Memory

"Well done, everyone. Have a good night!"

Brissia stretched her arms up, turning to Neya and Lucia, who also looked exhausted. Previously, a glamorously dressed woman came to the office and asked them to write an article that must be published the next morning. It was also the reason for the long queues in front of the coffee and tea pantry.

As Brissia were standing in line to get a free cup of tea, Lucia tapped her on the shoulder.

"Brissia, do you have a specific year as a reference when editing the draft?" asked Lucia, who stood behind her.

Brissia stared at Lucia silently for a while. She accidentally replaced one of the words with the spelling in the modern era, which she immediately regretted as she found out that it was her close coworker who reviewed the draft.

"Uh… I think I was lost in thought that I wrote some obscure words," Brissia replied, taking the cup of tea and walking upstairs.

Lucia rushed after her as soon as she got her refreshment. Once she was beside Brissia, she asked enthusiastically, "Really?! Ah, too bad. I had a feeling those words would be used more often in the future."

Brissia almost tripped over the stairs, sending Lucia into a panic. Luckily, she immediately balanced her body, smiling awkwardly at Lucia.

"How did that cross your mind?" Brissia asked as she continued walking, kept her face as indifferent as possible.

When both of them sat down on the wooden chair between the two doors of the girls' room, Lucia grimaced.

"Perhaps you didn't notice, but compared to the current spelling, your words are more efficient and to the point. Once, someone predicted that everything in the future would be much easier. Can you imagine if we could make one word in the snap of a finger?"

Lucia's words elicited a nod and a faint smile from Brissia. Little did she know that the girl had experienced it at the same time, but in a different place.

It also reminded Brissia of the mysterious phenomenon that had bound her lately. Through tea similar to the one in her grasp, she was thrown into an unknown place. Even if it was the universe calling her to Archtier, there was no time for her to become Doctor Strange.

"Is Brissia up there?"

Lucia turned her head when a male colleague asked from downstairs. She stood up, approached the guardrail.

"She's here, Tyler! What is it?" asked Lucia to a man in a white shirt, blue tie, and gray trousers standing by the stairs.

"There's someone looking for her in front of the office. He said don't let Brissia throw him over the river fence wall."

Brissia looked up, widening her eyes.

"Huh? What do you—"

Lucia was taken aback when Brissia suddenly walked down the stairs, leaving her cup of tea on the nightstand next to the wooden chair.

"Brissia! It's late! Are you sure he's someone you know?" asked Lucia, about to go down the stairs as well.

Brissia nodded quickly then rushed toward the main door. Gabriel, who was in the middle of chatting with his colleagues, turned his head when he saw Brissia exiting the office in a hurry. He glanced at a letter stamped in dark blue with a relief of a crow, slightly sticking out of his coat pocket.

When she got outside, she was stunned to see Harris in his dark blue suit and cloak, waiting for her at the fence wall of the Flower River. People were walking around in the streets, enlivening the riverside atmosphere. The bridge nearby emitted warm lights.

"Hey," said Harris, smiling a little as Brissia approached him.

"Hey?" Brissia laughed softly. "Is that how people here greet each other at night?"

"Did you expect me to say something else?" asked Harris, glancing at Brissia with a knowing smile as they started walking down the sidewalk with the other pedestrians.

The girl shook her head slowly. "I think I can already guess what it is. So forget it."

Harris laughed. However, before long, the smile vanished from his lips.

"I'm a very predictable person, aren't I, Brissie?"

She glanced at Harris, who was still walking with a straight gaze. His mischievous and playful expression again changed in a matter of seconds to become as flat as the sky. It was as if when night fell, he had the ability to shrewdly change emotions.

"Is it because Benjamin talked about you so bluntly?"

Seeing Harris pouting, Brissia snorted with laughter. She again said, "You know, there aren't many people who are forthright where I'm from. But I don't think you're predictable; just very open with everyone."

Harris snorted with an unamused look on his face. "Oh, believe me, Brissie. You wouldn't like to hear me speak openly to you."

"Why wouldn't I?"

He stopped walking, facing Brissia with a serious look. Brissia also faced him, furrowing her brows.

"Because my frank words would only hurt people."

