Arthus was relieved now that he did not need to rely on his questionable intelligence to make sense of the situation after his inevitable memory wipe. He just knew it was going to happen soon. Now that the Tarot Club members will be here to reiterate and explain everything to him afterwards he was finally relaxed.
No he couldn't relax in the final moment. Almost everyone makes this mistake, they take it easy when they reach near their goal and when something unexpected occurs they are left vulnerable and defenceless due to a lack of preparation.
He would not be one of those people, not ever again. He would only relax after he loses his memory and is pulled in for the Tarot Club meeting next week. Thinking this he was stumped. How would he relax when the 'him' who wanted to relax would be erased from existence? Thought Arthus jokingly, but deep down he was terrified of the thought. It reminded him of the true reality of his life now.
He heard Audrey and Alger continue discussing politics, pretending to listen but he wasn't present there mentally.
This was a world where someone could erase him from existence and replace him with a new version of himself, completely different from his original self with new memories. This thought sent a chill down to his very soul. Reminding him to maintain constant vigilance!
Though he wasn't that worried since he'd only lose a small part of himself. Only a week. He consoled himself, now he could reclaim that part of himself through the Tarot Club members. These were the only people he could trust with his life. He included Sebas in this category as well of course.
If someone were to ask him who he'd trust the most out of everyone in this world? He would answer Klein within a heartbeat of course. Why you may ask? Well because he knows him very well of course, since he read his book of life! That aside though, Klein is someone he thinks deserves to be called a 'human'. He hasn't seen anyone so selfless and kind, of course religious figures excluded. He is referring to a normal human when he says this.
While he was distracting himself, he heard the great Mr Fool say "Let's end today's gathering here"
" " "By your will" " " replied Audrey, Alger and Arthus whilst standing.
…
Arthus suddenly found himself back in his office. He stood up and unlocked the door of his office, looking for Sebas.
He found an employee walking about his business and approached him asking him to fetch Sebas for him.
Soon after, Sebas returned "Yes Master? You called?"
"You came" replied Arthus in a serene voice smiling slightly.
"Accompany me to the bank, tell Elias and the company to wait here, I don't want them finding out about my business, I need to withdraw some things from my personal vault"
"Of course my Lord, regretfully I have to inform you that Master Elias and the others were called back to the police station due to a shortage of workforce" said Sebas.
Arthus chuckled slightly and replied "That's perfect"
…
The carriage rattled gently as it made its way through the damp streets of the North Borough, He sat in contemplative silence, the leather seat beneath him creaking gently with each bump of the cobbled road. Opposite him, Sebas waited quietly, his posture respectful, hands gloved and folded neatly in his lap.
They arrived at a stone building tucked between two narrow alleys, its exterior modest, but the iron sign above the door spoke volumes to those in the know: Harrington & Keane, Private Banking and Vault Services. It was a discrete establishment, known to cater to individuals whose wealth was best kept behind inches of steel and silence.
As soon as he entered the building, he was spotted by the receptionist, a sharp-eyed woman in a neat collar and brooch, who rose the moment she saw him and said a small greeting.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Arthus" she said with crisp professionalism.
"Your vault is ready. Will you be making a withdrawal?"
"I will," Arthus replied. "Prepare a removal of twenty thousand, in gold bars"
She inclined her head. "Of course, sir"
A junior clerk was summoned and vanished into the deeper corridors without a word. Soon, Arthus and Sebas were escorted down a heavily warded hallway where the air grew heavier with the mingling of reinforced stone and the hush of old money. At the far end, they were shown into a private chamber just off the main vault.
Within minutes, crates began to arrive in heavy, iron-bound containers with wax seals and silver-tipped security marks. Sebas opened the first with quiet efficiency, revealing ten gold bars nestled in velvet lining, each stamped with Loen Kingdom's official mint, weight, and purity.
"Twenty crates" the bank representative stated calmly.
"Each representing one thousand pounds in value"
Arthus inspected one of the bars, letting it catch the faint glow of the gas lamp overhead. It shimmered softly from the light reflecting off of it.
"Add another five crates" demanded Arthus, in case something went wrong. Maybe he was being too paranoid. Still better safe than sorry.
