In this world, there is nothing worse than weakness. To die is to admit defeat. It is this world of permafrost, where such rules bound its people. It is why the proposition of being separated from each other is the ultimate fear of the people. It is why being separated can cost you your very life. But to be granted the opportunity to leave the nest, would it be so absurd as to call it… fun?

“Wow! It’s so beautiful in here!” Standing in front of a secluded garden house within Fallway’s rural side, Riki had to pinch his nose as the flowery scent of the air overpowered his sense of smell. The garden house’s walls were made of glass making it apparent why the scent was so potent. It was an array of lavenders, roses, lilies, and other flowers whose names escape him. The yard outside was vacant of any man made structure, as there was nothing but a field of grass.

After much digging through the address book the trio found in the basement, Riki came across coordinates of the only other location found within the book. And it led him to this exact point. Though, Riki didn’t expect to find such a place in a metropolis like Fallway. At any rate, he only had one goal coming here, to speak with a certain someone in order to find out what exactly had Asimov written in those instructions.

“Find out on your own kid.” Riki’s memories of Keijin’s remark earlier in the day was still fresh in his mind. Remembering it yet again made him purse his lips and grumble. He didn’t know whether or not Keijin had already formulated a plan for the invasion, but either way he is keen on not sharing information with those yet to be in Azure. What he did say was the three members of Azure would run investigations on their own before the raid. In addition to that, Tamaki and Kaori were on the fence to help out in this invasion. “My father would be furious with me!” She says.

Have it your way, then.

Riki peered closer inside through the glass walls. It was still, no signs of any movements except for the sway of the many plants inside against the breeze. Was it safe to say that she isn’t here? There was no choice but to check inside.

“I wasn’t lying that you would be granted an Aoi? Didn’t I?”

He jumped. The sudden voice that just made Riki’s heart skip a beat didn’t come from inside the garden house, rather it was right behind him. He instinctively shifted his whole body to find pale purple hair filling his vision. Charlotte stood in her proper stance as usual, but it was the first time she was not wearing a maid outfit. She wore a black-ish gray sweater over a white buttoned shirt and a skirt down to her knees.

“Do you like it? My personal project?” she said, shifting her gaze behind him.

“Well, it’s certainly colorful. I’ve never seen most of these flowers anywhere in the city.” Riki absentmindedly answered, still attempting to find his bearings after being startled, “Did you perhaps...”

“Use my Aoi? No, not at all if that’s what you’re wondering. It would feel wrong if I were to create plants for the sole purpose of cultivating them. And Asimov usually says cheating your way through things takes the enjoyment out of any activity.”

Ah...kinda figured she would be a plant nerd and take pride in that.

“Anyways, I have to apologize for using force on you that time. I didn’t think you were going to comply with entering a suspicious room like that.”

“It’s no deal. You were following Asimov’s orders, right? I’m not going to hold it against you. Plus, you were right. You didn’t lie to me.”

A faint smile came across Charlotte’s face. Though, since she had a habit of keeping her head low, it was fairly difficult for Riki to notice any change in her expression.

“Come.” she said, walking into the garden house, “And be a good dear as to not touch anything.”

・・・・・

“An observatory? On top of a mountain?”

“The mountain is not the one you should be concerned about as its height doesn’t pose an issue. The true problem is the journey to it. Many years ago, an earthquake destroyed the only way to the mountain pass. People from outside couldn’t get even remotely close to the place, so they stopped coming all together. With no secure route to the observatory, they decided it was best to abandon it altogether. And that’s exactly where Asimov had found the man and woman. He personally wasn’t surprised to see they haven’t been eluded by this fact.” Charlotte explained while the two sat across from a hole in the soil of each other.

The building was more or less a greenhouse with patches of soil still present. Next to Charlotte, was a sapling of a tree yet to be planted.

“So he wasn’t out of it when he said they were people that can influence the world?” Riki said as he watched her take the sapling in her hands with care, “Just what do they exactly want from that girl…”

“I’m aware it sounds extremely ludicrous. And Asimov’s assumption as to why the two would attack and abduct the girl is even more so.”

Charlotte’s words stunned him enough that he didn’t notice her signaling to him to help her add soil to the sapling now in the hole. She had planned to force him to help with the process.

“You’ve just awakened your Aoi recently through the use of a catalyst. But there are those who don’t have to go through such a procedure, people who are born with one from the start.”

“So that means…”

“They say truth is stranger than fiction. After all… The world we live in is just a construct of our own senses. And so we live in this unending mummer’s farce, clinging to the delusion of hope. We still have no sense as to what the Aoi are. And I suppose that the two that attacked her are trying to find out the truth behind the Aoi as well.” Charlotte said as she stared directly into Riki’s eyes, “Because she is a naturally born user of an Aoi.”

A natural born user…?

