A three-tiered cake, a variety of drinks, and colorful balloons—everything that comes to mind when you think of a party—were in abundance. Alice and Lui seemed to have prior knowledge, as they were the ones who suddenly entered the dining room, wheeling in a cart filled with party supplies.

Even though no one was in the mood for a celebration, they still brought the cake and placed it in front of Jack. Standing beside him, one on each side, they resembled loyal attendants.

When had Alice and Lui become Jack's servants? Silas didn't know, but he had more pressing matters to discuss, so he brushed aside that thought.

The words "Silas', Jessica's, and Kyle's first death" still echoed in his mind. If Jack's words were true, then they had indeed been killed on the day they encountered the dark creature. It also meant that Silas remembered correctly, at least regarding the forest part. Although he already understood that, he still wished for It to be just a nightmare.

Shaking his head to clear the intrusive images, Silas continued pondering.

In ancient times, before the God of Life created the forest to protect people from the malevolent world, death was universally feared and dreaded. It was believed to be an irreversible event. However, many years ago, God descended to the mortal realm and used His divine power to create a space where people were no longer subject to death. Humanity experienced immeasurable joy on that day, and an annual festival is still celebrated to commemorate God's divine act.

Nevertheless, death remains an inevitable part of life, an inherent aspect of human nature. Thus, even the holy God couldn't completely eradicate it. Instead, He altered its nature: death became a reversible process. Although there were rules, which he still had to learn, people essentially became immortal only dying through old age, when their souls reached their limit.

At least that was what the Church of Life propagated, but Jack always cautioned them against taking things at face value. Silas was unsure of what to believe. However, one thing was certain: the revival of the dead was true, and he was living proof of it.

"I guess I still have a few more lives ahead of me," Silas mused.

And today marked the celebration of Silas' first death—a rather paradoxical event that felt like a birthday party. Silas could envision them singing and wishing for more celebrations in the future. Yet, it seemed more like a curse than a blessing.

At some point, a plate with a slice of white cake appeared before Silas, though he had been too lost in thought to notice. Reflecting on it, a party for one's own death seemed absurd, but considering Jack was the party planner, it made sense in its own twisted way. At least they were making progress, and Jack wasn't rambling about unrelated topics.

Silas took his seat across from Kyle and Jessica, positioned right next to Elem. To Silas, Elem was a perceptive individual.

Did he already know something?

Silas subtly glanced at Elem, who returned the look and whispered, "I don't know anything specific, but I have some ideas."

"Can you read my mind?" Silas asked.

"It's clearly written on your face; I don't need to read your mind," Elem responded.

Elem seemed to possess the ability to discern people's thoughts through their facial expressions. Perhaps that explained why he always maintained a stoic demeanor, preventing anyone from peering into his thoughts.

"What kind of ideas then?"

"Teacher said before you three left that he would come back in a week to check on all of you. Right?"

Silas remembered something like that happening. Jack sent them off on their expedition and bid them farewell with a "see you in a week." He was too focused on his "mission" to think about those words, but even then, did they have a deeper meaning? Although the expedition was scheduled for three days and an instructor would certainly be there three days later to greet the team, common sense did not apply to his teacher.

"Yes... But so what?"

"He was there the day you three returned, I don't think he showed up at the right time for no reason." He paused. "I guess."

That Jack had shown up for no reason wasn't that hard to believe, but Silas understood what Elem was trying to say. He must have been informed of their return somehow, and from what Elem told him, he was even very quick, as if in a hurry.

Apparently, Jack had been hiding under a bed the day he had woken up. He was also the one who calmed him down, using some ancient technique that Elem didn't elaborate on.

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But why was he under the bed?

"If our irresponsible teacher came back on time, did that mean that the incidents could not be ignored even by him?"

"That's what I thought." Elem picked up his fork and took a bite of the cake. "The reason would be that you three died, which he didn't expect."

Elem's chewing sounds mixed with his words, he seemed to enjoy the cake. Silas found that Elem had the air of a teacher, so he continued to listen quietly at his side.

"Actually, I already asked Kyle and Jessica, you three died horribly by some shadow man... That's what Kyle calls him."

The bespectacled boy looked at Silas, with a curious look behind his glasses he asked Silas a question that made him feel like he was being interrogated.

"Do you remember?"

He remembered, not every detail, but enough to be able to answer his question. He thought again about the last memories before waking up in this place. The deaths of Kyle and Jes and...

How did I die?

It struck Silas that he couldn't recall anything beyond witnessing what had befallen Jessica. But he couldn't ponder for long before his thoughts were cut short by Elem.

"Silas?" Elem prompted, his curiosity evident.

