Eve Story | Judgment Fable | Ella and Yoru | Episode 14: Night Watch, Color Watch
“I’ll stay awake.”
With those words, the atmosphere in the mountain cabin shifted slightly.
A night trapped by a blizzard.
We ended up spending the night in a mountain cabin we happened to take shelter in.
Ella and Yoru Episode 14
【Night Watch, Color Watch】
Me and Ella.
Oto, who happened to be there.
And the pair of travelers, Dia and Seeds.
Outside, the wind rattled the windows.
The snow that stole our vision showed no signs of stopping, and the day was slowly fading.
It seemed we had no choice but to stay here for the night.
It must have been built for emergency shelter.
There was plenty of firewood stored inside the cabin.
However, even if we were staying, we couldn't let the fireplace go out.
Someone had to be awake and watching it.
If that were all, it would have been fine.
The problem was—
everyone in this cabin was practically a stranger to one another.
“The snow isn't stopping, is it?”
Ella muttered while looking at the situation outside.
“It looks like we have no choice but to stay the night.”
Oto replied quietly.
“There’s plenty of firewood, so as long as we don't let the fireplace die, we’ll be fine.”
I said so everyone could hear.
Dia nodded while adding wood to the fire.
Seeds stared silently at the crackling fireplace.
“We’ll be fine if we take turns staying awake!”
Oto said in a bright voice.
“It’s better if two people stay awake.”
I continued.
Alone, one might succumb to sleepiness.
But if you have someone next to you to talk to, it’s a little different.
“That’s true. Fortunately, there are five of us here, so if we take turns resting, the burden will be light.”
Oto agreed.
“...No, we will keep watch without sleeping.”
Dia said in a low voice.
“Are you sure?”
Ella raised her voice as if to say, 'Lucky us.'
“No.”
I interrupted.
It was a bit hard to say, but I felt this shouldn't be left ambiguous.
“We have only just met.”
The cabin went a little quiet.
“It’s dangerous to sleep with your back to someone you’ve just met.”
I said it to everyone, rather than to anyone in particular.
“That’s why we’ll split up the pairs.”
I continued.
“That way, we can’t let our guard down, and it reduces the chance of falling asleep.”
The air grew a little tense.
“So... we’re going to monitor each other?”
Dia turned her gaze toward me.
“I won’t deny it.”
I replied in a slightly stiff voice.
As if to cut through that tension, Ella laughed and said,
“Then, Oto and I will be a pair.”
Oto slowly shook her head.
“Ella. If you and I are a pair, it’s over.”
“What is?”
“If I start singing.”
“I’ll sing!”
“If I fall asleep.”
“I’ll sleep!”
Oto let out a deep sigh.
“No one will be able to sleep peacefully.”
—No doubt about that.
I nodded silently.
“Then what should we do?”
Ella shrugged and said.
I looked at each of them in turn and answered.
“First, me and Seeds.”
“Next, Ella and Dia.”
“Finally, me and Oto.”
With Oto and me, there’s no problem pairing with anyone other than Ella.
The problem was Dia.
If she used force, neither I nor Oto could stop her.
The only one who could hold her back was Ella.
“Wouldn’t that mean Yoru won’t get much rest?”
Oto said worriedly.
I shook my head.
“I’ve always been good with nights.”
As I said that, I stared at the black color floating softly in the room.
I could clearly see the black Minia.
“Could it be... you can see colors?”
Oto asked timidly.
“...”
I didn't answer.
But that seemed to be enough for everyone.
A small, understanding atmosphere flowed through the room.
“Yoru is a woman of the night!”
Ella said, for some reason, proudly.
“Black...”
Dia whispered softly.
“Amazing! You can see black?”
“Actually, I can see it too. White.”
Oto’s voice was lively.
“I can see the color of soil.”
Ella said, puffing out her chest.
—These two are really similar.
They couldn't possibly not know that black is a hated color.
Thinking that, I felt my heart lighten just a little.
“Blue...”
Suddenly, Seeds said.
For a moment, silence fell.
“Huh? Huh? Seeds, you can see it too?”
Oto’s eyes sparkled.
Seeds nodded.
Seeing that, Dia exhaled and said,
“I see red. And Seeds sees blue.”
I was surprised.
Not many people can see the colors of Minia.
And yet, all five people gathered in this small mountain cabin were seeing different colors.
“And...”
As she said that, Dia took off the hood she had been wearing low.
—Huh?
I was at a loss for words.
Seeing the face hidden by the low voice and the hood, my thoughts stopped.
—A woman?
Dia, whom I had thought was a man, was a woman.
Her gaze remained sharp, but her features, with her red hair tied back, were clearly those of a woman.
Seeds, who was next to her, also quietly took off his hood.
—Huh? Huh?
This time it was the opposite.
What appeared from under the hood was a man’s face.
Light blue hair and eyes of the same color.
At first glance, he had refined features that could look like a woman’s, but his throat and jawline denied that.
My perception from just a moment ago was completely flipped.
“Dia, you were a girl?”
Ella said, laughing.
“Then Seeds is a boy?”
Seeds nodded silently.
I still couldn't find my voice.
Watching that scene, Oto said quietly,
“Lovely♬ A good lyric just came to mind.”
~~♬
Oto began to write something in the notebook she had taken out while humming a melody.
Ella leaned forward, saying, “What’s that? I’m curious!” and Dia let out a sigh as if she were exasperated.
Seeds remained silent as always.
The air loosened just a little.
However—
I couldn't take my eyes off the blue color swaying beyond the fireplace flames.
Was it a sound, or a color?
I felt like something, just one thing, was still different.
Outside, the blizzard was still beating against the window.
This night was not over yet.
▶️ Click here for the story of the two who are out of sync
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