Lillith - Chapter 17 - Anger deceives, fear destroys

Attention, this is a work of fiction, and all characters are adults, over 18 years old!

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Information for reading:

Vitalis = a specimen created for this universe, in appearance and most of the characteristics they are the same as human beings, however, their contact with nature is immeasurable, to the point that they can control plants as if they were talking to them.

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Seraphina opened the portal to her office, her mind racing, and entered with determination. Her firm footsteps echoed through the room, drawing the attention of Morgana, Lillith, and Emma, who were occupying the space while awaiting Seraphina’s instructions. The atmosphere was silent, and the trio seemed caught between boredom and restlessness. Emma, seated in a nearby chair, flipped through one of the ancient books from the shelf, trying to distract herself. Morgana, on the other hand, focused intently on her hands, casting a subtle spell, her fingers glowing with a soft shimmer. Lillith was entertained with a magical orb, tossing it into the air absentmindedly.

As soon as they heard the magic of the portal and Seraphina’s footsteps, Lillith sighed in annoyance without even looking to see who entered. With a careless flick, she threw the orb toward the door, aiming it at the groin of whoever was coming in. The orb shot like a magical arrow, swift and precise, but as it bounced off Seraphina's groin, it simply fell to the ground, without effect. Seraphina glanced down, watching the orb bounce, and took a deep breath of relief, grateful not to have a sensitive target to be hit. Lillith, noticing it was Seraphina, made a disappointed face, wishing for a moment it had been someone more vulnerable, just to add a bit of amusement to the tense situation.

Ignoring the orb, Seraphina advanced, her face serious and focused. Without wasting time, she addressed Morgana and announced in a firm voice:

“I secured the Phoenix Scepter.” She paused, looking at each of them. “We have enemies surrounding us outside, but the school is sealed. Armand and Esmeralda cast the spell successfully.”

While Seraphina spoke, she closed the portal with a quick hand motion, reinforcing the barrier around them. The room was now locked, and the atmosphere grew even denser. She continued:

“This room is likely the safest place in the school. And it’s here that I’ll remain while using the scepter.” She held up the staff, showcasing her new and powerful tool.

Lillith raised an eyebrow and murmured curiously:

“Phoenix Staff?”

Emma, glancing at the scepter in Seraphina’s hands, interjected in a calm, instructional tone:

“The Phoenix Staff is a legendary relic.” She paused, savoring the weight of the words. “If the wielder can control the Phoenix's power, they become nearly invincible. The Phoenix is practically like a Divine Eye… only enhanced in every way. But the price is high: it drains the user's mana to its limit.”

Seraphina listened intently, absorbing every word while holding the staff with reverence. Lillith leaned in closer to get a better view of the object. Seraphina sat in a nearby chair, positioned the scepter in front of herself, and closed her eyes, entering a deep state of concentration.

“Wherever you are…” Seraphina murmured with a determined tone, as the Phoenix began to materialize in a swirl of flames. The entity emerged from the scepter, fiery and ethereal, its wings expanding as its feathers glowed with an intense orange light. The Phoenix opened its beak in a silent scream before flying through the walls and out, ready to explore every corner of the school.

The walls of the room trembled slightly with the Phoenix's passage, which quickly traveled through hallways, classrooms, and even the gym. Its journey extended through every tiny detail, every shadow, searching for the slightest hint of an intruder. As Seraphina remained motionless, her connection to the Phoenix allowed her to see everything it saw.

Finally, as it reached the corridor near the janitor's office, the Phoenix made an abrupt stop. And that was when Seraphina saw it: a figure, cloaked in shadow, with a face she would never forget.

She held her breath. Her face turned pale, her expression a mix of shock and fear. Her eyes, still aflame due to the Phoenix’s power, faltered and closed, releasing a faint wisp of smoke. In an almost automatic movement, she opened her eyes again, turning to Morgana with a trembling voice:

“Eliza…”

Morgana raised an eyebrow, confused.

“Eliza…? Are you saying… Eliza, the same Eliza?”

Seraphina could barely speak, her body trembling slightly as she held onto the table to keep her balance.

“Yes…”

“Wait… are you talking about that Eliza who worked here with us… as a teacher? The one who vanished without a trace? That Eliza?”

