"Is something the matter this late at night?"
Revanio's voice cut through the quiet hallway like a cold blade. Lizzy stiffened instantly. She had assumed earlier that his sharp tone was directed only at her — perhaps because he disliked her, or distrusted her. But now, hearing him use that same unyielding tone with strangers made her realize something else:
He was simply a blunt, curt person by nature.
Somehow, that realization relieved her… and yet made her even more tense at the same time.
"There were signs of a Black Gate near the Kingdom yesterday," one of the men outside said. "Until now, we still haven't found clues about the creature that emerged. Citizens are advised to remain cautious. No one is allowed to leave the Royal District for the time being."
"And if anything abnormal appears, report it immediately to the Kavaliro Battalion," another voice added. "We will eliminate anything deemed suspicious."
The last words echoed like a death knell.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Lizzy could hear her heartbeat. Loud. Fast. Violent. As if her own chest was trying to warn her of danger before her mind could understand it.
Eliminate. Suspicious.
Each word felt like a claw scraping along the inside of her skull.
Her breath hitched. Cold fear crawled up her spine. If these people discovered her — her appearance, her unnatural arrival, her black hair — she knew exactly what would happen. They wouldn't ask questions. They wouldn't investigate.
They would strike.
She would die.
Her leg trembled as she unconsciously stepped backward — and her heel struck the edge of a stair. A loud, abrupt thud echoed in the silence.
Milliane gasped softly beside her. Both of them froze on the staircase, suspended between flight and terror.
The loud sound immediately drew attention. "What was that?" someone outside murmured.
Tap, tap, tap, tap—
The footsteps grew closer.
Lizzy felt the world tilt. Her vision blurred with panic. Her throat tightened so painfully she thought she might choke on her own breath.
Thud!
"Meow!"
A round, orange-and-white cat dropped from the second floor like a plump meteor, landing right in front of Lizzy.
Lizzy's mouth opened in a silent scream, but her hands flew up just in time to cover it. For a heartbeat, she could only stare at the cat, wide-eyed and shaking.
It took her several seconds to comprehend what had just happened.
Those strange 'footsteps'… that sudden noise… it was just the cat. A fat cat that had apparently been chasing a mouse on the upper floor, slipped, and tumbled all the way down.
That ridiculous explanation was somehow the most relieving thing Lizzy had ever heard in her life.
"M-Moriga!" Milliane cried with relief, immediately darting after the cat as it scampered into the kitchen. Lizzy, however, remained frozen — legs numb, hands trembling, breath unsteady.
"…Just a cat," she whispered shakily. Only then did she feel her lungs tighten with a desperate exhale.
Moriga had unknowingly saved her life.
If he hadn't fallen at the perfect moment, Lizzy might have been discovered — and killed — before she even understood this world.
"I am Captain of Gardisto Department. There is nothing to worry about," Revanio said outside, his tone as cold as ever. "If anything suspicious appears, I will handle the capture personally."
"Oh—right. My apologies for disturbing you so late." A moment later, the sound of the door shutting echoed through the hallway.
Lizzy still didn't move. Even when the footsteps grew distant, even when silence returned, even when the danger had passed — her body refused to respond.
Her legs buckled. She collapsed onto the stair, gasping for air she couldn't fully breathe. Her limbs trembled violently, as if refusing to accept that she was still alive.
Morgana rushed to her side immediately. "Lizzy, are you alright?"
Lizzy shook her head weakly, tears gathering without her realizing. "What… what am I supposed to do?" she whispered in a breaking voice. "If they find me — if they see me — I'll be killed instantly."
"Lizzy, listen to me," Morgana murmured, voice gentle despite her own worry. "They're not looking for you. They're investigating the creature that might have come from the Black Gate."
"But I might be from the Black Gate!" Lizzy cried, her composure finally fracturing. "You said it yourselves — no one saw what kind of Spiral Gate I came from! Maybe it was a Black Gate!"
Her voice trembled uncontrollably, her breathing uneven. She didn't understand why she felt so overwhelmed — but everything inside her was spiraling.
Morgana blinked, surprised by the outburst. Even she didn't know how to soothe Lizzy when the girl's panic had built up this much.
Milliane held Moriga closely, stepping forward with timid courage. "Do you… doubt yourself?" she asked softly. "Do you think you're dangerous?"
Revanio's question followed without hesitation — sharp, direct, merciless. "Are you afraid because you think you're a threat?"
Lizzy felt her eyebrow twitch, trying to maintain composure. "That's not what I meant. I'm just scared they—"
"If you believe you're a good person," Revanio interrupted calmly, "you have nothing to fear."
His voice was flat. Emotionless. Almost cold.
Yet somehow, the certainty behind it carried weight — like an unshakable truth.
"When I saw you for the first time," he continued, "I didn't feel danger from you. So calm down. And stay inside the house. If you don't want to be found."
Lizzy opened her mouth — but no words came out. She didn't know why, but despite his harshness, she couldn't bring herself to argue.
So instead, she looked away, swallowing the lingering panic.
Morgana placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Calm yourself, Lizzy. We will find a way to bring you home. Back to Earth."
"Is… is that even possible?" Her voice was small, trembling.
"There must be a way," Morgana said with unwavering kindness. "We just need to look for it."
Milliane nodded earnestly, raising Moriga slightly. "We'll help you, Lizzy. Right, Moriga?"
"Meow," the cat responded — as if to reassure her too.
Lizzy exhaled softly, helplessly. She had no choice but to trust them. If there was even the slightest chance to return home, to her brother — she would cling to it.
