When they wake up the next morning, the temperature turns much warmer than the freezing night they have just spent. Maybe because the morning sunshine brings warmth for them, maybe because sleep has relieved their tiredness due to the horrors of the previous day… but it has still not yet totally vanished. Regardless of everything, the incident happening last night has given them a traumatic memory which will not fade from their memory until the end of their lives. And also, brings Daphne into the more severe life shortly after that.
Actually, Daphne is very eager to have a long talk with Stairmount. She wants to talk and ask about so many things with that young man. That, she is really surprised by the true identity of her lecturer, that he was actually a member of an organization which has brought suffering to herself as well as her countrymen… and, the lecturer whom she always assumed as an ordinary man, inevitably just saves the lives of hers and her mother’s… She really wants to express the whole emotions which bubble up inside her chest. But, on the other hand, she gets confused about what she actually wants to say to him. Before meeting with Stairmount, she has planned to talk a lot like a nagging old lady, but when she meets with Stairmount, she falls silent as if she has transformed into a speech-impaired person. All of her eagerness to talk is abruptly swallowed by a big wave, and disappears elsewhere.
Stairmount himself, gives a warm greeting as he meets with Daphne, “Morning, Daphne. Did you sleep well last night?”
Stairmount does seem like a caring person, as usual, but there is something off-putting right now. Something very different between Stairmount before and after last night’s incident has appeared.
“Good morning, Sir. I have a good sleep last night… thanks. Well… not so good… I can’t really move on from the incident trauma yesterday…” Daphne stares at Stairmount. “How about you? Did you sleep well?”
Stairmount stares back at Daphne. The gleam of the sunshine reflects on her beautiful bright pink hair. Inside his mind, he takes a deep breath. He shouldn’t have asked that question, after all, this girl is still in her 20s, but her virginity was almost snatched away in just one day… it indeed didn’t happen, however under normal circumstances, that case could have been brought to the court as the case of sexual harassment. Such a great blessing that she is still able to get through the night and act normal like this without losing her sanity.
“Don’t worry about me. Just care for yourself, because it’s more important,” He smiles, more or less feeling grateful that Daphne is still standing before him in good health and with her perfectly-maintained virginity.
“Thanks…” Daphne looks hesitant. In fact, she can feel that her lecturer is carrying a great burden. Mr. Rivers said, he is a member of Chrono, but yesterday he messed up with their actions, wouldn’t Chrono be angry with him? If they are eager to catch him, then it means his life is in danger?…
… just because he saves me and Mom?
“Mr. Rivers.” Daphne asks slowly. “Are you… will be okay?…”
Stairmount is dumbfounded. “What do you mean by Okay?”
“You said, you are a personnel of Chrono, but you fight against them instead… and you are with us who are their hunted targets… so, will you be okay?…”
Stairmount bites his lip. He smiles bitterly. “Of course, I won’t be okay…”
“Then, don’t be with us! And don’t think about us anymore! Go back to them!…”
“So, by just returning to them then everything will be okay?”
“Ah…”
“They’re a bunch of vile-hearted people. The actions I just did yesterday will awaken various kinds of demons from the bottom of their hearts, which makes them have the heart to commit any kind of evil things to me. Moreover, this is related to the high-level conspiracies overcoming this whole Planet. Hence, if I return to them, I’ll be trapped in big trouble.”
“So… what should we do?!?”
“Don’t know. What I do know is, all of us have the same fate, that is, must avoid the pursuit of bad guys.”
Several small birds flow rapidly. The fresh smell of morning dew wafts into their noses.
“I’ve never been here before… I’ve really no idea that such a beautiful area does exist here…” Daphne stares at Stairmount, very seriously. “Sir… what if we stay here?”
“This is a forest, not a residential area…” Daphne lowers her head, disappointed. Frustration makes her forget that super-simple logic. “Besides, don’t you think that they can search for this area? Let alone this area, you know, they’re even capable to search into the deepest trenches of the ocean. We won’t be safe here.”
“But… but… where should we go? Where should we stay, then?…”
Stairmount takes out his ultra-cyber minipad, and fiddles with it for a while, until he finally said.
“First, we have to go out from Pluto.”
Copyright ©️ by boundless_universe
