A Long, Long Time Since

Mana stepped into the apartment, and the image of her shoes disappeared as her feet reached the tiled entrance. Monifa closed the door behind her, scurrying off mid-conversation.

“I'll be out for the night and most of tomorrow, but you should be alright. There's tons of stuff here if you need it, but you don't need to eat or drink so it's whatever. You can manage, right?” Without waiting for an answer, she disappeared into her bedroom.

Mana smiled and pattered into the living room. The place was a disaster as always, but more so from the sheer amount of files and documents strewn around than laziness. The scent of coffee permeated the cosy furniture, the odd mug stain found in strange locations, such as the armrest of the lounge. Mana took a seat. She had come to visit Monifa often. The two lived quite far apart, but Mana was always happy to make the trip. Living in her woodland shack was relaxing before Mitchell and Magnus, in the body of Jordan, took residence there. It was lively, as if she had her own family. It took them all a long time to adjust to life foraging in the forest, having been raised in the luxury of the King estate and whatever laboratory Jordan was made in. But now they could take care of themselves sufficiently... not as if they needed sustenance either. Even still, they demanded a lot from Mana, and so she found some quiet time to relax here with Monifa from time to time.

“Fufufu! It is quite like you to invite me out of nowhere. You wish for me to take care of your residence? And what if I were to decline? I am a busy girl!” She giggled, knowing that she would never turn Monifa down. She was merely teasing her.

Monifa didn't respond. However, Mana's voice seemed to reach someone else. A small girl peeked out from behind the door frame to the hallway. Mana's giggling stopped, but the smile remained warm on her face.

“...Fu? Monifa, it seems that a child has somehow gained access to your abode. Are you aware of this?"

“What the fuck are you-” Monifa rushed into the room to find Mana kneeling on the floor, gesturing for the child to approach. “Oh. Yeah, that's my daughter. You probably didn't see her last time since she was playing.”

"....Fu! A daughter! I must admit, this is a surprise to me. You never informed me that you had a partner, much less a child. What is her name?" The young girl happily waddled over to Mana, who hoisted her up with ease, swinging her around gently. Mana had an affinity for children. It was her purpose, after all. Monifa watched the pair, smiling despite herself.

"Ah. Sirocco, or Siro for short. My girlfriend? Seneca's gone ahead. The whole reason I'm out is because there's a big do with the in-laws, yadda yadda. That's why I asked you over. You were made to look after Archibald's kid, figured my girl would be less trouble for you."

Mana gently lowered the child, kneeling as she does so. Looking into Siro's face, Mana spoke gently.

“Why don't you grab some books to show me while your mother and I wrap things up? We can talk all night after she leaves!”

“Yes, Auntie Mana!” Siro chirped, running off giggling. Mana turns to Monifa, the smile lingering a little.

“Fu, 'Auntie'? You've told her about me then.”

Monifa shrugs. “Yeah. Figured she'd see you eventually, she's heard all about you.”

Mana's expression hardened a little.

“Fu... Do you not think this was a bit short notice for me? I shall gladly oblige, of course, but I'd like some notice in advance next time. When can I expect you back?”

“Maybe four o'clock tomorrow afternoon? Fuck if I know-”

“And that's another thing, swearing in front of your child?”

Monifa rolled her eyes, slinging a small backpack over her shoulder.

“As if I need parenting tips from a walking projector. Speaking of parenting tips-” she paced at Mana hurriedly, yanking a torn page from the kitchen counter and thrusting at her. “This should have everything you need to know about Siro and what she needs and likes and all that crap. I'd stay to make sure everything's fine but I'm already an hour late and Senaca's gonna fucking kill me. If you let anything happen to her, you'll go the way of your son and I fucking mean it. Got it?”

Her tone sounded much harsher than was intended, in her urgent state. It wasn't the first time Mana had heard such a threat from her, though, and she knew it was made in both jest and concern for her daughter. She gave Monifa a reassuring grin, looming ominously.

“Fufufu! Of course. I swear it on Archie's grave!”

Monifa brushed past her on the way out, turning her head in disgust.

“Don't swear on that piece of shit, do you wanna curse this place too?”

With that additional ambiguous statement, the door slammed behind her, leaving Mana to supervise the Anjaro household.

It came as no surprise to Mana that Siro was a peculiar girl, just like her mother. Some of Monifa's lifestyle had imprinted on the young girl, and she had an inclination for mystery and investigation. This was ideal for Mana, whose functions as a Holo were often useful in engaging children. The two spent an hour or so after Monifa left playing Hide and Seek around the house, disabling Mana's projection adding an element to the game that challenged Siro's investigative skills. There was much giggling, running back and forth and playful tickling between them before Siro became tired. Mana placed her on the couch and made attempts at cooking her dinner. She opened the fridge and found the food needed, but she was hardly acquainted with packaging. Eventually Siro came to her aid, and the two produced a quick pasta, which Siro ate with all the methodical consumption that is associated with children at the table. When she was finished, she invited Mana to her room, where she climbed into the bed, Mana sitting demurely on the side of the bed. and Siro demanded to hear stories about the night Mana had met her mother.

“Fufufu... yes, it's a strange story. How much do you know?”

“Mom doesn't talk about it much. She says she met you, and some asshole-”

“Language.”

“-named Brent but he died, and there was a robot but not like you, like an actual robot, and a midget who threw a knife and a huge worm-”

“Fufufu! It was indeed as bizarre as all of that. I'll tell you everything, from beginning to end. But you most promise me you'll go to sleep after that. You've had a big day, and we'll have all of tomorrow too. Is that a promise?”

“Yep! C'mon, let's hear!”

“Very well. It all begins with a man named Archibald. Some say he was wicked, others say he was merely misguided. Archibald had a big family, and was very rich. He lived in a mansion, out in the woods-”

“Like your house?”

“Fu, yes, but mine is much smaller than Archibald's house was.”

“I wanna see it one day.”

“Perhaps when you are older, I will invite you over. But you won't ever see Archibald's house. The place was reduced to nothing more than ashes after the night your mother and I met. Archibald had many enemies, you see. He had a lot of people who hated him, because he was not a particularly nice man. He decided one day to get revenge against all those who wronged him. He hired an assassin, named Lucia, to kill him. Then, it is rumoured he had a friend of his, who was a doctor, to imbue his corpse with a Nightworm. Do you know of Nightworms?”

“Yeah. My mom has showed me a few cases.”

“Truly vile creatures. But the Nightworm let Archibald live even after dying. Like a... zombie, are they called?”

“Zombies, yeah!”

“A zombie. That's what he was. From there, he enacted his true plan. He invited a handful of people, who he considered to be enemies, to his house under the pretence of a dinner party. Your mother and I were among them. There were twelve of us, all told.”

“How did you know Archibald? Why did he hate you?”

“Fu... In the end, I don't think he did hate me. I was perhaps the person closest to him. He created me to look after his son Magnus, who also attended the dinner. You know him as 'Brent'.”

“He's an asshole!”

“Language! Magnus is... a complicated man. If it were not for Archie, I doubt Magnus would have grown into the monster that he became. But that's a story for another time. We all walked into the dining hall, and they served us... the butler's corpse! Archie was nowhere to be seen. Everyone began to panic, and when we tried to flee, a huge metal fence sprung from the ground, surrounding the mansion. We were trapped. Archie then gave us a letter, which told us that we were to find his killer, or we would all die one by one.”

“But, didn't he kill himself? Like, it was an assassin, but it was his own fault right?”

“Yes, that is true. Lucia, the woman who killed him, was present, but he was not referring to her. His true 'killer', so to speak, were those in his life who left him to wander his dark path of misery that had lead to this unfortunate night.”

“That's stupid.”

“It is. He was a selfish man like that. He had enlisted Magnus to kill everyone as the night continued. We were all unsure of what would happen, and we split into groups to investigate the mansion. At some point I found myself in a room with another Holo, named Mitchell, who attacked me. I am a very special Holo, for I have a physical body; I can touch and move things. Mitchell could not, and he wanted a body like mine. Just when he was about to kill me, Magnus appeared and saved me.”

“Huh... But he's an a- an idiot. How come he saved you?”

“I recognised him as the child I raised so many years ago, and I called his name. So he came to my aid, and he killed Mitchell. The first victim of the night.”

Siro sat up in the bed, frowning slightly.

“I don't get it. What's with Magnus?”

“Like I said, he's a complicated man. He was supposed to kill everyone that night, but in the end he only took the life of Mitchell to save mine. Many others died that night, but only as a result of the traps Archie had set around the place or because they were too suspicious of one another. A handful died to poison, Lucia took her own life, and Brent eventually came under suspicion and was murdered by another woman named Alice, who put a bullet through her own head before Archie's poison would kill her absolutely. There were not many of us left, but at this stage we were granted access to the top floor of the mansion. There Archie waited, and when we arrived...”

“What happened?”

