It was high noon, and the sunlight shone through the dense forest, allowing them to see more clearly. The winds cast on their bodies, their bones shivering, as they rest themselves on the same spot where they had all fought. They hadn't done a single thing regarding Haruo since the incident; all they did was idle around and wait.
But for what? What were they waiting for? They couldn't tell anymore; morale was at its lowest, and no one tried to fix it. It was quiet... Not peaceful, but just quiet.
Ena tucked herself under a nearby tree; Beside her was something dug up—multiple stones lined up. Leo looked at her with pity, leaning gently on one of the trees, playing with his own fire.
Theodor walked toward him, sitting down beside him. "What do we do now?"
"Even I don't know; all she's doing is just sulking near his grave," Leo replied. "Then again... I don't blame her. I would have been crying too if I weren't so tired from the fight."
Leo sat down at Theodor's level, putting his hands on his knees. He took a deep breath and observed the ground.
He never expected the mission would fall this deep—None of them did. Haruo might not have been the brightest or energetic man in the division, but they still considered him their friend, ally, and their leader.
Seeing him die so suddenly when they all had their guard up only made things worse; how could they not see the attack? They were right in front of them... They never felt so useless before; it's just... terrible—they were all praised for their talents and capabilities, but who was there to compliment them now? Especially with the current situation.
"I want to kill him, not just for revenge... But to at least make me feel less guilty."
"I understand..." Theodor replied.
***
Ena walked to a nearby river; its surface was frozen. The heavy mist obscured the sunlight, but it was clear enough for her to see through it. She fell to her knees, looking at her own reflection on the thin Ice. She saw her own tired eyes staring back at her, her messy hair touching the ice.
She pressed her hand on the surface, scratching it gently. Over and over again, she scratched the surface until she clawed it completely, digging through the solid Ice.
"How was it?"
Her eyes widened as she heard a familiar voice echo through her ears... She knew who that voice belonged to quite well. She clenched her teeth as she glared at her own reflection, desperation underneath those eye bags.
"I must've gone crazy..."
The voice laughed, echoing through the lake. Her whispers haunted her, slowly making their way up her ear each time they spoke.
"Where's your pride now? That careful arrogance and talented hands of yours... You always bragged about how you were better than everyone. But then again, that was all fake. You always hated yourself and the people around you. Does that coping mechanism of yours no longer work...?"
Her reflection changed into a child's shadow, but even then, Ena could see clearly who it was... What clothes she was wearing, what expression she showed... She could see it vividly, starting with her innocent smile; it was intoxicating; it irritated her.
She guided her hands through the unknown shadow, but despite it, it still appeared... The person she hated the most, the very thing she promised to keep and locked away, where she could no longer see.
"What? Do you hate me that much? It's been so long since we last met each other again, and this is how you treat me? How mean... Well, technically, you see me every day."
She punched the reflection multiple times, over and over again, causing the ground around her to shake. Her breathing became more unsteady, her eyes dimming.
"You miss me that much? Don't worry, I'll be right here by your side from here on out."
She scratched her head, her pace slowly speeding up until it started to turn red. Her scratching was so persistent that it dug through her own head like a shovel; this caused blood to pour down her face till her shirt.
She raised her head, seeing a faint silhouette of a child with her hands on her back. Ena's eyes went bloodshot, and she took out her blade and slashed the silhouette in half. The mist surrounding the child disappeared along with the child. Even after slicing the child, the same silhouette appeared far in the lake.
The child laughed as it ran into the mist. She equipped her blades and followed it, slashing every silhouette she saw. Each one only made new ones; it was as if they duplicated with each strike. She kept slashing and slashing until there was only one left.
She halted her attack just before it could even touch the standing shadow; the silhouette faced her directly, looking upwards with innocence. The mist around the child disappeared with the same smile she used to have... What Ena used to have...
Both stared at each other, analyzing each other. The child circled ena, her footsteps ringing with each step.
"It's like it's only been yesterday since we last saw each other... How long was it? 10? 12? Ah, right, 13... Back when we were just 6 years old. Looks like you need me again. Don't worry, I'll be right here to comfort you. This time, our father won't separate us anymore..."
The child spread her arms outward to Ena, slowly making her way to her. But before she could, she slid her blade through her neck; Her head shot upwards to the sky, before landing near Ena's back.
"We used to play like this back then! Such a shame we didn't have enough time. You know what's funny? Haruo died just like this!"
She shot a glare at her back, but her head wasn't there anymore. She turned back to see her face, just inches away from hers. Their ruby eyes reflecting one another.
Loud cracks entered Ena's ear; she knew she was going to fall into the lake, but didn't have the power to move whatsoever. Seeing herself, just like this... Made her freeze, disabling her movements. Just earlier, she was fine, but now she felt like a solid object, stiff all around her body.
She fell through the ice and into the lake; her hair floated upward like a jellyfish as she descended into the lake. The light from above slowly began to fade, getting engulfed by the darkness around her.
"You don't have to be sad, it wasn't your fault to begin with... Nor was it anyone's; he died because he left himself unguarded. You never even saw it coming in the first place... So don't be sad over something so trivial, but if you still blame yourself..." The child had shown herself once again, right by Ena's side. Whispering soothingly in her ear, "I'll be right here to comfort you."
Her very core ignited with flames of misery and demise, consuming her with each word. She was drowning and was suffocated by the pure pressure; she couldn't really tell where it came from, though, whether it was the water or her own emotions. It felt confusing... like a riddle she couldn't solve.
She couldn't bear it any longer; she closed her eyes, filling the world around her with darkness.
***
"Lady Ena! Wake up! Today's the awakening ceremony, we have to prepare!"
She rubbed her eyes as she took a glance at her surroundings. A yellow hue from the lights gave life to the room, with many maids crowded her room, tugging her awake, cleaning her room up from toys. It was still dark outside, and yet they were busy.
They all circled through her room like a maze. She turned her head to her side to see a youthful maid tugging her relentlessly as she fixed herself.
"Lisa? What ceremony? huh?"
After confirming Ena was conscious, Lisa let go of her shoulders and fixed her voice.
"Don't tell me you forgot already!? It's the most important day of your life—Well, second to marriage, but you get what I mean!—It's the long-awaited day since your birth! Your sixth birthday!"
"Huh?—"
Without another word, the other maids pulled her away from the bed and dragged her to the bathroom. All of them got to work, bathed her as quickly as they could, and cleaned her body of dirt or germs. They dried her with a cloth and made her stand on a stool.
There, they dressed her up like a doll, securing her with a crimson cloth mixed with tints of gold and black.
By then, she was already finished, and they dragged her to the mirror, allowing Ena to gaze at herself in the beautiful dress. By now, the other maids had left the room, leaving Lisa and Ena alone.
"Did dad pick this?" Ena said, swaying her body to her side, taking in the beautiful colors with admiration.
"It was your mother's when she was still a child. The patriarch requested that you wear this at the ceremony." Lisa replied, fixing Ena's hair, straightening it with diligence.
"Why do people unlock their abilities when they turn six, anyway?"
"It is the day and age where your body becomes developed enough to handle your ability; everyone goes through the same process."
Ena tilted her head, stepped down, and made her way to a wooden chair. Lisa followed right behind her, taking her place to brush and decorate her hair.
"I don't get it?"
Lisa sighed, "You really do ask a lot of questions, don't you. Abilities are magical, but at the same time, they are logical; they don't appear right away after birth, your body is too weak and too fragile to hold that much power. Your body and soul must harmonize with each other; if not, one will overshadow the other."
"Like what?"
Sweat dripped down Lisa's face, her mouth gaped open, but nothing really seemed to come out. "Um, well... You'll meet with your mother."
Ena's ruby eyes sparkled. She curled her lips before turning to Lisa. "Really!?"
"No! No! That's bad! I mean uh—Yeah, you would." An awkward laugh escaped Lisa's lips. "But, it doesn't necessarily mean you will, but there will be consequences, like barely even being able to control your power, or your own body turning against you. Do you understand now?"
Ena nodded her head aggressively. "Was Edith invited?"
"That's a given, your father is warm-hearted, he cares more about your well-being than status overall; we've wasted too much time now, we should probably get going now."
Lisa opened the door, grabbing Ena's hand as they traversed through the crimson hallways. Many pictures and paintings of herself and her father. There were a few paintings of her mom, and there was none where all of them were in the same picture.
Many servants bowed their heads whenever they came across Ena. It was the same sight for minutes until they were faced with a large door. The servants opened it for them, and through it was a flight of stairs downward.
There, a soft yellow hue took over the place,
Many people were there—young and old. They all had stunning dresses and attire, but none of them compared even the slightest to what Ena was wearing.
"This is where we depart, Lady Ena."
"What, why?" Ena's expression dropped slightly, looking at Lisa with sobbing eyes.
"This party has no room for a servant like me. Unlike your friend—or the guests—I wasn't given an invitation. Sure, many servants may be there as well, but they were assigned those roles."
"It's going to be really boring without you there. Why can't I just give you an invitation right now!"
"I'm afraid it doesn't work like that, and even if it did, you're already too late. But don't worry, I'll be right here on top of the balcony observing you."
Before Ena could say another word, a loud voice echoed through the ballroom.
"I'd like to thank you all for joining us in my daughter's birthday and awakening ceremony! It is a pleasure to be in the presence of many big stars and important figures in this room."
It was her father, Leon Hyakagure, who stood in the middle of the stairway, just in front of a portrait of Ena and him.
"Seems like she's here, some of you might know her, some of you don't, I'd like to introduce to you the pride and joy of our family, and the main character of today, my daughter Ena Hyakagure!"