Zack was lying on bed half conscious when Ruis exited from the washroom. His gaze subconsciously went on him to see his perplexed stare.
"You good?"
"I'm fine. Anyways Lisa told me that Leon wants to see us all."
Zack pushes himself up, leaning heavily towards the headboard. He let out a slow, deliberate breath before speaking.
".. He isn't here."
"Will be."
Ruis leaves the room. Zack stared at the door where he had left, sighing.
***
Ender quietly closed the door. It was the hall's door. Seeing no one was around here he scratches his head subconsciously. Mused.
"Why do you come so late?"
It was a familiar voice, he turned his head beside to see Sara standing there nonchalantly, her arms crossed with her eyes unusually narrowed.
Coming to think of it, she said it quite frankly. As though she had forgotten what he had done not so long ago.
"Just distracting myself."
He spoke in a low voice, walking towards the door. Sara started walking with him at the same pace.
"Professor has something to say to us. We're waiting for you for an hour."
"How is Miss Iris's condition?"
"Her condition is better now."
He got to know about this because Misha told him telepathically. Sara took some steps forward to guide him the way where Leon had called them.
After some time, they entered one of the living rooms.
"You came."
Leon remarked, his voice cutting through the heavy silence. He sat anchored to the center of the sofa, one leg crossed over the other. Beside him, Zack and Ruis leaned forward in taut anticipation, while Misha and Lisa occupied the opposing couch, a portrait of focused attention.
"I feel sick so–"
"It's ok. Anyways sit."
Sara sat with the girls while Ender sat elegantly with his group. For some seconds, silence wrapped up around them. No one dared to break the silence before him.
"Well..."
Leon added with a pause.
"You wanna know why you're here? For what reason have we chosen you to be a Peace Order member?"
Everyone's face went blank, vacant. Nobody had an idea about this question. Nevertheless Lisa was chilling by leaning and eating an orange lollipop.
"Well.. The thing is... our Order was about to be dissolved by the government if we didn't choose at least four party members, so you guys came in clutch."
Leon shrugged nonchalantly with a grin.
"What the hell!? So you just used us!? That explains why you guys were pressuring us with our awakenings!"
Zack exclaimed abruptly, standing up.
"And here's another fun fact."
Leon straight up ignored him. Ruis hit him with his elbow to his thigh as Zack sat down, exhausted.
"As you are aware of my wife's condition. I won't be giving you lectures and going to tour as we had planned. My job will be held by Mr Azon. He'll guide you for the entire tour and possibly give lectures if needed when you come back."
"Tour? We're going on a tour?"
Ruis inquired, mixed up with emotions lingering on his face.
"Students learn faster by experiences rather than scripts."
Leon spoke with his usual mechanical smirk. Getting up, he adjusted himself before declaring.
"Regardless, do whatever you want now. Tomorrow morning is the start of your new journey. Good luck, everyone."
He disappeared into thin air in the next second. Everyone was watching where he had been standing a few moments ago. Amidst the perplexion, Ender gets up and leaves the room as well.
"Well I need to sleep early so I'm going too."
Misha departs too.
"I have some things to look at."
Ruis goes along with her.
Now only three people were here. Zack seeing no fun made up his mind as well. Pushing his arms to get up.
"Well seems like–"
"No you're not going anywhere."
Sara interrupted, making her casual smile.
"Why?"
"Because I'm bored.. Now entertain me."
Lisa tossed the candy she was eating before her face.
"I'm not craving anything..."
She shoved it back to her mouth.
Seeing the scene, Zack's expression was dumbfounded. Nevertheless he still stands up.
"Well I'm off to bed."
He started moving towards the door.
"You can't go without my permission!"
"You ain't my mom."
He spoke with a grin before leaving the room. Sara, whose elbows were on her thighs, placed her face over her hands, worn out. Before leaning back to the couch, her puffy eyes were a sign.
"You ain't gonna sleep?"
She casually asked Lisa who had finished eating her candy.
"No. You know we don't need sleep, it's just for looks."
"I know.. So you ain't sleeping tonight?"
"I have some things to sort out. You know, I'm coming with you guys as well. I barely got anywhere to go in my life."
Lisa blurted out mindlessly, when she came to realize it she turned her head to saw Sara's bemused face.
"Y– You didn't go outside."
"I mean barely! It's not like that!"
Sara burst into laughter.
"Ahhh! You're taking it too deeply, I understand. Alright gotta go."
She patted her shoulder before getting up, waving at her and going away. Now Lisa was here all alone, she covered her mouth, gasping for breath. Looking at the ceiling.
~ She almost got me... I'm scared. I hope she forgets about it. Please forget about it.. Ughhh... please. Why am I so desperate for these?...
Out of blue, she heard an echo somewhere, it was within herself.
– If they ever got to know about our past. What will be their reaction? Will they pity on us or will isolate us once again?... just like everyone did..
Lisa went quiet, the air around her became heavy, silent. Only the tick tock of the clock could be heard echoing in the room. She laid herself on the couch, shivering. Quite apprehensive.
Out of nowhere a small portal enough for her arm to glide in appeared. Which she shoved in and took out a warm blanket, covering herself. The room wasn't cold, it was because of her condition. Still shivering she tried to close her eyes.
