Here's Chapter 3 for the readers out there!

Disclaimer: Nothing, I own nothing.

Warnings: This is the start of when the Obsidian Gashes start popping up. People are gonna be separated, despair is going to rise, some might even be threatened for whatever reason.

Chapter 3: True Separation

It has been four days since Yuuri first announced the upcoming event known as the True Form era. Progress has been made since his announcement, and so now that all of the townspeople have been checked on they had to make way for the travelers who were coming from the human lands they have been settling in. It was better this way so that humans wouldn't be attacked by any premature transformations.

Yuuri and Wolfram made an excellent team when it came to treating the children. Like the first day, Yuuri would examine the kids' health while Wolfram held their hands. The little ones loved them, as if the two were their real parents instead. It made them feel happy that they were able to be useful to the townspeople in some way, one person notably being Karina since there were still tons of children to look after.

The sad part was identifying those with the Obsidian Gashes. Four days was enough for everyone else to start showing the signs. It was hardest for those who were parents to those still young, the ones assigned to the tent meant for infants up to those who were around 60 years old. Wagons and horses had to be brought into the town center to prepare to take the ones found over to the prison dungeons. The parents were allowed to come with them even if they themselves have not contracted the signs, but they still had to be separated from their kids.

Caitlyn and Calisto Ryller were two of the children who were to be sent away for quarantine. The only reason why Carter Ryller did not show the signs was because of his half-human blood unlike Cassandra's full blood, and then the children's bloodline seemed to push over to the demon side. He was one of the many parents who followed the wagons and horses to the prisons.

After Yuuri got the okay from Conrad, he and Wolfram travelled with them as well. It would be best to cheer up the children who were going to be taken away from their parents. The thought of separating a family seemed cruel, making him believe that because of what he declared days before he, himself, was cruel too. However this was for everyone's welfare, and he had to learn that making sacrifices was crucial to solving problems. He just hoped that this problem would be solved very soon.

Cassandra looked through her window in her cell to see townspeople surrounded by guards. She saw adults of all ages, children of all ages too. She stood against the glass to look out. No one looked to her except some of the kids, and a couple adults, slipped a sneaking glance from the corners of their eyes. The True Form era was starting, she knew it would happen around this time. Give it four to five days for the effects to start popping up.

"Mama!"

She heard the muffled voice of a child.

"Mama!"

She heard it again, only this time it came from two children.

Her whole body began to shake. No, no it can't be!

She rubbed her eyes to see if the view of Caitlyn and Calisto was true. The two kids were banging against the glass, screaming for her. Yes, they were real. The door opened, and her children ran inside. Behind them, Carter entered the room. She kneeled down to hold her children close, her husband next to her and rubbing her back, as she was filled with both joy and fear. Joy, because she was just so happy to see them. Fear, because their presence meant they would suffer like she would.

Yuuri came in with Wolfram following. It was a nice sight to see a mother reunite with her kids.

"Do you think the kids could stay here, with Cassandra?" Yuuri asked the blond. "I mean, they are family-"

"I'm sorry Yuuri, but unfortunately children have to stay in the further areas here." He looked to the children as if to say he wished it were possible, but it just could not happen. "They are the most dangerous during the later stages, after all." The blue-haired woman's eyes grew darker and watery, that Yuuri had to kneel in front of her and join Caitlyn, Calisto, and Carter in comforting her so that her Obsidian Gashes would not spread any further than it can be told it already has.

He remembered when he was diagnosed, and how Lady Celi had argued nonstop until he was allowed a cell in the areas closer to the doors so that visits to see him were accessed easily. He recalled how the queen had asked over and over until Gwendal was allowed a cell in that area as well, and how she had pleaded and begged for a place in between them so she could see them both through the glass dividers which had been put up upon her request. This made it harder, though, to withstand the effects of the Obsidian Gashes as they witnessed each other's suffering until the final seconds before breaking down. Wolfram, back then, had cracked, with Gwendal trailing behind by a couple minutes, after the two had witnessed their mother transform first before their very eyes.

