As the moon rose high into the deep black sky, Ant had still yet to return. The flower must have been further away than initially thought. Mimi tried not to worry too much. She was sure that clever snake would be able to take care of himself. Resigned to set it aside for the time being and get a good night’s sleep, Mimi eventually went to bed.

  That night, she had a strange dream. Her body had become much smaller and she walked along a long dirt road beneath the blazing sun. She looked down at her tattered dress, and realized that she seemed to have become a child. In the distance, the bustling outline of the capital city could been seen on the horizon.

  A few stragglers walked on the road around her, some traveling on foot and others in elaborate merchant carriages. A range of noble caravans and commoner families traversed to and fro, but none paid attention to the small girl walking alone. The girl kept her head down and continued along on shaky legs.

  Small ditches ran along each side. When it rained, water would flow into these ditches before flooding the road. Over time, small rocks, debris, and other junk littered these slopes. Anything useful had long been picked clean by beggars, and only garbage remained. Most people’s eyes never strayed to these unsightly places, yet the girl found herself glancing into them repeatedly. Her eyes would dart over before quickly looking away, only to drift back again.

  At one point, she came to complete stop before the ditch. Her eyes bore into it like she was searching for something. The other travelers moved around her, some even grumbling at the little girl blocking the way, but no one stopped to question or help her. Conversely, her eyes never left that tiny ditch. Nothing else mattered to her, and it all faded into the background. She stared intensely at the crumbling earth at her feet and frowned.

  Even the little girl wasn’t sure what she was looking for. What could possibly be found in such a dirty, forgotten place? And yet, she couldn’t help but feel that something was missing. The longer she looked, the greater that feeling became. Despite her desperate search, nothing appeared. A sense of emptiness took over her, but she forced herself to move on after a long time. Like frozen time resuming, the world once again came to life around her.

  As she turned to leave, she noticed drops of water splashing onto the dirt at her feet. She blinked. She was sure that there hadn’t been any clouds in the sky. It took the little girl a moment to realize that she was crying. Confused, she patted at the moisture on her cheeks and continued walking towards the capital city. What was wrong? She didn’t know. All she knew was that it felt like at some point, something precious to her had disappeared.

  –

  Despite the playful threat the night before, Nemesis didn’t end up making it to breakfast the next morning. After waking up, Mimi noticed that Ant still hadn’t returned. The room felt significantly emptier. So, she begrudgingly began to get ready by herself.

  Sifting through the wardrobe, she eventually found a gown that wasn’t as complicated as the others and managed to pull it on over her head. It was a black dress with long lace sleeves. The fabric of the body of the dress was a bit looser, making it easy to get on and off. A crimson ribbon cinched the fabric at the waist and Mimi tied it into a bow behind her, creating a simple but elegant silhouette. The color palette suited her, and she was satisfied.

  As she went to leave her room, she was startled to see none other than Sir Arius waiting outside her door. When he heard movement, he turned his head and scanned her up and down with a critical gaze. The knight was dressed in his official uniform, so Mimi immediately knew he was here on business. Still, she was pleasantly surprised to see him.

  “Good morning,” he said. His tone was dry and reluctant.

  Ah, still so formal, Mimi thought regrettably.

  “What brings you here?” Nemesis asked. She smiled gently at him.

  Arius sighed and pushed himself off of where he was leaning against the wall. “The Crown Prince has asked that you remain in your room today. I am here to see that you comply. A servant will be by shortly with your meal.”

  Nemesis’s smile froze on her face. “Is this just for today, or should I expect this to be a regular occurrence from now on?”

  Arius looked uncomfortable, like he would rather be anywhere else than delivering this information. He stared at the floor before finally making eye contact. “Look, I’m not thrilled by this either. I don’t know what Dimitri is up to,” he admitted. He was suddenly speaking much more casually. “But I do know that you’re also up to something, and just like old times, I’m caught in the middle.”

  It was a common sight when they were kids. Nemesis and Dimitri were both strong-willed and would often butt heads. Arius often served as the peacekeeper between them. At least, that was the case before they got a little older and Nemesis developed real feelings for the prince. She also realized it was no longer appropriate for them to argue like kids due to their difference in status, no matter how long they knew each other. The quarreling all but came to a complete stop.

  Sensing Arius’s slight apprehension, Nemesis pressed further. “Don’t you think his behavior has been odd? You really don’t know anything about it?”

  “Despite what you might think, he doesn’t tell me everything,” Arius said bitterly. “It isn’t my place to question him anyway.” The knight’s frown deepened.

  Suddenly, he looked over her shoulder into the room behind her. “Where’s that pet of yours? I don’t see it.”

