The crowd stood before the leaders. Parents clutched their partners like lifelines, their chests heavy with grief, their eyes lingering with hope. Hope that their children would get justice.
"We have caught the killer," the leader standing in the middle said, his voice cutting through the deep heaviness the parents carried. Those words were like bandages on their broken hearts.
For a while, no one broke the rollercoaster of emotions.
Silence settled, a mix of relief, rage, and sorrow spreading through all of them.
Then the leader spoke once again.
"However…"
That single word caused uncertainty to ripple through the crowd.
"We aren't sure if that person is really the killer," he continued.
"We are trying our best to make the suspect spill the truth," he added.
"For this reason, we aren't revealing anything about the suspect," the leader on the left side calmly said.
"Now you all can go."
They began moving, the pang of pain heavy in their souls.
"Whoever the killer is should be given the worst punishment," a woman said to her husband.
"We thought everything ended after…" Her partner paused. "Darkens stopped hunting, but nothing changed." His voice carried the pain of losing his own child.
The leaders began moving downstairs too.
"Did she tell the truth?" the leader on the right side asked.
"No, not yet," the leader on the left answered.
Aeni sat inside the cell, fallen to her knees. Blood dripped from her mouth.
She spat the blood.
The leaders' sentences echoed in her ears.
"You were the one spending most of the time with the children. Tell the truth. Did you kill them?"
She leaned against the wall.
"I failed to find him." She tightened her grip. "Karumi."
"Why did this happen?"
"This Divine Scar…" She looked at the Divine Scar on her hand with disgust.
"Because of this…"
"Why was I born withthis? I can't even use it," she muttered.
"Dery." Her voice sounded like regret.
"You died. Your sacrifice won't be a waste." She stared at her fist.
"I will find Karumi."
That name rang in her mind, returning her to a childhood memory.
It was night, and in that darkness, two people were on the verge of death. Kid Aeni stood before them, holding a fetus in her hands.
"Mama?" she whispered.
"Save Dery. Go away. Run." Both of them spoke loudly, coughing blood.
"But…" Aeni's mind was surrounded by hesitation.
Then—
A man approached her.
"Hey there," he waved at her.
"Sa-savemy mama and papa," Aeni said.
"I would," he replied. He was holding a Ghost Vault.
He placed it on her mother's body. That thing began sucking her soul, causing unbearable pain.
"What are you doing?" Aeni tried to bat his hand with her little legs while Dery slept quietly in her arms.
"Now…" He turned toward her. "If you take care of Karumi…" He pointed at a boy standing with his father, surrounded by Darkens who were protecting them instead of attacking.
"The matter of Above is settling, so I wouldn't be able to look after him," he added. "When we meet again… you would be able to see your mama."
"Deal?" He tilted his head.
"Sure." Motivation ran through her. "What about papa?"
"Not him. He's already dead."
"Okay." Aeni lowered her hand, her voice quiet.
In the present.
"Karumi! Where are you?"
Then—
A few female Lightlingers arrived.
"Are you going to tell the truth or what?" one of them said sharply. They were holding wooden sticks.
"I didn't do that. I am telling the truth," Aeni said while smiling.
They all sighed, opening the cell and entering inside.
The sun had set. Kaatoumo was quiet,
abnormally quiet.
Akarum slept quietly, lost in a dream.
A girl stood before a man, holding a woman's head despite her small figure. She looked unfazed by holding it.
The man stared at her in disbelief even his bones trembled in horror.
Akarum fluttered his eyelids and woke up.
"Weird dreams," his voice barely above a whisper.
Kashime walked through the hallway. Fast. Quiet.
A memory flashed in her eyes.
In the courtyard, her mother stood before her.
"Please give me some privacy with my daughter," she said to Asami, Flint, and Akarum.
They all headed inside.
Then she spoke.
"How dumb can you be?" Her sudden harshness froze Kashime.
"You lost your position." She stepped closer, her movements weighted.
"I didn't…" Kashime trembled. "I didn't do it intentionally, Sis."
"Shut your mouth." Her mother placed her index finger on Kashime's lips.
"You still haven't lost your habit of calling me sister," her mother complained. "That's not my fault if you don't have a sister. Don't complain to me."
Her mother's voice was ragged, her hands trembled.
"I didn't even say anything about it," Kashime said without meeting her gaze. "I don't know… it's just my habit."
"Shut your damn mouth." Her mother turned away sharply. "Don't ever come to the academy for comfort."
She left Heavenly Kaatoumo, leaving Kashime standing with pain and loneliness.
"Sis?" Kashime whispered, more to herself than to her mother.
In the present.
"I need… a blanket." Kashime reached a door and knocked.
No answer.
She knocked again.
No answer.
"Flint," Kashime called.
No response.
She pushed the door open in irritation.
And she saw,
Flint standing on a chair, a rope hanging from the ceiling.
For a second, no one moved. No one spoke.
Kashime was stunned.
"What are you doing?" She pushed him off the chair.
He fell.
"You bastard!" she shouted.
She gripped his collar and slapped him hard. The sound echoed through the room.
He didn't answer. He didn't meet her gaze. He acted like a dead person.
She released his collar.
"I faced so much. Did I try to kill myself?" She pointed at her chest.
"Even if you die… did you think about Aunty? Akarum?"
A pause.
"About me."
"Why were you doing that? Tell me, or I will slap you again!" she screamed.
"Nothing," he said, standing up, his voice quiet and broken.
"You… you could tell me whatever is bothering you," she stared at him. "I...I won't judge you." Her voice cracked.
Then,
Without warning, Flint's eyes filled with tears.
"Kashi," he said. "Am I a curse to you?" His voice sounded like he was asking for closure.
"What?" She was shocked. "That's not even a question. Of course not. You aren't." She snapped.
"Who told you that?" She shook him.
"I want to sleep now. Go to your room," he said, not looking at her.
"No. I'm staying here, so you won't try anything stupid again." Her grip tightened on his shoulders.
"And you're sleeping on the floor. That's final. No complaints."
He nodded.
Kashime lay on the bed, staring at Flint lying on the floor, facing away from her.
"Who told you that?" she muttered, more to herself than to him.
As her eyes shut and her mind dived into the dream world.