Kiana twists the door handle, finding it firmly locked in place. A short sigh escapes her mouth.
"Figures."
She turned her gaze over to the small window frame, its height far too high for her to reach, the glass barely wide enough to reflect the light blue sky through it.
Breaking the window was a no go for her.
The Kaslana exhales another short breath, before pressing her back against the cold wooden frame. She slowly slumps down to the floor as her eyes lazily close shut.
Her neck nudges itself ever so slightly as she throws her head forward, before lightly banging it against the wooden frame. Each one echoes a dull thud back to her ears.
She could try breaking the door down.
Her strength hasn't fully recovered, so the likelihood of her being able to pull that off is quite low, but not completely impossible. With enough tries, she was sure the door would eventually budge.
That wasn't the problem here. The problem was what came after that.
If she was careful enough to lock this one, there's no doubt every possible exit is locked as well. Even if she escaped from this room, would she have enough strength to get past the rest?
That isn't counting the fact that she was on a time limit. Judging from how bright the outside looked through the window, it was likely close to the afternoon now. At best, she only had a few more hours.
Would that be enough time?
She mulled, before casting her cold, blue eyes downwards; those irises now dulled with reluctant certainty.
She wouldn't. That was Kiana's answer.
Not when she is around.
Raiden Mei. Her captor. The source of the predicament she is now trapped in.
One she considers to be a complete enigma.
Kiana couldn't understand her. She can't even begin to guess what that woman might even be thinking in any situation. Her goals or motives are an utter mystery to the white-haired girl.
No.
She did know, she had asked for an answer after all. But she had wished she never did.
"Because I love you."
Her mind lingers on that memory, for once not pushing it down further into the darkest depths of her mind. Another thought flickered into her consciousness, one she immediately tried to squat away, but proved to be useless.
How could she when she had now seen all of it first hand?
That Mei was literal in her answer.
The unnerving gentleness she would display. The horrifying smiles she would frequently give; grins so wide that it seemed to etch into her very skin.
The softness of her hands as it glides itself against Kiana's skin. The soothing tone of her voice, one barred from ill intentions or guilt, only genuine comfort and kindness.
The pain and anguish flashing through her indigo irises before being replaced with overwhelming relief followed with a tight embrace.
These contrasting memories collide within her mind, each one trying to reign control over the other. Everytime she thought one side would win, the other immediately pulled her back.
In a way, it was fitting for that woman. An enigma that Kiana cannot decipher nor understand in any way; always flopping between one extreme to one another.
It scared her. It terrified her beyond all common sense. It was a living nightmare that she had no choice but to partake in every waking moment.
And yet, it was somehow comforting, gentle in its embrace. A fleeting dream that she so desperately tries to cling onto yet could not understand why she would do so.
Perhaps that is why she is like this right now. The uncertainty of it all had allowed the Kaslana to not stick to one concrete conclusion, repeatedly having each one challenged as she struggles to believe either.
Perhaps that was why she couldn't muster her anger, her hatred or fear at the woman now. To not let herself be drowned into the terrible reality of her current state, but be embraced by the gentle cradles of someone's arms and warmth.
Perhaps, that is why she feels so…
Kiana didn't dare to finish that thought, glazed blue eyes disappearing once more as she planted her head against her knees.
She knew what she felt back then. She understood what it was. The inexplicable sense of familiarity and longing as she gaze into that violet figure, a dream so real she had almost wished it was.
She will have to confront those emotions, one way or another.
But not now.
Not yet.
Attempting to steer her mind away, Kiana began to drift into other thoughts, each one holding little relevance to another.
A distraction.
That is until she stumbled onto one that made her pause, her breath hitched.
…How many days?
She once counted, numbering each minute that she laid in that cold, terrible darkness, utterly alone and helpless. Those minutes soon turned into hours, then days, until her mind could no longer keep up as she deteriorated overtime.
Ten days. The last number she had bothered to carve into her head was ten days.
How long has it been since then?
Has anybody realized she had disappeared?
Does the police know?
Does her parents know?
Does her siblings know?
Did anyone even care?
A lump formed at her throat, the Kalsana finding it difficult to breathe now.
Her parents. People she hadn't seen or heard from for years. The last memory she could recall of them was when she was still a child.
She remembered their smiles, so bright and happy as they looked at her with those soft and caring gaze of a parent.
Would they still do now? Knowing what kind of life she had been living?
Her big sister, who left not too long before her parents.
She changed her name. At least, Kiana remembers reading in one of her letters, the first of many over the years.
She never read further than one.
Her sister must have hated her for that.
Kiana tries to recall her middle sister, yet she could only come up with blanks. How could she? When all the memories she had of them were through a television screen.
Kiana was simply history to her, one that most would rather forget than to have clot in their minds.
She certainly acted that way.
In the end, it all came back to her. It always has.
The uninspired, uninteresting, insignificant Kiana Kaslana.
One who strived for nothing, achieved nothing and in turn was given and deserving of nothing.
A speck of dust in other people's lives.
Kiana had accepted that.
For a time at least.
She had accepted that she was never going to live up to the Kaslana name. She didn't exactly care for it anyways.
Her parents must have left her because of that.
She never bothered to reach out to anyone. She didn't like to meet anyone's expectations or thoughts about her, much less getting to know them.
Her big sister must have hated her for that.
She was content with living as a null in others lives and herself. It was easier to accept things happening to her that way. It was easier to not care.
Kiana had wished for it to stay that way.
And so too did her middle sister abandon her following that wish.
Everything fell into place. She got what she wanted. Kiana became null to everyone and anyone, a mere speck of nothing.
No.
She was less than nothing.
She never even existed at all.
That's why I'm here, isn't it?
The Kaslana stifles her trembling mouth, her fingers digging deeper into the side of her legs.
All her non-decisions. All her pointless actions. All her carelessness of life and the resignation of her own being had led her to this very moment.
Trapped in a prison where she was the only captive.
Alive, yet long since dead for everyone else.
Now left to simply mull over it all as the sheer irony collapses itself onto her.
She had wished to be nothing, when she never was anything to begin with.
She should be content with that. That was how she had always lived her life after all. Would one more make any difference?
She should be.
Yet all Kiana could feel was the grinding of her teeth. The quivering of her jaw. The pain seeping through her flesh as nails puncture her fragile skin.
For a while, she didn't understand. Why was she feeling this way?
Why couldn't she simply accept what has happened as it is and just save herself from the anguish? The despair? The pain?
Why hold onto all of this when she can simply just let go? She has done that so many times now, what's so different with this one?
…Oh
Because she can't.
Because that girl would not let her.
Liliya
Her head lifted up from her damp knees, mouth agape as she struggled to take a single breath. Yet her eyes, so muddled in useless tears, now gleamed ever so faintly.
The one person to notice her existence.
The one that found and came to her when all the Kaslana had wanted was to disappear.
The one that pushed her into the limelight that was her own life. To force her to stay inside it no matter how much she hated it or wanted to run from it.
Unrelenting in their efforts to make her reach their expectations of her. No matter how much she tried pushing them away, simply because they believed in her.
The one Kiana Kaslana acknowledged as her only friend.
And one whom Liliya considers to be hers.
Kiana laughs.
She laughed, for she did not know what else to do.
She laughed, even when tears continued to stain her cheeks.
She laughed, a weight seemingly lifted from her chest.
She laughed, for she was so very glad to have Liliya as her friend.
Kiana won't live in contempt anymore. She won't let her life drift meaninglessly along the stream that is her existence. For her worried friend would surely not stop berating her if she did.
She will get out of here.
Not for her parents.
Not for her sisters.
Not for anyone else.
But for herself.
A resolution Kiana swore to herself to never give up on.
Wiping away the lingering tears, the Kaslana slowly stood back up. Her legs wobble slightly as she did, the echoing pain from her fingers digging into their sides still lingers.
Despite that, her lips held a firm smile, a sense of peace washing over her features.
She turns towards the side, feets slowly pacing towards the bathroom door. She suddenly stops as she notices her reflection in the mirror placed neatly above a short table.
She hasn't looked at herself in forever now.
Kiana walks over to the mirror, her face becoming clearer with each step.
Her cheeks were stained with tear marks, her eyes puffy red. Hair now overgrown as it stretches all the way down to her waist.
She gently twirls her fingers into the silky white hair, finding it tangled in places. A thought passes by her mind as she reaches down into the drawer and opens the small container.
After a little searching, her eyes lay on the thing she was looking for as she grabbed it. It was a long comb.
Humming to herself, Kiana then shifts her gaze towards the bathroom, before freezing midway. Her eyes widen as she snaps back to the drawer.
At the edge of the drawer was a pack of hair pins, each one long and thin. She quickly picked up one of them as she gazed at the object for what felt like minutes.
She proceeds to grip it tightly with both hands before putting pressure on one side of the pin slightly. It immediately reacted, bending upwards.
A long pause followed, before Kiana's lips twirls into a dumb smile.
This can work.
[This is the address. I should be there in about two hours.]
[Alright, I'll meet you there.]
Durandal's eyes stared intently at her phone, those last few texts being the only thing she focused on. Fingers gripping tightly at her phone, her mind mulling over those words on loop as everything fades into the background.
A loud honk resounded from behind, dragging her drifting mind back to reality. Snapping her light blue irises onto the road in front, she drops her phone to the side as she presses onto the gas pedal.
Her car promptly sped past the traffic light, its colored orbs long since changed into a bright green.
She didn't even realize when that happened.
Her car continued to drift along the clear road as Durandal sighs, closing her eyes. Though that was short lived, her eyes immediately parted once more as she fought off the ensuing tiredness threatened to consume her.
She hadn't gotten much sleep since last night, the cost of that beginning to grow apparent to her.
She tries to focus back onto the road to drown out her exhaustion, yet finds her eyes drifting back to her side where her phone lay still. For a moment, she considered picking it up again before shaking away that thought.
She was growing too anxious.
Ever since she gave that request to Rita, her mind became fixated on it, unable to let go despite her attempts to do so.
