Recovery - Shift (1)

“Wake up. Time to eat.”

I hear Rose’s chastisement through the fog of sleep. I don’t how long I’ve been asleep. I rub my eyes and try to raise my head.

“Morning,” I say, rising from my bed.

“Just as well. It's half before and half after daylight. Now eat,” she repeats, setting a tray on my bed.

When she doesn’t move away again, I tilt my head enough to make her aware of my curiosity without words.

“Just eat,” she tells me again, taking a seat at the desk in the corner.

The food is tough to swallow, jerky and some unfamiliar soup. As I'm eating, Rose clears her throat, drawing my attention back to her. It's been a while since I've gotten to really study her profile, but she’s as stunning as ever. Noticing my gaze, she catches my eye. I blush at being caught staring.

“W-what is it Rose?”

“What have you done to Mimi?”

“I don’t understand what you’re-” I begin and am quickly silenced by her sharp glare. Her anger forces a chill in the tent as she approaches me.

“I should have killed you when I had the chance.”

I’ve never heard such a cold-blooded voice from her, and my spine tingles from the fear she strikes in me.

“Rose, calm down, please. I don’t know what you mean.”

She reaches a lone finger toward me hesitantly, as if I’m filth she wishes to avoid touching at all costs. Using a single finger, she lifts my head up by my chin, and stares into my eyes.

“Mimi belongs to the Zeroth. This is a fact of life. And-” she slides her finger down my throat, to the top of my tunic, letting her finger lazily slide across my chest. “And as for those who use their heretical powers to disrupt the order of our lives, I will personally rip their soul from their body.”

Almost immediately, I feel a familiar pain, much like one from long ago, long before Rei intervened. It is gone as quickly as it came and Rose makes her way out of the tent. The rest of my food turns to ash in my mouth.

My breakfast finished, I exit the tent and am greeted by a beautiful twilight. The suns are dipping into the valleys between the mountain range’s peaks. Purple-pink clouds fill the sky. It’s then that I notice at least one hundred pairs of eyes are focused on me. The silence that has fallen over the camp digs deeply into my insecurities. Before I can gather my wits about me, a voice calls out.

“Eve! I’m glad you’re awake.”

I turn to my right to see Mimi approaching me. No sooner than my smile meets my eyes, that hers reflect in kind.

“I’m glad you made it, Mimi.”

“Me too,” she says, wrapping me in a hug. I stiffen at her embrace, causing her to pull back with a hesitant look. “Is something wrong?”

I shake my head. “Erm, no, not really. It’s just kind of embarrassing with so many people staring at us.”

She lets a small giggle escape her lips and instructs me to follow her to the others.

“Why are you so touchy-feely with me?” I ask her.

“Does it bother you?”

I shake no and she shrugs.

“Then so be it,” she says, linking our arms together.

“Fennis will kill one, possibly both of us, when he finds out about this.”

“It’s the end of the world, Eve, does it really matter what Zero says? He isn’t…” her words fall to silence.

“Isn’t what?” I ask.

She stops for a moment, and asks the ground, “Is it wrong, to give into my own madness, and believe in my own mind, even if, to everyone else, it is wrong?”

“No. I don’t believe so. When you’ve chosen such a route, though, you must be prepared to deal with the consequences of that path.”

My words seem to hang heavily on Mimi, but Kay pulls our attention as she makes her way out of the woods. She offers only a glance at our interlocked arms before adjusting her good eye to mine.

“No, it was Mimi’s idea, and no, you aren’t going to scold her later when you’re alone,” I tell her.

This seems to catch her off guard.

Mimi turns to me in a state of slight confusion, but I know well that Kay understood me. The tiniest of smirks crosses her lips before she gives a small nod and leads way to the main tent, where Fennis waits.

“That’s amazing,” Mimi praises me. “You just had a conversation with Kay, didn’t you? She hasn’t had a conversation with anyone besides Zero and those necessary for her work, since…”

“Since what?” I ask, trying to stay calm. I’m pretty sure she means since Kay’s reveal regarding Mah’lum and her story with Ame. Her origin with the Arcadia orphanage... her fall to Vargar of Murder... and joining the Arkadastic Order of assassins.

“Well, it’s none of your business, or mine,” she recuses herself.

She doesn’t let go of me, even as we enter Fennis’ tent. He eyes our connection with open hostility. Unfortunately for my arm, the warmth is gone the moment Mimi leaves my side to join Fennis, with her head hung low. With all the Valkyries on his side, he speaks to me in his usual patronizing way.

“What you did was absolutely insane, Eve.” He attempts to cut me with words before continuing. “It won us the day, as things were meant to be. Domnis arrives soon from the east, and together we’ll move north to meet Charlotte’s battalion at the northern gate. Assuming they still stand, we will join our forces and push back the Beta. With luck, the southern portion of Hadel will be ours once more.”

Charlotte, or rather, Charlie. I hope she’s doing well… all things considered.

“What is our next step then?” Mimi asks.

“Rest for the day, get our remaining men wasted on joy and spirits, and keep this woman to her tent,” he points toward me.

Almost immediately, Kay is at my side, making it clear she’ll follow whatever it is Fennis orders. With that understanding, I follow Kay out of the tent. She appears focused on the task at hand to anyone on the outside. Her stoic concentration, however, is wavering, and she occasionally glances my way. I meet her eyes every time, letting her know I’m aware.