"Sometimes it happens, that love causes someone to kill, but remember......hate, can never save people. Never."
Kirika opens her eyes suddenly and screams out of her throat.
„The children have been staying together for two months now. Are we going to realize our plan soon?"
Altena looks at the nun speaking to her.
„Of course. It is just a matter of time, they..."
She has no chance to continue her sentence, because at this moment Kirika's screaming can be heard through the whole Manor. She doesn't need any time to think before she runs out of the room and rushes along the corridors.
She reaches Kirika's and Chloe's bedroom in minutes. Chloe looks frightened. She can't let her eyes off Kirika, who, with opened eyes, doesn't stop to yell. Altena is horrified to see Kirika at this condition. She puts her hand on Kirika's forehead... she has a high fever!!
Kirika is getting besser after days, but her attitude worries Altena. She is somehow... different, different from the Kirika, who she knows before. Something disturbs her... she knows who the woman Chloe is talking about. Odette Bouquet. What has she told Kirika? Is it something, that can change Kirika so drastically, or is it other things? Altena can't stop thinking about it.
Chloe stays with Kirika every seconds after her training. Kirika's fever is gone, but she still looks so pale, and.. somehow sad. Chloe becomes sad, too.
Then she remembers what Altena has done for her that day to cheer her up. Maybe it will cheer Kirika up, too!
„I know something great!" Chloe says excitedly.
„Come, follow me!"
Chloe helps Kirika to get out of her bed. They walk slowly outside.
The girl takes her to a secret place underground ... it is not really a secret place, it is only that Kirika has never been there. They enter a small, poor-lighted room at the end of a corridor. On a table inside stands a book. Chloe flips through the pages and finds the thing she would like to show Kirika. She grabs Kirika's shoulder and pulls her closer to the book. Kirika reads.
"Noir, the word comes from an ancient past, a name of destiny. Two maidens who reign over death. The warm black hands... protect the peace of newly- borns. Among the people, among love, among the sins, the soldiers are within the truth, says the hermit to the sinned."
„See? See? What do you think about it?" Chloe chirps flutteringly beside her.
Kirika reads the paragraph again and again, but she doesn't understand it.
„What does that mean?" she asks, looking at Chloe.
Proudly, Chloe explains that they are destined to be noir.
„Both of us. We are going to fight together one day. We are to take the burden of the sins on our shoulder and bring about Le Grand Retour..."
Chloe's words vanish immediately. Kirika can't hear her voice anymore, although she keeps talking.
..... two maidens who reign over the death.....
... to take the burden of the sins?
Is that her future?
Is that her destiny?
"Sometimes it happens, that love causes someone to kill, but remember......hate, can never save people. Never."
She doesn't understand why, but she feels sick... why? Feeling dizzy suddenly, she falls on her knees. And then loud screams from above make their heart nearly jump out of their bodies..
Kirika and Chloe rush to the open air and find several bleeding bodies lying on the ground. Kirika hurries to a man, who is still moving hardly.
„What happened?" asks Kirika promptly.
The man tries to say something, but no words come out of his mouth.
„What? I can't hear you!"
He points at the Manor, and then he closes his eyes. Kirika grits her teeth.
„Come, Chloe!!" she yells to Chloe who stands shocked beside her.
Some men with masks forgather in a large room, pointing their guns toward Altena who is standing in the middle of the room. Some nuns quiver in the edge of the room. Altena's expression stays calm. She has no fear.
„Where are they?"
A burly man steps forward and asks.
„I don't know what you are talking about." Altena says sternly.
She prays in her heart, hoping that Kirika and Chloe are safe somewhere.
„Don't lie!!" the man yells.
„Tell me, when not...."
Altena has such a challenging look in her eyes. It really irritates the man. He raises his gun in anger. Then the door flips open. Kirika, with her Beretta raised in her hand and Chloe in tow, barge in. She understands the situation instantly as she sees Altena surrounded by the armed people.
„A..ha."
The burly man looks happy to see Kirika and Chloe.
„Both of you have showed up. We don't have to spend our time looking for you, then. Really good."
Altena glances at Kirika and Chloe. She is not glad to see them there. The nuns in the edge of the room let out a surpressed cry. One of them is the one who teaches Kirika and Chloe.
Kirika's eyes wander from Altena to the nuns, and then to the grinning burly man. She can exactly kill all the men and save them all in minutes.
But..... Something sticks to her memories.
"Sometimes it happens, that love causes someone to kill, but remember......hate, can never save people. Never."
The woman's words. Why do they keep disturb her? Why???
"......hate, can never save people. Never."
Hate. Can never save people.
Never.
Never.
Why? Why do these words...
„You are not a dumb child, I suppose. It is better when you give up now, so I won't kill anybody in this room. Isn't it the best for us all?" says the burly man.
Chloe stares angrily at the man. Kirika puts down her gun. Chloe's mouth opens in amazement. Altena's eyes flacker in anger as she sees Kirika putting down her gun.
„Good girl.." he says, before a bullet hits his head from behind.
He falls on the ground. The one who shoots him appears to the sight--- Altena. Her face is cold and determined. As the other men are gazing unbelievingly at the burly man, she starts firing at them. The nuns who have been crouching and whining in the edge all the time have stood up. Each of them has a rifle in the hand. They also get themselves involved in the battle.
