“Could I borrow the cabin?”

“Cabin?”

“Just.. my apologies.”

Lucia intruded Avner’s space without first acquiring proper permission. Xe couldn’t help it. Xe was at hirs limits.

Avner’s cabin was rather small. The washroom could be found right beside the entrance.

“I’m still here. Borrow me the washroom.”

Lucia apologized in hirs heart.

‘Lucia? Lucia, are you there?’

The greatest embarrassment of hirs life was that xe had actually released it out into the mortal sea a few times before xe found Avner. To those using the train, it would look like nothing but a random small puddle of water in the middle of the coach.

‘Lucia are you..’

“Don’t disturb me!” Lucia cried out.

After the toilet break, Lucia noticed there was this thing called a washing machine sitting right beside the sink. It came complete with instructions on how to operate it.

Small, functional, compact, comfortable– these were the traits of Avner's cabin.

A glass window with light pouring in from the outside. Tall, drapery white curtains made of translucent silk. Ebony coloured cushions made of artificial leather, a low glass table with a pot of cold tea.

The place smelled like detergent, though, most of it had been drowned out by the fragrant smell of tea left out in the open.

Which Lucia found odd. It’s as if someone was staying here.

Xe explored around and noticed shelves with few books on it. Xe picked out one to read. It depicted a person named Shin.

Xe looked towards the entrance. Hanging there on the door were two names.

Avner’s name, which looked like an official sign, while the other, Shin’s name, looked like it had been plastered on.

Xe explored the small cabin a little more and found two doors.

Xe walked up to the first door and carefully pushed it open.

Peeking in, xe noticed that it was the bedroom. A blend of white and teal blue coloured the walls, some accents of wood which represented the furniture and defined borders of the wall.

Xe pushed the door a little wider this time.

Hirs assumption was right. There was something living here.

“I didn’t know he’d have visitors at this sort of time. Good morning, who may you be?”

A naked girl, covering herself with the white satin.

Cerulean coloured hair as beautiful as the sky. Gold iries, serene yet intense, like the scene of the burning sea side sunset.

“I-I’m Lucia of Hades. Sorry for the intrusion.”

No doubt about it.

This was an angel pureborn.

Avner didn’t tell Lucia anything about this!

Lucia was about to make a run for it when she said.

“Hold on. I can’t let him notice I’m here yet.”

Lucia froze on the spot.

“Nice to meet you Lucia, my name is Bleu. I’m not a pureborn angel, don’t worry. I’m Shin’s guardian spirit.”

Xe creakily turned toward her.

“Guardian.. spirit?”

“Yes. To prove it to you, I can show you that I don’t have any defining characteristic of an angel.”

Bleu got up. Pulling the bed sheets along, she pointed above her head, notifying Lucia of the absence of a halo.

However, what Lucia focused on wasn’t that but rather..

Lucia caught hirself and quickly looked away.

“Oh why thank you. I’ll put something on, could you wait outside for a moment.”

“O-okay.”

Lucia shut the door and sat on the couch. Xe pressed hirs hands against hirs blushing face.

That was too much for hir to bear. Guardian spirit? More like a shameless goddess!

“Thank you for waiting.”

Bleu came out after a minute, and poured some tea for Lucia.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Even though Bleu was clothed in a white silk garment which wasn’t exposing in the slightest, Lucia could bring hirself to look at her directly.

“Huh?”

When xe took a sip of the tea, xe found that it was warm.

“I see, so that’s how it is. Shin should be able to get the job done.”

“Pardon?”

“Just tell him you believe in him without fail. He is weak to these kinds of things. Sometimes he’d even go to the edge of the world to save someone.”

“Huh?”

“Put it simply, he can save your father.”

“Really?”

“Really,” the guardian spirit nodded.

“Shin. Your cabin is a mystery,” Lucia muttered, sinking into the couch.

Noticing how hirs words had transmitted to the outside, Bleu said.

“Please avoid revealing my existence to him, Lucia. That’s the condition I have if you’re going to stay in our home.”

Our home? Though a little jarred by the statement, Lucia nodded anyways.

‘Did you say something just now?’

“Nothing.”

‘What do you mean by, my cabin is weird?’

“I was told not to talk about it.”

“You didn’t need to put it like that. It’s only going to make it more suspicious, you know?” Bleu said, shaking her head.

“Sorry.”

‘Can you come out?’

“Give me a moment.”

“Tell him you believe in him wholeheartedly. Trust me, your request will go through.”

“Thank you.”

Thanking Bleu, Lucia disappeared from the cabin

===

It was just after the incident of the ambush, Lucia returned to the cabin when Avner had regained consciousness in the hospital.

“How is he?” Bleu asked.

“He’s alive.”

“That’s relieving,” she exhaled in relief.

“I’m sorry,” Lucia lowered hirs head.

“Don’t be. It’s part of existing. I don’t believe he’ll die that easily.”

Lucia returned to the cabin after confirming that Avner was safe. Xe took a seat. Bleu poured hir another cup of tea. This time around, it was tea made from dried orange peels. A refreshing flavor to the palate.

“How are the clothes holding on? A little too big?”

“It fits alright.”

“My powers are suppressed here, so I’m unable to make any major changes. Putting that aside, could you tell me what happened outside? There were alarms going off, I thought I’d need to make an appearance.”

“Why do you keep yourself a secret from Avner?”

“That’s because.. well, I can’t tell you,” Bleu placed a finger to her lips and winked.

Every gesture of hers was so elegant, Lucia found it alluring.

Dangerously so.

“So, can you tell me what happened to Avner outside?”

Lucia began narrating the battle that occurred. Feeling guilty that xe was the one who caused it. Of course, Bleu confessed that she had her share of blame too.

She was the one who gave Lucia the green light.