“There is another point I would like to make, but it isn’t really related to the conversation. Riki, you said that you personally didn’t feel all that affected emotionally-wise by the fact that you have absolutely no memories, correct?”

“What about it?”

“Remember how I said the thought of it happening to me would be saddening to say the least?”

After adding the final bits of soil and packing the ground lightly, Riki shifted his gaze to Charlotte’s and noticed her expression grew somber.

“To put it bluntly, I’m not going to participate in this infiltration… If I lose my memories by the Aoi of that man… then there will be no one else who will remember Asimov as a person. Not as a physicist who publishes his research, but as a person who makes jokes so niche that hardly anyone laughs with him. His hopes, desires, feelings…they’ll—”

“I get it. I understand.”

There was truth in his words, and a level of sympathy that Charlotte felt.

“I thought about it as well. The life that I had must’ve been amazing considering I have a gash in my chest. Especially to wander into a huge city without any stuff on me. I can only theorize so much of what I used to do back then, and how many friends and family I used to have. And well, even thinking if any of those theories are correct then… my heart would just feel like it’s getting wretched. There is absolutely nothing I can do about them.”

Charlotte made no reply to his monologue. He had only put on a meaninglessly grandiose air of amiability to conceal the general unease this conversation lead to.

“Sorry uh, that didn’t help, did it?”

Without responding to his question, she sat up and patted her clothing from any dirt. With a twirl, she quietly closed her eyes for a time. After that, she slowly opened her violet eyes; looking back at Riki with a gaze that pierced like an arrow.

“There are things you also would want to forget. Things that you had no control over whose consequences that follow you around and haunt you to no end. I suppose it’s a blessing and a curse.”

Of course, even Riki had thought about the other consequence of losing your memories. But it took Charlotte’s words to hammer in the notion that people can suffer in this world and that the opportunity to forget would be desirable. When Riki tried to speak, he was surprised that he felt his own throat blocking him. Somehow, tension and anxiety found their way into his chest as he thought how this proposition could apply to the white-haired girl.

“...Anyways, being in nature reduces anger, fear, and stress and increases pleasant thoughts. How about we take our minds off of things and tour my little greenhouse?”

・・・・・

Now knowing more than 200 names of plant species and their respective taxonomy branches, of Genus and Family, Riki was far from relaxed. Apparently Charlotte and Asimov too, lived in a world that he was not aware of before. His legs were already at the point of collapse from walking around Fallway to find the garden house. Now he didn’t want to disappoint someone who was showing off their hobby. He imagined that someone looking bored would make the other person feel upset. So he forced his legs to keep up with Charlotte who was now explaining a Genus of pine.

I gotta stay interested...I gotta... Tamaki would probably say something along the lines of being genuinely interested in others to win friends and influence people, but damn this is too much.

Riki refrained from the urge to scratch his arm, thinking that some shrub caused a rash of some sort. But as he looked for anything to distract himself from the itch, something in the corner of his eye caught Riki’s meandering attention. He stopped to take a second gander, and saw that there was a certain young plant that seemed to be drooping. Its leaves appeared brittle with more creases than other leaves around the garden house. Riki thought it was odd that a gardener like Charlotte would have such a plant that didn’t look so healthy.

“Charlotte. Is there something wrong about this plant?”

“Hm?” She stopped her lecture for the first time to see what made him ask. One glance to where he pointed instantly reminded her of her experience with the plant.

“This… well… This is a certain kind of hibiscus that requires lots and lots of light. It’s native in the more southern regions, where sunlight is prevalent. I received this as a gift from someone, but no matter what, the sunlight here isn’t enough for this to live properly… As you can see, it’s in the area with the least amount of shade and still it doesn’t seem satisfied.”

Light… light?

“If it needs light, then…” Riki held out his hand, palm facing outwards above the struggling plant. The solution was simple. The opportunity to make good use of his Aoi was plainly spread out before him. Yet, he knew that he had zero clue on how to activate it in the first place.

If only I could just create light again… somehow… like on that day...

Charlotte watched in curiosity knowing that Riki was struggling to use his Aoi. She knew the feeling of using an Aoi didn’t come naturally, so she chose to not bring up the topic. Since she didn’t know exactly what Riki’s did in terms of function, Charlotte remained quiet, genuinely interested to see if he could feel the connection within him.

Should he be mentally straining, or should he be relaxed? Clear mind or visualizing? Riki tried every single technique in the book in order for him to achieve a second orb of light. Yet, the clock ticked and tocked and there was no semblance of illumination. He was just about to lower his hand when an abrupt flash of light-headedness afflicted him. It was mild enough to allow his arm to linger in the air for a few seconds longer to allow time for another attempt. That was when he felt the blood rushing to his head.

And at last, the hibiscus received its sufficient dose of light.