Trixie

We were led into the hospital. Long corridors that looked plucked from the 1800's greeted us. Minimal accommodations with no real technology was almost like we'd traveled back in time. But for this world, this was sci-fi.

Nurses in clean, white uniforms each had stethoscopes around their necks—foreign tools that looked alien in Sin Nombre. Wheelchair patients were getting injected with syringes, while other sickly folks in the hallway had their temperatures checked with thermometers.

As the swordsman escorted us upstairs, I noticed more guards posted along every corner. Guards outnumbered nurses, akin to a military base more than a hospital. So I peered towards Tsukino beside me for guidance.

"Doctors from our world are priceless," she said. "There's only a handful of them in Sin Nombre. So the church doubles-down protecting them."

"Wouldn't attacking hospitals or doctors be a war crime?"

She chuckled, almost smiling. "You're naive if you think there's war crimes in this world."

We passed through a set of double-doors that led into more crowded halls. Except now, patients with twisted, cackling expressions were limping around. Other patients rocked in place in chairs, while the worst ones were mumbling nonsense as if possessed.

"Umm," I whispered to Tsukino, "is this the mental ward floor?"

"Yes."

"This is where Trixie is?"

"My old partner retired. And Trixie traveling with us needed to be admitted here for something that happened on the job. We're checking how they're doing."

Huh? What kinda job did I sign up for? The guy I'm replacing retired, and another partner got psychologically destroyed!

A rest area with three rows of chairs appeared. I sat down while Tsukino went across the hall to talk with an old doctor. They both whispered, as if not wanting to be overheard, before vanishing around the corner.

Guess I'll just wait here. My back slouched until I made eye contact with a little boy sitting ahead. He was wearing hospital gowns but had a blank, almost unnerving face as he stared straight at me.

"Hmm?" I said. "Something wrong, kid?"

No reply. His eyes only widened when he heard my voice, like he recognized it. Then a tear streamed down his cheek.

"What is . . . my name?" he said, emotionless.

"Huh? How would I know?"

"What is . . . my name?"

"Eh?" Probably better not getting involved. I tried looking away, but still felt his cold, destitute glare pounding me, haunting me. An unrelenting scourge.

He began mumbling. "WhatismynamewhatismynamewhatismynamewhydidIforget?"

"There you are!" a nurse's voice broke the trance. She walked in from the hall wearing a black rag over her eyes, maneuvering through surroundings perfectly. "I've been looking everywhere for you!"

"What is my name?" the boy replied.

"Come on, let's go." She grabbed his arm and tried tugging him away. But his wide eyes remained trained on me.

"M-Maybe you're being a little rough with him," I told the nurse.

She slowly turned towards me. Even with the tattered, black blindfold hiding her gaze, I could tell I'd upset her.

"You have no clue what this child has endured before they arrived here," she said, before leading him away into the hallway.

And I was alone.

A few minutes passed. I tried pushing that earlier incident out of mind, but couldn't shake the feeling that this hospital utilized strange remedies. And I wondered why some nurses wore ritual-like rags over their eyes.

Weird world. Might only get weirder from here though. I kept to myself until I heard footsteps clanking up the hall behind me.

"I'm back, Aizawa," Tsukino said.

"Ah, that was quicker than I'd thought it would—"

I turned around. Strutting towards me was Tsukino in her dark trench coat, but lurking just behind was a tan, titan of a man with billowing silver flames for hair. His black priest clothes—ripped and torn like they'd survived a shredder—couldn't hide his muscular frame. And each stomp he took shuddered the floor.

Is that . . . TRIXIE? My jaw struggled not dropping.

The titanic man snarled as we made eye contact, his glare almost paralyzing me. But I nervously shambled to my feet to greet him.

"H-Hello," I nodded my head. "I'm Jin Aizawa. And you're . . . Trixie? Maybe?"

Growls were his response, gritting teeth. The gray flames on his head danced in rage each time I spoke.

Assistance! Assistance! Peering towards Tsukino was my last hope. But she just pouted and crossed her arms.

"Hey!" a tiny voice somewhere squeaked. "Did somebody say my name?"

