Mental Breakdown (2)

I place the tea cup on the table with a clink. Her quote sounded fairly similar to a motto used by the corrupt governors that I've seen in the past. I felt myself shivering at the odd familiarity.

"Hehehe, don't get me wrong, it sounds like a pretty bad general principle if I don't explain what I mean by that specifically," Elyja awkwardly scratched her cheeks. "Put it in this way, the world is round, what you give is what you receive. The reason why I'm even taking up this role as Student Council president is so that I can give more, something like providing value to people? Not all people would really benefit from my work though."

I raised one of my eyebrows in dissatisfaction.

"I don't quite agree with that statement."

"Hm?" Elyja, who noticed a change in me tilted her head, "To put it another way-- let's take this here for example," she tapped the tea pot twice with a clink.

"…"

"Put it bluntly, The company that made this is giving us the benefit of making tea at a moment's notice while it in turn receives money from us as an exchange and the cycle repeats.. No company can really run unless it creates or provides something that benefits others, right? Even if it's a selfish way to think about it, only by exchanging value would the company be able to survive." Elyja smiled.

"..."

"Another one is building relationships. Doing a good deed and helping people selfless that you know you know you wouldn't get any return-- in fact, doing that deed itself brings happiness in return. Also, sometimes it takes time before what you give comes back to you. One example would be building relationships. It takes time and effort, then again we don't really think too much about it sometimes. When you're in dire situations, those closest to you will most likely be the ones who…"

"…"

S-she's right.

I did try to bring value.. I did try to help..

I wanted to protect the kingdom.. I didn't want to be a burden..

I knew there might not be a return. I understood the risk of it all yet..

Could I be a burden?

"Liliath?"

"What if the only good of helping only created more problems.. what if.."

"Then we can only forgive ourselves can't we.. it's not like we intended.."

"…"

"Liliath?"

"It's a lie.."

A lie. A lie. A lie. A lie. A lie. A lie. A lie. A lie. A lie. A lie. A lie. A lie. A lie. A lie. A lie. A lie. A lie. A lie. A lie. A lie. A lie. A lie. A lie. A lie. A lie. A lie. A lie. A lie. A lie. A lie. A lie. A lie. A lie.

"Are you alright? Do you need.."

"Should I prove it to you?"

"..."

Seeing her fearful expression, I smiled. Somehow. Unexplainably. I smiled.

I stood up from my seat and slowly stepped towards her. Step by step. A short distance.

Elyja did help otu Rishell didn't she? She did something to harm Noel didn't she? I should do something about her.. that'll be one less burden to Noel.. yes..

"Liliat.."

I held her neck with both my hands.

"How does it feel? What did you say? Give and you shall receive? Should I turn that concept around? It never existed to begin with. A mere delusion in our minds. If it did I wouldn't be doing this PRESIDENT," letting out a loose chuckle and tightening my grip, her face contorted.

But it wasn't one of pain. Something wasn't right..

"Liliath!"

I turned around, realizing that I had initiated the wrong target. The two observers standing guard. Elyja with tears in her eyes.

"Y-you.. I.."

My attack failed.

Rather..

W-what have I just done..

Noel told me killing was taboo wasn't it?

D-did I? Elyja was a threat right? She troubled Noel didn't' she? I-I just wanted to help?!

Grabbing my hair, I started laughing. I don't know anymore. Was there a point to begin with? I was never right. Everything I did was wrong. I DID help, I tried, but what did I get in return? Torture? Pain? Betrayal?

"Why Liliath? Why.." as soon as she said that, she covered her mouth.

"Call Noel now," one of the observers said, and I shivered at his words.

Noel.. oh no. He could be in danger now couldn't he? I-I should do something.

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Yawn.

Man.. Liliath and her tea. Ridiculous. I wonder if Elyja is a tea connoisseur too. I don't get why she invited Liliath to tea, she's a student council president, she must have a ton of work to do doesn't she? I even saw her dump all the bulletin decoration work to the next person.

Now that's what you call delegating folks.

Anyways..

"How's this?"

"Hm? Do I look like that? Why a girl?" Voux questioned.

"Sorry. I'm pretty bad at drawing males."

Hah.. I tried drawing Voux in my sketchbook. Who knew he-- she'd turn out so beautiful huh? What bullshit, it doesn't even look like Voux. It's like a girly-fied dumpling or something. I don't even know anymore… ugh..

"How's everything Noel? You're not hearing anything weird this time right?" Prune who was joining us in this random drawing session asked. By the way, the small sketch of Prune I drew turned out alright. Looked exactly like her.

"Yeah. I'm totally good. But just in case.."

I had Prune keep a watch on me just in case the serenade from Rishell strikes again.

"Noel, Liliath is.. she is.." Elyja's voice sounded in my mind.

