The cold air struck against his skin. Feminine murmurs echoed in hope. Please, wake up... Truth's voice is stronger, don't rush, your body is very weakened after everything. Just a warning: when she healed you, your transformation process increased slightly, so you shouldn't be frightened if you become something more... feminine, let's say.
But how should he explain it to them? Truth, crossing her arms against her chest, lifts her head. Should he say he was captured, tell the truth, a part of her. They will understand and will start investigating... did he, at least, hide the evidence of what happened in that laboratory?
Yes, of course he hid it. No one must know what he did in that laboratory, with those scientists.
Truth fell silent. Surely, he will wake soon, don't try to move, don't try to do anything, as she had said, his body would change in a short time.
With that, the white scenery dissolves before him. Everything went dark, but the sounds became clearer. The two feminine voices asked, after deep breaths, what had happened. The masculine voice, with that cultured formality, does not know the external factors that might have led the dear friend to look like a woman.
Suddenly, his finger moved. The girl's eyes widened, leaping over the body. Slady woke up, he woke up! The instant his eyelids move, one up and one down, he sees the white light, resulting in a closing. The man, without hesitating, turns off the room's light, leaving only a lamp beside it lit. Opening his eyes again, he felt Shaphira's fluffy ears brush against his nose, resulting in a light sneeze.
Elisa turns to the other side, her hands joined at her waist. Faller, from behind, gives her a light slap on the back. Don't be shy. And thus, she did the same, with the weight of their bodies pressing on the bed. Oh, how strong they had become!
Faller laughed lightly, the gentleman had placed his valuable trust in a man of advanced knowledge in combat, of course, as a consequence, his "descendants" would undergo an evolution during the period in which the ladies remained under his supervision and that of his honorable wife. Therefore, now, he asks to make the most of that moment, for he will soon need to speak with him about the events that occurred to him.
And, nodding to Faller's formal words, he raised... both arms? Both arms, and embraced them with all the strength he had... which wasn't much.
Lifted by them, the two commented on how much lighter he was. He agreed, he would need to eat a lot afterward. Knowing this, Shaphira offered to make dinner. Grabbing a crutch, he leaned against the wall, as she stepped away for a moment to cover her ears and tail with the clothing she wore.
Elisa touched his face, why was he different, what had happened? Many things, he needed to recover before he could explain, could she be patient? She would always be, wrapping her arms around him and settling her face against his chest... she lingered before closing her eyes, feeling the fit of her face in that place. Slady stroked her hair slowly, letting out a sigh, how quickly she had grown...
With her tail and ears hidden, Shaphira pulled Slady by the hand and Elisa put her arm around his shoulders. Going out the door, he saw the couple seated nearby, the woman in bluish dresses had clasped her hands, covering her mouth. The white haired man had nodded along with the doctor's words. When they looked at the three of them, they smiled. Victoria soon approached, if he had run from his responsibility, she would have hunted him down... but how he had changed! Yes, everyone noticed. The doctor, standing beside the Destruction Hunter, coughs a little, much was confirmed about his physical state before his disappearance, it would be good for him to rest at home before handing over all the information he could. Would he manage that? Of course, in a few days, he would soon return.
Facing that library once more, Slady opened his eyes wider, what had they done to his beloved home?! The two girls laughed. The government of Libretãnhya had decided to consider the library part of the city, so they built more streets until they reached it. In a way, he owed them thanks, without their oversight, the library could have ended up quite worn due to the old wood. It wasn't a complaint, he was just surprised.
Taking off his shoes, he felt the smooth floor beneath his bare feet. The floor didn't creak, the wood seemed warmer than he remembered. Settled on the sofa, Slady looked around. Wow... the state had definitely made a work of art of it. Yes, and it was Shaphira's choice to keep it that way. Elisa had also supported it, but a bit more technology wouldn't hurt to create balance. Truly, it was an excellent aesthetic choice, he says.
