"YooHoo! Are you awake~?" A familiar voice called out from the shadows, slowly bringing me back to consciousness.
The voice was strangely familiar, in the sense that I heard it almost every day. Not in my own head, but when I spoke out loud.
I then realized it wasn't my voice, but his. The voice of the person I had been with the entire time, the British voice matching Victor's, as if it belonged with his, sounded better paired together.
"Hmm, not yet," /3^ said with wonder, intrigued at the condition of the person who had been inhabiting his body.
I felt a touch, not physically, but spiritually. The touch felt refreshing, not only on my body, but also on my spirit. It was as if all of my worries were being washed away, without my own intention or want.
"Who…are… you?" I just barely managed to ask in this space of subconsciousness. I knew it was my subconscious, but it felt as if it was being dominated by a different being.
"Hehe, sorry, my dear, but it is not yet time for you to know. But that time will be soon! So, for now, just get some rest," The payfully cunning voice ordered, putting his hand over my eyes.
There was a flash of light, not that I could see, but what peeked through my closed eyes. After the flash ended, I was alone in my subconscious space, now able to hear the sounds around me and able to feel the space surrounding me.
I heard a slightly distant crying, distant compared to my normal hearing. The sound of people working outside, and then the sound of pages being flipped next to me.
I could feel that I was on a bed, the mattress was rather soft, and I clearly wasn't in a house of an ordinary city dweller. A warm blanket was on top of me, being heated by the sun shining through the window.
I attempted to move, twitching my pointer fingers ever so slightly, but even that sent a sharp pain through my head. Groaning, the sound of the chair next to me was heard scraping, causing my headache to worsen.
The person who was reading on the chair next to me hurriedly closed their book, rushing closer to the bed, peering down at me.
"Teacher…are you awake?" Another familiar voice rang, bringing me back to the reality I dreaded being real.
'Ah, it's Sephtis…he must be quite worried. I do not blame him…Damn, my head hurts…is it my head though?'
"Mmmm," I groaned again, trying to open my eyes, but the sun was a little too bright for me to handle with my current headache, "Th-The curtains…please."
"Oh! Of course!" Sephtis exclaimed, seeming to rush to close them. Having felt the heat of the sun no longer there, I attempted to open my eyes.
Very slowly opening them, my ears started ringing again. But I wasn't dizzy, so I could make out my surroundings rather easily.
I was in a decently fancy room, with two big windows, one on my left, the other right above me. It seemed to me that Sephtis only opened the one on the right in order to see what he was reading properly; otherwise, he likely wouldn't have.
The bed I was lying in was rather simple, the wood a dark shade, with carvings on both sides of the footboard and I guessed headboard, but I didn't bother to try and look.
"T-teacher, how are you feeling?" Sephtis asked worriedly, his fingers fidgeting as his ears and tail drooped sadly.
"..." I was silent for a while, waiting for my headache to lessen before I spoke, "It feels like my head fucking exploded or something…and I'm thirsty."
"Here, some water," Sephtis offered, grabbing a glass on the nightstand next to me. I very slowly sat up and took the glass with trembling hands, only for Sephtis to take it into his hands and tip it over my mouth for me to drink.
"Haaa, thank you," I expressed with weary, feeling refreshed, my headache still as prominent, "Tell me, Sephtis, what exactly happened?"
"I…I don't exactly know if you should know," He trailed off, looking defeated and not meeting my eyes.
"Sephtis. Tell me, now." I demanded, glaring at him. Everything was so confusing right now, like the voice I heard before waking up, where I was, and how I got here.
"A-Alright…After you lost 'consciousness', Inubat was going to kill Lorenzo, then I jumped in front of him to protect him, but before she could strike either one of us, this, Witch, I think, appeared and told her that they completed their mission. So, the two of them left, then mages from the adventurers' guild appeared and got rid of the fire and smoke," He explained, recounting the events, but he clearly left some things out.
'He is clearly hiding something, perhaps pertaining to the reason why he spoke to me before I woke up.'
"The guildmaster appeared and asked what had happened. I told him we fended off the Commander, and he offered us a place to stay at his manor, which is where we are now."
"I see…And my head, how did it get reattached?" I questioned, being the most puzzled on that matter, not really caring about the other things.
"Mmm, it's hard to say really. Your body kind of just stood up, your head back on its shoulders, no indication of it ever being sliced off," Sephtis mumbled a little, leaning closer and brushing his hands on my hair. Suddenly aware of his actions, Sephtis swiftly retracted his hand and cleared his throat.
'...what the hell was that?' I thought with a dumbfounded expression I was wearing mentally.
"Is that so? And what about the witch, what did she look like?" I questioned again, wanting to see if I could recognize her from the novel, though not having to rack my brain too much, considering my headache.
"From what I remember, she had black hair with purple colored bangs, yellow eyes, and pale skin. She was also wearing a black and green dress with a matching witch's hat that had a skull charm on the end of it," He recounted. I wasn't able to think of anyone who matched that description, but I kept it in the back of my mind.
"Okay…and what of Lorenzo, is he alright? I seem to hear some crying, that's not him, is it?" I asked, surprisingly worried for him and his sister's condition.
'I suppose that's what happens when you share the same side on the battlefield.'
"...It is, actually," Sephtis sighed, trailing off for a moment of silence before continuing, "His sister didn't make it; it seemed that they got to her before we did."
