Silhouette of a Wilted Flower

Unrecognizable in Her Rage

"Omori. We need to talk."

Omori blinked, his response catching in his throat. His gaze fixed on Mari's eyes, trying to determine the source of the concern behind the light in her pupils.

What exactly was that look? Why did it....

Before he could further analyze, Mari turned to Basil. Her hair curtained her face briefly, and when she swept it back behind an ear, a sweet smile was on her lips as if it had always been there. "Basil...could you give us a moment, please?"

Basil froze up violently—a reaction so excessive, Omori wondered if Basil had seen something he hadn't. "Oh..." His suddenly cold hand squeezed Omori's deathly tight. "Uhm...sorry, I'll...-"

"Aww! Don't apologize, Basil. I didn't mean it like that! I just need to have a small chat with Omori. We'll be with you in the dining hall in a second." Mari's face beamed like how she always was. Caring and perfect.

So perfect it had Omori doubting for a moment whether her laughing smile hadn't always been there. Perhaps the dim lighting in the room made him see wrong momentarily.

But, no...despite that smile... Mari still.... The expression on her face... it looks wrong–

"Ah... sorry- uhm! I'll go now-" Basil all but ripped his hand from Omori's and rushed into the hall, leaving Omori to gape in astonishment. Mari's eyes watched intently.

Before turning the corner, he shot one last look at them. And Omori almost thought that his eyes... seemed a bit darker than they should have. They looked a bit scarlet. Almost...red.

He must've imagined it.

Mari whipped back to him the moment Basil was gone, her smile on display gone and replaced with–

"Is there a problem, Mari?" he snapped.

What could be so important that she had to come here with that dreadful look on her face and interrupt his precious time with Basil? The last thing he felt like hearing was that more shadows were terrorizing his kingdom.

Mari didn't answer right away. Her eyes flicked across his face searchingly, glinting with something buried deep under purple hues, something that he just couldn't identify.

After an agonizing silence, the expression that just didn't look right on her fell away to another smile. But instead of fully vanishing, it seemed like it got covered–

"Well, you see, little brother! While you were out, I got an update on Otherworld's circumstances from Captain Spaceboy." She pulled a paper from the back of her skirt pocket.

The tenseness in his body released. He let out a sigh.

So that's what this was about. Why did Mari have to act so weird about it? He thought something was actually wrong for a moment.

"And what did it say?" Omori said in a bored tone. His eyes wandered over to the corner Basil disappeared behind, wanting to get this over quickly so he could follow after him.

He wondered if he could still read with Basil today. Maybe it wouldn't be the wisest decision, considering he needed to wake up early tomorrow, but if they kept it short—

"Well..." Mari said in a cheerful sing-song voice. "It was pretty long. Almost like a persuasive essay of sorts! Captain Spaceboy was trying really hard to get his request approved."

"Just get to the point–"

"He asked for a break, my liege."

Omori's shoulders tensed for a beat. He turned back to Mari, who still wore a light smile. "What?"