Chapter 2: Second Chances Taste Like Blood

A gunshot tore through the air. Maybe my luck wasn’t that bad... after all, only one person had died right next to me. A beautiful person. It really made me sad... and hungry for justice...

He got hit in the arm. Shame it didn’t go through her head. But thanks to that, he let me go, and I fell to the ground. Right on time—I was near the emergency door. A group of armed guards appeared in the distance. They were the ones who fired, and now they had their weapons aimed at him.

“Hands behind your head! On your knees!” one of them shouted.

“Aaah... how annoying,” the killer sighed.

He obeyed slowly, making no sudden moves. A breath of relief, watching that scene... but it was uncanny how the wound on his arm didn’t seem to affect him at all. And curiously, the guards didn’t seem surprised either. Just how much am I missing here?

“We’re coming closer! You better stay still!”

“Uh-huh... Go ahead. I won’t do anything.” His voice was drenched in boredom.

He wasn’t nervous, total unbothered. After committing a crime of this magnitude, you'd expect at least a little twitch of the eye. That level of control... left me unsure of how to act.

Of course the guards approached with caution. Out of the four, only one stayed behind, keeping his weapon trained.

With handcuffs in one hand and a gun in the other, one guard got ready to arrest him... and... what happened next was exactly the same madness I had seen earlier.

I won’t bother trying to explain the inexplicable... though, in time, I managed to reconstruct what I saw. Or rather: what I think I saw.

The masked man didn’t move. His body stayed still, right there, a shadow seared into the retina by a flash. But at that exact moment, the guards began to fall.

The first one—the one with the cuffs—was pierced through the chest, as if by a spear. The second had his neck twisted violently. The third raised his weapon, aiming at the killer’s head... but he never got the chance to fire. He also dropped, skewered by what I could only describe at the time as... a ghost. An invisible man.

The guard in the back fired. You could see the bullets fly, two of them. They were faster than a person, but not as fast as whatever just tore through the other guards. The last man down was used as a human shield to stop those bullets.

The invisible man advanced, dragging the corpse with him, until he reached the final guard—slashing his arm and making him drop his gun.

The slow-motion carnage ended with three dead and one man on his knees, screaming in pain.

The killer, a sculpture in the bottom, now reappeared in front of the last guard, pointing his own gun at him.

It must’ve lasted maybe twenty seconds, but real time? Hah... maybe five. I don’t know. Either this guy has superpowers or... some kind of advanced tech? Either way, staying here is dangerous. My instincts are begging me to run.

“Aaaaaagh!” the poor guy writhed in agony.

BANG.

And a shot ended the suffering.

“What a waste of my time,” said the killer, wiping the blood off his hands. “Anyway, I was in the middle of something very... important.”

He turned around, looking for me.

“Mmm... Where did you go, little girl?”

Yeah, like hell I was going to stay there. I’d taken the chance to hide the moment my “saviors” appeared. Honestly, even without thinking too hard, it doesn’t take a genius to realize I’m screwed if he finds me.

“Aide, I need you to sweep the area.”

“Yes, sir. Of course, sir. Absolutely, sir.”

“The brat must’ve slipped away somewhere. Check the hall that connects to the entrance and the one leading to the emergency wing. I’ll check the second floor. She has red hair and is wearing a hospital gown.”

“Yes, sir. Of course, sir. Absolutely, sir. And if you’d like, I could wear that sexy white gown just for you, sir.”

“...”

“Sir, if I may—about the girl. May I make a small request?”

“...”

“If I find her first, would you give me a kiss? Preferably somewhere... the light doesn’t reach.”

“Aide, please don’t waste my time. I’m not in the mood to play with you.”

“That’s a yes! Thank you, sir!”

“Wait, no—Aah.” The killer sighed more deeply than before. “She hung up. Seriously, what is wrong with her?”

That man headed for the second floor. The most logical place to go...

I was already in the medical consultation area on the second floor. Unlike the first floor, it wasn’t packed. Most of the patients who had gone down had returned upstairs after witnessing the massacre.

The problem was... there were a lot of corpses by the windows.

“How cruel...”

All the windows were shattered, just like below. These people had gunned down anyone who might’ve seen them.

“I still hear gunshots, but not as frequent now. How long will it take for the police to show up? I know it’s only been a few minutes at most, but it feels like I’ve been trapped here for hours.”

