Under the cold and cloudy sky, Sévir's steps lingered with scepticism, his heart calmly beated, his brain slowly registering the familiarity of the place he found himself in.
The civilian buildings were cut short by the placement of concrete walls half of Sévir's height. Beneath, the drop wherein the deepness wouldn't do much to the feet, but do the worst to the head.
"Percival said they'd be here.." his eyes scanned the location.
The splash of the calm sea was consistent, and showed no signs of stopping. In-between elongated platforms, floated a few ships made of wood, its sails down.
He vaulted over the wall and rolled to the hard ground. There was no mistaking the location—he found himself in a port.
He stepped forward, observing the area more keenly than earlier in hopes of finding Percival.
A minute passed and he found himself across the dock, yet there remained no signs of his teammates.
Where could they be? Was Percival just joking around? "He's really getting it if that's the case."
That was, until a figure appeared from his top right.
He looked in the direction and spotted a brown blackwood-haired girl in the Stepan uniform waving at him.
"Meredith?" He briefly sighed in relief knowing his effort to travel wasn't for naught. His feet glowed green and lifted him off the ground. The air bent completely to his will and glided him to the ship.
He slowly landed beside her, their gazes meeting. "What are you guys doing here?" That was the first thing he could think of.—Why in the ship itself, and not the docks?
She raised a brow as if clueless. "Guys? What guys? It's only me."
"What?"
"What?"
Both stood confused, silent and contemplative.
She managed to smile. "Ah right, this mission's between you and me."
"Why?" his voice had a slight edge in it. He crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes. "I don't see a reason for us to be the only ones working here."
"Calm down you raging bull. I don't see a reason to deploy the whole team here either. It'd grab too much attention, wouldn't it?"
He gripped his nape and huffed. "Why choose me?"
"Because I chose you."
The dull answer instinctively twitched his eyes, though it seemed like she couldn't care less as she turned around. "Come on, we have a mission to do."
Indeed, the girl in front of him could get as stubborn as can be once she's set her eyes onto something. He couldn't possibly ditch the mission either just because it was only Meredith around.
Thinking about it, the thought of causing further tension and hate towards the man named Sévir van Doren wasn't exactly desirable. It would be safe to say he's gotten used to it, but it's not exactly what he wanted.
With that said, he opted to stay with her throughout this mission, only sighing to express frustration, which immediately seemed to fail to reach her.
The planks that gave ground to the ship creaked only to their light footsteps, as if nobody was around.
Through further observing, his suspicion seemed to be correct.
The freezing air missed the warmth of crowding, Though both certainly couldn't feel it due to their permanent warming spell.—At least, in their covered parts. Despite the years they spent toughing out the winter air against their faces, they couldn't possibly and successfully fight back against nature's will.
Their chapped lips begged for the presence of water, and so did their eyes. But more than most, Sévir begged to finish this mission.
He wore his heart on his sleeve,—at least he thought. He wanted nothing more than to stay away from his estranged fiancée as much as possible.
But if he wanted that to happen, then he had to focus on the mission beforehand:—To infiltrate the ship and seek information.
"I checked the ship out while waiting for you, it's safe to say nobody's around for the time being."
"What information are we finding exactly?"
They pressed themselves against the wooden wall as if to hide themselves. Even if she said nobody's around, they instinctively opted to stay low.
"As per the Director, there's some scrolls laying around in the crates beneath."
"And what are in those scrolls?"
"..Plans, maps, lists, all that. He wants us to find a very.. Specific scroll." He instinctively raised a brow to the slight weakening of her voice.
They hastily walked to the hatch in the middle where the storage was located, their eyes darting left and right to confirm whether or not there were people.
The hatch was blanketed by a lattice of the same colour that etched consistent square patterns. Sévir grabbed the frame and pushed it up, exposing the entrance to the bottom of the ship—the storage.
Beneath was a wooden ladder that safely led to the bottom.
