"Hmmm...?"
Inside an elf's lonely home, there stood a faerie. She stared at the sleeping bird who carried a Projector, it was also lying down next to the sleeping elf.
Quietly, she snatches that certain Projector.
'This... is from the Palace,' she thought as she activated the Projector.
In that projector, she saw everything. Her surprise was only temporary as she knew a day like this would come.
'But, isn't it already too late? There's already been a victim among us, and they're only acting now?'
She destroyed the Projector with her bare hands. But other than her anger, she was confused.
'How come they don't know a thing?' she thought again as she looked back at the sleeping elf man. With the striking moonlight from the open window, his ethereal beauty was visible...
As well as the black veins on his neck down to his chest...
The faerie stood there as drops of her blood fell from her hand to the floor. Her hand was completely wounded from the destroyed crystal. Her expression was empty, but her eyes were full of emotions.
"We have the flower... all we have to do now is take the antidote..." she said softly. "You'll wake up and you'll get better soon, Cimmerian."
The faerie, Dolunay, then left the house. As she had the door closed, mist started to gather around and wrap around the bed.
The bird immediately became alert and woke up, he flew away.
Right after that, the bed where the elf lied... disappeared.
"Ahhh..."
A groan escaped Yves' lips as he dipped his whole body in the tub. He was already inside his personal room, the one he'll use for the duration of the investigation.
He felt the warmth of the water wrap around his body like a blanket. He then let his whole body and head sink down.
He needed to cool his head actually. He's mad, completely mad at himself. He's honestly so disappointed, but it's already been done...
He'll do everything he can after this case. Whatever it is.
'I'm cutting ties with you. Don't contact me anymore."
He once again, sat up, lifting his head off the water.
"—Ain't no way is that possible," he mumbled to himself, as he clenched his fist.
Among all nine children, he felt closest to Rue the most. They know each other the most, and of course, it's a given that he knows a lot about her. And he knows that it could've never been possible that she willingly cut ties with her precious friends. That's not the Rue he knows of.
...but she could've changed a lot, right?
'Fuck it, I don't know anymore.'
He roughly pulled himself on to the water. There's no use thinking about it. He needs to focus only on the mission for now. In the first place, he shouldn't be so bothered about this. It's already been done. He can only do what he can at the moment.
That was supposed to be his mindset.
This is the first time that he's annoyed at himself for feeling this way...
'This is just another example of how much a person can change in a span of years here on Earth,' he thought to himself again.
That very night, Yves was unable to sleep. Hence why he got off his bed way too early than he usually does. He focused on reading the confidential files given to him by his Father Samael, and Tadeas. The new files were more information they gathered on the group for the past few days of waiting for Kian and the others to arrive.
He read and brainstormed for seven hours straight, until he noticed it was already five in the morning. He got up from his seat, stretched his body, and opened the window curtains. The sun isn't up yet, but it's already bright outside.
He didn't bother changing into casual wear and simply left his room in his nightwear. He just wanted some fresh air and to walk around the big ass palace. He teleported to the kitchen, and there was a pack of trail mix and cookies, all prepared.
He couldn't get over the bad habit of stealing snacks from the kitchen every morning and the Grimstone became completely used to it, to the point that one of their tasks is to make sure that there is a morning snack prepared for their Young Master.
'Callista definitely informed them,' he thought and smiled. He's been able to easily take snacks from the kitchen every morning as they were prepared for him every time. It's been almost a week since he started staying here in the Imperial Palace.
After taking the trail mix and cookies from the kitchen, he strides his way to his usual path to the garden, where he relaxes and replenishes mana near nature.
However, when he got there, he couldn't help but smile at the sight in front of his eyes.
Three of his students are meditating, sitting on the green grass with their legs crossed, eyes closed, and with correct posture. All three of them were sitting next to each other, completely quiet and focused.
'Seems like they've been here for a while now,' he thought as he bit on the cookie as quiet as he could. With his 'eyes', he can tell that they've replenished and circulated plenty of mana already. That normally would take more than twenty four hours of meditation, but if they were his disciples, then an hour or even thirty minutes is enough for a complete mana circulation.
In a few minutes, the three opened their eyes and sighed in relief.
Yves smiles proudly. 'They did mention all nine of them finished training within three years,' he thought.
"Ya good?"
All three turned to him immediately after hearing his voice. They honestly did not feel his presence, which amazes them to this day. From the moment they were done with training, they've become oversensitive, to the point that they all suffered insomnia in the first few months of over-sensitivity.
But after almost seven years of experience, it's still impossible for them to detect his presence?
"You being a deity has something to do with us not feeling your presence every fucking time..." Kian mumbles upon recovery from his sudden alertness. He nearly jumped away from his spot.
Yves, on the other hand, laughed in amusement. He's surprised by the fact that they still believe him, but he's more happy that they never found it ridiculous or thought that he lied to them about being a deity.
They're such an honest bunch of children, he taught them right.
"Of course it has to be the reason, he's a deity of complete nothingness," Ezio mentioned, and a question somehow crossed his mind. "Now that I think of it, isn't your personality way off for a deity of Void?"
The three observed his reaction, but he doesn't seem bothered by the question. Yves sat down in front of them, and took another bite of the cookie before he responded.
"Well, I was actually what you initially thought a deity of Void would be," he gave an honest statement. "Even I'm confused on how I went from bland and lazy to childish and persistently working."
The three stared at him quietly as he gave them a detail of his past. As the rising sun hit all of them, they couldn't help but be mesmerized by how his eyes shine as the light hits it. He had a gentle gaze as he looked down on the little wildflower in front of him.
"....I might or might not have found my purpose in life."
He himself wasn't sure if he found a purpose to live or to kill himself.
Does he want to live long... or does he want to kill himself?
It's neither. He simply wants to feel alive.