knew you would come around to us. We're gonna need all the help we can get."53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2vPwL9Ahwp
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I'm also so glad to see Hurma like this, giving so much love and care to her sister. Hurma and Talor have total opposite personalities, and often have some fights. Despite this, they get along so well, and this is the result of it. I have to do this, because if I fail, I let us all down, not just Talor. I don't have a choice here. Resurrection is the only means of bringing Talor back, and all of us are trained on how to make it happen with the tools in this very station. "Let's all get started then."53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡywkViSiVBB
Chapter Theme Shift: Of Our Own Volition ~ Perfect Blind53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBSmRXh9Yb3
<02/15/134,510 {Avion 133} - 02:22 | Resurrection Station 9>53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLAUojC8HlI
The only break we took was the time it took to replenish our drinking water. After having Talor's body scanned into the digital program, it was up to all eleven of us to examine and edit all necessary data, all the way down the genetic markers if necessary. Despite this being a repair job, abnormalities could occur within each data set, and it was up to us to check off every single section by hand and by eye.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLLzk3OL8w6
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I can't remember the last time my fingers grew so tired and brittle with all of these key strokes. The sound of clacking metal echoed with cacophony in the small space of the room, while the two kind souls aboard helped us through every step of the way.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuMyyBwKJPJ
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"I've isolated the Cora. No damage detected."53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJcti7NGocf
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"The fresh blood donation is already prepared. Critical damages to the body are repairable, but it will take 28 hours."53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFHMn8tCcT8
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Already more time lost, and we still are not finished just yet. "I'm missing an entire segment of DNA sample data. Junko? Can you help point me to this entry?" Without making a single mistake, I ensured I could check off every box, fill in every data point, as time was of the essence.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP33PhzVmOe
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"At once Lumina." Junko seemed to know her way through the process, just like with most things. Everyone is faster than me today, but as long as I do this right, I won't mind.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV32zpEG57k
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"Don't forget to mention the need to shut down the artificial gravity during the procedure. We have to account for all of the displaced neurons."53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF9Ous2Ad6c
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"Has cellular degradation set in yet? I know the frost chamber prevents this, but I want to be sure."53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZZWi9LOg2W
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Hurma made the next call according to that information. "I'll initiate a low-power regeneration program to counter any cell death in the brain. This will increase the time it takes for her to come to by several hours."53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMztuG3KJnt
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"Worth it," Luna replied. "We're taking no chances getting our sister back."53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYVgnqWoRlS
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"Check the required Bio-printing material. Is it going to be enough?"53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtIRmxJlf0O
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"Not for a full restoration. Once Talor is revived, she will have to remain with a smaller level of her sustained injury, though it will heal with enough time on its own. She won't be able to move for months on her own."53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUH7qKYnqzB
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"As long as it is enough, that's all I need to know." Hurma cared not for non-fatal complications, as she was more than happy to take care of her sister.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpcrB4iutTi
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Through all the noise and the typing, many more countless hours passed with our tireless work. We eventually got to another difficult segment. "We're done with the editing. The local hard drive is going to have to convert everything over while running binary error checks."53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiOle40GKv6
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"We still have enough time," Sherika added. "I'll prepare the Merger Mapper and charging sequence."53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ60oss7PZt2
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"Let us know before it finishes. We will all have to pitch in for the final phase, and concentrate on calling Talor back to us." Everybody here already knew the whole procedure. My very repetition of it was but a self-reminder, and I needed to be just as prepared for a most mental taxing psionic call. We will only have a couple of chances at best.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGBBPcsDBJq
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In another day's time, the final phase of the procedure arrived to us at last. Talor's body had undergone a repair sequence according to the program settings we selected, and shortly afterwards, the Merger Mapper was primed and charged up. We all congregated closely together above her body, charging our own psionic cores for the resurrection call.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQYBhNLJI2t
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Right now, Talor isn't in this repaired vessel. Her soul is out there somewhere in Astral space. Until the ten-day timer is up, that soul will still be attached to this body in some way or another, a process even I never understand, though I don't need to. There is only one way to communicate with those in the Astral Plane; psionic transmission. We won't be able to hear or feel any part of a response, but we can send, we can call, and we can plead!53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE1iLAiFfbY
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After me and my entire crew all locked hands together, we began the reciting process, just as the psionic amplification device powered up to redirect our invisible energy. Our collective hum of love and memory for Talor grew to such a potency that we could all feel our bodies numb from the vibrations.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPBvSX1jt5D
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"Talor. Member of Cy-Stars, family of us all, sister! Please hear our call, and come back to us. We all miss you. We all love you! Feel our souls nearby and reach out!" In one minute increments, my sisters all said similar things, as we all sent the same pulsation out in multiple waves. Though it took twelve excruciating minutes exhausting ourselves to the end, we finally felt a familiar pulse, a presence we knew was Talor.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKQiJDNSDbg
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For just a flash of a moment, I felt her entire essence pass right through me. Just as I opened my eyes from the shock of it, the lifeless body inside of the chamber twitched with her eyelids flickering. Without getting too excited, I kept my psionic transmission going just to be extra safe. It wasn't long before we finally saw some subtle movement from within the containment chamber. Talor; she's alive again!53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhOxynrAgDX
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Wishing I could celebrate immediately, just about all of us with me included collapsed to the floor, too exhausted to move with all of the energy we expended at once. Luckily we had the two others onboard to help us drink water and recover faster. During our recovery, they took care of Talor, ensuring her recovery was as seamless as possible. It took longer than expected for her to regain any consciousness and enough sense to speak, too drained to use even basic telepathy.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSgeZjwP18P
Chapter Theme Shift: Eos ~ Lights in the Sky53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRv5kpoM4JX
"Lumina? Hurma?" Her voice was so hoarse from the dip of consciousness, and she immediately seethed from the pain in her left upper thigh. With the chamber doors now open and the machines powering down, things finally settled down between us.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFq520TArDN
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"I'm right here Talor. Told ya you were going to be okay." Hurma held the top of Talor's hand, ignoring her crippling exhaustion just to ensure Talor was as comfortable as possible.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ270DEaZLRJ
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"What, happened?" Talor still wasn't too sure where she was, but was beginning to put the details together. "If I'm here, then..."53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN7Uxg8Gq8Q
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"It's okay now; nothing we couldn't handle. You were pierced by an ice icicle."53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKFwwpItMvA
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"Doesn't sound like me..." Talor let herself relax anyway. Despite having no memory of what happened for the last four months, despite having no proper sense of the current date and time, and despite confirming she had died, everybody she ever loved was all right here. She isn't gone, not anymore.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhnzZ0uBGBA
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"We're gonna have to have a lesson on not exploring dark caves alone, or maybe ever." Caressing Talor's arm as if it were a soft blanket, Hurma didn't leave Talor's sight.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8HVlKrPRBN
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"I don't think I can move..."53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7p4QOCecDY
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"No need to try. I'll be carrying you around for a while."53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb1Vo0ggzcW
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"It was that bad, huh?" Talor still felt strange just imagining it, what it was like to die, or where she even went in the first place. It's frightening to even think about, especially since some Altiri don't make it back with resurrection. Had the damage been done to her heart, her lungs, or her brain, she would have stayed dead permanently.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsTFdOVO1MR
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"Of course, now that I'm older than you again, you will have to start doing what I say more often." On technicality, the age-reversal process of the body's cells doesn't go very far, and it's not as if Talor's soul has gotten any younger. But, according to all future records, Talor's current Altiri age will now be re-registered at one. Any Altiri who becomes resurrected has a soft reset in numeric age, even though little changes biologically. It's more of a ranking element than a technical one.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2AsAV6trqe
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"Still the same as ever... I might fall asleep again."53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi6Mumu7p3Z
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She was looking frail and weak, certain to be incapable of her own movement. "At least let me feed you some water first."53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9neZCJKRvf
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"Thank you." Unable to hide them anymore, Talor let a few tears leave her eyes, and she didn't need to explain why she felt this way. All of them love her so much, that they'd risk everything to bring her back, a true family like no other. Despite never being blood-relatives, this love extends far beyond anything she's ever known.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0bcl9SwyNr
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"Once I have my strength back, I'll help you carry her back to the ship." I felt it was the least I could do after all we've been put through.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZnCdUANWWZ
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Derria was just as quick to offer help. "Since you still require a co-pilot, I shall accompany you as well. Unless you think the temple's medical center is a better place?"53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyZV02kiDaj
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"Not on your life," Hurma refused. "I can look after my Tay much better than those strangers ever could."53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWaVVuq4lQQ
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"I'm gonna offer everyone here a deal. If nobody dies like that again for a few thousand years, I'll treat everyone to something nice." Despite the shame of revealing my own stress to them, I was sure I didn't ever want to do this again, though it was a futile and inevitable thought. All Altiri eventually die, and these machines are our only hope of revival, tribute to the Altiri genius of Herios.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrabhQ3hw6D
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Even the two staff were impressed with our efforts. "You all performed very well. No need to concern yourselves with reports to the queen. We shall take on that role for now. Will you be needing anything for your journey back?"53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5yXN0FVyTx
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"If I think of something, I'll call you both." The matter was finally over with. Talor will still need a long time to recover physically, and there is yet to determine how much this might have mentally traumatized her. However, for the time being, this crisis has passed. Even though this will happen again to one of us one day, I pray that such a moment never comes to pass.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8P39qtL1Sx
