Return to the Present
The white-haired man stopped speaking, his mind drifting back to the present.
The brown-haired man asked,
"Wait… why did you stop?"
Silence filled the room.
The white-haired man stood and headed toward the door.
"Hey, Eugene—hold on, we're not done yet," the brown-haired man called after him.
Eugene turned his head, his eyes meeting the brown-haired man's.
The brown-haired man froze, staring into Eugene's eyes—
They were like an abyss: dark, empty.
Despite his iris being shaped like a sun, the once yellow sun had turned pitch black.
Eugene spoke in a quiet, exhausted voice,
"We'll stop here for today."
The brown-haired man sat back down and sighed.
"Alright… whenever you want to continue, just call me."
Eugene left the dark room and walked into the hallway—
A long corridor with wooden floors, gray-brick walls, and a row of windows overlooking the calm blue shore under the pitch-black night.
He kept walking until he reached the middle of the hallway, closed his eyes, and whispered:
"Was… was everything I did worth it?"
He stopped for a moment, then opened his eyes and continued walking.
"No… it was never worth it."
---
Narrator
Hmm… why did he stop talking? I want to know what happened to Rin.
Guess I'll take a look through Reem's memory and see what happened next.
---
From Reem's Perspective
That day felt like a nightmare to her.
Her cat was killed, and one of her closest friends was injured.
She watched Rin through the infirmary window, her eyes filled with sadness and pain.
Reem looked at Eugene—he was sitting on a chair with his hands clasped, staring at the floor in complete silence.
She approached him and sat beside him, not knowing what to say.
Then Fred's voice came from the side,
"Hey… is Rin okay?"
Eugene shot up, grabbing Fred by the collar, his face red and the veins in his hand bulging.
"Okay?! He's lying in a bed and you call that okay?!"
"Woah—calm down, I was just asking about his condition."
Eugene released him and sat back down, speaking with guilt and regret.
"Sorry… I didn't mean to. I just… feel responsible."
Reem tried to reassure him,
"You had nothing to do with it… Rin chose to drink the vial himself."
Eugene lifted his head slightly.
"If I had just taken my own dose… or if I hadn't gone after that necklace… none of this would've happened."
He pulled the necklace from his pocket and threw it against the wall.
Melissa approached us and said,
"Hey, Eugene."
He glanced at her, then looked back at the ground.
"What do you want? Whatever it is, I'm not in the right state for anything."
Melissa crouched beside his chair.
"I need to talk to you about something."
He frowned.
"Ask Fred or Reem to help you."
She raised an eyebrow and stood up normally.
"If I wanted either of them, I would've asked. Now stop sulking—Rin is fine."
Eugene stood with an annoyed sigh.
"You know you're really annoying."
"I know," she said as she walked off. "Now come on."
Eugene followed Melissa downstairs, leaving me and Fred alone.
Fred watched them walk away and muttered,
"They're really close, huh…"
Reem stood by the glass, staring at Rin.
"Yeah… they are."
Fred scratched his head and moved toward the staircase,
"...I'm heading out. You staying?"
"Yes, I'll stay."
"Alright. Don't stay too long—who knows, maybe another monster will show up."
"Don't worry, I'll leave soon."
Fred went downstairs, leaving Reem alone.
Cough… cough.
Reem quickly turned toward the bed and found Rin lifting his head, coughing as he regained consciousness.
She rushed inside—the large white room with a glass wall on the left, a window on the right, and medical equipment everywhere.
Rin sat up, rubbing his head, looking at her.
"Where… am I?"
Reem sat beside him, joy filling her eyes.
"Are you okay? Any pain? Headache?"
"Yeah… I think so."
He looked at his hands and scratched his neck.
"I feel itchy… and weird."
"That's normal. Probably because of the vial."
Then Rin remembered everything—the monster attack, drinking the vial—and his eyes widened, fear on his face.
"Reem… is Eugene okay? Oh no… I drank the vial without thinking… wait, will I get punished for using a vial inside the academy?!"
His mind was running with hundreds of questions.
Reem smiled softly.
"Even exhausted, you still overthink everything."
She leaned back.
"Relax. Everything's fine. No one's punishing you."
Rin exhaled in relief, then asked,
"What happened after I passed out?"
Reem recalled,
"Well… after you collapsed, Alex sprinted toward you to check your pulse. Once he confirmed you were alive, he canceled his ability."
Students started leaving—some crying, others completely shocked, and some running away from the battlefield.
Medics arrived, took you and the other injured, and investigators questioned guards, teachers, and reviewed the protection systems."
Rin asked,
"How many days have passed since the incident?"
Reem counted on her fingers.
"About… five days."
"And… did anyone die? Besides the guards?"
She shook her head.
"No. Only injuries."
Rin relaxed, lying back on the bed.
"How did the monster even get inside the academy…?"
A nurse with black hair and green eyes entered the room.
"He's awake!"
She checked the heart monitor.
"How do you feel? Are you alright?"
Rin blushed, sweating nervously.
"I—uh—yes, yes—"
Reem smirked at him, making him even more embarrassed.
The nurse said,
"Alright, I'll call the doctor in charge."
She glanced at Reem.
"Sorry, visiting hours are over."
Reem stood.
"Okay, see you later."
She left the room. Rin raised his hand, about to call her back, but Reem peeked in again,
"Don't worry—I'll tell Eugene and Fred you woke up."
---
Narrator
Okay, so Rin didn't die. Good.
Now I want to know what happened from Alex's perspective.
---
From Alex's Perspective
Alex was standing at the academy entrance, scanning the surroundings.
"What a week… four killings in Adel District… and now a monster attack on the academy."
He sat on a chair beside the wall.
"Hey, old man!"
Alex sighed,
"I told you, I'm thirty-five, not fifty."
A man sat beside him on the ground—the darkness hid his features, but his voice sounded young.
He tossed a small stone in his hand.
"It's weird for a monster to break into an academy… I'm guessing someone—or something—was behind the attack."
Alex replied,
"Maybe… anything's possible."
The man pointed at a tree.
"Haha, look—That bird looks exactly like you."
Alex glanced and saw a pale yellow bird with tired eyes sitting alone on a branch.
Alex smacked him lightly on the head.
"I told you, you brat—I'm not old."
The man stretched his face downward, imitating an old man.
"Then why do you look so tired and pale?"
"From exhaustion, you idiot."
"Haha, yeah, exhaustion alright. Should I find you a wife then?"
Alex stood up and grabbed his chair.
"Seems like your brain needs fixing."
The man raised his hands in mock surrender, laughing nervously.
"Okay, okay, I'm joking… but seriously, who do you think caused all this?"
Alex took out a cigarette, lit it, and took a slow drag, staring at the sky as he rubbed his neck.
"I don't know… I just hope it was a random monster and not a planned attack."
The cold wind grew stronger, clouds spreading across the once starry sky.
Behind them, a man in a formal suit and gray coat sat on a large rock near a pool of water, smoking.
He had just lit his cigarette.
He watched Alex and the young man quietly—listening to their conversation from the very beginning.
The pool reflected his star-like crimson eyes—eyes as red as blood.
End of Chapter