"The patriarch is alive"?
Hoshimi asked once more, making sure he was hearing that correctly.
"Yep".
Hoshimi moved. Not with aggression, but with unnerving, deliberate speed, closing the distance until his face was inches from hers. She was backed against the cold stone, her black eyes flaring like a heartbeat, breath catching. His violet gaze was wide, intense, dissecting her.
Domino's smile was a thin, predatory line. "Getting frisky now, pretty boy? Trying to scare me?" There was no warmth in her eyes-only defiance.
"Tell me," Hoshimi said, her voice low with smoke and danger. "What did the patriarch look like?"
Domino sighed, the sound melodramatic in its disappointment. "And here I thought you were finally going to do something fun." She allowed her finger to trail down his chest, the movement slow and deliberate. "Or maybe.
"Don't." Hoshimi's eyes narrowed, a cold warning. "I asked you a simple question. What did the patriarch look like?"
Domi's black eyes wavered, a flicker of green at their edges. "Oh? I really thought you were trying to cop a feel. And what makes you think I'll answer? You're just going to ditch Audrey soon enough aren't you? So why do you care?" her gaze sharpened into a scowl.
"You're not telling me because you want something, Domino. Name your price." Hoshimi backed away, eyes fixed on her over his shoulder.
"You are a clever child, Hoshimi." Domino licked her lips and her eyes narrowed into slits. "I want you to rip my soul out of Audrey's body."
"Wouldn't that kill you?"
Domino pressed a finger to her cheek, turning her gaze out to the morning sky. "I think I've lived long enough, even if most of it was just staring at the back of Audrey's skull. But if you can find a way to separate me safely, then hats off to ya."
"Why this sudden urge to leave Audrey's body"? Hoshimi waved his hand.
"Isn't it obvious?" She rested her chin in her hand. "I'm slowly gaining more and more control. Eventually, Audrey's going to completely disappear. My soul is stronger than hers, after all."
"What about the bodies from the basement?" Hoshimi pressed.
"You think I haven't checked?" Domino scoffed. "That was the first place I asked Audrey to look. I guess they all managed to escape."
"Then I have no choice but to go ask Sophia if there are any zombie children leftover that I can let you inhabit".
"Even if you find a body, how are you going to separate our souls?" Domino ran her fingers through her hair, in the faint shimmer of light, her blonde strands began losing their color, turning a soft, flowing silver.
"Isn't there equipment underground?" Hoshimi mused, "The same one the patriarch used to put you inside Audrey's body in the first place?"
"I told you already," a different voice, softer, more strained, momentarily tinged Domino's tone. She bent slightly, a hand gripping her knee, "I already checked. It was all destroyed." Domino's snarl returned, dismissing Audrey's fleeting presence. "But I guess there's that thing in the basement. I'd rather not do anything with that."
"What is it?" Hoshimi asked, his voice firm.
"Nothing."
"Domino," Hoshimi said, his voice steady, with no show of emotion. "I would have done this for Audrey anyway. Why then hold back information about the patriarch?
"I had my doubts." Domino crossed her arms. "And I needed you to speed up. The sooner you save Audrey, the sooner you solve your little case, won't you?" She pressed a finger hard against his chest.
Her eyes flickered violently, green warring with black.
She pushed herself away, smoothing down her gown, straightening with almost formal stiffness. Her voice became flat, not a shred of malice in it now. "I guess it's time for Audrey to take over again. I'll see you later."
Her silver hair faded back to blonde, her eyes softened into an emerald green. Her gaze found Hoshimi's, bewildered. Her breathing steadied. "What are you doing here, Hoshimi?" Hoshimi tilted his head; violet eyes scanned Audrey like a newly opened book. "I was talking with Domino."
"Oh really?" Audrey rolled her eyes. "It's about our situation isn't it?"
"Domino says that she wants to remove herself from your body, that's no different from suicide".
"Are you sure you can actually find a way to do that?"
"Audrey, you're not stopping me?"
"I don't want to be too hopeful, I guess I've grown more pragmatic." She pressed her finger hard into his chest. "I wonder where I got it from?"
"Maybe you're right," Hoshimi smiled. " I'll try my best then. I don't have any knowledge of mechanical engineering but I know some people who do, I'll at least try to fix the equipment underground."
A large grin ran across Audrey's face, her hand hiding away her smile. "Well I trust you, Hoshimi. I trust that you will do well, but even if you don't find a way then I thank you for what you have done for me>"
"You're talking like a deadman, Audrey. Are you really that prepared to fade away?"
"Let me get real with you for a second". Audrey leaned down against the wall. "Come on, sit down."
"What is even the poin-."
"Shut the fuck up and sit down, Hoshimi.:
"...."
Hoshimi walked up right beside her and sat down, he sighed softly.
