After Safatore's suggestion for April to have her "aura" investigated, the disciplinary hearing was brought to an end. It turned out that all the council wanted to know was what they were hiding, and now that they found out about April, they ended the berating.
After that, April felt like she had a pair of eyes boring holes through her. It was that blonde elf who stood with a griffin. He resembled Safatore, wore like Semacoar but had Saka's cold and enigmatic demeanor.
April was given her own room but it was guarded by those two guards who she had ran into earlier. Not only did they seem to hold a grudge against her for whatever reason known to reality, but they had also volunteered to ensure April stayed put.
She felt somewhat like a prisoner. And Saka was nowhere to be seen, not since April left him on the miniature island.
That same night, April lay on the golden sheets, staring up at the golden ceilings. Everything she had done from the moment she ran into Safatore and his group were characteristics of herself she knew didn't correlate with her personality. It was like someone else was steering her actions. The running away from danger and threats, and feeling petrified by people's gazes were her original self. But blurting, raising her voice at Saka and doing a few of those bold and daring feats like jumping into water were uncharacteristic.
It all made her feel shameful. She blushed furiously in remembrance and turned her face aside. The moment her cheek touched the pillow, she sunk into a deep sleep.
It took a subtle change in the surroundings before she gasped and found herself on her knees. She shot her eyes around and realized she was in that beguiling yet familiar dream where everything was ash gray and walls moved.
"No…" she groaned, clenching her fists at her sides.
She didn't want to be there or have that dream. It was now more like a recurring nightmare with the sole purpose to drive her insane.
"I don't wanna be here!" She grabbed a handful of her hair, her voice breaking. Tears bubbled in the corners of her eyes.
This time, she was barefoot and in the creamy pajamas given to her; short tights and a long sleeved, loose top that cascaded to her knees, the front and back sides separate with a tank top underneath.
She looked around the creepy room, all sorts of unnerving thoughts seeping into her mind. Then she heard it, the loud, heartbreaking wail of a little boy, right behind her.
April jumped in fright, screaming. She fell tails-first down into the black fog on the floor, stirring it and scrambling back away from the figure standing in front of her.
"Get away!" she whimpered.
Something blocked her backwards retreat from behind and the little boy vanished when she turned her head around. She ended up finding the boy standing there. He looked down at her, his face wet with tears, his lips trembling.
"Ah!" April shot to her feet and backed away a few feet, raising her fists in a defensive manner of some kind. "Stay back!" She barked and trembled soon after.
The boy, who had stopped crying for the first time, observed April for a moment before he lowered his head, sniffling.
"Why?" The voice trembled out of the little boy's mouth, his shoulders shuddering. "Why me? Why did this happen to me?!"
April took an involuntary step back, shocked by the boy's words.
"I don't-I don't know what you're talking about!"
"Why won't you embrace me again?" The little boy asked, taking a step forward.
April watched him step closer, and as he did, she could see the tall, dark and devilish silhouette with red eyes behind him.
"Why won't you embrace me?!" The little boy asked again, more tears pouring out of his eyes.
"S-stay back…" April whimpered, focused on the figure behind the boy.
"Why?" The boy cried, seemingly furious. "Embrace me!"
The tall silhouette charged as soon as he shouted. April had a second to react.
The guards heard a scream and a loud thud coming from inside the room. They barged in, only to find April curled up on the floor and crying like a stabbed victim, writhing on the floor with the sheets.
"What's going on?" The ruby-eyed elf asked, going down on a knee and reaching for the girl.
April sprung up and scrambled back, pressing herself against the side of the bed. "Don't touch me!"
Both men exchanged glances and watched the girl tremble and sob on the floor.
"Leave me… alone!" April stuttered, her hair masking her face and revealing a single green eye.
The guards exchanged more glances before they groaned and stood up.
"Keep it down." And they left, the fairy wings shaped doors closing behind them.
April pressed her hand against her chest, taking in a deep breath.
That was not real, right? It was just a coincidence that the wailing boy suddenly asked to be embraced by April again…
Right?
* * * *
She looked up at the two tall men leading her away. A small smile tugged on the corners of her lips.
"I'm April. What are your names?"
She looked at the elves in optimistic expectation. When they kept walking straight, not bothering with her, she chuckled.
"Okay. Where are we going?"
They remained silent and kept walking. It was pretty understandable. April sighed softly.
"Okay. I'm pretty sure we use the same language and you probably don't like me–first impressions matter, and I know you guys are tryin' to focus on your jobs as my voluntary chauffeurs but it seems the three of us are gonna be stuck together for a while until someone can prove I'm not a monster."
She tugged at one guard's green tassel. Both elves stopped in their tracks and looked down at the girl at the same time. April grinned.
"Hi, me again. I know I'm a very suspicious character who couldn't identify myself when you politely asked me to. But I have to confess, lately I have been going through some things, some changes and having experiences that messed with my poor mind for a moment and I wasn't myself. Yeah, I'm adjusting pretty poorly. But I want you to know it's nice to meet you and your armor is cool."
She extended a hand to the ember-eyed elf, her smile spreading from ear-to-ear.
The two elves exchanged glances before looking at her again. The ruby-eyed elf pushed her hand aside with his spear.
They both turned back around and walked on.
April fell behind, still looking at her hand.
"Huh. I must'a lost my touch." She looked up and saw the two elves grabbing her.
"Come along now, April Commerce of Acugamathura." Said the ruby-eyed elf, as they led her off again.
"Oh ho ho!" April laughed. "Sorry, I lost myself over there." She moved her eyes from each of them as they walked on, their eyes stern. "Can a gal make a conversation?"
"You talk too much." Said the ember-eyed elf.
April chuckled. "Well, I haven't been myself in a while which would explain my chattiness now."
