Damoel

  I did as I was told. After a long dinner, with many missing guild members, I went straight to my room. Still, I took my time to rex and digest the rge amount of food I'd provided my demanding stomach, engaging from time to time in chit-chat with Joey and Elizabeth. The tter, surprisingly, didn't shower me with compliments, and stayed silent most of the time, just humming and nodding to Joey's words of the test news within Zafferbridge. Nothing particurly worth mentioning, really.

  Though, I wondered why the seats were so vacant of people filling those void spaces. But being in Goldenovum, that was likely the reason behind it. Who would miss the chance to explore this city? It just made sense. In a way, I regretted that I wasn't enjoying it as much with Crimson. We also could've gone out for a romantic dinner just the two of us, but circumstances dictated otherwise, and we had to adapt.

  It was not the worst; we could have enjoyed our intimate time even in the coming days, hopefully. If Leonard didn't end up depriving us of our freedom, that is. But I would've known the answer only when she reached me in our shared room.

  Yep! I picked one for the both of us. But without her, it felt dramatically empty and devoid of any warmth.

  I sighed.

  That aside, the room initially smelled a little musty; I had to open the window to air it out. Luckily, it wasn't cold, and I actually welcomed the fresh breeze drifting in.

  Truly, it wasn't all bad. Being alone also meant I had a lot of space to roll around. The bed was grand, as expected, and I could wander the room freely wearing a warm pajama top and comfy shorts gently provided by… me.

  That's right! I didn't snatch anything from the room's wardrobe this time! Haha! If this isn't improvement, I don't know what is!

  With that, I switched on the bedside mp, shut off the chandelier, and threw myself onto the bed. It was fluffy, and I stretched until my back curved to its limit, only to slump into the mattress once again with an overly exaggerated exhale. As, I wasn't sleepy yet, and the absence of my girlfriend's softness functioning as a pillow was not helping.

  "Hm?"

  Was that a bst of mana?

  I turned, only to see chains erupting from outside. "What?!"

  Before I could make sense of it, a short girl in a nightgown leaped from the same chains, nding in my room.

  "Why are you here?!" I almost shouted, unconsciously scooting back on the bed.

  "It pains me that you see me that way, My Eminence…" she murmured, stepping forward with her head lowered.

  "I don't care! And that didn't answer my question! You're worse than the other stalker!"

  She halted. "Hm? Who else is stalking you, My Eminence?"

  "So you're aware of what you're doing!"

  "Sorry… I tried to sleep on it, but I couldn't bring myself to. I feel inclined to protect you, and… I didn't like how we parted ways."

  "I don't need your protection." I attempted to keep my rising frustration in check while my hand trembled against my face. "Why are you here now? And why in a nightgown?!"

  "Like I said, I couldn't bring myself to sleep…"

  Groaning, I flopped face-first onto the mattress. This conversation was going nowhere, and this girl had no common sense, let alone rationality…

  The bed shifted and creaked beneath me. Btantly, the girl had invited herself onto it.

  I lifted my head just enough to gre at her. "What do you want?"

  "I just want to talk to you…"

  "Will you leave me alone afterward?"

  "I… I'd rather not."

  "Why…?" I settled more comfortably against the sheets. "I'm not my mother, Abby. I'm not her… I'm not. Why are you so obsessed?"

  "It doesn't matter. She did so much for me… I aim to assist you on your journey."

  "She did much for you. Not me."

  She shook her head. "You gave me hope."

  And she gave me exhaustion. "How…?"

  "You have no idea how I felt when I saw you… surrounded by those bodies."

  The memory resurfaced. "In Silveandria?"

  She offered a nod, awe in her voice. "I'm the one who found you, My Eminence. The amount of mana surrounding your body… I'd never seen someone withstand such quantities. Perhaps it was to be expected, since she was also following you. Seeing something so familiar after such a long time, in a world where such entities are meant to be kept secret… It was magical."

  My eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about? Who was following me?"

  "Bianca was."

  "Huh?!"

  Why do people always bring up important things te?!

