Hortus Arcanus planēta

ACT 2

Echoes of a world

By the time Ella’s tears had finally dried, the two of us were lying together on her bed, staring up at the stained and weathered ceiling of the attic room.

Then, quietly, Ella began to speak.

“I was being protected all along… by the other me, El.

I think I finally understand it now. Whenever I became too sad to endure it anymore, everything would go dark. And before I realized it, I’d be back in bed, or cleaning the house… with parts of my memory missing. Until now, that just felt normal to me. But only now do I finally realize it. El was the one carrying those feelings and actions for me instead. The me inside of me…

All this time, I let El bear everything while I remained ignorant of it all. I wonder… does El resent me for that?”

Ella turned her gaze toward me as she said those words.

I answered,

“I… don’t think she hates you. El is kind, in her own way. Just like you are. I think that kindness is something that has never changed within you, Ella.”

“I see… Thank you for answering me, Lumia.

El… thank you for protecting me.”

As she said that, Ella pressed a hand against her chest and gently closed her tear-filled eyes, as though listening to the voice inside her own heart.

“Hey, Lumia… do you think Mother knew about all of this?

Is that why, at the very least, she left those words for me…?”

But the quiet, sorrowful atmosphere her words had created was suddenly shattered by a painful groan escaping from Ella’s lips.

All at once, Ella clutched her head again.

“Ugh… ahh……………”

“Ella! Ella! Are you okay?!”

“——hurts… ——hurts…”

“Ella? What did you say?”

“It hurts… It hurts.”