The night wind brushed against a girl's skin.
Her steps carried her toward a building.
Srettt.
The automatic door opened.
The girl walked through the building's corridor.
A voice made her turn her head.
"Princess Katarina?"
Katarina turned. The one calling her was Doctor Amel.
"Do you want to visit your classmates?"
Katarina nodded.
"Yes. Do you know which room they're in?"
"Ahh, they're in room 301," Doctor Amel answered.
One of Katarina's eyebrows rose.
"They were put together in one room?"
Doctor Amel nodded.
"Yes, you're all classmates, right? It will help you become closer," Doctor Amel said with a chuckle.
Katarina sighed.
"I don't think so," Katarina whispered.
"Then I'll head there. Thank you for telling me."
Katarina lowered her head slightly before leaving.
Walking through the hallway, the treatment center was quite large, designed to function as a small hospital in case of emergencies.
Katarina finally arrived at room 301.
Before she opened the door, noisy sounds could already be heard inside—voices completely opposite to the silence of the night, noises resembling animals in a zoo.
Katarina opened the door.
For a moment, the room fell silent.
The first to speak was Reva, since her bed was closest to the entrance, her view blocked by the curtain surrounding it.
"Who is it? Doctor Amel?" Reva asked.
One of Katarina's eyebrows lifted.
"Do you like it here, Reva?"
Reva shouted,
"Your Highness!! You finally came! Please, please move me to another room!" Reva pleaded.
Katarina sighed.
"That's enough, Reva."
Katarina walked toward the sofa in the room. A glass table stood in front of it, placed in the corner near the window.
"Come here, Reva. You too, Aril," Katarina said.
"Yes," Reva replied as she opened the curtain around her bed. Her nose looked strange because of Alex's final attack, and a slash wound on her abdomen was hidden beneath her patient uniform.
"What is it, Your Highness?" Aril asked while opening the curtain around his own bed. His bed was in the middle. His head was wrapped in bandages, and his right shoulder was also bandaged, slightly visible through his patient clothes.
Before sitting, Katarina walked toward the bed at the far end and opened its curtain.
Sreett.
Alex lay there, his right leg wrapped in bandages, showing the injury was quite serious.
Alex smiled when he saw Katarina.
"Am I not invited, Princess?"
Katarina looked at Alex, then at his bandaged leg.
"I thought you were joking when you said your leg hurt."
Alex's expression changed.
"How could I lie? That big guy's head is incredibly hard."
Aril, who was about to sit on the floor in front of the table, raised an eyebrow.
"That's because your bones are fragile."
Alex clicked his tongue.
"Tch, says the guy who fainted after getting kicked by someone with fragile bones," Alex mocked.
Reva, already sitting on the sofa, joined the conversation.
"So I was right—your movements were strange when you fought me."
Alex looked at her.
"Yeah, you were just stupid and hesitant, so I could punch your face," Alex said.
Reva held her still-aching nose, clearly irritated again.
"That's because you cheated!! You hid your abilities and pretended to be weak!!" Reva shouted.
Alex shook his head.
"Tsk tsk. That was a fight without mana. It was just about mentality," Alex replied.
Aril nodded in agreement.
"He's like an old man with real combat experience."
Alex's face twisted.
"You damn pig."
Katarina interrupted, asking Alex,
"Can you walk?"
Alex nodded.
"Then come here," Katarina said as she walked back to the sofa and sat beside Reva.
Alex tried to stand and used a cane to help him walk.
Reva commented,
"So I lost to someone like this? A bookworm with brittle bones?"
Alex looked at her.
"I'll erase your nose if you call me a bookworm again," Alex threatened.
Reva unconsciously held her nose.
Alex sat on a small stool without a backrest.
"So what's this about? Are we going to eat together?" Alex asked Katarina.
Katarina's face showed confusion.
"How did you know?"
Alex shrugged.
"Just a guess."
Katarina then took food out of her smart bracelet.
But everyone's expressions lost enthusiasm because she had brought far too much food.
Alex swallowed.
"Isn't this enough for the entire class?"
One of Katarina's eyebrows rose as she spoke innocently.
"Is this too much? Aril might not have enough."
Aril shook his head.
"Forgive me, Princess. Even though I'm this big, I only eat normal portions."