The junior left again without the bank representative having to order her and soon returned with five more crates.
Arthus ran a gloved hand across the edge of a bar, eyes narrowed in thought. "Good. Prepare them for secure freight transfer. I'll be arranging a discreet delivery through Nachthelm"
"Of course, sir. Everything will be handled in accordance with your standing confidentiality contract" said the bank representative.
Sebas closed the lid of the first crate. "Shall I oversee the sealing and loading?"
Arthus nodded. "Yes. And you'll be handling the delivery personally"
Arthus produced a small unfolded sheet of cream-colored paper from his coloured and began writing the address and the instructions Alger had issued in his clean, elegant handwriting. When he finished, he slipped the sheet into Sebas's hand who took a short discreet look at it before handing it back to him.
"Understood, my Lord. It will arrive untouched and unseen" replied Sebas with confidence.
As Sebas and the bank staff moved to secure the shipment, Arthus turned to the bank representative. "One more thing. Have the bars smelted and recast to remove any identifying marks before delivery. Discretion is paramount."
The representative hesitated briefly before responding, "Understood, sir. We'll ensure the bars are rendered untraceable"
With that, Arthus began to make his way back to the offices alone. He saw the carriage still waiting for him outside and instructed the carriage driver to set course for the office buildings. He still had some paperwork to do.
…
Soon the clock struck 6. Arthus wrapped everything up and started to make his way home. Took off his coat and gloves in a routine like manner and went to take his power nap before dinner. He was soon woken up by Sebas at 8 o'clock who informed him that the delivery was complete as per instructions. Arthus just nodded.
"Master… I apologise if I'm being intrusive or rude but… is everything alright?" asked Sebas in a concerned voice.
"Why do you think that?" Arthus chipped away at Sebas.
"It's just… You seem different than usual. This whole week… It's as if you're trying to distract yourself from something" declared Sebas.
Arthus let out a depressed sigh.
"Your observation is correct, 10 points to Gryffindor!" announced Arthus letting out a chuckle.
Sebas stayed quiet.
Arthus then went again "Sorry but I can't really tell you, at least not at the moment. Maybe one day my future self will tell you about it hehehe… Thank you for caring about me though" replied Arthus in a casual manner.
"Of course my Lord. I'm always here for you, just know that" said Sebas before continuing again.
"Master Elias and the others returned just before I woke you up"
Arthus let out a genuine heartfelt laugh and said,
"What useless guards they are, they leave me to fend for myself when I need them but never fail to appear for a free meal!"
Sebas also smiled and said "Indeed that seems to be the case, you should make haste, otherwise by the time you walk downstairs there might not be anything left to eat for yourself!" said Sebas noticing Arthus's strange state and tried to cheer him up.
Arthus of course understood his intentions and played along with appreciation "Of course, I don't want to eat the empty plates in desperation" whilst getting up and walking downstairs followed by Sebas.
He saw the table decorated with lavish food but today, it didn't appear so appealing. He saw Elias and the company seemingly waiting for him to arrive so that they could begin eating.
"Finally! The sleeping beauty has awoken from her slumber. I was starving!" said a wild Mara.
"How surprising, I didn't expect such a vulgar woman to have such decency and patience. Congratulations… You have impressed me" Arthus quipped back at her.
"You— never mind. How do you feel that this is our last day eating together? I bet you're sad knowing that you won't be able to sit with such a beautiful lady ever again!" claimed Mara while stuffing her mouth with something resembling a chicken leg.
"That's a bold claim. There's nothing lady like you at all… Though I suppose I will miss your company" said Arthus as if lost in melancholy.
"Hah! I bet you've fallen for me and can't let go of me" Mara made another bold claim.
He looked at her dead in the eye and replied without hesitation "You seem to have overestimated your appeal to the opposite gender. I was only being polite"
"How rude!" she said before focusing on stuffing herself with as much food she could.
You are the only person who's not allowed to say that, Arthus said to himself in his mind.
Then he began to eat his section of the food. No one initiated a conversation afterwards. Arthus couldn't taste anything he put in his mouth.
