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After much careful deliberation and consideration in regards to such a sobering revelation, with every pair of eyes in all shapes and sizes pointed squarely onto my being throughout the duration, I finally took action and made a decision.

Ria had only another hour. No more, no less.

Irene told me it didn\'t matter, that something as arbitrary as time itself meant absolutely nothing when enraptured by the Enstar\'s Call, the voices of the void - that if Ria hadn\'t woken up by now… then she wasn\'t waking up at all.

That Ria doesn\'t want to wake up at all.

Another moment of deliberation and consideration. Reached another decision.

I told her only another hour. No more, no less. 

Irene didn\'t try to dissuade any further afterward, leaving for the upstairs after only a brief nod my way, but before she did, I called out to her again. She stopped in her ascent, her hazel eyes staring silently through the gaps in the steps, just as mine did the night before. 

But unlike back then, Irene didn\'t look eager at all to find herself gazing in my direction, gone was the tenderness, the gentleness… it was a little difficult to readjust back to the cold, apathetic stare that had always been second nature.

I tried, I smiled. "Thank you," I said to her as sincerely as I could. "For everything, really… thanks."

She couldn\'t even muster up a smile anymore. Another nod, as fleeting as the last, and she was gone, footsteps fading into the distance. 

There was a silent tension in the air that had arisen to replace her absence, that tension wasn\'t great company, it was awkward, didn\'t talk too much… and pretty much put a damper on the overall mood.

The only one that didn\'t seem to mind it one bit was the Elf-Knight to my side, darting her eyes from left to right with great bemusement.

"Was that the Succubus, Master? The one you mentioned that aided you with the Matriarchs?" Ash asked, settling her gaze onto the flight of stairs.

Irene and Ash. Completely forgot that they were yet to be officially introduced to each other. That back then was essentially their first direct interaction together, fleeting glances at one another and nothing more. Not exactly the best of ice breakers if I\'m being honest.

"That\'s Irene, yeah…" I responded. "You got her to thank for waking you up too."

"I had sensed a great palpable tension between the two of you. Had she done something to you?"

There was a hacking, choking, a half-cough half-laugh hybrid echoing from the shallow rims of a coffee mug. Amanda lowered her cup, her lips doused in brown liquid.

"Sorry…" she sputtered, wiping her mouth with the sleeve of her tracksuit. "I\'ll be quiet."

Ash blinked in her direction. "You must be Amanda. Master made mention of you."

Amanda sheepishly raised a hand, stifling a cough. "Pleasure."

Without skipping a beat, Ash bowed her head with much refinement and grace. "It\'s an honor to finally make your acquaintance."

Amanda, in return, simply coughed. "Likewise."

\'Least this introduction went much smoother than Irene\'s one. Less on the tense side, but really leaning a lot more on the awkward. Balances out, I suppose.

"You got an hour free, Amanda," I said. "What are you gonna do with it?"

"Prepare, I think. Not really sure what for. But yeah, I\'ll go prepare myself. After coffee, of course."

Well, the pitcher on the table was still half full so it looks as if she\'s gonna have a long relaxing drink ahead of her. Ultimately, it was not only her that needed prepping, I had to freshen up as well, reinvigorate myself… and the best way to go about doing that would be a long, cold shower.

But before I could even finish out the act of standing up, Ash spoke out again, her voice as firm as the words that followed.

"I shall be going with you."

That sent me plummeting back onto the couch, the cushion seat sinking from the impact. This outdoor venture we had planned comprised of only Irene, Amanda, and I, bringing Ash along was not at all in the cards here, the thought never even occurred to me. Know why?

"I think it\'s better for you if you took a moment for yourself, Ash. Sit this one out, you know?"

That\'s why. 

But obviously, Ash thought different.

"I\'ve seated enough for one day," She said. "Master, I\'m afraid I have to insist. After everything, I wish not to see you in harm\'s way any longer. In here, staying here, I cannot protect you."

