"Lecia!"

Echoing about in an underground garage, Rachel's footsteps hastily trail behind the called Stonehenge leader, just as she arrives at her parked car. With the sudden disclosure of the unknown creature to the rest of their secret group, the worried astronomer can't let the former archeologist go so easily, despite having been grilled by many members who were left in the dark.

"Just hold on, please! Was that really necessary?"

Sighing, Lecia leans against her car with one arm extending out before turning around to face the grey-haired woman. Forcing a smile, her exhaustion shows after a heavy battle of questions and criticisms.

However, while trust was shaken for withholding an unexpected summon, many came around to understand their leader's reasoning on waiting to verify what was seen on cameras. After all, this is regarding an otherworldly being, so there had to be greater certainty before causing a commotion.

That said, Lecia can understand Rachel's concerns.

"I wish there was a better way," she answers. "While I didn't mention Amy or Daniel, you must understand that I had to be honest with its disappearance into the cemetery. We're dealing with changes that require everyone on board to find out what we may have missed."

Keeping a hand close to her chest, Rachel frowns. "My issue is that you've pointed our members towards looking unduly into the dead, not to mention families who won't have any relation to this."

"Nobody will be digging graves, Rachel."

"Even so, this is rash! Before expanding the search, we haven't even finished determining whether Amy is connected to-"

"Rachel, enough," Lecia cuts, rubbing her temples. "I get this isn't how you wanted it, but the situation with Al-Bali forced my hand. Let's also not beat around the bush: I know your true worry lies more on growing attention to Daniel and Amy than the cemetery as a whole."

Rachel bites her lips and lowers her gaze, unable to refute. As she wallows silently for a few seconds, Lecia sighs and steps forward to place a hand on the star-expert's shoulder.

"I know this is personal for you," she continues, more softly. "But this is no time to be emotional or protective. Since things have grown bigger than we anticipated, we need to start moving past variables to see the constants."

Understanding well, Rachel shuts her eyes and breathes silently through her nose before looking back up to the Stonehenge leader.

"Then, in that case, allow me to talk more freely with Daniel."

Lecia raises her brows. "Freely?"

Humming, Rachel's pupils remain steady. "You want to resolve this 'variable', right? If that's the case, then just as you've put out the truth for this group, let me do the same for him."

The former archaeologist's breath hitches before gripping the older woman's shoulder tighter. "Wha—are you crazy? We can't do that!"

Rachel pulls away. "You already know I've told Daniel about how his mother's body went missing from the grave. Do you think he won't be looking for answers himself?"

"He's free to figure it out himself, but that doesn't mean we risk looping him if he truly doesn't know anything. At best, I trust him as an artist, nothing more."

"Please, you commissioned him for a painting of Stonehenge, even requesting green fire to be added! If that's not borderline close to the truth, then I don't know what is."

Cringing, Lecia stumbles back before wiggling her lips in shame.

"That was a stupid lapse of judgment," she admits. "Had I known it would be so much more than just a change of hue...no, I was simply too excited to commemorate the success."

Rachel shakes her head, sighing. "It's already past, just as you've opened up the findings to the rest of our group. The only thing I want to know is whether my friend is related to any of this, and that Daniel hasn't gotten himself into this mess."

Despite the leveling, Lecia closes her eyes and snorts. "If I didn't know any better, you're like a mother to him."

"I'm...I'm nothing like that," Rachel denies, scoffing. "He's the only person left of my friend, so it's natural I'd want to look out for him."

Chuckling, Lecia closes her eyes. "All the more reason why I can't allow you to reveal so easily what we've gathered. Just because I expanded the findings to all doesn't mean to act impatiently. That said, I still need your help, given your relationship with him, but we shouldn't throw our caution completely."

"What? I'm not saying that I'll tell every-"

A buzzing from the former archaeologist's pocket chips through. Not having any good feeling about it, she pulls up her phone with some sweat. Sure enough, a loud text message awaits her from Mike. No doubt he learned of the recent disclosure by another member.

'Fuck.'

Dropping her head for a moment, Lecia smiles weakly at the astronomer. "Rachel, unfortunately, I've got to leave to deal with more angry people. I know this is hard, but please, please restrain yourself on this. The difference between opening up to Daniel versus our group is alignment, trust, and time. Everyone in this effort, including you, has dedicated years helping to study this nature of this book; so, I'd argue confronting Daniel, who shouldn't be involved, needs to still be scrutinized carefully before we decide to be forward."

The astronomer bites her lips, but understands her caution. "I'm sorry, Lecia, I know you mean well."

Lecia hums and opens her car door. Before slipping in, she peaks out halfway from the top. "Just to reassure you a bit, Mike has been researching into possible history that might bring some light on your friend's disappearance, plus the nature of what came out of that ritual."

The astronomer's eyes widen. "What?"

"So, can I keep trusting you, Rachel?"

Groaning, Rachel covers her face with one hand. "You're awful."

Lecia shrugs, smiling unabated. "If anything, there are plenty of mysteries in the world. I'll bring you up to speed if what Mike and team has enough substance to be relevant, but until then, please have more faith and patience."

Breathing out, the astronomer reluctantly nods. "Alright, I'll keep you posted."

Satisfied, Lecia closes her eyes gratefully before the door shuts. As her car rumbles to life, amplified into the distance by the concrete environment, Rachel watches the former archeologist drive away before turning towards her own vehicle.

"She can be quite devilish sometimes," she mutters.

---

At the downtown Keystone mall called The Ensemble, Viviane stares with sparkling eyes at crowds filling various shops and lining escalators within the multi-storied building. While wearing a simple dress from Anne, so far none of the passersby pay mind to the elder slime. It helps that she turned blonde and warmed her otherwise pale skin prior to leaving the studio.

"So...so many people!"

Behind, Daniel and Anne smile weakly to their respective mother and sister's awe. Although it shouldn't be anything to be amazed at, this is the first time she's been around a normal, busy crowd in centuries. They can't even find it sad or amusing, having been bestowed the elder slime's life in a magical realm, so they fully understand Viviane's reaction.

Flinching, the elder slime comes back to her senses before facing her family and raising a fist to her mouth, coughing.

"I mean, this is normal. Obviously, a mall would have plenty of people around this time."

Amy's modern life luckily grounds the elder slime to the current time. If it weren't for that, perhaps everything would be intimidating and foreign to a being that has possibly lived in medieval times.

Lifting his lips more, Daniel chuckles. "You would think, but many malls outside downtown have been closing due to people shopping online more. It's only thanks to its location that this place can survive."

"Ah, so my child has contributed to its decline, huh?"

The artist shrugs. "There's constantly changes in consumer habits. At the end of the day, I can spend more time painting rather than shopping for supplies. Putting that aside..."

He narrows his eyes. "I don't mind your quirks, but you might want to stop calling me 'child' in public. It's going to be weird if others overhear you."

Viviane widens her eyes in realization, then hums, rubbing a hand against her chin. "Come to think of it, I'm not sure where that habit started from..."

Crossing her arms and tilting her chin, her lips lift smugly. "Although, to be fair, everyone is a child as old as I am."

Anne grins as she leans forward. "Hu hu, rather than a mommy, she's a granny-muuagh!"

Harrumphing, Viviane is quick to seize her slime sister's cheeks, then smiles unevenly with her eyes closed. "My dear sister, that's not nice at all! Wouldn't you be the same, coming from me?"

"It wersh a joke! Halp!"

"Oh my, why the cry? Seems you're not as scary when you're removed from Mary."

As Daniel blankly watches Anne wiggle hopelessly against Viviane, he sighs and recalls Mary's reasons for splitting from Anne, then insisting him with his slimy, motherly troublemakers...

"Love, I've already spent plenty with both of your mothers, not to mention shopping with Anne to feed Viviane. Go and spend some time with them together!"

"Then, what are you going to do? Didn't you take time off from your studio?"

"Obviously, I'll stick around, but I'm going to talk to my uncle first. I'll try not to say much except to get him to come visit on the promise we'll reveal our situation. If there are any problems, I'll let you know."

"So otherwise, you're just going to chill in my studio?"

"Not at all~ In fact, maybe Mummy will have a surprise when you get back?"

No surprise, Mary is a troublemaker in her own way.

"Enough with the cheeks, it's always the cheeks!" Anne growls as she finally pulls away, her face snapping in place with a frown to boot.

Taken out his worries by Viviane's evil giggle, Daniel shakes his head to himself before patting his wavy-haired slime mother's shoulder.

