Arc 2 pt.1
Scene 0
- What a nuisance.
- Hellen. - A voice emerged from the shadows
- Qian... - She looked back - what is it? - She seemed bothered by something
- About Shiroh's commission...
- Ah... - She gazed forward again
Hellen observed a dead body lying on the ground, with several cards stuck in it. She crouched down to pick them up:
- What's up with that?
- It's about the person she commissioned...
- Oh, yeah... - She stood up, wiping the blood off the cards - did I tell you who it is? - She smiled
- No... though I have a hunch, since we investigated together.
- You're probably right - Her smile seemed to grow even wider
- ...do you want to warn Shiroh about this? Maybe she'll change her mind.
- Hah! No. She's just another person with too much power in her hands, who is vile and corrupt. She deserves it. She herself knew full well the consequences of contacting me.
- Still...
- What is it? - She looked coldly at Qian - Do you...?
- There must be another way of doing this...
- Qian, it's not up to us. That's not what Shiroh asked - She smiled - I'm simply playing my part! What's more, Shiroh didn't ask us to tell her who the person was, she just said she'd find out. So I have no obligation to notify her. If she regrets it, I'm sorry, I only did my job.
- if you say so...
- Oh, and you'll be the one in charge of killing her - She looked at Qian.
The two remained silent for a while:
- Okay... I understand.
- I just don't know how we're going to do it, she's a difficult person to kill... Do you have any ideas?
- It would have to be a clean hit. And actually, I think I'd need a special weapon.
- Oh, yeah, there's that, right? - She rolled her eyes - right, right - She thought for a while - I can see if Cheng has anything.
- Yes, she has the purple dagger, it's the perfect object for this.
- Good. As for the date, ehrm... as soon as possible should be enough.
- If all goes well, I can do it this week.
- Hah - She smiled - do you want to get it over with?
Qian remained silent:
- I hope you can fulfill your role properly. Who knows what Shiroh can do if we fail? After all... it won't be possible to hide it anymore.
- You're right. I only have one chance.
- And it must be flawless. Do you understand me?
- Yes.
Hellen stared at Qian for a while, not looking very confident with that statement:
- Oh and... - Hellen said - make sure Shiroh is around - She smiled
Qian remained silent:
- That's... cruel.
- I don't care. It's cruel to have a completely innocent person murdered with their whole life to follow. We're not in a war - She frowned - there's no reason to kill innocent people.
They both remained silent:
- Yes... - Qian spoke - You're right, we're not in a war anymore.
- I've had enough of this - She grumbled.
- Look on the bright side, we've been in this city for a few months now. Since we decided to pursue this life, I think we've made a lot of progress.
- Maybe - she sighed - but there are still disgusting leaders like Shiroh - She seemed to be angry - it's because of people like her... people like her that... - She bit her lip - innocent people die - She said bitterly
- Maybe she has her own reasons - She muttered.
- I. don't. care - Hellen was very angry.
- Anyway... - Qian was trying to change the subject - This all reminded me of Volpes...
- Him... - She seemed to want to laugh - I don't know if he's still alive.
- I hope so, I wish him the best...
Scene 1
Facing the entire city, with a huge, almost unfinishable staircase. Anyone looking up, trying to find the end of those stairs, would probably be blinded by the sunlight, even more so reflected in that white building. Along the steps, on each side, there was a statue of all the existing Commanders. And after a long journey, in a Greek-like temple, the columns led up to an immensely large and lavish throne room. At the end of it, and the place where all that architecture had been orchestrated to head, was the throne. Huge, with countless angels and Celestial creatures carved into it. This was the place where, most of the time, Shiroh sat. After all, right behind her, there were two large doors that led to the rest of the palace, that's where she lived. But. This was supposed to be the Pale Palace, its name because, together with the whole of Olympus, it is entirely white. Shiroh had had enough of that landscape, sitting on her throne she could see the whole Olympus. She knew every little detail by heart, even if it was tiny, from looking in the same direction. Today, however, something was wrong. There was something strange, out of place. But she couldn't say exactly what it was.