Seraphina nodded slowly, silent, her gaze haunted.

“‘With us?’” Lillith asked Morgana.

Morgana chuckled briefly. “Did you really think I was never a teacher here?” Her expression quickly grew serious as she remembered. “But Eliza… She wasn’t just any teacher… She was the daughter of the former headmistress.”

The room fell into complete silence. Seraphina remained in such deep shock that her breathing seemed to falter for a few seconds. Emma approached her, gently touching her shoulder and asking in a concerned voice:

“Headmistress… are you okay? I’ve never seen you like this.”

Seraphina turned, her horrified gaze fixed on Emma. Finally, she took a deep breath and tried to regain her composure, still visibly shaken.

“I’m… I’m fine, Emma.” She forced a weak smile. “I just need… a little time to pull myself together. My mana is at its limit.”

She began searching the shelves, rifling through each vial with quick and almost desperate movements.

“Is this what you're looking for, Miss Seraphina?” Emma asked, pointing to a small blue mana potion.

Without hesitation, Seraphina grabbed the vial and downed its contents in one gulp, feeling her mana replenished. Then, she placed two fingers on her ear and activated a communication rune, calling Armand. Her voice sounded grim and resolute as she announced:

“The enemy… is Eliza.”

On the other end, Armand’s silence was deafening. In the gym, he was paralyzed, his face showing utter fury. Students and teachers around him noticed his reaction, watching in silence and awaiting more details. But Armand could barely process the information, his mind was frozen, half in rage, half in shock.

Armand then responded, “What’s the plan?”

Seraphina was surprised by his brief, curt reply, but used it to steady her mind, finally starting to formulate a plan with Armand and Esmeralda.

--

The hallway door creaks slightly as Eliza strides forward, her steps firm and her gaze determined. The corridors are silent, the soft torchlight illuminating the coldness in her expression. She encounters Eldric, the magical biology professor, who looks up as he notices her approach. A golden badge rests on his chest, reflecting the torch flames and indicating his position of authority in the school. Eldric immediately adopts a defensive stance, extending his hands and preparing two greenish runes that glow in his palms, forming an intense aura around him.

Eliza pauses and observes his reaction, frowning. A slight smile appears on her lips as she assesses the situation with a curious look. "Oh, a new face. Interesting... It seems we have a professor now...," she remarks with disdain, noticing Eldric’s badge. In a bold move, she adjusts her top slightly, correcting her nearly slipping attire and deliberately swaying her chest to create a small distraction. Eldric immediately averts his gaze, his face hardening as he tries to maintain composure.

She lets out a low laugh and taunts, "Really? If I were here to kill you, that little glance away would have been your death sentence."

Eldric bristles, returning her gaze intensely, the runes in his hands glowing even brighter. "Leave the school and abandon your plans, and no one will get hurt!" he shouts firmly.

Eliza raises an eyebrow, an ironic laugh escaping her lips. "You must be joking, right? Is this what the school has become now? A... man threatening a witch?"

With determination, he corrects, "A mage threatening a witch."

She just rolls her eyes and responds with a sadistic smile. "Mage? Alright... ‘Mr. Mage,’ when I worked here, mages respected witches, fearing they’d lose... certain treasures."

Her comment makes her smile even more as she sees the slight tremor that appears in Eldric, who reacts immediately. He channels energy into the runes, summoning a series of thorny plants around Eliza. The plants quickly snake around her legs, climbing up her waist and finally wrapping around her neck, forcing her into captivity.

“Oh, plant magic?” she remarks, examining the plants entwining her. "So you’re with the Vitalis. I bet you’re the magical biology professor, right?" She observes every detail as the plants tighten further, with Eldric intensifying his mana.

"A brute of a mage, it seems. Not up for conversation... What a shame, I even thought about prolonging the fight, but it seems this will be quick," Eliza mutters, touching the plants. The moment her fingers make contact, it’s as if the life is drained from them in seconds; they wither, dry up, and fall to the floor like dead leaves. Eldric’s expression shifts from surprise to despair as he watches his magic fail instantly.

