Their eyes met—no sound, no words exchanged...
Zak spoke in surprise,
"What are you doing here, alone in Mr. Lonz's room???"
Raym hesitated slightly before answering,
"I… I just came to check on him. He wasn't here."
Then Raym returned the question,
"And what about you? It's not like you to visit him."
Zak replied immediately,
"I came to check on Mr. Lonz after his injury. I heard a strange noise coming from his room…
And what's that in your hand???"
Raym quickly hid the piece of cloth and denied it...
Zak tried to trick him into admitting the truth, but to no avail—he soon realized Raym wouldn't confess...
At that moment, Vail passed by, searching for Raym on the commander's behalf...
Zak looked at Raym and said casually,
"I heard you've been training a new skill???"
Raym hesitated...
But any chance to avoid talking about Mr. Lonz was a treasure...
He replied eagerly,
"Yes… it's a completely new technique...
I was inspired by Commander Seroh's last strike...
Leo told me that blow erased part of the sky itself…
Even the day became shorter by a few fractions of a second.!!!"
"I couldn't believe it," he continued...
"So it inspired me to create a new attack—
I drive my sword into the ground, and through added resolve—"
Vail interrupted him immediately,
"Oh, Raym, you're here. Sorry to interrupt your conversation…
But Raym, I don't mean this in a bad way—
don't always reveal your secrets and techniques to everyone.
Not even to those closest to you."
Zak nodded in agreement,
"He's right. Even those closest to you… you never know what they truly hold inside."
Raym froze in shock.
But he quickly understood the situation and said,
"Alright then…
But Zak, I promise you—
you'll be the first to see it."
Raym didn't know why… but saying it out loud felt heavier than it should...
Zak smiled—and walked away...
"Come on, Raym," Vail said calmly...
"The commander wants to talk to you."
Raym interrupted him sharply,
"I don't want to talk about Mr. Lonz anymore."
His expression was unsettled, but Vail continued,
"No. He wants to speak with you alone."
Raym tried to regain his composure, at least outwardly.
But the tension on his face was overwhelming—far more than he could hide, or even fully comprehend.
As he walked, only one thought echoed in his mind:
(Mr. Lonz is innocent… but—)
He entered the room, his hand trembling.
The room was empty—
only Commander Seroh, sitting alone.
"Close the door behind you,"
Sero said in his imposing voice.
Raym obeyed, closing the door and sitting near him, unable to even raise his head to look at the commander.
Sero finally spoke,
"What's wrong, boy? Don't be afraid.
I only want to ask you a few questions… about you."
Some of Raym's tension faded, though he was surprised by the request.
"Alright," Seroh continued.
"Can you tell me a little about yourself???"
Raym took a deep breath and said,
"Well… honestly, I don't remember much about myself...
What I know for certain is that I was found here when I first became aware of the world around me...
I think I was about six years old back then.
I don't know anything beyond that—
just a simple date… I assume it's my birth date, or something like it."
Suddenly, those strange memories returned to him—
Raym… you must live for me…
Raym, take care of yourself…
He couldn't endure it any longer—
Until the commander stopped him...
Sero spoke with a voice filled with quiet disappointment,
"Alright then. You may leave now.
But regarding Lonz…
I hope you can move past the fact that he is the primary suspect."
Raym turned away in sadness and left without a word.
Seroh lifted his head upward…
and recalled a certain conversation:
"You must find that man.
He is the right person in the wrong place.
He knows it better than anyone…
Try to bring him to our side.
He will be a decisive trump card.
You will recognize him by his very presence…"
Seroh exhaled quietly and thought to himself:
I'm sorry… it seems he no longer exists in this world...
He returned to his room to continue his training...
Time passed quickly...
Then—
a scream...
Raym rushed out, following the noise to Vice Commander Leo's room.
When he arrived, he found Vail, Zak, and Mr. Lonz...
Mr. Lonz stood in a weak defensive stance, his body trembling as he repeated,
"I have no idea what you're talking about…"