Meanwhile, Shiria was playing a competitive match with Lan’en at a DDR machine. Lan’en was quite good, but Shiria had almost perfect movements and rhythm.
“Wow, you’re quite talented!” Lan’en exclaimed as she rested against the railing of the machine.
“H-How are you not tired…?” Shiria muttered, her body bent as she held herself up barely. She was panting, her face drenched in sweat.
“I am a knight, a warrior!” Lan’en chuckled, “I’m used to physical activity. How else would I defeat the beasts of the cosmos?”
“Yeah...that’s...right. Let’s go to the snack room, I need to drink something…”
Shiria and Lan’en reached the entrance of the arcade. To its right, there was a small room with a vending machine with all sorts of junk. Sodas, candies, chips...the usual stuff you’d find sold in an arcade.
“So…” Shiria sat down, gulping down a can of coke, “you said you’re...in the pale knight’s oath?”
“Yes, I am a pale knight,” Lan’en crosses her legs, “basically galaxy rangers such as Kaeron and Youma, but in a group and with a more religious conviction.”
“Youma seems very religious.”
Lan’en smiled at Shiria’s observation, nodding thoughtfully as she opened a bottle of water, “Youma has a strong spiritual side, yes. But it’s different from ours. My oath to the pale knights is both a spiritual commitment and a duty...a way to protect and serve the weak and the helpless across the cosmos.”
“Interesting. Do you...follow a code of conduct? Or something like that?”
“Yes, we do!” Lan’en leaned forward, smiling, “We have lots of rules to abide by, written by a long-gone prophet, who claims to have heard the word of Athenis.”
“Oh...it must be a big source of pressure, no?” Shiria looked at her empty can, shaking it softly and moving the little drops remaining inside.
“It is. Yes. There’s always the worry of failing, of not living up to the expectations of those who see us as undying heroes,” Lan’en shrugged, wearing a bitter smile, “one of the worst things is to see a child of a poor planet look at you with sparkling eyes when you arrive...and then the same boy looks at you with tears of disappointment and despair as you’re wounded. You cannot lose.”
Shiria’s heart ached a little as she imagined the scene.
“But don’t worry! It rarely happens. We are strong!” Lan’en flexed her muscle, “and I will never regret joining this oath.”
“Why are you here? On the Elysium?” Shiria asked her.
“Hm...to relax. One of the fundamental aspects of the knights is respite. Everyone has their own way to rest. I’ll be back with my comrades after the Elysium’s vacation is over.”
Quite a simple but very noble reason.
“Do you think Noir’s praying to Nares is the same devotion you have for Athenis?”
Lan’en shook her head, looking somewhat shaken up but such a question, “Athenis doesn’t chain us to her and to prayers. She gifts us the duty of goodwill and heroism, and then we make anything we want out of it.”
“Maybe Noir isn’t forced to pray.”
“I can see it in her face. She is.”
The conversation got gloomy all of a sudden. Shiria stood up, clearing her throat, “Alright Lan’en...up to another round?”
“After how you destroyed me? Hell no! Let’s play air hockey.”
And so, the two went back to having fun, forgetting everything else. The heavier topics could wait. For now, they were just two friends enjoying their time together.
----------------------------------------
Evening.
Everyone is going to dinner. Shiria stood there, close to Noir, she’s still praying.
“What are you doing?” Kaeron’s voice appeared behind the girl.
“I want...I want to know if she’s okay,” Shiria replied, shaking her head, concerned.
“Shiria…just leave her alone.”
“Kaeron, she is clearly bothered! I can feel it!”
“Wait, don’t-”
Shiria leaned over and put a hand on Noir’s shoulder. She tensed up gasping loudly. She turned around, startled.
“Noir, are you okay?” Shiria muttered, worried.
“Tch,” Noir looked at Shiria with disdain, “I do not have time for your stupid, friendly nonsense, foolish girl. Go away and leave me alone. You should not be here. You don't belong here.”