"What is it?"
"Ever since the fight against the rogue witch, during the incident at the school, I felt that my life isn't worth very much, that I don't really amount to anything. I'm but a speck in this vast world, I was born in a rich family, yet I complain about myself, and my troubles, when there are so many others worse off than me, like that rogue, running away from the government just to survive."
Audrey stared down at her own lap. "I don't really care whether I fade into non-existence or not". She gripped her chest, creasing the fabric of her gown. "I can feel it, my soul cracking more and more".
Hoshimi patted her head and smiled softly. "Elias would be sad if you were gone, and many others would be too. Don't put yourself down too much."
"Who knew you were such a softie". Audrey punched his shoulder with surprising strength, knocking him back slightly.
"I have my moments," Hoshimi replied, rubbing his arm. His smile softened, a smile that refused to reach his eyes. "And you have yours, I guess."
Audrey chuckled, a sound that held a new, fragile kind of peace. She leaned her head back against the wall, eyes half-closed. "Maybe. But today, I think I've reached my limit for 'moments'." She turned her head slightly, her gaze meeting his. "So, what now, Hoshimi? What's the plan for separating the two of us?"
"Reina has a lot of connections, don't worry too much about it. What we really need is time, so try to hold onto yourself, don't let Domino take you away before we split the two of you."
"Of course".
He paused, glancing back at Audrey. "It's Elias's birthday, go celebrate it together with him".
Audrey nodded slowly. "Right. Rest. Sounds… alien." She managed a small, wry smile. "Just don't go getting yourself killed trying to save me, okay? It would be terribly inconvenient to lose my ride to school."
Hoshimi gave her a rare, genuine grin. "Wouldn't dream of it, princess. Just try not to fade away while I'm gone."
He turned, the sound of his footsteps soft as he made his way back towards the mansion. The rising sun cast long, dramatic shadows across the manicured garden, painting the world in hues of gold and amber.
[I can't believe that there is something else in the basement, no wonder why Elias hasn't completely lost all of his confidence. It's his final resort, I'll need to find some way to deal with it]
As Hoshimi entered the estate through a discreet service entrance, the grand hall was already bustling with activity. Witches in old victorian black and white maid uniforms moved silently, polishing surfaces and arranging flowers. Footsteps echoed from above, signaling the waking of the mansion's occupants.
[I'll have to make my way towards the basement as fast as possible, while it's still Elias's birthday, when he's distracted]
Standing in front of the library was a girl, with two blonde twintails and blue eyes that shone brightly even in the well lit hallways, an unmistakable smile that rested on her face and a small stature unfitting of the aura she exuded.
"Oh, it's you."
Neila Shaw, the child that crawled from hell.
She spoke in a soft tone unlike her usual self.
[I don't really care about anyone else, but him…. He could be the key, I need to get closer to him no matter what, his mana pool could solve my mana deficiency]
Hoshimi completely ignored her, walking past her towards the library.
The side of Neila's mouth twitched, as she grabbed onto his shoulder with a cold grasp, a crooked smile that oozed an irritation.
"And where do you think you're going, Hoshimi?" There was a softness to Neila's voice still, yet beneath it lay an undercurrent of steel that cut through even the bustle of noises on the estate. Her fingers tightened on his shoulder, cold and insistent. "Ignoring me? After I so graciously gave you the boo—"
"The book that proved our point even further, yea, yea," Hoshimi finished, his voice flat, not even bothering to turn around. He shrugged her hand off but not forcefully enough to provoke an argument. "I'm in a hurry."
Neila's crooked smile didn't falter, but her eyes did narrow, a flicker of bright blue in their depths. "A hurry? On Elias's birthday? The party is in the grand dining hall, not the dusty old library. Unless," she purred, stepping directly into his path, forcing him to stop, "What could you be searching for that got you this riled up? I can see it in your very soul, you know? Your expression can't hide it from me. Perhaps something secret?" Her gaze swept over his face, searching, probing. "You always were curious."
Hoshimi met her gaze, his violet eyes inscrutable. "I need some reading material. Given recent events with Adrian, I have questions that need answering. I prefer to find my own answers."
"Oh, really?" Neila tilted her head; her twin tails swayed. "And what kind of answers would those be? About the patriarch's 'murder'? Or perhaps the delightful little 'experiments' he was conducting downstairs?" Her voice was laced with a chilling amusement. "You know the basement was restricted right after the incident with the children right? I really don't think you're allowed to enter."
"You're one to talk, I don't think you're the type to follow rules," Hoshimi stared blankly at her, no sign of annoyance whatsoever. "I have some business I need to do." He attempted to dodge around her, but Neila proved quick, her diminutive size deceptively sturdy in blocking his way.
