"Brandon, you have to get treated first!"
"No, I have to relay the ssage."
"That can wait. How will you relay the ssage if you die from blood loss!?"
Brandon walked around the academy, followed by Belle and Alia, who was trying to advise him to take it easy.
They couldn't help it.
Because he would stumble occasionally as he walked, and the two had no choice but to support him.
In fact, it looked like he was about to pass out from exhaustion, evident by the exhausted look in his eyes.
Leading them to where Bellion was, Evelyn strode forward. She had glanced behind her occasionally, eting Brandon's gaze.
But all Brandon would give her was a sorrowful look.
"...."
It was as she feared.
It was highly likely, the urgent ssage entailed the fates of Yi Jihyeon and the rest of Blood Crescent Moon.
Because Brandon was the sole returnee from the tower.
Clenching her fist tightly, she gritted her teeth.
It truly was a shitty birthday.
She didn't know how to feel at the mont, the reality hadn't sunk in just yet.
Because she couldn't believe it.
'Miss Jihyeon is…. dead?'
She kept questioning herself the sa sentence, repeatedly echoing in her mind.
She continued following them, but she was lost deep in her thoughts.
Her mind replayed core mories of her ti with Yi Jihyeon.
—Repeat after . It's Yi…. Ji…. Hyeon.
—You might be strong, but you severely lack in the social departnt, Eve.
—Do it once, pretty please~ Call Big Sis Jihyeon~"
—Oh? You want that? I can buy it for you.
She was still a child at the ti, about 13—years old. Yi Jihyeon and the rest of Incandescent Flas found her passed out deep within the forest.
She recalled her words back then, the mont she woke up, only to find several strangers around her.
'....Please don't hurt .'
—What's your na? Where are your parents?
'Evelyn, I don't have parents…. Only a friend…. Where is he?'
—Evelyn…. A friend? Can you describe what he looks like?
'It's….'
Evelyn's head started to hurt, and the mory suddenly grew fuzzy.
It had always been like that.
Whenever she tried to rember the man with black eyes, pain would engulf her head.
And additionally, she couldn't rember his face.
Just his eyes.
But Evelyn had already put him in the back of her mind.
If she couldn't rember him, then so be it.
Just like her father, he had abandoned her.
The man that had taught her everything she knew about [Celestial] magic.
In any case, they arrived at the room where Bellion was, and entered.
Bellion was slumped on the table. An officer was standing right beside him, seemingly debriefing him sothing.
Or was it a ranker?
Brandon couldn't tell. He wasn't paying attention to him in the first place.
However, upon their entrance, Bellion raised his head, and the officer turned around.
"Isn't that…."
"You're back."
While the officer stared at him baffled, Bellion seed to have never doubted his survival.
Brandon stepped forward, and Evelyn stepped to the side, giving him space.
He could see the look of unease in her face. However, Brandon had no ti to accommodate her at the mont.
….Because he felt like he was about to pass out from exhaustion.
Furthermore, the facts and information of what he had witnessed must be disseminated before sothing else happened.
To everyone present in the room, Brandon started to debrief them on what happened.
He had omitted so stuff—particularly—acquiring Yi Jihyeon's affinity.
But everything else was nothing but the truth.
December 13, 2149.
On that day, 46 rankers—including Yi Jihyeon—passed away.
It was a tragedy that would etch in their minds forever.
And it was Holy Britannia's biggest loss after the incursion.
"I want to request a proper burial for them."
Brandon lowered his head.
The man who stood beside Bellion—Leon—could only stay speechless, unable to utter any words at all.
"That can't be true…."
"...."
Bellion, on the other hand, remained silent. His fingers interlaced as his elbows rested on the table.
All he could was tilt her head downwards, his forehead touching his hand.
Then….
"Damn it!"
Thump!
He smacked the table.
"Tsk."
Evelyn clicked her tongue and bit her lip, turning her head to the side. Her face darkened, and it seed like she was on the verge of tears.
Then, she headed for the door, seemingly about to leave, but not before leaving off with a few words.
"....I need so air."
With that, Evelyn left the room.
"This can't be happening…."
Leon crouched down, covering his face with his hand.
He was in disbelief.
Yi Jihyeon, the woman he had blindly followed for over thirteen years.
One could say it was love, but the bond ran even deeper. Much to the point where he had never confessed his feelings, overshadowed by the sense of respect he had for her.
He was regretful.
"I never should have followed her order…. Haaa…."
His voice started cracking.
If he were to die, he had wished it would be in the battlefield with his guild mates.
But that seed to be impossible now.
Ti could only move forward, and it was impossible to return what was lost.
***
Evelyn stepped outside of the academy, bathing herself in snow, the cold wind breezing her skin.
Cold?
For so reason, it didn't feel so cold, despite the snow getting stronger.
Instead, she felt rather warm.
It was as if Yi Jihyeon was there herself.
She recalled certain monts with Yi Jihyeon once again as she took a long drag of her cigarette.
*Puff*
'Jihyeon, your affinity is so pretty~'
—Is it? Yours is way prettier though.
'Mine's boring…. The icy flowers you make are way prettier~'
—Is that so? You know my enemies would say otherwise.
The cold.
It reminded her of Yi Jihyeon.
The mory felt so distant now.
In a blink of an eye, she had turned twenty five.
A total of twelve years had passed since they had t.
At first, she found Yi Jihyeon tireso.
No, tireso was an understatent.
But Evelyn didn't want to speak ill of her anymore.
"If you had just stopped teasing …."
Now teasing was just her sugarcoating it.
When Yi Jihyeon got serious, she had a personality.
It was the sole reason why Evelyn was a bit afraid of her.
"Big sis…."
She muttered after exhaling, the smoke blending with the icy mist that left her breath.
—You're so gloomy Eve, you'll never get a boyfriend like that.
Evelyn's brows furrowed as she recalled a certain mory.
But now that she pondered deeper, maybe….
Maybe she was just looking out for her, when everyone else had already left?
The teasing…. was her own way to cheer her up?
*Puff*
"Hic."
A strange sound escaped Evelyn's lips, and her vision started growing blurry.
Sothing seed to be stuck in the back of her throat, and Evelyn didn't feel like smoking anymore.
Evelyn dropped the cigarette to the ground and crushed it beneath her foot.
Tak.
"Hic."
That felt oddly relieving.
Tak.
She crushed it again.
Tak.
And again.
Tak.
And again.
Tak.
Until the strange sounds frequented, turning into sobs.
Her chest seed to tighten, and Evelyn couldn't help but clench her chest.
And then….
Drip.
Tears.
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