September 26, 20XX.
The number of people afflicted with Apathy Syndrome continued to rise. Since the cause remained unknown, part of the public began to believe the illness was a curse.
As fear spread, opportunists emerged. Charms claiming to repel the syndrome flooded the streets, along with bizarre therapies that supposedly could "save" its victims. Among the most aggressive promoters of these so-called healing and prevention therapies was an organization known as Lumina.
Before the outbreak of Apathy Syndrome in Himinn Stigi, Lumina had been a religious organization. It possessed a large following and its own place of worship. Anyone wishing to join had to be personally acknowledged by Lumina's leader, known as Laterna. Even so, many citizens—and even some Lumina followers—considered the religion little more than a cultural tradition, as Lumina had existed since the founding of Himinn Stigi itself.
After the outbreak, paranoia gripped the city. A growing portion of the population began to embrace Lumina seriously. In response, Lumina produced and sold various charms said to calm the hearts of believers. Though expensive, people forced themselves to buy them. As a result, Lumina's influence and wealth grew rapidly.
Neopjevan School, one of the most prestigious schools in Himinn Stigi, became a prime target for Lumina's marketing. The reason was simple: many students there had already fallen victim to Apathy Syndrome. As a student of Neopjevan, Nielzalezny found Lumina's behavior deeply unsettling.
"Disaster has struck Himinn Stigi! No one can be sure who will be the next victim of Apathy Syndrome! But it is not too late to repent! Buy our charms! Our god, Svetloba, will save you all!"
The man shouting wore a long white robe marked with a red triangular symbol. He stood near the school gates as students arrived, selling charms to anyone who would listen. Each charm was a small leather pouch, about the size of a name card, stamped boldly with the word Svetloba. No one knew what was inside.
Some students bought them. Others examined them curiously, whispering questions about their supposed effects. Nielza watched with quiet disbelief.
When she reached Class 3-D, her classmates greeted her enthusiastically—especially the boys.
"Nielza! You were at the hospital yesterday, right? What happened?" one of them asked with concern.
"Yeah, Nielza. We were worried about you!"
"If you have any problems, you can talk to us," a girl added gently.
Nielza had heard words like these many times—especially whenever she went in for her routine medical checkups. Yet somehow, she couldn't feel any sincerity behind them.
"…Thank you, everyone. I just had a routine checkup, and the results were normal. It's nothing. Hehe." She forced a weak smile.
"Oh, that's a relief! Then, Nielza, take this charm!" said a messy-haired boy, eagerly holding out a necklace. "Apathy Syndrome has been spreading around the school lately."
"No, Nielza! Take mine instead!" another boy interrupted, pushing forward a far more ornate charm necklace studded with carefully carved stones. "Mine's a higher-grade charm than his cheap one!"
Nielza could only wonder how much money they had wasted on such ridiculous items.
"Um… everyone… thank you for your concern, but I already have my own charm," she said politely, smiling as she walked past them to her desk.
At the same time, a tall, thin man entered Class 3-D. He wore a white shirt beneath a dark blue sweater and carried a thick book titled Culture of Himinn Stigi. He was Forta, the chemistry teacher for Class 3-D.
"Class is starting, everyone. Take your seats."
The students quickly returned to their desks.
As Nielza sat down, her gaze drifted to the empty seat in front of her. Memories surfaced—of a cheerful, energetic friend who had always greeted her with warmth, who accepted Nielza simply as herself, not as someone fragile or in need of special care.
Reality followed close behind.
That friend was now hospitalized—another victim of Apathy Syndrome.
Vesely… forgive me, Nielza whispered silently.
The image of the young girl with shoulder-length hair lingered painfully in her thoughts.
The lunch break bell rang. Nielza stretched both arms, welcoming the arrival of her break time. She usually left the classroom quickly during lunch. It was her way of avoiding invitations from her classmates to eat together—especially from the boys.
Just as Nielza opened the classroom door to step out, she saw a man wearing a fur jacket. His black hair looked slightly messy, and his gaze was fixed on the small wooden board outside the room that read "3-D."
That man was Kira Rainhard.
"…You?!" Nielza blurted out.
"This is Class 3-D… oh, Nielza? The timing couldn't be better," Kira said with a smile.
"What are you doing here? At my school?"
"I came to see you. What else would it be?"
"Didn't I already tell you that our goals are different? What do you want now?" Nielza snapped irritably.
"No. Our goal is still the same. There's something I need to talk to you about—about Konets Sveta around the Neopjevan School area."
"But—"
"Hey! What's your business with Nielza?!" one of the boys from Class 3-D shouted.
Several male and female students from the class stepped closer to Kira and Nielza. Their stares were cold and hostile as they sized Kira up.
"Um, guys… this isn't what you think…" Nielza said quickly, trying to calm the sudden tension that filled the classroom during lunch break.
"Don't bother Nielza! She's our friend!"
"I'm not bothering her," Kira replied calmly. "I just want to invite Nielza to have lunch and talk together. Just the two of us, of course."
"You talk like you don't know Nielza's condition! She has an illness that makes her physically weak all the time! You should know better!" one of them snapped.
Nielza fell silent at those words. For some reason, she always felt uncomfortable whenever someone said that about her.
"Well… what can I do? I need Nielza by my side right now," Kira said innocently.
The entire Class 3-D froze in shock after hearing that.
Several of the girls squealed excitedly at Kira's last remark. Meanwhile, Nielza grew flustered, her face turning bright red.
Without hesitation, she grabbed Kira's hand and dragged him away—straight toward the rooftop of Neopjevan School.