"Si-Simon! You're safe!"
The moment Knox and Simon stepped into the dormitory room, Rick — who had been pacing restlessly back and forth — rushed toward them.
Relief was written all over his face.
"What happened?" he asked breathlessly. "And where's Cami?"
Simon raised a hand slightly, signaling him to calm down.
"It's fine. She's safe."
Rick's tense shoulders dropped, though concern still lingered in his eyes.
Simon then began explaining what had happened.
He kept his tone steady, recounting how they had been chased by wardens and eventually lost their way deep within the forest. The story flowed simply, stripped of anything unnecessary.
Naturally, he left out the part about the Priest.
That was not something to discuss lightly, especially not now. He decided he would speak with Camibarez about it separately later.
"And on the way back," Simon added, "I ran into Knox."
Rick turned toward the white-haired boy.
"…Of course you did."
Knox only smiled faintly.
Rick let out a long breath before speaking again.
"I barely made it back myself. Had to take a detour to avoid the wardens."
He clicked his tongue.
"And you should've seen Meilyn. She was left alone in the practice room and looked ready to explode. Completely furious."
Simon winced slightly.
"But once I explained the situation," Rick continued, "she seemed to understand. Still mad, though."
"That sounds like her," Knox said lightly.
Rick nodded. "Anyway, I managed to retrieve the ingredients from Rochester."
A faint grin appeared on his face. "So we should be able to complete the potion tomorrow."
Knox, who had been listening quietly, tilted his head with an almost innocent expression.
"Potion? What potion?"
His tone was light, curiosity laced with subtle mischief.
Rick froze. "…Eh?"
For a split second, panic flickered across his face.
"P-Potion? What potion?" he echoed quickly, forcing out an awkward laugh. "Hehe… I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about."
Knox's lips curved faintly.
Rick coughed and waved his hand dismissively.
"A-Anyway, that's not important!" The subject change came far too fast to be convincing.
"Both of you," Rick continued, pointing at Simon and Knox, "are helping me calm Meilyn down tomorrow!"
His voice carried the desperation of someone who already foresaw disaster.
"She may have understood the situation, but trust me, she's still going to be furious."
Simon sighed. "…I can imagine."
Knox chuckled softly. "Well, this should be interesting."
Rick groaned. "I'm serious! If she starts throwing things again, I'm blaming both of you!"
Knox waved his hand lightly, completely unconcerned.
"Hehe, don't worry, Rick. From my experience, when a girl is mad, you just need to give her something sweet. Dessert works wonders."
Rick blinked.
"…Seriously?"
Simon narrowed his eyes slightly. "…That sounds suspiciously specific."
Knox only smiled.
Simon crossed his arms, a faint smirk forming. "Looks like that advice comes from personal experience."
His tone carried unmistakable mischief.
"Care to explain which girl you managed to calm down with dessert?" Rick immediately leaned in, curiosity ignited.
Knox paused.
Then, with a perfectly innocent expression:
"Hmm…does Nefthis count as a girl?"
Silence.
Simon froze. Rick froze.
Both of them slowly turned toward Knox, their expressions collapsing into something that could only be described as abstract.
A mixture of disbelief, confusion, and the sudden realization that Knox's sense of normalcy was completely broken.
Suddenly—
Boom!
"Yikes, that scared me!"
The door slammed open with enough force to rattle the frame, and Kajann strode inside without warning.
His hair was still damp, a towel draped carelessly over his head. Judging by the faint scent of soap and steam that followed him in, he had clearly stopped by the bathhouse.
"You're back, Kajann."
Simon greeted him with a tired but genuine smile.
Knox, meanwhile, casually tossed something toward him.
"Yo, Kajann. Midnight snack."
Kajann didn't respond.
Without even looking, he caught the snack midair with effortless precision. The motion was so natural it barely seemed conscious.
A faint ripple of subspace flickered. The snack vanished.
Still silent, Kajann flung off his uniform, climbed up to the top bunk, and disappeared beneath the blankets as though the world had ceased to exist.
Less than a minute later—
Loud snoring filled the room.
Rick stared upward. "…I seriously don't understand that guy."
Simon chuckled weakly.
Knox only grinned.
Rick shook his head before finally retreating to his own bed.
