Chapter 66

︵‿୨ ₊‧꒰ა ཐི༏ཋྀ ໒꒱ ˚₊ ୧‿︵

“What is this? Something feels…”

‘Had he ever avoided my eyes before?’

Bianca couldn’t shake the strange feeling brought on by his uncharacteristic behavior. Was he trying to hide something from her? Now that she thought about it, it was strange. For Team Three to withstand a B-class rift this long would have been difficult. Even with power kept to a minimum, it should have required many Guides.

“Your Highness.”

In the end, she couldn’t hold back and walked over to Dexter. He clenched his fist tightly, as if trying to hide something in his hand.

“Is something wrong?”

“…No. Nothing’s wrong.”

“Are you sure?”

Bianca took his hand in hers. Normally, she wouldn’t press to know what he was hiding, but this time, she felt she had to. Meanwhile, Alec, who had been standing beside Dexter, lowered his head and quietly stepped aside.

Her gaze drifted toward the pit, prompted by his demeanor.

“It’s all right if you don’t want to tell me. I’ll find out for myself.”

Whatever it was Dexter was hiding, if he wouldn’t say, she would simply uncover it on her own. Letting go of his hand, she walked toward the edge of the chasm.

There must be some trace left behind.

“Lady Astri.”

“Yes, what is it?”

Ignoring Dexter, who had come up beside her, she bent down. She inhaled through her nose, trying to pick up a scent.

“It’s actually quite impressive that Team Three managed to hold out here without letting the damage spread elsewhere. Most of them must be lower-ranked…”

She had never once missed an incident where a rift appeared. That experience meant she could often size up the situation at a glance. For instance, the presence of a chasm this size meant they’d barely managed to hold the rift at bay until their strength gave out and the ground collapsed.

Bianca swept her hand across the ground.

‘Did someone lose control? No, it feels more like they pushed themselves to the absolute limit.’

“At this level… it wouldn’t have been enough with just Team Three’s Guides. Teams One and Two were said to be handling other rifts, so it couldn’t have been Team One. That leaves…”

Her eyes widened.

Only Team Four remained.

Bianca rose to her feet and faced Dexter, her gaze fixed squarely on the hand that clutched something tightly.

“Please, tell me the truth. Is what you’re holding something I’m not supposed to see?”

For instance, a name badge bearing someone’s name.

Despite the fact that she tried to act composed, her voice trembled. She desperately hoped it wasn’t what she feared, yet Dexter’s manner only confirmed her suspicions.

“Lady Astri. There was no rampage, no incident so perhaps it’s all right.”

“Don’t lie to me. If that’s truly the case, then all the more reason not to hide it, don’t you think? You’re not even certain yourself, Your Highness.”

“Yeah. You’re right.”

Only then did he loosen his grip.

At last, Bianca saw the name badge he had been holding in his hand. The moment she saw it, her vision blurred and her mind went blank.

“…Brother.”

Asilian Astri. Her brother’s name was written there. No matter how much she wiped at it with her hand, the clear letters wouldn’t fade.

“L…ady… A—stri… it’s… all r—ight…”

The sound reached her ears as if muffled underwater. Everything around her began to spin, shapes blurring and swirling. Her fingertips trembled so much that, even as she clutched the badge, the moment itself felt unreal, like a fleeting illusion.

‘Yes, this must be a dream.’

Otherwise, how could fate be so cruel as to give her such an unbearable trial? She had only just begun to understand the happiness of having her family back, only for it to be snatched away again? Her brother’s gentle kindness—the way he always reached for her hand, the voice that always put her worries first—remained vivid in her memory.

She needed to pull herself together. Now wasn’t the time to stand here in a daze. If the rift had swallowed everyone below, the search had to continue without delay. If even a few might still be clinging to life down there, they had to be saved.

“I have to go down.”

“No.”

“There might still be survivors. That’s why I have to go.”

“Do you even know what’s down there?”

“That doesn’t matter. Whatever’s down there, I have to go. My brother is down there. There may be others desperately waiting to be rescued.”

“Lady Astri, don’t you realize that once a rift collapses, there’s no hope of survival? The golden window has already passed.”

“I need to see for myself. Even if Your Highness won’t go, it doesn’t matter. I’ll go alone if I have to.”

“Get a hold of yourself! There are signs that someone lost control down there. Asilian is a Guide. He wouldn’t have lost control, so calm down.”

“All the more reason to search for anyone who might still be alive.”

Bianca clutched the badge tightly and looked down into the pit. There might still be someone alive down there.

If even a single person survived, her brother would be glad.