Under the Sleeve

As the moon was hanging in the sky, Brissia and Hansen walked through the forest on a hill. Aside from their footsteps, the only noise in the quiet was that of crickets and owls humming.

"Marius threatened Fayrl through me and his cousin, Drey."

When Brissia turned to look at him, all she found was a woeful look on his face. "How?"

Her question sparked the same curiosity as Harris, who was hiding behind a tree trunk. Apart from his arrogant face, he had never once seen the chairman punish an agent directly because he always assigned it to his accomplices, including Drey.

"He... nearly took our power by force because Fayrl refused to take you to him."

Brissia widened her eyes, and so did Harris.

"What? So Fayrl's arrival was supposed to…"

"Exactly," Hansen cut her. "Can you help her out of this situation?"

"I-I would like to, but how do you think I could stand up to the chief?"

Hansen's gaze became emotionless, causing Harris to furrow his brows and Brissia to look wary.

"So, it was all just an act of hypocrisy?"

Noticing the changing tone, Brissia knew that Hansen had high hopes for him. The girl stepped back as Hansen moved closer, causing Harris to flinch.

"You don't think twice to assist that agent who wished to kill me, but you are reluctant to assist she who possesses the same power as yours?

"Wait, that's not what I—"

"No. You did it consciously with full understanding and with that mighty power that should have remained in Harris's body."

She froze. Her heart skipped a beat. Then, without any prior warning, a shadow passed before her eyes and sent Hansen gliding to the ground.

Hansen looked irritably at Harris, who was on top of him and clutching his collar with a razor gaze.

"Get lost before I lose my temper."

He clicked his tongue hearing Harris's low, icy tone. As he pushed Harris away and rose to his feet, he said, "It was a dumb choice for you to cede your power, Harris."

"If you wanted it so badly, you should've just let your blonde girl sleep in a casket instead of pleading with Drey and Davina for a hospital bed and a miracle."

Hansen's fist was stuck in the air as it aimed at Harris's face. When he looked to the side, he found Brissia reaching out her hand to him with a light blue light gently emitting from her irises.

"Don't follow me."

"What? No, Brissie! Listen to me!"

Hansen held his neck and straightened his collar while glancing cynically at the two people running away. He looked up and took a deep breath before returning to where his friends were gathered.

Splash!

A splash of water stopped Harris from running. He looked to the right, where thick clothes were strewn on the grass by the lake.

His eyes widened when he saw a girl pop her head above the water. Her shoulder-length brown hair weighed down her bare shoulders that were bathed in silver light.

"Brissie, what are you doing?"

He quickly looked away as soon as the girl turned at him. "What are you doing here, Harris?! I told you not to follow me!"

"W-well, I saw you left with that bitter face of yours and thought you might have ran into something!"

"I'm fine! I just... need to cool my mind and body after seeing Hansen's attitude."

Brissia's reply silenced Harris for a moment. He then chuckled, looking at the moon. "Ah, he's actually a cooperative guy, both on and off duty. I have to admit that it was unexpected from him, but I also think it's only natural that he did that because his loved one was being oppressed."

The girl snorted, turning her back to the edge of the lake while looking up at the dark sky. "I wish you had never transferred your powers to me."

"It's the fact, though, Brissie."

"Huh?"

Harris glanced at Brissia, whose side of the face was splashed with silver light as she turned to him with raised eyebrows.

"I was indeed informed that the power I entrusted to the headquarters long ago was given to Fayrl due to her critical condition. Despite this, neither Drey nor Davina, the people with whom I transacted, mentioned your name. That's why Hansen's words were a bit... ah, no… much surprising to me."

Harris's explanation then left them in a brief silence.

Then he came closer to the edge of the lake and said, "Don't you feel cold, Brissie?"

"A bit."

He grimaced at her nonchalant answer. Turning around, he said, "Wait. I'll get Debora here."

A few moments later, the dark ruby-haired girl came with her jaw almost dropped.

"What in the winter do you do?! Bathing in the lake!?"

Harris sighed and turned around when he heard Debora babbling at Brissia who was persistently being less talkative. The red under his eyes and in his ears would have made him the target of taunts if it weren't for the night's darkness.

"And you act innocent even though you've seen it, Harris?!"

"What should I do, kneel before you?!"

Brissia tightened her jacket as she hurriedly intervened between Harris and Debora, both panicked and amused to see the two of them arguing like little kids. However, it didn't take long for them to make up and return with her to the agents' emergency shelter.

A secret meeting was held with Harris, Hansen, and another female agent taking the lead. They discussed the possibility of Fayrl reporting to Marius and various things related to their next plans.

When one or two agents questioned Fayrl's leaving, it certainly did not leave a good taste in Hansen's mouth. However, the fire was quickly put out thanks to Brissia's suggestion.

"All right, let's do this! Rest well, everyone."

