“You said you’re not completely sure the Miracle is the reason why I can see?” She asked.

“Aye. The Miracle can remove ailments, but it didn’t completely free you,” August told her.

Ryunise quieted. Epsilon’s mention of her being chained pulsed back from memory.

“Dark Sleep is unknown in these recent generations. It’s hard to say what can be done about it, or if it can even be cured. All I can do for now is to personally alleviate its effects.”

“My eyesight,” She said.

“The Miracle dissolved the web over your eyes, but another part of your body is still tangled,” He responded.

“What would happen if you casted more or all your Miracles in one day?”

“The results would still be the same. My Miracle is only a level two. It’s a nullifier of many, but it seems we have found a threshold for Dark Sleep. Miracle Absenae, for now, will only remove the symptoms it claimed the first time.”

“So, if my eyes are affected again and Shadow Drown happens…”

“I will be able to use my Miracle,” August finished.

Ryunise was silent, then raised her eyes, “…is this why?”

“Why?”

“Are those reasons why you have talked me into a contract of decree?”

August simply smiled faintly. She caught on instantly, even if there was more to his reasoning. He indicated with a hand to the three-tier tower of mild sweets and sandwiches gentle on the stomach.

“Please, have some. I can’t eat all this by myself.”

She didn’t press. His reaction to her words was enough proof to understand she was on the right track. Ryunise picked a honey butter biscuit.

“What happens now? You said that I’m not completely free of Dark Sleep, that it still has a part of my body.”

“I have.”

“Can you see it? How can I get rid of it?”

August sat back as he munched on a cool vegetable sandwich square. After he swallowed, he finished his cup of tea, and put his items down.

“That, I’m unsure, My Lady. The Dark Sleep that plagues you is intricate and extensive. I can vaguely see the outline of the black chains, but I can neither see where they begin or where in your body they end.”

“What?”

“It’s as if they became invisible,” He goes on, “But I can see they’re there.”

“What can we do?”

“More research needs to be done. But the recorded accounts of such dark curses lie in very few texts.”

“The forgotten tomes?”

“Indeed. Recently, however, these past two years, access to the library they’re housed has been revoked. It was ordered to be sealed, and expressed permission of the Council is needed before one can proceed. And…”

“And?”

“And the section of that library is only available once every three months. I’m not sure on the particulars as to why, but that is also in the rules.”

Ryunise was dumbfounded. She would have to wait that long? Would she even be alive after a month’s time? She had avoided an unfortunate bad ending, but who’s to say they won’t try again? And succeed? Will they move onto someone else in the mean time?

Wait.

“August,” Her voice was serious, “Dark Sleep. Once it has been cast, you said there are two results: the success or failure, and whoever did the cast won’t be able to do it again.”

“It is rumored to be so, yes,” He regarded thoughtfully, “It requires so much stamina and material it would be detrimental or lethal to make another attempt while the first curse is still active. It must be fully finished if one is to choose another target.”

“In essence, I would be taking one for the team…”

“Pardon?”

“Taking one for the team. It means better me than someone else.”

“You are glad that you are gripped by one of the darkest casts hidden history has ever seen?” August’s eyes were wide.

“Ah, no, no. I didn’t mean it in some sick, masochistic way,” She waves a hand, “What I meant is, if it’s me, the caster can’t do it again. It means if I’m alive, they can’t use Dark Sleep on someone else. Better me than someone, say, one of the royal family in line for the throne. The Empress Dowager, or His Highnesses Twin Kings.”

August was silent again, but smiling faintly. Either they’re thinking the same things, she being much older than the rumors, or she’s had insight.

“You would sacrifice yourself for others?” He asked her.

“It’s not something as selfless as that,” She shook her head, “It’s more for myself.”

“Yourself, My Lady?”

“Sacrificing oneself. It sounds as if that person needs validation through others. But not for me. I’m doing this for myself.”

“Why is that?”

“I don’t know for what reason, or who wants to do this to me, but it is my problem. I want to resolve this myself, and to see it through on my own power. I don’t want to involve anyone, of course. I care about people…” She looked down into her cup, “But this is something I know I have to do. Something tells me this is something only I can do…where ever it leads.”

