.
.
In the end, I managed to convince Rachel to give up on her idea of sharing a room with , promising that I was feeling much better and would be sure to take my sleeping pills.
"Haa..."
Exhausted from the ordeal, I let out a tired sigh and rubbed my face.
Rachel really...
Sotis, she could be a little too... forward.
I don't think she realizes it, which makes it even more...
"...I should just focus on studying."
Shaking off my distracting thoughts, I straightened my posture.
As I sat back down at my desk and reached for my quill, my arm accidentally brushed against the towering stack of worksheets I had piled up.
The tower swayed precariously for a mont before collapsing entirely, scattering papers across the floor.
I stared at the chaotic ss in dismay.
"Damn it, why ?"
As if studying wasn't already painful enough, now I had to deal with this.
I suppose it was my fault for not organizing them properly earlier.
Still, I couldn't help but feel a surge of frustration.
Suppressing the anger welling up inside , I let out a long sigh.
*Rustle, rustle...*
As I began to clean up the scattered papers, a particular sheet caught my eye.
My hand froze as I recognized the familiar handwriting.
"This is..."
The page was filled with theoretical formulas for mana manipulation.
It was a worksheet from the ‘Practical Combat’ class taught by my late master.
Bending down, I picked up the paper.
‘Practical Combat’ wasn't included in this sester's final exams.
The exam had been canceled due to my master's untily demise.
That's why I had separated all the handouts from his class and stored them away in my drawer...
I must have accidentally mixed this one in with the other worksheets while I was organizing them.
"......"
I stood there for a mont, silently clutching the paper in my hand.
The lively atmosphere that had filled the room just monts ago was replaced by a heavy silence.
My legs felt weak, and I stumbled back towards my chair, collapsing onto the seat.
A wave of emotions surged through , disrupting the calmness I had been trying so hard to maintain.
Gently, I placed my master's worksheet on the desk.
*...I was trying so hard not to think about him.*
Lately, I have been experiencing frequent hallucinations and auditory illusions.
It wasn't anything unusual.
Even in my past life, there were tis when the aftereffects of my trauma would resurface.
Coupled with the recent events that had taken a toll on my ntal state, it seed my mind was playing tricks on .
It was sothing I was used to, but...
Having a sudden episode wouldn't do, so I had been avoiding anything that could trigger those mories.
My master's thoughts were one of those triggers.
*But what can I do when they pop up like this?*
A bitter smile touched my lips.
It had already been a month since my master's morial service.
It felt like just yesterday I was fighting alongside him against those undead creatures during the field trip.
A heavy sigh escaped my lips.
"...Ti sure flies."
*Ding!*
[Isn't that a good thing?]
"Is it...?"
I responded nonchalantly to the ssage that appeared before .
As if it didn't understand my reaction, the status window posed a question.
*Ding!*
[Do you rember the contract you made with this system?]
"Of course I do. You promised to grant my wish if I managed to survive for three years in this world."
*Ding!*
[To be precise, it was to show you the 'true ending' of this world.]
[In return, I promised to give you a happy life.]
[Therefore, wouldn't it be a good thing if ti felt like it was passing quickly? It ans you're steadily moving towards your goal.]
"Yeah... You're right."
I readily agreed with the status window's point.
However, a lingering sense of unease remained in my heart.
The true ending, and a happy life.
Perhaps I had been overlooking a crucial fact all along.
This world was nothing more than a stopover for .
A place I would eventually have to leave once all the conditions of the contract were fulfilled.
‘Am I... becoming too attached to this world?’
The thought filled with a strange sense of lancholy.
My already turbulent emotions seed to churn even more restlessly.
Suppressing my conflicted feelings, I quietly asked the status window,
"What happens to ... when the contract ends?"
*Ding!*
[Unable to comprehend the question.]
"Will I leave this world... when everything is over?"
*Ding!*
[It is difficult to give you a definite answer.]
[While I did promise you a happy life, even I do not know what form it will take.]
[You may continue to reside in this world, or you may be transported to another.]
"So, you're saying you don't know either?"
*Ding!*
[That is correct.]
"This whole thing seems fishy... Are you scamming ?"
*Ding!*
[You are free to terminate the contract right now if you do not trust .]
[I have never once forced you into this agreent.]
"As if I could back out now."
I chuckled dryly and leaned back in my chair.
As I massaged my forehead, trying to organize my thoughts, the status window, still hovering in mid-air, added a few more words.
*Ding!*
[I am being serious.]
[If fulfilling the terms of our contract becos too burdenso, you are free to terminate it at any ti.]
[Your soul will return to the four seasons if you choose to do so... but there will be no pain.]
[I will ensure that you can close your eyes peacefully.]
"Haha... So you're saying I can always just run away if things get too tough?"
*Ding!*
[That is correct.]
"Well... I'll keep that in mind if things ever get unbearable."
I nodded at the status window's words.
Being able to unilaterally break the contract and escape wasn't a bad deal.
Of course, I hoped it wouldn't co to that...
"...This is complicated."
It was a night filled with contemplation.
The fate that awaited beyond the world's end.
And the escape route that the status window had offered.
In the end, I spent the entire night wide awake, my mind racing with possibilities, until the first rays of dawn pierced through the darkness.
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