Chapitre 25: THE COMPLICATIONS OF ADRIAN AND THE MOTHER MOON
Emilie awoke, her disheveled hair framing her face and a small trail of drool glistening at the corner of her mouth. After a satisfying stretch and a wide yawn, she gradually came to the realization that she wasn't in her own familiar room.
The circumstances and location suddenly dawned on her. With a burst of urgency, she leaped out of bed and hurriedly fled from the unfamiliar room.
Just as she was about to call Adrian, her gaze fell upon him, comfortably settled in his favorite armchair. He sipped his tea with an air of sophistication, donned in a smart suit that hinted at his imminent departure.
As Emilie beheld this unexpected sight, uncertainty gripped her, unsure if this was the same Adrian she knew, her mind still haunted by the memories of the previous night.
Adrian had, quite conspicuously, been aware of her presence all along. "No need to fret, my dear. I had to switch into this suit because, as I recall, you were quietly drooling on my clothes," he quipped, glancing over his shoulder at Emilie. His warm, charismatic smile finally put her at ease.
Emilie couldn't resist a touch of sarcasm. "You know, the Adrian from last night was rather more taciturn. He didn't have so much to say," she remarked dryly as she sauntered over to the second-hand couch and took a seat.
Curiosity piqued, Emilie leaned forward and inquired, "Could you shed some light on what transpired last night? Is this a frequent occurrence, or was it an anomaly?" She was determined to unravel the mystery of the previous evening.
Adrian paused for a moment, placing his cup gently on the table. "Yesterday was quite eventful, to say the least. There were moments that left me rather uneasy, and there are others that you should be aware of," he responded, alluding to a story he was about to share.
"Let's begin with what occurred yesterday," Adrian began, recounting his visit to Chris and introducing him as somewhat of a troublemaker, a characterization that Chris didn't quite deserve. Nevertheless, he felt compelled to convey this information to Emilie, just in case unforeseen circumstances were to arise.
Continuing his narrative, Adrian explained how he found himself wandering the labyrinthine food street for an entire day, the memories of his journey lost to him. He shared, "That's when Selena stumbled upon me, lost in the act of gazing at the moon. What am I, some sort of werewolf?" he quipped with ironic self-reflection.
Emilie raised an eyebrow, her tone teasing. "Are you suggesting you went there to fetch us food? I find that hard to believe, considering you hardly ever think about me. It's rather uncanny." She meant it playfully, but Adrian's reaction was unexpected; his eyes betrayed a hurt she had never seen in him before.
Adrian cleared his throat, admitting, "Well, yes, and the frailty you witnessed last night—that's a part of the curse. As the full moon approaches, you might witness more of such instances. I sprawl around aimlessly. But please, don't be alarmed. I'll be back on my feet come morning." He finally started to share some of his hidden secrets with Emilie, not wanting to forget the traces of tears that had stained her cheeks the previous night.
Adrian, while sipping his coffee, silently reflected, 'It appears she's someone I can trust.'
Emilie's concern deepened as she inquired, "How extreme does it get? Should I have genuine concerns or worry about any unforeseen consequences? The last thing I want is the authorities discovering a lifeless body in my home."
Adrian couldn't contain a chuckle at her comment. "Well, you're not entirely off the mark," he replied wryly. "To put it bluntly, it's pretty much like I'm, well, dying."
"..What?" Emilie blinked in surprise, taking a few moments to process the gravity of Adrian's statement.
"Yes, in the most literal sense," Adrian admitted, the gravity of his words sinking in. "My breathing stops, and my heart ceases to beat. But there's no need for concern because, even though the mother moon may seek to take my life, there's another force keeping me alive. And, would you like to know who that might be?" His question hung in the air, shrouded in suspense.
Observing Emilie's enthusiastic nod, her curiosity palpable, Adrian decided to make her wait a little longer. He took a deliberate pause, savored another sip of his coffee, and then finally began to reveal the secret.
Adrian grinned mischievously before playfully revealing, "My charm, of course."
"..."
Adrian burst into laughter, but the expression on Emilie's face was far from the cute response he'd anticipated. "It was just a light-hearted joke," he quickly defended himself, realizing he shouldn't have made light of the situation.
Emilie's piercing gaze and icy demeanor left Adrian unnerved as she pressed, "Tell me the unvarnished truth now."
Adrian, his voice tinged with uncertainty, confessed, "I'm not entirely certain, but that's the way it is."
Emilie, her skepticism evident, probed, "Are you suggesting you're immortal?" She remained unconvinced by Adrian's story.
"No, Emilie, I'm far from being immortal," Adrian clarified earnestly. "From what I've learned and the records I've come across, it's next to impossible for any of our kind to achieve true immortality," he explained, only to find his cup empty. He set it down and turned his gaze towards Emilie, awaiting her response.
"Very well, that's a relief," Emilie acknowledged. "There is no need to worry about the future. Let's shift our focus to these peculiar coincidences you've been encountering and, more importantly, why they seemed to multiply yesterday," she proposed.
"That's precisely the line of thought I've been following," Adrian agreed, trying to rationalize the bizarre circumstances. "I came to the conclusion that these occurrences escalated as soon as I began recounting the events that transpired since that fateful day. It's as if someone or something realized I was onto the truth and intensified their actions in response," he suggested, still grappling with the surreal nature of it all.
Emilie found Adrian's explanation to be rather plausible, the first piece of the puzzle that seemed to make sense in the midst of their enigmatic situation.
.
"The pressing question now is, what should we do next?" Emilie voiced her frustration. "We're at a complete loss, with no leads to guide us on how to proceed," she lamented, her mind feeling increasingly overwhelmed by the perplexing situation.
.
"Waiting seems like our best course of action," Adrian proposed, leaning back with a sense of resignation. "The individual orchestrating these events through Katharine likely has a purpose in mind. They won't sit idle for long, and we should let their plan unfold," he suggested, turning his attention to the news channel on television, a choice that soon proved unwise.
L’AVIS DES CRÉATEURS 
samandridaku
samandridaku In the enigmatic dance of night and day,
Adrian, under the Mother Moon's sway,
A tale unfolds in a celestial tune,
A story bound to the gentle lunar boon.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone