"You have been smiling so much lately," Laly said, looking at Katy through the mirror. "Mind sharing with me? I want to laugh too."

Katy giggled, raising a hand in front of her mouth in the process.

The two friends were inside a room — Katy's room — colored in black just like their skin, and adorned with multiple pictures of bows, and real bows themselves.

The Motto of the Order of Orion was etched brightly on the ceiling.

Katy was sitting in front of the mirror, while Laly stood upright behind her, her hands waving masterfully through her friend's hair.

She was braiding it. And she looked quite skilled at it.

"Nothing really," Katy answered Laly's words. "I just find life beautiful lately."

"Beautiful because of Sky?" Laly let out a grin, seeing Katy's eyes dart shyly around. "You are so obvious, Katy."

"I am pretty sure Sky knows well how you feel about him."

Katy's body shook as if lightning, instead of blood, paraded through her veins. Her eyes widened as she jolted upward in the same motion, clearly trying to turn and face Laly.

But Laly kept her firmly seated with one tight grip.

"No!" Katy said after failing several attempts, sitting back with a shy pout. "He cannot know! I said nothing to him. And I—I…"

Her mouth trembled so much it felt pitiful to look at. "…I didn't do anything to show my love. R-right?"

Laly burst into uncontrollable laughter.

Two years had passed. Two years since Katy got her first scar, and even her second.

She now stood at the Grandmaster rank, known as the dearest teammate of Sky, the Prodigy.

Yet even with such a level of power, anything related to Sky made her look like a shy girl who had never seen blood, not even from afar.

"Don't laugh!" Katy complained, burying her face in her hands.

Finally stopping, Laly wiped away the swelling tears at the corners of her eyes with the back of her right hand.

"Katy, everyone in the Order knows about your feelings. Arrow pierce me! I believe even the other Orders might know," Laly said between laughs.

Katy groaned in embarrassment, wishing for nothing but to bury herself.

What must Sky be thinking of her?

Katy began to wonder, her eyes turning melancholic.

True, their relationship had improved during the past two years, but Katy felt the wall between them — thick, and thicker, and thicker.

A wall she didn't seem able to crack, no matter what she did.

Thinking that, a forlorn expression began to surface on her face.

"I envy you, you see," Laly suddenly said, making Katy immediately hide her sadness.

"Envy?" Katy inquired, looking at Laly through the mirror. "Why?"

"Do you think it's easy?" Laly laughed. "To love, I mean. And to love so openly?"

She slightly shook her head. "You are strong, Katy. Especially considering it has been years and you didn't abandon it. Years you stayed with Sky despite him not giving you what you wish."

Then her voice lowered, cloaked in a whisper. "I wish I had the same strength as you."

"Don't say that." Katy lightly shook her head. "I am not strong, I swear, Laly. I pass my nights wondering, overthinking, if it's worth it. If Sky will one day look at me the way I look at him."

"It's hard. It's truly hard. Sometimes I can see our bonds getting stronger, us becoming closer, that he's more open to me, yet the next day, everything returns to ground zero."

Katy lowered her head, biting her lower lip, her hands balling into fists. "But… but I decided not to trust what I see, and instead trust what I feel. I can feel him, Laly. I can feel he's going through something. So I want to be with him. I will wait…"

She breathed out, smiling. "I will close my eyes and wait. Wait until he is ready to open his heart to me."

Laly stared at Katy's beautiful smile, and Arrow guide her soul! This time, she couldn't help but think of how stunning Katy was.

How the shy curl of her lips, coupled with her defined high cheekbones and clear black eyes, made her look like a sculpture crafted with deep care and patience.

In a burst of emotion, she wrapped her arms tightly around her, causing Katy to yelp in surprise, before smiling and returning the hug.

"You are an idiot," Laly whispered. "A damn idiot. Arrow in my head! What you just described is exactly why you are strong."

"Ah, but—!"

"I will take a leap of faith," Laly interrupted her, burying her head deeper into Katy's thick Afro hair. "I will believe in what I feel and accept the love of Tristan."

Katy smiled, slowly caressing Laly's hands around her neck. "Then I wish you happiness with him."

She whispered, closing her eyes softly, "I am here for you. I am here if you need me."

Laly nodded. "I know," she said. "You have always been here for me."

Katy smiled, basking in the comfortable silence. But soon, the corners of her lips began to twitch.

"But, uh, Laly…" she shyly called out. "I see Sky today… m-my hair?"

Laly immediately jerked upright. Her eyes narrowed with unfathomable determination as she seized Katy's thick hair.

"I will make you the most beautiful braids ever!" she bellowed, eyes blazing as if she were about to fight a god. "Sky will undoubtedly fall for you today! Trust me, Katy!"

Katy laughed, eyes closing in the process, her right hand rising demurely to cover her mouth.

"I trust you, Laly."

"YES! Let's begin!!!"

"Hahahah~"

…

"Wait what?" Rea exclaimed in surprise, looking at the serious face of Kaden.

"I said I am coming with you." He shrugged.

"No!" Rea shook her head vehemently, the clanking sound sharply echoing through the withered room. "I can go alone, and you surely have things to do."

"Nope." Kaden smiled. "I have nothing to do. You don't have to mind me, just take me as a shadow trailing behind you."

"You look nothing like a shadow!"

"True. I am too handsome and too shiny for that." He nodded with a low grin.

Rea's left eye twitched heavily at his words.

They had been here, talking for hours, each one telling the other what they had been doing all this time.

Rea had told him that she was now at the Church of Sorrow under a Disciple. She briefly explained what she went through, without going too much into detail.

She kept many things to herself. Especially her weird tendencies to inject and manipulate the fears of others. Even more especially the matter with the goddess.

That was something Rea wanted to keep to herself alone.

Something that would be impossible if Kaden decided to tag along with her.

She twisted her lips. Clearly, Kaden could see she didn't want him to. And yet…

"It's better to accept it so that we can plan our way," Kaden said with confidence, eyes glowing. "You know I will go."

Rea cursed under her breath. Then she exhaled. "Fine—!"

"Who gave you the nerve to force my—!"

"Please, shut up, you madwoman." Kaden waved dismissively at Einar's voice. "Let your master talk, will you?"

Einar was boiling in anger, her earring-shaped body glowing with intense grey light.

Kaden didn't even give her a second glance, his eyes fixed on Rea.

This was another thing that had happened during their talk. Einar had immediately lashed out at Kaden in jealousy after knowing that this was the man her beautiful Rea was so loyal to for no reason.

She had expected any other kind of answer.

But not the screeching of a phoenix that threatened to burn her alive, and the cold glare of a sword ready to make her head observe her body… separately.

Einar stayed silent after that, knowing she was not at her full strength without her real body.

Still, she couldn't accept Kaden forcing himself into her date with Rea.

Unfortunately,

"Fine," Rea sighed. "We will go together."

Kaden grinned.

"Now, tell me…"

He paused, leaning his body back against the chair he was sitting on, then continued,

"Where is the Shattered Temple of the Whimpering Saintess?"

'I have a payback for that bloody eldritch saintess to deliver.'

—End of chapter 400—

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