Gravedigger: Part Two

Upon arriving at Prison Island, Derserk avoided the many lights of a city that never slept, choosing to walk along the sidewalk untouched by the cast-iron streetlamps. Nevertheless, it was impossible to ignore the extravagant show taking place across the road, and reluctantly but with a hint of curiosity, the ’Gravedigger’ lowered his red-round glasses to peer through countless small windows, each a portal to a different dimension of unfiltered joy, inhabited by nocturnal creatures who lived as if there were no tomorrow.

It made him sick. Do you know the worst part? Tomorrow, these people will still be alive. Next.

Derserk’s trail of penance continued, limping along the border between light and darkness, covering his ears to stop his heart from bleeding while desperately searching for a safe heaven. Little did he know there was a little blue friend specialized in helping forgotten beings like him.

*Tweet!* The ’Gravedigger’ raised his trembling sight, witnessing in awe the only light that shined over his dark path—a bluish one, the halo of a little blue bird. In that instant, Derserk forgot his painful past, his troubled present, and his hopeless future, following the bird’s shimmering trail through the narrow streets. The deeper he ventured into the city, the weaker that degenerate laughter became, soothing his heartbeat, and when the Bluegale finally stopped, perched over a little blue birdhouse, only its flute-like chirp could be heard.

In front of the young man stood a café, and on a rustic signboard its name—The Blue Bird Experience.

It looks comfy. This one! Both Derserk and Himself forgot about the legendary bird as they peered through the window. The café had a homely design, with blue walls adorned with miniature paintings of birds, except for a large one depicting a young girl in a wheelchair. It stood out not just for its subject, but for its peculiar style—hyperrealistic in the girl’s gentle features, yet abstract and dreamlike the closer one looked toward the edges.

Despite dozens of cast-iron tables, intricately shaped like lace, being empty, Derserk, driven by paranoia about his own body odor, chose to sit at the one next to a technician busy working on the Hydrosystem, and after noticing someone rummaging behind the counter, he decided to call for her attention. ”Excuse me, I’m ready to order.”

”Just one minute, and I’ll be right there!” The waitress replied with a church-choir-like voice, hastily finishing her task before approaching to take his order. However, the moment her indigo eyes met the amethyst ones of the ’Gravedigger,’ he began sweating beneath his clothes.

If Miss Sinclair was the living embodiment of his lust, then this waitress was what he craved from romance—it was love at first sight. This girl…this girl was made for me. Derserk had never been religious, but in that moment, he swore eternal devotion to whatever god had orchestrated that fateful encounter.

”Thank you for choosing The Blue Bird Experience, where you’ll rediscover your long-lost peace of mind,” the waitress greeted while fiddling with her pen. ”For teas, I recommend the Seafall Grey with sweets—our supplier brings only the finest algae from the ’Submerged City.’ If you prefer coffee, I’d suggest a double espresso. The machine is from Maria, and the beans come straight from Aramash—a perfect blend.” Then, suddenly, she stopped. “Oh, sorry, I forgot to introduce myself—I’m Safiye.” Derserk didn’t reply, completely petrified by the celestial vision standing before him, unable to comprehend how such a radiant being could look at him, a total stranger, with such genuine warmth in her eyes. ”…Mister?”

Move your ass and say something! Himself relentlessly yelled at his bodymate.

”Mister?” Safiye asked again, her tone carrying urgency that added more pressure to the young man.

Okay, first of all, get yourself together, and then, hear me out. I know you think my goal is to kill you and take over your body—and you’re absolutely right. But I’m a man too, and I can’t withstanding a second more of this pathetic shitshow. So, hear me out. Presentation is 90% of the job—don’t mess this up. Be direct and leave a mark—she needs to dream about you tonight. Got it? Derserk took a deep breath, summoned every ounce of courage, and finally spoke. ”Coffee. Black. No sugar. Thanks.”

The room’s temperature plummet by at least thirty-seven degrees. ”Got it. I’ll get it ready as fast as I can,” she said, proceeding toward the kitchen. But, suddenly, she turned around, warmly smiling at the ’Gravedigger.’ ”Oh, and thanks again for choosing The Blue Bird Experience—Mr. Rouge,” she concluded with a thumb-up.

Maybe being tortured in your father’s basement wasn’t so bad after all. Derserk covered his reddening face—he wanted to dig his own grave.

Meanwhile, the technician finished his task, stored his tools, and turned a small wheel on the wall, and then, soft notes began to fill the café. The outstanding symphony was a piece of classical music that Derserk had learned to play at the age of three—The Everlasting Overture.

He could still vividly remember the many times he had sneaked into the basement of Rouge Noz in the dead of night and his fingers trembling as he practiced with his fiddle, far from his father’s suffocating gaze. This was the song you played the first time we met, wasn’t it? Himself, as always, ruined the moment.

