Chapter 8

Everyone excluding the black-haired knight was currently in Rem's room. Beatrice was seated at the table, and Meili was standing, looking out the window with empty eyes. Rem had Spica seated on her lap as she hugged her.

Felix had gathered everyone and told them about what he had told Subaru. To say that they were worried was an understatement.

Rem and Spica were worried. Subaru hadn't left Shaula's side since Felix had informed him of the news. He hadn't even come for dinner.

Meili was worried about Shaula's health and whether she'd pull through. And she was worried if Subaru would be able to get over the pain in the possibility that Shaula didn't make it.

But none were more worried than Beatrice. He'd been so miserable ever since his return from Vollachia. After spending over a month in a hostile country, he'd still be having a rough time even after he'd got back. The blue maid's amnesia made him unhappy, and Emilia still not giving him an answer was even more of a source of distress for her contractor. Now she was worried that if the sage's apprentice didn't make it, he'd probably become closed-off and even more depressed.

Everyone was worried for the well-being of the black-haired knight. They had tried to console him and get him to stop being so hard on himself and rest, but he'd ignored them, saying he wasn't going to leave Shaula's side.

They all cared about him and wanted him to be happy.

Subaru was seated at the table where Shaula was currently being kept. Felix had moved her from his lab into a spare study in the mansion which was currently unoccupied.

Subaru started at the scorpion in the box. Shaula was completely motionless, not showing any signs of life or movement.

Subaru remembered that he swore to save Shaula and bring her back. So he had stayed by her side no matter what. A day had passed and there was still no change in her condition. And now at the end of that day, nothing had changed.

But he wasn't going to give up on her.

Although Felix had only given her two more days of monitoring, Subaru was determined to use those two days to the best of his abilities.

Subaru had stayed up all night long watching over Shaula.

He hadn't slept.

He hadn't eaten.

He was tired. And hungry

But Subaru kept his baggy eyes on the motionless scorpion on the table.

Subaru looked at the red scorpion intently, looking for even the tiniest signs of movement.

He felt himself drift off. He tried with all his might to force himself awake.

But...

...

...

Subaru was now sound asleep, unaware that the motionless scorpion had slowly started moving.

Not only that but tiny cracks ever so slowly started appearing on its shell. With a faint white light emanating from them.

When Subaru opened his eyes, he opened his eyes to a ceiling.

Subaru: "Huh?"

Subaru sat up, realising he was in his room in Crusch's manor, lying on his bed.

?: "You're finally awake I suppose."

Subaru turned his head to the voice to see Beatrice sitting next to his bedside, watching over him.

Subaru: "Hey Beako. How's it going?"

Beatrice sighed

Beatrice: "You stayed awake for a day and a half straight without any food in fact. You've been asleep for half a day."

Subaru was surprised at what Beatrice had said.

Subaru: "Half a day?"

The surprise then turned into fear.

Subaru: "What about Shaula? Is she ok? Did something go wrong while I was asleep?"

Beatrice: "Nothing has happened. The sage's apprentice is still in the same condition as before in fact. Nothing has changed."

Subaru felt a sense of relief upon hearing that nothing bad had happened. But it turned to sadness as Shaula was still in the same condition as before.

Beatrice: "Now eat. You need it in fact."

Beatrice pointed to a plate of food on his bedside table.

Subaru shook his head.

Subaru: "I appreciate it Beako, but I'm not hungry."

As he said that, his stomach growled.

Beatrice sighed

Beatrice: "You're a terrible liar in fact."

Beatrice took his hand in hers.

Beatrice: "Look. If you want to go back to see that scorpion again, then at least give yourself energy I suppose. Eat something. Please."

Subaru sighed defeatedly. He took the plate off the table and started eating the food.

Beatrice: "Honestly, you're such a pain in fact."

Subaru laughed

Subaru: "Yeah. I wov yu too Beaho."

Beatrice pouted.

Beatrice: "Don't talk with your mouth full I suppose!"

Subaru and Beatrice made their way through the mansion to the room Shaula was being kept in.

Subaru felt better. After eating and getting a good night's sleep, he was in a better mood and feeling a lot less miserable.