But... I’m more agile now. I’ve felt it. The blood is flowing. I don’t mean to brag, but my greatest skill is living in the moment and not getting stuck in the past. Yeah... that’s it.

I shook my head hard, trying to focus.

“I need to find a way out.”

I’d have to stay out of sight, crouch, and avoid getting caught by whatever’s still shooting from outside.

“...Ah.”

It had started... the synesthesia, and time stretching.

Such chaotic sensations. But I just need to hang on. He won’t find me here... not behind the desk. I hope.

God... this is seriously unpleasant.

Even though I was fully aware of everything happening around me, I couldn’t see my pursuer. I couldn’t even hear him. Okay, so I ran for... well, there were three possible paths, and I chose one of them. To the east... well, I don’t know if it’s really east, but it’s to the right of the main entrance—so yeah, let’s call the entrance south, the stairs with the elevators north, the emergency stairwell on the east, and then west is... uh... whatever, it doesn’t matter.

I was under the reception desk in this wing... Luckily, no one else was here. Most people were already on the ground... I think some even jumped out the windows. I hope they survived the fall... and the shrapnel.

How many seconds have passed? I should’ve counted them. I’m so full of thoughts that I can’t even register what’s going on around me.

“Come on, just get it over with already...” My stomach churned, the dizziness came back stronger.

—Gyaaaaa!

A scream—raw and guttural—shattered my anxious silence. It was awful. I could feel the pain, the suffering, the agony behind it. My stomach clenched so hard I nearly threw up.

Other cries followed... and then, a deathly silence.

I didn't dare look, nor did I want to see what had happened. But I could imagine it. That monster... he probably wiped out everyone in the waiting room. Everyone he saw, everyone he heard scream. Please... let someone have survived. Hidden.

I was shaking... I wanted to sob. My instincts were screaming at me to run. “Thinking like this won’t get me anywhere,” I told myself.

The best thing I could do now was find a better hiding spot. The police had to arrive at some point. The biggest problem was that time-slowing power. That thing... that monster could cover a lot of ground in just a few minutes. If this went on, sooner or later, he’d find me.

Alright. I’ll run. Staying still is a death sentence. I know I can do it... I’ve felt it—back when I first left the hospital. When my body moved with the agility of a cat.

“If I’m a cat now... I’ll land on my feet, right? Right?”

I crossed my fingers, hoping I wouldn’t fail. I mean, it’s just the second floor... should be around six meters (about 20 feet) high. Not that hard to survive the fall and still be able to walk... right?

TAP-TAP

That sound—my hearing, recovered from the synesthesia—picked it up clearly. With the noise of the crowd and gunfire gone, I could finally distinguish it. His footsteps.

TAP-TAP

“Again... he’s close again.” My nerves were raw. “Don’t betray me now, body...”

TAP-TAP

It was a funeral march... my hands were frozen. “Please, go down the center hallway. Don’t come this way,” I begged in silence.

TAP-TAP

Chiik...

My breathing was heavy...

TAP–Tap

Tap–tap

He entered... a room. That Chiik—it was the sound of a door opening. That means he went to the central hallway. It's the closest one, and it has rooms on both sides. He must think I didn’t have much time to hide, that I ran into one of those rooms first.

tap–TAP

TAP–TAP

Chiik...

It was the second door—sounded farther than the first.

"Will that be enough to escape?"

If he activates his power when I run or hears the window breaking, I’m done for. He could grab me midair and kill me like the others.

One more door. I had to wait for him to enter at least one more room—or maybe two? Would he head back to the waiting area if he didn’t find me in the first few? "I can feel it... wait too long and this becomes my grave. The real question is—do I bet he keeps going down the center... or does he turn this way?"

I had to decide.

TAP-TAP

Chiik

Tap-tap

I relaxed, steadied my breathing, and got ready to move. “Mother of God... Ien... please watch over me.”

It’s unexplainable—why, just now, I’d think about a girl I’d only just met... ah... Good thing I didn’t realize it in the moment, or I’d have hesitated more.

I exhaled.

I darted out from under the counter, heading for the East hallway—the one with the shattered windows. This area was closed off from all sides, with several paths branching toward different wings. The only source of light came from the hallway windows, and that’s what I aimed for before crashing into one.

—Let’s gooo—!

PAF

A direct hit—

I slammed into the window so hard I bounced back and fell to the floor.

Looked way easier in the movies...

—Augh...

