"He's always like that, busy with something," Cielle sighed. She looked at Lily, noticing how tired she seemed.
"Come on, I'll take you to your dormitory. You need to rest after everything you've been through."
As they walked, Lily felt a hint of gratitude, even though, in part, Cielle was responsible for her suffering. Her pain and anguish could probably never be compensated, but she couldn't let hatred cloud her judgment. In the end, it was Cielle's job, wasn't it? To train excellent recruits, assassins had to push them to their limits.
A question formed in Lily's mind, a determination slowly taking shape. If she couldn't avenge the one who killed her parents, at the very least, she could seek the origin of all the conflict.
How had the demon ended up there? Why was Mikha chasing it?
Why was the dragon heart in the hands of that demon, who was defeated with nothing more than Mikha's threat?
But for that, she needed to become strong.
"How strong can I get?" With sharp eyes, Lily stared directly at Cielle, her resolution evident.
Cielle was taken aback by the sudden shift. How had this naive girl transformed into this?
With seriousness, she answered, "That depends on how much effort you put in. Since Mikha personally brought you here, I'm confident you have enormous potential. Perhaps this guild won't even be enough to contain you."
"But it all depends on you."
Digesting the response, Lily grew thoughtful.
"Anyway! We're here," Cielle said, pointing to the dormitory.
"Your room is 117 on the first floor. It's a single room, so you won't have to deal with a roommate."
Cielle pulled out a key from the pocket of her dress. "Here, take it. I have to leave now. The incident during your training caused bigger problems than expected, so I have a ton of paperwork to do and... a small issue to handle."
"All right, I'll get some rest."
Lily gave a faint smile. "Thank you."
Cielle's encouragement had worked. Now, Lily's determination was as solid as steel. With or without Mikha's help, she would uncover the truth behind the chain of tragedies that had unfolded.
…
Lily slept for two straight days, and those days were filled with nightmares. The demon finding her, trying to hurt her again. The souls of her parents crying for help and justice. Those doctors cutting her open while she was awake...
"No!" She woke up with a start. After realizing she was still in the unfamiliar room, she relaxed her tense muscles. Opening and closing her mouth, she noticed how dry it was.
*Gruuuu*
Her stomach growled.
Lily was grateful to live alone in the dormitory. Yawning as she recovered, she walked to the wardrobe to pick her outfit. Everything was simple—just beige or white shirts and khaki pants.
Not in the mood to be picky, she grabbed any random set. Heading to the bathroom, she began filling the wooden tub. Lost in thought, she only snapped back to reality when the water reached her feet. She quickly added soap, undressed, and stepped in.
She couldn't help but think about her nightmares. They all felt so real that, despite being mere creations of her mind, they affected her in real life. The heavy feeling in her chest and the urge to cry still lingered, and the flashbacks seemed like ghosts haunting her.
Before she realized it, 30 minutes had passed. She raised her hand, noticing how wrinkled it was. Smiling to herself, she pushed those strange thoughts aside. In the end, they were just dreams—they didn't need to reflect reality.
After finishing her bath and getting dressed, Lily made her way to Cielle's office. She knocked on the door, hearing a "hmm" from within. When she opened it, she was met with something she didn't expect.
Images flooded her mind.
All that blood, the corpses… The girl with the heart in her hand.
What was she doing here?
Lily froze, unsure how to react.
The source of her confusion stood there, smiling softly. The girl extended her hand, saying, "Nice to see you again. My name is Erin!"
Lily didn't extend her hand in return, staring instead at those clean, white hands.
Sensing the awkward tension, Cielle intervened uncomfortably. "Haha… About this, I was going to tell you once you woke up, Lily."
Lily's face was expressionless. "Why is she here?"
Erin lowered her hand awkwardly.
"She saved you, Lily. The Research Lab for
Extraordinary Cases had sent reinforcements after learning of… a certain incident, and she managed to free the children and get you out before they arrived."
"Even so!" Lily wasn't satisfied.
"Would you like me to leave, Miss Cielle? You can talk without me," Erin offered hesitantly.
"That won't be necessary, Erin. Lily just needs time to process the news."
Cielle turned to Lily. "Please, Lily, give Erin a chance. She's been through a lot too, as one of the only surviving test subjects."
Lily clenched her fists. After a moment, she loosened her grip and sighed. "Fine."
Erin's gloomy face immediately brightened. She almost ran to hug Lily but stopped herself, considering the earlier tension.
She reflected: it seemed Lily hadn't yet accepted her inner self.
"Then I'll take my leave. Lady Lily, Miss Cielle," Erin said, bowing to both before exiting.
"Lily, don't leave just yet. I need to discuss something with you."
"All right." Lily found a chair to sit in.
Cielle removed her reading glasses, rubbing her temples.
"In ten days, the bimonthly training for Akira's recruits will begin. The problem is, every other recruit has had time to train, except you and Erin. On top of that, I can't even give you any tips about the terrain since we're inaugurating a new area."
Seeing how Lily didn't grasp the weight of the situation, Cielle grew more worried.
"Simply put, you're both at a massive disadvantage compared to all the other participants."
"And death is allowed during training."
Lily pressed her lips together in fear. Once again, her life was on the line. It had happened more in the past week than in her entire life.
"What can we do?" she asked uncertainly.
Seeing her wide, frightened eyes, Cielle's heart softened. "We'll train day and night. I'll do my best for both of you."
"Both of us?"
"Yes, Erin will be training with you too."
Lily's expression soured with displeasure. Just as she was about to complain, she reconsidered. It was already a privilege to learn from an elder—she couldn't ask for more. Besides, Cielle's tired expression was far removed from her usual seductive demeanor at the brothel.
"…Fine," she muttered reluctantly.
"Great! We start tomorrow!"