52: Secrets

How splendid.

And what jealousy.

There in that square, there were dozens of people, practicing. All gathered in little books, reading papers, waving their arms, singing and chasing each other in strange ways without reacting to the victim's actions. It was the kind of show her mother would love to see.

Airys sighed, handed over the package, received another seal. She had to go, keep busy with her routine. She looked with disdain at that central statue, on which she based the arrangement of the benches and posts with brilliant dingarsite crystals. She saw a woman in her classic Archmagi robes, open, billowing in the air as she made a rectangle with her hands straight up to the sky.

Dingars, the visionary.

She sighed exhausted with the sunset behind her, she arrived with her arms hanging and her legs dragging to that little square near the girls' house. Unlike her, Melody was dying of laughter mounted on Sandy chasing Hojita.

"How was your day?" Gregory asked, nor did he have to see her, her footsteps were heavy.

"Seventeen…"

"Huh?"

"Seventeen deliveries today…" she let out her last breath and fell to the grass. "Where's Natsume?" Airys looked for her lazily.

"She went to train her resonance in private, do you need her for anything?"

Gregory was answered by Airys's groans. He sat next to her without taking his eyes off Melody.

"Tell me Airys… when do you plan to train your resonance?"

Gregory's words were a bizarre mixture of sudden, crude, kind and honest, even tired, Airys stood up and looked at him with concern, like a little girl who was found disobeying her parents. Gregory relaxed even more and put his arms behind to lean back.

"Come on, it's obvious," he looked into her eyes. "what you do with the mirrors is on another level beyond passing with someone in your arms."

Airys brought her knees together and crossed her arms. It was true that they had time training, or trying to. But nevertheless…. nevertheless, what?

Airys was speechless. Sandy and Hojita stopped running around, worried about her mistress. Melody stopped laughing confused, and after her asking to continue with the game, the gentle invocations decided to resume it. Gregory guffawed in a low volume.

"Do you see Melody?" Airys looked up. "Now she's playing with your summons, instead of practicing with the mirror. I'm sure next week she'll be very sad and angry that she can't get past the mirrors."

Airys, in all sincerity, did not know what to say.

"You can always leave things for later, but the consequences will catch up with you one day." The sun was losing itself on the horizon and the roof of the not so tall buildings. "I don't fully know your plans, but if you plan to go out into the world, neglecting your resonance; a part of you, is not the best in my opinion."

"Y-you don't understand, I… I did…"

"Use it on me." Before Airys descended into that spiral of self-pity, Gregory launched himself. "That is, if it is something negative or difficult to use, what better than an expert in using a resonance like me?"

Airys's glassy silver eyes were about to crumble into hundreds of dust particles. She tried to form words, only her throat burned because her chest burned.

"T-the first time I used my resonance… I caused the death of Natsume's brother."

Airys clenched her eyes and knuckles tightly. In the background she expected a claim, Seng's exasperating screams, about how she was a good-for-nothing. That would be perfect, being punished. They're not supposed to be nice to an accessory to murder like her, Greg wasn't supposed to look at her with compassion...

"Are you okay Airys?" It was Gregory's calm and peaceful words. He didn't judge her, he didn't condemn her, he merely…cared.

"What's wrong with you? How can you be so understanding?" Airys sobbed, tears overflowed her eyes and spilled onto the grass.

Meeting such a person was a miracle, there was no other explanation in the simple mind of Airys. In that grim moment, learning and using her resonance went from dream to nightmare. That he is able to understand how horrifying and tormenting it would be to remember the greatest of your mistakes when wanting to use that special power, is admirable to say the least.

"Does Natsume know?"

"U-hum" Airys shook her head.

"Could you explain me?"

Airys nodded gently, pacifying the last tears.

———————————————————————————————————

"I recommend you try to use your resonance with the shackles."

Seng reviewed Zul'luz's advice as he returned to the mansion with a few purchases. For the level of concentration he was applying, it would be normal for his entire right arm to be frozen and overflowing with ice, however, the most he managed was a tiny cloud of dust rising from it.

The butler opened the door of the mansion for him and they nodded to each other. Inside the atmosphere was even more extravagant than outside, the carpets were in floral patterns, the maids had beautiful violet dresses when working and the male staff wore long skirts as if they were going to perform some kind of ancient and ancient ritual. It was lucky that he and the butler could wear any kind of clothes, except when it comes to acting as a receptionist, unfortunately.

He went up the stairs, went to the right, Zul'luz's room is at the end after his own room and a couple of other rooms. He walked past his and stopped two paces from it. He turned back and pushed the door that was barely visible ajar, opening it in the process and revealing Zul'luz inside, reaching into Seng's things.

"What are you doing?" Seng sighed with dead eyes.

"I check the things of my slave" And that was the reason. Zul'luz was on top of Seng's bed with the contents of the sack scattered on the bed, not the least bit worried about being discovered.

"I brought you what you asked for, stop that already/" Seng's casual walk changed to a quick jump when he noticed the corner of that book sticking out from under a couple of clothes.

He pounced on the bed, firmly placed his elbow on that part of the bed and offered his owner the bag he brought with a commercial smile and a somewhat accidental Don Juan pose. Zul'luz was suddenly frightened, but soon her expression changed to a pleased smile and her hand reached out to grasp what Seng concealed.

"What's this?" She smoothed out the wrinkled multi-colored patchwork shirt.

Seng was actually relieved; he had moved the book further back. Still, he decided to put on an embarrassed face that turned real when he saw what she had grabbed. It didn't take Zul'luz long to realize what was holding in her hands.

"Really?" She looked at him quizzically. "Hehehehe hahaha! You're cute! Hehehe!"

"S-stop, it's none of your business what/"

"How it isn't?!" Zul'luz pushed the shirt away from him so that Seng would not take it. "I remember when I bought it for you, I also put this green patch on it, the gray one too, and when you asked for it I put the other green patch on it."

Seng clenched his fist and braced himself for an unstoppable round of jeers. What he got was a tap on his abdomen and the warm softness of Zul'luz's hair on him.

"You are so silly" she mused fondly as she closed her eyes and hugged Seng's messy shirt gently.

Seng settled back and relaxed to enjoy the moment. Yes, it was better to ignore both, the golden sand in the bag and the book are problems they can take care of later.

"You're right"

———————————————————————————————————

On the outskirts of that small room, a couple of maids leaned out to see the situation.

"I TOLD YOU THEY HAD SOMETHING SPECIAL!" She told her in sign language.

"I DONT BELIEVE IT!" answered the other.

"YOU CAN ZULY-SAMA!" They both stifled a shriek of excitement.