They continued their walk toward the Fourth Hall, where the Black Knight was being held.
Although they walked together, no one spoke a word, the silence hanging heavy in the air.
"See? I knew their reaction would be funny," Lyria said to Djeeta with a small laugh.
"Damn, looks like I lost this time, Lyria," Djeeta admitted with a sigh.
The two of them had made a bet about how Monika, Lecia, and Tzaka would react to Rei revealing he was an Astral. Djeeta had guessed they'd be shocked and bombard him with questions, while Lyria predicted they'd be struck silent.
With the group's silence, Lyria had won.
"Now your pudding is mine, Djeeta~" Lyria teased, already imagining the delight of eating two puddings that Rei had made.
"I should've joined the bet too," Vyrn grumbled. "Then I could've gotten extra apple treats."
"Haha, if you want, you can have my pudding, Vyrn," Katalina said with a kind smile.
As the mood among Djeeta's group grew lighter, they chatted happily, while others remained quiet especially Eugen and Orchid.
Both looked nervous, lost in thought about what they would say when they finally faced the Black Knight.
Eugen carried personal grievances with her, but for Orchid, it was different. She needed answers and clarity.
Rei, noticing the silence from Monika, Lecia, and Tzaka decided to said something. "By the way, why are the three of you so quiet?"
"What kind of person wouldn't be silent after hearing something like that?!" Lecia blurted out.
She mimicked Rei's voice dramatically, "'Oh, hello Lecia! My name is Rei, and by the way, I'm an Astral. You know, the race that created the primal beasts and vanished 500 years ago, but hey, here I am!'"
"Calm down, Lecia," Monika said, trying to rein her in.
"Captain Monika, this is big! Even my father's never met an Astral, and now one's walking through our headquarters like it's no big deal!" Lecia exclaimed.
"I understand, Lecia. And also, stop calling me 'Captain.' Just calm down for now," Monika replied with a sigh.
Meanwhile, Tzaka seemed to be deep in thought. "Now it makes sense how you could defeat my Colossus so easily," he muttered.
Eventually, Monika gave up on calming Lecia, letting her vent while she slowed her pace to walk beside Rei.
"Can I ask you something... Rei?" she said hesitantly, as though unsure if it was appropriate to address him so casually.
"Why the hesitation? Just call me Rei, like usual. Go ahead and ask," Rei replied, his tone warm and encouraging.
"Why would an Astral like yourself become a skyfarer? From what I've read, Astrals are supposed to be highly charismatic beings who care only about results, not others," Monika said.
"Where did you even read that?" Rei asked, confused. "That description's... strange."
Monika explained, "During my time as captain, I read a lot of books to gather knowledge. One of them described Astrals that way."
"I see. Well, that's not entirely accurate. I'm not a fully-fledged Astral. I was born to human parents, and I have human emotions," Rei explained.
"I see... So, does that mean we don't have to worry about you trying to enslave the Skydwellers again?" Monika asked cautiously.
"Wha?! No, that's way too much trouble. I'd rather have fun with everyone. Besides, if I tried anything like that, my girlfriends would kill me," Rei said, laughing nervously as he recalled Djeeta and Lyria's anger in the past.
"Girlfriends? You have girlfriends?" Monika asked, looking genuinely surprised.
"Why are you so surprised? Yes, I have girlfriends," Rei said, slightly amused.
"I just... When you said Astral, I thought... Never mind."
"You thought Astrals can't reproduce or something?" Rei guessed.
"...Yes," Monika admitted.
"That's technically true—for Astrals who stay in Estalucia. But when they come to the Sky Realm, their bodies adapt to this world, allowing them to reproduce. And another thing: Astrals don't care about gender or race. They can alter their race or gender freely," Rei explained.
"Huh. I didn't know any of that," Monika said, intrigued.
Their conversation continued until they finally arrived at the jail cell where the Black Knight was being held.
In front of them stood a large, thick wooden door reinforced with steel bars over a small window at the top.
"So, now what?" Rei asked the group.
"Can I please go in first?" Orchid suddenly said from beside him.
"Orchid... I see," Djeeta said, realizing what Orchid wanted. She turned to Lecia. "What do you think?"
"Go in alone? Hmm... Alright, we'll wait here," Lecia replied. At first, she didn't understand, but something clicked for her soon after.
"Go for it, Orchid," Rei said, gently caressing the hand she was holding his with.
"Hmm," Orchid nodded, then slowly let go of Rei's hand.
"Here, Orchid. The key," Monika said, handing her the large key to the door in front of them.
Orchid accepted the key gratefully. Taking a deep breath, she stepped toward the door, unlocked it, and began pushing it open.
As the door creaked open, she exhaled deeply, steeling herself, before stepping inside and closing it behind her.
-----
When Orchid stepped into the room, her gaze fell on Apollonia—the Black Knight. She stood near the window, bathed in the soft light filtering through the iron bars. Apollonia wore a sleeveless white bodysuit that accentuated her graceful yet powerful form. Her short, chestnut-brown hair, now free from her armor's imposing helm, framed her face with an unfamiliar softness.
[IMAGE]
"Just put the food there," Apollonia said flatly, not bothering to turn around, her attention seemingly locked on the view outside.
"Apollo," Orchid called, her voice steady but tinged with emotion.
