(A Few Days Later)

  The morning was a bright one, bright enough to blind any citizen who dared to look up at the sun. Across the Royal Church territory, the citizens worked together to the bone, clearing and fixing the remaining rubble left behind from the destruction a few days ago. Despite the lively atmosphere of the reconstruction, their expressions soured, casting deadly glares toward Carol as she happened to pass by.

  (Their gazes are really sharp toward us, huh?) Irene spoke within Carol's mind.

  "Eh, let them be. They probably think that ever since an outsider like me stepped in, all this chaos happened because of me," Carol responded in her usual casual tone. "Ignoring that, we should visit Miss Hana sooner rather than later."

  (Hmm, if you say so,) Irene replied, deciding to agree with Carol.

  Arriving at the front doors of the Royal Church, Carol stepped inside. Her footsteps echoed throughout the empty halls as she walked, looking around the quiet space. Finding the specific room where Hana, Arvain, and Saria were staying, she decided to enter.

  "Is Miss Hana still unconscious?" Carol asked, grabbing Arvain and Saria's attention as they turned their heads toward her.

  "Something like that," Arvain stated, looking toward his mother with worry. Countless bandages were wrapped around her body and cheek. "It might be because she lost too much blood, resulting in a coma."

  "I see," Carol said, showing a sympathetic expression as she looked at Hana. "I'm sorry for what just happened, Arvain. If only I was stronger..."

  Hearing such heavy words from Carol, Saria nervously tried to ease the sudden tension in the room. "I-It's not your fault, Carol! Things always happen unexpectedly, y-you know?"

  "Yeah, she's right," Arvain continued. "It's not like you're weak, or that Saria and I were weak. It's just that the enemy was too strong."

  Hearing Arvain and Saria's reassurance, Carol widened her eyes in surprise. For a moment, she couldn't find the right words to respond, but then she snorted in amusement.

  "Oh, before I forget," Arvain said, drawing Carol's attention as he pulled Hana's wand from his pocket. "Can you show me that Ring of Seal?"

  "What for?" Carol asked, confused yet curious. She holding up the finger where the Ring of Seal resided.

  "For this." With that, Arvain gently pressed the tip of the wand against the ring. The ring flared with a bright light for a moment before the glow dissolved by itself.

  "Uhm, what was that?"

  "My mom said she wanted to lift one of the seals from your ring after this chaotic event was over," Arvain explained. "Though, it was quite unexpected for her to lose consciousness."

  "Is that so?" Carol looked down at the ring and snorted in amusement. "Well, that's nice coming from someone like you."

  "Hmph, of course. Even someone as handsome and powerful as me has a good side, you know?" Arvain stated, his arrogant attitude resurfacing.

  Because of his attitude, Carol's eyebrow twitched, a clear sign of lingering silent fury.

  "Uhm, Carol," Saria called out, drawing Carol's focus back to her. "Do you have a moment?"

  "Sure. Is there something you want to talk about?" Carol asked, already guess what does Saria want.

  Saria nodded, a direct confirmation of Carol's statement.

  "Well, take your time to talk about it together," Arvain said, his focused now directly toward her mother. "I can take care of her alone."

  "If you say so. Call me or Saria if Miss Hana is awake from her coma, okay?"

  With both Saria and Carol leave Arvain alone with her unconscious mother, he finally let out a tears, letting it fall down to Hana's cheek. "I'm glad... that you're still alive, mother. I promise you, I will become stronger. Strong enough that I can do the feat like mother and father. Just like the true Blight Holder always does." he declared, feeling determined as he hardened his expression toward her mother.

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  As Carol and Saria walked together toward the main hall, pushing open the grand doors at the same time, they saw that Yggdrasil was still there. Its looming presence immediately filled them both with a lingering sense of anxiety.

  Before they could take another step inside, Saria stopped in her tracks, looking down at the ground with a saddened expression.

  "Are you okay, Saria?" Carol asked, worried that Saria might be feeling sick.

  "I... guess so," Saria replied, raising her head to look directly at Carol. Their gazes met. "It's just... I've been thinking a lot about Sarah. About not becoming like her."

