The sun had returned to spread its warm light over the palace after a long night of storms. Its golden rays slipped through the large windows, falling directly on Linda's face as she lay on the bed. Beside her, Vivian was sleeping deeply, her breathing calm, as if the storm had left no trace in her.
Linda stared at the ceiling for a while, then turned toward the window, her eyes drifting far into an old memory. She reached out to the small table beside the bed, where a withered rose lay. She lifted it between her fingers and gently shook it, then whispered as if speaking to a departed friend:
— "Rosie… do you remember when we used to talk about the future? You always asked me: what do you want to become, Linda?"
She smiled sadly and continued: — "I told you back then: I want to become a police officer. You laughed at me… and said: I don't want to end up in jail at your hands."
She let out a faint laugh, then closed her eyes for a moment to picture the scene clearly. Her younger self acting the role of a professional officer, holding an imaginary baton and chasing 'criminals,' while Rosie stood leaning against a wall, her laughter filling the place.
— "You used to say: you'll end up in jail with me if you don't stop being so serious."
She sighed deeply, then turned toward Vivian sleeping beside her, gazing at her delicate features. Suddenly, the image in her mind blurred—she no longer saw Vivian, but Rosie. She raised her hand to gently touch her hair and whispered in a trembling voice:
— "I wish you were here… I wish you hadn't let go of my hand."
She swallowed a tear trying to escape her eyes, then shut them tightly to keep herself from breaking down.
Downstairs, another morning was taking shape with a different tone. Black With and Lily sat on the large couch in the living room, sipping hot coffee. Steam rose from the cups, and the calm atmosphere filled the air.
Lily suddenly said, as if remembering something: — "Ah, I remembered! I brought you something."
She reached into a small bag and pulled out two stuffed teddy bears—one pure white, the other jet black. She held them out with a wide smile.
Black With opened her eyes in surprise, then reached out to take the black bear, hugging it tightly against her chest. She said with emotion in her voice: — "It's wonderful… I really love it. Thank you, Lily. This is the first time I've ever received a gift from a friend."
Lily raised her eyebrows in childlike surprise: — "A friend?"
Black With smiled calmly and replied: — "Yes, we're all friends here… aren't we?"
Pride lit up Lily's features, and she smiled in return: — "That's right… we're friends."
Black With placed the white bear on the couch, keeping the black one close to her chest.
At that moment, Dante came down the stairs, dragging his feet heavily. His hair was messy and had grown longer, his eyes half-closed. He yawned so wide it seemed his jaw might break. As he grumbled about his sleepiness, he caught sight of the white teddy bear lying on the couch.
He looked around to make sure no one was watching, then picked up the bear and smiled shyly. — "What a lovely bear… maybe I'll keep you. I'll call you Timmy… yes, Timmy, we'll be friends."
He hugged it like a little child, then glanced around awkwardly again.
After breakfast, Dante, Harmon, and Black With gathered, preparing to head out on their new mission. They began checking their weapons and bags. Jason suddenly appeared behind them, his voice firm: — "Make sure your pistol magazines are full… don't repeat my mistake."
Dante raised his gun and gestured with a grin: — "Don't worry, everything's ready."
But as soon as he started looking for his shoes, he frowned sharply: — "Where… where did they go?!"
Ray laughed, then handed him another pair: — "Take mine for now. We won't cancel the mission over a missing shoe."
Dante took them grudgingly, shaking his head: — "Damn it… a new problem every day."
Before he finished getting ready, he shouted loudly: — "Black With! Where are you? We're late!"
She appeared at the top of the stairs, walking confidently as if on a fashion runway. Her hair was tied into two braids, and she wore a sporty outfit split in black and white, even her shoes matched the same colors. The stitching marks on them were visible, as if she had spent the whole night preparing them.
Dante laughed mockingly: — "Wow! Are you going to meet your fans or fight monsters? This is a mission, not a fashion show!"
Black With smiled confidently, placing her hand on her hip: — "Shut up, you annoying man. Even if I die, I want to die in full glory."
But as she approached them, Dante suddenly froze and shouted at the top of his voice: — "Wait! Isn't that… isn't that my shoe?! Impossible! How did you steal it?!"
She hesitated for a moment, then shrugged carelessly: — "Ah… your shoe? About that… I just… borrowed it."
Dante's face turned red with anger, almost boiling: — "Damn you, you crazy old hag… you tore it in half!"
He ran toward her, waving his hand in fury, and she screamed as she ran away: — "Harmon! Help me! This lunatic is going to kill me!"
Harmon stepped in again, grabbing Dante firmly and saying: — "Enough! It's just a shoe."
But Dante kept yelling: — "Every time! Why is it always me?! Why do you keep messing with me?"
Black With feigned innocence: — "I didn't realize it was yours!"
The others laughed from a distance at the scene, while Lily shook her head and said: — "I think you all forgot about your mission."
Dante waved his hand angrily: — "I'll kill you when we get back!"
Black With replied with a defiant smile: — "That's if you make it back alive."
The argument flared up again until Harmon stood between them, placing his hand on his forehead in exhaustion.
From afar, Linda whispered to Camellia: — "If they keep this up, they'll never succeed."
Camellia smirked: — "Wasn't it your idea to put them on the same team?"
Linda sighed: — "I thought they knew each other well… it was the worst idea I ever had."
After some time, the trio finally set off on their mission, though their bickering continued along the way. Harmon decided to take charge of leadership and planning.
Meanwhile, back at the palace, the others gathered for discussion. Linda turned to Elias and said: — "What do you think about exploring the island further? We might find another clue."
Elias nodded confidently: — "Good idea, let's try it."
Ray intervened anxiously: — "Are you going alone? That's dangerous."
Elias smiled reassuringly: — "Don't worry, I'm used to working with Linda."
Camellia raised her hand and said: — "I'll go with you as well. I want to see the electric wall up close and explore the island."
Karm objected: — "Camellia? Why you, specifically?"
She replied firmly: — "I feel like I need to contribute. Staying here doing nothing is killing me."
At that moment, Jude stood there uncertain, torn between his desire to join them and his fear for their safety. Finally, he made up his mind and said seriously: — "I'll go with you."
Linda tried to convince him to stay: — "It's fine, Jude. There are three of us, and we'll be okay."
But Jude stood firm: — "No… I'm coming with you. That's my decision."
In the end, the four of them—Jude, Camellia, Elias, and Linda—set off together on a new exploration journey.
Elsewhere, Dante and Black With were still exchanging sharp remarks, calling each other "old hag" and "dwarf." Harmon lost his patience and shouted angrily: — "Enough, both of you! If you keep this up, we'll die before reaching any objective!"
Silence fell for a moment, then the two muttered forced apologies. They moved on again, but Black With whispered to Dante: — "Harmon is like our father."
Dante chuckled softly, replying: — "father… yeah, he really is."
As they neared the edge of the village, their steps froze. Right in front of them stood a group of ghouls blocking the path, lined up tightly as if saying: "There is no other way… except through us."