Chapter 3: Past Events

Kurumi walked through the cult’s dark, suffocating corridors.
The echo of her footsteps between the stone walls tightened her chest, just as it did every time she came here. The air felt heavy—so heavy it was as if the walls themselves did not want her to breathe.

She was looking for Rex’s room.

She wanted to learn about Sae’s past.

A twelve-year-old child…
How could someone so young be that brutal?

The emptiness in Sae’s gray eyes wouldn’t leave Kurumi’s mind. Cold. Emotionless. Inhuman. No child should ever look like that.

At the end of the corridor, she found the door she was searching for.

She stopped for a moment and took a deep breath.

“I’m ready… I think,” she whispered to herself.

She knocked.

A deep, firm voice answered from inside.

“Enter.”

Kurumi opened the door slightly.

Rex was sitting at his desk, writing something. Even the sound of the pen scratching against the paper made Kurumi uneasy. He didn’t look up.

“Master Rex…” Kurumi said, her voice trembling despite herself. “There’s something I need to talk to you about.”

“Alright,” Rex replied calmly. “Speak.”

Kurumi swallowed.

“Um… it’s about Sae,” she said. “Today, Katori, Amy, and I were in the training area. Three children called Sae a ‘Dravokian.’ Why? Is Sae really from Dravok? And if he is… why would he betray his own country to try and save Ayano? Why is he on our side—”

The questions spilled out one after another.

Rex let out a deep sigh and set his pen down. He tilted his head slightly and looked at Kurumi.

“Kurumi,” he said in a calm but warning tone, “first of all, don’t fill your head with things like that.”

Kurumi’s eyes widened. She had been expecting answers, not a reprimand.

Rex continued.

“You don’t need to worry about Sae. He won’t harm you… and he won’t report the cult to Dravok either.”

Kurumi bit her lip.

“That’s not what I’m asking,” she said quietly. “It’s what the children mentioned… that incident. Sae’s past.”

Rex fell silent.

After a moment, he sighed again.

“Very well,” he said. “It’s getting harder to keep this hidden anyway. There’s no harm in you knowing.”

He leaned back in his chair. His gaze darkened.

“Two years ago,” he began, “the Veil of Shadows clashed with Dravok soldiers on the shores of Ayano. Dravok didn’t take the battle seriously. They only sent experienced child soldiers.”

Kurumi’s breath caught.

Child soldiers…

“Maybe they wanted to reduce their own population,” Rex continued. “I don’t know.”

He paused.

“When I arrived… there were only corpses. Not a single soldier from my cult remained. Nor any of Dravok’s children.”

A freezing shiver ran down Kurumi’s spine.

“About a hundred thousand bodies,” Rex said. “The entire shoreline was soaked in blood.”

Kurumi’s face went pale.

“I was examining the bodies,” Rex went on. “Then I saw a child. He was still gripping his sword tightly. I checked his pulse… he was still alive.”

Kurumi’s mind felt blank.

“Among all those corpses,” Rex continued, “there was a child clutching a necklace.”

“…Sae,” Kurumi whispered.

“Yes,” Rex said. “I don’t know if he killed them all. Maybe he did… maybe he didn’t. Normally, I would’ve killed him on the spot. After all, he was Dravokian.”

He paused.

“But I couldn’t. Maybe my conscience wouldn’t allow it. So I took him in. As long as our interests align, we help each other.”

Kurumi couldn’t find any words.

“And Sae doesn’t remember those moments,” Rex added. “The past is the past. So don’t dig into it any further.”

Kurumi lowered her head.

“Thank you, Master Rex,” she said. Then hesitated. “And… I have a request.”

Rex raised an eyebrow.

“I’m listening.”

“I want to fight as part of this cult,” Kurumi said. “I want to join the soldier division.”

Rex folded the paper on his desk and slipped it into his pocket.

“Very well,” he said indifferently. “Join Sae’s unit. Child soldiers… that’s the most normal thing here.”

Kurumi flinched.

“Really? There won’t be a ceremony… or a contract or anything?”

“No,” Rex replied. “We always need soldiers. The more people, the better. Try not to die—if that’s even possible in this world.”

He stood up and turned his back to her.

“And Kurumi… trust no one. You might think this cult is a safe place, but there are many small factions here. Some believe the journey toward freedom is foolish. Be careful.”

Kurumi swallowed, nodded, and left the room.

It seemed… her training had to begin now.

To protect herself. To protect Amy. To live peacefully in Ayano, she needed to become stronger.

That night, Kurumi tossed and turned in her bed.

“What have I done…” she murmured.

Beside her, Amy shifted in her sleep.

“Sis… stop it… I’m sleeping…”

Kurumi smiled, leaned over, and kissed Amy’s forehead.

“I’m sorry.”

That innocent face reminded her once again why she had made this decision.

Her eyes slowly closed.

The next morning, there was a knock at the door.

Sae’s voice followed.

“Kurumi. Breakfast time.”

Kurumi groaned from beneath the blanket.

“Amy… five more minutes…”

The door opened slightly.

Ai peeked inside.

“Looks like these sleepyheads are still asleep,” she said with a laugh.

She entered the room and leaned over the bed where Amy was curled up. Amy turned slightly.

Ai gently touched her cheek.

Sae watched from a distance.

“This reminds me of Katori’s childhood,” Ai said.

Sae lowered his head.

“I understand, Ai-sensei. What about breakfast?”

Ai giggled.

“You don’t need to call me sensei. I’m practically her mother. It can wait a little longer.”

Sae nodded, closed the door, and left.

When Kurumi opened her eyes, Ai was standing beside her.

“Good morning.”

Kurumi sat up quickly.

“I’m sorry! I was exhausted yesterday!”

Then she turned to Amy.

“Amy, wake up already!”

Ai laughed.

“It’s fine. You can be comfortable here.”

Kurumi bowed her head.

“Thank you.”

At the breakfast table, it was just Kurumi and Amy. Katori had already gone to class.

Kurumi looked at Amy.

“What are you doing today?”

Amy smiled.

“I’m going to read books with big sis Ai. I missed school, so I’m not going today.”

Kurumi smiled back.

“That sounds nice.”

After eating, Amy ran toward the hall.

“See you later, sis!”

Kurumi headed for the door.

“I’ll look around a bit…”

As she wandered through the corridors, she thought about where the training area might be.

Then she saw the dining hall.

“No need… I already ate,” she muttered.

She was about to walk past—

When she stopped.

At one of the tables, Sae and Rex were sitting across from each other, eating.

Kurumi froze.

Seeing those two together… felt strange.

Quietly, she sat at another table, watching them without taking her eyes off them.

Sae and Rex…

What were they doing together?

And without realizing it, Kurumi’s new journey was leading her step by step into secrets she had never known existed.