In the room, a silent rift in reality tore open, the air seeming to rip apart. From it, Philippe and Emilie were hurled out, crashing hard onto the dusty wooden floor.
The reddish glow of the afternoon sun slipped in through the broken window, highlighting the dancing dust particles in the air.
"Ouch…," Philippe groaned, every joint in his body aching from the impact.
He drew a deep, trembling breath, feeling dust and the scent of old wood fill his lungs. After ensuring no bones were broken, he quickly turned.
Emilie stared at him, her eyes wide with shock.
"Ph-Philippe…?" her voice was hoarse and barely audible.
She pushed herself up to sit, her gaze sweeping the room that felt familiar yet strange. "Where…? How did we…?"
Her eyes locked back on Philippe's face. The confusion in them slowly faded, replaced by a cold, sharp understanding mixed with hidden fear.
She touched the wooden floor beneath her, as if confirming it was real. Then, her eyes pierced Philippe, probing.
Her face paled, her lips parted as if demanding an explanation, but no words came.
How did you do that? That was roughly what her gaze conveyed.
Philippe understood. He looked away from her briefly. How do I explain this?
"How did you move us here?" Emilie's voice finally broke the silence, flat and emotionless.
Philippe looked at her, his lips parting slightly, but he turned away again. Should I tell her about Eclipse Soul? Here? Now?
"Emilie, I…" Philippe's own voice sounded hoarse.
He lowered his head, staring at the cracked patterns in the wooden floor. Confess? Lie? What lie could cover a miracle like this?
Emilie waited in agonizing silence. Then, she bit her lip so hard that a small drop of blood appeared at the corner.
"If you don't want to explain… it's fine," she said softly, her gaze shifting to the dingy wall. Her voice sounded empty.
No… I do, Philippe screamed inwardly, but his tongue felt numb.
With stiff movements, Emilie began to rise. She looked at Philippe with a faint smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. The smile seemed so fragile, so painful, that it made Philippe's chest tighten.
The girl turned and walked toward the doorway. Her back facing Philippe looked so vulnerable.
The evening breeze blew through the broken window, making her loose hair dance slightly. Silence. Only the whisper of the wind.
Then, as the breeze died down, a stifled sob escaped from Emilie.
"So… all this time… you never truly trusted me, did you?" she said, her voice trembling. Her small shoulders shook.
Philippe froze. He had no answer to give.
Emilie slowly turned back. Her reddened eyes stared straight at Philippe, piercing to his soul. Disappointment, pain, and a flash of anger mingled there.
Philippe couldn't bear the gaze. He looked away, his lips quivering.
"I'm sorry…"
"Sorry, huh?" Emilie let out a small laugh, a laugh that sounded like shattering glass.
"After everything we've been through… I thought we… trusted each other. But in the end, even in friendship, there are always boundaries kept. I guess that applies to us too."
Her smile remained.
"I don't hate you. Everyone has secrets."
Philippe tried to speak, but his throat constricted.
Emilie sighed deeply, her gaze blank.
"I need time."
She turned fully, her hand reaching for the doorknob.
The door opened, then closed with a soft 'click.' The sound echoed loudly in the now-deafening silence.
Philippe didn't stop her. He just stared at the wooden door that now stood as a barrier between them.
Faintly, he heard footsteps fading away, eventually swallowed by the quiet.
He leaned his back against the cold wall, then looked up, closing his eyes. He remained frozen there, letting the silence and evening breeze engulf him.
Minutes later, he opened his eyes, staring at the door with a vacant expression.
Slowly, he bent his knees, hugging them tightly.
After what felt like an eternal silence, he drew a long breath and stood up.
***
(Emilie's POV)
Emilie entered her room and locked the door. She leaned against it, her body slowly sliding to the floor. She hugged her knees, hiding her flushed face.
Why did I say something like that? Shame and guilt burned her cheeks.
To her, it sounded like childish, immature drama!
She, a woman in her twenties, getting angry over something so trivial—it was clearly embarrassing!
After several deep breaths to calm her racing heart, she lifted her head, her face pouting.
"But he was wrong for hiding it from me…"
That ability had clearly shocked her… after all, she knew no one capable of teleporting themselves or others in an instant!
At that moment, a memory suddenly flashed in her mind. That movement, the sensation of being pulled from one place to another… it was strikingly similar to how rifthounds shifted dimensions. Why could Philippe do it?
Does this have something to do with how he escaped the encirclement before?
Encirclement… escape… teleportation…
Emilie's eyes widened.
The puzzle pieces suddenly clicked together in her mind.
He escaped that encirclement the same way he saved me from the explosion just now!
But how? How could he have acquired such an ability? Her curiosity surged; she wanted to rush back and demand answers. But the memory of their awkward, painful conversation replayed, making her—once again—blush.
This clearly left her deeply disappointed. Yet, she couldn't do anything about the situation. After all, it all started because of her!
Emilie hugged her knees again, her finger unconsciously drawing small circles on the dusty wooden floor.
"Maybe… another time," she whispered to the silence of her room.
"When I'm ready to apologize."
***
A/N: If you want to read the 7 advanced chapters with a faster update frequency than the webnovel, you can read it on my patreon whose link is below:
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