  Nemesis tensed. She had just been about to invite Arius inside, but she completely forgot that Ant was currently missing. She wouldn’t be able to explain his absence in a way that wasn’t suspicious. The idea of a snake potentially loose in the palace was dangerous for a number of reasons.

  “He’s still sleeping. On the bed. Under the covers,” she quickly explained. “Then, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be sulking in my jail cell. Ah, sorry. I meant my room.”

  She went to close the door but was stopped by Arius’s hand catching the edge in a firm grip. “Wait a minute.”

  He looked into Nemesis’s eyes for a few moments, as if deciding on what to say. A moment later, he slowly released his grip on the door and spoke in a quiet voice.

  “Whatever’s going on, just please, don’t get into any more trouble. I don’t care about the past anymore but, Nemesis…”

  His voice was colored with a rare vulnerability. It made her ears perk up expectantly.

  “You’ve been given a second chance. Don’t make the mistake of messing up your future.”

  Nemesis was quiet. Strangely, she felt a little guilty. Eventually, she closed the door without a word. Arius’s words of warning bounced around her head and she sighed. His voice and expression nearly made her want to agree on the spot, but she couldn’t. She knew it was a promise she would be unable to keep. In the very near future, Arius and everyone else would turn against her once more.

  There was no way for them to know that Nemesis was always destined to be the villain. But regardless, she would have to disappoint them.

  Suddenly feeling anxious, she began to pace around the room. Hopefully, Eris had gotten her message and was able to find something of value in those journals. Mimi had wanted to go to the infirmary today to check, but it seemed that was out of the picture now. Worst of all, the longer that Ant took to return, the more worried she became.

  What if he wasn’t able to get the flower? What if something happened to him? What if he got caught somehow?

  System, how much time do I have left until the deadline?

  [ SYSTEM: There are 8 days, 23 hours, 14 minutes, and 55 seconds until the deadline. ]

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  I’ve already lost an entire day and now I’m stuck in my room. What should I do?

  As she paced over to the window, she debated jumping down. Looking out at the garden below, she quickly scrapped that idea. Even though she was sure she’d survive, it would be way too conspicuous. The chances of getting caught were high, especially with the increased patrols by the guards. In addition, it was one thing to get down, it was another to climb back up. There was no good way to get back up, and it wasn’t like she could casually stroll back in through the front door.

  While she was thinking about all of this, Mimi suddenly spotted a small streak of white dart out from a shrub. In a flash, it began to climb the palace wall, nearly blending into the white stones. Mimi took a step back in surprise as the snake slithered through the open window and into the room. It all happened in the blink of an eye.

  “You’re back!” she exclaimed, momentarily forgetting to mask her excitement.

  However, her excitement didn’t last long. Ant transformed back into a human, and Mimi’s expression morphed into one of total shock.

  How did this happen!?

  Ant’s white robes were torn in several places revealing deep cuts and scrapes. Red stained the edges of the fabric, and there was even some splattered across his face. His statue-like aloofness had completely faded, replaced by a look of utter exhaustion. There were dark circles under his eyes and his complexion was significantly paler. His fluffy white hair was even more disheveled and stuck up unnaturally in several directions.

  He had been moving too quickly in his snake form, so she hadn’t noticed his wounds at all. Now that he was human again, it was painfully obvious just how beat up he was. He looked like he had been to hell and back.

  “W-what-”

  Mimi was stunned as she followed behind him. Ant stumbled his way over to the sofa and laid down, resting an arm over his eyes as he finally allowed himself to relax. A moment later, he dug around inside his robes before producing a small blue flower. Its petals were vibrant to the point one might think they were glowing and it smelled so sweet that the fragrance filled the room and mixed with the heavy scent of blood. The combination of scents made Mimi’s nose wrinkle.

  Ant peeked an eye out from under his arm and smirked. “I told you I’d get it.” His voice was rough. Despite his present state, he sounded proud.

  “Forget that for now,” Mimi said quickly. “What happened!?”

  He chuckled and closed his eyes again. “Nothing. I’m fine.”

  Mimi marched over and smacked his arm out of the way, forcing Ant to make eye contact with her. “Don’t give me that bullshit,” she snapped. Ant’s eyes widened. He had never heard the other sound genuinely upset before, and he sat up with a wince.

  “It isn’t a big deal,” he explained calmly.

  The nonchalant demeanor made Mimi want to slap it off his face.

  Not a big deal? NOT A BIG DEAL!? DO YOU EVEN SEE YOURSELF RIGHT NOW!?

