Back at the house.
"Everyone! Bad news, Contractor went missing... Guys?"
As soon as Solis was back, in a state of panic, she tried to inform everyone about what had happened earlier, but to her dismay, found that everyone was not home. Her footsteps echoed through the eerily quiet house, each one a reminder of her own perceived incompetence.
"Leader...?" She uttered the word with a sense of desperation, her voice cracking as she checked the kitchen, her voice echoing in the empty space.
"Reaper?" She called out again, her frustration building with each unanswered plea, her steps taking her to the other room upstairs.
However, the more she searched, the more it became apparent that there was no trace of them anywhere.
Solis was slowly getting overwhelmed with emotions, a rising tide of frustration, guilt, and anger threatening to consume her. Soon, she felt her strength wane, her legs giving in as she collapsed onto her knees.
"This is all my fault..." Solis choked on her words, the weight of her perceived failures crushing her spirit.
Tears began to fall down from her eyes, and she wiped them away in a futile attempt to regain control of her emotions. In that moment, she couldn't help but feel a seething anger at herself for what she saw as a pattern of her own foolish mistakes, each one compounding the other.
Before her trembling hands could even touch the knife on the table near her, the entrance door swung open with a sudden burst of energy. Occiditis, who was holding Reina's hand, walked inside the house, their arrival a stark interruption to Solis' spiraling thoughts.
Upon noticing Solis, Occiditis acted swiftly, heedless of the dirt she might bring in with her shoes, as she rushed forward to snatch the knife from Solis's trembling grasp.
"What are you doing!?" Her voice was laced with a mix of fear and exasperation as her hands firmly gripped Solis's shoulders, giving her a vigorous shake.
"It's all my fault... It's all my fault... It's—slap!" Solis's self-reproachful mantra was abruptly cut short by a sharp slap across her cheeks, administered by Occiditis, who seemed fed up with the relentless cycle of blame.
Solis blinked, as if emerging from a trance. In that instant, her arms reached out and she clung to Occiditis, tears streaming down her face. "It's all my fault... Contractor disappeared because of me..."
Occiditis, once again silent, processed the gravity of the situation. She patted Solis's back, a gesture of both comfort and reassurance, before finally speaking, "Disappeared?"
Solis nodded, her voice trembling, "Yes... he's gone."
Occiditis heaved a heavy sigh, her grip on Solis tightening as she found the right words to offer solace, "Since I'm still alive, that also means he is as well."
After a moment of embracing Solis and offering her a reassuring presence, Occiditis finally decided to pull back slightly and ask, her voice tinged with curiosity, "Anyway, what happened? How did he disappear?"
Solis took a deep breath and began to explain the perplexing events of Saber's disappearance, recounting the blinding brilliance of light and the subsequent absence of Saber from their midst. However, she chose to omit the part where the two of them had shared a kiss. By the time Solis had finished her explanation, Occiditis had gained a slight understanding of the situation.
"I see... So you're telling me that after you told him to die, he disappeared?" Occiditis asked, her brow furrowing with a mixture of concern and confusion.
After a brief pause, Solis nodded in confirmation, her voice filled with regret, "...Yes."
Occiditis tilted her head in disbelief, her eyes blinking in puzzlement. "...Why?"
"That... Anyway! He disappeared because of me... It's all my—slap!"
But once again, before Solis could finish her sentence, Occiditis found herself compelled to stop her with another resounding slap to her cheeks, frustration etching her features.
"Stop with the self-blame. It's really becoming annoying," Occiditis scolded, her tone firm and unwavering. She was determined to steer Solis away from the toxic spiral of guilt that threatened to consume her.
Reina, who had remained silent throughout the emotional exchange, finally decided to step forward. She patted Solis gently on the head and offered comforting words, her voice filled with innocence and optimism, "Don't worry, big sister Solis! Papa is strong! Mama used to read some of his achievements to me back in my world." Her cute, smug expression momentarily broke through the heavy atmosphere.
Solis, for a brief moment, felt a warmth spread through her heart. Tears welled up once again at the corners of her eyes, but this time, they were tears of gratitude and relief. She hugged Reina tightly, and Reina continued to pat her back, offering the kind of comfort that only a child could provide.
However, the moment of solace was interrupted by a heated exchange from the entrance of the house.
"Damn it, Odium! I will never apologize! That girl deserves what happened!"
"Stop it, Reaper... Please, if you still have respect for me as your big sister...."
Odium entered the room, holding Reaper from behind as they both stepped inside. Odium's eyes widened as she spotted them and noticed the knife on the ground. Reacting swiftly, she effortlessly lifted Reaper with a single hand and rushed toward the trio.
"Let go!!" Reaper struggled but found herself overpowered by Odium's sheer strength.
"What happened...?" Odium demanded answers, her voice filled with concern. She tossed Reaper onto the couch and turned her attention to Solis, firmly taking hold of her hands, ready to listen and understand the turmoil that had unfolded in her absence.
Occiditis took charge of answering Odium's question, recognizing the need to prevent Solis from falling into another cycle of self-blame.
"Basically, our Contractor suddenly disappeared for some reason," Occiditis explained, her tone measured and serious.
Reaper interjected, her curiosity evident, "So you're saying he ran away?"
Occiditis shook her head, emphasizing the gravity of the situation, "No. Like he, out of the sudden, disappeared while Solis was with him."
Reaper, ever the provocateur, couldn't resist adding a touch of sarcasm to the conversation, "What are you guys even doing together? A date?" Her exaggerated tone caused Solis to flinch involuntarily, though she managed to keep her reaction unnoticed.
Solis remained silent, thankful that no one pressed further for details. The air was tense with uncertainty, and the questions that lingered only deepened the mystery surrounding Saber's disappearance.
The only person who knew what actually happened was Solis herself, yet she couldn't bring herself to tell the full explaination of her story.
****
(Saber POV)
Inside the labyrinth's virtual world, the messages on the screen brought a rush of adrenaline and triumph.
[Congratulations!]
[You have defeated the first boss. You're now in the process of picking your new ability.]
Staring at the illuminated text in front of them, a triumphant smile slowly spread across my face face, excitement undeniable.
"Finally!"