Costume boxes.

They are magical tools that can ‘store’ an outfit and, when activated, dress the user in that outfit. The suitcase- to wardrobe-sized boxes are not really useful for everyday use, as they are too large for transportation and very expensive. For the theater, however, they are extremely important utensils when a performer has to change quickly between scenes.

Some time ago, magic engineers managed to reduce costume boxes to the size of a game cube. These so-called costume cubes fit easily into a trouser pocket, but are also indescribably expensive. For most barons and counts, the purchase of a costume cube would cost a large part of their wealth.

Sudri looks at the silver cube in her hand. There is a blue button on one of its six sides. She turns it thoughtfully with her thumb on the palm of her hand. Cyril's disparaging words towards Penumbra ring in her head again. Somehow they hurt. She knows he doesn't mean it; after all, he himself doesn't know who he really is.

No, pain or no pain - she has to find Emma!

Sudri has escaped the stampede and is now on her way to the library notice board on the upper floor, where Emma had gone. The flames have spread quickly and are already enveloping the entire building. Windows, doors; none of them can be opened.

Have their inner mechanisms melted and therefore can't be opened?

But maybe it's not a bad idea if the flames can only feed on the air in the building. But then the students in the building will suffocate along with the fire.

“I have to find them quickly!” says Sudri to herself, stowing the cube in her bag and running up the stairs to the upper floor.

She stops on the last step: In front of her lies a blond student. He is surrounded by a sea of flames and his uniform looks slightly burnt.

Is he... dead?

Concerned, Sudri crouches down in front of the student lying on the floor. His eyes are slightly open and he is breathing weakly.

Thank goodness... He's still alive!

He is not the first student Sudri has found unconscious. A lot of them have trouble breathing in this stuffy air.

“Another student...” Sudri mutters quietly, but loud enough for the student to hear her, “I guess I'll have to get to work...”

Sudri adjusts her glasses. She holds the costume cube in her hand against her chest and presses the blue button.

CLICK!

Black smoke rises from the cube. It resembles the smoke produced by the sea of flames. In a fraction of a second, Sudri is completely enveloped by the dark cloud and just as quickly the veil lifts again.

Where Sudri once stood, there is now a young woman wearing a large, pointy witch's hat and a carnival mask. The scales of her robe sparkle in the light of the flames.

Zenith, the Warlady of Rivers, strides past the unconscious student and approaches the wall of flames. She is completely calm. She knows that the fire cannot harm her.

"Let's see... Emma, this guy here and... three other students. I'll probably have a lot of lugging to do."

She smiles confidently and continues walking towards the flames.

"「 CHRONOPHOBIA 」"

The crackling of the fire stops, the flames freeze and the smoke stops moving: time itself has stood still. Everything stands still - except Zenith.

WOOSH!!!

The warlady races down the corridor at an indescribable speed. The flames touch her body but nothing happens. In the frozen time, they cannot harm Zenith.

This is her domain.

The Warlady of Rivers rules here... for a few seconds anyway.

I have to hurry! Time is only frozen for a couple of seconds!

It doesn't take long for her to find Emma: The student is sitting on the ground in frozen time with her hands folded in prayer. The sight triggers a heartbreaking feeling in Zenith.

I wonder what was going on in the student's head right now? Has she finished with her life at this moment? Whoever is responsible for this catastrophe and all the suffering must be punished!

Zenith grabs Emma and runs with the same indescribable speed back to the blonde student and grabs him as well. With time standing still, the two aren't as heavy as usual, allowing Zenith to carry the students back to the lecture hall before time starts moving again.

“Whew-uff.” The warlord kneels on the floor, exhausted. That was the absolute maximum of her Lacrima. But there are three other students waiting to be rescued from the burning corridors.

“Huh?” Emma opens her eyes in astonishment. Amazed, she looks at her surroundings, which must have suddenly changed for the students in an instant.

“Hey, you!” Zenith calls out to Emma.

She can't call Emma by her name or her cover would be blown.

“Grab the guy on the floor and run down the stairs of the lecture hall!”

Emma continues to look perplexed.

“U-uhm, what-”

"We don't have time! There's a hole in the wall at the end of the hall. You can get out through it."

She was still present when the wall in the auditorium was destroyed, allowing the crowd to escape. It was the starting signal for Zenith to go into action.

That must have been your work, Junishi... Thank you...

Emma stands up, staggering, and grabs the blond student by his shoulders.

“O-okay.” She replies and begins to drag the motionless body behind her.

"I'm sorry you have to carry something heavy again. This time it really is the last time." Zenith thinks to herself and turns back to the roaring flames.

“I'll get the other three out too.”

The well-being of the students is Zenith's top priority. She adjusts her mask and takes a deep breath.

"「 CHRONOPHOBIA 」"