After a short time walking, the two arrived at the room Shaula was being kept in.

Subaru felt nervous.

Subaru: "Hey Beako. Has anyone checked on Shaula since I left?"

Beatrice shook her head.

Beatrice: "No in fact. When we came to check on you, she was in the same state as we last saw her."

Subaru then felt a sense of sadness well up.

Two days had passed.

Two days after Felix had said he would allow Shaula to be monitored for a little longer.

Subaru was now faced with the reality.

Shaula was gone. Felix had done his best to help Shaula. But it wasn't enough.

But Subaru didn't blame Felix. Not one bit. None of this was Felix's fault.

It was Subaru's.

He was too weak, too pathetic. If he had been stronger, none of this would have happened. Shaula wouldn't have transformed the way she did and reverted into a small scorpion.

And she never-

SMASH!

Glass smashed onto the ground.

Subaru and Beatrice were surprised by the sound of glass hitting the floor.

A sense of worry arose inside Subaru.

He opened the door and entered.

Subaru froze. What he saw made his heart skip a beat.

The room's layout was rather simple. A table in the middle of the room, a desk and chair in the left corner, a bookshelf on the right wall, and a window at the centre where the light from the sunset shone through.

But that wasn't what made him freeze.

In the middle of the room, a woman was sitting on the table. She was around 5'7" and had long flowing brown hair reaching her waist. She was naked which made Subaru blush profusely, but thankfully she was using a blanket to cover herself. The woman was looking at him, her emerald irises were glued to him.

Subaru spoke the name of someone who he never thought he'd see again.

Subaru: "Shaula?"

The brown-haired woman flinched slightly at that word. Subaru remembered. The same flowing brown hair he saw when he first encountered her at the Watchtower, of course, she didn't have her tied in her self-proclaimed 'scorpion tail' anymore it was loose, but he remembered her hair. Her emerald green eyes and beautiful face looking at him.

A sense of joy washed over Subaru, making him rush over to her and grab her by her shoulders. He was embarrassed because she was naked, but he was so overjoyed, he couldn't help himself.

Subaru: "Shaula, you're back! I'm so glad you're ok! I was so worried about you! I'm so sorry about what happened. It's all my fault! I-!"

Woman: "GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME!"

To Subaru's surprise, Shaula pushed him off her and he fell onto his back.

Beatrice recovered from her initial surprise and jumped to Subaru's defence.

Beatrice: "What do you think you're doing? How dare you attack Betty's contractor I suppose."

The woman started backing away from Subaru and Beatrice as Subaru was getting back up.

Subaru: "Ow! Shaula, that hurt!"

Woman: "SH-SHUT UP! W-WHY ARE YOU CALLING ME THAT?"

Subaru flinched at her tone. She sounded almost...frightened.

Subaru saw her backing away from him until she had backed herself into the far right corner of the room. She'd accidentally bumped into the shelf near that corner, knocking a few books off.

Subaru felt confused as to why she was acting this way. But upon seeing her pushing him away, and backing in the corner of the room and using the blanket to cover her bare body. She then started shrinking into the corner, until she was sitting on the cold hard ground.

Subaru couldn't believe what he saw. It didn't make sense

Her hands were trembling. Her lips were trembling. Small tears were starting to form in the corner of her eyes.

She was terrified

Subaru: "S-Shaula? What are you-?"

Shaula freaked out.

Woman: "Stay back! Wh-Who are you?"

Subaru stopped. Her words caused a sharp pain in his heart.

Subaru: "Wait what? Did you-"

Subaru was cut off by her screaming at him.

Woman: "I DON'T KNOW WHO YOU ARE! I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M DOING HERE! W-WHAT IS THIS PLACE?! W-WHY AM I HERE?! WH-WHO...AM I?"

Felix: "Hey! What do you think you're-!"

Wilhelm: "Felix, look!"

Felix and Wilhelm rushed into the room. Felix was about to lose his temper when Subaru entered the room, but Wilhelm called his attention to the brown-haired woman curled up in the corner

The woman's trembling hands grasped at her head as she started breaking down, tears streaming down her face.

Woman: "What's happening? I don't know who I am."