Several hours after the secret crime incident occurred, 65% of the hotel's men and guards started roaming around the hotel in search for the killer of the hotel himself, Zackier Morkator, while trying to act as natural as possible to the public. No one noticed that there's a lot of Yuri's men all around the campus, as all were focused on preparing for Prom Night this sunset. But the real question lies on how Yuri Calypso managed to guess that Zackier was the killer who caused the incident… and she answered that question; she knew he was still alive when she first discovered the room, but she couldn't act immediately or else he would lash out in a way that is unexpected.
Another thing about her answers is that she stated that she was unarmed at the time, that's why she forced herself to be quiet about it until she came prepared. The search team, the 65% men that is, are a crucial part of Yuri's plan to ambush Zackier Morkator by herself in case he was found, as in those parts, she has come prepared to annihilate the interruptor of her establishment. Unfortunately… Zackier has already perceived this ambush has already left the La Luna Sangre Hotel before Yuri can even begin initiating her ambush.
Meanwhile… Margaret had just left the dormitory herself after spending time for a while in the dormitory calling Wyne through her phone to tell her that she'll meet her somewhere outside the hotel near its entrance. Now what was Wyne doing outside of the hotel? Simple—she came to meet up with her one and only parent; her Father, to pick her up while carrying her stuff to go home.
As a surviving cancer patient, she would still need some check-ups and records for her current physical state in the hospital, so her father made a reminder to the host of the event, Yuri herself, that his daughter would need to go home earlier than the other students in order to catch up with the check-up schedule for her continuous recovery. The schedule's current deadline is Monday Midnight, which is today.
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Running through the open area of the hotel, Margaret holds tightly to the picture she received from Trizha moments ago. She pants lightly as she runs past the tall skyscraper at the center of the entire hotel made solely for the Prom event, with a lot of workers preparing for the event and guards roaming around the area. She noticed that there are actually more guards roaming other areas and wondered to herself "What's going on…? I thought guarding the Prom tower was going to be their top priority…" she thought as she made her way into the main exit and entrance area of the hotel.
She walked into the corridors, told the guards of her intentions of leaving the Hotel, and got out not too long. She wandered around the parking space before moving across a bridge where the area where she'll meet up with Wyne is nearby. However… what she didn't know was that she was being followed by a man in a dark cloak hiding in alleys where the sight of her presence was seen. Every time he shows himself but not to her, he always leaves a wide, sinister grin on his face. And now that she's almost to the meet-up area, she stopped in her tracks with the frame in her hand, and so did the man in a dark cloak… and he took out a knife as he watched her silently through the dark alley.
He waited patiently, waiting for the chance to strike, as the knife gleamed through the sunlight of the remaining sunset, as the fresh blood in one of his hands made drops into the ground. He waited, and waited… until he finally made his move. But he suddenly froze when he noticed the expression Margaret is expressing right over there… a look of fear and shock. The man in the dark cloak, uncertain of the situation at hand, paused and decided to make a step back to watch.
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Meanwhile, Margaret stared at what's in front of her as she held her frame tightly between her arms, frozen like a statue, unable to move, as sweat drips across her face, her danger senses wavering for her to not make a move, for she had just accidentally confronted the hero of the world himself, General Koby Frantzes.
The breeze stopped going in the direction where Margaret and Koby are, the atmosphere has thickened immensely just by his presence. "I-i can't move. This power… my body is telling me not to move… wait, how did he get here again? He wasn't here I was, and when I did, he did the same… it was as if… he appeared in an instant." Margaret thought, her body began to shake as she realized the power gap between her and this man in front of her has…
"What are you doing out here?" General Koby asked, his sudden question catching Margaret off guard. If she were to respond, she wanted to do it as normally as possible… but the very moment she did, she was stuttering; "I-c-came here t-to… to m-meet up with a friend, sir…"
General Koby narrowed his gaze against Margaret, and then asked yet another question. "State your name." He said in a lower tone, and Margaret followed; "M-Margaret Sensha, sir…" Margaret answered, her tone lower and steady, as she slowly lifted down her head as if to bow before the hero himself.
"...I see. You're friends with Trizha Frantzes."
And so, Margaret once again froze from the mention of Trizha, her friend, and her eyes grew wide and her thoughts went wild. "Does he know me? And Trizha? Now that I think about it, he also has blond hair and purple eyes just like Trizha's… This man is a relative." Margaret said in her thoughts, as she lifted her head up and stared directly at General Koby, confirming that his features are indeed very similar to Trizha's. She then noticed that he turned his head around to look to the left, before saying; "If you plan to meet up with a friend, I suggest you don't. Head back to where you came from—My men will be surrounding the entire area surrounding the La Luna Sangre Hotel. The hotel, starting now, will be under 'Quarantine' by the government and the military until further notice."
Margaret looked up to General Koby, getting confused by the second. "What does he mean by Quarantine? The hotel? Us?" She thought, and she's so curious that she wants to ask General Koby directly. "Are you telling me there's an infection going on in the hotel?"
"No and yes." General Koby responded. "As ordered, we won't be revealing our reasons for coming here, but I can assure you that we came for a good yet ridiculous reason."
