How long had it been since that bastard vanished? Six hours? Seven?
Time had lost all meaning down here.
No sunlight. No moonlight. Just endless, suffocating darkness, broken only by flickering remnants of burning flesh, the dying cries of mutated Ghouls, and the silent echoes of despair.
Even if I tried to count the hours… what was the point?
This place didn't let you know when the day began or when it ended.
It only knew pain.
And death.
And still—Lou hadn't come.
That idiot was really taking his sweet time.
I'd made sure my aura seeped out just enough, even while wearing this concealing coat. There was no way he couldn't sense me.
He should've been here by now.
Tsk.
I kept pacing in circles, unable to stand still.
Mina was glued to my back, her small body supported with my hands.
Unconscious. Silent.
But burning.
Only a tiny part of her forehead pressed against my neck, yet that alone felt like it was branding my skin—searing it, like molten iron.
And that was just a fraction of her pain.
How much worse was it for her, when it was her whole body?
My grip tightened. I adjusted her weight on my back, trying to shield her as much as I could.
She whimpered faintly.
Even in her dreams, the pain was chasing her.
"Just hang on, Mina…" I whispered, though I wasn't sure if it was for her sake or mine.
I couldn't leave this place. Not yet.
If there was even a sliver of hope, a scrap of a cure, a hidden room, an antidote—anything—it had to be here.
This hellhole was where they experimented. Where they turned humans into monsters.
If something existed to undo that…
Then it had to be here.
Right?
…Right?
I kept searching. Eyes darting from one ruined corridor to the next. Every crack in the wall, every bloodstained surface, every corpse—I didn't miss a single one.
But there was nothing.
No vials. No notes. No clues.
Only carnage and the stench of death.
My legs dragged forward, stubbornly.
Even when my brain screamed it's pointless, my heart refused to listen.
Because stopping… meant accepting this fate.
And I couldn't.
Not for me.
Not again.
Damn you, Karim.
You knew there was nothing here.
You didn't do this to give me a chance.
You just wanted to watch me crumble.
This wasn't a game. It was a show.
And I was the entertainment.
The girl who couldn't save anyone. That would definitely be the title for this drama episode of yours, wouldn't it?
Still—I searched.
Still—I walked.
Even when the truth towered over me, laughing in my face…
I didn't stop.
Because maybe… just maybe… if I did…
Then Mina would truly be gone.
"Ugh…"
A faint groan fluttered against my back.
I froze.
"Mina?"
I glanced over my shoulder, catching the barest movement—her lashes fluttering open, her eyes barely slit of light in her fevered face.
Her entire body was soaked in sweat, her shirt clinging to her like a second skin.
"L… Lina…" she croaked, her voice a brittle whisper. "My throat… it's… killing me…"
I turned my gaze forward again, jaw clenched.
She was parched. No question about it. Her voice was dry, cracked like a leaf crushed beneath a boot.
"I'll try to find some water, okay? Just hang in there."
She nudged her forehead weakly against my shoulder. A silent nod, maybe. Or just a reflex. Either way, it hurt to feel it—because it was so soft.
Too soft.
I tore through the underground ruin again, for what felt like the hundredth time. Every drawer. Every cabinet. Every goddamn corner.
But there was nothing. No bottled water. No canteen. No emergency stash.
The only liquids staining this place were that cursed purple formula and pools of congealed blood.
"DAMN IT!"
My voice ricocheted off the walls like a dying echo.
In a rage, I swiped my arm across the nearest table—tools, beakers, tubes, and syringes clattered to the ground with a metallic crash.
Still nothing.
Just more proof that this place was designed for death, not salvation.
I was panting, trembling.
I couldn't lose it now.
Not in front of her.
I turned back to Mina and gently laid her on a table that hadn't yet been destroyed by my temper.
She was burning up, her skin glowing faintly red from the fever, her breathing short and labored.
I scanned the mess on the floor.
Something gleamed.
A clean flask. Small, but enough.
I picked it up and turned to her again.
"Hey…" My voice softened. "If it's not too much to ask… could you use your magic? Just a little. Make some ice in here? It'll melt and—"
I didn't finish.
She was already trying.
Her mouth was open, her lips cracked and pale, her tongue ghost-white.
She lifted a trembling hand—just barely—and her entire arm shuddered with the effort.
I reached out and cupped her wrist in my hand, steadying her.
It was scorching to the touch. I winced but didn't pull away. Even if all I could offer was an anchor… then that's what I'd be.
Her palm hovered over the flask.
"Frostfall Whisper…"
The words were breathless. Barely audible. But the magic responded.
Her hand shimmered with a faint blue hue, and one by one, delicate ice crystals materialized, drifting down into the flask like frozen feathers from heaven.
The sound of them clinking together—soft, fragile, real—nearly brought me to tears.
I tightened my grip on her wrist and lowered it gently back down to her chest.
"That's enough," I whispered. "That's perfect."
I stared at the melting cubes.
She'd done it. Despite the fever. Despite the pain.
Once this water melted, she'd drink. I hope that helps a little.
Mina lay motionless on the metal table, her chest rising and falling with labored breaths.
Meanwhile, I crouched beside her—arms wrapped tightly around my knees, eyes fixed on the flask.
The ice cubes inside melted at an agonizing pace. Each drop felt like a countdown to something I couldn't name.
And honestly? I didn't have anything better to do but watch.
The last shard of ice finally dissolved with a soft plink.
The flask was sweating.
Still cold. That would do.
I stood up, flask in hand, my joints aching from staying in that curled position for so long.
"Mina," I said softly, stepping to her side. "You can drink now."
Carefully, I slid one hand under her head, cradling it like it was glass. My other hand brought the flask to her lips.
She didn't resist. Didn't hesitate.
The moment the water touched her tongue, she drank like she'd been stranded in a desert for days.
Desperate gulps, one after another, until not a single drop remained.
She exhaled, a long, shaky sigh.
I gently lowered her head back onto the table.
"Did that help… even a little?" I asked.
Mina's eyes fluttered open. Her lips twitched into a faint smile—fragile, but there.
"It did… Thank you…"
I looked away.
That didn't deserve a thank you.
She'd created the ice herself. I just… held a flask and watched.
A minute passed. Then another.
Her fingers began to twitch ever so slightly, and the angry red tone of her skin seemed to be fading, little by little.
Relief swelled in my chest.
Was it possible…? Could we actually—
My breath caught.
Wait.
I reached out and placed my hand against her forehead.
Her fever—it was going down.
It was actually going down.
"Mina…" I bent closer, trying to meet her eyes. "Are you okay? How do you feel?"
She didn't answer right away.
Her body started shifting, spasming gently at first.
Then the shaking grew violent.
"My body… my limbs…" she groaned, eyes clenched shut. "It feels like… like they're eating me from the inside out…"
Her voice cracked into a scream.
And then—chaos.
Her arms flailed wildly, fingers clawing at her stomach, her legs kicking out, heels slamming against the metal table with hollow clangs.
"It hurts!" she screamed again, writhing. "It HURTS! Make it stop! Please—!"
I stood there frozen, watching her come undone.
No… this pain—it wasn't physical. Not entirely.
I remembered Karim's voice, calm and clinical as he described it.
"The second day, they'll start feeling pain. As if their organs are exploding and regenerating… but it's all in their heads."
I had thought that meant it wasn't real.
That it wasn't that bad.
But this… it looked unbearable.
She couldn't even feel the fever anymore. She was drowning in something worse—something invisible, and cruel, and unrelenting.
Was this what the Ghouls had felt… the ones I sliced down without mercy?
Was this the agony that lingered behind their twisted eyes?
I took a trembling step back, helplessness curling like a fist around my throat.
And I realized… I wasn't just fighting to save her body anymore.
I was fighting to save what remained of her soul.
I grabbed her shoulders, trying to keep her grounded.
"Mina! It's alright! It's not real—it's just in your head—"
"A-AHHH!"
She screamed and shoved me back, collapsing into herself again, arms wrapped tight around her torso.
Mina… Hugging yourself like that won't ease the pain. You know that, right?
Then something caught my eye.
Her veins—they were changing. Swelling. Turning a deep, bruised blue.
No… No no no…
The transformation was setting in.
That meant… more than a day had already passed since Karim vanished.
As long as this nightmare felt, I never imagined an entire day had slipped away.
"B... Big sis-ter..."
Her voice cracked through the air, raw and terrified.
"Help me! PLEASE!"
"I—I don't know—" My words stumbled out before I could stop them. "I'll try!"
But what could I try? What could I possibly do?!
I spun around the room like a storm, my vision blurred, my thoughts scattered.
Flasks. Empty. Worthless.
Syringes. Too dangerous. Too useless.
Scattered papers and broken pens. Nothing. Nothing!
A belt…
That's all I could find.
I clenched it in my fist and ran back to her.
She was shaking uncontrollably, body writhing against the table, her screams cutting through me like knives.