Without hesitation, he conjures another plant, a vigorous root rising from the floor. However, Eliza grabs it mid-air, crushing it in her hands and letting the shattered fragment fall to the ground. In response, he changes tactics, casting a rune beneath her feet. A giant hand of pure energy emerges from the ground, rushing up from floor to ceiling at an absurd speed. A deafening crash echoes down the corridor as the fist vanishes, revealing Eliza standing in the exact same spot, unharmed.

"Did she dodge it?" he thinks, incredulously. "How... that's one of my fastest spells!"

Before he can process the situation, a dense current of air emerges behind him, propelling him violently towards her. Eliza extends her arm and grabs Eldric by the neck, her fingers firmly encircling him and holding him in place. He feels the weight of her power as she lifts him off the ground, her expression remaining calm and cruel.

"I could kill you right now," she whispers, her eyes locked onto his. "There are so many ways to do it... Electrocute you... pierce your throat... or even incinerate every bit of you. Imagine how delightful it would be to burn a Vitalis..."

The terror in Eldric’s eyes is evident. She watches him, almost relishing the fear in his gaze. "But where would the fun be in that? Anyone can die like that... But, you know... there's something I can do only with mages like you... something special for those who dare to threaten me."

She throws him against the wall, the impact reverberating down the corridor. Before he can even think of responding, her knee rises with brutal speed, landing squarely on his right ball. The shock spreads through the professor's body, who tries to scream but can only open his mouth in a silent scream, frozen in agony. Eliza doesn’t give him time to recover; her knee comes down and rises again, now hitting the left one with cruel precision. Eldric collapses to his knees, his eyes nearly rolling back as he writhes on the floor, overcome with excruciating pain.

Eliza crouches, getting closer to his contorted face. "Ah, how adorable... This never gets boring," she murmurs, her voice almost sweet but loaded with disdain.

She stands with a sigh of boredom, feigning a disinterested air. "I’d love to play a little longer, darling, but I have more important things to do. So, I’ll leave you here... to learn to respect a witch."

Eliza extends her hand, conjuring a red rune. The same plants he summoned, now withered, begin to move, as if coming back to life, wrapping around Eldric's legs. They rise to his groin, twisting around his fingers and then encircling his testicles, tightening in a painful grip. With an abrupt tug, the plants lift him upside down, suspended only by his testicles.

She watches him for a moment, a sadistic smile on her face. She leans in, extends a finger, and gives his right ball a light flick, eliciting an agonized moan from Eldric, who dangles helplessly in a state of utter misery.

“Good luck with that,” Eliza says calmly before turning her back and continuing down the corridor, disappearing into the shadows as Eldric remains suspended, groaning in agony, alone in his humiliation.

--

Valerya was walking briskly through the school corridors, her firm steps echoing off the empty walls when she heard Armand's urgent call. In an instant, she sped toward the gym, where he and Esmeralda awaited her. As she entered the vast, empty space, Armand waved her over with urgency, calling her closer.

“Valerya!”
Armand began, his eyes intense, reflecting the seriousness of the situation. He took a deep breath, as if carefully choosing each word. “We have a plan, but we need time for it to work. Seraphina still needs to prepare the Phoenix Scepter, and Esmeralda and I need to set some things up.”

Valerya listened attentively, her face expressionless, not blinking as Armand continued.

“We need you to find Eliza,” he said, holding her gaze firmly. “Once you locate her, relay her position to us and… delay her. For as long as you can.” He paused, then stepped a bit closer and added in a grave tone, “Don’t underestimate your enemy!”

Valerya held his gaze for a long moment, hating to receive orders from a man, but understanding the gravity of the situation. She turned to Esmeralda, who simply nodded in agreement. Valerya said nothing, spun on her heels, and rushed out, disappearing through the gym door, determined to complete her mission.

She moved quickly and precisely through the school’s long, labyrinthine corridors, her heels echoing in the halls, exploring every corner and mentally reviewing every route Eliza could have taken. After several minutes of running, as she rounded a corner, she caught a peculiar sound—a low, pained moan echoing from somewhere ahead.

Valerya stopped immediately, her sharp senses honing in on the sound. She recognized that type of moan well and, with confidence, turned to follow it. When she arrived at the source, a peculiar and chaotic scene revealed itself. Scattered across the floor were dried leaves and fragments of plants, like the debris of a battle. The ceiling showed deep cracks, indicating the intensity of a powerful blow. And in the midst of the ruined setting, a large wilted plant held a man upside down by his balls. Valerya observed the scene, expressionless, as Eldric writhed in pain, his face flushed and his gaze desperate.

