In Sector 1, on the university campus in the history hall, Professor Dorian Velhurst stood before the students explaining the wonders of history in the Aeon of Twilight.
"The emergence of the Ten Religions was a pivotal event that changed the course of humanity. In the previous aeon, the Aeon of Zenith, it was a time marked by denial, and the presence of the greater gods was faint. But after the Celestial War, humans realized the heavens were angry at them, and that war sparked the first human war, during which the first human emperor, Kael'tharion Draven Vortigoss, rose... well, all of that took place in the Aeon of Zenith. Our subject today is the Aeon of Twilight so let's not stray too far from the lesson," said the professor in a loud voice that reached the farthest corners of the room.
Strange and tense looks appeared on all the students' faces, as if they were all thinking the same thing: "Weren't you the one who strayed off the lesson?"
"The Twilight Aeon extended for more than 3,000 years. The first war was the one won by 'the Kindled Acolytes', followers of the gods of creation. We will study and delve into how they spread their control not over a single country or continent—but over all continents. We'll dive deep into that," Professor Dorian said confidently as he walked to his table and pulled from his bag a rough, grey-covered book that looked like his personal record.
As soon as the word "delve" echoed in their ears, the students sighed in annoyance—someone groaned, another was on the verge of tears, realizing they'd now have to study about old men waving swords and screaming to glorify their gods. History was never a popular subject to begin with, so the professor didn't expect much enthusiasm.
The class continued, feeling very slow for some. Despite Professor Dorian's patience and dedication, most students simply didn't feel excited. The bell rang, and the students rushed out as if they'd been trapped in hell.
From afar, Noah could hear the professor sigh as he watched the students leave, their expressions shifting the moment they stepped outside—from boredom to wide smiles.
"This is what humans excel at, after all—rejecting learning from history and the mistakes of their ancestors. They even refuse to witness the wonders of the past. Humans become blind when it comes to their egos. They say things like, 'I'd never make that mistake,' or 'That's stupid—I'd never do that.' You can't learn anything or grow if you're clinging to your ego," the professor thought to himself as he watched them leave one by one.
Noah rose from his seat, trying to stay as far from Luo Yan as possible. As he passed by Professor Dorian, he caught a glimpse of his stern expression watching the students—something that unnerved him even more and made him quicken his pace.
Only Professor Dorian and Luo Yan remained. He turned toward her, as she sat alone.
"Only you, Luo Yan, truly understand the importance of history," said the professor as he walked to his table, gathering his tools into his bag.
"H-Huh? Oh, right, I-I think so..." said Luo Yan, as if she'd just woken up from a nap.
"I didn't focus on a single thing in the lesson because of Noah," Luo Yan thought nervously to herself. Of course, that wasn't something the professor, who was proud of her, needed to hear.
"Most of those students likely won't return next class. They'll request to change their subject," said the professor, resting his leather bag on his left shoulder, ready to leave.
"Have a little faith," said Luo Yan as she gathered her things and stood to leave.
"Faith?... Emperor Kael'tharion Draven Vortigoss once said, 'Faith is the refuge of minds too weak to question,'" said the professor, now walking side by side with her out of the classroom.
"Weren't you a believer? What happened?" Luo Yan asked, curious and worried.
"People change. The truth just hit me too hard. Despite praying to my goddess, she never answered. So I stopped. If she won't respond now, why would I think she'll respond later?" the professor said calmly, the exhaustion visible in his eyes, like someone who'd found only darkness at the end of the tunnel.
Luo Yan remained silent, thinking about his words.
The professor had once been a devoted believer in the Goddess of Time. Known through the religion of Chronism, it was the least-followed deity. Some said she had abandoned her followers, as their prayers were never answered, and even those who made contracts with her were neglected. Even the ones who preached her name could not evolve or grow... the truth really was harsh for him.
"...The truth doesn't change based on our ability to accept it... so there's no shame in changing or going against the current," said Luo Yan, repeating the words Noah once said to her on the rooftop.
"Oh? Where did you hear that?" the professor asked, his tone more animated.
"...Just something simple I heard," Luo Yan whispered with slight hesitation.
The professor noticed this and gently patted her back.
"I have no other classes. How about a walk? It's been a while since I spent time with my daughter," he said, which made Luo Yan's eyes light up with joy.
"Alright!"