All the agents walked back to the hut, while Brissia walked in the other direction. It made Hansen and Debora glance at each other until they found Harris.

"Your girlfriend looks like she's about to missing."

Harris stared at Debora confused for a moment before looking in the direction their gazes were directed at.

A girl stood silently by the stream. Her reflection in the water was besieged with recalls of her colleagues' and Madame Ouden's riot.

"If only water could be the intermediary…"

"Speaking of intermediary, you reopened some old wounds in me."

A swarm of gleaming creatures surfaced in the air around her and erased the fade memories of the incident. She turned around and saw a man standing nearby, staring at her unblinking with hazel brown eyes.

"Harris, she's right. We could be in danger if—"

"Shh, do you hear it?"

A soft crash of waves caught Brissia's attention and she turned her head forward. She widened her eyes as it reminded her of something.

"It's… the sound of the sea's crashing waves connecting Archtier and Bouville."

"Correct."

Harris approached her. "You've heard the contents of the message, haven't you? Then, there's no reason for you to return. For all of us, without exception."

"Including my actual home?"

Harris fell silent. That made Brissia move closer to the stream.

"I'm not really here by my will, Harris," Brissia said, turning to Harris who was sitting on the grass staring at her.

"Madame Ouden was right, that I came here unconsciously to escape my repulsive life and a face that bothers me as much as you do."

"Brissie—"

"So, please, don't make me stay longer at Archtier, Harris."

Harris fell silent as Brissia passed him.

"If I could turn back time…"

Harris slowly threw a flat stone in his hand into the stream.

"…Then I'll get rid of that bothersome person who brought you here to the point I won't want to let go of you."

***

"Repeal! Repeal!"

Fayrl kept moving in the direction of the main door despite the agents' shouts in the headquarters' front yard. Seeing how fiery they were in the stillness of a cold winter morning, her eyes narrowed for a brief moment.

"End his banishment! Bring Drey back to this place!"

Standing on a stone platform, Davina clenched her fists behind her back. Her eyebrows raised, particularly when she noticed a blonde girl approaching the front door and glancing at her.

"If you guys find Brissia, I'll try to bring her back here."

"After one of our colleagues was killed during the quest? No! Restore everything to its original state!" exclaimed one of the agents with a sharp look.

Fayrl walked into SURVIVE with big steps, making several agents with golden crow emblems look at her suspiciously. When one of them tapped her on the shoulder, Fayrl threw them to the ground, inviting the agents with golden crow emblems to her.

"Let me through," she said as she yanked up the agent's golden crow emblem from the floor and aimed her handgun at them.

She glanced briefly at the handgun symbol in a circle that split diagonally on the wall next to her. Then she pinned the golden crow emblem on the right side of her shirt and walked past the special agents frozen in place.

Marius Pagan stopped writing when the door to his room opened without warning. An agent tried to pull Fayrl back, but Marius Pagan raised his hand, causing the agent to give a quick glance before leaving the two of them in the room.

"I told you, you're better suited to be a special agent than to be friends with those children, Fayrl," Marius Pagan said with a faint grin.

Right after he said that, Fayrl removed the golden crow's emblem, letting it clink as it fell to the floor. Marius's smile vanished seeing Fayrl's cold gaze.

"Please let Brissia Niverte go, Father."

Marius's shoulders shook. A smile holding back laughter was etched on his lips.

Fayrl clenched her fist, about to take a step closer. However, a light blue semi-transparent wall suddenly appeared in front of her, blocking her from advancing.

"Hah... indeed, young people like you have that as your constant desire. However, she's already back, isn't she?"

Fayrl flinched. She rushed to the window beside her, opening it for a clearer view of the front yard. Her jaw almost dropped as she saw Brissia, Harris, Debora, and the rest of the agents in the woods making their way toward the cheering crowd, who stared at them in unison.

Marius's laughter brought Fayrl to her senses and turned around quickly.

"You worked very hard to get them away, but forgot that one of them is a skilled mover," said Marius, rising up from his seat.

"Are you not aware that your actions could result in a treason?" Marius denounced, causing Fayrl to recoil with a strained look.

"Stay away from them!" Fayrl yelled, stopping Marius from leaving the room.

The man stared coldly at Fayrl for a moment. Two agents with golden crow emblems entered the room, gripping Fayrl's arms, but not making her take her sharp eyes off Marius.

"We'll see how they will survive the test in the near future," he said before leaving the room, making Fayrl try to release the grip of the two agents beside her.

"Fayrl, you shouldn't have thrown the emblem away. He might listen to you if you keep wearing it," said one of them.

Fayrl glanced briefly at the golden crow emblem lying on the floor. She snorted, smiling lightly at them.

"I'd rather be a recycle bin than have to be his golden doll."

The two agents let go of Fayrl as soon as Fayrl pushed their hands away. They looked at her with a worried look that was mixed with annoyance.