Saya
Konella was later found to have been taken by Diva's chevaliers. A day after the ball, David interrogated Haji about her whereabouts. Haji, with a heavy heart, revealed that she had been taken rather than ordered to follow the crate. The revelation hit David like a punch to the gut, his face contorting with fury. Luis, standing beside him, clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white against his dark Jamaican skin.
Infuriated, David and Luis decided to take matters into their own hands. They tracked the crate's whereabouts to a battlefield in Vietnam, where the war had raged on. She could imagine the air was thick with the scent of gunpowder and the distant echoes of artillery fire in her mind. Remembering the trip to the museum and viewing the pictures that lined the wall, the recollection of it brought it back. The landscape was scarred with craters and the remnants of past battles, a stark reminder of the ongoing conflict. All the memories she has locked away slowly seeping back into her that made her tremble.
As they waited for orders, the tension was palpable. The oppressive heat and humidity added to the sense of unease, sweat dripping down their faces as the cooling system was not working. The room they stayed in was becoming too much for her. Saya was tormented by everything happening, her mind a whirlwind of guilt and regret.
[Could I have done something different to prevent Konella from being taken that night?] The question gnawed at her, leaving her feeling hollow and desperate. Each passing moment felt like an eternity, the weight of her failure pressing down on her.
Seeing Haji worried about Konella only added to her turmoil. His usually calm demeanor was replaced with a look of deep concern, his eyes betraying his inner struggle. Saya felt a strange, infuriating sensation—jealousy. It twisted in her gut, making her feel even more conflicted.
[Why am I feeling this way?] she wondered, trying to sort through the tangled mess of emotions.
Unable to bear it any longer, Saya left Haji alone to his thoughts and sought solitude to sort herself out.
The quiet of the night offered little comfort, the silence amplifying her inner turmoil. She paced back and forth, her mind racing with thoughts of Konella and the fear of what might happen to her. The uncertainty was unbearable, each second stretching into an agonizing eternity.
Saya's hands trembled as she clutched her arms around herself, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill.
[I should have been more vigilant. I should have protected her.] The guilt was suffocating, a heavy weight on her chest that made it hard to breathe. She sank to the ground, her body shaking with silent sobs, the enormity of her failure crashing down on her.
"Saya, you alright?" Kai asked as he came in without notice. Seeing him there, I felt a flicker of relief, but the weight of everything happening kept me from fully opening up. "Want to grab something to eat?"
"…I'm not feeling too hungry, Kai."
"You haven't really eaten since that day of the ball. I know you're upset; everyone seems to be on edge about Konella going missing." He tried to cheer me up, but the situation was far too heavy to be dismissed so easily. "Do you miss going to school that much to be depressed?" His attempt to lighten the mood fell flat.
"Well, how I feel isn't so great right now for me to think about school, food, or anything like that! And another thing, Kai, how are you following along with all this? Don't I scare you and Riku the slightest knowing I'm not—" I stopped myself, unable to say the word "monster." Kai sighed loudly in response, seemingly ignoring my outburst.
"Look, Saya, I know with Konella not being here and all that's happened, you might be confused… David and the others aren't worried since—"
"That's just it, Kai, why aren't they worried? She was taken by a chevalier belonging to Diva and we were there! So why? Why did we leave her behind with the enemy when we could have gotten her back? Why didn't we do anything?!"
Kai and Riku both took a step back, their faces reflecting a mix of shock and concern. Haji came to check on me, his expression calm but his presence a reminder that he cared. His calmness only fueled my frustration.
I felt a storm of emotions swirling inside me—guilt, anger, confusion. My hands trembled, and my heart pounded in my chest. [Could I have done something different? Why did we leave her?] The questions tormented me, each one a dagger to my heart.
"Why didn't we do anything?" I repeated, my voice breaking. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I fought to keep them from falling. The room felt stifling, the air thick with the weight of my emotions. I wanted to scream, to cry, to do something to release the turmoil inside me.
Haji's presence was both a comfort and a source of irritation. His calm demeanor seemed to mock my inner chaos. [Why can't I be as composed as him?] I wondered, feeling a fresh wave of frustration.
I turned away from them, needing space to sort through my thoughts. The silence was deafening, amplifying my guilt and confusion. I paced back and forth, my mind racing with thoughts of Konella and the fear of what might happen to her. The uncertainty was unbearable, each second stretching into an agonizing eternity.
