The boulevard leading to the center of town was filled with thousands of people. They were in business or just roaming around. I walked through the crowd.
There was some event going on in here. Like a bazaar. Countless voices and smells were spread thoroughly. People were in exhilaration, joining the euphoria of the party.
As I walked, trying to clear my mind, someone accidentally nudged me. My body almost fell. The bag of coins dropped down. Coins spilled out and scattered along the floor.
"Sorry, I will help you gather it," I heard the raspy voice of a lady.
As I tried to collect the coins, I glanced at an old woman. She was collecting the coins as I did. Pale hair, her hands were slim as she wore a cozy formal dress.
"No problem, thank you for helping me," We finished collecting it.
She raised her gaze, uncovering the face. When I saw her, I felt a familiar presence. But I barely remembered it. Her face looked old but fashioned with a mark of crimson tear droplet on her right cheek.
"I'm guessing that you're surprised by my mark," she said as she gave me the coins with a smile.
"May I know?" I curiously asked.
She seemed interested in talking to me.
"First of all, let's introduce ourselves. We can't talk about it as strangers. So, you can start first," she lilted.
"Right… I'm Rirthe Virtanous," I stretched out my hand to her, intending to shake hands.
She paused for a moment with no response.
"Done yet?" She asked.
"Pardon?" I responded.
"No, I mean you're not a student of any school, or maybe part of something?" She stared into my eyes.
Her question was a bit strange for me to proceed with. Perhaps, she just wanted to know my identity?
"Ah, sorry for my incomplete introduction. I'm Rirthe Virtanous, not a student. Also, the members of Histrionic Kin." Once again I stretched my hand out to her.
"That's more I liked it. I'm Flaviey Cevietz. I was a teacher at Cyntheya School." She grabbed my hand and shook it.
I rarely stumbled across a teacher. Wait, why did I think I rarely stumbled?
"Since you're a member of that faction, you might be familiar with 'Portrayer' things," she teased me.
"Indeed. Are you a Portrayer? You seemed to know a lot of that," I asked.
"Yes, I am. I'm a Continuity pathway follower, second String," she smiled as she tilted her head slightly.
I was still looking for a reasonable pathway, but the Keindest question was drawing me back. Flaviey noticed my strange behavior.
"Hey kid, I don't know whether what you're facing is good or bad. It already happened. You'll find a way that you never expected. Time won't wait for you."
Her hand reached my shoulder. She looked at my eyes with sincerity. Her dark red pupils drew optimism and confidence.
"I have to go, I'll see you around," she released her hand and slowly walked away from me.
She waved her hand at me from a distance. I waved her back and walked to the opposite side. Then my mind thought of something. Her last name. It was the same as Lethan.
As I turned my sight back at her, she was already dissolved into the crowd. I tried to chase her a bit, but she seemed already far enough from me to track. People kept appearing and dissolving quickly.
Damn it, I need to return to the tavern. I hope Philia was still there. It was already six o'clock in the evening. It was the time people returned from work.
I entered the tavern and saw no one there. The tavern might have been closed now. Then, I glanced at a piece of paper on the bar.
"Come to the upper floor," it spelled.
What were they trying to do?
I walked to the staircase and went up. As I got the view from the second floor, the place was gloomy. Only the rays of the setting sun pierced through the window.
"You finally arrived," someone called from the shadows.
As the foot stepped into the sun rays, Philia appeared. Something was different. Her hand was covered in a crimson-stained liquid. The strong smell of metal was penetrating my nose.
"Philia?" I looked at her thoroughly.
"Yohoo, how rude are you. I'm not Philia," she walked closer with her body.
I froze in place and couldn't move my body.
"Who the hell are you?" I tried hard to move my body.
"You even swear at me. By the way, I was glad to be able to see you with my own eyes. Oops, I mean her eyes," she lilted.
I looked around the room, and I glanced at a man's body in the corner. It was the Keindest body. Then, she blocked my view of Keindest.
"Get off," I implored.
She grinned happily. Her hand was reaching for my pocket. She took my revolver.
"Wow… I never knew that kid could have a revolver," she wiped the revolver repeatedly.
Suddenly, she pointed the revolver at Keindest's body.
"I wonder what would happen if I shot using this revolver," she pulled the trigger.
Immediately, the bullet hit the body. The bloody fractals were torturing the body out. Her eyes were sparkling and jumping nonstop.
"Answer me, who the fuck are you?" I slowly burst my voice out.
Then, Philia's head turned intensely. A loud cracking sound was heard. The body slowly followed the head.
"Hmm… How about we play a game," She came closer to me and pointed my revolver at my chest.
"It's quite simple, you guess who I am. If true, I will let you live. Otherwise, you ended up like both of your companions," she started counting down from ten.
As she was counting, I was barely thinking of who she was. Have I met her before? She knew my identity. Her vibes were similar to Pierrot's.
"Three… Two… One… Times up, so what's your answer," she stared intensely at me.
I hesitated but was ambiguous. Even though I answered right, there was zero chance she would let me live.
"Philia Kyline," I said to her without conscience.
She stopped for a second, and immediately she pulled the trigger without hesitation.
"Correct!"
I watched her laughing so hard. As the pain spread thoroughly, the effect started to accumulate around the wound.
"Indeed, I was 'her.'" she rejoiced as the effect shredded my eyesight, blinding me.
After I lost my consciousness, something interfered with me. I felt it. I wasn't anything touchless soul, but rather physical.
"Rirthe, wake up! It's time for lunch," a feminine voice called me.
I tried to open my eyelids. It was blurry. I rubbed my eyes for a clearer view. I saw Philia sitting on the bed.
"Rirthe, are you all right? you slept over twelve hours," she checked my forehead with her hand.
"I'm fine," I tried to sit.
Her eyebrows furrowed. She looked confused at me.
"Rirthe, why are you shedding tears?" she lowered her voice.
"What?" My voice sounded cracked.
I felt my cheeks start to get wet. I rubbed my tears over and over. But it kept flowing down endlessly.
I gazed at her. She reminded me of that scene. She noticed that I was scared of her.
"Rirthe, did I scare you?" Her eyes were glassy.
Was she the same 'Philia' as before?