The weekend ended without a hitch. He was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief after all that had happened, but in Io's eyes, the mystery of losing his memories often came back to haunt him, even more so since Mercury came to see him.
« That man is dangerous, you should be much more careful from now on ! »
- I wonder what I did to him to make him offer me such a deal.
« Not something very glorious, obviously ? »
- You're probably right.
After recovering a tiny part of his memories, he tries to put them in order, but the only thing he remembers is several servants lined up and other people waiting for him. At the end of this assembly was a blonde woman with long ears. This made him laugh; at first he thought it was from a video game or TV programme. He couldn't put a name to her face.
***
Monday arrived and like every morning, Io woke up, but this time Ymir and Nova came to wake him up. Ymir asked him as he got dressed: 'How are you?' asked the girl. Io put his hand on the girl's head and cheerfully replied that he was doing wonderfully. The girl cheerfully left the room, as she too had to get ready. Nova moved towards the window to avoid seeing Io's naked body.
- Are you going to stand there while I get dressed?
- Oh, sorry, I stood in front of the window out of reflex.
« Funny reflex. »
- « You said it, she could have found a better excuse… »
She left the room while Io got dressed. Once he was dressed, Io opened the door and invited her in. She lay down on her bed, her autumn-coloured hair attracting Io's attention, but he remained captivated.
- Is there a problem ? she said quizzically.
- No, none at all, I was just thinking how beautiful your hair looks in the sunlight!
- Th…Thank you.
The young girl blushed, as Io continued the discussion without paying any attention to her, he asked her the reason for her previous question. Nova sighed, reminding him that last night he had to go and see the headmaster to ask him to let Ymir stay on at school with them while they found him a suitable school.
- That's right ! he said, snapping his fingers.
- Ah, what would you do without me...
- Not much!
They got up and walked down the stairs towards the bathroom, but before entering Io had a bad feeling. He pulled his hand away from the handle and turned to go into the kitchen, only to come across Nova. Surprised, he asked her what she was doing there. She simply replied that she was setting the table. Io had a bad feeling about this. He turned, ran to the bathroom and opened the door suddenly. Looking in, he sighed with relief: it was only Ymir brushing his hair...
- Phew, it's only you...
- What are you doing here, you big freak?
She punched Io in the face, sending him tumbling against the wall, hitting him head on. When he got up, he apologised and said he thought someone was hiding in the bathroom. Clearly he wasn't used to Ymir's presence yet.
« Hahaha, that's the funniest thing I've ever seen ! »
- Shut up !
He went into the bathroom, grabbed the brush that Ymir was having trouble holding and started brushing his hair when he noticed that it was still really messed up.
- I'm not starting until 10, so I think we should take him to the hairdresser.
- I'll come with you!
- Would you do that?
- Of course, I'm a girl, I think I could guide you better on this.
Nova entered the room, he thanked her and left to have lunch together. Once they had finished eating, they set off in the direction of the hairdresser. As they walked along the shopping streets, Ymir took Io's hand, she was still terrified of the crowds. Her head covered in bandages and dressings, as if she had just returned from a battlefield, only attracted the gaze of passers-by.
- What do you think happened to Ymir in the slave market where she was?" asked Nova, a little too curious.
- Believe me, ignorance is the best asset a person can have.
- If you say so...
- I can tell you.
- « Why won't you tell him the truth? » asked Io in LaVoix.
- « The truth is too dirty for that kind of person. »
- « What are you getting at ? »
« She's always lived in the comfort of her father, if you tell her the whole truth, especially in a place like this, she'll start to doubt everyone .»
Looking at Io, Nova saw him biting his lower lip. She blamed herself for bringing back bad memories. Once in front of the hairdresser's, they walked up to the automatic door, the movement of which surprised Ymir, who hid behind Io. A woman greeted them, her Afro hairstyle surprising Io. This dark-skinned woman had a reassuring quality that even Io couldn't explain.
- Hello ! A family outing, how lovely, I suppose you've come for your daughter ?
- N-...
- Yes, that's right ! She's going back to school soon and we want to give her a new haircut.
The hairdresser asked him what he had in mind, but he simply shrugged his shoulders. He told her that it was suspicious to see two young people arrive with a little girl whose hair was so damaged. Nova retorted that, coming from parents, it was even more suspicious. Io put her hand on her chin and looked at the young girl with an illuminated expression.
« You're not very discreet »
- « What do you mean ? » asked Io.
« A young girl full of bandages was wandering around town with two youngsters maybe ? »
- I hadn't thought of that!
- I hadn't thought of that! How do I stop you rushing off! I really feel like I'm dealing with a child..." said Nove.
- Cheeky coming from someone who can't clear the table without help.
- Pardo-...!
« Cough...cough »
- Excuse-me ! asked the hairdresser.
The two young people turned round at the same time and said yes in a curt tone. The hairdresser asked Nova and Io which haircut they should choose for their daughter. Io pointed to the hairdresser as if to imply that she should choose, as she knew more about hairstyles. While Nova was talking to the hairdresser, another hairdresser tapped Io on the shoulder.
- Excuse me, sir, would you like your hair cut too?
Io looked in the mirror and saw the length of hair on his head. He nodded gently and sat down on the seat. A sob echoed through the room. Io turned and saw Ymir crying. He stood up abruptly, but as soon as he arrived, Nova was already looking after him.
- Don't you get it? I turned on the hairdryer, but no sooner had I put the scissors down than she started crying.
- Sorry, we should have warned you before, but this little girl has been deaf since birth. That's why she has so many bandages, because she was bullied at school.
- Poor child.
