Mɪʀʀᴏʀ

Just before dawn—she wasn't sure what hour it was—Emilia finally stirred from her seemingly endless unconscious and sat up to take in her new surroundings. The coruscating colors of the world, born anew, swirled and churned in circles as her infant eyes adapted to the harshness of life. Even so, she could tell there was naught but the lesser spirits to share her amity in the confines of her new lodging.

She herself knew not where she was, nor did she know how she arrived at such a location; lying alone in bed, with nothing but her own musings to keep her company. Now she looked upon the recently swept floors of her bedroom, noticing the immaculate appearance of the floorboards, and then to the wooden carved chair next to her. An adolescent fire nestled upon a stone hearth, crackling and dancing with life in the corner of the room. The high windows to her left allowed the late stars of the young morning to bleed through the half-drawn curtains, illuminating the room in an eerily beautiful glow.

The light pitter-patter of soft bare feet against smooth wood filled the air as Emilia took gentle steps toward the balcony. Dressed in a dark-silken gown with her creamy narrow shoulders exposed, it fell just above her ankles and billowed as she moved. Then, a brisk wind came up to capture her majestic silver hair as she stepped out onto the elegant gallery.

In the distance, she could just make out striking golden banners flapping in the eastern winds from a towering spire in front of her. The argent moon, desperate for its own slumber, had long since sank below the horizon, and yet she could still discern the gloomy silhouette of a sleeping city all on its own. Young as the day was, the familiar bustling sound of dragon-drawn carriages came from below, though lighter than the royal capital.

Stepping back into the room once more, Emilia shivered. Icy-cold and biting as the moonless night air was, it had also breached her formerly-cozy and warm refuge. Now basked in a frigid temperature, it numbed her fingertips and painted her pale skin, normally tinged with a light red-flush, an unhealthy bluish color.

And on the bed—on a pillow, to be precise—was a palm-sized cat with grey fur and floppy ears, standing upright on its hind legs. It greeted with a raised paw and smiled at her, underlined with a deep sadness.

"Good morning, Lia," Puck said quietly, his glassy blue eyes holding Emilia's widened own for a long moment.

She didn't—couldn't—move. Neither of them moved, actually, until it became apparent Emilia was trembling. Puck held both paws out to calm her, but she took a hasty step back to further the distance between each other. "Keep away from me," she said harshly, turning her gaze from his own.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I know you must be upset at me, Lia… but I had no choice—"

"—I know you broke our contract," she whispered quickly. Her hands clenched and unclenched repeatedly, as every unthinkable and unutterable syllable came from her lips. "And I know that you abandoned me, and yet you have the gall to show yourself into my quarters as if you slept a mere night…!"

Even though she dared not make eye contact, she could hear an audible gasp escape the greater spirit's throat. The fire which had brought warmth to the room had long since been drowned out, throttled mercilessly by the chilly mana escaping from every convulsion and whimper the spirit suffered. The room itself had turned from an inviting abode to a frost-bitten tundra, and soon, it would be uninhabitable.

Neither spoke for a time, and Emilia suddenly felt very lightheaded. Knees weak, and with a trembling step, she fell forward, but caught herself on the edge of a desk. Using it for support, she stabilized herself and took in several deep, desperate breaths through her mouth.

"I didn't break our contract to abandon you," Puck said, his voice distant and cold, much like the room itself. "I know you feel I have betrayed your trust, and I'm ready to accept the consequences for my actions," he added, as his eyes brimmed with tears. "I'm so sorry, Lia, and I hope one day, you will find it within your heart to accept an apology from someone as lowly as myself."

Hearing his dejected words, she turned to face him once more. Her heart ached to see him in such an aggrieved state. Even if her sorrow from his actions was immeasurable, she didn't want to hurt him, as she loved him as the father she never had. Never before had she seen him in such ways, as before his mettle proved to be both stout and long-lasting. It was because of this, she believed it to be a representation of his sincerity—that his grief was real, and so was his purpose to return to her. She forced a small smile, and after a few careful steps, she took one of his small paws between her thumb and forefinger. It quivered in her grasp, but was warm and inviting, freezing as their surroundings might have been.