"Ah, sorry... I believe I remember most of it," Silas replied hastily, not wishing to worry Elem.

"Oii, what are you two whispering about all the time?"

Dustin, seated on the opposite side of Elem, couldn't contain his curiosity any longer. They had been engaged in a conversation that eluded his ears. It was probably something dull, considering it involved Glasses and blue-head. However, he was certain they would need his help to solve whatever problem they were discussing since he considered himself smarter than both of them or at least smarter than his love rival.

"Well, Silas, Elem, what's the secret?" Even their teacher joined in, adopting a contemplative pose with his hand resting on his chin.

"Hmm, could it be that you're gossiping about the girls you fancy?" He wiped away an imaginary tear from his cheek and raised his hands a little apart, mimicking the size of a piece of cake.

"I remember when you were this little. Look how fast you've grown," he sighed.

"How much longer do I have to put up with this crap!"

Silas' gaze landed on a red-haired girl who had a murderous look, perhaps he would have taken her seriously if it weren't for that pointy party hat adorning her head. But now she seemed more like a spoiled child throwing a tantrum because she didn't receive the gifts she wanted.

Jes probably didn't put the hat on herself; who would dare?

Silas glanced at the person seated next to her. Kyle was busy grinning and framing Jes with his fingers as if trying to capture her appearance forever.

"That's it! You're not taking this seriously, but I am! If you don't answer me right now, I swear I'll burn that stupid grin off your face!" Her anger reached a boiling point, quite literally. The hat on her head caught fire, symbolizing her burning emotions. She stood tall, with a flaming hat slowly dwindling away, resembling a torch.

"Finally, we have our candle. Now, let me make the wish and blow it out."

Jack took a deep breath, puffing out his chest, and blew towards Jes. A strong gust of wind blew in her direction, lifting her hat off her head and tousling her fiery red hair. Thus, the candle was extinguished.

"I-I..."

She was taken aback, caught off guard by the sudden burst of wind.

"Pff."

Kyle couldn't contain his laughter any longer. It was the tipping point.

"I-I'm going to get you all!!!"

In a gesture to make her threat more tangible, a flame flickered to life in her right hand. She was on the verge of hurling the fireball at Jack when Kyle stood up, stretching his arms out to capture her attention and halt her impulsive action.

"Woaaah, Jes, what are you doing?"

"Don't get in my way! Fuck off!"

Silas and the other children in the room tried to calm her down. It took some effort, but gradually she realized that this wasn't the appropriate place to vent her anger. The fireball in her hand diminished in size.

Their teacher, observing her reaction, must have recognized that he had pushed her too far. He coughed, garnering everyone's attention, and spoke.

"Jessica." He locked eyes with her, perhaps contemplating an apology. "Please refrain from such language. People might mistake me for raising a fury. I can't afford any damage to my reputation."

This time, Kyle sat back down, feeling there was nothing more he could do. Shortly after, he witnessed a glowing fireball soar across the room, aimed at the backseat, and he could hear Jes muttering "eat shit" as she released it.

The fireball found its mark, hurtling toward Jack, who appeared unfazed by the chaos. At the last moment, he skillfully dodged it, tilting his head to the side. With a resounding crash, the flame collided with the wall behind him. The hissing sound of the fire filled the room, and without even needing to glance, Jack knew that another dark scorch mark would soon grace the wall.

How many of those dark spots were there? —Too many. He contemplated painting the wall black, but then he reconsidered, saving his energy, and letting Jessica handle it, as she was doing now.

He glanced back at her infuriated expression; he could already see the second fireball beginning to form. It seemed he had achieved his desired result of pushing her to her limits. It was time to get serious.

"You want answers?" he asked calmly.

"What you—uhh?"

Her surprise was evident in the confused sound she made.

Jack leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table and intertwining his fingers. He placed his chin on the back of his hands, repeating his question.

"Do you desire answers?"

At that moment, he couldn't help but wonder if he portrayed the image of a serious and stern teacher to the children. Casting his gaze around the room, he sought confirmation in the subtle nuances of their expressions.

However, his attention stalled as he caught sight of Dustin's unmistakable disgust. Well, Dustin doesn't count, he is still too immature to realize my greatness.

"That's what I've wanted all along," Jessica said.

"I see. You should have said that sooner."

"Motherf-"

"But ..." he interrupted her, " Life isn't that simple. You cannot attain something merely because you wish for it. Such things must be earned through hard work and perseverance."

A sly grin crept across his face.

"Let's test how much you've truly grown." Jack glanced at Kyle and Silas before returning his gaze to Jess.

"Through a fight."