The moment he noticed her presence, his face twisted in a pleading expression. His voice came out in broken gasps, begging for relief.

“Valerya... thank goodness, please… help me… my balls… I can’t take it anymore…”

Valerya kept a cold expression and, instead of responding, raised two fingers to her ear, activating the communication rune.

“Esmeralda, this is Valerya,” she said in an entirely indifferent tone, as if the man hanging before her was nothing more than an object. “I found Eldric.” She cast a disdainful glance in his direction. “He's out of commission. Apparently, his most fragile parts made him lose as usual.”

On the other end, there was a moment of silence, but Valerya could hear the brief sound of Esmeralda stifling a laugh.

“Situation acknowledged,” Esmeralda replied, her voice cold. “Continue searching and notify if you locate Eliza.”

With a slight nod, Valerya ended the communication and then approached Eldric. She grabbed the plant holding him and pulled him closer, his eyes widening in pain as she brought him nearer, relentless. Her cold eyes reflected a complete lack of compassion.

“Where did she go?” she asked, her tone icy and filled with contempt.

Eldric, amid a groan of pain, raised his trembling arm and pointed in the direction Eliza had gone. Valerya nodded with disdain, released the plant, and turned on her heels, beginning to walk away without even looking back.

“Valerya… please!” he shouted, his voice filled with panic as he realized she was truly leaving him in that humiliating position, hanging, trapped by his unbearable pain. But Valerya was already rounding the corridor, disappearing from sight without a hint of remorse, the sound of her steps echoing and then fading into the silence of the empty hallway.

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Valerya ran through the corridors, each firm step echoing along the magical walls of the school. The corridor seemed to stretch, drawing out each second as she advanced, her eyes alert to every corner and shadow. Amid the silence, she heard a familiar voice, making her halt and step back quietly, careful to keep her movements stealthy.

"Funny... I remember it being around here... damn it, this is why I was against modifying the building with magic every year..." Eliza murmured to herself, looking at a wall with irritation.

Valerya quickly hid behind a stone pillar, barely believing her luck. Eliza seemed unaware of Valerya’s presence, focused on finding her way through the rune technology corridors. Valerya seized the opportunity, bringing her fingers to her ear and activating the communication rune with a precise touch.

“I found her,” she whispered, controlling her tone so only the rune would pick up her voice. “She’s in the rune technology corridors.”

The response came within seconds, Esmeralda's cold, precise voice sounding in her ear. “Understood, wait for our signal.”

Valerya nodded silently, her eyes fixed on Eliza, who continued to look around, frustrated and oblivious to her opponent’s presence.

Meanwhile, in the gymnasium, Armand stood talking to two experienced students, both in their final year. He was patiently explaining a series of instructions to them, his hands gesturing smoothly as he indicated what they needed to do.

“It’s very simple,” he said, looking at both students confidently. “You just need to focus your mana on the stars, that’s all…”

Esmeralda interrupted the conversation, her expression serious. “Armand… Valerya found Eliza,” she announced bluntly. “Inform Seraphina!”

Armand nodded immediately, extending his hand to open a portal pulsing with a bluish light. Crossing it, he appeared in Seraphina’s room, where she was surrounded by complex diagrams and magical notes. She seemed absorbed, but as soon as she noticed his presence, she looked up, slightly tense.

“Valerya located Eliza,” he informed directly. “Are you ready?”

Seraphina took a few seconds, her eyes passing over the scrolls and the Phoenix staff before her, her face showing concentration and fatigue.

“I need more time…” she murmured, pressing her fingers to her temples.

Armand took a deep breath, his gaze steady and determined. He knew this would complicate things, but there was no other choice. He turned and saw Emma, who was leafing through a book in the room's library. “Emma, I’m going to need you,” he called.

Emma closed the book, standing up immediately, her expression serious and ready. Lillith, watching the movement, sighed impatiently and rolled her eyes.