  "Really?"

  Saria nodded slightly, which made Carol smile in relief.

  "I'm sure you can do it," Carol stated, trying to reassure her friend. "After all, isn't that what her goal really was? To make you choose a different path than her?"

  "I..." Saria shook her head, rejecting the negative thoughts lingering in her mind. "No, you're right. I can't just let her sacrifice go to waste."

  Hearing her declaration, Carol snorted proudly. "Well said."

  With that, they stepped inside, coming to a halt as they drew closer to the World Tree.

  "This tree isn't going to disappear, is it?" Carol asked, her expression hardening in annoyance as she glared intensely at it.

  "I guess not," Saria answered. "Ever since this tree was revealed to be the same monolith the citizens believed was a messenger from God, they've been so devastated that they're already questioning their whole lives."

  "What do you mean by that?"

  "This tree... is far more than just a messenger," Saria stated nervously.

  Hearing her statement, Carol let out a sigh. "Oh, that. It's about what you told me earlier, isn't it? That this tree is responsible for the 'core' of a certain prophecy?"

  Saria nodded. "I don't know much about it, especially since the future version of me didn't explain exactly what this tree really is. But so far, her story about her timeline following this prophecy seemed to lead directly to a catastrophe instead."

  "Huh. That... really sounds weird," Carol replied, falling into deep thought. "The more I think about what you said, the more I realize this 'prophecy' job was never meant to ensure humanity's safety. It's as if... whatever god exists in this world doesn't want us to live peacefully."

  "Yeah. Not to mention the history we learned back in Verlyn," Saria continued. "Does that mean... history was a lie? Did the first Child of Light also experience the same catastrophe when he followed the prophecy?"

  "Maybe. But 'different choices, different outcomes,' they say," Carol noted, giving a slight shrug. "I guess your choice to defy destiny is already the best outcome, though we still don't know what will happen in the future."

  "The future, huh..." Saria fell into her own deep thought. An awkward silence hung around the hall as they both stared at the tree in anticipation.

  However, the silence was abruptly cut short as the communication device around Carol's neck lit up.

  Noticing it, Carol quickly pressed the button, allowing the incoming voice to transmit.

  "C-Carol..!" Grey's voice transmitted, glitching and stuttering as if the signal was being heavily interrupted.

  "Uncle? Why are you calling?" Carol asked, confused.

  "Are you still at the Royal Church..? Tell me you're still there..!" Grey demanded in a panicked tone, the transmission becoming more distorted by the second.

  "Y-yeah. I'm with Saria right now," Carol answered, her worry suddenly escalating. "Is there something you need me to do?"

  "Yes! I need both of you to come back to Verlyn..!" Grey stated frantically. "The campus... It's being attacked..!"

  As soon as the girls heard his statement, their eyes widened in horror.

  "W-what do you mean by that, Uncle? Tell me, who is attacking the campus?!" Carol pressed, panicking as the tension in the room spiked.

  "We don't know who they are yet! It seems like they're using fire magic to burn everything down!" Grey answered in a rush. "From what I heard, they're demanding to see Elinira! And they called out that name toward Ari—"

  Before he could finish, his voice was abruptly cut off, a sharp burst of static indicating the signal had been completely severed.

  "Hello? Uncle! Uncle!" Carol shouted, her voice echoing throughout the empty hall. Yet, it was no use; the transmitter had lost its light entirely. Frustration gripped her heart as she tightly clenched her hand around the device. Panicking, she rushed toward the exit, ready to depart immediately.

  "Wait, Carol! Where are you going?!" Saria shouted, worried and confused.

  "We're going back to Verlyn! Are you coming with me or not?" Carol demanded in a harsh tone, stopping in her tracks to look back at Saria.

  "But what about Arvain and Miss Hana?" Saria asked, torn between her responsibilities.

  "They'll be fine on their own here! Now, are you coming with me or what?!"

  Noticing Carol's escalated her own anger and desperation, Saria realized she had no other choice. "W-Wait for me!"

  With that, both girls rushed out of the main hall, leaving the Yggdrasil tree ominously reside alone in the silence.