Running and running, Ray headed towards the door of the mansion that directly connected to the vast garden in front. After opening the large door, Ray finally felt liberated from the hell that had trapped him for so long.
The feeling of freedom made him continue running until he reached the center of the garden, where he abruptly stopped in shock.
Ray's face instantly changed as he was startled by what he saw before him.
The lifeless bodies of Alice and the princess who had escaped earlier were lying in the middle of the garden. Ray's curiosity instinctively drew him closer to them.
He gently lowered Cecilia from his back and leaned her body against the garden fence.
Ray checked the heartbeats and pulses of both the princess and Alice. Unfortunately, there were no signs of life in their bodies. Ray realized that he was holding two corpses.
With a terrified expression on his face, Ray took a step back. He wanted to scream, but immediately covered his mouth. He didn't want the cruel killers to know his current whereabouts.
The sounds of Ray's classmates being tortured inside the large mansion behind him tormented him mentally. Anger, sadness, despair, guilt, and fear engulfed his heart, adding to his stress.
Ray also heard someone nearby muttering about strange things, piquing his curiosity as he looked around.
"This is not my fault, this is not my fault, this is not my fault, this is not my fault, this is not my fault..."
A maid girl was seen cowering in fear, muttering to herself. Not far from where Cecilia was, the girl continued her self-talk. The maid girl was Melissa.
Ray was confused by the situation. From the beginning, he had been puzzled by Melissa's strange actions. Melissa should have been able to escape from the mansion on her own without anyone's help. She should have just run to the gate and fled from this place. But Melissa chose to do something unclear and stayed in this place.
Ray suddenly realized something.
"What I'm doing now is the same... I'm just wasting time..."
Ray stood up again and carried Cecilia with him. Choosing to leave Melissa alone, Ray ran towards the large gate in front of the garden.
He ran and kept running with all his might, distancing himself from the mansion that had become a place of torment. Ray looked back and only then realized that the mansion was not far from a large castle that seemed to be a palace of this kingdom.
Ray turned around and ran aimlessly through the surrounding public housing. He was unaware that some of the houses around him had been destroyed. Loose roofs, crumbling walls, and several wooden buildings were charred by a raging fire, leaving scattered ashes around.
Ray saw flickering lights around the settlement, giving him hope that many people had gathered there. He also heard some commotion, further fueling his hope that it was a commotion from the local residents.
Upon reaching the scene of the commotion, Ray fell silent with a resigned smile. He continued walking, carrying Cecilia on his back, while smiling.
Like a madman who had lost all meaning in life, he walked among the piles of corpses around him. Several bodies of the kingdom's residents were lying there, but there were also bodies of the black-robed figures gathered there, indicating that a battle had taken place between the kingdom's residents and the black-robed figures.
The commotion around him made him realize that those who were screaming were indeed the kingdom's residents. However, the situation was different from Ray's expectations.
The illumination and brightness that made the place appear lively were actually caused by the fire devouring the residents' houses.
Some of the black-robed figures chanted fire spells and unleashed them onto the residents' houses, making the people there angry and fight back. But many also chose to flee, although it was a futile act.
Those who fought managed to defeat some of the black-robed figures with their magic and swords. However, the consequence was their own deaths. They chose to die honorably without any shame as death awaited them. Watching this made Ray feel envious.
Those who chose to flee had unfortunate fates as they were unaware that they were surrounded from all sides. Although the kingdom's territory was vast, there were still more of those despicable people than talented residents. Witnessing this, Ray wondered about the military strength of this kingdom.
Some individuals represented the misfortune of the lives they led. Some were hit by rubble from buildings destroyed by the magic of the black-robed figures. They died in vain without putting up a fight or attempting to escape. Witnessing this made Ray feel even more oppressed and reminded him of his classmates whom he left behind in the mansion.
What can I do now? I can't even escape... I was wrong, this world is worse than my previous world...
Ray noticed a well amidst the chaos. Feeling tired of it all, he decided to rest while leaning beside the stone well. He also leaned Cecilia's body, whose consciousness seemed to have faded, against the well.
Gazing at the sky, Ray lamented his own fate, finding it amusing. Remembering that he had been doing futile things all along, he laughed at himself.
I left my classmates, using them as bait so I could escape. I even turned my own sister into someone lifeless. But it turns out my escape ends like this... Truly, my life is so funny... Aha-ha-ha-ha-ha
Ray held Cecilia's hand beside him and felt the vibrations, realizing that his sister was feeling scared at the moment.
Ray turned to Cecilia and smiled, then asked, "Lia, can you hear me?"
"...," Cecilia remained silent, looking around in a daze.
Ray was certain that Cecilia was listening to his question. Seeing Cecilia's response of silence, Ray understood that both he and his sister were thinking in the same way. They were just trying to accept their own fate and surrender.
Several minutes passed, and Ray and Cecilia remained leaning against the stone well. Until one of the black-robed figures approached and mercilessly stabbed Ray's head with a sword.