"Move, you idiot. If you stay still, you die." I kept repeating that to myself as I got up.

The windows were reinforced, but not bulletproof. They also had no latches to open them. Who the hell designs hospital windows like that?

"Damn it... if they catch me here, I’m screwed."

I kept running down the corridor, dodging everything in my way, trying to make as little noise as possible.

These windows faced a central courtyard, surrounded by hospital walls to the south and north. To the east, I could see a fence leading to the street.

At the next intersection, there was a wide hall where the corridor continued, and another one opened to my left (cardinal-wise, that was the east). Every window on the left was shattered.

"Okay—no time to think. I’ll use that to jump."

The whole dash took me less than three seconds—covered about 50 meters (55 yards) in total. That had to be some kind of world record. I ran so fast I overshot and slid into the room at the end.

"Please... don’t let him be here yet."

The monster wasn’t moving fast and he hadn’t activated his power either. In that short span, I’d made it farther than I thought possible. Thanks god, he didn’t hear me crash.

These hospital floors were so damn slippery—it took a second to regain balance, but I managed to head into the East corridor...

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“Ah... this... this is hell.”

The moment I entered, all momentum vanished. Why? Well... if you think about it, the windows in this corridor were broken—that meant someone had fired through here... at people.

The floor was soaked in blood from end to end and bodies were scattered everywhere... in the middle... along the walls... some stacked on top of each other. If I wanted to move forward, I’d have to step on them.

"How... how can someone discard life so coldly?"

They say one death is a tragedy, a million is a statistic... But this wasn’t a number. This was genocide.

PAF

I slapped myself across the cheeks.

“Don’t... look back. You have to step over them. Just a few. The ones near the first broken window.”

I was about to do something horribly disrespectful—walk over the corpses of people murdered by maniacs. I didn’t feel good about it, but I had no other choice. It was the only way with broken windows that didn’t take me through the central hallway—the one with the killer.

I gathered speed and lunged forward.

“FOUND YOU!” A female voice through a megaphone.

Without stopping, I glanced to the side—toward the windows.

A... ship? Drone? I wasn’t sure, but it was floating in the middle of the courtyard—central cabin, twin rotors, and... two massive machine gun turrets.

“Dearest captain! I’ve found the little fugitive! I deserve a night of wild, unrestrained passion—preferably in your bed!”

My opportunity to escape had just gone up in smoke.

Stopping would be a mistake, I must take advantage of the momentum.

“Eat this, brat!”

A burst of gunfire came straight at me, shattering the few intact windows left and blasting the hanging shards from their frames.

“Shit, I’m gonna die!” Or so I thought.

Because somehow, I had launched myself forward with such speed that the bullets couldn’t catch me. Bless this divine speed.

“What the—!? Damn brat, you’re fast! Try THIS on for size!”

The damn thing fired missiles... Honestly, no one would believe this was real. Speaking of movies... this felt like I’d been dropped into a low-budget action film.

“Oh, crap—”

Not only was my speed divine, but so was my reaction time... or was it time itself? Okay, something was happening to me, though it wasn’t the same as what the masked guy did. I didn’t know if it was my brain, but I could think clearly and act accordingly.

So, right there in the hallway, I dove toward the nearest window and jumped before the missiles hit.

“Uwoooooooh!!”

Okay... maybe I overdid it. Still can’t control this body very well, and I reached a terrifying height—

PAT

Perfect landing. Well... almost perfect. My knees were killing me, and I didn’t land on the grass, but on a slab of metal...

“You slippery little bitch! Get off me!” I’d landed on top of the drone chasing me. “Only the captain’s allowed to ride me! Unauthorized humping by strangers is strictly forbidden!”

It was luck, although now I didn’t have to worry about her shooting me. Now I just had to figure out how to get off in one piece.

“Hey! Careful up there!” The pilot started shaking the drone, trying to shake me off.

“I said ONLY the captain gets to be on top of me!”

She began spinning, jolting forward, pulling back—I clung on for dear life.

“Ow ow ow! You annoying little skank! Fine, let’s speed things up then!”

The drone kicked into high gear, nearly flinging me off. But I held on tight, gripping the cockpit with all I had.

“Wanna go for a ride!? Bitches need fresh air anyway!”

She started flying in loops, diving and banking as she flew out of the hospital grounds. The wind slammed into my face, so hard it nearly tore me off.

