Subaru gazed at the vibrant vermillion rays that pierced through the amber and crimson foliage of the forest roof. The sunset light diffused through the autumn leaves, scattering beautiful, soft colors throughout the earthy forest floor. He took in a deep breath, savoring the faint scent of dry grasses mixed with damp soil and fallen leaves. A gentle breeze carried the smell toward his nose, caressing Subaru's cheeks as he leaned against the trunk of a large tree.
"To be alive as a human being is truly a blessing..."
Subaru muttered to himself in quiet amazement at the warmth of the sunlight on his skin. To be alive in this world, at this time, as a human being felt so incredibly rare. His chest was filled with such boundless gratitude for all things, from the trees before him to the air filling his lungs to the wind that rustled the leaves. Closing his eyes, Subaru let out another sigh as he breathed it all in—
"Are you a member of a faction that opposes Emilia-sama's bid to the throne?"
A voice came from directly in front of him. Refocusing his mind after losing himself in those pleasant thoughts, Subaru lifted his head to meet Rem's narrowed gaze. Her expression remained stern; her face betrayed no hint of emotion whatsoever. And yet, her tightened grip on her bloodied morning star made it clear she would not hesitate to further torture Subaru if he didn't answer properly.
Subaru stared blankly until he remembered the situation he was in. Feeling a sharp pain below his knee, Subaru glanced downward. His severed right leg, slightly caked with scar tissue from the healing magic Rem had cast upon him, was still bleeding. That was right. Rem had tried to kill him while he had scouted the area near Roswaal's Mansion for assassins. And now she was torturing him for information.
"I'm sorry, I wasn't listening," Subaru replied at last. "My bad."
Rem did not so much as twitch an eyebrow, nor did her voice change even the slightest bit. She continued staring at him without any trace of emotion. Tremors worked their way down her arm into her hand, and her fingers began trembling around the morning star. It looked like she was on the verge of losing control...but then she mustered up her willpower, regaining her composure before Subaru's eyes.
"I see."
"...?"
Subaru's eyebrows quivered as he felt something off about how Rem responded to his apology. But by the time his thoughts could crystallize into words, Rem struck again. A loud crack sounded behind Subaru, and pain shot through his back. The morning star had hit its mark; Rem's aim was perfect. Subaru gritted his teeth against the searing agony in his lower back and knees.
"That's why you have to answer me properly when I ask questions," Rem said, looking down at Subaru with a face full of hatred. "I cannot tolerate even a hint that you are trying to deceive me, or worse..."
Subaru remained silent under her ferocious gaze. He had been given ample warning after all. If he answered incorrectly one more time, he would die—the death blow from Rem's morningstar would surely find him sooner rather than later. He took in a deep breath before continuing.
"I am not an enemy of Emilia-tan."
Subaru closed his eyes, steeling himself as he waited for the impact of her next strike. And yet, the sound never came. His eyelids popped open in surprise.
Rem was holding the morning star loosely in both hands. Her fingers were trembling as if they might slip off the grip anytime now... If she killed him now, she wouldn't be able to gather any information at all. Subaru almost felt the tension rising in the air around them as the silence dragged on.
"Are you affiliated with the Witch Cult?" Rem finally asked, her voice strained and quiet. Her eyes quivered in silent rage, her irises reflecting the redness of the setting sun as it shone through the leaves above their heads.
As he stared at her visage, Subaru felt a sharp pain in his heart. The anger she had towards this cult seemed personal. What did these Witch Cultists do to Rem? Now that he noticed, where were her parents? Did she even have a family besides Ram? Was this what the Witch Cultists did? Compared to her, he was blessed to live a life free of such nightmares. Even in his current situation, Subaru was thankful for that.
"...No."
He shook his head forcefully from side to side to answer Rem's question. The motion made his shoulders wince with pain. He didn't know if it was because he had been struck by Rem or if the impact of the morning star hitting its mark on his back had caused more internal injuries than he'd realized.
"I'm not part of any faction or cult... "
Rem kept staring at him silently. Her gaze felt like it was drilling into his flesh. Subaru continued talking despite the pain burning through every inch of his body.
"I don't know what the Witch Cultists did to you or your family. I'm sorry. But acting out in revenge against them with such anger will just hurt you. If you live life with that sort of hate, you'll regret it. So please, don't do this."
He could feel her glare getting harsher as he spoke, but he pushed on. As Subaru desperately tried to reach her heart, Rem finally spoke again.