Everytime she would decide to indulge herself into that thought however, it only gave her a rousing sickness inside her stomach. Her chest would then tighten every passing second until it became unbearable, each breath becoming a struggle.
It's only when she pulls away from them does the symptoms alleviate, but even then the void still remains, constantly egging her to dive into it once more.
She hated it. It reminds her of the many times she had let it consume her, the aftermaths all of which would continue to haunt her mind for the rest of her life.
It wasn't that she didn't put in the effort to stop them from happening. She had tried.
Yet even after everything, that part of her still persists, a reminder to Durandal to always keep her emotions in check, to not let that darkness inside of her overtake her rationale once more.
The darkness that has already begun to press its grip against her mind, waiting for the chance to completely take control.
She slams her foot onto the brakes, the car's momentum ceased immediately as it shook violently in its place. Her eyes focused onto the traffic light in front, scarlet piercing back at her.
She rested her head against the chair, shutting her eyes tightly. A deep sigh escaped from her lips as her body trembled in place.
She lets it.
Opening her tired eyes again, Durandal threw her head downwards. Unconsciously or perhaps consciously, she found herself staring at her phone once more; this time finding it vibrating against the hardened seat.
She gave a long, silent look. Her jaw clenches ever so slightly as she hesitantly reaches for her phone.
She glanced at the number, knowing exactly who it was before pressing its speaker against her ear. With a short inhale, she answers the call.
"What is it, Rita?"
[I searched for the victim's relatives like you asked me to, Mrs. Durandal,] the voice on the other end calmly said.
Durandal squeezed the car handle as she listened, not a sound coming from her tightly shut lips.
For a moment that felt like an eternity, Rita said nothing more. Before a faint breath echo through the phone, followed by a calm melodic voice.
[Her mother was the last known relative the victim has, but she had died three years ago. The house the two once lived together had been sold and since then she had been living in a rented apartment.]
"…."
[Mrs. Durandal…]
"Thank you Rita, that's all for now," Durandal calmly states.
[Are you certain?] Rita asked, her voice sounding unsure.
"Yes. Goodbye Rita."
Without waiting for a response, Durandal promptly hangs up the call. Placing the phone back to the passenger seat, she returns her hand back to the wheels, as her foot presses onto the gas pedal.
Her car sprung back to life as it drove along the concrete road, passing by the green traffic light.
Her breathing was calm and rhythmic. Her heartbeats steady. Her hands gripping firmly onto the wheels as her eyes remain unbroken from the road.
Yet her eyes were lifeless, its gleam all but vanished, replaced with a dullness that reflected nothing and showed nothing.
And along with it, Durandal thought of nothing.
Seele walked along the wooden floor, each step echoing along the walls as she journeyed down the hallway.
Arriving in front of an open room, her eyes slowly peer inside, seeing two distinct figures sitting on top of a bed.
One of them, their light pink hair swaying gently as they shift their body forward, a bowl in one hand and a spoon in the other.
The girl's face was gentle, her movement slow and patient as she waited for the other to nudge themselves forward.
As they did, a small smile formed at the girl's lips. A painfully sad one, yet still a smile nonetheless.
Seele found herself gazing intently at her, her face frozen.
She hadn't seen Rozaliya smile in so long.
Though that smile vanishes as the girl's eyes wander over to Seele, seemingly notices her presence just now.
Her eyes darted back to the cyan-haired girl, as if waiting for something. A few seconds pass and the girl's head ever so gently shifts, a confirmation of something with how Rozaliya promptly sighed.
She then carefully lifted herself up from the bed, her legs striding towards Seele. She held her lips tighter as the girl approached her, before handing her a bowl of porridge.
She then moves out of the room, turning her eyes to meet Seeles one last time.
"Take your time. Don't push her."
Her eyes glanced towards Liliya with that last line, her eyes visibly softened. Without another word, she promptly leaves.
Seele watches her disappear around the corner before turning back to Liliya. Her back still turned towards her as the girl simply sat still, as if waiting for Seele to come join her on the bed.
Hesitance gripped her legs, before she pushed past them as she walked over to Liliya. Walking around the table and arriving at the other side of the bed, she carefully sat down to avoid shuffling the bed too much.
She then turns to face the girl, eyes purposely casting downwards as she raises the bowl up slightly. She lifts up the spoon and hangs it near Liliya's mouth, waiting patiently yet nervously.
As seconds tick by, her nervousness rises before she feels a light tug at her fingertips. Seele exhales at that, gently pushing the spoon forward for the girl.
Seele then repeats this over several minutes, neither speaking a word to each other.
Only the distant chirping of birds and the gentle gust of winds fluttering against the opened window frame accompanied the two. A peaceful silence.
She felt tempted to let it stay this way forever, but she knows better.
And so, choosing the next few words very carefully, Seele parted her lips.
"Rozaliya told me about what you said…
"Why-?"
-me?
She couldn't bring herself to finish. Her fear for an answer to it overwhelmed her. How can it not, when she could not find one herself?
She tried to be strong for Liliya.
