A/N: Hey, Belated Merry Christmas to all of you and Advance Happy New Year! Um, yeah, I just wanted to greet you all. Thanks for sticking around and, um, I don't know. Anyway, I sorted a few points here and I don't think I'd be able to update after January so I'm posting this chapter now. Er, I had initially planned this chapter to be longer (because 13th, you know, so much bad happening on the 13th), yeah but I couldn't work it out so I guess the next chapter is the one that's going to get extra extra long so I apologize if it's too short. But at least, please enjoy!
Omen
Thirteenth Sign
En city's center was bound to be closed for two days maximum to repair all the damages and completely remove the plane. They had little casualties, a few civilians wounded mostly due to the glass and debris that came from the damaged buildings and the broken wings of the aircraft. The corpse of the terrorist woman was sent to a morgue of a government hospital affiliated with the special forces for investigation, and Ross ended up being called back to their headquarters on short notice for questioning. The media were quick on their feet and in just a blink of an eye, the news about this 'Synergist attack' of terrorists was spread all over the nation, leaving unrest to people who lived and were living quite nearby the actual scene.
The state of emergency was lifted to avoid further distress among the citizen. Most of what happened was kept secret and people present were asked to stay quiet about it. Still, it raised controversies as to how the plane stayed on air unmoving, how its wings suddenly got cut and most especially, the sudden appearance of a visible light blue aura around the area during the whole incident. With that said, Elka knew it was her cue to concentrate on getting Trafalgar Law out of their world before matters regarding that mysterious occurrence gets worse.
"I'm glad it turned out well but..." Elka stopped mid-sentence as her gaze drifted over the redhead sitting across her.
The three of them were riding one of the armored vehicles that was driven by one of Ross's men. Elka sat beside Law while Ross sat across her. She couldn't help but worry when she heard one of the soldiers told Ross that he was being called by the 'General' to their headquarters. She wasn't that knowledgeable about military ranks but she knew a 'General' was supposedly the highest-ranking officer in the military.
Ross stayed quiet all the same regardless of Elka's worries. He seemed preoccupied, and Law couldn't help but wonder what happened back there that made the young lad seem so exhausted. There were times when the redhead acted docile, but he always exuded power and he never seemed so frail despite his average stature. Law wasn't even sure if he was praising the young lad, but right now he was feeling disappointed in him.
Elka couldn't stand the silence so she leaned forward and grabbed Ross's hand. The man jerked his hand away in response.
"Ross, are you okay?" Elka asked, taking his hand once more.
Ross blinked. "I'm okay, Elka." he seemed to have come back to his senses. He gently took the girl's hand and removed it from his. He then gave her a patient smile. "Please don't worry. It's nothing serious."
Elka frowned. "It's obviously serious. I heard it's your General calling for you, and what does 'questioning' even mean?"
Ross closed his eyes in resignation and sighed. "He just probably wants to hear my report in person. The old guy's always like that, you know."
Elka stared warily at the redhead for a good while before dropping her suspicions and decided to stay positive. "All right then, I expect you to get breakfast with me tomorrow. I have class so I'll be early."
"Sure thing." Ross simply answered.
"Then, do you have any request? I can make you a pie or something." Elka asked in an attempt to uplift the gloomy atmosphere.
Ross seemed to be contemplating before offering Elka a smile. "Baked apples."
Elka was surprised. "Baked apples? I didn't know you liked sweet stuffs."
"I like apples. They're my favorite."
Elka gasped. "Why am I just learning this now? You could have told me way before!"
Ross chuckled lightly. "You never asked."
"It should be obvious to tell me what you like eating!" Elka gave the young lad a soft glare, playfully pouting. "The least I could do is cook the food you like."
"I will eat anything you make, Elka. No big deal." Ross plainly replied, earning him a light blush from the unsuspecting girl.
"I hate to interrupt but where are we going?" Law voiced, obviously annoyed at their idyllic exchange.
