"We are guardians, but also a bunch of miserable wretches that are constantly fighting against threats and madness."
Dunn's words echoed throughout Old Neil's house. They reverberated across the corroded floor, the walls, and ceiling, as well as within Selina's mind and soul.
It was suffocating, as if drowned. That taboo, warning, advice and sentence, they seemed so absolute.
She felt the horror will haunt her, even if she and Klein managed to go back to Earth.
Amidst the still atmosphere, Dunn walked towards Old Neil's "corpse" and kneeled down. He took out a white handkerchief from the pocket of his windbreaker and covered it over the dark red, crystalline eyeball which looked pained.
At this moment, Selina noticed that the keys of the piano had stopped moving. A faint, translucent figure appeared.
Huh...? She was fixated on Old Neil's condition earlier that it did not came to her—a "soul" was seen pulling away from the piano.
Who... Why... Why did I only see this now? Is it because I was distracted? Or perhaps it was because of Old Neil...? Selina saw the formless figure evaporate quickly, vanishing before her very eyes.
It seemed Klein also noticed it upon seeing her gazing at the lonesome piano. Both have a rough idea of what's going on.
Suppressing the heavy feeling in his heart, he heard the Captain order, "Search Old Neil's house carefully for possible clues."
"...Alright." When Klein spoke, it took him a minute to recognize his own voice. His voice was raspy and deep, as if he had the flu.
On the other hand, when Royale echoed the same word. Selina remained quiet, and just walked.
As much as Klein wanted to acknowledge this new side of Royale, one who has the same reaction as him. He was engrossed on something else.
Placing his cane on an umbrella rack near the door, he made his way around Sealed Artifact 3-0611. He took heavy steps into the living room and secretly followed Selina wherever places she search, on the premise that he happens to be searching near her.
Eventually, they got upstairs and Selina found the mistle-ivy medicine she prescribed Old Neil, laying on a vase table, in a glass cup. It was half-empty.
There was a note there that reads: "Drink three times a day. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Don't eat diary products, fatty meats, fried foods... Most of all, tell me what hurts next time.
"Hope you feel better soon! Signed, Selina."
A sentence was next to it. "Remember not to cause any trouble for this young girl."
In silence, Selina reached for the note. She muttered tearily, "You didn't followed what I said..."
At that moment, Klein's voice resounded from the stairs. "Selina."
Reflected in his eyes, Selina turned to him, sapphire eyes glistening with tears.
"Oh... Klein..."
Hearing that unsteady reply, Klein recalled numerous things and this scene haunts him far deeper than the rest.
It was the first time those gentle, refined, and gleeful smile broke into harrowing emotions. As much, he wanted this to be the first and last time.
"I'm fine..." It was clear Selina forced it from her lips. "I just remembered something Old Neil said..."
"What is it?" asked and replied Klein slowly. He walked to her side and gazed at the glass cup next to the note.
"Sometimes, no matter how you obsessed with preserving life, life needs to be let go. A beauty in that... he calls... is progression." A faint broken chuckled escaped her lips. Selina added, "How ironic..."
At that moment, she leaned her head, and allowed it to fall on Klein's shoulder. "Do you think Old Neil is happy he's meeting Celeste again?"
"Yes." Klein did not hesitate to answer. "He's very happy."
Sigh... Selina drew a breath and closed her eyes. During that, Klein instantly refused to move even an inch.
The gloomy sky wandered to obscure the light fading into the second floor. The air felt still and the moment felt like it will last forever.
After minutes later. Selina calmly pulled away and said, "Thank you for lending me a shoulder."
Her sweet, raspy voice made Klein's finger jolt. He quickly said, "Always."
"Let's go and search Old Neil's..." Suddenly, Selina stopped mid sentence. She turned her head again to Klein and telling her, "Always know I'm here."
Before Selina can say anything, her hand was reached by him, their fingers intertwined. Quickly, Klein wiped his tears first and smiled, "I'm curious as to what could Old Neil's bedroom look like. Care to join me?"
Selina almost chuckled as she answered in a slightly better mood, "Very well, King Sun."
...
On a few handwritten notes on a bookshelf in Old Neil's room. The notes recorded a weird, mysterious ritual:
"Alchemical Life.
"The materials required include: 100ml of spring water from the Spring of Elves (Golden Spring on Sonia Island), 50 grams of Star Crystal, half a pound of pure gold, 5 grams of phlogiston, 30 grams of red iron... And a large quantity of fresh blood from living people."
Old Neil annotated beneath the part about fresh blood from the living.
"I can consider drawing my own blood, accumulating it little by little and preserve it using ritualistic magic."
Selina and Klein found this, and the latter quickly destroyed it.
...
On Thursday morning at nine, the time of the moon. Raphael Cemetery.
Selina was in her regal black dress, with dark gloves and fishnet black bonnet. She stood silently next to Klein, wearing a formal black suit, holding his cane in the corner of the cemetary.
She had a folded handkerchief, holding it with her intertwined hands along with a Slumber flower.
Dunn, Frye, Leonard, and Kenley were carrying a black coffin that stored Old Neil's corpse. They slowly walked to the front of the tombstone and silently lowered it into the grave.