Puck looked up at her. Mere seconds passed by as her beautiful eyes bore holes into his own, and he squeezed them shut. He didn't have the willpower to face her in his weakest moment. By now, the tears cascading down his fur had frozen solid, but more threatened to fall at any moment.

Taking a deep breath, Emilia said, "Puck, I know you have your reasons for breaking your promise with me, and I know you feel as if you have wronged me. Nobody has ever hurt me the way you did, and that… I shan't ever forget. But do not fret, as I will accept your apology."

The spirit cat's body-long tail curled lovingly around himself. He said nothing, though, shocked at how easily she had forgiven him. Their relationship would have been difficult to damage beyond repair, he figured, and yet still he feared this moment more than anything else in his centuries of existence. She had dreaded a different sort of reaction, but suddenly realized she had successfully mended their frozen bond. It was something of a miracle, she thought.

He asked, "You… You truly have forgiven me?"

She knew their bond had grown frail; cracked, even. Just over a month ago, such a question would seem moot. "Of course, I forgive you," she claimed prosaically, even if such a thing seemed distant in regards of recent events. "I don't know your reasons for breaking your promise to me, or our contract, but in the end, it will not matter. I don't wish to hear why you did such a thing, as that would only further the distance between us. You see… Subaru and I have been through much in our journey to find you a new home, and I would do nothing to spoil such efforts."

"At your request, I will withhold such information," he said, as his unfolded ear twitched. "But, tell me… Lia, where is Subaru?" His icy eyes narrowed as he breathed the name.

She closed her eyes at that. Scattered memories rushed through her mind, and she remembered now; having fled the Witch Cult hideout, they had made their way down the mountainside of Mount Cordor. There, they'd encountered a band of knights, and were attacked without warning. That's where such memories end, and thus she knew not where Subaru had gone or went, or how she even got here. It didn't help her sleep these past days was formless and dreamless… almost death-like, in fact.

Opening her eyes once more, she withdrew her arm. She said carefully, looking down at the pensive spirit cat. "I don't know where he is. In fact, I was beginning to fear something terrible may have befallen him, and you brought me here by myself. But, since you have revealed that is not the case, then I would assume Subaru was the one to bring me to this place."

Her 'father' stirred then. She watched him draw a deep breath into lungs the size of her finger, and then slowly let it out. "Then it is as I have feared," she heard him say breathlessly, and after a short pause, he continued, "Would it be too much if I asked you to abandon him and return to Elior Forest, with just the two of us like before? I know this is a sudden request, but Subaru has undertaken a dark path unforeseen to myself. I don't feel you are safe in his company anymore… and I fear the worst for his future."

A small cry escaped her, his words a devastating punch to her gut. After a moment, she regained her composure. "What you say… is simply not true," Emilia said, wincing from the pain his words wrought. "Please, Puck… don't think of Subaru like that. What happened back at Mount Cordor… it was something that was out of his own control. Please, you have to understand."

"Oh, Lia," he said, "Even though I did not make my presence known, I saw everything that happened within that cavern, even the things which you did not see. I would not be asking you to abandon Subaru like this, if my reasons for doing so were not suitable."

"You… You were spying on us?!" she hissed, shattering the cordial mood like a glass vase crashing against the floor. "That means… you saw us…" Her face, flushed with an incensed fury, deepened to a further red.

"I was always watching over you," he corrected her. There was no shame in his words.

He watched her wrestle with that. But before he could speak again, she said, "You had no right to watch us while we shared our intimacy, or at any point! Our contract was broken, and yet you still lingered around, like a starved demon beast stalking its prey. And where were you when I cried myself to sleep every night in the tomb, or when I was molested by those bandits?! When Subaru was not there to protect me, by no fault of his own, I suffered horrifying indignities! Where were you, Puck, when he and I met our darkest moments? That's right, as I was there for him… He was there for me… and not you."