He could relate to the Cassandra Ryller, both because of his past and because of how he was in this present time. For example, if his daughter possessed any fraction of demon blood, and that side was stronger than her human side no matter how small, he would experience something similar to what he had seen about forty years ago. He would be forced to watch as she crumbled into despair and face the horrid transformation, something he begs will not nor ever happen to her. If she were part demon and she transformed, he would be crushed, heartbroken even. If Greta, or even the more likely chance of Yuuri because of his bloodline, he, himself, would break as if he were being torn from the inside-out. He would do anything, even break into the place where the solution was currently being kept hidden just so he could keep them safe.

Darting his eyes from Yuuri, to the children, to Carter, to Cassandra, he cleared his throat and said, "However, there are no rules against visiting hours. The limit for those diagnosed are allowed to freely visit each other's cells for at most an hour and a half to two hours a day, which is supposed to be about the same limit for those visiting from outside the quarantine cells such as from town. That would allow you to see Sir Carter as well. I suggest using that time in the late afternoons, because the nighttime's the time of day where separation anxieties are at their worst." Wolfram had done this when he was a child, so why not let the other families here be allowed the same privilege?

Cassandra shined a smile and hugged Caitlyn and Calisto even tighter, and this time her tears were of happiness. "Thank goodness..." she sighed. "No one ever said anything about visiting hours, and so now I can make sure we stay together." She looked up and nodded. "Thank you, Lord Wolfram."

Wolfram nodded back and grabbed Yuuri's arm. "We have to go," he told the double black. "Big Brother wants us in his office for further discussions about the amount of people coming in from all over, as well as some other important matters." Yuuri understood and therefore agreed to follow, the two saying their goodbyes to the Ryller family. Before they left Wolfram informed a guard to allow the children and Carter inside for at least one hour with Cassandra before taking Caitlyn and Calisto to the quarantine cells further back and escorting Carter outside the cells. The guard tilted his head to the side in confusion before choosing to follow the blond's orders.

"That's possible?" Yuuri asked on the way to the castle. "It's really possible for the quarantined to visit other cells?"

"... No." He had just admitted that he had broken the rules, but it was for the sake of a family so he saw nothing wrong with it. He and Cassandra had that in common: they both loved their families, and seeing them in any sort of danger would bring themselves to despair.

"The other members of the Ten Aristocrats are requesting a meeting," Gwendal told Yuuri and Wolfram in his office. They sat in front of him with himself behind the desk, holding up a few letters with different sets of handwriting. "They already know about how you are having Mazoku from the human lands travel back here, but they also want word on what you are planning for when the transformations take place, Your Majesty."

Gwendal says "when", not "if", the young king noticed. It's like saying that this is unavoidable... Maybe it is... "I accept their request, but just as long as they only stay for the day or overnight and leave early in the morning because they need to keep an eye on their own land. It would be horrific if something were to happen during their absence."

"Understood... Also," the man added, "I wish to speak alone with Wolfram for just a few minutes. It won't take long, Your Majesty, so as soon as we are done you two may head back to whatever your plans were and hopefully they will keep you productive."

Yuuri nodded and, after glancing at Wolfram, walked out of the office, closing the door behind him. He leaned his back against the wall next to the door and stared at the wall across from him.

Back inside, Wolfram was still sitting down in front of his eldest brother's desk, looking straight into the steel blue eyes he still has not gotten used to when he would face a cold stare. These eyes, however, began to soften up. He fidgeted in his seat, trying to keep himself sitting up. There was a long, discomforting silence, and he did not like it.

"Wolfram," Gwendal began, "how are you?"

The question took him by surprise, in truth. Nonetheless, he swallowed and replied an "I'm fine".

"Good, because considering we're both full-blooded I have to keep an eye on the both of us, just like Conrart. We have to watch out for each other for the next few days, probably even weeks. It's best if we prepare for what could be coming, and that means regular reports on our health and anything else that may be happening."

Deep down, Gwendal did not want Wolfram to suffer like he had forty years ago, when they were both still fairly young. He never showed how scared and heartbroken he truly was when he saw his mother and his brother transform in front of him. He never showed anyone how he had actually cried in his final minutes before he had cracked. He told himself that if he could hide his emotions, then it would be easier for him to remain strong.

"Brother, I'm going to be fine." He could tell Wolfram was lying somehow. "I... I know better now, and I'm going to make it through this as long as I can. Of course I know it is required for me to always let you in on how I will be doing later on, because that is what you taught me. You can trust me to tell you if something is wrong with me or if I need help in any way."

