Maya slowly opened the door to their dark and forlorn room. The overcast dawn didn't allow much light to slip past the clouds. She couldn't stay in that basement forever. Thus, she and Keith had planned to reconvene there once they had gathered their thoughts and steeled themselves to make a decision.

Turning her gaze to the left side of the room, Maya's eyes fell upon the untouched space that her roommate once inhabited. Everything remained as it was, as if awaiting Elena's return—an impossible event.

Maya's expression twisted in a grimace, her brows knitted, and her lips trembling. The tears had long since run dry, leaving only a mask of sorrow.

'She's so fearless, like she's never gonna die…' Maya recalled Andrea's comment after the corrupted beast attack. She had agreed then. Elena would have stared Death itself in the face and refused to submit. And now… she was dead.

An odd sight caught her eye — a cylindrical package wrapped in aged newspaper, resting on Elena's bed. A single name was scribbled on the tag in Elena's abysmal handwriting:

Maya.

She had to close her eyes and inhale deeply to steady herself.

Along with Andrea and Linda, they have agreed to have a gift-giving in the form of a Secret Santa, each drawing a name out of a hat to decide who will give a gift. Maya had pulled out Andrea's name and was preparing a cute keychain for her.

However, due to the attack, their Christmas Eve dance and the subsequent gift exchange had never happened.

It appeared Elena had drawn Maya's name and diligently prepared her a gift.

Maya tore up the wrapping and unravelled the thick paper that was inside. Then her heart sank even deeper.

Always having been a fan of stories and fiction, especially hero stories, Maya had bored Elena to death with recounting them. It seemed, in response to that, Elena had drawn a vibrant illustration, stylized like a comic book cover, portraying them as superheroes posing back-to-back. Maya was depicted as a vividly coloured, quirky and fashionable hero, holding an unplugged blow-dryer, aimed as a weapon, while Elena was her villainesque counterpart, with a neon-coloured toy water pistol and water balloons mimicking grenades tucked on her utility belt.

It was a gift that would have delighted Maya under different circumstances, but now it served as a painful reminder of Elena's tragic demise.

"If you're truly dead, come to me," Maya whispered into the void, hoping for a response.

This space was full of Elena's belongings. Surely, something among them could serve as her anchor to summon her. Desperate to speak to her friend, Maya began to sift through her mess, searching for anything of greater importance.

However, a sombre and disappointing realization soon came. Despite the abundance of items, nothing in there held any special significance to Elena.

Sure, Elena did fancy knives, but they were expendable items, just like liquor bottles. She indulged in arts, but she would not hesitate to paint over her previous works. Numerous clothes and jewellery that Keith had gifted her were left untouched, gathering dust in her drawers.

Amidst the chaos, Maya found Elena's elemental talisman, a beacon of hope in her despair. Elena had a deep connection with her element, one strong enough to drive her to claim the title of a Harvester. This talisman, Maya thought, must surely hold significance.

However, a hollow sensation filled her as she examined it.

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The giant, ugly pearl she had been teased about so often was now cracked and broken. Maya wasn't sure when this had happened, but Elena's disregard was evident if she had allowed it to fall into such a state.

A soft knock interrupted her, and Maya slowly trudged to open the door. The visitor was Jenny, their dorm rep.

"Um," she seemed hesitant after seeing Maya's puffy face, then handed her a note. "The Headmistress left a message for you, requesting that you report to her."

Maya could only nod, and Jenny left her alone. Soon she fell into a long, dreamless sleep.

Although she promised to make a decision the next day, this had been prolonged for almost three whole days. Keith and Maya occasionally dropped by the laundromat basement, each too anxious to make a decision alone, but unable to reach a consensus together.

They barricaded the small dusty window to prevent any possibility of gazes from the outside and were antsy for days, as the fear of having wronged was becoming larger than the fear of the unmoving body that lay there.

The academy was still in chaos after the incident, and they were trying to assess the damage. By now, she had learned there were more unlucky students and some whose whereabouts still weren't clear. Maya feared facing the Headmistress, but the invitation couldn't be ignored.

"I was expecting both you and Elena. Where is she?" The Headmistress's inquiry hung heavily in the room.

"Elena couldn't come," Maya responded. She was seated in the visitor's chair, desperately trying to mask her inner turmoil and distress.

"You know it's a requirement to report a missing person, right?" Amanda said with odd certainty.

Panic bubbled within Maya. Could the Headmistress suspect something? Had the guards discovered what happened? The thought of explaining why she'd been keeping a corpse hidden for three days sent her heart racing.

Yet, a small voice of reason surfaced in her mind. 'No one had seen Elena for days. It was only logical for them to think she's missing.'

"Am I here because you think I didn't report a missing person?" Maya asked, her voice betraying her fear.

Amanda's eyes narrowed, her gaze piercing. "I'm concerned. Both of you have been absent from work. It's an odd time for another rebellious phase."

Her voice was soothing and caring, a stark contrast to the harsh, threatening persona she had displayed against the unfortunate guards before. Ever since that incident, Maya struggled to find the right way to conduct herself in front of her guardian, the headmistress.

"I could have overlooked it if it were only Elena slacking off, but Maya, you've also neglected your responsibilities. I can't shake off the feeling that something is deeply troubling you."

Maya wanted to admit the whole thing, but now she feared the truth was even more horrible than the web of lies she was spinning. She thought about how Elena would handle the situation. Elena had a knack for thinking on her feet, as though she had a contingency plan for every possible scenario.

"We both fell ill…"

'…on that dreadful night.'

"The night of the dance," Maya's voice quivered. "We got sick. Elena was hit the hardest. We couldn't leave the room."

Amanda's eyebrows arched. "Illnesses must be reported to the medical staff and recorded. They should be the ones to excuse your absence."

"I'm sorry. We were too unwell to leave the room. I've gotten better. I promise to visit the doctor immediately," Maya vowed.

"If you're too sick to leave your room, there are procedures to follow. You should start by contacting your guardians," Amanda advised, giving her a meaningful look. Maya's guardian was sitting right in front of her.

"I'm truly sorry. I didn't think it would get this serious. I assumed it would be over in a day. We didn't want to cause a scene. And I didn't want to burden you, knowing how busy you are with the current situation."

Maya imagined Elena would be proud of her improvisation. Yet Maya was aware she was burying herself deeper in her predicament.

When would she confront the truth? How much longer could she prolong this charade?

It had already been three days. She reassured herself, just one more day.

"Very well then. Tell Elena I expect her presence as soon as she recovers. Even sooner if possible."

"I will relay your message. I will report to work tomorrow."

The Headmistress looked at her for another moment longer, then sighed and dismissed her. "That will be all."

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