"You know nothing about my life, Witch Cultist. How dare you speak of me with such familiarity, with such pity, when your cult caused it in the first place!"
She kicked off the ground with all her strength and landed a kick square on Subaru's right knee. The force sent him tumbling down back into the dirt. Subaru winced as he curled up in pain on the forest floor—but Rem made no effort to finish him off. She remained standing over Subaru as he writhed on the earth below, blood seeping from his wounds.
Rem's voice trembled as she shouted, "I want to kill you...more than anything..."
Her face twisted with hatred; her eyes were filled with rage. Subaru felt his own gaze growing heavy. He looked away as he listened to her bitter words.
"I want to watch you die slowly...and painfully."
Subaru stared into the sky as Rem's hate-filled voice echoed through the clearing. Tears flowed unchecked down his cheeks, dripping onto the grasses below. His body was covered with cuts and bruises. But more painful than that, Subaru felt an unbearable weight pressing down on him. If Rem continues her life with this much hatred, then after her death, where would she end up? The thought shook Subaru, but it also gave him strength.
He had already lost his leg and been beaten down countless times. He was on the verge of death. However, he didn't have any other choice except to keep on living for now, even if the pain was overwhelming. That alone kept him alive—and it meant he needed to live just a little bit longer.
"You're right," he said in reply to Rem's declaration. "I don't know what the Witch Cultists did to you or your family. But I do know when a person has endured too much hardship. You can't change the past. All you can do is let go."
"You talk like you understand...but you've never suffered anything so horrible as me!"
Rem's voice quivered with emotion, almost like she was trying to cry, but her face remained stiff. She kicked off the ground again and landed another blow on Subaru's chest with all the force in her body. Subaru grimaced at the impact, feeling blood welling up inside his mouth as his head rocked backward and he rolled around in agony.
"I'll make you regret every moment that brought you here today! You're not getting away from me! Even if it kills me, I'm going to kill you, Witch Cultist!"
"Will that make you happy? Will killing me, someone you assumed to be a Witch Cultist, really bring you peace?"
Subaru stared into Rem's eyes, which were burning with hate. Her hand was shaking as she raised her morning star high above her head. He knew if she hit him with it, it would most likely prove fatal. His vision grew hazy; pain assaulted him anew. But he still couldn't stop himself from talking back.
"Even if you kill me, nothing will change."
"...!"
Rem's voice cracked when Subaru replied, "You have to live for yourself, Rem. For Ram. That's why you need to let go of the past and start over."
He kept speaking, despite the intense pain wracking his entire body. Subaru lifted his face, staring at Rem. No more tears were left in his eyes; only empty darkness reflected the color of the forest sky.
"Don't waste your life on revenge against the Witch Cultists. Wise men once said that a moment of anger destroys a forest of merit. It'll destroy you too, Rem. I know it will."
"Shut up...shut up! You're wrong! Don't say such foolish things..."
"I'm not mistaken," Subaru insisted. "All of our deeds will one day return to us. Even if we think they won't ever catch up to us, they always do—they follow behind like shadows. We can never run away from them. When one wishes others to be killed, they only set themselves up for eons in hell."
The words poured out of him, unhindered by fear or doubt. He gazed into Rem's eyes as he continued, "The reason you're here right now is because of your past. Because of your trauma, your wounds are so deep you can't even move on. But the answer isn't in revenge. The answer is forgiveness."
Rem was silent. She had been about to swing down with the morning star when Subaru's last words reached her ears. Her face twisted with rage and frustration at how much she wanted to hit him; yet, there were tears streaming from her eyes.
"If you want me dead, then kill me. If you wish for my death, I will gladly meet it without resisting. But please...don't let this hatred continue to consume you! And after you kill me, please don't kill anyone else. Whatever those people did to you—no matter how painful it might have been—you must forgive them," Subaru implored.
Rem was silent for a moment. Then she lowered her morning star and looked into his eyes.
Subaru continued to plead, "Even if you don't have an ounce of compassion for those people, forgive them for your own sake. Because if you keep committing evil acts out of revenge, your karma will be terrible. That's the kind of karma that will follow you all the way to the grave."
He thought for a moment, then said, "And if those cultists try to hurt you, and the only way to defend yourself is to kill them, then I'll reincarnate as a great spirit to protect you!"
He stopped talking, but his words lingered in the air.
The moment he uttered that statement, he knew he was going to die. He didn't know why, but he could feel a strong sense of impending danger coming from the very depths of his being. That feeling made him freeze in place as the world around him seemed to slow down.