No, she pretended to be strong for everyone around her. To show them that things will be okay. That so long as she seems okay, everything will be alright.
She had so desperately clung onto that belief, even as everything fell apart in front of her. And as she looked at the broken pieces of those she cared about, she could only resort to doing the exact same thing. A broken record only knowing one single song, repeating it over and over no matter how obnoxious it became to everyone.
Part of her held onto hope beyond hope that if she just kept it up, things would finally start to get better. That somehow, by simply existing and surviving day by day, things will get better.
But the truth was really because she didn't know what else to do.
She knew not when her Liliya broke down in despair and shut herself off from her family.
She knew not when Rozaliya closed off from her, that cold glare growing more unbearable every agonizing day that she saw it.
She knew nothing, and so she could only cling onto the same thing. The one thing constant in her mind, too afraid and utterly ignorant to think of anything otherwise.
She never could anyways.
Yet even that came to fail her.
Or perhaps, she had failed it.
Try as she might. Faked it as much as she might. Wrap it tightly around her face as much as she liked to, clinging solely on the feeble strings to hold that pathetic fabricated facade of someone she once knew as much as she can.
It was only inevitable that those very strings would snap, and she would be exposed for the disgusting filth that was Seele Vollerei.
A girl always relying on others to protect her, to shield her from the dangers and pain of the world.
A shallow and awful woman who knew not how to care for others for all she could care about was herself and only herself.
A disgusting filth trying desperately to be someone she was not. An insulting and revolting facade that only served to keep herself from breaking apart.
A pathetic weakling that knew nothing but itself.
Seele knows this. She understood it very well.
Yet even so, she could not stop herself from breaking. Even as she fought against her very being to stop the pathetic act of self-pity that was her breakdown, she couldn't stop the tears from staining her cheeks.
She had only proven once more just how true those statements were. And so she expected whatever terrible repercussions of that very act to be wholly justified.
And yet, when that time came, all she received was an apology.
A plea for forgiveness of one's wrongdoings.
Another chance to redo it all.
So genuine and filled with guilt. So fragile yet so firm.
Those powerful words that could soothe the pain in anyone's heart.
And it was given to her.
Seele couldn't understand.
She can't understand.
For a girl who lived ignorant of everything around her. To know not of what was despair and pain. To fail to be there for anyone, only seeing herself and the mask she had conjured up to keep everyone away.
To so desperately and so pitifully ask for another's help, the very one who so rightfully laid out the utter filth that was her very being. To be so willfully incompetent in her efforts of imitating that very person.
A thing that deserved no sympathy or pity. A worthless junk that could do nothing but live inside its own shell, uncaring for anyone but its own.
And yet, when she finally showed it, to finally let the world see just how truly disgusting she really was.
That she had failed at everything.
That she had let down everybody.
That she had achieved at destroying everything.
All she received was an apology.
"Please…tell me…"
Weak whispers echoed through her trembling lips. Losing all strength or will in her hands, the bowl began to tip forward as it nearly fell out of her grasp.
Before it was carefully caught by another pair of thin hands, who promptly set the bowl aside.
She couldn't even bring herself to react, so utterly encased in her own mind to notice those very arms wrapping around her.
So fixated on those thoughts to feel someone's head laying against her chest as they pulled her deeper into their embrace.
Yet somehow, still just present enough to pick up the soft mutters of a girl, whose voice she could barely remember last hearing.
"I missed you."
"…huh?"
Those words echo inside her head, her eyes unblinking as it stared at nothing.
Missed…me?
Her mouth agape, her arms laying limp by her side.
Me?
Those arms began to tremble, her lips quivering along with it.
Why would anyone miss me?
She shakingly reaches her arms around Liliya's sides, fingers quivering as her eyes cast down to the girl.
A faint smile was present on her lips.
Why? Why would anyone miss..this? How could anyone miss this?
"W-why-"
"Because I do."
The girl answered swiftly, not a moment of hesitation in her voice. It utterly froze Seele in return.
Her arms now wrapped around Liliya, her hands only inches away from touching her. Her mouth wide open, frozen in time as her eyes for the first time, blinked.
And as she did, her hands pressed tightly onto Liliya, holding the girl firmly in her arms as she leaned into the girl's shoulder.
For the second time, Seele Vollerei cries.
Lifting the coffee cup up to her lips, the silver-haired woman slowly sips the hot content.
Her eyes twitch upon tasting the caffeine, quickly setting the cup down as she sighs.
Too sweet..
She had asked for the precise amount of sugar she would normally use, but this was way over that amount. Not to mention how awfully thick it is as it sticks into her throat. Honestly she wishes she could gag right now with how awful it was.
This is why she always makes her own coffee.
The only reason she even ordered one in the first place was simply because of the woman sitting neatly in front of her, Durandal Kaslana.
The woman's face was slightly covered by her blonde hair, her eyes glued to the side as she seemed to stare at something.
It was like she didn't even know Bronya was even here.
Bronya huffs, planting her cheek onto her hand as she lazily looks at the woman. She had been like this for nearly ten minutes now.
Every attempt Bronya would make to get her to talk only resulted in silence from Durandal, her eyes permanently fixated beside her on the opposite side of the road.
She was definitely a little annoyed, considering it was her proposal to meet up. But she chose to keep quiet after the first few attempts, noting how quiet the woman was.
She understood that something was on her mind, so she will simply wait.
But damn this is really boring…
Bronya pushes herself off the table, her back planting flat onto the chair. As she folds her arms, her gaze switches towards the people inside the cafe.
Most sat by themselves as they carried on their morning, while some sat in a group, occasional noise of chatter echoing towards their table. The few waiters that were around simply stood next to one another, talking amongst themselves.
Nobody seemed to remotely notice her or Durandal, completely content to carry on whatever they are doing.
That's good at least.
Bronya thought, partly relieved that nobody was following her. At least, the constant detours she took to get here would have made sure of that.
A part of her however was unconvinced.
If the people that are stalking her really were them, there was no way they could so simply lose track of her this easily. Even with the excuse that they actually believed her lies, would leaving her unsupervised like this really the brightest thing to do?
Perhaps she was wrong?
Bronya lifts her head, a complicated expression shown through her face as she leaned further into the chair.
If she wasn't stalked, then how did the event from last night happen? Unless it was a one in a million coincidence; which she highly doubted to be the case, the culprit wouldn't have known to dispose of any leads on the same evening that she would go to find one.
The only other person who even remotely knew what she was doing was her friend Mei, but nearly all she told her was fabricated. Nobody would be able to gain anything out of her if they decided to ask her about it. And Mei was a careful person, she wouldn't get involved in anything if it so much as seemed dangerous.
Then what is it?
"It looks the same as I remembered."
"…Huh?"
Bronya blurted, fixing her gaze back to Durandal, who was still staring at the other side.
"I wished the circumstances were different however." The woman softly spoke, an unreadable emotion etched in her tone. Her head lowered slightly, shifting her eyes into view; visible sadness emanated from those blue irises.
Bronya stayed silent, turning her gaze to the side. Peering out onto the streets, opposite of the cafe, she could see a small building situated on the other side of the road.
It was a worn-down candy store, the once bright colored walls greatly faded from the passage of time, leaving only faint marks of what once was plenty. The glass windows covering its front were muddled, the text imprinted onto them barely discernible. Yet even so, she could see movements from inside; small movements, likely that from childrens. Somehow, the store was still open.
"I don't quite get it," Bronya said truthfully.
"I used to come here often with my siblings as children. Most of our time together was spent there." Durandal said calmly, yet there was also a distinct sharpness to her tone.
"It was also the last time I saw Kiana before I left home."
Her head turns to face Bronya, eyes narrowed and unblinking.
"I want-no, I need to ask you something."
"Sure? What is it?"
"What is it that you're really looking for?"
"...Eh?"
"Everything you said last night. All of it was a lie, isn't it?" Durandal continued, her tone detached. "You fabricated all of it just to get me to cooperate, and I need to know why."
"I-"
Crap
She was screwed. Bronya knew that immediately. She wasn't underestimating Durandal by any means, especially seeing how she is, but she didn't expect her to figure it out in less than a day.
Trying to justify herself would most certainly put her into even more danger, so that was out of the option, which means…
"Answer me."
"…I'm searching for your sister Kiana on the request of someone who knows her. Last night's victim could potentially have a lead on where she was so I figured the best way to figure that out was to gain your trust and get you to help me."
"Is that really all?"
"Yeah."
"I see."
The two then stared at one another, neither muttering another word. Seconds passed as small noises of conversations and chatters echo throughout the cafe, a peaceful atmosphere enveloping the place.
That is until a resounding thud causes every person in the cafe to pause, their heads turning instinctively towards the sound. What they saw caused some to stare wide-eyed, while others fell into confusion.
A chair laid flatly on the floor, a pair of legs barely touching the ground as their body was pulled over the table, coffee mugs spilling onto the ground.
Durandal held the silver-haired woman by the helm of her shirt, tugging closer as her eyes pierced deeply into Bronyas.
"Why?" She nearly growled out that question, her knuckles turning white as she held onto Bronya.
"Because I wasn't sure."
"What?"
"I didn't know if she was still out there, let alone having a lead to go on. I knew that if I came to you without any kind of evidence for either, you wouldn't take me seriously nor believe me, so I didn't."
"And you decided to lie to me about it all instead? I was her sister."
"I know. That's exactly why I didn't want you to know. I didn't want to give you false hopes."
A few fleeting seconds pass with the two staring at one another, one of pure anger while the other composed yet still nervous.
"…I'm sorry," Bronya said, genuine regret filling her voice.
For a moment, Durandal's eyes widened, shock enveloping her gaze.
She turns to the side, seeing everybody staring at the two of them. Her lower lip quiver, her eyes falling slowly to the floor as strands of hair cover them.
Durandal then lets go of her as she falls back into her chair. Her arms fold together as her face remains downcast, her teeth biting down on her lips.
