A/N: Hello readers! A little bit about the background of this:

This story takes place after the end of the last episode of the anime. I've only seen the anime and haven't read the novels, but I did spend some time reading the wiki to try and flesh out some of the universe that the anime left out. As such, I apologize if you find any inconsistencies with the cannon world.

I've only recently come across this series, but I was immediately enthralled by the characters and the world itself. This idea came upon me suddenly one evening. I hope you enjoy the read :)

The Lingering Void

Prologue

On a beautiful night, Louise awakened to a horrific nightmare.

With a delicate hand, she wiped away a sheen of sweat from her brow, doing her best to steady her breathing. Her eyes quickly darted to the man sleeping beside her. Fortunately, her sudden movements hadn't stirred him from his sleep. Relieved to see his peaceful face, she smiled despite the lingering terror of her dream. Saito always made her feel safe no matter the situation. Yet, even as she felt her heartbeat slowing and her breathing returning to normal, a heaviness settled in her chest. Careful not to disturb her companion, she slid her legs over the side of the bed and padded to the large, glass, doors of the balcony.

It was summer, so the finely decorated doors were left open to allow a pleasantly warm breeze to slip into the house. The heat during this season could melt gold, but the nights always felt somewhat cooler. Despite this, the pink-haired girl still shivered. Wrapping her arms around herself, she continued to walk forward until she reached the terrace and leaned heavily against one of the marble columns there. The cold she felt had nothing to do with the way the wind toyed with her silky hair or the way the harsh temperature of the stone stung her bare feet. The sensation came from within, perhaps borne with the dread that her most recent dream invoked.

The same dream she'd had almost every night for the past few weeks.

Recalling the details hurt, but she did so anyway. As far as she knew, only a few records in history existed of mages having prophetic dreams, but her case was different. She was a Void mage. With that fact came a lot of uncertainty about many things. The defeat of the Ancient Dragon three years ago let the world breathe a sigh of relief, but Louise always feared that another disaster would force her and those she loved into another terrible conflict. As time slipped by, that fear slowly weakened its grip on her conscience, but with the appearance of her mysterious dream that grip returned with a vengeance.

Her mind flashed back images from the nightmare. She closed her eyes and tried to narrow down finer details, hoping to single out important elements. The task was difficult. In her mind's eye, she saw a scene of a flourishing city – the capital Tristania. All over, people enjoyed the calm and security of peace that their rulers and nobles fought so hard to protect. There, Louise spied an image of herself and Saito wandering through the market. Occasionally, she would stop and admire a pretty trinket or an interesting magical item. Ever since her marriage, the girl found a new determination to continue with her magical studies, saying that she hoped to finish at least a part of her education that the war had interrupted. Saito supported her, of course, not knowing her true motive. In reality, Louise wanted to know as much as she could about her own powers and the powers of her familiar.

The Louise of the dream watched her reflection sift through various tomes, completely oblivious to her surroundings. Although she couldn't see behind her, the dream version of her could, and she felt her heart skip a beat when she saw a content smile lingering on Saito's lips. For a moment, she was caught up in the happiness she'd felt every day since their marriage. But only for a moment. Now was not the time for reminiscing. Her dream self looked around the square for anything she might have missed before, only to frown in disappointment when nothing suspicious caught her attention. She tried to block out what happened next, but couldn't. Out of nowhere, an explosion tore through the square. Saito's inhuman reflexes were the only thing that saved them from certain death. With dizzying speed, he wrapped his arms around her waist and jumped backwards in the opposite direction of the blast. They rolled several feet before stopping next to the foot of one of the stalls. She heard her husband curse and draw his sword – the weapon he'd commissioned to be made in Derflinger's image.

All around, pandemonium broke out. People screamed and scrambled to hide behind anything solid while more explosions continued to bombard the city. Thick, black, smoke filled the streets. Saito grabbed her hand and pulled her behind him as they tried to find somewhere secure. They just rounded a corner when Saito was abruptly knocked back by something heavy. She heard herself scream his name and turned to point her wand instinctively at the source only to feel the color drain from her face.

A man stood in front of them, his sword pointed threateningly in their direction. His bright hair gleamed like fine gold in the light of the sun, the silky strands reflecting the fires surrounding the streets. In the haze of the flames, Louise saw his face twisted in an expression of hatred. His mouth moved, but she couldn't hear what he said. Was it the shock of seeing him there? Or was it the absolute disbelief of learning that he was at the heart of all this mayhem? The girl wasn't sure. All she could focus on was the sight of Julio Chesare standing among the burning rubble of Tristrain's capital, demanding that Saito hand Louise into his custody to avoid further bloodshed.

With another shiver, the mage opened her eyes.

"Julio…"

None of the events were real, yet the bitter taste of betrayal still poisoned the flavor of his name on her lips. Emotions warred within her breast – outrage at her friend's obvious betrayal, sadness for the innocents involved, and terror for her beloved Saito who would no doubt fight for her until something stopped him. Whether that something would be an injury or – worse – death, she couldn't guess. Nor did she want to. In fact, she wanted nothing to do with the dream any more or with thoughts of its hidden significance. Determined to chase away her demons, Louise turned to go back inside, knowing that she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep no matter how hard she tried. Fear of seeing that dream again had kept her awake for many nights. Stubbornly, the girl pushed dark thoughts into the back of her mind and focused on trying to find something to occupy her time.

Her feet made a silent path through a doorway that connected the reception area of the bedroom with the private quarters. There, she stopped in front of a tall dresser and opened it, flinching when the wood creaked in protest. After moving various books, scrolls, and miscellaneous items about, she finally came across what she'd been searching for – the Founder's Prayer Book. Sitting down on one of the nearby cushioned chairs, Louise fingered the blank pages and she'd done hundreds of times in the past. She tried to keep her mind on mulling over the true purpose of the book, but with each turn of a new page, she found herself wondering whether she would be able to protect those she loved if her dream became a reality. In the end, her fear won out. The final image of her dream tore through her defenses –

An image of Saito covered in blood and of rough hands pulling her away from his body.

Louise barely felt the tears that tumbled down her cheeks. No. Whatever happened, she would never allow Saito to get hurt like that. Even if she had to give herself up to the enemy or stand in front of whatever wanted to hurt him, she would never let him die. Clenching her jaw in determination, the girl relived all the times that her familiar had saved her life. She remember, too, how she treated his injuries afterwards and how each and every cut and bruise caused her to experience overwhelming guilt. Not at first. At first, she believed it was a familiar's duty to protect its master. But, as she grew to love Saito, she understood that the contract worked both ways. Just as he would give his life for her, so would she give her own life to keep him safe.

Her happiness.

Her strength.

Her life.

She would give any of them to keep him safe.

With a gasp, Louise looked down to see that the book in her hands began to glow. Beneath her fingers on the pages, runes snaked out to take their place on the paper. One by one, the girl read them until, finally, the name of the spell appeared before her disbelieving eyes.

Life Infusion

The name was odd, the runes placed in such an order that the title could be interpreted in different ways. Life Infusion? She continued reading, trying to pick out the true meaning of the spell from the various other symbols. From what she could see, it was a type of healing spell that the Void mage could channel through careful concentration. Healing? Her heartbeat accelerated. Until now, she'd believed that healing could only be accomplished with certain types of magic – Void not being one of them. Yet, the spell was before her now, the meaning of it vague but clear enough to give her hope. If she could heal, that meant she could protect those she loved the most. Almost immediately, she felt the band of tension around her chest squeeze harder.

Even if her dream was a warning of trouble in the future, at least she could hope that the Void would be on her side.