Are you simply planning on disspearing from our lives the way you always planned on doing? The thought brought a smile to his face as he stared at the place she had stood just moments ago, with a feverish tone that contrasted against her pale face. His eyes widened as he felt like screaming, but there was no use now because she had just said that her presence wasn't a necessity to their lives, which was honestly, a truth all along.
Retracting his outstretched arm, he recalled the written contents on the piece of paper she had momentarily handed him. Placing his steps forward one after the other, the library slowly led him to the exit as the crowded hall came into view.
It felt absurdly lonely now, after knowing her plans and about her leaving. It has been a month... but unlike how she had just said her presence wasn't a major influence, a lot of things have changed in the palace. And the biggest change of all is how close I have gotten to Henry and mother. Maybe even George. That hearing about someone trying to place a trial against him, it ticks me off just by hearing it.
A lot of unanswered questions stayed inside his mind, but to get her to answer them was not possible around this time. Who knew where she had disspeared, and when she would do this, it was a very far location or even an unknown location. Most of the time, she would be seen at places like the library or her room and the least common place was the garden, but the probability was never zero.
Although in this school, most probably, she would be trying to find Merissa. But to find the orange haired girl was going to be a puzzle, because unless she was with Aefia, there was no way of knowing where she would go. But on the other hand, the most visited part of the school would be around the primary section, where Henry was studying.
Break time aligned at the same time for primary and secondary, so it was no doubt she might be there. But it wasn't going to be worth trying to find her, because when she dissapeared like that, she didn't want to be found for a long time. The way she isolated herself was a very famous move by now, before stepping away, she would be fast.
Along with the thoughts, an anger rose inside him as he settled down on a bench around the outskirts of the school building, at the fields where kids ran around. The way she spoke... it must be something between depressed and completely happy. Just this morning, she was worried, then completely alright, then she was crying for a moment, and not to think about her revengeful side... finally this unknown new expression. It's as if she was drawing a line as a barrier against her emotions. It is completely hard to read her now.
He covered his face while leaning all the way back. I know I am supposed to tell George... but this matter is his execution request... not only about her. Then was she trying to keep me silent by letting me know about when she plans on leaving as soon as she can? She is smart with her moves, almost like saying 'I don't let anyone know anything about me'.
Hold on... was it a game against the Guardian all this time? Was it her game against that entity who follows her around and speaks things that angers her? A flat smile surfaced on his face with the acknowledgement, a new realization displaced his old ones. So she thinks the Guardian will kill anyone she is the most close to? That is a very silent and smart move from her side then. And with that one letter reaching her hand, she has found her way of escape. Aren't you a little too quick at things... sister?
With the sharp gaze he had, Henry came rushing to his elder brother with intense speed and jumped onto his lap. Pulling the two wrist out, he pinched the sides of Lewis's cheeks and spoke with shadowed and narrowed eyes. "Where is... our sister? Why are you suspiciously angered and calm? Did you two fight again? Because if you did, I will tell George and mom when we reach back home."
Shocked, he spoke with a painful face. "What?! No I didn't!" Removing the kid's hands from his face, he smiled at the end with calm eyes. "Don't worry...she went to deal with something important. She doesn't have much time left to complete it, you know?"
***
"Puppet... you are absurdly silent." Aefia spoke while playing with the stick of the candy and glancing out the window, looking at the empire which was officially under her name. "If you don't speak soon... I will lose my temper." She added after a short moment, while glancing at the three moons lighting the glowing forest below her.
"What am I supposed to do?" Her elemental animal spoke while sitting on the edge of the railing of the old castle. "Especially after what I have heard about some of your amazing yet crazy plans... are you really planning on doing what you said?" It added while standing up and stretching it's paws agianst the concrete.
Biting hard on the candy, the pieces crushed under the pressure and the stick at her fingertips bent as she shut her mouth for a long time. While looking down at the tall level she was standing of a completely different dimension. "The answer is obvious. I didn't mean all of it." She replied finally while rolling the stick around her fingertips. "Added to it... I plan to escape and govern this empire. I didn't get it for no reasons."
"Wait... what? So you plan on becoming the Empress to a fallen empire? Are you still mad in the mind?" The red wolf jumped down while curling around at her feet. "Honestly... it would be better for you to go back to the asylum. And this time, add six months... six!" It continued trying to grab her attention by standing on its hind legs.
"Keep quiet." She answered while leaning against the glassless window and staring out with an almost blank mind. Noticing this, the red wolf walked around her leg and continued speaking. "You know you always do that when you are thinking deep about something. What is in your mind around this time? How to find the best way to commit my second murder-suicide?"
"You are partially correct..." The immediate answer sent shivers around its fur as it stopped every motion and pricked an ear at her direction, with a blank face and with a warm feverish tone above and around the areas of her eyes. Her chin rested atop her fist as she stared at the white stick of her candy. "But I am also thinking about what happens next... I will still be able to come back alive. I want to end it all immediately."
"What the hell?!" Puppet shouted as it accidentally lit it's manes in fire, a movement only activated through extreme shock or anger. "Now what if I take away your brain?! I need you to urgently shut off your mind!" It grew concerned the more she blanked out. Darn! I completely forgot she is still a teenager! If she continues thinking, she might as well jump from this height... right now! ... And that ends everything about her! She actually dies! But how do I tell her?!
