She couldn't even remember where or how she had moved.

Without a second thought, she simply ran.

She was headed to the Academy dormitory.

Even as her breath grew ragged and her limbs trembled, she was consumed by the singular thought that she had to get there.

She needed to verify the truth.

A reality so unbelievable...

No, a reality that shouldn't be believed.

Even as she ran, she constantly denied what she knew.

The second floor of the dormitory.

In front of a door, she'd never seen before, but instantly recognized whose it was.

"Let me gooooo!!!" Screaming, she tore through the men blocking the door.

The blue-haired girl was proving that unbelievable story.

"Ken!!!

Sob, Keeeenn!

Let go!!

I said let go!" Men were blocking the entrance to the room.

The girl struggled desperately to reach someone precious beyond that barrier.

And behind her, staring blankly with lifeless eyes, was the red-haired girl.

Seeing that nightmarish scene caused Emily's legs to give out as she collapsed to the floor.

"Emily!" Even at her friend's worried call, she could only stare blankly at the reality before her.

No.

...No.

This is a dream.

I've had enough of these brutal nightmares.

This is just one of them.

Even as she whispered this to herself, the continuous screams of the girl made her realize it was reality.

“Ke, Keeen…” With tears welling up, Emily struggled to get up.

“Ken, ...Ken.” Calling desperately for the boy, hoping for a response.

With staggering steps, Emily approached the brutal reality.

“Get out of the wayyy!!!

Sob, let me through to Kennn!”

Shaaaarp!!

Unable to hold back any longer, sharp fangs of ice sprang up around Mary, threatening the men.

The intent behind those icy fangs was not just to intimidate but to truly kill those who obstructed her.

“...Keeen!”

Breaking through the obstacles, the blue-haired girl finally ran towards the boy she wanted to reach.

And watching this scene from behind, Emily too faced the harsh reality she had been denying.

“…K, …Ken.” Emily stood there blankly.

Her eyes seemed lifeless, and only lost tears flowed endlessly.

What was reflected in her eyes?

Mary clinging to the coldly dead boy, crying out in despair.

‘…No.’ Only one voice echoed constantly in her mind as she stared blankly at the scene.

No.

No.

…No.

She kept denying it in her heart.

But the unbelievable sight before her eyes pierced Emily's heart, affirming it wasn't a nightmare.

"No." Then, a girl’s voice came from behind Emily.

As she slowly turned her head, a red-haired girl was looking at her.

Eyes as lifeless as her own.

"Ken isn't dead, Emily." With dim eyes, she smiled as she said this.

“…Ra, Raphne.”

"So, there's no need to grieve.

…Ken isn't dead." The girl gently holding her hand.

But Emily looked at the smiling girl.

Just like herself, the girl who was denying this reality.

She had no choice but to confront the harsh reality.

"...Stop it, Raphne."

"Why?

It's true, Ken isn't dead.

He's not dead!"

"...Stop, *sob*, stop it." A girl, like herself, who had been saved by him, leaned on him, and loved him.

Knowing better than anyone how she couldn't accept this reality.

Emily, in tears, embraced her.

"Sob, ...Ugh, sobbing."

And the tears continued to flow.

Because if she ignored this reality while the girl before her was breaking down, she would dishonour the memory of their departed one.

So, she embraced the girl standing before her.

She shared in the sorrow that the girl was trying to deny.

"...What's wrong, why are you doing this?" Then, the girl, whose voice had been bright, also began to feel the gravity of the situation.

"...Sob, if you, ...if you keep doing this, ...it's like Ken really is dead...." In the end, she couldn't hold back her bottled-up emotions.

"Hwaaah!"

Emily gently stroked the head of the girl who was crying in her arms, in place of the boy who could no longer do so.

Several days had passed since Ken's death.

The funeral had not yet been held.

His body was kept in a temple within the Academy, and many had begun investigating the cause of his death.

Only those who were close to him in life visited his coffin to share in the grief.

And the man who had been his mentor stared despondently at his coffin.

"...I...

I couldn't keep my promise to you." In the past, when Ken had helped him achieve his goals.

Words promised in front of the sword Ken had made, vows made in return for the favour received from Ken's assistance.

Vows to always help him, to protect Ken and those dear to both of them with the sword Ken created.

"Why...

did you have to die so suddenly...

Ken."

"...Sieg." Holding Elise's hand, which had rested on his shoulder, Siegfried lowered his head and trembled.

Uncertain of how to comfort him, Elise stood quietly behind him, simply keeping him company.

