[...And so, you died,] The ‘white-haired’ Rin said with her reverberating voice while looking down at her other self from a Japanese-styled house's rooftop. [Congratulation!]

At the other end, the ‘black-haired’ Rin was sprawled—with an apparent lack of strength —on the snow-covered ground that was her homeland. Do mind though, that she was in a perfectly healthy state without any injuries to be seen. In addition, even though she couldn't feel the cold—nor anything at all for that matter—she was covered from head to toe with warm, winter clothes.

“That's how it is... I,” The weak Rin said with barely any force. “I can't do anything about it.”

[Hmph! Really now,] With her same sarcastic tone, the arrogant Rin jumped off of the rooftop and down to the ground. [I thought you didn't want to be a liar.]

“As I said, I can't do anything about it.” Locking her gaze on the imaginary snowy sky, Rin released a cold breath. “...not anymore.”

Visibly irritated by the calm behavior of her counterpart, White Rin advanced while making sure her footsteps were heard through the snow. She didn't stop until her face entered the scenery the Black Rin was looking at.

[What about Rena, then?] White Rin continued. [I'm sure she's crying her wit out right about now!]

“...It's better like this.” Black Rin answered. “At least, I won't have to become her enemy anymore.”

The arrogant Rin gritted her teeth at the reply. Her bright scarlet eyes shone and opened widely with anger, looking at ‘herself’ as though it was the most hateful thing in the world. If this was the real world, no doubt would her hands bleed since she was tightening them too much.

Nevertheless, in a great feat of self-control, she regained a semblance of calm with a few deep breaths.

Knowing no words she'd say would do anything, the White Rin opted for another option. Searching deep inside her memory, she decided to use another person's words instead of her own.

«T-this has to be some kind of joke.» Out of the corner of her eyes, someone outside of the two Rin said. It was a voice the two of them were familiar with.

In fact, it wasn't just a voice. Celia herself was there, inside the imaginary world.

«Y-you can't be dead, right? Rin.» The orange-haired girl said, tears threatening to escape from her eyes, while she extended her trembling hands towards Rin.

Though, not towards the white or the black Rin but toward a third, different Rin. Celia was extending her hands toward a ‘Dead Rin’.

«No, no, no, no!” Celia's mind was thrown into disarray. “This can't be real! I-I mean, weren't you perfectly fine just yesterday!»

Unable to take her attention off, the Black Rin watched on with complicated feeling. The scene she was witnessing was something she had already experienced yet had no recollection of.

«W-wake up, Rin! Please!” Tear began to run down the orange girl's cheek. “This isn't funny, you know!»

Indeed, this was a memory of her past, months ago.

«Please! Just say something.»

This was the memory of the moment things had gone awry in her life

«This can't be happening!” Reality was catching up to Celia, realizing that, she might not be able to be with Rin anymore. “This...just....can't.»

This was the memory of her first death.

«I... don't want you to di—

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

“—Enough!” Black Rin shouted, interrupting the recollection.

[What about Celia, hm?] White asked, ignoring her counterpart's shout. [The poor girl will be devastated once she learns the life she had so desperately saved still died in the en—]

“—Then what!?” Black interrupted with fury. “What am I supposed to do!? Assuming that I can escape death here, assuming that I can still live, things will still be much worse if I come back!!”

[Worse? Are you serious!?] White replied with anger. [You're dying here! Everything you've built so far— you're entire existence is ending!! What could be worse than that?!!]

Black Rin slammed her fist on the ground with all her force—all the while still laying on it—destroying a part of it and blowing the snow along the way. Her face distorted in an angry expression never seen before.

“You're me.” She said, toning down her voice. “You know exactly what I mean.”

White Rin heaved a deep sigh, knowing full well being angry with herself was a funny sight to see. [Right...] She said, crouching down to look more closely at her own face. Her scarlet eyes looking at wavering blue one. [You're right. I can't say things will be pretty if we survive her. Hell, maybe we would have to face death again. But...]

Lifting her head, White Rin decided to look at the white imaginary sky.

[Honestly, you're just thinking too hard about this.]

Then, with yet another sigh, stood up once again before circling back to the mansion she had been on previously. She closed her eyes, trying to contain her emotion, and continued.

[You now have the power you had so desperately wanted,] She said, recalling the deal she had made. [But the price you had to pay was just too much for your weak mind,

[Yet, you don't have it in yourself to ask Aiden to break the deal. Though, even if you had, there's no way to know how Aiden himself would react.

[So, as a compromise and as a way to maintain yourself, you sought salvation. Hence, you accepted to help Winter fight an impossible battle and even proposed a suicidal solution.

[You said you weren't going to die. You repeated those words as though to convince yourself but, deep down, it didn't really matter. In fact, since in the end, you couldn't save anyone, you thought it would be better like this.]

Black Rin stayed quiet, letting her other self continue her monologue. She didn't move and simply closed her eyes, quietly listening and never chiming in to protest the fact that was stated.

[...How stupid.] White Rin placed her hands on her face with an ashamed expression.

She stomped her feet on the snow and let her anger loose again. Without letting her counterpart react, she grabbed her by the collar and lifted her with inhuman strength.

[Haven't you learned your lesson already!!?] She cried, kicking the ground she was standing on to dash ahead and slam her other self on the solid, wooden house.

Black Rin shrieked in pain, even though she wasn't supposed to feel anything in the imaginary world.

[Back then, when you lost against that monster at school—when you died, you gave up and took Aiden's hand. But, didn't you have something to prove to your Family!?!] White shouted. [Why are you running away again!?]

Black clenched her teeth and glared at herself.

“I. am. not. Running away!!” She said, exclaiming her fury. “This is better for everyone! For Winter. For Rena. For Celia. For the people that I have killed!! This is the BEST possible outcome for everyone!”

White Rin laughed at that—before violently throwing Black Rin on the ground, away from her, like a dirty rag. She let her hand limply fall on her side and she bit her mouth, frustrated.

[For everyone, huh,] She repeated.

Turning herself away from Black, she looked at the snowy scenery of her childhood. She didn't have that many good memory stored in her mind but, this place couldn't be called a bad one.

This was the place where she had trained so often back when she was a kid. ‘No, I'm still a kid aren't I?’ Up to three years ago, this was where she passed the majority of her time.

She didn't have that many friends—she didn't have any in fact unless you counted her two siblings—so it sounded kinda sad, but even so, ‘It really wasn't so bad.’

White clenched her hands for the nth time and calmly observed her surrounding.

[...What about you?] She asked, with a voice filled with grief. [Is this really what's best for you?]

The world shook at her words and the scenery began to crumble down. Time was up. And death resumed her march on Rin. Void slowly crept on, eating the snow and every building on its way.

The fact that Rin's subconscious could work till now was a miracle in itself. However, even a miracle can only do so much.

[You're me, so you understand, right?] White asked, finally looking back at herself.

[...I don't wanna die.] A single streak of tears ran down her cheek, reminding her for one last time of the feeling of cold.

Then, she was eaten by the void.

Left alone with the ever-approaching void, Black Rin hugged her knees and buried her face on them. Waiting patiently for her time to come. Despite her own stubborn words, she couldn't help but feel dread.

“Right...” She said, forcing a chuckle and a smile that was the very meaning of sadness.

Before she even knew it, a wet, cold, and soft feeling caressed her cheek and the knees she was hugging.

She bit her lips and—gathering the small resolve she had left—lifted her head to look at the black scenery that was the void. A small circle around her was the only thing sparred—a small circle filled with snow and with a wooden wall she was leaning on.

“Of course I don't want to die...” She affirmed desperately.