Noir’s eyes were filled with...terror. She was scared. She was slightly trembling as her red eyes tried to focus on Shiria’s figure, failing.
Kaeron stepped forward, frowning, “Hey, that was very rude.”
“Nares spoke to me, I foresee death on this vessel. The light upon the star has faded. For the souls of this vessel, sinking into the depths of the abyss, will all be upon Nares’ destruction and chaos. Now, let me be...”
She turned back to the fountain, kneeling on the ground and praying, her mouth shaking slightly.
“I told you,” Kaeron says, going to the elevator, “fanatics will always be fanatics, Shiria.”
“But…” Shiria looked and Noir with worry, “Noir, what do you mean? You foresaw death?”
“She’s just being a lunatic, let’s go,” Kaeron said, grabbing Shiria’s arm quite erratically, looking irritated.
Shiria turned towards her, frowning even more, “O-Okay…”
And so they left Noir there, all by herself.
Through her whispers, lie terrible truths and hopeful lies.
“Nares, please…” Noir muttered, “save me from death.”
Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
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Shiria and Kaeron reached the dining hall. Everyone else, except Noir, was there and, weirdly, they were all sitting together.
“Oh, hi Kaeron, hi Shiria,” Youma was the first to notice them.
“Hi…?” Kaeron replied, rising her eyebrow. “What’s going on?”
“Since when does Azrael and Lilin sit with other passengers?” Shiria asked curiously.
“Well, we wanted to talk about Noir’s weird behavior,” Lan’en said, munching on a piece of bread, “she’s been praying at that fountain for a long time now, telling everyone creepy stuff.”
“Why do we even care?” Alicia sighed, eating her breakfast slowly, “she’s a Nares’ fanatic. Everyone knows they’re mentally ill.”
“True, but Nares’ followers are also known to have the power of foresight,” Tsukasa retorted with a gentle, yet aggressive smile, “I don’t think we should ignore her. She told me odd stuff as well. I tried to talk to her and she said she’s praying because she has to stay away from a curse that apparently we all have.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t think I’m understanding any of this,” Kaeron stopped everyone. She was the only one still standing up, “what are you all implying? That something is going to happen?”
“Noir talks about looming death, so yes...some of us fear we’re in danger,” Servalia sighed, placing her palm on her cheek, her eyes flickered with concern and anxiety.
“I honestly think we shouldn't listen to her,” Youma groaned in annoyance, “she’s just trying to mess up with our heads.
“What if she’s not?” Shiria retorted, “She looks...scared. I touched her shoulder and she was...just terrified.”
“Yes, she’s right,” Lan’en nods, “when I left the arcade with Shiria, I felt something. I am a pale knight, I can feel when people are in danger thanks to Athenis’ blessing. She feels in danger, she’s asking for help.”
“What if it’s just a conundrum in her own head?”
Lilin spoke. Her flashy, pink dress stuck out as soon as she spoke...before that, she was basically invisible. She wore a smug smile as she combed her hair using her hand.
“What do you mean?” Shiria asked her.
“Crazy people...I know them. They make their own inner problems bigger than they are...and they just try to make them real. She’s just having a mental breakdown,” she let out a soft laugh, still playing with her hair.
“That’s right,” Azrael chimes in with an amused smile carrying her words, “You’re all overthinking this. People like her adore feeding themselves off their own fears. She is scared, and she is just making everyone else scared as well.”
Servalia spoke up, “I’ve...been feeling uneasy too. My vocation is...Hagea. I’m a healer. I feel like something...bad...is around us.”
“Now we have two people,” Tsukasa sighed and smiled bitterly, shaking her head, “do you still want to ignore it?”
“What should we do anyway?” Azrael asked, almost challenging Tsukasa.
“For now, at least figure out what danger we are in,” Tsukasa says, turning on her communication device, “Chronos, are you available?”
