"We need to go back!" I shouted, my voice breaking as I tried to make Arius listen.
But he only glanced at me for a brief moment before turning away and continuing to run. His expression remained unreadable, his footsteps never slowing down.
"Arius, wait!"
I pushed myself to run faster, ignoring the exhaustion building in my body. The air felt heavy, and every second we spent moving forward felt like another step toward something we couldn't undo.
When I finally caught up to him, I reached out and grabbed his arm.
He immediately stopped.
Slowly, he turned to look at me. His brows were drawn together, his eyes filled with frustration and something else I couldn't quite understand.
"Come on," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "We need to go back."
But he pulled away from my grip.
"No!" he yelled, his voice echoing through the silence. "I'm not leaving until I save her!"
I froze.
Those words...
They carried so much desperation.
And then I saw it.
The first tear slipped down Arius Mnemosyne's face.
My eyes widened.
Arius.
The Arius Mnemosyne.
The person everyone believed was fearless. The one who always carried himself with confidence, like nothing in this world could break him.
But now...
He was crying.
Was this really happening?
Was Arius actually crying?
"Arius, what are you doing?!" I shouted, my voice trembling. "No matter how hard you try... if she's going to die, then she's going to die!"
The moment those words left my mouth, his expression shattered.
His anger disappeared, replaced by pain that he could no longer hide.
Slowly, he fell to his knees.
And for the first time, I saw him break.
His shoulders trembled as he lowered his head, letting out a painful cry that I had never expected to hear from him.
"What the fuck are you talking about?!" he yelled suddenly, looking up at me. His eyes burned with anger, but beneath it was something deeper...fear, sadness, and confusion.
"Why are you here?!"
I stood there silently.
Because I didn't know.
I didn't know why I was there.
I didn't know how I ended up in that place, standing beside Arius in a moment that felt like it was never meant for me to witness.
I wanted to answer him.
I wanted to explain.
But I had nothing.
Before I could take another step toward him—
Something suddenly rushed at me.
My eyes widened.
Before I could even react, my entire body froze. I couldn't move. I couldn't scream. I couldn't do anything.
"Reiya!"
Arius's voice reached my ears, filled with panic and fear.
It was the last thing I heard.
And then...
Everything went dark.
Started: October 27, 2021
Finished: