Return.

After discussing it between ourselves for a while, it was eventually decided that Shylock would guide us to Murr’s home after all.

Heathcliff and Snow would go as the representatives of their respective families—

…And I would be going with them, acting as Luna Piena’s representative.

Shylock: “…”

Akira: “…Um, Shylock?”

Shylock: “Hm? Is something the matter?”

Akira: “Are you sure you want me here and not Riquet?”

Akira: “I mean, I’ve been part of the family for less than a day…”

Shylock: “…Of course. It is as I said earlier — someone has to stay behind to protect Kirsche Persche.”

Shylock: “And you have yet to meet our boss. I thought that perhaps you’d like to introduce yourself to him, if possible.”

Shylock: “Thus why I asked you to come with us.”

Shylock gave me a smile, and I smiled back.

Akira: “…”

But I could tell Shylock’s expressions were more rigid than usual, as if his mind was somewhere further than I could reach.

I could tell something was off about him, but despite his stiffness Shylock’s smile was still the same smile he had always given me up until now.

Akira: (Maybe I’m just imagining things…?)

Shylock: “…”

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

Murr’s home was apparently in the very centre of Vollmond Town.

After descending down a long, long flight of stairs, and then passing through a labyrinth of old subterranean tunnels, an unexpectedly well-maintained section of wall appeared.

Shylock: “…Beyond this door is the place where Murr lives.”

We all looked at each other, then put our hands on the door as one.

…It wasn’t locked.

Owen: “Oh, you’re finally here.”

Owen: “It’s gotten so late, I was starting to think you’d never show up.”

Akira & Shylock: “Owen…?!”

Owen was the one who greeted us after we’d pushed open the door.

A line of large capsules made of metal were set up on the floor against one wall, all of them about the same size as a single bed.

Owen was using one of them as a bench, sitting there with his chin propped up in one hand.

Shylock: “You… That key you’re holding…”

Owen: “What, this? It’s a key to Murr’s place. Something none of you thought to get.”

Owen stood up from the capsule, looking bored, playing with the key held between his fingers.

It was then that we all caught a glimpse of what was actually inside the thing he’d been sitting on.

Akira: (What is that…?)

We all stepped forward once, twice, as if drawn towards the secret held within.

Then we gasped, almost simultaneously.

The liquid inside of the capsule was the same colour as Kirsche Persche — a gradation of yellow and pink, melding together.

And enveloped in this liquid was a young man who looked exactly like Owen.

He lay inside of the capsule with his eyes shut, wearing what looked to be some sort of surgical gown.

Heathcliff: “That’s…”

Snow: “This man looks just like Owen…”

Owen: “He is me. This is the me who still has two red eyes.”

Owen: “My eyes weren’t always different the way they are now. Did you know that, Shylock?”

Shylock: “…”

Owen: “While I’ve been living life as his replacement, this red-eyed me has been asleep here all the time.”

Owen: “He’s been that way ever since he — I — was badly injured and nearly died ages ago.”

One Owen with red eyes; another Owen with mismatched ones. One who will never open his eyes; another who smiled seductively in front of me.

And the liquid that the other Owen slept in, the same colour as Kirsche Persche.

All these facts told us one ultimate truth.

Akira: (Two people who are almost exactly alike, but ever so slightly different. In this town, you’re either human, or…)

Shylock: “…You mean to say, then, that you too are an Alter-Ego…”

Owen: “Haha, good guess.”

I felt my heart thump sickeningly inside of my chest.

Akira: (Owen is an Alter-Ego too…?)

…But he wasn’t the only person I knew here who was once very badly injured in the past.

Owen: “Why don’t you go reintroduce yourself to him, too? Your other self.”

Owen pointed over at one of the other capsules.

Inside it was—

Shylock: “…”

Another Shylock slept peacefully inside, his long eyelashes downturned, glossy brown hair drifting lazily around him.

Akira: “…That’s…”

I watched Shylock bite down hard on his bottom lip as if trying to keep whatever he was feeling inside. Though his lips turned pale white for a moment, they quickly regained their colour soon after.