Still, with each passing minute, she tried to identify what it was. A broken pillar? A tree that had been pruned? Maybe it was even one less speck of dust. What could it be? Suddenly, she felt something liquid, sticky, dripping from her nose. It was weird. This shouldn't be happening. As expected, what dripped out was a black sludge, since that's what Shiroh's insides were made of. But sludge doesn't work like human fluids, so it shouldn't be dripping like that. That's a bad sign. It's a very bad sign. Your time is running out.
Oh, no. Not that. When Shiroh lifted her face, after trying to contain the dripping mud, the Palace, which had once been white, was now turning black. But it wasn't because its color had changed, it was Shiroh's vision that had changed. The sludge that used to flow only from her nose was now coming down like tears, incessantly. And it wasn't long before she was forced to open her mouth, from which she vomited more mud. That's a very bad sign. No, no, no. She tried to get up, maybe she could stop it, or call for help. But, because of the huge amount of sludge coming out of her mouth, she could barely grunt, and because the liquid was sticky, it quickly stained her clothes and dripped onto the floor. Within moments, the whole place was painted black. Shiroh worked like a waterfall, staining the entire floor with that terrible liquid. It reached a level where all she could do was vomit it up and remain lying on the ground, slowly being bathed in black sludge. Perhaps it was because of her unending tears, but even the walls and columns of that place seemed to melt into sludge. Everything around her began to be consumed and transformed into a single color: black. What the hell? When she looked back, her once white hair was now being dyed black, stained by the liquid that had already reached her waist. At this rate, she was going to drown. She tried to stand up, this way it would take longer for her to be completely consumed. Ah. But halfway through, the sludge created hands that held her down, preventing her from getting up. Almost as if they were saying "you'll fall with us". Damn. No, not that. Then she looked ahead and a figure, formed by that same liquid, was standing there. Even though it was only a silhouette and had no face, it seemed to be staring at Shiroh, a frightening sight. She tried at all costs to close her eyes, her mouth, and even to cover her nose with her hands, but even so, the sludge was pouring out. It was horrible, what a terrible feeling. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't blink and she couldn't even scream for help.
Shiroh looked at her hands, they were melting. Her hands lost their physical shape and turned into that same black liquid. Soon her arms and legs met the same fate. With nothing left to hold her up, she fell and began to sink into the liquid. At the same time, she was choking, as she was still vomiting the sludge. Her whole body had been consumed, she could barely tell what was still her body and what was sludge. No. No. No. Before her eyes too were consumed, her last sight was of that figure, still static, staring at her coldly. Your time is running out, Shiroh:
- NO!!!!!!! - She jumped up, panting
She looked around. Ah. It was that same, boring landscape that she faced every day. The columns and the floor: white. Everything seemed to be in its proper place. Shiroh looked at her hands and legs: they were there. She touched her nose, opened her mouth, blinked her eyes. Everything was normal, as it should be. The strands of her hair, which flowed down her throne and past her shoulders, were white, matching the rest of the place. Her clothes too, half black and half white, normal. Normal:
- Agh... - She put one of her hands on her head - a nightmare, then? What a drag. I thought I'd finally gotten rid of them...
Scene 2
- As usual...
- Heyy! Come on - Mia sat down next to him
- You're always late - Iro sighed
- True - She giggled - but this time I have a reason!!!
- And what would that be? - He smiled a little
- Kiri needed help with some things, so she held me for a while...
- Hmm, right - He turned her face away - I think she's just jealous.
- Maybe... we've been spending less time together. Actually, it's still a lot of time, we live together, right... - She looked up at the sky - but compared to before...
- But that's kind of a good thing, in a way. You're spending less time with her because you have other people to spend it with.
- You're right! - She gave a slight smile - but then... Kiri in comparison... - She lowered her head
- Yeah... which is a bit unexpected, isn't it?
