Incomprehensible

Vermilion couldn't believe her eyes. The woman she had seen on the train was now standing right in front of them, holding a blood-stained dagger. The lifeless bodies of the soldiers lay on the ground, covered in blood.

"What are you looking at, girl?" the woman asked Vermilion.

"Did you just brutally kill them all?" Vermilion asked, unable to hide her shock.

"What else? Did you think they killed themselves?"

"You seem so calm, even after killing so many. It's just like what I witnessed on the train yesterday."

"Are you the one who was hiding in another compartment on the train? What a coincidence."

"Don't you feel guilty for taking so many lives of the people?" Vermilion's voice trembling.

"Taking lives of the people? Watch your mouth, girl! Learn to distinguish between scum and people." The woman then pointed her dagger at Vermilion's mouth.

Lyon, still trying to comprehend what had just happened, finally spoke up. "Don't threaten her with your dagger. Who are you?" his voice quivering from witnessing the woman's deadly skills.

"That's none of your business, weakling."

"Weakling? Are you referring to me?" Lyon asked, with a mix of fear and anger in his voice.

"Not just a weakling, but a useless one as well. Can't you understand what I'm saying?"

"This is nonsense... I..."

"I've never seen such a weakling before, someone who kneels before scum. Even the girl next to you, who appears innocent, seems more composed and reliable than you, weakling!" the woman interrupted Lyon.

"That's enough! Stop it!" Vermilion shouted; her voice filled with frustration.

"You're blocking my way, weakling. Get lost from my sight at once!"

Enraged, Lyon picked up a gun from the floor and attempted to shoot the woman.

"You crazy witch! I'll kill you right now!"

"Lyon! Don't do it! Put down..."

The woman reacted swiftly, delivering a powerful kick to Lyon before he could fire the gun. Lyon fell to the ground, defeated.

"Weakling, indeed. Consider this your first and final warning: don't get in my way, or I will kill you mercilessly."

The woman stared at him with disdain before she walked away. As she left, the weather suddenly turned dark, and heavy rain began to pour, washing away the bloodstains on the street.

Vermilion rushed to Lyon's side, checking him for injuries. She discovered a large bruise on his left hand. Lyon winced in pain as she touched it.

"Lyon, are you alright? Your hand is injured."

"It hurts... Don't touch it, it's so painful," Lyon cried out.

"It seems she broke your arm too."

'How powerful is she?! A single kick caused so much damage...' Vermilion thought to herself.

"Hang on, let's get you home quickly!" Vermilion helped Lyon to their house, supporting him as they walked. When they were close to home, they noticed Carmella standing at the street corner, holding an umbrella.

"Vermilion! You're finally back. Oh my... What happened to him?" Carmella exclaimed in shock.

"Let's get inside first, and I'll explain everything."

They entered the house, where Carmella immediately attended to Lyon's injuries, while Vermilion stood nearby, worried about his well-being.

"Vermilion, go grab a towel and dry yourself off. He'll be fine. Focus on taking care of yourself."

"Alright, I'll do it right away," Vermilion went to dry herself off and change her clothes.

"I promised to take her on a city tour today, but I gave the opportunity to you, and you messed it up." Lyon's arm was being treated by Carmella.

Lyon remained silent and glanced at Vermilion before retreating to his room, locking the door behind him.

"Lyon!"

"Ignore him. Now, tell me what happened to both of you."

"Alright then..." Vermilion proceeded to explain in detail everything she had witnessed that afternoon. Carmella listened attentively, shocked by Vermilion's account.

"This is ridiculous, but somehow you're lucky to have met that woman."

"Lucky? I thought she was going to kill us too. She killed all those soldiers without hesitation!"

"But without her help, you might have ended up as another lifeless body on the street."

"Hmm... That's true, but..."

"Well, there's no use arguing about it now. The most important thing is to stay alert in the coming days and avoid going outside unless necessary."

"Understood,"

"You seem tired. Get some rest and don't worry too much about him. Let him be."

