Donovan sat on a metal bench, waiting for Tiero and the Shade to finish their talk. He was sitting at a far distance, so he couldn't really hear what they were talking about.
After a while, he saw Tiero walking away.
Ah… He had missed his chance to obtain the Visitor Records once again.
Donovan was tempted to go after Tiero, but then he saw the Shade, Hana Isabelle, walking towards his direction.
He froze. He couldn't get out of his seat. Suddenly, he locked eyes with her.
With a smile, she walked up to him, taking a seat beside him.
A Shade is sitting beside me! Donovan forced himself to calm down.
"Hello," she said. "I am Hana Isabelle."
Donovan nodded. "I am aware. Uh, Mr. Johnny already told me about you."
"Is that so? Johnny…? I'm sorry, I know a lot of 'Johnny's.' Which one are you talking about?"
"Johnny White. Tiero's messenger." Donovan said with a smile. I almost stuttered… Calm down…
"Ah, the man with thick eyebrows from earlier?" she said with a chuckle.
"Yes. Yes, that's him."
Hana Isabelle set her cane beside her. "Tiero told me about you. Donovan Volgard, right?"
Donovan nodded.
"He told me that he likes you very much. You should feel lucky to be so heavily favored by your handler so much." She chuckled.
Wait, for real…? Donovan was at a loss for words.
"Should I report your handler for playing favorites?"
"No, no!"
At that, Hana Isabelle let out a chuckle. "I'm kidding. I'm not that heartless. Unlike some of my colleagues…"
Donovan didn't know whether to laugh as well, or cry on the spot.
"I heard you were on a mission on Leyura?" she asked.
"Yes… We were supposed to confirm the existence of a Devourer, but some mishaps happened at the end, but everything went well."
"I fish there sometimes."
"What?"
"I'm kidding!" she said with a chuckle.
She continued, "I see. Hehe, my first experience with Annihiliths was with a Devourer."
Huh… Donovan then said, "What happened, if you don't mind me asking…"
"I was just playing outside, got lost, woke up a Devourer, and saw the crap get beaten out of it by a Visitor. I was a child back then."
Uh… "A Visitor? Are they still around?"
"Nope. But that Visitor went by the name of Christian Moerus. I only found out about him after I became a Visitor. I spent days on the Visitor Records, you know," she said with a chuckle.
Christian Moerus… Christian… Sounds familiar… Ah, the person that Benedict talked about in that memory I recalled… Does this mean Christian was a part of Mr. Tiero's and Benedict's friend group? Also, the Visitor Records!
"Visitor Records?" asked Donovan.
"A record of all Visitors, from the past and the present. Hehe, sorry, but it can only be accessed once you're a Typhoon Rank."
Goddamn it!!! So from the very beginning, even if I asked Mr. Tiero for it, I still wouldn't be able to get it! Sigh…
She noticed his expression drop. "Ah, were you hoping to take a look at it?"
Donovan looked up at her. "Um… Yes, actually."
"I'll take a look at it for you. Just tell me the name of the Visitor you want me to check."
She's… she's such a kind person…! Donovan smiled. "Thank you. Um, it's 'Benedict Volgard'."
"Benedict Volgard… Noted. If I can still remember this name, I'll take a look. Are they your brother, perhaps?"
"Yes," answered Donovan.
Donovan felt a weight be removed from his shoulder. I'm glad I met such a kind person… Not wanting to end the conversation just yet, Donovan decided to ask, "Who's Christian Moerus?"
Hana Isabelle fell silent for a moment, she closed her eyes, and said, "He is my savior. My only reason to become a Visitor was to meet the same Visitor that saved me from a Devourer. Alas, I was too late."
"Turns out, Christian Moerus had retired. His current location is unknown… He was a Healer-type, and thank goodness that I chose the same class as him." She laughed softly.
"You see, I was born with blindness. I had to use a device to help me see, but oftentimes, when I became a Visitor, it would often get destroyed in missions. It was a real hassle…"
"I chose Healer in the hopes of curing my blindness. And thankfully, when I reached Category 5 of Typhoon Rank, there was a spell that could cure any disability."
She sighed with a smile. "I couldn't stop crying after using that spell on myself…"
Donovan stared at her. He was at a loss for words, his mouth slightly open. The Healer Class can get rid of disabilities… I see, so this "Christian" was a Healer-type…
"Unfortunately… That spell can only be used once. After I used it, I could never use it again…" she said with a sigh.
Ugh, what kind of bullsh*t is that?! Umbrellas, do better! If they could remove that stupid limit of only being able to use it once, then Healers can just go around and cure everybody of their disabilities! Or is it that they can't do a thing about it? Sigh…
"And you, Donovan? What class did you go for?" This time, it was her who would continue the conversation.
"I chose Mage." Donovan said succinctly.
"Mage… I hear that Mages are the brilliant minds of Umbrellas. Is that true?"
Ma'am, it's my first time hearing that… I don't know… Donovan chuckled before saying, "I'm not sure if I can answer that."
"Relax. I'm just teasing." She laughed.
Her laugh was so gentle and warm, that it reminded Donovan of his meeting with Benedict's wife, Lillian Monette, who is now a Volgard.
Every time Hana Isabelle finished speaking with a chuckle, it made Donovan feel as if he were in a mother's warm embrace.
Donovan couldn't help but smile. It's been a while since he's had a lengthy conversation with someone before.
Although she was a Shade, Donovan's unease from earlier had mostly gone away. Now, it is replaced with casualness and friendliness.