And with that, Margaret sighed for a moment before finally nodding in agreement to General Koby's terms, finding no reason to further investigate if it meant leaving all possible trouble. Margaret turned around and made her leave, running back while being watched by Wyne from afar, who was sitting inside her father's car by the middle side of the seat. "Was that your friend?" Her father asked from the driver's seat, his gaze kept on Margaret as she made her leave, same with Wyne. "Yeah. I was hoping to meet up with her after telling me that she'd show me something, but…"
As Wyne made a pause and removed her gaze from Margaret completely, her eyes move to the area surrounding their car instead; they are surrounded by the soldiers and men of General Koby, whom are all camping the parking lot of the hotel in which Wyne and her father are currently staying in until midnight. "...it might cause suspicion regarding their intentions in which we currently don't know. Margaret probably would have done the same…" Wyne continued, and her father nodded in agreement, realizing the situation they were in. While they may seem safe being surrounded by the military, their intentions are unclear…
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"This is General Koby, speaking."
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Wyne overheard the walkie talkie speaking beside their car, as she turned to the left and noticed a pair of soldiers listening to General Koby via walkie talkie, so she slowly and silently opened her car window to listen carefully to what he was telling them. "Dead man found in a dark alley. I repeat, dead man found in a dark alley." Hearing those words, several of the military soldiers started packing up and immediately rushed towards the position where General Koby found the dead body while Wyne sat there in shock, and the deep realization of the Military's intention of appearing was confirmed to her… they are here in search of something more sinister than she expected.
At the same time, back to where General Koby is, he slowly lifted down his walkie talkie and gazed down on the dead body before him… it was a fresh one, the body of a random senior citizen was leaned against a wall. Blood had splattered all around him, with more of it splattered on the wall behind it, so much that it seemed like a monster's doing. General Koby then scoffed at the sight, as he turned his gaze from the body to the wall… "Damned Alter Being… What kind of ridiculous, fictional game are you playing?" The question he would ask as he is more confused and confused by the second of too much crypticness that the world has given him, and what he saw in the wall made it worse for him…
And what he saw in the wall was… nothing more terrifying than bloody written words whose citizen's blood is used to write the words in order; "The 7th was here. I am Reality."
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Several hours later. The sun has set, and the moon has lifted from the dark horizons in order to light up the skies of heaven and earth. There are more lit of gleaming lights on the earth itself and around the hotel, causing pollution that masks the beauty of the great milky way. Children have left their posts, and so have the adults, as they all crawled their legs and took steps into the bridge that led to the tower that was in front of the glistening dark light of the midnight moon. All held one, shining lamps each, with each moving slowly towards the Prom tower, and everyone was wearing formal and elegant clothing made solely for the final event of the vacation week.
Those who are outside are to watch as the rest goes on, including Margaret and Wyne's car whose father is watching by the vehicle she sat in between, accompanied by a few soldiers who are left to guard the area. And the closer those formal students are in the tower, the more the moon lits up. This is a ritual made by Yuri Calypso herself; in the darkness of the night, let there be light, shining bright, through the glitter of the earth in which it compounds from its miserability. A truly, majestic way of bringing comfort to those who have been caught by the world's eternal suffering we were never meant to have.
And now they draw close enough for those who are to guard are to open the gates of a limited dance in one night; Prom Tower. They smile wide, and they rush, as the teachers struggle to control the crowd, trying to ease up their excitement as they go on with the remaining time of their lives. After all… an experience such as this is a once in a lifetime.
Somewhere around the middle side of the bridge that leads to the entrance of the Prom tower, Nomoro is standing by the edge, wearing a black formal suit with a purple colored bow tie, and waiting for someone in particular. His expression is calm and emotionless and his mouth silent, yet he seemed patient enough despite the gate having opened and hundreds of students are already rushing to get inside. He can feel and hear other students who were walking past him, talk negatively about him from his back; they either leave him with a mocking smile and mischievous laughs and even taunting looks, after all, he does look ridiculous in that outfit. But it's not like he has any fashion sense nor even cares about looking bad.
But either way, it's fine. They still perceived him as the devil, that's why they made him look like a fool. He just sighed, closed his eyes, and crossed his arms, nonchalantly acknowledging and accepting the titles he is unintentionally receiving from the cruel tongues of those who see him as a double-edged sword. Until suddenly, he feels a finger poking his right arm, and he opens his eyes to look to his right and notices Trizha standing beside him with a cheerful smile on her face. "Feeling sleepy already? It's not that late, you know." Trizha says teasingly, chuckling a bit as Nomoro smiles at her remark about him. "I guess. I really put a lot of effort into this outfit of mine" He responded, and Trizha made a dramatic and playful "Hah??" Before saying; "Put a lot of effort, you say? Please!"
