Hortus Arcanus planēta

ACT 2

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Pain

“It hurts… It hurts.”

As she spoke, she violently shoved my hand away and began tearing through the room, throwing things aside in a frenzy.

What was reflected in Ella’s eyes… was not me.

The color of her eyes flickered erratically, flashing red and fading again and again.

I couldn’t stop her as she rampaged through the attic room. Her movements were too violent for me to restrain.

Realizing it was dangerous to stay there, I softly blew on the button and erased my presence.

All I could do… was watch how everything unfolded.

Ella’s face was consumed by hatred.

And yet, beneath it all, she looked unbearably pained—as though, deep inside, her true heart was screaming that it did not want to destroy anything.

She knocked over the only bookshelf in the room, hurled sewing tools across the floor, and rampaged wildly as if she had completely lost herself.

Then, the midnight bell began to ring.

Dong… Dong…

At that very moment, Ella froze completely.

She slowly collapsed onto the floor and sat there motionless.

Silence filled the attic room for a while.

Then, Ella began moving again.

I instinctively tensed, expecting her to start rampaging once more.

But this time, her movements were slow and deliberate, and a cold stillness seemed to surround her.

Then Ella spoke.

“Lumia… you can come out now.

I’m not the one who was raging before. You don’t need to be afraid.”

It seemed El had returned.

After gently stroking the button and revealing myself, I spoke.

“El…

El. It’s really you, isn’t it?”

“Yes. It’s El.

Don’t worry. It seems I frightened you.

And Lumia… may I speak with you for a moment? About what happened when I lost control. While I was without my sense of self, I came to a realization.

Well… this is only if my assumption is correct, but… there’s something I want you to hear.”

“Okay. I’ll listen.

But before that… maybe we should clean this place up first?”

“Yes, you’re right.

Let’s talk while we clean.”

“Alright.

First, about the rampage… strictly speaking, that wasn’t El, nor was it Ella.”

“What do you mean by that, El?”