...

"Let me get out of here- huwah!"

Thud!

Crash!

The wooden box slammed down onto the dirty floor, its own dust kicking off into the air which covered Miss Evening almost completely.

However, she recovered instantly, as if nothing embarrassing had just happened to her.

Why is she... Ferris didn't know what to say, or even think.

Making her way towards the knight, she grabbed the thrown chair from before and used it for herself in front of Ferris.

But unlike the other one who used it, she saddled it like a horse, with the backrest in front.

"Hi, Ferris," she smiled, crossing her arms forward on the chair.

Only after greeting him again did Ferris regain his mental control.

She was hiding from him, how did she even figure out where that guy would place me in?

And most importantly, why is she here?

"Are you here to kill me?" Ferris questioned, knowing that Evening is potentially insane. There was a microscopic hint of fear in his tone.

She tipped her chin up, eyes glinting. "Nope. Ain't gonna be today, partner."

Well, that's reassuring.

She paused, as if choosing the right seasoning for a joke. "I'll kill you tomorrow instead."

Nevermind...

Ferris laughed and carefully walked backward, hiding his weakened state. Even still, Ferris couldn't tell what was going on inside those emerald eyes of hers.

She probably knew from the get-go though, but it's always best to be cautious.

Sitting down, Ferris calmly said, "Why not now? Or should I even trust you and you'll actually kill me after this pleasantry?"

"I don't lie," she drawled, "and to keep things from mislead—

She tipped her head with a crooked smile. "I simply misguide."

That's still lying, Ferris lampooned, but judging by her tone, which was starting to becoming repetitive, she might as well be telling the truth.

"Then go back and wait, or would you prefer to shoot me once the clock hits midnight?" Ferris said.

"I'd actually prefer that! I hate waiting, even if my mind has lived long.

Which brings me to my question.

Are you alright, inside your head?" she questioned, but Ferris didn't quite understand what she meant.

"...I'm fine, thank you," he replied.

"Hmm..." Evening buried her face, perhaps to hide her reaction, or perhaps to think in silence.

Then after a dozen or so eerie seconds, Evening suddenly stood up and drew her silver barrel.

Whether it was her elven nature or the weight of her resolve, Evening moved with a kind of elusive grace that slipped past Ferris's senses entirely.

Before he even realized it, a gun was already aimed straight at him.

Bang!

After precisely shattering the iron lock, Miss Evening opened the metal door, freeing Ferris.

"Prove to me that you're a knight, and I won't shoot ya," she said, leaning on the door.

She's being for real, Ferris thought, but he was more focused on the fact that she really would kill him if he failed.

Ferris stood up and walked past her, still making sure that she didn't see his behind.

"May I ask you a question?" he said, keeping a good distance away from her.

Evening did not speak a word, only crossing her arms, smiling with a tilted head.

Ferris sighed inwardly. "What did it feel like? Coming here?"

Evening shook her head. "Coming here? No, no... You've got it all wrong, I was always here."

She stepped closer to Ferris, not stopping until there was barely an inch between them.

Looking up at Ferris's chin, she spoke with a tone of near focus and insanity.

"Did you not experience it yourself?

I was just minding my business, working at the fields.

Then... Boom!" she emphasized the explosion, mimicking it with her hand.

"Almost four centuries of memories done made themselves right at home in my head.

At first, I figured I'd just passed out from the heat.

But when I woke up?" Suddenly, Miss Evening softened her voice.

"Little ol' me died. I didn't know who I was that day and even now, I don't know who's standing here" she twirled her hair, as if it was some foreign object.

That's a sudden mental change? But I didn't experience it on the level she's describing, Ferris thought about the repercussions, but she continued speaking.

"I quit my life on the ranch and went lookin' for answers. Turns out, I was one of the lucky ones that came out like this," Evening said, but there was a barely noticeable change in her accent, almost like an elf. If it weren't for Ferris's lineage, he wouldn't have known.

"So I took it upon myself to put down the rabid animals," she sharply said.

This sudden revelation was shocking for Ferris, so much that even he was struggling to maintain his facial expression.

I thought Miss Evening was just like me, but she isn't?

It's just like Judas and Kerio's case, except it's a worse version. Ferris began to worry, if this was considered lucky, then what about his other comrades?

Would he have to kill them? If compared to Miss Evening, who was perhaps crazy, these people could be monsters in constant insanity.

What about that person I saw from Judas's memories? Ferris remembered the neglectful hero he saw fighting that strange researcher turned aberrant.

I might have to fight him. I shouldn't be too focused on good endings...

They might still be out there.

"Aw? Did I make you sad?" she teased, seeing that Ferris suddenly darkened from hearing her words.

"No, you've given me courage," Ferris answered with a deeper voice than usual.

"Atta knight!" she joyfully yelled, coming into Ferris's flank and suddenly slapping his rear.

"!!!" Ferris jolted by such a dangerous move, he almost threw a counterattack.

Wait, the parasite! Ferris quickly turned his body towards Evening.

"Hey, I saw that. Don't hide your ass away from me," Evening forcefully grabbed Ferris by the shoulder and twisted him around. "I recognized that!"

"You know what it is?" Ferris said, struggling to break away from her.

"I know what it does, but taking it off?

Only the Almighty knows, because I have not a clue," she answered.

Ferris became disappointed, but he was quite surprised that Evening didn't know from the beginning.

Once she released her grip, Ferris politely pushed her away.

So she won't kill me if I prove that I'm normal?

What an impossible mission. I'm quite normal, and she still tried to kill me a few days ago. Ferris sneered.

When there was nothing else to do, Ferris approached the steel door and grabbed its handles.

But he didn't open it. Rather, he turned around to see Miss Evening.

"Well, do your thing. The clock doesn't wait for the sloths," she waved with a smile.

She's really... Ferris gave off a suspicious look at her, but she didn't care or mind. "Go buy me a better bun if you don't end up shooting me," he smirked and opened the hulkish door.

He stepped outside, slowly closing the door behind him, but he couldn't help but focus his entire sense on the room behind him.

"I'm glad," Evening's soft voice slipped out of the barely closed door.

Ferris paused for a while and ignored his surroundings, deciding to turn around to open it again.

However, Miss Evening was no longer there, as if she was a figment of his imagination.

And yet, there he stood, outside of his cell and free.

Letting go, and closing the door once more, he never planned to look back.

Ferris analyzed where he was.

A warehouse?

It was like a grand tomb filled with ancient artifacts, art, bones, and many more. These were definitely the things Ferris wanted to see inside the museum when he entered but found nothing.

This was no doubt an untouched area of the museum, possibly even underground.

It was almost like a big box store, with massive bookshelf-like storage arranged in monotonous rows and columns.

There were wide, empty hallways everywhere arranged like a chess box pattern, that it might become guesswork on which hallway to look at if Ferris noticed a figure approaching.

I can't really expand my senses without my essence layer, Ferris thought, but it didn't deter him. His physical five senses were still good enough to be reliable.

First things first was removing this parasite.

The operation had to be unique, but Ferris and even Miss Evening didn't know what kind of procedure it would be.

But there was a way to remove it that Ferris was confident would work.

I could stop my heart and die temporarily.

Since his heart is tethered to the parasite, the parasite would lose its purpose and lose control of Ferris's essence layer before wilting right after.

Then he would restart his heart again and simply pluck the parasite off from its roots.

It takes great mental skill to commune with death and come back home safely.

But I have no clue how to do that, and even if I did.

...I wouldn't, too crazy.

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