"I'm sending you and Elka back to the dormitory. I believe Elka's been discharged from the hospital anyway." Ross answered, looking over at the Warlord.
"I thought you're supposed to go somewhere else." Law stated, his voice coated with curiosity yet there was an underlying aggressiveness that told the redhead of his unwanted presence.
Ross smirked at the hidden message. "It's not urgent." he glanced back at Elka. "Like I said, it's nothing serious."
But his reassurance did not quell Elka's worry, a look of concern continued to furrow her brows.
"Ross, I don't want you to get in trouble." she paused and cast a sideways glance at Law. "Doctor's with me. He gave me his word, he will protect me."
Elka's tone was firm and the look on her face was one filled with certainty it was startling. Both men seemed surprised but were strong enough not to show it. There was an awkward silence that followed and it made Elka's face redden in embarrassment. It made her realize how bold her words were and she thought she might have acted preposterous towards the dark doctor.
"That's reassuring." Ross oddly cooed, smiling sweetly at Elka. "I could at least rest easy knowing you'll stay safe with mister Law around."
Elka was shocked at how Ross responded. She studied his expression, his unguarded gaze looked as though ominous dark clouds were gathering overhead. It made her anxious, she somehow knew something unpleasant may befell the young soldier.
"Ross-"
"Captain, we're here." the driver upfront abruptly announced as soon as the car came into a sudden halt. "This is the second street corner, sir."
Ross proceeded to open the backdoor and got off the vehicle. He motioned to the two to follow suit and as the duo got off as well, he spoke with one of his men. After a few more words and gestures, the redhead ran up to the two and told them he could walk them until the dormitory gates. Unfortunately, he'll have to leave immediately as per orders from the higher-ups.
"Oh, and Elka, did you say something earlier?" Ross inquired as they began to walk away from the vehicle.
Elka hesitated. She knew even if she expressed her worry to the young lad, he will just shrug it off like he always do. "Uh, why did we park here? It's at least two streets away from the dormitory."
"Right. That's because I don't want to cause a stir." Ross dryly answered.
Elka waited, but he said no more than that. Silence quickly followed after, making her jittery. She would sneak glances at each of them and both wore their usual expressions, like they don't sense anything strange or threatening. It made her feel like she was only being paranoid, and that her worry was inessential. Elka always made it a point to stay positive at all times but it was hard when she could sense a looming danger set to pounce at her - at Ross.
Still, Elka struggled to steady her erratic heart. It was no use worrying, the most she could do was pray and hope for the best. It was hard accepting how she was becoming some sort of a damsel in distress. Despite her strong desire to help, she was the one who gets helped, who gets rescued, who gets saved. She admitted she wasn't and will never be a heroic figure to anyone and as much as it frustrated her, she had to swallow the truth no matter how bitter it was. She was Law's key, and she had to push those doubts and idiotic thoughts away so he could finally be released from the shackles of her world she herself forged and placed on the dark doctor. It was time she do something to make sure her world retains its peace, that her life would go back to normal.
But will her life really go back to normal? She just lost her closest friend and neighbor, Maribelle, together with her architect friend Daniel, who gladly drew for her when he was alive. And both died due to the misfortune she brought. The scar over her abdomen was a strong reminder of that tragedy. Not only that, civilians were dragged into her rotten luck, nameless people who undoubtedly had family and friends got hurt and died. But Elka, she survived all tribulations. No, she was saved, and it spoke of her curse as a harbinger of death.
And she thought, where was justice in those occasions? She had to be sued for it. She had to be blamed for it. She had to pay for it. It was her selfishness that led to miserable outcomes. It was her wish that possibly broke the balance between worlds and dimensions, time and space.
However much she racked her brain, Elka couldn't come up with anything plausible to solve the mystery. She figured she was the key but she didn't know what exactly she needed to do to return the Warlord back to his own dimension. She had a hint, that maybe her strong feelings for him was blocking her mind to the answer she sought but since Law left her to meet Ross, her feelings for him began to fade as her feelings of sadness and regret for Maribelle's death was far stronger than her admiration to the Warlord.