“Truthfully, I do not know. Many spirits began to walk the place, possessing the bodies of some who remained. Someone, somewhere, set the mansion on fire to end everything for good. I think it was your mother. She and I were a few of those who escaped. We parted ways, but we kept contact, and that leads us to where we are today.”

“Auntie Mana...”

“Yes, Siro?”

“This is all made up, isn't it?”

“Fufufu! You know all the tricks to my magic, don't you? It's just part of being a Holo. But, if you did not, you would believe it all to be true, would you not? Life works the same way. If you push beyond disbelief, you will find the truth.”

Siro yawned.

“Yeah... Mom's like that...”

“You take after your mother. You're both smart girls, always looking for the truth. What happened that night is real, as hard as it is to believe. Try not to let it linger in your mind.”

Mana stands, ruffling Siro's hair gently and turning off the light.

“Night-night, Siro. We can play plenty tomorrow.”

Silence followed as she quietly closed the door.

Holos never need to sleep. It was 9:34 PM when Mana wandered into the living room, wondering what she could do with her time. She decided the most productive thing she could do was give the place a tidy up. She wrapped up the leftovers of Siro's meal, and began organising the papers strewn sporadically throughout the apartment. Besides the files everywhere, the place was relatively hygienic. There was no dust anywhere, as Monifa would move things around constantly, and despite all the movement into and around the place, the floor was clean. Mana worked until the early morning putting things into neat piles and convenient locations, occasionally grimacing at an explicit image in an open file. She'd have to have a word with Monifa when she got back about leaving this kind of thing open for Siro to see. The hours drifted by as Mana quietly shuffled things into position, careful not to touch things she thought might belong to Seneca. The work didn't bother her though, as she didn't get tired. At around 5:56 AM, she decided to take a quick break for meditation. She sat at the sofa, sighing to herself as the thoughts began to roll into her head.

It wasn't much later that she heard activity from Siro's room. The rustling sound of Mana's own movements, albeit quiet, were enough to drown out the sound until she had a moment of silence. Curious, and a little worried, Mana stood up and approached Siro's bedroom. From behind the closed door, the sound of fabric moving wildly could be heard.

“Siro? Are you okay, sweetheart?” Mana slowly opened the door. 

The room was still dark, with the early morning sun leaking behind the closed curtains. Despite this, Mana could still see Siro thrashing around in the bed, tossing and turning, muttering occasionally. Mana opened the curtains, hoping this would awaken the young girl, but to no avail. Quickly registering that something was wrong, Mana checked the list Monifa gave her in case this was a regular thing or there a proper protocol to follow, but troubled sleeping was not mentioned. Her concern mounting, she knelt beside the beside the bed, placing a hand on Siro's shoulder and speaking softly.

“Siro, sweetheart, are you okay?”

The child did not respond, still struggling in some slumbering fit. Mana raised her hand to Siro's forehead, and her worst fears were realised.

She was ill.

Her temperature was high, her dark skin made pale by her ailment, skin glistening with sweat. Immediately, Mana left the room to find the phone. Thankfully, Monifa was anxious enough to leave instructions for this event, and her phone number was included on the list. Mana made the call, her fingers finding the buttons much faster than she usually would be capable of with her technological incompetence. The phone rang for a while before it was answered.

“Monifa, it's-”

“Tell me what the problem is. Right now.”

“Fu... Siro's sick, she's running a high temperature, tossing and turning in her sleep. W-what should I do?”

“Fuck! I leave her with you for one night and she gets sick!? What the fuck did you do!?”

“M-Monifa, it's not-”

“Yes, not your fault. Fuck. Sorry, I know. Okay, here's what you've gotta do. Find and call a doctor for me. I don't have the local quack's number with me right now, check the phone book. Call me back as soon the doctor arrives, and then again when she's better. Got it?”

“Yes Monifa. I'm sorry-”

“Just do it already.”

The phone hung up with that last curt message. Mana didn't waste any time finding the phone book, and soon enough a doctor was on their way. Mana returned to Siro's room and sat beside her as she waited.

It was just over ten minutes before a distinct knock played on the front door. Gentle, yet persistent. Mana sprung from her position, turning to stroke Siro's head gently before leaving the room.

“Sit tight, the doctor's here.”

Her words were wasted, the child in no condition to understand anything said to her. Mana rushed through the house and answered the door. A portly young woman with blond hair and thick glasses stood at the other side, wrapped in a clinical white coat.

“Hello, Evie Renelle. You called for a doctor?”

“Yes! My child is sick, come right through.”

Mana held the door open for the doctor, closing it behind her and leading her to Siro's room. The doctor pulled Siro's chair from her desk, placing it next to the bed so she could sit and work. Placing her bag down beside her, she began asking questions.