"My head hurts remembering what happened and I'm just so angry at myself…" Saya's voice trembled as she spoke, her hands flailing in frustration. Kai grabbed her arms gently, trying to steady her. She could only recall Konella dancing at the ball, looking happy one moment and in pain the next. The memory played over and over in her mind, a cruel reminder of her failure. She had watched with contempt, thinking all was well as she searched for David and Julia, leaving Konella completely out of everything. The mission felt like it had driven a wedge between them after they had tried so hard to understand each other. To think she had left Konella alone with a man who turned out to be a chevalier to Diva—no matter what thoughts she had that night, she felt she had basically given her away herself.
"Saya…" Riku's voice was soft as he approached, trying to comfort her. But Saya shrugged him off, her emotions too raw to accept his solace. She got up and walked away from them, needing space to think.
"I'm sorry, please just leave me alone so I can think," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Stepping outside to the veranda, Saya looked out over the small town they were staying in. The cool night air brushed against her skin, but it did little to soothe her turmoil. The town seemed so peaceful, so unaware of the chaos within her. She felt small, insignificant, and overwhelmed by the weight of her guilt and confusion. [Between my memories and all the lives that were lost for the lack of fight I have—it's no wonder David and the others tell me nothing,] she thought, her mind a storm of self-recrimination.
The door behind her opened and closed softly, but Saya didn't turn around. She was lost in her thoughts, wondering what to do from this point onward. The uncertainty gnawed at her, each second stretching into an agonizing eternity. She clenched her fists, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill. [I should have been more vigilant. I should have protected her.] The guilt was suffocating, a heavy weight on her chest that made it hard to breathe.
"Saya…"
Haji was quiet in his approach, concerned how I spoke out on my brothers perhaps. But he was no better than anyone here. Keeping secrets and not telling me anything I want to know. And he's the one that's supposed to be the closest to me—my past.
"Can I ask you something about Konella?" Being careful as not to give him any means of escape, he was hesitant, it seemed, but remained.
"What do you wish to know?"
"Traveling with you and Konella has opened my world to so many dangers and confusing memories, but no matter what memories I've seen for myself, none have been of Konella." He seemed stoic still as I spoke, so I continued. "At the school, she seemed so different towards me… she avoided me when she could and looked as though she was trying to hide her pain." He showed a perplexed expression. "When we first got there, the headmistress gave Konella something and she froze seeing it. I looked and it was Konella, a young version of her—but when she looked at it, she didn't seem to recall anything of the sort. After that, there were times when I tried talking to her about the mission or the phantom and she would have this pained look on her face and seem confused about her surroundings. At the ball—" I stopped, thinking it over and over, trying to find the right words. Finally, I just told him how it was. "I walked away from her after not seeing the chairman at the time. She was asked to dance by a man I thought to be a guest there before being told it was Diva's chevalier. He went right up to her without diversion, and when I thought she'd push him away, I saw her take his hand and dance together. I… even thought it was nice seeing her look happy." Holding my arms, recalling the image of the two, it brought such ugly feelings out. "Haji… she looked like she was so happy… I've never even seen her smile like that before." My feelings out in the open, there was also another feeling. "My connection with you… I feel it… kind of like a thread wrapped around us keeping us together no matter how far apart we are. I don't feel that with her…" admitting it all as I've been told continuously, repeatedly, she was my chevalier, that a bond between us would make things clear, there was just no such thing.
Quiet and not giving any reason that he would speak, a sigh escaped him when he checked that there was no one listening in on their conversation before turning back to me. He narrowed his eyes and looked down before speaking.
"As you've seen, Konella is different than I am. A chevalier is dedicated to their Queen no matter the distance. My purpose is to remain by your side…" Haji's words were meticulous, each one carefully chosen. I tried to piece it together, but the implications were unsettling. My mind raced, trying to grasp the full meaning of his words.
"…she doesn't feel that, does she?" I asked, my voice trembling. This possibility had crossed my mind multiple times, but I had always pushed it away. David's suggestion now seemed more plausible. "But she's a chevalier…and from what I've seen, she hasn't aged, has the enhanced strength, and has been by your side all these years."
Haji looked defeated, his eyes reflecting a sorrow I hadn't seen before. The weight of his gaze made my heart ache. Before I could say anything else, he stopped me, his voice soft but firm.
"During your slumber is when I met Konella." He stated it quickly, and an awkward silence settled between us. He gestured for me to sit, and I complied, my heart pounding in my chest. The room felt stifling, the air thick with unspoken words. "Along my travels back to Russia, when you went back into slumber, I came across a peculiar sight…"
"What are you saying, Haji?" I asked, my mind racing with possibilities. The uncertainty gnawed at me, each second stretching into an agonizing eternity.
