OVERLOOKED ㅤkotlc

032. Ripplenuts

Athazagoraphobia, the fear of being forgotten or replaced. I wonder if I have that.

It's been five days since I last saw Rosaleen. She hasn't been coming to the dinners, and Glimmer just tells me that she's not feeling well.

But the thing is, elves don't get sick.

I sigh, going up the flight of stairs. Once I reach my floor, I stop.

Because I'm not the only one here; Seraph's here, too.

A familiar fight-or-flight feeling is taking over, and I force myself to inhale. It wouldn't be good to panic now, would it?

She's at Rosaleen's door, which is open; the door's blocking me. They can't see me.

"So... why'd you tell Jaelynn I was the only one who could help?" Seraph says. "I don't even know you that well. We've had, like, what? One interaction?"

I frown. Is she talking to...

"Okay, but Zo—"

...Rosaleen?

"Oh, is it this again?" Seraph sounds uncomfortable, but a little annoyed, too. "I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings during the investigation."

"No, it's not..." Rosaleen stops, and she sounds... gone, if you will, like the Rosaleen I know isn't there anymore. She's usually more collected, but now she doesn't know what to say.

Now, it sounds like her logic has failed her, and her emotions have taken over.

But of course, that doesn't really mean she's "gone." It's just that she seems... different.

What happened at her mission?

"I promise I don't remember you," Seraph continues, more gently. "Are you sure you didn't hurt yourself that day? We can have Melia take a look at you."

There's a long, long silence.

And when Rosaleen speaks again, her voice is shaking. "No, you're... no, Zo, look, you said it yourself—"

"I don't know why you keep calling me Zo," Seraph cuts in.

Rosaleen inhales, as if she's trying to calm herself.

Another moment passes, and she says, "Okay. I'm sorry. But... you said it—you said it yourself, right? You said—you know me, you just don't remember me. Right?"

Her voice is trembling. She sounds desperate for something, for anything.

"No," Seraph says slowly. "I don't know you. Maybe it was deja vu, but I definitely don't know you."

"C-Come on. You have to remember something. Zo—"

"Don't call me that," Seraph says, her voice cold. There's a pause, a frozen shard of time.

She sighs, and it melts away. "Look. Rosaleen, right?"

Silence, and I take it Rosaleen nodded.

"I don't know what's wrong with you, but—"

I force myself to turn away.

Whatever they're talking about, it's none of my business, even if I want to know.

I go down one floor; then find myself at Ruy's door.

I don't even know if he's in there.

Maybe he went somewhere else after dinner, after I went straight to my room.

I stand there for the longest time, scared to knock but scared to go back.

After minutes, the door opens, and I flinch, sucking in a breath,