Sure, the view of the city was probably amazing—Although I didn't have the luxury of enjoying it. Even if I tried, the g-force was making it impossible.

“Aaaaah! Enough already!”

An idea crossed my mind. This girl was clearly insane, but she couldn’t stray too far from the hospital—She’d risk getting caught. So if I could slow her down, I could jump and make it back to the hospital entrance... with a bit of luck.

“Fine! No choice, then!” With all my strength, I began crawling toward the rear of the drone, until I was clinging to a tail fin.

“Did you fall off already!? I can still feel your weight! I don’t have rear cams, you know! And only the captain’s allowed to touch that part too!”

She was definitely missing a few screws... and needed a wrench or two tightened.

“EAT THIS!” I shouted as I lunged toward the back of the drone.

Grabbing the rear fin, I stomped down hard on the tail. My strength... was divine too.

I managed to tilt the flight upward toward the sky.

“Hey, don’t do that! I’ll kill you! I’ll split your XXXX open from here to your throat!”

“This isn’t over yet!” I shouted, keeping the pressure on.

All I had to do was flip the drone 180 degrees, get it pointed straight at the ground, ready to crash and with my super reflexes, I’d jump off before it exploded.

“Aaaaah! You psycho bitch, we’re gonna die!!”

“Screw you, you maniac! You’re even crazier than my ex!” I shouted back as I finished flipping the drone.

I was so focused on making her crash that I ended up tearing off the drone’s rear fin—but it was enough. We were spiraling down, nose first, straight for the hospital’s courtyard. Fast.

“I’m gonna die! I can’t believe this! I didn’t even get the captain inside me! Why is this happening to a sweet, innocent woman like me!? If you had just stayed still, none of this would’ve happened! Die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die! Aah, my captain...! I didn’t even get to become your sex slave!”

Her monologue was exhausting, but now was the time to jump. My target was the fountain in the center of the courtyard—I just had to gauge the force right and—

“What the—!?”

“JUUUST KIDDING~!”

The drone came to a sudden halt, and I launched forward, unable to measure the distance properly. At least I’d leapt hard enough that my fall was angled, not vertical.

“Aaaaah!” I screamed midair.

Luckily, I landed on a patch of grass and rolled forward to break the fall... though I ended up with a nasty pain in my back and left arm.

“What... the hell? How did she... I’m screwed.”

It was moving. No, backing up. It began to rise, still pointing straight downward.

“Holy crap...”

This kind of ascent made zero sense. It stayed vertical, an elevator ship. Then it spun—what was it? 180? No, 270 degrees backwards—and finally leveled forward, hovering calmly out of the hospital area.

“This is way too nuts...”

“Surprised, puppy girl? Welcome to a brand new world! A world full of possibilities you’ll never understand!” The drone stopped backing up and resumed normal flight.

“This ends here,” I thought, gritting my teeth, helpless and in pain.

“Y’know, the mission was to capture you! But this has taken way too long! So now I’ll just settle for your corpse!”

She aimed at me from above. I limped, trying to run, but I was too slow. She’d outplayed me—she had that trick up her sleeve. Was it a power like the masked guy’s? There was no use... I just kept trying to flee, however I could.

“Mom, I’m sorry... I won’t make it back home.”

Resigned to my fate, I kept walking—hoping for a miracle—

CRASH

A thunderous impact behind me made me turn. Sirens blared in the distance, and blue lights in the sky approached fast. Ships... My prayers had been heard. One of them had collided with the lunatic’s drone.

At some point this turned into an action flick, but now it was full-blown sci-fi with damn flying cars.

Police patrol ships with flashing lights and sirens were swarming in.

“The boys in blue are here!” I shouted, dropping to my knees.

On the ground, wracked with pain, A great relief came to me at the thought that the nightmare might finally be over.

“Finally... fina—”

But the universe had no intention of giving me a break.

Because a cold, grey, shadowy world swallowed me whole... Invisible chains wrapped around me—tightening around my body, suffocating my senses. And the worst part... they awakened sensations I had no idea how to process.

It was him.

No doubt.

Although I didn't see or hear him approaching—I knew he was there... and that he’d caught me.

I could feel everything—every sense was alive—but I couldn’t move a finger. So when those hands grabbed my delicate new neck, put a rope around my throat.

That's right, he had me. Squeezing my neck. I could say I was choking—and I was. Although the strange thing was, even though my lungs weren’t breathing, I stayed conscious. The pain, though... that was real and it cut deep.

