"Hit me." The strange girl beside her bed said full of hope and anticipation. As the elf stared at the strange girl she thought she had seen the shadows on her skin shimmer and move.

 

  The girl, looked no more than 20 with a long dark hair that seems to consume the light around them. Her eyes were like differently coloured gems which each gleaming magnificently in the unnatural white light. One eye was ghostly blue and her other eye was like gold with small traces of red scattered inside. She wore a black sleeveless dress with silver trim that Iris has never seen before although she knew nothing about fashion. She also noticed after some time staring at the strange girl that her alabaster skin looked as if no blood was present under her skin adding to her sculpted-like beauty, to add to her ghostly appearance, a purple jewel that emitted a muffled glow was visible through the thin fabric of her dress slightly under where her clavicle bones met. The crystal seemed aware of her gaze as the purple light retreated further into the girl's chest without her noticing. The porcelain girl looked so delicate that Iris feared that the lightest touch would break the girl into a pile of dust.

 

"Did it work! This does look fine...Mm?" The girl muttered to herself casting her expecting eyes down with a face of deep thought.

 

"W-Where a-am I?" The elf spoke with much hesitation and confusion lingering in her voice, not wanting to anger the strange pale girl.

 

  Iris curled herself into a small ball wanting to appear as small and unnoticeable to the pondering girl but her efforts were for not, as soon as a single of Iris's muscle twitched the girl's eyes shoot up towards her. Her face seemed uncertain of what emotion to show, showing many emotions all at once with her jaw wordlessly working grinding the side of her cheek between her pearly teeth. Even with her life possibly at stake Iris found it irresistible to stare at the human finding the girl's ability to rapidly cycle through her emotions, adorable.

 

"Y-You will n-not do as I-I ordered?" She finally responded, shuddering heavily seemingly struggling to believe her own words which the elf found strange.

 

"Do I have to h-hit you?"

 

  For some unknown reason, the girl's arms shot up towards the ceiling Iris quickly raised her arms out of freight but found herself stopped by a giant smile that would cause any person to pause to admire its pure beauty.

 

"I did it! I did it! Finally!"

 

  The doll like human spun around so her back was facing the bed and fell on it, repeating the words a couple  more times with the most adorable face that beamed out the feeling of accomplishment and relief. She stayed lying on the bed Iris was laying on for a little while with the same cute smile etched into her face until she turned her head with an animalistic grace and meet Iris's eyes.

 

"Aa!"

 

  She stood up with a small squeal of embarrassment and shame. The girl stood there, not meeting Iris's eyes while fidgeting around with a visible blush. Absentmindedly Iris asked herself how was that possible but she abandon the thought when the girl spoke.

 

"W-well we are in m-my house, under the capital."

 

"Oh."

 

  An awkward silence surrounded the two.

 

"Are you Kiayicu by any chance?" 

 

"Y-yes I think that was my name, how you know it?"

 

"Huh? What do you mean that you think?"

 

"I-I didn't speak to anyone in a long time," Kiayicu answered with an emphasis on one of the words.

 

"Oh, I am sorry for asking," Iris said with a slight bow, feeling Alicia's training kick in.

 

"Oh no, I am very happy now that you are here, you do not need to apologize, perish the thought!" The girl started to wave both of her hands in refusal of Iris's apology becoming more frantic as the time passed.

 

   Trying to change the subject Kiayicu extended her arm which has disappeared into a purplish void. Much like Brad or Alicia, Kiayicu appeared to be possess Inventory spell which to Iris's knowledge was a very high-level spell. After a few short moments, her hand came out holding a long white sleeveless dress with a bronze belt and a pair of undergarments.

 

"Eek!"

 

  Just now Iris realised that she was naked, she quickly covered more of her already covered the body with the blanket that she was under. She made a frown but Kiayicu returned her frown with a confused tilt of her head. The elf wondered who undress her, was it the sentinel or the girl standing before her. Before her thoughts turned somewhere it shouldn't, Kiayicu spoke again with an expression of utter confusion to the elf's behavior.

 

"The sack that you wore was all patchy and I had to perform the ritual so I removed your clothes. They would only get in my way." She spoke and made a hand gesture when her clothes were mentioned. 

 

  Iris agreed that calling a sack with holes in it "clothes" was generous, she made a heavy sigh realising that she was frowning at her saviour that apparently did not know why it was wrong to see someone naked was pointless. She felt a intense need to protect the girl from further embarrassment and stood up pulling the thin blanket  with her causing it to fall off the bed, she reached out towards the clothes that Kiayicu was still holding.

 

"Thank you very much, but you should not look at people while they are naked..." Iris explained using a very simple language, similar to how would a parent explain to a child. After that, the girl's alabaster cheeks became flushed pink from embarrassment although her face showed little signs of true understanding, which still puzzled Iris. 

