He looked back to Eclipse’s room and she wasn’t there anymore nor were the lights still on.

“Did she leave?!” He got a bit tensed up and teleported near the abandoned mansion where the man used to hide.

“Well… I’ll go check if he’s still alive.”

He entered the house and looked everywhere for him… He wasn’t even there. Not a single trace.

“Ah, it’s still not his usual hour to show up… I’ll go look near the street, in case I pass by him.”

 He was walking down the street’s rampage and saw a figure afar, passing the bridge. 

“Hm? Is it him?” That place was really dark and both sides of the bridge were full of big trees. He couldn’t see properly.

He walked further, and so did the person. 

When they finally crossed each other, he noticed the person was using a mask and a black outfit. It looked like a girl as well, and their outfit description matched exactly the way Catherine described the murderer that day.

“Wait… Is this person… the real executioner…?!” 

~~~

The Moon’s Shadow

I was crossing the bridge near the destination, and I saw a tall ghoulish person coming my way.

“Huh? Who is that? This street is always empty at these hours…”

As we got closer, I noticed it was Dracarus.

“No way…!” I was slightly freaking out. I tried to go earlier so I wouldn’t meet them… But I fooled myself. “Did he already kill him? Or is it any plan?”

At the moment we intersected with each other, I felt chills through my whole body. I was actually scared. He eyed right into my soul. The snow kept falling, whitening the desolate street… Highlighting our footprints; the moment our borders crossed by each.

I gulped anxiously and continued further on. After some steps, I looked behind and he was still walking away. 

“Is he really leaving the place or did he notice something?” I looked to my front again and kept walking. “He surely did… He will most likely teleport there once I arrive at the house and is just pretending to be minding his business…” 

Arriving there, I jumped over the wide rock walls and entered the mansion.

“I should probably look for the man to make sure if he really murdered him or not.” 

I looked around the house and the man was nowhere to be seen.

“Hmm, he didn’t kill him.” I was trying to think of a plan.

“Argh whatever… I’ll just do what I need to do and hope for the best. After all, I’m the one at fault anyways for leaving the flower yesterday.”

After waiting for a while, hiding in the main hall, the greedy man finally appeared.

He was exactly doing what I expected him to do… Looking for the key I stole him. The key was to a secret room of his.

“Hiding proofs and the tools for his abusive acts in an abandoned mansion… What an idiot.”

– Huh? Where the fuck is it… – The man was speaking to himself, trying to find the key.

– Looking for this? – I whispered, coming from the shadows.

– Who are you? – He turned around, facing me. – How did you find that?! That’s mine!

– Well, it doesn’t matter now. – I kept wagging the key in my hand.

The man was already pissed off. He rushed towards me trying to take the key from my hand, but I tossed it out of the window, making it fall on the endless forest that was metres under from the house. 

– What the fuck…!! How dare you do that, you piece of shit! – He tried to hit me but I dodged him.

– Aw, what a shame. – I emerged lightning from my hand and without a second thought, I pierced it through the man’s chest. I killed him in such ease that I pitied him.

The only audible sound was his blood dripping from my glove, harmonising with the wind that was flowing through the trees.

“Well, it’s done…” I sighed… Thinking about what to do now. I felt like this was too easy to do already… I was still sure Dracarus would pop up at any time.

I took off the lily I was hiding and put it in my leg pocket instead. It was uncomfortable to hide it on the hood. “Maybe it’s better if I don’t leave one for him again…”

Suddenly, I heard a soft low voice coming from the room’s door.

– I thought you would leave a lily for me again… 

“ … Fuck. I knew it…!” The ghoulish man had returned for me.

~~~

The culprit frightenedly turned around, facing the entrance. There she saw Dracarus leaning on the doorway with his arms crossed, looking straight into her soul.

– What’s wrong? Aren’t you happy to see me? – He asked, moving towards her, with a serious yet gentle gaze.

He ended up enclosing her by the walls of the building.

– Don’t you think it’s about time to finally tell me who you are? – He murmured, still with a gentle voice.

The murderer felt anxious as Dracarus pressed his hand near her head, getting even closer.

– Nervous? Should I take off that mask of yours? – Whispering.

– …! – She gasped.

She pushed him away and flashed out of the room, but his teleportation powers could match her speed.

She tried to get out the mansion but once she got to the door, he was already there.

– Trying to run away, Eclipse? – He hissed, confidently.

“Eclipse?! How dare he…!”

– I think you got the wrong name. – She finally spoke.

– Really? Then what's the real one? – He smirked.

– … Unfortunately I can't tell you that. – She didn't know how to get out of this situation, he surely wouldn't let her run away.

“I guess I have no other options than to fight him…”

She rushed towards Dracarus trying to get him with her powers but his reflexes were better than hers… In fact, all his abilities and senses were stronger than hers, or so she thought.

“Is she really asking for a fight?” He dodged her attack, activating his powers.

“Please, don't let me hurt you.”

– Do you really intend to fight instead of just telling me who you are? – He inquired, getting more serious.

– It's– still not the right time to give you the answers you want. – She was stuttering but quickly composed herself, slightly tilting her head.

She was trying to find a plan to either run away or how to fight him. 

– Hmm… If you say so. – He agreed to fight with her.

He decided to use his sword instead of the chains, he didn't know how good her reflexes to dodge multiple chains were, so he tried something easier to dodge.

“If she's really Eclipse, I need to go easy… I don't want to hurt her.”

She saw him creating the sword and decided to take her knife from the pocket. “Ah so he's not holding back …” Tightening her grip onto the sharp weapon.

She flashed behind him trying to attack again. “Well, then I won't hold either!”

She lightened up the dagger but he kept on dodging it. Only a few scratches were left on his clothes.

“Attacking me from behind… How devoted.” He could still notice something off. “Although… you’re lacking confidence.”

He finally used his sword on her, but she also was able to dodge. Quite hardly though, his movements were fast, she could admit he was well experienced.

“There's no way I'm able to dodge the attacks of a man like him so well like this… He's surely not going all out… Probably because he doesn't want to hurt me… He’s still being considerate.”

She was lost in her thoughts that she didn't even notice him putting up a different attack.

He stuck his sword point to the ground and impulsed himself towards her, kicking her in the torso. 

As she was distracted, she wasn't able to dodge it this time, getting knocked over the corner of the room.

“What..?! I thought she would dodge it…!” He was a bit worried now, scared even.

“Ah…! It hurts…” She coughed, got up again and turned more serious in her attacks. 

Since she had a lightning based power, her speed could match his or even be better if well applied.

She was able to leave some more scratches on his arms. 

“I know he can heal so it's probably not that big of a deal if I use this type of attack.”

Eventually, he found a pattern in her blows and decided to put an end to this… If both of them continued to take it easy, the fight would never end.

He teleported behind her at the right moment, grabbing her by the belly and making her fall over him on the ground. He flipped over, holding her with his hands, making sure she couldn't move. 

“Argh, he's too strong! My physical strength can't even get closer to his–!”

– Let go of me…! – She yelled, angrily. Grabbing his wrists, trying to get him to let go of her.

-Please, just tell me who you are already…! – He was breathing heavily. – You're Eclipse aren't you?! Your voice is similar to hers…! – He tried not to yell.

“How can his voice be so warm and calm like this…?! Isn't he supposed to be yelling at me?!” She was confused, she knew he was impatient already but his tone with her remained the same.

– I'm not Eclipse…! You don't even have enough proof to say that! – Arguing.

He could take off her mask at any moment, she needed to quickly get a plan to be set free.

“Shit, I need to find at least a clue that proves my guess, but If I try to take her mask off, she will immediately do something with her free arm to run away…”

He realised if he held her wrists tightly, she couldn't properly use her power. “Wait, that's it…!” 

Realising that, he fastly moved her wrists together, crossing them above her head, holding both with a hand while trying to get her gloves off with the other.

“Hah…? What the fuck is he thinking of?!” She was tensing up. The position, the tight grip he had on her wrists, their heavy breath, she needed to get herself out of this as soon as possible.

“If I get to see her hands, I can tell if they look like Eclipse’s…! She was using a black nail polish today too, she surely wouldn't even bother to take it off for this.” 

As he was focused on taking off her gloves, she found a stupid yet promising plan to get free of him.

She crossed her legs over his waist, and used her whole strength to roll his body to the side, hitting his head with hers. 

– Argh! – He moaned. – What the hell did you…––!

Her silly plan actually worked.

“Got him!”

His body flipped over, losing the grip on her wrists.

She was about to flash up when he immediately pushed her closer, by the nape.

Their faces were only a few inches from distance. He had caught her in helplessness again.

– Wait… – With heavy breath. – C’mon Eclipse… I know it’s you. – His eyes had softened.

Her heart was about to explode, she no longer knew what to do or to think.

– … Please, just let me go… – Calmer. – I promise the truth will come to the surface someday.

– But… Why can’t you do that now? Are you that scared? Why did you choose this? What about the flower? Wasn’t it your goal to get my attention?! – His patience had reached the limit.

– … – Glancing at his bleeding chest. – Then why don’t you take off my mask instead of asking all those questions? – She raised her voice in annoyance. – Why?! – Louder till it echoed in the room.

– …! – He chuckled, surprised by her breakdown. – Because despite everything, I respect you! … I’m sure I know who you are. – He calmly answered her question, sighing.

– What if I’m not her? Why do you respect her so much even if she’s possibly a murderer on the run?!

She no longer wanted to feel confused towards him.

– Because… – He hesitated. – … Nevermind. – Gaze wandering away and biting his lip.

“I wish I could… But I can’t. Not now, not yet. No matter how much I want, I can’t bring myself to explain how dear you are to me. How much I’ve fallen for you.”

He felt like a coward.

“Can’t even answer my question? Seriously?!”

– Fine. – He slowly let go of her, respecting the executioner’s requests. – I’ll trust your words… For now.

“ What–? Just like that…?…!”

She rapidly got up and flicked herself out of there after murmuring a rapid thanks.

“ Ah… Such a mysterious woman…”

~~~

The Moon’s Shadow

“I could run away…!” I never went home so fast. 

I arrived and rushed to my room… My heart was beating really fast and I couldn’t properly breathe.

“I hope he wasn’t able to follow me home, otherwise I’ll be more than fucked up…”

I took off my clothes and my tummy was really bad. It was red and it hurted when I touched it. “Ngh, this hurts… I should’ve dodged it.”

I put some healing cream over the injured spot and covered it with bandages. 

Although, It felt strange. Will he really trust me? Why even? … Was Lydia right about her perception? What about that unanswered question?!

I felt like everything just had become worse, but at the same time…

Suddenly, my phone rang.

“What is it now? Don’t tell me it’s him…”

I picked it up and it was a message from Xavier in the friend group. It was about the vacation.

“Ah I totally forgot about that…” I realised I was even more hindered now. I had to spend three full days with him and my other friends.

I layed in bed with my tummy up, exhausted.

“Let’s just… hope for the best… Again.”

I couldn’t do much now that he’s very sure of my identity… I wondered how things would go from now on between us.

~~~