Chapter 1 = A Brighter Day:
(Earth #8193, Central-Apella Forum, Devana-Shire, The Sprawling-Gardens, New-Alexandria City, 1974 A.D.)
Narrator:
--- Sound of posh high-society music at Background Level 1 ---
Chapter 1 = A Brighter Day: Earth 8193, The Devana-Shire in the Central-Apella Forum in the Sprawling-Gardens of the city of New-Alexandria in the Year 1974 A.D…
Katrina A. Lothrin:
--- Sound of posh high-society music at Background Level 1continue until end of scene ---
"Are you nervous, sweetheart?"
Narrator:
Katrina A. Lothrin kneels to her daughter's level, uncovering her girl's bright, shimmering eyes from behind their glistening blond curls.
Anya Lothrin:
"I'm okay, Mom."
Narrator:
Anya smiles reassuringly, trying to pretend she does not see the worry in her mother's eyes. The radiant girl was assigned male at birth but has always known in her heart she is not a boy, and right now she is the spitting image of her mother when she was her age, except for her eyes, which she inherited from her father.
Katrina A. Lothrin:
"That's my brave little Anya. I just got to give this boring-ass speech, and then we can head home. I heard a rumor that Helena is gonna make your favorite supper for tonight. Sounds good, sweetheart?"
Anya Lothrin:
"That sounds great, Mama. Helena's Lutefisk is so good. Thank you."
Narrator:
Anya grins excitedly at the thought.
Katrina A. Lothrin:
"Well, don't thank me. Thank Helena next time you see her. I know that your shining smile always brightens her day, and I am sure hearing her mother's work is appreciated would make Emma very happy, too."
Anya Lothrin:
"I like it when Emma smiles."
Narrator:
Blurts, Anya trying and failing to suppress a rising blush in her cheeks.
Katrina A. Lothrin:
I know that feeling. Helena's smile always made me weak in the knees, too. I guess a love for Germanic girls runs in the family.
Narrator:
Katrina thinks as she chuckles at her girl's bubbly smile.
Katrina A. Lothrin:
"Really?"
Narrator:
Katrina playfully raises her brow at her daughter's words and blushing cheeks.
Anya Lothrin:
"Yeah, her smile makes me feel all warm inside."
Katrina A. Lothrin:
"Well, I am sure Helena would be thrilled to know her daughter brings you such joy."
Narrator:
Katrina kisses her child on the forehead as she fixes Anya's hair pins before moving back to her vanity mirror to finish primping for her speech.
Edwin E.A. Poe:
"There's my Anya!"
Narrator:
Proclaims Katrina's husband; Edwin Poe as he gleefully scoops up his daughter and swings him around before putting her back on the ground.
Anya Lothrin:
"Daddy stop [giggles] I'm not a kid anymore, I turned 18 last spring you know. [more giggles]"
Edwin E.A. Poe:
"No matter how old you get, you will always be my princess."
Narrator:
He smooths a hand over his daughter's hair with quiet affection before walking over to his wife.
Edwin E.A. Poe:
"Are you worried? Feeling a little nervous?"
Narrator:
His wife shakes her head as he places a soft kiss on her cheek. When he notices little Anya is no longer paying attention, he pulls his wife to the side for a moment, producing a paper slip about the size of a flash card and gesturing for her to read it to herself.
Katrina A. Lothrin:
"Fuck, another one." [muttering annoyed]
Narrator:
Katrina begins to read the short but vile message sprawled out on the paper 'Enjoy your pathetic moment in the spotlight, you fucking half-breed, Antimeta-bitch. You won't leave the stage alive. Death is the only cure for anti-cop, class traitors like you, your kinaidos-husband, and your filthy gender-fucked son.'
