Porter's face resembles that of a startled bird, but after grasping the situation, he returns to his practiced smile.
"Oh, Lilah! How have you been? I was just checking the state of his scars. Everything seems to be in order," he says as he releases my arm and withdraws with the other knights.
Lilah hugs me.
"Sorry, I got distracted buying cotton candies."
"Don't worry about that... thank you for what you did," I say, caressing her hair, and she returns a gentle smile. "But... speaking of cotton candies, where did they go?"
"Eh? The cotton candies?" Lilah looks at her empty hands, confused like a lost puppy, and finds the cotton candies on the floor. "My cotton candies!"
The noise and the crowd increase, but thanks to the design of the esplanade and the intervention of the krystallos guards, people enter in an orderly manner.
On the way to our seats, the crowd erupts in excitement. I look towards the commotion and find Amadeus and Emilia, or as they are known nowadays, the Heirs of Technology and Natural Sciences. Amadeus wears an elegant robe that combines with some stylish details and embroideries in black.
Like all heirs, their skin and hair are the same color as the clouds. Beside him, Emilia wears an elegant lab coat, complemented by a transparent helmet with a slight green tint covering her entire head, filtering the air.
My heart beats rapidly when I make eye contact with Amadeus; however, he returns the innocent and gentle smile I've known since childhood, making my anxiety fade. Amadeus lets Emilia know, and she doesn't take long to greet us. Lilah greets her back enthusiastically.
"Next time, we should invite Amadeus and Emilia to our apartment. Even though they're heirs now, and it might be more difficult," Lilah says as if she had read my mind.
"Yes, you're right," I reply with a smile.
Suddenly, the sounds of elegant violins and a beautiful gentle voice, as if whispering, gradually dominate the entire esplanade.
From the river appears a ball of light that ascends slowly into the sky, and from it, like exploding, unfolds the huge wings of a white butterfly. The synthesized electric sounds begin. In the center of these wings is the Heiress of Fine Arts, with her elegant white dress adorned with neon embroideries that glow in shades of purple and blue.
I look towards Lilah, and I can see her eyes shining. Lilah starts jumping and singing the lyrics of the song.
I want to join her, but the imaginary eyes of the people begin to crush me. But then, I ignore it and start dancing. After that we just let ourselves enjoy the concert.
People applaud, and the heiress leaves.
"That was great! I can't wait to see another concert. Especially if you're going to dance like that again."
I blush and smile.
"Do you want to take a walk?"
Lilah and I walk back to the hotel. Meanwhile, I think about what I must do. It's time to decide which path I will take for the future. Even if I can no longer be a knight, there must be a way I can help them.
"I've decided. I'll become a Krystallo Knight administrator."
Lilah smiles, puffs her chest, and puts her hands on her hips. "Sounds good to me! But don't think I'll stay behind!"
When we return to the hotel, mental and physical fatigue makes me not want to do anything but go to sleep. While I'm taking a bath, Lilah tells me she's going to buy some things. As soon as I reach my bed, I collapse and fall asleep before I realize it.
I'm awakened by the movement of the bed when Lilah returns. She kisses me on the cheek and forehead and hugs me. Suddenly, she starts humming a song.
"I love you, Lilah."
Lilah takes a few seconds to respond, but eventually, she hugs me tighter.
"I love you too, Altair."
The first rays of dawn are what wake me up. A wet sensation covers my entire body, making me wake up. When I fully stand up, I see the puddle of blood on the bed and the blood on my hands and body.
I immediately turn to Delilah, and then I see it. The blood mark on Lilah's wrist. I shake her to wake her up , but all my attempts are useless.
I rush to get some bandages in the bathroom and put them on her. I call the health line. I feel as if my body and mind are moving automatically as I explain the situation. After that, all I can do is wait while I hold Lilah's wrist with all my strength.
Tears flow from me like rivers, and thousands of questions assault my mind. Why didn't the health heirs detect that her vital signs were low? Was it something I did? Could I have done something to stop it? Why did it happen?
"If only I could understand why. If only I could know what you were thinking."
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