Tainted Innocence
Chapter #20
It's so warm.
Sin shifted from her position, changing to the other side. As she did, she heard a sound, and something heavy go on top of her mid-section. She opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw was a hand she held onto, one that she knew very well. She saw the scar that was on the wrist, and immediately let go, sitting up abruptly.
"Tyki!" She spoke with surprise. She laughed nervously when he pulled his hand back, pushing himself up from crushing her. "I, was I, ah, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean—"
"Good morning to you too." He laughed. He closed the book he was reading, putting it on the side of the bed, atop another one.
"…good morning." Sin felt like an idiot for overreacting. He was taking it in stride, and didn't seem to mind. "Um…I'm sorry for taking your hand like that."
Her memories were fuzzy from last night, and all she could remember was not wanting anything else to be taken away from her.
"You didn't want to let go." Tyki teased with a grin. "You were holding my hand pretty tight." He didn't mention that he was forced to stay like that for over 5 hours.
Sin looked away, mumbling some incoherent words that were just a bunch of gibberish. She didn't know whether to feel embarrassed or not, as she'd held his hand before many times.
"Come on, let's go eat something. I'm starving." He stretched.
Sin nodded slowly, slipping out of bed. She headed over to the drawers to find something to wear, finding long pants and a shirt.
"I'll wait outside." Tyki waved his arm lazily before heading out.
As Sin changed, she racked her brain, trying to figure out what happened the night before. She remembered bawling her eyes out and sobbing like there was no tomorrow, but she didn't once remember taking Tyki's hand.
When did that happen? She pressed a finger to her forehead, closing her eyes in concentration. I did feel better when holding that hand, but seriously, when did I actually?
You don't remember? Pfft. You started crying when lover boy came into the room with a few books and you thought he had ditched you, and then you started crying waterfalls because you were sad your parents died. Then you grabbed his hand and didn't let go until you woke up.
Sin gaped, the memories finally coming back to her. Her cheeks filled with red as she hurriedly put on new clothes, bathing in embarrassment. When it died down, she realised the reason she didn't want to let go, and sighed. Remembering the night before was hard, and only made her sad when she thought of it.
Mei, didn't you say that Apocryphos wouldn't endanger anybody besides us?
That's what it did before us. It never harmed anybody apart from us. This time it's different.
My father, my mother, had nothing to do with this! How could it? And Leon, he doesn't deserve to have witnessed anything like this, either!
Sin shook her head, heading out. She didn't want to keep Tyki waiting. He was yawning when she came out.
"You all done?" Tyki blinked away his blurry vision, walking ahead of her. She caught up to him, seeing that he looked quite tired.
"How long were you awake for?" Sin questioned. Mei had mentioned she held his hand for the whole time she slept. That would mean that Tyki didn't sleep at all, and was beside her the whole time. When she thought about that, she felt slightly guilty that she didn't allow him to sleep.
"I think around 6 hours or so." Tyki yawned again.
Sin gasped at how long that was, "What?! I'm so sorry! You were up the whole time because of me…"
"Yeah, any longer and I would've started sleeping, too." The male threw an arm around her, slightly leaning on her as he closed his eyes temporarily.
She touched his arm hesitantly, before letting them drop to her sides. "You would've woken up to the smell of food." She commented. That happened many times over the course of when they were travelling.
Tyki opened one eye, noticing. He then chuckled, grinning. "True."
"Eh, you're like this even in the morning?" Road skipped up to them, hugging Sin with a grin.
"Good morning, Road." Sin greeted the smaller one. It was quite awkward being in between a hug from Road and Tyki.
Road let go, tugging on Sin's sleeve. She looked to her. "Sin, are you okay?"
Seeing the concern of the Noah, Sin nodded, placing a hand on her head, ruffling her hair lightly. "I'm okay, thanks for asking." Road didn't question further, just staring at her partially swollen eyes.
Tyki let go of Sin when they approached the dining room, shoving his hands into his pockets.
"Sin, I want to visit Leon after." Road spoke quietly.
Sin's lips pressed into a thin line, not sure if she should. At this point in time, the whole estate would be swarming with the authorities to figure out what exactly happened, and there would be lots of security.
"Maybe not now, Road. There'll be lots of security." Sin expression was unreadable even with the small smile she had on her face. "We have to wait until it dies down."
Road stared at Sin for a long moment, then nodded slowly.
"I'll wait, then."
The Order was still cleaning up from the mess that Lulubell created. When Lenalee, Kanda, Allen and Lavi came back from the failed mission in China, they were all dispirited, with Kanda being the only one angry.
Lenalee was packing up Sin's previous room, seeing that she barely had anything in it. The only things that were there were some books she had borrowed from the library, which she hadn't finished reading.
The Dark Boots user headed to the book, taking a look at its contents. It was a book on Innocence and what the previous accommodators did. She opened to the page Sin was at, seeing a bookmark that had a flower in it.
That's…the iris that she got from our first mission together, Lenalee smiled small and took out the bookmark, keeping a hold of it. She was so happy when she got it made into a bookmark.
She proceeded to put all the small items into a box, finding that it didn't even fill up half of it. She didn't have that many things, did she?
Allen was in the cafeteria, thinking to himself, wondering what's going to happen from now on. Sin was put on death sentence, escaped prison, gone with the Noah, and is now a fugitive.
That's no good…Allen sighed to himself, staring into space. She went with Tyki Mikk, too. Was she going to do that at the start? Is this what she meant by royal flush? He shook his head, shaking away his doubts.
But…she was sad when she found out he was a Noah. She didn't really fight him; Mei did. Just like in the Ark…ah. The white haired exorcist remembered the moment when Mei had talked to the transformed Tyki, and it seemed like Mei had known him for a while. It confused him, and even more so when that transformed Tyki screamed out in pain but still fought her.
Rouvelier mentioned she didn't have her 'full power' yet, Allen recalled the mess at the Order not too long ago. He was barely awake then, but still managed to hear. But she was so strong…He scratched his head in confusion, but Mei's the only one that uses that power. Sin doesn't. Allen placed his head on the table, just what is she?
Lavi sweat dropped, having watched Allen while he was thinking. He himself already had an idea of what he was thinking about, which led to some thoughts within his mind.
That's right. Sin is Cynthia Huang. The princess of an imperial family. Considered dead 5 years ago, but somehow managed to keep her identity hidden until now. Not even the world knows she's alive, Lavi started walking in a random direction. A princess that the whole nation, especially those that lived near them, treasured. They weren't able to find her since they didn't have any solid proof of what she looked like. She didn't take many pictures, and ones that she did, they were all too far away.
