Re: Zero: A Hell of His Own Making

A Prelude, The Calm Before The Storm

It was not the first time he set foot upon the mansion's floors, and in all due likelihood it would not have been the last, but something felt distinctly different in the knight's pace.

Each step struck a delicate balance between decisive strength and calculated efficiency.

This bearing of his, combined with the focus clearly expressed through his gaze, painted a vastly different picture from the placid, glacial and sometimes even stumbling of preceding times.

Speaking of the young man's gaze, it scoured throughout the mansion's halls and corridors, its efficacy fueled by singular intention:

To find his contracted spirit, Beatrice.

It was clear that, whatever his plan may have entailed, the assistance of his confidant would be nothing short of essential to his success.

Subaru's quest quickly came to its completion, as he managed to catch sight of her right after turning a corner.

His attention was promptly returned by the spirit, who still seemed somewhat taken aback by the fulminant shift in the boy's behavior.

"There you are Beako! I was just looking for you!"

Even his voice's intensity appeared somehow heightened, each word spoken exuded an aura of inspiring confidence.

And it was perhaps thanks to that very same confidence that the spirit's emotional state seemed to take a slight yet discernible turn towards joy.

"What is it that my contractor demands this time, I wonder?"

She inquired, with her butterfly-shaped irises betraying an ever-growing curiosity.

"Glad you asked! However..."

As the knight replied, he knelt down to her height and cautiously whispered.

"... it would be better if we discussed what I have in mind somewhere more private, away from prying eyes and ears."

To that, she nodded, took hold of her contractor's hand and led him back to his room.

Given that Beatrice had informed the mansion's occupants of Subaru's intentions for the day, there was no explicit risk of someone barging in to bother them, but the knight chose to err on the side of caution, locking the door, turning the curtains and sitting at the center of the room with the bed's sheets enshrouding the both of them to ensure that the sound of their imminent conversation would not be caught upon by any possible outsider.

The girl was no stranger to her contractor's unusual, odd, unpredictable and oftentimes idiotic antics, but given that it had been a rather long while since the last time she ever saw him this excited, she chose to remain mostly silent, keeping her typically harsh retorts in check.

"Alright Beako, I'm sorry to bring it up, but I believe you are well aware of what... what I've been doing to myself as a way to cope with everything I've been through up until now, right?"

To that mention, the spirit's silent expression gave away rather evident signs of dismay, followed by a quick nod after which her gaze began to point downwards, possibly to hide an imminent frown.

To him, despite the outward display of confidence, even just the act of acknowledging his harmful behavior required a not negligible amount of inner strength, causing his mind's perspective to focus once more on the steep walls, endless mires and bottomless pits surrounding his inmost self.

But now was not the time for him to dawdle and wallow, now was the time for him to act upon it, and for that, he would need to concentrate, to focus as much as his resolve allowed him.