———————
Outside, in the walkway leading to the university, a group of female friends were walking and chatting.
"You little brat, haven't you broken up with him yet?" one girl said jokingly.
"No way! He's a jerk, but I still love him," said a girl with a ponytail.
The group laughed at her comment, and one girl looked up to the sky and saw a shadow or something strange falling toward them.
"Hey, what's that?" she said, nudging the girl beside her and pointing up.
The others looked up curiously, squinting to get a better view of the falling object. One girl felt something cold—like a drop of water—land on her cheek.
"What's this?" she asked, drawing everyone's attention as she wiped it with her finger and found a red spot.
"Is it raining red now?" one girl said playfully, teasing.
One of the girls kept watching the falling shape, but suddenly froze. She saw a larger shadow—a dark mass swooping down from the sky like a winged nightmare—before it crashed down on them.
What they thought was a red rain for laughs... was blood.
A collective gasp, then sharp screams shattered the stillness as the girls staggered back. The red downpour soaked their clothes and skin, making them glisten under the dim light like they'd crawled out of a slaughterhouse.
"What the hell is this?!" one screamed, ripping off her blood-covered glasses and throwing them away in disgust.
Suddenly, a loud thud sounded—closer than they thought. No—right in front of them.
They slowly turned toward the sound, holding their breath... and were met with the corpse of a girl, her skin a pale gray, her wet hair stuck to her face. It was the body of Erika Bennet.
———————
Noah exited the university building and met Sirius and Neriah waiting for him outside.
"Noah, finally," said Neriah as he walked up, with Sirius following behind.
"Feeling better today? You came late—I was worried," Neriah added, visibly concerned.
"I'm alright now… I think," said Noah, noticing Sirius smiling strangely behind Neriah, almost like he'd witnessed something terrifying, leaning toward him.
"Why's he smiling like that?" Noah whispered nervously, eyeing Sirius.
"I don't know. He's been like that since I met him. He's creepy—I really wanna punch him," Neriah whispered back, glancing at Sirius from the corner of his eye.
"I can hear you both," Sirius said, the same grin on his face.
"Did something happen?" Noah asked, now worried by Sirius's odd mood.
"The big fish is trying to compete with me," Sirius said, his face glowing with excitement.
"Big fish?"
"Compete?"
"What is this idiot even talking about?" both Noah and Neriah thought at once.
"Come on, you'll see what I mean," Sirius said, gesturing behind him.
He started walking. Noah and Neriah exchanged nervous glances before nodding and following.
"A-Are you into fishing now?" Noah asked nervously.
"Where'd you even find a sea to compete with a big fish?" Neriah added, confused.
"Maybe it's a metaphor," Noah guessed.
"Should I flip a coin to figure out what's wrong with him?" Neriah asked.
"I bet this is something stupid," Noah said with a tense look, sensing disappointment from miles away.
"Did someone say 'bet'? I bet 20 dollars he'll make it gay in the end," Neriah said, excited.
"You can't bet on something that obvious," Noah replied, annoyed.
"Technically, there's no rule against that in betting," said Neriah, sounding serious.
"There are rules for this?" Noah asked, genuinely curious.
"Of course. Like clarity of terms, setting the bet precisely, no changing terms once it starts, an element of luck or uncertainty, no tampering with the outcome, and most importantly—respecting the result. So you owe me 20 dollars!" Neriah said, extending his hand.
"When did the bet even start?!" Noah said, slapping his hand away.
"You traitor—how dare you—" Neriah began angrily before Sirius interrupted.
"We're here," Sirius said, pointing ahead with a wide grin.
Noah and Neriah turned to see where he pointed. A crowd had gathered in a ring, and university staff were trying to push students back.
They couldn't clearly see what everyone was gathered around, but from the distance, they could see a pool of blood.
In a panic, Neriah grabbed Sirius by the shoulders painfully.
"Sirius, what did you do?!" he said, furious.
"Calm down, Neriah. It wasn't me. It's the other killer—the big fish," Sirius said calmly.
Neriah relaxed a bit, letting go of Sirius.
"I'll go check it out. You two enjoy your lovely chat," Noah said with a thumbs up, walking toward the crowd.
He reached the back rows but couldn't see anything, so he began jumping for a peek. All he could see were more heads in the way—until he caught a whisper.
"Isn't that Erika Bennet?" someone said, covering their mouth.