"And you can trust me to help you along the way. Another thing I want to ask you is about Mother." Hearing that their mother was being brought into the subject made both of them flinch. "She can be very emotional and for some reason is extremely vulnerable to anxiety attacks once found with the Obsidian Gashes. I'll need your help watching over her once she returns from the human lands."

"This is Mother we're talking about, Gwendal, of course I'll look out for her... What I'm really afraid of is how emotional she'll be when she comes back disappointed that her free love cruise was cut short this time," the blond mumbled that last part under his breath. "Now, is there anything else you need to speak with me about?"

"That is all."

Immediately Wolfram stood up and headed for the door. He looked back at his brother, smiling softly before leaving the office to find Yuuri to him. For that split second before the door was closed, Gwendal could see the blond grabbing Yuuri's hand, enlacing their fingers together, as they left for whatever they have been doing or have been planning to do. Instead of his eye twitching, like normal, his face softened even more at the sight and, with a sigh, he returned to his work.

As everyone slept in the dead of the night, the shadow of an unidentified silhouette swept across the castle grounds. They slipped past all the guards so far; for so many soldiers they are so terrible at keeping the thieves in. With their progress so far, surely they won't be caught at this time.

It was their goal to reach the room, where the greatest treasure awaited. They had been planning for days, and now was the time to act before it was too late. Looking behind them, and confirming that they were not being followed, they went back to keeping on forward.

They had made it to the door.

There stood the one boundary, that one simple boundary, keeping away from their prize. From their pocket they revealed a small dagger, the tip being thin enough to slip into the keyhole. They wriggled the knife until they could find the spot, then they carefully turned it to the left.

Click!, was the small sound to signify that they had successfully picked the lock. They removed the dagger and put it back into their pocket for later, and with both hands they slowly opened the door. Whispering a small enchantment they summoned a small flame to light the way since it was pitch black inside. On the other side, they could barely see, was what they had come for.

They smiled in their victory.

The next day, somewhere in the early afternoon, the Ryller children woke up to find themselves not in their small house, but in a cell. This was unlike the cells outside, with the windows and doors. This was smaller, and instead of a door there was thick glass kept in place by a solid steel frame. Across from their cell was another, where a pair of twins with pink hair were pressing their hands against the glass. They have found themselves in the children's quarantine section, which was far away from the other cells and most of all, their mother.

"Finally, you're awake." The two looked up to see a guard holding a tray with two small bowls, both holding what looked like stew. They sat up as he put the tray down on the ground. He inserted a key somewhere in the frame on the other side, and a small hatch opened. Carefully he slid the tray through before closing and locking the hatch back up. "Go on and eat up. It's lunch hour now."

Caitlyn had Calisto stay put as she crawled over to the tray, grabbed it, and slowly dragged it back to where her brother still sat. She picked up one of the spoons and dipped it into the stew, scooping up a small chunk of meat and a tiny carrot stick. Blowing on it, she popped it into her mouth, chewed, and swallowed, before giving Calisto a thumbs up. She looked back to the guard, who was still standing there, and smiled.

"Thank you!" she shouted so that he could hear her through the glass. He smiled and left the two on their own.

The girl scooped up another piece of meat and then a bit of potato, which she blew on and directed it towards her brother's open mouth. He chewed and swallowed, licking his lips afterwards with a small smile. They continued like this for another fifteen minutes, taking turns having spoonful's of the stew. By that time they had finished one bowl and were starting on another.

"Wow, this tastes yummy!" Calisto exclaimed. "Tastes like Mama's stew!" That was when his eyes widened, and he looked around the room. "Hey, where is Mama anyways?"

Caitlyn swallowed the stew she had been eating. "When you fell asleep after we played in Mama's room, a couple guards came by and told me that we had to be taken somewhere else. They said us kids and them adults need to be separated here." She dipped the spoon into the bowl. "But they said that once we're given this thing they keep calling 'the solution', we all can leave this place." She held out the spoon, which had a carrot stick, two peas, and a piece of meat smaller than the vegetables.