He saw Rem raise her fist high above her head. The instant he saw the morning star come hurtling toward his face, time sped back up once more as Subaru shut his eyes. His consciousness went black for an instant before he heard the impact of the strike.
Subaru's body flew backward like a rag doll. Even so, his mind remained lucid enough to tell him everything after that would be colored by darkness and pain.
He felt the soft grasses underfoot change into hard rocks and stones as if he had plunged into another world. And then he finally realized: Rem hadn't struck with the morning star at all. It wasn't until after she missed that he understood.
"Huh?"
Rem stood at a distance, staring at Subaru who lay motionless on the ground. She was trembling uncontrollably; her eyes were wide and red from crying. As Subaru tried to speak, blood gushed out of his mouth as he choked on it. Rem fell over in anguish, landing near his feet.
"Why? Why are you...why... are you trying to help me... cultist...?"
Rem couldn't seem to get her breath. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly, making Subaru worry about what might happen next. He looked down at himself as he continued trying to speak, but the sight of his own wounds made him grimace.
His whole body ached and throbbed—his limbs were broken beyond repair. It seemed that his karma for this lifetime was already fulfilled. Yet, despite knowing that, there was one thing he wanted to convey before dying.
"First of all, Rem, I'm not a Witch Cultist. Second, when I see someone who suffers, I can't just stand by and do nothing. I can't stand by and let them suffer."
"Why would you say something like that...! I don't need your pity!"
"...It isn't pity. It's just...that..."
As he spoke, blood poured from between his lips.
"During my time at the mansion, you guys taught me so much. I studied. I learned to read those fairy tales. All thanks to you two. Thanks to you both, I've come so far."
Rem was shaking, her tears falling without pause. Her face was red; she looked close to a breakdown. But her eyes still held enough determination not to let go of the hatred in her heart. Subaru continued speaking with the last bit of strength he had left inside of him.
"I know that you are a good person at heart. And I feel sad when good people do bad things because they're hurt or lost. That's why—"
Subaru smiled as he looked up at Rem and continued.
"I vow to make sure that no more good people lose their way. No matter what happens, I will be by your side. So please...live a moral life. Live a good life. Live a life that you can be proud of. Live a life you can smile about. That is all I ask."
Rem's expression twisted painfully before it fell into utter silence.
She closed her eyes tight, unable to speak anymore, and lowered her head. A moment later, she collapsed on the ground with Subaru, who was lying nearby. She wrapped herself around him tightly, hugging him close to her chest—as if trying to keep him from flying away again.
She didn't say anything. Subaru wanted to tell her everything would be alright, but his mouth couldn't form the words. He could feel his consciousness fading away, but he fought to stay conscious, to keep talking.
"Rem..."
His voice was barely audible now, so quiet that only she could hear him. Her body trembled against Subaru's, making a soft noise as she cried.
"Rem, please listen."
He tried desperately to get a response out of Rem; he pleaded for her to look at him once more, even though his strength was spent. But Rem refused to respond to him, holding him tight in a death grip as she wept and shook uncontrollably.
Her tears were hot and wet. They spilled onto Subaru's cheeks and seeped into his skin. As time passed, they continued pouring from her eyes. Finally, she whispered his name, over and over, like an incantation to ward off evil spirits.
"Subaru...Subaru..."
She hugged Subaru ever tighter, embracing his whole body. Then she fell silent, her breath coming raggedly from deep within her chest. Her face remained pressed close to Subaru's—as if trying to suck up the last vestiges of warmth left inside him. Her hands wrapped around him, glowing an ethereal silver hue as she made last-ditch efforts to heal him with water magic.
But nothing could stop the flow of blood leaving Subaru's body. His consciousness stared to fade away. The world began to grow distant; everything became hazy and indistinct. He felt like he was floating in a peaceful lake with no worries whatsoever as he looked up at the sky. The stars shone brightly overhead; they were beautiful and bright, shining down on Rem and Subaru as they lay together on the ground.
The wind blew through the trees surrounding them as birds sang in the nighttime sky above. Subaru took a deep breath, savoring every last sensation in his lungs as he exhaled. He had done the best he could in this precious human life. Now, he had to accept the fact that it was time to leave—to pass on to the next. Wherever his karma carried him would surely be a better place than this one; he could rest easy knowing that much.
"Subaru."
He heard Rem's voice calling to him from afar, like an echo from another world entirely. He wanted to answer her, but no words came out of his lips. Instead, the sounds of birds singing and insects chirping filled his ears as his eyes slowly closed.