”My favorite song,” Safiye’s eyes glimmered in awe as she gently placed the coffee on Derserk’s table, nostalgia exuding from her tone.

Good, you’ve got an opening. Now say anything, literally anything, and then casually drop that you can play the song. MOVE YOUR ASS—NOW!

”Excuse me, Miss Safiye.” The ’Gravedigger’ scratched his neck for a couple of seconds before continuing. ”Is there a public bathroom nearby where someone can take a shower?” Better than nothing…I guess. Himself grumbled.

”Yes, I’m heading there right now.” To his surprise, the voice didn’t belong to Safiye, but to the technician. ”If you’d like, I can accompany yo—Dogserk? What are you doing here?”

”It’s Derserk, not Dogserk,” he replied, annoyed, as Jacques positioned himself between the two lovely birds.

”Sure, dude. I thought you were sleeping.”

”I woke up, and since our bathroom is horrendous, I went looking for a public one…” Derserk bad-eyed his teammate’s dirty suit. ”Anyway, did you get a job here?”

”Yes and no. You see…” The ’Javelinist’ enveloped his arm around his friend’s neck. ”I met this guy—half lawyer, half financial consultant—who told me real money comes from emergencies. Someone runs into a sudden problem, they submit a request to my boss, and he forwards it to my [Mail.Window].” He gestured at the glowing interface hovering near his head. ”In this case, there was a sudden blackout, and since everyone else was asleep, they contacted him to fix their hydrosystem. And for the urgency—they pay a lot m…” Just as Jacques finished bragging about his new job, the door opened, and yet another familiar face stepped into The Blue Bird Experience.

”Hi, Casimir. What are you doing here?” Jacques greeted the big guy, who beamed as he spotted his teammates.

”What a nice surprise to find you all here,” the ’Scarecrow’ exclaimed before asphyxiating both inside his massive arms. ”I’m here because the owner’s looking for a cook, and I’m pretty good at cooking.”

”Welcome to the Blue Bird Experience’s family!” Safiye exclaimed, overexcited. ”You are truly a blessing from the Holy Trinity because I couldn’t endure another month of night shifts alone. Sadly, no one’s applied for the waiter position…but I suppose I shouldn’t be too greedy.”

Her words lit a fire inside Derserk, who reconfirmed his oath to that unknown god. ”Ahem…I’m here for the job, too…ahem…the waiter one,” he stammered. Calm down. You got lucky, so don’t waste this chance.

Safiye’s eyes lit up with awe, while Jacques raised an eyebrow. ”Wait a minute—what about the public bath?”

”Ahem…after the interview.”

”But why did you wait until Casimir showed up to reveal your true intentions?”

”Because I needed to evaluate the quality of the coffee first. I hail from a land known as the Fatherland of Coffee, and I refuse to work anywhere that doesn’t meet our high standards.” He fixed his red-round glasses. ”But to my surprise, Safiye’s brew effortlessly rivals the ones most exclusive cafés in the Capital.” Safiye blushed, butJacques remained unconvinced.

”Are you sure? Wasn’t Oldmarch the Fatherland of Coffee and yours the Motherland of Wine?”

”No.”

Jacques shrugged. ”Sure, dude. See you in class later.” He waved and headed for the door, but Casimir’s big hand stopped him.

”Jacques, there’s a problem,” Casimir warned, visibly worried. ”The Academy has sent our luggage, but yours is missing. But there’s more. In the registration ledger, there’s no trace of it, as if you were never even on the ship. Absurd, right?” Casimir’s innocent question gave the ’Javelinist’ his third heart attack in less than a day.

”Ahem…the police seized it because…ahem…there were……ahem...heavy drugs inside,” Jacques confessed, shocking his audience. ”I know it’s a terrible thing, but I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to afford the school’s fees. Moreover, I’m an orphan, and, clearly, my lack of parenthood has led me down dark paths. I’m truly sorry, and I swear to the Holy Trinity to never do it again. So, please, let’s never talk about this again, okay? It’s really embarrassing.” And with that, Jacques stormed out of the building.

“Poor guy…I feel so bad for him,” Casimir shed a few tears.

“Everyone has their problems, I guess,” Safiye replied with an awkward smile. “Anyway, Mr. Fritz will arrive at 5 a.m., so until then, please wait in his office.” She led them through a narrow hallway to the back of the building, to a small, shady, and utterly disorganized office.

Casimir and Derserk each pulled a chair from a stack in the corner, sitting in front of the dust-covered desk, and a few moments later, Safiye returned with two cups of tea. ”This is offered by me, I hope it helps with the interview.” Her smile warmed them more than the hot drink.

