Star Rail: The Aeon Hunters

It was morning time and the sun has fully rise from the horizon. From a distance, the two saw a certain grey-haired woman walking towards the Goethe Hotel with an entire squad of Silvermane Guards behind her. Judging by the look and attire, they don't seem to be here for a friendly visit.

"What is Bronya and Pela…" Lynx tried to say, but Dan Heng already told her to be quiet and the two hid behind an alleyway. They watched from behind the shadows as Bronya announced her arrival. No sooner after that, both Stella and March stepped out of the hotel.

What follows next was something that Lynx would never believe happen. Without any explanation, the guards arrested March and Stella for the charges of 'Conspiring Against The Supreme Guardian'. Bronya demanded them to tell her where the other ones are while one of the guards already confiscated the Herta Doll.

"Tsk," Dan Heng pulled Lynx further away from the scene. "I will not force you to get involved in this whole thing," he told her. "You can go now and I will pretend I never saw you,"

Lynx shook her head. "No, no, you're innocent… I was with you this entire day… right?" the doubt in her voice left a bitter taste in her mouth.

"We have no interest in conspiring against the Supreme Guardian," Dan Heng replied. "Our only mission here is for research and study,"

"So this might be an understanding on their part, I can…" Lynx swallowed hard. "I can try talking to them, I can vouch for you. I was with Stella the whole day, you were with Serval the whole day, and… You're with me tonight,"

Dan Heng sighed a little. "If you wish to stick around, you may do so, but be warned… You may find the answers you seek but you will be silenced by those who worship the ashes," 

Lynx closed her eyes and sighed. "Okay… it's alright… I'll tag along, I just want to know… That's all…"

Bronya ordered the other guards to look for Dan Heng and the man quickly took Lynx deeper in the alley. "Hang on," Dan Heng hugged Lynx tightly and jumped to the roof of the Goethe Hotel. They landed right on top of it and simply watched everything unfold from above.

Lynx watched with wide eyes as the guards rudely took March and Stella through the city. She knows just how powerful these people are and she knows that they can just bat those guards away if they wanted to. But instead, they surrendered themselves.

"Why aren't they fighting back?" Lynx asked.

"Because we're not criminals, Lynx, we've done nothing wrong. We just want to clear up this understanding if there's any," Dan Heng replied.

Lynx turned to Dan Heng. "Then why…" she stopped herself, afraid of the answer.

"I am not turning myself in, just in case this is an orchestrated betrayal," Dan Heng gave her the answer anyway. "Remember what I told you, it's not about what happened, it's about your judgement."

Dan Heng held Lynx close as they jumped from roof tops to roof tops, making sure that they don't lose sight of March and Stella. It appears that they're going to bring the two into the Qlipoth Fort, but then there's some strange exchange going on there.

The Supreme Guardian herself showed up and dismissed Bronya. Once the girl disappeared, the Supreme Guardian led March and Stella to the restricted Silvermane Guard zone, with only a handful of guards and Pela.

"Wait… shouldn't they get a proper trial?" Lynx muttered. "Pela, what are you doing…"

Dan Heng, said nothing, he simply observed everything closely.

They made it to an enclosed barred off place. A group of Silvermane Guards stood around the clearing, each one holding a rifle. Stella and March were forced to face the wall, while Cocolia and Pela simply watched from afar.

"I still don't remember getting a proper trial!!!" March yelled.

"Silence!" Cocolia snapped at them. "Silvermane Guards! Ready your arms!"

All at once, the guards reload their rifles.

"Aim…"

The guards aimed right at Stella and March.

"WAIT!" Pela yelled suddenly.

Everyone froze and turned to the girl. Her body is trembling, eyes glazed with tears. "Th-this isn't right…" she turned to the Supreme Guardian. "Madam Guardian, everyone deserves a proper trial, even… AHH!"

Cocolia smacked her right in the face, sending her tumbling down to the ground. Pela tried to stand up, only to find a rifle pointed at her face.

"To think there's another traitor in our midst," Cocolia clicked on her rifle. "I'll do you a favor, no one will know of your betrayal, Miss Sergeyevna…"

"PELA!"

There was a white blur and Pela found herself sent tumbling to the ground. Though the impact was painful and the ground was coarse and rough, Pela felt no pain. The shock of everything that just transpired clouded her mind. 

Madam Guardian tried to kill her…

"Pela!"

She's a traitor to her people…

"Pela! Can you hear me?"

She's lost everything…

"Pela!"

Pela's ears rang as both her hearing and vision slowly returns. She can hear the sound of shouting, ice breaking, and water rushing. She can hear the sound of the guardian screaming for her blood, for the outsider's blood.

And finally, she saw the face of her best friend.

"Lynx…?" Pela whispered.

Her best friend gave a tearful smile. "Thank goodness I'm here…" she embraced the girl into a quick hug before quickly helping her up. "I saw everything, don't worry…" the two took a deep breath to regain their composure.

All around them, the Trailseekers did a quick work on the guards and Madam Cocolia. The guards were all bound on to the ground with ice chains, whilst Cocolia was sent into an ice cage.

"Since you guys are SOOO adamant in treating us as a villain," March 10th announced. "Well then I guess we're going to be the absolute worst villain you will ever face in the last hundred years! You can even call us terrorists if you'd like!" she chuckled softly and gave Cocolia a side glance. "But really, with a tyrant like you, who needs terrorist, hmm?"

March turned to Lynx and Pela, her expression softened considerably. "You guys okay?" she approached them to check heir bruises and scars. "Dan Heng you inconsiderate ass!"

"What now?" the man sighed.

"You could've just saved her instead of throwing Lynx from a five story building,"

"I was busy saving you,"

"I do not need saving, I had all that under control!"

Stella stepped between the two. "Let's just get out of here before anyone found out something's wrong," she turned to Lynx and Pela who are barely recovering. "And umm… do you, have somewhere to go?"

Lynx nodded hastily. "Yes, we should go to the Neverwinter Workshop, I trust my sister," she bit her lip. "Though, the same couldn't be said about my brother, let's just hope that he's not around,"