Kimoko stiffened. She let go of Kigami’s hand and slowly turned to Estella. Something dangerous flashed in her eyes.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM3g5wydbSJ
“What?” Her voice was low, tense.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRnYJ8Tyfpm
Estella didn’t flinch from her gaze, even though she felt her heart pounding in her chest. Sooner or later she had to tell them. And she’d rather do it now than if they found out in the worst possible way.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOUag44rcsD
“I don’t have it,” she repeated quietly. “I never had it.”
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg5I1hC7CtC
There was silence, so deep that Estella was almost certain she could hear her own blood pulsing in her temples. Kimoko looked at her as if she didn’t believe it. As if she wanted to hear that it was a joke. But Estella wasn’t joking.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXzdfbJbIe2
“You lied to us,” she said finally, and there was no anger in her voice anymore. Only cold disappointment.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ311NPXGOfI
“I had to,” the goddess replied. “If I told you the truth, you wouldn’t help me.” Kimoko laughed quietly, but it wasn’t a happy laugh. It was empty.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFUZQkX4cCc
“So it’s like this. From the beginning… all this time…”
“I had no choice,” Estella interrupted sharply. “If you knew…”
“If we knew, then what?” Kimoko interrupted. “We wouldn’t risk our lives for you? Didn’t trust you? Don’t you think it’s too late now?”
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyvxI5h9L3N
Estella clenched her hands. She couldn’t deny it. She couldn’t even pretend that what she had done was right. But… she still didn’t regret it.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjcJX2Jeygu
Kigami, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL0gnrpHCij
“So where is the crystal?” he asked calmly. Too calmly.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUJNhlxVnuk
Estella swallowed.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1uqsb0DzF1
“It’s… in the hands of my oldest brother, Icaros, maybe you know him better as the ‘personification of law’.”
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuWWJEyDSev
Kimoko froze. Her breathing became shallow, as if she was trying to calm herself, but her trembling hands betrayed her true emotions.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWdtbdBvU87
“Icaros.” She repeated the name with such coldness that the air around them suddenly seemed thicker. Are you telling me that all this time we were chasing something that was out of our reach from the start?
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS0W3i92CuW
Estella was silent. She felt the weight of their gazes on her, like blades dug into her skin.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMhvbgThVmg
‘' So what now? ‘' Kigami turned to her slowly. ‘' Do you have a plan? Or did you just hope that somehow it would work out?’’
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsGGFnHnhJx
‘' I couldn’t tell you.’’ the goddess began, but Kimoko immediately interrupted her.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk7LbcpQ8Xl
‘' You couldn’t or didn’t want to? ‘' Anger flashed in her eyes. ‘' You can’t tell me you didn’t know how this would end!’’
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ66OChN6mLl
Estella fell silent. Kigami stood still, staring at his feet. Kimoko wasn’t sure if it was from anger or disappointment, but she saw hidden fear in his eyes.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYSrmd3Kg7b
‘‘Kigami… what is it?’’
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVDgpAKfolT
Kigami looked at her.
‘' “The personification of law” is the god Veridona. In practice, nothing is known about Veridona, except that everyone must obey the laws devised by this god, no matter how absurd they may be. And their god… has some sick obsession with demons, he wants to judge us all.’’
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxGAnnZtDl1
His voice was quiet, almost as if he had already accepted that they would never recover Estella’s crystal.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpcMtfeELvc
Kimoko raised an eyebrow.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8kvtT8AGPl
“What do you mean nothing is known?”
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyn7nmyNvjQ
“Veridona has been missing for centuries,” Estella replied.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLm2oIp1Idj
“Even I don’t know where my brother is or what he’s up to.”
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeP8irejPkj
“So who does?” Kimoko asked, trying to hide the frustration in her voice.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHUQRcnqUsU
“Anstellerette. He had the best relationship with Icaros from the beginning. If you want to find out anything about Veridona, you have the best chance with him.”
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXvt2fNWewh
Kigami looked at the goddess with a cold, reproachful gaze. Kimoko saw how much he held it all against her, the lies, the fact that he almost died because of her, and now the fact that she had only just revealed the identity of her oldest brother.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0zjJ1AcUrx
“Why… why did he take it from you?” he whispered.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡztl2MSNz0P
Tears welled up in Estella’s eyes, as if her own words had struck her like blades.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1TswEC9hNC
“He didn’t trust me. From the beginning, he thought I wouldn’t be able to protect that crystal.”
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtKb1J1mzRn
“And he was right…”
After those words, the world seemed to stop for a moment. Estella stood still, only lowering her head. Kigami didn’t say anything more. He simply turned around, grabbed Kimoko’s hand, and pulled her along. The girl moved without resistance. She didn’t understand anything anymore. She didn’t know what was right. She was tired of both Estella’s and Kigami’s secrets and lies, and yet her heart told her something else—that each of them had their reasons. But would she ever be able to trust Estella again?
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIbhg6zQDas
She cast one last glance over her shoulder. Estella stood there, watching them as they got further away from her.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSc59XpyaKL
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzcm9OGj5M4
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcxGDfPtWMv
- in the Evening
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡolUajL0kqR
Kigami and Kimoko sat by the fire. They were silent the whole way. The girl looked up at the boy who was staring into the flames. However, the dancing tongues of fire were not reflected in his eyes. He no longer reminded her of the Kigami she knew - he was just an empty shadow of himself. She sighed quietly and put one of the berries lying on the hem of her blouse into her mouth.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5GsHvd7kkJ
“Tomorrow we have to find a way to get to Nokta.”
Kimoko swallowed hard.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4bn4cqPMfD
‘‘Is he telling me that he intends to leave Estella to her fate?’’
