Inside Umbra's Ruins ✓ [Umbra's Fate #2]

ᴛᴡᴇɴᴛʏ ꜱɪx: ꜰʟᴏʀᴀ

"I can't believe his family refused to visit him for Christmas," Flora complained as she walked with her best friend through the corridors of the headquarters.

"Perhaps they had another important engagement," Clio tried to find an excuse.

"At Christmas? What other things can you have to do? Go eat with someone else? Noah spent two days unconscious and when he finally woke up they refused to see him, it doesn't give me a good feeling."

"We don't know the situation well enough to draw conclusions."

"The only conclusion I can draw is that Noah just woke up and has to spend Christmas alone."

"That's what we're here for," Clio reminded her. "Now he won't be alone."

The entrance to the infirmary was already visible at the end of the corridor. On normal days it would not be possible to have such a clear view due to the large number of people walking through the narrow corridor, but that morning most of the members were celebrating with their loved ones.

Flora lowered her voice to answer. "What if he's waiting for his family? Let's be honest, we don't have the best track record with him, I like him now but I'm not sure what he thinks of us."

"It's not that complicated, we offer him company and if he doesn't like it he can stay alone," whispered Clio before opening the door.

The infirmary looked like a ghost of what it had been the day before. Only three patients and Celina occupied the wide space full of stretchers. The noise made by the wind passing through the large windows was louder than the sound of the voices.

In the middle of the right row of stretches, Noah was waiting. He had a bandage on his head and another on his left arm. He sat looking at the landscape from the window across the room, his gaze not even moving when the two young women stood next to him.

"I can see the Christmas spirit is invading the infirmary," Flora commented, pointing to the red and green garlands hanging on the walls.

"Is that your way of saying Merry Christmas?" asked the redhead, turning his body towards them.

"You could at least pretend you're happy about our visit." Flora sat in the chair next to the young man. "How're you feeling?"

"I've been worse, just a bit of pain in my head. If it were up to me I would have gone home but Celina insists it was a serious blow."

"If you hadn't made it to the headquarters on time you'd be dead. You're lucky to be so fast," Celina yelled from the end of the room.

"See? They treat me like a dying man. Anyways, what are you doing here?"

"We're here to keep you some company." Clio sat next to her best friend. "You can't complain about us, at least we're better company than the ghosts in the graveyard."

Noah put a hand to his chest, feigning a wince. "I can't tell Momotaro the details of my fantastic night without him making it public. There's no privacy in this group anymore."

"I'm offended that you didn't invite me," Flora commented. She opened her backpack and pulled out a gift-wrapped box. "But, cause I'm amazing, I brought you a present despite your betrayal. Merry Christmas."

The young man received the gift and carefully opened it, without breaking the wrapping. As soon as the box was in sight, Noah stopped moving. Frozen with his mouth slightly open.

"Looks like Celina was right, he's not right," Clio commented. "I think you killed him."

"How?" That's all he got to say. His gaze never left the telescope box.