"Whoa—!" Kiana woke up on the floor, shivering as she stared at the ceiling of her room. Just as the Hermit in her dream had predicted, she had fallen out of bed, and every part of her body ached from her awkward sleeping position.
The night's restless dreams had left her groggy and exhausted... and, as if on cue, the academy's wake-up bell began to ring.
"...Kiana, time to get up!"
The voices of her friends greeted her through the door immediately after the bell.
"I know, I know!"
Kiana called back to the door, then curled up on her bed, cocooning herself in her blanket like a fuzzy caterpillar.
"Just a little more sleep... just a little..."
The girl drifted back into slumber, letting her nerves and mind, which had been tormented all night, finally relax—
Heh heh, Mei's hands are so soft...
Lost in her dream, the girl curled up tighter on the bed, a strand of drool sliding from the corner of her mouth to soak her pillow.
-
Sunlight streamed down the deserted street as the girl strolled hand-in-hand with Mei, savoring their precious moments of solitude.
The sweet tranquility was shattered by the appearance of a woman approaching them.
"What are you doing here, you brat? Get lost!"
The White-haired Clump waved her hand dismissively, trying to shoo the woman away, but she remained unmoved, simply continuing to speak in her eerie voice:
"I won't comment on your daytime erotic dreams... I'm just here to tell you this, little girl—if you don't wake up now, you're about to get a beating."
"What?! This young lady refuses to wake up! Mei, my Mei... AAAAAAAHHHHH!!!"
"It's not up to you... or even me." Watching the girl suddenly convulse as if struck by a heavy blow in the real world, the Hermit, who had been observing the crumbling Dream World, vanished once more into the dreamscape.
Kiana's eyes snapped open, fury burning in her gaze, only to be met by an even more terrifying murderous intent.
Murata Himeko stood before her, having unleashed her "Lion's Roar of the East River"—
"Kiana Kaslana! At your age! With your grades! How can you even think of sleeping?!"
"Auntie Himeko, I'm sorry—!!"
-
"Ugh... finally it's over. Tonight, I'll have to listen to that cryptic guy tell his stories in my dreams again..."
"Never mind, never mind. I'll just pretend she's teaching history. At least it's more interesting than the new history teacher."
The complaining girl changed into her pajamas and collapsed onto her bed, falling asleep almost instantly. Huginn, the raven perched on the windowsill, rolled its eyes with remarkable human-like disdain as it watched Kiana Kaslana fall into dreamland at warp speed.
-
When Kiana regained consciousness, she found herself on a sun-drenched lawn. Four white-haired figures—two adults and two children—were frolicking in another part of the garden.
"Huh? That's Dad and Theresa! But who's that next to them...?"
"That's Cecilia Schariac," Hermit said, startling Kiana as she suddenly appeared beside the girl. "The most powerful Valkyrie of Schicksal at the time, and Siegfried Kaslana's wife."
"So the one riding on Dad's head..."
"Who else could it be but Kiana Kaslana?"
Hermit glanced at the white-haired clump beside her, currently frowning in deep thought, trying to recall her memories.
"No use. Everything before I was eight is a complete blank... Maybe I should go see what Theresa and the others are talking about..."
The white-haired clump dashed off toward the group, taking two steps at a time. Hermit didn't follow, merely watching the retreating figure with a serene gaze.
"That's not you..."
A soft sigh escaped her lips, but the girl, who had already sprinted toward the others, couldn't hear it.
-
"...You're back. How do you feel?"
Hermit watched Kiana, who had returned to her side, her brow furrowed in deep thought.
"Ugh... I have absolutely no recollection..." The white-haired clump shook her head dejectedly.
"...This is Schicksal Headquarters First Airport on February 2nd. Theresa Apocalypse received her mission from her grandfather, Otto Apocalypse: investigate the Tower of Babylon researcher who vanished without a trace at midnight last night..."
The scene shifted, and the two found themselves aboard an aircraft. Theresa, seated in her seat, was muttering to herself. Kiana leaned in curiously to eavesdrop.
"A wasteland... late at night... and a mysterious disappearance... Could it be haunted? Eek!!!"
The petite Valkyrie, dressed in a nun's habit, shuddered from head to toe before slapping her hand down on a photo of herself and Kiana, steeling her resolve.
"No! For Kiana and Cecilia, I have to pull myself together!"
Theresa stood up, brushing past Kiana, who had leaned in too close, and headed toward the cabin door. The Schicksal-modified Chinook helicopter was about to reach its destination.
"What? Auntie used to be afraid of ghosts? I need to find a way to scare her!"
"...If you're looking for an excuse to get flattened by the Headmaster's Oath of Judah, then by all means, go ahead."
Hermit coldly interrupted Kiana's daydream, standing beside Theresa near the helicopter door.
"Come on, we've arrived."
Following the petite Valkyrie, the two disembarked from the helicopter onto the open area outside the Babylon Laboratory.
"Welcome, Theresa. Lord Otto has ordered me to assist you," greeted a mature woman with short, ash-gray hair and light clothing, her purple eyes sparkling with the joy of a long-awaited reunion.
"Phew, Patricia, I feel much better having you here. This incident is... unsettling. Actually, it's more bizarre than scary. But with an expert like you, the truth should come to light soon."
Theresa sighed in relief, as if the Valkyrie before her was a specialist in paranormal investigations.
"Patricia Highsmith, codenamed 'Genius,' is an A-rank Valkyrie from Schicksal's Intelligence Department and a former member of the Snow Wolf Squad," Hermit explained to Kiana, who stood slightly bewildered. Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, she added:
"The Snow Wolf Squad was the elite unit led by Cecilia Schariac, Schicksal's S-rank Valkyrie at the time. But it was temporarily disbanded because of your dad."
"Huh? Why?!" Kiana exclaimed.
"...Cecilia got pregnant."
"Heh... Just like Dad."
Kiana forced a sheepish smile, while Hermit remained impassive, her expression hidden behind her black mask.
"They're going in now. Let's follow them."