"Hey, hey! Seir! Seir!"
"What is it... mmgh~"
Seir stretched herself up off the bed.
"Somebody got a reward again today!"
"And why does that matter..."
"It's just — don't you want to go and see—"
"No."
"...come onnnn."
"What is there to see..."
"It's just — aren't you the least bit curious? Where Sister Sylvia and Lady Mivelle take everyone after they get to see their parents?"
"And what about it. I don't have any parents or anyone waiting for me out there anyway."
"Come onnn, just come with me!"
Seir answered with a faintly sullen look.
So annoying. But I can't ever say no to her, can I.
Because, after all — she's the only friend I have.
Seir softened.
"...fine, fine. But won't someone catch us? And how are you going to get the door open?"
Sophie's face broke into a huge grin, and she lunged forward to hug me. She seemed terribly pleased with herself.
"Yes!"
She hopped off and went straight to the door.
"See — today I haven't heard Lady Mivelle's voice once. Whoever's taking them out, it's probably just Brother Sean or Sister Sylvia! And on top of that—"
Sophie pressed her ear to the frame.
"I banged my head on the door before you woke up, and there's no humming, no vibration anymore! I bet they forgot to lock the second padlock!"
"So... we just pick the lock—"
"Exactly!"
Sophie set to the lock with enormous enthusiasm.
"Turn, turn, turn~"
Until the click of the door sounded.
"Got it!"
Seir held out a hand.
"Wait—"
"Shush."
Seir simply nodded to her.
Sophie pushed the door open, so eager — but at least she was careful not to make it loud.
"Follow," she whispered.
The two of us walked down the hallway.
It was quiet, as usual.
Unpleasant still.
"Where did all the Sisters and Brothers go..." Seir murmured.
"Come on~ as long as it isn't Lady Mivelle, we don't have to worry about getting caught~"
"All right, all right—"
Seir's hand snapped out and yanked Sophie behind an open door.
Brother Sean came through on his rounds.
This one's awfully good at minding everyone else's business.
I clamped my hand tighter over Sophie's mouth, and kept it there until he had gone.
"Let's go..."
"Mm."
We walked until we reached the staircase down to the lower floor.
"Quietly, now..."
"Mm."
Sophie gripped my hand tight as we descended.
But—
"Hide, quick!"
Sophie's hand pulled Seir behind a wall again.
"Did you hear that?"
Nod, nod.
We both peeked over the edge of the doorway.
The ground beyond the door was nothing but black soil.
Lady Mivelle and Sister Sylvia were talking out there.
But why does it have to be a place like this. And where are they taking everyone...
---
The graceful woman's halo brightened.
From this distance, Seir and Sophie could no longer hear.
"Now then. A promise is a promise~"
"Do the one thing I asked of you, won't you. The two of you, hm~"
The girl out there looked up at her with eyes full of eagerness.
"Wh — what is it...?"
But the adult beside her — their voice came out trembling, afraid.
---
"Can you hear anything, Sophie?"
A shake of the head.
---
"Hm?"
Lady Mivelle turned to look in our direction.
Good thing Seir pulled Sophie down in time...
---
Mivelle only shook her head.
"Well, then~"
"Still."
Gasp.
The halo went bright again, then.
Something went through them — one wet, certain sound, and then a second, just behind it. A cry began and did not finish.
"No—!"
Seir jolted upright.
---
Night. A temporary camp, a few kilometers out from Orenthel.
Seir was breathing fast and shallow.
"Are you all right? Hey — hey! Answer me!"
"...I'm fine, Sister Sylvia."
"I'm really fine—"
Sylvia gathered Seir into her arms.
"Thinking about that time again, were you."
"It's just — same as every time. We make it quick, and everyone back at House gets to keep living a little longer."
"But why does it have to..."
A hitch of breath, a choked noise.
Followed by a pooling tear on the young girl's eye.
"I really don't want to do it tonight.."
---
The campfire snapped and settled, throwing up small bursts of sparks that rose and died against the dark. The wood it fed on was bad — half-corrupted, like everything else out here — and it burned with a thin, faintly wrong smell that no one had bothered to mention.
Some distance off, Lady Vine was still working at the mechanism that sealed the entrance to the royal vault of Sancturia.
I wonder if they're even real, these treasures Lady Vine wants so badly, Aim thought.
The ground here's so corrupted it's gone black and dry, like sandpaper.
Can it really last against these?
"Uh-uhm — is there anything I can help with—"
"No. Just watch my back. That's enough."
A sharp, decisive voice. Lady Vine's classic.
"Right, right..."
Aim went back to sit with Const and Isolde, Isolde had already fallen asleep. Sleep and sound.
"You're good at all sorts of things, aren't you. Why not go help Lady Vine?"
Const lifted his head and met Aim's eyes. The gaze that was usually either cocky or easy looked, for some reason, uncomfortable.
"I don't met the threshold. My blood — it isn't concentrated enough. Those locks need a special blood-quality. Special u-uhmm. Only that."
"Is that so..."
"Here I thought you'd be some all-powerful godly protag. Like in those cheap novels they sell down by the office of The North Publishing."
"It'd be nice if I were," he replied with a light chuckle.
"I'd love to be that, honestly. A divine hero who can do anything."
"You practically already are, though."
Const sighed, and his expression softened.
"Aim." The voice landed, it was deep. and somewhat can be perceived as heavy too.
"There's a lot in this world you wouldn't expect, you know. Like — the limits of what I can do. Or what anyone can."
The words made my mind narrow strangely, somehow. As if—
"Aim."
Const's hand came to rest on Aim's shoulder.
"You don't trust me, do you."
"Wh — what! What kind of question is that!"
Of course not duh! The relation with those documents. The way you dragged us all out here with you!
Const patted Aim's shoulder a few times, then drew his hand away.
"Is that so."
"I, um... I'm sorry." Const continued.
Const's gaze slid away from Aim, slowly.
"Ah — um, did I do something that upset you...?"
"It's nothing. I don't blame you for not trusting me."
"It's just — I don't know. For you it hasn't been long, but for me — the three of us, together like this — it's been a very long time. And, um..."
Const held out a hand, a toffee clenched in his palm.
"I... I'd like it if you and Isolde could trust me. Even if it's too soon, even if it seems suspicious..."
What is with this guy and getting so sentimental. Did I go and do something special to him without meaning to.
"A shaky voice makes you less convincing, you know... but, uhm.. I'll try."
"Thank you.."
A vast door began to grind, slowly, against the ground — a low scraping that went on and on, stone dragging over stone.
"Ahem."
"Mmnh~" Isolde whimpered.
"Sleep well eh?"
"Dreamed about my mother. A good dream."
"Hahaha."
Aim's eyes caught Const's averting gaze.
...nevermind
"Come."
Vine beckoned them all forward.
"Three hours, Aim."
"Huh—?"