Who knew she'd end up an exorcist? Lavi turned a corner, when I met her she didn't seem like a princess, though her manners were refined. She blended well with the people around here, but at the same time, she was somewhat detached.
Now I get it, Lavi stopped, having walked to the training room. He shrugged and walked in, seeing Kanda and Marie sparring instead of helping with the move.
Kanda seemed to be saying something each time he hit the cushioned pads that Marie had, something along the lines of 'DIE!' and 'Go eat shit!'
Lavi sweat dropped. Yuu seems really annoyed that he failed the mission. I guess I'll go leave, then…
Sin stood outside on the balcony of the room she stayed in, leaning on the rails. She seemed to be doing that a lot recently, but it was one of her only comforts to see the outside world.
She was thinking about her parents and her brother; the happier times from when she was younger. As a princess, most of the time she was surrounded by people who weren't her family, with the exception of Leon. Leon was around 7 years younger than her, and she remembered the time when her mother was pregnant with him, and her rubbing her belly, excited that she was going to be an older sister.
Their happy faces when her family saw her for the first time in half a decade. She was so happy to see them again, even if it was under bad circumstances.
But now…Sin closed her eyes, feeling them water. She took a few deep breaths before opening her eyes again, staring at the clouds in the sky. They're not here anymore.
She wanted to cry, but she was tired of crying tears. Crying wouldn't bring them back, and she knew that.
Why does sadness follow me wherever I go? I thought that, by being an exorcist, I was able to help innocent people from getting killed. But…by being this exorcist, I'm causing innocent people to lose their lives. That's the opposite of what I want.
Why did it become like this? Why?
She recalled her encounter with Apocryphos, and it threatening to kill her family.
He really went through with that threat. 'Stop this façade', he said? What façade? What's so wrong about wanting to live?
Is it because Mei's memory will take over mine and she'll destroy the world? It's unlikely but I don't even know her goal so what am I to say?
She was suddenly reminded of Cross Marian's words: 'Do not be consumed by it. If you do, all that you love will be lost'.
Is he talking about how Mei will take over my body and cause havoc? It sounds ominous, that what I love will be lost.
Sin pressed her forehead on her forearms, closing her eyes.
Would this stop if I died?
She paused for a brief moment.
No, it wouldn't. Sin opened her eyes, staring at her feet. There would be a new accommodator and it would just be a repeat of what happened now. There wouldn't be a stop to this cycle.
Interesting. You're actually thinking of a ways to kill me? Mei questioned. Sin had had a brief thought of how to get rid of Mei, but dismissed it quickly.
…I don't think I can kill you, Mei.
Laughter sounded.
There is probably only one way to. I don't think I need to tell you just yet. However, I will tell you this. The answer lies with the original use for your Innocence.
Sin sighed and pushed herself up, not knowing what Mei meant. Mei liked to send cryptic replies to her, and she didn't answer a lot of questions, saying 'later', each time.
"When is she going to tell me?" Sin mumbled to herself, pushing her hair back.
And what am I going to do about Apocryphos? Find him and kill him? But he's immortal, right? How can I? And the Earl…just what does he want with me?
"Ah—" Sin abruptly fell to her knees, her legs having gave out under her. She felt a throbbing pain in her head, similar to a headache, but not exactly. It felt like an invisible force was trying to pull away her consciousness. Placing her hands to her head, she doubled over, feeling a burning sensation in her back as well.
What…what is this?! Sin squeezed her eyes shut, trying to steady her rapidly increasing breathing and heart rate. She fell onto her side, clutching her head and curling into a ball.
Is…is this what happens when Mei's…taking over…and when…each accommodator…goes insane…?! She silently screamed, letting out ragged breaths.
Ah, there it is. Yes. Painful, isn't it? This is what happens the longer you use the Wings of Seraph. The more you use it, the more you'll be plagued by these headaches. They're strong because you're fighting it. Those who just accept it won't feel any pain.
Sin's vision flashed in and out of consciousness, until she finally fell unconscious, black starting to envelop her mind.
This happened a lot later than I thought. That seal Cross put must have started to wear out. Well, no matter.
Sorry, Sin.
Tyki knocked on Sin's door, having not heard from her for the whole day. He called out her name, then waited. When she didn't come out, he knocked louder and said her name louder, but heard nothing again.
Is she not in there? Tyki opened the door, looking in. When he opened it fully, he saw that the lights weren't on even though the sun had just set, and the balcony door was open. He headed over to the balcony, seeing something on the ground.
"Oi, Sin, you there?" He called.
When he didn't get a reply, he took a closer look at the thing on the ground, realising that it wasn't a something, but a someone.
"Sin?!" Surprised, the male kneeled down, seeing that she was unconscious, curled into a ball, her breathing ragged.
His brows creased and he picked her up, finding that something was amiss. Going inside, he placed her on the bed, pressing a hand to her forehead. She didn't seem to have a fever, but her forehead was clad with sweat.
What's going on? He narrowed his eyes, going to close the balcony door. He went back over to Sin, seeing her writhe before she calmed down, her face pale. Her breathing had stabilised, but her face was scrunched up in pain, then changed to an expressionless one.
Tyki questioned what just happened.
He rubbed his neck, unsure. When he glanced back at Sin, he saw that her hair was going silver, but then it faded back to black after a moment.
What was that? Tyki recalled Mei and how she had silver hair. Is this what the Earl was talking about? The Earl's words about Seraphim taking over the mind of its host came back to Tyki, which made his eyes slightly widen.
That would mean…Sin's getting swallowed by this memory? He likened it to the Noah memories, wondering how such a thing could happen with Innocence.
The Noah had previously laughed off the prospect of her getting taken over by her Innocence, finding it ridiculous that Innocence would be able to do such a thing.
He frowned, this isn't so funny anymore.
The Cube began to glow green, then switched to glow red, before violently shaking, thrashing about. Hevlaska doubled over, stopping mid-sentence as she groaned in pain.
Rouvelier, who she was speaking to, held the rails as he inspected what was happening with the Cube, sharp eyes going wide. "Hevlaska! Is it Seraphim?!" His gloved hands clenched around the bar as he leaned forward.
"Urgh…it's..." Hevlaska started.
Heh…hehehehe…haha…hahaha!