Bronya looked at her, uncertain on what to say, before dropping it altogether as she sighs. She then turned her gaze to the onlookers, which promptly got most of them to return to their business while the waiters reluctantly walked over to clean the mess.
Once they were done, the waiter then just as quickly walked away, leaving the two alone. Bronya fixes her shirt, picking up her chair as she slowly sits back down. The woman hadn't moved another inch.
"I wasn't lying to you about everything, Durandal-san. I am, or well, was a private investigator." Bronya remarked, keeping a firm gaze towards the silent woman.
"I know that I messed up. Really messed up. I shouldn't have kept this a secret to you, I know that. Whatever punishment comes for me, I'll accept it, but right now we need to find her. And I can only do that with your help."
Bronya then remained quiet, hoping that her words reached the woman.
Durandal shifts, her hair moving ever so slightly to the side, enough for one of her eyes to peer through, a palpable anger still visible through them. But it was no longer as intense as before.
"Fine."
The woman finally muttered, before reaching into her pocket as she placed down a small object onto the table.
"What's that?"
"A journal belonging to the victim. Search for the date written on September 3rd."
Bronya nods, picking up the journal.
"They used it to note down any event that happened during the day and night. Most days those events rarely change, except for a few rare occasions, including this one."
Flipping over the many pages that seemed to span months, she found the right date as she began to trail over the notes.
"It was around late evening when it happened. A girl in high school uniform, an odd sight for the store clerk, was about to enter the store before she accidentally bumped into another woman who was just exiting from it. The two talked for a moment, before the girl helped her carry her bags for her, both promptly disappearing from sight. The girl never returned."
Reading those lines that matched what was said, Bronya narrowed her gaze.
"For the woman, she was wearing a long gray coat, covering her body from neck to toe. The only physical description that was written was that she had long dark blue hair, and a distinct pair of indigo eyes."
Bronya's mouth widens.
"...What is it?" Durandal eyes the silver-haired woman, an almost surprised expression forming on her face.
Bronya said nothing, her entire face frozen in time as she reread that last line of the page over and over. Her mind began to tick and tick, and suddenly she stood up from her chair, legs wandering towards the exit.
"Where are you going?" The police woman voiced, standing up from her seat as she glared at Bronya, who didn't so much as turn towards her.
"...Just give me a moment."
For the first time, the anger that had been present on her face vanished, replaced with genuine shock. Bronya promptly exits out of the cafe, leaving her along with everyone inside to look onwards in curiosity or confusion.
Bronya's legs wobbled with each shaky step, her movement unsteady and almost drunkish. Suddenly she began to walk faster and faster, until she was practically running along the sidewalk as her mouth hung open.
Her breathing erratic as she gulps for air, finding none entering her lungs. She continued to run despite that, exhaustion waning onto her mind yet her body still pushed itself to go. For she would rather experience this pain than what she was feeling inside of her.
She felt sick. So utterly sick to her stomach.
Her mind raced through every possible theory. Every contradiction and uncertainties. Anything that could help to numb the ever tightening grip that threatened to suffocate her with each agonizing second.
Yet she found nothing, only adding to the illness that grew stronger inside of her.
Eventually, her legs gave out, her feet tripping onto something as she violently fell onto the concrete floor. Smashing her nose against the ground, her arms struggling to push herself off the pavement.
Her eyes widened upon seeing vivid scarlet streaming down her nose as it dripped down onto her hands.
It only served to reinforce the idea that has now plagued her mind.
The sickening idea that someone she knew was behind this. That the person she had grown close to and cherished was the culprit behind it all. That the person she considers to be her friend was capable of such things.
She clasped her hands over her mouth, eyes baring down onto the bloodied ground. She couldn't breathe.
It wasn't possible.
It never could be.
It was just a terrible coincidence. A horrific and horrible coincidence that should never have been. That all of this simply couldn't be true.
It can't be true.
For her friend Mei could never do such a thing. The kind and gentle Mei that she knew could never do this. The curious and caring Mei that she saw back in her office could never be like this.
It couldn't be her.
It couldn't.
It wasn't.
She can't.
She isn't.
Mei wouldn-
Bronya vomits.
Lifting the small cup up to her lips, Mei slowly sips the thick curry content. As it spreads throughout her tongue, a sweet fragrance envelopes her mouth as she tilts her head slightly to the side.
"Mmmm..that should be enough."
She hums, a small smile forming at her reddish lips. Placing the cup down, she promptly closed the lid on the large pot, before turning off the stove.
Allowing the pot to cool down, Mei proceeds to take off her apron and hang it next to the kitchen. Her eyes turn towards a clock situated on top of the walls, finding the time to be almost afternoon, a little past her designated work time.
That was alright though, a little late wouldn't hurt anybody, she thought. Even so, she decides to hurry her pace just a bit, cleaning the kitchen surface as efficiently as possible.
Suddenly, a noise ran out from outside the kitchen, prompting Mei to pause for a moment. It was a doorbell ring.
Realizing that, she wipes the last stain away before cleaning her hands. Once done, she quickly paced towards the living room and onto the front door, unlocking it as she springs it wide open.
