A pleasant smell rose her from her sleep. It didn't have perfume in it and, objectively speaking, it didn't smell that good but, Celia's brain had long associated this particular odor with something comfortable. Most of all, it felt familiar. She didn't even need to confirm it with her eyes, Rin was there, close to her. Very close.
It took Celia a good second before she realized she was not at the orphanage. She wasn't even in a bed, nor even in a sleeping position for that matter. She was seated on a sofa, leaning her body against something not really comfortable but, certainly pleasant. Her vision was blurred and she didn't want to get up.
“Finally awake... Celia?” Someone asked her.
Rin, probably. Why was she here, again? Not that she minded, of course. ‘Wait, why am I here?’ It was a shame, but she needed to get up, or at least, stop leaning against Rin's shoulder. ‘...Hm?’ She began to look around and noticed that, thankfully, she was in a familiar place. ‘Right, I'm at Rin's house.’
Slowly, her memories resurfaced: how, just earlier, she was running through town, going after her friend, and, for lack of a better option, decided to wait in this house. There was just no way she could keep up with Rin's insane stamina. ‘Did I fall asleep?’ She thought, finally looking to her right.
“M-morning, Celia,” Rin said with a somewhat exhausted look.
Celia paused, rubbed her eyes, and fought off a yawn. “Morning...” She said half-heartedly. Then, slowly, very slowly, her mouth gaped and her eyes widened. “Wait... Rin!” She shouted, slamming her hands on the sofa.
Rin instantly winced, closing her eyes and clutching her left ear.
“Not... so loud, please.”
“Eh?” Celia paused again before realizing what she'd done. “Ah, sorry...”
“It's...” Rin inhaled a breath. “...fine.” She said slowly retracting her hand from her ears.
A moment of silence.
“No!” Celia shouted again. “What are you doing here? Ah, wait, no, I mean—weren't you—shouldn't you be...?”
She fumbled for words, a little disarrayed from just waking up, but Rin didn't interrupt her, looking at her with just a tiny smile. When she stopped talking, silence reigned again. She looked at Rin's profile, waiting for her to say something while the girl in question simply looked at the ground, closing the book she was reading.
The girl smiled yet it was apparent she was also tired. Exhausted, even, like she hadn't slept at all. And, maybe she hasn't. How many hours was Celia asleep? Was Rin looking after her all that time, awake and... alone?
Celia clenched her hand, realizing that, once again, her debts toward the other girl increased. It was reaching the point where she didn't think she'd ever be able to repay them all. She was at fault for that, she knew, but it wasn't like Rin was making it easy either. Whenever she asked her what she liked she'd always answer with variation of ‘You don't need to,’ or ‘I'm fine with anything.
Selflessness was a good thing but, sometimes, it's just...
“I'm... sorry,” Rin said. “ I shouldn't have... run away like that.”
And then, at the end of the day, she'd always say things like that, like she was the one at fault, to begin with.
Celia frowned and opened her mouth.
“I'm the one at fault here!” She said. “You don't need to apologize, Rin. I... I shouldn't have hidden it from you in the fir—”
A chocolate bar made its way into her mouth, interrupting her.
“Here...” Rin said. “ You like those, right?”
Celia spat it out instantly. Now was not the time for that.
“Rin—!”
She was ready to say another word but stopped—twicthed when Rin suddenly held her hands.
“I... I'd like you to promise me something, Celia...”
----------------------------------------
“—it's like a bundle of energy is constantly raging inside you, thus your supernatural capabilities. Essentially, though, it's my Singularity that keeps that energy active. So, in terms of where the power resides, I'd say it's fifty-fifty.” Aiden said, looking ahead with a satisfied smile. “What I mean to say is, yes, right now, you and I are like huge Demon magnets. Though, me more than you.”
He leaned forward from the comfortable sofa he was seated on and took the cup of coffee that Rin had kindly poured for him. Silence returned. He took a sip, making the gesture as slow and as loud as he could manage while narrowing his eyes at the girl across from him. He waited and waited...
“Would it kill you to say something?” He finally said, replacing the cup and spilling some of the liquid on the small table. “It's been what? Three hours since we began this conversation and you haven't said so much as a single word!”
Rin glanced at the clock on her wall while taking a sip at the tea in her cup. The man was, of course, exaggerating. It hasn't nearly been that long and, in her defense, she did speak some words. She just didn't find it necessary to interrupt Aiden in his one-man conversation. It was his fault for showing up unannounced, to begin with.
Though, indeed, it was nigh time to ask some questions.
“What... are you doing here?” She said, the tension in her body not easing up.
Aiden finally smiled, leaning back on the sofa. “I just came to hang out.”
Rin narrowed her eyes at him.
