Milly sat in her office, the papers she was supposed to sign lying untouched on her desk. The soft rustle of wind through the half-open window was the only sound in the room.
Her mind was still replaying the brief moment from earlier Celeste's eyes turning blue.
She leaned back in her chair, one hand resting on her temple.
"...No way," she whispered. "There's no way that's Simni."
Her voice cracked slightly, and she laughed nervously to herself.
"She's a robot, for crying out loud! Robots don't teach classes or - or smile like that…"
But no matter how many times she told herself that, her chest still tightened every time she pictured those eyes.
That brief flicker of color that exact blue.
Milly pressed her palms against her face, groaning softly.
"Ugh… maybe I'm just overthinking again…"
Still, the thought wouldn't leave her.
It felt like Simni the calm rhythm, the patience in her tone, even the little hand motion at the end of her sentence.
"…But Simni's back at the Fortress…" Milly murmured, her voice fading into silence.
"…There's no way she'd suddenly show up here… right?"
Meanwhile, deep underground within the communication chamber of the Forgotten Fortress, Celeste stood before Basei's holographic projection.
Her usually calm posture seemed stiff... her fingers nervously clasping the hem of her sleeve.
Basei's voice rumbled softly through the channel.
"Status report, Simni."
Celeste exhaled quietly before replying, her words slipping out unevenly.
"R-Report… y-yes, right. U-Um…"
She tried again, clearing her throat, but her voice still quivered.
"I… I successfully integrated into the academy staff. The teachers and s-students… seem to have accepted my identity as Celeste."
Basei tilted his head slightly. "You seem unsettled. Did something happen?"
Celeste froze, her amber eyes flickering faintly between their normal hue and blue before stabilizing again.
"…N-No. Nothing happened."
Her voice was too fast, too defensive.
Basei narrowed his eyes beneath his mask.
"Simni."
Celeste hesitated, her expression softening into guilt.
"Milly… she - she looked at me. Like she knew me."
The silence between them lingered.
Basei finally spoke.
"Then be careful. If she suspects your identity, it could complicate everything."
Celeste nodded, her hands tightening.
"Y-Yes. Understood… It's just… she looked so so lost."
Her voice trembled again, faint traces of emotion slipping past her mechanical tone.
Basei sighed.
"Stay focused. Don't let your emotions interfere. Remember your purpose."
The hologram flickered out, leaving Celeste alone in the dim chamber.
She looked down at her trembling hands the faint blue glow pulsing beneath her skin.
"…'If possible,' huh…" she whispered, echoing her earlier words.
For a brief moment, her blue eyes surfaced again, glowing faintly in the dark.
And deep inside her circuits or perhaps, her heart something she couldn't quite define began to stir.