The moment the sun began to slip behind the mountains, a sharp whistling sound tore through the stillness of the forest.
Both Raymond and Gilbert looked up. Through the dense canopy of trees, the remnants of the cliff were barely visible, while a red mist spread outward, forming a column that seemed to connect earth and sky.
Gilbert continued walking beside Raymond at a slow pace. Though his condition had improved slightly, the impact of the fall—and the blood he had lost from shards of glass and fractured rocks—still weighed heavily on his body.
After a few moments of silence, Raymond spoke in a sharp tone.
"Do you think it's wise to mention the details of what we saw in that building when they question us later?"
Gilbert studied Raymond's serious expression, then turned his gaze back to the path ahead and replied calmly,
"Nothing good will come of that… as you know. It's obvious that it was something we were never meant to see."
"Then what do you suggest we tell them?"
"No matter what we say, doubts will remain once they discover the destruction later. We must not mention the building—nor the serpent, of course. It would be better to say that we were searching for a way out of the forest before we saw the smoke signal and turned back. Given our injuries, they won't believe we made it that far or caused the collapse ourselves."
Raymond nodded in agreement.
"Then we'll stick to the same story."
Despite his attempt to remain composed, he couldn't suppress the unease that crept in whenever he thought about Gilbert walking beside him. He glanced at him for a brief moment, then looked forward again, thinking—
They'll probably be more preoccupied with how we survived a fall of nearly twenty-five meters than with how deep we went into the area… Still, it wouldn't be entirely bad if no one notices your strange ability to heal so quickly despite the heavy bleeding.
As they continued toward the source of the smoke signal, Raymond asked hesitantly,
"Tell me, Gilbert… Have you ever thought that you might possess an abnormal healing ability compared to others?"
The sudden question struck Gilbert like a blade to the chest. An indescribable sensation surged through him, as if his body itself were trying to warn him of something deeper than he was willing to acknowledge.
He wasn't simply recovering quickly— there was a force that refused to let him die.
And that, in itself… was terrifying.
Raymond stopped and watched his reaction with suspicion before continuing,
"It would be obvious to anyone who sees you fight while your life is in danger. But don't you think that completely contradicts your illness?"
After a brief silence, Gilbert clenched his teeth, then sighed and cast Raymond a cold glance.
"You're quite observant."
"I don't think it takes much skill to notice."
"Then what's the purpose of your question?"
"Nothing in particular. I just wanted to warn you, in case you hadn't noticed it yourself."
For a moment, Raymond's gaze seemed to sharpen—deeper, more piercing—as though he were addressing Gilbert's soul directly. It unsettled him.
Gilbert lowered his eyes, a faint, sardonic smile forming on his lips as he replied in a tone laced with mockery,
"You sound worried about me. That's rather ironic."
Raymond's eyes widened briefly. He looked at him hesitantly, then spoke in a low voice.
"I think you're misunderstanding something. I have no intention of telling anyone anything. I only wanted to point it out in case you put yourself in danger again. You seem like the type who doesn't value his own life—that's something I realized not long ago. You can ignore what I'm saying; you're not obligated to listen. I don't even think I have the right to advise you, but…"
He paused, then added more gently,
"Even if you don't care about your own life, there are surely others who do."
Gilbert's eyes widened slightly, Athena's image flashing through his mind before he looked away with a quiet sigh.
He stopped walking and leaned against a nearby tree, staring at the ground with a troubled expression.
"Raymond Baskerville… I don't know whether you truly mean those words, but I'll thank you for the advice anyway…"
Raymond sighed, looking at him with an unreadable expression. The faint smile that crossed his face was tinged with irony—but it felt more like self-directed mockery than sarcasm toward the situation.
This is exactly why I dislike meddling in other people's affairs… and yet this reckless person forced me into it, he thought, before adding aloud with a light smile,
"You're very skeptical—but that's not a bad thing. I don't dislike it. Anyway… shall we keep moving?"