He was not welcome here— were the words she didn't speak, trusting her glare to convey the feeling. This was her house, not a place for criminals to hide in. The fact that Ursa came by as often as she did since the past few days was already a big problem. What would she do if the likes of Kein suddenly showed up?
“Oh, come on, don't look at me like that,” Aiden raised his hand in a show of surrender. “It's not my fault I have nothing to do. This city is so annoyingly peaceful.”
What are you still doing here, then?— was another thought Rin kept to herself. It was a big dilemma: she didn't want to be near him but it wouldn't do well if he moved out of the city.
Rin gulped down the last of her tea and waited for the man to really answer her question.
Aiden picked up his cup once again. “You're the newcomer,” He said. “and it's our tradition to let the newcomer choose our next... ‘mission’” He paused and took a sip. “Fine, there's no such tradition but, you're a Noble's daughter. I'm sure there's a load of interesting ideas in that small head of yours.”
Rin raised her eyebrows, not quite grasping the man's intention. Chose the next mission? What exactly did that mean? That'd she'd get to decide the man's next action? She wanted him to stay put and do nothing for the next three years. To begin with, what did he consider as ‘interesting’?
“What... Do you want?” Rin asked.
“It's not about me, Rin.” Aiden sighed. “Right now, at least,” he added in a murmur. “It's about you. You wanted power, right?” He paused. “...Right?”
Rin didn't answer.
“What I'm saying is that I'll help you.”
“I... Do not need—”
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Aiden raised his index finger. “Refuge is a vast world, Rin, my boost alone won't be enough. ” He took another sip of the coffee, only to realize that it was now empty. “Well, not that I have any idea how to obtain you genuine power though. The thinking part will be your job. I'll be the brawn.”
Rin glanced at the clock again. She stood up, took the two cups, and calmly walked toward her sink to wash them. All the while not looking at Aiden. She wanted him to go, now.
Aiden ignored her attitude. “So, where did your research lead you?” He asked. Rin frowned but didn't look back. “In my opinion, since all power comes from a Seed, our best chance of finding something would be in the Origin continent. It's where the World Tree is, after all.”
Rin twitched, nearly making one of the cups fall. A slight headache assaulted her mind.
“We,” She spoke, more loudly than she intended. “Do not touch the World Tree.”
The World Tree was the origin of life. To mess with it was to mess directly with the world itself and, even the most hateful of villain, whoever that is, would not be as foolish as to do that.
“Okay, okay.” The man simply shrugged, not the least bit sorry while approaching her. “Where then?”
The fact that Aiden spoke as if Rin had accepted his help irritated her a little. They made a deal, though—power for obedience— so it wasn't like she could really refuse him. It didn't change that she didn't want to associate too much with him. The deal was just a means to an end, a way for her to open up more paths to real power. She had already decided that once she didn't need Aiden anymore, she would arrest him herself.
A little hypocritical, she knew but, a look at Aiden's history made Rin aware that, despite his friendly demeanor, her time with him would be far from pleasant.
Rin turned the faucet and began to wash the cup.
Everything said, though, Rin answered the man's question.
“Remnant...” She said quietly.
Putting the World Tree aside, that was probably her best chance to find what she needed. Or at least to have a better understanding of what powers were exactly.
“Oh, the cult,” Aiden exclaimed, leaning on a wall and watching Rin's back. “Yeah, that could work. I've always dreamt of fighting those bunch of fanatics. Words say they're complete monsters. Though, finding them would be a pain.”
The cult.
Rin paused.
“I... wasn't talking about the cult.” She replied, looking back at Aiden with slightly wide eyes.
Now that she thought about it, the man probably didn't know what Remnant really was. She herself only knew it thanks to her grandfather, and even then, several parts of it still eluded her. More than that, all information about it was held tightly by the Noble.
‘But, the cult, huh...’ Rin's mind began to race.
How had she overlooked them?
“Hey! Don't go diving in your thoughts yet,” Aiden complained, snapping his finger in front of the girl. “If it wasn't the cult then what were you talking about?”
Rin refocused on the man.
She opened her mouth but thought better than to answer his question. Remnant was not something he needed to know. Rin didn't know why the Noble kept the information hidden but there had to be a good reason for it.
Rin remained quiet and turned back at the faucet to dry the cup.
“I... want you to leave.” She said, hoping the man would be gone once she turned around.
“You don't want to tell me, is that it?!” Aiden said, feigning a hurt tone. “Now, I'm even more interested. Remnant... Is that, like, top secret information? Now that I think about it, no one actually knows why the cult calls themselves Remn—”
The man paused as the phone in his pocket vibrated. Rin hoped that whatever message he received would take him away. She placed the two cups in their rightful place and gave Aiden a small glance. The man was looking at his phone with a wide grin. Was that safe? Rin wondered. He was researched, after all, so she half expected him to not have a phone.
