18

The Hidden Chamber

“But if she isn’t confined to wherever is above this floor, then does that mean she chooses to stay up there?”

“You’re rather sharp.” Pushing aside her strands of hair out of her face, she smirked.

“Before I go, do you mind explaining why no one goes up to her?” Gently resting his hand on the center pillar, his gaze stays stuck to the strange barrier.

“Any of the Sisters and clones, like myself, are physically unable to go any further than this floor and offer care.” Luisa stretches her wrists for a second before glancing beyond the pillar. “Even when one of the fractures or the secretaries try, she rejects the assistance.”

Then, from below, a hand helped the Sister get up to her feet.

“Hello, your majesty.” She bowed, quickly putting her hands together to complete her royal gesture.

Kaito took a step back to the floor, curious to see who arrived. A warm breeze swirled past him delicately—welcoming, almost tangy with mana.

“Sister Luisa, that is now your name,” Neoma announced kindly, returning a smile to them both.

“Hey, by any chance, do you know how to get to the next floor?” Kaito blurted, holding onto the pillar as he let his body hang to the side like a monkey.

Neoma gestures her hands upward, flat and firm, as if she were holding something.

“Got it, thanks.” Kaito nodded, scurrying back to the stairs, grabbing ahold of the plate with one hand. “I’ll go deliver the food right now.”

“Sister Luisa, I ask that you go help Amari & Akira with keeping the squad busy.” Giving her a gentle pat on her shoulder, Neoma rested her hands on her legs as if she were a counselor.

Resting his other hand on the jello-like barrier, spewing the same mild breeze onto his face, Kaito pushed against its strange texture, managing to get his arm through, although with a soft vibration.

Whoa, talk about strange, Kaito thought as he slowly carried the rest of his body through the so-called roof. 

Neoma made her way to the other side’s wall, getting a clearer view of Kaito, as Sister Luisa walked down the stairs, every step growing fainter.

“If you don’t mind, I’ll accompany you,” Neoma commented, falling into stride with him as she phased through the barrier too, quickly and efficiently, as if this were her hundredth time.

“I’m sorry if my earlier behavior was too sudden.” Kaito reached the next floor, rubbing his neck as he continued balancing the plate. “It’s just I can’t stand around wasting food.”

“But food is never wasted within Lunar Province.” Copying his slow pace down the hallway, her tone carried the certainty of a refined noble.

“The thing is that whoever’s up here would benefit from it way more than I will.” Gazing deeply past the long hallway, a low chuckle escaped his lips.

“How did you know someone was up here, though?” She puckered her lips, squinting her eyes, a display of her wit—her hair whistling alongside the gentle wind.

“I guess I just had a feeling about it.” He smiled faintly, bringing the silver platter closer to his chest. “It’s hard to explain.”

“You do know you have one of the seven husks, right?” Neoma danced across the space momentarily, making her way in front of him.

“Does that have to do with it?” He asked, not wanting to look down on his chest where his Vigor Husk slept.

“Yes, each of the three kingdoms is ruled by a husk wielder.”

“I mean no offense, but I barely sense any mana from you.” He readjusted his hands once again, raising the platter a bit, noticing they had reached halfway.

She paused her playful stroll for a second, gazing into Kaito’s eyes. “That’s because I’m not Luna Esperanza.”

Then, as fast as she handed out smiles, she returned to walking casually towards the door at the very end.

Wait, what? There’s no way, Kaito thought, leaning ever so slightly as if he were in the middle of an intense game.

He pushed his body out of the sudden confusion, catching up to the nimble imposter.

“The name’s Neoma, Neoma Esperanza,” Neoma exclaimed happily, helping Kaito trim the space between, cutting through the faint tension.

What he found just as strange was that he couldn’t get much of a reaction out of himself, glancing at the platter’s reflection for a second.

“Just how strange can this world get?”

Then he halted before her raised slender arm, bewildered by the door itself. It was nothing like the rest of Lunar Province: no lunarian sigils, no expensive inlay, not even hints of silver or gold—just wood.

“Trust me, a lot.” Neoma lowered her arm, taking a deep breath before putting on another smile, gently taking the silver platter from his hands. “But anyway, we’ve arrived.”

The wind was colder than it was a minute ago, a shivering sensation that stirred from underneath the door, turning his breath foggy.

Kaito stretched his wrists and hands, fascinated by the strange door. “It’s just a theory, but why do I feel like–”

He momentarily rubbed them together, standing strong against the temporary cold; however, the temperature began to return to normal.

“You’re right, Luna Esperanza, the real queen, is behind this door.” She interrupted him, still within her gentle tone, reaching for the knob.

Then, to her surprise, the door opened up, just enough for a hand to grab hold of hers.

“Please remain quiet, the majesty is sleeping.” A timid lady whispered from behind the door, making her way outside and slowly closing the door behind her.

Caught off guard by her short hair, the shortest hair out of all the Lunarians, Kaito momentarily smeared his face with confusion.

Sleeping? Why did it have to be now, of all times? He thought to himself, crossing his arms, a little dejected.

“Sister Vespera, what is the matter?” Neoma asked, making a bit more room for her.

“Is he authorized to be here, or what’s going on here?” Pointing her finger around in confusion, she turned to Neoma in concern.

“I thought Sisters aren’t able to reach this floor.” Pointing back at her, he squinted his eyes in suspicion.

Amidst the low whispers, Neoma’s eyes flickered, fast then slow, as she glanced at the door, as if Luna’s state made her exhausted.

