Chapter 58 - The Girl Wants to Be M*rdered

**Chapter 58: Twilight** * * * Dusk had begun. The sun had already hidden its face, leaving the sky drenched in shades of blue. Even though there was nothing emanating light, a mysterious and pale luminance still lingered in the sky, gently illuminating the world. The name given to this time of uncertainty—when it's difficult to discern whether the silhouette rushing towards me is a loyal dog or a lurking wolf—is 'L'heure entre chien et loup', the hour between dog and wolf. Beneath the deepening twilight, I ran through the streets, my breath ragged and heavy. The sound of my panting, mingled with the whispering wind in my ears. My lungs felt as if they might burst, and the pain shooting through my legs made me wonder if this wasn't the very moment where the term 'full speed' should be applied. —Whoosh! "Whoa! What's happening!?" "I'm so sorryyyy—!! I'll apologize next time—!!!" Slicing through the wind as I sped forward, startled cries erupted around me. Perhaps something was knocked over by the sudden gust, as the fading voices behind me tinged with palpable bewilderment. On any other day, I'd have stopped immediately upon hearing such noises, bouncing on the balls of my feet while fervently hoping for my apology to be accepted. But today, I left those pitiful cries in my wake with nothing but a feeble excuse. I'll make it up to you next time! Or maybe... triple it? This was someone I had never met, and the chances of me actually seeking her out to compensate her seemed slim at best. But what's done is done. Spilled water can't be unspilled, so I decided to leave it as merely a momentary inconvenience. "I didn't expect the class to end late....!" Who would've known that today of all days, the one teacher who had never once been late to her classes would find herself delayed on such a hectic day. She carried on teaching till the very end, but all it did was stoke my anxiousness as I sat there. Tap, tap. As I ran, the academy's stunning nightscape began to reveal itself beneath the streetlamps flickering to life. That foreign and unique atmosphere was captivating enough to catch my eye, but unfortunately, I barely had the luxury to appreciate the view. The only thing on my mind was the image of Alice eagerly waiting for my arrival in the glass greenhouse. What if she's worried because I'm not there? Could it be she headed out to look for me if I didn't show up for too long? Or worse, what if she's weeping openly in the street!? As these thoughts deepened, my face began to pale. Of course, behind her pure and gentle exterior, Alice, by the standards here, was at an age where she could take care of herself. Sometimes, her remarkable wisdom and innate talents made me feel like I was the one needing guidance on life's path rather than her. But the heart doesn't listen to reason. It's endless, the worry you feel for a child left by the water's edge. "I'll come for you, Alice!!" My fears swelled like candyfloss, and in my mind, Alice was already in the clutches of a dark-haired, red-eyed demon king. "Now, will you say 'ah'?" "Aaah—" "Yes, very good. How about we leave that parasite behind and go somewhere fun with me?" "Sure, Ellie! That sounds great—!" The scene of Alice reaching out to the demon king while looking down at me, who lay sprawled on the floor, with disdainful eyes as if I were a mere worm. It was just a fantasy, I knew, yet the utterly realistic depiction of this delusion tore at my heart. ... "Ahhh!!! Don't take that hand, Alice!!" "What on earth!? My, my master's thesis!!!" Wait for me, Alice, I'm coming! With a flurry of torn and sullied paper, the fruit of someone's dreams, passion, and dedication was reduced to a heap. The pitiful sight of a student frantically gathering the scraps in his hands could very well be considered a masterpiece of art—though, lamentably, the soaked papers seemed beyond salvation. Lacking even the time to help, I mentally offered five rounds of the Action Beam with a slight tear of condolence for his loss. Hoping it brought some solace to the poor student, I surged forward on his noble sacrifice, pressing on unhalted. Reaching the top of a small hill, I passed the familiar path I traveled every morning and arrived behind the dormitory—my destination. "...Huff, huff... I made it..." There, standing as if welcoming me, was the greenhouse door made of glass, wide open. Seeing the lights on inside, confirming someone's presence, I felt a small sense of relief. Catching my breath slowly, I moved forward to greet Alice, who awaited me within. Alice. I'm