Hevlaska and Rouvelier both froze as they heard the laughter dance in the air. A chill went up the Inspector's spine as he tensed, frowning.
You're cruel, cruel, cruel…hahahaha!
The laughter, the voice, sounded sinister, mocking.
I will never…forgive you. Exorcists and Noah alike…I'm coming for you.
The laughter died down, and along it, the Cube relaxed. Hevlaska exhaled deeply, relieved. "That…there is no doubt. That…was Seraphim."
Rouvelier gritted his teeth, letting go of the bar. He looked to Hevlaska, "What do they mean, Exorcists and Noah alike?!"
"I…don't know." Hevlaska could only answer like that.
If Seraphim is after both Exorcists and Noah, what are they planning? Weren't they in league with the Noah family because the Order could only pursue them?! Rouvelier narrowed his eyes, it makes me hate God more now that Seraphim is in the hands of the Noah! Such a powerful Innocence! The Earl will no doubt try to steal it.
He turned around, getting out of the lower chambers, no matter. Seraphim will eventually be mine in the end.
Blue eyes fluttered open, vision blurry. Sin felt tears go down the side of her face, touching her ears. Her finger twitched as she pushed herself up into a sitting position, noticing that someone was sleeping on the side.
It was Tyki. He was still sleeping soundly.
What time is it? Sin looked to the clock, unable to see the time. It was still dark, and the lights were out. It didn't look like the sun would come up anytime soon.
I'm guessing it's late…how long was I out? Sin pressed a hand to her head when she recalled what happened before, remembering how the pain felt.
My head…is fine? Sin placed her hand on her lap, it felt like it was going to split open…
Mei said that I was getting closer and closer to becoming taken over by her. That if I fight it, it will hurt more…what did she mean when she said that Cross placed a seal? When did this happen? What seal?
And…why did she apologize?
Sin closed her eyes to take a breath, but the moment she did, images flashed into her head, causing tears to sting her eyes, just like when she woke up.
Ah…now I know why, Sin opened her eyes again, blinking away the tears. When I lost consciousness, I dreamt about something horrible. That dream...
The dream that Sin had, was one where it was not of the era she lived in. It was much older, and it seemed to be a memory with every graphic detail that allowed it to be. She could remember how vivid everything was, and even the pain that they felt. The faces of everyone in the dream, the weapons, the blood.
Ah…that's right. There was also a baby's cry. Sin closed her eyes again, pressing a couple of fingers to her forehead in an attempt to remember. A man…held the baby, and I leant down and kissed the baby's forehead? No…that wasn't me. That was the person's memory's action. Then, there was an angry voice…and a fight began, started by the other side. It was…Sin squeezed her eyes shut, trying harder. When she finally got her answer, she instantly opened her eyes.
Apocryphos.
Apocryphos…was the one who started attacking? I remember, the person I relived the memory of, using a sword? They seemed to have a power of flight, and was able to fight well against them, but…
"…they killed them in the end." Sin whispered to herself.
I wasn't able to hear much in this dream, or this memory. Was it real? Why did Apocryphos have such a sad, hatred ridden expression? It's completely unlike how he looks now.
Sin slumped her shoulders, pushing her hair back. She sighed to herself, her body feeling heavy.
That dream, that memory…was that…one of Mei's memories?
After the dream, the former exorcist could feel a hatred bubble in her veins; much, much more than she had ever felt before. The sheer amount of hatred she felt was frightening to her, as she only knew it was a fraction of it.
"You seem completely fine after that ordeal before."
Sin turned to the voice. It could only have been one person, and that person was the one who was sleeping before her.
"Tyki." She spoke softly. "Were you here the whole time?"
"Yeah. Did get some breaks here and there though." The male, who was sitting half on the ground and leaning on the side of the bed as a pillow, stood up, stretching.
"…I guess I'm fine right now…" Sin realised that if Tyki was here, that would mean that he brought her in from the balcony, where she passed out. "Ah…thanks for bringing me inside."
"…no problem." The male took a seat on the bed. "Don't just fall asleep outside on a balcony if you're tired next time." He joked.
Sin laughed lightly, shaking her head, "Why are you always here when I'm in trouble? It's like you always know."
"What a quick topic change." The Noah commented. He answered, "Well, I figured you'd be bored so I'd come in here to annoy you, but found you out cold."
"What good timing." She placed a hand to her face, wiping off the remnants of the tears. "Thank you for worrying about me. You're always looking out for me, Tyki." She held a tender smile on her face, thankful for all his help.
Tyki smiled.
"But is this alright? You're helping an exorcist." Sin spoke quietly this time, the thought still on her mind. A slightly worried look replaced her smile.
"If the Earl says it's fine, it's fine." Tyki shrugged, bringing his legs up. He crossed them as he sat on an angle. He glanced outside, seeing that it had brightened slightly.
Sin stared at him, just watching him as he looked outside. He looked quite peaceful, different from when he was with the others.
"Tyki, you seem quite happy lately." She pointed out, remembering his actions. "Why is that?"
Tyki turned to her, brows risen. She seriously has no clue? He thought with a light laugh. He didn't answer her just yet, thinking about how she really didn't seem to have a clue.
I don't know if she's just dense or if she doesn't realise it yet, Tyki grabbed her hand, elevating it a little.
"It's not every day I save an exorcist." His lips curled into a half smirk half grin, "I would have killed you by now if the Earl didn't say anything."
Sin stared at their hands, "A Noah that exists to kill exorcists." She paused a second, "Would you have killed me, despite knowing we were good friends?" Her gaze flickered from their hands to his golden eyes.
Tyki was a little taken aback at her question. He lowered their hands, releasing them from each other. He used it to scratch his cheek and rub the back of his neck as he looked away, fidgeting. He didn't exactly know how to answer that.
Sin tilted her head slightly in confusion at this action. It wasn't often he did that, and when he did, he normally didn't know how to answer, is what she had noticed when travelling with him.
"What about this, then. If the Earl had instructed you to kill me, would you?" Her saying those words didn't seem to sound heavy at all, but to Tyki, they were.
He stared at her with wide eyes and slightly parted lips. He sighed, "Where are you getting all this from?" He didn't really want to answer such questions, and it seemed a bit too direct. It almost sounded like she was beating around the bush.