- Yes, if you compare us, you'd expect her to have more friends than me - She laughed - but it's not because she's antisocial or anything...
The two sat in silence for a while. Mia seemed to be thinking about something:
- Kiri has always been very self-sufficient. We got into a fight because of that, afterall - She smiled slightly - when she realized that I, who had always depended on her, was fine on her own, she didn't handle it well - Pause - well - She lifted her face, returning to her typically cheerful manner - I never went to visit her at work, so maybe she has a lot of friends there, hm? - She smiled
- Hahah - He laughed - True... maybe she's super famous there...
- Right? I can easily see that!
And as usual, their afternoons passed like this. As always, sitting on a bench in the local park, surrounded by buttercups. The two of them would chat there until sunset, right where the bench faced, and then the light would hit the yellow flowers, creating a great atmosphere. This was their favorite place. It was an old park, and as the city had few residents, hardly anyone visited it. It was beautiful, cozy and quiet:
- But you know. - Mia said - Tery's a bit weird these days... she seems a bit distant, I don't know.
- Distant? What do you mean?
- Like we're not as close as I thought we were. But we are close! I know that. So it's as if she wanted to...stay away from me - She lowered her head
- Look, Ms. Mistery has always been very mysterious, as ironic as that sounds. Maybe that's just it...
- I don't know. - She swung her legs around, looking down
- Eh... it's just that she's never liked talking about herself, and you and Shiroh respect that because it doesn't matter, since you enjoy her company. Shiroh isn't someone who shares her past easily either, let alone you. The three of you get on so well because of this, none of you likes to talk about yourself, and none of you forces it.
- It's true!
- So maybe it's just your paranoia - He smiled - she's mysterious like that, but, hey, at the end of the day, you still enjoy her company. And she likes you too. So why bother?
- Yes... you're right - She smiled back - thank you, Iro. - Her smile was sweet - I don't know what I'd do without you...
- You don't have to thank me... I didn't do anything.
They both looked at the horizon. The sun was setting. It really was a beautiful sight.
Scene 3
- Hey - It wasn't a friendly voice
- Hm? - She looked up with a little smile
- We need to talk - She approached
Hellen, as usual, stood around several dead bodies, and as usual there were several playing cards stuck in them. She crouched down to pick up the cards:
- You can talk, I've got two really big ears, you know - She said, as she flicked her rabbit ears.
Cheng rolled her eyes, Hellen didn't seem to take her seriously at all and that annoyed her:
- I heard about your new commission - She crossed her arms.
- Oh, did Qian tell you?
- No, she didn't.
- Hm... but has she went to see you?
- Yes. She's already spoken to me.
- Have you given her the purple dagger?
- Against my will, yes - She grumbled - I hate those kinds of games.
- HAHAHAHAHA - Hellen laughed - oh, I'm sorry~
- I don't see what's so funny - She seemed to lose her patience
- Oh, Cheng - She wiped the cards - you've always been the one with the worst sense of humor. Ah, I miss Báo at these times - She had one hand on her cheek, she seemed to be thinking about something.
- Hah - She laughed - do you miss that idiot? I hope he's six feet under the ground.
- You know he wouldn't die so easily, right? Look, you, me and even Mary died before him - She closed her eyes for a moment - and, as much as I hate to admit it, the three of us were always the smartest. Of course, I was the smartest.
- Of course, whatever you say - She rolled her eyes - and I disagree.
- Hmm?
- Not saying I'm an idiot. And yes, I hate to admit it, you and Mary were pretty smart. But so is Gaiko. Ah, not Báo. He's a complete idiot.
- Heh... so maybe we're being too kind to Mary. Now that she's dead, we can admit... she was a good strategist, her plans were genius, but... her emotions took over. After all - She smiled - she died precisely because of her recklessness. Who is foolish enough to let themselves be sealed in an item forged by the Gods? Oh, forgive me, but I would never accept her into the deck again.
