The Zodiac Empire

Chapter 21 - Operation: Surprise Party!

"Hospital bills?"

"They're not going to pay themselves."

"Wasn't she hospitalized in Woteon, though?"

"She was, but they moved her out here where the hospitals are more equipped to take care of her. Of course, I came too." Kayla sighed. "It's all so hard, you know? Everything has felt so heavy ever since she was attacked."

"Wait, attacked?" Naito asked. What did she mean by that?

"Did I say that? Never mind that, I misspoke." She continued to lick her ice cream. "What a coincidence you'd be where they moved her." She spoke low, almost as if she hadn't meant to say it out loud.

"Fate pulls people together in strange ways." He leaned back against the wall. "How'd you meet Zart?"

"I found his store while searching for jobs. He's a really nice man. Told me he usually runs the place by himself, but he gave me a job anyway. When he found out that I don't have anywhere to stay, he even invited me into his home."

"You haven't got any family that could take you in?"

"My mom is the only family I've ever had."

"Oh...sorry."

"It's fine." She bit into her cone, "I'm going to go get some rest."

"Come with us to the mall later?"

"If you and Zart both think it's a good idea, I don't see why not." She then went upstairs.

Naito returned to the kitchen with a bubbling excitement in his chest. There was something rather satisfying about knowing that Kayla would be accompanying them. When he sat, his attention was grasped when his eyes caught a newspaper article titled "Silver Hirifa, the Prince of Blood?"

"Prince of blood?" he picked the paper up.

Yesterday evening, the police received a call about a citizen murdered in Old Descowton. Eye witnesses say that the victim was killed by none other than prince Silver Hirifa himself. Everyone was in shock; Silver, who proudly wore the title of 'Silver the Shining Knight', mercilessly took a citizen's life. It was a graphic scene that even children had to witness. The victim's name was Robin Goode, a young man of the age twenty-four. Witnesses claim that the prince falsely accused Goode of being the Gray Wolf, an infamous thief that has been making his name known in New Descowton. These citizens also claim that Goode was a well-known man in Old Descowton, an ideal role model that children aspired to be like. Furthermore, some of the witnesses say that Goode was with a young woman, and that prince Silver raised his blade against her as well. Fortunately, she was able to escape.

Naito couldn't read the rest of the article; a green liquid was splattered all over it. "Whoops..." he said once he realized that his ice-cream had been dripping. That article had left him stunned. Silver killed his target?

Naito heard footsteps from the stairs. He looked to his left to see Cosena making her way down. Seeing as she wore a bathrobe and had a towel wrapped around her hair, Naito assumed she had just finished her bath. Red in the face and moving stiffly, almost like a robot, she looked oddly mortified.

"What happened to you?" he asked her.

"Something that is to never be spoken of. Ever..." she whispered, shaking her head as if trying to chase some terrible memory that Naito couldn't even fathom away.