“Who knew I just needed to ask.” He said before looking back at Rin. “Our conversation isn't over, okay? I just found something better to do right now so...”
Rin loosened a little but maintained eye contact in silence.
“...”
“...”
“Well! Keep me updated, alright.”
And just like that, he hopped toward the exit door like an excited kid.
Rin strained her ears and waited until she couldn't hear the man's footsteps anymore before exhaling the breath she had been holding. The tension left her. With slow steps, she walked through the slightly dusty floor of her house and flopped down on her sofa.
She took a cushion laying around and held it tightly above her thigh as she closed her eyes.
She felt sleepy.
It was a weekend, right in the middle of the day but she felt sleepy.
‘Being in the hospital for a whole month really put a damper to my motivation, huh...’ She thought with a wry smile.
Two months ago, she'd be at the dojo at this moment, tiring herself out to the bone with only a slight feeling of accomplishment welcoming her home. Now, though, she couldn't see the point of training anymore when she could jump three meters high with little effort. Not to mention that the warning of the doctor to not exert herself still held.
Of course, Rin knew those were all just excuses for slacking off.
She opened her eyes and began to think.
‘The cult of Remnant.’ She pondered on the word. ‘Their name probably isn't a coincidence. I need to find them.’
Easier said than done, though, considering that even the combined might of the 4 Noble House plus Ark hadn't managed to root them out despite their ten long years of endeavor. Part of it was because their leader managed to incessantly gather more partisans despite their continuous destruction but it didn't make them any less easy to find.
It wasn't impossible, though.
The first idea that came to Rin's mind was playing the role of a partisan. If she acted like a fanatic praising whatever cause the cult believed in, there was a chance they'll contact her on their own. The fact that she knew exactly what Remnant was was a plus on her side.
‘A fanatic...’ Rin instantly winced at the idea.
Did she have any other option? If she thought about it a little more, she was certain she'd find a better one.
The real problem came after that. If she didn't play it right it could be a repeat of Aiden's deal. Worse even. Moreover, there was no guarantee she'll find what she wants there. Not to mention that she'll have to deal with people more insane than Ursa that might literally just eat her alive.
‘This really isn't a good idea...’ She thought, clenching the cushion tighter and laying her head on top of it.
Everything would have been so much easier if she could obtain power out of nowhere like Celia. There was no chance of that, though, since, unlike normal Elite, Noble were supposed to be born with their power. If like Rin, they didn't have it, then that was the end of the line. Despite the likeness of their power, Elite and Noble were fundamentally different after all.
‘Like me, huh,’ Rin choked on the word.
There was no one like her. As far she knew it, she was the first Noble to have ever been born without power. The first...
‘Why...?’ She asked herself as her smile disappeared. Her eyebrows dropped and she looked down at her feet. It was already time for her to prepare her lunch but Rin didn't feel like moving. She didn't have any appetite anyway.
Her phone rang loudly and she tensed right up, dropping the cushion at her feet.
She didn't even need to look at her phone.
She was certain it was Celia.
◇
Rin had to put some effort to keep her mouth from gaping at the sight of the restaurant Celia had taken her to. Of all the places she could have chosen, Rin wondered what kind of thing happened for her to choose this one. ‘At least, this isn't where I met Ruby...’ She thought, trying to be positive.
‘Lord of spoon’- were the words grandly displayed on top of the entrance in bright yellow color. A familiar name, if you lived in Myriad City.
“Hm...Celia,” Rin said, hesitating at the sight of a brightly smiling girl. “This... I-I don't think we can afford to go here.”
Celia smirked in response, letting out a smug laugh. “No need to worry Rin!” She said loudly while puffing her chest. “I've kept it a secret, but, in truth, for this past month,” She raised her right hand in the air while making a V sign with it. “I've been working part-time!”
Rin paused to process the information. Then she laughed meekly. ‘Was she serious?’ Rin thought. ‘...probably.’ It was Celia she was talking to after all. Not the sharpest of mind. A part-time job was good, though. Very good, in fact. For the selfish and lazy Celia to have done that, she wanted to praise her. Problem was, that the pay of a part-time job was nowhere near enough to afford this kind of restaurant.
Rin knew that personally since her brother, each of the few times he visited her, always brought her to this same place for dinner. It was expensive. Too expensive, in her opinion, for just food. Rei could afford it because he was a noble but it was known by all that Noble lived without a sense for money.
“Celia—”
Before Rin could say anything though, the orange girl took her hand and eagerly strode forward. “Come on, Rin! Let's have the best lunch ever!”
Rin looked at her friend's back before narrowing her eyes, only now noticing the slight unease in it. She immediately came to a halt. “Celia... you...don't have to...?” She said, her lips going down with her brows. “I... was the one in the wrong for running away like that so—”
She was stopped by a gloved index finger pressed against her lips. “Sheesh,” Celia said, raising one finger on her own lips. Her smile lessened. “It's not just about that day, Rin. You've been making a face for the past month so, you know, I just want to help.” Her eyes locked with Rin's. The two looked at each other for a few seconds before—
“Ouch!”