But the boy did not take the food into his mouth. Instead his body started shaking and his eyes began to water. "I-I-I can't stay away f-from Mama! We're family, right? Aren't families supposed to stay together?"

His sister's eyes softened with a hint of sadness. "Yeah, we are, but I was told that this is only for a few days. And at least we can spend two hours in Mama's room every day. Doesn't that sound fair?" Not wanting to drop the spoon, she dipped the bowl of it into the beef stew and let it sit there.

"No! No! No!" He shook his head violently. "Two hours? I don't want to be with Mama for just two hours! It's not fair that we have to be away from them, it just isn't!"

The Obsidian Gashes, those visible around his neck and on his palms, started spreading faster without either of them knowing it.

Calisto held his head and sobbed. "Mama, I wanna see Mama right now!"

"C-Calisto, calm down! We'll be allowed to see her soon, just wait for a little while longer." When she saw his sleeves fall, and the black marks spreading, she gasped softly. She was told by her mother and the guards that if something like this happens, she has to both notify the authorities and try and keep everyone calm. "Please Calisto, we are going to be fine."

The little boy did not listen, instead clutching small tufts of his hair on the sides of his head as he continued to cry. "Mama, take me to Mama right now! I need to see her!" He opened his eyes, revealing a ring of black and red around them.

Not taking any more chances, Caitlyn ran towards the glass and started banging on it with both fists. "Help! Somebody help us! My brother needs help!" She punched, kicked, and screamed for help against the glass until three guards came over, asking for the situation. "I-It's Calisto, my brother! H-He's got this weird ring on his eyes and the black marks are spreading! Please help him!"

She turned around and pointed at her brother before gasping, this one very loud. Calisto was on the ground, banging his head against floors with tears in his eyes and the Obsidian Gashes becoming even more noticeable.

The guards hurriedly inserted a key into the steel frame on the side, and once that was done a large hatch revealed itself. One by one they ran inside, two of them grabbing Calisto by his arms and holding him up in order to force him to stand while the other took out from a satchel at his waist a needle filled with bright green liquid. Calisto took sight of the needle and began to squirm, screaming for his mother, but he was trapped in place.

"H-Hey! What are you going to do?!" Caitlyn demanded to know as she stood by the opened hatch.

"Relax," the guard with the needle said. "This is just so he won't wake up for a while. I should warn you, though, that the effects can last from six hours to six days. But don't worry, nothing is going to kill him."

"But doing something like this is just as bad as killing him!" None of the three suspected to hear something like that from a child like her, let alone a child only 59 years old. "Can't you just try and calm him down? Maybe give him a painkiller instead?" They had to remind themselves that according to the files, Cassandra Ryller is a healer in the village, so of course this girl would be brought up with the same knowledge and the ability to keep a leveled head.

"Listen kid," the guard holding Calisto on his left side spoke up, "this is just how things have to be done here. We are only following what we were trained to do in case of something like this."

When understanding that they showed no sign of stopping, the girl ran over and grabbed the needle from the guard's hands. She pierced the point in a place between the side of his neck and collarbone, injecting the serum into his body. Within seconds he was on the ground unconscious. While the other two were in shock from her actions, she yanked Calisto out of their grasp and pulled him along, encouraging him to follow her as they made a run for it out of the room since the hatch was still open. Fortunately, it appeared that those three were the only ones manning this area of the quarantine cells.

As soon as they ran out of the children cells and into the section where the ones holding the adults were, the guards standing by immediately saw them and ran after them. In order to pick up speed Caitlyn briefly stopped in order for Calisto to climb onto her back before starting off again, the girl carrying her brother via piggyback. Despite their weight and mass combined making it more difficult to run, even though the boy did not weigh much, they were able to dodge any upcoming guards due to them being smaller and outrun the ones behind them.

The girl skidded to a halt when she came by their mother's cell, and when Cassandra caught sight of them outside their cell she stood up and went over to the glass window. "What are you two doing?" the woman asked. "It's not time for you to be out yet."

"C-C-... Calisto... He... black marks... growing... serum... coma!" Those were the words that could clearly be heard, as Caitlyn was panting from all the running. She saw the guards coming, meaning she had to start running again. Suddenly she managed to find enough oxygen to speak without anything being misheard. "Sorry Mama, but we have to go!" Cassandra watched as her daughter carried her son down the hall until she could see them no more.