"…I will tell you how I met Konella, all that has transpired with us on our journey before seeing you once more. As mentioned, when I returned to Russia, I came across something most peculiar…"
"That winter was no different than others before it, cold and unforgiving. As I trudged through the snow-covered path to an old, abandoned town, my mind was heavy with thoughts of you, Saya. I had only just parted with you, your slumber having begun, and the weight of our separation pressed down on me. It was then that I saw her—a woman, half-buried in the snow, her skin a lifeless gray. My heart clenched at the sight, a mix of sorrow and curiosity. I thought she was dead, another victim of this harsh world. But something in me, perhaps a flicker of hope or a stubborn refusal to accept more loss, made me stop. I would never have imagined she was alive…"
"I should not bother with corpses from this village." I muttered, my breath visible in the frigid air. As I turned to leave, a faint, almost imperceptible thump reached my ears. My heart skipped a beat. Ignoring my own words, I knelt beside the woman, my hands trembling as I brushed away the snow. Pressing my ear to her chest, I heard it again—a slow, weak heartbeat. Without hesitation, I scooped her up, her icy skin chilling me to the bone, and sprinted towards the nearest intact building.
After gathering kindling and lighting a fire, I carefully laid the woman near the hearth. As the flames flickered to life, I noticed her attire—a wedding dress, now tattered and stained. My mind raced with questions. Was there a celebration? Why was she out here alone? But there was no time to ponder. I needed to warm her up.
"Was there a celebration somewhere?" Having not seen anything along the way or any signs of there being one recently, the main focus was to get her warmed by the fire and breathing normally. Slipping the corset off and noticing a strange tear and dried blood on the back end of the dress, it was daunting, but not important as I quickly finished undressing her to wrap a blanket that was found further inside the household. "I do hope she is not the type to hit before questioning…" I murmured, my voice barely audible over the crackling fire. Despite the warmth, her skin remained cold. Desperation clawed at me. Stripping off my own clothes, I pressed my body against hers, willing my warmth to seep into her. Slowly, her skin began to regain its color, and her heartbeat, though faint, grew steadier. Relief washed over me as I listened to the rhythm I had missed so dearly.
"I was at a loss as to what I could do for this woman if she were to wake up and ask what had happened. There was nothing along the path I took that depicted a wedding had taken place. Seeing her in a bridal gown, I assumed she was a married woman—yet the sight of her abandoned to die in such a way pulled at my remaining mortality. The cold, unyielding snow seemed to mock the warmth and joy that a wedding should symbolize.
Since I did not require sleep, I was able to regulate her body temperature in a couple of hours and monitor her through the night. Her small frame and delicate features stood out, a stark contrast to the robust women of Russia. Her chestnut brown hair hugging her frame, soft pink lips that parted ever so lightly as her body warmed by the fire. She was like not others I've come across. Her fragility stirred something within me, a protective instinct I thought long buried.
My humanity remained intact, and though I should have just walked away to avoid trouble, the thought of doing nothing more than travel for 30 years alone haunted me. The idea of performing a kind deed, of saving a life, seemed like a small rebellion against the emptiness that threatened to consume me. It would not hinder my journey; perhaps, it would even give it a new purpose.
As I watched her, a mix of emotions churned within me. I was happy to have saved her, to see the color return to her cheeks and hear her heartbeat grow stronger. Yet, I was also confused. What was I to do now? Should I leave her here and continue my journey, or stay and ensure her safety? The uncertainty gnawed at me, a reminder of the unpredictability of life. In that moment, I realized that saving her was not just about her survival—it was about finding a reason to keep moving forward, to hold onto the remnants of my humanity."
"Mmn…" Her small voice, a mere whisper, was enough to invoke a wave of relief. She was waking up after several long hours. Morning was breaking the horizon, casting a pale light through the window. I placed her gently down and moved away, watching to see what she would do as she regained consciousness.
"Mmn…" She stirred more and more, propping herself up on her own. Her eyes fluttered open, revealing a startling green color that glowed in the dim light of the fire. "Where…" Her voice cracked, and she was forced to cough. In my haste to stand, I stumbled and cut myself on the pike used to stoke the fire. "!"
Her head snapped in my direction, eyes glowing bright as she got on all fours and began crawling towards me like some feral animal on the hunt. My heart pounded in my chest, a mix of fear and confusion gripping me.
"What is happening?" I questioned, my voice trembling. As she lunged at me, her body collided with mine, and her fierce grip on my arm tore the bandages off my chiropteran arm. She began licking the blood with elation. "Chiropteran?!" I exclaimed, trying to throw her off, but found myself powerless against her uncanny strength. [How could a woman on the verge of death overpower me so easily?]
She drank deep gulps of blood from the cut, biting into my arm and opening the wound further to retrieve more. Panic surged through me as I struggled to free myself. Finally, I managed to roll to the side forcefully, dislodging her. Her strength was alarming. If she were a chiropteran, her form should have begun changing, yet she remained in her human guise.
She wiped her mouth, seeming in a trance, before taking notice of me. Her hair cascaded down her body like gentle waves as she looked around and down at herself with a questioning gaze. When our eyes met, she tilted her head to the side innocently before centering herself. The innocence in her eyes contrasted sharply with the ferocity I had just witnessed, leaving me bewildered and shaken.
"…who are you?" Her sweet words were the first to be spoken, and I sensed no further danger as her eyes stopped glowing and returned to normal. Confused by what had transpired, I carefully wrapped my arm halfway and moved to the side slowly, not wanting to provoke her. She stared at me with a blank expression, her eyes searching for answers.
"That would be my question for you…" I replied, taking precaution as I reached for my cello case where I kept Saya's katana. She groaned, holding her head as if in pain. "Do you know what you did?"
"…not…really…" she cringed, looking at her hands with a mix of confusion and doubt. "What happened to me?" she asked herself, staring at her bloody hands. She didn't scream in terror nor did she seem to find it strange. Her form remained unchanged as she examined herself, and I stopped reaching for the cello case. Was she chiropteran? Her sense of self remained, though vague. She did not smell like them either. She retained her human guise, staring at herself and her bloody hands with a mix of intrigue and pain.
A complete anomaly.
"You attacked me…for my blood." I said, watching her as she looked back up at me, her head cocked to the side. "This," I showed her my arm, expecting her to shriek at the sight of it. Instead, her expression softened into sorrow, startling me.
"I'm sorry…" she whispered, her voice filled with genuine regret.
Taken aback by her apology, my guard dropped. I stared at her, my mind racing with hundreds of questions.
"Are you not scared?" I asked, bewildered by her calm demeanor.
"…why would I be scared?" she replied honestly, her heart rate steady, revealing she wasn't lying. I was disoriented by her response. "Do you know why I have no clothes?"
Only then did I realize she was nude. I quickly recovered the blanket and wrapped it around her, feeling a flush of embarrassment.
"The dress you wore was soaked, thus I removed it to get you warm." I explained quickly, hoping to avoid any misunderstanding. She looked at the dress I had thrown in the corner and approached it with a puzzled expression.
Watching her carefully, I noticed how her fingers caressed every seam, running her hand down the lace. Her eyes, however, remained blank, showing no recognition. "Were you getting married?" I asked, my voice gentle.
"…I don't know…" She replied, her voice tinged with confusion and pain. She continued to stare at the dress, occasionally holding her head as though trying to remember something that eluded her.
"Do you know your name?" I asked, hoping to spark some memory.
She took several minutes before answering, looking back at me with a blank stare at times. Finally, she gave an uncertain answer, "Konella?"
Sensing no danger from her as she placed the dress down and sat by the fire, I approached quietly and sat beside her. I needed to see if I sensed what I did earlier, the chiropteran presence. "My name is Haji…do you remember anything else?"
Shaking her head and staring at the flames, she seemed lost in thought. It wasn't noticeable at first, but when I looked back at her to ask something else, I saw that she was quietly crying without realizing it. Her tears glistened in the firelight, reflecting her inner turmoil.
"I feel empty…" she spoke sadly, her voice barely above a whisper as she quietly cried. I could only listen, feeling a pang of empathy. "Haji, I feel so alone for some reason…hollow…I wonder why I don't remember anything?"
"…perhaps it will come back to you in time," I offered, my voice soft and reassuring.
"I hope so…this feeling is quite sad and very lonely…" she murmured, her eyes fixed on the dancing flames. The sorrow in her voice was palpable, and I felt a deep sense of compassion for her.
"I didn't know it then, but as we stayed in the house for a month, trying to help her discover herself and see if she recalled anything by returning to the tree where I found her, we had become reliant on one another. As someone who had walked countless lands on my own while waiting for you to awaken, it was comforting to have someone to speak with, to explore the countries with, and to enjoy the sceneries that unfolded throughout time.
