When they returned to the base, the soldiers from the Special Infantry Troop were given immediate medical attention as they are the ones that suffered the most damage at the battlefield.
And at a seperate room where all the top fighters are gathered to receive treatment, many medical staff paid most attention to Raphael and Bernadette who had a lot of fractures and bruises.
"...seems like Reginald did a number on you..." Bernadette commented.
Laying on a bed next to hers, he turns his head to glare at her. "And you don't look any better."
"Right..." She suddenly recalls her intense battle with Heinz. "I actually almost died earlier, if it weren't for Dev then Heinz would have had my head on her hands already." She shivers at the thought of almost meeting her demise.
With an indifferent expression, Raphael simply said. "I didn't ask."
"What an asshole! This is precisely why people don't like you." One of the nurses that was taking care of them interfered with their conversation. "Please refrain from talking, you might strain yourselves. Just take a rest for now."
After being told, Bernadette rolls her eyes at Raphael. "Tch, fine. I'd rather sleep than talk with that jerk." She soon yawns before falling asleep.
Though in the existing dark empty space in her dream, there appears Heinz looking back at her with a wicked look on her face. "You again!?" Bernadette can feel herself trembling at the presence of her enemy.
Heinz slowly approach her while her shifter slowly transforms into a sword that she usually uses to fight against Bernadette. "It's time that I take your pretty little head with me!" She then ran to Bernadette, thirsting for her blood.
"Ah!!!—h-huh!? Why can't I!?—" suddenly, Bernadette had her feet rooted on the ground. "W-Why can't I move!?" She panicked as Heinz is quickly closing the gap between them.
"WHY CAN'T I MOVE!?" She yelled in frustration, and as Heinz was going to swing her sword at her, she shut her eyes and just waited for her death to happen without a choice to escape.
"AAAAAAaaahhh... ?..."
However, seconds have passed and her head was still intact. "H-Huh?..." wondering why she was still alive, Bernadette then finds a certain person that shielded her from Heinz's attack. "...b-b... BROTHER!!!"
Heinz's shifter sword pierced through from her brother's chest to the back. His blood slowly being drained from his body.
The sight completely petrified her.
In front of her stand her older brother that protected her. He turns his head at her, and suddenly became the young little girl she used to be. "Run!!" It was the last thing she heard from her dear brother before she ran away.
"Aaaahhhh!!!" Bernadette wanted to stay with her brother, she wanted to take her with him, but there was nothing she could do having a body of a young little girl. And to add that there was still an enemy chasing after her.
"YOU CAN'T KEEP RUNNING AWAY FOREVER, RITTER!!" She can hear the enemy from behind getting closer.
"AAAAHHH!!!" She screamed for her dear life even though nobody was there to help. Bernadette managed to find a place to hide from the enemy that killed her brother and cried silently.
She sobbed and blamed herself for her brother's death, if it weren't for her, then maybe her brother could have still been alive with her today. Then she can hear the enemy in pursuit of her. "...you little piece of shit, you caused me trouble and even got your brother killed!? If only you have been an obedient little girl..."
Little Bernadette covers her mouth to stop herself from crying our loud.
"...Show yourself damnit!!—What makes you think you're going to get away with that after making all those horrible things happen!? You worthless shit deserve to die!!..."
Despite hiding from the man that was trying to get her, she can't help but agree that she deserves to die for being the cause of her own brother's death.
But she was still afraid to show herself to that man. Huge tears keep rolling down on her face until she found the man infront of her. "AAAHHH!!—"
"BERNADETTE!!"
"—AAHHH—"
"Snap out of it, Bernadette!!" Unexpectedly, she finds Raphael shaking her. There were also these fellow comrades behind him looking concerned for her.
"O-Oh... was I being loud in my sleep?" She suddenly felt embarassed for making a scene.
"You were literally screaming just now." Said Raphael.
"Aw geez, I didn't mean to wake you lot."
"It's fine—" Julia went beside her and gently rubbed her back. "—how are you feeling right now?"
"Ahh I'm fine, I'm fine... thanks for worrying." Bernadette smiles, though she was clearly affected by the nightmare, both her hands and feet were freezing cold. "...all of you should go back to your beds and get some rest."
Even though she's not convinced, Julia wasn't much in a good condition herself so she just nods her head. "...alright, feel free to call me over if you want some company." She said before going back to her bed.
"Sure, thanks..."
"You going back to sleep?" Raphael asked.
"As if. Are you worried I might get a nightmare again?" She grins.
"No, I hate getting awoken by loud screams."
Bernadette felt even more embarassed by Raphael's blunt attitude. "Whuh!—don't worry, I won't be sleeping for a while after that... jerk." She drove her face onto her palms out of embarassment.
Then as Raphael got back to his bed, he turns to face Bernadette again and said some somewhat comforting words. "...everybody has some past that haunts them from time to time, you just get used to it, you know?"
"Easy for you to say." Bernadette sighed. It's been years and she never got used to that nightmare.
"I'm still trying to get used to it myself." He added after turning his back on her.
"...have you also lost someone dear to you?" She asked out of curiosity.
"...I don't know exactly... does it count when she forgot about me?"
"Claire Duvent, right?" Bernadette mentioned with a sly grin.
Julia who can hear them flinched.
She hears Raphael clicking her tongue. "Nevermind, I'm going to sleep now so shut up."
Bernadette ended up chuckling quietly after getting rudely dismissed by Raphael. Somehow she felt better after her terrifying nightmare.
The next day, Raphael who went for a walk that morning have rushed back to the private room of the special infantry troop's top fighters and shakes Bernadette roughly to wake her up. "Raph?!... what the hell man, I still haven't got a decent sleep all night so fu—"
"Wasn't she with you!? She wasn't there at the medical ward!!" He asked in a rush.
Bernadette's brows furrowed. "Huh? Who are you talking about?"
"Claire Duvent!!"