Maria studied each child carefully. Manon could feel her eyes scanning them up and down, her brown eyed gaze sharp and petrifying.
"I believe I was explicit when I stated you would be watched." were the first words she uttered.
Manon looked away, the rattling of the carriage serving as a distraction from Maria's prying eyes. The carriage's interior was shockingly luxurious in comparison to how modest the oak wood walls appeared from the outside. The walls were perfectly painted white and the seats were velvet red with gold lining. The cushioning of the seating helped with the occasional bump as they trotted through the town of Dales, but it didn't help calm the kids down.
Manon herself was not in the best shape, sweat forming on her forehead and she breathed through her nose. Her shoulder that had been pierced by an arrow was burning. She felt the pain run down her arm and spine like she was receiving constant lashings. Even with the bandages wrapped as tight as Colette could manage- her arm felt like it would fall off if she moved it.
Manon, Remy, and Colette were all sitting across from the nun in the carriage, hands folded in their laps sheepishly, Remy's gift box next to Maria on the other side. He stared at it like it would magically fly back into his arms if he did it hard enough.
Manon pressed her lips together, trying not to laugh in this situation. This act almost immediately made Maria turn her attention towards her once more, her expression grim as the carriage shook.
"I apologize, Maria. But we encountered the Prince who requested our assistance. How could we refuse…." Colette spoke first, Manon thinking her eyes earnest even through the bold half lie she told. Maria scrutinized her with her eyes, seemingly unconvinced.
"You are the only one left unharmed, Miss Colette. I don't suppose the Prince had something to do with that as well?" Maria said smoothly, gloved hand gesturing to Manon and Remy. "I said you would be watched. And I must say, you are lucky I was the one watching you two…turned three." She pointedly gazed at the girls first, then Remy in between them.
Watched them? Just how much had she seen? Manon shifted in her seat, hands tucked under her hands as she stared out the window. Maria's eyes scanned her again, she could feel the woman's burning gaze and her knee started bouncing in anxiety.
"Miss Manon. Your eye….." Maria faltered, it being her first time witnessing her uncovered left eye since their first meeting. Manon finally turned to meet her gaze head on, her different colored eyes jarringly sharp. The woman pursed her lips. "Is the Manager aware of your…condition?" Manon's upper lip curled at the question. Did they believe she was a child of a demon or something? Blasphemous? She had dealt with weird stares and off put people in her reality too- and had spent years building up the attitude to combat it.
But right here in her current situation, hearing those words from Maria, she hesitated. Her current AP with Maria was 19. It hadn't fallen or risen yet. And due to her new situation regarding the skill she acquired, it could spell bad things if she responded carelessly.
Even though she knew this- her mouth was still poised to respond before Colette could even rescue her.
"No….I have no idea. Only some kids and Madame Delores have seen it." Manon replied. It didn't seem to waver Maria's AP though her expression was still cold. Colette looked exasperated and spoke up again.
"We aren't sure if Madame said anything because she didn't want Manon to come for the adoption in the first place. But it would be odd if Sister Anya had no idea." Colette said matter-of-factly. Manon was a bit surprised she came on as strong as she did- but said nothing, a flat frog-like smile on her face as she turned to the window again. Maria massaged her right temple gently with her middle finger. Then she reached into the pocket of her coat and handed Manon and Remy a vial of gold liquid.
"For now, drink this to heal. We will discuss more later. I will not penalize you for this, even though you went out of the town's border- since we did not explicitly list it as a rule and you did return. However, if another situation like this happens, I will not be able to keep it from Sister Anya." The woman eyed all three children sternly, the gravity of her words looming in the air.
Manon stared at the vial in her fingers, the golden drink swishing about in its container. Without much thought, she popped open the cord and swallowed it.
It was not like the drink the sisters had given them upon arriving in the noble orphanage. It had no real flavor. Just tasted…warm. She didn't like it, but soon after felt the same warming sensation spreading over her body until it saturated on her wounded shoulder. Her gash seemed to throb to a degree that made it uncomfortable, her hand coming up to cover the bandaged area as if it would help. But just a few seconds later, it all stopped.
