The Castle Apparations

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They walked silently towards the said building. It seemed that the sun was shy that afternoon because it was gloomy and it's eeriely cold. Tonya shuddered as a wave of unusual chill passed through her. She looked around and saw a glimpse of the fleeting white figure, and upon seeing that she then clapped.

They immediately looked and made their way back to her.

"You never really cease to amaze me, Tonya, dear," Pietro said while smiling charmingly.

If she's like the other women, she would have swooned by now, but fortunately she isn't like them.

"Stop pestering her, Pietro; we don't have time for your silly flirting—by the way, what did you see, Tonya?", Johanne asked while discreetly looking around.

"It's a fleeting apparition, but nonetheless, it was one... I'm certain it was, but I couldn't pinpoint where specific flat I saw it," she said with a hint of reluctance.

Johanne rubbed his forehead and sighed heavily.

She didn't want to waste another day hunting a fleeting apparition, so she tried to recall it harder.

'Where was it again...', she thought while concentrating really hard. 'The first flat... I didn't sense anything there.'

She continued recalling further. 'The second flat looked quaint, but I didn't sense anything there at all...'

'The third flat—'

"Can't you really recall it, Tonya?", Johanne asked again, impatiently. She frowned at his evident indifference to her situation. She reluctantly nodded and looked away, looking flustered—not because of embarrassment but rather of the subtle anger that was emerging in her.

"Don't worry, Tonya, we'll eventually find it out. No secrets were kept forever, and no mystery lasted unsolved so—"

"We can't storm a castle without knowing where it was exactly, so we'll just postpone this for now. And as for Tonya, please work harder next time. We didn't let you in just because of your measly—"

"Watch your mouth, Johanne!", Selina cut off. "I know we are all tired, and that's eating us unconsciously, so let's not get it to us. No need to blame others for the things you can't as well do."

Johanne released a low rumbling before Alya patted gently his shoulder.

"No need to work hard for today, mate; we still have many days to come," she said assuringly. Johanne looked at her sincerely, and when Tonya saw this, she felt her heart constrict for a moment.

'What's happening to me...', she thought silently.

Pietro noticed them and instantly broke the ice. "Come on, people! Don't be so gloomy. You ain't the weather, right?"

Alya smiled and then chuckled softly. Johanne just rolled his eyes, and Tonya remained listless. She was still thinking about that strange, painful feeling in her chest every time she sees Johanne openly admiring Alya. She was completely ignorant of that feeling, and she's worried that it could impede her work.

"Earth to Tonya? Tonya? Tonya!", Pietro called as he snapped his finger, and the moment she heard it, a sudden memory came to her mind.

"A painting!", she exclaimed as she whirled around and looked for it.

They look at her, both shocked and confused by her sudden burst out.

"What painting? Tonya di—"

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"There—there it is! That's where I saw the fleeting apparition," she said excitedly.

"Are you sure of that?", Johanne asked skeptically.

She turned at him harshly and scowled.

"Yeah, I'm definitely sure of it," she answered in a deadpan voice.

"Now, now, don't be so harsh on Tonya, Johanne. She's just doing the job that you're demanding her to do," Pietro seriously said.

Johanne gave him a fierce look, which Pietro answered with an equally menacing expression.

Selina cleared her throat loudly, and calmly she made her way between them. "That's enough boys. No need to be aggressive for this afternoon. Reserve your energy for this evening. At exactly six we'll storm their castle, and we'll not leave any of them out. Understood?"

They nodded in unison after she gave her instruction. Tonya looked at her gratefully, which Selina just answered with a curt nod.

"Don't worry, Tonya, dear~ I know you're nervous with your first extermination, but trust me... I'll be always at your side," Pietro said while smiling coyly at her.

She just sighed and grin. "Really, then I ought to give you a kiss...", she said jestingly.

Johanne suddenly came to a halt and abruptly whirled around with an annoyed face.

"Save your canoodling after we exterminate those ancient ones—"

"Don't mind him, Tonya dear; he's just a miserable virgin who's always bitter about romance," Pietro cut in smugly.

"What?! You son of—"

Tonya grins and just laughs soundlessly. "Fine, I'll let you protect me... but can you really?"

"Don't worry, if it's you, then I'll do anything, Tonya dear," he said while casting a side glance at Johanne, who then grimaced and chimed in. "Oh, please, bastard, don't let your mouth overload your ass..."

"Jealous...?"

"Huh? N-no!", he exclaimed defensively.

"Then scram off! And lessen your bitterness because it isn't good for your face," Pietro suggested airily.

"Same goes for you; lessen your sweetness or else the ants will consume you whole," Johanne spat.

Pietro just laughed sarcastically. "Well, see about that then..."

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Silence reigned once more, and when the sixth of the evening struck, they went in again silently—but this time, all of them are ready to storm the castle of apparations.