Both girls were sitting still as the clock moved with time. In the quiet stillness of the room only the sound of tick, tick, tick could be heard.
Gracie: Sitting still beside Akeno she was watching her by the corner of her eye. Gracie's posture was stiff, her right hand on the bed sheet while the left hand was on her thigh. Both hands clinched on what they found.
[What is she thinking…? She's, so silent…]
Akeno was still and unmoving looking down at the floor. She seemed to be in deep thought while Gracie was left in the silence and could only wait for Akeno to say something to react while only seeing the side of her face.
[H–hey, why is she so silent? Say something. Please!]
…
[Hmm? S–shouldn't she be lashing out, asking questions, reasoning on her, s–situation…? But, why isn't she doing anything… No. It's kinda good for me that she is quiet right now. Since, I won't be able to answer anything…]
Gracie could see Akeno's lip moving a bit as if she was talking to herself. Akeno's eyes constantly blinked, even multiple times in a second.
Gracie pressed her lips as she continued watching over Akeno. She excels through her mouth a long breath of air.
[What is she doing…? I guess, talking to herself…? Maybe.]
Gracie turned her gaze to the clock hanging above her table. The hands of the clock pointed to time between 06:45 PM to 06:50. The numbers glowed faintly to the light of the lantern.
[06:45… No, but close.]
The hands of the clock were in motion with their respective time. The movements of the second clock were very notable while the minute clock needed some patience and… the hour clock…
[Huh, I… Never actually saw that one moving…]
Previously the ticking sound seemed to be moving at a fast pace but now that Gracie was looking at the clock herself the hands, even the seconds hand seemed to be moving at a much slower pace.
[It's getting late. Really… I hadn't even noticed when it turned dark… And now I'm here with her. Honestly… I mean— What do I think about it? I don't want to be here… But, what if she starts crying again like before…]
She glanced back at Akeno, and towards the window of her room, from which the darkness of the outside could be seen.
[Now it's getting really late… Dinner…]
She bites her lip.
[God! I'm not being serious about it am I!? About her situation! What am I thinking? I'd need to comfort her if she broke down again.]
She bit her lip even harder and her hands clinched tighter. She averted her eyes from Akeno, looking down at the floor she closed her eyes.
[What was I thinking!? Dinner? Really? In this situation…? But, what if Miss Alina is hungry?]
"Tch"
[No! What if she falls apart now, what do I do? I'm supposed to be the strong one. It's my job. If I can't even handle this… What am I for?]
…
"Huh?"
Gracie noticed that Akeno's gaze wasn't just somewhere random but her head was a bit tilted and it seemed like her gaze fell on the lantern.
[... Oh wait. What if she asked about the lantern now? She may… It's… Magic so it's different and what she must've seen before, possible.]
Gracie glanced back at Akeno while her gaze was still on the lantern, lips moving and eyes rapidly blinking.
Another moment went by. Gracie's eyes and fingers started twitching.
[... Augh. Please say something. Something! Cry. Scream. Reason. Lash out. Break down. Do something. It's better than silence. It'll kill me.]
Gracie's head turns and she looks towards the door.
[I… I'm getting out of here. I should… But, with what excuse?]
She sighs and turns to look at Akeno who was still in her own thoughts and silent.
[It seems as if I'll have to get out of my own bed. My own room now.]
Gracie shifts closer to Akeno.
"Hey. Akeno."
She called out but Akeno didn't seem to hear.
[Tch. Why don't you pay any attention!?]
"Akeno!"
Akeno: Hearing the sudden voice call out her name she flinched and turned to look at Gracie.
"Wh–what?"
Gracie: She pressed her lips as she prepared herself to make an excuse.
"Hey so. The thing is that… It's getting really late and I need to go make dinner. Um, Miss Alina may be hungry. So, I need to go—to go to the kitchen."
Akeno: "Oh, okay." She said in a low voice. She was looking straight at Gracie but it seemed as if their eyes didn't meet and were focused somewhere else.
Gracie: She quickly stood up.
"Thanks. I—I know you may have some questions but… And I'll answer them. You know, it's getting late so… Later. Okay?"
Gracie stood there for a moment long as if waiting for Akeno to say something in return but she only met silence from her. Taking the silence as a reply she nods to herself.
"Okay then, bye."
With that she hurriedly exits the room.
Outside the door she stood, her back leaning onto the wall and she crossed her arms.
"Damn. I can't believe I had to leave my own room."
She felt an itch on her throat and brought her fist to her mouth and forcefully couched it…
Then another. But this time it wasn't a forceful one.
Then Again.
She then sighs and cups both sides of her neck.
… 'And I'll answer them.'
[... Wait… why did I say that? Now what if she stocks a bunch of questions in her head then bombard me with them. I kinda regret it now… Yeah. Sometimes it's best to keep quiet.]
She pinched her nose with her right hand.
"Augh…"
She looks towards the door of Alina's room and she recalls something.
"Oh yeah, dinner… I should probably ask what she wants to eat and… Maybe even talk about this. I should inform her that I finally revealed it to Akeno. That fact that she's not from this world." she muttered in a low voice.
She walks to the door. Standing right outside it she sighs.
[Poor girl. She must be so confused right now. I wonder what's going through her mind. All this stuff that has happened recently. Hmm. I don't know how Miss Alina will react to this when I tell her… Now that I think about it. I wonder how I reacted back then… I cannot remember, exactly…]
She raised her hand to knock on the door.
[Should I ask her about how I reacted back then…? No. Akeno first. Me later… And dinner before both… For Miss Alina, I mean.]
She knocks on the door.
"Miss Alina."