Elka was pulled back to reality when she felt a tug. She immediately stopped in her tracks and found Law's hand on her shoulder. She showed slight surprise after realizing they were already standing in front of the dormitory gates.
"All right." Ross began. "Get some rest, Elka." he told her as he placed one foot behind him in preparation to turning back. "I'm still being called so I'll have to go."
"Okay." Elka weakly replied, staring blankly at the redhead.
Elka kept staring that Ross thought maybe she still had something to say so he waited in place, returning her gaze and holding a small smile of his own. Not long, Elka caught herself staring, quickly turning away in self-consciousness.
"Sorry about that." she muttered, to which the young lad only laughed.
"Well, I'll get going now." Ross said with a brief wave of a hand.
Elka decided it was inappropriate to send off a good friend awkwardly like that so as a charm, she called back to him and offered him a kind smile. "Look forward to your baked apples tomorrow."
Ross regarded her with a faint smile. Elka, on the other hand, quickly began to walk to the gates. She knew if she stayed for a while longer, something dumb may come out of her mouth. Law remained. He was thinking of handing back Ross's heart. He couldn't think of any use for it anyway and he figured it wouldn't be a good idea to let Elka find out about it too.
"Aren't you going to follow her?" Ross asked, looking at Law.
Law returned his gaze and took out his heart. "Here. I'm returning this." he told Ross as he handed the organ over.
Ross smirked. "I'm surprised." he held it in one hand and stared at it for a while, still awestruck with its unworldly realism. He opened his coat and rolled up his shirt to place his heart back to the hole in his chest. "I thought you were going to keep it."
"I have no use for it anymore."
Ross hummed. "I guess you're right." he then turned to his heels and began to walk away.
"Ross-ya." Law suddenly called, but Ross completely ignored him and kept his pace. Despite this, Law still raised one abrupt question to the redhead. "If Elka-ya decides to come with me, what will you do?"
The disputable question posed made Ross flinch, forcing him to halt in his tracks. Law smirked at the reaction he got. He remembered Ross saying he preferred respecting Elka's wishes but he also knew how much the lad valued Elka so he figured the redhead won't back down without a fight.
"If that's what she wants then," Ross looked him over his shoulder, blue eyes mournful yet his features held a remarkable stoicism. "I will wish her the best." he ended, facing forward and resuming his march.
Trafalgar Law was taken aback by the young lad's words. He didn't expect him to relent so easily. Although it seemed confusing at first, he somehow understood how much he cherished Elka. Ross did say he would always do what Elka wants, and he also mentioned he was going to back off if the girl says she doesn't need him. But Law was still shocked to hear it himself, to realize it himself, that the lad was serious with his every claim. It didn't sit well with him though. Like he thought, he and Ross would never have anything to agree with.
"If it was me, I won't let anyone take her away from me." Law voiced, unamused. If it was him, he would never let any of his loved ones leave him nor let anyone take them away from him without a fight. But the redhead easily accepted the idea and readily let go of his so-called most treasured person, and it irritated the dark doctor.
Ross paused for a moment upon hearing Law's response. It amused him how Law responded to his answer with strong rebuttal. "Elka is precious to me and I don't like it when she's upset. I respect and believe in her decisions." he spoke without looking back at the man. "I am me and you are you. We are two different people with different beliefs and ideals. Don't compare yourself to me, you pirate."
Trafalgar Law was rendered speechless. He silently watched Ross disappear from his sight, letting his words linger for a good while. His frustration was easily replaced by revelations about his own shortcoming. He realized he was acting rather childish and found it disgraceful for someone like him to behave in such manner. With a small puff of breath, he proceeded to enter the dormitory gates. Law figured dwelling on it would only be counterproductive. Besides, shouldn't he be pleased? That meant taking Elka would be easy as long as she agrees with him.
Soon, he found Elka standing next to her room's door.
