On the night of the incident
Athena walked beside Gilbert with her head lowered.
Her steps were short, hesitant, and her silence grew heavier with every step they took forward.
Gilbert felt the pressure building in his chest.
He rubbed his forearm nervously before breaking the silence in a low, awkward voice, without looking at her.
"I'm sorry for worrying you again…"
She didn't reply.
Just a dense silence that made his chest tighten even more.
He let out a short breath and continued, as though the words were forcing themselves out.
"I'm fine now… there's no need to trouble yourself over me.
You know I recover quickly from injuries like that.
Instead of me… tell me about you.
How was the test?"
Athena stopped walking abruptly.
She lifted her head sharply, her eyes slightly widened with anger.
Her eyelids were faintly red, as though she had been holding back tears—then she burst out at him.
"What does a stupid game like that even matter?"
Her voice trembled as she continued,
"You're always drawn to trouble, always throwing yourself into danger, over and over again…"
Her hand clenched slightly before her voice broke.
"And when you need help the most… I'm never there beside you.
So what's the point of me being here at all?"
After those words, her shoulders slumped again, as if all her strength had suddenly drained away.
She looked down, trying to hide the trembling of her lips.
Gilbert felt his chest constrict.
He raised his hand slowly, then gently rested it on her hair.
His touch was light, as though he feared pressing too hard.
He closed his eyes before murmuring in a low voice,
"What should I do…
for you to forgive me and forget what happened?"
Athena lifted her head again—this time without anger.
Only worry.
Her eyes searched his face for any trace of sincerity.
After a short sigh, her voice emerged.
"I don't have the right to be angry at you… but I don't like this.
I'm not asking for much… just… please be more careful with yourself from now on."
A small, tired smile formed on his lips as he replied honestly,
"I promise… I have no intention of worrying you again."
Athena turned her face away, trying to steady herself.
Then she sighed and smiled lightly, as she always did, taking a few steps back.
"Since things are settled… I'll excuse myself.
Good night, brother."
Her final step left behind an unfamiliar weight as she waved at him before turning into a side path.
Gilbert watched her until she disappeared, then exhaled deeply.
That's not the route to the first-year girls' dormitory…
Is she going to meet Alice, like we agreed?
What am I supposed to do, then…?
His expression darkened when he imagined the two of them meeting alone.
He shook his head, pushing those thoughts aside.
I have to trust her choice.
Just as Athena disappeared from sight and Gilbert turned to continue on his way, a loud voice pierced through the quiet of the night.
A familiar sound… somehow.
He turned toward the noise and saw three students walking side by side along the stone corridor.
The voice belonged to a boy named Arthur—a lively young man overflowing with energy.
His bright smile and animated hands raced alongside his words as he spoke enthusiastically about random, disconnected topics, as if trying to breathe life into the cold surroundings.
On his left walked Raymond Baskerville, his steps calm and steady.
A faint smile curved his lips—barely visible, yet unmistakable.
Not dull. Not polite.
It was genuine.
Light, yet deep in its gaze.
The kind of smile that cannot be fabricated.
A look that carried quiet ease, as if the presence of someone so animated beside him offered a subtle sense of comfort.
The third boy, Leo, watched Arthur with clear confusion, visibly irritated by the noise despite the late hour and his repeated warnings along the way—warnings that proved utterly useless.
Gilbert stopped without realizing it, observing the scene for a few moments.
Arthur filling the space with his loud voice.
Leo futilely trying to rein him in.
And between them—Raymond.
With that calm, sincere smile.
Not the forced kind offered out of courtesy.
Nor one worn as a shield.
It was simple. Natural.
As if it had surfaced without thought.
Their previous encounter resurfaced in his mind.
Raymond's words—spoken without evasion.
That gaze that never tried to defend itself.
And then the expression he wore when that honesty was met with suspicion.
A slight ache settled in Gilbert's chest.
Not anger.
Pure regret.
That heavy feeling that creeps in when you realize you were harsh toward someone who didn't deserve it.
Someone who can't hide his emotions…
Who can't falsify them to deceive me, he thought.
He tightened his fist briefly, then slowly relaxed it.
If there's anything I might regret… it won't be believing him.
It will be ignoring the one who saved my life without giving him a chance.
He lifted his head with resolve.
The decision was clear.
"I need to fix my mistakes first."
Elsewhere on the academy grounds—specifically near the larger building for advanced female students, located opposite the dormitory for new students—
Athena stood silently, watching a window.
The room on the first floor… dark.
Uncomfortably still.
It wasn't late yet.
Alice doesn't sleep early.
She knew that well.
An hour passed.
Then another.
No movement.
No shadow.
A heavy sensation crept into her chest.
That cold feeling that comes just before admitting something you don't want to believe.
No… Alice can't have died this easily.
Her fingers tightened around the tree trunk.
Mother said the letter was real…
Which means it was sent from somewhere else.
She clung to the thought—not as logic, but as a final lifeline.
If I stay here any longer… I'll start believing the opposite.
She closed her eyes for a second, then quietly lowered her feet to the ground.
Tonight… she wouldn't uncover the truth.
Not yet.
The following morning:
In the quiet rear courtyard, Athena walked calmly, letting out a breath as she stepped outside to breathe in the cold morning air—hoping to refresh a mind that hadn't allowed her a single moment of sleep all night.
She stopped without meaning to when she spotted them.
Lucas… and Raymond.
They spoke briefly, then parted, each heading in a different direction.
Her gaze lingered on Raymond.
He seemed different.
Not in his features—but in their ease.
In that faint calm she hadn't noticed before.
So that's it…
She recalled her first impression of him.
A boy far too quiet, surrounded by an inexplicable sense of avoidance.
Someone who once seemed worthy of caution.
But now…
She breathed in slowly, feeling a light sense of relief slip into her chest without knowing why.
It was a good thing that he was okay.
She didn't dwell on the reason she cared.
She simply kept walking—
And an unconscious, gentle smile settled on her lips.