Konella remained a woman of mystery to me during the time I grew to know her. She required food rather than blood, unlike when we first met. Sleep was certainly a strange request, though she showed no signs of being completely human. Rogue chiropterans we encountered would lunge to attack her, identifying her as an enemy rather than a comrade. I personally trained her after several chiropteran encounters, discovering more of her innate talents and fighting off the enemies that would cause you harm.
Not once did she rebuke my teachings or the way my arm looked each time I unveiled it to fight as things got turbulent. Her acceptance of my true form was both a relief and a source of confusion. I had spent so long guarding my emotions, keeping my distance from others, that her presence began to chip away at the walls I had built around myself.
Even now, as I recount these memories to you, Saya, I realize how difficult it was for me to accept the bond that formed between us. I wanted to remain stoic, to keep my distance and protect myself from the pain of attachment. But Konella's vulnerability, her resilience, and the quiet strength she displayed broke through my defenses.
In those moments of training and fighting side by side, I found a sense of purpose beyond my solitary existence. It was a struggle to reconcile my desire to remain detached with the undeniable connection that grew between us. Yet, despite my efforts to maintain my stoic nature, I couldn't deny the comfort and companionship she brought into my life. It was a reminder that even in the darkest times, there is a light that can guide us back to our humanity."
Haji stopped for a moment to allow me to process what he shared; I was beside myself. The past they had was not something I'd expect, but it was also daunting how I should really feel about it all. Haji's reaction and feelings towards Konella was strange and it somehow unnerved her to think how close they'd gotten, yet there was no reason to feel this way considering she wasn't part of his life for almost years at a time. He moved and tried reaching out towards me when I stepped back and didn't want to be touched. Raw emotions still making me rigid. The expression he wore spoke plenty, but it was the way he withdrew his hand and looked at me that made my heart clench.
"Saya, Konella has fought by my side and endured having no memory just as you are going through now. When I found you that day, no recollection of knowing me or who you are…Konella was the first to know my strife. To have expressed how…" he stopped and trailed off, not finishing what he'd felt and I wondered just what it was he shared with her he couldn't share with me. Jealousy eating away at me every second.
The cool evening air wrapped around us as we stood on the veranda, the distant sounds of the night creating a backdrop to our conversation. Haji had just shared the raw emotions of his past, his voice steady but his eyes betraying the turmoil within. I could see the weight of his memories pressing down on him, and it made my heart ache.
"So when meeting me, did she feel obligated to or forced? Was everything I was supposed to feel towards her this entire time just what you wanted? I don't get it!" I shouted, my voice breaking the stillness. The words felt like they were tearing out of me, driven by a mix of confusion and betrayal. Haji's brow furrowed, and he placed his hands by his sides, his posture stiffening as if bracing for impact.
"Haji…I'm confused and frustrated with everything happening to me right now. Konella is nice, and I wanted to be her friend, but something about her just feels wrong. Now that you told me of her being found in Russia, buried in snow and not having memories, it just makes things difficult for me." My voice wavered, the frustration giving way to a deep sense of guilt. I could see the pain in his eyes, a reflection of my own turmoil.
He remained silent, his gaze fixed on the horizon. The silence between us was thick with unspoken emotions, and I felt a pang of regret for my harsh words. "I'm sorry…this was hard for you to talk about, and I'm being difficult," I added, my voice softening. The weight of my outburst settled heavily on my shoulders.
Haji finally spoke, his voice low and measured. "Saya, it's not about obligation or force. Konella's presence was unexpected, and it challenged me in ways I wasn't prepared for. But it wasn't about what I wanted you to feel. It was about finding a connection in a world that often feels so empty."
I looked at him, tears welling up in my eyes. "I just don't understand why everything feels so complicated. I wanted to be her friend, but now I feel like I'm betraying you somehow."
He reached out, gently placing a hand on my shoulder. "It's okay to feel conflicted. Emotions are rarely simple. What matters is that we face them together, with honesty and understanding."
The warmth of his touch and the sincerity in his voice brought a sense of calm to my turbulent thoughts. As we stood there, the night enveloping us, I realized that despite the confusion and pain, there was also a sense of hope. We were not alone in our struggles, and that made all the difference.
"Saya…" Haji's voice was soft, almost hesitant.
"I just…I just want answers to my past without everyone hiding it from me. With Konella gone and worrying about her because I like her around, it just makes me confused and angry for some reason." My voice trembled with frustration and confusion. Haji said nothing, his silence urging me to continue. I sat down, taking a moment to gather my thoughts before speaking again. The more I thought about it, the more one question nagged at me.
