Kind Of Feels Lonely

Miko brings her to a sole oak tree in the distance. Mizuki catches sight of a couple scattered bouquets of flowers under it. Miko turns.

"This is where I mourned for him since, you know, it's not like he was buried properly anywhere. I've been looking for the locket so I can return it to him, whether or not he'll ever know that I have. I like to think he's still watching."

With gentle movements, Miko kneels and begins digging up a hole in the ground. Mizuki complies, using her fingers to scoop dirt.

Miko mutters under her breath, tucking the pendant away into the ground. Mizuki kneels on both knees, clasping her hands tightly as Miko covers the hole with dirt again. She smoothens the ground, putting her hands together in prayer.

Miko closes her eyes but Mizuki watches with her eyes instead, knowing she might simply fall asleep on the ground if she does the same. Unlike what she expected, a flower stems from the ground, something resembling a flaming, red lilly. Though what's most surprising is the fact that it's actually on fire.

When Miko opens her eyes, she doesn't seem too surprised by this. "So you are here. You always take so long to show yourself," she speaks to it and the flower sways. A hum escaping her lips, she sits onto the ground, unfolding her legs. "Thank you for retrieving it for me. I didn't think you would be able to."

Mizuki doesn't take offence. Sitting herself down on the side of her hip, she questions, "Do you know about the—uh—cat? And a person with feelers?"

"They were the underground organisation I was sent to research on," Miko admits. "I managed to find out about their secret base and aim. Something about wanting to spread elemental shields to the public and whatever, it's so suspicious," she groans. "They found out about my husband's ability to materialise his powers and wanted to get their hands on his experiments. I assume he's long gone from saving."

Mizuki frowns, "Does this mean that the organisation is only going to get worse? They told me I'd run into them again but I don't know how or when."

"I think you might be grateful that some things are unknown to you," Miko smiles but Mizuki doesn't quite understand her point. She doesn't pose a question either, only sitting back in silence as the sun sets behind them and plunges the world into a creeping darkness.

[Side Quest: Memories Often Windswept Completed]

[x50000 gold coins, x650 EXP, Mysterious Flaming Locket received]

Mizuki is not quite sure when she decides to get up and leave. Miko doesn't give her a response when she bids farewell but she doesn't take it to heart. If she was in Miko's place, having to be separated from someone she loves, she would go crazy.

It's not like she isn't. With heavy feet, she hobbles back to Hinata's home, an inexplicable urge always making her want to go back. It might've been the word she gave herself that she'd always return to take care of it in his absence. It might be more.

As soon as she's home, when it feels like hours have ticked by, she falls against the couch exhaustedly. It's so tiring being in this world.

[Hirashi Mizuki has fallen asleep]

"Hnngg…" Mizuki groans as she rolls on the couch, her nose hitting the backrest. She opens her eyes, blinking tiredly as she recalls incidents from the previous day. She sits up, analysing her arms that have started to hurt a little more. Her burns haven't faded at all, though they aren't doing any damage to her which shows Adelia's potion must be working.

Mizuki decides today's going to be a day she takes it easy. She won't go out to do commissions or do quests—she might literally kill herself from exhaustion if she over-exerts herself any further.

There are a couple of books she can settle down with for the day once she's done with the chores. Once she has changed into a comfortable nightgown, she goes upstairs where she knows is a box with medical supplies under the bottom bunk. Pulling it down, she wraps the bandages around her arms.

She has needed to bandage herself up so much of late, her skin might've spent more time wrapped up than exposed. Cleaning isn't that hard when she has accepted her fate. Mizuki sort of drifts around awkwardly, dusting here and there, wherever looks dirty. Pushing the windows open, she settles with her work once she thinks the house is clean enough.

Folding up her dry clothes and hanging up dirty ones she washed after her bath, Mizuki returns to the room upstairs. Peeking around, she double-checks that there's nothing else. 'Phew.'

"Now to see if he has anything on spells," she huffs. Mizuki fidgets with her bandages with one hand, lightly shuffling through the books on the shelves. She scans through the titles, eyes brightening in surprise upon seeing a book on incantations and elements.

Mizuki decides to pick up a couple, as much as she can fit in her arms actually, dumping them on the floor. Finding herself a comfortable position, she brings a book up to her lap, flipping open the pages. She pulls out the pendant she tucked away in her dress pocket, scrutinising it.

"I probably can't use this here," she grumbles to herself. Averting her gaze back to her books, she lets out a hum, "I can impress Adelia if I can learn a bunch of cool healing spells. I might even be able to use them before I become a mage," she smirks mischievously at this idea. Main character privilege, she adds mentally. And so, begins her arduous journey of memorising high level spells.

By the time evening rolls by, Mizuki is on the floor at the verge of tears. Staring at the ceiling, she mutters under her breath, "Here and now, I evoke the elemental force of fire, the flames of…" Mizuki furrows her brows as her mind goes blank. "The flames of…" She groans as she sits up, ruffling her messy hair. Lifting the book up to her nose, she re-reads the resistance spell.

Somewhere outside, she hears the loud purring of cats. She's been hearing this for a while now and it's only starting to grow annoying now that she can't get things into her head. For one more second, she tries to ignore it, muttering the spell again, "I call you forth to burn away all that impedes my road to enact…" Meow. Mizuki shuts the book.