  "You could see her?!"

  She simply nodded.

  "What do you know about her?" I pressed, hoping for more information while my pulse quickened.

  "Nothing, really…" she murmured. "Our-... your mother considered Bianca her dearest companion. That's really it…"

  I sighed. And with no new information regarding the demon whatsoever, I leaned back against the headboard, pulling my knees to my chest as I let my head flop backward, staring at the ceiling.

  She crawled closer. "May I ask you a question, My Eminence?"

  "Why? Will you actually stop from doing so if I deny you the chance?"

  "..."

  I redirected my focus back to her. "Just say it."

  "Why are you… so averse to the thought of us sharing the same mother?" she questioned, fidgeting with her fluffy ball in her hands.

  "Is that even a question?"

  She added no more words, yet her posture suggested she was waiting for an answer to satisfy her curiosity. I accommodated that, hoping to make myself clear.

  "Because she is my mother, and no one else's."

  "She will always be, of course," she said softly. "Perhaps… I wasn't clear enough. Why do you… despise me considering her as mine, too?"

  "You were clear, Abby," I replied ftly. "The real question is: why are you so damn keen on considering her as one?"

  "I can sense your hostility, My Eminence. But there is no need for that," she murmured, smiling kindly. "You see… your mother saved me. I've been… lucky to have met her, and I believe I'm lucky to have met you, too. Someone with whom I could share part of my gratitude, and have lots in common."

  Gratitude…

  "We have nothing in common, and what do you know about my feelings?"

  "I don't agree, My Eminence. I believe even our lifestyles are the same."

  "What are you talking about…?"

  Her lips slowly curled into a gentler smile while her eyelids trembled. They fluttered open, revealing shimmering pink pearls. Eyes of a beauty never seen before, shining like distant, pinkish stars, able to illuminate the dark and guide the lost, if ever needed.

  "You…"

  "That was no lie; I really couldn't see anymore. Your mother granted me my sight back," she expined. "However, I had to hide it. That is also something I only came to understand after she left my life. Deep down, I feel like she taught me to survive. And, I believe she taught you the same, didn't she? A fundamental rule for us to live by…"

  The more she talked, the more disorienting it became. "What rule?"

  "To lie."

  'Lie.'

  They fshed back into my mind, my mother's teachings, echoing like words enclosed in gss.

  Shut up…

  'Manipute them.'

  Get out of my head.

  'Kill-'

  "My Eminence?" she called softly, looking concerned.

  I took a deep breath; I had averted my gaze unconsciously. "But… why do you even hide such a thing?" I asked, confused, focusing on anything other than that demon. "I mean… aren't you just making your life harder?"

  "Why do you hide your strength?" she countered. "I can sense it… Your soul. Your mana… you reject it. And, perhaps it's just me, but… you seemed to reject Bianca as well, back then… Why?"

  "I…" I looked down. "It's not my strength… I can barely understand it…"

  "Yet, you live with it. We both do. We hide our true selves from others, because they could never understand us… They do not understand what we've been through; what she had been through."

  "I have no choice but to live with it. I don't believe you're forced to live with your eyes closed."

  "You're right, My Eminence. I am not forced to live like that, but I want to do it."

  "Why…?"

  "Would you even call what I had before meeting her 'life'?"

  "Your questions are not mine to answer," I offered sharply. "If you're here trying to earn my pity, you can exit this room by throwing yourself out of the same window you used to get in."

  "My Eminence…" She lowered her eyes. "I am not here for that… Your mother gave me a purpose. A reason to live. A pce to call home. She sacrificed everything to give me, and our people, everything in return. The price I pay to go on is nothing compared to what she went through. That's why… I refuse to see the world for what it truly is. I refuse to see how it was before I met her. I simply cannot stand it… It disgusts me."

  She clutched the fluffy ball with trembling hands as her lips pursed together. Inhaling, she composed herself. "I just want to repay her somehow, standing by your side. Don't you think, even just a little, that we ought to be together?"

  "I don't."

  Silence followed.

  "... Is there anything I can do to make you change your mind?"

  She was so persistent I asked myself the same question. That seemed to be the only viable option to make her go away. It was I who, absurdly enough, had to act like the adult here, despite this girl clearly being older than me, since she had the chance to know my mother before I was even born. Yet, her behavior, beliefs, and stature too, actually, confirmed the opposite. It was as if she had stopped somewhere along the line.

  "You don't have to. Like I said, you're devoted to my mother, not me. Perhaps this was not the case once; just remembering her was enough to calm all my senses. But… that's in the past. Now, instead, simply thinking about her drives me into turmoil, leading my mind astray…"

  Breathe.

  "I don't know you," I continued, taking in a deep breath, focusing on her once again. "You don't know me. You're entitled to your beliefs, but they have nothing to do with me. Not anymore. And that's fine; you can believe what you like, just keep me out of it."

  "Why…?" she asked with wide eyes. "What is it that… makes you think so harshly of me? Of her…? Do… do you hate me? Is it because of me?"

  "I can't stand the way you speak of her," I responded.

  "Why not?"

  "You keep doing that… You act like you knew her better than I did. As if she loved you more than she loved me…" My nails dug into my knees just at the thought of it. "It's as if I've been nothing but… a tool to experiment on. All the love she showered me with, all those sweet words… They could be nothing more than a lie… I don't want to think about it. I can't stand it. I can't stand it."

  "Do you truly believe that?"

  I swallowed down my rage and regret. A faint nod was all I could offer her.

  "But… that's not true. That's not true at all," she murmured, eyes softening, offering a small smile. "You're her daughter, her real one. I was just a passenger. She never told me anything about her; I don't even know her name. She kept secrets all the time… I'm genuine when I say that all I know about her is what I've heard from others; my current family, their tales…"

  My head lowered. "Well, they know more than I do…"

  "I'm sure she must've had her reasons to hide her true self from those she loved. You don't have to feel this way."

  "I'm not even sure she loved me at all at this point…"

  "Of course she did," she said, her tone almost scolding.

  "I don't know…"

  "I am certain of it." She approached closer, resting her hand over mine. "Do you want to hear a little story, My Eminence?"

  I sighed, gncing back into her eyes. "Go on, tell…"

  It's not like she'd have listened anyway...

  "You know, one day, I accidentally called her 'mom'... That was the first time I saw her truly agitated. She panicked so much that she stopped everything she was doing. Yet, at the same time, she looked so overjoyed she could barely hide it."

  "My mother… panicked?"

  She nodded as she hummed. "That's why I'm sure of it… She must have longed for a daughter. A real one; her own… I wished I could make her happy, as she had done for me, but she couldn't take me with her. She said it was too dangerous… Yet, here you are. I have no doubt she loved you. You must've been her-"

  "Dream…"

  Her lips parted into a smile as her eyes glistened. "Yes. Her dream."

  That would make sense, considering what Pyrolina told me… Still, despite knowing all of that, I could only bury my face into my knees. "I don't know what to think anymore…"

  Abby stood silent for a bit, still holding my hand. She came even closer, prompting me to look at her again. "You know, My Eminence? I don't know what your life with her was like, the reason why you think so little of her or her love. But that is not relevant right now. We can keep that in the past, and focus on the present and our future. That's why I am here now. When I first saw you, I tried desperately to get your attention, but I failed. Now, however… we're here. That's what matters."

  "You tried to get my attention?"

  "Don't you remember? I didn't know how to approach you, so I sang. I had hoped you'd understand the meaning, but that didn't work. Then, the day we'd enter the dungeon drew near. I couldn't afford to let you enter it; had we succeeded, we would've returned to our lives and nothing would've changed. So, I blocked the entrance, hoping to buy more time and find an excuse to exchange even a few words with you. That way, it wouldn't have looked as suspicious, since that song could've drawn attention to both of us. Luckily, nothing bad happened and I didn't cause you any problem, but that also didn't work in my favor."