Kirika doesn't move an inch. Chloe rushes to help Altena finishing off the invaders. She reveals a dagger hidden somewhere in her pocket. She moves deftly between the men and stabs them at least to prevent them from harming Altena. She throws a querying look at Kirika. Why doesn't she move? Is she injured?
But Chloe has no time to watch Kirika all the time if she really wants to help Altena. She focuses herself to the battle again.
A man struggles through the chaos and goes toward Kirika. He fires at Kirika, and the latter jumps around to evade the shots. She has a gun in her hand, but she can't shoot. She doesn't know why, she just can't. Then one bullet hits her at her shoulder. Kirika is smashed to the wall. As the man is about to kill her, another bullet from Altena saves her life.
Everywhere is blood to be seen. The room is really messed up. No one is left in the room but Altena, Kirika and Chloe. The nuns have left the room. Some of them die in the battle. Their white robes are stained with blood.
Kirika stands in front of Altena. Her hand holds her gun loosely. Her shoulder has stopped bleeding, but the pain is getting worse.
Altena stares at her deeply. Her deepest worry comes true.
"Why do you have so much hesitance? You shall not hesitate, Kirika."
Kirika doesn't know why. Then she utters the only thing sticking in her mind right now.
"Because... hate can never save people."
Altena looks terrified for some seconds, but she gets calm quickly.
"I believe, that, when love can cause someone to kill, then hate can save people, too."
Kirika looks at the ground.
"But... she says that it will never happen..." Kirika whispers softly.
Altena closes her eyes for a moment, then she opens them again.
The time has come, she realises it.
„Your gun, Kirika." she inquires.
Kirika holds the gun more tightly.
„Give me the gun, Kirika."
Chloe looks at Altena, and then at Kirika, and then at Altena again. She is worried. Is Altena going to punish Kirika? She wants to defend Kirika, but how?
Kirika hands over her gun to Altena. Altena takes it and caresses it as if it's her own child.
„You are not going to need it for a while." she says.
„I will send you to a far place from here, Kirika. You are going to leave this place soon."
Kirika nods.
„Do you have any objection?"
„No." she mutters firmly.
„I hope to see you soon. I am going to wait for the time you come back here. Until that time, Kirika... I want you to learn many things."
Kirika nods again.
„Chloe, come."
Chloe is surprised. Is she going to be sent out there too? However she has been going with Kirika as she performs the last task. Curiously, Chloe steps closer to Altena. Then Altena hands her Kirika's gun.
„What..?" The word comes out of Chloe's mouth unconsciously.
Kirika's eyes grow bigger as she sees Chloe holding her gun. She clenches her fists.
„I want you to deliver Kirika, Chloe."
Chloe doesn't understand it. What does Altena want actually?
„I want you to give her a shot... to seal her memory."
Chloe is dumbstrucked. She can't do it. Not because she can't shoot well, but... it is Kirika! It is Kirika whom she has to shoot.. Tears come rolling through her cheek. They blur her vision.
„You are not supposed to kill her, dear Chloe... I just want you to give her a slight shot..."
„But.. But it.. it's Kirika..." she stammers.
„I can't... I can't Altena, please... please..."
Altena grabs her tiny hands.
„But you have to. I promise you, she will be okay. She is going to be allright."
Chloe looks at Altena's deep eyes. She believes that Altena is saying the truth. Slowly, but determinately, she faces Kirika. Kirika stares at her. Trembling, Chloe raises Kirika's gun.
„I'm sorry, Kirika.. I am so, so sorry..."
She puts a finger to the trigger, ready to pull it.
„Good bye, Kirika... when we meet again, we shall never be apart again, forever." says Altena.
The next second, a bullet stripes Kirika at the neck. It is not deadly, but Kirika faints because of the shock.
At the time she falls to the ground, a pocket watch slips out of her clothes and falls rattling on the floor.
Altena picks it up and examines it. She doesn't remember that she ever gave it to Kirika. She hasn't seen Kirika with this watch before, too. Where does she get it?
Then Chloe's sobs bring her back to reality.
Altena herself takes care of Kirika's injured shoulder.
Then some people bring her out of the Manor. She shall be sent to a far place, in accordance with Altena's order. Altena watches the car carrying Kirika drive off out of the sight.
„As planned," she whispered.
She throws a last look at the pocket watch and Kirika's Beretta before she gives them to a nun.
„The plants shall grow in different situations and conditions."
She folds her hands and bows her head slightly.
„I'll pray for you, Kirika. I will always be waiting for your return."
„Why does she have to go?" she whines. „Is it a punishment?"
Altena smiles.
„No. Of course not. Kirika doesn't leave for ever, Chloe. The time has come to separate both of you. Kirika shall stay at another place."
„But.. but then, I won't see her.. again!"
Altena hugs the little girl heartily.
„Oh, you will, Chloe. Kirika and you are destined to be together. You have sent her away with the shot. One day, you are going to take her home."
Chloe feels somehow soothed. She glanced at Altena, not sure if she has said the truth.
„Really?"
Altena nods.
„I promise you."
Chloe embraces Altena. As she looks up again, there is a relieved smile on her face.
Kirika believes, she has slept for a long time. For some moments during her journey out of the Manor, she is slightly awake.
She doesn't remember anything about Les Soldats, about the Manor, Chloe, or Altena. There are voices around her.. strange voices. She doesn't know who they are nor what they are talking about. She feels a pure emptiness in her head. What is going to happen to her? With that last thought, she falls asleep.
Cogito ergo doleo - I think therefore I am depressed
The End