At 4 p.m., when everyone was training, everyone was doing great. Among them, Akiko was also getting strong and serious about training, and she was focused on it.
When they took a break for 10 minutes, she saw Sofia, who was holding a very, very simple cake—a little bit burned. She walked towards Luca and stopped in front of him, and Sofia said,
"Hey."
Luca turned towards her, and then Sofia said,
"Hmm—well, I heard from Sir Hikari that yesterday was your birthday, but we couldn't celebrate in this situation. So... I made this cake."
Luca looked at her with surprise. Then Sofia quickly said,
"Lady Amaya helped me... but, hmm... it's a little bit burned. It's not good, but I hope it will bring a smile to your face."
Luca was still looking at her with surprise. Sofia noticed it and looked down because she felt nervous and didn't know what to say anymore. She didn't do that because she was feeling anything for him... no, she didn't like him in that way. She just did it as a human. She simply showed kindness but was too shy to give it to him confidently. She got even more embarrassed because she didn't want him or anyone to get the wrong idea that she liked him—because she didn't like him.
On the other side, Amaya, who was watching them from a distance, walked towards them with a smile.
"Hey, Luca and Sofia."
Then Luca and Sofia turned towards her and greeted her. Both said,
"Hello, Lady Amaya."
Then Amaya looked at Luca and Sofia. She smiled and looked at Luca again and said,
"Well, Luca, last night she heard a conversation between you and Sir Hikari—not clearly, she just heard a little bit, something like 'birthday'—and then she asked Sir Hikari clearly about what was wrong. So he told her that it was your birthday, but you couldn't celebrate. So without asking anything more, she thought it was because of this situation, and she wanted to do something for you. So she asked me for help. We're not professionals, but she tried her best. And because of the lack of ingredients for the cake, it didn't turn out that good—but not bad either."
Luca looked at Amaya, then at Sofia, who was still looking at the ground and holding the cake in a box toward him. Then Luca nodded and took the box from her and said in a low and calm voice, but loud enough for them to hear,
"Thanks."
Then Luca walked toward his room to take the cake there. As he arrived, he put it on his bed and walked back toward the training ground.
This scene Akiko was watching from a distance. She smiled at them, touched her pendant, and remembered her brother.
---
A few hours later, after the training, at around 7 or 8 p.m., when everyone was walking toward the cafeteria for dinner, Akiko wiped the sweat from her face. Then, as always, she raised her hand to touch her pendant, but... it was not there around her neck—it was not there!!
Akiko was shocked and started panicking. She tried to find the pendant but couldn't find it. She didn't know what to do and kept panicking because it was the last thing that made her feel that her brother was always there, even if he was not alive. It was the last thing from her brother that he had given her.
Akiko tried to find the pendant like a crazy person. She started searching all around the ground. For a few hours, she was searching for her pendant. Now it was around 10 p.m.
Coincidentally, Amaya's room window had a direct view of the ground. And from her room, Amaya, who was reading a book, got bored of it. Then she got up from her chair and walked toward the window and looked outside. Then her eyes fell on Akiko, who was searching for her pendant.
Amaya couldn't see the face clearly, so she didn't know it was Akiko. She looked with confusion, wondering who it was and what they were doing at that time. It was already late.
Then Amaya decided to go there. She walked through the hall and went downstairs. Because her room was on the second floor, it took her around 4 to 6 minutes to arrive at the ground. She walked out of the building. She arrived behind Akiko and tapped her on the shoulder.
Akiko turned around with a panicked expression on her face. Then Amaya asked,
"Akiko? You? What are you doing here at this time?"
Amaya asked with a surprised expression because she didn't expect Akiko to be there at that time—Akiko always slept on time and woke up on time without wasting any. She usually slept at 9 p.m., but now it was around 10 p.m. Then Akiko replied,
"M-m-m-my pendant. I lost it."
Akiko's voice was shattered. Amaya asked,
"That pendant that you always wear? Blue stone and silver chain?"
Akiko nodded.
Amaya said again,
"Don't worry. I will help."
Then both of them started searching for the pendant. After searching for a few more minutes, Amaya noticed a light coming from the bushes next to the tree. She walked towards it and removed the bushes. There was Akiko's blue pendant, shining in the moonlight.
"Akiko! Akiko! Come here! There's your pendant!"
Amaya called for Akiko and picked up the pendant. Akiko also arrived beside her, and Amaya handed it to her.
Akiko quickly took it and wore it. Then she took a breath of relief.
Finally, Amaya said,
"Is this that important to you? Can I ask why it's so important to you, Akiko?"
Then Akiko turned toward her and said,
"First of all, thank you, Lady Amaya. And yes, it is important to me because it's from my brother. My brother gave me that before he died for me."
Amaya stood straight and listened even more seriously now. Then Akiko started to tell her the whole backstory—her life story from the beginning...
Ten or twenty minutes later, after hearing her story, Amaya felt sorry for Akiko. She didn't say anything. She just looked at Akiko, who was holding her pendant tightly around her neck.
Amaya sighed, then patted Akiko's shoulder and stayed there silently as a silent support.
---
On the other side, Luca was in his room. Ming, Kenzo, and Ash were already asleep, except for Luca, who was still looking at the cake Sofia gave him. He was sitting on his bed, and the cake was in front of him in an open box.
He was not sad, upset, or angry. At this time, he didn't know what to feel. But whatever he was feeling, it was quite good. Even if it was a burned cake, the care of everyone made him feel that his mother was always here, even if she was not alive.
Then he smiled at the cake.
---
But was that happiness permanent?
No.
Because from somewhere, someone in the shadows was laughing at their happiness and waiting for them.
Especially for Ming, Sofia, Akiko, Luca, and Kenzo...
And they all were busy in their happiness, unaware that it was not permanent. It was just a game—
A game of that person who started the game of death.
Their past, their path, their guilt, their loss—
Were all connected with that person...
Who is playing a game with them.