3.
Little by little, the world shrank.
First was beyond city limits. Then the downtown area.
[The degree of the trauma's implementation is decreasing.]
[The data cannot be recovered.]
From the outskirts of the city, erosive darkness encroached the streets. Writhing. Slinking. The darkness was like a tentacle, alive and moving. I decided to call that ominous, dark fog the Void.
"…I'm going to school a bit early today."
Many things became unseeable. I could no longer see people's faces. I couldn't see the church's steeple. I couldn't see the signs plastered on the walls of the shopping mall like bark on a tree.
The world was marked by the Void.
"I have to go to the farm and feed the rabbits."
However, there were things that I could finally see now.
"The farm?"
"Yeah. Behind the school… Well."
The Constellation Killer sighed.
"There's no way someone like you would know. Anyway, there's a place where we raise rabbits and chickens. I have to feed them."
'Was there such a place?'
Thinking back, the orphanage had an area to raise animals, too, although it soon disappeared. In the past, did middle and high schools have animal farms?
"Why do you have to feed them? Shouldn't there be someone else in charge?"
"…There used to be a club for animal care. But last year, a foreign woman broke into the school at night and jumped off the roof with a newborn baby. Don't you remember? The baby fell into the farm. Since then, applications to the club completely stopped."
It was the first I was hearing about it. However, the Constellation Killer's tone implied he was talking about a very infamous incident. It seemed a bunch of things had happened at this school.
"Why did a foreign lady come to a school in a whole different country with a kid…?"
"A teacher here apparently fathered the kid by accident while on a business trip abroad."
"..."
"It was a middle school teacher, not a high school one," muttered the Constellation Killer.
"Anyway, we don't have an animal caretaking club anymore. The middle school class presidents are supposed to take turns feeding the animals, but… There's no way middle schoolers are going to stick to it, you know? So the security guard, me, and some middle school kid take care of feeding the animals between the three of us."
That was…
A corner of the world that I never knew of.
The animal farm.
There, we imprisoned rabbits and chickens in cramped cages, making that small space their whole world.
Was it not being properly managed? The smell of chicken and rabbit urine was effusive. The feed, which had carelessly been poured in great quantities at once, was repeatedly soaked by rain and dried again, making it reek.
"Ah, seriously. Someone just pretended to do the work and left again."
The Constellation Killer frowned.
"If they were gonna do this, they should have just skipped out instead. It's worse than if they didn't do it."
"Should I help?"
"It's fine. I have to take care of it anyway."
The Constellation Killer rolled up his sleeves.
"Just stand there. Or go to class first."
The Constellation Killer took out the rotten heap of fuzz. He threw away the straw in a large sack. Then, he took out a broom and a rake from storage and cleaned up the hutch.
He seemed well-versed with the task.
The Constellation Killer picked up a rubber hose and sprinkled water over the farm.
Shaaaa—
In a world where most things could not be seen, a world corroded by the Void, a high school student sprayed water at 6:40 a.m. behind Shinseo Middle and High School. It was tranquil. The water reflected the color of the dawn.
"..."
I was peeping between the cracks that had opened up in the world.
[How filthy.]
[How can you be even dirtier than the math teacher?]
[You smell really bad.]
The world.
It was shrinking.
[The degree of the trauma's implementation is decreasing.]
Starting with the things that were meaningless to the Constellation Killer, no, to ■■. Step by step.
[The data cannot be recovered.]
The mountains surrounding the city were engulfed in the dark fog. The world was cornered. As days passed, the Void gradually tightened around us.
The roads ended.
-■■, ■■ ■!
-■■■.
On the broken path, specters constantly disappeared and reappeared. They flickered. In [the Constellation Killer's world], it didn't matter at all where people came from or where they went.
Humans weren't characters in this world.
Weeds coiled in the gaps of the blocks on the sidewalk.
[The degree of the trauma's implementation is decreasing.]
On one edge of the dump, there was a drooping ginkgo tree that had not been cut down.
[The degree of the trauma's implementation is decreasing.]
In the evening, the red sun set.
[The degree of the trauma's implementation is decreasing.]
Finally, the Void completely surrounded the school.
"..."
