Mirror Mirror

Sweet Apologies and Marie Cakes

Chapter 3

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As the mages set off on their treasure quest, the remaining members of the Black Bulls bid them farewell, offering well wishes and hopes for a successful mission. Once the departing group was out of sight, the rest of the Black Bulls dispersed to pursue their own plans.

Grey, the shy transformation mage, found herself standing next to Gauche, their paths momentarily intersecting. She hesitated for a moment, unsure if she should initiate a conversation. Gauche, usually focused on his own thoughts, seemed lost in contemplation, a distant look in his eyes.

Summoning her courage, Grey decided to break the silence. "Um, Gauche? Are you okay?" she asked tentatively, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes. I am well, I appreciate your concern," Gauche began, his voice taking on a somber tone. "I'm rather tired from the long mission last night. I went straight to bed and yet I still feel drained."

As Grey listened to Gauche, her gaze shifted briefly to his hands. There, she noticed faint traces of ink staining his fingertips, as if he had been hurriedly writing or drawing something. It was a small detail, easily missed, but it caught Grey's attention.

Her curiosity about the ink stains on his hands grew stronger. She couldn't shake off an odd feeling. Taking a deep breath, she decided to address the matter directly.

"Gauche, forgive me for asking, but I couldn't help but notice the ink stains on your hands," Grey said, her voice gentle yet inquisitive. "Did you happen to be working with ink recently?"

Gauche's eyes widened for a moment, surprise flickering across his face as he realized his ink-stained hands hadn't gone unnoticed. He hesitated for a brief moment before responding, his voice carrying a hint of vulnerability.

"Yes, Grey," Gauche replied, his gaze briefly meeting hers before looking away. "But it was just a bit of ink work, my hands must have been to close to the tip. "

Grey pondered Gauche's words for a bit. She knew Gauche loved to read, sometimes he would be so engrossed in a story that he would be seen passed out in the library covered in books. It wouldn't be odd for him to like writing as well but considering his previous statement for weariness of a long travel, it would be odd for him to be writing right after. 

Then again. 

'I guess its not really any of my business', Grey thought to herself, she didn't want to pry any longer even though the thought of Gauche continuing to busy himself even after a weary mission worries the blue mage.

Grey bid Gauche farewell, a mix of curiosity and anticipation swirling within her. She couldn't help but wonder what project had occupied Gauche's attention the night before. Her stoic companion has already left the living room and ascended into the labyrinth of the base and after a few seconds of planning, the transform mage decided to go take a walk around clover kingdom. Perhaps she should transform into an animal again and watch from the skies. As she nodded to herself, Grey quickly ventured out the base and went on with her day.

Back in the bulls base, Gauche decided to retreat to his room. As he approached his door, a flicker of movement caught his attention—a fleeting glimpse of a shadowy figure slipping out of his room.

"What was that? I thought I saw someone in my room," he murmured to himself, suspicion coloring his voice. With swift reflexes, Gauche summoned a mirror and, with a practiced flourish, blocked off a narrow section of the hallway, effectively sealing off any potential escape route for the intruder.