After that scene, I walked towards the hallway and ignore the rumblings of an annoying woman behind me.

'Although you look cute when you act like that, as a man, i must have pride so i won't back down and talk to you, hmph unless ----'

My impure thoughts was instantly came into halt by a huge earthquake shakes the land.

I instantly looked towards Alice and found her having a hard time stabilizing herself so i struggled to go near her and support her when I spotted a huge chandelier falling towards her.

"ALICEEE!"

Without hesitation, I ran towards her intending to push her but it is too late, by the time i reached her the chandelier is right above her so I can't push her and the only thing that i could do is to cover her using myself.

I closed my eyes and was relieved that i reached her in time. While waiting for the pain that is about to arrive, Imagining her cute smile from before makes me smile instantly and hopes that Alice would be safe. I hear her loud scream again, but this time it isn't annoying as before, it sounds like it it was full of worry.

"EZRAAAAAAAA!!"

And in the next moment, I passed out.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Few hours later.

"Argh!"

I woke up by the soreness of my body. But before carefully checking my injuries, I looked at Alice who also passed out under me and checked if she was injured. Fortunately it was just some small cuts at her arms and legs and a small cuts from a glass at her face which wasn't covered by me due to the limited reach of my body. Even still, looking at her flawless face having a small cut like that makes me feel angry at my lack of strength and couldn't protect her well.

Perhaps feeling my stare and my anxiousness. Alice woke up and stared at me. In the next moment she started crying.

"You idiiioooot! Why did you do thaat? What if something bad happens to you? Waaaaah"

Hearing what she said I froze. Looking at her crying while complaining about my act. I couldn't help but smile, thinking that the first thing that came out of this girl's mouth after she woke up is about my safetiness makes my heart really feel warm.

"Im sorry Alice --- Argh"

It seems like the adrenaline that makes him feel numb to pain before already vanished and the pain from falling chandelier was stimulated in his body.

"Ezraa? Are you okay? Does it hurt? Where is it? What happen? Come on Ezra speeeaaak! ANSWEEER MEEEEE!"

Alice who was crying suddenly stops and checked my body carefully looking for how deep my wounds is. The way she reacts coupled with the amount of pain I'm suffering right now makes me wanna cry and laugh at the same time.

" It's nothing. Just some small bruises

and shallow cuts from glasses."

I struggled and try to stay calm and say it clearly but my face betrayed me by unconsciously gritting my teeth.

Its obvious that I lied. It hurts like hell damn it! Although none of my bones were fractured, it still felt like it and am having a hard time to move my body without feeling the pain for a moment.

"You liar!"

I couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of this girl infront of me who is now pouting and puffing her cheeks.

Trying to act like it doesn't really hurt, I slowly remove small parts of the chandelier that fall down at my back and slowly stand up.

"What kind of earthquake was that damn it. Our university is one with the most toughest buildings in the world and yet it turned into ruins in an instant."

After muttering, I tried assisting Alice but she refused and says,

"Do you think I would allow you to pull me up with that injured body of yours? Hmph!"

Smiling wryly, He looked around and was shocked by scene around him. The so called most luxurious university was now like a abandoned old church . The former bright hallway was now dark with the exception of the light that came from the sun. The walls cracked from the bottom all the way to the top. Numerous broken parts of walls were scattered everywhere and for some strange reason, the walls looked like they aged 1000 years instantly and dust were formed like they aren't cleaned for hundreds of years.

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

"Strange, something's strange?"

"What is it?"

Alice seems like she still haven't noticed the strangeness of things and still patted the dusts out of her.

"Nah, its nothing"

Not knowing where to put my thoughts into, I casullay snapped out of it and put it aside. 'Maybe the earthquake were really just the cause of it. Yeah, theres no other explanation either way'

He was just about to walk a steps forward but suddenly stops when he felt like some liquid were dripping and sticks into his shoes. Because of how dark it was, I couldn't identify what this liquid was so i tried to endure the pain and bend down to touch and look at it.

After touching the liquid, I suddenly froze, Shock and fear enveloped me, It seems like I forgot one of the most things to be considered at a times like this, the lives of people.

I held myself back from screaming and gulped hard. My eyes shake uncontrollably and several thoughts came into my mind, after all, it is the first time that an actual death happens in front of him so even if he want to, he wouldn't be able to stay calm.

"Ezraaaa? Are you okay? Does your injury still hurts? What's wrong with you?"

Waking up from the stupor, I closed my eyes then erased some thoughts in my mind.