After admiring the brown ceiling, with the lamps swaying gently as their fixtures kept them hanging, the brighter kitchen, with small appliances connected to the walls, and the staircase, with stripes drawn up to the second floor, he turned to them. Had they gotten to see the areas he had kept closed? No, the government had always followed privacy rules, so nothing was opened, nothing was "invaded." He sighed. Then, he decided to ask.
How was he found?
Shaphira crossed her arms, he was seen on the banks of a nearby stream, she found him. Elisa agreed, it had been so sudden and random that she couldn't even process it, she had to call the ambulance right away, but now, seeing that he was more than fine, with one arm and his eyes uncovered, she decided, as she sat beside him, to ask once more what had happened. Shaphira also insisted, since they had been through so much without him, it was only fair they knew!
But he remained silent, gripping the arm of the sofa. Could he explain later, tomorrow? The memories were still very hazy. Shaphira huffed, but accepted. Elisa leaned back on the sofa, if he needed to rest, he would. But, if the next day, they weren't found, don't worry, they were also Demon Hunters. Oh, was it Faller who helped them with that? Yes, Victoria too, Shaphira explained, she had helped her hide her demonic traits. And would she manage to get used to it? Yes, it had gone quite smoothly. But, now...
As he always said, resting was essential, no more questions. She called him vindictive, but obeyed.
In the early hours, Slady woke and got up, leaning against the walls until reaching the bathroom. He looked through the doors of each room, the two of them slept without stirring. Going into the room, he locked the door, swallowed hard, and undressed.
... Truth was right.
Leaving the bathroom, he... or she, rested her arms on the second floor railing. How could this happen to her so soon? And Truth appears at her side, she shouldn't doubt her. But, setting that fact aside for a moment, sitting on that same railing, she made him lift his gaze to her. Truth knows what Slady is thinking, and it's very risky. It wasn't, he'd already been through so much, and now that he sees how fragile his own life is before adversity, why go on with this life?
It's because a killer never stops being a killer.
And, in truth, people must already suspect. Slady had always been reckless about how people saw him. After Raizer's death, knowing that he had entrusted his daughter's life to a mere librarian wouldn't raise suspicions, especially since he was the secret member of the Complexity Hunters? There was no denying it, he had failed a lot, and had left plenty of evidence when he started that life. But... what if he created the perfect murder? What do you mean? In the sense that he makes someone die believing it was X.
Maybe it would work. But it's hard to find. Those assassins out there are completely idiotic, he, however, not that he was proud of it, was just lazy. Slady lets out a laugh, really, it was too much. But he would plan around it, and let them suspect...
Why let them? Does he simply want to be caught after everything he went through in IceStorm?
Slady, leaning against the doorframe, turned to her. She knows what he thinks.
***
The next day, in the bathroom, Slady looked at himself in the mirror. Had the transformation finished? Truth's voice confirmed it. To be more honest, while she had been tending to him under his consciousness, she had ended up getting a brief idea of how to speed up that process. But, for now, the result at that moment was the maximum, temporarily.
He couldn't deny that he could no longer recognize his old self. He ran his hand through his hair, the white streaks were much more visible, and, murmuring a few words, he coughed a few times. That once somewhat deep voice was gone, replaced by something softer, but without any sharpness. And, looking at his body once more below the torso, he shook his head. Now the idea of being a man had drifted away with the wind.
Adjusting the belt of a pair of black pants, Slady smooths out the folds of her white shirt and settles the position of the coat on her shoulders. Running her right hand through her hair, she heard an internal whistle, she turns him into this and still celebrates? Truth laughs, she can't help but find him beautiful in the partial form of her body. And what was missing? Nothing much, just a few physical details, but those would come as time went on.
And what would she do now? Do what she should have done since she woke: look for Ferinish. But she must be too far away. Besides, opening a fridge, she found a container: "you forgot to eat." Truth looked over her shoulder, what pretty food. And what did it matter if it was pretty?
