I turned back to see Jamie rushing over to check my pulse, vitals, pupils, everything.
"Mr. Rockwell just told me you have a very bad fever!"
'What? How fast is—curse you! Mr. Rock-whatever.' It seems he caught on to my trick, and so he sent Jamie to keep me company.
"No, don't worry Jamie, you can go. I'll be fine." I tried to convince Jamie to go back to the line but she was having none of it.
"Mhm!" She nodded her head in disagreement. "I can't leave you the way you are, girl. I mean look at you, who knows what might happen. You could die!"
I forgot what a worrywart Jamie was. Before I could say anything else, she grabbed my hand and stormed into the school like an angry mother.
She forced me into the sickbed, using her hands to make me sit down.
"Now, you don't go anywhere. I'm going to go get Nurse Grace." And so, Jamie wandered off, locking the door from the outside to make sure I didn't escape.
"Argh!" I groaned as I looked up at the white tiled ceilings, wondering if I should have used the bathroom tactic instead.
I waited a while but nobody came... Vroom! The bus drove off and I saw Jamie jumping and cheering inside from the window.
She must have forgotten that I was here, but it's all right. I took out my notebook from my bag and rested on the bed.
I placed my headphones on my ears to avoid external sound from the surroundings.
I found where I stopped and picked it up:
「 Seven years later in the land of the Andels, located just outside the island of Runevale, a girl wearing a black coat entered a nearby cabin. Her wide-brimmed hat cast shadows over her face, and a bow rested on her back.
As she entered, the stares of everyone shifted to her. Ignoring them, she went to sit on a seat near the counter.
"A cup of Runian wine," The girl ordered.
The bartender mixed a few shakes and poured a glass of red wine into a silver cup.
Walking over to deliver the drink, the bartender quietly slipped a folded letter beneath the silver cup.
The girl took a sip of her drink and unfolded the letter.
Dear Nieves,
I have found some information on one of the men who attacked Grimoire Island. If you want to know the exact location, meet me at the Weeping Willows forest, three days from now at sunset.
-Vincent Von Bastine
'Finally, that Von bastard has some information.' Nieves thought as she folded the letter, slipping it into her coat.
She finished up her wine and stood, tossing a few coins on the counter.
On her way to the door, a drunk man stumbled into her.
"Well, well… wh-what do we have here?" he slurred, grabbing her arm. "What's a pretty thing like you doing all alone? Come… let's have a drink—"
Cra-Crack!
Nieves twisted his arm, forcning him to his knees.
"AHHH!" The man groaned in pain.
"Touch me again and you will lose more than an arm." Nieves whispered into the man's ear as she walked out of the cabin.
The streets of the Andels were dimly lit by lamps. Nieves pulled her coat tighter due to the freezing weather.
−−−
Seven years before, after three hours of drifting across the dark sea, a rocky shore came into view.
A lone fisherman stood knee-deep in the shallows with a net in his hand. He froze when he saw a boat approaching the shore.
Thinking they were bandits who had come to take his food and supplies, he immediately left the waters and picked up his sword.
He hurried to the edge of the shore and shouted:
"T-turn back or I'll cut you down!"
The old woman on the boat raised her hands, showing signs of surrender.
"Please… we're not bandits! Our island was burned down! We barely escaped with our lives!"
The boat was fully visible now and the fisherman studied their faces. They all looked terrified.
When the boat stopped, he assisted each one of them down.
"I apologize for my behavior. My name is Maven."
"No, no, Sir Maven, in these waters we can't be too careful."
Maven and the old woman shared a small laugh.
"Please, come to my place. I can't leave you lot out in the open. It's a cold night and I made grilled fish." The man offered.
Nieves had just barely regained consciousness as she stood up and immediately grasped the situation around her.
She had just lost her family and her home. At this point in her life nothing mattered anymore. Nieves had lost all hope of living.
She raised her head to stare at the flowing waters and all she could think of was how she could reunite with her family… in death.
Nieves started running towards the waters and removed the cloth wrapped around her. She jumped, aiming to fall into the fast-moving current.
"Imperium monstrum!"
Nieves's body froze mid-air as she attempted to take her own life.
"Someone grab her!" The old woman struggled to contain Nieves with all her might.
Two young boys quickly rushed over and held Nieves down.
"Let me go! Please!"
The old woman quickly came over and sprinkled her herbs again, making Nieves fall unconscious once more.
−−−
Land of the Andels, present day.
Nieves lay on her bed as she remembered the tragic past she went through as a twelve-year-old, but she was glad she didn't take her own life. How else would she have taken revenge on the bastards who killed her family?
"Thank you, Granny Forbes." Nieves smiled as she closed her eyes and dozed off to sleep. 」
Tap. Tap.
I felt something touch my shoulder. My concentration broke completely and I jolted up from the bed like I'd just woken up from a deep dream.
I slowly looked up, removing my headphones. There stood a guy wearing the school uniform with a hoodie.
I had never seen this guy before, probably one of those shut-in introverts like me.
'Wait… something doesn't add up… how did he get in?!' I went into full defense mode as I moved further away from him, standing at the edge of the bed.
"W-w-who are you!" I held up a syringe, pointing it at him.