Katrina A. Lothrin:
"Well, at least it wasn't as long-winded and ranty as the last one… oh, and they even managed to spell 'bitch' right this time." [concerned half-joking suppressed worry]
Edwin E.A. Poe:
"What do you want to do about this?" [whispering so Anya does not hear]
Katrina A. Lothrin:
"I want you and Anya to follow me onto the stage for my speech like originally planned but stay slightly further away, and if there is any trouble, rush to cover backstage behind the security teams. Also, have Helena run another security scan of the whole area using the Raven." [whispering]
Edwin E.A. Poe:
"Alright."
Narrator:
Edwin taps a nearby bodyguard to inform her of the minor change in plans.
Anya Lothrin:
"You're not whispering about me, are you? I mean is this really okay?"
Narrator:
Anya gestures to her attire with a mix of pride and uncertainty, offering her parents a half‑grimace, half‑smile. Their precious child is dressed in a bespoke navy‑blue evening ensemble, a sharply tailored women's suit with clean lines and subtle silver detailing, cut to flatter her frame without sacrificing mobility. It's formal, elegant, and unmistakably hers. She likes it that way. It makes her feel more true… more herself. And, as with all things in the Lothrin household, it's more than it appears: the fabric is woven with Nano‑Kev Mesh, rendering it knife‑proof, bullet‑resistant to small‑arms fire, and moderately thermal‑resistant.
Katrina A. Lothrin:
"No, no of course we're not whispering about you, sweety. Everything's fine. We would never do that. The suit is perfect, YOU are perfect." [loving motherly tone]
Narrator:
Katrina, rushing over to comfort her precious girl, kneeling and pulling her into a deep soothing embrace.
Edwin E.A. Poe:
"That's right. There's nothing wrong with who you are and don't you ever, let anyone tell you differently. Do you understand?" [supportive fatherly tone]
Narrator:
Edwin supportively declares as he kneels and joins in the hug, softly stroking Anya's hair.
Anya nods her head, lost in the pure love of her parents' affirming touch.
Edwin E.A. Poe:
"You're our miracle child, and nothing could ever make us ashamed of you."
Narrator:
"It's almost time," chimes in the Event-Dief̱thyntí̱s as she rushes into the pre-speech prep-tent and gestures for Katrina and her party to begin making their way toward the stage.
Edwin E.A. Poe:
"Okay. Ready team?" [trying to sound as gung-ho as possible]
Narrator:
Edwin stands back up as Anya nods while Katrina checks her hair real quick one last time.
Katrina A. Lothrin:
"Yes. Come on, sweetheart."
Narrator:
Katrina takes her husband's hand in one hand and her daughter's in the other. With one last 'we're all in this together' smile at each other, the three of them head towards the stage.
"... I now introduce to you the Technocratic Socialist Utopia Party candidate and the Archon-Elect of our great city, New Alexandria, Katrina Artemsia Lothrin!"
(---- Emphasis this next sentence with the sound of posh high-society music Background Level 1 and the sound of cheering and clapping at Background Level 2 and then shift the sound of cheering and clapping to Background Level 1 after this next sentence and then end it all together the sentence after that ----)
proclaims the Event-Ekfonitis drawing a brief but uproarious round of applause from the crowd. The audience is composed of the city's most socially-refined and well-to-do citizens. Not his mother's target demographic, more a den of snakes than a sea of supporters but they lost and she won so now it is all fake smiles and faux-joy until they can figure out what new status-quo her agenda will create and how best to worm their way in and feed like the avarice-driven leeches they are. This knowledge fills Katrina with both mindful caution and willful determination to be the change this city needs, the change these aristocratic fat cats have spent decades of work and billions of dollars trying to prevent.
Katrina moves out first, putting some distance between her and her loved ones as planned. Anya blinks as the dazzling barrage of camera flashes and the leer of the stage-lights assaults her eyes. She had grown up seeing this, of course. Between her parents' business endeavors to their endless philanthropic efforts and now her mother's candidacy for Archon-Elect, she is far from a stranger to the paparazzi or the stage. However, this deep familiarity does nothing to calm her nerves as she squeezes her father's hand for support. Edwin smiles down at Anya as he mouths 'it's okay', helping his daughter regain her composure as they follow Katrina from a safe distance onto the stage.
Anya's efforts to steady her emotions are shaky at best until she sees her dearest friends, Oskar Turing and Anko De La Vega.
Like her, they also have wealthy left-wing philanthropists/industrialists for parents. All three children had been well-educated, both at boarding schools and at home with the best private tutors money can provide. But these aren't the reasons they're friends. They're friends because when she's with them, her shyness fades and her fear of rejection melts. Outside of Emma, Oskar and Anko are Anya's only true friends.
Anya rushes over to her two nearby friends, pulling them both into a cheerful hug, drawing a wave of "Aw!"s from the crowds of on-lookers and even more camera flashes from the press pool as if her display of affection towards her companions was some act of performance art. The crowd's reaction makes Anya groan ever so slightly as Oskar offers an awkward grimace. Anko, ever the stoic one of the trio, just subtly rolls her eyes in mild annoyance.
A nearby stage-hand ushers the children and their parents to their seats on the stage right behind Katrina's position at the podium. The introductory speaker is some higher-up T.S.U. Party Member that Anya only vaguely recognises, from various glances they shared in passing through the years of his parent's political activities. Her introductory remarks do very little to invigorate or arouse strong interest, leaving the three youths to continue to whisper amongst themselves, drawing a firm but silent scolding from both Edwin and Anko's father; Nathaniel L. De La Vega.
Oskar's father; Vincent Turing was far too busy undressing the speaker with his eyes to scold his son, but the boy's mother, Oksana Turing, shoots her son a silencing glare before joining her husband in thinking lusty thoughts about the speaker. After a few minutes, the introductory speaker finishes her remarks and gestures for Katrina to take the podium. Katrina shakes the speaker's hand and walks up to the podium. She takes one last glance back at her daughter and her husband sitting behind her, then she takes a deep breath and proceeds to speak to the crowd of foes pretending to be friends.
Katrina A. Lothrin:
"GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE! First and foremost, I thank you all for your support during this campaign. Next, it is with the deepest sincerity that I thank this great city of New Alexandria for placing its faith in me, for believing in me as I believe in all of you. The people of this city spoke, and they elected me Archon of New Alexandria. I hold no delusions about the difficulties that lie ahead. This city has suffered so much for so long and the issues we face are as complex as they are dire, from crushing poverty to the deadly plague of drugs and violence that kills our fellow citizens by the thousands every year, shattering families. Every day, corrupt police and emboldened gangs turn the Narrows into a warzone and this city just looks the other way, but I give you all my solemn vow that a brighter day is possible, and I promise you it is coming. A tomorrow that shines brighter for all the citizens of this great city, not just the ones at th…"
Narrator:
Suddenly, a thunderous boom explodes just beyond the borders of the Devana-Shire, sending a hypersonic projectile slicing through the air. The projectile strikes Katrina's right shoulder, knocking her off her feet. The H.B.C.R. round completely severs her right arm from her body in a mess of blood, sending her into shock as a second shot rings out. Anya cries out as she tries to rush toward her mother, only to be snatched up by her father and rushed from the stage.
Prince Hellion Neveria:
"Quick Hellion's Note, H.B.C.R. rounds stands for Hyper-Ballistic Concussive Rail rounds. These babies are usually fired from Tri-Core Rail-Snipe Rifles and travel at hyper-sonic speeds up to roughly Mach 19. These ain't your grandpa's sniper rifles, and can quickly make a bloodier mess than Baby's First-Chainsaw though they are not nearly as fun. I named mine Bloody Princess Splish Splash."
Edwin E.A. Poe:
"She's gone. Anya please, you can't help her."
Narrator:
Anya kicks and hits her father, desperate to reach her violently convulsing mother.