"...Huh," I sat there for a moment, sharing a moment of silence for Lior, Lorenzo's cries in the background, "Help me up, I want to offer my condolences."
Nodding, Sephtis offered his hand, helping catch my balance as I wobbled to stand up. Holding my arm, he walked me over to the end of the bed and grabbed a shawl to put around me.
"Thank you," I smiled, then let go of his arm and walked myself out of the room. "Would you please lead the way? While I can hear him, I don't know where exactly he is."
'I need to start working on that. I can't have my senses be dulled just from a headache or any other injury.'
"Of course! Please follow me," Sephtis agreed with a bright smile, his ears perking up and his tail starting to wag again.
As we passed a mirror in the hallway, I was finally able to see my reflection. I was wearing tan pajamas and the white shawl that Sephtis gave me. My hair was down, and my skin was even paler than usual. It was obvious I wasn't well, considering I was still trembling.
Thankfully, whoever changed me kept the disguising brooch Eveleen gave me on, since my hair was still the same shade as hers. Upon closer inspection, the broach was on my breast pocket.
Now more aware, I saw that Sephtis was wearing his armor. It seemed to me that he had been guarding me while I was unconscious, along with the bags under his eyes, pointing out that he hadn't slept much…or at all.
'Hmm, I…kind of feel bad. If only I hadn't let my guard down so much, we wouldn't be in this mess…and we probably would have been able to save Lorenzo's sister.'
As we continued walking in silence over towards where Lorenzo was, I started to realize that it seemed to be where his sister's remains were being kept. I'd never seen a man as courageous as him weep for nothing, unless a loved one had passed right before them.
"Lorenzo, it's us. Is it all right if we come in?" I announced, knocking on the door. I wanted to be as considerate as possible to Lorenzo, but there were things we needed to discuss.
"Ahem, yes, come in," Lorenzo said through a muffled voice as he cleared his throat. Opening the door and entering the room, I saw what I thought was his figure sitting on a chair by the bed, a younger woman lying peacefully under its covers.
"Um, Hello Lorenzo, how are you holding up?" Sephtis asked, his ears twitching nervously. He was obviously scared that he would get snapped out, but I could tell Lorennzo didn't have the energy for such a thing.
"...Not great," He said through a forced smile, then turned his body towards us, "It hurts, y'know?"
Lorenzo had short, dark purple hair with misty ocean blue eyes, and pointed ears. They weren't pointy like a demon, but also not long like an elf's, but at the same time weren't short enough to be a half-elf's. He had tan skin toned with muscles, which, paired with his face, made him quite handsome.
As expected, his eyes were puffy from crying, alongside large eye bags. Poor guy had probably stayed up for days taking care of his sister, though to him it might have ended in vain.
"I understand… I, too, have also lost those close to me, right before my eyes, at that," I sympathized, thinking back to Keiji and Yasuo. I stepped forward and offered him a pat on the shoulder, a sign of reassurance.
"Those people…What was it like when you lost them?" Lorenzo asked, blinking back a few tears. He carried a deep frown, one he was trying to keep from showing.
"Well, those two were like brothers to me, and they gave their lives up in order for me to live," I began, unintentionally letting an expression of vulnerability show through, "It was hard for me to continue on without them, but then I found that I still had a purpose to continue on."
Noticing my expression, Sephtis shuffled nervously in the corner for a few moments before walking over and grabbing my hand and squeezing it. I returned the gesture with a small smile and a pat on his head, causing Sephtis to unconsciously wag his tail.
"That purpose, what was it?" Lorenzo asked, eagerness in his eyes, a little bit of their shine coming back.
'Heres my chance!'
"Well, I had someone I could still rely on and protect…Though that may not be the same for you, I'm sure you can find another purpose to hang on for now," I replied, offering words like a snake offering a forbidden fruit to a mortal.
"A purpose that doesn't pertain to relying and protecting people? Apologies, but nothing comes to mind," Lorenzo looked down at the ground in defeat, clearly not in the best place to be thinking about anything other than grievances.
"Haaa, Tell me, does the person responsible for your sister's death still live, causing others pain as well?" I questioned, knowing he would have a better answer than anyone.
"I suppose yes, that witch still does…Though there isn't any chance I could face her and live to tell the tale," Lorenzo recounted, reminding me that there was information about that night that I still didn't have…but that didn't matter right now.
"Lorenzo, I think you are forgetting about something," I interjected, causing him to look back up at my now smiling face. "You aren't alone. When we faced Inubat, you were a great help. I wish to repay both you and Sephtis for helping me recover from her attack, so if it means helping you get revenge on your sister's killer, then consider it done!"
Light slowly came back to Lorenzo's eyes as he began to realize what I had just told him, now understanding that I was risking putting myself in his debt. Rubbing his eyes with newfound determination, he shot up out of his seat.
I held out my hand in offering of a new partnership, which Lorenzo eagerly took and shook. Tears slowly streaming down his face, he continued to smile, happy, though also tired.
It was obvious he wanted to retire then and there, but with a newfound purpose, he couldn't just yet. Though awkward, Sephtis offered a reassuring pat on Lorenzo's shoulder, to which Lorenzo pulled the both of us into a tight hug.
'...Too much muscle!' I thought, squeezed into both Lorenzo and Sephtis. One man I had no interest in but still sought to help, the other being my exact type, whom I told myself I wouldn't fall for.