When he entered the mall, there were many small shops lined up on both sides of the hall—some for clothes, some for shoes, some for communicators, and others for tools.
In the middle stood a pair of automatic moving stairs that worked on electricity.
There were a lot of people —parents with their children, some alone, some women, some men and workers.
Looking at them made his heart remember his long-gone parents—caring and loving.
It had been countless centuries since then—so long that he'd even lost track of time.
He still remembered that last scene when his entire bloodline—vampires— was wiped out.
Only he and his Master had barely survived.
He was just a year old then, yet he remembered everything… he had lived through that pain.
He walked toward a clothing shop and stepped inside.
Since winter was approaching, he decided to buy some warm clothes for himself. As for Selpe, he remembered she had said she'd buy hers on her own.
He picked out a mid-length woolen coat, a neck warmer, a pair of black gloves, and a pair of trousers, then brought them to the cashier.
The cashier scanned them.
"It's 10 Rup," the female cashier said, looking at him.
Rup was the currency of the State of Heaven's—1 Rup equaled 100 gold coins, 1 gold coin equaled 100 silver coins, and 1 silver coin equaled 100 copper coins.
Ibaan quickly took out the bank card from his pocket and said, "I don't have cash."
"Alright, sir. We accept bank card payments," the cashier replied, taking the card. She brought out a small box-like machine with numbers embedded on one side, a small screen, and a slot at the edge to swipe the card.
She swiped it and handed the machine to him. "Please type your card PIN."
"106," he entered, and a moment later, new numbers flashed on the screen:
[10 Rup deducted, Balance: 440 Rup]
They had received an extra 300 Rups for completing the last mission, and Mr. Shepard had said they'd now get a weekly allowance of 100 Rup. It felt like their time to finally live well—buy a better house, maybe even cars. Ibaan couldn't help but think about it; he wanted to experience more of life.
"Okay, sir. Transaction complete," the cashier said, taking the machine back.
He sighed softly and picked up a shopping bag, and left the mall.
The sun stood high above, lighting up the Singing Street with its noon glow. He felt the warmth on his skin, replacing the cold—but not the heaviness in his heart, which only kept growing. He couldn't figure out why.
As he walked back home, he suddenly remembered that he'd forgotten to discuss the mission with Selpe. He was supposed to do that before going to the market, but somehow… he'd completely forgotten. He didn't know why.
Yet now, out of nowhere, he remembered it.
When he reached home, he saw Selpe standing at the gate. She was in her usual clothes, her face bright with a happy expression. In her hands, she held something familiar—a black cat that stared at him as if smiling.
Selpe said excitedly, "Look, Ibaan! I found a lost cat nearby—it's ours now! She's cute, isn't she?"
His face darkened. It was the same cat he had seen—the one that sensed him when he used the sixth sense.
He didn't reply right away. The cat moved closer, and he felt something oddly familiar about it but couldn't tell what."meow"
He stuttered, "Y-yes… she's cute. Wow."
Selpe noticed the shopping bag in his hand. "Oh, you came back from the shop already? I thought we'd go buy some food for the cat."
"Alright," he said, "but let's first talk about the mission inside."
"Oh, okay!"
They both went inside the house.
Still, something felt off. Selpe's behavior seemed a little strange—not like before. Maybe it was just him feeling it, but she hadn't acted calm and casual as she used to when they were outside before, it was changing day by day and that added yet another reason for him to take over the detective's identity. Nothing made sense anymore—everything felt absurd. Their relationship too; sometimes it was loving, sometimes loveless. Sometimes it felt exciting, other times completely dull.
They headed up in their bedroom.
***
Patting the cat sitting beside the bed, Selpe looked at him. "You're saying we'll divide the gang into two parts for the mission?"
Ibaan nodded. "And then hunt the Sin of Sincerity together since it's more dangerous."
"Yes, that's actually smart. Anyway, let's pause the gang discussion for now and start the mission after I make something for dinner."
Selpe stood up quietly and left for the kitchen, leaving Ibaan and the cat alone in the bedroom.
*
Selpe walked slowly, lost in thought.
'Why is it happening again? Why did it change again? I can't understand this. I can't stay the same anymore—my behavior, my way of talking, my memories… Why are they changing? Didn't I and Autumn promise that she wouldn't change anything? Why is it happening again?'
She and that unknown being—the one she called Autumn—had made a promise long ago, after a certain event, that Autumn would never use her powers to alter the past.
But now, something felt off again. There was a flaw in her memories, a flicker that didn't belong. She could feel it. She could feel that the past was changed again she didn't go outside the house nor did Ibaan yet it had happened.
Still, she tried to reason with herself. Autumn wouldn't do it for no reason.
'Is it because of him? What is he trying to do? Could he really be an ally? He's stronger than me… he even broke the curse without anyone's help, something I couldn't do no matter how many times I tried. Every time I lose my memories, remember them, then lose them again just to remember again… And why does he feel so familiar? I've been trying my best to act normal, but it's not easy.'
Her thoughts wandered endlessly as she reached the kitchen.