'......What Brings You Here, Elder Gabriel?'

"......What brings you here, Elder Gabriel."

Kim Chang-won bowed his head deeply in greeting toward Gabriel, who had entered the chairman's office. Gabriel lightly nodded in return. The two sat facing each other across the table in the center of the room.

Without any formal pleasantries, Gabriel cut straight to the point.

"I've come to talk about the disciplinary action against Teacher So Do-jin."

"......"

"Among the elders, there's talk that the punishment is too severe. So we're considering reducing the level of discipline."

"......Among the elders, you say?"

Kim Chang-won echoed in disbelief. The elders, infamous for their inflexibility and conservatism, had never once reversed a disciplinary decision against a teacher. For them to even consider lightening the punishment now—Kim Chang-won could hardly believe his ears.

"Is there a reason the elders suddenly decided on this?"

"Of course, we can't reduce it without conditions. We'll lower it from suspension to a salary cut, and in exchange......"

Gabriel continued. In lieu of suspending So Do-jin, they wanted him to serve as the elders' bodyguard during the Satanist purge operation.

Only then did it click for Kim Chang-won. He nodded, grinding his teeth in frustration. Of course they'd say something reasonable for once. He trembled with rage at the elders' selfishness.

"......Is this a proposal, or an order?"

"Naturally, a proposal. Not an order."

Gabriel glanced around as if searching for something.

"By the way, where's your secretary?"

"Who knows. He said he had to step out for a family emergency, and I haven't heard from him since. Seemed pretty urgent......"

"Goodness. Hope it's nothing serious. The world's so chaotic these days......"

Gabriel clicked his tongue.

"Anyway, take your time considering the proposal. I'll use the restroom."

Gabriel rose laboriously from his seat and shuffled slowly toward the bathroom.

Once there, he washed his hands and fiddled with his hair in the mirror. He hadn't come to use the facilities at all. He'd just made an excuse to give Kim Chang-won time alone to think.

Creeeak......

Suddenly, the door to the farthest stall swung open on its own.

Gabriel stopped touching his hair and held his breath. The faculty restroom always had its windows closed, and they were shut now too. No wind could have opened it.

A chill ran down his spine as he slowly approached the corner stall.

"......Who's there?"

No answer came. He kept walking steadily toward it anyway. And finally, he saw what was in the corner stall.

Or rather, what was hanging there.

It was the chairman's secretary. His stomach was split clean in half, gutted empty. His neck was wrapped in intestines, his body suspended in midair—like someone who'd hanged himself with a noose.

Thud.

The cellphone slipped from Gabriel's hand and hit the tiled floor, cracking the screen. His face drained of color as he picked it up. Even as shards pierced his fingertips and drew blood, he dialed without hesitation.

Unable to suppress the rising nausea, the elder finally vomited onto the bathroom floor. The knight's panicked voice echoed from the receiver.

*

"Swordsmanship class again? How many is this now...... Anyway, good work. Go rest up."

After moving the two unconscious students to the infirmary, I left amid the school nurse's grumbled mutterings.

I headed straight for the Holy Training Ground. Baron Samedi's prophecy about screams kept echoing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in my ears, and I worried something might have happened to So Do-jin, who'd been lured by one.

Well, not that I was truly worried about him. I just wanted to verify if I'd interpreted the prophecy correctly.

"......You don't need the infirmary?"

Kim Jin-seo, who'd followed me, asked.

"Me? Why would I?"

"Doesn't it hurt?"

She glanced up from her downcast gaze, scrutinizing my face. Her usually sharp eyes were drooping, her look cautious.

I shook my head. My solar plexus still stung, but not enough for the infirmary.

"I'm fine."

"Always saying you're fine."

"Should I say I'm not?"

"......That's not what I mean!"

Kim Jin-seo jerked her head up, snapping sharply. Her eyes flashed briefly, then flinched at her own volume before drooping again.

I gave her a small smile.

"Getting mad all of a sudden. Scary, scary."

"I wasn't mad."

She mumbled softly, head lowered. That's when I noticed the sword in her hand—the practice blade from the Holy Training Ground.

"Why'd you bring the sword?"

"The sword...? Oh, this......"

She stared at it, eyes widening in surprise. In the chaos, she'd forgotten to leave it behind. The sponge tip for sparring was already removed, but the dulled blade looked harmless—like a toy knife.

"Why bring this?"

"If you get stabbed again, it won't end in a knockout. No sponge either."

"......I won't stab you."

"Better safe than sorry."

"I said I won't. You don't need to be careful......"

Normally, she'd smirk and turn the tables, but this time she fidgeted, eyes darting. She must feel really guilty for knocking me out.

Watching her uncharacteristic reaction was amusing.

"......Where you headed anyway?"

