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(Location: the rooftop of the abandoned inn in Meirchio)
It is all dark outside when the group came out from Grimoire’s library, thus they decided to stay one more night in the town before continuing the journey.
This night went almost silent, since the place is sealed and even the normal creatures are not passing here. The sky is full of stars and magical auroras, under the sky, there are abandoned buildings with lights out, which is a normal painting. The painting of the girl sitting on the roof is dotted. The long black hair blended into the night, but the eyes were as beautiful as amber gems and reflected the stars in the sky. The girl with long hair sitting on the roof became the protagonist of this painting. Female eyes look at the distant sky, seeming to think about what stares at the stars as a little prayer.
Scratching noise with the roof tiles is particularly noticeable on this quiet night when the accumulated snow falls down, allowing the girl to perceive that someone is climbing up. She turned her head and saw the gentle brown-haired boy approaching. The teenager was initially surprised at someone on the roof but soon smiled. The girl just sat on the roof in a thin vest, turning her head at 45 degrees and staring at the peaceful former Shepherd, who visit on the quiet moonlight. The shimmering light with the stars flows down the hair to the girl's sexy neck and collarbone, but these are not the places that the teenagers pay attention to.
“You may get a cold if you stay long outside at night.” The former Shepherd removed his cloak and put it on the girl.
“I come out to get some fresh freezing wind, but thanks.” Velvet chuckled while thinking herself afraid of cold too, yet the agony in her head troubled her to a point she wants to get some freezing air. All the friend there accepts her so fast, maybe it is sort of comfort when there is a normal person doubt her like Mikleo.
“What are you doing that late?” Sorey pointed at the position next to Velvet, and she nodded to allow him to sit next to her.
“I am just thinking about stuff.”
“What stuff? May I know about it?” If anything must bother Velvet, that is related to Tartarus, but Sorey is sure there is more than that to Velvet.
“I will hurt my friend again in the future, that’s the third time.” Even after Eleanor said it is fine and so as Sorey, Velvet can’t forgive herself from repeating such an incident even when none of the things she could take control.
“......When you are hanging at the cliff, you mentioned a name called Niko….is it related to her?”
“.....Sort of, she was a very close friend to me, maybe just as close as you and Mikleo. Her family treated us good, that how we got along. We talked and learned skills from each other like cooking and weave. She talked about the person she liked. In those days my sister died, she was one of the people there supporting me to live.” Velvet recalled with sort of gentleness in her eyes, but it becomes cold all a sudden “Yet, that night , I killed her.”
That night , need not explain more, there are only several nights to Velvet are impressive. All of them the night painted with blood and changed her fate.
“That was not on to you, Velvet.”
“I remembered how her corpse lied helplessly, the face with the horrified expression and the empty lifeless eyes there staring at me, like asking for the reason why I kill her. She was my best childhood friend, she was just a kind and naive girl and we talked several hours ago. Yet, I just did that to her, and I did almost the same to my friends again. You and Eleanor may be killed by me back then.”
“Let’s get off with our case. The girl called Niko, I think she will be grateful to you for killing her.”
“What do you say?!” Velvet stare at Sorey with shock and sort of anger. The statement is like some filthy joke building on a dead. Even Sorey just wants to comfort her, she can’t keep her anger away from the filthy imagination over her childhood friend. Her friend won’t talk to her again, she can’t, because she died, no one will know what was she thinking at the last moment.
“Maotelus told me, there was no way to purify a daemon in the past, the exorcist kill them instead of purifying the malevolence and most of the daemons lost their reason.” Sorey doesn’t care to be stared by Velvet, he remains calm to continue.
“...But she is…” Velvet narrowed her eyes.
“You said she was a kind and naive girl, but on that night she became a werewolf without her reason because of malevolence. She was no longer the one you knew. I saw that in your memory.” Sorey continued to point out and Velvet remained silent with her sad and angry.