She heated it up as fast as possible, filling her mouth with generous portions of that dish. How delicious... it seemed that couple had also helped Shaphira cook. Slady needed to thank them, and Truth reminded her that she had several things to settle today, the conversation with the couple, besides the thanks, the report of the events, and the search for that warrior... and also her planning. About that, she set it aside for a moment, she would focus on the main thing.
Cleaning the dishes and putting away the container, Slady wipes her lips and walks out the front door, feeling the warm sun heat her face.
***
Seated across from Faller, she interlaces her fingers. If that place caused her discomfort, made her feel watched, all she had to do was let him know. She nods, there's only one doubt, who would know about the report? Himself, Victoria, if Slady wanted, and a few others in charge. But, if the matter of the recording was also unsettling for expressing her due emotions, she should make that clear too.
Slady crossed her arms, she preferred to tell him, and he would pass the message along in his own way. Faller smiled and agreed, and it would be quick, he also had other matters to attend to, as did... her? Call it whatever she wanted. Well... considering the physical factors... that was the biggest question, actually.
She closed her eyes for a moment and described how she was captured by a man during a training day with Shaphira and Elisa, a year ago. Then, she woke up in a laboratory, they wanted to use innocents to test some bold technologies and surgeries. How many people did she see die... Slady wiped away her tears. Then, they took her, left her naked beneath dozens of stares, and turned her into what they saw now, with no strength left to fight. She still remembers the scientists' gazes full of desire after the surgery, they were only holding themselves back from touching her.
Faller said nothing, lowering his gaze. He stood up and touched Slady's shoulder, and she stood and hid her face against his chest. The man embraced her, she was safe now. Just one more question and that would be enough for today, they would seek justice for her.
And the question was, did she know where the events had taken place.
Closing her coat even tighter against her chest, Slady said that, after a year in that terrible place, she escaped during an expedition they forced her on to fetch Renkata illegally with other prisoners. But, suddenly, they were attacked and the chains broke. Many died instantly, the rest scattered, and she ran more than she had ever run in her life, in tears.
When she got out, she couldn't focus on anything, only cry and lose consciousness as the portal closed near her. So, she couldn't know where it was.
Faller nodded once more, she could go. Wiping her face with a handkerchief, she left. And Victoria, who revealed herself just outside, arms behind her back, remarks that, even though she couldn't hear, seeing her open up like that already showed undeniable strength. With that, she embraced her and asked her to rest, she deserved it.
Outside the hospital, away from the cameras, Slady let out a sigh and returned to the same expression she wore before entering.
***
In front of the same computer in the library, it opened slowly, demanding the password. Once she did, she entered both sites, the digital library and the assassination contract service. Both had numerous requests. Among the kind messages from people wishing to read, there was the despair of the victims. Opening the videos, the sounds echoed through the room and all the content reflected in her grey eyes.
She didn't go slow, closed the computer and rested her hand against her face. Not a day went by without injustice ruling that city. Why, after he had disappeared, had crimes only increased? Wasn't the police doing its job? What hell...
Suddenly, the door opened. She'd warned it wasn't open, but it was only Victoria. She could come in, just... turn the sign from open to closed. The elegant woman did so without hesitation, walking up to her, adjusting the skirt of her dress and sitting across from her.
Faller had told her everything and... she couldn't imagine all she had gone through. Not even Slady had foreseen the disaster that would befall her. Besides, coming closer, she wanted to thank her for taking care of Elisa and Shaphira, if something had happened to them... no problem at all! They were friends, weren't they? Regardless of what happened and what she had become, she would support her no matter what.
Feeling the embrace, Slady froze. Gradually, she closed her eyes and buried her face in her shoulder. Everything was so hard, it seemed like life had simply lost its direction. And Victoria would help with that, don't doubt it, but for now, set that work aside, sleep, and let herself be cared for.
Watching her lead her to the bedroom, laying her down on the bed, she felt the caress on her friend's hair. Slady tries to keep her eyes open, but only loses her strength and closes them. Victoria, lying propped on one arm, watching Slady fall asleep so quickly, sits in a chair and picks up the book beside her.
It was time for her to repay him for saving her that day.
Waking once more, she felt mental clarity. She sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes. Turning, she saw the empty chair, but heard murmurs in the distance. Standing, she walked to the stairs and went down.
At the table, the couple and the girls were eating. Shaphira closed her eyes with each bite. Elisa talked with Faller and Victoria with her mouth full. The man gave the girls short smiles and the woman gently tried to warn Shaphira to eat more carefully.
When they saw her, they said her name. She smiled, it was good to see them there. Shaphira immediately stood up and pulled her by the hand, seating her among them all. Elisa complained about the missions, how the men she met were annoying and showy. Faller explained that people were like that, and that, as he had learned at work, he came to see that everyone was also trying to escape the harsh reality of that job.
Shaphira also commented that it was a bit boring having to work alone. And Victoria consoled her, once she managed to better control her Renkai Energy, she could soon go on missions with others with more control.
Slady said nothing at that moment, even opened her mouth, but closed it again. Her mind told her there was no need to say anything, only to savor every second of that moment. As she brought the food to her lips slowly, crushing it between tongue and teeth, she thought of her old friend. The youthful image still so clear.
Be proud, Raizer. Your daughter has grown, she looks like her mother, just as cheerful. Shaphira seemed to be getting more and more used to society. And her friends... had become more than mere acquaintances.
Once more, she felt the sensation of wishing that moment would last forever.
Alone beneath the sight of the moon, Slady watched the flowers sway far from the library. She carried the umbrella in her right arm, feeling the perfect fit against her skin. The rain struck lightly against the object, she closed her eyes, listening to the girls' snoring, and decided to wander through the lit streets.
Her shoed feet splashed through puddles scattered across the ground. Her eyes shone beneath the darkness of the sidewalk, the headlights of cars lighting the way ahead.
But, in a puddle beneath a tree, something bluish lit up. When she looked to the right, far from the buildings, above a large hill, the bluish light had disappeared. With that, she followed.
The sight of hills rising and falling revealed itself before her, with few trees swaying. Spotting a sloped hole leading into a cave, she walked over to it and, revealing themselves ever stronger, the bluish lights showed the woman.
Hair like flame, with blue streaks at the tips of black hair. Blue armor with flames escaping from small openings. And when she turned, eyes with fire shaped pupils stared back at her.
Why was Slady following her?
Ferinish...?
Not anymore. She should stay away. Yes, she is, she knows she is, she could come closer, she shouldn't be afraid. Reaching out her hand, Slady said that she too had changed, they could understand each other. No... they couldn't. She had seen it all, while she carried him for days through storms, rains, in places that looked so much like cities like that one, but utterly destroyed. And as the days passed, everything she touched crumbled to ash. Except him, he was the only thing that wasn't harmed. But, even so, he was still a danger to everything.
He wasn't a danger, he could help her control it, no one would know of her power. She would be safe. No! He didn't understand! He had been asleep the whole time! But she knew what had happened, knew what she had lived through, knew what had happened throughout her whole life. He was just a detail...
A detail that changed everything.
Ferinish's eyes widened and she grabbed him by the throat, dragging him out of that cave, pressing him against the ground. He was nothing more than something that, the moment she lost control, would die. They weren't the same anymore, they were different. He was... just someone ordinary, who had lived just as much as she had, but ordinary. She... she was a monster.
Without losing another second, she lifted him into the air by his arm. Slady groaned against her grip, smoke rising from his throat. Ferinish drew closer once more, her forehead nearly touching Slady's.
Never try to find her again.
And then, letting him drop through the air, with the hilt of her sword, she struck him down.