Chapter 3:

Intermission 1: Those Who Stalk the Night✰

Stillness:re (Disaster✰Days)


???: “M-Mmm…?”

???: “Ahaha. There you are, sleepyhead.”

As a younger Alice opened her eyes, she found herself wearing a hospital patient gown and lying on an operating table. Even though her vision was hazy, she was able to recognize the bespectacled man sitting beside her. He possessed light blue eyes and messy blond hair that was tied into a short ponytail. His outfit consisted of loosely thrown-together casual attire as well as a white lab coat that had clearly seen better days. However, despite his unkempt appearance, his smile was as genuine as they come.

Alice: “P-Professor Alvis? Did everything go alright…?”

Professor Alvis: “Mhm! It was a complete and utter success! Make sure to take plenty of time to regain your strength, though. The operation I just performed on you will help your anemia symptoms drastically, so you and your uncle have nothing to worry about.”

Alice smiled faintly and sat up on the side of the operating table.

Alice: “Thank you… I doubt I could say anything to repay you, but I really do appreciate you going to such lengths to help me.”

Professor Alvis: “No need to feel that way, I promise. I was just doing what I do best, after all. Although there is one thing you could do to help me out. One question I want to ask you, I mean.”

Alice tilted her head in mild confusion.

Alice: “Umm… Sure, go ahead.”

Professor Alvis: “Tell me, Alice Nightmare, how do you wish to live your life? It’s a pretty broad question, so take all the time you—”

Alice: “I think…”

The young girl’s expression was a mix of emptiness and discontent.

Alice: “...I want to be someone else. That’s how I wish I could live my life…”

Alvis didn’t respond. Even after racking his brain for several frantic seconds, he couldn’t come up with a single thing to say. After that, silence echoed through the operating room until Alice’s uncle arrived to pick her up.

✰✰✰

???: “To be honest, it’s kind of scary how much you can eat when you get talking.”

???: “I won’t lie, burgers do have that effect on me.”

Sometime after dinner, Gray and Alice could be seen strolling through Harmony Park as the dusk sky stretched across the horizon.

Alice: “...You’re definitely just jealous of my metabolism, though.”

Gray: *sigh* “Come on, mine’s just as good, if not better than yours anyway. I’m just… A little too calorie-conscious, that’s all.”

Alice: “You’re a bit more than that, dork. Why do you think I was so excited when you finished your spaghetti? I felt like an old master watching her student bloom into something greater…”

Gray looked over at the ash-haired girl with a deadpan expression that he would usually receive from her instead.

Gray: “Honestly, you and Nina act like I’m some kind of RPG skeleton. And no, poison does not heal me.”

Alice: “You do have a point, even if a small one. Also, I meant to ask a few days ago, but what’s with that star pendant? You’ve been wearing it even before our encounter with the knight a week ago… And it kinda gives me the creeps for some reason.”

Gray laughed nervously and scratched his cheek with his right pointer finger.

Alice: “...Please tell me that weird shadow person didn’t give it to you?”

Gray: “They did, but I promise it’s not dangerous or anything! Besides, I haven’t seen them since I joined the Research Club, so I doubt keeping the pendant will pose any real threat. Believe it or not, I do kind of feel a bit safer now that I wear it. That’s not too weird, is it?”

Alice: “It’s pretty weird, but I get it. I just can’t stand people who don’t show their faces, that’s all. Nina would probably think the same thing, knowing her.”

Gray: “Fair, I honestly probably shouldn’t either! Speaking of Nina, did she have plans tonight, too? I think I remember her mentioning something with Sara and Emma?”

Alice snickered to herself.

Alice: “Yeah, they’re all three at karaoke. It’s not my cup of tea, so I told them to go without me. Nina loves those types of meetups, so I can only imagine the craziness they’re getting up to.”

Gray: “You mean like… She’s going beastmode?”

Alice: “I’d say beastmode would be quite the understatement, but you get the point… A-Also, thanks for tagging along. It's been a while since we’ve been able to hang out just the two of us, so I really appreciate it… O-Or something like that!”

Gray smiled warmly and hummed to himself.

Gray: “Of course, anytime. I had a feeling this put you in a good mood since you didn’t even notice that Vega’s Comet is gone.”

Alice: “Hm?”

As Alice glanced up at the blooming starlit sky, she noticed that, true to Gray’s words, Vega’s Comet had fully disappeared.

Alice: “Oh, you’re right. Well, good riddance! It’s not like it was doing anything besides being creepy and ominous anyway.”

Gray: “...You really hate things in the sky, huh? Maybe I’ll dress up as an asteroid for the Pleiades Festival and follow you around all day… Hehe…”

Alice: “Yeah, yeah. At least I didn’t fall down a manhole in broad daylight and THEN get stuck in the sewers with Nina!”

Gray: “You’ll get new material someday, but today is not one of those days. Also, speaking of irrational fears, why does Nina hate cucumbers?”

Alice was dead silent.

Gray: “...Is it that bad?”

Alice: “...No, but I’m pretty sure she’s the only person who could explain it properly. I still don’t fully get what happened, and I’ve heard the story like five times.”

Gray: “Y-Yeah, I guess I’ll just ask her myself.” (Why is this treated like some kind of enigmatic incident? Can vegetables really cause trauma?) “Hm?”

Suddenly, it began to rain gently as the duo stood in the park. However, before Alice could even react, Gray had taken out a large umbrella and held it above her and himself.

Alice: “Dork, you really are weirdly prepared for everything, aren’t you?”

Gray: “If by 'weirdly prepared' you mean ‘checks the weather every morning’, then yes.”

Alice: (...Nerd.)

Gray: “...I heard that.”

Alice: “No, you literally didn’t!”

After leaving the park, the duo continued their walk as the starlit sky hung above them and the rain continued.

Gray: “So, how has your uncle been? I can’t imagine he’s even capable of changing all that much, but I still thought I’d ask.”

Alice: “Eh, he’s been alright. He’s on a business trip to Melodica City right now, but I’m sure he’s enjoying himself. He did leave a massive coffin in my room, though. Which is super annoying for a ton of reasons, but it’s whatever.”

Gray: “That does sound like something he would do. It’s kind of funny, really. Reddish hazel eyes, paler skin, coffin in your dorm room, you really seem to be going all in with the vampire aesthetic.”

Suddenly, Alice stopped in her tracks, allowing Gray to walk slightly ahead with the umbrella.

Gray: “...Alice? You’ll catch a cold if you lag behind too long, you know.”

Alice: “...I am one.”

The moment those words left the ash-haired girl’s mouth, the rain immediately stopped, allowing the moon to shine down onto Alice.

Gray: “Hm? What do you mean?”

Alice: “I mean… I am a vampire. One of the last ones alive, too. It's been a secret my family has held for a super long time, but since I confided in Nina and Sara about it, I thought… No, I knew I had to tell you the truth.”

Neither of them spoke.

Alice: “W-Well, aren’t you—”

Gray: “No worries, I’ve known for a while now.”

…What?

Alice: “W-Wha…”

Well, it seems that reality’s farewell is going to have to wait for now.

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