"Tsk, tsk," she chided, waggling her finger. "No need for hostilities, Hoshimi. We're on the same side, aren't we? Two clever minds trying to unravel the mysteries of this delightful little puppet show. Besides," her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper, with her eyes glinting with mischief, "I know precisely what you're after. Something in the basement, right?"
Hoshimi's composure twitched. His violet eyes pulsed ever so slightly. "How do you know that?"
[It would be stupid of me to slip and tell him that Elias told me about his plan]
Neila's smile spread triumphantly wide. "Oh, Hoshimi. You underestimate me. Or perhaps you overestimate your own subtlety." She tapped her temple playfully. "Just a gut feeling, after all you look like you're rushing."
Hoshimi stared at her, a blank expression as usual. Neila had clearly not been idle. "So, what do you want, Neila?"
Neila's eyes narrowed.
[How can I gain something out of this?]
"Want?" She feigned innocence, then shrugged. "What I want, Hoshimi, is simple. Survival. And power. If there's something down there that the patriarch deemed so important to hide, then it must be significant. If you don't want me to report you sneaking into the basement again, then I want something in return."
Hoshimi sighed, rubbing his temples.
[I'm slowly starting to see a pattern with the people around me]
"What do you want from me then?"
"I want you to stop constraining your mana, stop compressing it. I can see the slight fluctuations in your aura, I pride myself on my eyesight, you know?"
[That's it? I don't understand what Neila's game is here, what could she possibly gain from this? Maybe she's trying to size me up, but why would she want to even take me out. It's not like…. What if she's working with Elias? But then she wouldn't be letting me come to the library]
"Come on, stop hiding all of that mana".
[If she really wants to jump me then]
Hoshimi cracked his knuckles, as the binds that constricted his aura began to break free, his energy started to flare up like an enormous flame, ready to engulf the entire estate, what Neila saw made her completely freeze.
It was like an infinite abyss of mana, a well that didn't seem to end, a cold feeling ran down her back, her eyes glued to the sight in front of her.
[What the hell am I seeing in front of me? He isn't fucking human]
The air in the hallway crackled, shimmering under the sudden, immense pressure. Dust motes danced erratically, caught in an unseen gale. Every witch in the mansion, even those deep within the dining hall, must have felt the tremor, the impossible surge of raw, unbridulterated mana erupting from a single source.
Neila Shaw, the 'child from hell' who prided herself on her composure, on her calculated indifference, stood frozen. Her blue eyes, usually sharp and analytical, were wide with a terror she hadn't felt since... well, never.
[This feeling, it was like the first time that I saw 'her', he must be the only one to even come close]
Her mana deficiency, her desperate quest for power, suddenly seemed childish, a pathetic yearning in the face of this absolute force. She smiled even under all of the pressure, a wicked smile as her eyes widened in ecstasy.
Hoshimi, his face still blank, simply stood there, the violet energy pulsating around him like a silent, crushing storm. He hadn't unleashed it aggressively, but rather, uncoiled it. It was a statement. A boundary. A subtle, yet undeniable declaration of power that dwarfed hers completely. He needed Neila's cooperation, yes, but he needed her to understand the new terms of that cooperation. He wanted her to see the futility of her 'games' when pitted against his true nature. This wasn't about negotiation; it was about demonstration.
He let the aura linger for a few agonizing seconds, letting its immensity sink into every fiber of her being. Then, with a slow, deliberate breath, he reined it back in. The pressure receded, the air exhaled, leaving only a faint ozone scent and the lingering aftershock of something impossibly powerful.
Neila turned around and motioned toward the library doors. "So, are you going to let me come along, or are you going to be bored and try to sneak past me?"
She acted as if nothing had happened, an enthusiastic smile rested on her face unlike her usual behavior.
Neila seemed rather unusually normal around him.
[Why does she want to follow me? I don't really think I can ditch her, and apart from Reina, she was the only one to not be afraid of my mana. What's up with her? At the very least, she's well.. How do I put this? 'Unique']
Hoshimi pushed the heavy double doors of the library open, the sound echoing softly through it. The thick and ancient scents of old paper, dust, and polished wood enveloped them instantly, so different from the sterile opulence of the main halls. Sunlight, muted and diffused, struggled through the tall, arched windows and cast long, ethereal shafts through the maze-like labyrinth of towering bookshelves.
These were no mere shelves but monumental in dark, polished oak, stretching upwards, seemingly endless, brimming with countless volumes that seemed to stare down at them with silent judgment. Though still, the air felt strangely heavy, almost expectant, this was a place designed for quiet contemplation, it was now charged with a hidden tension, with every shadowed alcove a potential secret and every whispered rustle of a page a possible surveillance.
Neila walked behind Hoshimi, a smirk ran across her face.
[I wonder what Elias has in store]