[Elsword] - Masked Renegade

17 - Revelation

...

Aisha's gaze met his flame-red eyes, glowing alongside the same rays of sun that pierced her fragile, exposed skin.  She grasped his hands in front of her, staring into the void of red that was presented to the girl, refusing to look away. Their eyes were glued to each other for the longest time, as the swarms of people continued to busily buzz around.

She paused for one last moment before opening her mouth to speak. One last moment, that seemed to have lasted forever. It was odd, because it felt as though she was being watched by someone peculiar, despite the crowds that surrounded their locality. "Elsword... I need to tell you about what happened."

"Uh-huh. Carry on, Aisha." he urged her to continue, anxious about the bad news.

"The other day, your sister... E-Elesis, she... passed away. She d-died. In a fire. N-Nobody knew how the inferno started. Not even the f-faculty..."

Elsword's eyes widened, breaking free from the grip that the purple-haired mage had on his hands. He shook her shoulders violently. "Hey! You can't possibly be serious about that crap, can you...?!" he roared loudly, accidentally attracting unwanted attention from the public.

Aisha glanced around, softly sniffling as Elsword lowered his voice, neglecting the strangers that needed to mind their own business. "This is... a joke, isn't it?" he inquired in a worried tone.

She shook her head, wiping the tears from her eyes. The drops of water dripped faster; it was difficult to keep up. The Void Princess stepped forward, and embraced the knight, sobbing into his chest. She gripped onto his shirt, clutching it to alleviate her unnerving feelings.

The Lord Knight flinched. He stared down at his ally, slowly hugging her back. "D-Dammit! Sis...! I'll get revenge! Surely I'll... find the one who did it! Screw Add and his Document of Sin. I have to find the person who killed Elesis! There must be a culprit somewhere...! But why her, of all people?! Ugh... what is this? I said I wouldn't cry..." he stuttered, letting the streams of tears wash and roll down his cheeks, descending onto the back of Aisha's shirt.

"I-I'm sorry, E-Elsword. I-I'm really, really sorry... I failed. I failed my mission at the school because my partner didn't make it out. P-Please... f-forgive me." she cried, burying her face deeper into the fabric.

"I know this kind of stuff happens. S-So... don't blame yourself. I guess I-I just need... some time to cool off. Damn it all...!" he gritted his teeth.

"W-We can take a walk, Elsword. It'll take our mind off of things, a-alright?" she looked up at him, and briefly smiled. "S-Sorry for getting your shirt wet."

He released her from the embrace, and gradually forced his head to nod. She entwined her fingers into his, holding hands as they began to amble throughout the square, taking deep breaths to feel serene.

~

As the scene concluded, Lu was fuming. She was practically ready to tear her hair out; she was prepared to vent her wrath onto the nearest person, or people. The Noblesse stomped her feet angrily, pounding on Ciel's torso with her bare fists to unleash her disappointment.

"Uuu...! That was a major let-down!" she whined. "That witch didn't reveal her true self! I would have guaranteed that she was going to during this trip! Our hiding spot couldn't have possibly given us away, either! I absolutely refuse!"

The Royal Guard stopped her punches. "Calm down, Lu. You're ruining my top! I precisely ironed that earlier..." he sighed, shaking his head.

"Luciela, because of what happened, I feel shameful for eavesdropping into the personal matters of those two. I hope this was worth it, you can tell me the truth about Add and I when we get back home. Alright? I trust Aisha, so please, don't do this again." Ara scolded, a bitter taste in her mouth from lurking impolitely.

"Very well, as the noble I am, I will keep my end of the deal. Tch! That sly mage! But, even so, do me a favor and remember those words regardless if you have faith in her. Don't trust her too much, and keep your guard up nonetheless." Lu replied, ignoring her servant's statement, and swiftly turning around into a full circle, only to be picked up by the half-demon butler.

As they began to head home, Add tugged on the sleeve of Ciel's tailcoat. "Got any cookies?"

He chuckled, pulling out another container of chocolate-chip delights.

~

Aisha had led the redhead to an alleyway, casually ambling through the insipidly rigid concrete, stepping over the cracks that came with. Despite the sunlight, it was a hassle to determine whether there was an actual route to follow, or if it was simply a dead-end. Elsword had noticed the odd change in direction during the walk, speaking up to voice his concern.

"Hey, Aisha. Why are we going this way?"

She looked at him, tilting her head. "Why not? Places like this tend to be more... silent, right? Isn't that what we need?"

"Yeah, but, a park would've done fine, wouldn't it? Parks are less suspicious than creepy alleyways like this. I'm concerned about your safety, Aisha." he countered, furrowing his eyebrows.

"I-Idiot. You should worry about your own safety, too! Not just mine!" she pouted.

"S-Sorry, it's just that... you're important to me, that's all." Elsword added, in a quieter tone.

Aisha lightly blushed, letting go of his hand and turning to face him. "I know this is sudden, but, because you said that... you're important to me, too. S-So, I want to be straightforward. Will you be my knight?"

"E-Eh..?! Wh-What's this all of a sudden?! U-Uh... I... I... accept. Yeah, wh-whatever! Will you be my princess, then?"

"Yes, gladly. Ehehe... sorry, I simply wanted to see how it'd play out. A lot better than I had expected! Because I do like you, Elsword. I really do."

Aisha took a step forward, went onto her tippy-toes, and pressed her lips against his, wrapping her arms around his shoulder. His cheeks were tinted with a beet shade of red as she pulled back, however, little by little, the world surrounding him began to turn. The Lord Knight felt dizzy, unable to reach out for help. His sense of sound blurred and faded. His sight was pierced by a cloud of darkness, inadequate to return to reality.

The Princess coldly observed as his body lay lifeless onto the filthy ground. "Yes. I really do like you, but... there's a reason why I'm nicknamed the 'Void Princess'."

...