Chapter 37 - Unspoken Truth [1]
“So… um, how long will I be here?” I sat down, trying to relax as I found myself in this white space for the third time.
This absurd situation arose after I touched the Knowledge Cube, leading me back to this strange realm again.
The first time it happened was when I got hold of the Ichor, and the second time, if I recall correctly, was while I was… sleeping? So why am I here again?
Questions began to pile up one after another, but rather than being overwhelmed like last time, I put them aside and focused on the present.
“Hmm… wait, is it possible to use the Knowledge Cube right now?” I placed my hand thoughtfully on my chin, realizing that this might be the Cube doing its thing.
In the novel, I specified that to use the Knowledge Cube, one must reflect on one's desire.
The cube then connects to the brain and automatically searches its database for the information the host desires.
It sounds simple enough, but for some reason… it wasn’t working as it should.
“Hnnng…!” I groaned in frustration, pressing two fingers into my temples to access information about the events that happened during these six years.
I even crouched down on my knees in a position that would be quite embarrassing if someone were to see me.
As seconds stretched on and felt like hours, I bent down harder, desperately trying to think about it.
“Come on…!” I grunted, feeling veins begin to pop on my forehead.
「The information you seek is not here.」
A voice resounded in my head, conveying a message I was supposed to listen to.
“O-Oh!? It’s working!” I raised my voice in surprise, not quite catching what they said.
“Alright! Just a little more!” I kept trying, doing everything I could to make this work.
—Tremble…!
“What the…!” Suddenly, space began to rumble, forcing me to fall to the ground.
“Ack!” I scratched my head and stopped trying to connect with the Knowledge Cube.
“Damnit, I was so close too—”
「The information you seek is not here.」
“…Huh?” I turned my head toward the distant ceiling, wondering where that voice had come from.
Although it was a profound moment, I couldn't shake the feeling that they were upset about something...
However, since I was completely oblivious, I ignored it and started asking questions.
“What do you mean it isn’t here?” I tilted my head, confused as to why the possible will of the Knowledge Cube was telling me this.
—Clink, clink, clink!
Instead of answering my question, something dropped from the sky, floating slowly until it landed in my hands.
“What's this...?” I tilted my head, curious what the cube gave me.
Its beautiful sky-blue colour stood out like a sore thumb, and the charm that protects it looks worn out. If one took a closer look, it was clear that it was treasured with all their heart.
“This is… Camila’s choker?” I held the choker as carefully as possible; I absolutely didn’t want to damage it.
"But what do I do with this...?" I asked why the mysterious voice gave me this charm.
—Crack!
Not understanding that I soured its mood, without my consent, memories that didn’t belong to me flooded my mind.
"Ughaaa!!" I grunted in pain, clutching my head as unfamiliar emotions surged through me, rising and falling relentlessly.
Happiness, anger, pity, sadness, despair—all of their thoughts were transmitted to me in real time, one after another.
Anxiety, fear, uncertainty, curiosity— my emotions were in turmoil, resisting the emotions that didn't belong to me.
It was a jumbled mess I couldn't comprehend, as if someone's memories and my own were merged.
Before I could fully grasp what was happening, my vision went pitch black, and I slipped into a deep slumber, eagerly waiting for me to show me what despair tastes like.
It was a lovely morning.
Birds chirped like a choir, the sky had a beautiful shade of blue, and the marble floor felt surprisingly comfortable to lie on, despite its hardness.
"Ugh, this is too hard…" the young girl pondered as she lay on the floor, having nothing better to do.
The girl lying down on the floor had fiery red hair. She wore a choker wrapped around her neck, and her eyes were coloured gold—a trait unique to a particular family.
Her name was Camellia Historia, a child prodigy envied by many. But despite her talents, she faced her fair share of troubles.
"What should I do, I wonder…" she pondered, twirling her hair around.
In the private training grounds where she occasionally stays, she practiced her magic tirelessly with one goal in mind: to enter the Archalv and become a top student in Arcadia.
"Haaah… It's because of you, idiot." She fiddled with her choker, gently running her fingers over it.
The azure blossom contrasted with her red and white attire, making it stand out as quite unusual for her.
"Brother… you stupid idiot…" Camellia clenched her choker tightly.
She knew she had an attachment to the choker, but couldn't identify the emotion stirring within her.
Was it perhaps rage because he left, forcing them to do the chores themselves? Or was it pity for the fact that he was actually an adopted child?
Either way, it didn’t change the truth—he was a failure, someone who needed to be trampled out of the Historia family.
Kuro's impure and detestable face was all she needed to justify hating him and bullying him for all he was worth.
Yet, even after all this time, she found herself unable to throw away the charm he had given her.
What was she supposed to feel? It was painful—so painful that it felt as if she had forgotten a core memory that shaped her identity.
To fit in with the others, Camila forced herself to hate him, hoping that he would hate her in return, putting an end to this never-ending game of tag.
But… she couldn't do that, even until the end.
No matter what she did, this choker will forever remind her of that day when he left.
It was at that moment that she discovered that something went wrong; a void that twisted their feelings and memories against him.
If only they had found out before the incident, things would have been different.