Around five o’clock, a fat, bald, middle-aged man sporting a horseshoe mustache marched into the office, casting a brief yet scrutinizing glance at the two young men before plopping into his creaky chair behind the desk.

“Are you two here for the job?” He asked gruffly. “You really think you’ve got what it takes for the night shift? Beasts awaken in people after twilight—and you’re just boys. I don’t even think it’s legal for me to hire you. What’s the Academy going to do to me if something bad happens?”

Derserk and Casimir exchanged a quick glance. “We’re Class F,” they replied in perfect unison.

“Why didn’t you say that from the start? You’re both hired! You start tomorrow—2 a.m. to 6 a.m. For today, the waiter can help Safiye with cleaning, and the cook can inspect the kitchen.”

“Thank you for this opportunity, Mr. Fritz. I’m Casimir, the cook, and he is Derserk, the waiter. We won’t disappoint you,” Casimir said, bowing respectfully.

“Don’t be so formal. From now on, we’re a family. Call me Otto.” They shook hands, sealing the deal.

Casimir headed toward the kitchen, while Derserk made his way to assist his beloved waitress with the tables—-his heart pounding like a war drum each time their eyes met. In thirty minutes, and amidst an awkward silence, the two of them had managed to tidy up the entire café. Then, they moved to the kitchen to handle the dishes, the clinking of plates and running water backgrounded their conversation.

“So,” she broke the ice as she passed a sponge over a plate in smooth, circular motions. “You still haven’t told me your name.”

“FF-Class ’Gravedigger’ Derserk Rouge, first year.” Now that he had confessed his pathetic rank, he braced himself for revulsion. But, although her expression shifted, it wasn’t disgust—it was surprise.

“Derserk Rouge?! The Marquis of Bloodmarch?!” She gasped, astonished.

I don’t remember you being that famous. But hey, you can capitalize on it. “Yes,” Derserk answered, adjusting his red-round glasses. “I’m the last living member of the Rouge Family. It’s…a surprise you’ve heard of me.” Perfect. You’ve flexed your nobility while also baiting her. Good job, kiddo.

“EE-Class ’Bird Watcher’ Safiye Farabi. You probably don’t remember me, but…I lived at Rouge Noz with my father before the Requiem.” Safiye’s words pierced his heart. ”After twilight, you used to play your cello in an empty room next to mine, and I spent countless nights listening to your music through the walls. You don’t know how much I wanted to find the strength to speak with you, at least once, to tell you how your music has saved me…but then the siege came…” Her eyes lowered. ”I lost my father, and I ended up in an orphanage set up for children of war victims…but in that cold place…you weren’t there to warm my nights with your music…”

You killed her dad? Don’t panic, it’s basically the premise of every single erotic novel for women. Derserk ignored himself, his mind overheating with guilt. But Safiye noticed his turmoil, gently joining her wet hands with his as her intense gaze pierced through the red lenses of his round glasses—straight into what was left of his hollow soul.

“Please, relax. I’m not blaming you—never. Your father fought to the death against the Eleutheria Republic—no one could have stop that tragedy.” She cried. Yet, her nice words added pressure in Derserk’s chest instead of lifting it.

“Please…let’s avoid this discussion.” Somehow, he found the strength to speak. ”From today on, we’ll have plenty of time for everything. For now, let’s focus on you. Why are you working in this cafe, even though you’re not a Class F?” Good recovery. But you can’t avoid this forever. Himself grimly reminded.

“I’m in my second year,” she mumbled, using a towel to clean her tears. “Class E students who fail to evolve during their first year get labeled as ’Honorary Class F.’ When that happens, the Academy slashes our funding, because they consider us…failed investments.” Her pink lips curled into a bitter smile. “Thus, I have to pay for a bed outside the Academy, and that’s why I’m working in this café. So yeah, I get why you’re here, too.”

From there, they continued talking about the school, their peculiar teammates, and their job, breaking, little by little, the wall of awkwardness between them.

***

The end of their shift got dangerously close, and Derserk longed for one last victory before parting from his beloved lady. I like this girl. So don’t worry, I won’t kill her. Himself’s words weren’t the most comforting ones, but it was better than nothing.

“Excuse me, Miss Farabi. What about exchanging our [Email.Address]? It might be useful in case one of us needs to cover for the other.” His heart pounded faster than ever, and the shirt under his black vest was now 1% silk and 99% sweat.

“With pleasure, Mr. Rouge,” Safiye said, smiling with her whole face.

You did it, motherfucker! Derserk watched as her fingers moved gracefully through the air, and then a glowing notification appeared in front of him.

”Yes.” Safiye Farabi was now on his [AddressList].

At exactly 6 a.m., their shift ended, and after a warm goodbye, Derserk and Casimir made their way to the public bathroom.

For the first time in a very long time, the ’Gravedigger’ was grateful to be alive.

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