Hearing the shot from her station inside the Event Security Center, Helena readies her weapon and orders the Raven-Drones to scan the nearby city districts for the source of the incoming fire. Soon the skies above the event become a battlefield as Helena's Raven-Drones and the unknown attackers exchange fire. Mass panic consumes the crowd below. Event-Security scrambles to react but is quickly cut down by the hailstorm of bullets now raining down upon the forum.
Terrified sobs and painful wailing fill the air as bodies continue to fall in eruptions of blood and gore. Edwin tries to escape the stage with Anya when suddenly one of the incoming rounds collides with the side of his head, exploding it and showering Anya in a warm red mess of brain and skull fragments. The girl falls from her headless father's arms as her dad's body drops to the ground with a heavy wet thud. The taste of her father's blood in her mouth overwhelms her as Anya erupts into a manic freak-out of tears and animalistic screams. She frantically tries to collect as many fragments of her father's skull and brain as she can when suddenly another incoming round rips through Anya's left breast, tearing a baseball-sized hole through her torso.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- Narrator:
Anya's eyes flutter as the soothing warmth of the sun smiles down upon her naked body. She slowly climbs to her feet as her eyes adjusts to the strange twilight of his new environment. The exposed girl finds herself standing in a vast forest. To her astonishment, her body is exactly as she has always known it should be, every curve, every line, every detail aligned with the woman she has always know she is. While all this strangeness quickly floods her mind with questions both queer and concerning, they all suddenly fade away into unimportance as soon as they arrive.
Anya exhales in 'awe' and wonder as she looks around at the splendorous wilds surrounding her. Between her Mama's activism campaigns to protect the forests and various nature pilgrimages with the Turing Family, she has spent plenty of time in all manner of wild forests. and yet somehow this place is very more... wonderous than any she has ever seen. The ground is adorned with millions of red, orange, yellow, and brown leaves all the way out to the horizon in all directions as dead and dying trees both great and small intermingle with their young and vibrant kin. The cycle of life and decay laid bare. Anya picks a direction and begins to hike.
In a way Anya cannot find words to explain this forest feels somehow both familiar and completely alien. Not familiar in the way her home is, but familiar like a recurring dream one eventually becomes accustomed to and yet never really accepts. There is something deeply but subtly ethereal about these woods, though she cannot quite put her finger on it. Her mind feels strange like somehow stuck between the slowness of absolute serenity and the euphoric rush of hyper-alertness. With each eager step deeper into the forest Anya struggles harder and harder to remember anything about herself or her life before this place. A constant sweet-smelling breeze blows gently between the trees, teasing at her flesh and invigorating her senses,
Wait… What is that.? A sound… like… music on the wind? A flute… It's… it's calling to me…
Anya scans her surroundings until she is able to narrow in on the direction of the sound and resumes walking.
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Narrator:
After a few more minutes of back and forth, Helena finally manages to isolate the sources of incoming fire, revealing three groups of snipers armed with Tri-Core Sniper Rails. With their location locked in, the Raven-Drones unleash a hellish barrage of Tatarius Missiles at the unknown attackers, bringing the battle to a close just as a bloodstained Nathaniel De La Vega bursts into the security station carrying three smaller gore-strewn bodies.
Nathaniel De La Vega:
"SEAL THE DOORS! KEEP EVERYONE ELSE OUT!"
Narrator:
Barks Nathaniel to Helena as he frantically shoves everything off a large nearby conference table and lays down the bodies of his dying daughter, her dying friend Oskar and the freshly dead body of Anya Lothrin. Helena locks the doors to the security station as instructed.
Helena:
"Oh mein Gott, die Kinder! Was soll ich tun?"
Narrator:
Asks Helena, rushing over to Nathaniel's side.
Nathaniel De La Vega:
"I have to cast the spell quickly before Anya's soul completely loses connection with his body. Now, I can do it, but I need you to stabilize my daughter's condition. She is fading fast."
Helena:
"Du hast es verstanden, aber was ist mit Oskar?"
