[ A hotel, Iwaki City / September 22, 0078 6:04 ]

Morning sunlight woke Fate up. She was lying under the sheets on a double bed, as far as she could tell, naked. Rising up, she looked around the small hotel room, then her gaze fell on Signum, asleep to her right.

Blood rushed to her cheeks as the memories flooded her head. Covering her face in embarrassment, she shook her head to drive away the indecent thoughts. But she couldn't help looking at Signum again. Her strong body was now relaxed… and exposed. Fate admired its beautiful curves in silence, trying not to think where those elegant hands had gone that night.

In the dim light of the morning, she suddenly noticed something she had never seen before: Signum's skin was a web of old, thin scars. She didn't know why it never struck her before. She traced one of them with her finger, from the firm round breast to the thigh.

"That tickles," Signum opened her eyes suddenly.

Fate hastily withdrew, throwing her an embarrassed and guilty look.

"I don't remember where I got most of them. But they have been growing more visible lately."

Fate nodded and lay back down, wrapping her arms around her. They stayed like that until Signum finally broke off, sat up on the edge of the bed, and began to dress. Without looking, Fate mirrored her movements on the other side.

"Say, Signum…" Fate stood up to put on her skirt, still avoiding eye contact. "How did it come to this? Whose fault is it that we are enemies?"

She heard Signum pause for a moment, then walk over to her. She turned around to face her but the next moment, was pinned gently but firmly against the wall.

"It's nobody's fault that things turned out like this," Signum said quietly, looking her straight in the eyes. "They just did and now we both have our duties. And our feelings… they don't change a thing."

One last tender kiss touched Fate's lips, and Signum was gone. Slumping back down along the wall, Fate shuddered, as tears began to run down her cheeks.