Io approached and tried to make Ymir understand that this woman meant him no harm. After a few minutes of arguing, Ymir finally understood and let his hair be cut. Io sat down and told the hairdresser that she had carte blanche. After waiting a few minutes, he finally saw the result. His surprise, marked by a small 'Oh', gave the impression that he was no longer the same. He looked at himself in the mirror, his fringe and parts of his hair were tied back, only the back of his hair was loose and cut to even it all out.
- I'm surprised at your hair, sir.
- What do you mean by that?
- At the root, ash-white appears, while the rest is black.
- We've finished too!
He turned to Ymir, the length of his hair halved, with only two points at the front reaching his chest, the rest just below his chin.
- What elegance! affirmed Io, looking at Ymir.
- You look rather elegant too, sir, don't you think, madam? said the hairdresser in approval.
Nova couldn't look Io in the eye at all. He asked the young girl if everything was all right. From Nova's point of view, things were getting worse. She put her hand over her mouth. No! she was now covering her nose because blood was coming out of it. She had fallen completely under Io's spell. The hairdresser realised this and didn't hide her satisfied smile.
- I like you both! For that, I'll give you the haircut.
- No, we can't accept!
- Just listen! It's rare for young parents to get on so well together! Keep up the good work.
Once outside, the two young people walked. Nova, stunned, looked at Io.
- One day you'll have to tell her that we're not going out...
- You said it! It gives me bad ideas...
The two of them look at each other, their cheeks puffed out by their not very reassuring thought, but when they see each other's faces, they burst out laughing. Once home and changed, they start heading towards the school. When they got to the front, Ymir took Io's hand and returned the gesture with a big smile.
- Right, we're going to see the headmaster to find out if he's at Ymir.
- No problem, we'll meet you in class.
As they made their way through the school corridors, several students looked at Io and Ymir, who was feeling really uncomfortable. When they arrived in front of the headmaster's office, Ymir's nerves began to rise and she squeezed Io's hand tighter. When they opened the door, the headmaster was waiting for them at the back of the room, still with that same imposing aura. This aura surprised Ymir, who was not used to it. Her eye reacted to his aura and began to light up.
« Shit ! »
Io reached down and grabbed a medicinal eye patch from her bag, but the little girl was starting to turn pale from all the commotion.
« Good thing I thought of that ! »
- Tell me, Io, do you think you're in a nursery ?
- I'm sorry sir, but I actually took this little girl under my wing after rescuing her from a slave trader...
- And tell me... how altruistic of you ! What are you going to do with this young girl ?
A drop of sweat broke out on Io's cheek as he squeezed Ymir's hand. Ymir felt the stress building up, and the atmosphere created by the headmaster made her cry. Io, in a panic, apologised to the headmaster and turned to Ymir. The headmaster's personality changed radically, he stood up and walked towards Io.
- I'm sorry, little one, I've frightened you.
- Sir, she can't hear you.
- How come?
- She's deaf.
- I beg your pardon?
Ymir calmed down when she noticed that the man was in fact a large teddy bear. The headmaster took a serious tone and asked her for details about this young girl with deep black hair and lavender highlights. Io explained the whole story. Of course, he didn't tell her the whole truth.
- Well, you can take her to class, but if she bothers me I'll keep her in my office.
- Thank you, Sir!
Ymir took Io's hand and stroked his head. The headmaster laughed and told him that he got on quite well with children.
- It's true, when you've got two little sisters, you can't help but get on well with children!
The young girl tugged at Io's sleeve and he looked at the headmaster, who disfigured him.
- Is there a problem, Io?
- Why are you saying that?
- Your nose is bleeding.
He looked at the headmaster in horror before fainting. He sat on the edge of the bed and looked out of the window. When he got up, he had a moment of stress when he saw his eyes turn red. He looked left and right to make sure no-one was in the same room as him. Concentrating on his reflection in the window, he saw his head change drastically into that of a young girl with silver hair. She must be the same age as him, and her head was practically identical. He stepped back and lost his red eyes, saw her lips move but no sound reached his ears. He became frightened and when she started to laugh, it echoed in his head like a never-ending chorus.
- What's the matter, big brother? Don't tell me you're scared of me ? Why are you running away ?
Her laughter filled the room, which was now plunged into a morbid silence. He turned round and looked into the woman's glassy face. No... dead.
- Who...who are you ?!
- Don't you remember me ? Remember... The woman you killed with your bare hands !
He fell into an ocean as black as night. He tried to rise to the surface but the lack of oxygen made him lose consciousness. When he opened his eyes again, he saw a light appear in the depths. His body had no strength left, only his memory and his soul were awake to contemplate this light.
- Come back here, you !
From the light, a hand shot out and grabbed Io, pulling him towards it. As he drew closer to the light and rose to the surface, the water changed colour and turned red. As the waves crashed, the screams and cries of men and women echoed in his head. He looked at the person who had pulled him up.
- What the hell are you doing here?
- I've come to get you. You've recovered too many of your memories in one go, your brain couldn't process all the information and shut down.
- Am I dead?
- Not quite dead. For a human, you could call it a coma.
- Why are you talking about us in the third person?
- I'll tell you about it another time, I don't think this is the right moment!
« Ah! »
They turned towards the direction of the scream, but as they turned he saw nothing at all... only emptiness awaited them as well as the waves crashing against each other in an unbearable din. As the screaming continued, he turned again, but still nothing to report
- This man screaming...
- It's you... or rather your soul, your suffering.
- My suffering? I don't understand what you mean by that.
- It's the feeling you had the day your twin sister died because of you...
- My twin sister?
Io then looked at LaVoix, who appeared on a platform of water, and at the moon, which struck the young man with its light. LaVoix put his finger to his mouth to signal him to be quiet.
- Let me tell you the story of a brother and sister, cursed by their respective powers.