Something deep in her chest trembled faintly, incessantly. It was that hour before dawn fully breaks, when the world is stained blue. Eri Sakamoto huddled into her seat on the chilled limited express train, gazing absently at her own reflection in the window glass. Dull gray eyes. Mouse-brown hair brushing her cheeks. Faint freckles scattered across her skin. (*Am I smiling properly?*) Keep your face neutral. That was the one skill she'd cultivated in seventeen years of life. The train slowed. Cardinal Station—the end of the line. When she stepped onto the platform, the cold air pooled at the bottom of the basin wrapped itself around her. She passed through the station building and hailed a taxi. She gave the driver the academy's name, and he pulled away in silence. Unfamiliar streets streamed past the window. Cardinal City. Population 180,000. It was called a core city for this region, but to Eri, this place two hours by limited express from Tokyo was a distant, isolated foreign land. Once they left the commercial district around the station, the scenery gradually shifted into quiet residential neighborhoods, and soon the car was climbing a hill dotted with old family estates. "Young miss, it's coming into view." Eri looked up. On the ridge of the hill, a massive red-brick building revealed itself. Ivy clung thickly to the brick walls, and beyond them, a spire stretched upward as if to pierce the sky. Saint Ermina Academy. The entrance to a new cage—one Eri was seeing for the very first time this morning. She got out of the taxi at the main gate's guardhouse. Clutching the small bag her mother had left behind, Eri presented her transfer certificate at the guard's window. "Sakamoto Eri... first-year high school, transfer." The aging guard glanced at the documents, then slowly looked Eri over from head to toe. A gaze that seemed to appraise her, marked by a strange, lingering pause. (*What is this feeling?*) A faint chill crawled up Eri's spine. "...Good work. Here's your pass. Don't lose it." Expressionless, the guard handed over a thin plastic card. Eri took it, bowed once, and stepped through the gate. The other side of the brick wall was far more expansive than it had looked from outside. Manicured lawns. Geometrically trimmed hedges. Beyond them, the weathered red-brick main school building sat solid and imposing. From somewhere, the sound of the chapel bell trembled through the morning air. (*So this is the new school.*) Eri looked up at the building, telling herself as if to steel her resolve. Don't stand out. Don't let anyone notice you. Don't go against the flow. If she did that, surely— Her late mother's voice surfaced from the depths of memory. *"Eri is such a good girl. You'll be fine wherever you go."* —A voice she would never hear again. The morning classroom was filled with a strange stillness. "...This is our transfer student, Sakamoto Eri. Everyone, please be kind to her." Her homeroom teacher, Sekiguchi, said this and had Eri stand at the podium. A thin woman in her mid-forties, wearing glasses. Her voice was flat, and Eri sensed not the slightest interest directed toward her. The eyes of her classmates converged on Eri all at once. "[whispers] It's nice to meet you all." Eri bowed deeply. When she raised her head, the eyes of nearly thirty students were piercing through her. Appraising eyes. Strangely cold eyes, a mixture of curiosity and indifference. Not even a murmur arose. Eri's self-introduction sank without a sound, like a pebble dropped into water. Her assigned seat was in the very back row, by the window. Eri carried her bag to the desk and sat down, hunching her back slightly. From here, she could see the entire classroom. But it was hard for anyone to see her. Not a bad spot for hiding in the corner of a room. (*It's fine. Same as always.*) Eri repeated it in her mind. Class began. Teacher Sekiguchi's voice was as flat as ever, a dull recitation of the textbook's contents. Eri opened her notebook, copied the board, and quietly probed the atmosphere of the classroom. (*Something is different.*) The air of this academy was unlike any school Eri had experienced before. On the surface, they were model students—quiet, attentive to the teacher. But something was— The chime rang, ending first period. "Hey, where did you come from?" A girl in the neighboring seat spoke to her. "[whispers] ...From the Tokyo area." "Huh." That was all the girl said before immediately heading off to another group. A greeting-level question. No deep interest. Alone, Eri looked out the window. In the courtyard, students were moving to their next classes. Their navy blazers flowed in orderly fashion, like a river. It was then that Eri saw that flow part, unnaturally. A single girl was walking down the center of the hallway. Lustrous black hair reaching her waist was tied in a low ponytail, and her narrow, amber-colored eyes were fixed straight ahead. At the collar of her uniform, a silver brooch gleamed quietly. As she walked, the surrounding students unconsciously cleared a path. As if by Moses' commandment, the sea of people split in two. (*Who... is that?*) A small alarm bell rang deep in Eri's chest. Instinctive fear—every cell in her body screamed that this was danger. The girl glanced briefly into Eri's classroom, then passed by without a flicker of expression. The chime for the end of second period. The warning bell for lunch break rang, and her classmates rose all at once. They gathered in groups of friends, leaving the classroom or pulling desks together and opening their lunches. Laughter. Chatter. The sound of lunch wrappers being opened. Eri alone was outside that whirlpool. She had no lunch. Even if she wanted to buy something, she didn't even know where the school store was. Eri closed her notebook, laced her fingers on her desk, and simply waited for time to pass. The clamor of the classroom gradually receded. A presence settled beside her. "[gentle] Hey, are you the new transfer student?" When she looked up, a girl was standing there. Loosely curled honey-colored hair fell softly over her shoulders. Her large chestnut-brown eyes smiled gently, like a puppy's, and her features radiated a strange charm, mature beyond what one would expect of a sixteen-year-old. "[excited] Oh, good. Are you eating lunch alone? Aren't you lonely?" The girl—Rina Hanasaki—said this and sat down beside Eri. A faint, sweet, floral perfume drifted from her uniform. "[cold] ...I'm fine." Eri reflexively looked down. "[laughing] No, you're not. You don't even know where the school store is, right? I'll show you. Come with me." Rina's hand gently touched Eri's. It was warm. For an instant, a memory of being led by the hand when her mother was still alive flickered through her mind. (*...She's kind.*) The wariness inside Eri loosened, just a little. For Eri, who had transferred schools repeatedly, a hand extended by someone in a new place was as precious as an oasis in the desert. She would take that hand before she could determine whether it was genuine goodwill—if she didn't, she would remain alone forever. "[whispers] Thank you." Eri stood up and followed after Rina. Led by Rina, Eri crossed the courtyard. The lunchtime sun poured down on the lawn, and students sat in circles here and there. Laughter drifted on the wind. "[gentle] This way. There's a good spot." Rina wove through the crowd, eventually heading toward an old, single-story wooden building a short distance from the main school building. It was in the shadow of the brick wall, and there were few people around. A sign at the entrance read "Former Music Building – Off Limits," but Rina paid it no mind and slid the door open. The floor creaked. The moment she stepped into the hallway, the smell of wax and mold assaulted Eri's nose. The windows were small, and the sunlight from outside couldn't reach in. Dimness stretched deep into the corridor, and the air was chilly and cold. "[whispers] Um, isn't this a little far...?" Eri's voice was swallowed by the damp air and vanished. "[gentle] It's fine, just a little further." Rina's smile didn't change. Only her direction shifted slightly. The end of the hallway. The third sliding door. Rina placed her hand on the handle and slowly pulled it open. The moment the door opened, Eri understood that the world had changed. The center of the empty classroom. A peeling blackboard. Old desks covered in dust were pushed against the walls, and gentle, afternoon-like light streamed through the windows facing the courtyard. In the center of that light, she stood. The girl she had seen in the hallway that morning. Lustrous black hair reaching her waist. Sharp amber eyes—Erika Himura. At the collar of her uniform, the silver brooch she'd seen that morning gleamed coldly. Behind her, three other upperclassmen stood waiting. "[gentle] Welcome, Sakamoto Eri." Erika's voice was surprisingly soft. A resonance that even seemed to hold tenderness, like a mother speaking to a small child. Yet the pressure her words exerted nailed Eri's feet to the floor. "[serious] I've had you looked into." Erika didn't move a step, continuing with only a faint smile at the corners of her mouth. "[gentle] Because of your father's work, you've been transferring schools constantly since you were little. Your mother passed away three years ago. You've had to reset your friendships over and over again." Something deep in Eri's chest ached, as if squeezed tight. "[cold] There is no one here to protect you. You, of all people, understand that best, don't you?" No. That's not true. She thought it, but her voice wouldn't come out. "[gentle] The chairman of Saint Ermina Academy is my father. All the teachers are employed by him. Everything that happens within this academy is handled within this academy." Erika took one step closer. "[cold] Even if you were to ask someone for help, that someone would also be within my father's power." Another step. Erika's white fingers gently touched Eri's chin. Her fingertips were cold as ice. "[gentle] So—from today onward, you are mine. That's all there is to it." Erika's voice was as calm as a lullaby. The moment Erika's fingers left her chin— Two hands seized Eri's shoulders from behind and forced her down. Thud. Her knees slammed against the cold wooden floor. The smell of wax stung her nostrils sharply. Pain shot through her kneecaps, and Eri's breath caught for a moment. (*What are they—*) Her mind went completely blank. Eri placed her trembling hands on the floor and desperately raised her head. Standing before her was Erika, looking down. Surrounding her, the four upperclassmen. Their gazes, a strange mix of curiosity and coldness, stared fixedly down at Eri on her knees. "[gentle] You don't need to cry." Tears welled up in Eri's eyes. "[calm] This is the first role I'm giving you." Erika's voice was quiet and unwavering, as if conducting a ritual. Unable to process the situation before her, Eri simply trembled. Words of resistance rose to her throat. But the expressionless faces of the five surrounding her, and Erika's words—"There is no one here to protect you"—echoed in her head, snapping the budding resistance at its root. (*Why is this happening?*) With trembling fingers, Eri began to move as instructed. This is a nightmare. She wanted to believe that. But the cold feel of the floor, the smell of wax stinging her nose, the sensation of gazes piercing down from above—it was all too real. "[excited] Oh my, is this really your first time?" She heard that voice from behind, but Eri no longer knew who it was directed at. A taste spreading through her mouth. Heat. A sob welled up, but Eri desperately choked it down. Her vision blurred with tears. She continued the act, suppressing the urge to gag several times. She couldn't believe that the pers