- Dilemma -

Washing himself and then changing his clothes into something new, something that he would feel more comfortable.

He stared himself at the mirror, looking at his own reflection.

'You left us just like that.'

He gritted his teeth.

'You left us to unveil the mysteries of your death, to clean the mess you left behind.'

CRASH!

'You left us to doubt you. To hate, question, loathe, despise you.'

The mirror was shattered into several pieces.

'And now you suddenly become a hero who I must be grateful for?'

And every single piece was still reflecting his appearance.

'Do you think I would be happy to know things will turn in this way?'

Leaning against his bed, he sat on the floor next to those pieces.

All his beliefs were shattered within one night. What he had believed for all these years, that his father was his biggest sworn enemy, the source of his harm and everything, the betrayal that he had trusted for ages, they were all destroyed.

"Until their last moments, they have never failed each other. They have never betrayed you."

He raised his hands and pulled his own hair. The crimson blood from his palm stained his white snowy hair as he took a deep breath.

'Do you think I would be grateful for your sacrifice?'

A drop of tear fell to the floor.

'I hate that you leave us even more.'

≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫

"That man is not your father."

Celeste jumped to her bed as those words echoed in her mind.

"I know that because I see a piece of the puppet's memory. Just like how I took over the puppet's body like this... someone else helped him to take over Christ's body...... and changing him into who you know now."

She sighed as she remembered a few of Charlotte's lines and pulled the blanket over her head.

"And cause all the hardships you have to suffer."

Celeste closed her eyes.

'So you want to tell me that all this time, I've misunderstood him? All these years, I have hated the wrong person?'

As she hugged her pillow tightly, trying to swallow and understand the reality, she heard the sound of footsteps.

Knock knock--

She raised her head and sat down the moment she saw the visitor. It was Nathan.

'... I thought that someone else would come...'

"I hope that I don't disturb you."

'But I guess that someone is currently busy with his family member.... I guess I became too reliant of him now...'

Celeste looked at him for a moment. She tried to force her to smile. Even a small smile won't be a problem.

'After everything he has done for me...'

"Of course not," she responded. "Why are you here?"

Nathan smiled gently towards Celeste, "I'm here because I'm worried of you. Are you still thinking about Charlotte's words?"

"................."

Her silence meant yes. She couldn't say the word, and she couldn't lie about it. She raised her head and looked at the ceiling, leaning herself against the wall and remained quiet for several more moments before she asked him, "Do you think she has been telling the truth?"

He was present when she told them the truth of their parents' death. He was there to listen for himself, all the words and explanations she gave to them.

Nathan pondered about it carefully and chose to ask her back, "Then do you believe in her?"

"What I just see is nothing but a piece of the puppet's mind, so I don't know what he felt... but I could guarantee one thing. Until their last moments, they have never failed each other. They have never betrayed you."

Again, she was silent as she lowered her head. It took her several moments to choose her words, to give her answer.

"I've dreamed of all kinds of reasons why he would do that to mom. When I learnt that Charlotte is actually... someone who possess another regular's body, I thought that the same thing could just happen to him. I never thought that it would be the truth, not until Charlotte returns from that hellish place and told me and brother about it."

"He's so powerful. So I never thought that there could be someone injure him badly, not to mention to separate his soul from his body and make someone else take over his identity, position and everything."

She took a deep breath and raised her head, looking at Nathan as she asked, "Do you think I should be happy?"

Nathan walked closer to her and sat on the bed next to her, "Why is that?"

"All these years... I've always been conflicted. I'm always worried that one day my father will have to fight my brother and I must choose who I'll fight together with. I'm worried if that day comes, I can only watch them destroying one another and I couldn't do anything. But now...... it has been revealed. It's not him who murdered my mother...... . It's obvious now which side I should take, right? This may just be a good thing."

Nathan did not like her current smile. From all the smiles that she could have, this was one of the worst smiles she could ever have.

"But if you are really happy, then why do you look like someone who will cry soon?"

Celeste was stunned for a moment.

"If you are really happy, then why your smile is a bittersweet one?" He asked her one more time.

"I....."

Celeste raised both of her hands. She looked at both of her palms, her trembling hands, and covered her face with it as tears dropped from her face.

"I don't know...." she said while sobbing. "I really don't know what I'm crying for now. Is it because he almost died and fall into coma? Is it because she loses her sight and I couldn't do anything to heal her? Or it's because all these years I've misunderstood him?"

"I spent years hate him... I spent years despise him, fear him, loathe him... I spent years suspecting him not knowing that he was also in troubles and blamed him for someone else's wrongdoings. My father is a stupid man... a soft- hearted man who only thought about us... and I actually doubted him there. I doubted him, I made assumptions about him... only to know that he has been through hell and everything because of some random son of a---"

Nathan pulled her into a hug and gave her some pats. It seemed to have calmed her down a little as she paused at her own words. But it wasn't suffice to make her stop crying.

"I blamed the wrong person for everything I've been through."

'And that person is someone who has never forgotten about me.'

≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫

After she had just told Celeste and Noah about their father, Bam came in her room in panic and worry. Just like Altaira who held her hand tightly, he also held her hand in worry and sadness that she lost her eyes.

