"What... how did this happen...?" the doctor said angrily.

"She cut off her limbs..." Mirage said, moving towards the doctor.

During this, Doll was hiding inside that box, putting her right hand over her mouth, resisting that pain, hoping not to scream and moan, cold sweat pouring down her face.

Doll glanced, finding that girl in front of that monster. He was a deformed, huge body, wearing white clothes, with a wrinkled face and tight eyelids, wearing that blue and white mask, and those rusty headphones, making Doll's heart beat with intense fear, trying as much as possible not to scream, lowering her head, waiting for what would happen, listening.

"We will change the sample then... I will request a postponement, and a shipment from the school." That deformed entity.

"Okay... it will take a month to prepare the sample... 'This is reassuring...'....."

"Damn it... 11 children must be delivered."

"Ten is fine... sir."

"Okay... come... prepare the shipment." The doctor said, leaving.

"Okay... 'Damn it...'..."

***

At that moment, Doll felt relieved, despite that hope, her heart calmed down, taking a deep breath, as if hope in her heart had been reborn.

'Mercy... this is reassuring.'

Suddenly, Mirage lifted the lid of the wooden box, finding Doll, who raised her head upwards with a look of shock and despair.

"Oh, do you think... I didn't see this... box." Mirage said with a dark look, injecting Doll with a needle, causing Doll to lose consciousness.

****

"Huh... what's going on?" the doctor said in surprise.

"Don't worry... just a dead rat." Mirage.

******

Doll woke up after a while, finding herself in a narrow place with a ventilation opening near her. In fact, she was inside it, finding that girl in front of her, wearing a tattered robe, covering her head to her entire body.

The girl put her hand over Doll's mouth, gesturing her to be silent, then pointed her finger at that opening. Doll turned slowly, finding large swarms of birds flying outside, hearing loud crashing sounds and loud screams.

"Damn it... as soon as I find you two... you will regret it most bitterly." The doctor said angrily, leaving the room, slamming the wooden door shut.

****

At that moment, Doll froze in her place with intense fear, swallowing her saliva with difficulty, sweat pouring down her forehead, and anxiety pressing on her heart, which was beating strongly and rapidly.

"Don't worry... we are safe... hah... I knew I was number 11 in his shipment... he was planning to deceive me... if he didn't find the next goods." The girl said, reassuring Doll.

"Stay away... please... what is...? Huh..." Astonishment filled Doll's heart, finding her limbs intact.

She began to touch them, finding them solid.

"They are artificial limbs... Doll."

"I... I don't understand... what exactly is going on? ... Who is that doctor? ... Where am I? ... Who are you...?" Doll said, feeling anxious and afraid.

"Weren't you... on his side?" Doll said anxiously.

"No," the girl said, offering her a tattered robe.

"Listen... this may be strange... but... I am not an enemy... I am just a girl... trying to help... those who have no refuge... you are the only one... I was able to save... from that deformed entity... I know you have never left before... that room... you have been held captive in it for a long time..."

"You won't understand that... that suffering... inside that prison... oh, do you think I will believe you? ... How can I... put my trust... in you." Doll said, wrestling with that pain in her heart.

"We are... similar." That girl said, "I have suffered like you... but I... did not give up... Doll... I am one of the refugees in this world... and my mission... is to help the lost... take this robe... I will explain everything to you... trust me."

Doll swallowed her saliva, asking, "Who are you?"

"You can call me... Mirage."

******

Doll felt an unsettling feeling, turning to Zero with a gentle smile.

"It's okay... everything is alright." Doll.

Zero nodded slowly in agreement, hearing a moaning sound calling out.

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Zero turned ahead, finding her friends waiting for her in the corridor. The two girls quickly rushed towards them.

***

"Moan... don't scream like that... you will disturb others." End.

"Sorry." Moan.

****

"Sorry... for worrying you... are you...?" At that moment, Rêve and Moan jumped on Zero, hugging her, concern and sadness evident on their faces.

"Don't do that again."

"Foolish girl... you are so reckless."

Zero was surprised by what happened, smiling and saying, "Don't worry... I'm fine."

At that moment, she received a painful blow to her head from Lost, "Don't you ever say that again... don't forget... that after all those events... there are people... who will worry about you... understand... that you are not alone... we are together... Zero."

"True..." Moan.

"Yes... for the first time I agree with Lost." Rêve.

"What do you mean by that?" Lost said annoyedly.

"Please... stop it." End.

Zero stood up, and something inside her, despite seeing these children arguing, she felt a strange feeling, she never thought that just getting hurt would cause all this worry in them, thinking about those she left behind, as if these thoughts were planting in her heart a feeling of regret. She completely ignored those who were worried about her, completely ignored Alice's feelings, ignored those around her. She did not realize that those around her would be affected to this degree.

Zero felt a sting in her eye, feeling something warm flowing down her cheeks, finding her tears flowing profusely.