She did not hold the harshness of her words back, and the tone of her voice bespoke a low tolerance for her father figure. Every volatile word—each pointed syllable piercing his skin like the sharpest arrowhead—devastated him more than she could ever know. He felt small before her, and she towered in her demeanor, the rising tenor of her voice casting a shadow over him as if to engulf his unearthly being.

He said, meekly, "I didn't mean to… When those things happened, I couldn't… Lia, please, you have to understand, I would never intentionally place you in harm's way! You have to believe me… You believe me… don't you?"

She shook her head despondently and watched his tiny shoulders droop in sadness. She turned, looking out the tall windows. It was still dark outside, the young sun still yet to rise up to signal the passing of yesterday. The blue-sun days were upon them, and the chilly air proved this to be true. By now, the frosty-mana pouring from the spirit had dwindled in its discharge, his gate unconsciously closing due a hammering shock to every fiber of his spectral being.

By the time Emilia had turned her hard-hearted gaze back to the dispirited cat, he seemed to be translucent, spirit-particles flowing off the fading contours of his shape like dust. His time in the earthly world was coming to an end.

"Whatever your reasons for breaking our contract," she said more softly, careful to control her anger. "There is no excuse for keeping watch on us like that, especially as you sat idly when instead, you could have come to our aid."

"I only did what I did to protect you," he replied. "And I only ever had your interests and greater welfare in mind. Past, present, and future… my decisions were made for you, and you alone."

"Protect me?!" she asked, feeling a strong vexation grow within her. "I fail to understand the twisted logic you must have to believe what you did protected me from anything. If it wasn't for Subaru, I wouldn't even be here right now, and yet you ask me to leave him?!"

Puck hesitated. "Subaru has taken the dark path," he whispered solemnly. "He carries on his shoulders not just the burden of all which has happened, but even the sins of the past. The darkness which follows him, the ever-creeping shadows yet impossible to escape, will consume him before your very eyes. I have seen her, and if you follow him hand-in-hand, there can only be one ill-fated destination."

She nodded. "And you ask me to leave him to this doom?"

Puck's face contorted in anguish. "I only ask that you survive, and that's all I ever wanted."

He had selfish reasons, she realized. He did not care what happened to Subaru, if it meant her own survival. Indeed, he hadn't considered her own feelings, in the grand scheme of things. "You besmirch yourself with this plea," was all she said. "Puck, I cannot do what you have asked of me, no matter the cost."

He said, after a moment: "Then, is there no way I can convince you? My time here is growing short, and I haven't the tongue for it. If you truly doubt my intentions, then I will take my leave."

His intentions, she thought, sickened. He may have had her best interests at heart, as selfishly as it would appear. Yet, he never once considered her feelings. Never once did he realize she loved Subaru more than himself, and that she could not exist in a world devoid of him. It was an appalling feeling, to realize her paternal figure misunderstood her in every way made possible. She didn't wish to concern herself with it anymore. In fact, she was better off forgetting Puck, if this was the way things were going to be.

"Is that all you have to say?" she asked tersely.

"Lia, please, come with me," he replied, a sorrowful resignation evident in his voice. "Don't make me watch this happen to the one whom I love more than anyone…" His eyes welled with tears, threatening to fall at any moment.

"I won't," she said. "There isn't any future for us together if your stance does not change. It may hurt you for me to say this, but I believe it's best for both of us… if you find a new contractee. Cherished was our time together, but it has come to such an end, and I don't wish to see you suffer like this."

Her tone, while steady and calm, had undertones of distance; Puck's face lost all hope. "I see… so, this is the end for us," he said after a moment.

"It is."

Her own emotions got the better of her. Her stony façade shattered, and she turned away from Puck as tears of her own began to form. Ne'er did he see them fall, however, and she never met eyes with him again.

Her heart began beating rapidly, and she did not know how long it was before she mustered the courage to turn once more. The rising sun, anxious and wishing for a new day, finally began its cycle of rise into the sky. The first thin streaks of orange light poured through the half-drawn curtains of the room, and a growing warmth began to overtake the formerly-frigid room. Emilia stared down at the now-empty bed, devoid of any life, spirit or not. Tears streaked her distorted features, and she fell pitifully to the bed, wailing horribly. She hugged the pillow the cat formerly rested upon tightly, and it soon dampened by her sadness, soaking up every bodily fluid spilling endlessly from her.

And so Emilia wept, and the passages of time turned unknowingly around the girl who released all her grief upon the world. From all appearances, she was an emotional mess, stricken by the loss of someone so close to her. Yet, given the circumstance, it was something which had to be done. She had been so certain Puck would side with her, so certain he would see things from her point of view, and yet he didn't. The shock which caught her off guard more than anything else, was the quandary being she had to choose between her lover and her 'father'. It was, in essence, an easy choice to make—yet it was more onerous than anything which came before it.

Once, long ago, she had met Puck, himself being her first real contact with anyone after being imprisoned in an icy tomb for a hundred years. There, he took her under his wing, becoming somewhat of a surrogate father to her. For the most part, he taught her everything she knew. He taught her what it meant to love, as naïve as it was; he taught her how to laugh, and how to cry; and most of all, he taught her what it meant to live as a half-elf—living a demonized and persecuted existence for no reason other than having such a lineage. He was her guide, her beacon in the darkness… until Subaru came along and changed everything. Of course, that special torch which burned brightly for her had passed—might be even forced upon another through the machinations of another… and yet, she still couldn't let him go.

Which was one of the reasons why she wept as she did. For he who did asked her to do the unthinkable; for he who accorded her an ultimatum so pious and self-serving in its demands, brokered a deal which bent the very fabric of her reality. It was out of the question, to abandon her Subaru, and in his darkest hour no less. So, her tears followed one after another, downward and forgotten, as she mourned her losses and fond evocations of the past. And even if where those precious tears travelled mattered not, their impact as they met the Lugnican earth sent echoes throughout eternity: Those two griefs fusing to each other within her heart until her heart itself, a beating forge, welded them within the derelict library of her memory.

After some time, she dried her eyes on her dark-silken sleeve and lay still, if it were possible. Even if her tears were lessened, she still quivered and trembled, alone and afraid like a newborn babe. She didn't want to be alone, so locked away from the warmth of love and away from all things joyous. Her darkening thoughts absorbed and deafened every sensation of her senses, so much so she failed to realize the door to her room had cracked open, and careful footsteps made their way toward her.

Something soft pressed against her from behind, and two sleeves of a black kimono reached underneath and over her to ensnare her. Still, she bleated and whimpered, so far removed from the waking world she failed to realize she had company. In response, the trespasser clasped his hand over her own, and stroked her hair lovingly, trying to calm her.

He waited, drawing his mouth closer to her ear. "I'm back now, it's okay," he whispered into her pointy ear. "Please, Satella. I'm here now, everything's going to be just fine."

Slowly, her hands, one entrapped by his own, began to tremble. Her whimpering continued, and his soothing words were lost to her ears. Her heart was shattered, pained, as if its jagged shards poked through her breast. Then, she let out a wailing cry which was stifled only by the narrow four corners of the room they lay in.

He squeezed her harder against him, listening carefully for any further response. He could feel her heartbeat, its erratic pounding against her chest threatening to break through its bony prison. It was by then he knew she was not in her right state of mind. This wasn't just the usual outburst of sadness the two had shared throughout their journey; it was something so debilitating she had lost all control of herself.

So he decided, and he wrapped his arms around her quivering form, lifting her up to cradle her like he would a child. He gently held her head, trying not to cause her any discomfort, and she looked up at him, now removed from the disparate jail of her sorrow. Her tear-bespeckled amethyst eyes blinked once, twice, as they looked at him in fascination as a newborn child would to her father.

She had entered his world, and she looked upon a Subaru who was both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. His piercing grey eyes, both with the resolve of a man and the understanding of a woman, gazed steadily down at her, never wavering in its purpose. His lengthened hair with bangs falling over his forehead—formerly a charcoal-black—now had hints of grey and whites, as though he were middle-aged. Even with his young physical features, he had a maturity about him, like he had undergone some sort of enlightenment. Gone was the child-like wonder in his eye, the one she had formerly come to know and understand. Replaced in its stead was the gaze of someone far beyond his own years.