—Celia slapped both of Rin's cheeks.
“I thought this could cheer you up a bit!” The orange girl said, already running to the restaurant.
‘She loves doing that, doesn't she?’ Rin thought, rubbing her cheek.
She took a breath, and let a smile bloom on her face.
“The thought is enough, Celia.” She murmured, already preparing her wallet.
◇
Aiden whistled, admiring how comfortable the office chair he was in was, all the while making it spin to have a better look at the room he had infiltrated. A desk was the nearest thing to him, filled to the brim with random stacks of paper, some pieces of furniture, and a... fixed phone?
‘Who still uses those in this day and age?’ Aiden thought, poking the phone amusedly.
Next, a canopy was placed just a little way from the entrance door— probably not as comfortable as Rin's, from the looks of it— with a small glass table in front of it. Aiden could see a half-emptied bottle of wine on it but, since he didn't fancy alcohol... ‘Then again, maybe I should steal it for Ursa.’
A small shelf with a few books and a lot of picture frames completed the lot. All in all, it was a pretty cozy room in Aiden's opinion, especially with how clean it was: the work of a servant, probably. It really bordered on unfairness. ‘First, Rin's absurdly luxurious home and now a manor.’ Aiden put some serious thoughts on how to gain more money.
The door of the room finally opened making Aiden hastily grab the desk to stop spinning in his chair. He put on a smile and opened his mouth— only to frown at the identity of the person he saw.
“Aiden, huh,” The newcomer said. “As expected, you made it fast.”
Aiden ignored his word, leaned forward on the desk, and narrowed his eyes. After a few seconds of awkward silence, he finally snapped his finger. “Law! That's it. Nearly forgot you there.” He said with a satisfied tone. “So, what's up, kid? Where's your boss? I mean, this is your boss's room, right? Or did I get it wrong?”
Law scoffed, putting on a smirk. “I'm the boss, now, Fallen. And that is my chair, Get Away.”
The light in Aiden's eyes disappeared— only to return just as quickly with a white-colored Aura covering his body. “Nice trick.” He said, giving the other man a thumb up. “It won't work on me, though. But, by all means, take a seat.” He gestured at the not-so-comfortable chair in front of the desk.
Law frowned, more than a little surprised. “You will Obey Me.”
Aiden chuckled. “Aura has a natural anti-power property to them.” He said with a very condescending tone. “It's why they're considered to be generally stronger than any Singularity out there. You can try as much as you want. It. Won't. Work.” He leaned back on the chair with a smile and observing eyes.
Aiden only now noticed the small bundle of paper Law held when he clenched them. “Tsk.” The tattoed man clicked his tongue quietly, stomped towards the free chair, and flopped on it with a glare.
“So, were you serious when you said you were the boss?” Aiden asked. “Did you overthrow Diaz or something? I thought you guys had a pretty good relationship?”
Law glared at Aiden for a few more seconds before heaving out a sigh. “Father—Diaz is cursed.”
Aiden paused. “Oh. Oh.” Then he chuckled. “Seriously?” Law narrowed his eyes, making Aiden cough. “I mean, my condolence.” He coughed some more. “What did you need of me again?”
Law rolled his eyes, then regained his smile. He put on a sunglasses from who knows where and threw the bundle of paper at Aiden. “You have quite the reputation, Fallen. There's only one thing I want out of you: Work Under Me.”
“No.” Aiden instantly answered, picking up the paper.
“The pay will be phenomenal.”
“... .... No.” He hesitantly said, looking at Law, probably wondering just how much the man was talking about.
Law scoffed. “Well, Rouge did warn me about your personality.”
“Rouge? Who's that?” Aiden interrupted.
“We'll talk about this at a later date.” Law ignored. “For now, as I have been made aware that your little group works like mercenaries, I'll hire you for one job. A kidnapping, to be precise.”
“A kidnapping?!” Aiden yelled back, outraged. Or, at least, acting like it. “Have you no shame?! We may be ‘villains’ but, that's, like, crossing a line. That is no fu—”
“Open the File,” Law ordered.
Aiden looked at Law for a few seconds before complying. ‘A kidnapping, huh’ He mocked the idea in his head. As crazy and irresponsible as they were, not Edward nor even Ursa would accept such a job. Let alone Rin. He himself didn't like the notion. Kidnapping wasn't exactly the kind of thrill he was searching for.
‘Then again, if a bunch of Elite were to pursue me afterward, then maybe...’ He thought, but still a little reluctant.
When his eyes stumbled on the content of the file, however, his grin widened devilishly.
“How much were you paying again?”