(Continued)

  The door opened without a knock.

  Anna, Alexia, Lianel, and Alphus walked into the room.

  All at once. Like a raid group facing the final boss.

  "Right," Alexia said, crossing her arms. "Greg. Speak. What is wrong with you?"

  I stayed silent.

  "At the lake, you decided not to swim up," she continued. "In fencing, you deliberately took a hit," Lianel added. "In potions, you brewed a poison and almost drank it," Alphus said, frowning.

  I stared at the wall.

  "I don't know," I said.

  "'I don't know, I don't know,'" Alexia snapped. "You're withering away right before our eyes, Greg!"

  She stepped closer.

  "When I touched your hand... such sorrow washed over me," her voice trembled. "How do you even live like this? Why are you doing this to yourself?"

  "I genuinely don't know," I repeated.

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  Alphus let out a hard breath.

  "This isn't just an 'I don't know' anymore. This is dangerous."

  Silence hung in the air.

  Lianel suddenly asked quietly:

  "Greg... the holidays are coming up. Where will you go?"

  I wanted to answer immediately.

  And suddenly, something flared in my chest.

  Holidays?

  But I... have nowhere to go.

  I opened my mouth. And closed it.

  Anna stepped toward me and took my hand again.

  And inside, it ignited again.

  Warmth. Alive. Real.

  The tears fell on their own.

  "What's wrong," she said softly. "Did you forget your promise?"

  I blinked.

  "What promise...?"

  "You promised to visit my parents," Anna said. "You said yourself you would come."

  I remembered.

  And it was strange.

  Because... I had promised something in the future.

  "Ah... right," I said quietly. "I remember."

  Alexia narrowed her eyes.

  "Right. So that's how it is." "Oh no," I muttered. "Yes. 'Oh yes.' I have a plan."

  She poked me in the chest with her finger.

  "You do not get to decide right now whether you want to live or not. You are too smart for that and too stupid to be alone."

  "Thanks," I said. "Don't mention it." Lianel added quietly:

  "You don't have to know why you're living. Sometimes it's enough just... not to be alone."

  I sat there and looked at their hands. At their faces. At their breathing.

  And for the first time in a long while, I thought:

  Maybe the problem isn't that I don't want to live... but that I've lived far too long without an anchor.

  Anna squeezed my hand.

  "We're starting the holidays with a trip to my place," she said. "No arguments."

  "Is this blackmail?" "Care," she smiled.

  I wiped my eyes.

  "Alright," I said. "But if I start feeling bad..." "We're right here," Alexia interrupted. "Even if you are unbearable."

  I gave a weak chuckle.

  Maybe I still don't know why I exist.

  But, I suppose... I'm not alone for now.

  I asked myself a question. Does this make me weak? Unable to solve the problem on my own?