A little outing wasn\'t going to kill me. I had those words ready, a smile ready, fully intent to reassure. Then I realized… oh yeah, they very nearly did. It\'s almost a wonder I didn\'t have a phobia of the outdoors yet. Ash had a point on that front.

And what\'s more… I have a feeling she really needed this much more than I actually needed her protection. Denying her now, after everything she had said... I\'d just be doing more harm than good.

Even if it was with the best of intentions. After all...

Kindness can hurt, too.

Starting to understand that now. 

Got ready another smile, and some other words to say instead. "Then I guess you better hop into the bathroom too, then."

Clearly Ash didn\'t expect me to start doubling back on my words in the blink of an eye. The way she stared at me all confounded-like, don\'t think she even believed what her pointed ears were hearing.

So I doubled down, standing back up to my feet as I did. "You\'ve been in those same clothes for nearing three days now. Thought Elf-Knights were supposed to be more well-groomed than that or was I mistaken?"

There it was… something I haven\'t heard for so long, hiding beneath long fringes of ashen hair, a small giggle emerging from a faint smile. 

No, you were not," She said. "I shall go now and do just that."

Ash sprang up after me, a newfound spring to her step, and began making her way up the flight of stairs. Like Irene, she too momentarily paused midway through the climb, those gaps in between wooden slabs had her emerald eyes glimmering bright, staring… sincerely staring...

"Thank you, Master," She muttered to me before disappearing too into the halls of the second floor.

Think it\'s about time for me to vanish up those steps too. It was only a short sixty minutes, after all. Better make it count. 

"She is not at all how she talks and acts in-game," Amanda remarked, staring away to where Ash was last seen. "I think I prefer this Eshwlyn over the other."

"Spoiler alert," I said, placing a hand onto the stair handle.

"Ahh…" Amanda raised a hand apologetically and with the other as if to negate the gesture, sipped away on another brimming steaming cup. "My bad."

I\'m starting to think coffee was her way of coping with everything. Can relate. It\'s okay Amanda, you\'ll pull through. We both will.

"I\'ll be going first," I said to her from up above the second landing.

Amanda simply raised her glass up in the air as a response. swaying it as sluggish as the most inebriated of alcoholics. 

Ascending up was an easier time than descending down. Whereas before I shambled my way down like a zombie devoid of purpose, now it\'s like I never felt more alive even if I tried.

That\'s not to say it was all sunshine and warmth from here on out, because there can\'t possibly be no sunshine if she\'s still gone… no warmth while she was still away.

And Ria has already been gone for too long.

Why wasn\'t she waking? Why was she refusing? How much did she long for those voices in her head, and how much did it hurt out here for her to rather stay in slumber?

Always thought of her as the bubbly, springy bird that could never fizzle out. But even with that impression, I knew that was something about her didn\'t seem too right to me. 

Everyone had their bleak moments. I just didn\'t know how dark hers would actually be.

Those steps towards my bedroom were ones filled with these thoughts. But I couldn\'t linger on them for long as I liked… I still had that hour ahead of me. I knew I had to make use of it for things that I can actually control.

Focus. Determination. Intent.

A quick shower would take the better part of ten minutes. Wonder how many times I could repeat those words in fifty?

Guess I\'m about to find out.

As I swung my door, briefly I thought of Irene… maybe she could show how it\'s really done. But then I remembered her eyes, her stare… and immediately wave aside the prospect.

Don\'t think she\'d be too enthused about seeing me at the moment, let alone talk to me.

Shows what I know, doesn\'t it?

The door swung close behind me, grazing my back in the process - not even properly entered into the room, yet I continued to stand as still as a statue. I looked, everything was as it should be, all save for one.

Adalia on the bed continued to slumber, the A/C unit continued to blow… yet the rays in the window didn\'t shine as brightly as before.

Irene stood front and center, arms crossed, staring back at me again, with eyes ever so tender.

"We need to talk."