"A little steep, isn't it?"
Sévir jumped down, ignoring her question.
As he landed on his two feet, he heard a faint sigh from above. He scanned the crate-filled area.
The light from above shrunk to mere squares and the same thump as his emitted from behind. She probably closed the latch so as to not have it stick out and attract others into suspicion.—To him, that was most likely the case.
"Where do we even start?" he scratched his head.
"Over there." she pointed to the corner to their left. "You start from there, I'll check the back."
He nodded and walked over to said corner. Sévir had multiple options laid before him:—Should he get it over with and shatter the crates? It was less time-consuming than opening their tops one by one like he did before with the One Shot—Yasume Rokume, or as she says; Rokume Yasume.
Still, the slight waver in her voice earlier resurfaced in his thoughts. He glanced back and landed on the figure of her back. Constantly moving as she reached out to pull open the crates.
She turned back for a moment, their gazes meeting. Alas, he turned back to the crates and pulled them by the ledge one by one. His brows raised to the relative ease as if the crates weren't properly sealed.—Perhaps it was just his strength, or the former could be true.
He leaned towards the first crate he opened, his hands digging through the items. Each movement was slow and careful as if traps hid beneath, ready to ambush Sévir.
He felt through the items, and judging from the various lengths and widths, none of them hid any scrolls if he had to imagine generally.
Glancing back and forth, his expression deepened, imagining searching through all stacks of crates. "..Time isn't luxury.." that much he believed in. With that said, the previous option resurfaced.
Though dreaded, the sight of a golden object flying past his peripheral tensed his body immediately. Be it sparked or not, he dashed back as quick as he could, away from the familiar golden coin that passed him.
It wasn't imbued with anti-magic, but he still turned to Meredith with a glare, who giggled as if pleased. "It seems like coins are your enemies now."
His jaw ticked. "I'd appreciate it if you actually use it on the crates."
The suppression in his voice prompted a smirk on her face, her back leaning on the ladder. "Why should I? There's no reason to after all."
"..What do you mean?"
Her smile was sly, the seriousness in her expression disappeared as if it were all a facade. "There's no mission in the first place."
"....."
"I did this to lure you in, so we can have a meaningful talk."
Besides having wasted his time, there was the deception. Those two factors instinctively clenched his fists.
His mouth opened, yet nothing escaped. It was as if any resistance were meaningless, as if he himself knew this moment would come and accepted it right away.
"Cat got your tongue? At least, I won't have to hear any petty excuses to avoid this."
His body refused to react to the sharpness of her voice. Her gaze was just as sharp, as if eyeing him head to toe, demanding obedience.
He gulped, all senses engaged from the tense air brought out by her mannerism.—There he knew: There was no escaping this.
"First, why have you been ignoring me since the day we reunited? Second, what is [Heart] to you?"
Heart—He recalled the time Sanguinex went by that name before he gave her the current. Though it wasn't time to reminisce. He stood firm, his eyes the same. "Must I answer every—"
A crackling golden coin imbued in purple appeared in-between her fingers, as threatening as her glare. "I'm asking the questions here, not you."
A weak "tch" escaped his mouth, though it was all he could do.
The thick moment of silence whispered enough to his ears.
If it's the truth she wants, then it's the truth she'll get. If he lies, he'll only get stuck longer.
He inhaled deeply. "Sanguine is my polymorph.—She is my servant."
"Third: In the past seven years, what did you do to live with two more people under your care?"
She surprisingly let go of the first question. Still, he remained silent, pondering: It's not like he could confess his job as an assassin, his identity as the [Little Gang Killer]. "I worked multiple jobs to cover our heads and put food on the table." He wasn't wrong either way, though dull, the safe route would suffice.
"Fourth: Have you remained faithful to the oath of our arrangement and never laid a finger on a woman behind my back?"
