The doctor's clinic smelled faintly of herbs and antiseptic.

Irielle burst through the doorway, half-dragging Kana while Lysera carried the unconscious Seraphine in her arms. Her sharp voice cut the tension

"Doctor! We need help—now!"

The doctor, a middle-aged man with silver streaks in his hair, looked up from his desk, startled by their sudden arrival.

But when his gaze fell on Seraphine's blood-soaked clothes, his expression shifted instantly.

"Quickly. Come with me."

Lysera obeyed without hesitation, carefully setting Seraphine on the soft sheets.

"Check Kana first."

Irielle said firmly, her grip on Kana tightening. Her voice trembled slightly, betraying the worry she was trying to hide.

But Kana shook her head quickly, forcing a small smile.

"I'm fine. "Please… check on Seraphine first. She's hurt worse than I am."

She said softly, her voice hoarse.

Irielle frowned, clearly wanting to argue, but one look into Kana's tired, tear-streaked face made her swallow her protests.

She reluctantly stepped aside, allowing the doctor to tend to Seraphine first.

The doctor carefully inspected Seraphine's body, his hands glowing faintly with diagnostic magic. Moments passed in silence, the tension in the room thickened even more.

"This… is unexpected."

He murmured.

Kana's heart stopped.

"What? What's wrong?!"

The doctor glanced at her, confusion flickering in his eyes.

"There are… no lasting injuries. Considering the amount of blood, I thought her condition would be critical, but her wounds have already closed on their own. It's… remarkable, honestly. She's stable and should regain consciousness soon."

He explained slowly.

Kana froze, relief washing over her like a tidal wave. Her knees nearly gave out as the weight on her chest eased ever so slightly.

"She's… she's going to be okay?"

She asked, her voice trembling.

"Yes. For now, she's out of danger."

The doctor reassured her with a small smile.

Kana exhaled shakily, finally feeling the tightness in her chest loosen.

Irielle gently rubbed Kana's back, glancing at Lysera with a small nod.

"See? She's safe. You should rest for a bit."

Kana hesitated but eventually nodded.

"...Alright."

Kana didn't remember falling asleep.

One moment, she was sitting in a chair beside Seraphine's bed, her eyelids heavy, and the next, the muffled voices of Irielle, Lysera, and the doctor stirred her awake.

The room was quiet.

She blinked, realizing she was alone with Seraphine now. The soft rise and fall of Seraphine's breathing was the only sound.

Slowly, Kana pushed herself up and walked over to the bedside, her legs still shaky. Her hand trembled slightly as she reached out and took Seraphine's cold fingers into her own.

"Thank you…Thank you for not… dying on me. I wouldn't have known what to do if you…"

Kana whispered softly, her voice breaking.

Her throat tightened, cutting off the words.

And then, without warning, Seraphine's eyelashes fluttered.

Cana froze.

Slowly, Seraphine opened her eyes, rev

Instead, her lips parted, and a faint, monotonous voice escaped.

"...What are my mistress's orders?"

Kana blinked, stunned, thinking she'd misheard her.

"…What?"

Seraphine's gaze remained empty, her voice flat and mechanical, like she was reciting words that didn't belong to her.

"My orders. Please… tell me what you wish me to do."

She repeated softly, her tone devoid of emotion.

Kana's heart dropped into her stomach.

"Seraphine… what are you talking about? I'm not your master."

Kana said quickly, her voice cracking with confusion and fear.

But Seraphine simply stared back at her, silent and uncomprehending, as though the meaning of her words couldn't reach her at all.

Kana's trembling fingers tightened around Seraphine's hand as a horrifying realization began to creep in.

'This… this must be the system's warning.'

The resurrection had worked—but the cost had been exactly what the system said it would be.

Seraphine was alive… but the Seraphine she knew was gone.

Kana's breath hitched, her thoughts spiraling. Her grip on Seraphine's cold hand tightened unconsciously as her heart pounded against her

This wasn't right. This wasn't how it was supposed to be.

Before she could say anything more, the door creaked open and Irielle stepped in, followed closely by Lysera. The moment they saw Kana awake, both of them hurried to her side.

"Kana! You should be resting. The doctor said you still need time to recover."

Irielle said softly, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Kana forced a small, strained smile, desperately trying to compose herself.

"I… I'm fine. Just… wanted to check on her."

Lysera approached the bed, leaning over to examine Seraphine's pale face.

"Has she woken up yet?"

Kana hesitated, her throat tightening. Her instinct screamed to tell them the truth—but something inside her urged her to wait. To observe. To confirm.

"She… just opened her eyes. But she hasn't said much."

Kana said carefully, keeping her voice even.

Lysera nodded thoughtfully, brushing stray strands of hair away from Seraphine's face.

"She's lucky. Anyone else in her position would have bled out before we reached the doctor."

She murmured.

Irielle, however, wasn't convinced. Her sharp gaze swept over Kana, narrowing slightly as though she sensed something was off.

"Kana, did she say something strange?"

She said softly, lowering her voice.

Kana's lips parted, but no sound came out. After a long pause, she shook her head.

"…No. Nothing."

Irielle stared at her for another moment, then let out a quiet sigh, though her eyes lingered on Kana with faint suspicion.

"Alright. For now, focus on resting. We can deal with the rest later."

She said softly.

Kana nodded, lowering her gaze to hide the turmoil swirling in her eyes.

But when she glanced back at Seraphine, her stomach twisted.

Seraphine was still staring at her. Blankly. Silently. Unblinking.

It wasn't the gaze of someone waking from unconsciousness. It wasn't the relief of a saved comrade.

It was empty. Hollow. Obedient.

Kana clenched her fists tightly, forcing her expression to remain calm even as dread coiled in her chest.

Something was wrong. Terribly, terribly wrong.

And she wasn't sure how much longer she could hide it.

'What do i do now? Am i responsible for Seraphine now?'

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