Inside of a room, in a middle class apartment.
The furnishing around the corners looked nothing peculiar. They're merely made of oak and frozen fibers.
But this one seemed to have a tenant. Only that they haven't returned today yet. Likely out to socialize with friends or peers for this late night.
On the other area. Where the bedroom lies and connects to a roof by the window. Beyond its glass panes, under the heavy rain, seemed to look like an arm, a pale arm with a bloody end.
Bathed in the course of moonlight and soaked, it suddenly twitched, looking more like a horror scene! A zombie hand!
Using its fingers like limbs turn a circle on the spot, looking around side to side and finally noticing a window. From here it looked like it's unlatched.
What an irresponsible tenant! But it was luck for the hand!
Quickly, the hand ran toward the window and it slammed itself against it. Helping itself to intrude the room.
At that moment. The bloody end of the hand where milky-white bone is seen suddenly had its skin patched the ends of it. Then, reflecting how an amphibian would regrow a limb, it regenerated to mold a figure.
The figure had a much more mature face. With sharp button nose, pale beautiful skin, slender waist, voluptuous shape and rosy-brown hair. Her dark-brown eyes reflects the shimmering taint of the moonlight.
The woman carefully walked to the sofa, grabbed the blanket folded there and draped it around her body.
Meow~ "Hello my lady."
Suddenly, the woman that got reformed from a zombie hand, that became a stunning, captivating and alluring woman with refined bearings jumped in fright at a silhouette of a feline from the window.
Phew... She exhaled a relief, realizing she still have her Beast Tamer abilities. "Falacy, you scared me."
Selina chuckled as she pressed a finger to her lips, using her other hand to held the blanket. She added, "How did you find me? How did you know I'm alive?"
"I was bound to you the moment you offered and I accepted your proposal as your first tamed beast. Hence, I am capable of sensing your Ether Body. It tells me you're alive." Meow~ Falacy explained, its fur is noticeably drenched.
"There was a bound? A contract? You should come inside. It's cold." Selina suddenly tilt her head in confusion, keeping the blanket around her body intact.
"I made it so there is now." Meow~ An old ancient voice came from Falacy as it jumped down again to the roof.
Where is he going now? Selina sighed and decided to look around for anything resembling a wardrobe.
She'll need to borrow whatever clothes is present, the task Falacy to remember the place so that she can withdraw an amount and pay it back.
Selina isn't unethical. She wouldn't be a thief, not even in this world.
Unexpectedly, a second later, Falacy returned gnawing at and taking a hold of a briefcase with its teeth.
Selina gasped, "Falacy! You're so smart! How? Isn't that heavy?"
The cat lifted the baggage with all its might as if something else is helping it. Once it entered from the window, it ran and perched right back onto the wooden sill.
Meow~ "I'm strong. Respect me my lady." Falacy raised its paws and began licking as if the physical weight that tolled on it was nothing.
"Oh yes! Very strong!" Selina cheekily smiled and walked over to reach the baggage.
Then suddenly, she lifted her head. She saw that Falacy is already gone from the window. It made her feel relieved that it understands her.
"Not some penny pincher I know... Stubborn. I wonder how's he now? I better check him later." Selina muttered to herself before bending with her knees to fetch some clothes.
...
Rumble! Patter! Patter!
After half a minute, Selina adjusted her cotton-sewn shrug draped over her shoulders and patted the dust off her knitted khaki dress. Luckily, it didn't get wet when the baggage was carried over.
"I'm glad the baggage is thick. Hmm, I wonder how Falacy got passed Melissa and Benson."
She looked outside the pouring rain, it was dark. Only now did she had the time to assemble her mind after her body's reformation.
"This is strange... It doesn't look like it came from the gray fog. From Mr. Fool." Selina flexed her gloved wrist while checking her body from head to toe.
Suddenly, she jolted. Ah! Did Falacy heard that?
Casting her gaze to the window, it doesn't seem to have any living soul perched onto it nor does Selina feel any presence waiting for her.
"Phew... That's a relief." Selina bent down again. "It must be due to the dreamworld. Perhaps the corruption I was in after Milo ritual succeeded caused this...
"I feel that I could only reform out of parts from my body. As for how many times, it doesn't exceed more than what my heart could handle. Likely two times.
"Right now I feel aches." Selina pressed a gentle pressure to her left chest. "Wait, this means that if I reformed from my hand, I left a husk somewhere! It must've been buried by now...
Her voice sounded paler, "I wonder if the Child of God within me left with that body... I'd be very glad if that's the case."
Then, she casted her gaze to the baggage.
"How will I explain this... to Klein, Melissa, Benson and everyone."
Meow~ "My lady." At that moment, Falacy's silhouette was made from the plipping cadence outside. It leaped down shook its body from wetness.
Meow~ "I'm sorry.
"I'm sorry I wasn't able to find you. Nor do I have the means to protect you and everyone you care." Meow~ Falacy sat to a dresser, lowered its tiny head and apologized.
A gentle laugh escaped Selina's luscious lips. She replied while smiling, "It's fine. I much more worried if you did come. What if instead you die too?"
"I die with honor." The feline said coldly, albeit hint with heroism.
"Grandpa, don't be spouting nonsense..." Selina drooped her eyes and propped herself from the floor, carrying with her the baggage she owned.
Falacy then paced for a circle in its spot and sat again, Meow~ "I packed your wallet and you father's gun in there. So you won't have any issues with renting a place."
