ZZZ: Dawn of The Black Sun

The Hollow is a terrifying place, a realm where all notion of logic and understanding fell apart. The Ethereal is a terrifying monster, a shadow of what once was corrupted into an 'incorrect' remain. Together, they make up the nightmare that haunts everything who lived in New Eridu.

Grace was no exception, as a child she was afraid of the hollow and the ethereal. She buried herself in knowledge, learning to harness steel and lightning to do her bidding. Mastering the art of engineering to tame the eldritch horrors lurking beyond the safety of the city.

For the longest time, Grace thought she's conquered such fear. She became known as the Iron Witch, works in the biggest Construction Company in New Eridu, paving the way to building the future. Her creations brought hope and safety even deep within the Hollow, replacing life lost and the bodies buried in concrete.

Now, however, Grace realized how naive she was. The Hollow being the only place where such wrongness could exist? The Ethereals being the only monsters to be afraid of? Ether Corruption being the only disease she should be afraid of?

In her last days... Grace learned the shape of a true monster...

"Good day Proxy," Grace gazed at what looks like a young girl standing before her. The young girl has a sweet smile on her face as she set down a small parcel filled with fruits, sweets, and cute bangboo-shaped ornament. "I really didn't expect you to be here..."

"Ehehe... sorry," Belle sat on a chair next to Grace. "Koleda and the rest are still in the celebrating, so... we got plenty of time for ourselves," she smiled warmly. "Care for a chat?"

Grace secretly pressed the phone hanging beside her to call the nurse. It didn't ring, but a small green light tells her that the phone is listening in on them. "Go ahead then, not like there's anything else for me to do,"

Belle grinned a little. "Okay, so, basically, I just want to apologize for the whole... sabotaging thing and like," she rubbed the back of her head. "Can we have bygones be bygones?"

Grace raised an eyebrow. "That's it?"

"What do you mean?" Belle rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine, you got me. Sorry for trying to blow up those people," she held up her hands. "For the record, it was Perlman's idea, I just made it possible," she grinned. "Besides! I stopped him, didn't I?"

Grace has that flat look on her face before plopping her head on to the pillow below her. "Let bygones be bygones, even if I survive this, I don't think I can do that, Proxy..." she closed her eyes. "My sweet pea is precious to me, I can't live knowing that a monster like you is close to her."

Belle pouted and sat on the bed next to Grace. "I mean... sorry for the elaborate trap and all... But like..." she looked at Grace for a moment. "See, I don't want to kill you..."

"But you don't want me to reveal to anyone what I know," Grace finished her sentence. "Yes, I get it, you're being pragmatic, not cruel," she closed her eyes. "And unfortunately, I can't promise you that I won't tell Koleda about this."

There was a moment of silence before Belle sighed a little. A look of genuine disappointment and a hint of sadness in her eyes. "So you prefer me to kill you instead? You could've lied to me saying that you won't tell Koleda,"

Grace shook her head. "I'm not risking it... I know that if I'm around, I might tell Koleda too much... and," her breath hitched a pained look on her face. "I'd rather die than to see her suffer on my behalf... you'd do that, won't you? You'd hurt her to hurt me,"

Belle nodded. "Yes, speaking too much might lead to that sort of thing, I'd prefer if that doesn't happen though..." she looked up. 

The mechanic slowly turned to Belle. "So... since I will die anyway, will you tell me why?" she asked her. "Why all this?"

 "My end goal?" Belle tilted her head. "See... I've been thinking a lot about it..." she took a step away from her and start pacing around. "Excuse my super villain monologue, but I do sorta kinda want world domination, you see?"

"World Domination?" Grace asked. "That's just a mean to an end, there's something else you want..."

"Aww, you're really smart, gosh I want you on my team right now..." Belle said with an excited grin. "But yeah, it's more of a means to an end. The thing I really want is the journey, ya know?" there's an almost twisted gleam in her eyes. "There's thrill I have, this liberating feeling whenever I get people to do what I want..."

Grace stayed silent, trying to comprehend the scope of the monster before her.

"You've felt that, don't you?" Belle asked. "When you take apart a machine... learning what makes them click, upgrading it, improving it, controlling it, watching it grow..." she giggled a little. "Gosh, that sensation... it feels so good!"

The girl sighed softly, her expression fell. "My brother, Wise... He was never into this sort of thing..." she continued, a wistful smile on her face. "But he's better than me you know? He has me under his palms, I can never go against his will..." a dark look formed on her face. "But even then... he's gone..."

"So that's why you're so terrifying..." A rare smile formed on Grace's face. "The way you talk... The way you behave... Your complete disregard on things beneath your interest..." she clenched her fist. "You're a twisted reflection of myself, the monster I could've been..." her body went limp, a strangely serene look on her face. "I either die a human or live long enough to become something like you..."

"Koleda would be so sad you know?" Belle tilted her head and leaned closer to her. "You don't really have to die, is it because you don't want to do bad things? We can work this out if that's the case... I'll let you play the good guy, you won't ever have to hurt anyone, it's a promise,"

"Just let me die in peace, proxy,"

"Oh well," Belle leaned towards the phone that's been listening to them. "You heard her," she said to the phone before turning around. "It's been nice knowing you Grace... Good bye then,"

"Good bye proxy..."

