Eli's pupils dilated as he sat with the doomed reality the quests had graciously given him. The collective noises of Joanne's office collapsed into a TV static.
How was he feeling right now?
'Well.'
If you were suddenly sentenced to three death penalties, you wouldn't really be happy, would you? An unjust system aimed to take him down with it. He knew that was the case!
And these quests… how should he describe them? Ah, yes. A doctor who only diagnoses you after you've already guessed the disease.
'They just walk in and goes "yep, you're fucked" with a clipboard and a punchable smile. Like thanks for nothing, doc. Really appreciate the confirmation, aha.'
Eli rambled on and on to save himself from insanity.
'You absolute piece of shit system. You had three quests locked and loaded in the chamber, and you sat on them until Joanne said the magic words? What are you, a gameshow host!?'
"Hey."
His knee started bouncing up and down. He wanted to throw himself out the window — not to die, of course. He just wanted a change of scenery, is all.
'Ooh, you know what! Maybe the garden bushes will catch me. Or maybe, just maybe, I'll impale myself on a decorative shrub and that will be the end of Elise Moreau. Here lies, Eli, deceased. Cause of death: ridiculous story pacing!'
He imagined the system as a group of smug little gremlins sitting behind a desk with a bucket of popcorn in their hands as they handed out death flags after death flags. Glasses and all, with a pen in their hands writing descriptions as the story unfolded.
"Oi."
'I bet you even prepared the flavor of these texts ahead of time. I bet you did! So what, you just sit there drafting them like some wannabe poet? "Soon to perish in flames she cannot outrun." Ooh REALLY!? You workshopped that line!? You gremlins peer-review your own doom sentences, don't you!?'
"Elise."
Eli's eye twitched. His internal monologue was one breath away from hurling itself out of his mouth as a full-volume scream.
'I swear to gods I will—'
"Elise!"
Julianna's voice cut through the static like a knife through rice paper, waking him from the nightmarish blackout. The little gremlins dancing and prancing inside his empty brain vanished.
Eli blinked a few times, color finally returning to both his eyes and his complexion.
"Hey," Julianna said softly. "You okay? You kind of… checked out there."
He glanced at Juli's hand placing on his shoulder.
"…Yeah. I'm fine."
Joanne's eyes narrowed in concern.
"You've gone pale, Miss Moreau. Sha—"
"Please. Call me Elise."
She leaned forward slightly, her voice gentler.
"Shall I have someone fetch water?"
Eli swallowed. His throat felt like sandpaper.
"…I apologize, Headmistress."
He stood up from the chair. His legs were shakier than he expected, but he tried his best to keep his back straight.
"I'm not feeling well. I think the travel caught up with me faster than I thought," Eli said, a hollow laugh escaping from him.
Joanne studied him for a long moment. He couldn't tell if that flicker in her eyes was guilt or just his imagination.
"I see. Please, take care of yourself."
"Thank you. I'd like to take my leave and return another time, if that's acceptable."
"Of course. I wish this was under better circumstances."
Eli bowed shallowly, turned, and walked toward the door. Even when his brain was in full meltdown mode, his steps remained uniform, befitting of the lady's maid of House Lagranche.
Julianna followed close behind without a word. Eli did not dare to look at her face, fearing she would read his mind.
They descended the stairs in silence. The secretary glanced up with the same perpetual frown as they passed, but Eli didn't have the mental capacity to even acknowledge him right now.
The moment the oak doors shut behind him, the cool garden air hit Eli's face, and his composure cracked just enough.
He let out a long, shaky breath.
'Ravi…'
Ravi was waiting near the hedges, exactly where they'd left her.
The afternoon sun caught in her chestnut hair, short and layered. Tucked above her ear was a single silver pin to keep the strands from falling into her eyes. Those deer eyes, warm hazelnut and slightly downturned at the corners, gave her a permanent look of worry. When you stood close enough, you could see an endearing scatter of faint freckles dusting her nose.
Ravi looked up when she heard their footsteps, her hands fidgeting with the strap of her bag. Her posture snapped straight soon as her eyes landed on them, like a student caught daydreaming in class.
"Did… everything go well with Ms. Morgenstern?"
'No, Ravi. No.'
Eli's eyes lingered on her, a splash of melancholy pooling in his lower lids.
'I didn't want it to be true.'
Even when the signs were there, even when fate had brought them together, he hadn't let himself say it out loud, not even in his own head.
'How did you die? What did you see beyond the sky, that time rewound itself to lead me to you? And Grandma Nella…'
Eli's stomach turned over. His head pounded, wishing for mercy of a blunt blow. But still, he forced his face to be gentle.
"…It went fine."
Ravi's hands tightened on her bag strap.
"You're really pale…"
Eli gently shook his head.
"Travel sickness. It happens."
She opened her mouth, closed it, then opened it again.
"Should I find you somewhere to sit? There's a bench by the—"
"I'm fine, really. Thank you, Ravi."
Julianna stepped up beside him. Eli could feel the weight of her gaze on the side of his face.
"Hey, Ravi. Can you give us a minute?"
Ravi blinked at the shift of Julianna's tone. Whatever was going on, she clearly didn't want any part of it. She gave a quick nod and hurried down the path, pretending to examine the flowers.
The second her footsteps faded, Julianna turned.
"Okay."
Eli watched Ravi's retreating figure.
"Elise."
His gaze lowered to the cobblestones.
"Look at me."
Eli didn't want to look at her, but at the same time, he longed to see her soothing emerald eyes. So he reluctantly lifted his head and looked at her.
'Juli… You too. What did you see beyond the sky?'
But Julianna couldn't listen to his question.
"What happened in there?"