Kai was sitting on the cold dirt, his eyes locked on the grotesque heap of flesh and entrails that had been Elmyra only minutes ago. The metallic stench of blood hung heavy in the air, seeping into his lungs with every breath. Her once divine presence had been reduced to little more than butchered remains, a mockery of what she had once represented.

"Not only have the Calamities been unleashed, but Goddess Elmyra is dead as well…" His voice was neutral, calm in a way that seemed almost unnatural, yet beneath the even tone lurked a faint note of irritation — like he was less disturbed by the horror of the scene and more by the inconvenience it represented.

"Do you really think she was the Goddess of the Elves?" Mei asked skeptically, her voice sharp, as if testing the weight of the claim. Her eyes flickered toward the blood-soaked remains, the so-called divinity now reduced to nothing more than meat on the floor.

"I don't know," Kai answered, his tone flat. "But we both saw that powerful explosion…" His eyes remained fixed ahead, unblinking, replaying the violent spectacle in his mind.

Mei shifted slightly, unease creeping into her posture. She wanted to ask the question that churned in her mind. "But what drove them to commit mass suicide…?" she wondered, though she couldn't bring herself to say it out loud.

He gave a short, humorless laugh, shaking his head. "Well… looks like the Elves are now an extinct race…" The words were spoken casually, almost dismissively.

Kai pushed himself off the ground, brushing flecks of blood and dust from his clothes. "Let's go to the safe house…" His voice was calm, almost detached, but there was a subtle edge to it, like the kind of quiet urgency.

"Why…?" Mei asked, her brow furrowed. She glanced nervously at the carnage they were leaving behind, the memory of Elmyra.

"It's the only place I can think of…" Kai replied, his eyes fixed ahead, unflinching. He began walking. Then, almost as an afterthought, he added, "And I'm hungry…"

Kai and Mei moved cautiously, stepping over tangled roots and fallen branches, the forest around them eerily silent except for the occasional snap of a twig underfoot. Each sound seemed unnaturally loud. Their stomachs growled.

When they finally arrived, Kai shoved the door open with a force that made it slam against the wall, the echo bouncing through the empty safe house. Inside, dust motes danced in the dim light, but one thing immediately caught his eye — Lily was still there, sitting quietly in the corner as if she'd been waiting for them all along.

"Hey…" Kai said, his voice low and slightly rough, as he raised a hand in a casual wave.

Lily blinked a few times, still trying to process their sudden arrival, but before she could speak, both of their stomachs let out loud, impatient rumbles. She flushed slightly, her cheeks turning a soft pink that matched her hair.

"I'll go prepare something for you right away!" she said, tucking a stray lock of pink hair behind her ear.

The maid hurried toward the small, cramped kitchen at the back of the safe house.

Brother and sister sat down at the table. The room was quiet except for the soft bubbling and sizzling coming from the kitchen.

Kai's gaze shifted toward Lily. "Why are you being so kind?" he asked, his tone neutral but carrying an edge of suspicion.

Lily paused for a moment, her pink hair brushing against her shoulders as she looked back at them. Her eyes were wide, filled with confusion. "Why wouldn't I be…?" she asked softly.

"Well, you know… this whole thing about the diary… shouldn't you be on the president's side…?" Mei asked, tapping her nail against the table impatiently as she waited for her food.

"Well, I am on the president's side…" Lily said, turning back toward the stove, her hands busy with chopping and stirring, though her voice carried a quiet firmness.

"But he's dead…" Kai said, his tone flat and emotionless.

"I know… but I'm on the new president's side!" Lily replied, her voice rising slightly.

"Huh? A new president has already been chosen…?" Mei asked, her voice tinged with disbelief. Her hand froze mid-tap on the table, the rhythmic sound of her nails against the wood abruptly halted.

"Yes…" Lily said, her tone calm at first, but then she turned back toward them, straightening her posture and adopting a more theatrical air. Her eyes sparkled with an unusual intensity, and her voice rang out with surprising authority. "By the order of the late President Vorenhart, I hereby appoint you, Kai Kagami, and you, Mei Kagami, as the new Presidents of the Empire!"

Lily then bowed deeply.

The brother and sister turned to face each other, their eyes meeting in a moment of silent understanding. Confusion flickered across their faces at first — an instinctive hesitation, the remnants of disbelief — but it didn't last long. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, that hesitation melted into something far darker, far more unsettling.

They smiled. Not the kind of smile that belonged to relief or joy, but a smile sharp and predatory. Their lips curled into cold, demonic grins, eyes narrowing with a gleam that spoke of power, cunning, and an appetite for chaos.

Kai's shoulders straightened, his expression remaining calm on the surface, but the spark of amusement — or perhaps anticipation — lurking in his eyes betrayed a mind already calculating. Mei mirrored him, her grin almost impossibly wide, a dangerous playfulness in the curve of her lips. It was the look of children who had glimpsed a new world of possibilities and realized they could shape it to their will.

Even Lily, who had just moments ago been the embodiment of seriousness and formality, couldn't hide the flicker of unease that crossed her face. The warmth of the kitchen and the aroma of food seemed to falter in the presence of their grins, replaced by the cold, electric thrill of a darkness waiting to be unleashed.

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