The Worldview Where Everyone is Destined to Die

Chapter 9: Witness in the Dark (1)

I was worried about the words that Shirley had mentioned in the dream, so I just closed my eyes but did not sleep.

However, if I were in my usual condition, I would have been fine for about a day, but the effects of the medicine were not going away.

"Uhh..."

I opened my eyes in haste, dreaming, waking up, and falling asleep, and constantly repeating it, and stared out the window, which was slowly getting brighter.

Somehow I succeeded in passing the time, but my condition felt miserable.

"Arma Cruz."

As I was being called by my full name, it was clear that it was Theodore who came to wake me up.

"Wait one second..."

Because I didn't get a good night's sleep, it felt like my head would just burst open, and perhaps because of that, my eyes were hurting.

After a struggle in the air to get my senses back, I barely got up with the help of Theodore.

"Thanks..."

Theodore didn't even answer back and turned away. He had more attitude than a pet cat.

After cleaning up the bedding he fell asleep in, Theodore headed to the shower room, where the sound of water could be heard, saying 'I am going', and looked at me as he locked the door.

"Let us find out why."

"Uh, right. good luck."

I don't think anything can be found.

No matter how much of an amazing detective Theodore is, it would still be difficult for him to realize that he was the one who had left the magic circle on someone else's chest in a dream.

"Senior Arma."

A little while after Theodore left, Arthur came out of the shower room and approached me, shaking off the water droplets from his hair.

I felt intimidated again because it was just the two of us here, but I pondered what I would do now that I had already ventured into the tiger's lair on my own.

"...?"

Arthur looked at my face as if he was displeased with something and then gestured to the shower room.

"No, I am good."

I am the type of person who showers at night, and I was convinced that I shouldn't be drenching myself in water when I wasn't feeling well.

Arthur nodded and walked past me to his dressing area.

I stood close to the door, keeping an eye on Arthur as he changed his clothes.

"I guess the bed was uncomfortable."

Arthur spoke to me as he put on his uniform, starting with the shirt.

The gold and black vest, which was normally hidden behind the cape, shone in the morning sunlight.

"It wasn't uncomfortable. I just have a bad sleeping habits."

Of course, this was a lie.

I normally sleep like a corpse, to the point where I don't change my position until the morning once I lay down on the bed.

I just didn't want to get caught in anything at this man's place.

Arthur lowered his eyes and smiled, which only felt gloomy.

"Your condition seems bad."

"Wouldn't everyone react the same if something like yesterday happened?"

"Well, true."

Now Arthur was standing in front of the mirror, flipping his hair to show the forehead.

Looking at the white and smooth forehead, I remember the moment when I shot him.

The despair-filled face, the ghost-like expression, that neatly set hair all ruffled up to show he wasn't in his normal condition.

"I thought you were going to follow Theodore right away."

-clack.

My heart sank as I heard the sound of swords clacking in the air of the dorm room.

Arthur put his sword in the sheath which was connected to the belt on his chest.

At the academy, students aren't allowed to wear weapons that can harm people unless they are given special permission, like me.

The sword that Arthur currently holds at his waist is a temporary sword for sparring in the class, so it will not be sharp on the edge.

"The guy whose eyes have been trembling every time he looks at me since he discovered the magic circle?"

Acting calmly, I put the holster, which was on Arthur's desk, with just the blood stains roughly removed, and checked the bullet out of habit.

We were like actors on the stage of a play, armed with things that couldn't be used at close range.

Arthur, who saw me checking the bullets, approached me slowly.

I looked at Arthur, heading towards me with his sword in hand, and decided to not step back now.

Until I understood what Arthur's goal was, I didn't want to show any sign of retreat or fear.

"I apologize, but I don't think I can give you any more time."

"What?"

As soon as I asked, I heard a sound of metal rubbing and the sound of many footsteps outside the window, similar to the sound Arthur made earlier.

"Is someone coming?"

Arthur was looking at me, standing in front of the door with his back to the window, but the excellent senses of the sword master were surely on a different level from normal people.

So, with just this level of auditory senses, he could predict what was coming,

Arthur answered with a gloomy smile hung on his lips.

"The friction sound of the gauntlet. The student council."

"I see."

They appeared much earlier than expected.

Before I got arrested, I wanted to head to the crime scene, but I don't think I could do it now.

Arthur said as he slowly passed me and headed to the door,"You will run?"