“And am I just supposed to sit here doing nothing all day?” she complained, crossing her arms. “This is so boring…”

“SILENCE!” Morgana’s voice thundered through the air, cutting through the room and making everyone turn toward her. Morgana looked at Lillith with intense eyes, her expression stern. “I think you still don’t understand the gravity of this situation...”

Lillith shrank under the leader’s gaze, lowering her head and biting her lips in silence.

Meanwhile, Armand and Emma crossed back through the portal to the gym. He gestured to Emma, quickly explaining the details of the plan as they walked. Seeing Esmeralda waiting, Armand approached her.

“Let’s go…” he said.

“Where?” Esmeralda raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

“To where Eliza is,” he replied, adjusting his fists as if preparing for battle.

“Is Seraphina ready?” Esmeralda asked, hesitant.

“No, she needs more time,” Armand replied firmly. “That’s why we’re heading there.”

Esmeralda let out a frustrated sigh, crossing her arms. “But Valerya is already buying us time…”

Armand smiled with a mixture of seriousness and lightness. “Not for much longer…”

She looked him up and down, an expression mixed with disdain and sarcasm. “For someone who always ends up on his knees crying when she punches you in the balls, you seem to be underestimating her.”

“It’s a shame her enemy has breasts and not balls,” he retorted with a smirk, hardly believing he’d actually said it, as he moved toward the corridor, the students following closely behind.

Esmeralda stomped her heel on the floor with force, annoyed, but quickly regained her composure and followed him. As she walked, she activated the communication rune, bringing her fingers to her ear and speaking in a direct tone.

“Valerya, we need more time for Seraphina. You can proceed with your task.”

Valerya took a deep breath, “Understood.”
preparing herself for what was to come, when she heard a dangerously close, soft voice.

“Oh… someone likes to sneak around, huh?” Valerya quickly turned to the side, and there was Eliza, with a mocking smile. She finished her sentence with an almost musical tone, her green eyes sparkling with amusement.

Valerya’s instincts took over. She clenched her fist and threw a punch with force, aiming for Eliza's face. However, Eliza dodged with ease, moving with a speed and elegance that seemed almost natural for her. Valerya tried again, a quick, direct punch, but once more, Eliza evaded it with an almost irritating lightness.

Valerya launched a third strike, this time with more precision, but Eliza leaned to the side, escaping the attack effortlessly. Before Valerya could pull back, Eliza delivered a side kick that struck her in the abdomen, sending her flying backward with brutal impact. Valerya flew to the end of the corridor, but with an agile maneuver, she landed on one leg, sliding across the floor and keeping her balance until she finally stopped, still standing.

Eliza laughed, the sound echoing through the hallway. She walked toward Valerya with a look of malicious amusement, her eyes scanning her from head to toe.

"Uh…? A familiar face…" Eliza murmured, tilting her head with a look of fake surprise. “I remember you… just started at the school, didn’t you? Oh… hahaha, your chest has grown a lot! Looks like you've become a powerful mage…”

Valerya gritted her teeth, launching herself at Eliza with surprising speed, fueled by anger. Her clenched fist swung in a swift arc, the air whistling with the force of the blow. But Eliza, with the calm and dexterity of a seasoned predator, dodged effortlessly, stepping aside and avoiding the punch.

Before Valerya could react, she felt a punch to her back, a precise and painful hit that slammed her to the ground with force. She fell face down, her body colliding with the hard floor as pain spread through her spine.

“There’s just one little problem…” Eliza’s voice was close, dangerously soft, each word dripping with sarcasm. She crouched down, looking at Valerya on the ground, a contemptuous smile on her face. “I don’t even remember your name… haha… maybe just another useless student?”

Valerya, still recovering from the blow, narrowed her eyes and spat out the blood accumulating in her mouth, her fists clenched, knowing she needed to act with precision and speed, taking advantage of every second to gain ground against Eliza.

Without hesitation, Valerya propelled herself upward, spinning her body with an elegance that belied the brutal strength in her legs. She launched a kick toward Eliza’s face, who dodged at the last moment, leaning back with a teasing lightness. However, Valerya had anticipated the move, and as soon as her feet touched the ground, she did another spin, using the momentum to launch a sidekick with her body’s full power.

