Tina just nodded. She walked out the door, pretending not to care, as if completely ignoring Sathya.
She tried asking the System what was happening, but the latter stated it didn't know either.
【Host, I do have a few guesses~】
【First, her magic core has gone without nourishment for so long that it's on the verge of dissipating~】
【Second, she has hidden her magic core, intentionally preventing me from analyzing it~】
【Third, the magic core changes form during the degradation process, which is why I failed to detect it~】
No matter which possibility it was, Tina found it hard to accept.
But a solution had already formed in her mind.
Blood.
Her blood was the solution to everything.
The "nourishment" provided by ordinary humans was far from enough to restore her magic core, but she, who possessed the so-called "Immortality," could achieve this.
Sathya followed behind her. The two walked slowly like this, neither of them speaking.
She didn't seem as obsessed anymore...
Tina was in a panic because Sathya was a patient.
Her obsession didn't show. Perhaps... she already knew the truth?
Although her rational mind kept denying this notion, Tina couldn't help but think about it.
For some reason, she always recalled their childhood days in the convent.
On their way home after catching bugs on the mountain, their shadows would turn into strange shapes under the setting sun—sometimes stretching very long, sometimes vanishing entirely.
Although they stood under the same setting sun, they had changed far too much.
Along the way, many people came up to greet Sathya, but she selectively ignored them all.
The party was held on the fifth floor of the first cafeteria, where there were many private rooms reserved for celebrations.
Taking the elevator up to the fifth floor, the dim lighting and the elegant sound of a violin drifted to her ears. Matching the room number, she pushed open the door. A refreshing fragrance wafted over. On the sofas of the roughly one-hundred-square-meter private room sat a scattered few people.
Veronica, Lavertis, Velrose...
There were fewer than ten people in the room. It wasn't a large crowd, but they were all relatively familiar faces to Tina.
Simply put, they were classmates who frequently appeared in her social circle.
Tina understood these little considerations.
Sathya had only invited a few acquaintances just to put her at ease.
They were all simple, sweet girls who came from small convents all over the world. Aside from studying and going on outings every day, they only occasionally participated in church activities. They were honest and easy to get along with.
Free from the constraints of formal toasts or etiquette rules, they simply sat down to eat and chat. The President, Lavertis, raised her glass, and everyone congratulated Tina together.
“Happy birthday~”
“Happy birthday, Tina.”
“I wonder if we'll ever be able to meet again in the future, boohoo...”
Tina didn't respond to each one individually, only nodding with a polite smile.
Sathya was the same. She watched her from a distance, making no move to come over and chat, nor was there any awkward confession.
It seemed everyone really had just gathered for a meal to spend some pleasant time together.
The party lasted from seven o'clock until eleven at night.
At first, they only drank some juice, but then someone slapped their thigh and ordered a case of red wine.
Thus, for the next few hours, everyone drank themselves into a stupor.
Lavertis was no exception.
Her face was as flushed as a ripe peach. She slung her arm over Velrose's shoulder, muttering something under her breath.
“You can really hold your liquor. I didn't expect that at all. Ehehe, I was just like you when I was young~”
“Senior, you're only a year older than me, right?”
“No way! I'm mature on the inside. I'm already~ at the age where I could raise a daughter~”
At this point, Velrose stood up and smiled. “Yes, Senior. Let me take you back to sleep. You look like you can barely walk.”
At the same time, she exchanged a glance with Sathya, who nodded back.
Once everyone else had left, only Sathya and Tina remained in the entire private room.
Tina hadn't planned on leaving anyway, but she never expected that Velrose would actually lock the door from the outside when she left!
Wait, was a restaurant door even allowed to be locked like that?
Was this the "help" she had talked about?
To be honest, Tina's mood had been quite poor the entire time. Her words during the toasts earlier had also been somewhat lacking in tact, making it look like she was just going through the motions. However, since today was her birthday, everyone was very forgiving.
It was hard for Tina to find any sense of belonging among these people. This was because she didn't originally belong to this world. She had originally been trying to return to her own world under the System's guidance, but an accident happened later, and she couldn't go back.
She asked the System again, and in the end, received the exact same answer.
【Magic Core Integrity: Analysis Failed】
It was time.
Tina looked into Sathya's eyes, and the latter instantly grew tense. She sat on the sofa, fidgeting with the hem of her skirt like a shy, hesitant young girl. From the surface, she seemed to have completely lost her previous morbid possessiveness.
Her next objective might be to confess to me, or perhaps some other gentle gesture.
This wouldn't do at all.
She needed Sathya's possessiveness; she needed a reason to give her her blood.
Just like a few days ago, when she killed the bishop and pinned her down to drink her blood.
That kind of possessiveness was how Sathya was supposed to be.
“I hate you, Sathya.”
Tina felt cold all over.
“Eh?” Sathya was somewhat surprised, not knowing why Tina would say such a thing. In those eyes, the innocent anticipation belonging to a young girl had vanished.
【Sathya's Obsession: 350】
It hadn't changed? Why?
“I know, Sister Tina.” Sathya tilted her head and smiled, as if she had long anticipated this answer.
“Did you ever notice that I took great care of you when we were kids?”
“Of course, I remember everything. When you met me, you even brought me candy. Later, Sister Tina earned a lot of money behind the orphanage's back and stuffed it all into my hands, and...”
“Perhaps I had some good feelings toward you at the very beginning, but later on, I grew indifferent,” Tina interrupted her. “Every time you made a mistake, I forgave you. Smiling while comforting you when you were sad—I was suffering inside as well.”
“Mhm...” Sathya nodded.
“Only later did I realize that wasn't affection. It was 'pleasing' you, a weak form of self-deception.”
“...”
“You've always hated me and said a lot of bad things about me behind my back. In truth, I knew all of this, but I never brought it up with you because I was afraid our relationship would sour.”
Seeing that Sathya continued to remain silent, Tina dropped her final bombshell, which was also a warning to her.
“What I said to you that day was wrong. I regret it now.”
“We can't go on being friends at all, nor can we even greet each other.”
“Ever since you betrayed me, I've detested this face of yours from the bottom of my heart. Every time I think of your face, I feel sick to my stomach. So, I can't do it.”
“Because I have long hated you to the very bone.”
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