Catalyst of Enigma

"Will you leave your shaded hollow?"

"Will you leave your shaded hollow?"

"Will you greet the daylight looming?"

"Will you greet the daylight looming?"

"Learn to love without consuming,"

"Learn to love without consuming."

...

"Hahaha!"

They both sang the last chorus of the song, fading into the night air, and both Aizer and Mary burst into laughter simultaneously.

One was drunk, the other clinging to the last shreds of rationality.

"Ah, man, that was fun. Don't you think, Mary?" Aizer asked, swaying slightly on his feet, still trying to shake off the buzz from all the drinks they'd downed.

Mary nodded, her smile wide and her cheeks flushed from the wine. "Yes, it was an amazing experience."

As the evening stretched into night, the weight of reality hit Mary. "But shouldn't we be heading back by now?"

"Huh?" Aizer blinked, taking a second to register the passing time. "Oh, yeah, you're right. It's getting dark now. Man, we really went all out. I just know my body's going to be sore tomorrow." He winced, half-heartedly stretching his arms.

"Sore? Do you even know the meaning of sore?" Mary shot back, her tone suddenly shifting. "Do you know what work is? I have to get up early tomorrow. After we get back, I have to tidy up the manor with the other servants. Then I'm on laundry duty."

Aizer froze for a moment, his brow furrowing as he looked at her, trying to piece together the sudden change in her demeanor. 'What's going on? She was fine a second ago. What's all this?'

Mary kept going, her voice thickening with emotion. "Do you know how painful and exhausting it is to work in the laundry room? Over 100 pieces of clothing, and we're expected to get it all done before nightfall. Isn't that just crazy?" Her voice cracked slightly, and she wiped at her eyes. "I'm a useless maid..."

Aizer's eyes widened. "Mary?"

Her hiccups came in rapid succession, tears pooling in her eyes. "Wahhh waaa... hic hic," she sobbed, clutching her arms. "I told myself not to drink so much... But now I can't stop crying."

Aizer blinked, dumbfounded. He hadn't expected this at all. "Ugh, I guess the drinks are finally hitting her," he muttered under his breath, rubbing the back of his neck. "I never thought I'd have to deal with drunk Mary... I even told her to go easy on the drinks..." He sighed, not knowing how to comfort her.

"Err... Mary," Aizer said, stepping closer but unsure how to handle the situation. "It's, um... It's OK. Look, on the bright side, you all manage to finish it on time, right?" He tried to reason with her, though he wasn't entirely sure it would help. "I mean, 100 pieces of clothing does sound like a lot of work, but—"

Mary's expression twisted into one of disbelief, and before Aizer could finish his thought, she burst into fresh sobs. This time, they were even louder than before.

"It's. It's not the same!" she sobbed, wiping her face, her voice hitching. "Just because we manage to finish it on time doesn't mean it's not stressful. And with how often I get burns from doing laundry... I won't be surprised if I end up turning into a tomato." She sniffled, her breath ragged. "How could I let this happen?"

Aizer's frustration began to show. He wanted to shake her, tell her everything would be fine. "Why don't you go ask the headmaid for a break to treat your injuries?" he suggested, though it felt weak even to him.

"Ask her? Don't even bother!" Mary snapped, her voice breaking as her words fell out in a desperate torrent. "sniff It's not like she even cares. She's not even the headmaid! She's just filling in for the real headmaid because she's sick, sniff."

"Things were better before Delara took over the role," she added in a meek voice, finally calming down but still sounding defeated. "I'm such a useless maid..."

Aizer stood still, his face hardening as he thought over her words. It was clear now: she wasn't just drunk—she was burdened by something deeper.

"It seems like she's calming down," he thought, finally managing to catch a breath. He crouched down to her level, his voice softening. "Alright, let's head back to the mansion first. Then you can check on how the headmaid's health is. And listen, you're not a useless maid. You've managed to fulfill every task I asked you to do today."

Mary sniffled, her tears slowing down as she looked at him. "Really?" she asked, her voice small.

"Yeah," Aizer confirmed, though his heart was heavy with guilt. "But can you really count today as tasks? We mainly ate food, drank alcohol, and played games." He chuckled lightly, trying to lighten the mood.

A small, shaky smile appeared on Mary's face. "Well, a task from me is still a task," Aizer continued. "So stop crying. Come on, let's head to the carriage. It's getting cold."

"OK, Aizer..."

They began walking toward the carriage, but before they could make it, a sudden jolt of movement pushed Mary from behind.

Thud!

"Hey, watch where you're going, you bastard!" Mary yelled, her drunken anger flaring as she shouted after the figure who had just bumped into her.

Aizer, his instincts still sharp, turned quickly to face her. "You good?"

"Yeah, I just—my... my bag!" Mary gasped, her eyes wide with panic.

"Huh? What happened?" Aizer asked, confused at her sudden shift in expression.

"The bag that had all our clothes and money—it's gone!" Mary gasped. "The guy who bumped into me earlier must have taken it. No, no, no, no, no!" She started tugging at her hair in frustration.

"I knew it!" she cried, her voice breaking. "I'm a useless maid! I can't even keep a bag from being stolen..."

Aizer's face darkened, his eyes scanning the crowd. "Mary, see that bar over there?" he said, pointing toward a building across the street. "Take these coins and get some water. I'll be back soon."

"W-wait, Aizer, where are you going? What about the bag?"

"Don't worry. I'm going to get it back." Aizer's tone was sharp, unwavering. His face was cold, emotionless.

"But it's so dark now, and it might be dangerous..."

"Mary, that was an order," he said, his voice hard. "There's no way I'm bringing you along in the state you're in. Get to the bar, and sober up. I'll handle this."

Mary bit her lip but said nothing, deciding to do as told. She walked off quickly, not daring to speak further.

Aizer's eyes narrowed, his anger rising. [How dare some random thief take my belongings? do you not know how high the sky is? Isn't this just slapping me in the face and expecting me to do nothing?]

[Hmph. Wishful thinking.]

Aizer reached into his pocket and pulled out the gun he had been carrying, his fingers tightening around the cold metal. His gaze hardened as he turned to the path where the thief had run.

The chase was on.