"What did you two talked about?" Elka anxiously asked. It seemed she knew Law remained behind and assumed he wanted to speak with the redhead privately.
Law dryly replied. "Nothing."
=/=
Elka decided to take a quick shower as soon as they entered her room. She did complain to Law regarding her door left unlocked but easily let it slide as she was already feeling tired. Although she wanted to ask about how he and Ross got along, she couldn't bring herself to do so. She had many questions, especially after realizing that Law was carrying his sword with him using Ross's sword bag case, but in the end, she found herself deciding to stay ignorant about it. Although she claimed she could somehow accept the reality of war and destruction, she still couldn't bring herself to face all of it. And she admitted she was weak, too weak to even dream about supporting Ross in the battlefield as an army doctor.
Still, she thought there was nothing wrong with dreaming. She was still young, she figured she will eventually overcome those fears. There will come a time when she will be able to accept the harsh reality as a whole and she will be able to look at it face to face.
"Elka-ya, can we talk?" Law's voice cut through the noise of shower.
Elka turned the knob, reducing the water pouring. "If it's urgent, yeah."
"Do you know everything about my world?" Law sounded hesitant yet his tone was firm.
Elka was confused. "Everything? Of course not."
"...Are you aware of my past?"
Elka took a while before answering back. She didn't know how the Warlord would take it if she answered yes. "...No."
"Then why does Ross-ya know my hate towards Doflamingo?"
Elka paled. She had no idea what Ross could have already told him. She had been avoiding to mention anything related to One Piece since she mentioned his alliance with the Straw Hats. She dearly regretted mentioning it after finding out that Law hadn't known it yet and promised herself not to reveal anymore but now, now Law himself was asking her and she didn't know what to do.
One loud knock on the bathroom door startled Elka. "Answer me." Law growled.
"I'm sorry I lied!" Elka quickly answered, hurrying to check if the door was locked. "Yes, I know what happened to you! I know your childhood! I even know your full name!"
"Then what's the secret?" Law reluctantly asked. "The national treasure of Mariejois, what is it?"
Elka felt her eyes widen in shock. "Oh no... Ross told you that..?"
"Was it something I shouldn't know?"
Elka was gritting her teeth in annoyance. Of all things Ross can mention, it was that. She didn't want to alter anything in One Piece. She didn't want to affect its story. It was perfect as it is, she didn't want to be the one to ruin it. She was merely a fan, she had no desires of playing God over One Piece's dimension.
"It's something you're better off not knowing, doctor! Please just drop it!" Elka desperately pleaded. "Forget it! Ross was just..! He was just..!" her voice shook in uncertainty.
Elka couldn't say Ross was lying, and frankly, she was also curious of what course Law would take if he knew. But Elka thought it was preposterous of her to think of laying her hands on Oda's masterpiece. She was trash compared to his incredible imagination, she was in no place to meddle and taint his work despite not knowing if it would truly affect the story's future or if it would change her past as well.
"If you knew my past, then you should know how much I despise the World Government." Law stated, his tone suggested his bottomless rage. "They knew about Amber Lead, yet they kept silent for the sake of profit! And when it got worse, they decided we were not needed!"
"I know! I know your pain and sufferings as a child but..! Please, I just don't want to ruin anything!"
Law banged the door hard enough that Elka rebounded off it. "Ruin anything? Just letting me know such knowledge existed beyond my knowing is already ruining everything!"
What Law stated was true and Elka couldn't help but accept it. She didn't expect Ross to carelessly flap his mouth although she could empathize. If she revealed a contentious plot twist from the story, will it trigger something? Something outrageous, maybe? Elka believed change was good. There was always something good in change, otherwise, why would it be the only permanent concept in life? And she couldn't help but think, if Law took a different course of action after acquiring the knowledge she held, will it change One Piece's future? And more importantly, will it rewind her world's time? Will she be able to go back in the time when she hadn't met Law? Will she be able to see Maribelle and Daniel alive? Will it change her past? Will it change the world's future?
