The next day, the training grounds of Tracen Academy were once again bathed in bright sunshine, but Myriad Dreams felt as though an invisible haze was looming over the field.
She scanned the area once more, that familiar silver figure was still absent.
'Still not here...'
Myriad Dreams' worry deepened. She found Citation, who was nearby instructing other Uma Musume.
"Senior Citation, have you seen Silver Charm today?"
Citation turned around, maintaining her usual calm demeanor, though her eyes held a hint of imperceptible concern.
"I went to the back hills this morning, she wasn't there."
She paused for a moment.
"Given her personality, she wouldn't interrupt her training for consecutive days unless it was an exceptional circumstance."
'As I thought... was the blow really that devastating?'
Myriad Dreams' heart sank.
After thanking Citation, she hesitated for a moment before deciding to head to Silver Charm's dormitory.
Having obtained the address from Citation, she hurried over to the dorm building.
Standing before Silver Charm's door, Myriad Dreams took a deep breath and knocked gently.
The room remained silent for a moment.
Just as Myriad Dreams assumed no one was there and prepared to leave, the lock clicked, and the door slowly creaked open.
The sight behind the door made Myriad Dreams' heart tighten.
Silver Charm was wearing crumpled pajamas, her hair was a mess, and her eyes were hollow and vacant, as if her soul had been hollowed out.
Even though the sun was high in the sky, she seemed still immersed in the mire of last night's defeat, unable to break free.
"Silver Charm..." Myriad Dreams called out softly.
Silver Charm didn't respond.
She simply turned around in silence and walked mechanically back to her bed, sitting down with her gaze still lacking focus.
Myriad Dreams followed her into the room.
When her eyes inadvertently brushed over Silver Charm's feet dangling by the bedside, her breath suddenly hitched!
Those ankles and soles, which should have been robust and powerful, were covered in deep red, scabbed-over scars.
There were rough patches clearly left behind by repeated friction and blistering, and several newly formed scabs were still vivid in color.
This was undeniable evidence of prolonged, high-intensity training that bordered on self-mutilation!
"Your feet...!"
Myriad Dreams let out a cry of alarm. Almost instinctively, she rushed forward and knelt down, carefully cradling one of Silver Charm's feet.
Beneath her touch, she could feel the roughness of the scabs and the stiffness of the muscles.
"How could you... how could you push yourself this hard!"
Myriad Dreams' voice was filled with heartache and urgency.
"If you truly injure your body and leave behind permanent damage, then it really is all over!"
She hurriedly fumbled through her small bag for her ever-ready medicine and clean cotton swabs, gently applying the ointment to those harrowing wounds.
As the cool cream touched her skin, Silver Charm's toes curled slightly.
This subtle contact, combined with Myriad Dreams' undisguised concern and frantic tone, acted like a key that finally pried open the closed doors of Silver Charm's heart.
The long-suppressed emotions— a mixture of pain, grievance, frustration, and despair— finally found their sole outlet and erupted violently.
"...Ugh... waah..."
At first, she let out a whimper like a small animal, but soon her tears surged forth like a burst dam, more turbulent and undisguised than even yesterday at the racecourse.
She was no longer the proud, sharp champion, she was just a heartbroken, helpless girl who had given everything only to see no reward.
She suddenly lunged forward, burying her face deep into the embrace of Myriad Dreams, who was still kneeling on the floor.
Her hands gripped the fabric of Myriad Dreams' clothes tightly, her body trembling violently from the force of her sobbing.
"Why... sob... why can I still not win... I've already... worked so hard... why...?!" she choked out, her voice breaking as she wept.
Her scalding tears quickly soaked through Myriad Dreams' shoulder.
Myriad Dreams stiffened at the sudden embrace, momentarily at a loss.
But as she felt the violent trembling and heard the desperate cries of the girl in her arms, her heart softened into a puddle.
After a moment's hesitation, she finally raised her hands and began to gently pat Silver Charm's back, stroke by stroke, silently offering comfort.
"I know... I know you've worked so hard... I've seen all of your effort..."
Myriad Dreams spoke softly, her tone gentle yet firm.
"But Silver Charm, listen to me. There is still one leg left in the Dirt Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes."
She pulled back slightly, cupping Silver Charm's tear-stained face with both hands.
Forcing the girl to look into her eyes, she said earnestly:
"I don't want you to step onto that final battlefield carrying this kind of regret and depression. That would not only be a lack of respect for yourself but a desecration of the duel between us."
Myriad Dreams used her fingertips to gently wipe away the tears on Silver Charm's face, her gaze clear and full of strength.
"Pull yourself together, okay? At the Belmont Stakes, the person I want to see is still the Silver Charm who makes my heart race, the one I have to give my absolute everything to beat! Not a phantom crushed by defeat."
Silver Charm stared blankly at Myriad Dreams, who was mere inches away.
In the other girl's eyes, there was no pity of a victor, there was only sincere expectation and a bond almost like that of comrades-in-arms.
That gentle touch and those firm words were like a warm current, dispersing the bone-chilling cold in her heart.
She looked at Myriad Dreams, this enemy who had given her a taste of unforgettable failure, yet was now granting her the most precious warmth, and felt a flood of conflicting emotions.
A complex, indescribable feeling quietly took root.
She reached out and grasped the hand Myriad Dreams used to cup her cheek.
Then, like a kitten seeking comfort and reassurance, she gently and lingeringly rubbed her tear-wet cheek against that warm palm.
"...Hmph..." She let out a soft snort, thick with the sound of a stuffed nose, sounding half-resentful and half-pouty, but a flicker of light had returned to her eyes.
"You... honestly..." Silver Charm whispered, her tone complex and hard to define.
"...You really make me love and hate you at the same time."