"Sorry."

At that moment, the children turned to Zero, surprised to see her wiping her tears, saying, "I didn't realize... that I would worry you... to this degree... I thought we were... just children trying to find a last refuge for them... I didn't expect... to feel this feeling... of belonging... to something... 'Those days and months... that I lived... and that were not stolen from my memory... I felt loneliness... even after those I loved disappeared... I felt as if everything I loved... was disappearing little by little... I just wanted... to live a normal life... between my parents... and my friend... but that damn Ferryman... took everything... my friends... my life... I understood... it wasn't remorse... I might be the reason for their kidnapping... it was just an excuse I used to defend... the truth of my feeling... but my motive... behind entering this world... is to recover what was taken from me... Alice was right... it wasn't correcting my mistakes... but a selfish motive from me... I feel... somewhat relieved... because I realized... that I have an impact on some people's souls... that's why you wanted to leave our real world... I... am not the only one who felt all this... you also... felt loneliness and sterility in this life... that Ferryman... is the reason for everything that is happening... he deceived us all... to enter this world... but... I couldn't understand his purpose... in keeping me... in the real world... does he want... me to ignore all this? ... I will endure... I will try to stay... alive... for your sake... for the sake of those who have left an impact on their souls... I don't want... you to feel sadness like me... I promise you... I will stay alive.'..."

This was the first time Zero felt this way, it was the first time she cried like this, as if that sterility in her life had begun to dissipate and disappear.

Zero raised her head, finding Moan, Rêve, End, and Lost in tears.

"Zero... you are not alone." Lost.

"We are together." Rêve.

"We are friends... not now... but since we met." Moan.

At that moment, Zero wiped her tears, smiling and saying, "You are... right...".

Doll smiled gently, feeling a short-lived hope within herself. End turned to her, and Zero noticed this, moving towards her, patting her shoulder and saying, "Perhaps I have no right to speak... since you have suffered more than me... but... there is still hope... that all this hell around us will disappear... Doll... smile... we children... need someone to comfort us... and console us... at this time... and seeing all these children looking at you with despair... will make them lose hope... I thought I was alone... but... we are all... similar... Doll... despite all this suffering... we will find a solution... someday."

"Perhaps... you are right... Zero... despite everything that has happened... I must make others feel hope... not increase their despair." Doll said, feeling reassurance and comfort, seeping into her broken self, smiling again, trying to suppress the pain of the past, a past she would never forget.

*****

"Seriously... I've been waiting for you for a long time... why are you crying?" Sunny said this, and everyone turned to her.

"Huh... Sunny." The children said, wiping their tears.

"Don't worry... Sunny.." End.

"You are so cold." Rêve said angrily.

"End... you are so mean." Lost.

"I told you to stop calling me by that nickname." End said annoyedly.

"You are such children... (turning to Zero)... You have woken up... I hope you are well."

"Ah... thank you... but... who are you?"

Sunny moved towards Zero, saying, "I am Sunny... one of the escapees from the Opera House... the children told me about you... thank you for helping them."

"Ah... you're welcome." Zero said, wiping her tears.

******

"Ah... Sunny... I must go back to the clinic... take care of the children." Doll said, heading towards the clinic.

Sunny turned to the children, saying, "Now... I will show you around this place... follow me."

At that time, Zero felt a deep feeling that made her immerse herself in thought. Despite everything Zero had said, the feeling of regret did not leave her. Since she lost Lily, she felt like she was lying to Doll, to the others, and to herself, to light that extinguished candle in their hearts, wanting to plant dead hope in their souls that were groaning and appealing for someone to save them. At that moment, Zero felt a heavy burden on her shoulders, realizing and being convinced of that idea. Since she left with that Nomez, she did not need this world to realize all this, but everyone who entered it, and even the world itself, needed her, needed her to return to being a bright world, in the souls of these intruders to it.

****

At that moment, End patted Zero's shoulder, and she turned to him, with features of loss and confusion evident on her face.

"Don't worry... everything will be alright...." End said, leaving with the children.

Zero remained looking at the children as they moved away little by little, and in herself a deep wound, black thoughts seeping into it.

'I don't understand... something inside me... wants to escape... from this torment... I started to see many things... with those around me... whether they are around me... or far from me... I started to fit in... with everything new... contrary to what I was in... the real world... I feel a group of hands... pulling my thoughts... to control me... this distorted world... gives you a false sense of hope... to lure you... into your worst nightmares... it has become stronger... than the real world itself... as if imagination has defeated reality... the deeper we delve into it... the more the Ferryman targets us... and we become part of this distorted land... we have fled our fate... in search of new dreams... as mice flee from cats hoping for life... no... we... are not just sneaky rats... we are new hope... for this damn distorted world.' Zero said, rushing to catch up with the children, and in herself a new feeling, as if it were a feeling of a new life, confronting the pain of reality.