Gilbert stepped away from the tree after noticing Raymond's uncertain look. He felt as though he might have offended him, though he wasn't even sure how sincere the young man's intentions truly were.
It was true—he had seen Raymond's better side when he chose not to abandon him in the face of danger. And yet, his actions remained difficult to understand.
What reason would compel someone to risk his life for a person he had only known for a short time?
Was there some hidden motive behind his behavior, or was he simply honest? People like that were rare in this world—so how was he supposed to trust others? Which side should he believe in more?
Lost in this confusion, he didn't know what the right course of action was. He was also aware that his own behavior wasn't entirely right—and that it could easily hurt others. But what could he do about it?
Who could possibly guide someone who didn't even understand himself?
After a short while, they finally reached the point where they had fallen.
Three men were waiting at the base of the slope where they had awakened hours earlier.
Two of them wore black formal suits belonging to the administrative staff. The third wore no coat at all—only a short-sleeved white shirt, his muscular build clearly visible.
—It was the instructor who usually trained them, the one who had delegated supervision duties to an assistant that day.
Tension clouded his gaze as he scanned the surroundings before spotting two figures emerging from between the trees.
His eyes widened in shock before he regained his composure and rushed toward the injured students.
"A—are you two alright? No, what am I saying… obviously you're badly injured. Thank goodness you're still alive… what a relief."
Gilbert and Raymond exchanged uneasy glances, then looked at the instructor's expression.
It wasn't a face they were used to seeing. He seemed like an entirely different person—more human than they had ever known him to be.
Raymond spoke in a low voice.
"There's no need to worry, sir. We're alive… somehow."
The instructor placed a hand on their shoulders, a relieved smile appearing on his face.
"We thought we'd arrived too late. In any case, your injuries will be examined first, then we'll have you brought back up."
They both nodded without a word.
Raymond's external injuries were minor—just a few scratches here and there—but internally, he was hiding several fractures.
"Your shoulder is dislocated. Stay still."
As he was examined, his expression darkened, eyes turned away, until pain contorted his face when the medic attempted to set his shoulder back into place.
"Where else does it hurt? Don't try to hide anything, no matter how small."
"I'm fine… the rest of my bones are intact, so spare me this!"
Raymond snapped in a trembling voice.
It was an expression Gilbert had never seen from him before, which made him smirk inwardly.
Is he afraid of doctors or something…? He looks like a child scared of injections— and yet he didn't show a shred of fear when we faced that massive serpent…
Gilbert winced as the assistant poured disinfectant over his wounds, breaking his train of thought.
He noticed the strange expression on the man treating him and didn't hesitate to ask,
"How did you get injured like this?"
Gilbert hesitated, then sighed.
"I'm not sure. I woke up like this. Perhaps the broken branches softened the fall…"
"…"
The man remained silent for a moment before continuing,
"It would be good if your injuries were caused only by branches. What were you doing wandering through an uninhabited forest like this? Were you trying to lose the lives you barely managed to save?"
His tone was cold as he wrapped Gilbert's wounds, but Gilbert replied calmly, just as he and Raymond had agreed beforehand.
"Given our ignorance of our exact location and our uncertainty about whether help had been dispatched, we decided to find a way out ourselves. We knew it was risky, but we couldn't simply remain idle with our fate unknown."
The man seemed taken aback by Gilbert's words, then sighed. He raised his head and finally met Gilbert's eyes, his gaze softer than before.
"In that case, it would be best if you submit a detailed report of everything you witnessed during that time."
He stood up, packing his supplies back into the first-aid kit, and before leaving, he added,
"But that will be postponed until further notice. You'll be informed later."
After finishing his words, he walked over to speak with the instructor.
In that instant, the instructor's expression changed. His eyes darkened as he stared toward the forest behind them.
Gilbert couldn't discern what that conversation was about. He only exchanged a tense glance with Raymond as ropes were lowered from above, darkness having fully settled over the area.
It took time before their feet touched familiar ground again.
