Chapter 62: S2. Resentment Wished Upon The Stars – 5
Abraham’s pupils trembled. It was the surprise of someone who had encountered an unexpected event. Every night, he had envisioned his daughter returning in his dreams, but his star-like mind knew that such a thing would never happen.
Thus, the embarrassment.
Abraham carefully selected his words. Had you left that religion? Do you still believe in those strange things? Have you been harmed in any way?
However, upon gazing into Isaac’s eyes, he realized that such questions were meaningless. Eyes are the windows to the soul, and inside her window, there was only one thing; a blinding white that scattered human intellect—a boiling froth.
So, the old man could only resort to an obvious, clichéd question.
“Have you been well…?”
Isaac smiled. That smile was not like that of a daughter happily acknowledging her caring father’s concern, but rather reminiscent of watching a monkey perform tricks inside a cage.
“Yes, Father, I’ve been well. My soul is fuller than at any other time in my life, and I am truly making each day meaningful. It’s all thanks to you.”
“….”
“Are you still counting those meaningless stars? Just rocks floating in space, formed from clumps of dust.”
“They’re not meaningless, my child. There’s meaning in everything in this world.”
“You still fail to see what needs to be seen, I see. Father.”
Although the tone of their exchange was gentle, the atmosphere and the looks in their eyes made it hard to perceive this as a conversation between a father and daughter. Tara seemed to interject, as if trying to protect Abraham.
“….Who are you?”
“Sorry for the late introduction. My name is Isaac. And you are?”
“….Tara.”
“And what about the rest of you?”
Isaac’s gaze shifted to Bennett and Niolle. Bennett swallowed dryly at the vivid unease he felt, while Niolle perceived the universe through her gaze.
Darkness, a chillingly black void. Being, yet also not being. Like a swelling egg or a shriveling heart about to collapse. A bizarre universe that the human mind could only grasp in fragments.
“Aha. You too?”
It seemed that Isaac noticed it as well. A smile bloomed on her face; not one of mockery, but one rooted in genuine joy.
Isaac approached leisurely, took Niolle’s hands, and politely kissed them, brimming with affection.
“I’m pleased to meet you. Your name?”
“….”
Niolle blinked blankly. As if that sufficed, Isaac nodded, communicating through the silence.
However, it was a one-sided connection. Isaac, through her mannerisms, seemed to be probing Niolle, conveying something distant yet sinister, like a man courting a beautiful woman with piercing, intrusive gazes.
And just as she was about to say more—
“Back off!”
Thwack!
Bennett slapped Isaac’s hand away. He then stepped back, wrapping his arms around Niolle’s shoulders to protect her. It was reminiscent of a white snake baring its fangs at Niolle.
Isaac feigned a hurt, sorrowful expression, caressing her slapped hand, pretending it was in pain.
“I had nowhere else to go, so I returned. Even strangers welcomed me warmly; surely, a daughter who merely stepped out for a bit… will be welcomed back, right, Father?”
“….Yes, your room has always been kept ready.”
Isaac’s gaze slipped towards Tara, examining her from head to toe. Her eyes lingered on the clothes she was wearing—Isaac’s clothes.
“But now, it seems that room is not for me. It’s okay, Father. I can forgive you for not believing I would return.”
“I… have wished for your return, even in my dreams.”
“Your words and actions don’t seem to match. The storage room will suffice for me. You may continue using my room, Tara. Enjoy your meal.”
Isaac excused herself politely and walked up the stairs towards the storage room on the second floor where Bennett was staying. She opened the door, stepped inside, and closed it behind her.
No one moved until her white afterimage faded away.
Abraham’s expression twisted in agony. The poor old man, who had always counted stars, covered his face with his wrinkled hands and lamented.
“I shouldn’t have shown Isaac the stars…”
It was a belated regret, something inevitable for any human.
===============================================================
Isaac seamlessly blended into daily life. Unlike the first day when she had been pointed and scathing, she now behaved like a kind and polite daughter consistently. She fawned over Abraham and repeatedly asked Niolle if she needed anything.
Isaac especially focused on Niolle. She initiated conversations and checked up on her well-being. She laughed at her sentences, acting as if emotionally touched by everything Niolle expressed—warm words and an unchanging friendliness.
However, everyone present knew that it was all an act. Despite the seemingly warm atmosphere, tension filled the air below the surface.
It felt as if something could happen at any moment.
Yet, there was nothing they could do. Abraham seemed content, even if it was all just a facade. The current scenario, with his estranged daughter returning to act affectionately, felt like a dream come true for him.
Thus, neither Bennett nor Tara could intervene. Bennett was preoccupied with a conversation he had with Abraham one night, and Tara didn’t want to see Abraham saddened.
All they could manage were indirect actions—via monitoring and preparations.
If there was a silver lining in this unfortunate situation, it was that the appearance of an outsider had temporarily improved the dynamic between Tara and Bennett.
“We’ll know if she does anything suspicious. I’ve placed magic at the threshold of the storage room and inside Abraham’s room. A familiar for surveillance is also prepared. I even hid a rat in the ceiling.”