"Brother, my eyes would be fine. I'll definitely find a way to cure them," she assured him before her expression became more solemn, "But there is something that you need to do first."

"What is it?" Bam hurriedly asked.

"I want to see Khun. I want to know how he ends up in such a state."

Bam was confused, "....... in what state? What's wrong with Khun?"

At first, Altaira thought that it was strange that Bam appeared to be confused with Khun's situation. He looked like someone who was not informed at all. But then he remembered how much he cared for Charlotte just like him.

'That guy must have heard that Charlotte was severely wounded in the Hidden Floor and rushed here without asking about anyone else. He doesn't know that Khun is sleeping on the ice coffin. If Charlotte doesn't mention about him, he wouldn't ask about it due to his worries for Charlie.'

For most of them, Khun was someone reliable but in the same time, annoying. He was smart and calculative, which made him doubt others easily and say mean words to the others. But as mean as he was, he was also reliable and helpful, especially with his brain that could even trick a ranker.

It was quite painful for them to see their friend and their ally to fall into such a state.

In one of many rooms of the Hell Train, there was a transparent ice box floating in the middle of the room. Inside the box, the blue- haired man was resting in there.

The white blindfold covered her eyes, eyebrows and almost her forehead mark. Her eyes that usually conveyed her emotions were closed, so Altaira couldn't see clearly the expression that she was making. But he knew that she was very upset and sad inside. She simply stared at the direction where he was, not knowing how peaceful he looked like inside the coffin.

"WHAT HAPPENED TO KHUN?!"

And Bam who held her hand asked people left and right about what happened to Khun.

"We're not sure..." Boro answered. "It looks like someone jumped him... and his heart wasn't beating."

"WHAT?!"

"Right now, his body is in a frozen state," Evan explained. "He has frozen his own body and stopped all of its functions. I don't know what exactly happened, but he seems to have suffered a major shock in the Hidden Floor and has been in the brink of death."

"I'm not sure if that ability suddenly activated in that brief moment or if he did it himself, but he seems to freeze his own body to prolong that time. At the moment, I'm keeping him alive with an item of mine, but he would probably die soon if he's taken out of that state."

First his sister lost her sight. Now his friend was at the verge of dying. Charlotte could feel Bam's grip was getting tighter, "Brother...!"

"What the heck happened while I was fighting?! What about the fight....?! Who did it to Khun?!"

"Brother...!" Charlotte held his hand with both of her hands tighter.

"Bam, Charlotte."

The brown- haired boy turned around and looked at Endorsi who was wearing white dress with white heels.

"Come with me for a minute," said Endorsi. "I'll tell you everything that you want to know."

Bam nodded his head and was about to walk towards Endorsi when Charlotte didn't move. She didn't move from her spot and lowered her head instead which made Bam confused.

'Isn't she supposed to be curious with what happened to Khun?'

He didn't understand her action for a moment, until she raised her head and looked at the ice coffin again. Both Bam and Altaira had a vague idea of what she wanted.

"Charlotte......"

"I want to stay behind," Charlotte said as she looked back at him. "I want... to stay here a little bit longer..."

Inwardly, he could tell that his sister felt responsible for not being able to save Khun. It was not a secret anymore that she had the power of clairvoyant like a guide, and he knew that she must have felt responsible for not being able to prevent Khun from falling into the "frozen" state.

Altaira walked towards them and held Charlotte's wrist.

"You can go with her," he said calmly. "I'll make sure she doesn't hurt herself."

As much as Bam didn't enjoy to leave Charlotte with Altaira, he still nodded his head and looked at Charlotte, "Then I'll be back soon. Don't go anywhere."

Charlotte nodded her head and promised him.

After that, he walked away with Endorsi who used [ Bong Bong ] and disappeared from the room.

"I'll give you guys some time alone," Evan said as he left the room, as well as Boro and the others.

And once they disappeared, Altaira started another conversation with Charlotte.

"I thought that you would be excited to see him cutting all ties with Rachel," he said.

Charlotte turned around and faced him, "With your power, I thought you would be able to prevent Rachel from injuring Khun."

Altaira frowned, "So you are doubting me right now?"

Charlotte paused for a moment before she answered, "I am just curious, if you are really planning to help him or not from the beginning."

Anyone would feel upset if he was doubted by someone close to them. But since she asked, then he would give his answer. A truthful answer instead of an answer coaxed with lies and sugar, because that was the only way of obtaining someone's trust.

"No."

Charlotte flinched when she heard that. She clenched her fists and asked, "... why not?"

"Because it will ruin the plot. And I'm sure that by changing this part of the storyline, it will affect Bam's and Khun's growths," Altaira answered. "So I thought that it was an unwise move to try to change this part because of your feelings towards him."

Charlotte who clenched her fists sighed and surrendered. Even if she was upset, she was not strong enough to change this current situation and to be the one who wakes him up.

"I see..."

"But even if I don't want to change this part, if I have that power, I will try my best to help him," said Altaira again.

"Huh?"

