"I'm more worried about Flow. She had to witness all of that, too," Mirror clarified.
All eyes turned to Flow, and she jolted, then looked to her feet.
"I'm fine... I've been to the battlefield before... I've seen lots of death," she mumbled.
Her tone made Veil feel uneasy.
"Alright, if you're sure," Mirror replied while patting Flow on the shoulder.
"... We're about to leave, but before I go, I have a theory," Veil began, "At full power, Caster registers as a triple S-tier threat. Maybe you should have him use his ability the next time you play together. It might give you a special transformation, too."
Mirror's expression brightened, and she rushed over to Aura, saying,
"What do you think? Does that sound possible?"
Aura hesitated, but after thinking it over, she nodded.
"It's worth a try," she replied.
"Oh, and why didn't the game show you your power-up title and level-up skills?" Mirror asked.
Aura fidgeted nervously.
"It did... the title was just embarrassing, so I didn't want to tell you," she admitted quietly.
"What?!" Mirror shouted while shaking her sister by the shoulders. Veil and Flow quietly exited.
"We should talk more in my room..." he said.
Flow reached out for his hand and replied,
"Alright..."
He intertwined their fingers and led the way.
After they made it, Veil locked the door, then pulled her with him to the bed.
Flow looked nervous as they sat down.
"... What's bothering you?" he asked sweetly, reaching over to take her other hand.
Flow's cheeks tingled. Veil remained silent, gently stroking her hands and giving her time to gather her thoughts.
"... I've seen people die before... but... it was... I don't know. Scary? Scary to see someone kill themself in front of me," she mumbled.
Veil's expression softened. He sighed and rested his forehead against hers.
"I'm sorry... I was so detached... thinking it didn't matter what I did because we were in a game."
He cleared his throat, then nuzzled her cheek.
"Everything looked so realistic, so I understand that it was disturbing for you. I should have considered that."
Warmth spread through her chest, and she smiled, saying,
"Thank you..."
Veil lightly pressed a kiss to her lips.
"You're so sweet... I need to stay aware of that," he murmured, before kissing her again. Flow closed her eyes, melting into it.
He deepened the kiss to guide her down onto her back gently. Flow breathed heavily as Veil placed his hand against her cheek and smiled.
"... Is there anything else you want to talk about?" he asked in an unusually gentle voice.
Flow's lips quivered, and she avoided eye contact.
"... To be honest... I wanted to tell you how hot you looked in the game earlier... there were things I wanted to do too, but I held back because Mirror was watching," she confessed bashfully.
Veil's grin widened.
"Well... nothing is holding you back now," he said while removing his shirt. "We're free to do whatever we want now."
Despite trying not to, Flow couldn't help letting her gaze wander over him. The sight of him made her cheeks burn, but she couldn't bring herself to look away.
"Why aren't you saying anything?" he asked, placing one hand on her hip and leaning down to press lingering kisses against her neck. Flow squeezed her eyes shut and stiffened. He chuckled softly and murmured,
"You're so adorable..."
Pierce received a message from the lab workers,
"We completed our analysis of the second glass's contents. It's a complex poison that attacks the brain directly. It would cause hallucinations, paranoia, intense nausea, and eventually death if consumed."
He quietly processed what they had informed him for a moment, then replied,
"Thank you. That will be all."
"You are welcome, sir! Don't hesitate to let me know if you need anything else!"
Pierce lowered his transceiver and groaned loudly.
"I guess I should return to Cantarella now... but that meeting with Veil was so irritating."
He groaned again and scratched his head,
"Well... talking to him again wouldn't do any good," he muttered and walked toward the lab.
Cantarella was still reading when he entered.
"Did the results satisfy you?" she asked without looking up from her book.
"... Yes. I can think of a few ways to use your abilities."
"I can also create an antidote for any poisons I consume," Cantarella remarked. Pierce stroked his beard and replied,
"Interesting... Well, I thank you for your time. Feel free to relax for the rest of the day. We'll be landing the day after tomorrow. Enjoy your time until then."
Cantarella's expression darkened, then she strolled over to Pierce and squealed happily.
"Really?! I can rest? Do you mean it?!" she asked, then she twirled around and rushed out the door.
Pierce blinked in confusion. Then he exhaled and lifted his transceiver.
"Announce to everyone that they are free to take a break until we land."
"Right away, sir," the person on the receiving end replied.
When the announcement hit, Veil paused from cuddling Flow, and looked at the intercom speaker.
"Is something wrong?" she whispered, while scooting back against him.
"... I'm just shocked he's giving us time off," Veil replied while brushing light kisses along the nape of her neck.
Flow shivered and stiffened slightly when his hands slid down to her thighs.
"Why wouldn't he?" she asked in a shaky voice.
Veil stifled a laugh, then got out of bed and began getting dressed. Flow jumped up and pulled the covers up over her chest.
"Are you leaving?"
Disappointment seeped into Flow's voice, causing Veil to drop his shirt back to the floor and sit at the edge of the bed.
"This is my room..." he replied, then lightly flicked her nose.
Flow blushed from embarrassment.
"Oh yeah... I forgot for a second, because it looks just like mine."
He chuckled lightly, then he stopped and clasped his hands in his lap.
