Current situation—
A few days had passed since the attack—but time had not healed anything. It had only allowed fear to spread deeper.
The roads leading to Rigour Town were emptier than ever. Merchants who once filled the streets with noise and bargaining had vanished. Entire caravans turned back midway, unwilling to even see the place whispered about in dread. The names of the fallen places—Village of Lapa… the outskirts swallowed whole—were now spoken like curses.
Rumors had grown teeth.
People said the enemy hadn't left.
They said they were already here—living among them, wearing familiar faces, eating at the same tables, smiling like nothing had happened.
————————————
At the University of Torminas, the damage was quieter… but just as deep.
Some students had already left—packing in silence, avoiding eye contact, choosing fear over uncertainty. But those who lived in the dorms stayed. Not out of courage, but stubborn disbelief.
"Rumors," they called it.
"Fear makes fools of people."
Still… even they locked their doors a little tighter at night.
——————————
Kira walked along a stone path just outside the university walls, a small bag of apples hanging loosely from his hand. His scarf moved slightly with the wind—but he didn't.
His steps were slow, almost mechanical.
The depressed expression has appeared again on his face again. The reason behind it was different from before... It was the guilt.
The guilt of being weak.
The guilt of not saving those children's who were just two to three years old from him.
Besides him walked someone—a man whose presence carried weight without effort. His gaze was sharp, composed… the kind that saw more than it spoke. He was—
The student council president of the University of Torminas.
He was one of the top students in the whole university and aside from that he was popular. So, Kira knows about him very well.
Kira didn't look at him.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
Then, suddenly—
"...Do you not hate me?", Kira's voice was quiet. Too quiet. Like it didn't expect an answer.
Kira's voice was quiet. Too quiet. Like it didn't expect an answer.
The President glanced at him briefly, then forward again.
"Hate?" he repeated calmly. "For what reason?"
Kira's fingers tightened slightly around the apples.
"I mean... there are many rumours about me and...", Kiira hesitate but spoke again "People call me curse one..."
The words came out flat—but heavy.
A pause.
Then the President spoke, his tone steady, almost indifferent:
"You assume those foolish talks holds enough value for me to hate you."
Kira's eyes flickered.
The President continued:
"I believe in observing things by myself rather than listening to some mediocre"
The president walks forward and spoke closing one eye—
"You did nothing worthy of hatred. Nor anything worthy of praise."
A slight pause.
"You are simply… insufficient."
Silence falls again but strangely... it wasn't crushing.
Kira nodded faintly.
"…I see."
In that moment there was something inside him that emerged towards the president, like it can't be define into words. It was...
Respect.
Kira felt happy as aside from his only friends like Elvin or Ri..., there was someone who doesn't hate him.
After a moment, he added quietly,
"My name is Kira."
That made the President stop walking.
For just a second.
"Isn't it late for an introduction", He spoke looking into the eyes of Kira.
Then he resumed walking.
"I am Cassian Rovell or in short just call me Cas"
He didn't elaborate. He didn't need to.
After a few steps, Cas spoke again;
"Sir Draves ordered me to accompany you whenever you leave the university."
Kira didn't react much.
"…Okay."
Like it was normal.
Like everything was normal.
As they continued walking, Kira thoughts drifted.
Elvin...
Something had changed in him since that day.
He has different aura. Something deeper… colder.
The way he spoke. The way he looked at people.
It wasn't the same.
Kira noticed it but didn't said anything.
Because he doesn't know how to console people from their heart.
————————
At the place far from university.
Somewhere in deep jungle.
A dimly lit corridor. Stone walls damp with silence.
The naked body was leaned towards the wall.
A thin line of blood ran down its chest. The lower body, downside from torso was missing.
The blood covered the cold floor and the guts; Liver was coming out of the half-naked body.
It's one eye was missing and other had popped out and a thin dark crystal was pierced through its stomach.
Behind him stood a woman.
Calm.
Unbothered.
Her expression didn't change as the body hit the ground.
From the shadows, a girl with feather-like adornments stepped forward, her tone light—almost playful.
"Everything is going according to plan?"
The woman didn't turn.
"…Yes."
The girl smiled.
"Yay."
Her voice carried a strange excitement—as if this was all a game.
Blood slowly spread across the floor, creeping between the cracks of stone.
The woman finally spoke again:
"Move to the next phase."
The feathered girl tilted her head.
"And what are you going to do now?"
A pause.
"We will do what was done to us."
Silence spread~
Her eyes darkened slightly.
"Six years ago."
"…RNC."
The air itself felt heavier.
"All of this should be done to obtain that future."
"A future where I became a new true witch... the lady in despair.