Alex looked at Aril.
"Then how did you get this big at only sixteen? Do you eat an entire cow for breakfast?" Alex asked.
Aril looked at Alex.
"Are you mocking my physique? You know I can beat you right now."
Alex made a mocking face and wagged his index finger.
"And I can beat you using just one finger."
Katarina stopped them.
"That's enough. Just eat. You all have to finish everything."
"Alright…" the three of them answered simultaneously.
While they were eating enthusiastically, Alex spoke.
"Hey, big boy, you know I didn't mean to spit on you back then, right?"
Aril looked at him.
"Yes, but I was really angry and wanted to beat you."
Aril sighed.
"The uniform I wore was my dream—and my siblings' dream too. Then you ruined it, strange newcomer."
Alex swallowed and tried to stand.
Everyone looked at him.
"I already apologized, you know? I was just shocked because Professor Tanya is very beautiful."
Reva reacted immediately.
"Tch, you pervert. Aren't you ashamed to say that and then ask the Princess on a date?"
Alex pointed at Reva.
"I didn't ask her on a date. I just didn't want to eat alone, so I wanted dinner with someone else. I even invited you."
"Tch, pervert."
Before Alex could reply, Katarina interrupted.
"Do you have many siblings, Aril?"
Aril nodded.
"Yes. I have many younger siblings at the orphanage."
Everyone looked at him.
Alex lowered his head and apologized sincerely.
"Then I apologize once again."
Silence filled the room as Alex sat down again.
"You're from an orphanage? But your fighting style looks like a gang boss."
Aril sighed softly.
"That's because many people tried to disturb my home and my siblings. They even tried to kidnap them."
Katarina's brows furrowed.
"Are you from Hope Orphanage in this city?"
Aril nodded.
Katarina leaned back against the sofa, letting out a quiet breath.
'Ah, so Aril is from there too? That reminds me of a young man nearly two meters tall who went on a rampage after that incident.'
Katarina looked at the ceiling.
'In my previous life, I didn't pay attention. I stayed silent and ignored everything. I think I should do something now.'
Katarina looked at Aril.
"I will send my people to watch over your siblings."
Alex showed a surprised expression, stroking his chin while looking at Katarina.
'You said she was a problematic princess, right, Krystal?'
'Yes… she was supposed to be. What happened to that arrogant princess?'
Aril's expression softened.
"Really, Princess? Thank you," Aril said, bowing his head.
Alex exclaimed,
"Wow, I heard you had a bad personality, but you're actually an angel."
Alex chuckled.
"Did you forget my 30 million credits?"
Reva looked at Alex with disgust.
"Seriously, you pervert."
Alex shrugged.
Katarina looked at Alex and spoke.
"Isn't it you who's strange? The abilities you showed were incredible. Even the headmaster praised you."
Alex swallowed. His gaze lost focus as if searching for an escape.
Everyone stared at him, waiting for an answer.
Alex cleared his throat.
"Well, you know… I'm very smart. I just copy things here and there."
Katarina raised an eyebrow, now staring at him seriously.
"Copy whom? Copy what?"
Reva gently patted Katarina's shoulder.
"This guy is strange, Your Highness. Don't get close to him. Maybe we should transfer to Julian's class since he'll become the class representative."
Veins appeared on Alex's forehead as he lost patience.
"I copied my father. You know he's very skilled in close combat."
Reva and Katarina stared at him in shock.
"But… Captain Sander is an archer and a long-range fighter."
Alex swallowed. His heart suddenly beat faster, his palms turning sweaty.
'Damn it, why didn't you tell me this, Krystal?'
'You never asked.'
'What kind of answer is that!!'
Alex scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"Hey, you wouldn't know, but actually my father is also great at close combat, hehe,"
Alex said with an awkward smile.
Katarina looked at Alex suspiciously.
"You're strange."
Aril nodded.
"Yes, he's strange."
Reva spoke again while chewing.
"We should report this to the king, Princess. He might be a Dark Side member. The real Alex might have been kidnapped."
Katarina looked at Reva, then turned toward Alex.
Alex stared at Katarina blankly.
"You're not actually going to believe that, right?"
The dinner ended with Katarina's suspicion toward Alex growing deeper.
Sunlight began to peek into the room, trying to break through the curtains covering the windows.