"Why don't the two of you seem to get along?"

"You misunderstand us. This isn't the first time he's locked himself in his room. And if we didn't get along, I wouldn't have bothered to treat his arm in the first place,"

"Indeed, you're just as caring as he described you to be," Vermilion said, smiling.

"Who said that? Lyon? Did he really say that?" Carmella asked, her face turning slightly red.

"Yeah, he did. He also said that you both just have difficulty understanding each other."

"Can't believe he told you so much, and you two just met this morning. He rarely talks to us."

"I think you two have always misunderstood each other. Try to get to know him better," Vermilion suggested.

"No way, I won't do it unless he approaches me first."

While they were chatting, Dr. Apgar entered the house.

"Good evening, ladies," Dr. Apgar greeted them.

"Dr. Apgar! Nice to see you again," Vermilion said happily.

"How are you getting along with them?"

"They've been treating me well. I feel so happy staying with them!"

"That's great. I have something to give you," Dr. Apgar said.

"What is it?"

"A forged birth certificate to establish your identity."

"A forged birth certificate?" Vermilion took the certificate and examined it closely.

Name: Vermilion Yeleona

Birthdate: 21 March 1960

Place of Birth: Luthernza, Kothern

"You didn't have a last name, so I created one for you. Judging by your appearance, I guessed you were around 15 years old, so I used the year 1960 as your birth year," Dr. Apgar explained.

"Vermilion Yeleona... How did you decide on my last name?"

"It was inspired by one of my old friends."

"Carmella, do you think it sounds weird?" Vermilion asked.

"Nope, it sounds cute."

"Be grateful, girl! It's better than a name from a storybook," Dr. Apgar chimed in.

"21 March... That's the day we first met."

"Yes," Dr. Apgar confirmed.

"Is this piece of paper really that important to me?"

"Absolutely. Without it, the soldiers would simply assume you're one of the exiled. Only those who are 18 years old and above receive ID cards."

"I see. You mentioned that before. Thank you so much, Dr. Apgar. You've done so much for me!"

"And for us," Carmella added, showing her appreciation.

"Oh, Carmella, get ready as usual. Tonight, we're going for it again," Dr. Apgar said to Carmella.

"Alright, I'll be ready in a moment."

"Are you two going out at night? Isn't it dangerous?" Vermilion asked, concerned.

"We have some errands to attend to, and we can only do them at night," Carmella explained.

"What is it? Can I help in any way?"

"No, there's no need. Just get some rest. I'll be back tomorrow morning. Tonight, the whole bedroom is yours!"

"Okay…"

"Carmella, once you're ready, meet me at the usual place," Dr. Apgar instructed.

"I got it," Carmella replied with a nod.

"Where's Lyon?"

"He locked himself in his room again."

"Not again... What a troublesome brat."

"Dr. Apgar, Lyon broke his arm while trying to help me. Could you check on him?" Vermilion asked, concerned.

"What happened to him?"

"They encountered some trouble with a woman this afternoon."

"Carmella, didn't you already check on him?" Dr. Apgar asked.

"Yes, I did. He's fine. Vermilion is just worried about him."

"Then there's no need to worry. Carmella is a skilled medic, as I've taught her," Dr. Apgar boasted.

"Thanks, Doctor!" Carmella said with a smile.

"Alright then, I'll keep an eye on him while you're away," Vermilion said.

Carmella packed up her things and left in a hurry. Before she departed, she told Vermilion that dinner was ready.

Vermilion went to knock on Lyon's door, but there was no response. She placed the dinner in front of his door and asked him to take it, but still, there was no answer.

Unable to elicit a response from him, Vermilion went to her bed. She was exhausted and lying on her bed, reflecting on the encounter with the mysterious woman.

"I must learn to distinguish between people and..."

"That woman, she's so powerful, so merciless. And Lyon... he risked himself to protect me…"

Vermilion closes her eyes, her mind filled with a whirlwind of thoughts.