Raiden Mei carefully recounted her story—the encounter with 'Kiana' in the bathroom, how she ended up so badly injured, and the dream where she met 'Raiden Mei' herself, who put her through that brutal training.
"So… that's really what happened?"
Theresa looked utterly stunned.
Nearby, Kiana sat on the edge of another hospital bed. As she listened to Mei describe the strange rule—that one person appears only as another vanishes—her face lost more color by the second. Her lips pressed into a thin, tight line.
"Kiana?"
Raiden Mei turned toward her, trying to push herself up to go to her side. The pain in her back was sharp and her whole body felt weak, but it was nothing compared to the endless waves of Honkai beasts in the dream, the fight that had offered no rest at all.
"Don't move, Mei. You're still too weak right now. This isn't a dream, so please, just stay put," Theresa said, gently holding her down.
But Kiana was already struggling to get up too, wanting to go to Mei. Himeko stopped her with a firm hand.
"Kiana, you shouldn't be moving around either. Your body is only just starting to recover."
"…"
Bronya watched it all from the side, her face as blank as a screen.
Knock, knock, knock—
A soft tap came at the door, followed by Fu Hua's voice. "Principal, may I come in?"
"Ah, Fu Hua? Back already?" Theresa hurried over to open the door, a puzzled look on her face. "That was fast."
"The mission was canceled," Fu Hua said, taking off her glasses. Her eyes settled on Raiden Mei lying in the hospital bed, and a flicker of confusion passed through them. "Mei… what happened?"
"…"
"Well… it's a bit of a long story," Theresa said, rubbing her forehead. She had a serious headache coming on. It felt like more had happened today than in the entire past year. Still, she took the time to explain everything carefully to Fu Hua. After all, they all trusted her completely.
Fu Hua, in turn, relayed every word to Otto in real time. Even though she wasn't really under his thumb anymore, she figured she'd play along with this 'future' a little longer.
"To think… something like this could happen." Fu Hua held her glasses, her brow deeply furrowed, as if she was still trying to make herself believe it.
"I know it sounds unbelievable… but it's the truth," Theresa said with a nod.
"One disappears, another appears… The future…" Fu Hua fell quiet for a moment, her eyes scanning everyone in the room. Then, hesitantly, she asked, "If that's the case… then, Teacher Himeko, does that mean… the future versions of us… might come here too?"
"Huh?"
Theresa and Himeko both blinked, their expressions freezing in place.
"Bronya believes… it is highly possible."
Bronya's voice was calm, matter-of-fact.
"Since the future Kiana and the future Mei have already returned to the present, it is logically probable that the future Principal Theresa, Teacher Himeko, Fu Hua, and Bronya herself could also arrive. However, Bronya does not understand if this phenomenon is confined to St. Freya Academy."
"Huh?!"
Theresa's eyes went wide.
"That… actually makes sense. Why didn't we think of that sooner?" Himeko patted her own forehead, looking exasperated.
"We don't know if this 'one in, one out' rule applies to everyone," she continued, "but to be safe, we should keep an eye on the other branches. Maybe even headquarters and Anti-Entropy."
"And we don't talk about this with anyone else," Theresa added, her tone turning serious. "It's for Mei and Kiana's safety."
"Bronya understands."
"I understand…" Fu Hua said while continuing to look at Mei and Kiana
"Hmm? Theresa, why are you looking at me like that? You know I can keep a secret," Himeko said, catching Theresa's intense stare. She sighed, but nodded. "I understand."
"Good!"
Finally satisfied, Theresa nodded back. Then she lifted her chin, put her hands on her hips, and broke into a proud, almost smug smile. "My St. Freya Academy, led by Theresa Apocalypse, is first-class! Absolutely top-tier! From now on, no one gets to raise their voice at me! Just look—Kiana and Mei, they're both products of my academy!"
"Yes, yes, you can brag about that later," Himeko said with a wry smile. Then her expression sobered again as she looked at Kiana and Mei.
"But listen, both of you. Kiana, Raiden Mei—if you ever run into trouble like this again, I don't care if it's your future selves or what—you come back to St. Freya, You come to me and Theresa. Got it? No more trying to handle everything alone. No 'stepping into darkness' or 'carrying the world's weight by yourself.' And you absolutely do not hurt your friends to make some noble point. Do I make myself clear?!"
"Yes… yes, ma'am!"
"I understand, Teacher Himeko!"
---
High above, perched on the academy sculpture, Xia Qi watched the scene unfold below. Her gaze was calm, but a faint warmth softened her eyes as she listened.
Then her thoughts drifted to Theresa, and from Theresa to Wendy, still stuck in the New Zealand branch.
She needs to be saved.
But more than that… Theresa needs to be the one to save her.
That's the only way Wendy's heart will start to mend.
Even if Wendy was where it all began, that was no reason to leave her in suffering.
After Mei… I'll go to Theresa, she thought, her eyes still fixed on the tiny figure in the hospital room.
---
"Achoo!"
Theresa suddenly sneezed, hard.
"Theresa, you should go get some rest. I'll stay with Mei and the others," Himeko said, giving her a slightly concerned look.
"No, it's fine—my nose just itched, that's all," Theresa said, vigorously wiping her nose with a tissue before tossing it away. She turned back to Mei, her expression turning earnest. "Mei."
"Yes?"
Raiden Mei met Theresa's intent gaze and felt a twinge of nervousness.
"Do you think… you could ask the other you to come out? To talk with us?"
Theresa asked it softly, but seriously.
"I can ask her tonight when I fall asleep… but whether she'll agree or not, I don't know," Raiden Mei said, shaking her head slightly. A trace of uncertainty lingered in her eyes.
---
I won't agree.
If I show myself, there will be questions. And right now, Otto is almost certainly waiting for me to appear, ready to capture me.
Xia Qi's thoughts were calm, measured.
Would he even want to see Kallen? No… knowing Otto, he'd only treat a 'Kallen' I became as a dear friend—something special, but at arm's length.
He doesn't live in illusions. He hunts for the truth. He's only looking for… his own Kallen.
-------
A/n: New content and stories posted on my patreon go check it out!
patreon.com/deadlygoober