No one spoke. They just held their eyes, and soon the two found themselves leering at each other. Even though tears still painted her eyelids, no more fell as she found herself lost in the vibrant pale meadows of his silvery own. Then, a firm but gentle hand brushed over her forehead, pushing her ashen bangs to the side, before his hand spread itself across her cheek and caressed her lovingly.

Her heart aching for comfort, Emilia covered the warm hand on her cheek with her own, and she nuzzled into him receptively. She wanted him to fill the hole in her heart her 'father' had left her, wishing to be consumed by his love. It was her undying desire, for them to be as one, and while no words echoed this fact, her amorous eyes pled for such a passionate union.

Subaru laid her upon the bed, eying her with a lust all his own. Her gown was already cut low, the curvature of her well-endowed bosom begging to be released. Carefully, his finger travelled across her pale, creamlike skin and wrapped itself underneath one of her gown's shoulder straps. His finger trailed along her collarbone and down to her breast, taking the strap with him against its own terms. Her breasts spilt from their imprisonment as the gown's hold loosened. Full and high as they were, Subaru hovered closer, and could not help himself as he stared hungrily at them, the taut firmness of her aroused nipples begging for his attention.

Emilia stared back at him with a curious glint in her eye all her own, the earlier despair she once felt now completely forgotten, lost in the fervid world of her lover. Playing the seductress, a new role for her, she gently took his hand in her own and led it down to her breast, helping him decide what he was already going to do.

What was not already known was the heaven-sent fact Emilia's lips were now busy at the side of his neck, the sharp line of his jaw, and his ear—even as his own hand spread across her breast, allowing her aroused pink nipple to breathe some air from between his fingers. He gave her a tender, yet ardent squeeze, eliciting a moan which found itself tickling his ear. Going further, and burying his face between her breasts, he felt her nails tear at the skin of his back. He ignored the pain, however, and took one of her nipples in his mouth, running his tongue in circles over it eagerly. He heard her gasp.

She felt him pull back away from her, immediately longing for the comfort and warmth of his mouth around her forbidden areas. Then, she saw him fumbling with his robe, the numerous layers making it difficult for him to release himself. Growing impatient, her own fingers slid across the waist-string, pulling it with a need which begged to be satiated. One layer fell, and then another, setting him free.

"Oh, Satella!" he moaned as her nimble fingers first glided around his tip, then stroked his length. "That feels… Oh, my god, It's simply amazing. Please, that's too much." The newfound sensation of her hands around him threatened a release all too soon. Using gravity as his momentum, he twisted his head sharply and their lips finally met. He began to gather the folds of her gown up around her hips, as she fervently sped up her hands' movements prior to stopping.

Feeling his eager need, she settled herself against the bed as he arched her legs. There, he hovered over her, her breathing shallow and rapid at the trepidation of what wonders were to come. She felt him prod her sex, an unspoken request to take her for his own when she tilted her hips ever more upwards.

Emilia's answering smile was dazzling. Under the glow of the morning sun, she was more beautiful in that moment than he could have ever imagined a woman being. In those wide, glistening pools of lilac, he saw something stir within them; an arousing want, or a mixture of emotions impossible to understand. It didn't matter, because when he entered her fully, she closed them, and a small, twinkling tear escaped down the side of her cheek.

She gasped again, lost in an astonishment of pure pleasure. Subaru cupped her cheek, and murmured something into her ear, but she knew not what he was saying. She could feel his urgency, no doubt a response to her ever-growing need, and soon nothing else mattered than the gradually accelerating rhythm of his thrusts.

Subaru grunted, feeling his climax gathering as she allowed lovely noises of her own escape her rosy lips. He lifted her up slightly, as she wrapped her legs around him and buried her face into the crook of his neck. Their body heat coalesced, and soon the two were both soaked in the product of their toil and lovemaking. The tightness in his groin exploded, forcing him to hold her tightly against him as he released himself deep inside her.