Trizha then took a step back and revealed her formal attire to Nomoro with a big smile of expectations on her face, showcasing her elegant and majestic milky white dress with a line of roses attached all across her torso diagonally. "Like what do you see? Exactly, a masterpiece!" Trizha proudly shouts, while Nomoro giggles at the sight, agreeing with her that this dress is indeed beautiful and fits her perfectly. "Alright, alright. I see that you put in more effort than me. And now…" He then extends his hand to her with a soft smile in his face, ignoring the world but her. "...take my hand, and let's go inside the Prom tower. It's getting cold here." Trizha stared at Nomoro with wide eyes, before turning to his hand with speechlessness. Suddenly, she turned around, crossed her arms, and pouted dramatically, before saying;
"No."
"Why not?"
"Your hand is dirty."
"No it's not."
"Yes it is! Look at it!"
"Not a chance. I know personal hygiene."
"Still no."
Nomoro stares at Trizha for a moment, before instantly turning around to leave and go inside the tower alone. "Goodbye then." Trizha then looks at Nomoro in shock that he decided to accept her request that easily, before rushing towards him and jumping into him recklessly, landing herself unto his back and climbing on top of him, startling Nomoro as he struggles to lift her up because of her sudden action. "How dare you leave me alone like that?!" Trizha complained loudly, punching his head playfully and frustratedly as Nomoro just sighs in annoyance. "I didn't, I just left you to follow me instead since you didn't want to take my hand." He said, but Trizha punched him a bit harder. "I was giving you a challenge!! And you ended it with a solution and reason?! You're no fun–"
Suddenly, T. Marcela from nearby aggressively throws a chalk at Trizha's forehead, causing her to startle and then wince in pain. "Hey! Quit making a commotion, will ya?!" T. Marcela shouted, as Trizha shook her palm at her as a sign to stop. "Yes, y-yes t-teacher…!" She says as she winces in pain and rubs her forehead, slowly getting off of Nomoro and standing beside him. "Geez, even without the three of you, you're still undeniably annoying." T. Marcela said as she made her leave, walking along with the other students to enter the Prom tower.
"Ow… that hurts more than the last time I got hit by the same object…" Trizha mutters irritatedly, rubbing her forehead more deliberately, as Nomoro turns to Trizha and once again extends his hand to her. "Care to take my hand this time? Trust me, it's not dirty." Trizha glances at Nomoro's eyes, before turning to his hand. For now, she decides to push away her stubbornness and recklessness by taking that hand of his. And finally, they both walked side by side, hands together, fingers intertwined, soft expressions that set them up as they made their way into the Prom tower.
On their way, Trizha looks up to Nomoro and stares into his face directly, observing his expression. She notices that a small smile is forming in his face, confusing her as she thinks that he is just pleased that he gets to hold hands with someone as pretty as her. But that's probably not the case—Nomoro is definitely not that type of person to get pleased over a woman's touch. If anything, that small smile indicates that he might be… proud. It's unclear if it's for himself or for her. And so, she decided to shrug it off, as she's not as smart as Margaret to figure this one out on her own.
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A minute after that, all the students, including Nomoro and Trizha, have entered the Prom Tower. They observed the area, and were amazed at the sight; the beauty of the inside of the tower, with a wide space to dance, and sides that served as a serving area for the students. At the end of area are large stairs that leads to the higher floors of the tower, perhaps giving more space in case the first floor was full… and so it did—other students decided to go on higher floors because the first floor was about to be full, with a few teachers leading them upstairs and telling them rules about the Prom event, with one of those rules involved that the tower has three floors with a rooftop, which is probably the part of the tower that was restricted from everyone except hotel employees.
Other students probably went to the third as well, as others either wanted to explore or predicted that the second floor would've ended up being full like the first floor. And now… while everyone is preparing for the upcoming party coming in a few minutes, Trizha and Nomoro, from the first floor, decided to explore the place for a bit.
"Wow, the windows here sure are massive…" Trizha says in amazement as she stares at one of the prom tower's windows with wide eyes, almost chuckling at its absurd sizes. "How much do you think they cost?" Nomoro asks, and Trizha answers with; "Thousands, probably? I don't know. I'd be surprised if they cost a fortune like hundreds of thousands." Nomoro then scoffs at the amount, but she is right, they MIGHT cost a fortune. And that is because he can see the complex details that were well-made within the glass. "They might. But I also find that hard to believe."
"Heh, yeah. There's almost no detail but glass and a bunch of metal attached to it." Trizha says proudly, as Nomoro glances at her in confusion that she didn't notice the details herself. "Anyways, wanna go check out the second floor? I heard from others that there's a bunch of statues related to old mafia or yakuza bosses." Trizha asks Nomoro with excitement in her voice, smiling at him expectantly. "...Sure. I'm not that into bosses at such, but they do seem interesting enough."
Trizha giggles excitedly, making a "Yey!!" before grabbing Nomoro's wrist and is about to drag him towards the stairs along with her, but not until she suddenly smells something delicious… and all of the sudden, she felt an appetite building up in her. So she turned around to look at Nomoro with an awkward smile on her face. "Hehe… I'm a bit hungry, sooo…" She says, and Nomoro just shrugs and smiles as understands her cravings. "Sure, I can smell a bit of the restaurant too. I can try a little observation training as well." Nomoro says, before the two went to go search where the food court part of the Prom tower is via its smell.
