Return to the present.
The white-haired man stopped speaking, his thoughts returning to the conversation.
The dark-haired man asked him,
"Wait… why?"
The room was small, filled with silence.
The white-haired man rose and headed toward the door.
The dark-haired man called out from behind him,
"Hey, Eugene, wait. We're not finished yet."
Eugene turned around, his eyes meeting the other man's.
The dark-haired man stared into Eugene's eyes—
they were like an abyss: dark, complete.
Although dawn had not yet begun to form, the clear sun that had yet to rise seemed as though it might emerge from that pitch-black darkness.
Eugene spoke in a calm, weary voice,
"We'll stop here for today."
The white-haired man sat down again and sighed.
"Alright… whenever you decide to continue, just call me."
Eugene left the room and walked down the hallway—
a long corridor with wooden floors, sun-lit walls, and a row of windows overlooking the quiet shore beneath the deep darkness of night.
He continued walking until he reached the middle of the corridor, then lowered his gaze and whispered,
"Was… was everything he did really worth all this trouble?"
He stopped for a moment, then clenched his fist and continued walking.
"No… it wasn't worth it."
Narrator:
Hmm… why did he stop talking? I know what happened to Rin.
I'll take a look into Rim's memory to see what happened next.
From Rim's point of view:
That day was a nightmare for her.
She lost her cat, and one of her friends nearly did as well.
She watched Rin through the infirmary window, her eyes filled with sorrow and pain.
Rim then looked at Eugene—he was already sitting with his head lowered, his hands clasped together, 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 behind,
"Hey… is Rin okay?"
Eugene flinched, grabbed Fred by the collar, his face red and his veins clearly visible.
"Okay?! He's lying on a bed and you call that okay?!"
"Hey, calm down. I was just asking."
Eugene let go of him and sat back down, overwhelmed by guilt and regret.
"Sorry… I didn't mean that. I just feel… responsible."
Rim reassured him,
"It wasn't your fault… he chose to drink the vial himself."
Eugene lowered his head slightly.
"If I had measured the dose better… or if the reward hadn't been worth that necklace… none of this would have happened."
He began rummaging through his pocket and leaned against the wall.
Melissa approached us and said,
"Hello, Eugene."
He glanced at her briefly, then returned his gaze to the floor.
"What do you want? Whatever it is, I'm not in the mood for anything."
Melissa crouched beside his chair.
"I want to talk to you about something."
He frowned.
"Ask Fred or Rim for help."
She raised an eyebrow and stood up calmly.
"If I wanted to do that, I would have. Now stop complaining—Rin is fine."
Eugene stood up with an irritated sigh.
"You know that doesn't really make me feel better."
"I know," she said as she turned away. "Come on."
Eugene followed Melissa to the lower floor, leaving Itai and Fred behind.
Fred watched the two of them walk away and whispered,
"They're really alike… Allison too…"
Rim stood by the glass, staring at Rin.
"Yeah… that version too."
Fred scratched his head and nodded toward the stairs.
"…I'm heading out. Are 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 on my own."
Fred went downstairs, leaving Rim alone.
Cough… cough.
She quickly turned toward her student, Peter Trent, as he began to regain consciousness.
She rushed inside—the glass ward, medical equipment to the left, monitors everywhere.
Rin was sitting up, rubbing his chest, looking at her.
"Where… am I?"
Rim supported him, joy filling her eyes.
"Are you okay? Do you feel any pain? A headache?"
"Yeah… I think so."
He looked at his hands and neck.
"I feel itchy… and a strange feeling."
"That's normal. Probably because of the vial."
Then Rin remembered everything—the monster's attack, drinking the vial—and his eyes widened, panic appearing on his face.
"Rim… is Eugene okay? Oh no… I drank the vial without thinking—wait, will I be punished for using a vial inside the academy?!"
Questions flooded his mind.
She smiled softly.
"Even when you're exhausted, you still overthink."
Then she leaned back.
"Relax. Everything's fine. No one will punish you."
Rin let out a breath of relief, then asked,
"What happened after I lost consciousness?"
Rim recalled the events.
"Well… after you collapsed, everyone rushed over. Once they confirmed you were alive, the alarm was canceled."
"The area was evacuated, people were crying, and the last students fled the battlefield."
"And… did anyone die?"
"Other than the guards?" She shook her head. "No. Just injuries."
Rin relaxed, lying back against the white sheets.
"How did the monster even get into the academy…?"
A nurse with black hair and green eyes entered the room.
"Are you okay?"
Rin blushed and began sweating nervously.
"I… uh… y-yes, yes…"
Rim smiled at him, making him even more embarrassed.
"Alright, I'll call the attending doctor."
She then turned to Rim. "Visiting hours are over."
Rim paused.
"Okay. I'll see you later."
She left the room.
Rin raised his hand, about to call her back, but Rim peeked in again,
"Don't worry… and rest."
Narrator:
So, Rin didn't die.
Now I know what happened from Alex's point of view.
From Alex's point of view:
Alex was standing at the academy's entrance, staring into the distance.
"What a week… four murders in the Adele district… and now a monster inside the academy."
He sat down against the wall.
"Hey, old man!"
Alex sighed.
"I told you, I'm thirty-five years old—not fifty."
A man was sitting beside him on the ground—his features hidden, but his voice sounded young.
He tossed a small stone in his hand.
"It's strange how a lunatic just breaks in like that… I think someone—or something—was behind it."
Alex replied,
"Maybe… anything's possible."
The man leaned against a tree.
"Haha, look—this bird looks just like you."
Alex looked up and saw a yellow bird with tired eyes, sitting alone on a branch.
The man lowered his head, examining Alex more closely.
"So why do you look so exhausted?"
"Because I am, idiot."
"Haha, yeah, yeah. Exhausted and grumpy. So, gonna take a break?"
Alex stood up and grabbed his jacket.
"Looks like the perimeter needs repairs."
The man raised his hands in mock surrender, laughing nervously.
"Alright, alright, I'm joking. But seriously—do you think the independents are involved in all this?"
Alex pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and took a deep drag, staring at the sky while rubbing his neck.
"I don't know… I just hope it was a monster and not a planned attack."
A cold wind blew, clouds spreading across the sky that had once been filled with stars.
Behind them stood a man wearing a suit and coat, his oversized clothes hanging loosely from his frame.
He had just lit his cigarette.
He watched Alex and the young man quietly, having listened to their conversation from the very beginning.
His eyes reflected like crimson stars on the surface of a pond—
eyes red as blood.
End of the chapter.