"Have you met my colleagues, the other Shades?" she said. She already knew that he knew she was a Shade.
Donovan shook his head. "No… Um, this is actually the first time I'm meeting a Shade."
"Is that so? Well, you're in luck. The other Shades are… hm, not as friendly as me. Especially Zetar, that woman…"
Zetar? Never heard of her before… Seriously, original Donovan, why didn't you pay attention to these things?! But the name sounds familiar… It's on the tip of my tongue…
"Zetar?"
"Violet Zetar. She's a Mage, just like you. She's the one who everyone thinks is going to be the next Cataclysm to be born from Umbrellas. But truthfully, she's lazy, arrogant, and insufferable. She is reckless with her black holes, not even giving a damn to the people around her. Seriously, she infuriates me sometimes…"
"Oh, and did you know that she has a restaurant in Umbrellas? Truly infuriating…" Hana Isabelle's words left Donovan in shock.
Cataclysm…? The fifth rank in Umbrellas… The highest… She's the one most likely to become a Cataclysm?! How crazy is that…?! And black holes! She deals with black holes…? Wait, don't tell me that the Mage Class at Typhoon Rank can summon black holes?! Surely not… If so, that's crazy…
Noticing Donovan's shock and confusion, Hana chuckled. "Oh? Did I perhaps divulge too much information? Too much for your brain to handle?"
"And I know what you're thinking. No, unfortunately, the Mage Class cannot summon black holes at Typhoon Rank."
Upon hearing this, Donovan was disappointed. But he was confused as to how this "Violet Zetar" could summon black holes in the first place.
Leaning back into the metal bench, Hana asked, "Do you know of 'Soul Essence'?"
Soul Essence…? What the heck is that? I'm learning so much from her… Donovan shook his head. He was waiting for her to continue.
"Soul Essence exists in every living being in the universe, just waiting to be 'awakened'… If a god takes notice of you, your Soul Essence will awaken, allowing you to be able to use powers belonging to the domain of that god that paid attention to you."
"You, I, and everyone in Umbrellas has Soul Essence. My current goal at the moment is to awaken my own Soul Essence. And for that, I must make a god notice my actions."
"But of course, the chances of that happening are very slim. After all, why should a god pay attention to a bunch of ants? Also, a god can gaze at you, or notice you, and choose not to awaken your Soul Essence. Truly, awakening your Soul Essence is a difficult thing."
"The god who awakened Zetar's Soul Essence is 'Hoo H. Horizonte,' also known as the Father of Black Holes… I guess you could say I am envious of Zetar."
"I hope to be noticed by the Sun God, but I'm sure that's an impossibility…"
After Hana Isabelle finished speaking, Donovan was speechless. He leaned back into the metal bench, deeply lost in thought.
Soul Essence… gods… Father of Black Holes… Sun God… This universe is truly full of mysteries. But why is she telling me this? What does she hope to achieve by telling me this? Anyone would do anything for information at this level! And I'm getting it for free?! What is she after…? Donovan couldn't help but ask, "Why are you telling me this?"
Hana Isabelle smiled. "That's right… This information is only exclusive to the Shades and Raincoats… I suppose it wouldn't hurt to tell you."
"You see, when I first healed you of your injury, I sensed something odd within you. I do not know what it is, but it is certainly odd."
"You are a very odd and interesting person, Donovan Volgard. You have certainly piqued my interest."
Suddenly, at that moment, she put a hand on his cheek.
But Donovan suddenly winced in pain. She had scratched his cheek with a sharp fingernail. The next second, the cut healed. "I knew it… Very odd. Interesting."
"Truth be told, I have been losing motivation for the past few weeks. But the very moment I healed you, I felt invigorated, as though you weren't the one I healed, but myself. My motivation had regained its spark."
"Earlier, I talked with Tiero. I wanted him to 'put you under my wing.' I wanted you to be mine, Donovan Volgard. But your handler refused. I wanted to smite him at that moment, but I refrained from doing so."
She ran her fingers through his hair. People passed by, not noticing what this Shade was doing to this man. It's as if the two of them were invisible.
Hana placed another hand on his cheek. Her eyes that were pure white with a bit of yellow stared at his green eyes intensely. "So, what do you say? Would you like to be mine, Donovan Volgard? If you accept, you will have a happy, fulfilling life. In exchange, let me use you however I want."
"Do we have a deal?"
Donovan's expression was frozen. He didn't know what to feel in this situation. He wanted to use Light Blitz, but his entire body was frozen. He needed to escape, but he was unable to do so.
"…But why?"
"Is that a yes? Give me an answer, Donovan."
Donovan's mouth moved. "…No."
The next moment, Donovan opened his eyes, and woke up with a scream. Because of this, the people passing by glanced at him.
He was still at the metal bench, and it seems he had fallen asleep at some point in time. Suddenly, he heard a voice in front of him.
The voice came from Hana Isabelle, The "Sunrise."
She was standing with her back turned. Then, she said without facing him, "You've truly piqued my interest, Donovan Volgard…"
"I've always been really lucky, you know. With my luck, you will eventually give in."
"I promise you that we will meet again."
"But I will hold myself back in claiming you for myself. You are far too interesting that it sends shivers down my spine."
The next moment, a golden necklace appeared in Donovan's hands. "Use it if you are ever in trouble. Wear it, say my name, and I will come to your aid."
With a chuckle, she walked away, her cane in hand. "If you say a word about this to anyone, I will smite you in the name of the Sun God."
"Farewell."
Donovan sat there, wide-eyed. He was stuck in his seat, processing everything that just happened.