Specter turning away.
"Let me go prepare a place for you to rest. There's still a spare seat upstairs. Later..."
Before he could finish, Noir spoke from behind him.
"Tonight, on the headland outside the village."
Specter said nothing and returned to the cafe. Noir watched his figure fade into the distance and shook her head slightly.
Specter finally arrived, approaching with his usual calm and composed demeanor. But he carried nothing except a coat, Specter was afraid the night wind would make her cold. He simply thought perhaps Noir wanted to talk about something, which was why she had chosen such a private place.
"Why did you choose this place?" he asked *tilting his head*
Noir didn't answer. Instead, she slowly pulled a dagger from her waist, its steel reflecting the cold moonlight.
"In this world, words are never enough. I want to see how much of it is real."
Without waiting for an answer, Noir rushed forward, her left eye glowing red. The dagger's blade traced a bright path through the darkness, each strike deadly. Specter panicked, dodging slowly, very slowly, barely the dagger almost slicing across his shoulder. He staggered, his eyes showing weakness, breathing becoming chaotics. This is so quick for him.
Noir didn't think to stop, she twisted around and attacked again and again. Specter tried to dodge, but each time he only managed to step back. His distraction during her attack left a tear in his shoulder. Noir delivered a kick, sending Specter flying far away. Before he could react, a slash cut across his arm, blood flowing freely.
She grabbed Specter's collar and pushed him hard against a large tree, his back slammed into it with such force that the tree shook violently, leaves rustling and falling. Noir stopped, the knife pressed against his throat. Noir's icy gaze felt like it pierced deep into his soul, causing Specter pain.
"Agh..." *gasping*
"Tsk... You really are weak."
Her voice was sharp and cold, but there was disappointment hidden within it.
"Yes...I am...no longer the assassin of the past. But…"
He quickly took a small device from his pocket, about the size of a ring, and decisively pressed a button. Several red laser lines appeared, burning everything in their path. As they came close, Noir let go of Specter, stepped back to avoid them, and rolled away. She glanced at him, who was crouching down next to the tree trunk, breathing weakly.
"You really know how to make combat devices."
After a moment, Specter pushed himself up against the tree, leaning on it to tremblingly stand up. He replied to Noir.
"You're right, you knew it..."
"About the organization..."
"Alright!"
"I'll help you!"
He continued.
"Who doesn't want to be free, besides..." *press button again*
A map appeared and immediately scanned with electromagnetic waves.
"...I can show you every corner of this place. The signal system, communication waves, even how the organization is tracking you, very specific. I can't fight as sharply as I used to... but I can support you from a distance, right huh?"
Noir looked at him, the knife still clenched in her hand, but her eyes were less tense. She pulled the knife back, then suddenly stepped forward to support Specter as he staggered from blood loss.
"You're so weak, even you try to avoid my attack. If you can't even take care of yourself, how can you help me?"
Specter smiled weakly.
"My body isn't as quick as yours... but my mind still works."
Noir said nothing more. She guided him back to the cafe. The moment Noir helped him, Specter felt a little awkward, his heart beating a little faster, his ears turning red. In the dim light, Noir's hands, which were usually cold and indifferent, were now carefully bandaging the wound on Specter's arm. Her movements were smooth and practiced, without a hint of hesitation. She spoke softly, almost in a whisper.
"So now use that brain of yours."
Specter looked at her. Noir continued.
"I need you to investigate… from within the organization. Find out who is behind the hunt for me and if any of the other beings have successfully escaped like you did?"
Specter looked at the two-colored eyes close to him, suddenly seeing a hint of humanity in that beauty. He nodded slightly, then lowered to hide his embarrassed expression.
/This feeling... seems a little strange/ *Specter takes a deep breath*
The days on the run in town passed slowly. Noir had not to run constantly, instead, she hid in a room upstairs at Specter's cafe.
In the morning, the hum of the coffee machine mixed with the sound of the sea breeze. Noir sat by the window, her eyes staring into the distance . Her face was cold, but in a rare moment, her eyes softened, no longer icy and lifeless. Specter is often busy behind the counter, but his eyes often unconsciously drift toward Noir's room. He used to think he was just a broken shadow, but her presence, strong, tough, yet fragile, makes something in his heart stir.
One evening, after closing the shop, Noir helped him tend to his wounds. The moment her hand lightly touched his skin, Specter suddenly realized his heart was beating rapidly, as if trying to break through the calm shell he had built around himself. He blurted out.
"If... you had a choice, would you want a normal life?"
Noir paused, her hand slowing. Her red-blue eyes looked up, meeting his sincere gaze. A moment of silence, then she smiled faintly, a rare smile that was almost painful.
"Normal...? That word isn't in my dictionary. What does a machine like me know about normal?"
The atmosphere between the two of them grew heavy, as if the entire cafe had fallen into a deep hole, leaving only by the rhythm of their heartbeats. A moment later, a beeping sound came from the device on the table. Specter immediately turned and tapped quickly on the screen. A series of encrypted data appeared, the green light reflecting in his eyes.
"There's someone... who seems to have been in the project, but different from you. He's not being hunted either, but seems to have escaped thanks to previous indirect assistance."
Noir walked over, standing behind Specter, her eyes focused on the data.
"Do you know who he is?"
After a moment of comparing and processing the data, Specter slowly nodded. Noir asked.
"Name?"
Specter looked up, the screen's light reflecting off his stern face.
"Orion."
The air in the room thickened. Noir clenched her fist, while Specter realized something, from now on, this journey wouldn't just be about them.