After eating, he made his way back to his bedroom changing into his sleeping gown and made his way to his bed, intending to do his usual ritual of thinking about cats before sleeping.
Arthus sat curled at the center of his bed, knees drawn tight to his chest, his head buried in them as he tried to concentrate pushing all the negative thoughts away, imagining a cat.
A shudder rippled through him, and then another, until the trembling spread to his fingers. He pressed his forehead harder against his knees, trying to will the ache away, but the pressure in his chest only grew heavier. Tears came quietly, slow at first, then faster, as if a dam had been forced open. They soaked into the fabric of his gown, hot and stinging, but he didn't lift his head. He couldn't. Every breath hurt. Every heartbeat felt like it might split him in two.
He thought about cats. Little things. Soft things. Stray ones he'd seen in alleyways or on rooftops, tails flicking, golden eyes watching. He clung to those harmless images like a lifeline, desperately trying to anchor himself to something that didn't carry weight or meaning.
He stayed there, curled in silence, until the tears had soaked through and the stillness of exhaustion began to settle in their place. Only then did he lift his head, eyes red and hollow, and slowly lay back on his bed, staring at the ceiling thinking of cats until he finally fell asleep.
Someone entered his room. It was Elias. He quickly got to work setting up candles to form a wall of spirituality. And began softly chanting. He then dragged a chair placed near Arthus's desk and set it near his bed.
Then he produced a small item covered by a cloth, slowly uncovering it. The object resembled a miniature hourglass, but its elegance made it feel more like a piece of arcane jewelry than a timekeeper. Its frame was forged from blackened silver, polished to a mirror sheen, and shaped in delicate curves that cradled the glass at both ends. The two bulbs were impossibly thin, joined by a needle-fine channel, yet no sand ran through it. Instead, a translucent vapor coiled within, shifting like breath against cold glass, never settling, never still.
Suspended within a delicate silver gyroscope, the hourglass could be rotated along a central axis, clicking softly with each full turn. Elias made six turns for six days worth of memories, with each turn an iridescent glow rippling across the glass, before collapsing inward and fading to a faint mist.
After making all the turns, he placed the artifact on the chair he had placed near the bed. After making sure the artifact was stable, he made his way towards the table and leaned against it, crossing his arms to his chest, observing. The artifact soon made its first turn as the hourglass was grasped by its outer ring and slowly rotated around its central axis. The movement was silent, the silver gyroscope gliding smoothly until the top bulb was inverted. As the device settled into place, something within began to shift.
The vapor inside stirred, then coiled downward in a slow, spiraling descent, as if reluctant to fall. It wasn't pulled by gravity, but drawn by some mystical force, drifting with ghostly grace from the upper chamber into the lower. As it passed through the narrow channel, it shimmered faintly. The moment it gathered at the base, the mist pulsed once softly, like a breath held and released.
The same process repeated itself three more times. As soon as the third turn was over Arthus shifted beneath the blankets, his face tightening. His hands clenched the sheets with sudden tension, knuckles white, as his breath began to falter, coming in short, uneven gasps. It was as though something unseen sat atop his ribs, pressing down, making every inhale a struggle.
Finally the artifact made its final turn. The vapour started its ghostly descent again for one last time. Arthus's mouth opened slightly, jaw slack, but no words came, only a faint, strangled sound, like someone drowning just below the surface. His body jerked once, then again, caught in a quiet, invisible struggle. The room remained still around him, unaware, as he lay in the grip of some silent terror, unable to wake. Soon all of the vapour was gathered at the bottom. It was done.
Elias walked over to the chair, wrapping the artifact in the cloth again. After that he put everything back to where it originally was and removed the wall of spirituality, quietly leaving the room.
Outside Mara and Roland were standing as if guarding the door. He gave them a nod confirming the execution of the protocol.
"Finally I can leave this damn house!" exclaimed Mara.
"Shut up! We are not leaving until tomorrow morning" said Roland.
"We still need to inform the valet, Mr Sebastian, before leaving. We can't just suddenly leave while on duty" reprimanded Elias.
"Tch!" Mara clicked her tongue.
Meanwhile Arthus was sleeping soundly, forgetting everything that happened to him during the last 6 days.