X50: Within the Eyes

How could he ever tell her? The contract, Victoria's death, the whole incident… Everything was his fault and he knew it. But Eliza didn't. She was far too understanding, he must also trust her.

Perhaps telling her now was the best time for it? He didn't want his reason to bleed to despise him… Instead, he just accepted her words. If she was gone, all he had left was vengeance. All that would be left would be death.

"Thanks," Kazuki said again, forming his lips into a slight smile, illuminated by the blazen city skies, shuttle lights and the stars far up above from Lautrasia to Ankhorage. The smile wasn't pretty, it felt too unnatural, made worse by the cracks in his skin and burns. But the moment he realised it, the muscles faltered as it fell back into a straight line. Eliza's memory probably burned the sight forever into her skull.

"You should smile more," teased Eliza, "I bet it'll surprise Archius."

He kept his unnatural golden eyes on Eliza, denoting every difference between this woman and her dead sister.

"No. He'd tease me about how awful it is," Kazuki remarked.

Eliza paused, then slowly nodded. "Yeah… I do see that potentially happening… No, it very much will happen."

"I haven't had the time to ask, but what did you do during the rebellion?"

"Hmm?" Eliza piqued up. "Oh? I took some time off… Had trouble processing everything, even stopped eating for a bit - Ulysses told me off."

A caring family member. How rare, Kazuki sneakily remarked to himself. His eyes glanced off to the side for a mere moment at the mention of family.

"Since I heard of the AGENCY's victory over Sol, I started to get back into things, so… I guess I have you to thank for that!" she continued.

"Oh…" Kazuki glanced at her. Oh. "So that's why you seemed to have gained—"

Eliza grappled onto Kazuki's shoulder, shaking him. Eliza kept shaking him. Kazuki's mind blotted out the noise from her mouth, thinking to himself.

She put her trust in him to help her through the investigations. And he'll put his trust in her to help him live. Mutually beneficial, he thought.

She assured him that she'll understand. But how can she ever understand that the whole basis of her motivation is formed under a lie. A lie that the truth covers. The truth is that Kazuki Geminorum-Ryzaku had a hand in the death of billions. And the death of her sister.

She stopped shaking him, dusting herself off in the night's light, clearing her throat and acting as if she didn't throw a tantrum.

Kazuki stopped thinking for a split second. All he could do was look… Eliza's body eclipsed the moonlight. In that moment, Kazuki's mind miscalculated. The memory banks overloaded with such a similar visage.

For him, all he could see was a dead woman walking. Those blood red eyes, freckles and pink hair. Everything reminded him of Victoria.

Even more so, Kazuki's mind could only wander… What if Victoria and he swapped places that day? Would… she have made the same mistake as he did?

He couldn't tell Eliza anything… Not the detonator… Not Victoria's death… Nothing. It wasn't fair, nor just. But that didn't matter.

Bringing Victoria and all their deaths to rest was all he had left. Whilst he may have the same objective as Eliza, they had far different outlooks. For her, it was hope and for respite. But for him, all that was left was revenge.

Revenge against all of them. This responsibility is his to bear. For him by himself must atone. Victoria died on him… The flashes of her face faded across Eliza's.

Outside, the lights kept blinking. Endlessly. Far away. Why didn't he run…? Victoria would have died either way, Kazuki thought.

Still, how could he ever explain that to her? The faint visages of figures entered his mind. Victoria was being held.

The shining beacon to it all in the palm of his small hands… "Run…" Kazuki muttered to himself. The explosives all around the room bore Imperial Sigils.

Victoria's words fell onto his deaf ears, as all he ever thought was to save her…

What could he have done? Run…? Yes…. Run. The only time he fought when he didn't need to. The cost: twelve billion souls.

"Hmm?" Eliza snapped Kazuki out of his mindless trance.

Kazuki blinked. "Nothing…" He'll tell Eliza one day. But not this day. He sighed, silencing his contempt and guilt. "If what I told you changed everything, would you hate me?"

Eliza paused. He wasn't able to make any observations, not like it'd matter, emotions were Archius' forte. But he understood body language, more linked in to if someone's drawing or not. Eliza maintained a bright face.

"If something like that's all it takes for me to despise you," Eliza started, lightly slapping his shoulder. She exuded an air of determined elegance. "Then what's the point of being friends?"

He nodded, activating his ICAPAD. How could he respond to that? He can't. Better to move on, even if he can't. "So, let's get to business shall we?"