CHAPTER 11 - AN ALMOST HUMAN WALK

The morning was calm in the forests of Universe 14. A light mist snaked between the trunks, caressing the still-sleeping grass. Far from the manor, far from the towers, far from the pacts and the prisons, two noble figures walked side by side on a forest path. Saphira Noctielle, in her adult form, wore a discreet gothic dress with midnight-blue reflections, edged with lace of shadow. Her folded parasol rested on her shoulder. Beside her, The Crimson Countess, as sumptuous as ever, had swapped her dramatic gown for a more urban outfit: a dark red silk coat, obsidian leather boots, and finely embroidered black gloves. Her beauty remained supernatural, but contained within an earthly elegance A few steps behind them, two guardians accompanied each of the ladies, four in total. All dressed in perfectly cut black suits, mirror sunglasses, and fake earpieces, they had the appearance of elite bodyguards. In reality, they were monsters and immortal entities disguised so as not to disturb the harmony of the day. Joggers passed by, greeting them politely. "Good morning, ladies!" "Beautiful morning for a walk, huh!" The two queens replied with a polite smile. No human could have imagined that these two women had seen stars being born and worlds burn. "You know," sighed Ecstacy, "I haven't walked like this in centuries. My usual strolls generally end in a velvet pool, or on a throne made of sighs." "And today?" Saphira retorted, amused. "You're on a pedestrian path marked by the municipality. You could almost get a loyalty card for the hiking club." The countess laughed softly, a muffled, sensual laugh that made the trees shiver. "And you? The great blue queen, mistress of the towers and the lightning? What do you do when you're not judging conceptual entities?" Saphira replied without missing a beat, "I sew stuffed animals for my son." Silence. The countess blinked. "...Pardon?" "You heard right. I love fabric, silence, and the love that you put into simple things. My favorite revenge against the horrors of the world? Education." They stopped near a small, abandoned wooden kiosk. The guardians discreetly positioned themselves around it, maintaining a false illusion of privacy. Saphira made a small tea set appear, floating in the air, covered with a doily of embroidered blue lightning bolts. Ecstacy watched it with a spark of mischief in her eyes. "I am literally drinking tea in a forest with a goddess of lightning and four guardians older than logic. This multiverse is absurd." Saphira, as she served a cup, replied, "No, it is poetic, and poetry is absurd. That's why it's necessary." An elderly couple passed slowly nearby. The old man, leaning on his cane, greeted them. "Ah, two young ladies on a jaunt! Pretty dresses!" "Thank you," Saphira said, inclining her head."Are you actresses? Or aristocrats?" the old woman asked with a wink. Ecstacy replied with a smile that would have frozen the blood of a demon king: "A little of both. We play the monsters in fairy tales, but only for adults." The couple laughed softly, then continued on their way. When they were out of earshot, Saphira whispered, "You're becoming almost sociable." The Countess looked at her for a long time. "Maybe. Or maybe I'm learning how to play human. You seem to manage it with grace." "Because I have a son. Because I have loved, and because I have allowed myself not to be a weapon, even for a moment." The walk resumed. The birds sang, the guardians followed silently. The monsters remained in wait, but humanity floated around them like a peaceful mist. Saphira looked at the trees, then the sky. "I wish there were more days like this." Ecstacy, for her part, looked at the ground, thoughtfully. "I wish I were worthy of them." Saphira smiled. A black-gloved hand brushed against The Countess's. "You're here. You're walking. That's already an answer."

END OF CHAPTER 11 — AN ALMOST HUMAN WALK