Part 3
Silence reigned after Simmone left. She might have been small, but her words carried a weight that left everyone deep in thought.
"Don't worry, Miss Cherri. I'll speak with her later," said Haruto, finally breaking the tension in the air.
"That won't be necessary," Cherri replied, gently shaking her head as her petals floated around her with grace. "We're not forcing anyone to do something against their will. We just want to resolve this matter."
She paused, her tone growing more solemn.
"This being may not be violent now, but… who knows what could happen in the future. I'm sorry, but I can't continue to risk the lives of those who live in this forest."
"If this being is as intelligent as they say," Kazeharu interjected, crossing his arms, "we only want to understand its intentions. We're not looking for unnecessary conflict."
Cherri tilted her head slightly, her gaze serious as she looked at the group.
"What do you say? Will you accept this mission?" she asked, her voice solemn yet hopeful.
Haruto looked up at Yuna and Thalindra, his stance clear.
"I've got no problem with it, but it's not my call," he said, turning toward the two women.
Thalindra tapped the table lightly with her fist, a spark of excitement in her eyes.
"Count me in. I'm thrilled by the idea of meeting a being like this," she said with a confident smile.
Yuna nodded firmly before answering.
"Yes, Miss Cherri. If the others agree, we'll take on this mission," she declared, showing the determination of a true leader.
Cherri smiled gently, letting out a quiet sigh of relief.
"Thank you, all of you. Your help means a lot to me—and to this forest."
She stood, her petals dancing around her.
"Well then, I declare this meeting adjourned. You're all dismissed… except for you, Zephyrus. I have other matters to discuss with you."
The group began to rise, while Zephyrus let out a soft sigh of resignation.
"Hope it's nothing too complicated," he murmured, but Cherri simply shot him a look that silenced him instantly.
Haruto looked at Yuna and Thalindra as they exited the hall.
"Well, looks like we've got work to do," he said with a light smile, easing the lingering tension.
"Of course. What's a mission without a little adventure?" Thalindra replied with enthusiasm, adjusting the hammer on her belt.
And so, with a new task ahead, the group left the great Sakura Tree—an air of promise and mystery lingering behind.
Meanwhile, Simmone walked gracefully through the forest, shielding herself from the sun with her delicate white parasol.
Sunlight barely filtered through the leaves above, casting dancing shadows all around her. Her pace was calm, but her mind remained busy with the recent events.
"They have no idea…" she murmured, placing a hand on her shoulder, where she still felt the echo of an old bullet wound.
She sighed, her thoughts drifting through memories she could never share with the others.
"That creature… it must be terrified. Every time it's tried to approach someone, it's been treated like a murderous monster," she continued, her voice laced with empathy.
A rustling sound among the treetops interrupted her thoughts. Her eyes narrowed as she tilted her parasol slightly to the side.
"Stop hiding. I know you've been following me for a while now, and I want to know why," Simmone said, her calm voice contrasting with the tension in the air.
A soft, mysterious voice responded from above.
"Oh, you found me. How interesting…"
Simmone kept her gaze fixed on the upper branches.
"You're not trying to hide, so I assume it's on purpose. Show yourself," she demanded, never losing her composure.
"Very well, if that's what you want. But don't get violent, okay?" the voice replied, with a playful tone.
From within the branches, a figure descended gracefully, using a dark parasol to glide gently down to the ground.
As she landed beside Simmone, her full appearance was revealed.
She wore an ornate black gothic dress, her long golden hair cascading in soft waves to her waist, and a crimson eye that stood in stark contrast to the dark patch covering the other.
Simmone observed her closely, analyzing every detail.
"Who are you? Do you know me?" she asked, maintaining her composure, though clearly intrigued.
The mysterious girl tilted her head slightly, her smile almost mocking.
"Such dreadful manners, these British have…" she said playfully, her tone dripping with irony. "The proper thing would be to introduce yourself first."
"My name is Simmone," the smaller girl replied, frowning slightly.
"Amoretta, right?" the blonde cut in, pronouncing her surname with precision.
The air grew tense for a moment as the two stared at each other, their age and stature nearly identical—like reflections from opposing worlds.
"How do you know my last name?" Simmone asked, her voice laced with suspicion as her eyes narrowed.
The blonde gave a cryptic smile.
"I know more than that. I know there's a curse upon you. That's why your hair is silver, isn't it? I'd bet you're still consuming souls to survive… which would explain your lack of emotion."
Her words made Simmone's fists clench. Her voice turned sharp—nearly furious.
"Who are you?" she demanded, her tone swelling with a threat that grew with every syllable.
"Easy now, let's not rush," the stranger replied, raising a hand as if to calm her.
"My name is Elizabeth Tepes, fourteenth daughter of Victor Tepes."
The moment the name was spoken, Simmone's eyes lit up with suppressed rage.
Without hesitation, she snapped her parasol closed, and with a swift motion, transformed its upper half into a gleaming sword.
"Filthy vampire!" she shouted, completely losing her composure as she charged toward Elizabeth with furious abandon.
Elizabeth, still standing calmly in place, lifted a single index finger and blocked each strike with insulting ease.
Every one of Simmone's blows was stopped as if they weighed nothing.
"I told you not to lose your temper. I didn't come here to fight," Elizabeth said, her voice steady and unwavering.
"Call of the Haunted," murmured the vampire.
At that moment, ghostly crimson hands erupted from the ground, wrapping around Simmone and locking her in place.
No matter how she struggled, the hands held fast—unyielding and overpowering.
"I was just curious what kind of person you are," Elizabeth continued, observing Simmone like one would study a rare specimen.
"Thanks to your curse, I can track you no matter where you go."
Simmone, bound and furious, screamed in a voice torn between rage and anguish.
"Because of you… my mother… she…!"
Her voice cracked. For a brief instant, the cold façade Simmone wore crumbled under the weight of her memories. A fleeting image of her mother—and her tragic fate—rushed through her mind.
Elizabeth watched her with a blend of curiosity and detachment, as though trying to decipher the emotions pouring from the girl.
"Don't direct your hatred at me darling. It was my father who cursed the Amorettas," she said, sighing, as if reluctant to bear a guilt that wasn't hers.
Still, a glint of amusement flickered in her eye as she leaned in closer, brushing a finger gently against Simmone's cheek.
"Besides… it'd be a shame if that pretty little human face of yours were to get ruined," she added with a smile that blended mockery and provocation.
Simmone, caught in the spectral grip, fought with everything she had—like a cornered animal.
Her hatred and pain burned visibly, the tension between them now unbearable, signaling that this encounter was far from over.
"Your friends are approaching," Elizabeth murmured, her tone nearly teasing as she glanced toward the woods.
"I'd like to meet the 'Envoy' myself… but I suppose this isn't the right time."
With a graceful motion, she opened a portal—like a tear in space—its edges glowing a deep, pulsing crimson, like the beat of a heart.
Just before stepping through, she cast one last glance at Simmone, her smile a twisted blend of challenge and amusement.
"We'll meet again, heir of the Amoretta clan. You can call me Eliza. I'd love for us to be friends," she said, raising one hand in a carefree wave.
"Goodbye…!" she added with a hint of sarcasm as she vanished into the portal, leaving only an echo of her presence behind.
The last image was of her hand waving playfully before the portal shut with a crisp snap.
The spectral hands that had held Simmone vanished instantly, releasing her.
Without hesitation, Simmone ran frantically toward the spot where the portal had been.
"Don't run away!" she shouted, her footsteps quick but unsteady, shaken by a storm of rage and frustration.
Just as she was about to reach it, she tripped on a root and fell hard to the ground.
"Ahhhhhhh!"
Simmone let out a scream that quickly dissolved into a heart-wrenching sob.
Tears streamed uncontrollably down her cheeks as she struck the ground with her small hands, her body trembling from the force of her emotions.
At that moment, Haruto arrived, rushing in with a face full of concern.
Without a word, he dropped to his knees and pulled Simmone into a protective embrace.
"It's okay… it's okay… Big brother's here now," he whispered gently, running his hand through her hair with care.
Yuna and Thalindra arrived soon after, quietly joining the embrace in a circle of warmth and comfort.
Neither said a word, but their presence spoke louder than anything else could.
Simmone's crying didn't stop—it poured out, raw and unfiltered, filling the air with a grief and vulnerability that none of them knew how to ease.
Because her tears didn't just belong to this moment—they were the cry of years' worth of pain she had locked away.
And in that instant, they all understood something deeply. Though small in stature, Simmone carried a burden no one else could truly fathom.