Two unexpected faces awaited them in the torch-lit clearing.
Athena stood there, her face pale with worry. She looked as though she might burst into tears when she saw Gilbert, bandages wrapped around nearly every part of his body—but instead, she simply embraced him.
In that moment, Gilbert felt as though her warmth was trying to remind him that he still possessed some shred of humanity. He wasn't sure if he truly believed that himself.
Beatrice stood nearby, her hands clasped behind her back, smiling in relief.
Raymond stood beside them without saying a word. Yet the warmth of the moment drew a faint smile from him—until he noticed Beatrice standing a short distance away.
When their eyes met, Beatrice smiled as she always did and greeted him in her usual cheerful manner.
This was their first direct encounter as well, but Beatrice's friendliness had a way of breaking down barriers.
Raymond nodded in response, returning a polite smile, then continued walking alongside the assistants, leaving the others behind.
Beatrice watched his retreating figure and thought—
He seems like a man of few words… but somehow, the atmosphere around him feels different from the other students.
The moment Raymond and Gilbert stepped into the area where the students had gathered that morning, whispers erupted from every direction.
"They're here!"
"Did you hear? They fell from the cliff—and still came back alive!"
"Is that even possible?"
"That guy can't die so easily after everything…"
"Do you think he's the reason all this happened in the first place? You know, it's not the first time…"
"Shut up, idiot. Do you want him to hear you? Talking about that is strictly forbidden."
The instructor shouted and waved his hand to stop the crowd, but eyes continued to follow their every move.
The stares were filled with questions— some curious, others… tinged with disdain, perhaps?
Reactions varied—some unfathomable, others openly admiring.
From a distance, Lucas observed the scene, watching Gilbert and then Raymond before smiling faintly and muttering,
"You never stop getting yourself into trouble, Gil…"
Then he added in a lighter, more serious tone,
"But it seems you've found someone like yourself."
Eklis appeared less expressive, but he watched the two with a steady gaze before focusing on Gilbert, as though silently reevaluating him.
In the back rows, Elliot stood without any clear expression on his face. His long duel with Eklis still lingered in his mind, yet he showed neither hostility nor hesitation.
He looked directly at Raymond. The two exchanged a silent glance devoid of obvious emotion—then Elliot turned away and left without a word.
Raymond, for his part, didn't focus on anyone in particular. The crowd unsettled him—all those eyes fixed on them.
But he concealed it well. There was no room to show how he truly felt.
From within the crowd, two students approached hesitantly—Arthur and Leo, the same opponents from the previous round.
Arthur spoke in a low, uncertain voice once he was close enough to face Raymond directly.
"We're… really sorry. We didn't know things would get out of control. We never expected it to become this dangerous."
Raymond raised his head to look at them, saying nothing at first.
On their faces, he saw something genuine— not fear, not disgust, but pure remorse… and concern.
It was new to him. Strangely warm.
Then, without thinking, he smiled.
A small smile—but completely sincere.
Not to please anyone. Not to hide anything. Just because, for a brief moment, he felt as though a small space inside him had begun to heal.
Leo noticed the smile and returned it instinctively, as if the warmth had reached him too, while Arthur added enthusiastically,
"You know—you're amazing, man! That reaction when I attacked you out of nowhere… I'd like to fight you again—this time, fairly. That is… if you're willing, of course."
Raymond nodded lightly in response to his enthusiasm.
"Any time. I'm fine with it."
From behind them, Gilbert watched the scene in silence.
His gaze traced Raymond's expression before lowering slightly, as though recalling a distant thought.
He felt something stir within him—something he couldn't quite define. Perhaps a quiet sense of relief.
He remembered brief moments in the past, when he would see Raymond walking alone, never understanding why.
And now—that loneliness had faded, even if only a little.
He won't be alone anymore…
He didn't understand why that thought crossed his mind. Nor did he try to explain it.
He simply let it pass through his thoughts— like a gentle breeze that needed no explanation at all.