Three Spheres

Chapter 106 - Murderer

_ Good afternoon, Keisha.

The girl hops in her chair when Shina Busia's voice penetrates the room. Fayola, the kind nurse who always accompanies her, greets Shina with a smile, and a bow using her long skirt. Shina asks:

_ How are you, little one? _ She smiles _ I'm sorry for having to stop so many times during our trip, but we should be home by tomorrow, all right?

_ O-Of course, Aunt Shina! No prob, hehe! _ Keisha scratches her cheek _ I know it's 'cause you're helping Lady Fort with all those stuffs... If I can help too...

Shina bends down next to her and strokes her hair. Keisha concentrates deeply not to let her facial expressions reveal her anxiety. The Veneficus replies:

_ Be at ease. Everything is going well, as possible. _ She gets up again _ The day is beautiful, isn't it? The sunset, I mean.

The most trivial subject in the world is just a way of dragging out the dialogue. Keisha wonders what Shina's goal is, distressed by Fumio's words in the night before: "Shina Busia will be a threat very soon". Fayola then says:

_ Mrs. Busia, could you take care of Keisha for me for a while? I need to buy some things.

Shina agrees, keeping a tired smile on her lips. With this, the topic of dialogue moves to the news of the day, involving celebrities, and cultural events. Keisha can't control her thoughts: "Dang it, dang it...! If what that sham Tengu said is true... if anything happens... I'm all alone! Did that Vampire manage to talk to Johan...? Argh...!!".

She nods positively at everything Shina says, coming to the topic of international politics, and nonsense that has been uttered recently by some of the leaders of Nigrum provinces. Even so, her focus is different: "It's very, very likely that the Witches and their allies will "erase" whoever knows too much... It's very convenient to use the Doppelgänger in this case: Kill, get rid of the problem, and replace them. Heh, those cursed ladies thought everything out, huh!". She keeps her gaze fixed on Shina's pupils.

"Is Aunt Shina also a Doppelgänger?", the idea frightens her, but she quickly rationalizes it: "Even if she is, she can't kill me and replace me, otherwise she would have to act like "Keisha" and " Shina" at the same time and we occupy the same places quite often. I'm safe in that sense... But... on second thought, it makes a lot of sense for Aunt Shina not to be "herself" anymore... Since that mission in Flavi against the Shen*, she's been so different". Her mind stilled, when Shina got up to close the half-open window.

Soon she wonders: "But if she's a Doppelgänger, how could Aunt Eve not have noticed?! Is their disguise really that good?!"...

_ Keisha, what do you think about heading to the garden? The sky is so beautiful... It isn't common for us to have opportunities like this, is it?

_ A-Ah... _ Keisha doesn't know what to say _ Wow, good idea. Let's go! I was holed up in this room all day long. _ She lies.

It's getting dark. The twilight makes the atmosphere even more frightening. Keisha recognized Shina's fake smiles and sly words hundreds of times in various contexts. She remembers what the woman said on the last day of the Ágora when asked the reason for her lies: "I hope you believe me when I say... I'm glad it all turned out like this".

Shina pushes her wheelchair down the portuguese-mosaic path while humming a simple lullaby. Keisha feels palpitations... As her last logical recourse, she starts thinking about the various types of spells and tricks that can be used to control a person or even replace them: "Ventriloquism, brainwashing and zombification work when it's just control, but people get SUPER weird... There are camouflage spells, optical illusions that can be deceitful, but don't last as long. Doppelgänger too, duh!!". She holds back her sigh so as not to let Shina get suspicious. Suddenly she remembers: "Oh, there's that thing Dijana told me she's been trying to use... "bloody bond", right? It's a kind of curse they use to control Fabulares who can't form a familial bond... She said she needs to first inflict serious wounds on the creature and then pour her own blood into it to create this obedience bond..."