[Helvega’s home]

Helvega’s living room appeared entirely dilapidated. So much so that only the dark brown wooden walls appeared as the room’s most exquisite aspect. It looked as unkempt as a forest path overrun with brambles, the appearance of a battlefield after a skirmish that bore the telltale signs of persistent neglect.

Clothes, plates, glasses, bottles—any item one would imagine a near middle-aged woman would own—were scattered across the entire living room. A charred scent lingered over the entire room like the aftermath of a campfire, yet even the smell did not seem to faze Helvega. Amidst the decrepit surroundings, she sat down on a brown couch facing an old radio.

Dressed in a partially stained long white robe, her hair as unkempt as the atmosphere surrounding her, she appeared a mere shell of the woman she once was. Eye bags circled her eyes, and her dry lips added to her weary appearance. In complete silence, she eagerly listened along to the news broadcast.

“Today is Wednesday, the 21st of August, 1902. We have thankfully been given an update regarding reports detailing strange occurrences within Deneve. Lead researcher Kevin D’Walt Fleming of Monlay acknowledges the events as ‘mild droplets of fire’.”

“Yes, you’ve heard that right. Deneve has fallen subject to a strange series of fire droplets descending upon the lands like a mild rain in the South and Western parts of the country. Here are some words of concern from farmers who reside in these quarters.”

The radio crackled, and the voice of a robust man elderly man, one of the farmers, came through with a strong Denevian accent.

“All me remember was wakin’ up and getting’ ready for checking up them chickens and I’m met with a few of my hay bushes suddenly burnin’ up like crazy!”

As Helvega squinted her eyes in confusion, the doorbell suddenly rang, causing her to tick her tongue and hurriedly approach the door. However, she stopped midway in the hallway as soon as she heard Miriam’s muffled voice through the letter box that was slightly pushed open.

“Helvega? Are you present?”

…With a deep sigh, Helvega stepped forward and slowly opened the door. It seemed she was comfortable with seeing her mentor figure in such a state, not to mention with how dirty her house appeared. However, Helvega appeared disconnected from reality enough for one to consider she was not entirely aware of her situation… or better said, didn’t truly grasp the gravity of her current state.

The outside light sharply illuminated the hallway, causing Helvega to recoil, covering her eyes from the light before acclimatising to the brightness.

As soon as she lowered her hand, she saw Miriam, dressed in a white blouse with a brown coat, staring at her with befuddled eyes.

“Hel…vega…”

Even Miriam’s physical reaction did not seem to waver her. Like an arrogant teenage girl, she ticked her tongue again and turned around to walk back into the living room.

“Sorry for being unreachable. I was planning on visiting you today.”

“It’s… fine,” Miriam responded, closing the door behind her and following Helvega’s trail. “Are you okay? You look like you haven’t washed in months.”

As she walked into the living room, she instantly recoiled her head, covering her nose.

“And what is that smell? Is there something burning in here?”

Miriam pondering whether there was something burning seemed to have finally made Helvega jolt awake. She widened her eyes and ran towards the kitchen, the sound of her bare feet repeatedly planting against the wooden surface filling the room alongside the now muffled radio noises.

It seemed that she forgot to take her sandwich out of her toaster. The bread was now entirely black.

“Fuck!” she said sharply before realizing Miriam may have heard her curse. She turned towards Miriam whilst clumsily throwing the burnt sandwich on an empty plate. The kitchen was connected to the living room, so it was quite obvious that Miriam could hear every little detail from just a few steps away.

“Ah- sorry… I just forgot to keep an eye on my food.”

“This place is a mess,” Miriam sighed. “When was the last time you cleansed it?”

“I…” she stammered. Not only did the place look decrepit, it genuinely looked as if Helvega had gotten into a fight with someone. Yet, that possibility did not cross Miriam’s mind.

“…Well, be grateful that I am the one visiting you,” Miriam continued, donning a bittersweet smile as she opened the door leading into the garden. “If I were anyone else, it would certainly put shame on your reputation.”

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Helvega slowly lowered her head in silence. Miriam wordlessly looked at her with worried eyes for several seconds before she continued.

“Zaccheus visited me yesterday. He asked me if I could pay you a visit since you weren’t feeling too well.”

She then tilted her head slightly, asking,

“I heard you refused to see him today?”

Helvega didn’t respond. Miriam took her hand and brought her to a nearby table.

“Come, let’s have a seat. He certainly did not reach out to me without reason, right? What’s happening?”