By the time they found where it was, they noticed that there's students waiting in line at the bar part of the mini restaurant. Inside were actually only two female cooks and one male cashier who were working in it. One of two chefs is a young woman in her 30s with long navy blue hair that she keeps in a ponytail and is carrying a baby in her back using a baby holder while cooking ferociously and skillfully in immense precision while also keeping an emotionless or focused expression. The other chef is another young woman who is about the same age and same hairstyle as the other one but with longer hair and more brown in color theme and wears a pair of glasses, who is right at the corner, while cooking, also professionally promoting her inventions to other students like a business woman.
"Check this one out! Broken air fryer? Got your fridge out of cold? Don't worry! Introducing the hyper-fixing tool! It fixes anything except objects that don't involve electricity to use!" The other chef said, as the students grew fascinated with the inventions this chef made. Some were also amazed that she can do both cooking and promoting items at the same time. "Hey, Yumi! Cook faster, will ya?! I'm promoting faster than you!" She said to the first chef that was mentioned named Yumi, who kept her eyes on cooking and responding back to her fellow chef. "Be quiet. I'm cooking as fast as I can, Elizel." Yumi said, her expression still emotionlessly focused despite the fact that her tone is delivered in a frustrated manner.
Trizha watches the two chefs in fascination, finally taking notice of the hotel's uniqueness in terms of its details. "They sure are flashy, huh." Trizha says as Nomoro nodded in agreement to her statement "They sure do. They are like friendly rivals by blood." Nomoro responded, which caused Trizha to turn to him in confusion. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Beats me." Nomoro just shrugs in uncertainty at her question, failing to explain it for her amusement while Trizha falls into annoyance in his response, responding with "Can you not leave me in riddles?"
All of the sudden, someone from afar started shouting loudly using a microphone in their hand, effectively catching the attention of everyone from all floors of the tower.
"What's up, children of the JT International School!!!" Shouted by another blonde-haired young man who stood tall in the DJ area that is standing in the middle of the tower stairs leading to the second floor. "Are ya all having fun?! Me too, ya bullocks! To give credits to Yuri Calypso herself who's currently absent, i would like to introduce myself as the DJ CJ Flomtro, your personal DJ of the yeeeeaaaarr!! And on your service!"
Everyone screamed in delight and out of fun, excitement filled up the atmosphere as hundreds if not thousands of prom participants began to rumble and prepare in the upcoming rocking music that DJ CJ is about to present to the crowd.
Trizha and Nomoro, on other hand, are standing amongst the crowd, looking around slowly as everyone starts dancing with all their might. Nomoro grins widely at the fun atmosphere as he held Trizha's hand tightly, but he then felt her when he tightened his hold onto her hand, so he turned to face her. And to his surprise, he noticed that she seemed… uncomfortable as she faced the crowd—everyone was dancing, except her.
Even after what seemed to be her finished redemption, she is still socially incapable, and will be so as years pass by until she makes a move. Nomoro realized that the more he stared at her face, and so he decided to do something about it…
"Hey, Trizha." He calls out, as Trizha turns to Nomoro in an instant, her previous vulnerable expression was instantly replaced with a more usual and cheerful expression, as if trying to hide her true facade… yet again. "Hm? What is it…?" Trizha asks, hoping Nomoro didn't notice her expression just a moment ago. And then, she watches as Nomoro extends his hand to her once again and speaks to her in a softer and gentle tone. "...For the third time, care to take my hand?"
Trizha stared at Nomoro in surprise, finding his third and probably final request as… an opportunity for her to take. She smiles and decides to, unlike last time, take the opportunity without any reckless and dramatic excuses; by taking his hand with genuine cheerfulness and happiness in her face. "You didn't need to repeat yourself, you know?" She says teasingly, but her face says everything; she is happy that he understood her well. And so, the two went to stand along with the crowd and dance with all their might, together.
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"Tell me, what makes you think I'll let you slip through the borders of my establishment, Koby?"
The cold, condescending tone and words that escaped the mouth of a former mafia and yakuza queen, Founder Yuri Calypso, who stood mightily with the 5% of her men including her Assistant as she faced and confronted directly the Hero of the World and the Military's Strongest Soldier, General Koby Frantzes, who stood like a king with his men from behind, with tanks cornering Yuri's own little army and helicopters that hovered in the sky, ready to wage war with the daughter of a Yakuza Lord who was deceased ten years ago. Two Prime Ministers, standing face-to-face in front of the entrance of the hotel, with their powerful presence already affecting the atmosphere intensely as we know it.
"As per orders of the Malaysian Government and suggested by none other than me, I suggest you back off. Yuri." General Koby said in response, failing to get intimidated by Yuri's more dangerous approach towards his immovable presence. "And just what reasons do you have to come here for? My public execution? The arrest of my men who did nothing but do their best to entertain the children whom I brought into my establishment for a one week tour?" Yuri responded back, not backing away from Koby's strict orders towards her.
