Chapter 4: It is you who should sleep.

Despite the lively, bustling morning energy filtering through the window into mere background noise, the room was thick with tension. Kaine rested his chin on his clasped hand, his intense eyes fixed on Yusciel’s dumbfounded expression. Sweat trickled down his face, unnoticed as he observed Yusciel. She avoided his gaze, her fingers fidgeting before reaching for a glass of water, and taking a slow, contemplative sip. Silence fell upon the room, broken only by Yusciel’s soft gulps and distant sounds from outside the window.

Drinking the cold water calmed her nerves slightly in the room filled with tension. Every movement seemed louder than usual as Yusciel carefully set the cup down, her voice low as she spoke. ”Why… Did I make a mistake? Yesterday’s… no, the recent performance. Many said it was the last before a long break… Is it because of this? Is it because I am not performing well in the play?” Her gaze remained on the table, with uncertainty filling her voice.

Kaine was taken aback by her unexpected reply, stumbling over his words as he quickly responded, “Wait, wait, wait… Hold on! Why are you bringing up the last performance? And why do you sound like we’re leaving you?”

“Eh?” Yusciel was confused, avoiding looking at his eyes as she spoke, “Isn’t the… what that means?”

“What do you mean? Are you misunderstanding something?” Kaine muttered, gesturing his hands as if trying to gain Yusciel’s attention. ”I am just suggesting for you to go to Flusterwald Academy… Actually, many people in the troupe were wondering about it until my brother decided to tell me and ask you about it.”

Surprised, she raised her head for the first time, meeting Kaine’s concerned gaze, while Lexine continued cutting apples besides him. Glancing away almost immediately, she stammered, her voice trembling, “M…many people in the troupe wanted me to leave?”

Kaine furrowed his brow and asked, “Wait, wait, wait… Who says they want you to leave the troupe?”

Yusciel’s heart felt queasy, but she tried to force her mind to be rational. She attempted to find ways to settle the current predicament that felt consuming her from the inside.

“Isn’t… all of you?” Yusciel muttered in a whisper, barely audible.

The figure of Yusciel—always bright, always passionate, so much so that it felt like an addiction that many of the troupe found infectious, now sat before them as a fragile and meek figure. Her hands trembled with anxiety, her eyes were relentless, unable to move—it was a far cry from the Yusciel they knew, far removed from her typical absentminded self.

The sight pained the couple, Lexine subtly nudged Kaine with her foot, catching his attention. She then gestured quietly, and Kaine responded with a nod.

“Yusciel, my dear,” Lexine called out, her voice gentle and soothing as she spoke, “I want to clarify something. If you think that our former members who were offered the opportunity to enter the academy were expelled from the troupe, that’s just a rumor—a false one at that.”

“A rumor?”

“Yes, in reality, when these members graduate, they are given the choice to either sever ties with the troupe or return.” Lexine explained. “Almost all of them choose to sever ties to live among normality.”

“Sever ties to live among normality?” Yusciel repeated weakly, raising her head to see Lexine eating her sliced apples. On the other hand, Kaine’s figure stood up and placed a plate of sliced fruits near her empty plate.

“Yes… That might be the reason why you misunderstood that we are kicking you out for suggesting you should enter the academy. No, we are not.” Lexine said firmly. “Most people, especially ones as talented as you, must go into a world where you can further enhance your skills.”

Yusciel let out a sigh of relief as she realized her worries had been unfounded. Her body felt much lighter, leaning back against the chair. She continued to listen, her eyes scanning the plates of sliced fruits, picking up those that were easy to eat.

“True…” Kaine muttered, “The Troupe… They are much darker—vile and filthy, stained in blood, even more so than individuals like yourself who should belong to the other side. But, I don’t think I need to remind you of that—You’ve been here since the founding of the Wanderland Troupe. You have seen many things.”

“Yeah…” Yusciel replied, “I… I’ve witnessed a lot within the troupe. Admittedly, there are times I still feel uncomfortable, but mostly, I’ve grown accustomed. So despite it all, I still regard the Wanderland troupe as my home.” A gentle smile crept across her face as she averted her gaze, tinged with longing, to lock eyes with the lovebirds.

“I still remember how your expression falls when you take someone’s life—you're too bright… That’s why… Could you at least consider it?” Kaine requested.

“I’ll think about it.”