  She stood in front of him, looking down with an eerily dark expression. Ant reached out and patted her hand reassuringly. He might be the only one immune to that glare.

  “The spirits were a little reluctant to part with the flower, so I had to take matters into my own hands.”

  Mimi had a bad feeling. “And by that you mean…”

  “I stole it,” Ant said casually.

  Mimi thought her head might explode. On one hand, she was angry that the other would do something so incredibly reckless. On the other hand, she felt insanely guilty. The flower wasn’t necessarily essential, but she still had Ant go and get it. As a result, he was seriously injured. Suddenly, she was reminded of her dream. She didn’t remember the details, but the lingering feeling she got had left an impression on her. It was similar to how she was feeling now.

  She stood there quietly. The inner conflict must have shown on her face, because Ant reclined back once again with a sigh before tilting his head to the side in thought. After a moment, he looked up at her with warm eyes.

  “Mimi,” he called softly.

  Mimi froze. She hadn’t expected him to actually use her nickname. For some reason, it caused her heart to speed up. She gulped.

  “It’s alright,” Ant said.

  “You-”

  Mimi was momentarily at a loss for words. Then, she exploded.

  This bastard! He’s trying to manipulate me!

  “You asshole! Don’t ever do something like that again, got it!? I won’t let you off that easily!”

  As she scolded him, she repeatedly smacked his arm. Ant winced with each blow but didn’t resist. After a couple of hits, a deep red began to seep into the fabric of the sleeve and spread outwards.

  “Ahh!” Mimi immediately stopped hitting him and looked around in a panic. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! We need to get you to a doctor, oh my god.” She fussed over his arm but refused to touch him again, looking distraught. Her hands fidgeted guiltily at her sides.

  To her surprise, Ant started to laugh. Mimi quickly became angry again.

  “Why are you laughing!? Is there something funny!? Look at yourself!”

  Ant continued to chuckle. “You’re a little weird, that’s all.”

  Mimi glared at him. “... Maybe I should do the spirits a favor and finish the job.”

  Ant slumped on the back of the sofa and spread his arms out wide in resignation. “Go ahead.”

  Maybe the blood loss had made him a little crazy. He was acting so different from his usual self. Instead of arguing further, Mimi went and soaked a strip of cloth in a water basin. She returned and began to gently wipe the blood off of his face with the damp cloth. Ant didn’t say anything or try to stop her. He just sat there with his eyes closed, unmoving.

  “I don’t see any wounds on your face. Where does it hurt?” she asked.

  “Oh,” he said blankly. “That blood isn’t mine.”

  Mimi squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath. “You were too reckless. Aren’t the spirits going to retaliate?”

  Ant shrugged. “Maybe. But they don’t like to come to places that humans densely populate. I should be fine here for now.”

  “You really know how to make enemies everywhere,” Mimi commented as she continued cleaning the blood off of him.

  “You’re one to talk,” Ant shot back. Mimi couldn’t deny that, so she kept quiet.

  All of a sudden, a familiar ding! resounded in the silence. Of course, Mimi was the only one that heard it. The system window popped up before her eyes.

  [ SYSTEM: The system update is ready. Updates automatically in: 1 minute. ]

  [ 0:59 ]

  [ 0:58 ]

  [ 0:57 ]

  What!? Already? Isn’t it early?

  [ SYSTEM: The developer has finished ahead of schedule. ]

  Mimi would have liked to talk to Eris again first. Once the bug was fixed, he might have his hands full trying to figure out how his patients were miraculously cured. With his personality, his obsession easily jumped from one thing to the next.

  [ 0:56 ]

  [ 0:55 ]

  [ 0:54 ]

  There was no more time. After the update, she would have to find a way to summon the doctor. She glanced at Ant. He cracked his eyes open and raised a questioning eyebrow at her, likely wondering why she suddenly stopped. Was there a way to get Eris to treat Ant as well?

  [ 0:34 ]

  [ 0:33 ]

  [ 0:32 ]

  As the countdown continued, Mimi felt herself becoming extremely sluggish. She fought hard to keep her eyes open.

  [ 0:20 ]

  [ 0:19 ]

  [ 0:18 ]

  “Nemesis?”

  She heard Ant calling her, but it sounded distant. Darkness crept along the edges of her vision and the world in front of her eyes blurred and faded away.

  “Mimi?”

  [ 0:03 ]

  [ 0:02 ]

  [ 0:01 ]

  Everything turned to black, her senses shut down, and Mimi lost consciousness.

  [ SYSTEM: System updating. Please do not turn off. Once the update is complete, system will automatically restart.

  Part 1 of 3: Debugging

  Estimated Time Remaining: 72 hours ]