"Erika Bennet? That's insane—I'm in her class. That's why she didn't show up today," someone else replied, shaken.
"Erika Bennet?!" Noah thought, pushing through the crowd, unable to believe it until he saw the body himself.
He reached the front where staff formed a circle around the body and blood, pushing students back. Then, Noah saw it—Erika Bennet lying on the ground in a pool of thick, dark red.
"T-This can't be!... I don't believe it!... It really is Erika—the missing body!" Noah thought, panicked and shaken. He looked across the ring—and saw someone he wished he hadn't.
It was Calli, Erika's friend.
"C-Calli?" Noah whispered nervously, noticing the tears welling in her eyes before they streamed down her cheeks as she looked at him.
Calli ignored Noah and left the circle as if fleeing from him.
"Damn!" Noah cursed to himself, breaking from the crowd and following her.
He spotted her running and gave chase.
"Calli, wait...!" he called out, but got only silence—and the sound of her sobs.
He caught up and grabbed her arm, turning her to face him. Her face was a mess. Red, puffy eyes, tears refusing to stop, her face pale and lips trembling, breath ragged from running and shock. She was shaking, clutching her clothes like someone trying to hold on to nothing. She wanted to be comforted, but didn't know how to ask, so she ran.
"C-Calli?" Noah said, shocked by her expression. He hadn't expected this reaction. Maybe something weaker. Maybe he'd planned to keep Erika's death secret forever—so her response hit him hard.
"Did you know...?" Calli whispered, her voice trembling. Noah remained silent.
"Did you know?!" she screamed this time, demanding an answer—she deserved one.
"...Yes," Noah said quietly. Silence fell, and his answer echoed in her ears.
"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked, trying to wipe her tears. Her voice didn't sound angry—so Noah thought maybe he was safe.
"I... I was afraid of your reaction," Noah said, his voice starting to tremble too. For some reason, this whole thing with Calli suddenly mattered.
"...Then why did you come to me in the first place? Were you just manipulating me to answer your questions? Was everything about your family a lie too?!" Calli said, heartbroken.
Noah stood silent, torn between lying and telling the truth.
"...Yes," he finally answered, even shocked by his own honesty.
"What am I doing?" he thought, stunned.
"What about everything else? Was it all a lie just to win my trust?!" Calli shouted, yanking her hand away.
"...Yes," Noah answered again, unable to lie—and even more shocked by his truth.
"So it was all lies? Damn it—I was going to give myself to you because I thought you were perfect!" Calli cried, tears flowing again even after wiping them.
"C-Calli, I didn't—" Noah tried to defend himself, but he knew there was no defense.
Suddenly, Calli pulled him by his shirt and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly.
"C-Calli?" Noah said, frozen in place, being hugged by the person who should now hate him.
"I... just want someone to comfort me right now... so stay still," Calli whispered into his chest. Noah saw her ears turn red—and couldn't help but wonder...
"...Why?"
"...Because you did all of this to protect me..." Calli said softly despite the chaos in her mind.
"P-Protect you?" Noah asked, unsure of even his own intentions.
"...You didn't tell me Erika was dead so you wouldn't hurt me. That's why you lied. To get me to talk about her, so you could find the bastard who did this... All of it... was to protect me..." Calli said, looking up into Noah's eyes.
"I-I really didn't—" Noah tried to argue, but she stopped him.
"Shut up... just shut up... It's fine even if your goal was something else entirely. Even if you are just a manipulative bastard trying to catch the killer... I want to believe it was to protect me. Because even if I was just a pawn in your game... I want to be a valuable pawn to you. That's what I want to believe... so... please... just shut up..." Calli said, tears falling again as she pressed her head into his chest, seeking comfort. At least in Noah's arms, she felt safe.
Unconsciously, Noah wrapped his arms around Calli too, holding her tight.
"Those who saw my mask and were repelled by my act pushed me away... unwilling to see my truth. But you, Calli... you're different. You didn't reject me even after seeing beneath the mask and the lies. You're different... and foolish... but now... I fear I won't be able to let you go," Noah thought to himself, holding her tighter and resting his chin on her head.
Calli chose to believe in the lie despite knowing the harsh truth.
And Noah, who wanted to exploit that belief... found himself unable to abandon his precious pawn.
After all... faith is the refuge of minds too weak to question.