He shook his head. There was no way he could do it when all his focus was on providing for his little sister.. At least that's what he'd like to say, but there was Sanguinex whom he shared [Mana Kisses] with.
He scratched his head to her stern voice.—He was being interrogated by his estranged fiancée.
"Fifth.." her hands trembled, her eyes and voice softening. "..Do you still love me?"
The sudden flip of a switch hitched his breath in surprise, just as much as her question did.
A hint of vulnerability lingered within her curious gaze. It was as if she was pleading for him to say yes.
However, even he was torn in half in the matter.
It was hard to say when all his focus was on working and vengeance the past 7 years. His enrollment to Stepan and reunion with Meredith months ago were unexpected, yet fated to occur. Besides Sanguinex, he lived a life without thinking about romance. Now that he faced the reality of the
situation, what would be the right answer?
Though he wore a stoic face, his eyes didn't. "..I don't know." It was better than a no, and worse than a yes.
She rubbed her eyes as if wiping away tears. "You should know, idiot."
The waver in her voice was as if she knew he lied in the last question, and as if she considered the fact he no longer loved her.
When was the last time he saw such vulnerability in her eyes? Even 'till now, his chest weighed seeing them.
The reminiscing of memories warmed his heart, but at the same time, he knew where it stood in his life.
"Is it Zephyr?"
"..."
"Is it Zephyr holding you back?"
"....."
She stepped closer. "Sévir, you don't need to estrange yourself from me. If it's Zephyr you're worried about, then let me reassure you!" she grabbed his hands. "I miss her too, I'm supposed to be her sister—you know that! If it's the backlash you worry about, then let me help you."
She was the Third Undefeated after all. From what he understood, such position was powerful enough, being the secretary of the First Undefeated.
If he can't protect Zephyr from backlash, then Meredith could;—she had the means.
But something stabbed his back to the thought of relying on others,—on Meredith. So he pulled his hands away. "No, I don't need your help."
"..."
He slightly puffed his chest, his brows furrowing. "Do you think I can't handle it? I've taken care of my sister for seven years without any help from the likes of you."
A hint of betrayal painted her eyes. "..That's not—"
"Meredith, I don't know if I still love you, but let me make one thing clear." he went on so naturally, yet couldn't stop. "I'm not interested in reciprocating your love."
He dug his hand in his pocket, taking out a silver ring hugging a precious diamond. "Take the ring, I've nowhere to place it."
That's right,—it was their engagement ring; the one that was supposed to symbolise their love and connection.
The ship creaked slightly underfoot, the distant splashes of the sea amplifying the stillness of everything. He didn't fail to notice the paleness on her face, and the trembling of her arms as she gripped the hem of her skirt. "You.. Don't get it, do you?"
"I really don't. That's why you deserve someone who does."
Her gaze burned with unspoken words as she stepped forward, placing her hands on her chest with rosy cheeks. "Sévir, this isn't just about the ring, nor is it just you and me—it's about everything!" her voice cracked. "The promises we made, the years we lost.. W—What could've been!"
He stood firm, but it was difficult to hide his flinching. "..Everything's different now. The tide of time, the course of everything,—You.. And me." his voice lowered to a whisper "I'm different now."
"..."
"..."
"..It was hard."
"Huh?"
"It was hard living without you. The years I spent in Zenith made me realise as I grew, that I was head over heels for you."
"..."
"So the revelation of the coup d'état shook me to my core.—I was paralysed. I found myself unable to move for months."
His breath weakingly hitched.
"But I decided to take matters into my own hands. I simply couldn't believe your death, and so while I did what I could to find out your status and whereabouts, I enrolled in the academy to avenge you,—your family.—"
Her grip tightened, her gaze met his. "You're the reason I'm the Third Undefeated!"
"...."
"Sévir, why don't you give us a chance?"
"..."
"..Why don't we start again?"
He bit his lip.
"I want to stand beside you as a fellow Undefeated, and as your partner in life."
