Tina couldn't quite remember what exactly was said at the banquet.
It seemed someone had later suggested going to a private theater, or perhaps riding a hot air balloon to admire the moon.
But tonight, there were no stars in the sky, only a vast expanse of black.
Though it should have been the cool end of autumn, the air felt colder than winter, as if a snowstorm were about to fall.
Without the guidance of lights, continuing to walk toward the mountain forest felt like stepping into a dark ocean.
The brightly lit Holy Academy became an isolated island in this pitch-black sea, gradually disappearing behind the screen of branches and tree trunks.
As the darkness completely enveloped her vision, the only thing left in Tina's eyes was Sathya, who was walking not far ahead of her.
After the banquet ended, Sathya had not lingered in the courtyard, nor had she spoken to any of the students. She simply walked toward the depths of the forest, walking on and on...
Without saying goodbye to anyone, she just walked alone. No one accompanied her, and no one questioned her.
Tina followed behind her, stepping in her footprints.
She wondered if she had been noticed.
It hadn't started raining yet.
Eventually, Sathya stopped at the edge of a cliff. She sat down, gazing blankly in the direction of the Holy Academy. Her golden eyes were the only source of light, silent in the darkness.
【Look, she's starting to hate you.】
【This is the consequence of your self-righteousness.】
【Did you really think she would like you? Now, you are going to lose everything.】
Tina clutched her head and crouched on the ground, leaning against the tree trunk behind her. The ringing in her ears was about to fill her entire head. In fact, she had already begun to suspect that her condition was extremely bad, and it had absolutely nothing to do with the curse.
But she didn't dare to imagine it.
She had no reason to be exposed; she had done her absolute best to hide everything.
But why would Sathya suspect her? It was impossible. How could there be no reason at all?
It shouldn't even be a possibility.
No, absolutely not...
Why did she react so strongly? She must have found out. Even if she hadn't, she must have started to suspect. Whether she had evidence or not—and perhaps she didn't even need evidence—the reality was that she seemed to have already begun to doubt.
Or perhaps she was starting to wonder what she would do if the so-called “Demon King” really was me?
In any case, Sathya's heart must be in complete turmoil right now.
【Don't lie to yourself about something so obvious.】
“Shut up.”
I don't want Sathya to hate me. I'm not someone who lies lightly.
But I can't tell her.
I don't dare to bet. I don't dare...
What if her magic core was too fragile? What if her obsession was about to fade away? Even if the probability of such events was extremely low, Tina didn't dare to take the gamble. She knew that if she lost Sathya because of this, the agony she would feel before cutting her own throat would be unbearable.
Why?
Right, I have a way.
Tina stopped hiding. She stepped out from the forest behind her and walked openly up behind Sathya.
It didn't matter if she just confessed everything, as long as she told her, “I hate you.”
Tina's hand was already resting on the ribbon covering the curse on her neck. Once she untied it and stopped suppressing her mana and aura, the truth would be laid bare.
And then, she would just have to say, “I hate you.”
When that time came, it wouldn't matter how much blood Sathya wanted to drink.
“Little Ya.”
“Sister Tina?”
Hearing the familiar voice, Sathya looked as if she had seen a ghost, seemingly utterly shocked that Tina was here.
Tina simply sat down right next to her.
The cliff was high, but Tina wasn't afraid of heights; she could jump from this height and remain completely unharmed.
She knew what she ought to say, but when she opened her mouth, nothing came out.
She just waited and waited, until a few leaves drifted down onto the back of her hand. Over time, everything seemed to lose its meaning.
They simply stared ahead together, looking at the moonless sky, at the Holy Academy as it gradually sank into the darkness, and at the bright moon that would never appear in the heavens.
When a gust of wind swept by, bringing with it the rustling of falling leaves, Tina finally broke the silence.
She didn't look at Sathya, but her voice was filled with anxiety. “Do you have anything you want to say to me?”
“Eh? What do you mean? I don't have anything to say, Sister Tina...”
“Little Ya, then why did you come to a place like this?”
“Haha,” Sathya's voice trembled slightly. She squinted her eyes and curled the corners of her lips, but her expression didn't look like a smile at all. “I just came here to clear my head. It's nothing. Isn't this normal? Sister Tina, is something the matter?”
“I...” Tina once again failed to say anything.
Sathya spoke as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world, seemingly completely untroubled.
Sathya rarely lied; she had absolutely no idea how to hide her emotions.
She was smiling, yet it looked like she was crying, sadness creeping into every single syllable.
Something shattered.
【Look, she's still helping you hide it. She's only doing it to spare your feelings.】
【You really are a piece of trash, Host.】
【Just die, Host.】
【You should die right in front of Sathya. You can't change anything anyway. Your efforts are only causing her trouble.】
【Sathya's Obsession: ∏ Σ Φ Ψ Ω】
【Magic Core Integrity: µ ∂ ∫ ∑ √ ∏ Γ Δ 】
Impossible, impossible! She couldn't have found out!
Her head ached terribly, as if a buzzing, talking insect had burrowed inside, gnawing at her brain while whispering mocking words. Tina clutched her head in agony, letting out a miserable groan. As she began to realize how terrible her condition was, she noticed her voice sounded like a sob.
“Ugh... uuugh...”
But she could barely control it. Just as it was hard to stop sobbing during a heavy cry, it was incredibly difficult for her to control the damn voices and pain in her head right now.
And tragically, her first instinct was how to explain her abnormality, how to find more excuses to deceive Sathya.
—She doesn't know anything.
—It's all because of that strange illness. Following her was only to continue that bizarre game of playing girlfriends.
I'm not wrong. It's not my fault...
The System answered.
So cold.
“It's okay, Sister Tina. Everything is fine.”
Sathya wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into her embrace. One of her hands gently patted Tina's back, letting Tina's head rest against her chest, while her other hand tightly clasped Tina's.
Then, Sathya placed her hand on Tina's head, gently stroking her hair as if she were a little kitten, causing Tina's tremors to gradually subside.
“I'm here with you. I will always be by your side, so don't be afraid~”
“I'll stay with you forever.”
“Once your body recovers, let's go on a date again. I'll take good care of you, Sister Tina.”
...
Tina was certain she hadn't been found out.
But from then on, the curse on her body never caused her the same agonizing, heart-wrenching pain as it did during those first few days.
Rate on N.U.