"Let's get you to bed," Morgana whispered. "It's late."
And so, accompanied by Morgana and Milliane, Lizzy returned to her room. Only after they ensured she had finally fallen asleep did they leave quietly, letting the door close softly behind them.
Lizzy's obsidian eyes slowly fluttered open again once every lamp in the house had gone dark. The silence was heavy — the kind that wrapped around her like a cold blanket, urging thoughts she had been avoiding to finally rise to the surface.
I can't stay here. I can't keep troubling them.
The words echoed painfully inside her chest.
"They themselves said it… that black is considered a curse here," she whispered, staring up at the dim ceiling as if it held all her fears. "If I stay any longer, I'll only be dragging them into danger. If someone discovers they've been hiding me… they'll be punished for it. And I… I couldn't bear that. I'd regret it for the rest of my life."
"Meow…"
"Hi—!" Lizzy nearly screamed. Her heart launched itself toward her throat so violently she had to slap a hand over her mouth.
She spun around — and found Moriga sitting calmly on her bed, blinking at her with round golden eyes, as if materializing from the shadows themselves.
"Moriga—!" Lizzy hissed, quickly lowering her voice. She placed a trembling finger against her lips. "Sshh! You'll get us caught. Don't make a sound, okay?"
The cat tilted his head and meowed again, softer this time, as if reluctantly agreeing.
Lizzy released a long, shaky breath and turned toward the window. She pushed it open just enough for the cold night breeze to brush her face. It was strangely comforting — a reminder that the world outside still existed, even if it felt terrifyingly unfamiliar.
The street below was deathly quiet. No footsteps. No lanterns. No late-night wanderers. Just the pale glow of moonlight and the endless purple sky stretching above.
But in the distance — faintly — Lizzy could make out moving lights. Several people carrying torches, walking in deliberate, synchronized paths.
The same men who had come to Morgana's home earlier. Now patrolling the town like hunters in search of something dangerous.
Or someone.
Lizzy's stomach twisted. She memorized their patterns, their shadows, their routes. If she wanted to slip away unseen, she needed to move with absolute precision.
Thankfully, the houses here were built close together. The window led directly toward the neighboring home's water pipe.
Her lips curved into a small, relieved smile. She had a way out.
Even from the second floor, she could descend without a sound — her body was trained, her muscles conditioned from years of martial arts. Stealth was second nature to her.
She crouched beside Moriga and stroked the top of his head gently. "I'm sorry, Moriga… really. Please tell them I said thank you. I'll never forget their kindness."
Before leaving, Lizzy pulled her blanket over her head — covering her black hair, which was considered a curse. Then, she placed a pillow under the bed sheet to imitate a sleeping figure. It wasn't perfect — but in the darkness, it might buy her a few precious hours.
Only when everything was in place did she climb onto the windowsill. The world outside felt vast and cold, like she was about to step into a completely different life.
Perhaps she was.
She grabbed the edge of the wall and began her descent. Her hands moved confidently, her breaths measured and quiet. After lowering herself partway down the wall, she reached the neighbor's water pipe and began sliding down with practiced ease.
Her feet finally touched the ground. Silent. Smooth. Perfect. A surge of pride rose in her chest — until—
"Meow!"
Lizzy nearly died for the second time that night. Moriga had jumped after her, landing gracefully at her heels.
"Wha— Moriga?! Don't follow me!" Lizzy whispered fiercely. "You have to go back! Go!"
The cat's answer was to blink slowly and lick his paw, as though this were nothing more than a midnight stroll.
Lizzy's panic surged again. She scanned the nearby houses — each window dark, each door shut tight. Thankfully, no one seemed to have heard.
She exhaled shakily.
"I have to go now. Don't follow me, okay?" Her voice trembled. She gently tapped Moriga's head before sprinting away from the house, her footsteps swift and nearly soundless.
But every few steps, she looked back — half afraid, half hoping — to check if the cat had chased after her again.
He didn't. Moriga stayed behind, quietly watching her vanish into the night. His stillness somehow made her heart ache in a way she didn't expect.
Lizzy had no real plan. Not truly.
Everything she was doing now — running, hiding, escaping — was nothing more than instinct. The overwhelming need to protect the only people who had shown her kindness since she arrived.
She didn't want Morgana's family to suffer because of her existence. They had fed her, sheltered her, comforted her — they'd treated her like a lost child, not a monster.
If the authorities discovered they'd hidden her… the punishment might be severe. Unforgiving. Cruel.
Lizzy felt guilt clawing at her chest. Maybe Revanio shouldn't have brought her home. If he had left her in the forest, none of this would have happened. They wouldn't be in danger. She wouldn't feel this heavy, choking responsibility.
And she wouldn't have to leave them behind like this.
But she had made her choice.
Now she simply needed to get as far away as she could. Far enough that no one would suffer because of her. She would find a way back to Earth on her own.
And if she couldn't… if the Spiral Gate was gone forever…
Then she would surrender herself. Maybe — just maybe — this world had laws like her own. Where confessing the truth could lessen the punishment. If she was lucky, maybe she could avoid execution.
Execution. The word chilled her.
What crime have I even committed?
Was it truly enough — having black hair and black eyes — to label her as cursed? As dangerous? As a threat requiring extermination?
Was she really considered the enemy of the world for something as trivial as her appearance? If so… where was their sense of humanity?
Was kindness like Morgana's truly so rare here?
And beyond that…
How was she supposed to survive? Would someone appear — someone who would help her again — the way Revanio did?
In the growing darkness of that foreign world, Lizzy whispered a fragile, trembling wish: "I hope… I made the right decision."