Harm and Harmony

-Chapter 29-

Day: 4

Days Left: 5476

Lives Saved: 0

"Do you really want to kill the queen?" Corinna asked the chimaera.

Harmony nodded her head.

The young woman hesitated. "I still want to help you escape, but... I'm not sure I approve of..." Her voice trailed away.

After waiting a moment for Corinna to continue, Harmony lost focus and became distracted by the pack of playing cards.

Regardless of whether she genuinely approved of Harmony's plan of regicide, Corinna knew that killing the queen would be even more impossible than escaping the Eternal Abyss. She remembered how the queen had frozen the adviser's movements with a single gesture. Even without her elite guards, the chimaera was no match for Queen Corinna IX.

Harmony seemed adamant on killing the queen. If that was what the chimaera wanted, if she could not be dissuaded, Corinna promised to help Harmony escape and she will. So long as she paid Harmony back for saving her and giving her food and shelter, whatever happens to the chimaera after she escapes was none of her concern.

Corinna looked down at the white notebook on her lap. There were more important things that should be occupying mind instead. She hugged the notebook close to her chest.

Her family was all she needed.

They spent the rest of the evening in silence. Corinna continued to write in the white notebook all of her most precious and significant memories of her family in it. Occasionally, she would look up at the chimaera, who lied on her stomach on the floor, attempting to make a card pyramid but failing at the first step with her clumsy large three-fingered hands.

Satisfied with her how much she had recorded, for now, Corinna packed the notebook and pencil case in her rucksack then washed and dried the dishes.

As she passed Harmony on the way to bed, she stopped and felt compelled to pat the chimaera on the head. Corinna held back, slightly unsettled that she had picked up such a weird habit from the chimaera. Her futile attempt at self-control resulted in her defeat as her hand reached out and patted Harmony on the head.

Harmony's ears flinched upon being touched, then she looked in every other direction in confusion before turning around to face the young woman.

Feeling her cheeks heat up, Corinna retracted her hand away and yelled, "goodnight!" then hurried to the bed and buried herself under the covers.

Her fur was so soft...

Corinna wrapped herself tighter in the covers, digging her nails into the material, silently screaming into it as she remembered what she had just done.

*

"You're right," said the queen. "The chimaera wouldn't stand a chance against Us."

Corinna Warren wondered how much Queen Corinna had sifted through her mind whilst she slept.

"We cannot help but to listen to your current thoughts whilst inside your mind." The queen adjusted herself on the throne, sitting up straight. "Your memories, however, you need not be concerned about. We would have to purposefully access them, which even a non-mage like you, Miss Warren, are capable of defending against without training."

Corinna was relieved that the queen wouldn't look back at what had happened earlier. As soon as she finished that thought, Corinna immediately recalled other moments of the day in an attempt to hide away the embarrassing incident.

She glanced up at the throne, at Queen Corinna, who fortunately did not seem to catch the thought, or at least did not appear to care, though it was difficult to discern anything with the white mask hiding her face.

Still cycling through what had occurred that day, Corinna finally stumbled on the one memory that she had wanted to return to.

A smile crept on the young woman's face.

"So the chimaera finally told you?" The queen leaned back against the throne. "It told you that you cannot die?"

"Yes, she did." Corinna paused. "Is that true?"

Queen Corinna did not respond for a moment. "Yes, it is true. Your physical body cannot die in the Abyss. No matter what injury you receive, it will heal. Even if you are reduced to shreds, eventually your body will repair itself back to your original form, the state that you arrived in Eternal Abyss in."

The young woman covered her grin with her hand, then let her arm drop to her side, her eyes brightened in triumph, fixed on the queen. "Then our contract... I can't die here, so I have already won. My family won't be executed because I won't die- I can't die."

Resting her elbow on the throne, Corinna IX said, "they will be executed if you escape."

"But I won't escape!" Corinna could no longer contain herself. She brushed back her hair, laughing. "I've already won..."

"You will want to escape." The queen gripped the arm-rests of her throne. "You will soon forget about our contract and will try to escape like every other prisoner."

"I won't forget." Though her grin had dissipated, Corinna's eyes still burned with resolve. So long as she had her notebook, she would never forget her family.

"Notebooks are easily lost." The queen sat back and looked to the side, avoiding the young woman's gaze. "Tomorrow is the Blood Moon, the viewers are anticipating a good show from the chimaera and you, Miss Warren." And with that, Queen Corinna IX's image disappeared, and Corinna Warren was left alone in the darkness.

*

Day: 5

When Corinna awoke in the morning, she couldn't stop smiling. She did not know why but assumed that it was perhaps due to having a happy dream last night. And like all dreams, they were forgotten within seconds of waking up.

After making her bed, she wandered into the kitchen. The chimaera was still asleep on the floor, next to a three-tiered card pyramid.

Something inside of Corinna's mind whispered to her, begging her to open the curtains to look outside, her eyes drawn to the windows.

Hesitant, Corinna peeked behind the curtain and froze, her knees almost buckling.

A large scarlet orb hung above in a bleeding sky.

Just from staring at it, the young woman felt her body shiver. She cradled her arms around her, digging her nails into her skin.

So this was the Blood Moon.