Her hands brushed the slightly burned kimono, and her gaze turned to the flames that reduced the device to ashes. Aurora, sighing in relief, ordered her robots to extinguish the fire and questioned the warrior about her calm demeanor and the strange satisfaction she displayed.
With a hoarse voice, she briefly explained that the device had made her feel good during training, in a tone that made it clear the matter was deeper, but there was no need for further explanation.
While they cleaned up the mess, Ferinish remained seated on a bench in the room, her hand resting against her face in a pensive expression. Aurora, along with the other men, continued cleaning the place, which had been darkened by the flames. Thanks to the building's resistance, however, there was no significant damage.
Amid all that help, the Pillar of Knowledge lamented, between grumbles, the breaking of the device she herself had created.
***
"Don't try to scream, you're in my domain."
Ah, that damned voice, which in his dreams wrapped around his neck and choked him with a compulsive desire for blood. Skyler tried to breathe, but it was useless. His eyes rolled back, slowly losing their color.
His mind shifted images. In his hand, he held a shard of glass. He cut his own chest, tore out his heart, and consumed it by force. He lunged at those beside him, all their heads severed from their bodies so cleanly it seemed like a natural process of the human body.
He tried to wake up. He felt everything: the pain, the sight of life fading in his arms. The mark that encircled his chest glowed with pure satisfaction, while a demonic laugh echoed endlessly in his head.
And finally, Skyler broke free from his restraints. Upon opening his eyes, he found Lucy in his arms, her hair gripped in his hand. With a shard of glass, he touched the woman's neck, who, in deep sleep, murmured unconscious words.
He released her and stepped back. The smell of sweat returned. He placed a hand on his chest, feeling his heart ache. With great disgust, he whispered with hatred the name Krythos.
Forcing a calmer expression, he slowly approached the door of the room and raised his hands.
"WAKE UP!!!"
Everyone woke up startled, cursing him. With the loud tone of his voice, Alice, Lucy, and Vector headed to the bathrooms to shower; even they couldn't stand their own smell.
After they came out, Lucy said goodbye to Skyler with a rebellious, though fleeting, tone. Alice said she would return to take care of her daughter and left the base, massaging her temple. Vector asked Skyler for help in getting a spot at a small local Demon Hunter agency, receiving a cold "yes" in response. Finding the tone strange, Vector simply nodded, realizing the man needed solitude.
Now alone, Skyler stared at the wall in silence. He grabbed an umbrella, and after briefly glancing at the shard of glass in the sink, he looked away and decided to leave that place.
Wandering through the rain, he breathed deeply, feeling the fresh air of NeonyRain's streets. From the shadows, the duo of Pillars emerged. Aurora scolded Ferinish for being so calm in the face of the destruction of such a "futuristic" piece of equipment, as she called it.
But both their gazes turned toward the man. Aurora greeted him in a friendly tone, Ferinish remained silent. Skyler responded with a mix of chivalry and casualness. When asked why he was wandering the streets, he made it clear he was just getting some air after so much work.
Aurora then decided to invite him for coffee with them. Ferinish was on alert, but seemed secretly pleased.
Upon entering a local café, the young attendant was completely shocked by the presence of the Pillars. With Skyler, she remained calmer, as if she knew him as a friendly salesman. With the women, however, she was entirely polite, trying to earn their approval.
Aurora was playful. Ferinish, indifferent, answered everything in a neutral tone. Skyler remained casual.
With the drinks on the table and the rain tapping on the roof of the modest café, they talked about their lives, mission plans, and even more personal matters, such as political issues Aurora needed to resolve. She seemed to trust him.
But when the name Shaphira was mentioned, Skyler showed more interest than usual.
Ferinish cast glances at the scientist, who confirmed that if possible, she would allow the presence of a Renkai Creature in Libretãnhya. However, even with her technology, she hadn't been able to contact her.
Surprised by the revelation, Ferinish asked the reasons for such a search. Aurora stated she was trying to clarify the reasons for her expulsion from society and ensure her safety, but had failed to reach her.
While sipping his coffee, Skyler lamented Aurora's failure and Ferinish's frustration, saying he would like to meet the being who had managed to take an almost human form despite being a demon.
Upon learning that Ferinish had trained the Renkai Creature, he congratulated her on the feat. The warrior nodded in thanks but stood up, saying she needed a moment alone.
Aurora apologized for her colleague's behavior, explaining that it was unwise to bother her when she was upset. Skyler, looking at Ferinish through the glass, asked if he could talk to her. Aurora merely warned that if Ferinish cut off his head mid-conversation, he should remember the warning.
Left alone with the young attendant, Aurora gave her a mischievous smile, asking if she would like some tips on how to be easily approved at school.
***
As he approached, Ferinish gave him a brief look and reminded him that she wished to be alone. Skyler nodded, making it clear he understood, but said he still wanted to help her, even if it meant just staying by her side.
Turning to him, Ferinish asked if he had ever lost someone he truly cared about and could do nothing, feeling small before the power of Aurora and the ruler of Libretãnhya.
Skyler denied it. He said he didn't fully understand that feeling, but he had lost people in his arms, powerless to react, merely accepting the deaths, the humiliations, and the disappointments of those he had promised to protect. The cruel words: "you should have died in their place", still echoed in his mind. Maybe he hadn't felt the same helplessness Ferinish described, but he had certainly felt something similar.
With no arguments to counter him, Ferinish accepted the answer and apologized for her rudeness. She admitted she'd been ignorant to claim she was the only one suffering, but she could no longer contain all that negativity inside her.
Even so, she thanked him, saying it was comforting to vent. In her words:
"I hadn't done this so sincerely in a long time."
In a gesture of gratitude, she opened her arms with a forced smile, as if she didn't quite know how to hug. Skyler found the movement strange at first but accepted it.
The warrior wrapped him in a protective embrace against the rain, so strong that Skyler complained, but he returned it with equal intensity.
***
The café, which had long since emptied, was filled only with the sound of a pen scratching a notebook as Aurora wrote lessons for the young woman in front of her.
Despite her focus, her mind was on the pair in the rain, watching Ferinish hold Skyler tightly against her chest, almost lifting him off the ground with her strength.
A small smile appeared on her lips.
"I've never seen her so... comfortable. You really are an impressive man, Skyler Fogue."