- Look who's talking... you're a pawn of the Humans. I don't see you as any different from her.
Hellen stared at Cheng for a moment:
- Shut your mouth up. You've been reincarnated in the ridiculous body of a Human who isn't even 18. You and garbage are almost the same thing.
- Look how horrible the Deck has become, then? A fool, a pawn and a piece of trash - She laughed - Maybe I should respect Gaiko more, she's the best here.
- Of course she is - She smiled - Of all of you, Gaiko was the brightest. She wasn't a child like you, an idiot like Báo or an emo like Mary.
- Enough. I didn't come here to relive the past. Not even if you begged me, I'd never go back to your side.
- I don't really care though - She smiled slightly - Qian is already a great partner.
- Of course. If she can fulfill her role.
Hellen looked at Cheng, she was serious, she seemed bothered by that sentence:
- She must fulfill her duty.
- Look, Hellen. The only reason I didn't kill you and your dear friend Qian was because I know I don't stand a chance against her. I've been acting silently for a long time, waiting for her orders, but if you get in the way of my plans again...
- Cheng, be patient. Your time will come.
- I really hope your little friend fails in her plan. I'll be the one to kill that dumbass.
- Of course, as you wish - She rolled her eyes - is that it?
- Yes, that's it.
- Bye, then.
Scene 4
"Take a deep breath, breathe. It's going to be all right. It's all right. You can do this."
Ms. Mistery was watching the city from the top of a mountain. The place seemed calm, and behind her there was a small path that led to the very spot where she was standing. The place was a lookout point, because, as she was doing so, the view from there was very beautiful. She seemed to be waiting for something.
"Take a deep breath. Breathe."
Some voices seemed to be approaching. Ms. Mistery looked back slightly, trying to see who it was. After recognizing the people, she looked at the horizon again:
- Heyyy! Tery!!! - Mia looked excited
- hey... easy there.... - Shiroh was right behind her - how do you manage to climb that staircase... without being tired...?
- I still have a lot of stamina! - Mia snickered
- Wait... - She needed to catch my breath.
- Come on! Tery's waiting!
"It'll be all right. It's going to be all right."
- Hey, Tery!
- How do you still have breath, Mia?
- Are we going on a picnic?
- Are you ignoring me?
- Why did you call us here, Tery?
- HEY! MIAAAA-
- OI, WHAT'S WRONG, SHIROH?
Ms.Mistery, still facing back, giggled slightly when she heard the two arguing. She soon regained her posture, returning her gaze to the horizon:
- Don't you realize that Tery is looking at the view? - Shiroh said
- I'm sorry, but you started it!
The three of them remained silent for a while, watching the scene:
- Mia, Shiroh. - She looked back a little, then turned her face forward - I suppose I should give you some answers...
- Wha, what do you mean?
- Yeah, you don't have to force yourself to talk about yourself, you know?
Ms.Mistery smiled slightly. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and became serious again:
- It's not that... it's just that I've been hiding a lot of things.
- Me too - Shiroh looked at Mia, giggling a little
- Yeah, me too!
They remained quiet, with only the sound of the wind hitting the leaves of the trees:
- of course. - Ms.Mistery sighed
As usual, the woman was wearing a very large, voluminous skirt. It would be difficult to move around in that. She was also, as usual, wearing white gloves. It would be a bit bothering, too. Ah, but what?
- Well... I apologize.
- For what? - Shiroh laughed
- Yeah! No need to apologize!
Silence. Ah, the sound of the wind was really relaxing:
- I'm sorry. - Ms.Mistery said
- Hi?
