Mercy was now wearing a black cloak with a hood over her head and was outside of the castle in the Boiling Isles' cemetery as she was standing on the sidelines while she watched the funeral of her deceased friends with Emperor Belos and Hettie Cutburn standing a few feet behind her. Her face filled with sorrow as she watched the grieving families of her friends.

Emperor Belos: ( whispers to Hettie: ) Did you examine the girl's heart to see what caused her pain last week?

Hettie: ( whispers back: ) Yes, your highness. I used a viewing spell to take a look at her heart while she was asleep, and... It appears that the mad scientist... Surgically attached a witch's bile sac to her heart and due to her human body not being used to the amount of magic that's produced when feeling overwhelmed, it causes her to feel temporary waves of pain until she calms down. And if we even try to remove the bile sac, the risks of her dying during the procedure will be too high of a risk. It's a miracle that she had survived the pain that monster did to her.

Emperor Belos: ( whispers, to Hettie, after a few moments of silence: ) Is there at least a way to ease her pain?

Hettie: ( whispers back: ) I'm no expert on Humans, but...We might need to gently help her heart and body get used to the magic that's flowing inside her system, if her body is somewhat used to it, maybe it will lessen the pain she feels when she's overwhelmed. But that would mean that she needs to...

Emperor Belos: ( silently: ) attend a magic school among witches her age... ( Whispers to Hettie: ) It's worth a try. We'll enroll her into Hexside so the Golden Guard can watch over her, and I want someone to teach her the basics and a second spell so we don't have to worry about her being in the baby class.

Hettie Cutburn: Of course, your majesty.

Mercy stayed silent as Emperor Belos and Hettie spoke with each other while Mercy continued watching the funeral from afar until she felt small waves of pain in her heart as she began to feel herself slowly becoming overwhelmed with sadness and guilt, causing her to look away and walked towards Belos and Hettie.

Mercy: I'm ready to go back now...

Emperor Belos: Are you sure, child? We can always stay a little l-

Mercy: No, it's fine. I... I saw what I needed to see. Let's just...go back...

Emperor Belos: ( as he gently placed his hand on Mercy's shoulder: ) Alright, but know that you can visit your friends when you're ready.

( Slight time skip, back at the castle, in the infirmary )

Mercy was laying in the infirmary bed, staring at the ceiling with a sad look in her eyes when...a person wearing a strange guard outfit with a white cloak and a what looked to be a golden owl mask while holding a staff with a one eyed cardinal suddenly appeared out of nowhere within a yellow blur.

Golden Guard: Hello!-

Mercy cuts him off with a startled scream before she.... punch him in the throat, causing him to floor to the ground in pain and dropping his staff with his mask falling off to reveal that the person was a witch boy that looked to be only a year older than her with ash-blonde hair that had a jagged forelock, a fair complexion, a scar across his face, and dark blue eyes. The boy wheezed in slight pain as he fell on the floor on his back while the one eyed cardinal detached itself from its staff and looked at the boy with concern before tweeting at the boy.

Golden Guard: ( weakly as he laid on the ground: ) Good...punch, Miss. I'm... alright, Flapjack.

Mercy: ( while looking at the one eyed cardinal: ) How- What- ( To the boy: ) Who even are you?!

Hettie Cutburn then walked into the room just when the boy slowly sat up while holding his throat.

Hettie Cutburn: Greetings, Miss Crystal, I came to inform you that you'll- ( as soon as she noticed the boy and his palisman: ) Oh for the name of Titian- Caleb, what did I and the rest of the coven heads told you about the teleporting to people without warning? We especially told you not to do this after we informed you that Belos had assigned you to be the human's bodyguard whenever she leaves the castle and goes to Hexside.

The witch boy, now revealed to be named " Caleb " slowly stood up and leaned against the end of Mercy's bed while he still had his hand over his throat as he slowly recovered from Mercy's punch to the throat.

Caleb: Relax, Hettie. Flapjack and I were just trying to make a good first impression. ( Weakly chuckles ) ( To Mercy: ) Again, good punch. I did not expect that.

Mercy: Wait, wait, wait. Back up. Bodyguard? And what in the universe's name is " Hexside ".

Hettie Cutburn: Hexside is a school of magic and demonics. Emperor Belos believes that it would be good for your mental health and recovery to socialize among your peers and he believes it would be good for you to perfect your newfound magical capabilities. Caleb, here, has been assigned to attend Hexside with you as your bodyguard in case the mad scientist or any other possible danger tries to get to you.

Mercy: Okay. ( While looking at the one eyed cardinal: ) And who or what is that?

Caleb: ( as he removed his hand from his throat to reveal that a massive bruise had formed on his throat, causing Mercy, Hettie, and Flapjack to look at him with shock: ) That's Flapjack, my palisman and trusty sidekick- What? Why are you guys looking at me like that? Is there something in my teeth?

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That's it for this chapter, I hope you like it

Feel free to comment on what you think about Mercy's new bodyguard " Caleb ".

Till next time my agents of mischief 😜