“What's her name?”

“Siro. She's my friend's daughter, I'm just in her care for today.”

“And what seems to be the problem?”

“S-She's running a high temperature, sweating, tossing and turning. She was fine when she went to bed last night, I found her like this only twenty minutes ago.”

“Good responsiveness.” The doctor moved with an efficiency and professionalism that belied her stature and disposition. Looking at her, it wasn't apparent that she'd be so focused. “I'll check her temperature for myself, and then we can get some ice for her head while I get the right medicine. Okay?”

“Yes of course, sorry for the trouble, doctor. I have to call her mother, excuse me one moment-”

Leaving the doctor with Siro, Mana returned to the phone to call Monifa once again. The phone didn't ring twice before it was answered this time.

“How is she?”

“Fum, it is hard to say at this stage. The doctor has just arrived-”

“What about the doctor? Are they dodgy?”

“She seems good, young girl, very focused...”

“Good. Don't want some old fucker prodding at my girl. Keep an eye on the quack. If she does anything shady put her flat on her ass outside, got it?”

“I-I'm sure that won't be necessary-”

The conversation was cut off abruptly.

“Eeeep!”

The voice distinctly belonged to the doctor. Mana dropped the phone in panic, running back into Siro's room to find the doctor standing above the fallen chair, her arms hovering at her sides in panicked calculation. She looked up at Mana as she entered the room.

“S-Sorry! Um, this child... Who is she?”

Mana frowned at the question.

“Siro. I told you this already. Siro Anjaro. What's the problem, miss?”

The young woman looked down briefly, assessing some internal confusion, before addressing Mana personally.

“And who are you?”

“Fu... Mana Koven. Tell me, what is the problem? I've been told to... escort you from the premises if you 'do anything shady', fufufu. Please explain yourself.”

The doctor registered Mana's introduction for some time before speaking.

“This girl, she muttered in her sleep. She mentioned an Archibald.”

Mana's frown hardened.

“Go on.”

“Eep... I thought it might have been her father, or a friend from school, but then she uttered... something about Nightworms...”

“Yes? Why is this strange to you? Look at her, she is suffering in a world of delusion.”

“...D-Do you know Archibald?”

“Is that of any concern to you?”

“I knew an Archibald. One... affiliated with... Nightworms...”

Mana's frown shifted from interrogative to curious.

“...Speak, then. I know of Archie. How do you know him?”

“O-Oh... P-Please, tell me first. It might be... sensitive information...”

The doctor withered under Mana's glare, but she didn't relent. Sighing, Mana stopped testing the doctor and summarised the events of that night. The woman's round face quickly drained of colour as Mana continued, and it was only a matter of minutes before she interjected.

“S-Stop! I've... heard enough... I'm so sorry, Miss Koven, it's all my fault...”

“What are you talking about? Miss, you must explain yourself now or things will get serious-”

“Eep! Y-Y-Yes, it's only fair... I was Archibald's... best friend. H-He pressured me into implanting the Nightworm inside him... for his revenge scheme...”

“Fu! Surely you are not serious?”

“Y-Yes, I am... Shortly afterwards, he sent me a letter for dinner, but I knew it was part of his plan... so I just... didn't go... I never heard from him after that. T-The stories made the papers, but I... couldn't bring myself to read the details. I was so scared of him... Even now, it's hard to believe he's... truly gone...”

Mana absorbed all this, unsure of what to say. What were the odds that, of all the doctors to arrive to take care of Siro, it was the one who gave Archibald the power to do what he did? Monifa had said that any shady business earned the doctor an eviction, and surely this was about as shady as could be considered, but...

Evie seemed genuinely remorseful. If she was to be believed, she didn't have much say in her involvement with Archibald's plan. Furthermore, although it would trouble Monifa to learn that this woman in particular was caring for her child, it was evident that more would need to be discussed between the three of them at a later time. Keeping her around to cure Siro was logical, if unorthodox. Finally coming to this conclusion, Mana spoke up.

“Very well. You will have to discuss the matter with Siro's mother and I later. For now, though, just make sure she's cared for. Is that understood?

“Y-Yes ma'am.”

“Excellent. I'll be back soon.”

With that, Mana left the room to finish the call with Monifa. She decided to hide that the doctor was Archibald's personal aide for the time being. Monifa didn't need that kind of stress currently. The call ended with Monifa in a huff as usual, and Mana returned to the bedroom.