But then a vision started appearing whenever she tried to close her eyes.
"Oh you poor child, you're an orphan now."
It was a woman who was in her 30s, stroking young Lisa's head who was not even 10 this time. Mr Sherlock was here too.
When her maternal parents passed away because of a war. She was her first caretaker of Lisa.
"I'll be your nanny now."
The woman smiled as she gently brushed young Lisa's hair aside.
"From today onward, I'll take care of you."
Lisa nodded quietly. For the first few days, nothing happened. Breakfast appeared on time. Her clothes were washed.
She was even tucked into bed at night.
She thought… Maybe Father chose someone kind.
***
One afternoon a glass slipped from her tiny hands. It shattered. Silence. The woman stared at the broken pieces. Then smiled. The first strike landed across Lisa's arm. She couldn't even understand why it hurt so much.
"S– Sorry…"
Then another strike. Another. Another. She stopped apologizing. She only cried. Sobbing while she always beat her.
Gradually weeks became months. Bruises faded. New bruises replaced them. Whenever Mr Sherlock returned, he always asked.
"Did anyone hurt you?"
Lisa would instinctively shake her head. The woman was standing behind him.
Smiling gracefully.
That woman. She treated her more like an animal rather than a person.
Manipulate her to not say anything in front of her father.
And one day when she was beating her for no reason with a belt, her arms and shins red and she was sobbing.
At last she finally said what was deep in her heart.
"W– What did I do? Why are– you doing this to me?"
"You're just fun to toss around."
Lisa stared blankly. Fun? She looked at the belt. Then at the woman. Then back at herself. She had always believed she had done something wrong. Forgotten a chore. Broken a rule. Spoken too loudly.
But… there was no reason. There had never been one.
"Your face is what makes me love to smack you all the time, yet it won't be enough."
She spoke with a malicious grin, before continuing the act.
***
Another vision popped up, this time she was quite old now. Probably 15 to 16 years. Traveling on a street with her father was beside her, walking along, his hand was held by her hand.
Though she held his hand with an effort. Hiding herself by walking close with him.
Together with them were Leon and Azon, their expressions were dead serious.
"Look, it's her! It's that witch!"
She tightened her grip around her father's hand. People were staring again. Even cursing at her. One woman whispered. Another covered her child's eyes. Lisa lowered her head. She didn't know what she had done. She only knew everyone looked at her the same way. Like she shouldn't exist.
Then they even try to throw stones at her. But Leon and Azon handled them. She didn't know why they cursed her, she didn't know what was wrong with her that provoked people to such an extent.
She could do nothing except pray, pray that one day she will get to live as a normal person.
"They're protecting that witch!"
The people approached them, at this moment. A person with a sharp shard of glass thrown at her which couldn't be blocked by her guardians. The child who had been shivering let out a scream, the helpless scream of an innocent child.
"ARGHHH!"
She falls down, bleeding from her liver. Mr Sherlock's eyes went to a livid stare. He looked at his child then stared at the people, specifically that person who had thrown it.
"Azon..."
This time the giant unsheathed his black-obsidian sword. Before the man could react, his head was rolling on the ground.
"My child is not a curse."
Mr Sherlock declared to the crowd standing before him.
"It's just a coincidence of Fate. Now.. If I see anyone or any being hurting her."
He pointed to the headless body lying on the ground.
"This will be their last state."
Thanks to the power Mr Sherlock had, she didn't become a victim to them. Yet her fears always lingered with her.
***
"Curse."
"Curse."
"Are we cursed?"
Lisa opened her eyes. She was standing on a floor shrouded with darkness. From up, some rays of light were piercing through this darkness. She couldn't even see her own hands.
But gradually she started seeing the interior of the place, it was a room. There was nothing here except a chair in front of her faced to the wall before her. On the chair was sitting a girl, who had a posture just like her, even the hairstyle.
She kept chanting a few words.
"Cursed."
"Cursed."
"Are we cursed?"
Lisa didn't say anything, instead she turned around, opposite to where the girl was facing and walked away. Surprisingly the room's walls started disappearing as she moved close to them. As she was going to the other side. She heard a low pitch voice.
"You always try to find another path in everything. Then call yourself. Why am I so different from everyone else?"
Lisa turned around, the girl's body was just like her. Yet her face had some changes, especially her eyes. Her eyes were glowing red where blood was dripping from them.
Despite this, she had an expressionless face. As though she wasn't startled by all of this.
"Because that's my identity. If I change myself, what will I be?"
Lisa's words penetrate the heavy air between them. The girl bowed her head down, then started laughing.
"They were right! You're just fun to toss around!"
***
Lisa gets up with a jerk. The room was silent. Too silent. She stared at the ceiling subconsciously, gasping for breath, her heart was beating so fast she could feel it everywhere within herself.
Surprisingly she wasn't covered in that much sweat. Seeing she had unconsciously taken out her blanket here, she shoved it back where it came from.
Then she finally realized… She was trembling. Her fingers won't stop shaking, her lips quivered. She pressed her hands over the mouth, but it didn't help. The memories were still there. Unusually fresh, like they had happened moments ago.
She couldn't tell whether she was afraid of the memories... or afraid they were true.
At last she finally broke and let it all out.
"AAAAAAAHHH!"