She'd been moping with her head down, but perked up suddenly.

"Holy Training Ground. You?"

"Following you."

"Why?"

"Can't I?"

"No reason not to......"

"Then let's go together."

An unexpected companion. She brushed her fallen hair back and stared at me intently.

"Why the Holy Training Ground?"

"......To check if something happened."

"Teacher said stay in the classroom."

"Since when do you listen so well?"

Teasing her, she glared with narrowed eyes, looking offended.

"I do listen......?"

"Yeah, you listen well, so go to the classroom."

"You jerk......!"

She shot me a betrayed look, then frowned slightly.

"Not talking to you."

"For real?"

"......No."

Her glare dropped to the ground. She shuffled unsteadily beside me. Occasionally, her head bumped my shoulder. Head down, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠hair veiling her face, she spoke.

"You're really mean......"

"What?"

"......"

Teasing her shamelessly, we soon reached the Holy Training Ground. The atmosphere felt eerily desolate, the air thick and stagnant.

Together with Kim Jin-seo, who gripped her sword tensely, I tried to enter.

Click.

"......Locked."

But we couldn't. The door was bolted from inside. Peering through the window, the lights were off. No practice swords scattered on the floor—they'd been perfectly cleaned up. As if no sword class had ever happened.

"What? See something?"

Kim Jin-seo peeked over. Startled by her sudden closeness, I pulled back.

"Nothing."

"Yeah. But why dodge me?"

"......Let's head back."

I turned toward the classrooms without answering. I didn't know what happened to So Do-jin after the scream lured him to the bathroom. But the spotless training ground suggested he'd handled it fine. If it was a real Florence student screaming, he'd have taken them to the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠hospital. Even if a trap, So Do-jin would manage.

For now, that was the convenient assumption.

"So why'd you dodge earlier? Embarrassed?"

Kim Jin-seo pursued relentlessly on the way back, her playful tone teasing.

"Who knows...... But you keeping that sword?"

"Nowhere to put it right now, so...... But why change the subject again?"

"......"

She eyed me slyly. I stayed silent—answering would drag me into her pace. Dodging didn't work on her either.

The brief comfortable silence broke as her head bumped my shoulder again.

"Not gonna answer?"

"Figure it out yourself."

"Can I?"

"What, need permission for your thoughts?"

"......Yeah."

As we bantered idly—

Fwoosh!

Birds burst from Eden Hill. Dozens, fanning out in formation toward the horizon. The ground trembled faintly beneath my feet. The school was shrouded in heavy silence.

The faint smile on Kim Jin-seo's face vanished. She glared at the fleeing birds with sharpened eyes.

Rumble......

Then an explosion—something collapsing. The echo reverberated everywhere. Followed by eerie, bird-like cries.

Caw, kreee!

As it grew closer, I realized it wasn't birds. It was dozens of screams tangled into a horrific thread.

Screams again. False echoes of agony.

"......"

Screams from the training ground, then explosion, then more screams. Too connected for coincidence. Something was happening.

I needed calm, rational judgment—but no time for that.

Tap, tap, tap!

Far off, someone with bouncing brown hair sprinted toward me. Her face sharpened as she neared: frowning, fighting tears, wiping them desperately with her sleeve. It was Jeong In-ah.

"What—"

Whoosh.

Before I could speak, she flung herself into my arms. She rubbed her tear-streaked face on my clothes, then looked up abruptly. Her large, round eyes, brown irises sparkling like stars, bored into me.

"S-Seon-woo......"

Tears welled as she called my name. Her familiar scent from our ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠time together felt strangely intense, dizzying. My heart raced, face burning. Her icy hand touched my cheek.

"Gym class, and suddenly the building collapsed. Sob, hic......"

"......"

"Hic, the kids... kids crushed under pillars, sob. H-help, Seon-woo......"

Priest class was in the gymnasium. The explosion had come from there. Piecing it together: gym collapsed, students trapped under pillars, no one strong enough to lift them, so she sought help and found me.

Jeong In-ah looked up, tears streaming.

"What're you doing? Hurry to the gym—"

Slash.

Her words cut off. Her head severed, rolling across the ground. Her body crumpled limply. Sawdust and stuffing spilled from the neck stump instead of blood.

"Where do you think......"

Beyond, Kim Jin-seo stared coldly at the corpse—no, the taxidermy doll—with sword in hand.

Sizzle......

Black, acrid smoke rose from the bisected body under the blunt practice blade. It lost form, melting like liquid, then dissolved entirely into smoke, scattering skyward.

Left behind: Jeong In-ah's usual uniform, hoodie, and long, thin thread-like strands.

"Hair......?"

Brown hair. Very long and thin.

Wooo-ooo-ooo!

No time to process. Sirens blared from speakers across school.

The garbled voice called me.