She strained herself, and then relaxed, allowing herself to lay limp. In the end, she had ended up on top of him, and she was light enough to lay comfortably upon him. The erratic beating of his excited heart could be felt as she nestled herself against him. After a while, it began to slow, until it was finally at a resting pace once more.

Feeling exceptionally sleepy now that he had released himself, Subaru almost felt like he would fall asleep with her half-naked form above him like so. It wasn't until Emilia claimed his fingers that he cracked an eye open to see her.

She withdrew her hand suddenly.

He raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong?"

She breathed deeply, then let it out. "Nothing is wrong, Subaru," she murmured, averting her eyes from his own. "Everything is perfect when I'm with you like this. There isn't anything which could dampen such a moment."

Subaru looked at her concerningly. "Is that so? Then, maybe you should look at me in the eye when you say that, then I would believe you. I figured you would realize I always know what's going through that head of yours."

"Well, something did happen before you returned," said Emilia quietly.

"Oh? Do you want to talk about it?" Subaru asked her, careful to make it seem like he wasn't too prodding. He wanted her to feel comfortable with whatever she had to say.

"If you are interested," Emilia said briefly. "Then I will share it with you."

Subaru looked at her levelly. "The reason why I'm asking," he said. "Is because I already know who paid you a visit this early morning. It's actually why I left, so I could leave you two some privacy. I've been by your side ever since we got here, actually."

Emilia groaned, letting her displeasure be known to Subaru. He heard her say, "Then I suppose you read about it in your little book? Is there anything that isn't written in there? How am I supposed to keep secrets from you?"

"I'm really sorry," he whispered to her. "I only read what it shows me, and it doesn't show me everything. That was the reason why we ran into those Kingdom Knights like we did the other day. For some reason, that wasn't written in the book, though I don't know why. You know full well I'd do otherwise if it was."

Emilia waved a lazy hand. "That was quite the predicament," she said almost sarcastically, surprising Subaru with her tone. "I scarcely remember anything from that night. I think I may have hit my head."

Subaru reached over and touched the side of her hair above the ear. "You were struck here," he said, brushing around to inspect what's underneath. "I'm surprised you remember anything that happened then, given how bad of a head injury you sustained."

"What did happen that night?" she asked.

Subaru turned away from Emilia, and then looked up at the ceiling. His hesitation was perhaps to afford a brief moment of recollection, or in retrospect of his actions that night. In the end, the result was the same:

"There's nothing much to talk about," he said ruefully, while running a hand through his hair. "After you got knocked out, I took out those knights who attacked us, and I carried you down the mountain on my back."

"You 'took them out'?" Emilia asked. "What's that mean?"

"I killed them," Subaru responded flatly. "I didn't have any other choice in the matter. I had to defend you, so it was the only thing I could do. I doubt they would have listened to reason anyway."

He saw her flinch, then she closed her eyes. A terrible sadness passed over Emilia. She swallowed with some difficulty. "Oh, I see," she said. "It was an unfortunate circumstance, and I'm sorry it came to that."

Her eyes were still closed when he spoke. "If you can't remember, you did pretty well yourself," he said evenly. "They were the ones who initially started the fight, by shooting me in the shoulder with a crossbow bolt. You came to my defense while I gathered myself. If it wasn't for you, I'm not sure if I could have taken all of them at once." He took her hand and clasped it lovingly, the remembrance of such events causing such emotions.

"And what happened after that?" she retorted, her hands tightening around his own.

He pushed on as the events came back to him. "Down a little bit further, by luck, I found Patrasche hitched to a tree along with a couple other ground dragons," he said, smiling at the fact they were finally reunited. "So I rode her further southeast along the road until we came to the city of Flanders. Upon my arrival, the first thing I did was see that your wound was taken care of. I hired one of the best healers in Lugnica to take care of you, and they even healed your damaged gate a little bit. The rest is history."

With an effort, she managed a brief smile, but he could tell there was something somber within her eye. Devoid of anything but the natural light which poured through the windows, the room itself was dimly lit.

