Millicent froze, her amber eyes blinking as though she were checking whether she had misheard.
"I'm... Malenia?" Her voice was full of surprise, as soft as a feather.
"To be precise, you're a part of her." Tarnished sat down beside Millicent and gestured for Melina to join them. The Flame Seed maiden hesitated for a moment, then walked over to Tarnished and quietly sat down.
The gentle light of the Site of Grace enveloped the three of them as Tarnished began recounting that history.
"It happened a long time ago. While searching for her elder brother Miquella, Malenia, the Valkyrie, fought a decisive battle against Starscourge Radahn on the plains of Caelid. They were both powerful demigods. The battle lasted for days, with neither able to gain the upper hand."
Millicent listened intently, her fingers unconsciously clutching the hem of her clothes.
"In the end, Malenia realized she couldn't win, so she made a decision-to unleash the Scarlet Rot she had always suppressed." Tarnished's voice grew lower. "That blooming scarlet flower turned all of Caelid into what it is today. General Radahn was consumed by the rot, while Malenia herself fell unconscious after releasing too much power."
"Then... why did I appear here?" Millicent's voice trembled.
Tarnished looked at her. "Five flower buds appeared at the heart of that enormous scarlet flower. They were Mary, Malen, Amy, Millicent, and Polyanna-you and your four sisters. Each of you inherited a part of Malenia, some virtue or trait."
Millicent looked down at her incomplete body and murmured, "So I'm..."
"The conviction and courage to resist the rot," Tarnished said firmly. "That's why you chose to sever your infected right arm, and why you insisted on fighting the Scarlet Rot even at your most painful moments. Because that is the core of your