She had turned sharply in Shiroh's direction. A black sludge fell to the ground, staining the clothes of both Shiroh and Ms.Mistery, even her skirt, her glove, the same liquid dripping from Shiroh's mouth and, the main source, from her stomach. The place where Ms.Mistery, in a single, smooth, precise movement, had pierced with her own hand. The woman's emerald green eyes stared coldly and with superiority at the other woman's crimson eyes, which lost their sparkle. A few seconds later, Ms.Mistery pulled her hand away from the stomach, causing some of the sludge to splash onto the floor and her clothes. Her hand seemed to have turned into some kind of blade, but it quickly returned to normal. Shiroh gradually lost her strength and fell to the ground in agony:
- SHIROH!
Mia ran towards her friend, crouching down, placing her hands on the "bleeding":
- haaaah - Ms. Mistery sighed - what a headache.
Her eyes were cold, she no longer looked gentle and elegant, although elegant, she wasn't gentle, not at all. She was hostile. Completely hostile. Even with part of her movement compromised, she used all her strength and kicked Mia away, who rolled to the start of the trail. She too agonized in pain, but was still conscious. She tried to get up, but before she could, Ms.Mistery had already approached her:
- Tery? - She looked at her... "friend"
Ms.Mistery's eyes twitched at the sight. She wielded a very unique dagger, adorned with jewels and entirely in shades of purple:
- please... - She remained slumped, looking at Ms. Mistery.
The other raised her weapon, preparing to attack Mia:
- I...
The younger woman was still slumped over, static:
- I can't - She turned her face away, she seemed to be crying - I'm sorry.
At that very moment, before Mia could understand what was happening, Hellen appeared, stepping in between the two of them:
- HONESTLY. I knew you wouldn't make it - She looked at Shiroh
- I'm sorry. - Ms.Mistery replied
- What? - Mia muttered
- Damn.
Shiroh seemed to have regained consciousness, as she looked at both Hellen and Ms. Mistery with hatred. Hellen returned her gaze with a small smile:
- Let's go - The two disappeared
- What was that?
Before Mia could answer that question, or even get up, she lost consciousness. Everything had gone black.
Scene 5
The year 2018 was almost ending, many things had happened, many people had changed. Some people, however, didn't know how to react to these changes in a good way:
- How is she? - It was Shiroh who spoke
A few weeks had passed since that incident. Shiroh managed to recover quickly, as expected:
- Mia's fine - Kirisaki replied, seeming tired - she regenerates very quickly, the injuries weren't that bad. It's just that... the shock of everything that's happened is still hard for her to deal with.
- I see...
- Maybe... - She looked at Shiroh - you might want to wait a while before talking to her again. Ms.Mistery was a very important person to her, you know.
- Okay, I understand. Thank you very much.
However, they weren't the only ones suffering from the consequences of that day:
- I don't know why I trusted you - Hellen looked annoyed, pacing back and forth
- I'm sorry...
- SORRY? Now our plan has fallen apart, because of YOU! If you're sorry, go and kill Mia once and for all!
- Calm down, would ya - Cheng approached them
- Cheng - Hellen looked at her with disgust - what are you doing here?
- I've come to get what's mine - She spun the purple dagger - Did you forget to give it back? - She smiled
- If that's all you came for, get out!
- I'm already meddling in - She smiled - isn't this a win-win situation?
- What do you mean? - She seemed to lose her patience even more
- I didn't want you to kill Mia, I want to kill her myself. And you didn't kill an "innocent" and you still managed to make Shiroh realize what she had done... isn't that great?
- No. What was asked was to kill the person with the connection to the Matrix Species, and we failed at that. I don't care if she's innocent, if you want to kill her or what. Now, all we've managed to do is fail at our job and make Shiroh angry - She gazed at Ms.Mistery
- All right, if you say so - She shrugged, then disappeared.
- I'm sorry, Hellen. I didn't realize how... attached I'd become to Mia. It's my total mistake.
- It's in the past now - She rolled her eyes - there's no point in complaining. We'll just have to come up with another plan. Now that both Mia and Shiroh know she's our target, it'll be harder. Your role is useless now! - She grumbled - aghh, and I'd put so much effort into this! It was perfect. Dammit.
