Respite

Time to say Goodbye II

Following the conclusion of the student tournament, a glass-like calm settled over the walls of Victoriad. In lieu of the thundering loudness that washed over the coliseum, what remained was a strange sort of silence that made it seem like the entire arena had gone into hibernation. The participants had already retired to their quarters to rest for the final day of the event. Most of them knew better than to be walking around at these hours.

All bar the two professors who drifted past shadows during their late-night stroll.

"It's a lot different when it's empty," Grey said.

They were treading side by side, barely a shoulder's width apart. Caera kept an even pace, her gait easy and light. There was a certain spring to her step, a sense of giddiness she hadn't felt since she was a child, as if she was staying up after curfew and going to places she shouldn't be. It seemed a little late to enter her rebellious phase, admittedly. Or maybe, she just hadn't grown out of it. Who knows?

It wasn't the worst thing she could have been caught doing. The risks she took with Grey were far more severe that went beyond her mother's scolding.

At least she could have brushed it off as patrolling for unruly students if they ever came across any guards. But knowing her, she would have probably tried to hide from them as well, if only for the thrill of it. As if her life didn't have enough already. Vritra knows it always seems to accompany her whenever she is with her confidant.

"Like a different place altogether..." 

Funny how a single change in perspective could make you view the world in an entirely different light. Make you see things you didn't even know existed. After experiencing yet another groundbreaking discovery, she wondered how many more mysteries the universe had to offer that was hiding in plain sight. How many things were currently right in front of her eyes that she was blind to and would never be privy to if it weren't for Grey? Were it not for her affiliation with the man of mystery himself, none of this would have been possible. Maybe in due time, she will have the chance to uncover his secrets as well.

"Let me know when you need me again." It was a subtle phrasing, a minute specificity that bordered the line of almost being clingy. Luckily, she was well-versed in the art of tacit diplomacy to not make anything too obvious. Pride was one of the more prominent teachings Lenora had instilled in her. Denoirs have an image to uphold. Do not disgrace our name, she would say as if their very name wasn't a disgrace in itself.

"Perhaps next time, we can make more progress."

"Yeah... Next time..." 

Had Caera not been looking, she would have missed the way his jaw clenched and the slight pull of his shoulders. It was a small movement, so easy to miss. That had always been his forte, but for some reason, she started to feel uneasy. In the back of her mind,  she tried to remember where this unsettling premonition came from. It felt familiar. Nostalgic. Before she could dwell on it any further, Grey turned to face her with an alarmingly gentle—almost genuine—smile.

"Do you remember that question I asked you?"

Caera paused. She liked to consider herself one of the very few people, if not the only person, who had known Grey the longest ever since his career as an ascender. Most of the time, he hid his true thoughts behind a cold demeanor and a shielded front. She had gotten used to it as time went on, learning to read the subtleties that underlined his behavior and, to some extent, understand his expressions as if deciphering an ancient rune.

It reminded her of that time when he asked her to be an accomplice to his crimes. That brief moment of transparency lasted briefly, barely a second. A single heartbeat, and no longer. When he lowered his guard, she finally caught a glimpse of all the things he was trying to hide. Now, however, she wasn't sure whether he was letting his mask slip or if it was crumbling apart.