The AI voice turned on, “Model CHRON.05 at your service. Yes, Tsukasa. How may I assist you?”
“A guest claims we are in danger. Is there anything odd on the cruise? A technical issue, or...something similar.”
The AI processed the question, and then it gave the passengers its output, “negative. The integrity of the cruise is at 100%. There is no threat aboard. Of any kind.”
“Then why did Noir say we are?” Lan’en asked the AI through Tsukasa’s device.
“Greetings, passenger Lan’en,” the AI said calmly, “according to my database, passenger Noir is a follower of Nares. It is common for people born under the god Nares’ star to deceive, terrorize, and inflict violence upon others. If Noir poses a threat, please provide proof of crime and contact me.”
“She’s...she’s not the one posing a threat. She’s telling us she foresaw death looming on all of us.”
“This is a safe space. Every sort of danger that could lead to death is only possible by accidents and malfunctions. However, my readings indicate that everything is in order.”
It just wouldn’t listen. It was an AI, after all.
Shiria, looking more worried than before, sighed, “What do we do now? If the AI can’t detect anything wrong, but Noir is still terrified, how do we figure out what’s really going on?”
“One step at a time,” Tsukasa suggests, turning the device off, “I humbly...think I am the one who could speak to Noir for longer without angering her. I will try to help her out and figure out what is going on. Relax, for now. It isn’t like this threat is coming for us any soon.”
“Okay then,” Servalia nodded, taking a deep breath, “let’s just eat dinner and call it a night, we’ll leave Tsukasa and Noir alone.”
“You’re wasting your time, and you’re letting a Nares’ follower into your head,” Azrael sighed, shaking her head. Lilin followed suit with a giggle.
“Maybe, but at least I am doing something about that poor girl,” Tsukasa replied to her with a smile and a gentle tone, which hid, however, a great disdain.
“Let’s not fight,” Shiria defused the atmosphere immediately, “we’ll help Noir somehow, no matter what’s going on.”
“Just leave me out of it,” Alicia sighed, heading to another table as well.
Everyone split up again, leaving Shiria and Kaeron alone at the table.
“Kaeron, what do you think?”
“I don’t know,” the woman sat down with Shiria, finally.
Shiria put up a gentle smile, “do you want to hang out after dinner?”
“No...I’d like to be alone,” she replied, “sorry.”
Kaeron’s expression was firm as always, but it also felt...disturbed. Suddenly, it looked like Kaeron had something on her mind that was troubling her.
Shiria wanted to ask her what she was thinking, but she knew Kaeron. She would have just raised her walls even more.
“Oh, it’s okay. I’ll just hang out with Lan’en, then,” Shiria said, trying to keep her lighthearted tone.
“Good. Have fun, okay?” Kaeron sighed and nodded, “take care, Shiria.”
“I will. You too, okay Kaeron?”
“Mhm.”
And so Shiria went over Lan’en’s table, Youma was there too.
Kaeron’s mind raced with unintelligible thoughts as she sat there, staring at the white, clean table.
----------------------------------------
Shiria stood by Lan’en’s door after knocking a couple of times.
“Shiria!”
The door slid wide open. Lan’en smiled, her usually tied-up hair now were loose, hanging over her shoulders. “What’s up?”"
“Hey Lan’en, I just came here to...borrow some more clothes.”
“Oh? What happened to the two pairs I gave you?”
"I had to put them to wash and they’ll be done by tomorrow. I need something to dress with tomorrow at least.”
“Ah...hehe, you’re lucky I brought a lot of extra stuff.”
Lan’en stepped aside, “Come in! Please, make yourself comfortable!”
“Actually, I wanted to go to bed soon…”
Shiria walked inside the room despite what she said. It was the same as hers, albeit more decorated with the pale knight's personal belongings.
“Oh really? It’s nine, come on. Are you a grandma?”
Shiria giggled and turned around. She saw Lan’en closing the door and felt a little surprised, “N-No I just...like going to bed early!”