- Well... but will Shiroh change her plan? Mia is the one she needs dead, what will she do now?
- That's exactly what I ask to you. - It was a very unwelcome voice at that moment
- Shiroh... - Hellen had lost all her luck that day. That's great. - What do you want here? Have you come to ask us to try and kill your dear little friend in a painless way?
- Shut up. I'm out of patience with you. - She looked at Ms.Mistery - and you... how could you.
Ms.Mistery looked away:
- from the beginning? Did you approach us with ulterior motives?
- Not to Mia...
- HAH! OK! GOOD TO KNOW! - She laughed - you're still a terrible person.
- So, what do you want? - Hellen was clearly annoyed - if you've come to threaten us, know that we're in this together. If you tell on us, we can tell on you! So you'd better watch your mouth.
- That's not it. I came here to cancel my commission. I don't need you to kill Mia anymore.
- Oh? But you didn't need her dead? Now, just because it's someone you know, you've changed your mind? Like if it wasn't Mia, it wouldn't matter, then?
- Yes. Exactly.
The three of them were silent for a while:
- Unlike you, Hellen, I know my values very well, and I don't mask them with a false sense of justice. I know very well why I asked for what I did, no matter how it may seem, it's not a selfish move. Yes, at the end of the day I still need Mia dead, but I'm going to do it differently. Maybe it's a good thing that she's the person I need, after all, she prevented some innocent person from dying. Isn't that what you wanted? - She smiled
Hellen remained silent for a long time:
- If that's what it is - She turned back - then I'm goin-
- your time is running out - Hellen finally said something, cutting Shiroh's speach
- Hi? - Shiroh's eyes widened.
- Do you want me to repeat it? - She lifted her face - Your time is running out, Shiroh - She smiled
- What do you mean? - She seemed to be trying not to kill her right then and there
- Exactly what I said. Tik, tok~ I wonder how many more years you'll last? - She laughed
- How do you know that?
- Oh, when you came to beg me like that, it was hard not to notice - Her smile distorted - soon your people will realize that the "almighty one" is weakening, what a shame, huh? Heh. Careful, don't take your anger out on me. That will only shorten your time even more!
In the blink of an eye, Shiroh pointed the blade of a large sword at Hellen's neck:
- I may not turn you in. But I can end your existence without leaving a trace behind. So you'd better watch your words too. Do you want me to start a war again, by any chance?
Hellen bit her lips, looking bitter:
- you're a nasty person.
- Look who's talking - She lowered her sword - I warned you. See you later - And disappeared
Scene 6
Mia was sitting on her bed, trapped in thought. Ever since Ms.Mistery had tried to kill her, this had become a common occurrence. She left the house less often and spent most of her time thinking about something, with a faraway look in her eyes. What nobody knew, however, was that Ms.Mistery wasn't the one she was thinking about. Someone knocked on the door:
- Mia, excuse me - It was Kirisaki
- What's up, Kiri?
- How are you? - She had a worried look on her face
- I'm...
Crossing glances with Kirisaki, Mia had finally realized that she had been in this routine for a long time. The people around her were worried:
- I'm fine - She smiled - it's no big deal, you don't have to worry.
- You barely leave the house, how can I not worry?
- I'm sorry - She lowered her head - it's just... there's a lot on my mind.
- It's exactly at these times that it's good to go out.
The two looked at each other. It was somewhat ironic that Kirisaki had said that. After all, she ran away from home as a child, and it wasn't long before Mia did the same. It's because of this attitude that they are where they are today:
- I mean - Kirisaki seemed to realize what she had said
- I get it - She smiled gently
- see.. - She smiled, relieved - you've got Iro, you've got Shiroh too... not to mention Kieza, Zenska, Mio, Aisa... it's been a while since you've spoken to them.
- And there's you too.
- ah - She was embarrassed - well... yeah... - She looked away - but you'd hardly leave the house to spend time with me. If that means you're going to leave the house, then I'm fine.
