“So what do you want to know?”
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Sheyra rested her head on her hand, her gaze lazily following them, carefully observing their every move. They both sat down opposite her. There was a moment of silence before Kigami spoke up.
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“We wanted to find out what your god is like and what his relationship is with his subjects.”
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Sheyra raised her head, and Kimoko noticed the girl’s tail beginning to waggle intensely. She wasn’t sure if it was a sign of excitement that someone was finally talking to her, or irritation that she and Kigami had interrupted her peace.
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“Our god has a rather specific personality,” Sheyra began. “If he doesn’t know you, he can seem cold and dry, sometimes even mean. But when he trusts you… his demeanor changes dramatically. Then you can see his true, calm face.”
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She put a finger to her lips, as if considering her words.
“When I say it out loud, I start to realize… that he probably became like this because of all the betrayals he experienced in his whole, sad life of about five thousand years... He was treated badly by those who should have been on his side.That's the reason he can’t trust anyone so easily.”
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“Estella…” Kimoko whispered, clenching her fists under the table.
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She looked at Sheyra in silence. She had no idea how much Estella had hurt him. Next to her, she could hear Kigami nervously tapping his fingers on the tabletop.
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“And his subjects?” she asked quietly, afraid that because of the betrayal he had become completely closed off to others.
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Sheyra smiled slightly.
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“Everyone in Nokta loves him… But for some time now… he has isolated himself from the outside world… after…”
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Her voice broke, and tears gathered in her eyes. She quickly covered her face with her hand, but they both managed to see that she was crying.
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After a moment, she wiped away the remaining tears and took a deep breath.
‘I apologize.’
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Kimoko opened her mouth to say something, but suddenly froze. Her pupils narrowed and her face paled.
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She was here again.
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The mysterious woman stood behind Sheyra.
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“It’s all my fault.”
Her voice echoed, as if it came from another world. Kimoko looked at the woman in disbelief. Who was she? What did she want? And why did only she seem to see her?
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The stranger looked at Sheyra. A gentle smile appeared on her thin lips.
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“I suppose you want to know who I am and what I want from you. Go to where you first saw me. I’ll be waiting for you.”
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Kimoko stood up abruptly. Without a moment’s thought, she headed towards the dark corridor. Behind her, she heard Kigami’s voice calling out to her, but she ignored it. She had to find the truth.
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She slowly walked forward, running her hand along the wall in search of the doorknob. Finally, she found it. The door opened with a loud squeak.
There, on the cool floor, under the mirrors, sat a woman.
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Kimoko sat down right next to her.
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“Who are you?”
The stranger stared at her feet, as if she hadn’t noticed her presence. Kimoko was about to stand up when the woman spoke quietly:
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“I’m Sitaka.”
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“Wait… I’ve heard that name somewhere before…”
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Kimoko frowned. “Are you the dream goddess?”
Sitaka nodded.
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“Yes. And I have a favor to ask of you.”
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“Wait, but you don’t even know me.”
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“I know. But you can still help me. You and your partner want to meet him. He doesn’t know what to do. He’s not himself. He doesn’t understand that there’s no salvation for me. He’s desperately trying to save me, but… it’s all just an illusion. You have to convince him to let me go.”
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Kimoko narrowed her eyes.
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“Why me? Why not one of your subjects?”
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“ Because only you can do it. Only you can convince him. And I don’t have much time left.”
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“But I still have so many questions…”
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She reached out her hand, but before she could touch it, Sitaka’s body crumbled into silver dust.
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She was left alone.
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Confused.
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‘Was this real? Or maybe just a dream…?’
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Familiar footsteps came from the hallway.
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Kigami.
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The door creaked as he entered. Kimoko wanted to speak, but her voice got stuck in her throat. She was still looking at the place where Sitaka had been sitting a moment ago, trying to understand what had just happened.
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“Kimoko?” Kigami stood in the doorway, his silhouette casting a shadow on the floor. His voice sounded cautious, as if he didn’t want to scare her. “What are you doing here? Damn girl, you’re starting to scare me.”
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The girl looked at him, shock still visible in her eyes. She wasn’t sure if she should tell him what had just happened.
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“I saw her,” she said quietly after a moment.