The heat gradually faded, her teeth unclenched and her body seemed to relax into her seat. Just to make sure, the brunette girl lifted her shawl and tugged the bandage on her shoulder loose. Sure enough, her shoulder was perfectly fine- as good as new. No torn flesh and not even any blood. Her head whipped up to look at Colette and Remy, then Maria, who breathed a sigh as if relieved.
"It's a holy elixir. It's made from holy fruit. The very sapling you gave the Crown Prince." Maria paused, "If the Manager knew of this, she would be livid…." Manon had no idea why Maria was alluding to saving them from a worse fate. But then, slowly, she began to see a window pop up over her head.
With some realization she came to figure that Colette shared her windows with her again.
[Maria is relieved the children are okay. She intends to protect them as much as she can]
Huh?
Manon knew Maria as a quiet and proper- but kind sister. But she was still…a direct subordinate to the woman who had smacked the shit out of her- currently a 7 year old. She had even been so dazed and confused at her situation that the circumstances and actions of each character hadn't fully registered. As she lost sight of her true reality in this game, the characters seemed full of much more depth than she had realized.
Manon didn't say anything more for the time being, watching Remy out of the corner of her eye pocket the elixir when Maria turned to speak to the coachman.
Colette was also quiet, her expression blank and her eyes glossed as she stared out the window on her side.
…
Remy had been given his box back- with the understanding that he was to sort his items himself less Sister Anya found them. After sneaking the children into the house after nightfall, Maria had given Manon a new eyepatch to her dismay, and led them to the dining hall where Sir Lionel and the other children were waiting after collecting their borrowed braises and sending Clare to put their items in their rooms.
Except… only one child was present.
Beckham.
Terrence, the smallest boy of the bunch, was nowhere to be seen. The seat he had used the previous evening was empty. Beckham himself look pale and grim, his blonde hair sweaty and hands clasped in his lap as he looked down at the table.
Sir Lionel sat at the end of the table, noble and arrogant as ever, his beady eyes following their every move as Manon and Colette took their seats. Remy was slower, and Manon watched with a brow raised as the boy took his usual seat, making eye contact with Beckham who just shook his head without looking up.
Remy's eye caught Manon's attention quickly, as she realized he still hadn't taken that elixir and the cut running down his eye was still there. He caught her looking, but turned away without even a smirk or snide expression.
Manon turned to Colette, ready to tell her about Remy but as if knowing this, Maria patted her shoulder as she walked behind her. A gentle gesture that meant silence.
Maria poised herself in the same manner as Sister Anya had the other day, moving to stand behind Sir Lionel as she spoke grimly.
"As this test comes to an end, another participant has been eliminated for not being successful in any of his tests. Today, Terrence took it upon himself to steal a knife a shopowner would not sell, and attempted to run away from the city. Sister Anya had to pause her plans and travel to the neighboring city to track him down and…take care…of the issue." Maria paused in between words pointedly, and something told Manon that she did not want to know what had happened to Terrence at all. If Anya's backhand was anything to go by that was.
Her brown eye flitted over to Colette, who didn't look surprised- so it must have been a canon event. Still…every child who had been eliminated had faced some kind of disturbing fate. Manon's mouth twisted as she stared at the empty space Terrence once sat at.
"Thus, Beckham and Remy will now be rooming together until stated otherwise." At this, Manon watched Remy's head shoot up with a small scowl, one that was quickly subdued by a dual glare from both Maria who was still upset and Sir Lionel who was just…scary looking.
She thought that was the end of this- that nothing else would happen and they would eat and go to bed.
But as the doors of the dining hall swung open loudly, the rattling of chains clanging on the marble floors, Manon felt her stomach drop.
….
Sister Anya strode in, elegant as ever, her blonde hair like silk floating under her habit headdress as she walked towards the end of the table. Maria quickly moved to stand behind the adolescent boys as she saw what Anya dragged behind her.