Then suddenly, a girl came into view.

A girl was seen sitting next to the coffin, hugging her knees.

"...Mary."

"...Elise, ...senior." She weakly responded to the call, lifting her head.

Her eyes were clouded as if her soul had left her body.

It was difficult to even imagine how much Ken's death had shocked her.

"Are you okay?

Have you eaten anything?"

"..."

Elise wanted to offer words of comfort, but seeing Mary like this, she couldn't bring herself to speak.

She was worried that her health might deteriorate, so she asked anyway.

Mary lowered her head again and buried her face in her knees.

"...No."

A short reply.

She was in no condition to eat.

She still couldn't believe it.

The person she loved had died.

Suddenly, in the blink of an eye.

Without any warning.

The same person who had been smiling and talking with her the day before.

"...Why, ...why did it have to be you, Ken?"

"Ken..."

"...Mary."

"Why, ...sob, did they have to take Ken...of all people?" Her voice was filled with resentment, not knowing who to direct it towards.

She struggled to speak; her voice choked up.

Tears fell from her eyes, now void of light.

"...I still hadn't properly thanked Ken yet, sob..." She ended up burying her face in her knees, as if unable to face this cruel reality any longer.

Hoping to wake up from what felt like a nightmare.

"...Hey, Mary...you know," Seeing her like this, Elise carefully chose her words from the many thoughts swirling inside her.

"I have something I want to say..." She began to speak, hoping it might help Mary feel a little better.

Emily was inside her dormitory room.

She sat on the floor in a corner, hugging a pillow instead of lying on her bed.

For several days, she had neither eaten nor moved from her spot, staring blankly at the floor.

If she couldn't hold on, she would faint as if collapsing.

When she opened her eyes again, she sank into despair at the unchanged reality, hugging the pillow once more.

She couldn't accept it.

His death was too sudden.

"...Sob...

sob."

Even now, she missed him so much, and realizing she could never see him again, the tears started to fall once more.

She had cried so much she wondered if she had any tears left.

Yet, the tears still flowed.

"...I still haven't properly apologized." For the wrongs she had committed against him.

For those days she tormented him to hide her foolish and immature feelings.

The day he died was supposed to be the day she bought him a meal as an apology.

What kept resurfacing in her mind was their last conversation.

"Sob, if I had known...

sob, I wouldn't have said such things..." Out of shock and embarrassment from being rejected, she had said such harsh words.

She resented herself for not speaking to him for two days.

What good was that pride?

Why did she ignore someone so precious?

If she had known, he would leave like this...

At least, in their last moments...If I had smiled and said goodbye.

If I had done that, it wouldn't hurt this much.

"Ken...

sob, Kenn...

sob, Ken..." She called out his name endlessly, but he couldn't hear her.

All the things she wanted to say to him, the apologies, the confessions, the thank yous.

She could no longer reach him.

As Emily buried her face in the pillow and sobbed, blaming herself.

Knock, knock.

There was a gentle knock on the door.

"..."

Emily stared blankly at the door.

Even though she waited, there was no answer.

She got up as if in a trance and approached the door.

Her eyes fixed on the door handle.

Deep down, she knew it couldn't be, but the thought of ‘maybe’ spread in her mind.

Maybe when she opened this door, the person she longed for would be standing there.

With that hope, she slowly.

Turned the door handle and opened the door.

"...Emily."

"...Oh."

"...I'm sorry for coming so suddenly." Contrary to her expectations, it was Mary standing on the other side of the door.

"What...

brings you here at this hour?

Are you alright?"

"Are you alright...

It's funny to hear that from you.

More importantly, are you okay, Emily?"

"...Yeah." Neither of them was in a good condition.

They hadn’t slept or eaten properly for days.

So, seeing each other like this, they both felt equally sorry for each other.

"More importantly, Emily.

I came to ask you something."

"...What is it?" The last time they met, her eyes had lost their light, devoid of any liveliness.

But now, as Mary faced Emily, although her eyes were still without light, there was a certain determination in them.

As if she had resolved something, she spoke.

"...The Child of Prophecy.

Do you know about it?"

"...The Child...

of Prophecy?" Emily shuddered at those words.

It was a title that referred to her, but...

Recently, that name had brought her unbearable pain.

"The Child of Prophecy is-"

“Why?" Emily asked.

Mary remained silent for a moment, as if she was preparing to say something difficult.

When she finally spoke, there was a deadly gleam in her eyes.

"They say that the Child of Prophecy...

is the culprit who killed Ken."

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