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ65TAOwd1Vh
“Wait… weren’t we supposed to help Estella first?”
Kigami looked at her, then burst out laughing. The sound made a shiver ran down her spine.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuUAqYkHjUj
“Do I look like an idiot to you who would risk his life for a spoiled brat who can’t handle herself?”
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOoSjAYahD2
“Don’t forget we had a deal with her.”
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNTIrupNgBp
“A deal?! Kimoko, do you hear yourself? That deal lost its value the moment she admitted to lying to us!
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7OTPhNLSDY
“You know that doesn’t make you any better than her?” His gaze softened. He looked as if it had only just now really sunk in.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWslG6PxyBk
“…So what? It doesn’t matter anyway. To her I’m already a monster…” Kimoko clenched her fists.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpQfrcf3oeR
“Do you really think so?” she asked quietly.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5rhxIsX65B
Kigami didn’t answer right away. Staring into the fire, he gave the impression that he was talking to himself, not her.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnkLsaRfZSa
“And isn’t that true?” his voice was devoid of emotion. “Maybe that’s for the best. After all…what else am I if not a monster?” Kimoko narrowed her eyes.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡepn7L03y6r
“Stop talking nonsense.”
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2tFfEzKq2K
“Nonsense?” He smiled bitterly. “I knew the whole way there that she was hiding something from us, but I still believed her. I was an idiot.”
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYHLpqjGnFk
“Maybe.” Kimoko shrugged. “But that doesn’t mean you’re right to leave her to her fate.”
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCjEeYbCxVf
Kigami looked at her sharply.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8VPotfW40V
“Why not?”
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6gYJEHwooF
“Because if we leave her, we’ll be just like her.” Her gaze was hard. “Or maybe worse.”
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡetDwvEj77v
“Worse?” he snorted.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1C5ZfyjMDB
“Yes. Because at least she had a reason to lie to us. We… we just want to turn away from her because it’s more convenient for us.”
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeUOAn6NN0D
There was silence.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoE8n5Os1zr
Kigami clenched his jaw, looking away. Kimoko could see him struggling with his thoughts. Fighting with himself.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbZQgHZJIJ0
“It’s not that simple, Kimoko…”
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXD0n9O02op
“It never was.” She looked him straight in the eye.
‘' But isn’t that what we’re here for? To do things that aren’t easy?’’
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL9JSeDaxBd
Kigami took a deep breath, as if trying to calm himself down.
‘' Even if… ‘' His voice was quiet. ‘‘How do we know she won’t lie to us again?’’
‘' We don’t.’’’ Kimoko shrugged. ‘‘But you know what? We weren’t completely honest either, were we?’’
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUPcP3sLtos
Kigami looked at her in surprise.
‘' What are you…’’
‘‘Come on.’’ Kimoko rolled her eyes.
‘' Do you think I didn’t notice how long you’ve been hiding something?’’
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt8005Nh5qM
He didn’t answer.
‘' So what? Are we supposed to pretend that she’s the only one to blame now?’’ Kimoko tilted her head. “ Or are we old enough to admit that we all have our secrets?”
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH3RIAH1QDT
Kigami bit his lip.
‘' Do you know how annoying it is?’’
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWDXdyehB36
Kimoko smiled crookedly.
‘‘I know. But does that mean I’m wrong?’’
He didn’t answer.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2YGKEIaGWt
They sat in silence for a long moment, looking at the flames. Finally, Kigami took a deep breath and tilted his head back, looking at the night sky.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYwCsM6jklN
“Shit…”
Kimoko smiled.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZnsoKa1VVX
“So it is.”
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5CW36zeGYD
“I’m not saying, you’re wrong.”
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ03mOS1vCjW
“But you’re thinking about coming back.”
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSSKqtIOBNO
Kigami clenched his fists, but didn’t deny it.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDBWd3OGdsX
Kimoko knew that would be enough. For now. Kigami stared at the night sky for a long time, as if searching for an answer he couldn’t find in himself. Finally, he sighed heavily, closing his eyes.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD1FkLelJdH
“If we go back… what next?”
Kimoko crossed her arms over her chest.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo3iTR2Vkr1
“We’ll find a way to get the crystal back. That’s our goal from the beginning, right?”
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrkgubE7jOj
“Our goal…” Kigami shook his head. “I don’t think it’ll be that easy anymore.”
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ866cOgq81X
Kimoko raised an eyebrow.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQHvGKiaj2R
“It never was.’’
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDYsttSr1BF
“That’s why.” He looked at her sharply. “It’s even worse now. Before we even knew Estella had it. Now… we have to get to Veridona.” Kimoko nodded reluctantly.
“But first we need to find Anstellerette.”
“If he agrees to help us at all.” There was a moment of silence. “You think he won’t help his own sister?” she finally asked.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZtBQc17AMF
Kigami snorted. “The question is, does it even matter to him.”
Kimoko had no answer. She didn’t know Anstellerette. She didn’t know how he would react if they mentioned Estella, after all he was probably still mad at her.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXK012qC240
“We’ll go back to her tomorrow.” Her tone left no room for argument.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhcqNyxIiqn
Kigami looked at her skeptically. “And what will you tell her?”
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8oXY3gYROa
“That we believe her.” Kimoko shrugged. “Or at least, that we want to believe her.”
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsGxcNpxEFi
“A lie.”
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTyDnIrYq2a
“Maybe.” She smiled faintly. “But sometimes a lie is the only way to find out the truth.” Kigami watched her for a moment, then looked away. “I hate it when you’re right.” Kimoko laughed quietly. “Get used to it.” The silence between them wasn’t as heavy as it had been before. There was still something uncertain about it, full of unspoken words and hidden wounds, but at least they both knew what they had to do.
and then Add to home screen.