Lan’en noticed Shiria’s expression and laughed softly, “Shiria, relax...I’m not going to murder you! Hahah! I just want to hang out a little…” She headed over to the refrigerator every room has, right under the desk. She took out of it a coke and a beer, “truthfully...I’m scared. I don’t know what will happen with Noir and my hero siren is crying loudly,” she admitted suddenly, sitting on her bed.
Shiria sighed and sat down with her, sipping on the coke, “I understand. It’s so nice of you to worry about her. I am worried too.”
Lan’en chuckled and took a big sip out of her can, “yeah...it’s a nice person’s most weakness. Jumping into danger.”
Shiria laughed. She could tell Lan'en was a good person. She felt very at ease around her, it was almost...surprising. The ‘’hero’’ effect she claimed to give to people was reaching Shiria’s heart too.
“You’re a good person, Lan’en,” Shiria nodded, “you should be proud.”
“I am,” Lan’en bitterly replied, “I just...I just think that it’s sad how sometimes destroying and being evil is way easier. Yet...my heart cannot be evil at all.”
“Well...that makes you even more amazing, am I wrong?”
“Yeah, I think that-”
Lan’en’s words were interrupted by a loud sound of something winding down slowly. The lights turned off, the whole room became dead silent because of the absence of the ventilation system.
“Attention!”
Both the devices of the girls showed the AI’s logo, the hologram screen was red.
“It appears a power outage occurred on the whole Elysium’s electrical system. Our robot workers are doing their best to restore it as soon as they can. Please stand by and be patient. We apologize for the inconvenience, and we thank you for your cooperation.”
“Oh shit…” Lan’en sighs, her voice shaking with anxiety, “What if this is…? We gotta get out of here and check on Noir.”
They both stumbled around the pure darkness, reaching the door. It wouldn’t open no matter what they tried.
“Damnit!” Lan’en kicked the door, “We’re trapped here! What do we do? I'll break down this door..."
Shiria grabbed Lan’en's hand. She led her to bed once more and sat her down with her.
“We take a deep breath and wait, Lan’en. There’s no point worrying about it. We can’t get out.”
"What?" Lan'en's heart was beating fast, and she was sweating. Shiria could feel her pulse quickening. "We need to get out there! Stat!"
“What should I do?” She asked herself, “I want Lan’en to calm down. Or...at least I need to distract her.”
Suddenly, she hugged Lan’en tightly, caressing her back. “It’s okay...Lan’en. Calm down.”
The girl was startled at first, but then she let out a soft, happy sigh. She wrapped her arms around Shiria and took a deep breath, “Shiria…”
“Relax. I know you're a hero...but freaking out won't help us.”
Lan’en chuckled, “you’re so...sweet and kind...truly a good girl.”
Shiria didn’t reply to that.
----------------------------------------
Fourth morning, Shiria woke up to Lan’en shaking her. Apparently they both fell asleep before the power could come back.
“Hey sleepyhead,” Lan’en chuckled as she looked at Shiria, who rubbed her eyes, “the power’s back on, I’m checking on Noir. Wanna come?”
“Yes...I’ll be there in a minute. I’ll wash my face.”
“Okay.”
Shiria went over to the bathroom, and poured fresh water all over her tired eyes and face gently still trying to wake up.
As soon as she turned off the sink-
“OH MY GOD!”
-her ears were filled with a scream. It was Lan’en.
She was soon outside the room, in the long corridor, speeding with other passengers who immediately came out of their respective rooms along with her.
Her heart raced as she reached the lobby, her legs weak, her lungs pumping oxygen in and out of her body.
image [https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/qhatwvut0uh6qq92oh6wr/adfdd989-1919-462a-ad80-43099f0e0373.png?rlkey=vqq9clgm825wcu9oodaanzjsk&st=py26x6us&raw=1]
Shiria froze in place as soon as she witnessed the horror of Noir’s body lying on the floor, drenched in blood.