A Warm Lullaby
"I-I thought I was going to die..."
Seri trembled, clutching her neck. A vivid bruise had already formed on her throat, showing just how brutally she had been gripped. Her carotid artery had been squeezed so tightly that she had nearly blacked out from a lack of oxygen. When the edges of her vision had begun to white out, a sudden, cold terror had seized her—she had genuinely believed she was about to die.
Those savage eyes. That girl had looked ready to snap her neck without a second thought if things went sideways. Just remembering it made Seri's heart drop into her stomach. She wore a thoroughly miserable expression.
"It's a miracle we managed to convince her. We were so close to dying..."
"I don't know. She didn't look like she actually believed us," Regina said, rolling up her sleeve and holding her arm out to Seri.
Sniffling, Seri immediately bit down on Regina's wrist with her dainty lips. A faint trace of Regina's narcotic ability seeped into Seri's mouth.
"She was probably just letting us off the hook this once. She didn't let her guard down for a single second."
"Ehh, then what do we do? We have to hypnotize Lucia periodically to brainwash her..."
As the drug spread through her system, the phantom pain in Seri's neck began to recede. It was only a mild analgesic, but it was more than enough.
Just minutes ago, the two of them had desperately tried to placate Frey. To be precise, Seri had been getting choked and couldn't speak, so Regina had done everything in her power to convince Frey on her own. She had argued that they were only trying to help her and harbored absolutely no malice.
In truth, Frey's face had been utterly ravaged by exhaustion. The dark circles carved deep beneath her eyes were no better than Regina's own. Regina had simply found that sight pitiful and wanted to help. Even if it sounded like a flimsy excuse, there was no logical contradiction in it.
Perhaps because she really did have a lot on her mind, Frey had clicked her tongue and finally released her grip on Seri's throat. The moment they were told to get lost, they had scrambled out of Lucia's room as fast as their legs could carry them.
The temperature in that room had been steadily rising. Frey had been suppressing her emotions with an almost superhuman level of patience. In all likelihood, she had been weighing the options in her head until the very last second: whether to let them go or to tear them apart. Regina was absolutely certain that making one wrong move around that girl would spell instant death.
Regardless of what "she" had requested, Regina had supported Seri and fled without once looking back.
"When I saw her on the bus, she was such a timid little thing who couldn't even speak properly... Did I misjudge her?"
"Timid? Her? She looked like she'd bury a body and not think twice about it!" Seri cried.
Seri had seen it clearly. She had seen the raw, murderous intent in those eyes. Even if she didn't kill, that girl had looked entirely prepared to break a bone or two!
"Hmph, I never want to face her again. How can someone with such a cute face act so incredibly violent!"
The mood had been so perfect, and now everything was ruined. Her excited state had plummeted straight to the rock bottom. And she had been looking forward to it, too. She had finally found a chick-like girl she could toy with at her leisure, only for an uninvited pest to barge in and spoil the fun...
Of course, Seri hadn't actually intended to cross any major lines. At most, she would have fondled her breasts or left a few hickeys on her neck.
"I made a bad call," Seri muttered with a sigh. "We should have just left when she told us to. Now we've only made her more suspicious."
She had tried to erase Frey's memory. If Frey remembered their encounter today, it would only invite suspicion if something happened later. But that attempt had backfired spectacularly, only serving to amplify Frey's distrust. Who would have thought she could break out of hypnosis while practically drugged?
"Regina, what are we going to do now? If that scary little lady is on guard against us, it's not going to be easy to brainwash Lucia."
"We still have to do it. It's her 'request,' after all."
Astaroth had requested it. She wanted them to place a suggestion on Lucia so she could make use of her when the time was right. Regina had no idea when that time would be, but she didn't need to think that far ahead.
Frey threw the window open. The cold outdoor breeze rushed in, cutting through the heavy, stagnant air of the room. She squared her shoulders and took a deep, lung-filling breath. The fog in her mind seemed to clear just a little.
"...What the hell was up with those two?"
They had claimed they only wanted to help, but Frey didn't believe them for a second. She was naturally suspicious, and her current circumstances only made her paranoia worse.
If her own reflection in the mirror hadn't been so utterly hollowed out by fatigue and anxiety, she would never have let them leave. She had spent a long time debating whether to break one of their legs and hurl them out the window.
Yet, their words hadn't been entirely baseless. Anyone looking at Frey right now could see she was desperate for help. The mental toll of the past few days was written plain across her face. Having stayed awake for three days straight while skipping meals, her once-soft cheeks had sunken in, and her eyes had lost all their luster, turning dark and lifeless.
Aris's face doesn't look like this. It shouldn't look like this. And yet, I'm the one who made it this way.
The moment she realized that, all her anger and drive cooled into a bitter chill.
"I'm letting it slide just this once. If they pull that shit again, I'll snap their legs in half."
On the off chance that they really had acted out of pure, albeit misguided, goodwill, she decided to overlook it this time. There would be no second chances. If they had truly wanted to help, the bare minimum of courtesy would have been to ask for her permission first. To recklessly unleash their abilities without a word... regardless of their intentions, it was deeply offensive.
A faint, rhythmic breathing reached her ears. Lucia was fast asleep, completely oblivious to the world. She was even drooling like a total slob. Frey pulled a tissue from the box and wiped the corner of Lucia's mouth.
"Hey. Wake up."
Tossing the tissue into the trash can, Frey grabbed Lucia's shoulder and shook her. But no matter how hard she shook, there was no sign of her waking. Was she really not going to wake up today, just like those girls had said? Had they done something strange to her? Should she chase them down right now and drag them back by their hair?
No. Calm down. Don't rush.
Frey desperately tried to steady her breathing. Aris was still there, deep inside her. The only reason she had been so frantic was the terrifying anxiety that Aris might have vanished forever. It was her first time experiencing this. Everything was uncertain. She couldn't be sure of anything.
But now that Aris's existence had been proven, she didn't need to shiver in fear and anxiety like before. Yes, Aris was simply sleeping. The shock had just been too great, forcing her into a deep slumber. So it was fine. Everything was going to be fine.
Frey repeated those words to herself, like a mantra to keep her own mind from fraying.
"...Tsk."
But emotions were not things that could be easily controlled. The more one tried to push them away, the more tenaciously they clung. Unable to bear the gnawing anxiety any longer, Frey pressed herself close to Lucia. She grabbed her wrist and shook it with all her might. Lucia's limp body swayed back and forth under her touch.
"Wake up. Wake up. I have a favor to ask."
Lucia did not react. She remained locked in her deep, heavy sleep. If not for the faint sound of her breathing, one might have suspected she was dead; there wasn't even the slightest twitch of movement from her.
"I said wake up! You're the only one I can trust right now!"
Frey's movements grew increasingly violent. She wasn't just shaking her anymore; she was clawing at her. Frey's bandage-wrapped fingers dug deep into Lucia's arms and shoulders.
"Aris disappeared because of you, so you'd better take responsibility and bring her back!"
If only you hadn't gotten your head cut off right in front of us! If you hadn't done that, Aris wouldn't have been traumatized! She wouldn't have had to grieve, and she wouldn't have retreated deep inside her mind!
So... give her back.
"Please... Aris..."
Her voice, once filled with desperate rage, began to crack. Frey bowed her head, her eyes brimming with fat, transparent tears.
In truth, Frey knew. There was absolutely no guarantee that Lucia could actually bring Aris back. It was nothing more than a baseless, desperate hope she had conjured up on her own. But she clung to the belief that if it was Lucia, maybe, just maybe, she could do it. Her cornered mind desperately needed something to lean on.
The strength slowly drained from the hands that had been trying to shake Lucia awake. Frey rested her forehead against Lucia's shoulder. She bit her lip hard to stifle her sobs, but she couldn't stop the faint, trembling whimpers from escaping.
The sorrow and frustration that had built up over the past few days refused to be contained once the dam broke. A dark red stain began to spread through her bandages; her wounds had reopened. Heavy droplets fell onto the stinging back of her hand.
What if... even though it seemed impossible, what if Aris really never came back? Would she have to be alone forever? In Aris's body?
She didn't want that. She hated it. She didn't want to be alone.
Someone, please help her.
"...Aris?"
It was a soft, sleep-laden voice.
Startled, Frey snapped her head up. Lucia was looking at her with blurry, unfocused eyes, having woken up at some point.
"When did you get here? More importantly... are you crying?"
"*Hic.*"
Frey desperately tried to swallow her sobs. She didn't want to show such an embarrassing, pathetic sight to anyone. She wiped her eyes with her sleeve and sniffled, but no matter how much she rubbed, the tears kept flowing.
"Is this... a dream? Am I dreaming...?"
Lucia was still half-asleep. She smiled dizzily like an idiot and took hold of Frey's wrist, gently pulling away the hand that was wiping her tears. Frey fell helplessly into Lucia's embrace.
"I don't know what's wrong... but when you want to cry, it's not a bad idea to just let it all out."
Perhaps because she thought it was a dream, or perhaps because she decided to save her questions for later, Lucia wrapped both arms around Frey's small frame. The gentle pats on her back were incredibly warm. The comforting heat of another human being seeped deep into Frey's chest.
"It's okay, it's okay..."
Frey had no idea what was supposed to be okay. Slurring her words in a sleepy drawl, Lucia gently stroked Frey's hair. Strands of blue and gold tangled together. Their breaths mingled.
Frey's face was buried in Lucia's chest. Though the fabric of Lucia's shirt was quickly growing damp with tears, Lucia didn't seem to mind in the slightest.
"It's okay, Aris. You can cry if you want to. Everyone has times when they just need to cry."
"...I'm not Aris."
"Hmm?"
"I'm Frey. Call me Frey."
She had blurted it out on impulse. She knew she would have to reveal her existence eventually if she wanted to consult Lucia about Aris anyway. But to think she would reveal the secret she had guarded so fiercely to another person for the very first time today...
Yet, right now, she just wanted someone to lean on.
"He-he, I see... Frey. Yes, that's a lovely name..."
Lucia giggled sleepily and pressed a brief, gentle kiss to Frey's forehead. It seemed to be an entirely subconscious gesture. Her soft arms tightened their hold around Frey, drawing her even closer. Her body heat felt warmer, more intense. A sweet, comforting scent washed over Frey—something entirely different from Regina's artificial drugs, yet infinitely more soothing.
Suppressing her hiccups, Frey closed her eyes.
She knew she shouldn't be doing this. She needed to find a way to bring Aris back as soon as possible. And yet, an irresistible drowsiness began to weigh down her eyelids. The exhaustion she had pushed aside for days came crashing down all at once, and she found herself completely powerless to resist it.
"Eu-he... Frey..."
It was such a stupid, idiotic giggle.
I'm hurting and struggling so much, so what on earth are you so happy about, Lucia?
But strangely, she didn't feel annoyed.
*Thump. Thump.*
She could hear the steady beat of Lucia's heart. It was warm and incredibly cozy. Like a gentle, quiet lullaby, it soothed her frayed nerves. Frey curled her body inward, completely surrendering herself to Lucia's embrace.
Slowly, her consciousness began to drift. The sounds of the outside world grew muffled and distant. Her own breathing, and even Lucia's soft giggles, faded into the background.
Before she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep, the very last thing she heard was the gentle, steady rhythm of Lucia's heartbeat.