Before long, it's concerns were raised by the sound of footsteps that came from behind the throne. It was almost silent, but not enough to alert the girl with her mind into the far deep into the back of her skull. Slowly, she lowered her forehead above her fist as her eyes turned blurry with wetness at the edges. Her hair did the most of the job by covering her face as the light breeze moved a part of it away from her face at the same time.
That Guardian of Silence had to take away that only one person I know from this world? Then watching me suffer with every step I take... what... a... chaos... of the life... I am leading. Couldn't I have been ordinary?
The thoughts stayed in her mind as she crashed the stick at her fingertips and flashed a smile with shadowed eyes. "Hey Aefia... You seeing this?" Puppet asked while growing anxious while her mind continued it's thinking. But I also wonder... how long will she be able to stand? I have a life... and I don't want to waste it anymore. Holding out her palm, she summoned her hair clip and untangled the hair tie. Using her fingers, she tied her hair up and lifted her head. To be able to break me... it will take more force and regret... because I am already very egoistic and revengeful.
Behind her, the sound of metal unshealthing could be heard as the footsteps behind her echoed loudly, but before the person could cut through her throat, she leaped and vanished out of sight. "Where the hell did she go?!" The hooded person spoke to himself as a black bladed sword cut thought the side of his cloak.
"What level of security did you set up in this place that even one person's intruding would be a massive danger upon their lives? Did you expect to think I won't know you?" Aefia spoke while using the blade to cut through the hood, that dropped to the ground with the soft sound of a heavy fabric dropping, revealing blonde hair which had a familiar shine on it.
"That was extremely fast... honestly." Helio surrended his hands, he stayed still with the blade still situated at the side of his face. "But I am not sure I know whether you are the person I am assuming you to be. Is it just coincidence that you don't have the same dark hair as her? You are extremely weak at the same time." His hand gripped the edge of the blade the same way she would, which caused major bleeding, and swung it around. "Huh?!" The sound escaped his mouth as he held onto the obsidian sword with no owner, he lifted his gaze to look at the person pointing a gun at his face.
"You seem to have gotten to the same level of power as me. You did get some practice... but did you get enough with your gun? Because I did." She pulled the trigger twice in a row as the person moved out of the trajectory and bent low. He was forced to bring out his own weapon and pointed it directly at her face as she threw the pistol into the air.
Upon the blade reaching mere inches of her face, she dissolved into the air, reappearing exactly the spot her gun was in the air, as her fingers wrapped around the trigger, pulling it tightly. "This is fun... I wonder why I didn't get a hint of it the past month." She softly muttered to herself as she landed onto the ground with a light clicking of her medium height tall shoes.
"You even have her skills and tactics. That is some extreme level cloning." Helio spoke while spinning the sword around his fingers and sprinting forward at bullet speed, but she lifted into the air before he could even reach her. "Are you going to use the lame tricks to try and escape the same way she does?!" He laughed a little villanish as he looked around for her next appearance.
Before he could look behind him, a flask moved through the air, that came with a soft voice ringing at his ears. "Then if the tricks are lame... why are you using it?" She whispered. But the instant he had heard it, it disappeared and his head immediately turned sideways in search for her. The entire throne room fell silent as the faint light of redness illuminated the room from a small corner, it was a familiar and annoying red colour.
Following the sighting, he immediately turned around and the words escaped his mouth, unwanted. "Puppet?! You annoying rascal?!" He looked at it with shock and confusion. "Then who is that person with silver and black hair?!" He asked instantly while nearing it.
"Who did you think she was?! You were the dumb one who chased behind her first saying she was a clone!" The wolf flared it's fire across his mane as it stood up and smacked away his hand. "And you have the audacity to try and be nice to me after calling me an annoying rascal?!"
"What?! Did you expect me to believe she was Aefia?! At first glance she definitely looked stranger! And add to it the darkness!" Helio spoke while holding his hand and looking around, but there was still no sight of her, not even her footsteps. "And I didn't see her from the night she had left the competition! It's been a month since that! Did you think I still remember her appearance?!" He crouched and spoke softly.
"Do I seem to care?! She is going to lose her magic energy to the last bar in a very short time! Go find her!" Puppet shouted while running towards nowhere and getting into hiding, which it did everytime it met an enemy. "Now what do I do? If she is losing her magic energy, isn't she going to collapse soon?" He whispered to himself.
Not having a choice, he reshealthed the sword at his side and stood up. Soon enough, he felt a very strong presence behind him as he immediately turned around and faced the person, using her bare hands to summon fire that stood at the top of her palm as she slowly walked towards him.
In that short time, her face had the look of a battle maniac. Her eyes were shadowed with a fierce look and her smile was sinister as she summoned her sword out of a sudden, with the sharp edge facing forward, and her steps turning feather-light as she reappeared in front of his face. He stepped back as her blade struck the side of his head, cutting out small strands of hair.
"If wanted... I could have killed you... But can you guess why I didn't? Even after your infuriating comments against my battle type?" She asked while offering a smile. He hesitanted from replying, fearing that she might actually kill him for saying the wrong answer. "Because you are sick?" He asked after a long time.
Her sword dropped from behind his head as her knees snapped and she plummeted towards the ground. "Tired." She answered back as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders to keep her from falling further.