"Subaru."
He heard Rem whispering his name one last time. Just then—just as his consciousness drifted away completely—he felt the weight of her body pressing closer to his. Her face was buried in his neck; her arms clung to his body like she was afraid of losing him forever. However, there was no longer any sign of anger or hatred in her eyes; instead, he saw only sadness and regret.
How could he leave her like this? How could he abandon her when she needed him so badly?
"Subaru!"
That was when the last thing Subaru saw was Rem's face contorted with grief and despair as she called to him for the very last time. Subaru's vision faded, only leaving his consciousness behind; it was painful, so painful being separated from his sense organs—but he bore it stoically, knowing it was necessary for him to part ways with this world. But Rem, too, must have known this was inevitable; she must have been aware of the pain she caused Subaru by clinging to him like that.
But even so, she didn't let go. She continued crying as she held on to him tightly. Subaru could not hear the sound anymore. The only thing left now was pure consciousness—and that was beginning to fade as well. In his mind's eye, he could still see Rem's pale white fingers gripping Subaru's hand; he could also see Rem's tear-stained face, which she had pressed close to his own while looking into his eyes one last time. With great resolve, Subaru made a vow in his mind.
"I vow that I would help sentient beings. That starts with you, Rem. No matter where I reincarnate, I vow to remember you. And when I do, I'll find a way to travel back to this world to save you. That's my promise to you, Rem."
Then, like a dream, the world around him vanished in a flash of light as Subaru's consciousness finally slipped away.
"Subaru!"
Rem screamed as she watched the light disappear from Subaru's eyes and his body fall limp in her arms.
Her cry echoed throughout the forest; it resounded through the entire area, causing birds to scatter and animals to flee from the vicinity of her scream—but none dared approach them. Not even a single insect stirred; the world around Rem and Subaru was like a graveyard after the dead had risen from their graves.
She held him close to her chest, clutching him tightly as she rocked back and forth. She couldn't hold herself upright anymore; her legs gave out beneath her as she sank down onto the cold ground beside Subaru's body.
The moonlight illuminated the scene as the night breeze blew past them, carrying with it the scent of blood from both of their bodies. She had killed him. So suspicious of the Witch's Miasma on him that she had mistaken him for a Witch Cultist, torturing him so cruelly—yet, in the end, he still wanted to help her. She couldn't imagine any other person in this world with so much patience, so much kindness; he was so selfless.
So why? Why did he have to die like this?
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! Please forgive me! Please!"
Rem wailed aloud as she continued crying hysterically. As tears streamed down her face, she kept repeating the same phrase over and over: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," with no idea how many times she'd said it already. Her voice sounded like a broken doll; her throat felt raw as if she'd screamed nonstop—she didn't know how long she had been screaming.
Her chest ached terribly; she felt as if her heart would explode from the unbearable pressure building up inside of it. Her guilt was eating away at her until it was all she could see, all she could feel. She had tortured and killed Subaru, an innocent person, mercilessly simply because of his scent. What kind of monster did that make her?
Her head tilted towards the sky; she looked up at the stars twinkling overhead—but not a single one of them could wipe away her shame.
Her tears flowed like rivers down her face; her sorrow was endless. Rem's heart was empty of hope; there was nothing left in her soul that could move forward. All she could do was wallow in her misery, unable to break free from the chains of her guilt.
Her tears fell into Subaru's unmoving body, adding to his crimson pool on the ground. The smell of blood mixed with the stench of her own tears—the two scents mingled together, filling her nostrils with their bitter aroma.
Her head was heavy. Her eyelids drooped under their own weight; her vision blurred. She knew she should get up right now, but she couldn't force herself to rise from the ground. She couldn't lift her arm to wipe away the tears streaming down her cheeks or raise her hand to cover her mouth.
If only someone could have seen her like this. If anyone could have witnessed Rem's true colors right now, they would surely be disgusted by her actions and want to wash their hands clean of her for good. Yet, no one was watching Rem's pathetic act unfold before her very eyes. Even if someone was here—if Subaru could watch this sight—he would surely be ashamed of her; he would curse himself for having ever met such a wretched girl as her.
But Subaru wasn't around anymore to witness Rem's disgraceful state.
"Subaru."
She spoke his name like a prayer, praying that he might hear it and come back to life once more.
She wished she could see the joy in his eyes as he told her that everything was going to be okay, just like before. She prayed that he would give her some advice so she could live a better life than she had lived today; she wanted him to tell her what she should do next.
