Starting Life From Another Choice Than Zero

Chapter 15 - Our Bond, Everlasting

With a light rapping onto the confines of hardwood, Irma's delicate fingers pulled aside slight the thick, black drapery that embroidered the walls of the carriage. 

"Almor, we wish to depart at once." 

Stirring to life, the carriage impelled an indistinct rumble of movement, the wheels to the side squeaking extensively with every second swivel and from ahead, Diona discharged a gruff roar of exuberance. 

"Really sorry about the squeaking sound, we really meant to get that fix one of these days. Quite annoying, isn't it?" Irma spoke, as casual as can be, her hand giving a rueful wave as if brushing away said annoyance, "We've been traveling a lot lately... I suppose you can blame her for it if it annoys you that much. She insists on spending every waking moment inside this carriage!"

Ilma's head rested sideways, a sluggish lean against the carriage silks, her misty white eyes trailing to the small slither of light that poured to the floor. "It's boring staying inside the castle all day..."

"So you mean to say, all this time... That you rather be bored in a small wooden box, than you do in a gargantuan castle?" 

Ilma's lips receded to a thin line. "Well... At least the box moves..."

"At least the box moves," reiterated Irma, her head shaking in a grimace, "I remember now why you're not the one giving excuses whenever we do something mother doesn't approve of."

A hint of a scowl was visible on Ilma's face, only hastily overtook by gradual fatigue and any retort she might have, had ultimately succumbed to a mere silence.

Subaru sat, mute, petrified to a frigid. Ominous dread a fester on every inch of his skin, every nerve in his body screaming, clamoring for a hasty retreat. The two spoke of his scent. They spoke of love. What conclusion is there to derive other than the single one?

The grasp of the Witch Cult had ensnared him once more.

His eyes fell back to the twins. Ilma, her head still slumped against the folds of the blindings, a wistful, faraway glance towards her sister, who proceeded to hum a gently quiet melody to no one but her own, her legs swinging unknowingly with a repressed vigor yearning to be spent.

For a while, he watched. Anticipating the worst, speculating even graver things. But nothing. Indications of threats, surreptitious or not, the twins do not seem intent on doing anything else aside from simple leisure.

Throwing caution to the wind, Subaru risked a question. "What... what are you guys planning on doing with me?"

They both reacted in simultaneous fashion. Ilma, still wallowing in the domain of slothfulness, merely glanced lazily in his direction. Meanwhile Irma, melody abruptly ended, turned towards him with a frown.

"Planning on doing to you? What do you mean?" asked Irma.

"You just talked about my scent. You can smell me."

"Without making it sound creepy, yeah, we can smell you... and you smell real nice!"

"And you talked about love."

"Yes... and how loved we are, indeed."

"So what's going to happen to me?"

"Gifted as I am with extraordinary talents... unfortunately, predicting the future is way beyond even me. Why, is there anything that's supposed to happen to you or something?

Peculiar it was that hostility did not present itself affront, peculiar evermore that they too seemed confused as to what he was trying to say. But yet, it couldn't be. The love they mentioned, the scent they distinguished...