To uncover the truth, she needed to seek out the Archalv and find the truth behind everything; only then could she truly rest.
"Okay… let's go again," she said. She stood up and brushed the dirt off her clothes.
—Voom…
With <Telekinesis>, Camila lifted eight metal bars, each weighing 50 kg, and tried to move them around.
It was as if she had an extra limb, effortlessly maneuvering it.
But it wasn't enough; she needed more power, more knowledge to even catch up with her sisters.
So she could finally say what she wanted to tell her big brother face-to-face.
If someone were to pluck a flower’s petals one by one, what would you say to them?
Would it be too cruel? Or perhaps something poetic, like how people attach meanings to flowers?
Camellia thought, Why not both? People kill animals to survive; the same can be said about human actions.
There is no absolute good or evil, as perspectives shift continuously and endlessly among different people.
So, what if there is, as impossible as it seems, a being that is purely evil and cannot be reasoned with from the start?
If that ever occurs, the balance of the world would be tipped over—and the world she knew would collapse forever.
She wished she were dreaming at that moment, praying that none of this was actually happening.
She held onto the hope that when she woke up in the morning, they could all be together again.
In a hopeless escape from reality, she snapped back to the present and gazed at the shattered sky that had brought destruction, her hopes and dreams snatched away from her.
"Ah… n-no… this… this can't be happening." Camellia tried to gasp for air, but felt too numb to do so.
The emotions she felt were so overwhelming that she couldn't wipe away her tears.
She moved her hands around, hoping to bring her a sense of ease. It failed.
She prayed with all her heart, hoping for a miracle that would fix everything. No one answered.
She called out her name, desperately wishing for a response that everything would be okay.
...This is all a dream.
A lie, none of this was real.
Liar, liar, liar, liar, liar, liar, liar, liar, liar, liar, liar, liar, liar, liar, liar, liar, liar, liar, liar, liar—
Liar.
—Swish...
Sensing Camellia's despair, the person in front of her caressed her cheek to calm her down.
"Don't cry, it'll all be alright." She smiled, her brightness akin to the sun's rays.
Her green hair, which once radiated brilliance, had now turned pale from the lack of mana.
—Her name was Elenore Historia, the second eldest of the Historia siblings. She was known for her confidence, a figure everyone looked up to during tough times.
When things went awry, she's the one who lifts the mood and restores everything to normal.
To Camellia, Elenore was a role model. Despite being only a few months older, Camellia admired her the most.
But now, the once-bright flame was slowly fading away; Elenore’s stomach was pierced, stained deep red.
After a mysterious pillar suddenly fell into Arcadia, students were massacred like cattle, and Elenore had protected everyone else who remained, keeping the entities at bay.
Overwhelmed by sheer numbers and strength, the battle ended in bloodshed, leading to the current scene.
"Stop talking! Please...!" Camellia cried. To keep herself sane, she held Elenore's bloodied hand tightly with both of hers.
"Hold on, I'll call for help—" Camellia tried to grab her phone despite her trembling hands, but Elenore gently waved it away in response.
"Big Sister…!" Camellia sobbed, her prideful demeanour completely gone, leaving only a heartbroken little sister grieving for her big sister.
"Please… don’t die… hnng…" She wiped her tears, but no matter how hard she tried, more kept flowing.
"Hehe... don’t cry… You can be better than this, right?" Despite her dire condition, Elenore managed to smile at her sister.
Just hearing those words made Camellia stop crying—at least for a moment.
"We both know I won’t make it… but at least I get to see your face one last time…" Elenore smiled brightly, and the pain behind that smile made Camellia tear up again.
"Ugh… y-you idiot…" Camellia turned away, trying to hide her tears. The least she could do was respect her sister’s wishes.
"Haa… I wonder what everyone else is doing right now." Elenore looked up at the sky.
Instead of the bright blue sky, it was now pitch red—a clear reminder that the world has come to an end.
Yet even still, she didn't give up, for the one who would carry on her legacy stood before her.
"Hey… Camellia," she said, looking into her eyes. "If you… ever get to meet Kuro one more time, can you tell him this…?"
Camellia nodded; the name Kuro no longer filled her with malice, as she had finally uncovered the truth about what had happened behind the scenes.
"Please tell him… I’m sorry.” Her hands began to weaken as she felt the effects of losing too much blood.
“And Camellia… live on… for my sake. I’ll be upset if I see you from up there…” In her last moments, she raised her hand into a fist...
—And smiled as bright as she could.
With Elenore’s final message, her eyes turned pale, her face grew white, and finally…
She stopped breathing.
...
...
...
Camellia stood still in silence, staring at Elenore's lifeless body.
In the end, she felt utterly useless—today, just as she had in the past.
If only she had arrived sooner, she could have saved Elenore. Similarly, she could have saved Kuro, just as he had once saved her.
After all these years, all she could still do was run away, like the coward she believed herself to be.
—Clench...!
Camellia stood up and clenched her hands.
Without looking back, she ran as far as she could, Elenore's words echoing in her mind.
Even if the world were ending, she would do whatever it takes to survive this cruel reality.
That was the personal hell she had created for herself, to atone for what she had done.