Nathaniel De La Vega:
"His aura is still strong. I give him about an hour before his condition becomes critical without care, so we deal with him last,"
Narrator:
Nathaniel hurriedly begins stripping off Anya's clothes.
Helena:
"Wie Sie es wünschen."
Narrator:
Helena grabs a nearby field medic's kit and then begins removing Anko's bloody clothes so that she can analyze, treat, and clean the girl's wounds.
Helena:
Ich wusste immer, dass all die Jahre, die ich als Spezial Sanitäter verbracht habe, sich als nützlich erweisen würden
Narrator:
Thinks Helena before speaking once more.
Helena:
"Hat Anko bereits Mantras of the Lingering erhalten?"
Nathaniel De La Vega:
"Yes, so as long as you do your job, she'll do hers."
Narrator:
Helena finishes stripping Anko and proceeds to start scanning her wounds and prepping her for surgery. With Anya now completely naked, Nathaniel cleans every inch of the girl's flesh as thoroughly and quickly as possible.
A Dhia, is fuath liom draíocht thapa, go háirithe draíocht thapa chasta thinks Nathaniel as he claps his hands, summoning forth out of the cosmic ether a purple crystalline vial of some purple luminescent substance.
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A Dhia, is fuath liom draíocht thapa, go háirithe draíocht thapa chasta = God, I hate fast magic, especially complex magic.
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Helena:
"Scheiße, dieses Aroma ist mächtig!"
Narrator:
Blurts out Helena as Nathaniel uncorks the vial and starts anointing the dead lass's flesh with it.
Nathaniel De La Vega:
"So is the magic that requires it,"
Narrator:
Quips Nathaniel as he finishes saturating every last bit of Anya's flesh with the mystical substance, giving the girl's body an ethereal phantom glow.
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Narrator:
A powerful and strange sensation briefly shoots through Anya's body, bringing her to her knees on the cool, earthy ground as a touch like tender kisses dances across her body. After a few minutes lost in the sensation, she carefully climbs back to her feet and continues searching for the source of the music. She frantically scans the spaces between the countless crystal spires, looking for the source of the alluring sound.
Anya Lothrin:
Wait… that there… What is it?
Narrator:
As she peers ahead, his eyes fall upon a monolithic olive tree towering above the churning dunes. She races towards the great tree, drawn forward by the flute's song, but as she closes in on it, the tree suddenly withers and rots, sinking into the black sand, revealing two naked individuals who had been standing just on the other side of the tree. The sound of the flute vanishes with the remnants of the tree beneath the sand. The two naked beings stand with their backs to Anya, their eyes cast toward the radiance of the twilight sun before slowly turning to face the girl.
Anya Lothrin:
"It's them, I know them…MAMA? DADA?"
Narrator:
Anya steps toward her parents as they turn to her, smiling lovingly.
Katrina A. Lothrin:
"Sweetheart! What are you doing here?"
Anya Lothrin:
"I don't know, Mama, What is this place? What happened? How did we get here?"
Edwin E.A. Poe:
"It's all right, Anya."
Narrator:
Edwin leans down to hug his beloved daughter but stops just short of touching her.
Edwin E.A. Poe:
"Wait, I can't, it's not your time Anya, not yet."
Narrator:
Edwin recoils slightly as Anya reaches out to meet his halted embrace.
Anya Lothrin:
"My time? For what? Wait… What is this place? I'm scared." [confused and distressed]
Edwin E.A. Poe:
"Oh, Anya, don't be scared. You're going to be okay. Now, stiffen that upper lip, be brave."
Narrator:
Edwin smiles reassuringly at his beloved daughter that he dares not touch.
Katrina A. Lothrin:
"Your father and I love you more than anything and we always will." [whispering]
Narrator:
whispers Katrina in Anya's ear as she ghosts her hand over her daughter's hair.
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Helena:
"Geschickte Hände erleichtern die Arbeit,"
Narrator:
Helena smiles triumphantly as she finishes the surgical step of treating Anko's wounds and moves on to the cleaning and disinfecting phase.