"I've said before. What you want and what you need, I will try my best within my power to accomplish them," Altaira repeated his words. "You want him to avoid this route, so why would I go against it? It's just that you know Rachel isn't the only one behind this, but as well as that guy."

'Big Breeder Hwang!'

He crossed his arms and asked, "Do you understand it now?"

Charlotte had forgotten that Big Breeder Hwang was also one of the reasons why Rachel was able to injure Khun. He helped her and gave her a hand for it. And there she thought that her brother never meant to save Khun from the beginning.

She lowered her head and apologized, "I'm sorry...."

If her brother acted according to what she expected, then the room might just be filled with two ice coffins instead of one. She was being narrow- minded for a moment.

"I shouldn't have doubted you."

He felt upset. He really felt upset that his own sister had doubted him. But it was not like he could blame her.

When she felt a hand on her head, she knew that she was forgiven already.

"If you really want my forgiveness, then I hope you would do one thing for me."

"What is it?" Charlotte asked.

"Be more open with me," he said. "Tell me what you need and what you are planning. In the past, you've always told me what you wanted to do, so we can come up with a trick together. But once we enter the tower, you do realize that things started to get distant between the two of us, right?"

It was just like when she tried to hide the secrets of her death from him.

'I don't want to hide things from you.'

"Let's go back to the past, where the two of us trust each other the most, okay?" He held her wrist and smiled in bittersweet.

'But is this really the right decision?'

Charlotte made a small smile and nodded her head.

'The more you know, the sooner you die.'

And the thought that she agreed to his request made him smile widely.

'And I don't want to lose you either.'

"Good! Now that's the answer that I want to hear!" Altaira said. "So, what's our next plan?"

'I hope that my decision today won't go wrong.'

"For now, I want to find a way to make sure no one could get Khun out from the ice box," she answered.

≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫

When Bam saw Beta, he was actually pretty surprised.

"Beta?! What are you doing here?"

The blonde- haired boy whose face was covered in white bandages sat on the bed and looked at someone who he once to kill and torture the most.

"... isn't getting up always so hard for you? You've been passed out like that for a week."

"B... but where have you been? And... aren't you supposed to be in lighthouse when you are on the train?"

"Well, I'm not sure either about why I was able to get out from there. One thing for sure that there is something strange about the train ever since we got out of the Hidden Floor," Beta said.

"Something strange...?"

"Yeah, like all rules have disappeared about how rankers aren't supposed to mess with regulars or you need to have tickets to get in the train and stuff. This place is in a state of anarchy now."

"... what?!"

"Anyway, enough about that. You haven't heard what happened to Khun in the Hidden Floor, have you?"

"Ah... No! Do you know what happened, Beta?" Bam asked.

"Of course," he answered with full confidence. "You guys don't seem to have noticed but I joined Khun's lighthouse the whole time I was in the Hidden Floor. It feels like... I was treated just like any other of his items. It was a nasty feeling... but thanks to that, I was able to observe everything as a lighthouse."

"Although I can't say exactly what I saw because of the rules of Hidden Floor or whatever... just so you know, the alligator disappeared by himself as soon as we got out the Hidden Floor. He said, 'I'm going to kill that yellow freckles turtle'. You know who he's referring to, right?"

Rak had never called anyone by their names. He had always addressed them with the word "turtles", with some exceptions just like Ehwa. But in order to differentiate a single turtle with another, he would add their characteristics on their nicknames.

Yellow and freckles, Bam could only remember Rachel.

"NO!" He denied it. "It can't be! I didn't see Rachel anywhere!"

"I saved things I saw from the lighthouse in a memory stick. I don't know about the others, but since you unlocked the gate and went in there by yourself, maybe you won't lose your memories after seeing this data."

He handed out the flash disk he has been keeping.

"Have a look and decide for yourself."

After that, the two of them stayed behind in the same room where Bam was watching the record of his "light's" betrayal.

As he watched the moments of his friend almost got killed by Rachel, he was left in silence. When he stood up, Endorsi assumed that he has finished watching.

"Bam," she called his name.

She wondered now that he had witnessed another of Rachel's betrayal that almost killed Khun, will he be able to forgive her again? Will he pursue her again?

When he walked towards the door, she called him again, "Where are you going?! Bam!"

"I have to stop Rak," he answered without looking back.

"What!?"

"I can't let Rak run into Rachel like this," he gave her a short explanation.

"What are you talking about?!" Endorsi couldn't believe what she had just heard. "You won't forgive Rachel again, right?!"

"No....." He disagreed. He disagreed with her statement of forgiving Rachel. "She has White and Yura with her. Rak won't be able to face them on his own anyway. "

≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫

"You need something to make sure that no one could get Khun out from his ice coffin?"

"Ice box," she corrected solemnly. "It's not a coffin. Don't call it a coffin."

Altaira smiled when he heard that, "Fine. It's not a coffin. It's a big and huge box where a person could get inside and sleep."

Charlotte nodded her head, "Yes. That's it."

'How is that any different from the coffin? Is it because I use the word "sleep" and not "die"?'

"Look, are you worried that someone will steal him and the plot will change? In the original, it doesn't seem like anyone could get him out from that co... box," he said.