Alex woke up. He would still have to stay in this room until tomorrow.
Alex got out of bed.
He opened the curtain around his space.
Then he looked out the window at the rising sun.
Its light bathed his face.
Alex remembered last night's dinner.
'Isn't that princess strange, Krystal? She keeps targeting me, and her personality isn't like what you described.'
Alex rubbed his chin.
'Maybe I'm just too handsome in this body.'
'Shameless.'
'You know I'm more handsome now, right?'
Alex said without shame.
'There's no way the Princess likes you. From the rumors on the TV you watched, she likes Julian, and Julian probably likes her too. Julian is the son of one of the four great families supporting the kingdom. But her personality is slightly different from what this body's memories say. She isn't arrogant or selfish.'
Alex imagined Julian's face from the brief encounter he had before.
'If only… yeah right, you can't joke about that.'
Alex then glanced to the left.
There, sleeping on the sofa, was Katarina.
'Yeah, she doesn't look like an arrogant princess, but her attitude is cold.'
Alex's eyes suddenly widened as he looked at the sleeping princess.
A troubled expression appeared on her face. Sweat ran down her forehead, faint groans escaped her lips, and tears slipped from her closed eyes.
Alex walked closer and crouched beside her, watching the princess suffering from a nightmare.
'What kind of dream makes her like this?'
'It seems like a very bad dream. Her expression shows pain, exhaustion, and loss.'
'Since when are you an expression expert?'
'Just wake her up. I can't stand seeing such a beautiful face suffering even in sleep.'
Alex clicked his tongue.
His hand moved to wake her—but suddenly stopped.
"Ahh, I have a better idea."
Alex stood again, limping slightly, and dragged one of the curtains blocking the morning sunlight.
Sreeet.
This time, the morning light shone directly onto the sofa and reached Katarina's face. The troubled expression she showed slowly faded, and her eyes gradually opened.
Inside the darkness, Katarina smelled blood surrounding her.
Her eyes began to see bodies lying everywhere.
Her father, the strongest human, lay motionless on the ground. Friends she once knew were scattered everywhere. The roar of a gigantic monster echoed. From its silhouette, the monster was fighting someone—someone glowing with light.
"Julian…" Katarina whispered as she watched Julian fighting the giant monster.
Her heart pounded violently. Her hands trembled. Tears flowed from her blue eyes.
Suddenly, a gust of wind ran across her back.
Slash!
The sound of a stab echoed. A blade pierced Katarina from behind, going straight through her body. She did not know who stabbed her.
She fell to the ground, staring at a sky filled with black clouds as tears streamed from her eyes.
Suddenly, a light emerged from the necklace she wore—a necklace containing liquid said to be the tears of a goddess, encased in transparent red crystal.
Its light illuminated Katarina's fading vision.
Katarina remained silent, staring at the sky as everything faded.
The next thing she saw was darkness.
A feeling she remembered—she had once been in that darkness before returning to the past.
Memories resurfaced. She remembered her death, but also something else: a dinner shared with others, a dinner that had never happened in her previous life.
'Did I die again?' Katarina thought.
Easing her worry, a point of light suddenly appeared, slowly growing brighter. Its glow felt gentle.
Katarina slowly opened her eyes.
Warm sunlight greeted her vision.
She raised her hand to shield her eyes and slowly sat up, confusion filling her expression.
Her gaze finally settled on a boy standing by the window, looking outside, his face bathed in sunlight.
Katarina spoke,
"Shouldn't you cover someone who's sleeping if sunlight hits them?"
The boy—Alex—turned toward her.
Alex smiled, his face illuminated by the morning light.
A strange feeling filled Katarina as she looked at him.
"Did you sleep well? You can go back to sleep if you want, but you'll have to be ready for Professor Tanya's punishment,"
Alex said gently.
Katarina was still processing his words when her eyes suddenly widened.
She hurriedly checked the time on her smart bracelet.
06:50.
Katarina's face turned panicked. She quickly stood and rushed out toward class—otherwise she would be late.
Seeing the usually cold Katarina suddenly rushing, Alex burst into laughter while holding his stomach.
"Hahahaha!"
Today, Alex, Aril, and Reva still had to remain in the treatment center until tomorrow.