Sin played with her fingers, "I'm…not sure." She paused for a long moment, "I think…I just wanted confirmation. 'Would my friend kill me if they had to?' was what I was thinking." She laughed lightly, but there was no emotion behind it, "The Order's ordered the exorcists to kill me on sight, and the Noah, knowing that I'm an exorcist, have taken me in, even when they're supposed to kill accommodators. And because of the Earl, I'm alive now."
She looked down to her hands, "I'm tired." She shook her head, "I'm very…very tired. Of all of this." Even though she had a smile on her face, it wasn't happy at all. "Why can't things just be easy? With no Innocence, no Noah, nothing supernatural. Just…" She trailed off, closing her eyes, chuckling, "It's not simple at all, is it?" More so than she was questioning Tyki, she was questioning herself.
"Come on, don't say that." Tyki rubbed the back of his head, "You wouldn't have met me, otherwise." He looked away almost bashfully. The current topic was quite heavy even for him, so he tried to make it lighter. He didn't know if it worked, though.
Sin looked up, realising that it was true. If there wasn't anything supernatural in the world at all, she wouldn't have met a lot of the people she treasured now. Finding that how she questioned herself ridiculous, she laughed, tears wanting to fall.
"That's true! But…I don't regret meeting any of you. You guys are all precious to me." Again, she tried to hold back tears, but with the current conversational topic, she just couldn't. It fell down her cheeks silently, "That's why…I'm afraid. I'm afraid that if I stay like this, if I'm alive, you will all suffer." She sniffed, looking at the male, "Especially my brother, and, you, Tyki."
She held so much distress in her voice, it sounded like it would break any moment.
Tyki looked to her, pointing to himself, "Me?" He was confused how her being alive would impact him in a negative way.
"Do you remember what Leon said? He said that the intruder sent me a warning. Do you know who that intruder was? It was Apocryphos! He was the one who murdered my parents, and the one who will hurt my brother, and possibly you, too, if he doesn't get what he wants! And he wants me dead!" Sin wiped her cheek, muttering, "He's just a coward who won't confront me head on, and using horrible means to back me into a corner." She was more angry than sad at this point.
"That…was Apocryphos?" Tyki's eyes widened, and once again, the feeling of incredible hate pulsed through his body. He furrowed his brows, willing himself to ignore it.
"And…it's not just that." Sin wiped her other cheek, lifting her hands up to stare at them, "This Innocence of mine, I'm afraid that when it takes over my consciousness…I'll, I'll do something horrible, something that might cause you all to disappear. I don't want that, I don't want that at all!" She pressed her hands together and squeezed, her fingers nearly turning white, seen even in the wee hours of the morning.
"So, what are you going to do about it?" Tyki placed a hand on top of hers, calming himself down as well as her. The feeling of intense hatred subsided.
"I'm…not sure. I don't really have a direction at this point, Tyki." Sin confessed, taking in a deep breath. "Though, I do want to find out a lot of things."
"Then go and find out those things." Tyki stated. He took his hand off hers and waved it in dismissal, "I'm happy you're worried about me, but you should worry about yourself more."
Sin's lips parted, before she smiled and looked down slightly. "You're right." All her friend's faces flashed into her mind, along with times she'd had with Tyki, especially after she had met him in his Noah form. "Except, it's hard not to worry about you." She added after a light intermission, "You're someone that I care about, very, very much."
Tyki opened his mouth, then closed it, rubbing his nose. Hearing her say that made him quite happy, but a little embarrassed too.
"Tyki," Sin spoke his name softly; many, many thoughts going through her mind.
The male looked at her, leaning slightly forward. "Hm?"
Her expression changed to one that looked like she was worried, pained and somewhat happy at the same time. It was hard to pinpoint exactly how she felt from just her facial expressions alone.
"Why…are you so nice to me?" Her voice had lowered quite a bit. She looked away.
"Why I'm nice to you?" Tyki blinked a couple of times, wondering if he heard right. She sounded serious. "…you don't need to ask something like that, do you?"
"Huh?" The female looked to Tyki, seeing a smile on his face.
"Well, why do you think I'm nice to you, then?" Tyki asked. He wanted to know what she thought.
"We're friends, so…" Sin trailed off, placing a loose fist to her lips. "But…"
"But?"
She was hesitant to continue, stopping. She averted her eyes from Tyki, thinking how she should word it. It was difficult to word what she felt at the moment.
"Eh? That's it?" Tyki sounded disappointed, but he shrugged it off. "Well then," He leaned forward so that he was right next to her face. "Shall I tell you?" He was only teasing.
"Ah…!" Sin pushed her hands to his face, nearly shoving him off the bed, not expecting what he did.
He yelped and grabbed onto the bed curtain, narrowly missing the fall. "H-hey! What was that for?!" He carefully pulled himself back up, his nose red.
When he did pull himself up, Sin helped him, looking the other way, her cheeks a light red.
"Don't do things like that…" She mumbled, holding onto his arm. When he whispered near her ear, it reminded her of what he did back at her estate's infirmary, and the moments where he seemed more vulnerable and happy than he would be.
Why couldn't I compose myself? Why? Sin recalled other times that had happened with her and people who she danced with at parties. But why, she didn't get, was why she reacted that way to Tyki. Is there something wrong with me?
Tyki ignored the pain on his face, seeing how she reacted. He sat back down on the bed, an almost dumbfounded look on his face. He didn't expect that reaction at all.
Am I getting somewhere with this? He wondered to himself.
"Tyki…" Sin's hands were still on his arm even when he was steady. She stared him in the eyes, seeing the golden colour start to become lighter with the sun's rise.
"Can I trust you?"
Surprised by her question, the male just blinked at her, wondering what was up. She was serious, and her gaze was unwavering, even with her red cheeks.
"Don't you trust me?" Tyki sweat dropped. He thought she trusted him, and now she was asking him a question like this? It confused him.
Sin shook her head, "Not fully, no." She confessed. Tyki felt like a heavy weight hit his head. She continued, "I need to know if I can trust you fully."
The way she worded it and the underlying pleading tone in her voice made Tyki think, 'why would she ask something like this?' Then, he remembered. The situation with Li Jun, and how she trusted him, only to be betrayed.
His eyes softened and he sighed, closing them, then, after a moment, he opened them again. "Do you think you can?" He had a feeling that she wanted to trust him, but she couldn't fully yet, or was hesitating.
"I…I don't know." Sin looked down, her hands going to his hands. She squeezed his hands tightly with her two hands, pulling it near her chest. "I want to trust you, Tyki, I really do. But I don't know if you'll hurt me just like Li Jun did; there's no guarantee."
