After the investigation wrapped up, we hailed a carriage headed towards the dormitory.

It was already late evening, and darkness had settled in, so we all intended to return to our rooms for some rest.

Everyone looked thoroughly exhausted.

---

“It’s already this late… No wonder I feel so tired.”

“I-I feel like my eyes are about to close too.”

“You cried all day, so it’s a miracle you didn’t pass out halfway through.”

“Did I really…?”

“You have no idea how much trouble that caused.”

“I-I’m sorry…”

“I wasn’t trying to make you feel guilty, you know.”

---

The carriage rattled along, and the two girls sat side by side, talking.

At first glance, their conversation might have seemed like an argument, but sitting close together, they actually looked comfortable with each other.

The atmosphere was notably calmer than before.

---

*Better than expected.*

Perhaps it was the memory of the basement ordeal.

Having fought a monster together, they seemed to have developed a strange sense of camaraderie.

A noblewoman allowing the protagonist to sit beside her…

It was a scene that would have been unimaginable in the original story.

A quiet laugh escaped me, feeling proud of them.

---

“Hehe.”

“What’s so funny?”

“Oh, nothing.”

Maybe I was just relieved that this episode had ended well.

Though things hadn’t gone exactly as planned, I felt it had been a worthwhile experience.

I had glimpsed a new light, after all.

---

*I’ll do even better from now on.*

---

Everything was still running smoothly.

Quietly, I looked forward to what was coming.

---

However, that sense of anticipation shattered as soon as I returned to the dorm.

---

“…”

An icy stillness filled the air.

The unsettling silence gave me an uneasy feeling.

Usually, I’d hear her reluctant greeting, asking if I’d just gotten back.

---

But now, only the weight of silence hung heavy in the air.

In the darkened room, there was no sign of life.

---

“Miss Irene…”

I called her name on a hunch, hoping for a response.

But as if mocking my last bit of patience, there was no reply.

Only a deep, pervasive emptiness lingered.

---

The darkness seemed to swallow everything around me.

Beyond the window, the night sky stretched, blank and starless, with clouds obscuring the view.

Frozen in place amidst this sense of loss, I stood still.

---

“A group of attackers appeared on Market Street.”
“Market Street… that’s close to the dormitory.”

“Were there any victims?”
“No reports have come in yet.”
“That’s a relief.”
“Though there may still be some hidden casualties.”

---

The casual conversation from earlier echoed in my mind.

A dark intuition stirred within me.

Just moments ago, I’d been filled with a sense of accomplishment, but now that warmth turned to ice.

---

“Where could she have gone?”

*Clap!*

With a single clap, the scenery around me shifted.

In an instant, I was outside the dormitory building.

I scanned my surroundings, but saw nothing.

---

*Clap!*

I clapped again, this time transporting myself to the road leading to Market Street. Still, there was no trace of her.

Relentlessly, I kept clapping.

---

*Clap!*

The carriage station—no sign.

---

*Clap!*

The city center—empty.

---

*Clap!*

The alleyway—nothing.

---

*Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap…!*

I clapped dozens of times, each transporting me to a new place, the background changing with each sound.

The claps grew louder as I pressed on, searching for any trace of her.

---

*Clap!*

The repetitive claps finally stopped in an alley not far from Market Street.

It was a spot rarely visited by students, as the complex paths made it hard to navigate.

I stood still, gazing at the ground.

---

“…”

A basket lay there.

Scattered groceries rolled at my feet, as if someone had dropped them while shopping.

It was the basket Irene always took with her when she went to the market.

---

*Why.*

*Why do my worst premonitions never miss the mark?*

An unnatural energy lingered around the disordered ground.

It was faint enough to evade ordinary eyes, but… it was unmistakably a remnant of dark magic.

Nothing could escape my sight.

---

A chilling wind swept past, rustling the shadows.

Standing there, a bitter smile crept across my face.

A twisted smirk.

---

“Ha.”

*Baob.*

These bastards.

---

Meanwhile…

The fox awoke on a cold floor.

---

“Ugh…”

She opened her eyes to a pounding headache.

The sight that greeted her blurred vision was a landscape cloaked in darkness.

The cold, hard surface of the stone floor pressed against her back, and a pained groan escaped her lips.

---

“Ugh… haa…”

She frowned as her vision swam, slowly lifting her upper body.

Each breath was labored, her body wracked with sharp, splintering pain.

It felt as if she were made of glass, shattered into fragments.

The effects of an overextended sleep spell.

---

“Ugh, cough, haa…!”

Irene had no natural resistance to magic, so the aftereffects hit her hard.

For a while, she could only lie there, writhing in pain.

---

“Haa… haa…”

Gradually, the headache subsided.

As her ragged breathing returned to normal, she finally took in her surroundings.

It was a space shrouded in pitch-black darkness.

