[61.1] Reika POV: Awake and Already Prepared for Trouble

[Author's note: This part of the chapter is from Reika's perspective.]

I stared at the painting in front of me, blinking slowly.

A hand suddenly grabbed mine and forced me to turn to face them.

My eyebrows pinched together in confusion, "P-Priscilla? What are you doing here?"

Priscilla raised her eyes to meet mine and gave a weak smile, "I just wanted to say thank you."

"Huh? Thank me?"

"I never got to… And I always wished I could." She suddenly hugged me, catching me off-guard, "Thank you..."

I didn't know what to do with my hands as she held me, "Eh? For what? Saving your life in the tunnel?"

She giggled as she released me from her hug, "No. For being so mean to me."

"Wha-What?"

"Reika… I messed up big time." She smiled brightly as light shined around her just like a halo, "Luckily, I can help you like this… When you really need it, all you need to do is-"

I suddenly jerked awake, shouting out, "Priscilla!?"

Cyrus jumped from my sudden scream, quickly coming to my side after he recovered from the shock, "Reika! You're awake!"

A burning headache erupted across my forehead and I fell back down on my pillow, "Ow ow ow! Why is my head killing me?!"

Zephyr was laid at my feet in his fox form and jumped up while swishing his tail, "You got hit over the head and were in a coma for a few weeks."

"A few weeks?!"

Cyrus gave Zephyr a glare, "It was only 6 days."

Zephyr hmphed and crossed his arms, "Felt like several weeks to me."

I suddenly grabbed onto both of them, "What about Priscilla!?"

They both blinked in confusion at me, "Priscilla?"

"Yes! Just now she came to me in a dream! I-I think she's in trouble!!!"

Cyrus looked at me carefully, "Or it was just a dream."

Zephyr held out a hand, "Hold on. You can't just say it was JUST a dream. There's no such thing."

Cyrus raised an eyebrow at him, "Then what do you think it was?"

Zephyr scoffed, "Obviously it was JUST a dream. Duh."

"WHAT?! How is that any different-"

I ignored their squabble, "-Can you both check on her?!"

"Um…" Cyrus looked a bit uncomfortable, "About that…"

"What? What is it?" I stared at him anxiously, "Tell me!"

Zephyr blurted out, "The entire capital was blown up. There's nothing left now except the Academy and the Palace. Everything else is a crater."

My face paled, "What?!"

Cyrus added quickly, "But there is reason to believe a few houses in the Noble sector are still standing."

I sat back up, "Great! Then we can go see if she's okay-"

Cyrus pushed me back down into the bed, "No… Not quite."

"Haah?! What is it now?!"

I looked to Zephyr who explained, "Vira's army is waiting outside of the safe zone. They can't enter for some reason, but we can't leave unless we want to be squashed by them."

Cyrus interrupted, "The King is rallying the army! Soon he will regroup with outside help and attack Vira's army. We just need to wait for reinforcements."

"Then-" I suddenly realized something, "What about Felix?! He was with me at the parade. Is he okay?"

Zephyr and Cyrus exchanged a glance.

My mouth soured, "I don't like that look you just gave each other."

Zephyr blurted out, "People died."

"W-What?! Felix?!"

Zephyr shrugged, "Not sure."

"Then who!?"

"Captain Lou and Atta."

"WHAT?!" I couldn't believe it, "T-That nasty man?! But he… He can't be…"

Cyrus spoke, "I wouldn't worry too much! The Swordmaster is convinced they will reincarnate with their memories intact. It's just a temporary goodbye."

"T-Temporary?!" My head was swarming, "That's supposed to make me feel better!?!"

Zephyr looked down with his ears folded, "How do you think I feel? I lost another sister…"

"Urg… Sorry, Zephyr. I should have been more sensitive."

He shrugged in response.

I let out a sigh, "So we have no idea what happened to Felix?"

"I'm here." We all jumped and looked at the doorway. Felix was standing in the opening, his face unnervingly dark.

No one knew what to say when we saw that dark expression on his face.

He stepped over to me silently and pulled out his wand, "...Let me help you."

I let out a sigh of relief feeling the splitting headache lesson before leaving, "Thanks… But are you okay? You don't look good yourself."

"Just… Thinking… About everything lost…" He stared down at me with empty eyes, "Having everything ripped from you really makes you wonder if this world is even worth it."

We all averted our gaze from Felix, too uncomfortable to meet his eyes.

Zephyr leaned over and whispered to Cyrus, "I think I prefer him when he cries his eyes out."

Cyrus nodded silently in agreement.

Felix took a deep breath and forced a smile, "Sorry. I'm just worried about my family. Priscilla stayed home for the parade. I can't get in contact with her… Anymore."

I glanced over at Zephyr anxiously and spoke to him telepathically: <<Do you think you could sneak past Vira's army?>>

Zephyr smirked: <<Duh! Walk in the park for me.>>

<<Could you go check on her? I really think something is wrong.>>

He gave me a wink: <<I will do something better. I will bring her back just to prove you are overreacting.>>

I let out a sigh, "What a relief."

Cyrus and Felix: "What's a relief?"

I froze, realizing I accidentally spoke aloud, "Uhhhhh-"

Cyrus frowned in disapproval, "I know you don't like her, but isn't that going a bit too far?"

Felix turned back to the door, "...I need to see if there are any other patients for me to help."

I panicked and held out my hand, "W-Wait! It's a misunderstanding! I didn't say that I was relieved about her being killed!"

Felix turned back to me with his mouth open, "We didn't say anything about her being killed!!! You really think she's dead!?"

I immediately wanted to smack my mouth, "Ah! No! I didn't mean that!"

Felix turned to sprint out of the room as Cyrus shouted after him to stop. Cyrus gave me a shake of his head before sprinting off after Felix.

I looked guiltily at Zephyr who snickered at me, "Nice one."

I groaned and collapsed back onto the bed, "Just go check, will you?"

"You got it, boss! One demon stealth sprint, coming up!"

As I watched him disappear out of the window, I felt a bit anxious.

Will he be alright?

He won't be caught…

Right?

___….___

[Author's note: This part of the chapter isn't from anyone's perspective.]

Sitting on a lone bench, a shadow of a person stared at the crumbled ground with bags under his orange eyes. He whispered, "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry… I didn't mean… I…"

A voice from his own mouth answered, "I know… I know you didn't…"

"I just… It opened up the past wound and all those people… I couldn't control them."

"I know."

He covered his shadowy face in his hands, "It's all gone now."

The other voice soothed him, "Then let's finally do what we've been discussing since the beginning. Let's just destroy everything! After Priscilla… Well, she was the only one who had changed my mind. Now that she's gone…"

Moni let out an exhausted sigh, "You're right… There's no point in playing along anymore. I'm sick of maintaining these puppets. I'm sick of consuming mana… I'm sick of losing everything."

He silently raised his fingers and snapped them.

With a single snap of his fingers, the remaining humans inside the large house collapsed.

He forced himself to stand up, stopping in front of a family portrait of the Newman family. He smiled painfully, "Time to end this miserable world."