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"Already?" Ash stood up, mild surprise showing in her back at her. "I was under the impression you expressed the intent to stay until late evening, did you not?"

Sera moved her head, shifted her gaze, catching me within her sights. 

What, did she think I wouldn\'t approve of her overstaying her welcome or something? That it was far a better alternative if she kicked herself out before I did so myself? 

Okay, maybe a few days back, I would\'ve considered it… but as things stand, especially after yesterday…

"If you want to stay for longer, then you can stay for longer," I said to her, meeting her dullness with kindness. "I wouldn\'t turn away a fellow bacon-lover. That\'s sacrilegious, y\'know?

To my surprise, however, she shook her head, and insisted that she go - why? Hell if I know, and judging by Ash\'s continued bewilderment, she certainly wasn\'t telling either.

So, a little while later, I was by the doorway bidding them goodbye by porch side, but not before I clarified a few things with the both of them first, particularly with the quieter of the two.

"Hey, so," I nudged my head at her. "I\'ll meet you tonight at the park, right? Back to the usual?

.

Out of all the questions I\'ve ever asked her, that was the only one I knew she\'d always respond to no matter what our dispositions were with each other, whether dire, or whether cordial, I knew she\'ll always say yes. 

It\'s the entire foundation that our relationship was built on, after all. 

So imagine my shock, my utter bafflement, when she slowly, staring coldly, shook her head no.

It wasn\'t like having a conversation, when I could simply just chalk it up to me mishearing - I saw her shake her head, and unless I was blind, there was no way of misconstruing that.

I eyed her again, not as kind. "How come?" 

Ash was glancing at her too, subtly leaning in, I think she was listening, straining narrow ears for Sera\'s reasoning.

Then, a little puzzled, Ash spoke in her stead. "It seems tonight won\'t be a good time for a visit, Master." 

"Again," I spoke, keeping my gaze unmoving at those gleaming golden eyes of hers. "How come?" 

There was a pause, then once more - 

"Sera has something she must tend to."

"Something she must tend to…" I replied quietly, nodding, accepting, then asking further. "Which is what, exactly?"

Somehow I already knew the answer to that question before Ash even spoke it out.

"She believes it none of your concern. Not yet, at least." 

What is up with you recently, Sera? 

I kept probing, compromising. Fine then, sure, tonight was a no-go, okay, so how about tomorrow? 

Again, just as callous, just as fast, she shot the prospect down.

The day after? How about the day after the after? Or the one after that one? What bout 

I was seriously amazed at the wide range of ways Sera could shoot me down at every turn. She must have been getting in some practice or something. 

I counted the days, counted every time she denied chance, and all in all, I was looking at a week\'s worth of stunted progress… seven days of nothing, seven days of Ria just lying there like a glorified campfire. 

And all for what?

I asked her this, genuinely in awe that she\'d think I would just go along with it without a solid reason. 

Why a week? Why not any day before? Why did you wait only until I asked you to tell me this?

And you know what the most infuriating thing was? Sera really did expect me to just go along with it, no reasons given, no questions satisfied, nothing but the vacant stare of her cold, dead eyes.

Oh, but she did at least offer assurance, if you can even call it that… spoken through Ash, conveyed in that soft tone of voice that inspired no confidence.

"She claims that this is for your own benefit," Ash paused, trying to wedge herself between our little staring contest. "And that you should trust her." 

Trust her? Sera said that, did she? Giving no cause, explanations, or any reasons… that just does not compute at all. But you know what? Here\'s the thing, I didn\'t know any other instance where I was supposed to just simply trust her on her word before.

Before there was always something, always leverage, before one of us could be prompted to do something for one another, nothing ever relied on blind faith before… so that fact that she was even asking… 

Trust, huh? 

Welp, Irene isn\'t going to be too happy with me.

"Fine," I said, nodding at her. "I\'ll trust you."

Her stare didn\'t seem so harsh all a sudden, who knows, maybe it was just \'cause I was too used to her glares that I couldn\'t see anything besides that, maybe it was only now that I was seeing different. 

"But can you at least give me something?" I said, trying to get her to see through my lenses. "An explanation? Sometime? Anytime? Is it always gonna be a secret?"