“Yes, this is Kaito, one of the honored guests.” Turning her body, just enough to point the platter at him, Neoma gestured tiresomely. “And second, she is what we call a Step Sister, a Lunarian under the castle’s personnel, but isn’t a clone. And since they aren’t born from the queens’ mana, their duties are unique.”

Returning to her stance, she let out a silent yawn, one that ended with watering her eyes.

“But she looks like one of them.” Kaito tilted his head, glancing between the two. From the silver hair and light skin to the lanky shape, it all checked out.

“That’s because those are the requirements needed for becoming a Step Sister, and unlike the rest, we usually pick them up from other regions or lands.”

“Besides the three fractures, you can tell the difference between Sisters depending on whether their name starts with an l or not.” Sister Vespera added, growing a bit more confident with her delivery. “After a legal ruling from Lunar Province, we Step Sisters can either choose to guard nearby towns under the kingdom or work with the castle’s staff. It’s basically tradition.”

“Okay, that’s besides the point.” Shaking her head out of the haze, she turned towards Vespera. “Tell me what happened to Luna. She never sleeps during the night.”

“I wasn’t able to find out. She just told me to ensure her peace.” Placing her hands together, she took a moment to search through her thoughts. “Speaking of which, now, I must ask you two to leave.”

Neoma handed over the silver platter. “Very well, but before we go, please eat this.”

“Yeah, before it gets cold.” Kaito nodded in agreement, glancing once more at the door.

“Thank you so much.” Sister Vespera bowed partially, not wanting to risk dropping the hefty plate.

Neoma took a sigh of relief, turning around in regal fashion, heading back towards the spiral staircase, half disappointed with the given news.

Following Neoma with a gentle hurry, Kaito waved. “Provecho!”

“Oh? I didn’t know you spoke another tongue.”

To Kaito’s surprise, the barrier was nowhere to be seen, slowing down just enough to let Neoma go first, noticing the faint shimmers across the space.

“Not at all, I barely know any words.” He continued, bracing himself just in case.

“Honestly, it’s still impressive without education.” Neoma shrugged, cracking her knuckles before reaching the next floor.

The warm atmosphere faltered, allowing for a cold darkness to poke through, sending a shiver down his spine.

“I wasn’t able to learn that many words from my mother,” Moving back next to her, he sullenly sighed. “But if she were still here, I’d like to think so.”

“Ava Kijomi, right?” Softening her pace, she glanced at him with a smile.

“I’m not surprised that you know.” With a satisfied smile, Kaito’s pace began to slow down. “You must share memories with Luna or something?”

“Yeah, you could say that.” Crossing her arms in discomfort, she let out a heavy sigh, trying to rearrange her thoughts. “But from what I do remember, she was so amazing.”

The next stairway grew further as if it began to run from them, and the walls appeared heavier—a strange tension pulling their feet.

“Whenever she and my mother were in the same room, their combined warmth was unmatched.” Her eyes grew dimmer, her tone a bit brittle.

Then she couldn’t hear the light echoes of Kaito’s shoes anymore.

She turned around worringly, noticing that he had stopped, looking down intently. “Kaito, are you okay?”

The next moment, his hands left his face, buried under his dark hair, as if they were scared off by her approach.

“Yeah, don’t worry.” His voice was heavy with bittersweet breath. “It’s just that I miss her so much.”

For a second, Neoma’s hand was suspended by anxious chains, but she pushed through, resting it gently on his shoulder. Moving closer, she rested her other hand on the other shoulder, slowly guiding him out of the frozen stance—pushing them both out of the slithering silence.

“Hey, it’s okay to cry.” She whispered, taking one step at a time, just as he did. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“No, I’m actually fine.” Taking a deep breath, he discarded his blue display and stood up straight. “Just a few tears.”

“Let’s say, let us return now.” Withdrawing her hands from his tense shoulders, she stretched her arms, extending them in front.

Why did I cry just now? Kaito thought, hugging himself cautiously. It wasn’t my doing, so how come it happened? 

Then, quickly, he turned around in shock, glancing between the paintings and rooms. His eyes jolting from side to side, trying to catch a glimpse of this strange sensation. 

What the hell is going on? Kaito deepened his stance, arms stretched out as if he were prepared for an attack.

From beside the suspended shadows and sly shivers, under the perturbed openings of the several rooms that stood across the hallway, something—no, someone, was watching.

 Is my own husk betraying me? He thought, swallowing his anxious fear. Or is it trying to tell me something?

From the staircase a distance away, numerous reflections of steps came marching towards them quickly. Kaito, reluctant to transfer his attention, took a deep breath as Neoma lifted her chin in regal dominance.

Lady Luisa scurried up the opulent stairs, hair trying to beat her in the race. “Your majesty, I have an urgent request.”

“What’s the matter?” Neoma stepped forward, relaxing her stance, returning her hands to her waist.

Whilst the two closed the distance, Kaito’s shoulders refused to relax, his pupils twitching from side to side.

“Oh, Kaito’s still here.” Sister Luisa muttered, flickering her concerned eyes, trying her best to keep her signal out of his sight.

“Tell me what is so dire.” Neoma requested politely, simultaneously trying to find out what her Sister wanted to message.

She returned to a formal pace, taking a deep breath as Kaito grew closer. “It’s time for the training to begin.”

“But there’s still food to eat.” After a short pause, Neoma tilted her head in confusion.

“The rest of the squad is waiting.” Sister Luisa gestured her hands down below, disguised as subtle stretches, appearing like signs, swift and hidden.

Widening her eyes halfway, Neoma steadily returned her attention to Kaito. 

“It seems that it’s time now.” She placed her hand on his shoulder, gesturing her head towards the staircase.