I could hear ships out in the harbour, water sloshing somewhere nearby. The deadline was coming, any hour. It was almost as if I could feel the form of Keia solidifying around me, a second skin poised to become my first. More terrifying, I could feel that identity solidifying inside my mind, as well.

Mind and body, body and soul.

I am she, and she is me.

I gave up and began crying quietly. There was no point left in bravado. No more grand Agent purpose. No more shape-shifting. No more travelling the world, setting wrongs right before they even got started. I'd never see HQ again outside of an interrogation chamber, and probably never see my room in the dorms. Strangely, I'd never missed my bed and my view of the sparkling neon night lights of Rajma more.

All I was, at that point, was a vulnerable young woman, a Relian making her way through a hostile world, no purpose, hunted...

I supposed that there were worse ways to go. Fast reflexes, mana sensitivity... cute. These would all be serving me as I tried to escape and make my way in the world that was left to me.

Was there something inherently Relian about me? Inherently female? I'd never really felt like I had a gender. What did come before? When I'd stopped fighting her, Keia felt strangely comfortable to me.

And then the relief hit. Why did I feel relief? I supposed it was because there was finally an end in sight. I could put down the burden. I'd never allowed myself to admit how tired I was. Finally, the struggle was over. I could leave the business of saving the world to younger people.

Weirdly, I couldn't really think of anyone at HQ who was younger than me. I couldn't remember seeing anyone truly new come in, in ages. There were a lot of us, so who knows, maybe I just didn't notice.

My tears passed, and all I felt was calm and resignation, and oddly, determination. I'd lived all this time through a lot of challenges, and I wasn't planning to go down easy.

I'd make them pay for what they'd done to me.