The Shylock standing in front of me is alive and well. …But the Shylock inside of the capsule clearly wasn’t breathing.

Reflexively, I tried to look away— but then I saw who was inside of the capsule beside Shylock’s.

A blond boy slept peacefully inside. It was Riquet.

Snow: “So then… The lot of you were Alter-Egos all along?”

Snow came to the conclusion first, possibly because of what he’d already experienced with White.

It was Heathcliff who turned pale, staring at the sleeping Shylock inside the capsule.

Heathcliff: “…But, that means… Back then, Mister Shylock really did…?”

Shylock: “…It certainly seems so, yes.”

Despite clearly struggling with the cruel truth laid out in front of him, it was Shylock himself who answered Heathcliff’s question regardless.

Owen: “What’s with these lukewarm reactions? I was expecting a bigger fuss than this.”

Owen: “Even you're acting like it’s no big deal, Shylock… Doesn’t it hurt? Knowing you were only ever a copy all this time?”

Shylock: “…Truth be told, I’d had my suspicions ever since we discovered what Alter-Egos truly are.”

Shylock: “Still, having suspicions isn’t the same as being confronted with the harsh reality of one's own existence.”

Shylock: “…But, really, I think I must’ve known this to be the case for quite some time now, if only subconsciously.”

Shylock: “I suppose I just didn’t want to have to admit it to myself.”

Shylock closed his eyes as he mumbled these words.

Owen: “Hmph. So you already knew, huh? How about this, then?”

Owen: “It’s said the Lunaset flower might be a plant that came here from outer space.”

Owen: “That’s why Murr started studying it — to see if it had some sort of strange power no one knew about yet.”

Owen: “He tried all sorts of things, and eventually discovered that the crystalized sap of the Lunaset trees dissolved when it was submerged in a certain kind of alcohol, even though there was no way to melt it normally.”

Owen: “And he called that drink Kirsche Persche.”

As he spoke, Owen casually ran his hand down the glass lid of the capsule. I realised the liquid filling it was probably Kirsche Persche too.

Shylock: “It seems you know far more about the boss’ state of affairs than you ever let on, Owen.”

Owen: “Well, obviously. I made Murr tell me all sorts of things.”

Shylock: “You made him? You mean to tell me that Murr, of all people, surrendered in the face of your threats?”

Owen: “He was already dying before I even had a chance to try and threaten him. All because of you, by the way.”

Shylock: “…Me…?”

Owen slowly stalked up to Shylock as he spoke, both eyes open wide.

Owen: “You totally lost your mind. Just like all those people who’ve been rampaging through Vollmond lately.”

Owen: “You sprung at Murr with your glowing red eyes, and splattered his blood all over your nice white skin.”

Shylock: “…I… Attacked Murr…?”

Akira: “Shylock…”

I grabbed Shylock’s hand then without thinking. His skin was ice cold, and I could feel him trembling slightly.

His face was pallid and inhuman when I looked at him. I knew immediately that just holding his hand wouldn’t be enough to bring the colour back to his cheeks, but…

I couldn’t shake the feeling that if I kept on standing around doing nothing, his heart would eventually just crumble away into flower petals.

I watched as Shylock sucked in a breath, his lips quivering — then felt his hand squeeze mine in return, if only faintly.

Shylock: “When… Did this happen…?”

Owen: “Oh, you want to know?”

With his mouth curved into an amused smirk, Owen walked over to one of the bookshelves on the far wall.

Then he pulled a notebook out from the rows of research files and tossed it over to Shylock.

Shylock: “And this is…?”

Owen: “Everything you could want to know about Alter-Egos, plus what happened between you and Murr, is written down in this notebook.”

Owen: “Look for yourself if the truth is really what you wanna hear.”

Shylock looked down at the notebook in his hands silently.

Snow & Heathcliff: “…”

Akira: “Um… If it’s too hard for you to do yourself, Shylock, then… I’m happy to read the parts you need to hear out loud for you…?”

Shylock: “Akira…”