"Exactly nine years ago, there was a school shooting that occurred in a kindergarten school, and the case was left unsolved. Several individuals, parents and their children, including the shooters themselves who caused the incident, all died excluding only one survivor who was left undiscovered. Tell me if I'm wrong, but my senses tell me that the said survivor I mentioned is hiding within your grasp." Koby then crosses his arms and stares more intensely at Yuri's face, trying to tell her that his intentions are anything but a joke. "So until that child reveals themselves, we will continue our investigation and you will force every single student in your hotel to stay from their locations."
All that, and Yuri scoffed, snorted, and laughed at General Koby's ridiculous requests, her eyes glancing at the men he brought, the vehicle that carried weapons of destruction, and the guns that she found unnecessary. "Heh, all 'this' just for a simple investigation of one person? You're playing with me, Koby. You haven't changed. All these years, and you could've quit overestimating every little thing." Koby glared at Yuri's remark about him, finding it that offends him. "Apparently, I am not overes–"
"Overestimating every little thing so much that, exactly ten years ago, you interrupted a little birthday party and turned it into a tragic tragedy. You killed Kenzo Calypso, my father, on that day, Koby. You are no hero." With that, one of Yuri's men hurled a black briefcase at Yuri in which she catched it from behind with her hand and clicked a button hiding in it, which caused the briefcase to spread to pieces and transform into dual cannons that are attached on both of Yuri's arms. Once the cannons had attached, her men began to bring out their own weapons such as a katana, a mace, a gun, an RPG, and so much more, threatening the entire military at hand as they aimed their weapons back at the mafia men.
"...All ten years and could've stopped overestimating every little thing, and yet here you are, planning to interrupt my establishment and the vacation off the fun of the children who are meant to be happy in ways I was meant to have!"
Yuri then aimed her cannon arms at Koby, as Koby shouted "Prepare for open fire!!" To his men as they followed suit to his orders. At the same time, Yuri's men started to scream and rush towards the soldiers in reckless abandon, attempting to avenge Yuri for what her rival had done to her. But before both sides clashed dangerously, an old man from the military side jumped from the middle of both sides and lifted both of his hands to stop the two Prime Ministers from waging an unnecessary war. "Stop right at this moment!!!"
Yuri and her men immediately froze from their tracks as they stare at whoever is standing between them and Koby's forces—it's Commander George himself, saving the day. He stood straight as chuckles and turned to Yuri. "Been a while hasn't it… Yuri." Commander George said as Yuri looked at him in shock, recognizing the figure that stopped her from engaging in a war with Koby. "George…? Dawned old geezer, get out of our way." Yuri said in a cold tone, as Commander George waves his hand vertically to calm her down. "Now, now, Yuri. As we know, engaging in a war is completely unnecessary. After all… we are all after one goal, and that is to chase one person."
Commander George then shrugs his shoulders, smiling awkwardly. "So instead of turning to violence, why not make cooperation?" He says, as Yuri scoffs yet again and decides to cooperate, crossing her arms. "Fine. And just for the record, you're close—we are after a killer who murdered one of the students recently. Don't even theorize this person as the actual person you people are looking for." She said, as Commander George lifted a finger and said; "You're absolutely right, Yuri. We are after the person you are after, we are after a different person. And that much is obvious, because my friend here, General Koby, he–"
"I didn't feel the same presence of the person of your murderer with the survivor we are looking for. He somehow killed a citizen hours ago, and he didn't have the same presence as the so-called 'devil of nine years ago'." General Koby said as he decided to step up into the conversation and finally cooperate while also being cautious around Yuri. "Hold on now, "Devil of nine years ago"? I'm hearing that right, am I?" Yuri asks in curiosity, getting confused by the second, and Commander George responds with; "Apparently, that's the person that General Koby was referring to as the only survivor from the school shooting that he mentioned. We had our doubts, but I also doubt that as a false rumor… and General Koby is the proof of that—he has incredible senses to be able to identify what is a devil and what is not."
Commander George then took out a specific document from his military uniform and opened it, showing the inside of the document to Yuri as it shows a birth certificate of… "On other hand, this is the identity of the so-called devil of nine years ago—a child named Narasao Tarosono. We found this in the kindergarten's office. I'm hoping you have this little child in your grasp." Commander George said as Yuri leaned down to observe the picture of Narasao Tarosono, finding his face rather familiar to someone she has seen but doubts it's the same person because of their cat-like irises. "Hmmm… I'm not really sure if I have this kid in my hotel. But their teachers should know, I'm not the one who's taking the responsibility of holding their identities."
Commander George smiles as closes the document in an instant and hides it back in his uniform. "Great, now that we have a lead, would you allow us to investigate and continue this conversation inside the hotel?" Commander George asks, and Yuri answers with; "Sure, but only you and a few of your men." Suddenly, Yuri then turned to General Koby and glared at him to death. "Oh and by the way, he's not coming." Yuri says in a deadly tone, as Commander George nodded in agreement, muttering a few "okay, okay." as he walks up to her and grabs her shoulders to pull her with him with a few of his soldiers and Yuri's men following them inside the hotel, unknowingly unable to notice that Wyne managed to slip in with the crowd with a less obvious outfit and enter the hotel with the men.