Nathaniel De La Vega:
"Schöne Arbeit wie immer,"
Narrator:
Responds Nathaniel in Helena's native tongue.
Helena:
"Nun, danke,"
Narrator:
Laughs Helena as she finishes up with Anko and proceeds to wash herself off in the nearby sink before turning her attention to Oskar's medical needs.
The two continue their banter as Helena begins tending to Oskar's wounds and Nathanial grabs a nearby marker and starts drawing the required arcane symbols onto Anya's fresh corpse. After a few minutes, the screams and crying outside are joined by the sounds of police sirens.
Helena:
"Sie sollten dieses Ritual besser beenden, bevor die Bullen versuchen, hier hineinzukommen. Ich würde wetten, dass die Bullen bei diesem Angriff eine Hand im Spiel hatten."
Nathaniel De La Vega:
"My instincts tell me you're right, but don't worry, I'm almost done. All that is left is the incantation."
Anko L. De La Vega:
"Holy fuck that hurt. Thanks for the emergency field surgery, Helena." [groaning through a massive headache]
Narrator:
Groans Anko suddenly jerking back to full consciousness as she sits up on the table holding her still-aching head.
Anko L. De La Vega:
"Do you need any help resurrecting Anya?"
Narrator:
Asks Anko climbing from the table and stepping up to her father's side.
Nathaniel De La Vega:
"No… No, darling. Daddy has this. [end with a chuckle]"
Narrator:
Nathaniel breathes in deep once more and proceeds with the spell.
Nathaniel De La Vega:
Ó níos faide anonn an ceo! Ó níos faide anonn an ceo! Ó níos faide anonn an scáthán! Ó, Dullahan, iontach agus cumhachtach! Éist le do leanbh agus tabhair rabhadh do mo ghuí! Rollaigh ar ais an taoide! Rollaigh ar ais an bás a mhaíonn an leanbh seo roimh a gcuid ama agus lig do mo shaol atá fágtha a thrádáil ionas gur féidir í a thabhairt ar ais di! [Proclaim as powerfully as possible as if demanding the very gods obey you.]
Narrator:
Proclaims Nathaniel, channelling all his belief and passion into a burning sharp nexus of arcane focus.
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Narrator:
Anya is shocked when her parent's smiling faces suddenly seem to glitch and then go grim and stern. She yelps as her mother abruptly jerks forward toward her ear.
Katrina A. Lothrin:
"It's coming…" [Suddenly distorted and ominous as if warning of a great danger]
Narrator:
Mutters Katrina. Her voice ominous and distorted, as without warning, her and Edwin's bodies are yanked violently backwards as a thick silver mist suddenly comes cascading through the desert maze of crystal spires and black dunes like a tidal wave, encasing Anya in a dense sea of shimmering fog. The flute music suddenly returns with a vengeance, rising to an ear-splitting crescendo, as the massive red sun itself begins to glow a brilliant, glistening purple, glowing brighter and brighter until suddenly it goes supernova, consuming the heavens and the earth in its apocalyptic destruction.
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Narrator:
Nathaniel bellows the chant once more, dredging from the depths of his soul, burning his faith into pure magical power as his hands glow in shared resonance with the fluctuating luminescent aura of Anya's flesh. He ghosts his hands over the girl's chest, causing tiny sparks to dance across her skin as he breathes in deeply.
Nathaniel moves his right hand up the girl's neck to her lips, gently tracing his thumb over Anya's lips as he ghosts his other hand down Anya's torso, past her stomach and all the way down to Anya's crotch, where he lets his hand hover. Then, with one last deep intake of breath, he places his mouth over Anya's, breathing into the girl all the built-up magical energy. He lets the arcane power flow from his lips into the golden-haired lass until there is nothing left to give. After all the magic has flowed into Anya, the older man removes his lips from the dead girl's mouth, causing air to suddenly rush into Anya's lungs. Her chest heaves frantically. Anya awakens in a now much darker world, a world without her parents.