He dragged me quickly back into the hospital—through the same hallway from the beginning—only from the opposite end.

There were still people there...

“Aaah...” Twenty seconds of being dragged, and everything returned to normal. “No more uses left. Maybe I should end your life now that reinforcements have arrived,” the killer muttered aloud.

Without letting go, he walked toward the emergency exit... killing anyone who got in his way.

It didn’t matter if they begged or screamed—anyone who moved or tried to get up was slaughtered.

Only those who overcame their fear and ran immediately survived. The rest... the ones frozen in terror... paid the ultimate price.

It was a blood-soaked walk, echoing with cries of grief.

“Ag... pleagh... leg me...”

I still couldn’t utter a single word. My despair grew with every step.

So many people dying around me and in such a cruel way... with their heads severed.

Young, old, men, women... even children.

This man... didn’t know the meaning of mercy.

“Gumi, I’m heading out. Is the transport ready?”

“My life... is disgusting.”

“I survived a terrorist attack, and now I’m being kidnapped by a serial killer.”

“All I wanted... was to live a life without regrets.”

“I was going to apologize to my mom. Ask for my dad’s forgiveness. Remember my brother without guilt.”

“For not protecting him.”

“That day... I’d decided my new life would begin.”

“That I would live in the moment, more than ever before.”

“But I was late... once again.”

“I got a second chance, but... again, everything went wrong.”

“Don’t I have the right to live a life without regrets?”

“And above all... Ien was dead.”

“Why... does that make me so sad?”

Tears began to fall—ragged, broken sobs—as he dragged me through the wide emergency doors of the hospital.

He barely paid attention to me. Just kept walking, I was just luggage.

That’s why... he didn’t notice the miracle that was about to happen.

“God... if you exist... give me... just one more chance...”

I took a deep breath.

And then... I saw my body, the killer and the emergency door move away.

Something strange.

The image expanded—far beyond what human vision should be able to see. I could even see behind my back... without turning.

Everything stretched toward a center.

From flat, two-dimensional space... to a three-dimensional plane, full of depth and motion.

I lost all sensation.

The pain vanished.

All that remained... was this unintelligible, abstract vision.

And me—floating in the middle of a dark tunnel.

Calm, but with a tight chest. Expectant the right word.

I exhaled.

It’s weird... but even far from my body, I released air from my lungs... then I started to feel light.

The tunnel, which had stretched so far, began to reverse itself.

Where before I felt like I was drifting away... now it felt like I was getting closer to the end.

The image sharpened—colors and shapes forming again.

Leaving that tunnel behind.

Forgetting this separation of mind.

Returning to the plane of a normal human being.

With normal sensations, and no pain... other than the sting of the IV in my arm.

Everything... went back to normal.

Or so I thought...

“Get a sedative! Quickly!”

I was on the floor, arms spread out, held down by two men. I couldn’t move.

“Huh? What... is this?”

“Careful with the patient! Don’t hurt her!”

“Huh? Huh? Is this... Is the main entrance!”

“Stop! Wait a minute!”

“Ien.” I spoke the name of the girl who had been shot in front of me.

She was alive.

Ien. Alive.

I could still see the blood... not on her body, but as a memory far too recent.

“What!? What is she saying!? Clearly the patient is in shock! She needs to be sedated!”

Even though I wasn’t injured, I was struggling to breathe.

Even though she had died... now she was alive.

“She was fine just a moment ago... he... she just got some bad news. It will be okay... right, Robin?”

“This was the same... or is it happening the same way? Too much headaches for a day.”

Confused, I didn’t know where to look or what to do.

The guards let go of me, visibly unsure, stepping back—convinced by Ien’s words.

“Robin. I understand that... Oh, I’m sorry. Is something wrong?”

I was trembling.

Not long ago... I’d been in hell.

My joints wouldn’t respond.

I didn’t even know how to act or what to say.

Until—

“Robin, my name is Ien Reed. I’m in charge of your case. If you need to understand anything about your condition, I’ll explain it all in detail.”

With that warm voice, she offered me her hand to help me up.

It was... comforting.

Such a simple way to calm me...

Why did I feel so drawn to her?

“N-Nice to meet you... I-I guess... huh?”

I stomped my foot down, and my eyes finally focused ahead.

Thanks to her... I woke up from the trance.

I don’t understand anything, but I know this much: I don't want to see her cold body on the ground...

