"What war are you talking about?"
"You…don't know about the war? Didn't Chrono tell you?" Atiri asked tentatively.
"No, though there are a few rumors going around," he replied. He continued to stare at them with no intention to diverge from the topic; he was expecting an answer.
"Oh? And what did you hear?"
"They say that a war took place a few millennia ago in which the High Gods rebelled against and killed the Almighty to gain power."
She raised an eyebrow. "And you believe them?"
"No. The High Gods are loyal to the Almighty; they would never betray him, much less kill him."
Atiri's aqua blue eyes that bordered on green glimmered with amusement. Just as she was about to make a comment, Raphael interjected, "What if we say that's exactly what happened?"
Contracts visibly tensed and narrowed his chestnut brown eyes. "And what makes you so credible?"
"Well, why do you think we were sealed in the first place?"
"You're criminals."
"Pfft." Contracts glanced at the white-haired girl who seemed to find the idea comical.
"Us? Criminals?"
Raff continued for her by saying, "Who told you that? If anyone is to be branded a criminal, it would have to be the High Gods you believe in so much. We're the ones who fought tooth and nail to protect the Almighty."
"You're lying." There was no hesitation in his voice.
"If you don't believe me, you can ask Archia about our identity. She hates lies so she certainly won't tell one herself. You could also ask Time, I suppose. Though, I guarantee that he'll give you a completely different answer. Life might not even bother answering."
"There's no need to ask. There was no war in the first place."
"Oh, why do you think that? Did the High Gods tell you such lies?"
"Yes."
"So you know they're lies."
"You know that's not what I meant."
"Then tell me, why did the Almighty disappear? Why is the successor only appearing now?"
The hallway descended into silence with neither side willing to back down.
Atiri glanced at both of them. This was quickly getting tiresome. "If you're done with your little staring contest, I would like to be escorted to my room now."
With one last cold glance at Raff, who gave Contracts his classic gentle smile, he turned his back to them and led them to their rooms. Along the way, he didn't utter a single word. When they arrived, he locked their doors shut and placed a confinement seal for assurance.
"I'll come back later to bring you to dinner," he said curtly and left.
***With Games***
"Raff is so mean," he muttered under his breath. "Who locks their friend in a room like that without any hesitation?" He even messed up my hair, Games thought. Not that it was neat in the first place, but that's beyond the point.
"Ah, got it!" he exclaimed as the door swung open. He tucked a pair of wires back into his pocket and poked his head out into the hallway. Seeing it was completely empty, he walked out. "Now where are they?"
***With Raff***
Looking around the plain white room, Raff couldn't help but sigh. "Games was right; the rooms are bad." He took a seat on the bed and waited for Games to come. Being replaced messed up the plan a bit, but it should be fine, he thought. I wonder how long he'll take to get here.
As if on cue, the door flung open and a certain pink-head floated in. "Hey, Raff yo-"
"Shh, do you want to alert the whole mansion?" he reprimanded getting up from the bed.
Games promptly rolled his eyes. "Why, thanks for rescuing me, Games. Oh, your welcome, Raff."
"Don't talk to yourself, it's-"
"Unbecoming of a God," he finished, sick of hearing the phrase.
"It's also unbecoming of a God to interrupt another's sentence."
"Hmph. That's what you did," Games muttered.
"What was that?"
"Nothing~," he replied.
"Let's go," Atiri said from behind the pink head. "We're wasting time."
The three of them started to make their way back toward the entrance of the mansion and the common area they were in earlier.
"So, Raff. What was that earlier?"
"With Contracts? Nothing. I was just clarifying facts."
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Games inquired only to be ignored.
"You were so intense earlier. That's not like you."
"After being frozen in a state of boredom for thousands of years and finding out that I was replaced as soon as I came back, I think I have the right to be irritated. He just happened to catch me when my patience finally ran out."
"Oh," she said, clearly losing interest.
Games, realizing that he wouldn't find out anything, decided to keep his mouth closed and not waste his breath.
Soon, they reached the common area.
Raff reached out to the handle, intending to open the wooden door, only for it to swing open on its own. In front of him stood a girl with warm green eyes and bright red hair who observed him with a curious glint in her eyes.