Tyki sighed through his nose after a moment, placing his free hand on her head, ruffling her hair. "It's up to you if you want to trust me or not."
"I really, really want to. But I'm…scared." Sin held his hand like she did when she was sleeping, closer to her so that it was hard to pull away.
"You know, it doesn't seem like you don't trust me at all." Tyki laughed lightly, pulling the hand on her head away. He found it cute how she held his hand just like she did when she slept, but he wasn't sure what was going through her mind.
"…that's because…" Sin looked away, "I…want to try trusting you. I have a feeling you won't do something like what Li Jun did." A small smile made its way to her lips when she remembered how good Tyki was to her. She looked back to him with a bright smile, making her decision, "Then, I'll put my trust in you, Tyki!"
"That's good to hear." The male laughed, grinning.
Well, that was a quick decision, Tyki thought. He wondered if that would change anything. I guess I can't fail her now. He sighed inwardly.
After a moment of silence, Sin started playing with the lines on his palm and his fingers instead, a thoughtful look on her face.
Tyki noted that she seemed to be thinking about something. Even back when they were travelling, she'd sometimes go silent, then say something that may or may not surprise them. It was interesting. He decided to stay quiet, closing his eyes and using his other arm to lean back.
"Tyki,"
"Hm?" He opened one eye.
"Why does it make me so happy when I see you?"
Tyki nearly choked on nothing, staring at her with wide eyes and slightly parted lips. Nothing came out of his mouth as he gaped.
So forward!
"I mean…even now, I'm very happy that you're here. When you're not here...it's not that I'm not happy, but it's just happier." Sin added after a moment, "You make me smile very, very much. I want to be around you more and more." She looked to him, smiling sincerely.
Tyki inhaled sharply. He looked away, hiding his face with his free hand. He couldn't stop the smile from coming onto his face.
Damn…Tyki thought to himself. He could feel his heart beat a little faster.
"Tyki?" She questioned. She could see him smiling, "I can see you smiling."
The Noah looked to her through the gaps of his fingers, taking his hand away from his face. He came closer to her, putting one hand on her head, and the other onto the bed. He leaned forward, pecking her on the forehead, then rubbing her head as he leaned back. He grinned.
Sin lightly touched the area he had kissed, eyes widening. Her eyes started to tear up when she remembered the other time he had done that, the time when she had told Momo, Clark, Eeez and Tyki that she'd be going for another job.
Even the grin is the same…Sin noticed with a small smile. She felt a flood of warmth go through her body.
The male pulled his hand away. She was the only person he'd done that to, so it was something special.
I can't get this smile off my face, Tyki wanted to sigh to himself, but the mere thought of her gaining affection towards him made him quite happy. That meant that she was starting to feel something towards him.
His grin downgraded to a smile, I guess this is a starting point.
"So, Earl, why did you really save Sin? Or, should I say, Seraphim and Mei?" Road walked up beside the Earl, who was in one of the rooms of the doors in the Ark. He was by himself, reading a book.
The Earl, in his human form, looked up from his book as Road entered, the door closing behind her. She didn't want anybody else accidently finding out about their little conversation.
"Road…" The Earl murmured, closing the book. Road sat down in front of him, lying on her side on the sofa. It was a room that had a fireplace, adjacent to where she sat, but a little further away.
"Even the princess is suspicious of you, Earl." Road smiled knowingly, placing her hands in front of the fire to warm herself up. She interchangeably used Sin's different titles.
"I know. She won't know why until Mei tells her, which doesn't seem likely right now." The Earl chuckled, putting the book onto the coffee table.
"So? What's this grand scheme of yours?" Road questioned.
"I got her before that Rouvelier did." He half chuckled half laughed.
Road hummed a long vowel, tilting her head slightly, "What's Rouvelier got to do with this?"
"Road, do you remember what I said when Mei was fighting to defend her child?" The Earl tapped his finger a couple of times on the armrest. Road didn't respond, only staring at the Head. "She used a power that she couldn't control."
"I remember that." Road noted. "And she got killed because of it, right?"
"That's right. The power that she used was very powerful. That's why, I want that power. The 'fire of purification', is the name." The Earl rested his elbows on the armrests as his fingers touched. "In case of Rouvelier, he also wanted this power."
"Ah...so that's why he did human experimentations on the accommodator before the last." The Noah of Dreams connected the dots. "He was trying to find a way to extract it." She added after a moment, "I'm guessing he failed though."
"That's exactly it. But Seraphim has once again come into our hands, and thus we must find a way to get that power, to defeat the abominable Innocence." The Earl's dark eyes narrowed at the mention of it.
"Eh, that's weird. Isn't the power that you want also Innocence?" Road questioned.
"Yes it is, Road. But that doesn't mean we can't use it." The Earl smiled.
"And here I thought you were sparing them because they had relations to the earliest Noah." Road giggled, "But you have other plans. How do you plan on getting that power?"
The first apostle, Adam, fell silent for a long intermission. He hummed, staring at the fireplace. Finally, he broke his silence, "I'm not sure. It's only been recently since Seraphim's come back into our hands."
"You mean to say that it's the first time in 7000 years that they came back over 35 years ago?" Road asked with slightly furrowed brows.
He nodded.
Why did it take so long for them to come back to us? Road thought. Wouldn't Seraphim have been caught by Apocryphos each and every time before that? How would they have hidden?
"I did try to find them long ago, but they died before I was able to. It was hard to find the user for Seraphim." The Earl sighed, rubbing his neck.
"By Apocryphos, right?" Road asked. It would explain why they were after Sin.
"Yeah. By Apocryphos." The Earl leaned on one palm, crossing his legs. He stared at the different warm colours dancing on the tip of his shoe. "It reminds me of when it all started."
When it all started? This is about the exorcists that killed Mei, right? The Noah of Dreams closed her eyes and rolled to her back.
"Maybe taking her Innocence will give you that power?" Road had a quick thought, but didn't know if it would work.
"Innocence doesn't really work with us, Road…" The Earl reminded. "But I think that's the only choice."
"How would that work?" Road rolled back to her side. "Ah! Is Seraphim the Heart? If we destroy it, can we destroy the Innocence?"
He shook his head, "Seraphim isn't the Heart, and never will be."
"Huh? But then, what is it? It's kind of like a monster Innocence, really." She laughed.
He sighed, "Seraphim was supposed to protect the Heart."
"Eh?" Road stopped laughing and blinked, "Doesn't that mean Seraphim did something to the Heart if Apocryphos is after it?"
"I don't know, Road." The Earl exhaled slowly.
"Even if you get your hands on the Innocence, apart from destroying it, can we preserve it and use it for ourselves?" Road frowned, changing the topic.
"Hm…" The Earl hummed for a long moment. It was common knowledge that Innocence can hurt the clan of Noah, but they didn't know if they could control it. It was already strange enough that Seraphim couldn't become a Fallen One.
Maybe God created Seraphim for the sole use of ending whichever opposing side it's taken, the Earl chuckled to himself. That would mean the end once and for all, wouldn't it?
"What's so funny, Earl?"
"It's nothing, Road."
"…would this be okay, though?" Road rolled onto her stomach and kicked her feet slowly, supporting her chin with her hands. She stared at the fireplace, "If we do something to Sin, wouldn't Tyki get angry?"
"Ah…" The Earl recalled something that his apostle had said a long time ago, causing him to frown slightly. "That's a problem, isn't it?"
"…we might learn something when Wisely gets reincarnated." Road mentioned, knowing that this certain apostle was able to retain their memories.
If it goes as far back as 7000 years, that is. Road thought to herself.
The Earl, a little surprised by her comment, laughed lightly, agreeing.
"Earl, are you planning on killing Sin and replacing her with Mei?" Road asked out of the blue. She didn't particularly hate her, but she found her interesting. It would be a shame that Mei would take her spot.
In response to her question, the Millennium Earl just smiled, "We'll see what happens."
"Tyki, I've just noticed, but…" Sin stared at him with a confused expression for a very long moment. The male looked at her, waiting for her to continue. She reached to his cheek, where she pushed away his hair to take a look at his ears. "…this earring is similar to mine." It looked exactly like the blue diamond earrings she had, before she lost one of them.
"Oh, this? It's yours. Came undone when we met in China." Tyki recalled. He began to take it off, but she stopped him.
"It's fine, it's fine. I was wondering where it went, but you were holding onto it. That's a relief." She stopped his hands from going to his ears.
"You don't want it back? Isn't it from your grandparents?" The Noah questioned.
She laughed lightly, "It is. But, I'm putting my trust in you to keep it safe for me."
Tyki nodded slowly, not really understanding that logic. He went with it anyway, but remembered that she would be missing an earring. He dug into his pocket and found the old earring he wore before he wore hers.
"Here." He got her hand, placing the earring on her palm.
"Isn't this yours though?"
"You're missing an earring, right? You can wear that for the time being."
Sin stared at the earring. It was indeed Tyki's.
Ah...so equivalent exchange. She giggled, putting it in her ear.
"Now we're even." She grinned.
"…not really." The male remembered the monetary value her earrings were worth. His weren't worth that much, not even a fraction.
"An earring for an earring, Tyki."
"Urgh you guys make me sick!" David kicked opened the door, making a face when he saw Tyki and Sin.
Jasdero came up from behind him. "HEE! A Noah and an exorcist?! Unheard of! Hee!"
With Jasdero's words, Sin was reminded of the conversation at the dining table back in the old Ark, before Allen had brought it back. Someone had said something similar, but she didn't remember who. The only thing she remembered was that it made her sad.
"What do you guys want?" Tyki sighed. He was having a good time, but then the twins had to come.
"I'm bored! Hee!" Jasdero shouted.
"Yeah! Do something interesting!" David put a hand on his hip. They had come in there with the intention of relieving their boredom, but found that Tyki was there with her.
"How about a card game?" Sin suggested with a smile.
Tyki glanced at her, seeing that it was almost sly.
Is she planning on stripping them of everything by winning out of pure luck again? He sweat dropped. He remembered all the other times they played poker or any card game for that matter, and she'd always somehow win from pure luck. It was ridiculous because she didn't cheat, even if they taught her how to (in poker).
"Cards? Pfft! How boring! It's not like you can beat us at cards! Hah!" David chortled with laughter, with Jasdero joining in.
"Oh? You scared?" Tyki taunted with a smirk. He was laughing inside because he knew they'd lose.
"WHAT?! SCARED?!" The twins shouted, pointing their guns at him. They had anger marks on their heads as they cracked their knuckles, "WE'LL TAKE YOU ON!"
"YEAH, YEAH! NO ONE CALLS US SCAREDY CATS, HEE!" Jasdero went to find a deck of cards.
They took the bait so easily, Tyki snickered, turning to Sin.
The female grinned at him, knowing that he caught on. She was in need of something that would take her current mind off things, as she knew that later down the line, it may not be possible.
With a heavy mind, she slid out of the bed, trying to push her miscellaneous thoughts aside. Except, they never really went away.
In the midst of Tyki and David discussing minor things and having a pretty one-sided chat, Sin just kept thinking. The more she wanted to push the thoughts out of her mind, the more she could hear Mei's laughter in the background.
You know you can't do much anymore, don't you?
"Sin, why don't you come with us to this tea party?" The Earl, in his Noah form, placed his hands together, his teeth shining as if he was jolly.
"What a great idea, Earl!" Sheril gushed.
Said female turned to him with an expression of surprise, which melted to confusion. "But isn't the invitation directed to the Noah family? I am not part of the Noah family, Earl." She looked to the Earl, ignoring Sheril.
"Just come, Sin. You can help me by dividing the attention so I can get out of there." Tyki grinned.
Sin laughed nervously. Did she really want to attend such a tea party in which she once disliked? It made her remember how tiring it was for her back when she still attended them.
"This isn't a suggestion, Sin. You're going." The Earl laughed heartily.
"You heard the Earl, Sin!" Sheril crossed his arms, smiling. It was kind of creepy how he wanted her to come.
"And that's that." Tyki smirked, "Well, at least you won't be bored."
"But it's tiring, isn't it?" Sin sighed to herself. She didn't mind meeting people, but it seemed like such a stiff setting that she had to form these relations. She used to put up airs to seem approachable since she had been bound to her duties as a princess, but that was then. Did she have to do that now? Just the thought tired her more than usual.
"You're saying the same things as Tyki-pon, dear." The Earl giggled, "You're not going to be there as a princess. You'll be there as yourself, from a prestigious family member from China staying with us."
"…you're not leaving me a choice in this matter, are you, Earl?" Sin thought about how things would be if the situation was a little different, but knew that nothing would change.
"How lovely! We'll be having such an important guest with us! I'll have to inform Tricia!" Sheril went off, strangely happy.
Sin stared after him with a blank expression, but Tyki knew what she wanted to ask.
"He's like that."
"…seems like it."
"The tea party is in a week's time, so before then I'd like you to get something to wear." The Earl turned to Sin, expectant.
"…ah."
And that's why we're here, Sin looked around, having dressed in a borrowed suit from Lulubell. It was a little loose on her, but it would make do as a disguise, as she didn't want the Order to find her, nor did she want to be recognisable.
"I don't get why you're coming along, too, Tyki." Sin looked at the male to her side, who was also wearing a suit. She turned to her other side, seeing the shorter girl, "And you, Road."
"We need to show you around, Sin." Road smiled at her, taking a hold of her hand. "You don't know where the good stores are!"
"...that's true." It had been a while since Sin had gone shopping for something luxurious. Most of the time back at the estate, she would either be brought dresses from merchants, and on a rarer occasion, she would go out and buy one herself, or with her parents. It was a fun experience.
Father, mother…just by remembering them made her sad. She adjusted the glasses she had, looking around. It was just a normal street in London, with lots of people walking around, some with their children and some without.
"It's lively." Sin commented, eyes softening with sadness, seeing a mother give her child a candied apple.
Tyki followed her gaze, seeing her look at the two, then three, as the father came out of the sweets shop, before leaving with them.
"It is." Road agreed. She glanced to the right side and pulled Sin along when she saw the shop she wanted to go to. "This one!"
"Ah! Road—" Sin was pulled into the shop and into trying different styles left and right.
Tyki, on the other hand, yawned as he sat on a chair, giving a 'yes' or 'no' opinion whenever she was pushed out with a new dress.
Finally, one dress they all gave the okay to. It was a strapless, just above knee length white dress that had a somewhat poofy bottom, with a long, thick half transparent lavender bow tied around her midsection. She even wore matching white gloves and silver heels.
"This is very short, Road!" Sin stared at the bottom part of the skirt, unsure of how much leg it was showing. Even in China, showing too much skin, especially the legs, was deemed inappropriate at social gatherings such as tea parties if you're older than 15.
"Aw, but it looks very good on you!" Road puffed out her cheeks and crossed her arms in annoyance. "It's a very unique, modern one, too!"
"Even so, I don't think it's a good idea to get everyone to have their eyes on me, Road!" Sin sighed. "I don't want to draw too much attention." She stared at the mirror, seeing how she looked.
"But it looks good." Tyki stated. He didn't care too much about her showing too much leg, but he did agree that it would leave somewhat of a bad impression if it was too short. It was fine when she was a lot younger, but now, it would be 'scandalous', especially at a party.
There'll be a lot of men there, too…Tyki's eyes narrowed slightly, but then he let out a 'heh', because he knew that they wouldn't even be able to lay a finger on her apart from dancing.
Sin wasn't too sure, holding the dress as she did another look see.
"Why not just make it longer? Though I like the short one." The male grinned at her when she looked at him with an embarrassed face.
She mumbled something incoherent, then placed her gloved hands on her cheeks, patting them gently.
"I'll go tell the shop keeper to tailor this for you!" Road sung this sentence as she skipped to find the shop keeper.
"I never imagined I'd be here seeing you wear a dress." Tyki commented with a chuckle.
"It's been a while since I've worn one, you know." Sin stepped away from the mirror and went a few feet away from the male, "I'm worried that I'll attract too much unwanted attention."
Tyki eyed her up and down, shrugging, "Who wouldn't notice?"
In response to him, Sin pulled his cheeks, "It's not like I want them to look at me that way!" She complained. "I would rather wear what Lulubell wears if that's the case!"
"She wears dresses to parties, too, you know." Tyki pointed out with a smirk. He leaned forward and reached to put an arm around her waist, but before he could do anything, the shop keeper and Road came back. He sighed and took back his arm.
"Oh my…" The shop keeper started, unsure of what to say at the scene. It was the first time she'd seen anything like it, even within peasants. And to top it off, a very handsome gentlemen, as it was. The first thing that came to her mind was that they were engaged or married, but it also didn't seem like the case, either, so she was confused.
Sin dropped her hands and headed over to the shop keeper, who was taking one last look at Tyki before doing her job. The shop keeper measured the length she had to tailor it for her, admiring how different Sin was. It was very rare that she got an orient at her store, especially one like Sin.
"Tyki, I saw that," Road giggled as she headed over to where her uncle was. He looked away avoiding her eyes.
"You saw nothing."
"Hm? Okay, sure, sure." Road did a twirl and went back to Sin, watching them.
"This tailor will be done in 2 days, so if you come by then, we can do the fitting." The shop keeper smiled, having jotted down the necessary information.
"Alright! Thank you, miss!" Road grinned and proceeded to shove Sin into the dressing room, closing the door for her.
"Even without showing her legs she'll attract a lot of attention." Road laughed, sitting down beside Tyki. The male glanced at her, quite agreeing. "If she had the same style as back then, then it'd pretty much be the same, right, Tyki?" Road sent him a knowing look.
"…I guess?" It sounded a question. It was true that when they had met 7 years ago, she had attracted much of the attention, even for a young lady. It was the fact that she was different from everybody else that stood out.
It then dawned on Tyki, that if it was like that back then, then it would be even worse this time. Seeing his eyes widen, Road giggled, knowing that she had ignited the fuse.
"She'd get lots of proposals and invitations to parties!" Road snickered when she saw Tyki's expression turn somewhat sour.
"Even if she did, I don't think she'd accept them so easily." Tyki pointed out, "They'd be mainly for the Earl, and wishes for her to make it."
"That's true." Road giggled.
"Besides, it's not like she reacts so easily to men, anyway." Tyki shrugged, remembering many of the times that she has one, been stared at for long periods of time, two, been asked weird questions, three, seen the troupe half naked, four, remained completely calm and collected even when asked touchy subjects like marriage and suitors and so on.
What is she, a robot? Tyki thought with a light laugh. Certainly, she was unique, but no robot. His mind went back to when she reacted to him, which he found was definitely something that needed to be noted. Well, maybe not to me, then.
Road paused for a moment when she heard Tyki's words. She blinked, piecing together a few things in her mind. At that time, Sin had come out of the dressing room, and they all stood up to leave.
With a small smirk on her lips, Road turned to Tyki, "I see, Tyki."