"Ah.. I hear a voice.." a desperate one at that too.

"Hm? You do?" Voux looked at me in wonder.

"What did it say?" Prune asked.

"Something about Liliath.."

Hm? About Liliath.

"Liliath is h-having a mental breakdown. W-what should we do… she.."

"Mental breakdown?"

What the fuck?

"What happened?"

"I-I don't know.."

I stood up and just as I was about to make a beeline out of class, Prune held me by the arm.

Ah, shit. This is a misunderstanding isn't it?

"Prune, this is different, I need to go check on Liliath.. Liliath?"

I was about to finish my sentence to convenience Prune to let me go when a bright red light shone before me. Liliath appeared and the first thing she did was hug me, burying her head on my chest--

Horns..

"Hm? Liliath? What happened? Are you alright?"

"I-I did nothing wrong right? Right? I swear I only wanted to h-help.."

"Calm down.. calm down," I stroked her back, "What happened?"

"I-I wanted to h-help.." Her horns dug into my chest, it started to genuinely hurt.

"NOEL BE CAREFUL OF Liliath," teacher Glib's voice sounded in my head. Like what?

"Hm? Be careful?" I wonder if they could hear me if I said things out loud. Could this be Elyja's TALENT? Why teacher Glib's voice?

"S-she's talking to you isn't she? D-dangerous, I'll protect you Noel.." Liliath spoke, shivering.

"Huh? NO-- I mean yeah they talked to me but--"

Liliath looked into my eyes, her beautiful crismon iris glittered, a gentle wave washed over me-- I felt a floaty feeling, my vision blurred--

And my consciousness plunged into darkness.

I woke up and what laid before me was a field of red roses, leaves coloured pitch black. Countless small Liliaths with devil-wings on her backs tending to the plants.

Uh.. FUCK? What happened?

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"Should I prove it to you?"

To those words, Brusq's expression contorted, while Nile began to take action. She was falling into an unstable condition, a mixture of hate, regret, anger, remorse. To Brusq, it the reading he got from Liliath were as heavy as lead.

Elyja felt a shudder down her spine. The air suddenly became heavy, her body wasn't listening to her.

"Liliat.."

Liliath grasped the air in front of Elyja, a creepy smile floated on her face.

"Escape now," in a low position, Nile tapped Elyja's shoulder.

Elyja, who had been frozen, regained herself and crawled to the exit despite staggering a few times.

At the exit, Elyja turned around to look at Liliath.

"How does it feel? What did you say? Give and you shall receive? Should I turn that concept around? It never existed to begin with. A mere delusion in our minds. If it did I wouldn't be doing this PRESIDENT," Liliath let loose a chuckle.

"Liliath!" she shouted. Was it out of anger? Confusion? Panic? Elyja herself didn't really know.

"Y-you.. I.." Liliath turned around, a sour expression on her face.

"Why Liliath? Why.." as soon as she said that, Elyja covered her mouth. She remembered a crucial piece of information teacher Glib had told her once. Liliath was 'fragile', her past was unknown. It wouldn't be unusual for her to have a mental breakdown at any time.

It would've been wrong to assume Liliath had a sane reason. She had a REASON to do what she was doing, it was one which couldn't be fathomed by normal minds.

"Call Noel now," Nile spoke in a deep anxious tone.

Swallowing her saliva, Elyja called upon her TALENT.

'Noel, Liliath is.. she is..'

"Elyja, you go find teacher Glib or anyone. Brusq and I will hold her down here," A cold sweat ran down his forehead. Hold down a monster like Liliath? Impossible. But they had to do what they could.

Fortunately, Liliath remained in a dazed state. She was muttering something, but the contents were indecipherable. A laugh would leak out her lips every now and then. Four horn protrusion manifested on her head. A demon.

She was a DEMON.

Elyja ran.

Nile and Brusq stayed back and watched over Liliath's condition.

Truely. What they were seeing in front of them-- insanity in dead silence.

Liliath who kept staring at the ceiling finally turned to them, a chill was sent down their spine. Brusq and Nile took out an extendable baton from their pockets.

"I-I didn't mean to.."

A red light flashed in the room and-- she disappeared.

"Fuck, she disappeared. GO! GO!" Nile shouted.

Brusq had a hard time adjusting to the pressure he felt so he didn't really speak too much.

"Where's Liliath?"

The two 'stalkers' bumped into Glib, Elyja and a few soldiers.

"She teleported," Brusq said.

"TELEPORT?!" Glib's disbelief was transmitted through a yell. "Elyja, hook me onto Noel."

Elyja nodded, biting her lips.

Glib took the initiative to rush over to Class E, where Noel was.

'NOEL BE CAREFUL OF Liliath,' Glib transmitted her voice over.