They stopped in front of a door which opened and revealed a room full of people. Full of elves. And two twin samurai sisters. She was led in. The room fell silent as soon as the three entered.
Familiar faces lit up.
"April." Safatore called before he smiled that dimpled and charming smile April remembered seeing in the horrifying bowels of Linwood Forest.
"Guys!" April got excited. "You brought me to the guys 'cause you thought I'd be bored? Aw, so sweet." She fluttered her eyelashes.
"The High Council requires you and Safatore's cohort to stay in the same location where you will be monitored and collected, and released after your Aura Assessment." The ruby-eyed elf man replied, his eyes sharpened towards April.
She blinked. "Makes sense."
Safatore chuckled. "Well, well, well. If it isn't the good duo Eref and Irstte. Good to see you. Again." He crossed his arms with a raised eyebrow.
"Crown Prince Safatore Kraufford, you are a disgrace!" The ruby-eyed elf instantly spat.
"Now now, Irstte. That hurts my feelings." Safatore pouted with a hand over his chest.
April was watching the exchange when Kuri jumped her.
"Precious Thing!"
She excitedly ruffled the girl's hair.
"There you are. I've missed the green eyes of the person who saw through my Dream Pocket's structure." She pinched April's chin, her glowing blue eyes shining with otherworldly aura and mischief.
"Uh… missed you too?" April chuckled.
Kuri eyed April from head to toe. "You look good. Eating right?"
"Of course, she's eating right!" Semacoar walked up to them with a bowl of cashews. "She has Saka stuffing her every day."
The two guards went and stood at the wall and Safatore turned around.
"Where is Saka? I haven't seen him since the disciplinary hearing commenced."
"I don't know. I was with him yesterday, I ran off, got caught by these two," April pointed at the guards. "And now, here we are!"
"You ran away from benefactor?" Kakuro's soft voice asked in English. Everyone was speaking in English and they all sounded very sophisticated.
"Is that hard to believe?" Semacoar threw a cashew at the woman's face.
She raised her sword and the nut hit the blade, splitting in half. Semacoar stuffed a few more cashews in his mouth.
"Show off," he said through a mouthful.
"Okay, maybe seventy percent sophisticated."
April turned aside and noticed Eon and Akka sitting at a table with fruits. Eon gave April a little greeting with the hand which April enthusiastically reciprocated with a grin and a frivolous wave. The two women chuckled softly.
Everyone seemed pliant and inviting. Even more than after they used her as bait that time around the fire.
Safatore turned April to face him with the crook of his forefinger and smiled down at her.
"Are you sure you're okay? You seem… different. You're smiling."
"Really smooth, Safatore. What, are you courting the girl right in front of us?" Semacoar asked right next to his brother's ear, chewing loudly.
"Eat your nuts elsewhere." Safatore pushed him away.
April giggled. "I'm fine, I guess. I haven't been myself in a while and last night, I had a dream that scared me stiff and back to my ol' docile self."
The blonde man chuckled. "You're amusing."
"Yes, really sweet, you'd want to marry her." Semacoar munched on his cashews.
Safatore picked up a whole table and threw it. He stepped in front of April, blocking her view and there was a yelp behind him right thereafter.
"So you hail from Acugamathura?"
"Psht! I don't know what the heck that is." April scoffed. "Saka was feeding me the words in my head."
"Oh, so it's at that stage already?" Akka asked from the table. "Since when?"
"The day Saka and I survived the ravine fall."
"Oh, that early." The brunette said quietly to herself as she thought about it. April couldn't help but notice how she gently placed her hand over her belly and wondered.
But another thought occupied her mind.
"Hey, Safatore, mind if I ask you something?"
The man smiled warmly. "Sure. But sit down first." He led her to a soft, golden settee.
They sat down and faced each other, the samurai sisters conversing on their side, Eon and Akka talking by themselves as well, the guards standing watch and Semacoar standing by a wall, crunching on cashews.
"What's your question?" Safatore leaned slightly forward.
"Is Saka a prince?" April asked, trying to hide any expression.
Safatore raised an eyebrow.
"Is Saka a prince? I don't know. I'm the Crown Prince, bumbling Semacoar is the Second Prince and Saka is our brother so I guess he is. He is a prince." He grinned.
April giggled and covered her mouth.
"A simple yes would have sufficed."
Safatore watched her laugh and smiled. He just stared and when he turned to look, found Semacoar staring with a cheeky smirk.
"What?"
Semacoar stuffed nuts in his mouth as a response.
"Why is he hiding?" April asked.
"Why is who hiding?" Safatore turned back.
April opened her mouth to ask but the fairy wing shaped doors suddenly flew open. Semacoar was the first to look when he choked on and spat out his nuts, coughing.
Everyone looked and in walked a green-eyed elf with long blonde hair, sea-green robes adorning him. Following and entering after him was a blue-feathered creature with the head of a lion, the beak of a bird, a lion's body, bird feet and claws for the front legs, big blue wings on its back and a serpentine tail on its rear.
"The man with the burning gaze…" April thought, somehow unable to stand up from the settee.
The man and his griffin walked in. Even the two guards Eref and Irstte were seized up by his presence.
Out of all of them with alarmed expressions, Safatore stepped forward and met the man.
"Master," Safatore mumbled in the silent room. He extended his hand out and held the man's cheek.
The man in green's eyebrows slightly pulled to each other before he placed a hand on Safatore's head.
April watched the exchange with curiosity. She noticed that throughout all of that, the griffin man's eyes never moved, nor did they show any particular expression. They were listless.
Then April saw how everyone in the room came to touch the man's cheek, calling him master and letting him pat their heads. And it hit her.
"He's blind!"
But why did she feel his gaze on her earlier?