The Fourth Day

"Imagine having a book, Harald," the hooded figure said. "You can open any page and read."

The sun was rising, and so was the king's anxiety. Today was the day Alkezar would send the answer. The three days of tranquility and anguish had passed. Alkezar's answer today would decide not only Behmuth's politics but also the neighboring countries.

"You can tear a page away. Grab a pen and write whatever you want. The characters are all under the movement of your hands. Make someone disappear, make them appear again," the hooded figure said, watching the sun rise up from the horizon.

"The book and its story, they're both at your mercy," the hooded figure turned toward the king of Behmuth. "You're like a god to that book."

"Will you please stop spouting gibberish?!" Harald shouted as he paced up and down against the window in front of which the hooded figure stood. "I don't feel right. Why is the reply coming via carrier magic and not by an envoy party?! Alkezar, they are going to choose the duchy!"

"That's not going to happen," the hooded figure said. "The one who can tell Alkezar the truth is himself in restraint right now. Alkezar would choose you unless they want to make thousands of sacrifices for some occult."

"You talk as if you know everything!" Harald snapped at the hooded figure.

"I know everything, though," the hooded figure said.

"Ha!" Harald sighed.

Something hit the window. It was a translucent bird of gold. It was carrier magic. The window was opened in a hurry and the message was received. The king had been rejected. The reason was deceit in negotiations.

"They knew," Harald mumbled. "How did they know? You said they won't!"

The hooded figure read the contents of the letter. He chuckled.

"How indeed," he said. "Seems like a worm has snuck in the book, nibbling away at its pages."

"What are you saying?!" Harald yelled. "This isn't time to be..."

"You're useless now, Harald. So shut up."

The hooded figure waved his hand and the king disappeared. Just like he was never there in the first place.

"Well well well. Shall we go and see who this little insect is?" the hooded figure chuckled and disappeared himself.

Ignis looked at the door of his room. It was a very peculiar day. Though only his fourth day in that room, but peculiar than the last three.

Lucia hadn't come into the room since the morning and now it was almost noon.

'She isn't sick, is she?' he thought while eating his breakfast.

The time went slower. There was nothing to do. Without Lucia, the room was pretty boring.

If she were there, they would already have discovered a completely odd topic to discuss and debate over. Though she would've won almost immediately in the debate. Whether she was right or wrong mattered little. Her ability to convince was almost unnatural.

Ignis smiled as he remembered how this was similar to Lucy. She would somehow talk even the vilest people into reading in the library. They became regulars afterward.

Even both of their names were similar. Lucy and Lucia.

But their appearance was like day and night. If one was a fantasy creature, the other was the most ordinary girl in the whole world. It was amusing how people with such drastic differences could still share similar behavior.

"Guess you're human, after all," Ignis mumbled while laying on the bed with nothing to do.

"I'm hurt you believed otherwise till now," a familiar voice remarked from the door. "My apologies for being absent in the morning. I had matters to attend."

Ignis sat up immediately and smiled at Lucia who came and climbed the bed beside him.

"I have good news and bad news. Which one do you wish to hear first?" Lucia said.

"Whatever you'd like." (Ignis)

"First you'll stay here in the Whitlock duchy of Behmuth for the next five under premises of education."

"Is that so? Well, I am not exactly in a position to refuse. So what's the good news?" (Ignis)

"That was the good news."

"..." (Ignis)

"The bad news is since Alkezar agreed to this. You're not allowed to enter Alkezar or more exactly, leave Behmuth until you receive the permission of both, Emperor Asterus and the new king to be of Behmuth after the rebellion."

"I don't understand politics, but it means I won't be able to go home until I receive permission, right?" (Ignis)

"Quite right. Though, I hardly think that matters much. We can always sneak in and come back before anyone even notices we were gone. I do it all the time."

"Pfft... Hahhaha ha ha." (Ignis)

"It's not a joke, I'm being honest."

"Haha haha haha. But still, pfft... you always seem like you don't care what others think." (Ignis)

"It's because I don't."

"Right? It makes me happy that someone indifferent to others like you is doing this to make me happy." (Ignis)

"That... that wasn't exactly the purpose. I was just stating the facts."

Ignis looked at the face of this beautiful stoic and indifferent girl. She looked like she didn't care if the whole world ended tomorrow. Yet, right now, there was faint redness over her face. This perfect girl wasn't good with praise.

Flustered over being told that they made someone happy only told how much of a good person she was.

"I feel like we would be great friends," Ignis said holding her hand. "If it's with you, I believe the five years would pass by in a blink."

Lucifer tightened his grip over Ignis' hand and said," I would wish it to pass as slowly as possible though."

And he smiled. Ignis laughed back too.

Friends. It was Ignis' first time being friends with someone of his age. Maybe that's why he didn't notice that the other person didn't exactly see him as a friend. It was a much more twisted kind of affection.

For Lucifer, this bond of theirs originated from his fascination with Ignis. Now it was taking a much more dangerous and unnatural turn.

How much Lucifer wanted to never let that Ignis leave that room? He was better off not answering to these intrusive within himself.