The chains wrapped around Anya's white gloved fist. Her robes today were completely white- only the hem on the ground tinted with red and brown.
The expression on her face was nothing short of…chilling.
She wore a smile. The most sinister looking thing Manon had seen in this world so far.
After what seemed like forever, the end of the chain came into view, a figure rolling over the ground and barrelling into the wall, curled up in a fetal position like a human kickball.
Human…
Manon watched in horror as Terrence, looking like he had just been drowned and revived twice, was dragged to the end of the room by the cuffs on his hands and feet, the boy sobbing every time Anya yanked on the chains. She stood on the platform behind Sir Lionel, who did not even turn around, his eyes shut as he sat still, a ghost of a smirk on his face.
"I don't have much time for this. But it seems I am much too kind, and must give a clear example to ensure our guest does not believe I allow such insolence." Anya said, her usual smooth and uncannily pleasant voice with some grit. She dragged Terrence until he knelt before her, weeping as she stared down at him.
Anya did not explain anything.
She did not reiterate what he had done.
She did not look at the other children.
She did not hesitate- not really.
She raised her hand and pressed her pointer finger to Terrence's sweaty forehead.
"Judgement."
A blinding white light brighter than the sun itself but the size of a laser seemed to pierce the boy's head. Manon could only see the back of his head and Anya's evil grin, but she watched as the boy's hands went limp at his sides and his head tilted back slightly as if possessed.
The laser expanded, Manon having to squint to see, flinching at the sudden scream that came from the boy so hard that she nearly jumped to her feet, and would have if not for Colette physically restraining her with her hand tight around her wrist.
"Sit." Colette mouthed it. Manon looked between her and Anya, wondering why Colette wasn't sharing her window- why she was acting like this was supposed to happen, why this was being treated normally….Smacking a child was one thing, but this- how could she just sit? If anything she wanted to see what was going on. She knew there wasn't anything she could truly do- but…
Manon didn't want to just obediently sit, her bottom hovering over the chair until she caught Maria's eye across the table- her head shaking. She didn't even have a choice now as the scream became louder- almost as if he were doing it in her ear. She winced as she slammed back into the seat, covering her ears as her breath quickened with fear.
Terrence's body rose up, feet off the ground as the light encompassed his entire being, his limbs outspread like someone ready to be received by god himself. She wondered if it was pain he felt- or an overload of his senses the way she was feeling right now? Watching him rise towards the heavens as if he were being saved. As if he were being brought to the white gates.
But Manon knew- whatever god this was- he was not the welcoming sort.
Anya had declared judgement, not saving.
With the abruptness of a horror film, it all stopped.
The light did not fade- it switched off.
And like a real life exorcist movie- Terrence slammed into the ground with a sickening thud, face down.
….
…
"...."
It was quiet.
There was no sound aside from Anya removing her gloves and throwing them onto Terrence's back.
She finally looked at each child. Not saying anything. Just looking.
Her gaze lingered on Manon, who stiffened as the woman's blue eyes sharpened, her pupils shrinking immediately. Manon gulped, the phantom pain of her earlier wound throbbing as she saw numbers flicker over the woman's head. A drop.
[AP:9]
Then she walked.
Her heels clacked against the marble harshly with every step as she left the hall, smiling softly this time as she began to pass by Manon and Colette.
But she didn't.
Manon watched, Anya's eyes still trained on her as the woman lifted her hand. Her eyes terrified her. Truly. Her pupils had all but disappeared, and she looked insane with the smile she wore, lids widening to a degree that made Manon think they'd pop out the sockets.
Manon leaned back, bracing herself for another slap or worse and planning to dodge if she could…
But she didn't need to.
Anya's actions were slow and deliberate, gentle and intentional.
Her pale hand rested on top of Colette's head. Her sharp icy eyes flickered between the two girls as she bent down between them, lowering her head until her face was at their level.
She was in between them, ear to ear, eyes watching them both carefully, one at a time. Left, then right. Her smile stretched her face, making her skin dimple and wrinkle like wax.
"Choose your enemies wisely."