Act II. Part V.

"Good afternoon, sir. How are you?" Toshiko asked their class teacher who sat across from them in the car, to try and address the elephant in the room.

"Not too bad. Though, this weather has been absolutely horrendous." Mr. Laveda responded, sending him and Toshiko into a burst of brief conversational laughter.

Meanwhile Mila and Ryu sat frozen in shock, left wondering how their teacher got into a moving car, or even how he knew where they were.

"Are you a god?" Ryu asked Mr. Laveda. "How else could you be here?"

In an instant, he was directly in front of Ryu's face, leaving Mila and Toshiko no time to react. Laveda stretched out his arm, which made Ryu flinch and close his eyes, but he simply started to dust off Ryu's shoulder.

"Watch what you say, Ryu. Let's avoid talking about things that'll bring us unwanted attention." Mr. Laveda said with a polite smile as he looked in the direction of the driver's window.

"Oh no, it seems as though these stains won't simply come off." He said as he rubbed the dry blood on Ryu's sleeves. "Let us arrive at our destination first and then we can get you a new shirt." He chuckled as he finished and sat back down.

[Ryu's living room]

Mila and Toshiko sat on the only sofa in the living room as Ryu carried over a tray with four glasses of water from the kitchen which was just part of the living room.

"You live in quite the dingy place." Mr. Laveda said as he put on his black leather gloves and looked around the room from his place by the door.

As soon as he said this, every head in the room turned to face him, with an expression that spelled out 'Really?'

"What?" Mr. Laveda asked with a confused expression.

"Moving on. What are you, Mr. Laveda?" Mila asked him.

"Wouldn't you already know? All things considered," He said with his trademark smile, "I am what I've always been, your class teacher. But enough about me, it's my turn to ask the questions. How did you three get back from that place? You know… the… 'void'." He said as he gestured air quotes.

"Someone from the royal family saved us and brought us back," Toshiko answered immediately.

"I see now! The royal family. Makes perfect sense doesn't it?" He said in a loud voice as he looked at Toshiko with a triumphant expression of realization.

"Wait, what do you mean 'get back from that place?' Did you know what was going to happen that day?" Toshiko furiously asked as the meaning behind Laveda's words dawned on him.

"You don't need to know that. Besides, you didn't lose anything that day so you shouldn't have any qualms, right Toshiko?" He said laughingly and walked up to the T.V and pushed a button on it, turning it onto a news channel.

Toshiko was left completely silent, unable to say anything because what he heard was in no way insulting but simply the truth.

Mr. Laveda turned a dial next to the button he had pushed earlier, which seemed to be a channel selector. He turned the dial and the sound of clicks soon came after, but the channel didn't change and was still stuck on the news station.

"How can you only have one channel and this type of T.V. in this day and age?" Laveda complained in a frustrated tone as he looked at Ryu, who sat by a small black plastic dining table in the small kitchen completely silent. Ryu shrugged dismissively.

[We now turn to the royal family for more information on what transpired at the museum.]

As soon as they heard this from the news station all focus quickly shifted to the T.V, putting the cryptic words of Mr. Laveda off to a later time.

The broadcast showed an empty podium. Silence filled the room as everyone was eager to find out what happened.

"I need to turn myself in. I killed that woman; it was in self-defense but still." Ryu said in a solemn tone as he shivered. The knowledge that he was the cause of all the confusion that happened at the museum weighed on his mind.

He couldn't forget what had happened because the images that continuously flashed in his head, reminding him of the life he took with his own hands.

"What do you mean Ryu?" Mila asked with a puzzled expression. "You couldn't have killed anyone. Come on, it's s you we're talking about." She said with a laugh.

"Quiet." Mr. Laveda said with a visibly annoyed expression. "Even in your homes, you're noisy." He turned what seemed to be a volume dial and all attention was once again directed to the T.V.

Trumpets began playing and an old man slowly struggled up to the podium. Despite this, no one helped him up and the cameras followed his every move. Once he climbed up, he waved his hand and as soon as he did the trumpet music ceased instantly.

The man wore a deep red robe with a black collar, which was the only piece of clothing he wore visible to the viewers behind the screen. His skin seemed to be made of old rubber as it sagged, and was entirely covered in liver spots. He had a clean bald head, completely devoid of any hair. He appeared feeble, one would think any words he spoke would be whisked away by the calm wind and never heard.

"Citizens of central!" He said in a loud and authoritative voice, contradicting his fragile appearance.

"Today, I, your king, Ulric Dinoel, and the cardinal vice of the church. Come to you with a heavy heart." He said as he held the edge of the podium with one hand and pointed to the person on his left clad in white robes with the other.

"A terminally ill woman left her house a day after being discharged from the hospital after two whole years.

She loved everything art and anything about the gods, and because of that, she was eager to go to the museum to see what was just added. But before she could even see the exhibits…" The king stopped to sniffle.

"Her illness took her from this world, and it is with this I would like to call for a week of national mourning, to remember a person just like us, who never got the chance to live out the prime of her life. This is also time for us to all meditate on what we take for granted; our health, the peace we experience, and lastly each other. Thank you."

As soon as the king finished his announcement he was escorted away from the podium, leaving it empty.

The figure in the white robes stepped up to the podium and began to speak, "Sadly, the pope could not be here today but he sends his regards to all of you. He said you're always in his heart." The figure spoke in such a soft voice one could immediately know that it was a woman even if they were completely covered in robes. "May the gods bless the journey of the lives gone as they pass into the afterlife."

As soon as she finished her sentence she walked off and the podium was left empty once again.

Once Ryu had heard this, he felt a large weight lifted from him. He let out a giant sigh of relief, and tears began to run down his face.

"What did I tell you? You didn't kill anyone, she was terminally ill." Toshiko said with a reassuring smile that said 'I knew all along'.

"What are you all talking about? He killed her." Mr. Laveda said as he let out a laugh.

In an instant, Ryu's moment of relief ended as the memories of a not-so-distant happening flooded his mind once again, causing him to run to the kitchen sink and throw up.

Mila and Toshiko quickly jumped to his defense, "Didn't you just hear what the king just said, she was sick. Why did you even come here?!" Mila snapped.

"Potato, potato. Now that we're done with that shall we all go to my house? Just being here is hurting me."

"You want three minors to come to your house?" Mila asked slowly.

"Ha-ha, very funny." He answered sarcastically. "The least I can do for you is give you a choice, which you'll have very few of from now on. Now, shall we leave?"

The three looked at each other and got up to obediently follow their teacher.

end