Harm and Harmony

-Chapter 111-

Day: 155 (Blood Moon)

Days Left: 5325

Lives Saved: 0

In preparation for the blood moon, Harmony was tied up to a chair like last time in the basement. To keep her distracted when entranced, the gramophone played a list of her favourite songs. When the moon and the sky faded into scarlet, the young woman's eyes clouded into impassiveness and stared at the holographic figures that danced on top of the gramophone.

Corinna sat in front of the ladder that led up to the surface, blocking the entranced Harmony's escape route. It unnerved Corinna to see Harmony in this way, she was like a mannequin doll with how still she sat, her eyes unblinking, so Corinna concentrated on her notebook. She had finally finished writing down all of the fond memories that she could and was now religiously reciting them, testing herself to see how many she could remember off by heart. Most of them she could not, they were like a work of fiction or belonged to someone else. It seemed that even more of her memories were slipping away.

Fortunately, Calixte was one of the few prisoners who had control over their actions during a blood moon, to an extent. Though his mind was mostly his own if his personal space was invaded, he would act with aggression despite being usually so gentle. This, he explained, was why he had in the past damaged Ivette's trading post. On a day before a blood moon, Ivette had merely welcomed him with a handshake, and Calixte responded with uncontrollable hostility.

Corinna understood all too well. During blood moons, she had rather violent and spiteful thoughts consume her mind. She found that concentrating on a task helped to be rid of them, at least temporarily. It was the same for Harmony and Calixte with music.

The amphibian sat on the opposite side of the room to Corinna, reading a historical crime fiction book, though from his perspective it would be considered modern. Occasionally, he would fiddle with the ornate silver rattle which he kept by his side at all times. He glanced over to Corinna, who continued to recite passages from her notebook. "You seem quite attached to dat 'ook," Calixte commented. "Is it a 'frilling read?"

"Ah, it's a notebook," replied Corinna.

"Oh, I apologise. If you do not mind me asking den, what notes are you studying?"

"They're my memories," said Corinna, hesitantly. After the whole drama with Rin, she knew that talking about memories was perhaps a sensitive topic to some prisoners, especially if they had none left. Judging from Calixte's lack of knowledge of technology, Corinna knew that he had been imprisoned in the Eternal Abyss for a considerable amount of time. It was highly likely that he remembered nothing apart from his life in the Eternal Abyss. Changing the subject quickly, so as not to hurt Calixte, Corinna asked him if he was enjoying his book.

Calixte replied that he was and remarked on the unfolding mystery that he believed he had already solved before the protagonist.

The conversation faded into silence, and they both returned back to reading.

After a while, Calixte raised his head out of his prose and asked, "does it help? Does writing your me'ories help you hold onto dem?"

Corinna gazed down at the thousands of words before her. "Not as much as I thought they would." She paused. "I suppose since I was thinking of them more when I was writing, I remembered those memories for longer. But..." She bit her bottom lip. "I still lost them." Gazing up at the amphibian, Corinna forced a slight smile. "At the very least, I have them written down. In the future, I might not have the memories in my head, but I'll have these words. I'll have some part of my past self, and that's still better than nothing."

Calixte nodded. "I have considered recording my me'ories myself."

"You still have memories?" Corinna blurted out before realising that her surprise might be considered rude.

"Yes." Calixte picked up the silver rattle and twirled it around in his webbed hands. "I had a spell cast on me to 'prevent my me'ories from fading. However, it is weakening. I am 'eginning to lose them just like others."

Calixte paused for a moment, staring down at the rattle, then he looked up at the young woman. "Would you mind listening, 'iss Corinna? Would you hear my tale 'before I lose it 'forever?"

Corinna gave a nod, and the amphibian gave a small bow of respect.

"I was a nobleman, a baron," began Calixte. "As I was only de fird-'orn son, I had little responsi'ilities and was free to do as I pleased. So, I became a pianist and played in a num'er of concerts. I then went into tutoring others." He paused, and then in a softer voice continued, "one of my students was Queen Violette I."

"Violette I?" Corinna calculated that it meant Calixte had been imprisoned for roughly three-hundred years. She attempted to hide her pity.

Calixte's eyes seemed to brighten upon hearing her name. "Yes, I was requested across seas to be her tutor. She had recently married King Osmond III and was still adjusting to your country and the language. Their marriage was a political one to join deir two countries together. Dey rarely spoke or in the same room as each other for the majority of deir relationship."

Corinna nodded. She had learnt this from history class.

"As the years went by, Violette and I... 'ecame closer." Calixte paused. "We 'ecame lovers."

It was as Corinna had suspected. They had studied a love poem in school that was written by Violette I which many scholars theorised was definitely not addressed to her husband. She couldn't believe that she was now talking to the subject of that famous sonnet.

"The King was o'livious to our relationship, or perhaps indifferent. He had his own mistresses. But that was until Violette was with child... my child." Calixte stared down at the silver rattle. "Dis was to be deirs..."

"What happened?" asked Corinna hesitantly, seeing the sadness in Calixte's eyes.

"King Osmond..." Calixte's voice wavered, almost cracking. "He drowned the child as soon as it was born... and I was to suffer a similar fate." The amphibian clutched at his ankle. "Dey tied a rock to my leg and dropped me into the ocean in the Eternal Abyss."

"I'm... I'm so sorry, Calixte." Corinna didn't know what else to say. What words could possibly comfort such trauma?

After a pause of silence, Calixte asked, "what happened to Violette? Did she have any children afterwards?"

"Yes, two sons and one daughter." To Corinna's surprise, Calixte appeared to be happy hearing this.

"She always wanted children," he said, gazing at the silver rattle.

"She also became one of the main advocates for non-mage equality," said Corinna. "And if it's any consolation, Osmond III died on the toilet from diarrhoea."

Calixte attempted to politely repress a small chuckle. "Dat is a bit of a consolation, yes." 

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Recommended Song for Chapter

Song: Que Reste-t-il De Nos Amours (Cover)

Artist: Avalon Jazz Band

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