 

  Iris asked where she could get change and the black hair girl showed her an area of a room beside the massive wardrobe and body size mirror with a movable wall made of paper or something similar that was slightly taller than she was and had colourful floral patterns. She undressed and curiously gazed at the elaborately made mirror. Her previously malnourished frame with many bruises was now in an immaculate condition without the many bruises which stayed on her body even after being healed. The dress given to her by Kiayicu was something that she would never dream of possessing. Its fabric was soft to touch and somehow fitted her perfectly. Iris's mind was flooded with even more questions as the possibility of this all being a dream faded as the soft fabric hugged her body with gentle touch.  For how long was the mysterious girl looking after her? Was the girl was the owner of the temple that she had entered with the other humans, was Brad about to storm in and take her away? Or simply she had forgotten something important or maybe her mind made up memories because of the stress. Her memories did feel like looking through a mirage, all jumbled up and foggy.

 

   She pinched her forearm hard but after lifting her fingers she saw no redness where she pinched nor did the pain of it reached her mind, she slapped herself trying to see if she everything around her was simply a mirage but stopped herself. She would enjoy this dream was as long as she could. When she exited and put the "separator" in its previous position, she found Kiayicu sitting on a chair waiting with an expression of fear and wory but when she noticed Iris came back she sighed with audible relief and a hand on her crystal dropped.

 

"I again thank you for this dress, I couldn't even think of a way to repay y-"

 

"No problem! Eem... I forgot to ask you your name." Kiayicu stood up full of enthusiasm but it quickly disappeared and was replaced with an expression of committing a grave sin or worse.

 

"My name is Iris." She approached the depressed-looking girl putting one of her hands on the girl's shoulder in a comforting manner. "Nothing bad has happened Kiayicu, so you could not be so sad," Iris said with a reassuring smile.

 

"Thank you very much. C-could you call me K-Kia please?" Kiayicu asked her while slightly fidgeting around.

 

"Are you sure?"

 

"Yes, em I mean...I am sure." Kia struggled to keep her emotions under control but finished her answer with a smile. Dark haired elf smiled too at the girl with an innocent and heartwarming smile of hers.

 

"Would you like a tour of the area?" 

 

"If it is no problem to you." The elf said before she could understand what Kia said.

 

  They left the room and Kia started to explain with meticulous attention to detail about every room while they walked through a corridor made of white marble and filled with evenly spaced columns. They have reached a small circular courtyard with an old tree in the centre of it, surrounded by many types of flowers and a bench made out of lightly colour wood on each of the four sides. 

 

"You mentioned a ritual, yes?

 

"Yes."

 

"What type of ritual?" Iris asked the question that plagued her mind for some time now.

 

"E-er...reanimation ritual that I..."

 

"What!" The elf almost forgot to breathe.

 

"Reanimation ritual that I was creating but because I primarily use death element it caused you to be revived as an undead. You were dead when I found you. You died because of a heart..." She speeded through her explanation.

 

"W-What! Why! You turn me into a monster! You stole my SOUL!" She screamed at the girl and stormed out, realising that this was not a dream but a terrible nightmare.

 

  The girl's double colour eyes started to gather pools of water that flowed into deluge tears. She tried to stop Iris from running from her but tripped and fell. Hitting her head on the flawless brickwork.

 

   Iris did not know where to run in the giant mansion. She ran to the room where she woke up and closed the door. She tried to hide but her body froze and she angrily stared at the dream like room and started to curse another monster in human form, she suddenly stopped and closed her eyes. 

 

  Was Kiayicu the same as the others? She was trying so hard to have someone to talk to and the elf felt something tug on her heartstrings as memories of dark cell with a long water stained in a corner appeared in front of her eyes. Was even her soul worth enough to serve such a being? She had prayed to many beings to free her from her shackles and maybe by some legendary coincidence her prayers had been answered? Why was she even running in the first place, where would she even run towards. According to most she was already a monster worth as much as it costed to clean a sword from her blood. She did not feel dead or hate towards the living if Kiayicu was one, she felt better thanks to her yet she repaid kindness with curses, overcome by fear which ruled her life throughout. She opened her eyes only to be greeted by a soft light of an azure ring around her. She jumped at the sight and fell from the bed. 

 

  Why did her talent awaken during such a time? Iris enlighten by the revelation prayed to whatever Aspect that would listen to what she could find Kiayicu, no Kia.

 

 Iris ran towards the courtyard entrance and the sight caused her to shed tears about what had she done. Kia was still sobbing on the ground not bothering to stand up. Half of her body was just a skeleton frame while the border between the halves burned with black flame. Without hesitation, Iris threw herself at Kia embracing her.

 

"I'm sorry so very sorry!"

"I'm sorry!"

"I'm sorry so very sorry!"

 

  Kia clung to Iris and hugged her, muffling her own sobs. Iris rocked back and forward gently, almost motherly patting Kia's hair. Kia wrapped her hands to Iris as if the she feared the elf would run away again. They sat there with the high rocky ceiling of the underground cavern which housed Necropolis shimmering like the night sky.

 

---

 

"...only those with a functioning soul can be granted or awaken talents..."

-Extract from a torn page from an unknown diary.