They made it outside, and Caitlyn was out of breath from carrying Calisto and from running. But she knew they had to keep running, or else Calisto might be put into a coma with that serum, and she did not want that. Spotting some horses tied to a couple trees, most likely the guards', they ran over and Caitlyn first boosted her brother onto a dark brown one's back before untying the reins. Using the foot hold and with help from the boy on top, she got on as well with the littler one sitting in front and holding onto the saddle. She whipped the reins and yelled a "Heeya!", something she learned from their mother when they were learning how to ride the family horse, causing the horse to whinny and start galloping.

She only had one place to go to in mind, and that was towards town.

"Okay, you're all done!" Yuuri patted the little boy with big violet eyes' head after doing a "diagnosis scan" on him. "Looks like you'll be fine for probably a few more days, so you better make them count." The boy nodded before hopping off of Wolfram's lap and running to his awaiting mother outside. With the number of children being found with the Obsidian Gashes growing, those still without them are growing scarce. Nonetheless, the royal couple continued to help out in case they did find a lucky child.

Karina strolled over in order to take Yuuri's clipboard and store it into the files, as of routine. She glanced at Wolfram and smiled before darting her eyes back to the papers. "I believe you two deserve a break. Why not go out and get some fresh air, huh? You've been here for hours."

Both agreed to her suggestion, for they have been tending to the children and now the occasional adult in the other tents almost nonstop for the past few days. They stood up and exited the tent while another healer temporarily took their place. In all honesty, neither of them had anything to do. Their schedules were simply packed with helping out the villagers here. So the best thing they could come up with was a walk through the town.

The whinny of a horse echoed in the distance, towards where Yuuri and Wolfram and the rest of the town square. They stepped to the side so that the horse may pass through, but it just stopped right in front of them. It parked itself with its side turned to the two, revealing the riders Caitlyn and Calisto.

"What are you two doing out of quarantine?" Yuuri questioned, helping the girl off the horse.

Wolfram was helping the boy when he noticed the Obsidian Gashes on his hands and neck, and the red and black ring in his eyes. "Yuuri, you should see this." He showed Calisto to the double black, whose eyes widened when he saw the little boy's state.

"Calisto missed Mama too much," Caitlyn explained. "I-I tried keeping him calm earlier but he wouldn't listen to me. Then those marks came up and started spreading, so I called the guards like I was instructed to do. I don't want them to put him in a coma, though! He's too young!" She turned around and gasped, grabbing her brother and so they hid behind the older ones' legs. "Oh no, they're here!"

The two upcoming guards hopped off their horses and led them by the reins as they looked around down their way to the square. As soon as they had seen the children ride off to town they immediately started following them. The boy, Calisto Ryller, was now supposed to be the subject of "instructed injection" as they called it. Perhaps the girl with him, Caitlyn Ryller, would need an injection as well.

As they made their way through, they asked multiple people if they had seen two children on a horse galloping down the road, and all answers were pointed towards the square. Obviously they had to look over there first. They checked the area in search of the Ryller children, until they saw the king and his fiancé with what looked like small heads of blue and purple hair behind them. It was best to check in with His Majesty.

"Your Majesty and Your Excellency," one of the guards said, both saluting Yuuri and Wolfram. "We are looking for Caitlyn and Calisto Ryller, who have escaped and are in need of being returned to quarantine. Do you know where they are?" They obviously knew the kids were hiding behind their backs, but they had to see whether the king would give them up or not.

Yuuri shook his head. "I haven't seen them at all." Of course, he would rather lie than sacrifice the safety of any child.

"Forgive us," the other guard said, before pulling Yuuri out of the way and revealing the two children. "Grab them!" Pushing Wolfram away, he lunged with his arms wide open.

However Caitlyn saw this action just in time and in turn pushed Calisto out of the way, the guard grabbing her instead. "Run Calisto!" she shouted. "Run!" She wrapped her arms around the guard's neck so he would not be able to let go of her, and she kicked him multiple times as he tried to wriggle her off.

Calisto looked around for a route to escape, choosing to run behind Wolfram and Yuuri before setting off towards the square where the tents were located. He could easily get lost in the crowds, and maybe even find his father on the way. People, unsure of what was happening, simply moved out of the way for him when they saw him coming, as well as for the guard chasing him.

