The scene where he faints in the middle of a morning study session and has to be rushed to the hospital is a scenario he deliberately created to cover up the distorted reality caused by Torkuens Re Veruleiga. He was forced to use it to deal with the issue of the bad rumors circulating. Even though it meant...
"I'm a bit worried that my actions yesterday could provoke other unexpected events," he thought while staring blankly at the somewhat dirty hospital room ceiling.
Speaking of the hospital...
"As I said, I went to the hospital just to patch up the plot that would have holes due to the manipulation of the memories of Georgiy, Tidsear Farras, and Solielle. I'm not really sick except for the effects of activating that ability, which could erode my own consciousness.
"So, what is keeping me here?"
Hanasta has been hospitalized for three days and has not been allowed to return to the dormitory at all. He has not even been given an adequate explanation other than that his body condition is considered not healthy enough.
But he actually knows he is being played.
"If I stay out of school for too long as the final exams approach, my academic record could be tarnished," he thought.
He closed his eyes.
"Maybe I need to take a more aggressive approach to respond to the ongoing injustice. Before everything becomes more uncontrollable."
He has three years left. Not a long time, but enough time to destroy all the foundations he has built.
*
Special Proctor Gildas Junior High School.
Today, Hanasta hasn't shown up either. Okay, let's think positively that he is still sick. But what bothers Solielle is the fact that she can no longer visit Hanasta. For some reason, the hospital staff is preventing her from doing so. This is really painful.
This is not the ideal world she wants to witness as part of an upper-class family.
"What if he hasn't gone to school because some authority is deliberately holding him back?"
The girl could only wonder.
"What if he has to go through all of this because of me...?"
The feeling of regret began to creep in.
"Solielle, what's wrong with you? You look paler since this morning," asked the girl sitting in front of her.
She forced a smile. "I'm fine, Nicka. Just lacking sleep because I've been busy working on assignments."
The girl with long wavy hair who almost always wore headphones straightened up to sit next to Solielle. "Don't lie. You must be thinking about that boy, right?" she guessed.
"I can't visit him again. And he's receiving terrible treatment at the hospital. Don't you think I should do something?"
The girl shook her head slowly. "In situations like this, getting close to him will only make things worse for you both."
"What do you mean?"
"Right now, Hanasta is under suspicion because of that rumor, Solielle. You should understand what might happen if someone like you gets close to him. Of course, he'll be seen as a bad influence on you."
"So, you think Hanasta hasn't gone to school for that reason?"
Nicka shrugged. "Most likely. Because I can't imagine what kind of illness could keep him in the hospital for this long. He has such incredible physical resilience. If he ends up in the hospital, it means something serious must have happened. Considering everything he went through in the dorm… I wouldn't be surprised if his body finally couldn't take it anymore."
Zreek. Hearing that, Solielle reflexively sat up straight with a serious look on her face.
"What's wrong with you? Do you want to have lunch?"
"No. I just got a great idea about what I should do."
*
After school.
Raibeart had done all the mitigation he could think of to keep Solielle away from Hanasta. Including paying the hospital to prevent them from meeting again.
Until he could ensure that the Tidsears accepted the rumors about Hanasta's suspicious origins in the most organic way possible. He could ensure that the boy wouldn't leave the hospital.
"The most important thing right now is Solielle," he thought before deciding to leave the classroom. He had to go to that girl's class immediately to ensure they met. Before she returned to her effort to meet Hanasta.
*
Tap tap tap. Solielle was no longer in class. Raibeart quickly ran toward the exit corridor to see if the girl was there.
And sure enough.
"SOLI!" he called, lifting one of his wrists from behind.
"Rai, you startled me," Solielle calmly responded.
"Where are you going?" Raibeart asked.
The girl smiled. "Why do you ask? Isn't studying much more important to you than anything else?" she shot back.
They continued walking.
"There's something strange about that boy, Solielle. You shouldn't get too close to him," Raibeart warned.
I know about that, Rai, Solielle thought to herself. "What are you talking about? There's nothing strange about Hanasta. Right now, I'm going to the hospital and I'll threaten them a bit if they keep insisting on blocking me from meeting him."
"Your family can get involved if you do that. Don't be impulsive, Soli!"
"Hanasta has taught me that there will be no change that can be realized without sacrifice. In a world that has lost all its magic. People can only believe in and rely on themselves."
"But Soli…"
"I will use my influence on the school's social media to pressure the hospital. I'll use the same methods as the one who started the rumor about Hanasta to push them. I can also arrange for the inspection department of the High Council of Cosmotellurian Sylvaine Macarena to conduct a full audit of the hospital.
"I won't let this injustice continue."
Raibeart stared in disbelief at his childhood friend. Would all the plans he had carefully laid out end up backfiring against him?
Suddenly, the speaker in the school building crackled to life, stopping all activities of the students still there.
"All students still in the school building are requested to return to the dormitory immediately."
What's going on? What happened? There are still many activities that students usually engage in after school. This situation is really strange.
"There will be a sudden inspection today by representatives from Empyrean Zielle!"
The previously calm atmosphere was suddenly filled with chaos. Students from various classes and grades were gossiping about what happened to make things turn out like this.
Is it because of Hanasta?
"But the rumor hasn't even disturbed the Tidsear. How could the Empyrean Zielle representatives come here directly?" Raibeart asked.
Well, who cares? If what they are going to do could worsen Hanasta's presence at this school. Whatever happens, he will be grateful for it all.
"Raibeart, why are you smiling like that? They wouldn't be doing this if everything was alright. Something bad must be happening," Solielle said, her face covered in worry.
The teenager smirked sarcastically. He replied, "Don't worry, Soli. Everything will be just fine for all of us soon."
The obstacle will disappear. All this incomprehensible oddity will vanish. And what will remain in the end is only him.
The true winner.
But will it really be so? As everyone's fate begins to head toward a harsher reality.