Eliza ducked, escaping the blow with an almost supernatural precision, but Valerya’s strength was so intense that the air around them seemed to tremble. Without missing a beat, Valerya used her hands to propel herself into an acrobatic sequence that defied logic. In a fluid motion, she launched another sidekick with accuracy. This time, Eliza blocked it with her arm but underestimated the force behind it.

**BOOM!** **CRASH!**
The impact echoed through the corridor, followed by the sound of concrete breaking. Eliza was thrown back with impressive force, her body colliding against a pillar, shattering it into pieces. Fragments of stone and dust filled the air as Eliza stood up, a mix of surprise and admiration in her gaze.

“Impressive, girl…” Eliza commented, running a hand through her hair, still slightly shaken by the impact. “In terms of hand-to-hand combat, you’re almost a real witch! Maybe I underestimated you a little…” A dark smile appeared on her face. “But… don’t get happy, now I’ll fight seriously.”

The provocation ignited Valerya, feeling her anger growing within her like fire. Without hesitation, she ran down the hallway, using the walls as support and gaining momentum. Valerya threw a kick at the exact moment she reached Eliza, who dodged with an agile move, responding with a swift punch. But Valerya was ready; she quickly ducked, performing a backbend to avoid the punch, and used her arms to support herself in delivering a mule kick.

Her foot came close to Eliza's face, who dodged by a fraction of a second. Valerya took advantage of the momentum of the attack, maintaining the pressure and striking in a furious sequence. She tried a side punch, which Eliza dodged; then an uppercut, which Eliza again avoided. Without giving her a chance to rest, Valerya attempted a sweep, forcing Eliza to jump.

While Eliza was still in the air, Valerya saw her chance and threw a fierce punch, but Eliza spun with lethal grace, dodging the punch at the last second but landing awkwardly, falling on her rear, her chest bouncing. Taking advantage of their proximity, Valerya lifted her leg and brought her heel down with full force toward Eliza. The blow struck the ground between Eliza’s legs, who jumped back slightly, narrowly avoiding the devastating impact. A huge hole opened where Valerya’s heel had hit, shattering the floor.

Eliza gave a breathless laugh at the force of the strike, casting a sarcastic glance at Valerya.

“Good thing I’m not a man, huh?” she taunted.

Eliza's provocation only fueled Valerya's determination further, who immediately went for a precise kick toward her opponent's face. Eliza dodged quickly, grabbing Valerya's leg with impressive dexterity.

“Shall we end this?” Eliza smiled, a spark of malice in her eyes. In a brutal move, she delivered a punch directly to Valerya’s leg, who screamed in pain from the crushing impact on her muscle. Without letting go of the leg, Eliza spun her body and threw Valerya to the side with a force that sent her crashing into the wall.

Valerya tried to stand, but when she put weight on her injured leg, her body gave out, and she fell again, a tremor of pain pulsing with each attempt to move. Before she could react, she saw Eliza’s fist coming rapidly, and in a second, felt the direct impact on her face, making her stagger backward. Without pause, Eliza followed up with a punch to Valerya’s stomach, knocking the air out of her and leaving her doubled over.

Grabbing her by the hair with a firm grip, Eliza brought Valerya’s face closer and, with a ruthless look, lifted her knee and delivered a brutal strike to her face. The impact was so intense that the sound echoed through the hallways, and Valerya tasted blood in her mouth.

Valerya’s vision began to blur momentarily, but she knew she couldn’t give up. Her eyes were nearly closing, her mouth bleeding, but the director’s loyal protector wasn’t going to back down...

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Well... this chapter was a lot of work... A LOT OF WORK! It took me two days to write, in parts... Well, as you can see, even though this chapter was long, there was less ballbusting, but I tried to include more "psychological" mentions of ballbusting in the dialogues, to try to make up for this lack.
For those who don't really like this frenetic action, or this "pressure" on the characters in the story, creating urgency, don't worry, this arc is almost over, and soon we'll go back to something calmer like it was in the beginning...
I tried to make the action in this episode really worthwhile, in a way that you who got this far and read it think it was a good read, even with little ballbusting, that's why I tried to make the fights very detailed and aggressive!
Once again, thanks for reading!


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Previous Chapter:

https://www.reddit.com/r/BallbustingStories/comments/1gjrr8f/lillith_chapter_16_the_elegant_eliza/