In the silent midnight, the sound of footsteps echoed on the stone road. Alice gripped Rina's hand tightly while running—her cold fingers clutching desperately. Both their breaths were gasping, appearing like thin smoke in the cold night air.
Alice kept looking back. Her eyes wild, full of anxiety. Every moving shadow made her body tense. Beside her, Rina followed obediently, but her eyes were empty—like someone walking in a nightmare.
The aroma of dust and blood still clung to their clothes. The echo from the battle at the kingdom still rang in their ears.
"Rina," Alice whispered, her voice hoarse. "There's a small hut over there. Let's rest for a bit."
The old hut stood alone at the roadside—its roof leaking, walls damaged, but enough for shelter. Alice sat on the cold earthen floor, staring emptily downward.
Silence. Only the sound of night wind whistling through the wooden gaps.
Then—
Drip.
A tear fell onto the dusty ground. Alice couldn't hold it anymore.
"Rina..." Her voice broke. "I... I'm sorry."
Her body trembled—not from cold, but from guilt that struck like a tsunami.
"This is all my fault." Words came out between sobs. "I was the one who easily believed that fake summons. I was the one who brought you to a dangerous place. You got hurt because of my stupidity."
Her tears flowed more heavily. "Han... your brother... must be very angry at me. I promised to take care of you but..."
Her voice disappeared into heart-wrenching tears.
Rina was shocked. All this time, Alice had been her protector, who always looked strong and unshakeable. Seeing her completely broken like this made the fog in her eyes slightly clear.
With slow movements, Rina approached and embraced Alice. Her small arms wrapped around Alice's trembling shoulders.
Her empty expression changed. Care replaced surprise.
"Sister Alice..." her voice was gentle, soothing. "Don't blame yourself. We also didn't know everything would end like that. The evil ones are the kingdom people who trapped us."
Alice still cried, her breath gasping. "But the wound on your hand... and Han... had to stay alone holding them back."
Rina smiled—still gentle, but there was deep worry in her eyes. "My brother... he's strong. He can definitely find a way to escape from there."
She raised her hand that had already healed. "And my wound doesn't hurt anymore, look?"
They sat in silence. The moon shone brightly penetrating the leaking roof, reflecting its silver light on their faces. The sound of crickets filled the silence—peaceful, yet somehow felt melancholic.
Alice slowly calmed down. Rina's words were like medicine for the wound in her heart.
But then Rina stared at the moon. Her expression changed—the anxiety she had hidden all this time finally surfaced. The face that was usually cheerful now looked fragile.
"Brother..." she whispered to the moon. "Wherever you are... You'll definitely be okay, right?"
Her voice was barely audible, yet filled with longing and fear.
Alice heard that and hugged Rina tighter. She understood—Rina was also trying hard to stay strong.
Alice wiped her tears. Slowly, something changed in her eyes. Strength replaced despair.
"Come on, Rina." Her voice was now more firm, more full of determination. "Let's go to the orphanage. This place is still not safe. At least there we're protected from the kingdom."
The atmosphere felt silent for a moment.
"We'll wait for him there."
They walked again, hands still holding. This time Alice's steps were more certain. There was purpose in every step. Protect Rina. Wait for Han to come home.
The orphanage appeared in the distance—a building so familiar, presenting a sense of safety after the chaos they had just experienced.
In front of the gate, Andre stood guard with a serious face. As soon as he saw Alice, his eyes widened.
"Alice?!" he exclaimed, his voice sharp mixed with relief and anger. "Where have you been? Do you know how dangerous the lightning that appeared at the kingdom was? Even from here the aura felt... terrifying."
Alice looked down, guilt hitting her chest. "I... from the kingdom. With this child, Rina. We were trapped to come there under the pretext of an invitation from Miss Elina."
"What?!" Andre's tone rose, his eyes narrowing. "You believed just like that? There's no way Miss Elina would do something reckless like that."
Alice fell silent, her voice lowering. "I know... I was stupid. Forgive me."
Rina stepped forward slightly, though her body still trembled. "Please don't blame Sister Alice. She just wanted to protect me."
Andre's gaze softened, though there was still restrained anger. He sighed heavily, then said more softly, "Get inside quickly. Miss Elina is indeed not here—she left for the kingdom after sensing that lightning. You can rest inside."
His hand pointed toward the gate. "I'll keep guard here. If there are monsters drawn by the battle aura earlier, someone needs to hold them back."
Alice nodded, her voice sincere. "Thank you, Andre. Take care of yourself."
"Be careful, Brother Andre!" Rina added while waving her small hand.
---
As soon as they stepped inside, Selena ran from inside—worry clearly displayed on her face.
"Alice!" She hugged Alice with relief that was so palpable. "I've been waiting for you all this time."
"I'm fine, don't worry." Alice returned the hug, though exhaustion was still heard in her voice. "Where are Ensei and the others?"
"Ensei is guarding the side gate. The others are in their respective rooms—everyone woke up because of that thunder sound. Miss Novy is accompanying them." Selena turned toward Rina with curiosity, but didn't ask further. "Let's go inside."
The three of them stepped into the warmth of the orphanage. Small lanterns emitted gentle light, becoming a sharp contrast to the darkness and danger they had just left behind.
Novy appeared from the corridor, her eyes immediately assessing Alice and Rina's condition. Without many words, she immediately prepared a place for them to rest.
When finally lying on the bed so familiar, Alice stared at the wooden ceiling. Beside her, Rina had already fallen asleep—finally finding a bit of peace after today's trauma.
But Alice couldn't sleep yet. Her mind kept drifting back to the kingdom. To the battle. To Han who was now left alone.
She closed her eyes and whispered into the darkness:
"Come home safely, Han. We're waiting for you."
Outside, the sound of thunder could still be faintly heard in the distance—echoes from the battle that was beginning to subside.
TO BE CONTINUED...