MUJUN!
Instantly, her blood seemed to stop flowing. All her knowledge of the Four Seasons—every report, every piece of information—came from Mujun. Was it… possible that Mujun had also betrayed her? If true, then all this time Shiki had been deceived not in a dark place, but in the brightest light!
But as soon as she remembered the man's lazy face, Shiki shook her head violently. No. Impossible. Mujun was too lazy to even plan a rebellion. He barely wanted to move unless forced. Shiki knew him well—too well—to believe that Mujun was capable of exerting that much effort. If it turned out Mujun had truly betrayed her… then perhaps Shiki truly deserved to give up.
"So… Mujun shouldn't have known anything about this rebellion either. But if that's the case, how could they have hidden it from me? Who else is involved? And… why did all of this happen!?"
Various possibilities surfaced in her head, only to be rejected one by one—either because they were too nonsensical or because her heart refused to believe them. Whatever the reason, her thoughts were now spinning so fast that it drained her strength. Her vision began to blur, her eyes felt heavy, while the headache in her head grew worse.
If it continued like this, Shiki knew she would faint again. She tried to calm herself, but it was difficult. When a sentient being is faced with something that cannot be explained by logic, most choose to reject it—calling it an illusion, a dream, or a mere trick of the mind.
But before Shiki truly lost consciousness, a soft sound was heard behind the door that was slowly opening.
A warm glow crept in, and from it—emerged a beautiful woman with a graceful stride.
"ROSE!!!"
Rose's auburn-red hair still looked damp, having just been dried. Her green eyes gazed at Shiki calmly, reflecting a serenity that made Shiki's heart race uncontrollably. She stepped slowly toward the wooden chair beside Shiki's bed, her pajama gown swaying gently with every movement. Without a word, Rose sat by Shiki's side. A thin smile graced her face—calm, soft, yet behind it lurked a flicker of satisfaction that was difficult to hide.
Shiki was still trapped in the phase of denial, but she was no fool. She knew that the first person to appear after she woke up was the mastermind behind the betrayal of the Four Seasons. What she never expected—was that the mastermind was Rose. Of the four division leaders of the Four Seasons, besides Mujun, Rose was the only one she had never suspected.
Even so, Shiki realized the immense potential the woman possessed. In her previous life, Rose had been the ruler of the most powerful underground organization in the City of Beginnings—someone who had both the ability and the ambition to rule.
Yet in Ignisira, Rose had been a mere commoner with a life that could be described as miserable. Her father had vanished to who-knows-where, abandoning the family. Her mother worked odd jobs to support her three children, while Rose, as the eldest, was forced to earn a living from a young age. She grew up without the opportunity to study, knowing only the harshness of life. If not for Shiki's knowledge of the future and Rose's eventual achievements in the City of Beginnings, it would have been impossible for a girl like her to set foot in a prestigious school like Vespera.
When Shiki first met her, she found a Rose far different from her imagination. The Queen of the Black Market she knew should have been cunning, vigilant, and arrogant. Instead, the girl she met was hardworking, innocent, and far too kind-hearted. She saw the world in only two colors: black and white. No gray areas, no compromises. Because of this, Shiki believed that the change within Rose occurred after she entered the Procession Tower—just like herself. In that place, morality crumbled, and those who survived were only those capable of staring into the world's rot without looking away.
This was why Shiki had tried so hard to prevent Rose from growing into a figure like her future self. She utilized Rose's extraordinary information-gathering skills but always ensured the girl was never directly involved in the execution of any dirty plans. Shiki offloaded the entire dark side of the Four Seasons onto Johan—a man who, despite his authority and appearance as a true leader, possessed a mind too naive and easily swayed with a few sweet words. To Shiki, Johan was no different from an obedient dog that only needed to be given a bone and occasionally struck to remain tame.
As a result, Rose grew up as a hardworking, innocent, and kind-hearted girl—exactly as Shiki had hoped. She had watched the girl for months until she finally felt confident enough to let down her guard. But now, reality hit her with a crushing blow. The mastermind behind the betrayal of the Four Seasons… was Rose. That innocent girl.
How was it possible?
"...Why…" a raspy voice escaped Shiki's throat, barely more than a whisper that had lost its strength.
Rose only smiled softly, looking at Shiki with a face that still suggested innocence—a mask that almost made Shiki fall for it again. But her next words made her blood run cold.
"Hmm… It was actually quite difficult to deceive you. But that's only natural, isn't it? No one chosen by the Ring of Fate can be easily underestimated."
"The Ring of... Fate?" Shiki repeated slowly, in near disbelief.
"Yup," Rose replied lightly, "The Ring of Fate. Just like the one circling your finger right now. I have one too."
Rose raised her left hand, displaying her fingers. With a gentle motion, she touched the skin on her ring finger, then pulled slowly—as if peeling away a transparent layer covering something. And there, revealed, was a ring identical to Shiki's.
Shiki's eyes widened, her body tensing. She wanted to believe this was all a dream—a hallucination brought on by exhaustion and stress. But Rose's next words shattered her hope.
"Well... did you think you were the only one chosen?"
A loud laugh erupted from Rose's lips, echoing through the room. She laughed so hard she doubled over, clutching her stomach, tears pricking the corners of her eyes. Meanwhile, Shiki could only freeze—her face pale, her eyes trembling as she stared at the reality before her.
"...I-it's impossible…" she whispered, before finally screaming in a mix of fury and terror, "IT'S IMPOSSIBLE!!!"