Chapter 62: He ran away!

The dwarf's eyes shine in anticipation. Kyrie looks at Phanes with trouble in his eyes. However, her smile creates a chain of goosebumps running around Kyrie's body.

"It cannot be free!" Phanes says with her eyes already beaming in excitement.

"No, no! I can pay you with clothes!" responds the dwarf.

"My name is Phanes!"

"I am Luna!"

They give each other a handshake to seal the deal.

"Does my opinion matter?" asks Kyrie.

Ignoring Kyrie, Phanes drags Kyrie from the collar into the store.

The store is decorated with the mature colors of autumn. Inside the cute store, all kinds of clothes for both genders display either in mannequins or on a hanger up on the wall. All the designs are uniquely thought out, but none of them is something you will see that is worn on a daily basis. This place seems to be out of place inside this city. There are no nobles or royals to purchase these kinds of clothes. However, Kyrie does not ask much as he gets dragged around.

Kyrie is pushed inside to the changing room that has curtains enclosing around the space. The curtains drape all the way to the floor. Inside there is already a set of clothes. Kyrie frowns at them.

[This… It's for a man, right?]

After all the preparation, Kyrie draws open the curtains for the nth time. He is already drained playing dress-up with these two. 

They hold their hands together happily as they nod to each other.

Luna goes out to draw in the crowd while Phanes does the finishing touches.

Luna, with a smirk and a blush, clears her throat before her show. She puts on sunglasses to protect her vision and maybe shields her soul a little bit.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Today, our store is showcasing our latest outfits for autumn! Come and have a look! Upgrade your fashion to impress your lover! Find your true match in fashion! Plus, we have a beauty… I mean, a handsome young man!"

The crowd gathers after hearing that there is an event going on.

Kyrie steps up for the first outfit with his hair done and slight makeup. He is wearing a loose white shirt with lace sewn to the collar that drapes over his shoulders like a cape paired with fitted black pants. He showcases his outfit with the air of a nobleman. 

His androgynous beauty draws in even more crowd, and before long, the whole street is filled with people—the crowd cheers at Kyrie as he steps forward to showcase the clothing. 

As Kyrie walks, his eyes catch Ian, who is on his way to return to the inn. Due to the ruckus, Ian turns his eyes towards Kyrie. 

Ian's eyes widen in surprise, and he gets petrified at the sight of Kyrie, all dressed up. His lips part slightly, and his eyes shake. 

That moment that only lasted less than a minute feels like a time freeze for them.

Then, he gets awakened from the splendor by the cheering from the crowd. 

Kyrie's heart starts racing, and his face turns red. He starts to get embarrassed by Ian's reaction and the crowds' overbearing cheer.

He turns once he reaches the end of the catwalk. Seeing that he is heading back gives him relief that he can maybe have some seconds to calm down his heart.

All until…

"Kyrie!"

Like an automatic reaction, he turns back, looking at Ian, running against the crowd to reach him.

Kyrie spreads out a smile that beams dangerous UV rays to the innocent crowd when he hears his name being called by a voice that he is familiar with. Watching Ian reaching his arm towards Kyrie, he also reaches his arm. 

Ian firmly grasps Kyrie's hand once in contact. Then, Ian takes Kyrie and runs away, leaving the crowd, Luna, and Phanes dumbfounded. 

Luna stares at Phanes and complains, "He ran away!!! With my clothes too!"

Phanes smiles at the two figures moving further and further away by the second.

She turns to Luna and says, "But we have done what we have promised. He showcased an outfit, and we got paid."

However, Luna starts to stump on the floor.

"It's not fair! Not fair!!! That thief!"

Phanes's eyes change when Luna pronounces the word 'thief,' and her pupils transform into a slit-like the eyes of a snake. 

That only lasted a couple of seconds, but enough for Luna to catch a glimpse.

Luna's face pales in shock, and she runs back to her shop, slamming her door. 

Erebus, who was just minutes ago with Ian, walks towards her as the crowd disperses. 

Then, he walks past her and opens the door. 

The furniture and clothes that have been showcasing in the shop are no longer there. 

"Why didn't you catch her?" asks Erebus.

"You can't force a relic who gained consciousness, can't you?"

They have tried an entire morning to find clues about the relic, but nothing has given them enough to catch it. Now, they know that the relic is moving around because it has consciousness. Relics that have consciousness are harder to catch since they always run away if they have not been subdued. They only obey whom they choose as their master.

"What is the relic trying to do?"

"Playing hide and seek," replies Phanes with a smile. 

But, that smile is cold and forceful.

"Are you mad?" asks Erebus.

"I am…"

Erebus expected a polite no, but instead, Phanes blatantly tells him that she is still angry at him for continually stopping her. All with the conversation of changing fate… With a troubled expression, Erebus scrambles for words.

"I have a solution that might lessen my anger."

Phanes smiles as she looks at the direction that Ian and Kyrie ran away to.

"What?"

"Have a date with me."

---

Imogen asks for the time once again.

"It's only been fifteen minutes since you last asked, Imogen."

"But they have already been there for more than three hours…" Imogen replies.

Laurel feels uncomfortable. 

Imogen has not stopped worrying about those two ever since they have disappeared around the statue.

"Laurel... It's to the right."

Laurel returns from her daydream.

She turns back and fast walks to Imogen, who turns to the other side. 

"We have limited time for the game completion… Saskia never abandons a game, so it is not good that they stay stuck inside wherever they are."

There is only a day and a couple more hours left.

Laurel contemplates on Imogen's words, but the weight on her chest pressures her still. What Imogen says has no flaw in logic. However, she wants something from this person, but this same person is currently not available emotionally. 

Maybe she gets too excited in the face of discovering the strange sensations of falling in love, or she is projecting the loneliness of losing her brother and her teammates, trying to attach herself to something warm to the chill she feels in her core.

Imogen forces her eyes to avoid looking at Laurel because she knows what Laurel is feeling. However, the anxiousness grips her heart. 

'This time… I am going to stop the tragedy…' 

Fate is changing, finally leaking its inconsistencies. 

She cannot waste this opportunity.

She has to end it all because she cannot break another time.