"Good and evil is not black and white, but a million shades of grey."

- Minh Tan

"That's a foolish action he made." The Wanderer hissed to herself out loud.

Oh don't get her wrong, she understands this soon-to-be miner reason's of running away, but going somewhere dark?

I think the first order of business in running away is to go to an isolated place where people are hard to find you, rather than a dark one where there's a 50-50 chance of survival.

She's been reading many books by this time, and finished the last one with a good tone at the end.

Sighing, she puts the book on the table and visits the librarian.

…

"It seems you make yourself home here."

"Do I? Sorry, does it make you uncomfortable for me to be here?" Asked the Wanderer and started babbling, "I could leave now and visit you tomorrow! I, I prolong my stay here anyway."

"No, no. There's no need to rush. Your stay here is always welcome." Es answered, eyes for a moment flick in what the Wanderer assumed… panic?

"Are you alright Es?" The Wanderer asked, curiosity crawled her mind.

"I just had... a strange and sudden thought…"

"That is…?"

"That my words, and deeds, and private thoughts… Were following a script someone prepared for me."

What…?

"Do I even have a will of my own, I wonder? Perhaps I am someone else's mindless puppet. Perhaps I'm the only one who doesn't know it."

The Wanderer is trying to interrupt her, she wants to say those thoughts aren't true, but unable to sound it.

After a good amount of silence Es spoke, "It's just a thought. I don't really believe it. You needn't take it seriously."

But by the look of Es, the Wanderer thinks her face contorted to something along the lines that says she didn't believe her.

"It was inspired by something I read in a book. It stuck with me, for some reason."

"... You sure?" The Wanderer finally asked.

"Yes."

Beat.

"Could I… ask you a question?" Es took the silence of the Wanderer as yes, "Are my words truly my own?"

"They are, I'm sure." The immediate reply by the Wanderer. "You are you, Es. And nothing can change that."

"Yes. Yes, they are. I'm Es. I am Es..." Es paused for a bit before continuing, "You strip away all my security."

The once serious expression turned into pure confusion. "Eh? I do? And how?"

"The more you come to know yourself… The less I seem to know myself. I see that now."

The Wanderer opened her mouth to retort...

But closes it back.

Does… Does she even know how she got here in the first place? Or how she's the one becoming the librarian of this place? Is she… even...

"You're like my shadow. As my shadow grows longer, I end up…"

Disappearing…The Wanderer thought about what she's implying.

"No, that's not right. If anything, I must be your…"

"Can you come back later? Don't worry, I'll be waiting."

"Sure. I'll give you time." The Wanderer tipped her hat before leaving.

Back at the Record Room, the Wanderer stared intently to the mirror, deep in her thoughts.

"Can't I be myself?"

"... I don't know, magical mirror, I do feel "I am", but when you put it that way…"

"This moment is all that matters."

"... But… does it matter to many…?"

Hours passed and the Wanderer went back to the librarian, who acknowledged her by humming.

They silently read books when Es spoke as she closed her book.

"You know, good and evil…"

The Wanderer stared at the girl, patiently waiting for her to finish.

"...can't be defined in black and white."

"Oh, thank goodness you also think like that."

"So you're agreeing to that?"

"Yes. There's no such thing that everything should look black and white. People just tend to forget what's in the middle of it."

"And that is?"

Smiling, the Wanderer answers, "Grey. There's grey in the middle of the two colors."

"That's why one's interpretation becomes so important."

"I can understand that."

"Hmm… I'm fascinated to see… How you will interpret this story." The librarian stands up and scans through her books, before picking up one book.

"I guess this is another picture book?"

"Yes." Es opened the book and showed two identical girls, one holding a suspicious bottle. "This story is about two little girls who obtain some poison."

I think I'll rattle my head for this one.

"The nature of the story depends on how you interpret it. Are you ready to answer a few questions?"

"Ok. I'm good. Start the story please."

"Alright. Let's hear it then."

"Once upon a time, there's a twin living with their parents. Their parents worked at the castle, and life seems to be fine for the family. Until one day they acquired a poison. Who did they get the poison from?"

"Hmmm… A nasty wizard or someone gave it to them." The Wanderer answered, "These children are still young, I can't possibly think they can make a poison. The possibility of them making it will be an accident, and despite that, they wouldn't know they made a poison."

"Why did they want the poison?"

