"Tell me what's going on with them, then?"

Popping my eyes open, I shrugged my shoulders and stood up.

"With who?"

Before he could respond, an irritated look forming on his face, I stood up and approached the door, rubbing my stomach.

Opening the door, I casually asked.

"Food?"

Since there was no painting or place for me to train, I really had nothing to do.

Might as well enjoy this place.

Keeping silent, Leo simply followed me as we headed back downstairs and into the common room of the manor, where twenty students were lounging around with small plates.

Grabbing a plate of my own and loading on some pastries, I found an isolated area and sat, watching as Leo took his seat beside Haerin, Magnus, and the crowd that had formed around them.

It was...lively.

Ambient lights filled the room, with orange and tan carpets covering the ground, creating a joyful atmosphere.

They all began playing charades while sitting on the rug, cheering with bright and wide smiles.

Seeing Haerin stand up and glance at the card before her with a confused expression, I held in my laugh while watching her flap her hands around.

"BIRD!"

"DUCK!"

Her face flushed crimson, she tried her best to signal "wrong", but that only confused the students playing even more.

"BEAR!"

"PTEORADACTLE!"

Penguin.

I wasn't even good at charades, but somehow, I knew the answer.

Bitterly smiling as they continued throwing out random guesses, to Haerin's dismay, I slunk back in my chair and rested my head on my arm.

Two different worlds.

It was as if there was an invisible boundary separating my seat from everyone else.

At that moment, a sudden voice, irritated and frustrated, sounded from above me.

"If you want to play so badly, then go."

Like a shocked cat, I almost fell out of my chair before looking up at the familiar face.

Her long purple hair was untied, draping all the way down her back and onto my chair's armrest.

Returning my attention to the scenery of Haerin wailing, on the verge of yelling out in anger, I simply closed my eyes and said.

"I'll pass."

However, ignoring my hint to leave me best, Serena immediatly shot back.

"Really? And people think I'm the stubborn one."

"I never said you were stubborn."

"Your face during the practical exam said it all."

Glancing to my right, past Serena, and at the kitchen counter, covered with various pastries, I asked.

"How's she?"

Following my gaze to the white-haired figure, Serena shrugged her shoulders and answered.

"I think she's accepted it. Today will be Anna's last day."

Pausing and returning her gaze to me, Serena asked.

"Now tell me, how did you know? And why do you care? According to Carissa, she hadn't even met you till a week ag-"

Interrupting her, I simply pointed at the seat to my left and said.

"You don't have to worry about finding something to break the diary."

Looking at me, her eyebrows raised, Serena was about to answer, but I simply said.

"Leo will take care of it."

It seemed that the ending of this incident was going to play out exactly the same as in the book.

Carissa would accept her mother's death after a talk with Serena, and the two girls would agree to let Anna have one last day in Carissa's body.

This was that day.

Glancing at the girl piling up sweets on her plate, I simply leaned backward, ignoring Serena walking away from me and toward the group.

Tomorrow was going to be a free day, it seemed.

Everything was in place: Leo had the power to destroy the diary, Serena knew what was going on, Carissa had accepted her mother's fate, and finally, Anna was... acting oblivious.

Unknown to Carissa and Serena, Anna's control over the body was likely at a point where she could hear everything said, even when she was not in control of it.

She knew today was her final day...yet a part of her also knew the very girl's body she was possessing was her future daughter.

Suddenly getting out of my chair, I got up and walked onto the empty patio, enjoying the gust of wind rushing against my face.

The manor stood atop a hill, so gazing downward, I could see the shadowy figures of the forest and mountains in the distance.

But, within a few moments, I heard rushed footsteps immediatly sound behind me, as someone else entered the patio.

A voice burst out from the chairs behind me, rushed and practically a yell.

"What do you know about me!?"

Turning around, I leaned against the patio railing and gazed at the snow-white pupils locked onto my figure.

Traits were never supposed to be hereditary.

Carissa had a very peculiar trait, not because of its uniqueness, but because it was exactly the same as her mother's.

The ability to read another's eye.

Of course, Carissa, having only awakened and gained the inherent trait a few years ago, had almost no control over the ability.

If she glanced at someone's eye, she could probably only read three emotions: happiness, sadness, and anger.

Alternatively, this younger Anna had all the practice needed, having spent years with her soul trapped in the diary.

Even I couldn't help but let her read my emotions.

With Carissa and Serena already knowing the truth, there was no longer anything preventing her from confronting me.

Our pupils meeting, blue and white, I curiously asked.

"What do you see?"

The answer was instant.

"Sorrow. Who are you? How dare you fee-"

Whenever I looked at Anna, that feeling inevitably crossed my mind; yet, when I looked at Carissa, my emotions were normal.

She could tell my disappointment was toward her, not her daughter.

Gazing up at the pitch-black sky as Anna rapidly approached me, I tilted my head and said.

"Your future self would be disappointed."

Rubbing her head crazily, Anna aggressively raised her hand, two blood-red wings forming on her back.

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