The name pierced the silence like an arrow. Apollonia jolted, her entire body stiffening in surprise. Slowly, she turned, her sharp gaze softening into shock when she saw Orchid standing there.
"Orchis?" Apollonia questioned, her voice carrying disbelief.
What stood before her, however, was not the girl she had last seen. Gone was the empty, lifeless shell she had grown used to. The Orchid in front of her now stood tall, her face radiant with emotion and determination, her red eyes no longer hollow but filled with light and purpose.
"My name is Orchid, not Orchis," she said firmly, descending the short stairs into the room.
"What?" Apollonia murmured, confusion etched across her face.
"But that doesn't matter," Orchid continued, her lips curling into a small, bittersweet smile. "Hello, Apollo. It's been a long time."
"How can you be here?" Apollonia's voice grew tense. "I thought Freesia took you with her. Don't tell me that man helped you."
"Yes," Orchid answered calmly. "Rei and Lyria saved me from Freesia and the Empire. A lot has happened while you've been here, Apollo."
Apollonia's eyes narrowed. "The Erste Empire... Does that mean Freesia failed?"
"She's been dealt with. The Empire won't come after me or Lyria ever again," Orchid said softly, her words steady but filled with finality.
"Rei..." Apollonia muttered, bitterness creeping into her tone. "It's always him. I knew he wasn't ordinary, especially after what happened with Yggdrasil." She paused, her mind flickering to the memory of his wings and the power he radiated. "Release me, Orchis. We need to return to the airship and continue our work."
"..." Orchid stood silent, her expression unreadable.
"Orchis?" Apollonia pressed, but her voice carried a hint of unease.
"What do I mean to you, Apollo?" Orchid asked suddenly, her voice cutting through the tension like a blade.
Apollonia blinked, taken aback. "What are you talking about?"
"Am I just a tool to you? Or am I a person?" Orchid's voice was steady but sharp, each word striking with precision. She took a step closer, her piercing gaze locking with Apollonia's.
"What—" Apollonia started, but the words caught in her throat.
"You've always called me a tool," Orchid continued. "Ever since that accident. You treated me like I was some kind of decoration, something to be used. I didn't speak back then because I thought it didn't matter. You never acted like I existed beyond what I could do for you."
"Orchis..." Apollonia whispered, her voice faltering.
"So tell me, Apollo. Am I important to you as a person, or am I just a tool for your ambitions?" Orchid's voice rose, carrying a sharp edge of pain and defiance.
Apollonia's lips parted, but no words came. She averted her gaze, guilt flashing in her eyes. Orchid's accusations hit their mark—Apollonia had never truly seen her. Only Orchis, the body she inhabited, the friend she had failed to save.
"I see." Orchid's voice softened, the hurt giving way to acceptance. "Don't worry about your childhood friend, Apollo. I'll bring her back—with Rei's help."
Apollonia's head shot up. "Wait! Orchis!"
"Thank you for taking care of me during our time together," Orchid said, her tone almost gentle. "If you ever truly cared about that." She turned, her white hair catching the faint light as she moved toward the door. "Goodbye, Black Knight."
"Wait!" Apollonia lunged forward, only to be stopped by the chains binding her. She tugged violently, frustration and regret spilling from her lips. "Ugh! This damn chain!"
Orchid glanced back, her expression calm yet resolute. "Don't worry, Black Knight. I'll bring your Orchis back." Her lips curved into a faint smile. "And like I said before, my name is Orchid. Not Orchis."
Without another word, she stepped out, closing the heavy door behind her.
Orchid, now outside the room, stopped in front of the heavy door. She exhaled deeply, her chest rising and falling as if shedding the weight of her confrontation with the Black Knight.
She felt a sense of relief, having finally said everything that had weighed on her heart for so long. Yet, it wasn't complete. Not yet. She still needed to return this body to Orchis. Only then would she feel truly free—free to live her own life in her own body.
Looking around, she noticed the hallway was empty. Rei and the others were no longer in front of the jail room. After a brief moment of confusion, she spotted them a short distance away, near the side of the prison.
Her eyes landed on Rei, standing with Eugen, his expression calm but firm.
"You need to talk to her, Eugen," Rei said, his voice steady but carrying a note of urgency. "Just tell her the truth. If she wants to beat you up after that, let her. You probably deserve it."
Eugen looked away, his shoulders slumping under the weight of his guilt. "Yeah... but I don't know if it's right for me to go to her. After abandoning her during her childhood—after leaving her alone to deal with everything—I don't think I deserve to be called her father."
Rei crossed his arms and let out a sigh. "I'm not going to sugarcoat it; you're right. What you did was wrong. You left her because you couldn't handle your grief after your wife's death. But you can't undo the past, Eugen. You need to face it. Own your mistakes if you want any chance at a future with her."
Eugen stayed silent, his head bowed, lost in thought.
Seeing that Eugen needed time, Rei stepped back and turned his gaze toward Orchid, who stood watching them from a distance. A gentle smile spread across his face, and he extended both arms toward her.
The simple gesture made Orchid's heart swell. She couldn't stop the smile that broke across her face. Without hesitation, she rushed toward him, her steps quick and unsteady, until she crashed into him and buried herself in his embrace.
"Good job, Orchid," Rei said softly, his arms wrapping around her protectively. He rested his hand on her head, gently stroking her snowy white hair.
"Hmm..." Orchid murmured, her voice a content hum as she melted into his warmth.