Eliya Endshire is a loner. She has no clue when it started. Suddenly, she found herself in this darkness called blindness.

She held her walking stick as she aimlessly stroll in the park. What use is there to training if she is blind? Is she going to become stronger? It's hopeless. She better just enjoy the life she is in now.

Her family after learning that she has a 32% potential for a Talent-grade, forced her to attend the academy even if she doesn't want to.

They wanted the monthly stipend the academy is giving to its students. Her family is demanding she give the measly coins she is barely surviving at.

Recently, the money she is sending to them is being returned to her. She thought that her family finally had a change of heart and found pity in her.

When she inquired, it was to her surprise that they were already dead, raided by bandits.

"I am sorry, student Eliya. The academy has petitioned the Hero Society for the incident. The hero, Furious Flames are already in pursuit of the culprits." The receptionist consoled Eliya of her loss.

Surprisingly, Eliya didn't feel sadness for her now-dead relatives. She didn't also feel happy for this rather morbid convenience of no one bothering her anymore. She only felt apathy.

She sat by the water fountain feeling the little fishes swim as the cold water rose and fall in waves with her touch. She took a gold coin from her pocket then tossed it into the fountain praying for a wish that she never stopped wishing.

"I can return your eyesight... Come to the rooftop of the first year's academy building after class, Monday. Noon, sharp."

Eh?

It's a whisper. His voice felt melodious, has the timber of youth and a hint of maturity. Eliya is weirded out, but since she can't see, she doesn't know just who. She even hardly remembers the name of her classmates because it's quite difficult to discern their difference unless she has known them for a year.

***

[Eliya's POV]

It felt too good to be true.

But...

Eh? Is my wish finally being fulfilled after my devoted efforts of wishing in the fountain?

Instead of being doubtful, I grew hopeful. For the first time in my life, I had the luxury of optimism.

It's my wish, so I have every right to be happy. But pessimism still beats optimism leaps and bounds.

Sigh...

What if this is all an illusion?

Or a lie?

It's my defensive mechanism to not expect so that I won't be disappointed with whatever lies ahead of the fictitious rainbow in the midst of all this darkness.

Sigh...

But I cannot help myself but want to see. Maybe, just a tiny little maybe, there is hope that what I heard will become a reality.

The first thing in the early morning, Monday, I climbed the stairs struggling to reach the rooftop with all I got.

I used my walking stick as a guide but climbing these stairs is such a hassle. How many floors are there?!

What if I misstep?

Sigh...

But I braved the way.

Finally, I reached the rooftop. The academy buildings are divided into 5 apparently— 1st year, 2nd year, 3rd year, 4rth year and the main building. The 1st year is found on the eastern side of the academy where the sun rises.

I am out of breath. It's about lunchtime judging by my grumbling tummy, but according to the lack of the school bell, it's not exactly noon yet.

"Ow... Ow.. ouch..." I can feel the aching pain in my ankle. I think I sprained it resulting in more delay. Luckily, I found a bench easily by the rooftop.

I sat there, drank my water then breathed a sigh of relief. I might as well have my lunch now.

I felt for my sides. Ah, thank my providence, there is a table here. This way, eating would be so much easier. I can imagine 'myself's eating' getting messy if I can't find a table for my own use.

The breeze felt cool to the touch and the warmth of the sun is enlivening.

Walking these long-distance burns calories, so it's justice I eat now. I opened my lunchbox smelling the rich fragrance of rice and the sauce. Oh, shucks, where are my utensils, did I lose them? I can't afford a new one.

What can I do? I am poor, so I have to make use of what I got. All of my money goes to the fountain sure, but it makes me happy so what? As long as I have my rice, I will live.

The rice is something I cooked myself back in my dorm. I got 12 kilos of them, hehehe... It's enough to survive for a long time. Meanwhile, the sauce is something I asked from the kind old lady by the stalls outside the academy walls.

Each Academy building here is surrounded by a full-pledged city governed by the student council themselves. It's an interesting concept. I am tired of the aristocratic rule anyway, so I thought the academy lifestyle is something that I should look forward to...

But the assessment came with quite a cruel wake-up call to me. The helplessness, despair, and weakness wormed into my heart like a plague.

I was brokenhearted.

Ugh, where's my spoon? I am sure, I packed them in paper wrappings then placed them on top of my lunch box. Ugh... Those vixens. Even my fork is gone. This is why I hate bullies. I am really hungry, so I guess I have to eat by hand.

Wait... Oh, looks like I misplaced it, huh? A spoon suddenly found its way to my hands.

I dipped my spoon a little bit into the sauce, granny calls it gravy, it smells like chicken and tastes like chicken. I then scooped some rice.

The chicken tastes absolute. Wait, what is this meaty and crispy sensation? I felt juices melting in my mouth and THAT FATTY LAYER! This is pork. OMG!

It is pork! Am I going crazy? I only tasted this stuff once, in the afterparty of the assessment, this is the only consolation that somehow soothed my broken heart.

Yeah, I know that there are other delicacies far more superior than pork chops there. After all, I test tasted all of them. But pork? They are like the father of all meaty sensations.

Tears. Yeah, tears of JOY!

I ate, gobbled, and struggled. There is more! There is more meat! Like MORE-MORE!

Kuff! Ku—! There is something stuck in my throat, egh! I am dying! No, I am choking first...

Then I will die! So yeah, I am dying!

"Shit, why are you eating like a pig?"

Someone rushed behind me, grabbed my waist then felt for my tummy. He pulled from behind then KUAH—! The piece of meat stuck in my throat is finally gone.

I was offered what felt to be a bottle of water, then drank it. BITTER! SHUCKS!

WHY IS IT BITTER!?

I tried to puke, but a hand clamped down on my mouth, forcing me to drink this vile liquid. "Drink it, idiot. It's a potion!"

HAAAAGH!? POTION? WHO GIVES A POTION TO A CHOKING PERSON!? Even as someone blind, I have the common sense of giving water instead!

But what choice do I have? I reluctantly swallowed the thing. This stuff costs at least 4 gold coins apiece. It would be too much of a waste if I puke them!

"Ha-haagh-ha-haaagh~ Thanks for the save," I said to the stranger.

"Are you waiting for someone?"

"Yeah, by the way. What time is it?"

"10:00 am."

"Wha—t!? It's still early... Wait, why are you here? Aren't you going to class?"

"The same question goes for you."

"How long have you been here?"

"You have too many questions, tsk."

Silence pervaded our surroundings. It's my fault for being nosy, he is my savior after all. But it didn't last for long as the stranger broke the silence.

"I have been here since last night."

"Huh? But how about the curfew?

"It's fine as long as they don't see you."

"Wow, you can evade their detection? How about the principal?"

"Of course, I won't be able to escape the principal's sight. The principal simply doesn't care about this minor stuff. In his own words, it is to promote the adventurous spirits of the students."

"Wow, I've never heard of that."

I zoned out. I can't remember when I had a normal conversation like this. My elder sister usually talks to me like this, without any discrimination of any sort.

"You are a weird person."

"Huh?"

"Ah. I am sorry, I don't mean it in a bad way. I- I am blind, a cripple. I am useless. And people hate me."

"Why?"

"Because I am blind."

"So what?"

"I am useless."

"I still don't understand."

"Sigh... that's why you are weird. Wait, don't tell me you want my body? Or you have some weird fetish?"

"..."

"Did I hit it right?"

"No, it's far from the truth. Eat your lunch, you'll feel better."

O-okay. I wasn't able to speak as the stranger spoon-fed me. Speaking of better, my ankle doesn't hurt anymore.

"Ummm... I can eat for myself."

"You are injured. Let me spoil you."

"Why?"

"..."

The stranger continued to feed me. I don't know why, but I felt like I ate a worth of two persons' lunchboxes.

"I told you to come at noon sharp. If you would have followed our agreed schedule, I would have fetched you, saving you from all of this trouble."

Huh? Is he? Yes, it's him!

"It's you! You should have said it sooner. What's up with the mystery?"

He stood. I can hear his footsteps. It's nimble but has enough weight to identify his presence.

"Now, it's time I fulfill my promise to you."

I can hear more footsteps coming. Judging by the rushed footsteps, the new arrivals are 50% certain to be hostile, a yes or a no. I have enough share of being a victim of bullying. This aided my sensitive observation skills, which enabled me to identify aggression despite my blindness.

"Fucking hell, you are acting quite suspiciously Alfir. What are you doing on the rooftop?"

"Look, he has a chick by his side."

"She's blind. What a turn-off."

"Guys, let's calm down. We can't be overboard in this one since committing a crime in the academy is extremely prohibited."

There are four of them. Helplessness, despair, and weakness assailed my mind like a cat to a mouse, playing and amusing itself with the terror of its victim.

"Yeah, let's just give him a beati—"

"One down."

*Flop! A dying groan. It's my first time hearing that. Even a mouse when it dies doesn't groan. They squeak—

"Ahk!"

"Fuck! What are you doing! This is— ahk!"

...like mice... Yes, like that.

"Three down." The stranger's voice is calm and cold. Even I can feel the chills. The remaining hostile screamed bloody murder, but he can't even get past the second syllable as the sword cried the sound of steel meeting flesh.

"Four down." The stranger said. No, he's not a stranger anymore. I heard them call him Alfir. So that's his name.

I felt some liquid splatter on my face. The rusty smell of blood wafted to my nose.

"Forgive me for their sudden disturbance, they have been tailing me for quite some time, but let's proceed."

Proceed?

"I will give you eyesight as I promised."

He grabbed my mouth, pinned me on the cold pavement with his knees in my shoulder.

"It will be painful but please bear with me."

I can hear the worry in his voice.

What is happening? I am more than confused by his sudden aggression.

I feel something solid hovering over my eyes, then it pierced—

AAAAAGH! IT HURTS! IT HURTS!

It gouged my eye as the dagger scraped by my skin and nerves.

AAAAAGH! PLEASE STOP! STOP!

Then the other eye. I begged for him to stop, but he didn't.

PLEASE! I DON'T WANT MY SIGHT ANYMORE! I TAKE IT BACK!

It's excruciatingly painful. Then I felt him stuff something into my eye sockets. It rooted itself in me one by one, with great care.

Then I can see.

Colors. Motion. And him.

He stood above me weakly and limply.

With shallow breaths and a weak groan, Alfir cried tears of blood. Looking further, it's to my horror that his eye sockets are empty.

"Ah. Shoot. It's okay, you should be fine by now." He hugged me, then helped me stand up. He offered me a bottle of potion from his inventory bracelet.

"No, you drink it."

"I can't. I will remain blind if I do that. Would you please help me? It kinda hurts." Kinda!? What is this bullshit? Stop lying, it must've hurt.

"Yes, tell me. I will do anything."

"Just like how your body rejects organ transplants, my system is also unique."

"Yes, my body rejects transplants." I openly admitted to him, as he disclose these facts. It was the first revelation I learned when I got involved with the academy. They have advanced medical surgeries that could have helped me if not for my unique constitution.

"B-but... But.. you transplanted your eyes to mine. How is that possible?" I felt doubt and amazement at the same time. No matter how bitter, I have to do this. I can't enjoy this eyesight at the expense of my savior.

"Ah. I will return your eyes. Because of this, you lost so much blood. You could have died from the shock of pain! No! YOU ARE DYING! YOU IDIOT!"

Alfir suddenly fell to his knees. It's amazing that he can still talk to some extent, but this is his limit. There is only worry in my mind. I helped him lie on the bench. From there, I saw two empty separate lunch boxes with a pair of utensils. I knew it. He fed me his lunch, gave me his spoon, and now he gave me his eyes.

"Urgh... Graa~"

Someone is still alive. Of the four intruders, the last hostile squirmed as blood slowly pour from his neck.

"I will return yours!" I adamantly said to Alfir.

"You can't. It has become a part of you now. Like how your body rejects transplants. It rejects being placed to another now."

"If you knew all this, then WHY HELP ME!?"

Then how? How am I supposed to help? At this rate, he will die!

"Urgh... Graaaa~ I. am. Rod. Ney. Of. The~ No. bi. li. Ty."

Aaah... The fucking aristocrat. It's all because of them. Yes, it is them. That's why Alfir is suffering this much. They should pay. This is what they are due.

Alfir just committed murder so will I. Nothing escapes the principal's eyes so they say. I won't leave Alfir, I don't want him to be lonely, in that darkness, blindness, and hopelessness.

"Pea.sant. Ca-ll the princi-pal. I.give.yo-u gold!"

I wielded the dagger that Alfir used to carve my eyes. Then—

"AAAAAAAAAGHHHH! PAINFUL! PAINFUL!"

It was a guttural cry, it howled a painful cry. It was piercing to the ears, but I don't care. Cry all you want.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!"

He cried for a long time since I took it personally to punish this filth.

After my work is done, I held the jewel-like eyes with care. The eyes are still fresh. They are orange crimson just like the sun.

"Here, what should I do? Its eyes Alfir. These are eyes. I took it from tha-t, that guy." My voice is a little shaky, but I persevered. It's my first time committing murder, but anything for my savior.

"Please stick them to my hollow eye sockets."

And I did. I helped him close his eyelids. I sat, laid his head in my lap then sang a tune. I don't know why, I guess this is my way of spoiling him.

"What is the name of the song? It's the first time I am hearing it."

"It came from a lonely bard. He isn't famous, but it is said he roamed the world far and wide searching for the traces of the dark ages."

"Can you please recite the lyrics to me?"

I combed his hair with my fingers, touched his soft cheeks and lovely forehead. It felt so good to see. Then I sang, it had a sad tune to it—

"We die~ we lie.

We cry~ we sigh.

Sadness it is~ we are never in peace.

Of all the sick~ we never choose to pick.

Who lives the life~ of a lie as we speak.

We cry~ we sigh.

Only to die.

This world is bleak but we~ can try."

It's a sad song, but that song never failed to make me smile. It looks like the same for Alfir.

I sang amidst the bloody stench. Blood and gore are everywhere, but that doesn't matter.

"Try and try~ and try~ again.

There's only pain~ to blame anyway.

Pry and pry~ the mi—nds~ of men.

You can't remain~ the same and stay.

Sadness it is~ we are never in peace.

Of all the sick~ we never choose to pick.

Who lives the life~ of a lie as we speak.

This is the story of the weak, wicked and insipid."

Alfir opened his eyes. I met his. The orange crimson eyes are no more and in its place is the beautiful ebony of emptiness. It draws you in deep.

"Thank you. You have a beautiful voice."

"Th-thank you. I mean, your compliments, thank yoU!" Am I panicking too much? His eyes are as dark as it's pure.

Is this how his eyes also looked like before he gave it to me. I touched my eyes, felt it in its sides affectionately, like a treasure.

He raised himself, sat by my side then looked over the massacre he recently committed. What is he thinking? Feeling? Is it rejection? Sadness?

"It's fine." I held his hand then softly consoled him.

"I will be with you till the end. We can leave the academy together."

Murder is a heavy crime, especially in the academy. Alfir knows what I am implying. But no matter what he says, if he dares think to reject of my kindness like how he selflessly gave his eyesight to me— I shall persistently stick to him. So please, tell me. Say something, confirmation or acknowledgment.

"Forgive me, Eliya. I deceived you."

Huh?

"I lured them here. To kill them here. I purposely didn't give the finishing blow to the last hostile, the person you personally killed."

"So what?"

"I wanted his eyes. And also your gratitude, your favor, and your powers."

"You deserve it."

"I understand."

"..."

I felt bitter. So all of this, him giving me his eyesight is some meticulous plan to manipulate me? By gaining my gratitude, then control me? That's all fine with me.

I stood up, walked in front of him, and hugged him tightly, my chin just above his shoulder, my arms looped around him. It is peaceful, just staying like this. I bet I can do this forever.

Then I cried.

"WaaaaaAaaaAaAAAAH!" He patted my back like how he would calm a child. Slowly, my cry diminished to sobs then to sniffles.

"It's fine. It's totally fine. Manipulate me, control me all you want. I will do everything."

"I won't, but I appreciate the thought."

I felt our weight shift. He stood, we stood. Then he hugged me back, his chin over my shoulder, my face to his chest, and his lips to my ears— then he whispered.

"I have known you for a long time Eliya. It is only now that I found the courage to give you help, but it looks like it will be me who will be needing your help a lot."

"Please do."

"You possess a very unique Special Ability. The power of singularity. Among the people in the academy, you are the second person aside from the Misguided Mage that the principal can't see. In fact, the slaughter that has occurred here didn't happen. It's only us who knows what has transpired here."

"My Special Ability can do that? I thought my Special Ability is to nullify the powers of others."

"It's just an application of your ability. You are immune to any scrying-related abilities within 50 meters around you. Even sound gets trapped within these 50 meters, light is the only exception. This area here has become a blank zone the moment you stepped here."

He let go of me. He stepped back, his hands on my shoulders. He looked at me full of sincere hope, and part of it, a sense of redemption.

"Eliya. Would you please become my Epilogue, the Epilogue. The end of where it all started. The ultimate destination of what I aspire to. Would you, someone who shares my vision, see the world as I will?"

"Yes," I said it, my sweet yes.

He smiled, it was an unforgettable smile. His eyes glowed a sudden blue, then the blood and gore went aflame as the azure blaze devour them into ash.

Such a spectacle. It's a beauty of its own curiosity. This day might be the happiest day of my life. I sneaked my hand into his, then held it tight as we watch over the flames in idle wonder. Ephemeral blue flames dances on the rooftop, the noon sun can't do anything to outshine the flames. Well, to my eyes at least.

My ability, Singularity, saved us from scrutiny and expulsion. I felt happy that I am of use to him, of help to him.

This sense of belonging and purpose is fulfilling.

***

TRIVIA!

Eliya Endshire— She will become a sacrifice, a vessel of an ancient monster, that will become the final boss of the story. Alfir is taking the initiative of saving her. While he's at it, he might as well turn her into his subordinate. She is one of the initial members of Alfir's organization representing the name 'Epilouge'.

"Thank you, Alfir."

Her power is Singularity. It allows her immunity from detection abilities. She can also nullify an individual's power at a 100% effective rate, but it is only limited to one target. If the target is stronger than her by margins, the consumption rate of her stamina and mentality will drastically increase.