Brissia snorted and smiled in surprise, but nodded her head anyway. "Nice try to scare me. Anyway, I'll take your word for it," she said, tapping Harris, who was two inches taller than her, on the shoulder.

He smiled a little then said, "Wanna go to the nearest hot chocolate shop? You don't seem to hate chocolate."

"Sure."

In a medium sized room with warm lighting and wooden walls, the two sat facing each other next to the large window. At first, the shop owner mistook Harris for a person, which led them to confusion. However, Harris was even more confused when he heard the owner's explanation.

"What did she say?" Brissia asked, helping Harris put one of the drinks on the table.

The man was silent for a moment as he sat on his chair. "There was a visitor a few years ago, dressed like me, came with a woman whose hair was as vivid as the sunset sky," said Harris, half muttering.

His eyebrows furrowed hearing the physical characteristics of the woman mentioned by the owner. The appearance of the visitor described by the owner also bothered him. He pondered for a few moments until the puff of smoke from the hot chocolate was gone.

"It tastes good."

Harris blinked at Brissia's words. "You like it, Brissie?"

Brissia nodded at Harris's question. It brought a smile to Harris's lips, even though his memory brought back a painful memory associated with hot chocolate.

After the two of them spent quite some time at the chocolate shop, they went to a walk together on the sidewalk. The darkness of the night didn't extinguish the life beneath. The later it got, the brighter the street lamps shone.

"So," Brissia shifted her gaze from her shadow in front of her to the man beside her, "Your night shift is in this area, huh?"

Harris glanced at her for a moment before straightening his gaze.

"Not really."

Harris's answer brought a smile to Brissia's lips. Despite that answer, Brissia wanted to tease him even more.

"Are you even allowed to relax while patrolling late at night?"

"Hey! I told you I'm more than a regular cop! I..."

"Shh, lower your voice!"

Harris was stunned when Brissia covered his mouth. While the girl looked anxiously at the people around her who were staring at them in discomfort, Harris pursed his lips just so as not to 'accidentally' kiss her palm.

"I get what you mean, mister irregular. But why do you like letting the whole world know what you say, huh?"

Harris lowered Brissia's hand, looked at her confidently. "Because I'm the best cop in Archtier. Thus, worry not about—"

A woman's scream from a distance not only interrupted Harris's words but also turned Brissia's head. Their eyes caught the figure of a man running through the crowd.

"Wait here, Brissie."

Brissia nodded at Harris. He rushed after the mysterious man through the crowd of pedestrians. It left Brissia no choice but to wait for his return, although the night was a little chillier than usual.

As she scanned her surroundings, her gaze fell on a direction board. The four boards pointing in opposite directions had carvings bearing the names of the places, which contained the word 'District' apart from Flower Bridge.

She blinked as a teardrop rolled down her cheek. She rubbed her eyelids only to find that it wasn't hers, but the sky's.

A rumble that came from the sky lifted her face up. As people rushed out of the open area, she was unmoved, hypnotized by the gray that enveloped the sky. Until when the drizzle turned into downpour then she hastily headed under a shophouse terrace.

While gazing at the pouring rain, she stumbled upon a memory that passed by. A pale gray sky, endless rain, and vehicles that were speeding regardless of whether there was a crossing in front of them. Her brows furrowed as her grip on her shoulders tightened. As her body hit the cold asphalt, two voices were ringing in her head. One sounded worried and the other sounded guilty.

Brissia was about to dig deeper into the memory of their faces when the swaying of the shop's hanging board next to it caught her attention.

"Madame… Ouden?"

The name sounded odd to her. Nonetheless, she wondered what the shop was selling that late.

The warm light streaming through the curtains and the antique carvings that decorated the front door were mesmerizing. A special curve in the carving gave her a glimpse of the room with the wide windows and work desks. It distracted her for a moment before Harris's words replayed in her head.

Her confidence in Harris's quick return kept her hand from touching the doorknob. His angry and worried face on her return haunted her. However then, the door suddenly opened by itself.

A purplish-black haired woman stood behind the table, wearing a black robe, staring indifferently at Brissia. During her shock, Brissia widened her eyes upon recognizing the woman.

"Mrs. Olivia?"

The woman smirked.

"My, my. You found me, Brissia Niverte."