Moira

39.

000d, 00h, 00m, 00s

One day.

Two days.

Three days.

After what happened that time, The System found it safer to keep us in the pleasant confinements of our own rooms.

And though I enjoyed the buffet's, the books and the company outside of it, I didn't much mind. Apart from communicating, I could do whatever I wanted to do outside of my room, inside of it, too.

And, so, I was lying in bed, upper body facing the ceiling and my eyes flickering over the smooth texture of it— wondering how exactly they managed to get it so evenly; so perfect.

Then again, everything they touched did turn into gold. And everything they did ended up being just right.

My eyes flickered down to my raising arm, getting stuck on the resting numbers on my wrist; 000d, 00h, 00m, 00s proudly displayed against my skin.

Not even that could've been a mistake. And if it was one, they had saved me from certain doom of a future with him.

Either way, they fixed the mistake — one that was my fault, if anything — just like they fixed me. Just like they fixed that man from a few days ago— just like they fixed everything;

The world and the way we lived in it.

"Amidelle."

My eyes widened at the familiar voice, my body shooting into an upright position all by itself as I turned to the suddenly opened door.

"Sir—" I stuttered, straightening my back as I stood up entirely at Monroe's presence. "I'm sorry, I didn't expect—"

The door behind him sliding close, he waved me off with a comforting smile on his lips. He looked as neat as he always did, white suit without a single crease in it and not a single grey hair out of place.

It reminded me of the last time I saw him, memories of my unruly mouth and my missing respect for him and the System darting through my mind. My breath hitched at the thought, brows knitting together tightly at my attitude.

"I'm so sorry—" I gasped in disbelieve, my hands finding themselves in front of my mouth. "I never meant to—"

The sound of his calm voice interrupted me, a peal of singular laughter rattling through his chest beforehand.

"I apologise for the commotion a few days ago," He began casually, completely ignoring my previous words. His eyes roamed my room. "How are you feeling after all that?" He raised an inquiring brow as his gaze landed on me, blue eyes reflecting in the bright, white light.

"Fine, sir," I muttered, embarrassment from our last encounter still lingering in my tone. My eyes diverted onto the floor, and he took that as a sign to continue.

"How did you feel about it?"

"Outraged, at first." The words escaped my mouth without a second of hesitation, and my eyes connected with his again, Monroe's head tilting at them. "But I'm sure you—" I cut myself off, wondering how to word my thoughts correctly. "—fixed him?"

To my delight, he hummed in agreement at the words. "Of course," He said. "There's no need to worry about people like him. He's being taken care of."

A smile slipped onto my lips, and I nodded. "I know."

As he brushed past me, my head turned to follow his movement up until he sat on my bed and gestured me to take a seat beside him, smile still on his lips. "Sit, please," he had said, and I followed his ask with no hesitation.

"Sir, I just—" I interrupted myself with a deep breath. "—I just wanted to apologise for the way I acted—" My eyes diverted in shame, feeling a blush rise to my cheeks with embarrassment. "I don't know what I was thinking, I—"

My brows knitted together tighter at the memories infiltrating my mind once more, cringing at the way I had interrupted him so shamelessly. "What I should've said that day—" I contemplated my next words carefully. "What I should've said that day was Thank you."

At that, his brows raised slightly, and he gestured for me to go on.

"—For helping Eniola. I should've never questioned The System's methods, sir."

He nodded, his head moving slowly as he thought just for a moment.

"You're learning fast, Amidelle," He said, praise in his voice that made a proud smile appear on my lips, too. When he gets back up, and I went to mirror his movement, he quickly stopped me in my tracks with my hands already against the mattress, about to push me into a standing position.

My eyes wide in confusion, I stay put as he started to pace back and forth in front of me, hands clutched together behind his back. "Apart from coming to check up on you, I came here to ask you something."

His demeanour turned serious, and the tone in his voice made me swallow thickly as I looked up at him. His pacing came to a halt. "I want you to answer me honestly."

"Of course."

He cleared his throat, his head cocking to the side and his gaze lingering on the screen to his right before it fell back on me.

"Where is Esmond Terran's father?"

My brows knitted together tightly at the words, eyes blinking rapidly as I tried to decipher his question in the easiest way possible.

He had told me about his father, of course. I remembered what he had said word for word, now that my attention was called onto the conversation.

Though, I was clueless about how I was supposed to answer Monroe's question with the information the brunette had given me then.

"Sir?" I wondered, dumbfounded. To my knowledge, His father was no longer with us. The sudden buzzing in my head made it hard for me to clear my mind and think— whether I had missed an important point or simply forgot what he had actually said.

But I remembered clearly, now. And I remembered him hinting at the possibility of his father being dead, for all he knew. Dead— or alive in The System's custody.

Either way, he didn't know anything about his whereabouts. So, neither did I.

"I asked you a question, Amidelle."

My eyes batted open at the stern tone in his voice, my thoughts nothing but background noise again as the buzzing in my head faded, and I quickly shook my head. He took my motion as hesitance and repeated his question once more.

"Where is Christopher Terran?"

"Sir, I don't—" I managed to mutter, though he cut me off once more, a scolding expression on his face as he looked at me like I was inferior to him.

I was, of course.

"Do not lie to me."

"I'm not lying—" I panicked, my breath picking up and my voice a pitch higher. "Esmond Terran thinks his father is dead; Dead or with you." My eyes previously on the floor snapped up to his. "Is he not?"

Monroe's eyes lingered on me, not a twitch in that stoic expression of his before he cocked his head sideways, eyes on the screen again. A silence hung over us— one I didn't dare break as I waited for him to say anything.

"Tell me what you know."

And I did without hesitation. 

- 

Stan Christoper Terran for clear skin. <3

Unstan Amidelle Gray for clear skin </3

Thoughts?