I woke up by the sound of someone knocking at my door in the middle of the night. I rub my eyes and slowly stand up, but I was way too tired to even understand what was happening. Who could knock at my door at this hour?
I open the door and see a little girl. She looks very young. She must be around 10 or 11 years old.
I look at her confused because I didn't know what she wants and I don't know how to deal with children.
"Are you alright?"
I hope I didn't sound too stiff. Talking to children is like talking to a whole different species.
Wait... Why is she crying now?! I didn't say anything wrong- or did I? How do people support children?
I awkwardly touch her shoulder to try to calm her down but instead of stopping to cry she hugs me and rubs all her tears in my T-Shirt.
What is even happening here? And who the hell is this child? Because she was so loud I just took her in and closed the door. I didn't want guards to come here in the middle of the night.
When she calmed down she looked at me and I ask again:
"Who are you?"
She sniffs and finally responds.
"I'm Ria. My ability is... uhm.. well I can see through lies. I'm a 7."
I was a bit, or really, confused by that statement, because normally a Cora doesn't immediately tell their ability. But maybe it was just because she is a child.
"Are you going to tell me what happened?"
She immediately responds.
"Normally I am inside of a special room, isolated from everyone else, because I know too much."
She says. She looks more serious now. She must have calmed down a lot. I still don't understand why she cried in the first place.
"What do you mean by that?"
She looks at me like I am completely dumb. She must think I am, but it's not my fault if she knocks at my door in the middle of the night and tells me something about her ability while crying.
"I know things that other Coras are never supposed to know."
Now I am just more confused.
"And why are you coming to me then? I am a Cora by the way."
She rolls her eyes. Why is she rolling her eyes? I really thought that maybe she doesn't know that I am one.
"It's not my problem if you know some things. I don't want to get into trouble. You may go now"
She starts to piss me off. I just want to sleep I will have to do a lot tomorrow.
"I know things about the case 0."
She responds. Now she got my attention.
"How can you even know about that? This case is completely secret. No other Cora besides me is supposed to know he exists."
She looks at me for a second. Now she walks over to my bed and just... Sits down? On my bed?
"I won't just give you information for free of course. You have to do me a favor first."
Is that the same girl who was crying in my arms just a few minjutes ago? She acts older than me now, and I am 17.
"You're bluffing, right? I'm pretty sure that you can't tell secrets at all."
I make a gesture and tap on my neck. She has something like a technical collar around her neck. I've already seen this before in the laboratory. It is used to inject poison in the person who wears it, when special conditions are caused.
It will probably activate for her if she tells things she isn't supposed to. She knows that I know, because now her smile fades.
"Hide me in your room. I don't want to go back. Not back to the professor. I know you are his favorite. Even if they find me here they will probably forgive you and if you tell them, then maybe they will even spare me. You don't realize the impact that you have o-"
"You are mistaking things clearly."
I interrupt her.
"I might be his favorite experiment, but that only means I have to suffer way more than others. I hate him and I wish for him the cruelest Death. I don't want to deal with a punishment if you get caught. I also have no reason to keep you here. I can just live as usual."
She looks at me. She doesn't respond. She is probably really disappointed.
"Why did you cry when you came here?"
I ask, because now I am really curious.
"Because they captured my mom."
She said, but this time she didn't cry.
I've never really had a mother, and I don't really care either. I don't need parents, but she probably only has her mother left. It is rare for a Cora to have a parent, and it is even rarer that a parent is also a Cora.
"You could safe her."
She said.
"You could ask the professor to let her go. I don't wanna lose her. She is the last thing that I have. She is my mother"
To be honest I couldn't care less about a child and her mother. I'd have to risk a lot if I want to try that.
"What could you offer me?"
I ask while looking at her now. She looks sad and desperate.
"I don't know. I could be around you all the time and... detect lies? I don't know."
Thats ridiculous.
"I'll do it."
I say. Her eyes lighten up as she hears that and if I wouldn't have pushed her away she would have hugged me again.
"Now go outside before I overthink my decision."
She goes to the door and opens it.
"Thank you so much, Jinsei."
She smiles and runs away.
After I laid back in my bed I realized something.
Did I ever mention my name?