Episode 27

***Alastair***

When he got there, a boy wearing a silver masquerade mask with purple accents leaned against a nearby wall. His hair was similar to Alastair except his was more of an auburn instead of a fiery red. He sort of looked like the king, too.

"Did you come here to escape the crowd, too?" he asked.

Electricity pooled inside his cheeks. Was I that obvious?

He laughed behind his hand. "I don't like crowds, either. I'd much rather be in a library." He gave me a bright smile. "What's your name, bud?"

"Collin."

"That's a nice name." He offered his hand. "Dietrich."

Alastair furrowed his eyebrows. "D-di-e-rich?"

"It's a hard name, I know." Alastair awkwardly took his hand. "You can just call me D."

That'd be easy to remember. Del started with the same letter.

"Okay. That sounds nice."

"Did you hurt your hand?" D asked.

Alastair smiled. "It's no big deal, though."

"That's good."

He went into the restroom, so he could take a break.

He came out of the bathroom and sighed. Should probably go back to Maggie. They might think I took off if I stay away for too long.

Star gasped as something pressed against his good shoulder, sending him falling into the floor.

"You okay? Take my hand," a girl called out as she held out her hand.

Star took it.

"Sorry, I should've paid more attention to where I was going."

His eyes widened as he looked up. Her mask had fallen off, revealing a fair skinned face with freckles.

"Lissy!" Star yelled, tackling her into the ground.

Lissy went stiff. "Atty?"

"Call me Collin in public. Please?"

"What happened to you? Hostile Nachimians?"

Why would she ask that?

She nudged him to let go of her. "These people have been lied to for centuries. You're better off going home." Her eyes fixed on his bandages. "They could hurt you far worse than they already have." She looked around. "Where's En?"

The boy stomped his foot. "I don't need him. I have a job to do!"

Lissy bit her lip. "I don't want to see you get hurt anymore. You should go home, Atty. I mean it."

"I won't!"

He then ran off.

Maggie smiled when Alastair came back. "Feeling better?"

"Y-yeah."

"I'm going to grab a snack. Do you think you'll feel up to a dance or two later?"

The boy flipped his hat.

Maggie smiled. "You dance surprisingly well."

The boy laughed. "I learned dancing from El Senor Gato!"

"What did you just say?"

"He also taught me how to use a rapier! En garde!"

"Engard? What's that?" Maggie furrowed her eyebrows. "This... 'Gato' guy must really be something."

He laughed. "He's a cat!"

Maggie's eyes widened.

Cats had to stick together.

Someone put their hands over Cyan's eyes. "Peek-a-boo!"

She laughed and nudged him in the side. "I'm happy to see you, too, prince charming."

"Great!" Cole gave her a sweet smile like the one he gave her when they first properly met and tipped his hat. "Would you like to dance, or would you like to wait?"

"Let's wait." Her cheeks burned. "I probably sound like a mom for saying this, but I'm still sorta worried about my roommate..."

Cole gave her a pat on the back. "You're fine. Nothing wrong with worrying about someone."

"Also..." She smiled and turned her head. "The chocolate fountain is to die for."

Cole offered his hand. "Chocolate is good. One of my old classmates wouldn't do anything until she could get to the fountain, so I don't blame you for wanting it."

Wow. She must have been rich to afford something so expensive.

When the couple got to the fountain, Isa was there with her date, her son, and his date. Violet and her date followed suit.

Violet whispered in her ear, "Don't worry about my brother. Kai and I are going to stay close by in case he or your friend need a hand."

"Mom, what is in that fountain?" the girl asked Ame.

"It's called chocolate. Try it. I think you'll like it."

Ray smiled. "I can get you some. Chocolate is really good."

He offered his hand after he made a plate of strawberries and chocolate for them to share.

Cole had made a plate while she was distracted. "Would you like to sit and enjoy this?"

The pair then sat down at a nearby table.

"If you don't mind me asking, how is your friend doing?" Cyan asked.

"He wasn't able to come tonight, but Wilhi is keeping him company and he's getting stronger every day."

Cy turned away. She remembered what she had thought when Ray asked if Collin was a Key Keeper. Could the kid that they were caring for be the one who had hurt his friend?

"Eiran is a fighter. He'll be back to his old self before even he knows it."

Cyan smiled slightly. "Say, what if the one who hurt him has mental issues? Would you still get revenge on him?"

Cole scoffed. "Of course. I can't leave a psychopath on the loose!"

" Not all mental issues are psychopathy," Violet said, walking over to us. She sat down with us. "There's stuff like schizophrenia, as well as autism. My brother and his twin have the latter."

Cole furrowed his eyebrows. "I think Wilhi's uncle had that. I never met him, though. Something had happened to him when we were kids."

"Prince Sorin, right?" Ame said, walking over to them.

"Yeah," Cole said, nodding. "Since then, Wilhi has hated Key Keepers. Given what happened to Eir, that's increased."

"They aren't bad!" Ray said, joining them. "Key Keepers protect people."

"Yeah, Vi's one," Lucy said.

Ame's eyes bulged.

Vi sighed. "Lucy, that's not something that should be said so casually..." She gasped. "Wait, how do people of this world know about them?"

Cy and Cole moved away from her.

"What? Why are you looking at me as if I became a monster?"

Cyan stared at Collin. If Violet was one, then the chances he was the one who hurt Eiran were high. Had she made a mistake, caring for him?

Ame whispered in Ray's ear.

Cole furrowed his brow at Violet. "Why are you being so non-chalant about being discovered by the kids?"

Violet blinked. "Uh, it's not something that I would like people outside of my family to know, but it's not something to be jumpy about."

"What do you mean?" Cyan whispered.

"It's nothing scary. Like Lu said, we protect the world we're sent to, or restore it in the case of the one I was tasked with."

Cole sat back down. He scratched his head with both hands.

Cyan was as befuddled as him. Weren't Key Keepers evil? Or maybe they were like other jobs, had their fill of good and bad apples.