"Once you're satisfied, you'll make your return my way, am I correct in assuming that?"

"This isn't my first mission, Liora."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Memories of such a time appear in my head once again. A memory floating in the never-ending deep sea of consciousness, ever since she left, the only things she left behind were the memories we made together and a ring with my name on it.

"I promise. We'll meet again."

When a promise is made to me, I always assume it'll be void. I now take my own initiative and make sure something like that never happens again. But today, I made another mistake. I should've never taken you here, my daughter Camilla.

You don't deserve a mother like me. A mother selfishly forcing her daughter to find someone for her, with false hopes. If I could tell Camilla now, I would tell her the truth. I don't know where your memories are, dear. I don't know where your other parent, where your mother is.

I don't know anything. I don't know. I wish I knew.

"Welcome to Consonance, Miss Liora."

This is why my own mother never let me past the bridge. Green Campanella is a deceptive facade dangerous to those unaware of its intent. After walking the bridge, I was separated from Camilla, which led me to this place.

Upon walking out of my assigned hotel room, I was greeted by a guard; he referred to me as "Miss Liora" without prior knowledge of my name. At the same time, I was made aware of my location being called 'Consonance."

Outside of the nicely presented hotel rooms, the world outside was in a nearly apocalyptic stage. The scene nearly destroyed, the cast in disarray, and the audience unaware of their reality being played out.

Quite the opposite of consonance, huh.

♡

"Okay, another thing. Armonia is the group that kept Consonance in our world; they'd tell us about how their song kept malice away, something like that. I never believed that stuff. And it doesn't matter if I did anyway because in the end, they left without a word, like damn cowards."

"Like cowards! I was so strong! I kept everything in place with Vitalia. We were so good! We were like those special agents that people make conspiracies about. Every time Armonia would tell us we did good keeping up the song. I didn't really understand, but it always made me happy to hear I did good with her!"

Vitalia and Carlotta had been telling you more about the place for the past hour since you woke up. Something weird felt twisting in your heart, but you couldn't understand it. It isn't the first time you feel that way, but it only happens at specific times.

Vitalia moved closer toward you. "Camilla is such a beautiful name. I bet a lot of money that your parents also have beautiful names."

"I don't know who they are or where they are."

Vitalia wrapped her arms around your fragile body; you could feel a good amount of force and a good amount of love. "To us and the people living around here. Armonia were our parents; without them, there's only dissonance. Haha, I start sounding kind of like them in these moments."

You could see Vitalia's tough display slowly fade out as a tear came out from one eye; she clearly didn't want to show her weak side to Carlotta, and that's why she turned away from her. "Be strong like us. We lost many people to be here, but it doesn't fucking matter. Your parents. Armonia. They both want us to keep moving, and yeah... I'm not the type to make this sort of speech usually; I just know we'll make it out in the end."

Carlotta looked confused from the side. "Hug me too! There's two of us!"

Vitalia laughs as she grabs the jealous Carlotta. "I know what we need to do. Hanging around all gloomy and lost like this isn't my thing. We're finding both Armonia and her parents, and that's a promise."

☆

The Cathedral of Consonance is the location Vitalia had in mind. To this day, the cathedral still played a song that Armonia used to play, and that was enough for shapeshifters to not even approach the area of the cathedral.

"This scary-ass building is the cathedral. Armonia used to tell me that if I made prayers, a woman in white would bless me with anything I asked for. I remember asking if they'd give me a pizza; they said they'd kill me if I asked for that."

Vitalia led you two inside the building; unlike the rest of Consonance, this place remained in perfect condition. It was like day and night; you were shocked by the beautiful structures towering in front of you. There were seats aligned on two sides of the cathedral and a path leading toward a throne-like structure.

Carlotta remained silent; you thought that maybe she just had deep respect for Armonia and whatever religious things they taught her. You personally didn't believe in religions or gods, but the more you go through these places, the more you think ghosts exist.

"Carlotta, you do the thing. I think it's a little embarrassing, so yeah."

"YES. Of course I will! Oh sister of the cathedral, please bless me with an answer as I propose my question. Oh please, sister! Please bless me."

You begin to think Carlotta doesn't know what she's doing. "That's the prayer? Sounds more like when those birds do their mating calls..."

Vitalia looks at you with great confidence. "Of course. Now we wait a few minutes for the girl to show up. That's what they told me at least..."