‘Why should I bother going to the academy anyways? I’ve already gone and finished that phase… Why should I have to endure more?’ Yusciel pondered.

Suddenly, something clicked in Yusciel’s mind, causing her to lift her head and mutter, ”Hm?”

“What’s wrong?” Kaine asked, lifting a brow.

“Then why… didn’t the director just tell me about this?”

“Ah, that,” Kaine pondered briefly before replying, “To be honest, I’m not so sure either. He probably doesn’t want you to leave the troupe once you graduate. That’s most likely the case. I mean, who would want their excellent principal playwright to leave?”

Hearing such, the edges of Yusciel’s lips curved upwards. “Is that so?”

‘I was foolish… Here I thought he didn’t want to confront me, to kick me out. It was all a misunderstanding on my part.’ Yusciel smiled gently, as if all the worries were nothing more than a miscommunication between her and the director.

Kaine flicked his finger, trying to grab Yusciel’s attention. “You still have time, well, until the end of this month before the start of admission. The academy starts two months after that,” Kaine reminded.

“I don’t need to know that,” Yusciel retorted, “—I did say that I would consider it, but I never confirmed that I would.”

“Right, right. Let’s leave it at that,” Kaine said, waving his hands.

“Yusciel, are there things that are worrying you? Studies? Academics? Magic? I know you’re smart, but worry is a different matter,” Lexine asked while peeling off the skin of the orange.

“Well… the Seed…”

“The Seed?” Lexine repeated, looking confused.

“Oh, the seed!” Kaine snapped his fingers in realization. “Those important seeds I’ve been hearing about for years,” He muttered before feeling a tug on his sleeve, turning to his right to see the confused Lexine. “What is it?” he asked.

She replied, “What’s this ‘seed’ you guys are talking about?”

Kaine turned to Yusciel, and asked, “Should I?”

“No, not right now. I don’t want a lot of people to know what it’s about,” Yusciel responded, turning away. “Sorry, Lexine.”

“Nonono, it's fine,” she gestured quickly with a wave. “There are things that you can’t tell people about, and that’s okay. You can keep it a secret. It must be very important to you, right?”

“Yes… It is,” Yusciel nodded with a weak smile. “It’s a goal of many… to prove a concept, I suppose.”

Lexine nodded at her somewhat cryptic answer but listened carefully regardless. Continuing, Kaine muttered, “So, what about the Seed?”

Yusciel took a glance at him, her lips opening and closing repeatedly as her eyes turned away. After a moment, she held her breath and turned back, saying, “The Seed… Once it sprouts—once its roots are rooted on objects—it will be impossible to uproot. It will stay there forever and ever.” Yusciel explained, “The director has given me a private room on the ship where I can keep it. Kaine, you know how much I care for this Seed. I can’t bear to part with it. That’s why I need a new ship. A new airship that stays with me, a vessel that can protect it while I am in the academy… A ship I can access during my time at the academy… If that’s not possible, then attending the academy is also out of the question.”

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

After her words were spoken firmly, Kaine had his hands placed on his chin, seemingly massaging his cleanly shaven chin before nodding. “I’ll do something about it.”

Upon sensing a possible solution in his words, Yusciel hastily chimed in, stealing a furtive glance. “Hey, even if you have an idea, I still have to think about whether I want to join or not. Academies are meaningless to me—I am smart, a genius even. I can’t waste my precious time on things that hold no value to me. Besides, my heart lies with the troupe—flaws and dark history notwithstanding. I’d rather invest my time in the troupe than waste it in a room full of children and scribbles on papers.”

With a gentle sigh, Kaine murmured, “Got it, got it… I know… more than anyone—I understand how much you love Wanderland. Given your love for it, I assume you want to be discharged from the hospital, or would you prefer to remain here instead?”

“Of course, I want to be released immediately. I want to go back already—I want to go home,” Yusciel smiled, revealing her white teeth.

The two lovers’ gaze softened as Kaine stood up, responding, “I will go to the counter and notify them.”

“The money—”

“No, need. The director already gave me more than enough.”

“I see. Thanks.”

“Send your thanks to brother instead; he would be happy to hear that,” said Kaine, kissing Lexine on the cheek before walking away to the door.

The door shut with a tight click, Yusciel let out a sigh of relief before taking a sup from the cup of water, now warm from all the talking. She immediately frowned, pondering, ‘I missed drinking coffee; why is there no coffee in this world?’

