For a while, Alice just cried as I held her tightly from behind. She didn't speak, only silently wept. Maybe it would have been better for her if I let her go, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. If I released her, I feared I might lose her forever, and I couldn't bear the thought of that.
Even to this day, I had no clue what Alice's skill was. She had mentioned in one of her letters that her skill had finally awakened, and it was related to healing, but she never provided specific details. Healing skills weren't uncommon, but those with unique abilities beyond simple healing were rare. I recalled someone from the academy with a healing skill called Wound Transferal. It allowed them to heal others by transferring their wounds onto themselves, or even onto their enemies. It was a skill with a dangerous twist, capable of turning the tables on opponents by inflicting self-harm.