Raviel was standing at the school gate.
Beyond the gate was pitch black darkness.
"Raviel."
School had been dismissed.
As specters walked in front and were absorbed by the Void, Raviel stood, quiet and still. She didn't turn her head even when I called out to her.
"That's right. I did feel that something was wrong."
She only whispered.
"If you think about it, it's weird that I asked to be called by my foreign name. Ban Si-ah. That is the name I was given. But for some reason, I felt obsessively that I should be called [Raviel]."
"..."
"I cannot even recall how I met you. No. Saying that I can't think of it is misleading. I received a confession from you at the school festival last year. Prior to that, I thought favorably of you. It was easy for us to start dating."
Raviel turned to look at me.
"But I wonder if that is the truth. Gongja, our love is not so simple. We would never love so easily."
"..."
"Kiss me. Right now."
I carefully placed my hand on Raviel's shoulder. With my left hand, I held her chin. I lowered my head a bit and met her lips.
"Mm. As expected."
Raviel smiled.
"It's pounding."
She touched my ear.
"There is no lie in my love. I wouldn't love you so much just because you're a bit handsome and talk well. But to say that we're a couple that will go down in the history of Shinseo Middle and High School… Tell them to shut up. You and I are the best couple in the entire universe."
"…Yes."
"If my love is not a lie, then my memory must be distorted. This, now, must be a hallucination or a dream. Gongja, am I dreaming of you? Or are you dreaming of me?"
"I am dreaming of you, Raviel."
"Oho. How fascinating."
Raviel crooked her finger and stroked a chin.
Not her chin—mine.
"I will be the only partner you love."
"Yes."
"Even when you dream, even if it's only a dream, it is only appropriate that I am always in the position of the one you adore. I am the only one who deserves that place."
"It's true."
"I praise you, my lover. You love me very well."
Raviel laughed.
"Now, close your eyes."
"..."
"Don't you dare open your eyes. Call out my name with your lips. Understood? You cannot open your eyes. If you open your eyes by yourself, I will punish you."
I closed my eyes.
"Raviel."
"Yes."
"Raviel… Ivansia. It is the name of the person I love."
Then.
The sensation on my chin disappeared.
"..."
I opened my eyes.
Raviel was gone.
"..."
I didn't see her figure falling into the shadows.
Until the last moment.
That was the Ivansias' method.
[The degree of the trauma's implementation is decreasing.]
[The data cannot be recovered.]
There was no hint of Raviel's breath here now.
The world became that much smaller.
-Ding, dong, dang, dong.
The speakers installed on campus cried out.
A broadcasting club member, who lost their shape without me ever knowing their name, spoke.
-■■■ ■■ ■■ ■■■■■ ■■■■■ ■■■■■■.
This is the broadcasting department, notifying all students remaining on school grounds…
-■■■■■■■ ■■ ■■■ ■■■■ ■■ ■■■ ■■ ■■■■■■ ■■■■.
Other than the students who will participate in nighttime self-study, please go home now.
That moment.
The Void that lurked beyond the school gate gushed.
It was like a river in a flash flood.
"Mm."
I stepped back. Tentacles of fog stretched out from the Void. The tentacles bound themselves around the school gate in an instant. The plaque that marked [Shinseo High School] was devoured, and soon, the entire school gate was buried in the darkness.
'It's finally falling apart.'
The world of trauma began to collapse.
"—What are you doing there?"
Someone spoke from behind me. It was the Constellation Killer. The Constellation Killer was wearing a worn-out bag, looking at me like I was absurd.
"Aren't you going home? Well, if you don't want to, don't. It was getting uncomfortable staying there without your parents' permission. I get that you really want to apologize to me, so let's end this. Something like this only makes us both feel weird."
The Constellation Killer walked toward where the school gate had been. As he tried to pass by me, I grabbed his wrist. Then, I quickly pulled him back.
"Ah, hey. Ouch! What? What is it?!"
The Constellation Killer avoided stepping into the Void by a hair's breadth. Even now, the black fog was gushing over the school gate, over the fence, and into the schoolyard. If we were swallowed up by [that], everything would be over.
"Follow me for a bit."
"Again? Where are you trying to go this time?"
