Erza found me at breakfast the next morning with a look on her face that told me exactly what she wanted to do before either of us said a word about it.
“We’re asking about Jellal,” she said.
“Today.” I didn’t argue.
We finished eating in silence and went straight to Makarov’s study together, and one look at his face when we walked in told me the news wasn’t going to be good before he’d even opened his mouth.
“Sit,” he said, gesturing to the chairs across from his desk.
“I was going to call for you both today regardless.” We sat.
“Jellal escaped,” Makarov said, no cushioning, no easing into it.
“Before I could bring him in.” Erza went rigid.
“Escaped?
How?
You’re a Wizard Saint.
How does anyone escape you?” “There was a man with him,” Makarov said, voice heavy.
“Goes by the name Brain.
Strong — nearly the strength of one of the lower-ranked Wizard Saints himself, which is not a comparison I make lightly.
I could have caught them both, if the situation had been simple.
It wasn’t.” “What happened?” I asked.
“He turned on the children,” Makarov said, jaw tight.
“The moment he realized I’d found them, Brain went straight for the ones still too weak to defend themselves — tried to kill them where they stood, likely to force me to protect them so that he could escape .
I had a choice in that moment.
Chase down two dangerous men, or protect over three hundred terrified, injured children from being slaughtered in front of me.” His hands curled into fists on the desk.
“I chose the children.
I’d make the same choice again, without hesitation, no matter what it cost me in the pursuit.” Erza’s breath caught, some of the anger in her expression softening into something more complicated — fury at the situation itself now, rather than at Makarov for a choice that had clearly never really been a choice at all.
Its okay master its not your fault.
“I’ve reported everything to the Magic Council,” Makarov continued.
“Both men, their involvement, what was done in that tower.
The Council’s taken responsibility for the three hundred or so people we recovered — finding families where they can, arranging care where they can’t.
It’s not a fast process, and it’s not a perfect one, but it’s underway.” “Who is he,” I asked.
“Brain.
Makarov’s expression darkened further at that.
“Used to be a legitimate magic researcher, from what the Council’s records show.
Talented, by most accounts — talented enough that whatever drove him off that path is still something of a mystery.
At some point, he built himself a secret laboratory and began experimenting on human beings directly.
We only know about it because the lab exploded — whether from his own carelessness or something going wrong with the research itself, nobody’s entirely sure yet.
That explosion is what first put him on the Council’s radar, years back.
Then he went quiet.
Until now, apparently.” “And Jellal’s with him,” Erza said, quiet, like she was still trying to make the words fit together into something that made sense.
“For now,” Makarov said.
“I’ve made sure the Council understands exactly what was done to that boy — that whatever crimes he commits under Brain’s influence, he didn’t arrive at this point through any choice freely made of his own.
If he’s captured in the future, that context will matter.
His sentencing will reflect what was actually done to him, not just what he’s been twisted into doing since.” He looked between the two of us, something gentler returning to his expression.
“That’s the best I could secure for him, given the circumstances.
I know it’s not the ending either of you were hoping for.” “No,” Erza said.
“It’s not.” There wasn’t much more to say after that.
Makarov gave us both a moment, quiet permission to sit with the news, before gently suggesting we take some time before returning to the rest of the guild’s noise and normalcy.
We left his study without much more conversation, the weight of it settling over both of us in a way that made the walk back feel considerably longer than it actually was.
It was only once we were nearly back at the guild hall doors that Erza finally spoke again, low, more to herself than to me.
“I’ll find him,” she said.
“One day.
I’ll find him, and I’ll bring him back — the real him, not whatever Brain’s turned him into.
Whatever it takes.” I didn’t say anything to that.
Didn’t need to.
Just walked the rest of the way beside her, letting the promise sit there between us, one more thing added to the list of things neither of us was willing to let go of yet.
Add it to the pile, I guess.
Jellal.
The masked girl.
Whatever’s coming for all of us down the line.
You collect an awful lot of unfinished business for someone your age, big brother observed.
Yeah, well.
Guess that’s just the life I signed up for.