Standing behind the door was an old woman, her posture slightly hunched forward as her narrow eyes stared at Mei.
The two looked at one another with neutral expressions, before suddenly the old woman's face burst into a wide grin.
"My my, I knew you were back, those idiots didn't listen! How are ya, Mei dear?" She said with glee in her voice.
"Good morning to you too, Mrs. Hayakawa. I'm doing quite alright these days, and you?" She smiles warmly at her.
"Oh just the usual. Nothing really goes around these parks you know?"
"Well I'm glad to see you in such good health then."
"Oh I wish, these old bones don't work the same anymore. Nowadays I can barely run around the park without catching my breath." The woman waved her hands, before her eyes shifted to Mei's side.
"Say, are you cleaning again?"
"I was a little while ago."
"You should have told us you were visiting then! I would have dragged that child over to help you with it."
"It's alright, I like doing it on my own. Oh, I also made something for everyone."
"Oh my, again? You really don't have to everytime, you know?" She voiced disapprovingly.
"I want to give a little something back to everyone for helping to maintain this house for me when I'm gone. So please don't worry, this is the least I can do."
Mei tilts her head as she smiles warmly before stepping back into her house. The old woman watched as she disappeared through a corner before letting out a sigh, shaking her head.
"You just being here has done more than enough for us all," she whispered.
"Grannyyyyy!"
A feminine voice echoed not too far from the old woman, who turned to her side, spotting a familiar figure running towards her, a breathless expression etched into their face.
Stopping just meters away from her, the girl pants, wiping the sweat on her chin as she struggles to speak.
"P-please stop walking off like that without informing anyone. It makes everyone really worried, you know!" She said through baited breath.
"I have lived in this neighborhood long enough to remember it like the back of my hand, dear child."
"B-but-"
"Besides, it's you who should be informing everyone where you go. You got lost while trying to find me didn't you?"
"Wha?!" The girl yelped, a shocked expression on her sweaty face.
"Figured as much. What a handful you are."
"Aaaaah…"
"Um, I think you can cut Carole some slack, Mrs. Hayakawa." Mei remarked to both of them, her hands holding a large pot.
"Ah, good morning Mei-san!" Carole immediately yelled, snapping her back forward as she bowed to her.
"Morning to you too." She bowed back before turning over to the woman. "She's still new around here, so she probably hasn't adjusted to living here. Just give her some time."
"Time? It only took you a week to remember this place dear Mei. Surely a young girl like her could do better than that."
"Well, it's always good to have a little patience for everyone. I'm sure she will improve if you give her time, right?" Mei glances over to the girl, who takes a few seconds to catch up on what she was doing before looking back the old woman.
"I-I will! I promise!"
"Really now?" Her eyes narrow as she glances over to Carole, making the girl flinch a little.
"Y-yes! Really!"
"Hmmm…fine then." Mrs. Hayakawa then raises her finger towards Mei. "On the condition that you learn from dear Mei here, surely she will be able to teach you something useful to stuff into your pretty little head."
"Me? But…" Mei was about to decline before her eyes wandered over to Carole, who was clapping her hands together as she smiled at her.
A few seconds pass until she finally sighs.
"Alright, I'll do what I can."
"Good to hear! Now let's gather everyone up, I'm sure they will be happy to meet you." Mrs. Hayakawa laughs, turning her feet towards the road.
"Ah, I'm sorry but I can't do that today. I still have work after this."
"Heeeeh? Really? Not even a little greeting?" She immediately stops in her tracks, turning to stare at Mei wide-eyed.
"I'm a bit tight on schedule today, so unfortunately I can't."
"Ah, I see then…" she said with clear disappointment in her voice, yet she still smiles at Mei, "then next time just come talk to us, no need for gifts or anything like that."
"I will keep that in mind."
"Child, carry the pot for her."
"Y-yes!" Carole hurriedly takes the bowl from Mei's hands as the old woman slowly starts to walk away.
"Careful now, it's still hot."
"Wow, it smells really nice. What is it?"
"Sweet curry. I made quite a lot so I figured I would bring it over for everyone to enjoy."
"Oooh…" Carole's face seemed to sink ever slightly, to which Mei noticed as she turned her to the side.
"Don't let her words get to you too much. Despite what she might say, she seems to like you quite a bit. Otherwise, she probably wouldn't be so lenient on you."
"Oh I won't, it's just…you're really great at this, you know?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"Well.." The girl turns to look at the gradually smaller figure of the old woman. "You're a great cook and a reeeally hardworking person. Everyone here seems to really like you and always seem so happy whenever you come to visit. You always seem to know what to say and how to say it, and you're so kind as well."
"I..don't really think that I am," Mei said, surprised by the girl's words.
"But you are, Mei-san. You're amazing…you're everything I'm not." Sadness echoed within her voice as she looked forward, her expression indiscernible.
"I wanted to be a caretaker for the old folks around here, but I haven't even gotten to know most of them, let alone getting along. Even though it's been over a month now, I still can't quite get the hang of it."
"Mmm.."