Because he was small he was able to run faster and also make sharper turns. He looked back and saw that there was no guard on his trail anymore, but he had to keep running just in case. When he turned back to the direction he was running in, though, he had run into the arms of a guard, who had taken a shortcut down an alley. He squirmed and kicked with all his might, but it was no use. While he was faster because he was small, he was also still weaker than an adult. In defeat he was carried back to where his sister was still distracting the other guard, as well as where Yuuri and Wolfram were. A crowd began to form around them.

"What's that for?" the double black asked when a needle filled with a bright green liquid. Caitlyn gasped at the sight of the dreaded needle, dropping her act in order to jump down and smack away only for the guard who had to deal with her to pick her up once more. She had already caused enough trouble.

"That's a sedative we use for anesthetics and for times like these," Wolfram explained. "Besides for medical treatment, this is used for preventing an early transformation for the victim. I'm not so sure about the effects, but I have been told it is like slipping into a coma. Since children are more vulnerable to the effects of the Obsidian Gashes at this time, it is used for them the most." He could tell Yuuri did not like the sound of what he said, especially about the part involving a coma.

"Caitlyn!" the little boy yelled. "Caitlyn, help-!" The needle was slipped into an area on the side of his neck, near the collarbone. Once it was taken out he squirmed a bit more before falling limp, his head and arms dangling as his upper half of his body fell forward.

"No..." Caitlyn whispered, and pretty soon her whispers turned into screams of anguish. "No! No! NO! Why did you do that to him?! I've seen Mama work with that before! Idiots, you two are idiots! You didn't even notice how much you gave him! You might've managed to avoid this, but injecting someone with more than half a needle of that can cause a longer coma or even death!"

She screamed, cried, kicked, and punched the air. All that time the Obsidian Gashes, which have been hidden away by her clothes this whole time, became even more noticeable as it stretched to her wrists and her collarbone. When she opened her eyes a red and black ring surrounded them. It was just like what was happening to her brother.

With the last half of the serum left, the guard with the needle walked over with Calisto over his shoulder before Yuuri could stop him. Caitlyn at first did not notice in time when the needle pierced her skin and the chemical started running inside her. Her eyes only widened when she noticed her limbs starting to feel heavy, her movements becoming slower. As the serum finally took effect, her eyelids slipped closed and her head lolled forward.

The crowd around them whispered and muttered how the guards seemed so cruel to the children, but they had to see from both sides. The children were running away to escape the serum, but the guards were only doing this because it was part of a regulatory fashion. It was because they were instructed, trained, to do so in case of a situation such as this.

"Caitlyn! Calisto!"

A man with light violet hair pushed through the crowd until he made it to the front. Carter. He stared in shock at his children. "What... have you done to them?"

The guard holding Calisto was the one to explain. "Sir, the purpose for your children in this state as of right now is because they resisted authority when your son was reported by your daughter that he was suffering from the effects of the True Form. However when she saw that your son needed to be subdued with anesthetics, she panicked and took him from us and escaped their cell, knocking out one of our own with the serum in the process. Just recently had we caught up to them here, and after injecting your son we had to do the same to your daughter in order to prevent her from transforming too early as well."

"You... How dare you?!" Carter pulled back an arm and punched the guard in front of him, grabbing Calisto in the process. "How could you do this to my children?!" Yuuri and Wolfram stepped in between the two parties in order to prevent any more violence.

"Sir Ryller, see reason!" Wolfram exclaimed. "They were just doing their job!"

"Are you saying that putting them in a coma is the solution to preventing the True Form era from taking an early effect?"

"Of course not!" Yuuri said. "Wolfram told me earlier that this is what these men were trained to do. It's supposed to be for any person who is suffering too early. They didn't know your kids would react this way!" Carter started to calm down and take deep breaths. "Yeah, just calm down, please. Everything is going to be all right. Now, Wolfram and I will take Caitlyn and Calisto back to the quarantine cells if you want."

The man nodded and allowed Yuuri to take his son from his arms so he may cover his head. He just needed to see reason, was all. No one knew his kids he way he did. They didn't know that his son squirmed and cried every time he saw a needle coming close to him. They didn't know that Caitlyn was a rebellious child even for one her age, and would stick a needle into anyone's neck in order to protect her brother.