Sévir instinctively gulped, his heart skipping another beat. Despite that, he already explained his reasons, and so the answer was obvious to both. But it was as if she was clinging on to the very last inches of hope that remained.
The sight of her fighting a lost battle ate him up inside, clashing with his cold and indifferent exterior.
Still, he was resolute in his decision. He reached out his hand with the ring. "Take the ring. Let's end this farce."
All she had to do was take the ring, but her arm didn't move.—From there, he knew it. "No." she shook her head. "I don't want the ring.. I wanted you." her shoulder drooped, her voice dropping.
Yet from the silence alone, his decision weighed heavy, and it was as if she finally realised it.
"Go," she whispered. "Leave, before I make a fool of myself again."
Sévir hesitated, the strings in his heart tugged by something he couldn't pin down. The lowness and emptiness in her voice was uncharacteristic. Despite that, he knew there was nothing more to be said.
And so he dropped the ring and walked away, leaving behind Meredith and the tinging echo of the silver ring.
.
.
.
*
The distant whoosh of the sea and the gentle blow of the wind filled her ears in the otherwise silent room.
Surrounded by wooden crates within the wooden ship, she stood face to face with the ring her lover dropped, her body cold and shivering despite the warming spell of her uniform.
She crouched, picking up the ring identical to hers.
The weight in her chest was hard to ignore, even more as she stared at the ring bigger than hers.
"Must I still cry for a jerk like him?" she asked no one, a single tear escaping her eye.
All the time she spent working her heart out on his behalf.
All the pain she endured.
All her efforts to meet him again, to continue the [happily ever after] she was destined to have.. "..I..really am a stupid girl."
A few seconds of silence, the bite of her lip, and the furrowing of her brows. She buried the ring in her trembling hand. "..But I.." her voice, low and deep, held back. "I wasted all my time on you, Sévir van Doren...—I..—I won't let you [hang me] again."
She quickly stood up, her heart racing as her eyes glistened. She couldn't pin it down, but it was as if the weights lifted off her chest so suddenly. "If it's me you don't want, then it's me you won't get."
The coldness in her body disappeared, the warmth of the uniform returned. She wiped the sole tear mark away and turned to the ladder that led to reality.
.
.
.
*
"Sévir.."
"Sévir!"
He sat straight, blinking several times. "What?"
The blood red-haired girl sat across from him with a frown beside a soft blue-haired girl.—Sanguinex and Minerva. "You were dozing off. Were you thinking of another girl?"
Minerva smirked. "That might be the case."
He huffed and folded his arms. "You're wrong." They were right.
The memory of the talk was still fresh in his mind—it was only a few hours ago. Now it was late afternoon.
"Listen here you damn coconut, you only need to think of me!.. And Zephyr." she pointed at Minerva. "You don't need to think about Gros-whatever-your-name-is, Meredith, Ms. Ardell, or anyone!"
Minerva chuckled. "You're quite possessive, aren't you?"
Sanguinex huffed and bit off a chunk of bread. "Ich only nachural, he keepsh looking at othersh, never me!"
"Sanguine, don't talk when your mouth's full."
She rolled her eyes. "'Kay Dad."
While they were already at it, he resolved to get his mind off Meredith for now. He leaned forward, his chin resting on his palm. "Y'know, you really lack femininity."
She swallowed and stared at him as if dumbfounded. "Huh? Whacha mean? Don't you see these?" she pointed at her chest, her smile oozing in confidence. "I got some knockers!"
"Take a look at the mirror, they're small. Besides, I'm not interested in sacks of fat that'll just deteriorate as you gr—Argh!" he leaned back, catching the two loaves of bread that flew straight to his forehead.
He gazed at the two who glared at him, as if he said something terrible.
"..What do you mean they're small!?"
"My, I don't think I appreciate my assets being called 'sacks of fat'. The world would be a much better place if that were the case."
Sévir braced himself for what was to come.