Sera gave Ash a glance, and in turn, Ash turned in my direction once more. "In time, perhaps in the coming week, she\'ll let you know," she paused here, correcting herself. "She\'ll let me know." 

Of course. I almost forgot - it was business as usual again. Ash was going to be visiting her almost every day again. 

And with that, after a departing bow from Ash, they both turned and walked down the steps towards the driveway, leaving.

"Call me, alright?" I called out after them.

Ash glanced back, a faint smile showing in the distance. "Of course, Master."

Will I regret this? Should I have pried more, tried more? Perhaps. I mean there\'s always that chance to every choice, that I\'m always my own foolish ploy. But is it that naive of me that I wanted to think otherwise? Just this once, and perhaps, if possible, in the unforeseeable future, I wanted to try trusting her.

I stood there by the porch until they slinked away from sight. In the corner of my eyes, I noticed Adalia watching them go too, then as if taking that as her cue, she stood up from the meadow, Mr. Black gently wrapped in an embrace and began walking back into the house.

When she went up the steps, when she passed me, she stopped and turned briefly.

"I forgot to say…" She whispered, pausing to yawn, her pointed fangs glistening prominently as she did. "My sister… told me… she wanted to see you soon… talk to you… soon..." 

Oh boy.

"When?" I asked. "Why?

"Some...time… in a... week…" Then as if she didn\'t just drop a nuke onto my affairs, Adalia resumed walking through the doorway, yawning the rest of the way. "Don\'t know… Sleepy… now…"

"Alright," I muttered, keeping my stare blank at the empty driveway. "Good rest, Adalia." 

"Good… night…" 

Amelia wants to see me soon, does she? Couldn\'t be now, couldn\'t be later? Why does it have to be next week anyway? And what about? Nothing ever bodes well shortly following her every appearance. She\'s like the grim reaper of good fortune.

I assume it involves Adalia in some way. But in what way exactly… I guess I better stay tuned on that.

After a while of loitering and pointless staring, I followed Adalia back into the house, and wouldn\'t you know it - she was already fast asleep by the time I got into the living room… with Mr. Black curled up atop her chest slumbering away just as peacefully.

I smell favoritism.

The day was only halfway done, but even still, I decided to call it a day and spend the rest of it in the comfort of my bed, after all that\'s happened yesterday… and all that things known and unknown that will no doubt happen in the coming tomorrows, I think I\'m gonna need it. 

It was halfway up the steps that I realized I forgot to shut the front door. Didn\'t really feel like walking all the way back just to close it- so I did as any other lazy yet resourceful person would do in my predicament.

I stretched my hand out and I gave it a wave, and immediately right after - a slam resounded throughout the halls. Think I\'m starting to get the hang of it. Next stop on the agenda, my true rival yet undefeated - silverware. I\'ll bend them one day, someday… 

Next week maybe.

My head was busy highlighting imaginary days on an imaginary calendar when it happened.

My ringtone singing faintly in my vest pocket. 

I must say, that was fast. Ash really must be waiting for the flimsiest of excuses just for a chance to call. Not that I have a problem with it. Who would? It\'s practically free ASMR for the troubled soul.

As fast as I could, I pulled my phone out, even faster, I swiped to answer so as not to disturb Adalia\'s slumber, and without even looking at the display, brought the speaker to my ear.

"What happened, Ash?" I asked, smiling stupidly the rest of the way to my bedroom. "Took the wrong bus or something? Sera finally talking? Or did you really wanna hear my voice again that badly?"

On the other end of the line, all I heard was a complete dead silence. I expected to hear at least the faint rumbles of an engine, or the cough of a passenger nearby somewhere - but it was just dead air, very dead air.

I stopped at my doorway. "Hello? Ash? Can you hear me?"

"Bro..." Disbelief, disgust, distaste, concentrated in just a single utterance, a single word, all packed in a voice so strikingly, so unexpectedly familiar. "Ew." 

I very nearly shouted, but luckily the shock momentarily rendered me speechless. Y\'know, there\'s not very many people that could make the word \'ew\' sound so pleasantly nice and comforting to the ears… in some instances, it might even get some tears welling.

Family, especially.

"Sammy?" I heard myself croak.