ꏳꁝꁲꉣꑀꌅ ꀤꋻ - ꈜꋖꌅꁲꃔꁅꑀ ꌅꊿꊿꂵ

Flora could feel her body exhausted from a long day of fun and socialization. Indigo and Autumn suggested she should come to the hot springs with them, but she couldn't bring herself to interrupt the lovebirds. It just feels so wrong. 

‘I should head to my room… I ate so much today…and my body aches now. I need a warm bath’

She carries Mochi and unslides the room curtains, revealing the hot tub. She saw a beautiful red moon at the windows.

“Pretty…” She strips bare and allows Mochi in the tub as well as he paddles. She notices there was a removable bathtub to the side of the room and puts it in the bath to allow Mochi to stand up.

“Much better… I didn't want you paddling forever.“

She sighs, taking in the scenario as the warm water engulfs her body.

Just then she hears a strange noise from her right. She looks but only sees her wall. “Is it coming through the walls?” She wonders. It felt faint.

She heard it again. A faint knock and a murmur…” But then the knocking continues from the walls.

Mochi started barking.

Flora flinched and quickly shut him up with her hands.

“Shhhhhhhhhh! Quiet for a bit.”

After that, there were no more voices from the right side, yet it did nothing to relieve her. She was now concerned about how quiet it was. 

‘Who's…making that noise?’ Indigo's and Autumn's room should be on her left. However, she remembers those two should probably be at the hot springs. She remembers the staff accompanying the two there. That would leave Flora and Mochi alone. Oh, so she thought.

‘Should I check the noise outside? But…’ She can't help but get an eerie feeling. 

Knock, knock, knock.

There it was again, the faint knocking could be heard to the right. Yet it doesn’t feel like it's from the next room.

‘Maybe I should check the noise.’ She decided, and she quickly changed her clothes and dried Mochi. 

She opened the door out of the hallway and saw nothing. She waited for a bit. Still nothing.  She walks and looks to see the door with no numbers in silence. She couldn't help but feel something isn't right.

‘Could the sound be coming from there?’ She holds Mochi tight and feels her stomach suffocating her with anxiety.  

‘There's no one else but us…right?’ She slowly tiptoed her way to the door. She could feel each step was heavier than the last. It doesn’t help much that she was holding her breath.  

She heard it again, a low murmur almost like a man's voice. He sounded like he was in pain. She was sure she wasn't imagining it. There was a living being in the room. She wonders if he is okay.

As she reached the door, a hand slammed to her left, making her turn around to see Sherry. What scares her the most is Sherry wasn't wearing her usual smile. She had an unreadable expression on her face, and her eyes seemed… almost cold. It somehow made her feel like she was caught… red-handed.

Sherry: “What do you think you're doing Flora?” She says with her hand still pinning the wall and her face slightly hovering over Flora. Flora felt her blood run cold.  

Sherry: “I thought you were with the others. It's not exactly safe for a girl to wander alone at night.”  

She had an emphasis on the word “girl,” as if highlighting how much bigger she is than Flora, and it makes her feel weak. It was even just the way she talks. It feels like her aura changed somehow, like she's a different person. 

Bark bark!

Mochi's bark seems to snap Flora out of her state.

Flora: “Mochi…stop. It's okay.” She stares into the older woman's eyes, which felt like they were testing her.

‘Right…if I am in trouble… Mochi is too… I have to protect him’

Flora forced herself to frown, but it came out to look like she was in pain.

Flora: “There was a strange noise…and I might suspect it's coming from this door.”

Sherry gave her a blank look.

“Strange noise? There is no one except us. You must be imagining things.”

Yet somehow her statement doesn't seem right, like she's hiding something.  

Flora: “My…familiar reacted to the noise. I was sure I heard a man's voice and knocking.” But as she said that, she swore something in Sherry's eyes flickered. 

Flora yelps as she sees Sherry knocking on the door loudly.

Then there was no response. Flora felt as if she was holding life for a reaction. When a few minutes passed, the older woman sighed.