“Zaveid said your group taught him that death is salvation sometimes. No matter what you were thinking of, your murder saved your friend.” Sorey finished his statement and Velvet can’t hold her anger anymore to such a ridiculous point.
“How is this even possible?!”
“It is because that if you had not killed her that time, she would have killed other people as a hellion without reason. If she had been herself, she would have regretted like you after discovering what had she done. You finished her cursed conversion before she had committed any sins. You stop her from doing wrong and doing anything will make herself regret.”
“.............”
“So I would say, she must be grateful to you for what you did. Even if it is not the best way for you, you save her from the curse.” Sorey show a sincere smile, he noticed Velvet starts tearing up there with the reflection of dim moonlight
“And for Eleanor and me, you should not care about it, it is not a situation in your control, it is not your fault. Eleanor chose to stop you from hurting others so she hurts badly there, it was her choice but not your fault. And I have said, without your operation, I won’t get a chance to be freed. You shouldn’t blame yourself on it.”
“................” Velvet still remained silent, she can’t swallow all the stuff smoothly like pretending it never happened. Sorey’s word has been very meaningful to her and it has been strange to her to hear someone said it is not her fault now. It has been really strange to call her murder salvation to someone when she never thinks it is. She thought Sorey is an idiot to forgive her just like this but she does appreciate the comfort he gives in the words, she felt touched and tearing up.
“I will think about it.” She finally managed to come up with a sentence and turned away her head and her expression remain in an unreadable expression.
Sorey released a light sigh when he heard of the answer. He isn't able to change her mind and it takes time to move on. So rather than continue the topic, he decided to bring another topic.
“The star sky tonight is brilliant.”
“It is.” The tear of joy hasn't dried up. The girl raised her head when her tears almost dropped, she tried hard to kill her voice there not to let out any weak cry.
“There is a fairy tale claim that all those stars are formed after people and seraphim died. Maybe your family and friends are watches over you in the sky. So-” Sorey said.
“Won’t make any promise.” Velvet smirks seem already dried up her tears for her friend.
“As I thought.” Sorey released a sheepish smile.
“Velvet. You know…..From the day I revealed my identity to you, I am really glad you didn’t leave immediately.” Sorey thought of the past moment they have been together. In the past, he was seen as a monster for his power as a Shepherd and many people approached him with purposes. Velvet is a rare one to accept his identity that easily and took him without a difference.
“I am glad to meet you.” Sorey smiled.
Velvet got a moment of embarrassment when Sorey says such word all a sudden, her face reddened at the moment. Great that the darkness of the night hide her shyness well there, and she decided to have a squelch for keep making her embarrassed recently “.......I suppose you are not hitting on me.”
“It is ……….not?” Sorey is shocked and embarrassed by Velvet’s response. He is not expecting such a question, but when he thinks about it, it sounds like he is sort of hitting on her and it is not a bad idea.
“.............Just what kind of answer is that? Huh?” A moment later, Velvet chuckled at Sorey’s response, she laughs hard that her tears come out.
It is a rare smile, at least Sorey has never seen that smile on her since the journey began. He has seen Velvet smiled when she is cooking and she almost remains an unreadable expression all the time. Now he has seen a priceless smile, that is truly a bright smile to stun Sorey, bright one like he has seen in her memory when she still had her family back there. The smile looks good on her as he has claimed, after all, she is a beauty, and he is glad to see such a smile on her. It felt like his little wish to see her keeping the smile is achieving. He may guess it is also responding to his statement that she is glad to know him too. In any way, Sorey is too glad to see such a smile on her, so he responds with a big smile too.
The former Shepherd and former therion laugh together on the rooftop.
This dazzling starry sky is piled up by thousands of lives, and flashes of ephemeral life on the other side. People only know that those things are shining and very beautiful. The two looked at the starry sky and looked back Human history prays for victory. After this night, they will move towards the future with stronger and more beautiful steps.
-------------------------------TBC--------------------------------
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