Soul Magic
Jack arrived to Heather and Marv standing outside the dining hall, looking quite bored. A quick word revealed Rebecca was having a conversation with Hamlin, and a quick listen revealed she was having a morning session. If Heather was bothered by this, he never showed it. Eventually, Rebecca opened the door and invited them back inside, taking the book from Jack as they walked in.
"Now then, this book has an interesting spell in it, called the Soul Split." Rebecca said, opening it up. "However, there's a problem."
"Cursed to death by the Gods kind of problem or can't cast it kind of problem?" Jack asked, to which Hamlin nodded.
"Well... both." Rebecca admitted. "Lazarus warned me I would need to somehow discuss this with Lady Eigengrau before I even tried to comprehend how to cast this."
"So we need to not only track down Lady Death, but have a conversation with her as well?" Heather asked, groaning.
In response to Heather's question, an icy fog started to creep across the ground, leaving frost on every surface it touched. Looking down, Rebecca smiled.
"We don't have to find her. She's coming to us, Heather." Rebecca gestured.
"You are planning something most unwise, Dark Imperium." Eigengrau said, her body forming from the freezing fog that blanketed the dining hall, and using the Demonic name for Rebecca in a remarkable departure from norm. "I imprisoned Lazarus for good reason."
"Yes, he warned me to not even attempt to use the spell he showed me." Rebecca said, bowing before Eigengrau. "I bid you welcome to Ashe Manor, Lady Eigengrau."
Eigengrau smiled inwardly at the politeness Rebecca showed her, but made no hint of expressing it, other than bowing in return. "The pleasure is mine, Duchess Ashe. Context is, I must admit, required. You do not yet know why I must be so harsh against investigations into the most profane, Soul Magic." Eigengrau snapped her fingers, and Sirene Ignitis, a younger Sirene Ignitis, and a glowing golden orb appeared next to her.
"Eigengrau what's this about?" The older Sirene asked.
"Why does she keep being part of my life?" Rebecca asked, gesturing at Sirene.
"The Hero and the Villain and she asks this. Why indeed." The younger Sirene stated, looking amused. "Sirene is the greatest Hero this world will ever have, and you are the greatest Villain this world will ever have."
"Aren't heroes and villains supposed to fight more?" Marv asked. "The Boss and Sirene mostly begrudgingly help each other out."
"Duchess Ashe and Miss Ignitis are not two sides of the same coin." The glowing orb replied, its voice calm. "Rebecca is the heads of one coin, and Sirene is the tails of another. Back to why we are here."
"Yes, soul magic." The young Sirene said. "May I?" She asked, taking the book from Rebecca's hands. "We are at a dangerous point. If you continue down this path, you've seen the results first hand with Emperor Lazarus, the Soul Snare, and the time-locked ruins of Zimmil Ma."
"You mean to kill me." Rebecca said, standing and facing them. "I won't go down without a fight."
"Calm down, Rebecca." Sirene said, raising her hands. "If Eigengrau meant to kill you for this, you would have never been born."