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"Hah… I'm tired…!"
Trizha said in an exhausted tone, grabbing a chair to sit down on in the edge of the tower's first floor as she fans herself using her hand after dancing constantly just minutes ago. Meanwhile, Nomoro walks over to her with a cup of cold water. "Feeling tired yet?" He asks, as Trizha looks at Nomoro in frustration. "What does it look like to you? I don't dance very often so I do get tired when I dance, worse if it's a constant one." Nomoro then just shrugs off his shoulders and responds with; "No one told you to dance 'constantly', but I suppose it is all for the joy of movements."
Nomoro then stands beside Trizha and hands her his cup of water, letting her drink for the sake of ending her exhaustion after a prolonged dancing in the open stage of Prom. "...You dance impressively, though." Nomoro remarks, slightly smirking at the thought of dancing nicely with Trizha as she follows suit with absolutely no difference in comparison. "Heh, yeah. I used to watch dancing tutorial videos online for, well… for clout. And sometimes as practice for a certain school event. And let me tell you—teachers always choose the worst songs or music to apply for our dance." Trizha snorted back, as Nomoro turned his face unto hers with a raised eyebrow of confusion. "School events involve dancing sessions?" He said, as Trizha looked back at him with the same expression.
"You didn't know? How can you not?"
"This Is the first I've heard of it, to be honest…"
"Really? That's… actually impressive, considering how you can dance toe-to-toe with me like a professional earlier when we danced."
"A professional, huh? That's a bit far-off—I was a bit nervous dancing with you, thinking I didn't have a chance of connecting with you in the steps. If I'm not wrong, you should be amazed at how you moved smoothly." Trizha then looks at Nomoro with a teasing look and teasing smile on her face, cheerfully giggling as she playfully says; "Ooh? Since when did mister cat-eyes know how to compliment a girl? Do you like me?" She says, as Nomoro responds "Not a chance. Don't push your luck." And with that, Trizha laughs loudly at his response, amused by his ability to reject her very easily.
Soon, her laughter slowly died down and is left with just a small soft smile, as a vulnerable look starts to form her face, and turning directly to what's in front of her—the horizon of gleaming lights, the dance of the many, the sound and smell of food being cooked for the hungry, and the music that caressed the drums of one's ear. Everything just feels right for her, and yet, she feels like something is still bugging her…
"Hey Nomoro, can I ask you a question…?"
"Sure. Go on."
"...the 'Conflict' is over now, right? It truly is?"
"Yeah. It did. Ever since I came to you at that time."
"Then tell me—why do I still feel… uneasy… about things?Why do I feel like I still need to… do something? I may not look like it, but I am feeling uncomfortable about it."
Nomoro stares at the same location Trizha is looking at, and continues with; "...The Conflict ended, and that's for sure. But that was only about 'My' conflict, and not about yours." He said, as he turned to Trizha with an emotionless expression, aiming to tell her what to do…
"As you can see, you no longer feel uneasy or uncomfortable around me. The same thing happened to me; I no longer had to continue holding the burden of ever apologizing to you for my part of the problem because I already did what I had to. And you acknowledging it with me led to the end of my conflict with you, but that didn't mean that it ended yours, and that's why it still bugs you, further making you uneasy about something that's uncertain. And that uncertainty, I'm sure, is something you should've already known…"
Nomoro then leads his back against the wall and crosses his arms, taking out another cup of water and drinking it for himself, while Trizha looks at him with a mix of vulnerability and a sense of trying to solve things out. After he finished drinking his cup of water, he continued his speech; "To finish is to end it, and to end it is to finish it. If you can't finish something that is still bugging you, then how can you end it?" And so he finishes his speech, and Trizha turns back to the horizons with an emotionless look, the uncertainty filling her face, but this isn't going to affect her. And so, she spoke in a lower tone.
"Then what do you suppose I should do?"
"Simple—finish what you started to end it. My conflict ended with me, and now it's your turn to end yours."
Trizha stared at the horizons for a moment, and an idea flickered her mind. She nodded a bit, in a way that is silent and accepting. She knows what to do. "I see. Alright then." She then stood up from the chair she took earlier, and turned around to face Nomoro. "Nomoro… I'll be walking around, alone. Can you stay here for me? I won't be long." Nomoro turned to Trizha with a soft expression, and nodded silently without another word, trusting her intentions. And so she turned around again and walked away from the area where Nomoro is…
She walked far, and long, and even further, watching as other students danced elegantly, laughing out of joy, and some enjoying the music as they pleased, not intending to head for the other higher floor where students are dancing with their partners who were also roommates and enjoying Prom. Instead, she heads her way to someone more secluded while still being part of the area. Soon, she finds her secluded area and stands there for long, and long to take, before finally taking out her phone and staring at it like it's something that has become a key to what she has become to this very day.
She clicked the button of her phone, and opened it, going through her password, and then clicking a messenger app. It wasn't for long until she turned her gaze back into the horizons, the same thing that she bore witness just minutes ago—it was a beautiful sight to behold. She would be comparing her own beauty with it, but it's not something she should be doing right now. But actually, she wouldn't really do it. It's all just her facade to acknowledge an old lie and pretend it's the truth. And the thing is… she wants to stop pretending that it's the truth, she wants that lie to stop hiding itself from the facade she also forced it to wear.
