(V1) I Know What You Did Last Isekai - Chapter 6

The return of Viola had kicked the proverbial hornet’s nest.  Dozens of robed individuals hurried about, some pulling books and scrolls from the archives, others gathering staves and other such items.  Soon there were a dozen people standing in the courtyard, all holding some sort of rod in hand. 

Viola had stepped away after delivering the news and returned cleaned up; with fresh robes free of blood.  She gave a speech to those assembled and they soon departed, though Viola didn’t follow with them.  Instead she walked over to Kimberly and offered a slight bow. 

“Sorry,” Viola said in English.  

The lack of common dialog between them once again reared its ugly head, but Viola didn’t seem perturbed.  Her hands moved, drawing a circle in the air.  She then mimed something walking through where that circle was.  What followed was a word that Kimberly didn’t know, but she could get from context that it meant whatever she had just described.  Kimberly reached for her pockets, but had nothing at hand.  Pity.  Something to write with would be very useful. 

“Here,” Viola said after a moment, taking Kimberly by the hand.

She pulled gently, guiding Kimberly out of the courtyard and into the cathedral.  The light of the sun streamed through stained glass depictions of scenes she had little context for.  They were beautiful even as they continued past them and back into the depths until they stood in the library.  Viola pulled aside one of the robed individuals working the stacks and gave them instructions.  They nodded and hurried off. 

Viola didn’t stop there, moving with purpose to another section where she pulled a small book from one of the shelves.  It had a plain cover in soft tan leather and when Viola opened it to thumb through the pages, it was completely blank.  Seemingly satisfied, she then moved across the way to another shelf that held small square spaces.  From there she withdrew a box and set it atop the book before holding them out for Kimberly.

“You,” Viola said, then placed them in her hands.

“Me,” Kimberly repeated, looking down at the items.  

Carefully, she tucked the book under her arm and opened the box.  The case was lined with velvet padding which held one of the ornate fountain pens and three bottles containing black, blue, and red liquids.  Ink, for the pen.  From what she knew of her history, such a thing was inordinately expensive to offer so casually.  Yet, the library seemingly had each by the dozens just sitting there for those who needed them.

“Coin?” 

Viola smiled, shaking her head.  “No.” 

And then she was in motion once again, heading for the desk where the young man from earlier was busy writing something out.  He looked up when she arrived and spoke quickly, sliding several books over.  Viola nodded, picking up the stack as she checked each one.  Satisfied, she thanked the man and departed, Kimberly following close behind.

Curiosity welled up as they traversed the halls and made their way back up to the ground level.  Just what books had she requested in addition to the blank notebook?  They were probably more books that would help with translations, though none looked quite like the children’s tales from last night.  That still left her with some ideas of how to put that blank notebook to use.  Obviously she needed to make some cheat-sheets for the basics of the language.  Then there were the words and translations she would want to keep track of.

A truly monumental task awaited, but Kimberly was eager to dive right in.  It would be the perfect distraction from everything plaguing her mind.  A way to distance herself from the grief of losing her life and all that she knew and loved.  It was how she coped; throwing herself into study so she could get away from her hometown and everyone that had made her life hell.  Heather hadn’t been quite as invested, but she still managed good enough grades to get a partial scholarship for a medical track that helped secure their new life. 

Was there even a life insurance policy in place for her?  If there was, Heather would never see a penny of it.  No doubt her parents were going to cash it in and pretend to be sad for a few weeks while conning half the church into donating money despite them raking in a quarter million per year. 

Gentle fingers tilted Kimberly’s chin up, bringing her eyes level with Viola’s own.  Those soft grays watched her with compassion and it took Kimberly a moment to realize she was crying.  Such a display of vulnerability and weakness chaffed at old instincts, but what did those matter anymore?  It wasn’t like her father was going to materialize from nowhere and beat her for it.  If he did, it would mean Heather wasn’t out of reach. 

Slowly, Viola stepped forward, as though she were approaching an injured animal.  Kimberly wanted to laugh at how accurate that sentiment truly was.  Without the ability to speak, she might as well have been just that!

“You don’t get it!” Kimberly cried out, pushing Viola away.

Viola steadied herself, and began to move back, only to pause as the shadows writhed in time with Kimberly’s bubbling emotions.  A frown crossed Viola’s face before she sighed, letting the limb drop back to her side.  Kimberly appreciated the space, though she struggled to understand how this random woman could be so understanding and compassionate. 

“I know you can’t understand me, but I had a life back there,” Kimberly continued, the words just spilling out.  “My girlfriend and I were going to get married after college, adopt a kid or two, and live life in a way that pissed off every homophobe nationwide!  Now I’m dead—only not—because someone did something and I’m here.  Like, what am I even doing?  I just wanted—” 

Her voice broke and Kimberly let out a wailing sob.  It was just so fucking unfair!  Here she was, completely lost and alone, with nothing but some random woman who didn’t understand a damn thing she was saying.  So much work lay ahead of her; all so she could have a single conversation about how crushing everything was. 