"Huh?" What was that noise?

I swiveled around for the source, until my eyes spotted something small moving in the man's cassock robe. The bulge kept sneaking upwards until a little woman's head peeked out under his chin.

"Oh! Hi!" The tiny, white-haired girl smiled up at me. "You're Aizawa, right?"

"Y-Yes?"

"Yay! It's nice to finally meet you, Aizawa! I'm Trixie!"

The pixie—dressed in an emerald, leaf-like dress—flew upwards with fluttering wings until sitting on my shoulder. Purple irises gazed right into me before she giggled.

"Trixie is our unofficial second partner," Tsukino said. "Since she's a true pixie, she's considered more of a creature than human, but we're not treating her as anything less than our friend. Got it?"

"Yeah," I said. "But true pixie? Are there fake pixies or something?"

The muscular priest stepped forward. "Pixies are almost extinct, hunted for their unique ability to shapeshift into animals. Calling them 'true' pixies is just a means to honor their authenticity."

"Mm!" Trixie said. "I can mimic all sorts of critters! Praise me, Aizawa! Hehe!"

"Ummm, you're cute, I suppose?"

As soon as I said that, the priest sent me a death glare. His hands curled into fists that were restraining themselves with ungodly willpower.

D-Did I say something I shouldn't?

Then from ahead, another nurse in white ambled up the hallway towards us. Her eyes were deadpan, tired, like she could fall over from exhaustion.

"Pardon me, sir," she told the priest before tearing a strip off his black robe. Careful hands tied it around her eyes, making sure it was tight, as her body rejuvenated with energy. She stopped slouching and bowed towards the priest.

"Don't linger in those thoughts for long," he told her. "Go now."

Without another word, she marched off down the hall where dazed patients waited.

Creepy.

"Anyway!" Trixie on my shoulder said. "I've been staying here for a few weeks, making lots of friends! Everyone is really nice to me! They praise me!"

"Do you wanna leave?" I said.

"Yeah! I wanna go adventuring again! Like with Morikawa and Tsukino before! It was fun!"

Morikawa—someone I'd supposedly been hired to replace—remained an enigma. From gossip I'd overheard in the office hallways, something had forced his retirement. Whether that was related to our job was anyone's guess though.

Gray flames on the priest's head simmered as his finger reached to pet Trixie. For the first time, he smiled. "I'll abide by your decision. Your health has improved sufficiently."

"Mm! I don't have nightmares anymore! It's almost even like I forgot them!"

"Then you are ready."

The cheerful scene continued. I watched on while Trixie hopped off my shoulder and flew towards Tsukino, perching atop her head.

"By the way," she told Tsukino, "you still haven't told me what happened with Morikawa."

"Don't you remember? He got married and moved far, far away. We might never see him again."

"Oh, is that how it happened? My memory is kinda foggy."

"Never mind that. Look." Tsukino reached into her trench coat. "Here. Have a grape."

"Yay, I love grapes!"

But even as the little pixie munched on her treat, I couldn't help wondering: Married? That's not the impression I got at all. Either they're lying to her, or . . .

Tsukino's eyes gave me a side glance—a narrowed glare that spoke like a warning.

A warning to keep my mouth shut.

A minute of their idle chatter passed. The priest invited Trixie to come sit on his shoulder while they both readied to leave.

"Come on. Let's go say goodbye to the nurses before you depart," he told her.

"Okay! They praised me lots!"

They both traveled down the hall while Tsukino stayed behind with a friendly smile. But when Trixie and that priest vanished from sight, a serious atmosphere set in.

Tsukino's head swiveled around towards me, restrained anger burning in her eyes. The intensity even made me step back.

"Aizawa," she said. "From here on, don't ever mention Morikawa's name in front of Trixie. And don't you ever dare ask me or anyone else why she was interred here. Do I make myself clear?"

I gulped. "C-Crystal clear!"

"Good."

We didn't speak another word as we waited in that hallway. The occasional nurse would stroll by, pushing some child in a wheelchair. Everyone seemed blank faced, if I could even see their faces. But the question still continually on my mind was: