After a while, Norman gets up and says, "I think we should go inside; it's kind of late." Okay, I'll join you later, said Kassidee. Kassidee stares at Norman as he leaves and slowly disappears into the darkness. She sees a faint glow and wonders, "Did Norman change his form?" She dismissed the thought with a sigh and continued stargazing, gradually drifting into her thoughts.
Hello, Norman said, a lady covered in a black cloak with hints of purple. "Let's go and make it quick," said Norman with a poker face. You serious? she said. He looks at her again, and she immediately covers him with glowing dust that knocks him out.
The scene shifts with Norman being tied up in a chair; he looks around at his surroundings and notices the untidiness. He giggled at the woman from earlier. "Anya, what are you laughing at? "..." said Norman. "For starters, you look sort of confused, and the fact you're going to be executed just excites me," said Anya as she chuckled again.
Surprisingly, Norman still looked calm. Anya noticed this, and her smile faded away. Norman What are you, Maniac? How wouldn't you be anxious that your death is approaching? Norman was visibly lost in his thoughts; his mind wandered towards Kassidee and how she'd react. He was suddenly brought back to earth by a loud sound; he noticed that Anya slashed him with a whip she was holding earlier.
He looked up at Anya with a sarcastic smirk, tilting his head. She dropped her whip. "Are you mocking me?" She said it in anger with a hint of surprise. She gave him a blow across his face, making him bleed from his nose. She continued, then stopped with a satisfying smile as she saw blood seeping down the corner of his lips.
Norman, who had his head down the whole time, lifted it up and made another mocking smirk. He then started to laugh loudly, which echoed around the empty room. Anya joined in the laughter; they both later stopped. "We are truly mad; I understand why you were chosen to be a part of the guild."
Your case is an interesting cliché; join a group of bad guys, get your hands on some info that makes you reconsider your action, and try to stop the foreseen disaster to cleanse your soul from your supposed acquaintance with evil.
But why, Norman, you could really have been useful to us, she sighed. A meeting will be held later on what to do with you; in the meantime, I was sent to keep you company.
Aren't you supposed to torture me or something? asked Norman. "Nah, I'll pass," said Anya as she picked up a seat and started to play a dagger. "Anya, do you regret your decision to join the guild?" said Norman, not expecting to get a decent reply. "I don't know; I mean, my life has changed pretty drastically."
A glowing orb floats into the room with its light spread throughout the room. Look Anya pointed out it's time for the meeting. She untied Norman, and they walked through the crystal light, and they appeared in the meeting room. Norman comments on the look, saying you guys haven't changed this plain old design. "Shut up; the colors complement each other so well." Let's grab our seats. Norman walks, grabbing a seat beside Anya.
Holograms started popping up on the vacant seats. Anya thought, "Are you kidding me? They can't even show themselves in person." She notices they were all wearing masks; Anya screams, "Now their faces are covered." She twists her face in slight discomfort.
A calm voice said, Lady Anya, are you alright? Anya noticed who was speaking and immediately straightened up herself. It was Kael, their leader. Norman trying to hold back his laughter as he sees Anya compose herself immediately. Anya notices this and gives him a blow with her elbow for him to stop.
"Order!" shouted Cyrus (one of the members). Anya rolls her eyes as she thinks, "How dare he say something like that! I only listen to Kael, the leader." Kael starts to speak, "A previous meeting has been conducted before, so this will just be the announcement of the results. Norman Fitzgerald, you are hereby found guilty of treason and will be sentenced to death."
Norman, who was previously distracted, was brought back by Kael's mentioning of death. Color drained from his face; he knew this awaited him, but the sudden renewal of the possibility in his head made him freak out. Norman takes a deep breath and cools down.
Kael, who was in his seat, saw all this, and a smirk appeared on his face. Anya sorta felt pity for Norman because he was concerned about Kassidee. Kael continued, "Any suggestions on how he should be killed? To give you all a hint, let it not require too much effort." Someone suggested, "What about secret execution? We could take him to a secluded spot of the island and kill him there." Kael said, "Any objections?" No one answered, then Kael passed the final judgment: "He would be thrown off the highest cliff on the island." Cliff Habino asked Anya. "Yes," Kael said.