After being given a chance of an opportunity, she no longer felt the decision to ever run from it and once again blew it. She would rather repair it with her own hands, the same hands that blew the very same thing. She has been given an opportunity, she doesn't want to 'blew' it this time. She wants to move on, in a good way. Not in a way as if to acknowledge everything that had happened is just in the past, but to acknowledge that everything that has happened is in the past.
And yet again, the horizons that reflected through her purple eyes that used to witness all the tragicness that affected her mentally, was such… a beauty to behold. Indeed it is, and it will be saved… through within her. She lifted her phone, made its back and camera face the horizons directly, and pressed the button that saves that moment of time and diverted it into… a virtual picture. And she sent this picture to… not the social media, but Wyne.
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"Ching~!"
Somewhere in room 108 of the dormitory area, Wyne is sitting at the edge of her own bed, packing up some other stuff she forgot to bring with her when she attempted to leave with her father hours ago. And suddenly, she heard the "Ching~!" notification on her phone that was laying beside her, turning to it with an emotionless yet confused expression in her face as she extended her arm to take it, opened it, and noticed that Trizha, after three days isolating themselves from each other, sent her a message.
She sighed in disappointment of herself, forgetting to 'block' Trizha beforehand. After all, she wouldn't forget everything Trizha did to her. However, she decided to give Trizha a chance and looked through her messages; she sent several messages to Wyne, and the first thing Wyne sees was the same picture Trizha took just a moment ago. The next message… she saw; "Hello, Wyne. I'm in the Prom tower right now… taking a little break after dancing, well… you know, constantly? Haha, like you said, I'm such an idiot to even consider that."
A small smirk flickered at Wyne's lips when she read that first message, still having the rest of their friendship's embers. But then, her eyes go wide when she reads the next message; "Anyways… I'm sorry. For everything. I'm sorry… for ever hurting you and Margaret. I was just letting out my own anger and was out of control myself. And the thing is… you were right, I was just really out of my mind. Or at least out of myself."
A feeling of disdain fills up Wyne after finishing reading that message. She made her decision a few days ago, after all. Just because she apologized, doesn't mean she'll accept it that easily. Nor will she actually accept it either way…
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But then… she read the other messages Trizha sent to her. The more she reads, the more her mind begins to change about her decision on Trizha. Her eyes widened in each message, finding all of it… to be convincing. The messages did not fit the usual Trizha she knew, and that was all the evidence she needed… to realize one thing—Trizha has changed, and decided to 'change' as well, which was a decision that herself Trizha didn't know that it was the very option she needed for Wyne to 'accept' her, and yet she did it anyway.
Wyne ran out of her room and rushed to the exit of the dormitory, her face desperate, gritting her teeth, rushing as fast as she could just to reach her former best friend, Trizha Frantzes, and give her… the answer to everything she just said. The fluidity of the water in a glass, moved for a moment.
Trizha: "Years ago… remember when I told you that Influencing was my true dream? It wasn't. It was all a lie. I really wanted to become an Idol that day, but I just got scared of facing the crowd that was facing back at me. That scared me. That's why I backed away and decided… that a dream is just a dream. I regretted that decision."
Suddenly, ka-boom! An explosion occurred outside by the entrance of the hotel, catching General Koby and his men who were waiting off-guard and by surprise, dumbfounded by the turn of events that became unprecedented and unpredictable.
"What the heck happened?"
"Something blasted the entrance!!"
"Hey did anyone just see someone enter the entrance?!"
"Is this a terrorist attack?!" Shouts of some of the many soldiers, as they watch as several giant rubble of the hotel's ceiling concrete completely block and cover the entrance of the hotel thanks to the sudden explosion that occurred. General Koby, on the side, narrowed his eyes on the location where the explosion occurred, and thanks to his senses… he, by a moment of desperation, swore that he saw a miniature purple sphere-like energy appear out of midair at the entrance before it detonated.
Trizha: "But I'm pretty sure that you already know about this lie too… perhaps Margaret managed to find out and told you about it. I guess that's also fair… I was half-nervous when I met her again in the corridors. And now, I just want to tell you that… I've always hated myself. And I regretted that."
Before they realized it, numerous other explosions occurred at different parts of the hotel, mostly entrances, or perhaps all of it. Blocking every exit for the individuals inside the hotel and entrance for those outside. Multiple reports have been told as each soldier bears witness, as many panicked and rushed themselves to try to figure out what was currently happening. Alas, no one could ever figure it out, not when the attack just happened a few seconds ago.
"Everyone, find an available entrance this instant! A few will come with me when it is found." Orders of General Koby, as multiple soldiers started to go back to work. It was something that was sort of fantastical. If people knew that was the case—then normally, they would deny it and call it a unbealivably ridiculous statement. But to those who saw it? The case could go otherwise. This mission that General Koby took is no longer just an investigation—it's a full-pledged battle that he must take care of.
