Chapter Fifty Five: Amara

Lust stood outside the hotel, initially, she thought about teleporting directly to the hospital where Bard was. With a sigh, she made the choice to walk through the city streets on foot, allowing her mind.

As she walked, Lust wondered about her identity, feeling a discomfort with being referred to solely by her attribute. "If things do work out in the end," she said silently, "I should probably come up with a name for myself. Being called by my attribute for some reason is unfavorable now." The idea remained in her mind.

"I'm sure that human, I mean, Bard can come up with something," Lust muttered to herself with a slight giggle.

"I'm really walking on thin ice here," Lust whispered. "The others might find out where I am and what I'm doing. There's Wrath, Power, Illusion, Energy, and Copy. At this point, it's only a matter of time, but it's probably best to keep my intentions secret for now. No point in revealing it now," she concluded with a nod

"And there's the plan of my current boss," Lust said. "If he actually accomplishes that, then things will really go downhill, and there's no coming back for me," she sighed, the potential consequences on her mind. "I better make sure that doesn't happen, I'll have to strike when the time is right," she smirked.

Eventually, Lust found herself at front of the hospital's entrance and she made her way inside.

Walking throughout the hospital, Lust glanced around at the unfamiliar surroundings. Approaching the main desk, she stated her purpose to the attendant, requesting to see Bard. When questioned about her relationship to him, Lust hesitated for a moment before saying that she was his girlfriend, hoping her fabricated connection would grant her access to him.

After a brief exchange, the attendant provided Lust with Bard's room number, granting her access to him. With a nod of thanks, Lust wasted no time and made her way to Bard's room.

Taking a moment to gather her thoughts, Lust stood outside Bard's room, her hand on the door handle. With a deep breath, she pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Lust looked at Bard, noting the bandage over one eye while the other showed signs of healing. "I'm glad to see that you aren't too injured, Bard," she remarked with a soft smile, stepping further into the room.

"Lust, do you know where Mary is?" Bard asked.

"Before you jump to any conclusions, let me clarify. Mary isn't entirely lost. It's just that her body has been completely taken over by Forbidden Dream. But there's still hope for her, she can still be brought back," Lust explained.

"And how do we do that?"

"I-I'm not sure. Usually, you'd have to remove the core, but that isn't possible in this case. However, there might be other methods. It's just a matter of finding the right approach." Lust replied.

"Lust, I have one request for you, and it might seem selfish, but please, help us. Mary is a dear friend, and I don't want to lose her," Bard pleaded earnestly.

Lust felt a strange feeling in her chest, a sensation she couldn't quite place. "Hah, I think I might've delved too much into emotion," she said aloud. "Is this... human emotion I'm feeling?" She softly smiled, her gaze drifting to the floor.

"You humans really are interesting," Lust remarked with a sigh. "These feelings, this isn't the first time either but..." She paused, gathering her thoughts before continuing. "Fine, but on one condition, actually two conditions!"

"And what are those conditions?" Bard asked.

"Firstly," Lust began, raising a finger for emphasis, "I want you to apologize. It seems you've conveniently forgotten that little detail about stabbing me with numerous swords, remember?" She punctuated her accusation by teasingly poking her tongue at Bard.

With a chuckle, Bard replied, "Well, you did attack us first, but fine. I deeply apologize for stabbing you with those swords."

"Secondly, I want you to help me come up with a name that suits me better than just being known by my attribute." Lust smiled.

"A name that suits you better than your attribute, I'm really being put on the spot now. Let me think..." Bard chuckled as he began to think. "How about Amara?"

"Amara..." Lust repeated the name, testing its feel on her tongue. "I like it. Amara it is," she smiled softly.

With a nod of satisfaction, Bard smiled back. "It suits you well," he remarked warmly.

As Lust prepared to leave, she hesitated for a moment, as if grappling with emotions. "Well, I should get going," she finally said. "Otherwise, the others will get suspicious of me."

"Before you go, Lust... I mean, Amara, why don't you stop the one who's making the portal?" Bard asked.

"Well, you see, Edward is being protected by Forbidden Power now, making it quite difficult for me to simply barge in and kill him. Plus, on top of that, I'm without my katana," Amara explained.

"I understand. Before you go, would you mind stopping by Simon's room? It's just next to mine," Bard requested.

"Of course, I'll make it quick. Goodbye, Bard," Amara replied with a nod before turning to leave the room.

As Amara stepped into the room next to Bard's, she saw Simon, who was laying in bed, visibly injured. Getting closer, she noticed the traces of void energy lingering around him.

"Getting thrown into the void dimension, even momentarily won't do you any good, especially when you weren't well equipped," Amara sighed softly. "I'll help you this once." She extended her hand over Simon, absorbing the remnants of void energy that clung to him.

After she finished, Amara turned around, her steps slow as she prepared to leave. "I don't know if you can hear this, and I really don't owe you anything, but... I'll help you bring your friend back, per Bard's request." With a final glance at Simon, she exited the room.

Amara using spatial retreat, she teleported herself to the pocket dimension where Wrath, and Energy resided.

"There you are, Lust. Where were you? You're usually not late," Wrath commented.

"I was out doing some recon. Turns out, that human and the anomaly are already here. In fact, the anomaly is just outside the building where the portal is," Lust explained.

"I'm already aware of that," Wrath said. "That's precisely why I sent Illusion to divert their attention with his illusions."

"Ah, I see, my bad," Lust giggled lightly, her tone teasing. "Well, what do you want, Wrath? Poor old me still doesn't have my katana," she smirked.

"The boss has instructed us to turn Alexander Gear into a 'NULL' if necessary, which is why you're going to make a new core for him," Wrath explained.

"Ehh, you want me to make a core? Why don't you ask Energy, considering he's the one with all the fancy energy manipulation skills?" Lust asked.

"Considering the situation and Energy having to prepare for the White Trial, the task falls on you," Wrath replied.

Lust sighed mockingly. "Am I just some lastminute addition, a last resort?" she said. "But fine, fine. I'll get it done."

Wrath's tone was firm as he gave his order. "Just get to it already, Lust."

"Hey, Wrath, any chance I could work on this somewhere else? This place is so barren," Lust suggested.

"Fine, but make it quick, Lust," Wrath reluctantly agreed to her request, though his tone remained firm. "And don't try anything foolish." He added last second.

With a nod, Amara wasted no time in leaving desolate space, the barren space fading behind her as she used spatial retreat. In an instant, she teleported in the hotel room where Eve and Vulcan were staying. Taking a seat on the edge of the bed, Amara looking around the room, noting the absence of Eve and Vulcan.

"Lust is acting strange, Wrath," Energy commented.

"Understood," Energy acknowledged, nodding. "I'll inform Copy immediately." Energy left to relay Wrath's instructions to Copy.

Amara felt a unsettling sensation creeping down her spine. "Strange," she muttered to herself. "Is this what humans call fear?" She giggled softly, reflecting over the unfamiliar sensation. "Human emotions truly are fascinating..."

Amara's thoughts drifted back to her origins. "There must have been countless versions of 'Forbidden Lust' before me," she muttered, reflecting on her existence. She understood the nature of the Forbidden. They didn't truly die unless their cores were destroyed. Even if a body perished, as long as the core remained intact and fused with another being, the essence endured. However, each version birthed a new entity, with its own distinct personality. Thus, she was but one among many versions of Forbidden Lust.

Amara's resolve strengthened as she contemplated her identity. "I refuse to be merely another version of Forbidden Lust, I'm going to become my own being" she told herself.

"I refuse to be bound by the constraints given to me when I was made. I will break the cycle and become my own independent being, I am Amara..."