Narrator:
Earth #8193, The Palisades, The Sprawling-Gardens, New-Alexandria City, 1975 A.D.
To the young and devastated Anya, the next three and a half months are a blur of heart-wrenching grief, frenzied investigations, and tearful counselling sessions. The investigation into her parents' murder does little to comfort her and leaves her with more questions than answers. By the time the detectives are done, she really only knows a few facts.
The first fact the investigation revealed is that it was likely unknown members of The Alexandria First Party that were ultimately responsible for the attack. They supposedly collaborated with a prominent far-right militia known as The Proud Guards to organize an elite team of snipers to assassinate his parents and as many other people as they deemed necessary. However, all of this was based on conjecture because even though the police investigation was extensive, it was only able to turn up circumstantial evidence.
The assassins were clever, leaving no fingerprints, fibre traces, or DNA. They left nothing but shattered families and dead bodies. She also learned that apparently, her parents' list of enemies was far longer than she could have possibly imagined.
Oskar and Anko spent the next few weeks living with Anya in Lothrin Manor, keeping her company and trying to help her through the sorrow and tears. Helena and Emma did their best to take care of Anya while Oskar's parents worked through the process of adopting Anya. Mr. and Mrs. Turing also worked quickly to secure a Regency-Agreement with the courts and with the Executive Board of Lothrin Industries concerning Anya's Civil and Corporate Inheritance. They knew that with the death of her mother, all the corporate sharks, even 'trusted' members of the board, will smell blood in the water and start scheming about how to take control for themselves. Oskar's parents knew they had to act quickly to protect Anya's rights as her mother's heir to claim her place as CEO of the company someday.
Prince Hellion Neveria:
Quick Hellion's Note = A Regency-Agreement is a legal document that protects the rightful claim of a minor [under 21] to a specific position of power within various contexts, such as in this case; C.E.O. of Lothrin-Industries. The document is usually sponsored and called for by a designated regent who has taken responsibility for the given minor in question. In this case, the regent is the Turings (specifically Mrs. Turing) and the minor is Anya. Great, now that that is cleared up, please proceed and enjoy your read. Seriously, go… shoo, shoo… My cat-boys aren't going to walk themselves.
Narrator:
A few weeks after the murder of Anya's parents, Helena suffered an acute brain aneurysm. She just fell over dead without warning as she and her daughter Emma were teaching Anya how to bake cookies, as Oskar and Anko waited nearby to act as taste-testers to judge Anya's final product. Her sudden death caused another immediate and devastating change to Anya's world, just as she was still reeling from her parents' murder. However, this also changed her legal relationship with her most beloved friend Emma because, technically, Helena was an indentured servant to the Lothrin Family. Meaning Anya's parents basically owned Helena via the owning of her debts accumulated from her early life, and when Anya's parents died, they passed ownership of Helena's debts to Anya.
This was something Emma and Anya were completely uncomfortable with, but it was legally unavoidable as the laws regarding such matters currently stood. Since Helena was still deeply in debt to the Lothrin Family when she died, the debt she had not paid off was passed down to Emma. Meaning that with Helena's death, Emma and Anya went from the very best of friends to 'Master' and 'Indentured Servant' in the eyes of the law. Neither Emma nor Anya really knew how to handle such a change. However, this change did provide one silver lining in that it allowed Emma to continue living with
Anya, so long as there is still a debt to be paid, thus protecting Emma from deportation from the country following her mother's death.
The time of Helena's death coincided with the finalisation of Anya's adoption by Mr. and Mrs. Turing, and thus Anya and Emma moved in with the Turings. However, it was decided that the final papers for the adoption would not be assigned until after her parents' funeral. Anya was technically still the owner of the Lothrin Estate, so she had the house sealed and placed in a legal trust until she is ready to move back in.