back. Sorry for making you wait. With my heart pounding, breath uneven, I found myself at a loss for words. So I vowed to just embrace Alice firmly when I reached her, and I stepped into the greenhouse— And I saw them. "Alice!! You've been waiting... right...?" Beneath the sun-bright illumination, facing each other, were two people. Two who should never meet. Two who should never encounter one another. Remi Akaia and Alice. They were there. The thought that something was terribly wrong stewed in my mind. But only momentarily, because something caught my attention. Drop, drop. Alice's arm, blood trickling down her clothes, was tightly gripped by Remi Akaia, whose face was twisted into an unnatural grimace— "Let go of those filthy hands." I felt a cold voice, like one I had never heard before, escape my lips. I drew my sword. ** I hoped Alice wouldn't have to endure any more sorrow. That was everything to me. Alice, who always put others' feelings before her own wishes. If I had earnestly asked her, even if she found it stifling, Alice would have waited patiently inside, without venturing out, until I returned home. Of course, she might puff her cheeks slightly and protest with those adorable eyes, but that's as far as it would go. In a lonely, empty room, with no friends to converse with, she would gaze at the ticking clock, enduring the tedious wait for her sister to return from her classes. We're the ones who caused this situation. Why does this innocent child have to endure the life of a prisoner on behalf of adults? I couldn't impose such a confining life on Alice, not when it was an unbearable contradiction for me. No matter how much it was done with the justification of protecting the child. That, I could never allow. Indeed. Because if I did, Alice would be saddened. Luckily, there was one place in the academy that met all the conditions. A place visible from the dormitory window, patrolled frequently by the security team, and illuminated until late at night, making it a spot where crime was scarce. Above all else, a place perfectly suited to Alice's tastes. The greenhouse. Often the venue for noble tea parties, it was always included in the security patrol routes, and perhaps due to this, I had never heard of any incidents occurring nearby. It was also a greenhouse filled with a variety of flowers from the Empire, which was sure to captivate Alice's interest. Yet, the greatest asset of the greenhouse was that it was a place starkly avoided by Remi Akaia. For reasons unknown, Remi Akaia was famous for not only avoiding events held in the greenhouse but also for not even passing by. Some speculated she must have allergies to pollen; it was even rumored, though who cares? The best method to keep that major hindrance away from Alice was right there. Upon learning of this not-so-secret secret, I had led Alice to the greenhouse with a bright smile. I told her she could be free there until I came to pick her up. What should have been days of happiness—waking up a dozing child who had played to her heart's content on the way home from school and leading her back to the dormitory—those simple joys. Yes. That's what they should have been. So why is it like this? "I said, let go." "Sia, sister!" "Sister... who?" Remi Akaia turned her head towards me awkwardly, like a malfunctioning doll. What had she done to Alice's arm? The skin had been torn, revealing freshly bled wounds, and the flesh was swollen. From her throat, a growling sound like a beast emanated, and her bloodshot eyes told me that she wasn't in a normal state. It was a sight that could evoke fear. Yet even so, I took steps toward her, slowly but steadily. Because. The one who was angry was not just her. Because Alice's clear tears were trailing down her cheeks. "Hey. Let go of my sister." "...What?" I knew something was wrong when she didn't show up this morning, and now I find her here of all places. So her claim that she would rest in the dorm due to feeling unwell was a lie. When would this cursed, persistent connection that tied her to Alice finally set her free? Seething with anger, I grasped Remi Akaia's hand firmly. —Thud. "Come here, Alice." "Sia... sister..." "It's okay. Come." I released Remi Akaia's grasp on Alice's arm, gently wiping the tears from Alice's pain-streaked face, and hid her securely behind me. Remi Akaia shot me a glare as if she would devour a person, furious that Alice had been taken from her. Undeterred, I met her gaze, steeling my grip on my sword. A bomb destined to explode someday. The fuse had been lit. She and I had become adversaries. ** * * *