"I'm jealous, you know? I want to be able to make everybody smile when they see me like you do. I want to be reliable for those that need me. I want to be of help. But…maybe I'm not quite cut out for it."
"…"
"Eek?!"
Carole flinches back, rubbing her temple after Mei flick a finger at it.
"What was that for..?"
"Just making sure you are present in there," Mei remarked jokingly, yet a serious expression spread across her face.
"Just because you think you aren't cut out for it, that's no reason to give up on trying. Just because you don't believe it's possible, doesn't mean it isn't."
"But..what if it really is impossible?"
"Then make it possible." Her indigo eyes stared intently at Caroles, a strong conviction exuding from her tone.
"If you truly, wholeheartedly want to accomplish something, then the only way to do so is to not falter. Not for a second. To keep pushing forward and trying with everything you have."
Mei then paused for a moment, her lips thinned. Her eyes then turn to the side, its irises expressing something more.
"Giving up after everything will only leave you with regrets."
It was only through those words did Carole realize it was sadness. A deep, palpable sense of sorrow in her eyes and her voice, as if those every word were more than just encouragement.
And behind that, there was also guilt. But as to why, Carole couldn't imagine, but still opting to not comment on it.
Instead, she turned away, her eyes staring intently onto the streets. Long seconds pass before she takes in a long breath and exhales. Her eyes then flare with determination.
"I'll keep trying then. Even if it doesn't work out, I won't know that until I try my absolute best."
"...That's the spirit." Mei muttered, a smile on her lips. A soft and gentle smile, so utterly fragile in its form, yet all the more precious for it.
"You should go now though, don't want to make her wait for too long."
"Ah, you're right!" She yelps, before gripping the pot tightly as she begins to walk, turning her head to look at Mei one last time. "I'll see you then, Mei-sa-no, Mei-senpai!"
"Goodbye Carole." Mei responds, waving her hand gently at her increasingly small figure before vanishing from sight.
Now left alone, she stood still, gaze unbroken. She watches the quiet street that echoed not a single sound. She heard the chirping of birds and the occasional breeze blowing past her ears. She feels the cool of the air despite the late morning sun nearly reaching the top of the sky.
The rustling autumn leaves scatter from tree branches down onto the gray pavement, with some occasionally being carried away by the soft gentle cold winds.
The world seemed to sit still at this very moment. A tranquil harmony unbroken by people or artificial noises. A scenery wholly at peace with itself and content with its state.
She loves this place.
It was only by accident that she had stumbled upon this neighborhood, and she cherished that coincidence so very much.
If not for it, she would not have found Mrs. Hayakawa and Carole and the rest of the people here.
If not for that, then she likely would never have found a place where her mind could rest from the constant nightmares that plagued her mind.
If not for her job, she really would have considered moving here permanently. To live out her days in a quiet part of an otherwise busy city, its people all close to one another and the peacefulness she feels every time she would stare into the clear sky and the content she feels when she is with everyone here.
She wants to live here. To enjoy the rest of her life with them. To cherish all the time she has with those she cared about and cherished.
To love and care for her dear beloved as the two spend their life together.
Mei's smile slowly faded, replaced with a complicated expression as her eyes broke away from the scenery.
Regrets…
Mei had many. Things she was not proud of doing nor found any joy in enacting. Actions she would wish she had done differently or never did at all.
She has done many things, and she will likely continue to do for the days to come. She had come to accept that.
Giving up was no longer an option for her.
It couldn't be.
For giving up would mean that every horrible thing she had done would be for naught. To be left with no answer or resolution to those things, only the horrors and anguish that comes from doing them.
She can't, for what Carole said was simply untrue.
Mei was too weak-willed, something she understands more than anybody.
Mei was imperfect, no matter how desperately she tried to not be in the past.
Mei was wrong, her very being has come to understand that.
And so she would not give up, for there is nothing for her if she does.
Her body turned, staring into the empty house of hers. One that she was grateful to have found. One that she wanted to live in with her, finally ridding the emptiness of this place once and for all.
But for now, she will keep that in the back of her mind. For alas, it was not time yet for that dream to be fulfilled.
And with a soft exhale, Mei closes the door.
AN: Now I did say that I wouldn't be throwing in more named characters into this story…..yeaaaaaah..
Anyhow, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! All the pieces are slowly beginning to come together now, and we are getting ever closer to the endgame. Though hopefully not too fast, wouldn't want this exciting ride to end so soon now would we?
I hope I was able to give each character a unique sense of perspective. It's important for me and for this story that the character's emotions, feelings and their thoughts be properly conveyed and understood. This story will fall apart if this wasn't the case after all.
I would say the most challenging part of this chapter would be the Seele scene, particularly because of how a little personal it became to me as I kept writing it. Her past with Bronya would be quite interesting to further explore one day, but I hope before that, what is being shown now makes sense and can be understood.
Welp, that's all I got for today, see ya'll in the next chapter!
P.S: I got noticed by a wonderful artist on Twitter: /dna_kayoko
Go check her out, her art is great!
I can't believe I can brag about being noticed on Twitter now less gooooooooooooo-