Suddenly, Calvin stopped walking.
Sean took a few steps forward before realizing Calvin hadn't followed. He turned back.
"What's wrong? Why did you stop?"
Calvin's gaze passed over Sean's shoulder and fixed on the lawn in the distance.
They were standing on the semi-open balcony of the library's third floor, and from there, the greenery below spread out in full view.
Sean faintly caught the sound of an accordion. He followed Calvin's line of sight and saw a small group of girls sitting together on the grass.
The one holding the accordion was Liz, but what caught his attention instantly was Hester — her bright red hair gleaming under the light.
She sat beside Liz, knees drawn up, hands empty, listening quietly.
The others Sean didn't recognize, but he was sure none of them were the other two girls from Room 403.
Liz was teaching them the Mercury Needle battle hymn.
Sean's mouth tilted in a faint smirk. He leaned both elbows on the balcony wall and listened for a while.
"No matter what you play, once it's on an accordion, it reeks of Askea… it's so distinct."
Calvin didn't respond.
He listened to the girls' voices as the wind carried the harmony to them, his eyes still on the group below.
After a moment, he spoke quietly.
"Why Hester?"
Sean blinked. "What do you mean, why?"
"I wanted to ask you that morning," Calvin said, turning his gaze from the distance to Sean.
"Why have you been picking on her ever since she arrived at the base? Do you… like her?"
Sean drew his neck in, pushing up a double chin.
Calvin tilted his head. "You don't?"
Sean gestured in front of his chest with two hands, shaping two circles.
"That's my type. Does she look like that to you?"
"Then why—?"
"Do you remember," Sean interrupted, resting his chin on one hand as his eyes returned to the lawn, "back in '19, someone leaked a message to Hekla — said buyers in the Habitation Zone were paying high prices for women from Hester's tribe with red hair?"
Calvin frowned. "That really happened?"
Sean shook his head. "You and that memory of yours… You had long hair back then, remember? One day I brought some dye, said we should test if we could get that same red color they were after. Instead, I bleached your hair orange by accident. Ring a bell?"
"Oh… yeah, kind of."
Sean chuckled. "That's when I started wondering — what kind of woman's born with hair that looks like fire?"
"So that's why you stole her file recently?"
"Yeah. That's how it started." Sean's voice softened as he stared into the distance.
"But when I read through her records, I got even more curious. She was born in 4612, and entered St. Anne's Monastery in 4620. That means she spent eight years in Shortcall Alley.
How did she survive that? She claims she lived alone before joining the monastery. You believe that?"
From afar came a burst of laughter from the girls, but Calvin stayed silent.
Sean continued, "You've seen the recent reports, right? From outside?"
"I've read a little."
"Don't you think it's ironic?" Sean said softly.
"Everyone's dying to glorify her — I swear, they're a step away from calling her the second coming of a saint. Just to justify stealing a single Mercury Needle recruit, they'd rather invent a savior who never existed."
"How do you know it's all made up?"
"Isn't it the same as when we first arrived?" Sean countered.
"People see someone as bad, and suddenly they're rotten to the core.
They see someone as good, and that person becomes flawless.
You remember those old papers — how many lies did they spread about us? Shortcall Alley and Hekla are no different.
People from places like ours — when were we ever saints?"
"…People aren't all the same."
"They just look different," Sean murmured, tapping his temple with a finger.
"Carl, deep down, everyone's the same — if you look close enough. Deep enough."
Calvin glanced sideways at Sean.
He'd had this feeling more than once — that Sean had somehow withdrawn behind a shell no one could reach.
From there, he watched everyone quietly — keeping them out, and himself within.
"So what are you planning to do?" Calvin asked softly.
"Nothing much." Sean stretched, his tone easy. "I just find her… interesting.
Wait and see, I'll uncover Hester's truest self—"
He turned slightly, smirking.
"And when I do, what do you think the people out there will say then?"
In the distance, Liz's voice rose again, gentle and melodic — but this time, she was singing in a language both men didn't recognize.
After a few lines, Sean realized it was Askean.
"Come on," Sean yawned, turning away. "I'm tired of standing. Let's find somewhere to sit. I need a nap."
"Sean."
"Hm?" Sean turned back.
Calvin stood still, expression dark and unreadable. Something about him felt off today.
"What's wrong with you?" Sean asked.
"If you keep fooling around like this," Calvin said, his brow furrowing, "you could lose your combat clearance. Doesn't that bother you?"
Sean smiled faintly, lowering his voice.
"I don't care, Carl. I never planned on fighting anyway."
Calvin froze, fists tightening. "What?"
"I've been meaning to tell you," Sean continued calmly. "Once we finish learning what we can here… there's no reason to keep dying for them."
"…Already?" Calvin's voice sharpened with anger. "You've forgotten everything that happened in Hekla that fast?"
"No, Carl. I haven't forgotten." Sean's expression hardened.
"I never will—"
"Then what the hell are you talking about?"
"Alright, let me put it this way." Sean drew a slow breath.
"I don't want to fight for AHgAs — but that doesn't mean we can't use these abilities for something else. We just don't have to risk our lives doing it.
We should live for ourselves."
"Like cowards?"
"No," Sean interrupted firmly.
"Like human beings. Real ones."
"I don't want to hear your excuses—"
"You have to!" Sean's voice rose, then he quickly looked around to make sure no one was near.
It was a quiet Sunday morning — no one passing by.
"Carl, listen…" Sean exhaled deeply, stepping closer.
"Maybe I'm a coward. Maybe I'm a bastard. Maybe I lie all the time.
But I've never lied to you—"
As soon as the words left his mouth, he hesitated, then corrected himself,
"I mean — not about anything that matters.
On every important thing, I've always been honest with you."
(End of Chapter)