There was only one way to find out and that was to take a risk and jump to it. But she didn't have enough courage. Elka knew there was only one shot and she didn't want to mess it up. She could tell him now but she was hesitant. What if it didn't change a thing? What if the clock kept moving forward? All her hopes would be crushed into tiny little pieces, her heart shattered and her soul burned into ashes. In the end, she decided to keep her silence.
"Listen, Elka-ya." Law immediately broke the ice before it bloated. He sounded calm and it seemed he wasn't interested with breaking down her bathroom door anymore. "Whether you like it or not, I will take you with me. That way, you'll have no excuse to keep those secrets from me. Remember that."
=/=
"Rosary Valctovoel."
There was a large projector in the room in which showed a picture of a woman of scarlet wavy hair and deep blue eyes together with her name and short biography.
"Does the name sound familiar to any of you?"
The room was filled with high-ranking officials in the army all seated in a circle with Ross standing in the middle of it. On the bow stood a tall tan man with short graying hair inquired, his coffee-colored eyes directed at a certain redhead. He wore a darker khaki military uniform and a beret, with four silver stars glistening over his epaulettes.
"What about you, Lieutenant Ross?" General Martin glared sharply at the young lieutenant. "Or should I say, Roswell Valctovoel?" he focused on exerting pressure onto the redhead.
Ross carried himself confidently and held a firm gaze as he answered, "Yes. She's my biological sister."
Murmurs of disgust quickly filled the room upon Ross's statement. Unfeeling gazes were thrown at him but he ignored them.
"Would you look at that! We have an officer with a terrorist for a sister!" one commented.
"I knew he was a spy from the very beginning. No wonder terrorists laid low for the past three years." another voiced.
"If the late General didn't pick up that stray dog, we wouldn't have this problem."
"This is definitely a sign that the West is preparing to invade us. War is brewing."
General Martin raised a hand to quiet down the restless officials. "I'm glad you have no intentions of hiding it, Lieutenant, but you must be aware of your current position." he looked pointedly at the young lad. "You are under suspicion of treachery."
Ross remained silent.
"You've been a huge asset to us since the late General introduced you to the army, but your origins has kept us wary of you. And now that your kin has come to invade our country, we couldn't ignore the possibility of you giving them intelligence regarding our own forces."
"I'm sorry, General, but I am not a Valctovoel anymore." Ross solemnly stated. "I am Ross Maris, the son of General Mars Samuel Maris. I have already discarded my origins, turned back from my homeland and embraced this new identity I was granted. And I have sworn loyalty to this country and its people."
One official raised a hand and joined the conversation. "If I may, as the old saying goes, blood is thicker than water. You cannot shrug this off by saying it's all in the past. You may have sworn loyalty but you may never live up to it."
Ross sneered. "Are you talking about yourself?"
This roused the official's fury. "Impudent brat!"
"I worked my way up here with solid achievements as enough proof to that. I have performed my duties and acted accordingly for the benefit of the country." Ross gave the angered official a sideways glance. "Unlike some who remained seated on their high horses, watching from afar."
"Your impudence has no place in this-"
"Please stop, Lieutenant General Maxie. You're disgracing yourself by biting into this man's provocation." General Martin interrupted, frowning at the scene. "And Lieutenant, I would appreciate it if you refrain from evoking displeasure among your superiors."
Ross politely nodded. "Then please allow me to speak further, sir." he requested, to which the General readily granted. "My biological parents had already perished during the Winter War, and I only had one sibling who I believed was killed in it as well. But that doesn't matter, for in the present, I have performed my duties and endeavored to crush any enemies that posed a threat in this land. Unfortunately, I had let the terrorists escape due to unforeseen circumstances but I managed to take out their seemingly acting leader. I believe that is proof enough that I have no intentions of betraying the army and this country. Rosary Valctovoel was killed under my orders. You may question Sniper one if you see fit, as he was the one who made the shot as per my instruction."
Ross was brimming with confidence and spoke fluidly that it convinced the majority present in the room of his loyalty, including General Martin himself. There was a pregnant pause as everyone present let his words linger for a moment longer. They took in every word he spat, and with some of them faintly nodding in satisfaction, a few begged to differ.
"How can you be so sure that Rosary Valctovoel was in fact their leader?" one raised.
"I do not claim it for a fact. As I've said, she only 'seemed' to be acting as one. Rosary was an excellent soldier and she excelled in acting as lure." Ross patiently explained. "Similar to myself, she was a child soldier, and during that course in our lives, I've learned how she does her job one way or another."
"But another thing," another joined the discussion. "It was reported that you had gone off independently to a suspected terrorist hideout alone. How can we trust you when you couldn't even report back to the headquarters first before heading out?"
"I acted on short notice as I saw it necessary to resort to surprise tactics if we wanted to catch them red-handed." Ross smoothly answered.
"And what of that man seen riding with you towards En city?"
Ross felt his body go rigid at the mention of Law's existence. He didn't want to bring him up as he knew Elka might get caught in it.
"Your men did not mention him but we found from En city's surveillance camera that you were with someone coming from the suspected terrorist hideout."
Ross held a stoic face and plainly stated, "I don't know."
"You don't know? But from that video clip, we saw you and someone else on your bike." General Martin pressed on. "Who is he?"
Ross only smiled. "I already said I don't know."
=/=
Elka was unable to sleep. She wasn't insomniac, only, a lot of things weighed heavily on her mind that the cool breeze of the air conditioner, the dimness of the room and the softness of her mattress couldn't lull her into sleep. She was even unable to get dinner, and she thought, maybe that was the real reason she couldn't sleep.
"Close your eyes." Law softly said. He was leaning back against the bed's headboard beside her, on the side closer to the door just like the previous night's arrangement. "You'll be able to fall asleep faster that way."
"Speak for yourself." Elka replied in slight annoyance. "You're not even trying to sleep."
"I'm on guard duty." Law looked at her briefly. "Following the previous events, some random guy might just come in and kill you."
"That won't happen."
"Of course it won't." Law glanced at his sword that was resting just beside him. "They won't even get the chance to step in here."
"That's not what I meant." Elka's voice went slightly higher. "Just drop the act. I know you're angry."
"...Tell me what's the deal with that treasure."
Elka remained quiet. She couldn't even look at Law.
"I don't know how that treasure will come into play but if it's something I can somehow use in the future to threaten the World Government, then I'd do anything to get my hands on it, even just a bit of information will do."
Elka hesitated. "...It is something you can use."
Law fell silent. He looked at her, to which the young doctor turned away.
"In fact, it's something only you can utilize." she added, almost a whisper to herself.
Law heard and understood her murmured words. He looked at his hands and said decidedly, "It's my devil fruit ability, isn't it?"
Elka visibly winced at Law's query. She figured Law was the sharp type, of course he was, but she couldn't stand the Warlord's silent rage, pushing her to open her mouth. At most, she wanted to quench his anger. It was uncomfortable, what with all the events that happened so far, that bad omen she felt from Ross's strange behavior and now, the one person staying with her was emanating strong negative energy that she wasn't sure if he was even aware of. Elka knew she was going to regret saying anything about the enigmatic treasure of Mariejois as it was only also vaguely mentioned from the manga itself. Elka was one of those all-out nerds that make insane speculations about every little thing from the title but she never thought that trait of hers would backfire so bad.
"I knew it was odd why Doflamingo was hellbent on keeping me alive." Law muttered, almost to himself.
"I'm sorry. That's all I can tell you." Elka talked under her breath. "I don't know anymore beyond that."
Law chuckled. "Yes you do."
Elka kept quiet. She forced her eyes closed and began counting sheep in her head in an attempt to fall asleep. She figured pretending to be asleep won't work either way so her best bet was to truly fall asleep.
"I have no intentions of going back empty-handed." Law announced to no one in particular. He knew Elka was still awake and listening but he saw no point in elaborating what he meant. He was simply making himself clear that his eyes were already set to her.
=/=
Elka woke up to the sound of light rain. A hint of steely light showed that morning was on its way. She got up, brushed her teeth and washed her face. The cold water effectively waking her up, and that was when she realized she actually woke up before the dark doctor.
Elka stared at the Warlord who slept on his side, facing to her position with an arm folded under his head and the other extended to her space. She never realized Law practically hugged her in their sleep. It made her blush, thinking they just had an argument the night before. Law looked to be frowning a bit, and she found his sleeping face cute and hilarious at the same time.
He always have problems even in dreams, huh? Elka thought. She didn't bother to change her pajamas and grabbed her cell as she was expecting a text message from a classmate that day. Since she messaged her that she might attend class late due to a cold (yes, she lied to her classmate), she figured she should clear that out now that she was up and about that early. Elka went out of the room to prepare breakfast. It was lucky that one of her dorm mates had a few apples left from the day before yesterday. Just like the old tradition, she would place a note over the island and replace the apples she used later on.
As Elka merrily prepared the food, various thoughts coursed through her mind. She was extremely worried about the incident yesterday. Law openly displayed his ability, and although they were at a fair distance from the main commotion, she was aware of the existence of surveillance camera. And then there was also the media, and the internet. Elka knew it was best to check the television and the internet news later on just so she's informed of what people may have made out of that incident. It was bad enough that One Piece fans were overwhelming, considering how the long-standing manga had garnered almost a billion of enthusiasts. Elka assumed that a few fans would may have already figured it out but because of the clear line between fantasy and reality, she doubted they would look that deep into it. Still, the possibility was there and she couldn't ignore it but she knew in herself, if it was her on their shoes, she would definitely dismiss it as something else but some fictional character coming into reality.
Despite all that brooding, Elka praised herself for successfully making three baked apples without burning any of them. It was simple and easy to make, but if you don't pay attention, you'd burn them. She also cooked ham and rice, as she always made it a point to have a heavy breakfast especially on weekdays. She swiftly set the food and the plates on the dining table and ultimately, she sat down on one of the empty chairs to wait for Ross.
Of course Elka didn't forget Law, but she already knew he would go there once he wakes up. He was especially so eager to keep her in his line of sight since their argument, and the fact that he didn't get up when she got up meant he had tired himself quite considerably. That's also why she went out of her way to cook rice, although she was unsure if ham was fine with the dark doctor and/or if he eats baked apples. Of course, she hoped for the best.
It felt like hours as Elka patiently waited. She had been staring at the food, all of which had their steam gradually recede as time passed. Not later, she heard her cell ring. It was a text message. She quickly opened it, expecting it was from her said classmate, not bothering to double check the sender's name. But the message shocked her, clearly telling her it wasn't from her classmate.
Sorry.
That was all it read.
Elka already knew who it was from before even glancing up at the sender's name. She somehow knew it already but she just kept denying it. Maybe because she was already spoiled by him? He never broke any promises. Oh, but he never did promise anything. She just got used to him showing up everyday, in the kitchen, cooking with her and then eating with her. He made her feel that she wasn't alone anymore, that he was always there. But today, she had to understand that it wasn't going to go on forever. He had a life of his own, a difficult job, but she just couldn't help but be sad about it.
And Elka wasn't only sad by the fact that Ross didn't show up. It was by the fact that all he could tell her was sorry. He didn't explain why. He didn't explain what happened. Just a plain sorry, and it must have missed the young lad's mind but that message just screamed 'danger' at her. It meant something serious happened that he couldn't explain. And she understood, and that was what broke her heart.
=/=
Just as Elka saw the message, Law arrived at the dining hall. He was livid at being left behind without a word. If he hadn't thought properly and pulled himself together fast enough, he might have destroyed the whole place just to find where she was hiding.
But upon seeing the young raven, Law became baffled. Elka was looking over that 'phone' device and was crying. Law was confused, he didn't understand what those tears meant. He couldn't even ask.