August 10th
NSGU Campus
"Mhm, please don't hesitate to approach me if you need any help."
Arianne smiled as she watched the last of her classmates leave the hall.
The moment they were gone, her expression fell. She sat back down, eyes drifting to her open textbook without really seeing it.
Why… do I still feel like I lost something important…?
Her gaze stayed lowered when two voices drifted into the room.
Familiar ones.
Slowly, Arianne looked up.
Kyle and—
The moment her eyes found Anathasia, something twisted in her chest.
A sudden, unexplainable dread washed over her.
Ana…thasia…
Cold sweat slid down her temple.
What…? Why am I…? What's wrong with me…?
"Ah, Arianne. Morning." Kyle's voice cut through her spiraling thoughts.
Anathasia walked beside him, her expression calm as ever.
"Mornin', Arianne."
They came closer, but just before they reached her, Anathasia paused, exchanging a brief glance with Kyle.
Something passed between them.
"Arianne," Kyle said, pulling out a handkerchief and offering it to her. "You look pale. Maybe you should take today off?"
She hesitated… then took it.
"I am?" she muttered. "That's… strange…"
Only after the cloth was in her hand did she realize what she'd done.
Wait…
Why did I just accept that without thinking?
"I…" She stopped short, her eyes fixed on the handkerchief before lifting to meet theirs. Her practiced smile slipped back into place.
"Yeah… maybe I should."
Arianne stood, slinging her bag over her shoulder.
"I'll be leaving first, then. Please take care."
She dipped her head politely and walked past them, leaving the hall behind.
"Take care," Kyle said as she disappeared down the corridor.
Once she was gone, he and Anathasia exchanged a glance.
"It worked exactly as planned," Anathasia said.
"That's for the best," Kyle replied, watching the space where Arianne had vanished. "If she tried to dig too deep…"
"She wouldn't have just lost her memories," Anathasia cut in.
"There wouldn't have been an Arianne. She would have been removed from history entirely."
Her gaze stayed on the empty hallway.
"And no one, not even she would ever realize it."
Kyle went silent at her words, his expression softening before he turned back.
"But she's safe now… so that should be fine. Even if that had to happen."
"Yeah," Anathasia replied. "By the way… did you finish that activity Professor Wang gave us yesterday? I didn't touch mine."
He froze, his face flattening as he stared at her.
"Are you serious right now?"
Anathasia simply nodded as Kyle ran a hand through his hair in exasperation.
—
An Hour Later
Arianne's Residence
Arianne stared up at the ceiling, her thoughts drifting.
"Is there something wrong with me…?" she muttered, lifting her hand and staring at the back of it.
I don't remember Anathasia doing anything to make me scared of her all of a sudden…
And she doesn't remind me of anyone who hurt me back then, either.
Her phone lit up beside her, pulling her attention away.
"…?"
Several notifications crowded the lock screen. But one stood out.
A message from Hinami.
Then, almost immediately, a call followed. Arianne grabbed her phone and answered.
"I've been trying to reach you since earlier!" Hinami's voice spilled through the speaker, frantic. "Did you turn off your phone or something?"
Arianne was silent for a moment, the phone pressed to her ear.
Then she spoke.
"Is something the matter, Hinami?"
"It's Mei," Hinami hesitated. "She doesn't remember anything about Anathasia."
Silence fell.
A chill threaded down Arianne's spine. Her eyes widened as her body trembled for a moment, despite how calm she appeared on the surface.
Again…?
The silence stretched. Concerned, Hinami spoke up.
"Arianne?"
Arianne stared at the couch across from her, her mind drifting.
Something's definitely missing… but why do I feel like I should just drop it—
"Arianne! Speak up! Are you still there?!"
She snapped out of her thoughts.
"Ah—yes. Apologies. Where were we again?" she replied, her nerves slowly settling as she glanced outside through the tinted glass panel doors of her residence.
"I said it's Mei," Hinami repeated. "She has partial amnesia."
She paused.
"Due to the significant psychological trauma she experienced, she doesn't retain any memory of her sudden mental breakdown."
"She's not in danger," Hinami continued, her voice quieter now. "But the doctor suggested we don't remind her of what caused it in the first place."
A short pause. Then—
"We're dropping Anathasia's case."
Arianne's voice was calm. Almost too calm.
On the other end of the line, Hinami went silent. The faint hum of an air conditioner filled the space between them through the phone's microphone.
"…What?" Hinami finally said, blindsided.
"Like you said," Arianne replied evenly. "Looking into Anathasia isn't worth the risk."
"The project has already been released. We'll leave it at that."
She paused briefly, then continued.
"And so the time I've already invested in NSGU doesn't turn into a complete waste… I'll finish the four-year program before returning to France."
Hinami didn't speak for a few seconds.
Then a relieved sigh came through the line.
"That's… good," she murmured. "About our credentials—"
"I'll take care of it and send everything back," Arianne said. "Don't worry."
"Okay then…" Hinami sighed quietly. "I'll end the call now. Take care. And goodbye."
Arianne nodded, slowly lowering her phone. "Goodbye."
She let the silence linger for a moment before rising from the couch and moving toward the balcony. The glass doors slid open, and the salty air immediately hit her. The wind tangled softly through her white hair, and she tucked a strand behind her ear.
"'As long as Mari is safe…' huh?" she murmured to herself, letting her gaze wander toward the horizon.
The sun slowly set, bathing the sky in warm yellow and orange hues.
That's right… Marianne is safe under my care. That's all that matters.
The light faded as the sun slipped below the horizon, marking the end of the day, and the quiet possibility of a new tomorrow.
—
Back at Kyle and Anathasia's Residence
"…oh wow," I muttered, scanning Anathasia's test paper after our quiz.
She stood in front of me, arms crossed and chest puffed out, giving me that unmistakable look of a cat who got the cream. Honestly, the saying fits her too perfectly.
"Heh, told you I'd ace it," she said, a smug smile tugging at her lips.
"I'm a bit surprised… but also, not really," I said as I handed the paper back. "Why the sudden motivation?"
I tilted my head, my hand lifting to gently pet her hair.
Anathasia went quiet. She looked down at her paper, then back at me, smiling.
A genuine, almost innocent smile.
"That's… I just feel…" Her voice softened. "Lighter. Like… I don't know. Like what people call a weight lifting off your chest."
"Y'know?"
She tilted her head, leaning into my hand.
For some reason, her words struck me.
She really did look brighter, more than before. Before my birthday. This time, that small, barely noticeable distance between us felt like it had vanished entirely.
"I see," I said, gently combing my fingers through her hair as I smiled. "That's good."
She hummed in response. Then—
"Oh. By the way," she added casually, "I forgot to submit that project Miss… whatever her name was gave us a few days ago."
…This girl.
"Are you kidding me?"
"No," she shrugged. "I genuinely forgot."
I felt a vein on my forehead twitch.
"Anathasia," I said slowly, "your timing is absolutely terrible."
"I thought Outer Gods had absolute memory?"
Her eyes widened slightly before she looked away.
"That's… true…"
I exhaled.
"You played that game again and lost track of things, didn't you?"
She didn't respond. Just turned away quietly, then sauntered back to her room.