As she saw the brown soil being tossed into the grave, Rozanne, who was wearing a black dress and a white flower in her hair, wept.
"...This can't be happening...
"Someone please tell me this is true!
"Why...? Why did he lose control, why did he consume the potion, why did he become a Beyonder, why must there be wraiths and monsters, why is there no safer way? Why... why..."
Selina clenched her hands, bit her lips. She silently listened until Old Neil's coffin was completely buried in the soil.
Until all signs that he existed are soiled and reduced to mere memories.
Buried deep within where he can no longer appear in anyone's life.
"May the Goddess bless you." Klein's voice echoed next to Selina. She saw him drew a crimson moon in front of his chest, then took a few steps forward and placed the Slumber flower in front of the tomb.
"May the Goddess bless you." she repeated. leaving another flower before stepping back.
"May the Goddess bless you."
Dunn, Frye, and the others tapped at their chests in a clockwise fashion.
Selina lifted her gaze a little, and saw a black and white photograph laying on the tombstone.
Old Neil was wearing his classic black hat; his white hair was peeking out around the edges. The wrinkles beside his eyes and mouth were deep, his dark red eyes a little turbid.
He was so peaceful, no longer feeling grief, pain, or fear—just someone smiling faintly for the picture.
There was an epitaph carved underneath the photograph. It came from the contents of the last entry in Old Neil's diary: "If I cannot save her, then I shall accompany her."
The morning breeze blew gently. The silence and emptiness of the Raphael Cemetery hung over everyone.
...
In the afternoon. Klein told Selina that the requiem mass has concluded, but the spirits of the deceased remained lost.
But what he received as an answer was silence. Just Selina, moving closer to him and fixing his bowtie before smiling.
That smile was forced.
They both took a form in the Captain's office and headed for the armory.
Klein opened and on the half-closed door, they saw Bredt with a thick, black beard behind the table.
He froze visibly, and noticed Selina remained by the door. He collected himself and handed the form to Bredt.
"A hundred rounds of ordinary bullets."
Hearing him, Selina scanned the room. In her blue eyes reflects the tin can on the table. She felt as though she could smell the fragrance of the hand-ground coffee and hear the cheeky words in her ears, "Heh heh, I'll tell you, this Fermo beans came from the plateau of Dunn's office. Oh! Your revolver? Apply to Dunn and get him to approve of the expenses, no need for spare cash!"
...
Bredt noticed Klein's expression and sighed.
"I can understand what you're feeling right now. I, myself, cannot believe that Old Neil would leave us like that. Sometimes, I even feel as though this is a dream conjured by the Captain."
"Perhaps this is the destiny of many Nighthawks," Klein replied with a bitter smile and resignation.
Destiny of many Nighthawks... Selina looked at Klein anxiously. It was unknown to her when, but her hands began to caress one another, secretly.
After this incident, she felt much more disappointment and hatred toward the upper echelons of the Church for keeping the "acting method" a secret. Not only that, another fear sprouted in her heart.
"Let's hope that there will be fewer such tragedies, may the Goddess bless us." Bredt drew a crimson moon in front of his chest. He took the application form and walked into the armory.
...
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The smell of gunpowder filled the air. Klein vented with clear anguish until he used up all the bullets in his share.
He then looked at the custom revolver in Selina's hand. He said, "We'll get it repaired by tomorrow..."
Selina's revolver refused to pull right when she fired her tenth shot on the moving target.
Before answering, her fingers traced the Evernight emblem frozen in the silver surface of the gun. She exhaled and said, "I guess it's time I should reimburse for another."
Then, she added without allowing Klein to reply, "Let me borrow yours for now."
Klein watched her get closer and placed her hand onto the one he's using to hold the revolver. He easily let go of it.
"It's heavy..." Selina weighted the gun and felt a foreign sensation right away. "It feels like my father's revolver."
"Your father's revolver?" Klein asked obliviously.
"Is it the revolver you originally possessed?"
Selina chuckled behind a finger she lifted to her lips. "Sorry, It's this body's father's revolver.
"Sigh, you helped me recall all of the memories of the original body. Even in death, a stubborn man Vincent was, he still helped his child.
"I didn't got to know them, but I got to know Old Neil. They have some similarities. Stubborn. My true father back home is stubborn too."
Suddenly, Selina lowered the gun and faced Klein, "But I don't to lose another man in my life. No one, not Captain, Frye, Kenley, or Leonard and especially not you.
"We'll still need to return home, I hope I can still see dad again and you. So..."
"I won't." Klein's voice had a touch of joy and solemnity.
Selina drew a faint breath and added again, "Don't be stubborn."
"I will." answered Klein lightheartedly.
"Don't be rash, follow those three rules I said to you, remember to avoid danger and always remaining open for me so you will not lose control like Mr. Old Neil."
"Yes, yes, yes, and yes." Klein was smiling.
"Good!" Selina was the expression was contagious, she herself can't help but lift her lips up in joy and assurance.
Then after, two voices burst out laughing from a corner booth, echoing as if they're the only people left in this world.
Selina was the first to break, "Hehe, now help me get used to revolvers like this. It will be a shame to keep mine locked away forever."
"Alright." Klein, who is now in a mood much better than before, walked behind her and wrapped his hands around hers to help Selina adjust.