"I'm sorry. We were too late."

The words left a bitter taste in my mouth as an uncomfortable silence settled in the room, and I could see May's hands trembling as the brief glimmer of hope got snatched away from her. It was obvious she was doing her best to hold in her sobbing. I did not know what I could say to try and help, or even how to word it to her that I did not mind if she cried openly.

This isn't something words can help with.

I could tell the situation was getting uncomfortable for us both, as we were strangers forced together to share a room under these circumstances. I knew she asked to be in this room for the very reason to not burden others, so I sought an excuse to give her the room without appearing to be abandoning her and making her feel guilty about it, but it seemed she had the same idea as she started scooting to the edge of her bed to get up.

"You don't have to go." I quickly told her as I saw her gaze shift to the door. "It's cold out there. I'll give you some space if that's what you need. I need the bathroom anyway, so don't even worry about it. I can also go and ask Casper to show me another room."

"No!" Her sudden panicked shout seemed to startle both of us as we stared at each other for a brief moment. "Sorry, I..."

"No, it's fine. I get it." I gave her a soft smile. "I'll stay here for the night."

"...thank you..." she mumbled meekly as she hugged her knees and hid her face behind them, obviously embarrassed.

"I'll be right back," I told her as I got up and went back out to the small hallway.

I was tempted to go exploring, but as it was late and people were sleeping, I opted for the door leading outside. The courtyard was rather sizeable, with a large patch of dirt in the middle. It appeared disused as tufts of grass were growing sporadically throughout, while it was left to grow wild on the outer rims. There was a stone building embedded in the wall on the opposite end, presumably the barracks Casper mentioned.

I ended up leaning up against the walls of the house, the cold from the stone and slight breeze seeping through my clothing but not bothering me. I looked up at the starry sky for a moment, finally alone for the first time since coming to this town. Unfortunately, that did not mean much, as it was not only night with everywhere closed, but I also did not have a key to leave and come back. It was not as if I wanted to go anywhere right this moment, but it gave me a feeling of being stuck here.

It has not been long since I moved out of my parents' home, and even if it had been only half a year since to study abroad, it had given me a new sense of freedom. It was one of the things I had relished most, having grown up with strict but loving parents.

It was a silly inward complaint that I could not help but feel in this moment, knowing that I am relying on others, but I recognize I had been lucky getting a place to stay.

My thoughts got interrupted by my stomach rumbling, and I realized I still had not drunk any blood tonight even though I had been planning to before acting as bait. It could not be helped, however, as there had been no opportunity to sneak one in. I had to see if I could disguise the blood as wine so I could potentially drink it in public if it came to that. I might end up being seen as an alcoholic if I do it too often, but that would be a label I could live with.

As if in response to my stomach, Qubit floated up in front of me and materialized a jar of blood on top of itself, serving as a tray.

"Thanks. I see you are being very proactive. Trying to get in my good graces?"

"I am serving with your health in mind. My current objective is to observe and learn how to conduct myself in your current environment so that I may improve our chances of survival to the utmost."

"So, what have you learned? What do you think we should do next?" I asked, hoping for a second opinion regarding my future.

There was a brief pause as if Qubit was thinking, so I gave it some time by drinking the blood it had given me. It was a measly amount, and I could already tell it would barely sate my thirst, but I did not complain. The now expected tingling sensation that I was anticipating as I gulped the blood down was barely there, like stale cola. So far, Qubit's storage seemingly preserved whatever was inside, so I could not tell if this mana-infused blood was an exception or there was some other factor at play. I did notice, however, that I was feeling much calmer drinking it this time, so perhaps I was simply getting used to it. Either way, it was refreshing.

"Continued exposure to Andre could lead to the discovery of your nature being one akin to what they call a spirit. The residents of this abode are unlikely to discover this on their own as long as you keep interactions limited, as a lack of knowledge could tip them off. Exposure to further entities would be increasing the risk with unpredictable outcomes. My suggestion would be to cut contact with all that currently know you, acquire materials for me to provide you with a new outfit that would be less conspicuous, provide me with an instance of all denotation of currency locally available so that I may create copies in the future, and finally acquire transport to a new settlement. With your nourishment stemming from the blood of the spirit currently in my storage and shelter from the sun being provided by your clothing, you have no need to remain at a residence. Information about the local culture and magic can be obtained via interrogation and disguised as the work of the entity you have been searching for, so I would suggest using this opportunity before leaving this settlement to gather that knowledge."

"Jesus, fuck no," I exclaimed in shock at Qubit's suggestion and quickly lowered my voice. "How can you even say that? No way I'm going to hurt anyone. I guess I should have expected that from a-"

"However," Qubit interrupted, which surprised me, "while that is my suggested course of action, what I have learned is that you are not accustomed to violence and bound by morals. Therefore, maintaining your current relationships could prove beneficial so long as they do not learn what you are. The best way to keep the status quo is to learn about spirits, ascended, mana and magic in general. They must not know that you are not familiar with those subjects, so you must keep your inquiries a secret. The currently optimal source of what you need to learn would be the entity you have been searching for. This route entails risks of discovery and danger, so you must be prepared and plan for a confrontation and an escape. While you would not die even in the worst-case scenario, restoring your current body is beyond my current capabilities."

"You think I should go after whoever or whatever it is by myself? Are you crazy? It's not worth it. I can just go to a bar and ask someone there. Doubt they would remember or think much of some drunk asking those sorts of questions."

"They would not prove reliable sources when inebriated, and we would have no way to know whether they are indeed knowledgable on the subjects or not. An alternative would be available through the acquisition of funds in the form of a hired tutor, however, your only source of potential income at this moment stems from finding the culprit, at which point interrogating them would yield the same result."

"Fine, I get your point, but it's still dangerous. How would I even do it on my own? If they are stronger than me, and they probably are, then I'd be done for if they jumped me."

"Use May as the bait. She fits the criteria better than you and would provide you with the opportunity to get the jump."

"You can't be serious." I hissed, trying to keep my voice down through my anger. "The poor girl is in there crying her eyes out, and that's what you think of her? Some sacrificial lamb to be used for my benefit? Absolutely no. We are not involving her."

"You had no qualms about acting as the bait yourself. As self-preservation is an aspect of most biological creatures to an instinctual level, I concluded that since you were fine with doing it yourself, allowing another to take your place in the same position would not pose an issue, especially when it would mean lessening the risk to you. I have misjudged and will rectify my reasoning in the future."

"I only did it because it was the best choice I had at the time. I had protection, my regeneration, you. It would earn me money as well as some self-defense lessons. It also gave them a reason to keep me around. I doubt they would kick me out now, at least until this whole business is over with. Even with all that, I was hesitant. So how exactly do you even expect May to cooperate? I wouldn't even be able to protect her, let alone offer anything else."

"I do not believe informing you of the recommended course of action to get her to cooperate would please you, so I will refrain from sharing."

"Oh, fantastic. At least you are learning. I do not want to hear any more suggestions that involve hurting or putting someone else in danger. Is that clear?"

"Understood."

"I think we waited long enough. We should head back in. I don't want May coming looking for me. Remind me to ask Casper where the bathroom is tomorrow, just in case."

I put the jar I had been holding back on top of Qubit and watched it dematerialize before pushing myself off the cold stone wall and walking back to the back entrance.

"There is one last thing I wish to share."

"What?" I asked, feeling somewhat anxious as I paused with my hand on the handle.

"I highly suggest not associating with Andre outside the times you are acting as bait. Do not meet with him without a third party present. Forgo the self-defense lessons."

"Don't you think that would be more suspicious?" I asked as I opened the door and walked back in.