"Anya," Kael said, looking at her with a smile. She nods. The meeting will be dismissed now, said Kael. All the holograms slowly disintegrate, and the particles were blown by a gust of wind coming from the wide-open window.
Anya looks towards Norman's direction and sighs; he was resting by the window frame, looking outside at the pretty view of the midnight sky. Anya walks towards him and says, "It's beautiful, right?" He nods in accord as they stare deep into the sky. "Norman, you know you could change your mind now, right?" said Anya in a low voice. He just walks past her and takes a seat on one of the chairs.
"Anya, do you think I deserve to die?" Anya, puzzled and not knowing how to answer the question, just looks at Norman with a confused smile. She said, "I don't know." She muttered something that sounded like "Master Kael's orders." Do you want anything before we leave? asked Anya. I'll have a pencil, some paint, and a sheet of paper.
"What!' How do you expect me to get that for you?" She looks at him with an angry glare. This will be the first and last time I'd ever do this for you. She uses a teleportation device to bring what Norman wanted. Norman sees the outcome and says, You literally teleported a whole art studio here." Well, the more supplies, the better.
Anya, proud of her work, raises her head high and takes a seat. "Thank you," Norman said with a gentle smile. Anya thought, "I can't believe this is how he is close to his death; I think he has finally accepted it." "You're welcome. Now hurry up.
Some hours later, Norman finishes the painting and drops it down on the table. "Let's go," he said, tapping Anya, who had slept off on the chair, resting her head on the table. Norman walks out the door; Anya took a quick glance at the painting as she walked out, and a satisfactory smile spread across her face.
At the cliff, the wind was very strong, and the atmosphere still looked calm. "So how do we do this? said Anya as she pointed down the cliff. "It's pretty high up from here; you're surely gonna die if you jump down (Anya's attempt at a joke). " Should I push you down, or will you go yourself? asked Anya. "Do what you like," said Norman, looking at the ground below the cliff.
Norman turns to face Anya, and suddenly he feels a force on his chest; he loses his balance and starts falling backwards. As Anya pushed him, she said her last words to him, "Bye, see ya," in a cool tone. "Stop it!" shouted a female voice behind Anya. It was Kassidee; she was running; she halts and watches in horror as Norman falls below. She says in a low, sad tone, "Norman." She hurriedly jumps to follow Norman.
With that force, she gradually closes the gap between them and hugs him. Norman, were you planning on leaving me behind? tears running down her cheek She sounded like she'd been rejected. Norman, not knowing how to explain things to her, just hugs her, bringing her closer to his embrace.
A loud thud is heard by Anya; Norman and Kassidee had already hit the ground. Anya looks down at the sight and turns her head almost immediately. She enters the carriage she came with and asks the coachman to take her out of the area.
In a white void, Norman stands along with Kassidee. Answer my question. You planned on leaving me behind, said Kassidee with her tear-streaked face. It's not how it seems, okay, said Norman. I thought about it. I didn't want you to die with me. Wouldn't it be good if you had a new life to live?
I wanted you to live, said Norman. But only alongside you, said Kassidee. I always planned on following you everywhere, even till the end. We're best buds, aren't we? I wouldn't mind dying with you; you took my feeling too lightly.
She walks towards him. I saw your painting; it was a picture of us at the meadow. It was beautiful, but then as I took it closer to look at it, another piece fell out. This one with a much darker perspective I saw you jumped off the cliff in the painting, but you were alone. I felt all the weight you were harboring, and it felt like you were gradually getting lost in your emotions, drowning, and no one could help.
I apologize; I didn't know that was how you felt, said Norman and Kassidee at the same time. Norman brought his face closer to Kassidee's and gave her a soft kiss on her lips, and they pulled away from each other.
I guess we'll go live a new life in a different world said Kassidee playfully . She walks through a shining light, the exit of the void, and Norman follows her from behind.