Another Side

Hesta stood in the hallway and watched the old woman enter. Before the black door fully closed, the old woman suddenly stopped.

"Perhaps I'm being nosy," she said, looking at Hesta. "Your eyes."

Hesta froze, but the old woman had already shut the door. Hesta looked toward a weathered full-length mirror propped up in the hallway. From up close, she could indeed see a ring of silver around her irises.

It seemed the old woman still recognized Quicksilver Needles.

Hesta glanced once more toward the wooden door, then hurried downstairs and returned to the round table by the street. The outdoor seats that had been empty moments ago were now packed. More and more people seemed to realize that the Military Police's exit inspections would take quite some time, so they had chosen to find somewhere to rest for a while.

Everyone seated here was on the phone; so were the pedestrians on the street and Valeria across from her. Hesta was still wondering why everyone seemed to be acting in concert when her own phone rang—Eucali had just heard from the broadcast that a terrorist attack had occurred on the main road near City Hall. The casualties were not yet known, so she had hurriedly called to ask whether Hesta was safe.

...So it was a safety check.

"I really am stuck here, so I'll be back later... I don't know how long either. Maybe over an hour. Yeah, don't worry, I'm fine."

Eucali sighed a few times in relief, and then Ligo took the phone.

"How did you end up trapped there?" Ligo laughed from the other end. "Did you go see the cultural relic convoy by yourself?"

Hesta did not answer right away. Her fingers tapped lightly against the tabletop as she considered how to explain. "Uh..."