Kaeron opened her eyes gently. She rubbed her face, her headache was gone and her muscles weren’t sore anymore. She sat up and took a deep breath as she checked the time. It was 5:00 PM. She didn’t expect to sleep so much.
She stood up, still groggy. She looked around and stretched her long, toned body. It was Shiria’s room, yet it didn’t really feel like it. It was clean and empty. Shiria didn’t have any belongings, her drawers were filled with Lan’en’s clothes...but that was it. The desk was a clean slate, the bed didn’t smell of her at all.
After washing her face, she tightened her belt and combed her hair with the basic tools the Elysium’s bathrooms were provided with. Then, she left Shiria’s room while putting her jacket on.
She looked left.
Nobody was in front of her room.
“What?”
She immediately panicked and unlocked it. She looked everywhere.
Youma was gone.
Kaeron immediately sprinted to the lobby, holding her sword in her left hand.
There, she was met with a terrible sight.
Tsukasa, Alicia, Shiria, Lan’en...they were all dead. Blood was everywhere, sprawled across the lobby. Their insides were spilled out and dragged all over.
Kaeron was petrified. Her blade fell to the floor as her body shook with terror.
In front of the fountain, where Noir died, knelt a girl with silver hair. She wore a beautiful dress as she stared at the fountain’s flowing water.
“Noir…?” Kaeron muttered.
“It’s all your fault.”
The girl turned around and stared deep into Kaeron’s eyes.
“You should have listened to me. You let someone die again.”
“N-No...I…”
Kaeron was hyperventilating. Her mind went blank as her purple, void eyes darted everywhere. She wanted to run away, to escape, but she couldn’t.
The girl stood up and slowly walked towards her. As soon as Kaeron blinked, her form shifted into someone else’s.
image [https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/c10tved6f6qx8eycjzsv3/5cf2272a-0457-454e-9a80-07200ac474bf.png?rlkey=cz3korjnaumwny8ajxh5lhwc3&st=9qje4qxv&raw=1]
“I will always love you, Kaeron. No matter what."
Kaeron’s eyes were wet with tears in an instant. She raised her hands to cup the woman’s cheeks…
But she suddenly found herself in Shiria’s bed again. She sat up. Her body was drenched in sweat, her heart was racing and she was gasping for air.
She checked her communication device. 3:00 PM.
“Fuck…” she muttered, placing her feet on the cold floor of the room. She ran her fingers between the locks of her hair while rubbing her temples with her palms.
It was nothing but a dream. One of her usual dreams.
The door opened.
“Kaeron, are you okay?” Alicia’s voice echoed in Kaeron’s agitated mind, “I heard you moaning in pain.”
“Yes. I’m okay,” Kaeron breathed out, standing up and looking at her, “Who’s guarding Youma now?”
“I just came to replace Shiria. Why?”
“Nothing...I just had a dream where Youma escaped.”
“Understandable. All this will probably haunt your dreams until it’s over...the same goes for all of us. I didn’t sleep much last night out of fear,” Alicia approached her calmly, sitting beside her, “It was nice of Shiria to give you her room. You can go back resting, I’ll wake you up when my shift is over.”
“No...I’m not sleepy anymore, it was supposed to be a nap and I slept all morning,” Kaeron shook her head, standing up, “I’ll go to the pub, I need something strong.”
“Be careful, Kaeron. Don’t let whatever you saw in your dreams get to you,” Alicia stood up as well, looking at the woman worriedly, “Don’t do this, getting drunk isn’t good.”
“Do you remember Azrael mentioning my lover?” Kaeron turned around as she dressed up quickly.
“Yes, I do. It was her alibi for when she overheard the conversation between you and Shiria about her. She...deceased,” Alicia hung her head.
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“The dream was about her too. How would you feel if you dreamed of your husband saying he loves you?”
Alicia suddenly fell silent and hung her head.
Kaeron finished dressing up by putting on her black coat. She fixed her hair and headed out of Shiria’s room.
“Then I trust you’re perfectly aware of how much it hurts.”
----------------------------------------
At the pub, Kaeron met Azrael, drinking by herself.
“Do you even feel the booze’s hit anymore?” Kaeron sighed sitting beside her, “You’ve been at it all morning.”
“Oh, I’m not drinking to get drunk. I can’t, indeed, get drunk,” Azrael chuckled, “I am trying to taste every single product the Elysium offers...I didn’t manage to do much, though...being that we all have been...busy yesterday. I’m catching up today.”
“Where is Lilin?” She asked, “Whiskey, please,” She told the robotic arms, which immediately started preparing the order.
“She gets bored of drinking after a while. She’s either in her room having fun with herself, if you know what I mean...or she’s bothering someone around the Elysium,” Azrael replied casually, leaning towards Kaeron and crossing her legs.
“It’s hard to believe you’re still able to go on with his vacation with a smile after everything was ruined by...whatever the hell yesterday was. How can you be so calm about it?”
