The two years of friendship were not a flower in the mist, nor the moon's reflection in water.
Kiana clearly remembered every little moment she had spent with Fu Hua at the school, and all the help she had given her during their missions together.
That was why Kiana chose to trust Fu Hua this one time.
"...Thank you, Student Kiana." Fu Hua lowered her head. For some reason, she suddenly felt her heart beating a little faster, and a long-forgotten emotion called 'gratitude' stirred within her.
How long had it been since her heart had known such turmoil after Lixue's death?
"Fu Hua, since you mean Kiana no harm, can you tell us why Grandfather sent you to monitor her?" Theresa asked again.
"This..."
Fu Hua looked at Kiana, her expression hesitant. The information tied to this question was simply too immense; she was afraid Kiana wouldn't be able to accept it.
"Kiana, there are some things that are better left unknown. Like Pandora's box, once opened, it brings not beauty and kindness, but despair."
"But if I don't know, does that mean the box doesn't exist?" Kiana retorted.
Fu Hua fell silent.
"Class Monitor, I'm not the same Kiana I was before. I firmly believe that whatever doesn't kill me makes me stronger. I have to protect everyone, so no matter what it is, I won't back down. I will always move forward, even if it means being crushed to pieces!"
"...Very well. Since you have such resolve, I will tell you."
Fu Hua took a deep breath and, under everyone's watchful eyes, slowly began to speak.
"Kiana, you are not, in fact, the real Kiana. To be precise, your name should be K-423. You were born when Otto combined the real Kiana's genes with the core of the Herrscher of the Void."
"Therefore, Otto has been watching you all along. From the moment Siegfried took you from Schicksal HQ, he has been observing you."
"And after you enrolled in St. Freya High School, he sent me to continue that surveillance. Though I do not know his ultimate goal, it is clear that you are of great importance to him."
Fu Hua's words struck them like a bolt from the blue, leaving everyone stunned.
Kiana isn't Kiana? She's a clone?
What kind of joke was this?!
"Class Monitor, y-you're joking, right? P-Please, this joke isn't funny at all..."
Kiana's face was a mask of bewilderment. Her lips trembled as she spoke words that even she found ridiculous.
"Kiana, I told you, some things are like Pandora's box. Once opened, you can never close it again. While this may overturn the worldview you've held your entire life, I am sorry, but what I said is the truth."
Fu Hua's tone remained calm, but her eyes held a trace of pity as she looked at Kiana.
She was, of course, aware of how devastating her words would be, but it couldn't be helped.
"I... I'm a fake Kiana? I was just a clone all along...?"
Kiana murmured, almost losing the strength to stand. The massive blow landed like a sledgehammer to her head. If Raiden Mei hadn't caught her in time, she would have collapsed to the floor.
"Kiana, you are not a fake Kiana! I don't care if you're a clone or anything else! All I know is that you are the Kiana I know!"
Raiden Mei hugged Kiana tightly, shouting anxiously into her ear.
"Kiana, Bronya doesn't know any K-423. Bronya only knows that Kiana is an idiot. The last time you lost to Bronya in a game, you said you would definitely win next time," Bronya added.
"Fu Hua, you're lying, aren't you? Kiana is a clone? Why don't I know about this? I clearly remember Siegfried taking her from Schicksal HQ eight years ago!"
Theresa clenched her fists, glaring at Fu Hua with fury. If she hadn't left Judah behind, she would have already attacked.
"Principal, I regret to inform you that the one Siegfried took back then was not Kiana, but a replica of Kiana."
"To prevent you from causing further trouble and obstructing his plans, Otto used the Void Archives to simulate the ability of the Eighth Divine Key, Fenghuang Down, and altered your memories. He made you mistakenly believe that Siegfried had taken the real Kiana from Schicksal HQ," Fu Hua stated calmly.
"Grandfather, he..."
Theresa was instantly speechless. Although she didn't know if her memories had been tampered with, she knew Otto's character very well. It was absolutely something he was capable of doing, and Fu Hua had no reason to lie to her about this.
"Kiana, get up. Is this all your will amounts to?"
Himeko crossed her arms, her gaze cold as she stared at Kiana. Her voice was more severe than it had ever been before.
"Aunt Himeko..." Kiana looked at Himeko with vacant eyes. Her lost, sorrowful expression, like that of a helpless animal, almost broke Himeko's resolve.
But she knew she absolutely could not be soft at a time like this.
Because Kiana was not a fragile person. She was a warrior. No matter what kind of blow or injury she suffered, she could definitely stand back up.
If she didn't face this herself now, this event could become a scar that would remain in her heart forever.
"Kiana, didn't you say you wanted to become stronger to protect us? You also said you wouldn't retreat, that you would overcome any thorny obstacle in your path, no matter how difficult."
"So why are you lost in despair now?"
"Aunt Himeko, I... I... It's just..." Kiana opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say.
Her mind was in chaos. If she really was just a clone, what would her stinky old dad and Auntie Theresa think of her? What would Mei and Bronya think of her?
No wonder she had no memories from before she was eight. No wonder her stinky old dad's eyes held such a complex expression on the day he gave her the name "Kiana"...
Her identity was a lie. Her life was a lie. Yet she was enjoying everything that belonged to the real Kiana.
If Siegfried had taken the real Kiana from Schicksal HQ back then, who would be standing here now?
If she had remained at Schicksal HQ, would her stinky old dad's arm still be intact? Would the people who were hurt because of her be alright?
In that case, what was the meaning of anything she was doing now?
Kiana fell into a deep, dark abyss of confusion.