Airi and Kaito walked side by side through the twisting marble halls of the palace, their footsteps echoing in the silence. The further they got from the alcove where they left Haruka's body, the heavier the air felt. Neither of them had said much since. Grief sat like a weight on their shoulders, thick and invisible, and every time one of them opened their mouth to speak, nothing came out.
Airi slowed first. Kaito turned to her, confused, but froze when he saw her face twist, eyes glossy and fists clenched at her sides. Her knees buckled as she dropped into a crouch, hugging herself tightly.
"I still can't forget what she looked like..her neck..I can't get it out of my head." She squeezed her eyes shut, pulling her knees closer. Her voice cracked as her words tumbled out
"She was always kind to me..even though my first impression wasn't the greatest..and now, she's..she's.." she broke off in a choking sob.
Kaito knelt beside her awkwardly. He didn't know what to do. He wasn't good at this—he was the nerdy one, the one everyone ignored at school. But right now, none of that mattered.
He reached out gently and placed a hand on her back. His voice was small, scared, like he was holding himself together with thread."I really wish… we had more time," Kaito said quietly. "I wish we could've all been friends longer."
He bit his lip and looked away, blinking rapidly. He wasn't going to cry. He couldn't cry. Not right now. But his voice cracked anyway
"We keep saying we'll all be okay, but..we don't even know if we'll make it out of here…back to our families.."
Airi sniffled, wiping her eyes, but didn't look up. Her voice was barely above a whisper.
"I don't want to die here."
Silence followed. The hallway stretched ahead of them like a never-ending tunnel — beautiful, cold, and wrong. Everything in the palace felt too pristine, like it was trying to make them forget the horror hiding inside.
Kaito stayed crouched beside her, letting her cry. Neither of them moved.
Then—something shifted. A breeze. A sound. The palace wasn't done with them yet. Airi sniffled, trying to calm her breathing. Kaito sat beside her in silence, watching the hall stretch endlessly forward.
Soft, uneven ones. Echoing faintly down the corridor from around the bend.
Airi froze, lifting her head. Kaito stood quickly, positioning himself in front of her on instinct, eyes narrowing toward the sound. It was impossible to tell who — or what — it was.
"Do you hear that?" He whispered.
Airi nodded slowly. Her face was pale.
The footsteps got closer.
Kaito took a hesitant step forward, summoning a flicker of magic in his hand. Just enough to defend them if it was a spirit.Then the figure appeared at the end of the corridor, stepping into view, and it was Haru.
He was soaked in blood, His knuckles were scraped. His face was hollow, dazed, like he hadn't slept in years
"…You're alive."
Haru looked up at them, like he was just now realizing someone was there. His voice was quiet, hoarse.
Kaito ran to him first, but slowed just before reaching. "Where have you been? What happened—"
"Haruka's dead" Haru said flatly.
Airi's breath hitched. She had already known. But hearing it in his voice — the way he said it without emotion, like the grief had hollowed him out — that made it real.
"We found her," Airi whispered. "She was already gone."
Haru's eyes flicked to her, then to Kaito, but they didn't stay focused long. He was barely holding it together.
"I'm so..angry…I..can't..I..I.."
Airi stepped forward, placing a hand on Haru's arm. "We put her somewhere safe. A small room we found. We… gave her a resting place."
Haru's eyes flicked up sharply when Airi mentioned the resting place. His face twisted with raw pain and anger.
"You gave her a funeral… without me?" His voice was low, strained, but every word cut like a knife. "You left me out of it. You left me out."
Airi took a cautious step back, heart pounding. "Haru, wait——"
"No," Haru snapped, cutting her off. "You don't get to do that. Not without me. I should've been there. I should've been the one holding her. Not some forgotten corner of this palace."
His fists clenched so tight his knuckles went white.
Kaito's eyes darted between them, unsure how to calm Haru. "We just wanted to protect her, Haru. We thought it was the right thing to do."
Haru shook his head, voice cracking now.
"You don't get it. You can't protect her from this. From what's here. She's already dead. We failed her. I failed her."
For a moment, Haru's anger broke like a dam, and his shoulders shook as he fought back tears.
"I just…" he whispered, voice raw and broken. "I don't want to lose anyone else."
The corridor was silent except for his ragged breathing, the weight of grief pressing down on all of them.
Airi took a hesitant step closer, her voice soft but steady. "We're here for you. You're not alone."
Daichi and Kaito exchanged worried glances. Daichi moved forward, placing a gentle hand on Haru's shoulder.
"We all feel it," Daichi said quietly. "The pain, the loss. But fighting it alone won't make it better."
Haru's eyes snapped open, full of hurt and fire. "Don't," he said sharply, pulling away from Daichi's touch. "Just… don't. I don't want pity or empty words."
Ayumi, standing slightly behind, spoke up, voice trembling, "We're your friends, Haru. We want to help."
He shook his head, backing away, voice breaking. "I wish this wasn't real…"
His hands balled into fists at his sides as tears finally spilled down his cheeks. But instead of reaching out, he turned away, pressing his back to the cold palace wall.
"Just leave me alone," he whispered.