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The scent of blood filled Istina's nose, settling in her lungs like rot. Her bloody swords fell from her hands, and the corpses of all those she had killed surrounded her.
She ran, further into the darkness. Her shadow, ever present, followed her closely. She was an assassin, the favorite of the Dealers of Death. Not even her own comrades were safe from her blades. She lived in the shadows, a darkness deeper than that of Quietus. But Quietus was no longer, and she too had sought to break free of the shadows, hadn't she? The scent of blood still lingered, but a voice called out to her.
"Istina?"
Her eyes shot open, and above her was a light pink ceiling common in Nemea. She lay in a bed, and beside her was that doctor from Lethe. "Cres?" she said carefully, her mouth dry.
Cres smiled; Ein had introduced the two of them, and Cres often visited Nemea lately to check on the orphanage. Since joining the royal guard, Asyl had found more orphaned children, sending them to Nemea, so Istina was glad of Cres' assistance. "You gave the children quite the scare, collapsing like that," she told Istina.
Istina raised a shaking hand, and her vision blurred. She remembered now. She'd been reading to the children when she suddenly felt dizzy and too warm. Not, it wasn't suddenly, she corrected herself. She had felt off these past few days, but as the new head teacher, there was so much more she had to do.
"You have a slight fever, but fortunately, you're not contagious," Cres said, pressing her hand to Istina's forehead, and Istina couldn't help but notice how soft that hand was. "You've been overexerting yourself, so what you need now is rest."
A blush rose to Istina's cheeks, and she was fairly certain it wasn't simply because of the fever. "But the children…"
"Ein said she'll play with them, so you take it easy for now," Cres said firmly.
Istina sighed. Perhaps she was pushing herself too hard to try to fall back into a normal routine after everything that had happened and all that she had learned about this world. She still wasn't sure she believed everything Dianthus and Geist had told her and the others. But most important was that Quietus was now gone, and the children's joy upon learning that had been a sight to behold.
"Miss Istina?"
She raised her head at the sound of her name, and in the doorway of the orphanage infirmary stood Ein with several of the children. She tried to smile and said, "There's no need to worry. Doctor Cres here says I just need to rest."
One of the little girls held out a picture book. "Then can we read to you?"
Cres gave Istina a brief nod, and thus Istina said, "Only if we do so quietly."
The children carefully gathered around Istina, and they took turns as they each read one page out loud. It took longer to read than usual as a result, but Istina didn't mind. When they finished, the former head teacher wanted to speak with Istina, so Cres and Ein herded the children out of the infirmary.
The older teacher let out a heavy sigh. "I apologize," they said. "I was just so excited you finally took the position I forgot how overwhelming it can be at first."
Istina shook her head. "It isn't your fault. I just… wanted to prove myself, I suppose."
"My dear, you've proven yourself over and over." They smiled. "It's a good thing that doctor was here, wasn't it?"
"Oh, yes…" she mumbled, and again her heart began to race.
The two of them spoke a little longer, and soon the older teacher left to allow Istina to rest. She lay her head on the pillow, staring up at the ceiling, and the feel of Cres' hand on her forehead lingered.
Days passed, and Cres stayed in Nemea as Istina resumed her normal routine. As part of her recovery, Cres gave her a thorough physical examination, and neither spoke of her scars. How many scars she had received during her days as the Shadow Assassin, even she had lost count. Yet Cres asked no questions, surprising Istina.
Although Cres filled her thoughts, she had little time to ponder why as she and the other orphanage teachers settled into their new schedules. The former head teacher helped ease Istina's new workload, and even the children were usually well-behaved. ("Though that won't last," they said to Istina with a wink, "once they see that you can keep up with them again.") However, she still suffered nightmares of a bloodstained darkness.
One evening she went to the highest point of Nemea, and from the observation deck she saw that strange mass known as "Heaven's Egg" on the Seaslight. She sighed as she sat upon the bench; how long ago those adventures seemed these days.
"I thought I would find you here."
Istina turned her head and saw Cres approaching her. "Oh, hello," she greeted with a nod.
Cres sat beside Istina on the bench and stretched her arms, and Istina tried not to stare. "What a beautiful view. Though, what is that on the Seaslight?"
"We call it Heaven's Egg," Istina answered with a weak chuckle. "It's… a long story."
"It does certainly look like an egg, at least."
Istina's eyes fell upon Cres' lips. "Do you plan to stay in Nemea?" she asked before she could think better of it.
"Mm, I haven't decided yet." Cres crossed her arms over her chest. "With Quietus gone, it's safer to travel and hone my craft, and I've trained some new doctors in Lethe, so the village is in good hands. It is beautiful here, and I have been thinking that I do need a change of scenery, at least for a time."
"We'll be happy to have you."
"And if I stay, I can ensure that you don't overwork yourself and worry those children again."
Istina simply blushed in response, and Cres let out a gentle laugh.
For a bit the two of them sat in silence, and more than once Istina noticed Cres watching her out of the corner of her eye. Cres was certainly beautiful, Istina thought, with an iron will to match. She smiled so readily at Istina, even after seeing all the scars over her body. Her chest tightened; maybe she could say they were a soldier's scars, but no, a doctor like Cres would see through that lie immediately.
She let out a heavy sigh. What she felt now toward Cres would've been unimaginable to the infamous Shadow Assassin. If Rosny could see her now…
"What's wrong?" Cres asked, hearing that sigh.
"You know the truth about me, don't you?" Istina said before she lost her nerve.
Cres was silent a moment as she touched her chin. "A doctor can tell a lot from a patient's body, and both your scars and the callouses on your hands tell a story. You've lived in the shadows for a very long time, haven't you?"
Istina lowered her gaze; had Cres' eyes always been so striking? "As a doctor, is it right for you to treat someone like me?"
"A doctor always helps those in need." Cres reached out a careful hand to touch Istina's cheek. "And I can tell that the woman before me is a kind and loving teacher."
Heat rising to her cheeks, Istina's throat felt too dry to speak. That Cres could look at her like that was more than she ever dared to hope for. She laid her hand on Cres' shoulder, and another heartbeat passed before she pressed her lips to Cres'.
How long they kissed, Istina couldn't tell. She pulled Cres into her arms, holding her close, and Cres simply laughed as her lips fell from Istina's. "You're also a very brave woman," she said in a low whisper.
Istina smiled, thinking of Ein and Aria and Asyl and all her other companions who had accepted her past as the Shadow Assassin. For so long she had seen only the ugly, dark underside of this world, but now the shadows didn't frighten her as much. "It's been a long, hard journey," she said finally. "But it was all worth it."
A soft smile came upon Cres' lips. "I think I'll stay in Nemea a little while longer."
"I would love that," Istina replied, and kissed Cres again.