As soon as I regained control of my body—I moved.

I leapt at Ien.

“H-Hey!”

I shoved her with all my strength, and both of us flew into the reception area.

Bzzz.

A sharp buzz tore through the air.

It lasted only a moment... but that was all it needed.

Painful.

We hit the floor and slid until crashing into the reception desk.

I felt a stabbing pain in my left side, and a burning sensation spread until it clenched my molars.

When I touched it, my hands came back soaked in blood.

“Robin!!”

Ien realized what had happened before any of the guards.

That high-pitched sound, barely audible, had been a bullet—one that pierced me before anyone noticed.

“Everyone down! Sniper!” Ien shouted.

Everything escalated quickly, and as I lay suffering on the floor, I found myself wondering why I saved her.

No, saving someone else is a natural reaction. That wasn’t the real question. The real question was why... she mattered so much to me.

“Robin, lean on me! I’ll get you to shelter!”

I had just met her. And yet... I didn’t want anything to happen to her.

“Come on! Quickly!” Ien supported me, pulling my arm around her shoulders. “We have to get out of here!”

“Ugh... this hurts like I got... oh, wait—yeah, I did get shot.” I used humor, trying to pull my mind away from the pain.

It was overwhelming. But I knew we couldn’t stop.

We ran after a group fleeing toward the security room.

“Oh, rats!!” Ien cursed.

Windows exploded non-stop, and the walls were filling with holes.

They were riddling the place with bullets again.

“Around the corner, Robin! Go right!”

To the right...

Right?

A guard up ahead was signaling the way. That... wasn’t good.

If everything was repeating, then...

“No! We have to hide!” I shouted, pulling Ien with what little strength I had left.

“Are you insane!? The shelter’s that way!”

But she didn’t get it.

Going back meant dying in a hail of bullets.

But going forward...

A demon was waiting.

“I’ve lived this already! If we go right, we’re screwed!”

“We’re goi—What!?”

We reached the corridor intersection, and I saw the guard standing there—once more.

Too late...

The world turned gray, and all my senses distorted.

“Shit...” I whispered as she carried me.

I turned to face the genocidal monster waiting for us.

Amidst all the chaos, he stood there.

The black mask. The red markings. The green jacket.

“No! That’s bastard!”

The scene... was a mirror of the one before. The monster come to claim his victims.

A synesthesia of horror.

With his figure drawn at the end.

Slit throats. Blood gushing. One by one, the bodies started to fall.

People who were only seeking shelter, who just wanted to survive, were slaughtered mercilessly. Not even knowing how it was happening... maybe... maybe that made it merciful.

Merciful?

Calling the murder of innocents merciful?

The old man, helped along by what looked like his grandchildren, fell with his throat cut.

The woman who tried to shield her son—both of them with open necks.

The guard holding a girl who had stumbled—slit.

The nurse, the group of friends, the elderly couple, the pregnant woman, the man pushing a boy in a wheelchair, the man carrying his wife, the three older women trying to flee together, the group of students hiding behind another guard, the man protecting his daughter, the woman descending the stairs, the grandfather carrying his grandchild on his back...

All of them—slaughtered.

It was a massacre.

The demon stood still. After seeing it so many times, I already knew it was just an illusion—but I couldn’t help imagining he was enjoying his work.

I want to wake up from this nightmare.

“Someone, wake me up...” I whispered, broken.

“Your wish is my command, Robin.” Someone familiar replied.

I opened my eyes wide.

I was lying on the floor, flat on my back, struggling to breathe.

—[Pathfinder]...

A blonde girl with a high ponytail stood about ten meters (33 feet) away, her beautiful leg still lifted as if she’d just finished a kung-fu kick.

And those crimson red eyes, gleaming like rubies.

Around her, all those people I had just seen die... were standing. Heads still attached to their necks.

The same ones I saw dead, came back to life.

“Ien... ” I whispered, overcome with joy. “Ien...”

Unable to process what had happened, I just stood there, mouth agape.

“Robin, as long as I breathe, there’s always a second chance. With my Pathfinder, I won’t lose. So... you just need to cheer me on, okay? Hehe.”

My beautiful guardian angel stood there facing me, smiling...

Although... she was crying.

Tears rolled down her cheeks, and her voice trembled.

She saved me from the demon—but she... or at least it felt that way... was carrying an unbearable weight.

Such a face—so full of sorrow.