Chapter 9: A Festive Farewell

I step into the contestants’ hall, seeing the whole place littered with various Hallow’s Eve decor; pumpkins, bats, spider-webs, the dim lighting of candles setting up a celebratory yet grim ambiance to the place. There are a few people I recognize from my initial visit to the facility, but I can barely discern the other contestants among their variety of masks obscuring their faces.

I head over to the table with food, taking for what seems to be for the final time, a bowl of bone broth with some bread before sitting down at a table off to the side, slowly eating as I reflect on my time here. This place ... was run by a form of magic, a magic that drew upon the many kosyii souls, as they cry, laugh, dance, and celebrate their own form of party, their own form of festival, unaware of the featureless, robed humanoids observing in the dark with interest.

What is it like, I wonder in thought, To be unaware of the other side of the coin? To separate what is beyond in reality to the escapism in your head? As I chose to stay in the center as the Arcana foretold, what is it like to be consumed by the dark? And for the light?

Suddenly, footsteps are approaching me, and I snap out of my daydream; staring up from my bowl of broth I see another robed kosya approaching me. Though, something about this one seems different. She carries herself with an authoritative poise, her robes are adorned with various markings, and the pendant she wears, while I do not recognize the symbols, seems to be larger, brighter than the female and male kosyii I’ve encountered throughout my stay. Everything but her eyes is obscured; it is impossible for me to discern if the markings of a lionness I see are her mask or perhaps ... a manifestation of the featureless ebb and flow I saw from the other kosyii.

She takes a seat next to me, glancing over at me in a fascinated curiosity, “Eridæus Vlasokh Akoyrotets ... of course you would be the one not indulging yourself.”

I dip my bread into the broth and take a bite before answering her, “Is watching the crowd have fun in their own relishing not a form of ‘indulgence’, kosya...”

″...Sæn.” the last word leaves me, bridging between hesitance and certainty. I felt as if she was who I thought she was but I couldn’t be sure...

She chuckles, “Your mask is different, too. I guess I should have known with a person who revealed not a lot about themself, but not a little either throughout this whole competition.”

We sit in silence, watching the other contestants for a while before I ask, ”...What are your intentions, kosya-sæn?”

“We, my disciples and I, wish to learn about worlds and their people,” her eyes change color, flickering with an unknown emotion, “And that is all there is to it.”

I take another bite of bread in thought, ”...Yes, but it is dubious at times.”

“But maybe it is only dubious because you’re just that different from many of the others we’ve seen here,” she counters, not taking her eyes off the other contestants, “You have to admit, you did have a little bit of fun, yes?”

“Yes, this whole place was educational for myself, at the very least,” I nod, “But perhaps it is just my culture that calls. There are some here I wish to help.”

“Maybe you can’t help them, maybe you can,” her shoulders shrug, “Either way, you’ve clearly left an impression as much as they have.”

She stands up and extends her hand towards me, “Come now, it’s your last day here, Eridæus. Celebrate, won’t you? Even if it’s just a little dance?”

I stare at her hand, almost frozen in my spot, ”...Nenai, forgive me. That is something I reserved for my arrival home, not here.”

Her hand falls to her waist and though I can only discern her eyes narrowing slightly, I hear her chuckling faintly, “There’s so much left unsaid about you, Eridæus ... but I like it. Well, suit yourself.”

She stands up to leave, her robe flowing effortlessly as she turns around and heads out into the crowd of contestants. I finish the rest of the bread and broth in a peaceful, content silence. The old teachings of centerhood always spoke of this feeling; serenity among chaos; lonely, but without sorrow...

Eventually, a loud, droning chime indicates that the masquerade is over. The kosyii watching us move from their spots and begin escorting the contestants to their bunkers--it would appear some of them are drunk.

I stand up, placing aside my empty bowl near the designated trash area, and head back inside, getting comfortable in my cot. The sleep that overcomes me is like a wave of comfort, like the river tickling our feet as I wade with Lucio in the Vesuvian canals. I do not know how much time has passed before I am awake and I hear the sound of my bunker opening.

The kosya steps in, “Your stop is here, Eridæus, we’re in Vesuvia now.”

I nod, neatly arranging my bed and exiting the facility. As I’m greeted by familiar, warm rays of sunlight, I’m taken by surprise as Lucio and his two dogs dash towards me and pick me in up in a tight, loving hug.

“THAT WAS SO HORRIBLE I MISSED YOU SO MUCH!” he sobs loudly into my chest, as I laugh and give him multiple kisses along his nape,

″Xae, xae, I promise you’ll come with me next time,” I murmur into his ear, “Say... I want to dance when we get home.”

Lucio drew his head back, “You do?”

″Xae.”

He wipes the tears off his eyes, wraps his arm around my waist, and holds in me in a tango position, “We can dance ... right now.”

“For just this one time ... yes, let’s.”