1855 hours, 2 July 0145...

Our nerves were on edge as we strode down the foreboding pathway that snaked through the blackened forest, only a short distance from Christine's old home. And we illuminate our way with flashlights to shine on the unclear track.

But any time Nolan has to wait, he becomes irritated. In his eager anticipation, he let out a frustrated hiss.

"Are we there yet?"

But with a stern gaze, Lisabelle chastised him by giving a quick snap to his right waist.

"Nolan! Do you know where we were going?"

I could tell that Christine was already ahead of us since she frequented the family cemetery a long time ago. But out of nowhere, she pointed in her direction, startling us both with a word.

"There we go, guys."

Since we can't deduce Christine's intended target from her pointing, we've followed in her footsteps.

We caught up to her and found ourselves standing at the front gate of her family cemetery. Despite its age, the gate appears well-maintained every month.

The usual cemetery was terrifying when it got dark. However, this cemetery exuded a serene yet melancholic atmosphere, housing the remains of several distinguished fighters who had fallen in the conflict. And there were flowers adorning every face of their tombstones, where I could see the moonlight shining above the graves.

Following her steps, Christine opened the gate. When we arrived at her family's cemetery, she whispered in reverence.

"Pardon for the interruption."

Following her path to her mother's grave, I had a gut feeling that we were missing something important. I leaned in closer to Christine and whispered to her, expressing my concern.

"Aren't we forgetting to bring flowers to your mother's grave?"

Christine glanced over my shoulder as she straightforwardly answered.

"It's alright; my father's already visited this grave last evening."

Overwhelmed by emotion, I found myself speechless, simply nodding in silent accord.

We arrived at Hilda's cemetery after what seemed like an eternity. Behind her, I saw two tombstones, as they belonged to Hilda's parents, who were Christine's long ancestors.

I saw two white lilies in little pots beside Hilda's tombstone, which may be proof that Leonid visited her cemetery this afternoon to pay his respects.

Insert Music: Bullet For My Valentine - Tears Don't Fall (Acoustic)

Christine knelt, put her hand on the head of the gravestone, and spoke wistfully about the happier times when her mother was still by her side.

"Mother. It's been quite some time since I felt your serenity for the last time."

"Years have gone by, and I'm thankful enough to know that I've grown much. Because my friends are always there for me."

"Despite everything, I still can't stop thinking about the love, warmth, and protection you gave me."

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

I suddenly hear her crying softly, as if her eyes were going to drop a waterfall of tears. She bowed her head at Hilda's gravestone and proceeded with tears.

"I... can't... take it... anymore."

"I... don't want... to marry... Antonio..."

"Because Antonio constantly sabotages my efforts to succeed. And he constantly berates me... in the name of preserving... God's orders..."

"You could only save me... from the stupid agendas of that squadron... if you had lived longer..."

"I yearned for independence... where I was finally free to go off on my own... free of these pointless constraints... and free... at last..."

"More than anything else... mother... I missed you..."

"And if being free... was a sin... then let me be... just... for you..."

After that, she kissed and prayed over Hilda's gravestone. All of us bowed our heads and prayed, hoping that God would grant us a spot in heaven next to her.

My heart ached at the untimely passing of a mother, particularly knowing her daughter was just a mere ten years old at the time. And even the memories of my deceased companions from my last terrifying mission flashed like a haunted spirit.

As I gazed upon Hilda's gravestone, a sense of unease crept over me, intertwining with the haunting fear that my companions might face a fate similar to the one that nearly claimed my life. No matter how many suicide missions I've completed, I'll always be condemned to see my closest friend die while becoming the accursed immortal.

Fortunately, Christine's tears were subsiding after we finished praying. She then stood up and explained in a melancholic tone while fixing her gaze on her mother's tombstone.

"I still recall the times that my mother taught me to defend myself. In line with what I've done in the past."

"In fact, my parents used to possess the weapons that I employ today, which include both my father's Lancer and my mother's Bow."

"In fact, her tasks on the Cleanser Squadron are much different. She did everything within her power to protect and fight for true justice."

Christine suddenly clinched her hands, as though something incensed her thoughts with a soft and bitter tone.

"But during Pope Enzio Busso's administration, Cleanser Squadron deviated from their moral path, driven by their greed."

"They burned, ravaged, and slaughtered the innocents they deemed to be the heretics."

"Only if I have the strength to resist their corruption. Even if it meant to be a sinner."

"To this day, I can still recall her last words: Free this squadron's corruption and set yourself free for justice."

Kyouko suddenly came up behind her, put a comforting hand on her back, and spoke soothingly as she stroked her left shoulder.

"Christine, I know that you've shown everyone strength as an independent woman. But you also need to exercise good self-management, where you need to know when to stand up and when to stand back."

Axel also went behind her and explained while stroking her back.

"You have to accept the fact that you can't force anybody to see things your way, and that goes double for you when others are persuading their point of view to you."

"Because everything that is born differs, it's unrealistic to expect the world to revolve around you."

"And that's the beauty of the world we've lived in here."

For the second time, Christine's eyes welled up with tears as she felt the comforting touch of her friends. Lisabelle persuaded Christine with a compassionate tone while gently stroking her back.

"We've always had your back, so don't be shy about sharing your troubles with us."

After saying something comforting to Christine, Nolan gently stroked her back.

"Christine, you are such a courageous young woman. Ignore their demands and keep on going forward anyway, okay?"

Christine felt everyone's hands on her back as they tried to calm her worries. Except for me, I felt like I had a curse where everything I touched would eventually fade away. Even if I shielded Christine from future trauma, it still wouldn't change the fact that something terrible would happen to her in the future because of my touch.

Still, we extended our hands to the gravestone of Hilda and gently patted it as a way of saying, "We'll meet you later, once we've fulfilled our goals."

As we concluded our prayers, Lisabelle's voice broke the silence, catching us off guard with her unexpected words.

"Let's go back to the house. We shouldn't hang out in here much longer."

Without further ado, we left Christine's family gravesite and returned to her house.

I was ahead of them at the front gate, but I paused to look behind me to double-check if someone was watching me, like in any horror movie's cliches. Axel's question jarred me somewhat out of my thoughts on the empty space behind me.

"Tsuyuki? What's wrong?"

His question startled me, but I quickly responded as I followed their lead back to the house.

"Maybe a spirit is wandering around."

I also believe Onigashi was following me here. My thoughts kept racing to images of her menacing look, her ruthlessness, and the vast power that might bring about the end of the world.