Foreboding

"Actually, Sylvia will be staying with us starting today."

"...What?"

"I have already got permission from my parents. Wait, now that I think about it, there's no more room that's availa—"

Before Sheila could continue her words, Ria interrupted her with the question she wanted to know the most.

"Hold up! First of all, what do you mean that white-haired girl is going to live with us?"

She was caught off guard for a second when hearing the context of what Sheila said. Ria was confused at how the situation suddenly become like this when she had just separated from Sheila like 2-3 hours in reality. Did something happen in the Trial Tower while she was away?

"It means exactly what I was saying. Did I not explain it to you properly?"

"Isn't that obvious?! I would not have been this much confusion if you had properly explained it to me in the first place! Do you like to see me upset that much, Idiot Sheila?"

Ria shouted exasperatedly, but her words end with a cold monotone voice, and Sheila could feel chills creeping over her body especially at the end. Now that her nervousness has been washed away by Ria's cold words, Sheila realised that she didn't actually explain anything to the latter, which caused Ria to be confused at her 'sudden' explosive announcement. Sheila scratch at the side her head as she awkwardly laughed before starts to explain everything with Ria glaring at her with her scary 'deadly' eyes.

Ten minutes later...

"In short, you decided to bring that girl to live with us because her mother keeps abusing her in their house?"

"Yes. I have promised that girl, after all. I don't want to break any of my promises."

"Promise, you said?"

"Well, I promised her that I'd show the way where she can find her own happiness."

Ria couldn't help but widen her eyes as pure shock written on her face. She was not expecting someone like Sheila to make that kind of promise with a determined look on her face; after all, Ria knows that this girl is still quite an airhead. It seems that Sheila had changed quite a bit ever since that unknown app entered her life. Ria doesn't know if it was for better, but one thing that she knows is, no matter what choice Sheila would have to make in the future, As her best friend, she will be supporting her. Although I don't really like that white-haired girl, I still could tolerate her, maybe until Sheila find a way about it. Just thinking about it, she couldn't help but to sigh as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Now that I know the reason behind it, obviously I couldn't say no to this, you know that, right? If you had told me before the very beginning I would not have to get headaches for overthinking and wasting my time on this. Now that I think about it, I started to feel upset about it."

Sheila breathes out a relieved sigh when she heard the first few words from Ria, but when it gets to the latter part, she was about to make a run but was stopped by Ria as the 'demon' gripped onto her shoulders with all her strength. Though Sheila could escape by using at most half her strength, she didn't do so and let herself get caught. It was her own fault for not explaining it properly.

After that, Sheila and Ria ended up spending time together until Sara came up and knocked on the door and said that Sylvia has already arrived, and she's currently in the living room. Sheila was surprised as she had thought of visiting the girl before walking her home, also expecting her mother to have a say in this. Sheila believes that her mother would definitely want to stop her daughter from leaving the house, yet here she is, sitting comfortable on the couch and only moved her attention away from the TV when Sylvia noticed the presence she had been waiting for is here. But she narrowed her eyes when she saw Ria next to Sheila, Sheila ignored the obvious reaction and decided to ask the question that she had been thinking about.

"Sylvia."

"Yes, mas-"

"Don't call me that in here, call me Sheila."

"Uhm, Yes, Sheila!"

"Anyway, I hope you don't mind me asking, but your mother didn't stop you from leaving the house, I assume?"

"Uhh, about that…Actually,"

After exiting the Trial Tower, Sylvia was wondering about how she should tell her mother without the latter making a huge problem out of it. It's even possible that her mother would not let her leave the house. Although she had come to hate her mother to this day, she still didn't want to leave her mother alone, if possible.  Even if she was abused to the point that she had almost committed suicide, she still couldn't resent her mother after all the care she had done from birth until she was snobbish brat. She did, at some point, even hope her mother will return to normal, which had long given up on that.  Sylvia had heard once that her father has gotten a new family and is living well, while Sylvia was beaten by her mother out of anger, thinking that while she was suffering, the man doesn't seem to have any problem finding a new family at all. The day after they divorced, she had to follow one of the two, but neither of them wants to take of her for some reason.  Sylvia still remembers her time as a kid; the two were always seen close together no matter where they are; they would always be clinging to each other. Her parents always spoiled her. How did it end up like this?

Anyways, if she said it to her mother up-front, she would definitely get slapped, right? Sylvia ended up writing a letter about her leaving the house and put it on top of the table in her bedroom. Her mother had likely found out by now and probably looking for her in anger when she just got home from part-time work, but it was already too late. Once she left the house and walking on the street, Sylvia suddenly remembers that Sheila never tells her the address to her house, so the white-haired girl ended up walking around for the past twenty minutes until a red-haired girl appeared.

"Hmm? You met Angelica Ernest?"

"So she is really your friend! She was the one who told me your address; she's so nice."

I won't ask how that girl knows since I know she was stalking me once in a while, just like a certain junior that I know. But seriously Sylvia, How come you not feel any suspicious at all from that girl? You didn't even wonder how that girl knew my address. Sheila couldn't help but sigh while massaging her head.

"Anyway, since you will be living together with us, make sure you get along with Ria, alright? Ria, you too."

The two didn't say anything but glares at each other for a few seconds before looking away as both nodded their heads. Looking at the two acting like that, Sheila wonders how chaotic her life is going to be from now on. At school, she had to handle two stalkers, while now at home, she needs to watch out for the two, or they might break into a fight if she were to look away for a second.

But even so, though Sylvia's business is somehow taken care of for now, why? Why am I still feeling like something bad is going to happen? I had thought it was because of Sylvia, but guess not. This uneasy feeling, I wonder if something will happen on the day of the festival. I hope this feeling will go away by itself after grinding some experience in the Trial Tower later. Though I could protect my loved ones from ordinary people, I don't think I could handle people from the supernatural world just yet, even though I don't know if they actually exist. But it's better to believe they do than not; I don't want to get caught in unexpected attack, after all.

***

"Is this everything?"

"Yes, this is everything that we have regarding the information about the daughter of Sara."

"Hmm, good. Go back now and prepared for the day. I'll give you a call when that time comes, but before that, make sure you and your group have prepared."

"Yes!"

When the unknown man left, the spacious room was once again filled with silence. Rodrick looked down at the file that was neatly put on his table while enjoying the wine on his other hand. But he becomes angry when he saw the picture of Sheila on the file before throwing his glass of wine on the ground, leaving it shattered to pieces.

"Just you wait; I'll teach you a lesson for the humiliation I have suffered, you damn brat!"