February 28, 1976 (Present Day)
The City of Cheshire
(Yamir's POV)
"I can't sleep…."
No matter how many times I tossed and turned in my bed, I could never seem to get comfortable.
How odd. Is it because I have a lot on my mind?
I mean, not surprising since today was both an eventful and stressful day overall.
Hell, even now, my mind is still struggling to wrap around the idea that Loki herself is back.
And to make matters worse, Kenji Naiden is now in the picture, Dazai and Dazrael are in danger, I'm being forced to go to school, and I still don't know how Yamato will react to me the next time we meet.
…I really do have my work cut out for me, huh.
*Sigh*.
Only one hour has passed since Naoto called in the team meeting. It was mostly spent discussing how to proceed with the operation and get an idea on what our next moves should be.
While I made sure to keep note on what "could" be important, there wasn't much worth noting for now.
As I continued to roll around in my bed, I began to think a little. For instance, I wonder what everyone was thinking about when we all left.
When it comes down to the mission itself, were all of us truly on the same page? Or perhaps, did some of us still prioritized our own little agendas?
Naoto…
I don't know about Via, but I'm well aware how obsessed that man is with this mission.
Me, on the other hand, couldn't care less whether or not we capture our target. All that matters to me is finding the most optimal way of staying alive.
Even if it means betraying the very organization who took me in when I couldn't remember anything.
That was the ultimate decision I chose to make.
….So why?
Why do I feel so hesitant?
My hands. They just won't stop shaking. No matter how many times I wash them, they always sweat….
I hate it. This feeling of stress, I mean.
Where did it come from? This seed of doubt and nervousness. It wasn't there before I got here…
Ugh, I don't feel so good….
Tch, screw this.
I could do with some fresh air right about now.
Since Freed offered to let us stay over for tonight, I was given a decent looking room that resided on the second floor. It even came with a small balcony.
After pushing open the glass doors, I was greeted by a sudden gust of the cold and crisp night air.
"Ahh~….How refreshing~...."
There aren't many things I'm fond of, but if there's anything I enjoy, it's the serenity of the night sky.
There's just something alluring about it. Just seeing the starry lights sparkle amidst the darkness above is enough to help me relax.
Hmm, maybe that's why I like staying up all night stargazing….
But just as I was taking the time to unwind and enjoy the silence, I suddenly heard something random.
"Hyup!"
"Hurrah!"
It was faint at first, but after listening closely, it sounded like someone was training downstairs.
Wait, isn't that coming from the direction of….?
Since the balcony I was at overlooked the front campus of the mansion, the main courtyard was directly in front of me. Which means….
Once I looked closely, there was no doubt about it.
Even after all this time, "that boy" was still there…
"Hmm…"
Right now, it's the middle of the night and I don't sense anybody else in particular nearby.
If I wanted to go talk to someone in secret, now would be the perfect time…
*Sigh*, fine.
But before I go, let me go grab something real quick.
…Alright, now I'm ready.
*Hyup!*
After checking my surroundings one more time, I leapt over the fence and jumped to the ground from the second floor.
From there, I maneuvered my way through the courtyard. As I approached one of the clearings from within, the exhausting grunts of that boy became much more audible.
Once I eventually saw his figure come into view, I erased my presence and hid behind some random yet thick looking hedge bush.
That was when I peeked around the corner and observed him from up close.
There, I noticed that the boy was swinging his practice sword from multiple angles. His body, hair and attire was also utterly drenched with sweat.
But just as I wondered how long he had been out here training, I also noticed there was some sort of fire in his eyes. It was as if he was training with some sort of purpose in mind. How fascinating…
Suddenly though, he stopped swinging his blade and stood in place. His back was also facing my general location so I doubt he noticed me.
"I know you're there. Stop hiding or make yourself scarce at once." The boy randomly said.
Nevermind, I guess he did sense my presence after all. Ah, well, since I've been spotted, there's no point in staying here any more.
"Sorry. I thought I heard something strange from around here, so I came to check it out. I didn't mean to pry or interrupt anything important."
"Lies."
"Hm?"
"You were watching me from the balcony, were you not? You're the girl on the second floor." He replied.
"Oh, is that so? My bad then."
"I don't want your fake apologies. What I want to know is why you went out your way to talk with me."
Well, well, well. Not only did he notice my presence before I even got here, his straight to business attitude leaves it difficult to play any tricks on him.
That's a good start.
As I thought about the things I learned about him, I put my hand to my chin and pondered some more.
"You're Tyrus, aren't you?"
"What's it to you?" He asked suspiciously.
"So that means you're Freed's son. And the next prince in line to inherit the family title, huh."
Again, Tyrus paused midswing.
"Son? Prince? Don't make me laugh."
"What? You got a rocky relationship with your father or something?"
"That's none of your business." He sternly replied, while putting extra pressure in his next attack.
After that, another bout of silence passed by. Only the sounds of his training filled in the gaps.
"Why weren't you at the party today?" I asked.
"If you're talking about the grand banquets that Father likes to throw, then I wasn't invited."
"What? Why not?"
"Don't know, don't care. But even if he did extend an invitation to me, I still wouldn't come."
"Do you dislike parties?"
"Not exactly. It's just why should I waste time on festivities when I should be busy getting stronger?"
"Oh? So you like training?"
"Whether I like it or not doesn't matter. What's really important is that I get stronger."
Suddenly, Tyrus stopped to glance at his hand.
"Right now, I need power. The power to protect my loved ones and prevent any more deaths…."
"Any more", huh. I think I'm starting to understand a little more about the fire in his eyes. It seems like Tyrus has also experienced both tragedy and loss.
Heh, this just gets better and better….
"I see. Well, here you go then." I replied.
As I said that, I tossed a water bottle over to him.
"Huh?"
"You can't get stronger when you're dehydrated."
"Hah, I see. If you did bring something like this beforehand, then our encounter really wasn't a mere coincidence." He replied with a soft smile.
"Being parched isn't a pleasant feeling. I know it's not much, but I thought I would bring this to you as a small token of friendship."
"Friendship, huh. How interesting…."
"And what's your name?" He asked.
"It's Yamir. But you don't need to worry about me. I'm just a girl from out of town."