'Calm down, calm down. I must calm down, If i didn't even manage it at this time,

After a while I sighed then stood up then faced Alice.

"It's a dead b-body"

My voice shaked when i was about to say the word then but I managed to say it without vomitting. Looking into Alice's eyes, I didn't found any feelings like fear or shocked at her eyes at all. Her eyes didn't even shake or so.

"Oh? A dead body is it? Well its only natural that majority of the people would die when they faced that kind of calamity"

While saying that he took a look at the body and casually shrug as if it is some grass on the road.

'Calm. So calm.'

Seeing her reaction makes me terrified, its so indifferent like nothing happened.

"Why? why are you so calm? How----"

I can't stop myself from asking this but suddenly felt her fingers on my lips stopping me from asking.

"Ssshhhhhh! I'll answer your first question but promise me, You won't ask anymore after that. Don't worry, when the time comes, I'll tell you everything"

Hearing her words, I calmed down. Maybe i was just shocked by the happenings so i became afraid of her reaction. But now, i chose to nod and trust her.

"Okaaaaay~~ You asked why am I so calm right? Hmmmm.. well, You could say, Its because I was used to it"

Her eyes that used to be cheerful, suddenly became cold and mysterious. Her voice, the jolly tone that I was used to hear became very cold. Its like, she totally became a different person. The image of Alice that I always know, is like a mask that hides her true identity. I am bewildered by this happenings, I want to run away from her and call her fake, but my heart still wants to trust her.

"Don't worry Ezra, no matter what. I am always your friend and I wont betray you even if I die. Okaaaaayyy? Come on pinky prooomiiiseeee"

As if knowing what would i want to hear, The words that she just say totally calmed me and makes my hesitation vanish.

'That's right, why did i even hesitate?'

Lifting my finger up to cross against her, i suddenly smile.

'She really is cute'

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"

Just as I am admiring the her cute smile, we heard a frantic scream coming from our classroom. We immediately run towards it thinking that it was someone who is asking for help.

'Damn it! My injuries were starting to get worse, If this keeps on going I might faint'

Fortunately, we weren't far from the place and we reached it in a minute or else-,

As we reach the room, I instantly covered my nose and mouth, holding back the vomit that i was about to throw out again. More than half of the students of our class died, the other half was formed into different groups. there were around 8 who goes into a corner and vomits, another 9 who were also in a corner and is shaking with fear, and the strangely, 15 students who were calm and were able to adjust instantly and looks for someone who's still alive and could be helped.

"What--wha-what is tha-at? Wh-why?"

Hearing a woman shout earlier makes everyone thinks that she is just afraid or shocked but hearing a shout that is something questionable makes everyone bewildered and looks towards what her finger is pointing at outside the windows.

Everyone suddenly gasp the moment they saw it. Everything was different. The usual tall buildings that surrounds the university couldn't be seen at all. Instead it was replaced by big trees, trees that were bigger than those 10th floor buildings. The roads were replaced by grass that were on the same height as humans. The scene that they were used to be seen were now gone, the usual lively city weren't there anymore. Instead, a hunted forest that extends up to who knows where was reflected in their eyes.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH"

A moment later, someone snapped out of the trance and starts panicking, this caused a somewhat domino effect that even those who stayed indifferent in front of dead bodies couldn't maintain their calmness and starts trembling.

Those with weak personality were even worse, some hysterically kneeled down and cry like theres no tomorrow, and some instantly fainted. Ezra wasn't doing good enough, Trembling, he fall back several steps and his eyes shakes uncotrollably. He even forgot the pain of his injury because of being conquered by the horror of reality.

No one noticed that in a corner theres a woman who calmly watched everyone's reactions with only coldness in her eyes like they were some dead meat. But while watching them one by one, the looks on her face instantly turned gentle and playful the moment it landed on Ezra.

Slowly, he went near him and hold its head forcing him to lock his eyes on her, beautifully smiling, she said,

"Don't worry, I am here"

This act of hers broke through all the barriers of horror that agonized him and magically calmed him. Dazed, his eyes slowly regained its tranquility as if he was being hypnotized and the negative thoughts that affects him before slowly vanished.

Later, he looked at Alice who smirked at him mysteriously making him wonder on who really is this girl. But, he knows he could trust her so he cleared that curiousity out of him and focused on what was in front of him.

Looking at his surroundings, the only thing that came out of his mouth is,

"What? What the hell is this? Where the hell am I?"