"I may have... upset your dad earlier," Veil admitted quietly.
"... What do you mean?" Flow asked carefully.
"Well..." Veil began, "he presented me with some weird video footage and tried to get me to confess to tampering with it. He had no evidence, so only an idiot would implicate themselves in that situation... I mean, I was guilty, though, and I'm pretty sure he knows I am too."
Flow was quiet for a moment, then she put her hand to her chin and tilted her head.
"What was the footage of?" she inquired.
"... Mostly an empty hallway... but... that's because I told the cameras not to show what I was doing when I visited your room on our first night here."
Veil's revelation made Flow's face heat up.
"He knows about that?!" she blurted.
"I doubt he knows everything... but he at least suspects I broke curfew and is probably pissed at me," Veil explained. Flow's eyes widened, and he continued, "Still... one good thing did come out of it. Thanks to his little interrogation, I'm confident that I know exactly how to keep our future meet-ups private."
He placed his hand behind her head and grinned widely.
"Judging by that face, I think you're very pleased to hear that," he added.
Flow's lips parted, and she stared at him, at a loss for words, when there was a sudden knock on the door.
Veil groaned, then got up to answer it,
"Wait, Veil! You're still half naked!" Flow warned, but he ignored it and opened the door anyway.
It was Shade.
"Good, you're here. When Pierce dragged you away, and you didn't come back, everyone got worried. Especially Caster and your brother," he explained.
Veil frowned and leaned against the door frame.
"Then why are you here, instead of them?"
"... Well, your brother thought you might be at Flow's room, so he went there to check, and Caster went to Mirror's room to see if you showed up there, because Flow was gaming with them earlier... Ah! and Fenix went to the cafeteria. I was sent here," Shade answered with a smile.
Flow shifted on the bed, and Shade instinctively looked toward the sound, but Veil blocked his view.
"Don't look at her," he demanded, using his ability. Shade's face involuntarily turned to the side, and an invisible force kept him from peering inside Veil's room. "Sorry for being forceful... but she's not in a state that you're allowed to see," Veil added coolly.
"That's fine!" Shade replied, turning his back to Veil so he could hold his head in a more comfortable position. "You can release me now," Shade assured.
"... I will... in time," Veil said. "But first, is there anything you needed to tell me?"
"Yeah, since we all have a break, everyone else is going to the rec room. Caster made pizza, and we're going to watch movies, play games, and stuff," Shade answered stiffly.
"Hmm... Flow... do you want to go?" Veil asked, while gazing over at her.
She gasped, then pulled the covers up over her face.
"That sounds nice... but... I would like to spend more time alone together first," she mumbled.
"Doing what?"
Flow's face reddened all the way to her ears when he asked this... and slowly Veil's expression twisted into one of pure exhilaration.
"I see..." he remarked knowingly, "We can always get together again later," he continued, sounding thoroughly amused.
"Should I leave?" Shade inquired. Veil put a hand on his shoulder to hold him in place.
"I'd... just feel frustrated if we go... right now," Flow muttered out shyly.
"... I don't think I understand. Maybe if you say it clearly, I'll know what you mean."
Flow pressed her lips into a hard line.
"Shade is here..." she whispered.
"I know... I think it would be really sweet to hear you admit what you want to do, even if we have an audience," he noted.
Shade attempted to leave again, but Veil's grip stayed firm.
"How are you so strong?" Shade grumbled.
"... I can't," Flow answered, her voice cracking from nerves.
"... Oh then I'm not in the mood. I guess I'll just go hang out with the others without you," he replied with a shrug.
Flow gasped loudly, and Veil stepped out the door with Shade.
"You're going out like that?" she muttered. He kept walking, so Flow lifted her voice and yelled,
"I want to have sex!"
Only then did he halt. Veil looked extremely pleased. His shoulder trembled as if he could barely contain himself.
"C-can I go now, please?" Shade asked, trying to pull free again.
"... Sure, but you heard her right? You're free to go, but if anyone asks about me, you say I'm busy, Flow is with me, and we'll be there in an hour."
As Veil spoke, Shade's mind felt numb. He wasn't able to move right away, even after Veil let him go.
Shade stumbled down the hallway and returned to the rec room.
"Was he in his room?" Vision asked, meeting Shade at the entrance. Shade stared at him blankly, so Vision added, "I'm asking about Veil."
There was a short delay, but then Shade smiled and said,
"Yeah, Veil is busy, Flow is with him, and they'll be in here in an hour."
Vision nodded and walked away.
Shade sat down at one of the arcade machines, and Caster approached him and asked,
"Hey, was Veil okay? Did Pierce chew him out or something?"
Shade blinked at him, then smiled softly and said,
"Veil is busy, Flow is with him, and they'll be in here in an hour."
Caster scrunched up his face and leaned in close to Shade and asked,
"... What color is Veil's hair?"
Shade's eye twitched. His mouth opened and closed a few times, then he responded,
"Veil is busy, Flow is with him, and they'll be in here in an hour."
Caster exhaled heavily.
"So, don't ask about Veil... got it."
Shade looked relieved,
"Thank you," he whispered, "That's all I can say... it hurts to even think about saying something else."
Caster nodded, then shouted,
"Veil and Flow are coming later, we can start eating without them!"