"A place where you can live even a little bit longer. A place where you can breathe."
"…What?"
"This place is already dangerous. Quickly, let's go."
I dragged the Constellation Killer across campus.
The Void encroached on the school like it was chasing us.
"…I don't know what you're talking about. Kim Gongja, did you know you became really weird a month ago? Why are you so scared? Just what are you working so hard for? You've never been that kind of person."
"I made a promise to live desperately, no matter what. My master swung her sword even as the world was ending. My lover defended her nation even when the world looped and repeated itself. There are people like them in the world. I work hard because I want to be with such people."
"Truly and sincerely, I have absolutely no clue what you're talking about."
"There was also a person who endlessly abandoned his self to commit to what he believed was right."
We entered the school building.
Still, the Void pushed inside like it didn't know how to stop.
"..."
Specters wandered the halls. But among them, the [Class President] with the face of the Black Dragon Master stood blankly in front of the women's bathroom. I hadn't managed to break down the class president yet.
Because.
The class president was the only person who bowed her head when the Constellation Killer committed suicide in the last trauma.
"…Weird. Why do I feel this strange guilt from entering the women's bathroom?"
The Black Dragon Master seemed to be worrying about her gender identity all of a sudden. It was a time of many troubles. I approached while holding the Constellation Killer's wrist and grabbed the wrist of the Black Dragon Master with my other hand.
"Huh?"
"You, too. Follow me. You can't be here now."
"What? Ah, wait. Huh? What? Kim Gongja? Ah, what are you…?!"
The Black Dragon Master protested in confusion when she suddenly noticed the Constellation Killer. Her surprised expression hardened at once. The Black Dragon Master frowned, lowered her head, and followed as I dragged her wrist.
[Warning!]
[The degree of the trauma's implementation is decreasing.]
[The data cannot be recovered.]
[The trauma cannot be sustained.]
The Void overtook the first floor of the school.
I dragged two people up the stairs. Quickly. Beyond the first floor, up to the second floor, past the third floor, crossing the fourth floor, and leaping to the fifth floor. Behind me, the Constellation Killer and the Black Dragon Master were gasping, but it couldn't be helped.
The Void was rising with terrifying speed.
[■■■ ■■■♪]
[■■■ ■■■♪]
[■■■ ■■■■♪]
The slogan on the stairs sank under the black. The black fog turned into dark fluid and swallowed up the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth floors.
There was only one place left in this world.
"Huff, huff… Huff…"
"Uh. Ugh. I'm nauseous…"
I stood in front of the iron door to the roof. Four layers of chains were wrapped around the iron door handle. It was a place that couldn't be entered unless you were a teacher, but I used aura on my fingers and simply broke the chains.
"Let's go out."
"Huh…?"
The Constellation Killer, still breathing heavily, looked dazedly at the iron door.
"It's open…?"
"W-wait a moment. We can't go up to the rooftop! It's against the school rules!"
The Black Dragon Master shouted in a panic. If it weren't for the Void I saw creeping forth over her shoulder, I might have respected the school rules a bit more. I forced the Constellation Killer and the Black Dragon Master to the rooftop. Then—
Thud.
I shut the iron door.
"..."
I quietly stared at the door. It was silent. Thankfully, the Void did not break out to the rooftop. This peace would probably be allowed for only a short time, but for now, we had escaped the overbearing Void.
"Good. We'll be fine for a while."
"What exactly is fine?!"
The Black Dragon Master was furious.
"Don't you know how sensitive our school is about rooftop access?! There was that whole uproar last year in the middle school! Oh, my God!"
"It's all right."
"Ah, when the teachers find out I've come up here… My god… You bastard! Take responsibility for my college applications!"
The world was completely encased in the Void.
Looking down through the rooftop fence, I saw no schoolyard—only the pitch black darkness. Same for the whole campus. The main building of the middle school was no different.
Only three people remained in this trauma.
"Class President."
"What?!"
"You knew what was happening in our class, didn't you?"
"..."
The last three remaining.
The perpetrator.
The victim.
"…So?"
And finally, the bystander.
The class president with the face of the Black Dragon Master stared at me.
"Do you have something to say to me?"