“I’ve set up something like Curse Defense too, but weren’t you planning to bail on Abraham if needed? You’re putting in a lot of effort, huh. More than I anticipated. What’s your game?”
“….I just thought that this Isaac woman was dangerous. Her eyes weren’t normal.”
“Right, well… it’s your turn to take the shift today, isn’t it?”
“Don’t try to sneakily pass it off to me. It’s your shift today.”
As time passed, it reached the fifth day.
Their return date was approaching. Tara insisted on touring the university with Abraham today, and Bennett, sensing the need to gather information, agreed. At the dinner table that day, they asked Abraham,
“Abraham, could we possibly visit the university?”
“Are you interested in the university?”
“Yes. There’s something I want to investigate.”
“You seem more interested in the library than the university. Very well. If you can wait until classes end, I can personally guide you. Let’s go.”
Abraham agreed with enthusiasm, and the three set off for Miskatonic University. Just as they were preparing to leave and Tara insisted on carrying Abraham’s luggage…
Bennett noticed Niolle, strangely lost in thought as she absentmindedly picked at her food. He nudged her shoulder. Niolle turned her head, showing no hint of surprise.
“Did you hear? We’re going to Miskatonic University.”
[Ah, yes. I heard.]
“If you’re not feeling well, it might be better to stick with us. If you’re attacked while in such a fragile state, we won’t be able to do anything. If it’s too exhausting, I can carry you. If not, you can go to the hideout mentioned in the report.”
[I’m fine. I just didn’t sleep well last night. Besides, you’ll need my abilities in places like libraries, right?]
Bennett nodded. Niolle’s ability to quickly grasp even the slightest details made her a great asset during investigations; she would undoubtedly be of help once again.
While he was worried about Niolle’s somewhat unusual demeanor, he figured it was better than leaving her alone. Thus, everyone followed Abraham into the noisy contraption called a car, heading towards Miskatonic University.
Tara asked if she could try driving, and Bennett sharply interjected, telling her to quit tossing nonsense around. Amidst all the commotion, Niolle remained silent. The whiteboard and pen stilled as if they were also in contemplation.
Niolle’s strange behavior stemmed from events that happened the night before.
===============================================================
#4: Invitation
Late at night, a whisper reached Niolle’s ears. Come here. Come here. She woke from a light sleep and looked around, only to find Tara sleeping soundly; nothing else stirred nearby.
Come here.
The voice in her mind even hinted at a direction. Niolle figured it was some sort of magic. Cautiously, she left the room and walked in the direction the voice guided her.
Arriving at the end of the hallway, she found herself in front of the storage room.
Niolle knocked softly. As if it responded to her touch, the door slid open. Stepping inside, she saw Isaac stretching under the shimmering moonlight. With a benevolent smile, she greeted her.
“Do you believe in God?”
[I believe in their existence, but I don’t worship them.]
“Have you ever seen God up close?”
[No.]
“What a shame.”
Isaac fluttered her eyelids, expressing regret for such a belief, and gazed at the vast night sky through the window. Niolle turned her gaze too. Today, there was no watchful eyes in the yard.
The woman in the white dress rambled on, thoroughly intoxicated with religious fervor.
“Humans cannot possibly understand God. They have inferior sensory organs. With their ears, they can only hear a very narrow range of sounds, and with their eyes, they cannot see colors beyond the spectrum of the rainbow.”
[….]
“But, every so often—very rarely—those born with the fortune to see a little more; the chosen ones. People who can see what others cannot. People are very close to God. You and I. Even if we cannot reach complete understanding, we can grasp at least a part of it.”
She appeared to strongly believe that she was one of those chosen ones. It fueled her religious fervor. Fidgeting with her thighs, Isaac shot adoring gazes at the night sky, her glimmering eyes akin to a person deeply in love.
That clingy affection. The sticky desire felt almost tangible, as if she would intertwine tongues at any moment. A flower birthed from a muddy, polluted blend of various emotions. A boiling froth.
Niolle recognized what that was. Fanaticism.
“I hope you can also experience this joy… Now is a very good time, you see…”
Isaac extended a book toward Niolle; an ominous book, bound in a peculiar leather. When she ran a hand over its surface, it emanated warmth, unlike any typically dead leather.
Niolle quietly nodded, then left the room, clutching the book closely to her heart.
[….]
Niolle had not gone mad. It was true that she had a deep reverence for the vastness, for the dizzying scale, the existence of something beyond in the universe. Still, that wasn’t enough to make her throw everything away.
Whether in the otherworld or her original one, there had always existed something beyond the comprehension of the ordinary. Something that mere humans could not tame or control. Whether it was the power of the Imperial Family, monsters that have achieved sublimation, or the inevitable death that awaited all, these were immovable realities.
She merely believed in the righteousness of saving others and the wrongness of harming them. She possessed the courage to act upon those beliefs. Thus—
She would read this ominous book, extract information, and help Bennett, Tara, and Abraham. Perhaps… even Isaac. Perhaps she could help her too.
With that in mind, Niolle opened the book in a corner of the room.
The memories of that night slipped away, drowned in shadows.
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