"Make sure Cassandra is in the same room as them to make sure they will be okay, and that they should find different ways to give Calisto the serum," was his only request.

Yuuri and Wolfram walked down the halls of the castle after having given the Ryller children to Cassandra, ordering the guards that they stay with her until they wake up. It pained them watching the woman panic over seeing her children when she was informed how they might not wake up until a few days later, so they had left the quarantine cells as soon as she was given an update of what had happened.

Instead of immediately going back to the town, they decided to make a stop along the way. Their destination was Anissina's laboratory. They opened the door to find the messy lab, where the scientist was busy mixing chemicals into a single cauldron. Neither wanted to ask what that was for.

"Can I help you with something, Your Majesty?" she asked, putting the beakers down and removing her goggles. Her dress was torn in some areas, and her face was lightly covered in ashes. "I am a little busy, as you can see."

"Of course Anissina," Yuuri replied. "Don't worry, though, I just want a little bit of your time and you can go straight back to work." The redhead nodded, allowing him to continue. "I was just wondering about a few things. The first I want to know about is the different physical qualities of a person after having completely transformed."

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Well, I have a book on the shelves if you want." She headed over to the bookshelves, removing a book with a red cover. She set it on an empty counter and opened it to a page in the middle, revealing pictures of a full-blooded demon after their transformation. She pointed towards a picture of a man with brown hair and light red eyes. On his forehead the Obsidian Gashes were visible. "This is a full-blooded demon before the effects."

Then she pointed to the picture of the slightly larger version of a crow, which had a few streaks of brown and eyes glowing red. "This is him after complete transformation. You see, each person has specific characteristics which make them unique as a person. When combining their personalities with their appearances you form what you may say is their 'spirit animal', explaining why this man looks like a crow. You can tell it is the same man because of the streaks on the animal's body and the color of its eyes."

Next she pointed at a picture of the man, only he had a deep black aura surrounding him, jagged in all places and his eyes shining. "Here we have the man still under the influence of the transformation, only he is in some kind of abstract human form. They turn into these after exerting about half or more of their power, have been greatly injured, and or they are fighting the influence." Closing the book, she looked up at the two. She slid the book over to them for Wolfram to take. "Any more questions?"

"What you showed us leads to my next question," Yuuri said. "I'm sorry if I am getting into personal stuff here... but do you think you can tell us your own experiences with the True Form era, maybe eras?"

Anissina looked up at the ceiling. "I don't see why not, so I guess I'll give you one story." She then looked at them directly. "It was about when Wolfram was in his forties, during his first True Form era..."

Wolfram's heart skipped a beat. He could remember everything clearly, in great detail.

"I've suppressed the memories of that time," she told them, "however I do remember some things. The people around me said I took the form of a lioness, with a tail that sparked fire and cold blue eyes. They said it was because I was fierce and had a strong, passionate soul, and I must say they were right about that. Gwendal, I remember being told that he looked like this giant beast with two horns on its snout and large, groundbreaking stumps for feet." Yuuri could tell just with that that Gwendal was a rhino. "Now, I mostly remember waking up, out of everything. I was surrounded by the corpses of men old and young... even children." Her body shook a bit, but eventually it stopped. "The True Form eras change you, Your Majesty. They change how you see the world and no one is ever left innocent."

Wolfram remembered his side to her story as clear as Anissina, perhaps even clearer. He had never seen her in a moment of weakness before when he had found her, but he saw her crumble. Although she was strong, like every female she also had a sensitive side; just like how although Gwendal acts so cold, he really is kind.

He was wrapped in a blanket a healer had given him when he found the two, Gwendal at Anissina's side. She was sobbing, holding the fresh, bloodied corpse of a small boy no one knew and yet that did not matter.

"I killed children, Gwendal," she had said. Her tears dripped onto the areas of the boy's cheeks where blood was drying. She held the body close to her. "I killed so many children!" Gwendal did his best to be her confidant as she broke down. "I-I thought I would be ready for this after the f-f-first time this ever h-happened to me long ago, but I-I was-s so wrong!"