  "So… that's why nobody could enter it? You blocked it?"

  She nodded. "Yes. Besides, it was risky for you. I can't tell why, but your mana had drastically diminished, and the dungeon's engravings promised nothing good. So… I blocked it."

  "Going to such lengths… You exposed yourself just to get the attention of someone you don't even know…"

  "You're worth it," she said, not a crumb of regret or hesitation in her voice. "It's fine if you don't consider me important. I don't expect you to reciprocate the loyalty and admiration I feel for you."

  "Loyalty is a scary thing…"

  Once again, mistakes had made me understand that.

  "I can stop if that makes you uncomfortable," she offered. "However… I'd like to be close to you. Ever since I realized you're her daughter… Especially now, I'd like to change your mind about me. Maybe… even bring yourself to see me as an equal, since we share the same love?"

  "Equal?" I asked.

  "Yes." She nodded, her hand now holding mine, fingers intertwining. "Like…" Tilting her head, she gave a tender smile as she blushed, "... sisters?"

  "Sis…ters?"

  "You don't like it?"

  I pulled my hand away. "That makes even less sense…"

  "You think so?" she asked sadly.

  "Yes," I sighed. "Listen Abby… I appreciate what you told me about The Forgotten City and my mother, but you're way too familiar with someone you don't even know. It's not about loyalty. It's not about love. It just feels wrong. I have no clue who you are, and… I don't know if I trust you, or even accept you. It… pisses me off. My mother pisses me off… So, please…"

  With that, I looked away, hoping that would be the end of it, and she'd jump away from that window. As, that didn't happen; she simply offered some silence before speaking again with the same kindness I was beginning to despise.

  "It's alright. I won't insist. You don't have to see me like that if you don't want to. However… I want to show you that you can trust me freely. I know my words are empty and meaningless, and I've learned that actions speak far louder. So… please allow me to demonstrate the solemnity of my loyalty… You'll decide what to do with it after."

  She shifted slightly, adjusting herself, drawing my attention back to her. Her hand reached for my ankle, lifting it gently, while her head lowered.

  "WHAT?! NO!!!"

  I immediately scooted away. She looked at me with wide eyes.

  "Gross!" I shouted. "Gross, gross! Grossgrossgross!"

  She was about to kiss my feet!

  "But I-"

  "It's gross!" I cut her off; no expnation was saving her. "Did you do this to my mother too?!"

  "Huh? N-"

  "I DON'T WANNA HEAR IT!"

  Why do I get all the weirdos?!

  The door smmed open. "Snowfke, what's ha-…" She froze, her face turning perplexed as her eyes fell on me; I'd instinctively cowered behind a tightly clutched pillow, back against the headboard. "What are you two doing…?"

  "She's weird!" I yelled.

  The more-than-welcome third wheel stepped closer, though she did so sighing. "I can't leave you alone for a few minutes without you inviting strangers into your bed…"

  What idea did she get?!

  "I didn't invite her!"

  Crimson raised an eyebrow, resting her hand over Abby's head. "You didn't even kick her out, though; she seems comfortable here."

  Meanwhile, Abby had already closed her eyes, returning to her words of lies and deception, acting as if nothing was happening as she blushed.

  "Say something!"

  But no. I wasn't graced by any of that.

  "So…" Crimson resumed, "I was getting scolded because of you, and you were here having fun without me?"

  Was she making fun of me? She was, wasn't she?! She had figured everything out, hadn't she?!

  "I wasn't!" I snapped. "Enough! You're only making it worse! Get out of my room! Both of you!"

  Crimson attempted to rest her hand on my shoulder. "Hey, you're not really-"

  "I SAID GET OUT!"

  She flinched at my high volume. It sted briefly; she regained her aplomb and her surprised expression quickly turned into a challenging one clearly intent on fighting me, her hand clutching my shoulder. "Make me. I dare you."

  Lightning and thunderbolts would befall those who dared incur my wrath.

  Thus, I did.

  I grabbed them both, threw them out the door, and smmed it shut.

  Damoel