Such horrible events unsettled her, but there was hope. "It's just like you to take care of me like that," she said, drawing a long breath afterward. "So, we're in the birthplace of the earth dragons, then. Puck told me about this place once. He said many years ago, a big event took place here between the Divine Dragon and the peoples of Lugnica."

"Indeed," he said quickly. "It doesn't unsettle you to be here, does it?"

"No, why would it?" she retorted, her hands loosening around his own.

He pushed that comment to the side. "Oh, I'm just wondering about how you're feeling, that's all."

"Subaru, please don't play any games with me!" She wasn't angry, but just upset at how he flatly denied her an explanation.

"I'm not playing any games. Just think of it as a mild concern, besides…" He drew a breath. "The reason why I brought us here is not just to heal you. Maybe you haven't seen it yet, but this place may seem a little bit familiar to you, after all."

"I've never once stepped foot within these gates," she said reflexively. "In fact, I have never once been east of the capital in my entire life."

This silenced him. He sat up briefly and then looked at her curiously. She could see the usual playfulness painted across his face, and yet it seemed as if he were worried all the same. The quietness which followed his stare was awkward, to say the least. "I see," he said briefly, and then continued, "If that's the case, then that would make the text within my book fiction, wouldn't it?"

"I'm not sure," she said briefly. "I have never read your book before, nor do I want to."

"I didn't say you have to read it," he said. "In fact, I don't think you could read it even if you wanted to. Whatever words it has said to you are not written down, so I would never know about them."

This made her feel uneasy, and an uncomfortable feeling washed over her. She resisted the urge to step away from him, the very thought of the book's words perusing her mind a scary thought indeed. She said, "It's more than enough for me. Any more than that, and I don't think I could stand being around it any longer."

Subaru let a small laugh escape him. "So be it," he eked out. "You two really need to get along. Of course, I love you more than the damned book, but its wisdom has done nothing but aid me so far. I have no reason to doubt its intentions, ill as they may be or not."

"My opinion on the book is final," she said, shifting backward some more. She looked to her left at the wall. She said, "It's already shared enough of its wisdom with me. I highly doubt it has anything constructive to offer."

"Have it your way, then," he replied, accepting defeat.

Subaru stood up and turned to look at her. Emilia, caught off guard, turned a curious eye back to her partner, who looked down upon her with interest. A momentary pause followed.

Surprisingly, Emilia turned to him and said, "Is there something here that catches your eye?" Her tone was humorous, playfully poking at the fact she was, indeed, still half-naked from their dance earlier.

Subaru smiled. "So, what did you and Puck talk about?" he asked, crossing both arms for effect. "I left you two the private time to sort out your issues, so what became of it?"

Resting on both arms, Emilia leaned back. "Well, Puck…" she started and then paused, looking down at the damp wood of the floor. The frost formerly covering it had melted. "Puck came to formalize the breaking of our contract… He said he was happy the two of us are together as we are now, and that he would allow us the space we need." Her voice was low, quiet to a point where it was barely audible.

Subaru's eyes narrowed. "I see," he replied, scratching his chin in thought. "Is that all he said? And he didn't even give me a goodbye? I find that to be curious, you know."

"I suppose so," Emilia replied shortly. "He just wished us the best and vanished without a trace."

"That's too odd."

It did seem that way, she realized. Her skill of deception was poor. She said, "Puck will be okay without me, I'm sure of it…" She looked down at her frail fingers, still as they were, before cupping them together.

There was a slight shuffling in the background as Subaru began to put his robe back on, managing to fully clothe himself when she turned her eye to him. He smiled down at her, before reaching into a pouch by his waist-band.

Her breath caught in her throat once he revealed what he held in his palm, as she let out a small gasp. "Is that…?" she started, before Subaru nodded to her. "That's—"

"It's a Pyroxene crystal," he affirmed, as it glowed mystically upon the palm of his hand. "I found it within your cultist robe I had to dispose of. I thought it was curious why such a thing would be in your pocket, but then I remembered why we travelled there in the first place."

She could feel the tears welling in her eyes yet again, but she struggled to keep them abated.