"We should get going," he urges with a smile to both. "First is to get Viviane her own phone, then we can shop for clothes and generally check around."

The elder slime lowers her hands as she rolls her eyes. "As I said before, there really is no need for my own clothes. You bought enough for Anne, and I'm perfectly able to wear her clothes fine!"

"Not that I have a problem with that," Anne agrees, "But just a few will be fine, don't you think? Plus, it'll be fun to find something that'll look nice with your blonde!"

Daniel hums. "Really, it can only be a few. I don't think I have enough space in my closet for a full load."

"Well...I suppose. Will there be a shared changing room?" Viviane asks, more hopefully.

"I'm not going through that again," Daniel rejects flatly.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. I obviously meant between Anne and I."

The artist lightly snorts to her knowing smirk. "Sorry, how presumptuous of me."

Moving onward, less Daniel falls into further traps, they walk through the mall to the same shop where he bought Anne's phone. Trusting her son's judgment on the matter, Viviane sits with Anne on a bench just outside the entrance while the artist waits in line at the register.

"This feels...quite odd."

"What, being outside?" Anne questions, removing her eyes from various news and science articles on her phone.

Viviane hums, leaning back and taking in the liveliness of the mall. "Yes, compared to my longer time alone, it's all so sudden in comparison."

Anne studies her slime sister before lowering her gaze. "I'm sorry."

The elder slime raises her brow. "Why are you sorry? You didn't do anything."

"I didn't know anything," Anne corrects, thinning her lips. "But now that you synced everything you know to me and Mary, I'm in greater disbelief that you would even accept me."

After all, she was an accident.

Anne recalls the moment the lake dweller threw a piece of herself to test the green flame. Although it was explained before, it hits her with greater clarity now that she can see it from her sister's perspective. As a result, there's no doubt that she came to exist because of her slime sister's action.

Worse, she delayed the elder slime's freedom.

However, Viviane closes her eyes easily. "Sure, I was jealous in the beginning, but ultimately, you are, in some ways, what I attempted to create during my descent. Not only that, but when I woke with Amy's life imbued to us, you became the sister that she would've wanted...that I wanted."

Inhaling silently, Anne shakes before leaning against her sister's shoulder to hide her face. "V-viviane, s-stop! You're going to make me cry!"

The elder slime giggles and pats her counterpart's head. "Silly, we can't cry."

"I'm carrying water in my head!"

Snapping her eyes wide, Viviane immediately breaks away. "Why did you fill yourself up?!"

"I thought it might be useful when we're in public!"

Grumbling to herself, Anne rubs away her eyes. At the same time, Daniel comes back to the group with a bag in hand. He furrows worriedly for his first slime mother.

"Is...everything okay here?"

The water-struck mother takes a deep breath before standing up. "Never better! I just caught some dust in my eye."

"Wait, but you can't feel-"

"Anyway," Anne coughs, then locking herself to Daniel's side with a grin. "You sure have taken on a big responsibility, coming with us. Are you prepared?"

Letting the matter go, Daniel shuts his eyes as he tilts his head to the side. "I do know, so please spare me."

"Hehe, too late!"

"Well, it won't be as bad as last time," Viviane assures, smiling as she stands up; however, her eyes sharpen with a hint of glimmer to them.

"After all," she adds, "We both know your preferences. It's like having a mini-Daniel in our head for feedback."

Daniel sweats. "That's...good, I think? No, wait, maybe that's bad."

As the artist doubts himself, the two slime girls titter; however, before moving to one of the major department stores, Anne locks onto a smaller store in the distance.

She squints. 'Occult Matters?'

What's more eye-catching is a stand next to the entrance: "Star Dropping Savings! 50% Off For Your End Of The World Needs!"

Looking where his slime mother is staring, Daniel holds a hand to his chin, grinning. "Ah, you're interested in that stuff, huh?"

Gasping, Anne straightens. "N-no, not at all! How could anyone ignore such a store name?"

"Well now we have to check it out."

"No, we don't!"

"Hehe~ Relax, Anne. You never know, it might be interesting," Viviane adds, stepping ahead.

The wavy-haired mother drops her head and sighs. "Seriously, don't we have enough strangeness to deal with?"

"Hey, that's my line," Daniel responds as they follow behind the elder slime.