blueteamnovel 874. Of Oaths and Promises
874. Of Oaths and Promises
874. Of Oaths and Promises
“Ahh!? Snap!”
Ilya exclaimed, awed by the giant spider whose camera shuddered with surprise.
“Hello~! How are you~!”
“Bzzt!”
“Amazing... It feels like I can understand you! Are you... looking for something to eat? Or are you here to ask for something?”
It was painfully obvious that Ilya didn’t know how to interact with anyone. A week had passed, but this was the second time she was back in the Floor of Amalgamation. This time, her stay was permanent, but she didn’t know what to think about it.
She had been living in the Floor of Judgement with her mother before they decided to move completely into the home of the Amalgam. There were so many more people compared to when she first arrived. Few of them were around her age too, but she didn’t know how to approach them.
Or if she even was allowed.
She kept close to Michaela as pieces of her past loneliness played in Snap’s recording. Ilya had no way to know what common sense was, or if people would even want her to be around them considering she was the daughter of the Arbiter.
However, just as those thoughts ate away at her –
“Pwah!? Ouch – I’m sorry miss!”
“Eh?”
– A girl whose eyes were permanently sealed shut looked up at her with a smile that reminded Ilya of flowers.
“It’s ok. You must not have been able to see me.”
“I can’t. I just got excited when I heard the ‘bzzt’. I wanted to play with Snap!”
Ilya quickly understood that this girl was blind. Even if she wasn’t, there was no reason for her to be upset. She was in fact happy that someone was even talking to her. Although, hearing that she came for Snap did make her quite sad again.
Suddenly, the girl reached for Ilya’s hands.
“Ah! Are you new here? I’ve never heard your voice before!”
Ilya looked up at her mother for help, but Michaela simply smiled and nodded affectionately as if to say: “Don’t miss this chance.”
“I am!” Ilya exclaimed awkwardly. “I just arrived today! I’m um... I-I’m Ilya!”
“Stella! That’s me! I might not be the most reliable person but let me be your guide~ U-Um, if that’s ok with you.”
Stella’s aspiration as a ‘guide’ never disappeared. It was a profession once rife with suffering. Even today being a guide was difficult due to her condition. However, Stella never gave up. The Floor of Amalgamation was a place where she could easily navigate through thanks to her enhanced sense of smell.
The flowers and the flow of the winds would direct her like a compass. And if not –
“I thought I lost you!” Another voice said. It belonged to the golden-eyed Aster. “A-AH! T-The Arbit –!”
Michaela lifted a finger to hush the girl.
“R-Right... Stella, you strayed too far. Oh? Hello, you must be Ilya!”
Aster immediately noticed her and greeted the shy princess with a tender smile.
“I’m Aster. I’m... sort of the caretaker of a bunch of kids here. Like Stella. You just moved here, didn’t you?”
“J-Just now!”
Snap tilted its head, causing the camera to shift as well.
“Listen close and hear me oh gallant Snap – the act of the crossing itself is the Awakening rather than the destination. Corruption, Corrupted Persona – are they not shortcuts to bring one to the other end or to prevent oneself from falling into the pit?”
Snap tilted its head the other way.
“Very well. I shall see to it that Cer visits my Floor.”
* * *
The Star Child had no comment, neither did the Little Frost who tended to stick by her side. The Medium Frost was happily sleeping on a bed of flowers. One of the Mothers of the Asclepien were here today, and she tenderly brushed the hair of the girl as she sat beside her.
The Medium Frost had been visiting the Mothers and the Perched secretly for some time now. For what reason? No one knew for certain, but the Healers there clearly loved pampering her.
The Hired Arm stood on guard beside the Taleor. They were like Frosts from two different eras of war. Healers would occasionally stand by them or feed them food like they were tourist attractions.
Snap captured the shocking moments of when the Healers finally heard them speak as well.
* * *
“Marriage is s-surprisingly lewd.” Anna covered her mouth with a book. “Geez. How embarrassing. D-Don’t look at me, Snap! Don’t zoom in! It’s not like I’m imagining what it would be like to k-k... ki... kiss.”
Snap didn’t show the past struggles of Anna. Instead, what was shown were vivid recollections of Anna and Sinder. The most predominant of them all revolved around Sinder hovering a little too close to Anna, as if on the verge of stealing her lips.
*Snap*
A polaroid fell from above. It slipped into Anna’s book.
“Huh... Eh!? This... Ah... This is from that time... I remember this.”
That picture was of Anna and Sinder’s ‘date’. She lowered the book and wrapped herself snugly in Sinder’s mantle, reminiscing of her life with that man who took on the world by himself.
She lamented that she never had the chance to tell him how much she loved him. But it was all in the past.
Nothing could change that.
* * *
*Bzzt*
*Static*
*Bzzt*
The camera footage suddenly changed to colossal door.
The static feed made it impossible to decipher what it was, but the existence of the pale walls made it immediately clear to Snap that it belonged in the Nexus. The doors groaned but did not move.
Something, no – someone was waiting behind it.
*Bzzt*
*Static*
*Bzzt*