"Me too!" the little blond had exclaimed, finally being noticed by the two. He was already crying. "I killed kids that I didn't even know! Is this what the True Form eras are really like?!" Gwendal left Anissina's side to carry Wolfram back to where she was. Again, he asked, "Is this what the True Form eras are really like?"

He could tell his brother wanted to lie and say that things eventually turn out fine, but he was still glad he had been given a straightforward answer. "Yes."

"I'm sorry that I caused the two of you to relive painful memories," Yuuri spoke, snapping Wolfram out of his trance. "I'm sorry, really, for putting you two through this." The redhead and the blond looked at him and shook their heads as a way of saying that he should not be sorry. "Well, now that I know all of these new things, I now know that I can ask this: When should be a good time to use this solution everyone has been mentioning in order to cure everyone? I came to you, Anissina, because as a scientist you have one of the best senses of judgment I can turn to. I'm hoping I can count on you to make an accurate decision."

Anissina blinked. Not many people come to her for advice because most think she is simply a crazy science lady. Only those who knew her best, like Greta and Gwendal, actually counted on her. Now she could add His Majesty to her list. Grabbing the book out of Wolfram's hands, she opened it and flipped the pages to one of the earliest chapters.

"'A True Form era begins when one person shows the signs of the Obsidian Gashes'," she read. "'After that, it takes at least four to five days for more victims of these black marks to surface. The key is early diagnosis between and after these four to five days pass in order to determine who has and has not been affected yet. When about seventy to eighty percent of a population is affected, around that time is when the victims already recognized begin to reach the ultimate transformation.'" She closed the book once more. "In other words, if early diagnosis is used then it will be better to determine the correct time. If my calculations should be correct..." Anissina took a brief few seconds to look up in thought before turning back to them. "The best time should by the day after tomorrow. That way there will be more time to diagnose more people and also scout out those who need the solution before it is too late."

Yuuri nodded and smiled. "Okay, thanks for your help Anissina. Now I know what to tell everyone when the Ten Aristocrats come by for a meeting tomorrow. You really are doing a great job, and keep up the good work." Wolfram nodded as a silent thanks when he took the book back.

"Hey, King Yuuri," Anissina spoke up. The two stopped in their tracks out the door and turned back around. She was smiling warmly. "As far as I've read about, you're actually one of the few monarchs who's ever tried setting up early diagnosis stations on your own accord. Not many have even thought of doing so, and only some are advised to do so according to others' opinions. Just wanted to let you know that you're a fantastic king."

"Well of course he is!" Wolfram chimed in, making Yuuri jump since he has been strangely quiet all through their moment in the lab. "Yuuri's considerate of others opinions, and he has kept the peace for already half a year. He also has great tastes in people," he added with a laugh and a wink towards the blushing double black. Taking his hand, he smiled widely towards the redhead. "Have a good evening, Lady Anissina!" And he had dragged Yuuri out of the room in the next second.

Taking a seat on the edge of the counter, Anissina crossed her arms and smirked. "King Yuuri, you have done that boy miracles since you've arrived here..."

Wolfram, for some odd reason, could not stop smiling. He wasn't sure what was wrong with him, but at that moment as he literally dragged Yuuri down the halls he did not even care. Something about what he said to Anissina is probably the reason why. After telling her that his fiancé had "great tastes in people" he just felt content with himself. It was unlike him to be so openly cheerful like this, but he might as well give it a shot.

He was not watching where he was going, and so bumped into his older brother on the way. Bouncing back, the blond held back another laugh. "Sorry Conrart," he said. "Wasn't looking the right way, I guess." He grabbed Yuuri by his collar and lifted him up with ease. "Are you going somewhere, Conrart?"

"Actually," the brunet responded in a "matter of fact" tone, "I was on my way to look for you two." Conrad took Wolfram's free hand and pulled him in the direction he had come from, with Yuuri being pulled along. "There is something extremely important that we must attend to right now." His voice sounded grave.

"What happened?" the double black asked. "Is there something wrong?"

"There is..." Conrad looked back at them, his eyes shining with a hint of fear. "A few guards were on patrol down to the treasures room to make sure everything was secure and..." He sighed. "The solution, the item meant to help us through the True Form eras every time it happens, cannot be found anywhere."