The red strand of hair that draped from Frost’s head never ceased to garner attention. There were more curious gazes glued to her compared to when she first received her golden hair. Thankfully, the gazes weren’t out of fear.

The Healers and Moons knew well the type of person Frost was.

Red was a sinister color associated with dangerous creatures. Vampires for example boasted a bloody aesthetic, whereas Honored Ones like Frost naturally either had red strands of hair, or completely red hair depending on how powerful they were.

The Crimson Hunger were another example and were arguably the reason why the color red was widely feared.

It was a color that embodied wrath.

“A rose, heh.” Cer mused over a painting that Res was working on. “Are you putting your artist’s expression into that painting? I can’t say I’ve ever seen a rose that red.”

“Paintings are an expression of oneself. I’m not painting what you see, but what I can see.”

Res’ color perception was exemplary. Canines such as dogs and wolves tended to lack the same depth of color perception compared to humans. But Res’ eyes could see things that even Frost couldn’t. The rose that sat beside her canvas in small flowerpot was a bright shade of red.

“It’s deeper than we can perceive, I’m guessing.” Frost correctly assumed, causing Res’ long ears to flap happily.

“[Color Electrospectrum]. It lets me see how I used to see the world before I wore the CognitO Filters. This is the same shade of red of what I saw in the horizon. I still, to this day, don’t know if what I saw was a monster, a Faux Angel, or a Star.”

Res fondly looked back at the moment rather than shivering in fear. She had grown to acknowledge that the world was imperfect. But through that imperfection Res created a beautiful, perfect rose.

“The former sounds unlikely. Not bad, Res.” Cer complemented her. She was genuinely intrigued by her work. “Lemme have a try. Got a paintbrush?”

“Just use my tail.” Res giggled.

Cer had become far more approachable since Awakening. She never was big with the Healers like Ber and Res, so it was rare to see her talking to a Healer. This shifted for the last few weeks, but in a way that fitted Cer.

Rather than the Healers and Moons approaching her, Cer was the one who approached them first. She was curious about the hobbies and passions of the people of the Floor of Amalgamation. A childlike curiosity filled those scarlet eyes that witnessed the worst in people. They were now seeking the best in others so that one day she could find her own passion.

A few weeks earlier, Cer caused a commotion in the Common Hub by observing how people worked, shopped, ate and created items. If Ber wanted to be true to herself, and if Res desired to be free from the weight of her guilt, then Cer simply wished to know how to live like an ordinary person.

Being ordinary was impossible for her now. Cer knew this and was proud of it. Being an Awakened was an achievement worth boasting for the rest of her life.

But Cer wanted to at least experience what she missed growing up.

That is why she tried her hand at painting now, and why for the last few weeks she had been training her Skills and going around the Nexus looking for new things to do.

“Is that supposed to be a blue dahlia?” A Black Wing spoke from beside her.

A row of Healers including Black Wings who were dressed casually joined Res. They would paint or learn how to paint from her during her painting sessions.

“Huh? Get your eyes checked. It’s a blue rose.” Cer dabbed her last bit of paint like she had completed a masterpiece.

The painting was a horrific, abstract piece that looked more like someone had accidentally spilled a bucket of paint on a canvas than an actual piece of work. Cer glanced over at the criticizing Black Wing and brought a hand to her mouth.

“Heh.”

“What?”

“You have some hidden talent.” Cer grinned, causing the Black Wing’s eyes to widen with surprise.

“R-Really? I guess you’re not… that bad either –”

“– You should keep it hidden next time.”

It was a devastating blow from out of nowhere.

The Black Wing’s heart shattered into a thousand pieces. Her body froze as the color disappeared from her eyes.

“I’m kidding. It’s good. Better than mine. I guess not cut out for this.”

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

The Black Wing in particular was named Lumina; one of the more recent Black Wings that arrived. Around 30 arrived just last week. Lumina was an interesting Black Wing that spent 2 months prior within Hora Therapeutic’s Department to figure out the origin of what caused her to become a Black Wing.

On her forehead, just above her right brow, was the mark of a star. Her large breasts which were barely contained by her buttoned jacket also revealed the mark of a crescent-shaped moon. It was nothing like the strange mark that Ara’s grandmother possessed, but it was notable because it was a birthmark rather than a branding as most believed it to be.

“Awawawawa!” The woman squeaked.

“Relax, don’t make that face or Frost is gonna think I’m bullying you.”

Cer ruffled through her long, black and white princess-cut hair, causing her to squirm in her seat. Ordinary Black Wings were trained to remain stoic even in these types of situations, aside from being pampered by Frost.

Still, her behavior was unorthodox. Black Wings tended to openly despise others or act professionally, but Lumina couldn’t keep a straight face next to Cer. Lastly, Lumina had heterochromia; her left eye being blue and the right red.

Despite being new, she was one of the Black Wings that Frost knew well.

Why?

Because she was the only Black Wing who struggled to fight. She wasn’t violent or confrontational. On the contrary, she was like an ordinary Healer stuck in the body of a Black Wing. But she became a Black Wing regardless of this.