Evie's work was finished quickly enough. She had the correct medicine, administering it via shot, and soon enough the adults were idly sitting beside Siro on the bed. A confused silence hung in the air between them. Despite her earlier conclusion, Mana was still unsure whether this woman could be trusted. She had begun to realise that she recognised the woman. Had she seen her before? Her mind wandered back to the events of that night, where she saw countless spirits walk the mansion. Was she among them? Surely not, as she was here now. Evie simply sat quietly, her hands pressed against her knees, her head downcast. She dared not speak. At one point, Siro stirred gently, the state of her unrest quelled significantly. Witnessing this, Evie reached into her bag and pulled out a soft toy, made to look like a whale shark. Mana's eyes followed the object curiously as Evie tucked it under Siro's arms. Siro smiled gently, in her sleep, somehow content. It was hard to think the doctor had malicious intent after that. Mana released the tension in her body, sighing greatly. Evie looked up at her.

“O-Oh! Excuse my bedside manner, I was supposed to ask... How are you feeling, Miss Koven? Being around the patient might have-”

Mana waves a hand dismissively.

“Fufufu. I would not worry about such things, I cannot get sick.”

Evie squints slightly behind her thick glasses.

“W-What do you mean?”

“Did Archie ever show you his laboratories? I never saw much myself, but I was made there. I'm a Holo.”

“A H-Holo!? He told me about them once, b-but I thought he was just making up stories.”

“Fufufu, that seems to be a common trend in the life of Archie. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?”

“N-No, of course. Ask away.”

“...How did the two of you meet?”

“We took the same course in medical science. He was... a smart man. Maybe not socially...”

A wry smile blooms on Evie's face.

“From there I got to know his brother, Derek. One day though, Derek... passed away. It ruined Archibald. That started everything that you went through...”

“I see. What have you been doing since then?”

“M-Me? O-Oh, you know... trying to get away from it all... I just busied myself with work... With Derek gone and Archibald doing whatever it was he did, I didn't have any reason to stay in touch...”

“Fum... You know, this girl's mother... She broke her arm that night. Quite terribly. She had to get a replacement. I do not know how happy she would be to meet you. She can be fairly... disagreeable. If you are finished here, it would be for the best that you left before she returns. I’ll introduce the two of you later.”

“Y-Yes... You're right...”

Evie stood, packing her things up. With most of her medicinal supplies returned to the bag, she began looking around for something, before she glanced at the whale shark plush in Siro's arms.

“Ah...”

Mana saw the hesitation in Evie's eyes. Obviously, taking a toy from a sick child would be unthinkable, and Evie refused to retrieve the toy... but it clearly meant a lot to her. Mana rested a gentle hand on the doctor's shoulder.

“Keep in touch, I'll return it to you once she's better. Would that be suitable?”

Evie's head pivoted at Mana, an expression of shock on her face. She opened her mouth to object, but...

“...Y-Yes, that's fair. I d-don't want to leave Nautica- Eep, I mean, the toy, but I think... you need to be able to trust me... so I'll leave it with you...”

With this, she picked up the bag and left the room. On the chair she had risen from lay a plain business card, bearing her name and contact details.

Siro's recovery lasted the rest of the day. Monifa called after Evie had left, saying she was on her way home and that Seneca was going to stay just a bit longer. She returned just before midday, at which point Siro was just waking up. Monifa walked into the room, Mana stroking Siro's head gently as she woke up.

“Huah... Mom?” Siro rubbed her eyes as she sat up, the whale shark doll on her lap. Monifa raised her eyebrow at Mana, but quickly dropped it and embraced her daughter tightly.

“Hey, I'm glad you're up. How are you feeling?”

“Dizzy. And tired. What happened?”

“You were sick. The doctor's been 'round already, you should feel better soon.”

“Mom, I had a weird dream-”

“Did you? Tell me about it soon, Mana's heading home. Say goodbye.”

Mana took her cue, and knelt beside the bed, gently kissing Siro on the forehead. She picked up the whale shark doll and stood up.

“Get well soon, sweetheart. I'll give this back to the doctor, and I'll be back around to play another day. Okay?”

“Yep! Goodbye, Auntie Mana!” Siro waved excitedly.

“Thanks, Mana.” Monifa gave her a tired smile. “I'll come around your place sometime as thanks. I'll bring real food instead of that crap you find in the woods.”

“Do not trouble yourself, Monifa. Siro was a delight to look after, I'd love to come again sometime. Farewell.”

As she stepped through the door, Siro began recounting her dream to her mother.

“There was this burning house, and a chubby girl holding that fish toy and-”

Mana hesitated. Then shut the door behind her, shaking her head. She smiled. And she went home.