Chapter 9

• As Toma had mentioned, we eventually managed to escape from the storage room, thanks to Xia's timely rescue. She hugged me tightly as we emerged.
• "Thanks for helping, Xia," I said, gently patting her head. Her teary eyes were filled with remorse. "I'm really sorry you had to go through this."
• "It's fine, Yuji. At least you're okay," she replied, her voice filled with relief. I was glad I had helped her with the task she was supposed to complete. If I hadn't, she might have been terrified and stuck in there with Toma.