“Is there any drink you want?” Lexine spoke up suddenly. “There might be something interesting in the canteen.”

“Huh?”

“What kind of drink would you prefer?” she repeated.

“You seem more attentive than usual, Lexine.” Yusciel observed. “I want something hot, something that can energize me.”

“Alright,” Lexine nodded as she raised up.

“Wait, you’re going out now? Can’t you wait until Kaine comes back?” Yusciel clutched onto her sky blue one piece dress’s skirt.

“Well, there’s a canteen at the corridor, I’ll be out real quick,” Said Lexine, gently tapping on Yusciel’s grip

“Can I come with you?” Yusciel suggested.

“Well…” Lexine hesitated, her eyes sweeping the room.

Yusciel followed her gaze, taking in the sight of several bags strewn across the floor, some hanging on wall hooks next to pieces of clothing and a white hat with a large brim. A pile of documents cluttered the cabinet top by the bedside, with a wrist terminal lying on the chair in front of the bed. While she couldn’t verify the values of these items, the sight of the wrist terminal alone was significant.

Lexine continued, remarking, “There's quite a bit of stuff here, including some new equipment we recently got, and with no locks in this room, there’s a real risk of someone entering. Are you afraid of being alone?” Lexine tilted her head as she posed the question.

Startled, Yusciel turned to look and shook her head, waving her hands dismissively. “No way. Do I look like the type to get scared? I mean, there’s literally nothing here to be afraid of.”

Lexine reached over and gently patted Yusciel’s head, saying, “Just wait a bit, okay?”

Yusciel nodded, her grip unconsciously weakening as she released Lexine. She watched Lexine’s figure walking to the door, picked up a white hat with a brim and placed it on her head, wiggling it firmly in place. She turned around, saying, “Be right back,” before exiting.

Shit.

That was the first thought that crossed her mind as heavy silence crept into the room, a cold washed over her skin, causing a discomforting chill. Despite the bustling noises outside the window and the birds chirping songs, the silence inside felt unnerving. She strained to hear, but all she could make out were distant sounds of children running in the corridors, their voices faintly echoing.

Yusciel reassured herself, ‘This is alright,’ as she raised her hands to check for her wrist terminal, but it was nowhere to be found. The device she typically used for communication and entertainment. A sigh of defeat escaped her as she searched her pockets, only to realize that she was wearing a long-sleeve one-piece dress.

Slipping her hand into the skirt’s pocket, Yusciel felt the fabric of her pants underneath and saw her black socks against the smooth blue carpet. As she turned around in search of her wrist terminal, a sudden realization struck her—it was placed on the chair in front of the bed. Hurriedly, she retrieved it and placed it back on her right hand.

‘Is this even mine?’

Frantically activating it with her shaking left thumb, and a large holographic window appeared in front of her, displaying the main menu of the wrist terminal. The menu featured options such as inbox messages, camera mode, videos, and the library. In the inbox message section, several notifications icons were displayed at the top corner of the app icon.

Among the things vying for her attention was a notification displayed at the top of the screen, showing the current signal to ‘restricted’ with the battery level at 1%. Her face contorted in frustration, but she panicky pressed on, curious about who had messaged her. However, as she tried to open the inbox message, the holographic display suddenly disappeared and was replaced by a message reading ‘low battery, turning off.’

Seeing such, Yusciel couldn’t resist an irritated click of her tongue. ‘Great.’

Suddenly, a familiar voice came from somewhere, “Would you like me to charge it?”

Yusciel thought, ‘She’s back already?’ as she began to reply, turning around, “Yeah, su—” but she halted upon seeing Lexine’s figure seated on the chair. “Lexine? Uhh? Lexine?” Yusciel called out to her.

Lexine was there, seated on the chair unmoving, her long silver hair cascading down her back, her pale blue eyes fixed on the table, her mouth slightly agape as if lost in thought. The unusual sight of Lexine’s figure sent chills down Yusciel’s spine as she whispered, “Le… Lexine… is that you?”

However, there was no response. ‘No, this isn’t Lexine… Lexine is not here… This isn’t the real Lexine,’ Yusciel realized, feeling a tension grip her body, reaching for her wrist with her free hands to stop trembling. She kept her eyes fixed on the figure, her breath catching in her throat.

