V

━━━━━━┓༻❁༺┏━━━━━━

Arc V Chapter 20

━━━━━━┛༻❁༺┗━━━━━━

26th Ignis Solar 753 AAC

The night progressed, and the pale moon continued its journey across the firmament. The hour was late, beyond her usual bedtime. Aurora and her doll abandoned their bed, shifting to a more suitable arrangement. Discussing important matters while lying in bed wasn’t exactly ideal. Thus, they were now sitting around a wooden table near the window, bathed in the pale, ethereal glow of the moonlight. Her doll and she, they were facing each other in silence, both of them immersed in thoughts, both of their stares wandering around aimlessly.

...

...

...

Time crept by at a glacial pace and moments passed with each of them waiting for the other to speak, to make the first step. In vain. There was a lingering sense of tension in the air that proved hard to dispel. Understandably so. Being transformed into a doll must have been a ... challenging experience for everyone. It was a fate that should not befall anyone, so it was natural for the girl to take some time to gather her thoughts. It was a lot to process and accept. It would be uncouth of her to press the poor girl more than necessary at such a delicate moment.

...

...

...

...

...

...

Time flew by, undisturbed, yet it was now Aurora who took the initiative. It was her who took the first important step. “Lady Aurora ...”

“...” The girl didn't react.

“Lady Aurora ...”

“...” Still no reaction.

“Ahem, Lady Aurora ...” Aurora cleared her throat, her voice filled with vigour. “If I might have some of your attention. This is important ...” Her words finally caught the girl’s attention.

Little Aurora raised her head, her purple doll eyes meeting hers with a blend of reluctance and fear. There was doubt and uneasiness in her. Her soul noticeably wavered, her mana oscillating ever so slightly. The poor girl mustered a timid response, “Yes ...?”

Aurora folded her hands together, her gaze focusing on her doll. “Lady Aurora, I must confess that have my genuine sympathy. It must be difficult for you. I cannot fathom what courage it must take to brave this unpleasant reality, and yet I believe that it is necessary for us to talk. I believe that some introductions are in order. It would be beneficial for both of us to come to know each other at this point rather than remaining complete strangers, would you not agree, Lady Aurora?”

Little Aurora lowered her gaze. The girl hesitated for a moment, but eventually relented with a tentative nod. “Well, I guess that you have a point there ...”

Aurora beamed reassuringly to lessen her worries. “I am glad you understand. Now, if you would be so kind, please, introduce yourself.”

Little Aurora nodded. “My name is Aurora von Schwarz. I am the daughter of and the heiress to the House von Schwarz. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” The girl even offered a slight bow. How cute.

“The pleasure is all mine.” Aurora giggled before resorting to a small applause. The sound of her clapping hands echoed through the night.“A fabulous introduction, if I might add. Short and concise.”

“Do you really think so?” The little girl was fidgeting with her hands, her eyes averted.

Aurora smiled. “Most certainly. An admirable performance without doubt.”

“Thank you”, the little girl murmured, her cheeks blushing cherry red.

“No need to thank me, after all, you are a such a sweet, cute little doll. I could eat you.” Aurora laughed before pinching her doll's cheeks.

“Stop it!” Little Aurora pouted in protest, her arms waving angrily.

A mischievous Aurora retracted her hand. “My apologies, you tempted me. But I concede, my behaviour was probably ill befitting. ”

“...” Little Aurora crossed her tiny arms, adopting a defensive posture, all pouty and grumpy, with a hint of suspicion. “Apology ... accepted.” There was a hint of distrust in her voice.

“...” Aurora returned a smile. What a silly girl. The girl was just like in her memories, a little dreamy airhead. She couldn’t be mad at her even for a moment.

Little Aurora regained her composure. “Anyway, now that I have introduced myself, it is your turn. What about you? Who are you? And what are you doing in my body? You are not a demon, are you? Or an evil spirit?” Her doll clenched her fists, her eyes filled with resolution. The girl was serious. She wanted to know. She wanted an answer. Understandably so.

Aurora was, of course, eager to oblige. It was the least she could do in exchange for inhabiting her body on a less than voluntary basis. A soft giggle accompanied her. “You entertain me, Lady Aurora, these are excellent questions. So, first things first, contrary to repeated unfounded allegations, I am not a demon, nor an evil spirit, neither in this life, nor in my former. I assure that I am fully ... human.”

“I see ...” Her answer satisfied little Aurora, restoring a semblance of faith.

“As for what I am doing in your body … How shall I put it, it is a slightly complicated matter ...”

“Complicated ...” Little Aurora blinked. “How so?”

Aurora folded her hands, armed with a polite smile. “You see, Lady Aurora, I come from a different time and age. I was not graced with the luck of long life, or in other words, … I died.”

“Oh ... You died?” The girl's eyes widened.

Aurora nodded. “Yes, I died. That is the last thing I remember. As a consequence, I have no recollection of how or why I ended up inside your body.”

“I understand ...” Little Aurora listened. “Then, what about your name? You surely must have a name! Everyone has a name!”

Aurora laughed. “I do. I do. My name is ... Aurora.”

“…” Her doll’s eyes widened in surprise. Her answer startled her. Her reaction was cute. “So your name is… Aurora? Is that your true name? Aren’t you deceiving me?”

Aurora shook her head, deflecting her feeble accusation. “Not at all, I would never deceive you, Lady Aurora. Why would I?”

“Hmm…” Her doll didn’t look entirely convinced. Unfortunately, trust was not given but had to be earned.

Aurora offered an inviting smile of benevolence, her hand placed on her heart. “No need to doubt my word. I swear on my honour, it is true, my true name is indeed Aurora. We both share the same name. Quite the coincidence, isn’t it?”

“I suppose so.” Her doll tentatively agreed, sunken in pensive thoughts. “And what about your surname? You surely must have a surname as well?”

“Oh, how so?” Aurora teased her doll.

Little Aurora tilted her head, “Well, ...you don’t strike me as a commoner. The way you speak ... The way you act ... You have an air of nobility around you. So you surely must have also a surname.” Her doll clenched her tiny fists.

Aurora giggled, amused. “You are a sharp little one, Lady Aurora. You presume ... correctly, on both counts, if I might add. I bear a surname, but for the sake of my credibility, I would loathe to divulge it.”

“...” Her doll blinked, her confusion apparent. “What is that supposed to mean?”

Aurora leaned back in her chair, taking a deep breath. “You see, it appears that it is not just our first names that we share to the letter, Lady Aurora.”

Realisation dawned on Little Aurora. The girl was quick to understand. “So you are telling me that ...”

Aurora nodded in confirmation. “... It is as you think. Improbable as it might sound. Another coincidence ... Another unlikely coincidence ... In fact, our similarities do not end there. Our appearance ... Our eyes ... Our elemental affinity ... They all align perfectly.”

Her hand summoned a purple flame, a light burning in the night. “Darkness and fire ... Umbra and ignis ... This is not a matter of mere chance. This is not a matter of mere coincidence, Lady Aurora. It is as there was a reason that I have reincarnated as you. As if there was a reason that we are now both one, inseparable and indivisible. Time and space divided us, but it is as if our souls were always meant to join together as one. Curious, isn’t it?”

━━━━━━┛༻❁༺┗━━━━━━