Aurore and Tifati

Back before Owen Dickman found the dust and reported to his father. Just in time for Diego to carry George on his back and bring him to the Bonaville North Cemetery to recover. An old woman arrived.

Her once beautiful face that broke the hearts of many men in her youth was saggy and wrinkly. She wore a tattered gray robe and by her side was a hand sewn bag made of goat leather. It has seen better days.

"He's gone. I couldn't feel him anymore. I lost him and it's all your fault, Tifati." The old woman said.

The curious thing was there was no one else beside her at that moment. She was all alone on that street yet she was speaking as if another person was with her.

"Ba! What nonsense are you spouting about? Don't blame me for your incompetence. Had you let me have the body, you wouldn't have lost him so stupidly. Your idiocy knows no bounds, Aurore."

But oddly enough, she could clearly hear the voice inside her head. Like usual: naggy and a bit of a pain in the ass.

They bicker whenever they have a chance. And anyone who sees her will think she has a brain disease that makes her hear stuff.

"Woman! Are you even listening? That's why you never learn. Your head always wanders around. Focus! Learn how to focus and listen to me for once, you fool."

But Aurore didn't respond. Something Tifati wasn't used to. Like her, Aurore didn't like to lose so it baffled her.

'Come to think of it. There was that one time when she let me win for a whole day. Even went as far as admitting defeat.'

Tifati recalled that time. She thought Aurore was going nuts and she started to worry. It was already too late when she found out Aurore got her hands on the rarest black pearl there is. It's not just any pearl. It makes anyone younger and heals any disease that comes with old age.

It immediately turned into dust as soon as she touched it when it was finally her turn for the body. It means Aurore had already sucked the pearl dry, not leaving even a little bit for her.

She was so furious she didn't speak to her for a whole week.

'But not this time. It took me really long to learn this trick but I'm finally putting it to good use.'

Suddenly, Aurore felt a sharp pain in her left temple. She could feel the skin of her face shifting to one side.

"What is happening to me?" She then fumbled for her mirror in her bag.

She inspected her face with it and almost dropped it in the process. A new face was growing in her face!

"Ha! Can't have you fooling me again, Aurore." Tifati spat.

"Tifati? What on the sisterhood are you doing? You're ruining my face!"

"Need not to worry, Aurore. I've done this while you're asleep. Countless times, actually. But why'd you go silent all of a sudden? Found another peaaaarl?"

"Fool! You think something as precious as that would just be lying around? And in the land of the living, no less? What? It grows on trees?"

"I know that. I'm not an idiot. I also know you're a greedy, self-obsessed, and a heartless old hag who would go silent whenever she finds something as rare as the black pearl. So spit it out! What did you find this time?"

But Aurore didn't answer. Her focus was back to the brick lying on the ground. Wriggling scalp and green blood covered the corner.

She dipped her index finger to it which then she brought to her mouth, stuck out her tongue and licked it. "Still fresh. Not more than fifteen minutes ago. Hmm. But it's odd. Really odd," she mumbled.

"What is odd?" Tifati asked. Getting more impatient by the second.

"That one." Aurore pointed to the brick. "Now that I've tasted it, I'm certain it belonged to that guy."

"By 'that guy', d'you mean the nitwit we've been following for the last week but since you are an idiot you still manage to lose somehow?"

"I'm glad you used your head for once. And yes. I'm certain about that. I made the potion myself after all. Also, I am NOT an idiot."

"Aha! I see. But like I said, what is so odd about that?" Tifati asked, slowly losing interest.

"Are you really stupid? Somebody attacked him and he's nowhere to be found. As if he just suddenly disappeared. Do you still not get it? Huh? It means there is someone here, in the land of the living, strong enough to defeat that guy. And if that person is capable of doing that, no doubt he can harm us too. Need I spell it for you?"

"Also, if he's stronger than that person then he's an even better sacrifice, don't you think?"

"Tsk! I know that." Tifati grumbled as she retracted the ingrown face back.

Aurore decided to ignore her and put the brick in her bag. And that was when she noticed something peculiar in the air.

"Huh?" She realized there's a strange dust mixed in with the air. And with the flick of her wrist, wind gathered around her and carried some of the dust to her, forming a mound by her feet.

She would like to investigate more. However…

"Hey! You there! Don't you know what time it is?" It was Danits.

But Aurore didn't panic. Instead, she turned around and pretended like she was about to cry.

"Officer! Please help me. My husband is missing and I couldn't find him anywhere." She clung to his arm and pleaded as tears rolled down her cheeks. Her acting was remarkable; you couldn't tell she was acting at all.

"Relax! Relax, madame! Tell me what happened."

"I couldn't find him anywhere! Oh no. My poor husband. He couldn't even wear his slippers properly and can't even remember his own name." Aurore was just spouting whatever came to her head at this point. She didn't plan any of this.

"Okay, I understand. I will help you so why don't you come with me first?" Danits told her. Torn between being nice and fulfilling his duty as a police.

'Tsk! I don't have time for this.' Aurore never liked distractions.

"Officer," she called out.

Danits turned his head. And Aurore took that chance to jump at him and kissed him on the lips.

Momentarily frozen, Danits forgot what he was about to say. Then his mind suddenly became fuzzy.

"You didn't see me. You will go home. You will sleep. And you will wake up tomorrow not remembering a thing about tonight." Aurore whispered to him while her hands radiated a faint glow.

Danits became dazed.

"Yes, ma'am." He obediently said before he went back to his apartment to sleep.