Azrael swirled her drink, and the ice clinked softly, “I’ve been through worse, Kaeron. We both have, haven’t we? This whole incident is yet another piece of the dark reality we live in. You will learn to find peace regardless...and you’ll stop drinking to drown your sorrows.”
Kaeron stared at the glass, already empty. She ordered another, taking a deep breath, “Since you’re talking like this, I bet you’re a long-lived species. How old are you? Doesn’t it get...unbearable?”
“It does. You just learn to ignore that weight you bear, along with everything else,” Azrael replied, smiling at the woman.
“I see…” Kaeron shook her head, scoffing, “But then again, you’re a witch who follows Erisia. I shouldn’t listen to you.”
“You’re one to talk, Kaeron. You should be way less contradictory when you converse with people about yourself and others.”
“What do you mean?” Kaeron asked, sensing a sudden aura of unease.
“I know you’re lying about your vocation. Unlike Youma...you’re not a hunter. Artelan didn’t bless you.”
Kaeron didn’t react, gulping down her whiskey.
“I can’t tell which vocation is your true one, but I can tell you’re lying about it. Simply because I have been trying to find a way to lie and fight this stupid universal rule as well...with my powers.
Remember when I was making fun of you? A few days ago? It was right after I asked about your vocation.”
“I thought you found Artelan a god to be mocked…” Kaeron muttered.
“No. It’s because I sensed something that is impossible in this universe and I was amused. You’re lying about your vocation and….the reason is probably because your real one is something you’re ashamed of. Which is it? Erisia? Nares? Some unknown, dangerous deity I haven’t heard about yet?”
“Even if I was lying, why do you even care?” Kaeron retorted, slightly irritated.
“Because I am amused by you. Just as I am amused by everything that has been happening on this ship.”
“Well, I’m not your jester. Leave me alone. It’s none of your business.”
“You’re truly a stoic woman, haha...” Azrael chuckled, “You never, ever let anyone get into your head with their words. Unless you have a desire of that happening.”
“Yes. So don’t try to play with me.”
“If you want to find the real murderer, you have to use your vocation and be true to yourself once more.”
Kaeron’s attention was immediately brought back by Azrael’s cunning words. She looked at her with a surprised look, “What do you mean?”
“I’m pretty sure you have noticed it by now. That I am aware of who the murderer is,” Azrael leaned against the counter, her arm holding up her head, “And I can see that you’re not feeling well...hence, you’re pretty sure yourself that Youma isn’t the culprit.”
“You’re wrong,” Kaeron shook her head, “You don’t know a thing about me. You’re just trying to mess with me. We both know it was Youma. The way she reacted can’t be a coincidence.”
“What if I told you she isn’t?”
“I would not believe you. You figured out that it was her before me...I’ll admit that. But now, you’re just trying to make me your tool of entertainment….and as I just said, I will not be your jester. Shut up already.”
Azrael hung her head and sighed, chuckling softly, “That’s a pity. I thought you would have known better.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Kaeron stood up abruptly, looking at Azrael from above.
“You’re pretending to be someone you aren’t, Kaeron. That is why you are stuck and hopeless. I guess the death of your lover changed you too much...and now you’re not even able to see the clearest of the truth.”
Kaeron suddenly grabbed Azrael’s from her dress’ collar, their noses almost touching.
“You think you’re so clever, don’t you?” She muttered shakily, her hand trembling with rage, “Sitting there, smug and cryptic...as if you had all the answers. We both know you’re just a charlatan. And if you don’t stop talking about Keina...I’m going to kill you.”
“How can you kill her without your sword? Hehe~”
Kaeron turned around immediately. Lilin was there, hugging Kaeron’s long, heavy blade.
“How the hell did you…”
“I’m pretty fast and silent!” Lilin exclaimed, examining Kaeron’s sword, “Wow...this thing is very powerful. I can tell…”
“Give it back,” Kaeron muttered.
“Hm...what if I want to keep it? Are you going to fight for it?”
Suddenly, Kaeron’s eyes glowed for an instant...which was enough.
“AH! What the fuck?!” Lilin yelped loudly and dropped it on the floor, letting Kaeron retrieve it immediately, “That thing...what the hell is sealed inside that scabbard?! It almost ate me alive!”
For the first time, Lilin was...shocked. She stepped back, shaking her head in confusion and wariness.
“I suggest you calm down and listen to my words carefully," Azrael stood up and fixed her collar, her smile never leaving her face. Even after this altercation. Kaeron turned around, her breathing heavy as anger started to come up within her heart. “It’s irritating seeing such a stupid and obvious liar getting away with all those murders. If you want to get out of here alive, you should really open your eyes and get her.”
“W-Why don’t you just fucking tell me who the killer is?! Azrael!!!”
Kaeron shouted as the woman headed towards the pub’s exit with her friend. They both stopped and turned around, looking at her with...pity.
“These were my final words, Kaeron. Good luck.”
They both left the pub.
“Wait! What do you mean?! Where are you going?!” Kaeron ran after them...but when she was into the Elyisum’s hallway, they were already gone. Vanished.
Kaeron punched the wall, “Fuck!” She whispered through her teeth.