Minerva elegantly stood from her seat with a confident smile. "You see, these assets you call 'sacks of fat' rules the world! Because we women have these assets, we can easily wrap men around our thumbs. All of them will agree, and anyone who doesn't think so is the [enemy of women]."
"All the more reason to chop them off as a torture method." he spoke blankly, biting off a piece of bread.
"That's cruel." She sat down.
He swallowed his food. "You've been more talkative lately."
"Have I?"
"Yeah, you keep explaining things we never ask for."
She smirked, a hand above her chest. "I've been feeling generous lately, so
I decided to educate those with subpar knowledge."
He frowned, not appreciating what she just said as if saying he was stupid.
He glanced at Sanguinex, taken aback by how calm she was: At this rate, she'd pick a fight with Minerva.
Minerva on the other hand would entertain them, knowing she herself would find joy in watching the girl fume.
They truly were despicable women.—Sévir religiously believed in it.
Despite that, he still found himself recalling the events of earlier throughout the day.
.
.
.
The transition from playful to authoritative to vulnerable within his now ex-fiancée still didn't fail to leave him in wonder, frustrating confusion.
Still, he couldn't blame her for attempting to fix things. Though it still baffled him as to how and why she still kept the ring and the status for seven years straight without his presence, whilst he forgot everything.
He couldn't exactly blame himself either; he had been so engrossed in his mission to get Zephyr out of the slums and avenge his family.
"If you put it that way," he instinctively folded his arms, "then we just aren't meant to be. The past doesn't define the present.—It's the same for me and Meredith."
He gazed up at the dark sky brilliantly imbued in purple and orange, the sinking sun marking the end of the short day.
"That girl.."
The image of Meredith's feminine figure briefly etched into his mind. He gazed down at the floor. "She messed up badly by clinging onto me. To be honest, she could've just found much better guys who'd give her what she wants."
That's what she saw in you. Said a familiar voice in his head, not belonging to him.
"Blue.." That's right,—the portion of his rangic imbued in his brain: The sentient [Blue] who controls his water magic.
It doesn't take a genius to figure that out. The fact she kept you in her mind and even fell in love as she matured should speak volumes.
His temples stung slightly, prompting to rub it and sigh in frustration. "..I just don't get it."
You never will. Not as long as you're like this.
Sévir shrugged.
You don't even treat Sanguinex like a human enough.
"Because she isn't—"
That's beyond the point. His voice slightly growled. If you can't understand why Sanguinex loves you, why she clings on whenever she can, then you'll never understand why Meredith does the same.
Silence. Sévir had nothing to say. Whatever his thoughts were, Blue instantly knew since they shared the same consciousness.
At last, Sévir put his hands on his hips and gazed straight, meeting the orange half-lit star that would burn the untrained eye.
"..It's not my problem anymore, I've surrendered the ring;—I've called it quits." Yet hearing himself say those words stung his chest a little, much to his confusion.
"That aside, I wonder if Zephyr's okay."
I guess that's normal. To be honest, not even I like the sound of Zephyr going out there.
Blue's worry had to be profound. They shared the same consciousness and the same thoughts most of the time after all.
However, the weight on Sévir's chest weakened his knees. It seemed like Blue felt it too as he let out an "mm" sound. You're worried, aren't you?
His voice shook. "Is that a question?"
Suppose not. Whatever you feel, I feel.
There came the thought of rushing over and checking on her. But as if Blue noticed instantly, he sighed. It's no good. At the very least, give it a few hours. If she doesn't return by the twenty-first hour, then gear up.
Much as his blood boiled enough to refute and go ahead anyway, he inhaled more air and cooled his head. "..Fine."
She has to return. You'll turn [17] in [seven hours], no?
He nodded.
Exactly. She wouldn't miss it for the world.
Still, the weight on his chest and the churn of his stomach was hard to ignore. Even so, he had to keep a cool head and hope for the best.