"They didn't. They just happened to wind up with it. How they wind up to the point someone gives it is a mystery."

"What is the relationship between the twins like?"

"They trust each other as family for sure." The Wanderer observed for longer before replying, "With someone who will stick to you till the end, you can trust them even if you commit crimes… I guess."

"How will it end?"

And this is the part of the Wanderer truly, for the first time, not answering it directly.

Because with the poison in these two girls' hands, anything can happen, but right now she saw many red flags already. There's a chance these kids can get themselves in danger, ortheythemselves get in danger.

In the end the Wanderer quietly says.

"... One twin will be in danger from the poison."Understatement.

There was a silence followed by Es turning the page. The moment the Wanderer eyed the new page she inhaled deeply, and averted her eyes.

"... Whether by murder or suicide, only one twin lives on."

"... That's bad." Again, flipping understatement.

"That was quite the story."

You think?The Wanderer didn't sound it, but she did raise her eyebrow for implication. "This is… far from what we've recently discussed, don't you think? You know with me going whole "Black and white and in the middle is grey" stuff."

"Sometimes, it takes fiction to reveal the truths of reality."

"I kinda feel eerie about that." She spoke this time.

"But I think that you know that I'm telling the truth."

"Never deny it."

"But you do, deny your social values"

Bringing her gaze back to the girl, she asked the most obvious question, "What?"

Es shows a paper in front of the Wanderer and a large words was written on it followed by a paragraph.

"Conforming Self-Denial" She read it out loud, "... Self… Denial?"

" Wanderer, it seems you're more than meets the eyes. With the ability for deep self-analysis, it's so easy to find things to loathe about yourself. You also have a strong antipathy toward that which is unethical."

"That's not true… about the unethical part…" The Wanderer slowly descended to mutter as she spoke.

"You acknowledge that, but not the first part." The girl pointed out. "... Do you hate yourself?"

The Wanderer silently eyed the girl before replying, "Hate, is such a strong word, Es."

"You do know that you didn't answer my question."

There's a beat before she replies.

"... It's up to you."

The event turned into a staring contest, until Es was the one back down, sighing.

"As that Façade appears evil to me. So too must appear evil to them. Might I ask? … Which of us is evil in your eyes?"

The Wanderer's eyes widened for a moment, before bringing her face back to neutral.

"My apologies. That was an awful question to put to you. After all, I'm the one who just said there's no definitive answer."

"No, no. It's alright." The Wanderer spoke, "You also have rights to ask some questions out of it, you know."

"No, really. Forget I asked."

Silence.

"Really. Put it out of your mind."

Es, now truly felt uncomfortable as her face slightly turned worried. "I'm... afraid of the answer."

"Alright, I won't push it." The Wanderer finally answered.

"Thank you." Es this time the one who averted her eyes. "Sorry that I make you... feel uncomfortable."

The two ignored each other for a moment before replying in union.

"So, uh!" "You can go first." "No, I insist." "Okay, what is it?"

The already grinning Wanderer can't hold it and starts to laugh. She looks at the librarian to find her smiling, albeit small, but nevertheless, smiling.

"You're cute when you're smiling." The Wanderer immediately flushed when she realized what she said, "I, I mean! Er…"

"A-hem." Es voiced out, she herself seems to be blushing faintly, "Thank you. So, what's that you're supposed to say?"

"I… Er…" The Wanderer voice descended to silence before picking up again, "I forgot, nah, don't worry about it."

"If you insist that way. I'll see you later then."

"Yep! Yup! See you later, deadpanned librarian."

The Wanderer could see the girl's eyebrow twitching, for the first time she could see Es fighting back her annoyed expression.

After a moment of attempts, the girl finally settled with her neutral stoic expression before speaking, "Are you done?"

To which the woman replies with-

"Pffffff!!! Hahahaha! It adds more effects! Sorry! I can't! I can't-!" She knows it feels cheesy for her, and she does feel guilty for laughing. But here she is now, clutching her side and laughing like a hyena.

"I see that I can entertain you."

Now, the Wanderer guiltily smiled, "Well, you can take it as… Me, having time to get to know you, and vice versa. This will be our, sorta, bonding time!"

"... Yeah. Now go before I decide to slap you."

"Yeesh, alright! I'm really going!"

Before she leaves back to the room, she eyed something sticking out of Es's book.

A familiar piece of paper.

… I hope she likes it then.