"I'm sorry," I whispered, through gritted teeth.
I gently used the belt to restrain her, securing her movements—not to hurt her, just enough to stop her from thrashing herself to death.
"Take it off! TAKE IT OFF!!"
Her cries pierced the air, her eyes wide with terror.
But I couldn't listen.
If I did, I would break.
"I'm sorry…" I whispered again, tears burning in the corners of my eyes.
I scooped her into my arms, her fevered body pressed against mine.
And I walked. Aimlessly. Desperately.
Looking again. Searching again. Hoping against hope that maybe, this time…
Her movements began to fade.
Her screams weakened into groans.
I looked down at her face—still contorted in pain, lips trembling, her body twitching.
And then… the rot.
Her skin took on an unnatural hue—blotches of green, streaks of blue creeping across her limbs.
The signs of decay were here.
The Ghoulish infection had sunk deeper.
But… But she didn't scream.
She just trembled in silence, biting her pain, enduring what would break anyone else.
"Mina…" I whispered, holding her closer, my steps faltering.
I rocked her gently in my arms, her hair brushing against my chin.
"Who's the bravest girl?"
My voice shook, a tremble in every word.
"Who's the strongest girl?"
She didn't answer.
But she smiled. Just a little. Just enough to break me.
"It's you…" I choked, my voice breaking entirely. "It's the one and only Mina… Yaaaay…"
A sob escaped me—but I turned it into a trembling laugh.
Because if I didn't…
If I gave in to this grief, this helplessness—
Then who would carry her through it?
So I smiled through tears, and held her tighter, letting her warmth burn into my soul.
"Just a little more, Mina… Just hang in there a little more…"
Please.
And just like that—
My knees gave out.
I collapsed, hitting the ground with a dull splash. My pants soaked up the thick, warm blood that coated the floor like a curse we'd never leave behind.
I let out a shaky breath, eyes drifting to the belt strapped around Mina's trembling body.
The sight… It was unbearable.
She looked so small in it. So fragile.
Not like a warrior, not even like a girl—
Just… a child, lost in a nightmare too cruel for anyone to bear.
My hands trembled as I reached out, fingers brushing the buckle.
"Let's get rid of this ugly thing, alright?" I whispered.
One tug. Then another.
The belt loosened. Freed her.
I exhaled with a brittle smile and leaned in closer, my arms wrapping carefully around her again—despite the burn scorching my skin every time we touched.
I didn't care anymore.
If holding her gave her comfort, then I'd endure every flame a thousand times over.
"Hey…" I murmured, rocking her gently, "Who's the prettiest girl in existence, huh? Can you tell me?"
She gave a soft, breathless giggle—barely more than a sigh.
"M… Me…"
"Of course it's you," I said, my smile shaking with my voice. "It could never be anyone else."
I let my back fall against the cold, moss-covered wall, cradling her tighter.
She was still warm—burning, even—but I clung to that heat like it was life itself.
Then I felt it—her hand weakly clutching my sleeve.
"…Thank you… Big Sister…" she whispered.
Something in me cracked.
My chest tightened, and a soft heat prickled at the corners of my eyes.
I buried my face in her hair, swaying us slowly, gently… like a lullaby in motion.
"Hey, hey… Did you know?" I began, my voice low, close to her ear. "Some people get a second life sometimes."
Her head shifted faintly against my collarbone.
"…R-Really?"
I nodded, smiling like a fool—who was the child now, I wondered?
"Mmhm. A second chance. A life where pain doesn't follow you. Where sadness can't find you."
I stared up at the ceiling. The moss, the rust-colored stains, the cracks in the stone—
Everything about this place was broken. Especially me.
And yet I kept talking, swallowing down the lump in my throat.
"You'll still remember your first life. But you'll have time to think. To breathe. To make different choices. Walk a better road."
Mina chuckled again, faint but real—like a tiny flower blooming in the ashes.
"…If I get a next chance," she said slowly, "do you think I can… drink tea every day? No royalty training? No forced etiquette…"
I laughed quietly, nuzzling the top of her head.
"Of course you can."
"…Then…" she whispered, almost like she was afraid to ask, "Then, can I eat… tons of chocolate too?"
I smiled, a tear slipping down my cheek.
"Whatever your heart desires."
Mina leaned deeper into me, her fragile body curling into my arms like a withered flower seeking warmth one last time.
She let out a sigh—soft, drawn out, almost peaceful.
As if the pain slipped away with her breath.
But I knew better.
The pain never left. She was just… braver than anyone had the right to be.
"Does… everyone get this second chance?"