Trizha: "For years to pass by, I always hated dancing and making videos about myself just to entertain the people who are expectant and will never entertain me back. I always hated it when I had to force myself to accept the requests of those people. And I always hated that I should be doing better than before. I know it's selfish, but that's not the point—I wanted them to see that I can do more. And they failed to see it, that's why I blamed them. And I regretted that."
Inside the hotel, the main hallway, Yuri, her men, and Commander George are currently approaching the next exit that leads to the open outer part of the establishment. But the very moment they were just in front of the gates, it also became the very moment they finally heard the explosions happening outside the hotel, surprising almost everyone in the hallway and leaving Commander George and Yuri Calypso confused. "What the heck just happened outside?! Did that bastard Koby do something?!" Yuri exclaimed, as George replied; "I doubt that… he's a man of his word. Someone is attacking and infiltrating the hotel!"
Trizha: "And this cheerful side of me? All a facade. The real me is what I have always been keeping within me. If you'd see me before now, I think you'd be terrified of what I've become. I think you'll go like 'is this really the person who saved me 9 years ago' or something as traumatising as that. Because at that time, I lost myself, and everything else. And I… almost regretted that."
"Ahhhh! H-help me!–" The last few words of one of Yuri's men from the back before being sliced in the throat in an instant. And his scream made everyone in the hallway turn towards behind them, only to see their fallen comrade on the floor with his blood dripping around him. Yuri and George, as well as the rest, stared at the fresh dead body in horror and even more confusion, some even asking themselves if this is real. And so, Yuri started screaming at the top of her lungs to remind everyone of her orders. "Everyone! Pick up your weapons and prepare to defend yourselves!!!" With that, everyone in the hallway was alerted and quickly and immediately brought out their weapons as they looked around for an enemy while in fear.
"And now… I just wanted to send you this message. I know they're long, overexplained, and in other terms, but I hope you know that they mean everything… and I… made my decision. A decision, to finally make an end to this conflict that involved only me…"
"Never let your guard down, never be scared, always look forward to your end, like how you all were trained to work for me!!" Yuri shouted, her speech heard in all of the hallways to motivate those who fear that this may be their very end. They did their best, after all, they formerly used to work with Yuri when she was still the mafia queen. They are built to fight to the very end in situations like this, and with Yuri's speech becoming their reminder… We hope they don't back down realistically. "Even something as unprecedented as this can still be solved! So stand your ground–" In the middle of her speech, in between the halls, next to a Commander of a military, he next to the Establisher of a mafia gang… and so he came in between those who stood tall for the others… in an instant.
Yuri and George's eyes grew wide as they came across something impressive, something far from their expectations; the person Yuri is after, and the same person who just caused a catastrophe just right about now, who is currently covering himself with a black cloak, appeared between the two with a speed incomprehensible. They noticed him, sensed him, and yet their body couldn't react as fast as their senses did. They lifted their arms immediately, aiming for the attempt to strike on however just appeared between them. They tried, they really did, with effort, their best of efforts, all against one man who didn't have the same fundamental existence and reality of Romance as them… and yet they failed, because he showed them the strength of what it means to be in a Fantasy.
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"And I want to forgive myself for hating this cheerful side of me because it is what brought me, you, and Margaret together. I want to forgive myself for blaming my own viewers because they couldn't do anything about my life but keep supporting me to do better. And I want to forgive myself for ever deciding that this lie I made… is my truth. And in case I didn't mention other mistakes I've made, I just wanted to say… I hate those mistakes, and I will forgive myself for that. And that decision… I'm going for another one of the ROUTES, starting this day, and the rest of my life."
Trizha sighed in relief, proud of herself that she managed to send those messages before she changed her mind. This is a task she wouldn't want to take unless she is as determined as she is right now, determined… to end her side of the conflict. She was just about to put down her phone and get a breeze of air that was never going to be there anyways, but got another message she wanted to send;
"And one last thing… you were never an add-on to me, Wyne. You were my Big Deal. You always were. Thank you for being my friend in these nine whole years. I'm sorry."
She smiled triumphly, in a silent and soft way, similar to Nomoro's. And yet again, she is proud of herself. It was just words, they don't really express or do anything but say. But after sending those messages… she felt something anew. She slowly lifted her head upwards and stared at the horizon before her, mesmerised intently at the sight, while muttering a few words…
"I'm tired… I guess it's time I retire as… an Influencer."
She muttered, and she suddenly got a new notification from her phone, lifting her head down to take a look, and noticed that Wyne responded to all her messages; "I read everything you said. Stay there, I'm coming." Her eyes widened in surprise, finding it shocking that Wyne would actually pay attention when she mostly expected her to ignore it anyway. And she then heard a door opening behind her, so she turned around to look, thinking it was Wyne… and she was wrong.
Realizing that, she looked up, from bottom to top, noticing that this person in front of her is wearing a black cloak, and as her eyes reached his… she noticed that his irises looked like that of a shattered glass and it was glowing red from the dark that surrounded him… she recognized who this person was.
"...Zackier?"
Her last few words before getting knocked out unconscious, in an instant.