Tick.

Tock.

Tick.

Tock.

The mahogany clock continued its rhythm without pause, becoming the only noise in the parlor. A young woman sat on the sofa, fiddling with her fingers. Nervous. Every now and then, she would glance at the clock, as if waiting for something, or someone.

Then, the door opened, revealing a girl no older than fourteen. Her periwinkle-colored hair was up in a high ponytail, and she was wearing a black dress that came to her knees. In the girl's hand was a metal tray.

"Ah!" The woman made a noise of relief, happy that someone finally came in.

"Here are some refreshments." The young girl explained in broken Dutch. She placed the tray on the coffee table in front of the woman.

"Thank you." The woman replied.

After setting the tray down, the young girl walked towards the window to the left of the sofa. With her rose-colored eyes, she stared into the distance, reminiscing the days gone by.

Almost two years had gone by since Mary had left St. Lucia and gone with Maria. Not only had she learned a lot since then, but she also had seen more than she thought she would ever in her lifetime. So many beautiful places (including the city she was in: Brussels), beautiful things...

And most important of all, delicious food.
After she started activating her innocence regularly, the young girl's appetite became practically insatiable! Never had she eaten so much food before, and barely gain any weight from it!

Maria had told her it was simply a consequence of having a parasitic innocence (and using too much energy), and that she dealt with it, too.

Speaking of food, though, Mary was getting peckish.
She glanced at the cookies on the metal tray. She knew it would be rude to take food from the guest, but the scent of baked goods enticed her. Mary gulped.
Noticing the girl's hungry stare, the woman chuckled and gestured to the cookies.

"You can have them if you would like. I'm not hungry." She said, smiling.

Mary looked at her, stunned and embarrassed. Quickly, she composed herself and shook her head.

"Oh no, I mustn't! Those are for you." Mary replied.

"And I said you could have them." The woman insisted. In the end, Mary (losing all resolve in exchange to satiate her hunger) sat down on the sofa parallel to the one the woman was sitting on and munched on the cookies. The woman smiled warmly, her nervousness gone.

"What's your name?" The woman asked.

"Mary." The young girl answered.

"Mary... that's a pretty name." The woman sipped on her tea and then continued. "My name is Julia. Julia Heide"

Mary nodded in acknowledgment.

"So... are you one of Dr. Krestchmann's assistants?" Julia asked.

"You could say that."

One thing Mary learned while traveling with Maria was that she was apparently a doctor. One that dealt with things most doctors didn't. Demon (or in this case, Akuma) possession. The older exorcist seemed to even have a reputation in Brussels.

The door opened again, this time by the woman in question.

"Dr. Krestchmann! You're finally here." Julia stood up and faced Maria. The latter smiled apologetically.

"My apologies for being late. Shall we begin?" She asked.

"Yes! Of course." The young woman replied.

Swiftly, Mary left the room. She wasn't allowed to be inside (for confidentiality reasons) during sessions, but that never stopped her from listening in. As she closed the door leading to the parlor, she spotted Georges in the hallway. The Finder had several bags in his hand, including Maria's suitcase.

"We're leaving?" Mary asked, surprised. She hadn't even seen all of Brussels yet.

"Not yet, but soon." He replied. "After Lady Maria is done."

The young girl frowned. She didn't want to leave yet, but she knew Belgium was simply a pit stop. It was merely a coincidence that Julia requested Maria's services.

She leaned on the wall next to the door, listening to the two women's conversation.