NOVEL NEXT XLIII. Fading Fractals
Jargen: Rel. Are you doing it, or should we?
Jargen nodded toward the room where Faya was being treated, not far down the corridor.
Punjo: Jargen, don'tcha think it'd be best if we all did it...?
Jargen: You're asking me...? Hell if I know. If it was your son, what'd you prefer...?
Punjo: I'd prefer we'd at least have some sorta clue of his whereabouts...
Rel: Let's not overthink this. Madam Anya needs to know, so let's go there and tell her.
Rel walks hastily down the corridor, aimed straight at the room's door.
Jargen: Dammit kid, not thinking about it isn't going to help you when the woman goes apeshit...
Punjo: May be best if we just rip the band-aid off . C'mon!
Punjo follows Rel, with Jargen right behind. As Rel opens the door, Anya's gaze locked onto their entrance.
Anya: Finally...! What took you so long?! I've been so worried...
Faya seemed to be in a deep slumber. Her wound seemed to have significantly worsened, but at least she did not appear to be in pain. Anya herself looked tired, as if she hadn't been able to get a full night's rest in days.
Jargen: We had to get patched up, Cabdan's men were waiting for us... Things weren't as smooth as we could have hoped. Nothing we couldn't handle, though.
Anya tries to peek behind them. Whoever she was looking for wasn't there, as evidenced by her disillusioned look.
Anya: ... And Virno...?
Jargen: Virno was right there on the frontlines, it was thanks to his efforts that we managed to get to the girls as quickly as we did. If it weren't for brave young men like him, we'd-
Rel interrupts, shaking his head.
Rel: He's... Missing, madam Anya. We haven't seen him since the battle ended.
Jargen looks at Rel with widened eyes, as if he'd just committed a cardinal sin.
Anya: He's... Missing...?
Anya stands up from the old wooden chair she was sitting on, its creaks the only sound filling the dense silence that overpowered the room.
Punjo: Miss, he stayed behind to stave off a-an... E-enemy...
Rel shakes his head.
Rel: Whatever that was, it was no mere "enemy". What we saw was nothing less than a demon.
Anya: Demon...?! My son was left to fight against a demon?!
Jargen throws his hands up in resignation.
Jargen: Fuck it. I tried.
He crosses his arms, as Rel and Punjo scrambled for an explanation.
Punjo: We dunno if it was a "demon" demon Rel, we shouldn't jump to callin' it that...
Rel: What'd you call it, then? Look madam, you know Virno better than any of us. The elderly gentleman that was with us, Ballo... He was the one that was supposed to stay and fight the demon. Alone. But because Virno was the one to... Awaken that thing... He felt it was his duty, too. He chose to stay, even when we told him not to. Now that the dust has settled... He's nowhere to be found. We don't know if he's dead or alive.
Anya clenches her fists.
Anya: His "duty"... That stubborn, reckless, pig-headed bastard...!
Their eyes widen in surprise, reacting to her choice of words.
Anya: Always acting of his own accord, even if it goes against everyone's wishes...
She pushes them out of the way, making a beeline straight to the orphanage's door. The trio go after her.
Rel: My thoughts exactly...
Rel said in a hushed tone that only Jargen and Punjo could hear.
Jargen: This isn't funny, Rel! We can't let her go back there...
Punjo: Who knows if there're any stragglers left... She might get attacked!
Anya's pace quickened.
Anya: Faya is going to need a nurse in her room! I must leave for a while. Excuse me.
She says, as she hurriedly makes it past a group of women who seemed to be tending the injured, much like she was.
Jargen: Miss Anya, it's not safe out there yet... You should stay in the orphanage!
Anya had already made it past the front door, no sign of stopping. The three of them were right behind.
Anya: Stay in the orphanage...? If I stay in the orphanage, who's going to be looking for Virno? Is it you?!
She didn't so much as look back. Jargen didn't know what to answer.
Rel: It's her son, guys... Let's just keep her company, make sure nothing bad happens. Alright?
Jargen and Punjo nod, reluctantly. Suddenly, Anya comes to a stop.
Rel: Madam...? What's wrong?
She looks down at each street in the intersection they found themselves in, unsure of which way to go.
Anya: ... I don't know the way.
Jargen sighed and stepped forward.
Jargen: This way, we'll all go and look. Let's keep a brisk pace.
On their way back to the ring, they pass by several injured men and women, on their way back to the orphanage to receive treatment. Jargen and Punjo enquire some of them about the state of the battlefield, all their answers claiming the same: the dust had settled, and everyone seemed to be licking their wounds. The ring itself appeared to have been deserted, with no signs of live or death within.
Rel: Keep a watchful eye... What they said might be true, but there could be a couple of Cabdan's men lurking.
At the entrance of the ring, they cautiously make their way inside. It smelled of rotting wood and... Death. Stepping foot inside made them feel an eerie energy, sending shivers down their core. If they weren't empowered by their determination to find Virno, it'd be difficult to muster the courage to venture deeper within.
Punjo: Right 'ere... This is it. This is where we last saw 'em...
Punjo opens the set of double doors that led to the chamber where the battle had taken place. In stark contrast to the rest of the building, there was an air of purity inside... As if that one room had been blessed by the brightest, warmest intentions. Despite this, the wooden floorboards and walls seemed in a much worse state than in the rest of the building, signifying that they had seen increased amounts of wear and tear.
Rel: This room... It... It wasn't like this, look at how worn everything looks, and... Do you guys feel that, too?
The air within exuded an inexplicable tranquility, and the trio felt their battle injuries improve just by standing inside.
Jargen: What happened here...? Are you guys sure a fight took place in this room?
They moved slowly toward the room's center, where the sense of warmth was most intense.
Punjo: What is this feeling...?
Anya looks above. Some cracks on the ceiling seemed to be letting rays of sunlight into the room.
Anya: I don't know what you're talking about... Could it be the sun making its way inside...?
She did not seem to share the same feelings as the rest of them. Looking at the light streaming into the room from above, something catches her eye. A thin, circular object that was on the ground, reflecting some of the incoming light. It resembled...
Anya: A coin...?
She picked it up, and Rel stepped closer for a better look.
Rel: Ballo's coin... He must've dropped it...
Jargen let's out a short, optimistic laugher.
Jargen: Well... We might just be in luck, then.
His words and demeanour made the faintest glimmer of hope sparkle in Anya's eyes.
Anya: How do you mean?
Jargen: It's... A bit of a long story. To cut it short, when we first met Ballo, he practically saved our lives -- Virno's included. Virno wasn't too happy when the old man called him out for being too weak to protect the people he cared about. You can imagine how he took that... He was ready to duke it out with Ballo then and there. But Ballo saw the sorry state he was in and told him that he wasn't ready yet... So he gave him that coin. A coin that "always lands tails". If he could manage to make it land heads... Ballo would know he was prepared.
Rel: So you think that if we manage to make it lands heads... Ballo might acknowledge it and come to us...? Tell us what happened to Virno?
Jargen: Supposing that he's even alive... And even then, I can't deny that it may be a long shot. But it's better than the nothing we came here with. This could well be our one and only chance to find those two!
Anya grips the coin tightly.
Anya: If that is so... Then I myself will see to it that this god-forsaken coin lands heads. Even if it's the last thing I do...
The three of them were struck by the sheer determination in Anya's voice. After searching the area for some more time, without any new discoveries, they make their way back to the orphanage. In the meantime, Faya was left without a nurse...
Nurse: I'm going to need another helper! Is there anyone free?
The orphanage seemed to be short-staffed. A nurse had come into one of the rooms where the rescued girls were recuperating, but all the nurses within already seemed to have their hands full. Unexpectedly, one of the patients seized the opportunity and stood up.
Tyssa: I'm free. Let me help...
The nurse was caught off-guard by Tyssas request.
Nurse: Tyssa, you should stay and rest... You've been through pl-
Tyssa: No. Please... I don't feel sorry for myself. So please don't feel sorry for me, either... Let me help. You know I've plenty of experience treating the injured... And It'll do me better than staying here.
Empathizing with her wishes, the nurse leads her to Faya's room, instructing her on the medicine that had to be administered to her. Once the door was shut, Tyssa begun treating her as instructed.
Tyssa: Faya. It's been a while since we last spoke... I hope you can hear me. I know you're still in there...
She continues carrying out the procedure as she talks with her. Despite receiving no answer, Tyssa believed her words would reach her. They had to.
Tyssa: ... Rel thinks I owe you a "thank you".
Grabbing a nearby chair, she sits next to Faya's bed.
Tyssa: He's wrong...
She holds Faya's hand with her own.
Tyssa: ... I owe you an apology.