At midnight, silence enveloped Seres’ room, broken only by the occasional chirping of insects outside the window.
Seres still hadn’t fallen asleep.
She maintained the same posture she had during the day, curled up in the farthest corner of the bed against the wall, clutching a soft Pillow tightly to her chest.
Thick blankets wrapped her up tightly, leaving only a pair of blue eyes that seemed unusually bright in the darkness.
After Aidin’s heartfelt guidance earlier that day, Seres was no longer the panicked, terrified girl she had been at first.
Her rationality had returned considerably, but deep down, a strong unease still lingered, like a hidden current stirring beneath the calm surface of the sea.
This unease largely stemmed from Aidin’s departure.
He hadn’t stayed to keep her company through the night.
After soothing her emotions, he gently but firmly told her he had other matters to attend to and then left.
Though Seres felt a profound reluctance, wishing Aidin could stay by her side, she understood that she couldn’t rely on him for everything.
This was clearly a problem within herself—something from her past she needed to face.
Forcing Aidin to stay would only feel like a moral coercion.
Moreover, the matter of Olivia was ultimately hers alone to confront and resolve.
The root of all this lay within herself; she couldn’t forever expect others to bear the burden for her.
She understood this truth.
Though her mind accepted Aidin’s reasons, emotionally, she couldn’t help but yearn for him to remain.
She missed that warm and dependable embrace, as if curling up in it would give her the courage to face every fear in the world.
She hugged her bent legs tightly, resting her chin lightly on her knees, her thoughts drifting far away.
Could it be… because Aidin feels unrewarded?
A somewhat sorrowful thought surfaced in Seres’ mind.
After all, no one offers kindness without reason… It seemed that all along, Aidin had been the one giving—solving her troubles, protecting her—while she had never done anything for him…
If the roles were reversed, constantly giving without return, her own motivation would probably wane too…
But… what could she possibly offer Aidin in return?
Seres pondered this troubling question.
He seemed to lack nothing… so confident, strong-willed, with a personality she envied… his theoretical knowledge was flawless; though his mana was low and his practical training scores poor, his combat abilities were astonishing.
A faint blush colored the girl’s cheeks as a bold yet shy thought quietly emerged.
What she could offer… seemed to be only this fairly attractive face and body.
Immediately, Seres shook her head vigorously, suppressing the idea.
No, no… if she was too forward, would Aidin misunderstand her as a frivolous girl?
Would he dislike her?
As Seres curled up with her knees hugged, lost in various wild imaginings, a subtle yet chilling fluctuation of magical energy suddenly stirred in the room—distinctly different from ordinary magic elements.
Seres instantly became alert, her body tensing as all distractions vanished.
She lifted her head sharply and glanced around cautiously.
Soon, from the shadowy corner of the wall directly ahead, the darkness seemed to take on a life of its own, writhing and solidifying.
The figure of a black-haired girl in a simple dress appeared as if slowly emerging from an ink wash painting, silently standing there with a blurred face that revealed no emotion.
Seres’ pupils shrank to pinpoints, her breath nearly caught in her throat.
Olivia… has come.
“Seres… I’m here to help you fulfill… our promise back then…”
The black-haired girl floated toward Seres curled in the corner like she weighed nothing.
Her voice carried a hollow echo, sounding unusually clear in the silent room.
Seeing that painfully familiar face drawing near, Seres’ heart pounded uncontrollably, fear twisting like cold vines around her.
But she bit her lip hard, forcing herself to recall what Aidin had said during the day—to face it personally, to carefully discern.
Summoning the greatest courage she’d ever mustered, she lifted her eyelids and stared straight into the “Olivia” mere inches away, her gaze carefully tracing the other’s eyebrows, nose bridge, and lips… no matter how she looked, this was clearly the friend from her memories, indistinguishable.
“Are you… really Olivia?”
For a moment, the overwhelming sense of déjà vu and guilt threatened to drown her, yet Seres held on, asking in a trembling voice.
“Seres, what are you saying? Am I not Olivia? Weren’t we best friends?”
At these words, “Olivia” smiled with a hint of confusion and sadness.
Seres narrowed her eyes, suppressing the ache in her heart, and began recounting intimate memories only they shared—very private moments.
With each detail she spoke, her guilt deepened; the once-forgotten warmth now felt like needles stabbing her conscience.
But to test her suspicions, she had to ask.
Then, “Olivia’s” answers chilled Seres to the bone.
The so-called private details, utterly impossible for any third party to know, were answered flawlessly.
Even their tone of conversation, surroundings, and small gestures were described clearly and accurately.
Seres panicked completely, her mind going blank.
If even those secrets known only to the two of them were fully known by the other, then… was this truly Olivia in front of her?
“Now… can you still doubt me? I am… the one and only Olivia.”
“Olivia” looked at the last trace of doubt in Seres’ eyes being shattered, her lips curling into a curve of pity and a touch of smugness.
“I’m sorry… Olivia… I’m truly sorry… I didn’t care about your feelings… and that’s why you… I’m sorry… I failed to keep our promise…”
Seres’ final pillar of strength seemed to collapse instantly.
She slumped weakly onto the bed, covering her face with trembling hands as scalding tears poured out like a dam breaking, her voice breaking apart.
“Olivia” floated before Seres, extending a cold hand to gently rest atop her head, stroking as she had comforted her in the past.
But her voice carried a chilling tenderness.
“It’s alright, Seres… it’s not too late to fulfill our promise now… didn’t you say… you want to be with me forever?”
Her voice was like a devil’s whisper, dripping with temptation.
“So… come to me… end your life…”
Seres slowly raised her tear-blurred eyes, staring at the girl whose smile grew increasingly sinister.
Her consciousness began to haze, as if bewitched by an invisible force.
Until “Olivia’s” hand transformed into a gleaming Dagger, its cold light flickering as she held it before Seres, speaking in a soft yet unyielding tone.
“Use this… to end your life… then… you can come to me… and we will be together forever…”
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