August watched her. The tap of his china changed the atmosphere.

“Who are you?” His question was sudden.

His question was grave.

His question knew.

She looked up and met his rich gaze head on. Ryunise didn’t cower or bend under that gaze. She simply looked back, but there was a muted veil in her different eyes. She had saw herself that morning. Her right eye was of Emerodelle, but the left was two shades darker. If one stared too long, it gave off a feeling someone else staring out, someone in a faraway place neither shadow nor light can call their kingdom.

“Ah, I don’t mean to cause you alarm…” August was careful. Like a warning on the breeze he must choose his words carefully. Very carefully.

“What do you mean then, August?” Her voice was relaxed.

“Yeah, Auggie. What do you mean?” Epsilon startled both man and girl.

Epsilon was reclining on a very fancy, high-backed posh chair cushioned in royal red and cherry wood. He had his own cup and dish, albeit a devious red, as if someone cut it out from the same pillows he sat on. Flashy. All of it. So very flashy, like its master.

“What the hell? Where’d this chair come from?” Ryunise scowled, “It’s so gaudy! And where did you even come from?!”

“Your shouting is going to sour my tea,” Epsilon grumbles.

“Nothing can be more sour than your soul.”

“Excuse me?”

“Your hearing is sour, too. How terrible. Go away and smother it in baking soda.”

“If I’m sour, you’re just as equally salty, you crusty crab claw.”

“I have the hot tea pot right now,” She smiles innocently bright, “And I’ve been wondering if it’s hot enough. Can you test it for me? On your face? Right in here from the spout? By jamming your entire face inside of it?”

“Sorry. I’m way too big for you to handle. I might even make the tea pot cry.”

August was in utter shock. His glasses were even askew down his nose. What exactly was he seeing? What he was hearing? What is even going on? Why is Epsilon…

It seemed the man sensed what August was thinking. He lifted his gloved white finger to shush him.

“How the hell are you even drinking through your mask? You make no sense at all.”

“What are you talking about? The fact that it’s happening means it makes sense. Completely.”

“You’re a complete bullshitter,” She quickly clamped a hand over her mouth.

Oops. She just swore so close to the tree, in the Church, and in front of his Holiness Principal.

“Real smooth, brine-zilla,” Epsilon snorted, “Not that Auggie cares. Don’t let his old man face fool you.”

“A-Auggie?!” August gaped.

“What? I use to call you that all the time when we were building the Academy together. And we all had to make some kind of swear box, thanks to you and your filthy mouth.”

“Get your feet off the table! It’s so dirty! Ugh! There’s actual literal dirt!” Ryunise shouted.

She tried to shove her hands. Epsilon had put his feet on top of the table right next to the tier of treats, crossed them, and it really was clustered with dirt and mud. Some of it crumbled off to bounce an outline of his egregious misdeed.

“A swine has better manners than you! Off, off! And apologize to the food!”

“Geeze, you’re so damn loud,” Epsilon rubbed at his ear, “I’m going to go deaf.”

“Weak sauce.”

“Shrill seeker.”

“Creepmeister.”

“What?”

“Yeah. You heard me!”

“W-wait, wait, My Lady,” August treaded carefully into the battle of bicker, “You know him?”

“This stalker? No. This is a bug. I don’t know any bugs. All it does is buzz around, pop out of thin air, be obnoxious, and suck up precious oxygen,” She smiled again.

“Oh snap. Write my autobiography, why don’t you,” Epsilon said.

He picked up the sugar jar and poured an absurd amount in his cup.

“Have a side of tea with your sugar, why don’t you,” She glowered and said sarcastically, “No one else needed sugar here. Not at all.”

“Well, good. Because I’m gonna use all of it.”

“You’re going to poof into a sugar cube.”

“Then I won’t be the King of Sour anymore, will I?” He smiled beneath his mask with eyes closed up, “I will the sweetest person ever to bless this beautiful world.”

Ryunise practically gagged from the back of her throat.

“And you’ll still be the saltiest shady sage of the salty seas.”

What am I even looking at? August was afraid to even voice it out loud.