Hearing the sneaky giggle behind her words, the male looked at her with a weird expression before they left the shop.
"Now, we're going to get a necklace for you!" Road turned to Sin, "And those heels come with the dress, so that's done!"
"Ah…is that so. Thank you. I'll pay—" Sin started up.
"No, it's okay. We've been doing business with your family for a long time, so we'll pay." Road grabbed Sin's hand and rocked it, excitedly proceeding down the street.
"A-ah…thank you."
Road really likes her, Tyki noted.
"…need to get…a nail clipper, chocolate bars…"
Sin glanced over to the person that walked the opposite way of them, just brushing past. They were mumbling some things that they needed to buy, their head down on the notepad.
The former exorcist's blue eyes widened when she knew immediately who it was, wondering why he was there on the streets.
Is it his day off? Why is Johnny here? Her brows slightly narrowed. I thought he was injured!
"Ah."
She heard Johnny stop in his tracks, and a shuffle of his back, before footsteps became louder as he neared them.
"Excuse me!" Johnny ran in front of the three of them, panting slightly.
Sin froze in her spot, hoping that Johnny didn't see through her disguise.
"Um, can I talk to you for a moment, alone, please?" Johnny turned to Sin, a concentrated look on his face.
She blinked a couple of times, mouth opening from surprise. She stayed calm, hoping to weasel out of this situation.
"Oh, they're looking for you." Tyki turned to Sin and then took a few steps away, giving them the room they needed.
Road let go of Sin's hand reluctantly, going to where her uncle was. She eyed Johnny suspiciously.
"Yes?" Sin questioned, trying to make it look like she had no idea what Johnny was going to say, let alone who he was.
"You're…you're Sin, right?" His voice dropped to a whisper, glancing around to see if anybody was eavesdropping.
Sin opened and closed her mouth, before exhaling with weariness. "Johnny—"
"So it is you!" Johnny looked like he was about to cry. Sin looked around, trying to see if there was anybody watching apart from Tyki and Road.
"Why are you here, Johnny? Please don't tell anyone that you saw me!" She requested, voice low.
"I won't! I don't want you to die!" The scientist sniffed.
Seeing him like this, Sin's eyes softened. "How are you? How are the others?"
"They're…okay. We miss you, Sin! Even Reever and Komui…" Johnny smiled, but it was sad. He looked to her, "We're going to move to a new HQ soon, so be careful! It'll be in England and on an island near here." He added, "I'm worried for your saf—"
"Johnny, I will be fine." Sin smiled at him, laughing lightly. "You go back to the Order, but stay safe. It's dangerous. Now, run along. Forget you ever saw me here. You don't know me. I'm wishing you all the best."
Johnny, with one last tearful look at Sin's smiling face, nodded, holding onto the strap of his bag tightly. Sin walked past him and headed to where Tyki and Road were, continuing down along the street with composure.
Johnny looked to see her retreating back, with the other two nobles that were with her.
Who…are they?
"Who was that?" Road asked, looking back over her shoulder. She looked to Sin, seeing that she had a mixed expression.
"That was a friend of mine, Road." Sin smiled somewhat sadly.
"What did you talk about?" Road pressed.
"We just asked each other how we were doing, that's all. Regular greetings."
"Hm…I see."
As they continued down the street, looking into windows and seeing what kind of necklace would fit her dress, Sin couldn't help but think, her mind wandering off to what Johnny said. He had given her information on the Order, and places that she should avoid.
I'm fine. Sin pressed her lips together into a thin line, no, I'm definitely fine. I'll continue to be fine.
"Sin, try this one." Tyki pointed to one of the necklaces in the window. He had surprisingly decided to look through options for jewellery. He didn't care too much, but if he left it to Road, he felt she would go too extravagant.
"Hm?" Sin snapped out of her thoughts and followed where his finger pointed, seeing a silver necklace with a circle that connected to a narrow silver rectangle that dangled vertically. It was very minimal, but she liked it. "That one is nice."
"That's so boring!" Road pointed to another, "This one!" The one she liked was quite full on and had a lot of little jewels here and there.
"…no thank you, Road." Sin laughed nervously, wondering how anybody could wear something so fancy like that. She pointed to the one Tyki had suggested, "Let's get this one."
"Now that we're done, let's go back." Tyki rubbed the back of his neck, holding onto the bag containing the necklace. They had just finished up at the jewellery shop.
Sin glanced around, seeing if Johnny was still near. But, he had gone.
Johnny…Sin knew that Johnny was a very nice man, even if he did seem a little wimpy and crazy at times. But, he was a good soul. I guess this was for the best. If someone finds out that he's had contact with me back at the Order, he could get punished, just for talking to somebody he considered a friend.
"We're going back now; anything else we need to get?" Road thought for a moment, opening one of her doors in an isolated location.
Tyki and Sin stepped in, with the latter shaking her head. Road shrugged gently and headed in after them.
Cross Marian swirled the red wine in his glass, staring out the window of the new HQ, having arrived there earlier than the others. It was currently night, and the stars were showing through the darkness.
What a nice night, the womaniser thought.
He then narrowed his eyes when he felt Timcanpy nudge at his hand, as if trying to tell him something.
"What is it? Show me." The red haired male turned to the golden golem.
Tim opened its mouth, projecting a screen that showed events that happened years ago. It showed Cross leaning down to chant something at an unconscious person, and then leave after positioning them so that they were more comfortable.
Cross watched it, remembering what had happened then. It was around 5 years ago, when Cynthia had escaped China and was looking for refuge, just travelling around. At that time in the train station, she had fallen unconscious due to exhaustion and starvation.
Cross already knew who it was, as he had been keeping tabs on her the whole time, knowing that she was going to become the new accommodator for Seraphim. His hunch and gut feeling was right. When he had confirmed that fact, he had followed her there from China, and when she had finally passed out, he put a seal on her to stop the process of corruption.
So it's finally started to break, Cross took a sip from his glass.
Tim closed its mouth and flew on top of Cross's head, sitting.
The General stared at his wine glass, as long as she has that Seraph, it should be fine, for now.
He stopped his thinking abruptly, knowing that that wasn't just the case at all. He heard a crack and directed his gaze towards the glass, seeing the long crack from the top to the bottom of it.
…an ill omen.
Cross's eyes went to the single lit candle a few feet away from him, seeing it flicker, a laughter ringing in his ears, however distant.
Shut up, damn laughter. You're ruining my night.