- But I also want to spend time with you.
Kirisaki didn't seem to expect that:
- ah... thank you - She smiled, turning her face away, embarrassed - AH, YEAH! - She stood up abruptly - I came here because Shiroh wanted to talk to you, but I didn't know if... you were well enough for that.
- No..
At that moment, Mia seemed stuck in thought again:
- I want to talk to her, yes.
While Shiroh waited for her answer, she was in the Pale Palace, walking through one of the corridors that surrounded a huge garden. In the center was a sculpture and a fountain, with mainly hydrangeas and lilies planted there. She walked calmly while observing the garden. This was another landscape she had grown tired of seeing. Perhaps it was time to change the garden a little. But today in particular, there was something strange about it. Shiroh stopped her walk and took a closer look at the garden. There was a person there. Then the light coloured flowers began to darken. The fountain, from which water used to flow, now dripped black sludge and the sculpture seemed to be crying. The columns in the corridor were melting. Oh, shit. Not again. Now, on closer inspection, it wasn't a person. It was the same silhouette as before. Just staring at Shiroh, completely still. A sharp pain erupted in Shiroh's head, causing her to bend over, agonizing in pain. And it wasn't long before she started crying and vomiting sludge. All over again. To tell the truth, these kinds of illusions have always been common, the bad news is that they've been increasing in frequency, and that meant one thing. Your time is running out. If it continued at this rate, what was illusion would one day be reality. Breathe, Shiroh, breathe. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. When she opened them again, everything was normal. The flowers were clear, the fountain was gushing water, the columns were standing firm. The mud was no longer dripping from her mouth and her headache was gone. Everything was normal.
Scene 7
Days passed, and at Kirisaki's insistence, Mia began to leave the house as often as she normally did. Even so, on the days she stayed at home, or when she was simply in her room, she was always thinking about something. Something was the reason for her deep thoughts. Something that even she herself didn't know what it was. Again, someone knocked on the door:
- Shiroh?
- Hi... - She entered the room, shyly
- It's been a while.
- Yep...
The two remained silent, the atmosphere was very heavy, even uncomfortable:
- Are you all right? - Shiroh said
- Yes, I'm fine. And you?
- I'm fine too. I think we're lucky to have fast regeneration - She laughed lightly
- Yeah... - She looked away - not everyone would say the same.
- Anyway, uhm... I apologize.
- For what?
- For... - Pause - for not helping you at the time.
- For what? Ter... Ms.Mistery attacked you in the stomach! How could you help me then?
- Well... - She lowered her face - I don't know. And also, we were a trio... so... I know the pain you're feeling. And that's why I'm sorry too.
- There's no need to apologize - She smiled slightly, closing her eyes - it wasn't you who betrayed me.
Shiroh remained silent, looking at Mia, but her gaze was distant:
- You know, Shiroh, that's why she knew so much about Hellen and the Deck?
She remained silent:
- why me? Why did she trick us? Mary and Cheng I can understand... but her... what did I do to her? what... did I do wrong? - She had her hands on her head - it's exhausting.
- Hellen... was brought back to life, becoming a cyborg. More accurately, a cyborg-udroid. As well as having knowledge of strategy, leadership and combat from her past life as the Joker of the Deck, she also had the ability to hack and infiltrate any technological equipment with her tail, as she was a udroid. Because of this, she became a perfect weapon for war.
- What? - Mia raised her face
- She met Qian, or rather Ms.Mistery in the war - She had a bitter smile - Maybe it would have been better to hear it from Ms.Mistery herself, but... she's not a human. She was able to pierce my belly because she's from an Ancient species. You know that Big Bang theory? It's real. And the originators of the Big Bang were none other than the ancestors of today's Humans, the Ancient Humans, who evolved into Seers. Qian is one of the last surviving Seers who is not exiled. Seers can modify the matter in their bodies into anything. Something not even the God of Matter can do. That's how she attacked me.
Mia just listened completely appalled, not knowing how to react:
- Well, Qian still has some other species mixed in, which I can't tell yet. I'm sure there's a reason why she always wears heavy clothes, but I don't know yet. Not that it matters any more. The point is... I've had my eye on Hellen for a long time and yet, I wasn't able to figure out that Qian was the same person as Ms.Mistery, even though I knew they were both Seers - Pause - that's... why I apologize.
- ah... how did you find out about all this?
- The two were very famous figures in the war, with a third member: Volpes. He only disappeared after the end of the war, while Hellen decided to change the direction of her life after losing someone important. Qian accompanied her on this journey. Their course, well, you already know what it was. But. Hellen doesn't like killing innocent people precisely because she's experienced war.
- hah - She looked away - so am I a criminal?
Shiroh was quiet for a while:
- Sometimes... we're just unlucky, that's all - She said - but what I really wanted to tell you, Mia, was that... - She was looking nervous - have you ever heard of the name Karya?
Mia was silent for a long time. She seemed trapped in thought. Her gaze was distant, as if a flood of information was crossing her mind. Then she finally opened her mouth:
- no. Never heard of it.
Final Scene
- Hey...
It was a sweet, gentle voice that resonated in her ears like a long-forgotten melody. It was like a childhood memory resurfacing:
- Promise me something?
The figure was a bit blurry, it was hard to see her face because of the wind whipping through her hair, not to mention the flower petals flying about:
- Promise me...
Still, the sight was warm, cozy. She didn't want to leave, ever. She could stay there for the rest of eternity:
- ...you won't forget me?
Ah.
Mia woke up in the middle of the night, getting up and sitting on her bed. The moonlight was coming through her window; she hadn't closed the curtains. She stared at her sheets, still reliving that sweet dream. She lifted her head, looking to the side, in the direction of her desk and, above it, a magnet board. Written on a large piece of paper, stuck in the middle of the panel, was "Karya". Mia stared at the paper:
- Karya. - She muttered
Ever since she had heard that name from Shiroh's mouth, it had been ringing in her mind. Like an alarm that never ceased. She started having these dreams, they seemed so real, it was almost as if they were just memories. But it was still very confusing, she couldn't tell if it had happened or if it was just a weird dream. They always ended when that woman said "don't forget me". She just decided to let it go and go back to sleep:
- Look at the trees..
That was possibly the most beautiful garden She had ever seen. It had every type of flower possible, arranged in such a way that their tones, smells and shapes complemented each other. And, no matter what time of year it was, they were always in bloom:
- Isn't that comforting?
She turned her face away, smiling. But the flowers and the wind again covered so much of her face, it was impossible to recognize:
- Do you feel better now?
Her voice was so sweet, so calm, almost like a mother. She could easily fall asleep just listening to that voice, even in that silent garden, with only the sound of the trees. It really was relaxing:
- Whenever you need anything, come here.
This feeling was so unique and strange, she had never felt it before, but for some reason it made sense. It was as if she had gotten used to this feeling. As if it were common, expected:
- So you won't forget me, okay?
However, the dream didn't end there. The wind had stopped, and now everything seemed... real. It wasn't a dream. Or a memory. That was reality:
- Did you hear me, Mia? - She smiled gently
- Oh, yes!
- I know you're nervous about everything that's been going on recently - She closed her eyes, turning her head to the flowers - but whenever you need me... don't hesitate to come to me. I'll always be here - She looked at her
She had a slightly greenish skin, dark green slightly wavy hair tossed to one side, her eyes were entirely white, with no pupils or irises. Two extremely pointed elf ears, a white halo. That's all Mia could see:
- Thank you, Karya.
That was Karya. That was her. It was her. She stood up again, this time abruptly, she was panting. That voice, sweet, warm, echoed in her mind.
Find me
You need to find me
Please
It all made sense now. All this time. It was you. The reason for everything, that voice that kept speaking in my mind. All this time... Karya. I've found you!