"…Whatever. I'm too tired to question it."
One by one, the room quieted.
Simon lingered for a brief moment, glancing toward Kajann's bunk, before letting out a soft sigh and pulling his blanket over himself.
Knox, however, remained awake.
After Simon, Rick, and Kajann had all settled into silence, he quietly pulled out a chair and sat at the small table near the window. The dormitory room was dim, illuminated only by faint moonlight filtering through the glass.
From afar, it might have seemed like he was simply passing the time.
But had anyone still been awake to look closer—
They would have noticed Knox writing something.
A slim notebook lay open before him, his pen moving steadily across the pages. His expression was calm, almost absent-minded, as though the act required little thought.
On the cover, partially visible beneath the pale glow of the night, a single line of text could be seen:
Honkai Impact: Fire Moths
Even without knowing what it meant, the title carried an oddly heavy presence — something about it felt distant, unfamiliar, yet strangely unsettling.
Knox's pen slowed for a moment.
He stared quietly at what he had written.
Then, without a word, continued.
And with that—
The utterly exhausting day finally came to an end.
The next morning, Simon told Knox and Rick to head to class first before stopping near the entrance of the building. Leaning quietly against the wall, he folded his arms and waited.
Students from Class A streamed past as usual, their conversations filling the corridor with familiar morning noise. Among them, Hector and his clique appeared. They slowed slightly upon noticing Simon, exchanging surprised glances before whispering among themselves as they walked by.
Simon barely paid attention.
His gaze kept drifting toward the large wall clock.
She's late…
A faint crease formed between his brows. Class time was approaching quickly, yet there was still no sign of Camibarez.
What's going on?
Was she still too injured to move? Or perhaps yesterday's events had shaken her more deeply than he thought?
Even Simon himself found it difficult to recall the memory without discomfort. The image of the Priest praying within the forbidden forest still lingered vividly in his mind, twisted and unnatural.
He had barely slept. Nightmares had followed him relentlessly.
Fortunately, Simon had grown up around someone familiar with prayer rituals. His mother, Anna, had been a Priest, and that distant familiarity had dulled the shock ever so slightly.
But for Camibarez…
Simon exhaled slowly. The psychological impact must have been far worse.
After class, I should check the girls' dormitory…
He straightened slightly.
Hm?
Just then, a girl with a familiar face passed by, bag slung lightly over her shoulder. The moment her eyes met Simon's, her expression brightened.
"Ah, Simon! Good morning!"
Camibarez hurried toward him in short, quick steps.
Simon blinked.
Contrary to his worries, she looked perfectly fine — lively, even.
"…Hey, come with me for a second, Cami."
The two moved to a quieter clearing behind the building, away from passing students.
Simon studied her carefully.
"You were really scared yesterday, weren't you? Are you sure you're okay?"
Camibarez nodded.
"Yes… I'm fine. It just feels like I had a strange dream."
"A dream?"
She hesitated briefly before continuing.
"A peaceful walk at night after such a long time… picking mushrooms together… running from the wardens…"
Her fingers brushed lightly against her elbow.
"And then you carrying me while jumping off that cliff…"
Simon's expression tightened slightly.
"…And finally, that Priest."
Her voice softened.
"It's like the dream suddenly turned into a nightmare, and then everything just… cut off. Like waking up without knowing how it ended."
Simon watched her quietly.
Is she unconsciously treating it as a dream to ease the shock?
Whatever the case, she didn't appear distressed.
That alone was a relief.
Simon decided not to dwell on it.
"The Priest fled when he noticed the wardens. There's a good chance he never saw your face."
"Oh…"
"Still, don't tell anyone about this. Act as if nothing happened. I'll figure out who that Priest really is."
Camibarez's eyes sharpened. "Me too."
Before Simon could react, she stepped closer, rising slightly on her toes.
"I want to help you, Simon."
"Huh?"
"It's not fair if you handle this alone just because he didn't see my face. This concerns both of us."
Startled by her sudden intensity, Simon leaned back slightly.
"…Alright. When the time comes, I'll ask for your help."
Camibarez smiled.
"Yes!"
At that moment, the bell rang, signaling the start of class.
The two exchanged quick glances before running toward the lecture hall.