Helvega slightly squinted her eyes, thinking to herself,

That bastard… putting me on the spot even though he knows I’m already in such a tight position…

She then let out a deep sigh and turned towards Miriam next to her.

“I actually wanted to talk to you about my current caretaker role.”

“Mhm?”

“…I don’t want to resign from that position, but I would like to take a break from it. The reason being that I’ve… started to feel depressed again. So much to the point of pessimistic thoughts intervening with my daily life.”

A flash image of Aurora, as she sat on the edge of her bed, back facing Helvega, crossed her mind. It caused her heart to sink once more, but she did her best to suppress tears from rolling down her eyes.

“I’ve worked consistently as the caretaker for as long as I can remember… It feels as if the burden of my role has mixed with my depression to create a gigantic boulder I can not dare to carry yet…”

Miriam gently placed her palm on her back.

“I understand. You’ve done as much as you could for the sake of our library. I always smile whenever I think about the time when you invited university students to explore the library and delve into the books, presenting yourself as some sort of ancient guide who only sought after the art of knowledge among the youth…

…After you managed to turn that phenomenon into a yearly thing, students of all ages, ranging from kindergartens to senior university students would always be so… intrigued by the method you presented to Ventoria, and the history of our country. You did those things in a way they had never seen before.”

Helvega’s face turned crestfallen as she remained in silence. Prompting Miriam to continue.

“That alone shows me you truly care for our culture. Even if your reason was as insignificant as dusting off an old piece of clothing, I would not question you any further.”

“…Thank you, Miriam.”

“No problem,” she smiled. “Take as much time as you need. You don’t have to tell me about the details or how much time off you require. When it comes to things like this, they can be as sporadic as putting someone with an attentive disorder in the middle of a circus filled with everything that intrigues them. Reach out to me once you feel ready to step back into the world again, okay?”

Helvega nodded gently, like a young child being consulted by their parent.

“However, I will have to intervene right now,” Miriam said as she stood up. “You should take some time resting while I clean and sort out the place for you. It will do you much better, trust me.”

“But…” Helvega muttered, raising her head to meet Miriam’s figure, who was walking towards the living room. “Don’t you have places to be?”

“I don’t,” she said, smiling at her over her shoulder. “Matter of fact, today is a free day. It’ll feel good to have something to do anyway.”

***

Following her words, Helvega headed to her bedroom. The air was evidently much ‘lighter’ and clearer than downstairs. Her window had been left open, causing the air to feel a little cold, especially since she was wearing light clothes. As she approached the window, she sensed something… out of place.

It was a strange feeling. As if she was stepping into a room that would soon become a trap and turn into a closed-room murder. But no, the ‘source’ of that feeling did not seem to stem from her bedroom, it came from outside.

As she approached the window, she saw a figure standing right in front of her house, placing something that looked like a brown envelope in her mailbox.

That figure was a beautiful young lady who appeared to be in her early twenties. She had an unnaturally pale complexion, and had long, silky snow-white hair that reached down to her back. She was dressed in a form-fitting black Gothic dress that was engraved with intricate-looking carvings.

Indeed, this was the ‘Lady who killed Emon’.

But Helvega could never understand who she was.

After closing her mailbox, the snow-white haired lady slowly raised her head and met Helvega’s eyes, as if she already knew she was going to be standing before her window at that exact moment.

Helvega slowly widened her eyes. The snow-white haired lady had a sense of… demonic nobility around her. Even in this world filled with fantasy and Earthen Beings, this lady felt like she came from a plane situated in a higher dimension.

A closed and malicious smile tugged at the corners of her lips before she walked away to the other side of the pavement, eventually leaving Helvega’s sight. With her departure, that evil atmosphere seemed to have washed off the entire room, as well.

Her encounter with that lady felt… short. The kind of short and paradoxical for one to consider whether or not it was reality. It felt dreamlike as if it was never supposed to happen. At this moment, Helvega appeared entirely exhausted. She did not have the energy to actively question what was happening. No, not even that. She too sedately considered if that lady was real or not as she repeatedly rubbed her eyes.

After letting out a deep sigh and stretching her body, she turned towards the adjacent door and made her way to the bathroom.

…Of course, that ‘lady’ must have been a phantom, right?

…

…

…

“Our first meeting will be held in two weeks. Make sure to be cautious of your mailboxes during this period.”

Those were Michel’s words when she encountered him alongside Emon.

And as soon as that sentence rang in her mind, she stopped her march right in front of the door.