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Kigami frowned.
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“Who?”
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“Sitaka.”
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The demon stiffened.
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“The dream goddess?”
Kimoko nodded.
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“She said her time was running out. And that…he was trying to save her, even though it was impossible.”
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Kigami was silent for a moment, then sighed and stepped closer.
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“And who is ‘he’?”
Kimoko opened her mouth, but suddenly felt dizzy. The image in front of her blurred for a split second. Something was wrong. She quickly grabbed her head, and Kigami crouched down next to her.
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“I don’t know,” she whispered. “But I have a feeling we should find out.”
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Kigami looked at her intently, then gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
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“Let’s go back toSheyra. Maybe she’ll know more."
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Kimoko didn’t answer, just nodded. She could still feel Sitaka’s gaze on her, even though her body had turned to silver dust.
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When they returned to the main hall of the tavern, Sheyra was sitting in the same position as before, although her gaze had become more thoughtful. She raised an eyebrow at the sight of them.
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“It was a quick visit. Anything interesting in that corridor?”
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Kimoko hesitated, but eventually sat down in her seat and looked Sheyra straight in the eye.
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“What do you know about Sitaka?”
Noctis tail twitched nervously, and a shadow of surprise appeared in her eyes.
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“Why do you ask?”
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“Because I was talking to her.”
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Sheyra blinked, then laughed quietly, though there was no humor in her voice.
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“I didn’t know you could talk to spirits.” “I don’t know if it was a ghost or something else,” Kimoko admitted. “But she told me something important.”
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Sheyra leaned her elbow on the counter, intertwining her fingers.
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“I’m listening.”
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Kimoko looked at Kigami, as if seeking confirmation that she really should talk about this. The demon only nodded, so she pulled herself together and began to tell him.
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When she finished, Sheyra was silent for a long time. Candlelight reflected in her eyes, and her face was as still as a mask.
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“So that’s why…” she finally whispered.
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Kimoko and Kigami waited for her to say more, but instead Sheyra stood up and straightened her braids.
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“You have to meet him.”
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“Who?” Kimoko asked, although she already had her suspicions.
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Sheyra looked at her with an intensity that sent shivers down her spine.
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“Our lovely god and the lord of night. I’ll take you to him.” He’s stubborn and probably won’t listen to you… unless I get you an audience... That works most of the time."
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Kimoko grabbed Sheyra’s hand, forcing her to look at herself.
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“What’s your connection to him?”
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Sheyra sighed heavily, her tail twitching nervously.
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“I… the Lord of Night…” she hesitated for a split second, her intense blue eyes seeming to darken in the candlelight. “He is my father.”
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There was silence.
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Kimoko felt a knot in her stomach. Kigami suddenly stopped drumming his fingers nervously on the table, and his eyes widened in disbelief.
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“You’re his daughter?!” he choked out.
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Sheyra lifted her chin slightly, but there was something in her gaze they hadn’t seen before hesitation, maybe even sadness.
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“…Yes.”
Kimoko swallowed, trying to gather her thoughts. This changed everything. For a moment, she didn’t know if she should feel cheated that Sheyra hadn’t told them earlier, or if she should feel sorry for her for having to hide it.
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“Why didn’t you say anything?” she finally asked, trying to keep her voice gentle.
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Sheyra smiled mockingly, although there was no trace of amusement in her eyes.
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“Because it wouldn’t change anything. You would have wanted to meet him anyway. Besides, that doesn’t matter in this case.”
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Kimoko and Kigami exchanged glances. They had a lot of questions, but Sheyra didn’t seem like someone who was ready for a long conversation about her past.
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“So… will you take us to him?” Kigami asked cautiously.
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Sheyra nodded.
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“Yes. But I warn you… you better be prepared. Meeting my father won’t be easy. Especially in the state he’s in now.”
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“Wait, what’s your relationship with your father like?”
Sheyra stopped, her gaze seeming slightly pissed off.
‘I love my father, why do you ask? Did you suspect that I do hate him?’
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‘No, we were just curious.’
Kimoko saw Sheyra calm down.
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‘So are you ready for your meeting?’
Kigami and Kimoko just nodded.
ns216.73.217.110da2
and then Add to home screen.