"Does it have a graveyard?"
"A graveyard? On an aircraft? Of course not. Master Alvin, are you trying to tease this pitiful maid, or do you think that an idiot had this plane made? Who would want to travel with bodies that too thousands of feet in the air?" Vanessa looked at him with a deadpan look in her eyes while she casually settled into Elara's seat.
"How are you holding up?" She glanced at the wine glass in his hands before meeting his gaze. "And I'm not talking about your body. Lady Elara is worried about you, but she hesitates to ask—she doesn't even understand what she's going through herself."
Alvin froze, his grip tightening around the glass. A faint tremor ran through his fingers, the base of the glass clinking against the table. The words sat heavy on his tongue, but the silence demanded them.
"That bad, huh?" Vanessa's voice softened, as did her gaze. "You must have cared a lot about them."
She turned her head toward the window, the shimmering moon casting silver streaks across the sky. The faint scent of the sea tickled her nose, a feature she had activated before arriving.
"They were my family. I've been living with them since I was ten. My real family… let's just say they're dead. At least, to me."
Vanessa hummed in acknowledgment as Alvin continued, his eyes fixed on the horizon.
"They were unlike anyone I'd ever met. When no one else showed me kindness in this unfamiliar country, they picked me up from the trash, fed me, gave me shelter, and they gave me… a family." His voice wavered, the weight of his words pressing on him.
Vanessa remained silent, knowing all too well that Alvin didn't need comforting words; he just needed to let it all out.
The pain, the sorrow, and the longing!
"When the world was cold, they became my blanket." His voice cracked. "The old man would beat me just to force me to go to school because I didn't want him wasting his money on me. Matsuoka was my only real friend. And Rin… she followed me everywhere like a shadow. She would beat up anyone who tried to mess with me—not that she ever really needed to step in."
A small, bittersweet chuckle escaped his quivering lips. "Once, she even smacked the old man over the head with a rolling pin for hitting me too hard. You should've seen the look of betrayal on his face… he did not even care about the massive bump on his forehead."
Vanessa simply smiled, watching as Alvin reminisced.
In the jet's bedroom, Elara lay on the bed, her hair spread out across the sheets. She stared at the clear sky above her, listening to the conversation happening just outside the door.
That DAMNED maid.
Her gaze flickered towards the invisible floor beneath her bed. The thought of stepping down from the bed sent shivers down her spine, so she quickly squeezed her eyes shut.
"Thank you, Vanessa."
Once he finished letting everything out, Alvin exhaled deeply, his mood noticeably lighter than before. The redness in his eyes had faded, and the glass in his hand was now empty.
He wiped the lingering trail of the last tear from his eyes and looked at the maid sitting opposite him.
"For what? I did nothing. I simply listened." Vanessa smiled politely, or so she tried before that smile turned into a smirk, twirling a strand of her bouncy purple hair between her fingers.
Alvin chuckled, shaking his head. "That meant more to me than you two killing that man for me."
This time, Vanessa didn't argue. She simply returned a warm smile.
Alvin hesitated for a moment, then spoke. "Can I ask you something?"
Vanessa raised a brow. "Just ask, Master Alvin."
He took a breath. "You said Elara doesn't understand what I'm going through… But from the way you spoke, it sounds like you do. Who did you lose?"
To his surprise, she showed no discomfort. Her gentle smile remained, unfazed by the question.
"Just like you, I lost everything in one night." Vanessa looked away, flashes of flames burning through her mind, screams echoing in her ears. "Some nights never end. Some ghosts never leave."
She chuckled at the curiosity in his expression. "But that's a story for another time. Someone's getting restless, you know."
Abruptly, Vanessa stood up, smoothing out her perfectly straight gown. She gave a slight bow before turning toward the cockpit.
"Now that your fate and my lady's are tied together, I hope you'll take care of her while I will do my best to take care of both of you."
Without waiting for a response, she straightened and strode away. Alvin watched her disappear with mild surprise.
Bang!
The silence didn't last long. The floor of the plane solidified once more, and the bedroom door flung open—only to vanish into thin air.
Elara stepped out, dressed in a completely new outfit. Alvin raised an eyebrow, impressed.
She wore a white blouse outlined with delicate lace and ruffles, its puffed sleeves cuffed neatly at her wrists. Over it, a tight black vest hugged her waist; its gold embroidery went around her body like vines. A wide belt firmly holding everything around her waist.
Her tailored black trousers flowed seamlessly inside a long, split, short skirt that flowed down from her waist, moving fluidly with each step she took.
Her heavy boots clicked against the floor with an air of confidence.
Her hair, swept back into loose waves, bounced slightly as she walked, with small braids pinned to one side.
Alvin took in her attire, but what caught his attention the most was the sharp glare she directed at her maid before huffing and taking her seat.
He was tempted to ask about her reaction but decided against it when she picked up the glass of blood she had left behind and gulped it down in one go.
Breaking the tension, Alvin spoke up. "So… where exactly are we heading?"
It was Vanessa who answered from the cockpit.
"We're heading into the Devil's Nest… or as humans foolishly call it—the Bermuda Triangle."