Sherry: “Nothing but my supplies are in there. I just don't want you looking because they are very personal to me. Flora, why don't you walk with me?” She says, backing up for Flora to move. 

Flora looks up at Sherry, who still has that unsettling look. The look that says she is not allowed to refuse. 

Flora: “Okay…”

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

The walk was awkward. Flora was still holding Mochi, feeling that things would go wrong if she doesn't. None of them spoke to each other.

The old woman was the first to speak up. 

Sherry: “Flora, do you have someone you care about?”

Flora took a minute to process her question. 

Flora: “I um…my family and Mochi.”

Sherry: “What about someone you care about the most in the world? Someone you treasure.  Someone you wouldn't let go.” 

Flora: “Someone I care about the most in the world?” She tries to think about whom she would treasure the most at the moment. She used to treasure her mom when she was still alive. But now…

She looks at Mochi. She realizes even when she was with family, she wasn't as close to them as she would like. She felt inferior to her sister at times. Her father isn't exactly the type to talk about feelings. Her mom used to be the only one who understood her without asking. And she's gone. Even she felt her friendship with Indigo drifting apart. 

Mochi has the opposite effect. It feels like every day, she's been getting more comfortable with him. Even if she couldn't understand him, she could feel her nerves at ease with his presence. She felt she was braver and felt he wanted to depend on her. At first, Flora was worried Mochi would prefer someone else as his Master. Yet when Mochi was away, he ended up crying for Flora, according to Shana. 

Flora: “If I have to choose… I chose Mochi.” She looks to Mochi, who looks at her with his tongue out.

Sherry hums

Sherry: “Hmmm, you chose your dog. I suppose that makes sense, given that you two have some similarities.”

Flora: “Eh… What do you mean?”

Sherry: “Oh, just your presence and vibes. I just find you two interesting. I also pity you all. You all lack awareness.”

Flora couldn't help but feel some sort of aura from Sherry.

‘Something is not right, she thought.’

She heard soft whimpering from Mochi. 

Flora patted his back, holding him

Flora: “That's wrong, boy? It's okay… it is okay,“ she says more to herself than to Mochi. 

Sherry: “I thought you fancied Indigo. You were mad he chose your sister.”

Flora looks baffled that she came to that conclusion. 

Sherry: “Oh? Am I wrong? Even though you're < ꍟꋪꋪꂦꋪ >, you still act so simple.”

‘… Ehhh? Did I see that right?’ Her voice and face were just distorted for a second. Flora was sweating.

Flora: “What did you just say again?”

Sherry gave her a strange smile.

“You know. I can get Indigo to like you. In fact, it's very, very easy. I just need a favor from you.“

Flora felt a chill

Flora: “I… w-what are you saying? Are you going to force Indigo… into something?”

Sherry: “Not force. If you care so much about someone, you wouldn't hesitate to ---<ቿዪዪዐዪ℮ꋪꋪꇩꋪ>---”

Her face flickered into pieces before it went back to normal. Flora looks horrified while Mochi whimpers again.

Sherry: “Flora, I just want to-”

“Madam? Flora? Are you guys taking a stroll together?”

 Lily was holding a mop and dragging a bucket. She seems to be sweating a bit. 

 Sherry immediately switched to her usual smile.

Sherry: “Oh, Lily. I was looking for you. Could you go clean the hot spring in room 205? I was taking a stroll, but I'm going to have to head back to the office for work. Please take care of Flora for me.” Lily bows politely.

Lily: “Right away, Madam.”

Sherry: “I will see you later, Flora. It was a pleasure talking to you.” She then left them alone.

Flora finally let herself breathe, feeling her hand sweat.

Lily: “Walk with me. I don't feel right leaving you alone.”

Flora: “… Okay.”

Flora felt the girl hold her hand.

Lily: “You're trembling…”

Flora: “Ah… I am.”

‘But how am I supposed to explain to her what I just saw and heard? Just what exactly is going on? Who exactly is Sherry? What exactly is she hiding?’

She had a feeling that if Lily didn't find her, something awful would have happened to her.