( Date : September 17th 2023 )
( Location : Calista's Temple )
"Child! Have you returned from the task I asked of you?" Calista called out as she heard Yuki and Kurai's footsteps as they passed the main room of the temple where Calista was resting.
Yuki turned her head curiously as she heard Calista's voice. "You can go shower Kurai, I'll report to her." Yuki then turned on her heels and parted ways with Kurai as she began to walk to where the goddess was.
"Yeah, we finished it," Yuki answered with a soft tone of voice.
Calista smiles warmly as a soft giggle escapes her lips. She stood from her fancy black and white throne to approach Yuki. She gently brought her hand to Yuki's cheek and wiped off a bit of the dry and crusted blood.
"Oh my, you truly made a mess of yourself my child, and what happened to your hair?" Calista asked as she gently touched Yuki's short and messily cut hair.
"It was too long and started to get in the way, so I cut it. I didn't want any distractions."
"Ah, I see." Calista slowly pulled her hand from Yuki. "You managed to kill them all, correct?"
Yuki hesitated before nodding softly.
"My child. For the sake of this world's future, you better have. There can be no interference with your emotions. So tell me the absolute truth. Did you, or did you not kill all of them?" Calista's often sweet voice was now stern and strict as she stared into Yuki's eyes.
"Only one left. But it was a child, I don't think they'll do any harm."
Calista sighed in disapproval. "Very well. If you encounter that child in the future, be it days or years from now. You better rid of them."
"Yes, Calista," Yuki said softly, she knew disobeying the goddess wasn't a wise choice. Not to mention that their deal was to follow her every order without question.
"Good, and please child, address me as I informed you to."
"My apologies, mother."
Calista smiled approvingly and lightly nodded her head before lightly shooing Yuki away with her hand. "Now go bathe yourself, that blood on you is beginning to reek." The goddess said as she began to return to her throne. Yuki said nothing and instead only bowed before heading quickly to the bathing chambers.
As Yuki walked down the black and white marble halls she looked at her bloody clothing in disgust. She did what she had to do, but she'll never be proud of the things she's done, and she'll never get used to it either.
No matter how many times she kills something. No matter what the voice in her says, or what the goddess tells her.
Every part of her feels disgusted with herself.
She clenches her fist and watches the dried blood crack more than it already had from the movement before looking up at the large doors. Yuki carefully pushes them open to reveal the large bathing room with multiple small shower stations and a large bath.
It was reminiscent of a Japanese bathhouse, but the designs were all Greek. Yuki carefully removed her hoodie as she headed to one of the shower stations.
"How'd it go?" Kurai called out, she was sitting in the large pool-like bath, her skin now cleaned from the blood that spilled on her.
"Ok, I guess. She's not really happy we let the child escape though." Yuki answered softly as she undressed.
"Of course, she isn't," Kurai mumbled under her breath as she sunk a little lower into the water.
The water falling from the shower filled the large echoing room as both women stood in silence for a handful of minutes.
"Kurai?" Yuki called out softly as she slowly stopped scrubbing the blood off her skin.
"Yeah?"
"If... Leo and Naito knew what we've done these past four years, do you think they'd hate us?"
Kurai took a deep breath, Yuki's words had never occurred to her and as she thought about it, it was a thought she never wanted to consider.
"Yeah... Most likely," Kurai answered reluctantly. She didn't want to lie to Yuki, even if the truth was brutal. But Kurai truly couldn't see an outcome where either of their brothers would be fine with the things the two of them had to do.
Yuki just continued to wash herself in the shower in silence. She had expected that to be the answer, but she couldn't help that small part in her that had hoped it would be the opposite.
Kurai looked towards Yuki when Yuki finally came to the bath after washing off. The lifeless look in Yuki's eyes made Kurai's heartache, so she decided to speak in hopes of lightening the mood.
"Hey, um... You'll be seeing your friends again soon, are you excited?" Kurai asked nervously.
Yuki pondered in thought as she sat in the warm water of the bath. "They can't know what we did. So let's... Let's keep it between us, okay?"
"Don't worry, I won't tell a soul," Kurai said with a faint smile.
"Thank you," Yuki said softly.
Silence ensued as both women found themselves lost in their thoughts.
"I know we can't really leave Calista, but when you see everyone again. Do you have anything you'd like to do?" Kurai asked to break the silence after a few minutes.
"Um..." Yuki smiled softly as she pondered the question. "Well, I would like to eat all our favorite snacks together again and talk. I kinda miss playing video games together too, so if it's possible I'd like to try that,"
"Hopefully Calista lets you," Kurai says with a sad smile, she was proud of Yuki for working so hard for others. Even if they both made many sacrifices for it.
"Is there anything you miss?" Yuki asked curiously.
"Yes! Ugh, I miss so much," Kurai groaned playfully. "I just know I'm so far behind my manga and manhwa. Not to mention all the apple-flavored snacks Japan had. Those American ones definitely aren't as good," Kurai spoke in a joking tone towards the end as she playfully stuck her tongue out in disgust to show her dislike for American treats.
Yuki laughed softly and her smile slowly brightened. "Oh yeah, I wonder how many of my favorite manga's finished. I hope Tri Bit isn't done yet, I wanna experience it right when it finishes."
"Let's read it together one day. Like we used to when you were little?" Kurai offered with a warm smile, it became rare to see Yuki laugh, let alone smile. The past four years they endured were filled with nothing but training and doing tasks the goddess ordered them to complete.
So sitting in the warm soothing water and discussing their possible future together made everything feel like it was worth it.
Even if the two of them can never leave Calista's control, they'll gladly take the closet they got to a normal life.
It was nice, to feel the weight off their shoulders for once. Even if it was only for a few minutes.
Before Yuki could respond she turned her head curiously to the wall when she felt an immense amount of energy that Calista's body gave off vanished. "Calista left?" Kurai asked curiously.
"I guess so, I wonder why," Yuki said softly, it wasn't often Calista left the temple. "Maybe we should ask Dysis?" Yuki asked as she stood up from the bathtub.
"Uh, sure," Kurai said reluctantly, she honestly didn't really want to know what Calista was up to. Yet she couldn't help but be curious at the same time.
The two sisters then dried themselves off with their own towels. Both women then began to wrap their towels around themselves like a dress.
"I'll wait outside the door for you, then we can go ask her," Yuki said softly as they approached their assigned bedrooms that were side by side with each other. Kurai nodded and they both parted ways to get properly dressed.
Once they finished and emerged from their bedrooms, both were wearing simple clothing they got when visiting mid-plane, also known as Earth.
Yuki was wearing a simple black sports with green sweatpants, her shoes were decently new all-black sneakers that were a bit banged up from training in them.
Kurai on the other hand was wearing a large red and white varsity jacket, with matching sneakers. Her other clothing consisted of a simple white shirt and red jean shorts.
"Alright, let's go find her," Yuki said as she began to walk, she pondered her thoughts as she tried to imagine where Dysis could possibly be before she turned her head to Kurai to ask for her opinion. "Where do you think Dysis could be today?"
Kurai shrugged. "That cat goes anywhere that's cozy enough for her reading time. She could be anywhere in the temple,"
Dysis was not only a cat, but she was both a familiar and a daughter to Calista. Although Yuki has grown used to the animal-child, a part of her was confused as to why Calista decided to create essentially a hybrid of animals and children.
Calista could've just created an animal with powers or had her own child. Yet she chose to have both, creating an animal that can turn into a child.
Was it for disguise purposes? But why would a god need that? It wasn't only Calista with a familiar either, Calista had informed Yuki that all gods within her pantheon had one.
That they were ordered to have one.
It took a while until Yuki and Kurai finally managed to find the small girl sitting beside a tree just outside the temple.
"Hey, Dysis!" Kurai called out, Dysis turned to face them. Her eyes instantly darkened in annoyance as she saw the two women approaching her.
"Where did Calista go, do you know?" Kurai asked curiously.
"Mother left to speak to a few friends,"
Both women's curiosity only grew, and in return, the child's annoyance grew.
"Who's the friends she's visiting?" Yuki asked.
"None of your concern, now leave me be," Dysis said to dismiss them. Once the two women refused to budge Dysis rolled her bright yellow eyes as she grew defeated.
The two women who grew to be like her older sisters were stubborn and awfully stupid. It was always a pain to Dysis to deal with them.
"Fine. She went to see the god of craft,"
"Why him?" Dysis was always prepared for Yuki's constant questioning, yet even so, it was always irritating.
"Again. That's none of your concern for now."Dysis said in an attempt to dismiss them.
Both Yuki and Kurai exchanged glances before shrugging in unison before they began to take their leave.
"And here I was, planning to make Leo's special tuna melt recipe for dinner," Kurai said loudly in fein disappointment as she and Yuki walked side by side.
Dysis' ears perked up at their words and she slowly closed her book. She cleared her throat as she began to walk in their direction.
Yuki glanced back and tried to contain a small laugh when she heard Dysis following them.
"Actually, perhaps there is some more information I can share. Over dinner," Dysis said softly trying her best to act nonchalant about the topic.
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