"Really?" Selina's eyes lit up and she lowered the suitcase again. On one of the compartment, she felt a gun. Her fingers took it out and saw its brass luster under the crimson moonlight.
"Milo... father..." She took a period of time to look at it before asking Falacy, "Did you also packed my extra holster?"
Nodding, Falacy answered, Meow~ "I did. If I am not mistaken it is a leg strap?"
Selina smiled in affirmation, "Yes! Falacy thank you!"
Meow~ "You're welcome my lady." Unbeknownst to it. Its neck began to vibrate as purrs resounded, at the same time its tail wagged gently.
He looks happy... Selina felt light as she puts on the leg strap holster and sheathed her father's brass revolver inside. Now with her wallet, she briskly made her way to the room's entrance, the acoustic music of heavy rain outside masked her steps.
Right next to the door was a rack, it had a gentleman's top hat and coat which indicates that it's a male tenant. However, conveniently, there's an umbrella there.
Selina grinned at Falacy whose following closely behind.
Meow~ "Pay for it." Falacy wasn't in a mood to deal with ethical choices.
Hearing that, with the petition from another party. Selina withdrew three pounds from her wallet, placed them right on the rack and took the umbrella for herself.
"Alright. Let's not disturb anyone and leave this complex quickly!"
Selina twisted the door and walked out, accompanying her is Falacy with its green small eyes.
...
Patter! Patter! Patter!
Under the umbrella. Selina clutched her baggage on her right arm and lifted her head to find a signage right outside a three-story building.
Falacy was with her all throughout, and it doesn't intend to leave anymore. Even if rain persists, it tries to endure.
"Alright. We'll sleep here. Falacy do you want to eat anything? There should be a canteen at the first floor." Selina looked down at the freezing cat.
Meow~ "I just want to sleep." It said before resuming forward, leaving Selina behind.
After booking a room, the duo found a space with one bed, a dresser, a curtained oriel windows that oversees the rainy street and nothing else.
I need to visit the dreamworld... Selina felt she still had unfinished business to attend before reuniting with Klein and everyone.
She glanced at Falacy who had already found its spot and asked, "Are you really fine without eating? Me, I'm full, perhaps because I just got reformed."
"I'm fine my lady, now get some rest." Meow~ Falacy slumped its head and used its own body as a cushion to fall asleep on.
Selina exhaled and quickly freshen up in the bathroom before embracing the white pillow and sheets. Experiencing longing again, she felt her consciousness drift away.
...
In the Dreamworld.
Selina saw boundless green meadow terraformed the vicious land she had seen months prior. Then, it sprouted trees that are already adult, mountains and rivers was made just through her will.
She watched silently and out of nowhere, everything withered, decayed, and got sewn back to how Selina see fit.
"Yes. If it were the true Dreamworld I'm having, I should've been able to easily dispatch Megose and the Tree. Their forms would be the Dreamworld itself by then." Selina deduced melancholically.
Buzz~
At that moment. Standing at the center of the spiraling mural-like vines, Selina saw that multiple segments had fireflies swarming them.
Kothe, Yesir and... Isabelle! Selina was elated that she would finally hear news regarding Aldesh town in South Continent.
"But I don't want to deal with them here. I don't have the mood for it..." Selina bitterly willed the segments to instead hear the prayers of her believers.
"Mrs. White... Sob... I've finally escape using Traveler's Ring... Hic... Dylan gave me...
"But Dylan... He... He was left there... He didn't destroyed his own voodoo self!"
Selina's eyes fell disheartened by the news. However, she saw that it still continues.
"I am now at White Rose Corps. Its branch in Backlund. I have confessed about my identity and... They've accepted me
"I was offered a chance to become Sequence 9 Savant if I'm able to give sufficient intel about the Rose School of Thought...
"I won't divulge your existence. Thank you for guiding me Your Grace. Please, allow me to remain in-dept to you."
"Misfortune is that beside which good fortune leans..." Selina muttered, mixed with happiness and despondents.
After taking a short while to adjust her emotions. Selina willed another vine to echo the prayer behind it—from Yesir.
"Oh Great White Maiden! Piolo and I have come to bear great news!
"Today is the grand opening of the Maiden's White Opera and Theater. The Steelworks and Construction operatives we've been mingled and using the funds had bore fruit!
"Initially, the estimate time the construction is done will be by December. Thankfully, to Your Grace's blessing, the processing had progressed faster!
"With this. White Cross Pharmaceutical Company will be established no later than this year."
There was a clear joy in the prayer's tone. Selina smiled ruefully as she mused, "You two make quite a dynamic money launderers."
Pleased, she turned to another segment and heard the prayer, "Mrs. White, I am to inform the recent activities of the Rose School of Thought Temperance and Indulgent.
"The latter members seemed to desire an artifact known as Crimson Corona from the Temperance.
"In another note, the Indulgent had gained an increase member with strange abilities in the recent month.
"Demoness members were also spotted mingling with parliament members."
Selina finally closed the channel and muttered, "Demoness sect... Crimson Corona and strange abilities of the Rose School of Thought...
"That reminded of Hanged Man's intel. The Fool's remarks hinting of 'being brought to light.' Something must be brewing in Backlund. I hope it'll be okay."
After letting the gentle breeze carry her stress away. Selina used the time stroll inside the dreamworld, just allowing herself to breathe and process the events of her and Dunn's death.
"I'll check Captain's tomb next thing tomorrow before going back."