"Now tell me, what is your reason for Lethan's death," Philia inquired.
"Elynor likes to play with their victims. For example, he was experimenting with my emotionless reaction. He created a simulation stage for testing me," I explained.
"You mean, he tested me by killing my little brother in front of my eyes? Illogical," she denied it.
Maybe the man didn't mean it explicitly.
"Forget it, we can talk about it another time, you can rest here for a while," she said.
"…Thanks," I sincerely appreciated.
The conversation stopped. We continued enjoying our dinner. Then took turns bathing. She gave her little brother pajamas for me to wear. It was a bit tight for me.
She took me to the bedroom. Lunar light pierced the curtains. The night sky was filled with the glitter of stars. With the light poles shining on the empty street.
There were two beds separated across the room. Philia walked towards the left side and sat on the bed. There was a night lamp in the middle of the room.
"No need to be so timid," she mocked me.
"…I hate you," I replied.
She grinned as I walked towards the right bed, and sat on it. I scanned through the room. I noticed a picture on the left side of the room.
A picture of a family. There were four people on it. The low part consisted of a girl on the left and a boy on the right side. Perhaps, they were a young Philia and her little brother.
The upper part usually consists of the parents. A mother and a father figure. But the faces in the picture were unseen. They were covered with a scratch of a black crayon.
"What happened to your parents?" I asked without hesitation.
She seemed bothered by it. Her body began to lie down on the bed.
"Pardon me," I said.
"It's okay," she coldly replied.
I started to lie down on the bed, gazing at the ceiling.
"Can I shut down the lamp?" She asked.
"Okay…"
She closed the light, leaving the night rays emitting in the room. She walked back to bed, without any conversation.
"Good night," she said.
"Good night as well…" I replied.
I closed my eyes. The night turned completely silent.
"My parents… They might be in the Cevandied State," she suddenly spoke.
"Since I was born, I grew up with my auntie. She is the one who took care of me along with her son, Lethan Ceviezt. We grew up like siblings," She recounted.
"Why didn't you ask your aunt about them?" I questioned.
"I tried it, but she barely remembered it… We searched for everything that might be addressed. The letters, the bank account, and their leftover belongings. Neither of them mentioned their name. All of them were covered with those black crayons," She explained.
I realized something was off. If Lethan was her aunt's son, why did he appear in her family picture?
"Have you ever seen your parents' faces?" I asked.
"No… I haven't," she replied.
"…"
It felt eerie. Time had reached midnight. Philia excused herself to sleep. I closed my eyes in confusion and curiosity.
In the meantime, I dreamed. Someone I never met before. They sat on the couch like a couple. Joy and happiness. Within them, a young boy was sitting in the middle.
He laughed and shared his moments with the couple. It was like a family. Where everyone lived in a TV show. The boy drew something on the desk. Using a crayon, he drew a father, a mother, and himself.
"Mom! Dad! I drew you guys," he showed his art to them with a heartfelt face.
They rejoiced. Belief in a faith of graceful embracement. That hope will side with them.
Accidentally, the boy crossed out the picture. It landed on the father and the mother figure, with that black crayon.
"I'm sorry," he sincerely apologized.
"No need to worry, it just scratches my baby. Our relationship will never be broken by an accidental scratch," the mother appeased him.
But suddenly, I heard something knocking on the windows. It repeatedly knocked. I opened my gaze. I looked at the room and it turned bright.
"Thank you sir," a feminine voice was called out.
I began to scan the room. I glanced at Philia looking out the window as the rays of the sun pierced through the curtain. She turned back and slowly closed the curtain and noticed me.
"Already awake?" She asked.
"As you can see," I barely moved from my pillow.
She smirked at me. Her loss didn't affect her. Was she accepted?
"Are you feeling better?" I asked her.
She seemed shocked, "Why are you asking that?"
"Just asking, nothing serious," I replied.
She hesitated for a while. Her eyes furrowed.
"I could say that I felt so much better thanks to you. It's hard to let someone who already reached the afterlife. I realized that I couldn't live with that guilt and revenge… I'm glad that he ever existed in my life."
In those words, her voice was spoken in the deepest of her heart. Her smile showed sincerity. She exceeded her boundaries. Gracefulness.
She grew into a person with an identity. She developed vastly. As a normal person might be unable to sanely accept it. I knew it. I just witnessed a human become a person.
"Glad to hear that," I complimented her.
I didn't know what would happen if she didn't move on from the past. She could live in endless sorrow. Or died in guilt.
But something held me back. The family painting. I grew a conspiracy in me, an unfolded mystery in the Philia family.
"Rirt, what do you want for breakfast?" she asked.
"A piece of bread will do, thanks," I accepted her offer.
"You seem to like bread aren't you?" She sneered.
"Yeah… I'm starving," I replied.
Immediately, she begged for an apology from me. Then she ran out of the room, preparing to go out. She left me alone.
"Maybe I should get ready too," I thought.
I walked downstairs. Suddenly, a door-knocking noise called out. It repeatedly knocked. Who was it?
I slowly approached the door and opened it. Behind it, there was a tall man with indigo hair wearing a fawn fedora. His left eye appeared closed with straches
"Oh, hi there. It seems there's a new face here," he said kindly.
"Hello, mister…" I tried to reply to him.
"Is Mistress Philia here?" he asked.
Philia seemed to be taking a bath. How could I tell him?
"Seivert! Long time no see," immediately a girl's voice called out from behind me.
"Ah, Miss Lady. Glad to see you healthy," he generously replied.
Philia came with a flowery white dress. Casually. She greeted him with charm.
"Lady, it seemed there was a new guest here. Could you introduce him?" The man demanded.
"Ah pardon me, this is Rirthe Virtanous. He will be resting here for a while," she explained as I stared at him with curiosity.
"Hello Rirthe, nice to meet you," he stretched out his hand to shake hands.
I reached my hand to him. As I grabbed his hand, it was cooling my hand. Cold and rigid. He was like a corpse. Who was he?
He noticed my strange response.
"Ah sorry to startle you, I was an undead person. More specifically, fiend race," he explained.
"Can you introduce yourself?"
"I'm Sievert Eversin. The member of Histrionic Kin. Also, the Portrayer of the parity pathway, third String."