Commencement [3]

Rei awoken by a subtle smell of food. Rubbing her sleepy eyes as she yawns and stretched; Rei sleepily got out of bed and out of her room.

Advancing towards the kitchen, in mind of greeting a certain girl who always cook for them early in the morning, but halted when she remembered that that girl was abducted.

Just when she stopped in front of the kitchen, her eyes knitted in bewilderme. Seeing Rinalyn cook took her by surprised and doubt.

As much as she knew Rinalyn — who she practically grew up with, Rei found it odd for her to be cooking at this hour. Usually, it was her who would be the last one to get out of bed. And if her memory serve her right, she couldn't cook well.

'Rinalyn? Cooking? Seriously, is this a dream?' She asked herself in disbelief.

Thinking about it, she had seen her around Shiki more often now than before. Why does it feel as though she's missing something, as if there's something wrong about this situation.

Moreover, her brother doesn't seem to treat 'Rinalyn' like usual. There wasn't an awkward air when she saw them together when the sudden abduction of Luna happened. It all seem so surreal.

Rei didn't think much of it, but she did started to get suspicious of Rinalyn these past few days. Her way of speaking, her way of styling and her clothes was all so different.

Or perhaps she's just over thinking things?

Rei tried to shook of the doubts in her mind and scurried back to her room before being noticed by Rinalyn.

'I should probably asked Shiki later.' She thought, determined to set her unsettled mind at peace.

"I knew I'd find you here!" Rei burst as she opened the shack's door revealing her brother who was sitting at the floor looking at the blue papers below.

Shiki subtly glanced at Rei then back to what he was doing. "Something the matter?"

Rei entered the shack, hesitant to speak. What if it's all in her head? What if she's overthinking things?

"I thought you'd help me hide from Remus." She lied.

". . . He'll be here looking, that's quite stupid of you to hide in here." He remarked nonchalantly. "Clearly that's not actually what you're here for, I presume?"

She knew her brother wouldn't fall for such a lie. But she can't just directly asked 'Who is the one disguising as Rinalyn?'. But Rei knew that Shiki has the answer to that question.

"Well. . ." She took a deeo breath before proceeding, "Rinalyn. . . Is that really. . . Rinalyn?"

Thus, silent fell. The kind of silent that was becoming a tensed air. When she had said those, it almost made her hard to breathe.

Rei cluthed her hand, waiting unnervingly to her brother's answer. She flinched when her brother faced her, just like usual, she couldn't read his expression. But his eyes were expressing a certain emotion; he was wary.

She was never close to Shiki despite being her brother, well she could say they're close but not as attached and closer to her eldest brother. Perhaps because she could not read what her older brother is thinking or what his face tells. He had always been stoic since their mother died.

". . . So you've noticed," He responded after a minute. "I'm surprised that you've noticed that something's amissed to Rinalyn, but it would've been a lot better for you to have noticed her from the very beginning. To be honest, her impersonation of Rinalyn was too loose and unconvincing. Though I must say, I applaud her for fooling you guys 'till this day." Shiki nonchalantly continued.

Rei's mouth was agape by what she was hearing from her brother. She can't figure it out whether Shiki was trying to tell her a sarcasm or the truth. Usually when someone find out a person is impersonating someone, their accomplice would try to convince that person that they're being delusional, but Shiki seems to be forthright with it.

". . .So 'that' was not Rinalyn?" Rei pointed out not knowing who or perhaps what the current Rinalyn was.

Before shiki could give another response the door burst open along with a loud yelling voice.

"Say what?!"

The two turn their head into the shack's door just to see Remus in disbelief and perplexed together with Daryll unusually.

All three gathered around Shiki craving for answers upon what he just remarked.

"Spill everything, now!" Remus and Rei said in unison, furious.

Shiki sighed as he stopped ehat he was doing and stood up.

Well, it seems as though Luna's secret has been outed without her knowing.

***

Remus, Rei and Daryll were together, perplexed by the sudden visitation of the sub head of that dark organization in the Academy, especially Remus and Rei.

The three followed the gaze of Zachary which landing within Rinalyn who was next to Shiki and Ezra, wearing a troubled expression as that man seem to be observing her then smiled, turnung his attention to the two professor present.

"Her masked slipped through him," Remus remarked. "That man is someone we shouldn't messed with." He added.

"I know Shiki said we shouldn't make it obvious that we know, but. . . Is it wrong of me to get angry even just a bit to Luna for putting Rinalyn into such a dangerous situation?" Rei griped. Unable to control her emotions.

Remus sighed and patted her head to calm her down. "She didn't know it would end up that way, beside Shiki stated that it was Rinalyn's idea to switch places with Luna. Also, didn't your brother said that Luna was supposed to tell us the truth but convinced her keep quiet? You can be angry after this to the two. Just keep up on being naive."

"I'm not naive," Rei reproach slapping Remus' hand away from her head. "And stop being touchy!" She hissed turning away.

Remus scoffed, "To hell with comforting you then!" He clucked.

Daryll on the other hand, gazes at the two back and forth. For some reason he could see Rei's cheek becoming red, the same goes with Remus' ears. He felt as though he had missed something.