She wanted—she wanted Subaru to save her from her despair.
Her tears ran dry as she waited alone in silence for the sun to rise. Time passed with agonizing slowness as the night wore on into morning. The sky turned redder by the second; dawn approached with every passing minute—but Rem was not ready for it yet.
The sun rose in the east and bathed the world in light as daybreak arrived, washing everything bright red. The sky gradually grew lighter as the first rays of sunlight reached across the land; it reflected off the leaves of the trees surrounding Rem like a mirror, illuminating her surroundings.
Rem opened her eyes and lifted her face to greet the new day. The fresh air tickling her nose felt cool against her skin, making her shiver slightly.
She was covered in blood from head to toe. Her clothes were drenched with it, stained with Subaru's blood that had poured from his wounds and soaked into her clothing. The sight of it made her want to vomit; she didn't need to look any further to know that she was covered in Subaru's blood—that he was lying lifeless right beside her.
She had killed Subaru—and she had killed him without hesitation or remorse. There was no doubt about that whatsoever. She had murdered Subaru, Emilia's beloved friend, like an animal, like a rabid dog.
She had murdered Subaru—but that was not all...
She had hated him from the moment they'd met. Ever since that fateful day when he'd shown up at Roswaal Manor, she had despised him, she had detested him with every fiber of her being. His stench. It reeked so much of the Witch's Miasma, of the Witch Cultists. Of the monsters who massacred her village. Thus, he must have been a cultist. Thus, he should have been killed.
And thus—she had killed him; she had killed Subaru Natsuki.
"I am so sorry! I'm so sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
Rem repeated those words like a mantra over and over again as if trying to convince herself that she hadn't committed murder.
She didn't know how many times she had said it until the words started sounding like gibberish to her ears. They didn't bring Subaru back; they didn't erase the fact that she had killed him. She was so sorry—so desperately apologetic that it hurt to breathe.
The pain inside her chest was unbearable; the guilt weighed down on her so heavily that she couldn't bear it anymore. Her heart felt like it was being crushed by a giant boulder, slowly crushing her from within. She couldn't take it anymore; she couldn't stand it anymore.
"Sister, are you okay?"
Rem raised her face to see Ram standing before her. In her despair, Rem did not notice her sister's approach. She must have found Rem through their connection—and when she saw Rem collapsed on the ground, she hurried over to check on her condition. When she saw Rem's face stained with blood and her hair tangled with bits of grass and dirt, she realized something was wrong.
"Sister. What happened? Are you hurt anywhere?"
Ram gently placed a hand on Rem's shoulder and shook her slightly. Rem looked up at Ram through bleary eyes, unable to speak.
"I—I don't know; I'm sorry—"
When she tried to apologize, however, the words wouldn't come out; it was like she was paralyzed from the neck down. Ram's expression darkened upon hearing Rem's mumbled apology.
"You're not injured anywhere? Then why are you collapsed on the ground?"
"I—I'm sorry, sister."
Rem looked down at Subaru's corpse beside her. Seeing Subaru's peaceful face, Rem's heart shattered. She could not accept that she had killed Subaru. She couldn't accept that she was the cause of his death. Her chest heaved violently as she struggled to catch her breath.
Ram noticed Rem's distress and looked down at Subaru's body, her face growing hard as stone. After a short pause, she spoke quietly with a grim expression: "What did you do with him?"
"...I killed him."
Rem's voice was barely audible; her lips trembled as she answered. She felt like she was speaking nonsense like she was talking to herself as if in a dream.
Her mind wandered as she stared down at Subaru's corpse; the thought that she had killed him crossed her mind countless times, but each time it did, she rejected the notion and forced herself to believe it wasn't real. She needed to believe—she needed to keep telling herself that it wasn't true.
But now that she finally faced reality, the truth was impossible to ignore—that she had killed him. That he was dead because of her actions. She couldn't stop trembling from fear and regret.
"Why? Why did you kill him? Roswaal-sama told us not to hurt him; he ordered you not to harm him."
"Sister, I'm s-sorry! The miasma on him... I thought he was a Witch Cultist!"
Rem bowed her head low to Ram while she cried uncontrollably. A part of her wanted to run away from the scene of the crime, but another part wanted to stay where she was and confess what she had done. But even though she wanted to leave, she couldn't move a muscle; she could only tremble like a child as she continued to repeat her apologies.
Ram stood silently by Rem's side for several moments after listening to her confession. Finally—
"It is my fault that things ended up this way."
"...!"