The fox muttered to herself, dazed.

---

“Where… am I?”

The first thing that hit her was a sense of disorientation.

Her dark eyes roamed the surroundings, trying to piece together what had happened.

---

*How did I end up here?*

She tried to recall her last memory.

She had been shopping on Market Street, and just as she turned into an alley, she felt someone following her.

Sensing something suspicious, Irene had stayed alert.

---

The moment she reached for her sword at her waist and turned around…

---

*I was ambushed.*

Her memory cut off there.

The last thing she saw was a flash of red light.

A sickening glow.

---

Irene held her breath, assessing the situation.

Her dark pupils scanned the shadows, scrutinizing each part of her surroundings.

The most notable thing was a set of iron bars.

---

“…”

The fox realized she was trapped in a small cell.

Looking at the bars surrounding her, a faint sense of déjà vu washed over her.

---

“Damn it.”

A curse slipped from her lips.

Only a few months ago, she had been in a similar place.

The memory of that slave auction hall, filled with caged beasts, flooded back like a traumatic flashback, and she bit her lip.

Could this be the work of those people again?

---

“No… there’s no way they’d have followed me all the way to the academy…”

If it wasn’t them, then who?

To kidnap someone in broad daylight from the continent’s top academy…

They must be out of their minds.

Her head swirled with confusion.

---

Her rising anxiety added to her stress, and a dull headache crept back.

Just as she pressed her fingers to her temple, a strange sound caught her attention.

It was the sound of footsteps.

---

*Step, step.*

Footsteps echoed down a long corridor.

They approached Irene’s cell at a leisurely pace.

At that moment…

---

“Don’t just sit there—curl up…!”

“…?!”

Something nudged Irene’s shoulder.

Startled, she looked over and saw a hand poking through the bars from the adjacent cell.

The voice of a young girl whispered urgently.

---

“Sis! Pretend to be asleep, quickly…!”

“W-what?”

“Hurry, before the demon comes…!”

The footsteps grew closer.

Still dazed, Irene complied, lying down as if she were still unconscious.

---

“…”

*Step.*

The footsteps halted in front of her cell.

She kept her breathing steady, listening as two men exchanged words nearby.

---

“It seems she hasn’t woken up yet.”

“So it appears.”

“What do you want to do with her?”

“Leave her until tomorrow. We have plenty of other specimens to handle.”

“What about today’s failed experiments?”

“Move them to the lowest level.”

“Yes, understood.”

---

Specimens, experiments, failures, the lowest level.

The terms they used were deeply unsettling. Irene clenched her fists, resisting the urge for her tail to twitch in tension.

---

“Speaking of which, we received a valuable specimen.”

“Yes, it’s rare to have a fox-human as a test subject.”

“A camouflage operation delivered us such an intriguing creature. I should reward the surviving squad.”

“They’ll certainly appreciate that.”

“She’ll be a fine offering to Him.”

A leering gaze bore down on her.

The air turned thick with malice, their voices dripping with vile intent.

---

“I’m looking forward to the upcoming experiment.”

Irene thought to herself.

Something was very wrong.

Terribly wrong.

---

Cold.

Her heart felt as if it had stopped beating altogether.

The young girl’s heart seemed to have been pierced by an icy blade.

It was a sensation she had long forgotten.

---

*How long has it been?*

---

The frigid air lingered around her.

Her mind grew cold and sharp, like the falling snow of a winter night.

Chilled breaths slipped past her lips.

---

She was eerily calm.

There wasn’t a trace of hesitation within her. She felt as if she were gliding through a tranquil, wintry world.

---

A brief moment of meditation.

---

While sitting with her eyes closed, she

 heard a young girl’s voice call out to her.

---

“Captain.”

“…”

“The members are all prepared.”

“…”

She lifted her head.

Before her stood the members of Astro, all cloaked in white robes.

They waited in formation, ready.

---

It was time.

She rose slowly.

The members’ eyes focused on her.

Their fierce, restrained energy filled the air. They were soldiers awaiting orders.

---

“The Tree has declared war.”

“…”

“I wouldn’t go so far as to say they’ve provoked us, but… unfortunately, they’ve dared to touch someone precious to me.”

There was no room for forgiveness.

If they’d taken something, I’d reclaim it.

They’d learn exactly who they dared to challenge.

---

“It seems we need to do some cleaning… Will you join me?”

---

“All in accordance with your will.”

The members all bowed.

As I looked on, satisfied, the vice-captain handed me my own robe.

A robe as pure as fresh snow.

---

“Thank you, Miss Neria.”

---

With a flourish, I donned the robe without hesitation.

After adjusting my collar, I took my first step forward.

It was time to observe.

---

“Then, shall we go?”

---

I muttered in the flickering shadows.

---

“To find the fox.”