Not a moment too soon after Belle leave the room, a nurse came walking in carrying a syringe filled with multicolored liquid.

[LINE BREAK]

"Welcome back Nekomiya, Billy, did you have fun in the arcade?" Anby greeted the two. She tilted her eyes, noticing the haunted look on Nekomiya's face and Billy's sorta sad demeanor. "Mm, better luck next time, or blame it on Ashe rigging the game again,"

Nekomiya took Anby's hand and wordlessly dragged her into the parking lot. The soldier simply let her, watching as the cat closed the door behind her, embraced her into a hug, and sobbed.

"I don't wanna keep doing this..."

"You did nothing, Belle did," Anby replied calmly, realizing what's going on.

"I know... It's just..." she gripped Anby's clothes. "She's not even human anymore Anby..."

"She's Belle,"

"Well not MY Belle..." Nekomiya sniffed and wiped some tears off her face. "Just so cruel... Even Silver was never this cruel..." she sighed a little, finally calming for a bit. "So much for preventing deaths..." she kicked a pebble away. "We're just too weak to do anything about her,"

Anby put a hand on Nekomiya's head, gently stroking it. "There, there..."

"Don't treat me like a baby, this is serious!"

"It's not," Anby said. "It's not serious,"

"What do you mean, Belle just killed Grace!!!"

Anby nodded. "Yes, I know, Belle already toyed with the idea, so I was prepared,"

"And you'll just let her!?"

"Yes," Anby replied.

Nekomiya pressed her head against her chest. "I know you're acting... You don't like this..."

"Well, I don't like this, but I would let her..." Anby pushed Nekomiya gently and gazed at her. "Let's not think about Belle, or Billy, or me... Think about yourself first... What can you do about this?" she looked at the Video Store. "I am in no position to tell you what to do, just like you're in no position to tell me what to do,"

Nekomiya looked down. "I can't do anything... I just..." she looked away. "I want to run..."

"I'm not going to chase you,"

"But I can't just leave Belle..." the cat girl closed her eyes. "Damn it! Why do I care so much about Belle!?" fresh tears trickled down her face. "Just because she looks like someone I know... just because..." she sniffed and wiped her tears. "Just because she acts like someone I know..."

Anby nodded gently. "Just because, aside from her action, it's still Belle..."

"If only she'd delete her Inter-Knot account, stop taking commission, and make a living out of the Video Store..." she sniffed. "She'll be the best Video Store manager in New Eridu... We could be actors making silly movies... We could spend every night watching movies... We can argue about what to eat for dinner instead who to kill..." she sobbed. "We have everything we need... No need for this... Bullshit commission and bullshit hollow and bullshit conspiracy..."

Anby stroked Nekomiya head, the cat thiren didn't resist.

"There, there,"

"Stop it... nya..." Nekomiya muttered half-heartedly. "You're just as bad as her for letting it happen..."

Anby paused and tilted her head. "Should I tell you why we're letting it happen?"

"Because you care about Belle?"

Anby nodded. "Yes, but there's also another thing..." she looked around. "This is the one thing Belle doesn't know about us... If she knows, well, she'll either laugh about it or kill us on the spot," she took Nekomiya's hand and led her around the parking lot and to the street. "Let's talk somewhere else..."

Nekomiya followed Anby, part curious and part horrified at what other fucked mess she's gonna discover. Of course, due to her nature as a cat, curiosity prevail once more. So there she is standing atop of a the roof of a remodeling shop with Anby, leaning on the railing.

"So... what is it nya?" Nekomiya asked.

Anby took out her phone. "Don't tell Nicole about this, she doesn't know I have this..." she showed Nekomiya what seems to be a chat history. Between Wise and the Cunning Hares in a group chat.

```

[Saturday, 10:57 PM]

Wise: Nicole, I'm at the location

Wise: Where are you guys?

[Saturday, 01:23 AM]

Wise: Job Done, You'll Hear From Us Soon

```

Nekomiya's eyes widen as she read it. She knows nothing of what's at stake, but what is clear was what Nicole did. "She sold him off..." the cat thiren muttered. "Why?"

Anby shook her head. "I don't know," she replied. "She deleted everything and tried to hide everything from us, my phone is an older model, that's why it didn't get deleted..." she closed her eyes. "Nicole created the monster Belle has become... perhaps it's our guilty conscience that made us stick around."

Nekomiya returned the phone to Anby. "Who else knows?"

"Me, Nicole, and you," Anby replied. "Nicole doesn't know I know about this, she thought she's the only one who knows," she tapped her foot. "I don't know if Belle knows about this... It's impossible to say."

Nekomiya sighed softly. "This world is so messed up nyaa... Nicole selling Wise off to... whatever that is... Belle is literally a psychopathic monster..." she shook her head. "Am I really the only sane one here?"

Anby stepped forward and pat Nekomiya on the head again. "I'm glad you're here, thank you for being sane for us."

"That's not comforting nyaaa!!!"