Rem's head jerked up in surprise at the sudden statement from Ram. She stared blankly at Ram as if waiting for her to continue. Ram took a deep breath before continuing:
"I should have paid more attention to your behavior around him; I should have known you were suspicious of him sooner than this. If I had noticed earlier, this may not have happened."
"No, you can't blame yourself like that!" Rem immediately replied, shaking her head back and forth vigorously—but then she froze mid-shake as she heard Ram's next words:
"However, we cannot go back in time to prevent this incident. We will have to deal with this as best as possible and pray that it does not lead to greater tragedy later on."
"...! S-sister...?"
"We have to tell Roswaal-sama. You must tell him; he will understand our situation."
As Ram spoke, Rem could hear the determination in her voice. She could see it written all over her face as well, like a dam breaking. The floodgates had opened and the water was rushing out; there was nothing she could do to hold it back anymore.
Ram's expression shifted from sadness to resolve; her eyes were clouded by sorrow as they filled with tears—but they also shone with a glimmer of strength as well.
"We will tell him exactly what happened. He will understand why you acted as you did."
"It's no excuse... I killed an innocent person like that! It's unforgivable!"
Rem could only stare down at Subaru's corpse as she wailed in despair and grief. She could feel the tears running down her cheeks, but none of them seemed to help ease her anguish. In fact, they only served to make her angrier.
She had killed an innocent person—Subaru—and now she would have to tell Roswaal about it; she would have to explain why she did it. She would have to admit that she had committed murder, that she had shed blood—that she had lost control of her emotions and become violent towards someone who had done nothing wrong.
That she had committed a crime worthy of punishment.
"It's unforgivable! No matter how much you forgive me, I can't forgive myself! How could I be so horrible?! I'm so sorry, Subaru! I'm so terribly sorry!"
Rem continued to cry like a small child in front of Ram, still kneeling beside Subaru's corpse as the dawn broke in the east. A frigid morning breeze blew past, carrying with it the scent of fresh flowers—and Subaru's blood that stained her hands. His dying words were engraved in her heart; his last breath lingering in her nostrils.
His body was cold; his flesh stiff and hard as a rock beneath her fingertips. His lifeless eyes gazed up at the sky with an expression of peace, like he had simply fallen asleep in the middle of doing something important. His tracksuit was torn open, exposing his bare torso; his chest was covered in blood from his wounds, which were clearly fatal. His remaining leg—his right foot—was missing below the knee.
Rem's vision blurred as she looked at her handiwork. She mutilated his body like a butcher cutting meat from a cow, leaving nothing but scraps behind.
The sight of Subaru's corpse brought the reality of what she had done home to her. Her heart was full of regret, but she knew that it was too late to turn back now. The same went for her actions; the same went for the words she spoke.
She had killed Subaru. She had killed him, and now she would have to tell Roswaal. Rem realized just how far she had gone from being human. All for the sake of revenge, she'd taken the life of someone who was kind and gentle—someone whose kindness toward her made her want to cry for joy.
Whilst in her rumination, Ram quietly approached Rem; she knelt down beside her as if to comfort her, reaching out to touch her shoulder lightly. Rem flinched at the unexpected gesture, but she didn't push Ram's hand away. Instead, she let herself be embraced by her older sister, feeling like she was being held close by a mother's arms.
Ram whispered quietly into Rem's ear; her voice was quiet—but it carried an air of conviction that cut straight to the core of Rem's heart.
"We are going to meet with Roswaal-sama."
"Eh...?"
Rem tilted her head slightly at the unexpected declaration from Ram, but she soon understood what Ram meant to say: They were going to return to the mansion. There was no other way forward now; there was nowhere else for them to go.
Rem looked back at Subaru's corpse. She apologized so much to him, but what kind of person would she be if she left his body lying in a field like some sort of discarded piece of garbage? If nothing else, the least she could do was carry his body back to the manor so he could be buried—so that he could have a proper funeral ceremony.
Rem wiped away the tears that streamed down her cheeks; she lifted Subaru's body and got to her feet. Ram helped support his weight so that Rem could carry him alone; Rem accepted the assistance gratefully, taking care not to bump Subaru against anything as she walked along.
"I'm really sorry, Subaru."
Rem's voice was weak, yet firm enough to express her feelings despite them. She murmured those words as she walked alongside Ram, supporting Subaru's limp form as his blood soaked the ground beneath his body.
The sunlight grew stronger; the morning birds began singing their songs—but the world remained dark to Rem and Ram as they walked together under the light of the sunrise, headed for the mansion.