“Shit. It’s happening again,” Yusciel muttered, her voice trembling as a chill ran down her spine, causing every hair on her body to stand on end. “Lexine! Lexine, reply to me! Is that you?” she shouted, clutching the wrist terminal as she felt her muscles tense throughout her body. “Oh, shit. Shit. shit. I need to call. Yes, I have to make a call—someone, anyone.”

Hastily, Yusciel tapped her thumb on her wrist terminal, frantically trying to turn it on before hearing another familiar voice, “Yeah, I think you need to get some rest…”

Yusciel turned towards it to find someone else in her bed—its figure resembling someone she knew all too well. With long black hair and eyes as dark as black holes, the figure wore a long white coat and a uniform from her past life.

“Nemneseia,” Yusciel muttered, holding her breath. Her hands clenched into a fist, feeling her strength flow into arms as she looked at Nemneseia’s motionless figure.

“You should rest.”

The figure sat motionless and silent, locking her gaze with Yusciel. A gentle smile graced her face, which filled Yusciel with disdain. Yusciel took a deep breath to calm her nerves, on the verge of erupting, “It is you who should rest, not me. Nemneseia… You… You shouldn’t be here. You’re gone. You’re already gone, so please, don’t show up.”

Regardless of her commanding words, the figure remained. Yusciel let out a heavy, weary sigh, feeling her muscles tire and weakened. She made herself sit on the chair behind her, gazing at Nemneseia’s figure seated on the bed. ‘I guess I’ll just wait until someone comes. These are not real… They will never be real… They will disappear once someone arrives. So, until then, I’ll just hold on.’

A cold chill ran through Yusciel’s body, a sense of unease gripping her as she feared something might emerge from the abyss below and grab her feet. She sighed, pulling her legs close and hugging them. “Lexine, please come back.”

Overwhelmed by the current situation, Yusciel closed her eyes in a desperate attempt to escape, only to suddenly feel something brushing against her hands. Her eyes widened in surprise and she frantically moved away. There, at the corner of her eyes, she saw someone occupying the seat next to her. Her heart sank as she carefully adjusted her body to distance herself from the figure, choosing to stare at the ground rather than glance beyond it to see who was next to her.

Whispering urgently, Yusciel pleaded, “Please, no. Please get away. I don’t like this, Nemneseia. Nemneseia, know that I hate you. I loathe you. Why do you keep appearing in front of me? Just what do you want from me?”

Tears streamed down Yusciel’s face as she struggled to breathe, her vision blurred by the tears. The sound of her stifled whimpering grew louder, and she closed her, covering her ears as she huddled into a ball in the corner of the room.

“Hey, hey, Yuel!” “Yuel! Your Seed Project, did you finish it?” ”Ahh! The project was another failure!” “Souls, souls, souls… Why does information about souls get erased so quickly! We can’t capture anything at this rate!” “Did you skin the architect alive? I think if we put them in the Tegrin and cut them to pieces. I think their bodies would release their souls, but I’m not sure. Should we try it out?” “Hey, Yuel, I found an interesting insect in the neighboring galaxy, wanna check on it right now?”

“Nemneseia,” A weak whisper escaped from Yusciel’s lips. ‘Stop this.’

Yusciel continued to beg as her mind was being filled with voices until a familiar distant strumming of strings reached her ears, gradually drowning out the voices until they eventually faded away. She opened her eyes to see the figure had disappeared, making her fumble her thoughts, ‘Eh? What happened?’

The slow realization dawned as the familiar sounds of strings became more distinct, something she had recently heard. ‘A cello, but where?’ Yusciel looked around, trying to locate the sound before noticing it came from the window to her right. Weakly placing her feet on the ground, she moved towards it, her heavy body braced the wall as she struggled.

Arriving at the window, she reached out and gently pulled aside the fluttering white curtains to view the sight of a beautiful large garden. In itse center, a circular patch of ground filled with flowers blooming in various colors, bordered by white clothing at knee-level as if to prevent intruders. She observed the distance between her and the garden, realizing her room was on the upper levels. Glancing around, another soft strumming reached her ears, she followed the sound and saw a familiar woman in the distance.

The woman Yusciel had seen earlier when she woke up was now playing in the garden—shadowed by the leaves of trees above, her once-broken bow now repaired, in the company of many young children at the front.

Who is she?