The movie had barely begun when Ariel started regretting his choice. "I Want to Eat Your Pancreas" was far heavier than he'd expected. Ilya's eyes were already brimming with tears, and though Ariel tried to keep himself composed, the story gnawed at him too.
It was depressing, yes—but also brimming with longing, a desperate desire to cherish life while you had it. A masterpiece in its own right. By the time the final act rolled around, Ariel no longer regretted bringing Ilya here.
The theater wasn't crowded—movies were a luxury few could afford these days—but every person inside was crying quietly into the dim glow of the screen. Ariel clenched his jaw, holding himself together. That resolve shattered when the female lead, instead of dying from her illness, was suddenly stabbed.
That moment broke him.
Her death replayed against the memory of Ilya lying limp in his own arms once before, and the tears spilled over. Ilya didn't bother hiding hers; she'd been crying freely from the start.
When the credits rolled, the entire room felt weighed down. This wasn't just a film—it was an emotion carved into the heart. Ariel's pulse was unsteady, his chest tight. It didn't matter that it was fiction; the grief still clung to him.
Ilya turned to him with glassy eyes and wrapped her small arms around him. He froze for a moment, then held her back gently. For a girl so young, the story's weight was almost too much.
When they finally stepped out with Orryx, none of them spoke. They simply walked, the film still playing silently in their minds. Happy ending? Not even close.
As they moved along the street, Ariel's gaze dropped—and that's when he noticed it. A small shadow stretched unnaturally on the wall of a nearby building. He followed it upward.
Someone was standing at the edge.
A chill shot through him. He flicked his eyes to Orryx, who nodded wordlessly. But before they could act, the figure jumped.
Orryx tore open a fissure without hesitation, vanishing and reappearing with the limp body in his arms. The girl was unconscious but alive.
"She probably passed out after the fall," Orryx reported, setting her gently down.
Ariel frowned. "What now? We can't just leave her—she'll try again."
"We can take her to the palace," Orryx suggested. "Figure it out later."
Ariel agreed, and with another fissure, they stepped into his personal dimension. A sprawling palace unfurled before them—so massive it could've been mistaken for half a city.
Inside Ariel's room—a vast expanse of luxury—Orryx laid the girl on the bed.
"She's just a kid, my lord," Orryx murmured. "Why would she try to end her life?"
"How would I know?" Ariel said quietly. "We'll wait until she wakes."
Ilya's voice was small. "Is she alright, Uncle Orryx?"
Orryx hesitated, then sighed. "I won't lie, Your Highness… her condition is bad. Remove the scarf and you'll see—her face is burned, badly. She's lost her hair too. My guess is she was caught in a fire. And her mind…" His tone faltered. "Trying to end her life says enough. So no, I can't say she's alright."
Already weighed down by the film, Ilya's expression sank even further.
"Can't we do something, brother?" she asked, her voice trembling.
Ariel's gaze lingered on the girl. "…First, we treat her physical injuries. But do we even have a healer?"
"We do," Orryx answered. "After the last incident, I decided to train one. Found someone with the talent and had them learn the craft. I'll summon him."
Ilya looked up at Ariel, worry etched into her face. "Will she… will she be alright?"
He met her eyes. "I'll try my best."
A void creature soon came in. Its shape wasn't discernible, like shadows and darkness—formless. It took a quasi-human form, cut its formless limb, and started dropping its blood on the girl. The blood seemed alive, flowing into her wounds and moving here and there through her body where burns and injuries were. The wounds began healing automatically, as if the dead cells came alive.
It didn't take the void creature more than ten seconds to do all that. Its healing capability seemed far more potent than even Walter's, and it had only been a few days since Orryx insisted it learn healing. The creature's talent seemed too monstrous.
After the girl was healed, the blood of the void creature returned to him. He bowed to Ariel.
"Good work. You can leave now," Ariel said.
Ariel then called to Orryx. "Will she be alright now?"
"It's hard to say anything," Orryx replied. "It depends on whether she wants to live or not. After all, who can stop a person who is hell-bent on dying? All I can say is that at least she is alright physically now."
Ariel looked at Ilya. "What do you say? Will you help her by giving her motivation?"
"I definitely will!" Ilya replied.
Ariel removed the girl's scarf and placed a pillow beneath her head. The girl didn't have hair, but still seemed beautiful. Ariel patted her head, then sighed.
What has our world become, really? Here children, young, adults, and old all die every day without even living a life. Why is this world so cruel?
Ariel glanced at Ilya to study her expression. She seemed to be in a sad mood—and why wouldn't she be? The movie was enough, and now a girl had tried to commit suicide in front of her. And it was a young kid at that. Her age seemed to be around ten or eleven.
What could have happened that she decided to end her life? Ilya didn't know. But after watching I Want to Eat Your Pancreas and its philosophy of life, she felt like it wasn't a small reason.