"Open it."

Arthur spoke in a very polite manner, but he didn't seem like he would follow my words. I was curious as to why Arthur had turned so sensitive and sharp in my dream.

'Was it because of the dream?'

I shot the gun 4 times in my dreams.

The first was in Theodore's eye, the second was Judith's finger, and the third was Arthur's heart, and the last was in mine.

The only one who wasn't killed by me was Shirley, but since I didn't see the process of death with my own eye, I couldn't be sure of it.

"Arthur.'

"Yes."

As I looked at Arthur, who once again pretended to be obedient and answered politely, I sighed and shook my head.

"Let us talk sometime later."

"I understand."

What mattered now wasn't the suspicious nature of Arthur Usher. If I had to be honest, Arthur's suspicious behavior was more of a side note than the core of the incident.

I could just see it as a foreshadowing of the next incident.

Arthur lowered his eyes and nodded his head to greet me, and I did the same.

Soon, as if waiting, the academy student council (whom we jokingly call police), with lightly armed gauntlets and greaves came in.

"Arma Cruz. We found you."

One of the academy student council's members with a low cap shouted.

Even though they appeared, they didn't rush in to catch me; they just surrounded me in a circle and blocked my escape.

Their behavior seemed so polite that it felt hard to think of them as dealing with criminals.

"Excuse me-"

"Guide me."

There might not be many who were younger than me, but there was a rule that when dealing with the cadets, both the normal cadets and the council would speak with respect for both sides.

Their stiff expressions eased at my words, and so they began to close in with the circle.

-clack clack

"..."

"...."

Since no one spoke, the only sound around us was the footsteps of the metal boots rubbing against the ground.

As I was about to leave the Crown of Thorns class dorms, the cadets of Crown of Thorns had gathered all around, looking at me and chuckling.

In the crowd, 'he killed a person' and 'how could Arma Cruz...' Mumblings could be heard.

'News travels so fast.'

It hadn't even been fully 12 hours since the incident happened, and they all seemed to know what happened.

For the cadets of the Aegis Academy, the strange rumor about the murder that occurred in the chapel was a good thing to gossip about and make theories about.

"Are we heading to the Black Lily Hall?"

"Yes."

Unlike crossing the sea in the utmost darkness and straight line just a couple hours ago, this time the path felt long.

At this speed, it would take a good 20 minutes even if we all walked.

The moment I passed by the dorms of the Crown of Thorns and exited the premises, someone shouted from far away.

"Senior Arma-!!"

Even though it was a considerable distance away and next to the sea, Shirley's voice could be recognized.

When I turned my head at the voice, I could see her hanging on the back of a wooden cross, and with her legs crossed over, she was ready to jump over the cliff.

"N-No-"

I was about to say not to climb.

The moment Shirley put her weight on the fence to jump, there was a hand that snatched her back.

Judith was the only one in the Wooden Cross class who could handle Shirley.

Judith held onto her as Shirley continued to struggle to let the hand go.

'Thank you'

I said to Judith in my mind and glanced at the student council.

There was a brief fear, but since Shirley and I were close and our escape from Wooden Cross was just a hoax, there was nothing to worry about.

After Shirley disappeared, the student council, which had been wary of the environment, took steps again.

I followed them, looking around slowly, and noticed the changes happening.

-O sinless and pure. One look down upon the sinners... do have mercy....

It might be a pure coincidence, but as we headed to the Black Lily Hall, the colors of the coniferous trees growing on the island felt darker.

The lushness turned eerie suddenly, and it felt so overwhelming.

Everything in the Black Lily Hall felt like it.

Trees, flowers, the roof and the spire of the student building rising in the center, and the decorations on the fence.

Maybe that is why, unlike the air in the Wooden Cross, where several fruit trees looked good and had a sweet scent, the Black Lily Hall felt so spicy yet devoid of all like alcohol.

"Arma Cruz. I apologize but I will have to go through your belongings."

"Please handle them with care."

I politely asked the cadet who was removing the holster.

The cadet who wrapped the holster in something like a soft cloth to prevent his fingertips from falling on it nodded and put my gun into a briefcase, which seemed to be used for securing the evidence.

"The procedure for restriction of weapons has ended."

"Restriction?"

-clack.

Two black wrist bands, which didn't seem to be handcuffs, were wrapped around both of my wrists that were suddenly grabbed.