“Do all Black Wings have soft hair? I’ve pat a lot of heads but I’ve never felt anything like yours. Huh. This softness… Are you sure you’re not secretly a sheep Demi-human?” Cer patted her own head to compare, then she reached out towards another Black Wing and patted them.

That Black Wing glared at Cer with eyes that said: “I’m only letting you do this because you’re the Fang of the Head.”

“I guess not.” Cer sighed. “It’s sooooo bristly. Do you even [Cleanse]? C’mon. Go take a bath once in a while.”

Not like you weren’t for the last 30 years.

“… Understood.” A vein bulged on the side of the Black Wing’s forehead.

“Alright, you’ve done your damage Cer. Get moving already. This idiot hasn’t changed one bit. Haaaah.” Res yanked on Cer’s tail, throwing her off the seat. “Jury. Frost. Nav. Take her out of here. And… What do you think?”

Res was like a child wanting to receive praise from her parents. She didn’t show it overtly, but it was easy to tell that she wanted to hear their opinions on her artwork.

“I do not compute.” Nav said honestly. “A rose is a rose no matter what angle I look at it from. If there is a subjective meaning behind it, then it’s lost on me I’m afraid.”

“I think it’s beautiful!” Jury squealed. “You said it reminds you of the thing you saw in the horizon. But it looks closer to what your eyes look like right now.”

Res liked that answer. She looked over at Frost expectantly, waiting to hear her take on her work.

It’s as Nav said. It’s a rose. Jury already talked about its subjective meaning. I’ve never really been into art. I heard that even the smallest brushstrokes can convey meaning. But I want to see what Res is seeing.

[Non-Euclidian Interpretation]. If there was a Skill that would allow her to see beyond the limits of the eye and mind, then it was this one.

Ah!

Immediately, the three tones of red became thirty. The red was deeper than she could have ever imagined. Points of darkness she thought were black were in fact lighter shades of red.

Her words flowed as she studied the painting further.

“Your brushstrokes look like a river of blood. I didn’t notice it at first, but it’s flowing. Is this painting supposed to be animated? It doesn’t feel like a rose. It just looks like one.”

“Exactly.” Res rocked left and right like a metronome, happy that Frost was able to perceive her brushstrokes. “It’s a maelstrom disguised as a rose. A piece of [CENSORED] and the Black Dahlia are in this painting. If I were to look at the same thing that caused me to close the world around me today, then I think I’d feel bliss. Like a calling from beyond.”

Res thwacked her tail against the grass and activated a CognitO Filter that could instantly isolate sound. Only Frost and her companions could hear Res’ next words.

“Just like Elysia’s ticking. Pure bliss. Sailors call the phenomenon the Siren’s Call. One second you’re lucid, and the next, you’re enraptured by something in the horizon.”

Siren’s Call was a dangerous phenomenon of the seas. Sirens used to be the sole cause of the phenomenon due to their powers to cause hallucinations. However, Siren’s Call has been recorded to occur even when Sirens were not present.

The only explanation was the Stars or the Faux Angels across the sea. Frost was reminded of the way Silence of the Stars worked; how it caused its light to appear to be the only light in the world to attract prey and to drown out other sources of light.

Frost couldn’t help but wonder if the stars sailors used to navigate the seas at night were also Stars.

“Not so different from an angler fish, huh.”

“Yup~!” Res nodded fervently. “Wait, you’re going to see Ber and Ignis next. Cer. A Sanguine Dove was looking for you earlier. Irae was her name. You know…”

She suddenly looked over at Lumina who began to sweat profusely.

“… did you do something Cer?”

“I didn’t do nothing. At least not that I think I did… maybe I did do something. Or I’m being framed. But then again –”

“Shut up and listen. There’s been a few Healers looking for you. Now, if you’ve been bullying them…”

“Huh!?” Cer blurted out.

Lumina began shaking her head, her eyes that were covered behind her long bangs widening as they said: “She’s innocent!”

“… Never mind.” Res deflated. “Just go see her before another Healer asks about you.”

“Was there one before this Irae person?”

“Just go.”

“Yes ma’am~”

Cer walked off but not without tapping on the shoulder of Lumina.

“M-Mhm!?” She jolted like she was shocked by an electric current.

She brought her face close to the Healer’s and plucked out a petal. Unbeknownst to Cer was that she dazzled flamboyantly before Lumina’s eyes.

“You had something in your hair.”

“Awawawawa…?”

… No way. It can’t be.

“Hmhm~” Jury hummed, nudging Frost with her tail.

I must be overthinking it. But those flames in Lumina’s heart. It’s pink. I don’t think I’ve seen pink before.

Frost shrugged her thoughts away. Surely, the reason why Lumina was reacting the way she did was because she was flustered before the face of the strongest Moon.

Right…?

“Hey, Cer.” Frost asked, placing a hand on her shoulder as they left.

“What?”

“Are you aware of what’s going on?”

“Heh. If it’s a Sanguine Dove, then she might want to see if I’m the real deal.”

“And the Black Wing? Lumina? Just now?”

“Reverence. What else?”

Unbelievable. Frost thought Cer was the sharpest of her sisters. But this wolf couldn’t tell the type of glances Lumina was giving her. It caused Frost to second guess herself.

She couldn’t jump to conclusions just yet.