Arata got up from the hallway floor, brushing the dust off his pants and rubbing his back after the impact.
— Man, what was all that for? — he grumbled to himself, looking at the closed library doors.
— She must have some pretty traumatic past for her to react like that...
He began walking slowly through the mansion's corridors, trying to piece together the puzzle.
Hmm... I need to find out more, he thought, resting a hand on his chin. Why does Loiry hate the Cult of One so much? And who the hell is this Bishop Stain she mentioned? Maybe Sumire can give me some clues...
Continuing his search, Arata soon found the black-haired twin. Sumire was focused on carefully arranging a vase of flowers on top of an elegant wooden shelf. Upon noticing his footsteps, she turned around, fixing her pink eyes directly on the boy.
— What's up, Atara-kun? — she asked, narrowing her eyes. — And please do me a favor and don't look at me with that perverted stare.
— Hey! What perverted stare?! I was just walking! — Arata protested indignantly.
Sumire shrugged, turning back toward the vase to continue her gardening work.
— I have a question — Arata began, moving a little closer.
— I heard Emma mention that Loiry really hates the Cult of One... Why exactly?
Upon hearing the question, Sumire froze.
She turned toward him again, and the light in her pink eyes changed, taking on a haze of nostalgia and bitterness, as if an old and painful story were connected to that faction.
— She told you that? — Sumire sighed, crossing her arms.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
— Well, she hates the Cult because of a terrible event that happened in our past.
— Then could you tell me more about what happened?! — Arata asked hopefully.
— No, Atara-kun — she immediately refused, coldly and realistically.
— Why would I tell you more? I don't see the slightest reason to.
Now you know the basics of why. Besides, you're just a lazy, spoiled guest who isn't close to either of us in the slightest.
I have no reason to tell you the rest of our lives.
Arata let out a long sigh, accepting his temporary defeat.
— Okay, then! I understand your side... Thanks for the information, Sumire.
He said goodbye with a wave and continued walking through the corridors, while Sumire silently returned to her duties.
On his way back, Arata sharpened his senses and glanced discreetly behind him.
Through the reflection of one of the glass windows, he spotted Loiry's silhouette watching him from a distance, hidden behind a pillar.
Man... she really has been suspicious of me since the very first moment I stepped inside this place, he realized, swallowing hard.
Those discreet glances were pure suspicion this whole time.
I'm going to have to find a way to deal with her paranoia before I try to handle Gabriel and the crow-masked man on the fifth day.
If I don't, she'll hunt me down again.
Looking for a moment of peace to think, he opened the door to his room and dramatically threw himself onto the bed, staring at the ceiling.
Suddenly, the sound of the doorknob turning caught his attention.
The door opened, and Emma entered the room.
With light steps, she walked to the edge of the mattress and sat down beside him.
Curious about the boy's silence, the girl leaned forward, bringing her face directly toward his to see if he was asleep.
Arata suddenly opened his eyes and found himself face-to-face with her purple pupils just a few centimeters away.
— What's up, Emma-Pan! — he blurted out.
— You scared me, Arata! — Emma jumped backward, placing her hands against her chest, her face turning slightly red. — Don't shout like that out of nowhere!
But... Pan? What does that mean?
— It's a special suffix I came up with myself to show that I'm close to you! — Arata explained, flashing a wide smile as he sat up in bed.
— I see... — she smiled, shaking her head at his eccentricity. — I wanted to come talk to you for a little while, Arata-kun.
— Then go ahead! I'm all ears.
Emma looked down at her own hands, adopting a gentler and more sincere tone of voice.
— To me... you're my first human friend, you know? I've really wanted to tell you that and properly thank you.
Thank you so much for being my friend, Arata-kun. And on top of that, the help you gave me in recovering the necklace meant the world to me...
Arata ran a hand over the back of his neck, feeling his cheeks grow slightly warm, but he maintained his confident smile.
— It was nothing, Emma-Pan! That's what friends are for.
Emma gave him a radiant smile.
— Thank you so much for everything, Arata.
The boy watched her happy expression and felt the weight of his mission crush against his chest.
He couldn't fail.
He needed allies, and he needed her to know about the imminent danger.
Making a drastic decision, Arata looked at her seriously.
— Emma-Pan... there's something crucial I need to tell you.
— What is it?.. — she asked, noticing the sudden change in the atmosphere of the room.
Now I'm going to try... Arata challenged himself in his thoughts, clenching his fists tightly.
What happens if I simply ignore the pain and force myself to talk about Return? Can I overcome the grip of that shadow hand and reveal the truth once and for all?
I'm going to find out now.
Arata swallowed hard, took a deep breath, and prepared himself to utter the forbidden words.
End of Chapter 35...
To be continued in Chapter 36...