Blind brother.

It had been a month since Sierra's brother locked himself in his room, and he still wasn't coming out. Worry gnawed at her. Something's wrong… Why won't he come out?

With that thought, she made her way to the academy hospital ward.

As she stepped inside, two students passed by, chatting quietly as they left after visiting a friend. Sierra barely noticed them—her mind was focused on one person.

Fortunately, she spotted her quickly. The Saintess had just finished treating a patient.

"Saintess!"

The Saintess paused mid-step, turning with her usual benevolent smile.

"Lady Sierra, how can I help you?"

Sierra hesitated for a second before speaking. "Uhm… My brother hasn't responded to me in a month. He's been locked in his room, missing classes and everything else. I'm scared something might've happened to him."

The Saintess expression didn't change. "There's nothing wrong with him, Lady Sierra. By the grace of the Lord's healing, even if he hasn't eaten for a month, the holy power I imbued in him will sustain him."

"Oh…"

"You don't have to worry. He'll be out soon enough," the Saintess assured her. Then, with a small, knowing smile, she added, "And if he's not up in two days, I'll personally break his door down."

"Thanks."

"Am I the only one who thinks she should have got to the school admin or welfare committee?" Yusuf — the Saintess bodyguard asked.

Saintess shrugged and walked away. 

"Am I the only one who seems to be normal?" Yusuf murmured.

Sierra walked away from the Saintess, her heart a little calmer. She smiled—she had loved her brother ever since they were little. However, when she turned fifteen and awakened, everything changed.

Her talent surpassed his.

He was known to be talentless—and blind.

In this ruined world, where the sun and moon were deadly, only awakened ones could endure their gaze, even if just for a short time. Monsters lurked almost everywhere outside the academy. How could a blind man possibly survive?

Even those with sight struggled to survive for long. This had always motivated her to train harder—to become strong enough to protect her brother.

But lately, things weren't going well.

First, despite being blind, he was a pervert, taking advantage of his condition…

He groped female cadets, sneaked into the girls' dorm, and even broke into their bathrooms.

Sierra herself had doubts about his blindness. If not for the Saintess confirming it multiple times—and the well-known fact that he had been blinded while protecting her from a beast when they were young—no one would have believed it.

_____

Kael woke up with a yawn. He had no idea how long he'd slept, but the digital calendar on the wall had changed since he last saw it. Still, he couldn't tell exactly how much time had passed.

After a quick shower, he got dressed in Ian's uniform. On the bed, he noticed a white bandage.

Just as he was wondering what it was for, Ian's voice echoed in his head.

"Oh… You'll need to wrap that around your eyes. Let's just say I've been pretending to be blind to gain a few… advantages."

"What kind of advantages?"

"Well… I might accidentally grope a female cadet while trying to find my way… or, you know, mistakenly walk into the women's restroom." Ian trailed off.

Kael sighed, rubbing his temples. "So you're telling me I have to go around pretending to be blind just to keep up this ridiculous act?"

"Exactly! You catch on fast." Ian chuckled.

"Didn't other cadets see me yesterday without a bandage over my eyes walking almost perfectly fine and knowing the way?" 

"..."

Kael stared at the bandage before reluctantly wrapping it around his eyes. "If I trip and break my neck, I'm haunting you."

"Duly noted."

With a final glance in the mirror—though pointless now that his vision was covered—Kael grabbed his things and stepped out of the room.

The academy halls were buzzing with students heading to their classes. Whispers followed him as he walked, staggering slightly as he adjusted to moving blindly. Some students snickered, while others murmured in disgust.

"Ugh, it's him again…"

"Didn't he get in trouble last time?"

"I heard he tried to sneak into the Saintes's chambers."

Kael ignored the chatter, focusing instead on navigating the corridors. Ian's voice guided him in his head, directing him toward the lecture hall.

"Left here… No, your other left!—Okay, now straight ahead. Careful, there's a pillar in front of you."

Kael stopped just in time before smacking into stone. He exhaled sharply. "You could've warned me sooner."

Ian only laughed.

Eventually, Kael made it to the classroom. The large doors loomed before him, and he could hear the professor's voice inside. Taking a deep breath, he pushed them open and stepped in.

The room fell silent.

Every eye turned to him.

Kael resisted the urge to groan. Great. Just what I needed.

The professor, an elderly man with sharp eyes, adjusted his spectacles and frowned. "Ian… How generous of you to grace us with your presence. I was starting to think you had dropped out."

Kael forced a neutral expression, remembering Ian's instructions. "Apologies, Professor. I wasn't feeling well."

The professor snorted. "Sit down before you 'accidentally' trip and fall on someone."

Snickers rippled through the classroom.

Kael sighed and made his way to an empty seat, gripping the desk as he lowered himself into it.

Ian hummed in amusement. "Not bad... Not bad, oh, I almost forgot, the blindfold allows you to see, just open your eyes instead of closing it."

"What!"