It was so much, such a crushing weight, for one girl barely in her twenties to bear on her own.  All she wanted was for her girlfriend to know that she was okay.  That despite everything, she had landed on her feet.  How much study would it take to even get that far?  Was it even possible to manage a simple message let alone anything greater?

Magic was real here, and someone had managed to rip Kimberly from one dimension to another.  Could she do the same to Heather?  Would that even be fair to her?  It wasn’t like either of them had any real attachment to their home world; just one another.  Yet, she couldn’t just unilaterally go through with it. 

Hell, their worlds might not even be running at the same timescale.  For all Kimberly knew, a thousand years on Earth were passing each second.  There was simply no way to know for certain.  The fact was, Kimberly was alive here and now, and that was the only certainty that she had. 

“I just wanted to be happy for once in my damn life.” 

It wasn’t as though she were asking for the impossible.  Just some damn happiness in a cruel and uncaring universe.  Warm arms wrapped around her and Kimberly lashed out, the shadows coiling around them as all the light vanished, plunging everything into darkness.  That didn’t stop Kimberly from being able to see the woman who held on to her without even a sliver of fear.

She had every reason to be afraid.  With the murals that depicted someone who looked just like Kimberly, who wielded that same power…  The implications scared Kimberly on a primal level.  She needed to learn so much more about the world, and the origin of her strange and terrible abilities that now flowed through her.  Just who was Lilim, and what was her connection to the prevailing religion?  Viola seemed to be someone of high standing in their structure, so the answers would come in time.  That she didn’t fear Kimberly was a good sign, or at least she hoped it was.

Once again it all came down to learning as quickly as she could.  The shadows retreated at her whim, leaving them in the light of the sun once again.  Viola relaxed slowly, pulling away with a careful grace.  That nobody had stopped to investigate was a minor miracle, but Kimberly would take it.  

“Sorry,” Kimberly said, wiping her face.

Viola held out a piece of cloth with elaborate stitching.  A handkerchief?  Taking it, Kimberly wiped at her eyes, then blew her nose.  Once cleaned up, Kimberly wasn’t sure what to do with the soiled cloth.  She held it up, hoping the question was clear enough.

Viola chuckled, then held out her hand.  Fingers twitched as light twisted over her palm.  A circle was followed by lines forming in patterns.  The sigil formed from nothing, glowing bright, then the handkerchief was enveloped in a sphere of water.  Kimberly jumped back, her heart hammering from the sudden display of conjuration. 

The water dissipated, only for a second sigil to spark into life.  Heat wafted off the cloth for a moment before Viola took it back in hand and folded it before slipping it back into the pocket it had come from like it was the most casual thing in the world. 

“Handy trick,” Kimberly muttered. 

Viola smirked as a finger twirled, leaving a trail of light behind.  Then she snapped, and the trails exploded into a shower of sparkling motes that faded into nothing.  A wet giggle escaped before Kimberly could properly tramp it down, which only served to draw a wider grin from the mage. 

“Okay, that was good,” she said.  “Home?”

“Yes,” Viola agreed. 

They passed through the courtyard, with several people still in motion from the prior announcement.  It looked like a second group was forming, though she wasn’t sure what the reason might be.  Whatever it was, she didn’t think it to be too pressing given how calm and collected Viola presented herself. 

Back on the street, there were several people moving quickly.  Some out of fear, others with purpose.  The armor of the soldiers moving ahead of them was a step beyond the standard fare worn by those she saw earlier.  Was it a difference between guards and soldiers, or was this the equivalent to riot gear? 

Her speculation was cut short when they reached the path to Viola’s home and she got a good look at the rest of the sprawl below.  There was a square not far into the lower levels of the city, and unlike last time she saw the idyllic square it barely drew the eye, this time she couldn’t help but stare at the site of disaster.

A deep hole had been practically scooped from the stonework, cutting through pipes and dirt alike.  Water poured into the pit, filling it slowly.  The robed members of the church were set up off to the side at what appeared to be a makeshift triage center, soft glows being cast over injured men.  Around the crater, people were dragging limp corpses of mangled beasts into a pile where other mages were burning them.  

Had this been where Viola rushed off to? 

“Viola,” Kimberly said, waving at the distant courtyard.  “Over there?” 

The woman turned, looking over the plaza.  She said something, then paused.  Walking up to the railing, she pulled her own notebook out and flipped to an empty page.  Her hand moved quickly, writing something as well as drawing?  When she turned it around, that same word was spelled out at the top of the page along with a depiction of the plaza with a shimmering hole torn in reality along with several monsters standing around it.  Again, she repeated the words, and Kimberly understood what they meant despite not knowing the full definition or implications contained within. 

“Rift-breach.”