"Did she even want to be my chevalier?" The words slipped out before I could stop them. Haji's eyes widened in surprise, and he turned away, his reaction enough of an answer. "Did she find me repulsive? The way she acted around me at the school made it pretty clear that I was giving her a headache. She was nice to me, but I could still tell there was something she wanted to say but couldn't."
"When speaking of you over the years, her curiosity to meet you was evident. When the time came to see you back in Okinawa, things did change in her approach. I've held my doubts, but when she spoke to me of matters concerning her memories, being around you became distant." Haji's voice was calm, trying to speak to me on equal footing and soothe my agitation. Slowly, I began to accept the conversation and wanted to know more.
"Then those times I rejected her…how I tried being friendly with her at the school, she was confused by me? Or because of me being close to her, she felt uneasy and started remembering her past?" My voice was softer now, filled with uncertainty.
"I believe that to be the case. Though with what happened at the dance, I am at a loss." Haji's honesty was both comforting and disconcerting. His calm demeanor contrasted with the storm of emotions inside me.
Haji took a deep breath, his gaze distant as if he were looking back through the years. "Saya, there is something I have pondered for a long time, something that has troubled me deeply. Konella… she is not like the others. There are aspects of her that remind me of you."
I looked at him, confusion and curiosity mingling in my mind. "What do you mean?"
He hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "Her resilience, her strength, and the way she interacts with chiropterans… it is as if she possesses a power similar to yours. I have wondered if she might be a Queen, like you."
The revelation hung in the air between us, heavy and unsettling. A chill ran down my spine, and I felt my heart race. "A Queen? But how… why would she not remember?" The thought of Konella being a Queen startled me, filling me with a sense of fear and confusion. It was hard to fathom, and I struggled to understand why this possibility had never crossed my mind.
"That is the question that has haunted me," Haji admitted, his voice tinged with frustration. "For years, I have observed her, trying to understand. She does not exhibit all the traits of a Queen, but there are moments, glimpses of something more. When she first drank my blood, her reaction was unlike any other chiropteran. And yet, she remains in her human guise, her memories fragmented."
I felt a chill run down my spine. "Do you think she could be a threat?"
Haji shook his head. "I do not believe so. If she were a threat, she would have shown it by now. But her presence complicates things. It raises questions about her origins and her purpose. I have kept these thoughts to myself, not wanting to alarm you or Konella. But now, with everything that has happened, I feel it is time to confront these possibilities."
His words left me reeling, the implications vast and unsettling. "What should we do?"
"We must be cautious," Haji replied, his voice steady. "We need to learn more about her, to understand her true nature. And we must be prepared for whatever we might discover. But know this, Saya: no matter what, we will face it together."
The resolve in his voice gave me strength. Despite the uncertainty and the fear, I knew we would find the answers we sought. Together, we would uncover the truth about Konella and her place in our world. But something still bothered me. What she'd done back when they tried recuing her father, she had done something then. Her eyes were glowing, presenting a strange power that overwhelmed her for a second before Konella had punched her unconscious.
"I was wondering about something she did back at the museum where dad died. When I lost myself back there, her eyes were glowing and I felt I was paralyzed before she hit me and caused my blackout. Is that something normal? Are you able to do something like that?"
Haji looked away for a moment, wondering if he can put it all into words before moving across the room and looking out to the town.
"That is a unique trait of hers she discovered during our travels. Though different than my own transformation, her eyes glow when she uses her ability and she's capable of ordering her victims to kill themselves or—as you experienced—paralysis." He stopped and breathed in thinking about it before finishing. "She gets hurt using it though…it is not omnipotent."
"She gets hurt?" Unaware of that and asking for more details, he didn't want to say more about it. "Haji, if Konella is possibly a Queen like you think, is that something I too can do?" He didn't respond. Rather, he remained quiet as he stared deeply as though considering the thought. "I don't think I can do such a thing…" the thought revolting.
It was long enough staying outside and getting a chill that they headed back inside and cutting the conversation for the time being. There was no reason to speak of it further inside where David and Luis would only get involved and have the reason to kill Konella. She walked to the room she was placed in, finding the bed most desirable after such a long day.
[There's so much to think about. I can't even wrap my head around it all.] Her thoughts rampaging. She flopped onto the bed, hugging the pillow tightly and curling herself into a ball of comfort as she lulled herself to sleep. Her last idle thoughts were of her desire to speak with Konella and hopefully bring her back.