Nothing but silence followed after our conversation. The stale air between us as she patched up my eye was suffocating. Looking at her face, the trails that ruined her makeup, what could I say?
I know there is something more to all of this, behind Rinara's death, rather, what led up to it. And behind the shadow entity.
But what if she were right?
The moment she finished wrapping my eye, I stood up and walked out of the changing room. I could hear a hesitant sigh from behind. I turned, but all I saw was the practiced smile of the woman who had protected me throughout my life. She had taught me not to believe one's face, but their eyes. That was why I felt a sinking feeling; she kept that smile with her eyes closed.
Rinne and I switched places. Her bandages needed to be changed. Since Margaret is a woman, she could handle the areas I didn't feel comfortable with. I approached Muller, his gaze staring up at the ceiling while he sat on a bench. He was stroking the head of a little girl who slept on his lap without any worries.
She's lost a lot in the past few days: her family, her innocence. Stepped into a literal hell littered with the bodies of children around her age, yet she hadn't broken.
I sat next to both of them. Muller quietly hummed to himself, a lullaby often sung by the sisters in the church. He then stopped as he glanced down at me. "Your cheek is red." He adjusted the blanket that covered Sara's body before turning his head back up. "I take it that our mistress is unhappy?"
"What did you think was gonna happen?" I said. We both came back with injuries; that was a given. And there was what I said to her… "Hey,"
"If you have something to confess, do it when you're dead."
"You still think I was lying, don't you?"
"That creature, that abomination!" he growled softly so as not to wake Sara. "It spoke to you. It also referred to Rinara as 'mother.' You know something more than you let on about why Rinara died, don't you?"
I let his words linger in the air. He turned back to face me, his sharp eyes narrowing. The hand on Sara's head stopped moving. Even his breathing seemed to pause. If he waited for me to say something, would he believe me? If he did, how would he see Rinne?
"I…no—" Now was not the time for hesitation. The cult is making its move, and all I have done is lie to myself. Muller, as cold as he makes himself out to be, is kind-hearted; maybe he could help me. "Have you heard of Project: New Genesis?" I said in a low tone. He let out a sigh, as if somewhat disappointed in how I responded.
"Can't say I have. You know that we don't interrogate cultists. It's a hunt."
"Then," I looked at him square in the eyes. "Can you help me with something without letting Margaret know?"
I told him all I knew about the year Rinara was on a job, about the possible connection to Rinne's birth, and about why Rinara ended up getting corrupted. He stroked Sara's hair as he listened, without letting out a single word until I was finished. Then he looked back up and muttered:
"I see."
But before I could say anything else, the curtains to the changing room swung open. Margaret stood at the entrance with a fury burning in her eyes. Rinne, who was behind her, held her still disheveled clothes in place while her face turned a slight red. Margaret marched out of the room, swinging the curtains closed behind her.
"Hey…" Muller tapped Sara's cheek, "Go lie down on Golden Steam's lap."
"O…ka…y…" Sara did as she was told and flipped over, resting her head onto my lap, then promptly falling back asleep.
Why me?
I glared at Muller, who was muttering a silent prayer. Margaret came marching over with her right arm wound back. Muller stood up straight, and Margaret swung a right hook towards his face. The impact sent ripples through his face, twisting his head violently to the side. Yet, even though Margaret was the strongest one here, he stood his ground. When Margaret pulled back her fist, he turned to her, unfazed.
"Your cheek is red," I said mockingly.
"Golden Steam, dear," Margaret said with no emotion. "If you don't zip it, I'll break it."
"So, you are just gonna break him even though you have a job lined up? What about your client trust?" Muller sized up Margaret.
"His eye is wounded, and he and Rinne need a break. If he continues like this, he might end up killing someone." Margaret pushed up against Muller's, her chest pushing up against his. They both spoke in a low tone.
"I don't get why you are so against him killing? Scum can only be cleansed through death. It is the will of the goddess, and I intend to follow that through."
"He's a hero,"
"He's no hero," Muller said sharply, his eyes narrowing at Margaret. "Heroes don't exist. If you fill any sane human's head with that nonsense, they'll get themselves killed."
Margaret pulled back with a stomp on the ground. A small crack formed where her heels touched the ground. Behind her, the curtains to the changing room slowly opened. Rinne was watching silently with her hands clasped to her chest. There was a guilty look in her eyes as she watched both Muller and Margaret.
"Why did you slug me just now?" Muller said. "I can tell it has nothing to do with the mission. That felt personal."
"Yeah, it was. Why are you treating Rinne like that?" She said, "She told me everything that happened on the job. She was trying to help, yet you constantly dragged her down. Rinne has nowhere left to go except with us. Are you seriously trying to break her? The daughter of Rinara!"
Muller shoved Margaret aside. "Golden Steam." He said without looking back at me. "We are going drinking."
"What about my job you were so worried about?" Margaret, raising her voice, stomped the ground. The heel of her shoe chipped off as the ground cracked further. Sara's soft snoring stopped as I felt her small hands grip mine.
"I'll debrief him."
That was the last thing he said before leaving the store. Then Margaret glared at me, her lips quivering. I rubbed Sara's head as she sat up. Margaret turned away, biting her lip as her fist shook.
"Sorry," I said, standing up.
"Dumbass…" she muttered as I reached the door. The moment the doors closed behind me, I heard, "DUMBASS!!!!"