Indeed, that was the reason they had gone there. He went on, "I figured you still wanted it. Perhaps it will still have its uses in the future. Here, take it."

The verdant green crystal plopped down upon her cupped hands. It might have well been molten rock, because its very touch burnt into her soul as if the contract of life itself faltered. She stared it down helplessly, her face seemingly unconcerned, yet inside she felt her heart break in two.

"Don't look too happy now," he said, not entirely sure what she was thinking right now. "I'm glad I remembered to search through your belongings before I tossed them. I was lucky to find that tiny thing in your robe."

There was no reply. Emilia waited a moment, and then slowly let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding. She turned her head to face him and gave him a smile, fake as it was.

Their journey to Cramlin; to that evil place, she realized, had all been for nothing. Once, they travelled there in search of one thing: this very Pyroxene crystal… for Puck. In the end, they became pawns of the Witch Cult, and such lifechanging events took place. The irony of it all—for Puck always being by their side—was far too much for her to take in at once. If she really sat there and thought about it, it only made matters worse. For now, she would push it to the far corners of her mind, locked away with the rest of her fragmented memories. It was the only way to keep going like this.

"Is there something wrong, Satella?" she heard him say, snatching her from such thoughts. "You look like you're really thinking about something hard over there. Let's talk about it."

He called her it again. It was that name again… that cursed bygone name which bespoke of the Witch of Envy.

Quickly, almost without knowing it, she heard herself reply, "My name's not Satella!"

She knew not what she was saying, and instantly, she regretted every syllable made audible. She would have ripped her tongue out herself, just to bleed to death, if to prevent such words from being uttered.

Taken aback, Subaru looked at her with a surprise painted across his face. He stepped backward a little, and then looked upon her once more curiously. Quickly, he stuck his hand into his robe, and as if it manifested from thin air, he withdrew the gospel once more. Without a word, he flicked the book open, and then scrutinized its wicked text.

Emilia, who had cowered behind a pillow by now to shield herself from the watchful eye of the abominable text, said nothing to calm him. In truth, she didn't know what to say. She didn't know what words she could offer him in this moment, nor did she know if any word from her at all would bear any meaning to him now. She was utterly afraid… afraid to lose her last real connection to anyone in this cold, bleak world.

She suddenly felt very cold.

With his pointer finger, Subaru flicked frantically through the pages, until he came to a certain spot. Carefully, he read whatever was etched on its pages, and his eyes widened from the miniscule creases of his young face. His maddening eyes darted from the pages of the book, over to the shrinking girl in the corner of the room, and then he turned to the book one final time. His frown slowly morphed to a knowing smile, as if he felt like jumping for joy.

Subaru glanced amusingly at Emilia, and then walked over to her, book in hand. Callously, he took the pillow she shuddered behind and knelt next to her, with the book open for her shuttered eyes to see.

"Get it away from me!" she shrieked, as she tried to push him away. "I don't want to see it, please!"

The expression in his grey eyes belied the plea in his voice. "Satella, look at it," he whispered, as he held the book open for her to read once more. "Look at the words. They speak truths, even if you wish not to read them."

With care, she cracked one fearful eye open and looked down at the pages. There, she saw foreign words she had never seen before. It was a language much different than anything she had come to know across Lugnica. The boldened letters were a blood-red, and neatly calligraphed from one side of the small pages to another.

"Do you see it?" Subaru asked excitedly. "Do you see what it says? Look past the book, look past the paper, and the blood, and tell me what you see." He pointed to a specific sentence near the bottom of the page.

Emilia looked harder at the book… but saw nothing. The words were unreadable, and the living book was not speaking to her like before. She shook her head discouragingly.

"Look at this sentence here, and these words," Subaru insisted again, placing his finger below them for direction.

She still couldn't make sense of what she saw. It was a language both repulsive and foreign to her. Yet, as he read them allowed, she wept quietly, the realization of such a thing seemingly impossible.

"Now that you've seen it with your own eyes," he said. "Do you understand now? The book knows all."

He paused, taking a deep breath, and then looked her dead in the eye as he spoke:

"It tells me your real name."