Black Holes and Sunlight

On the phone, Karin’s breathing was long and hurried. The sound of wind and footsteps occasionally leaked through, allowing one to imagine the person on the other end moving quickly.

– They’re students at the school? Hmm… the restroom… okay, I understand.

Karin quickly deduced the general situation, and the warmth in her voice steadily dropped.

Wang Ning watched as the scene fell silent, except for the clear sound of Karin’s voice from the phone.

Felice and her group had never expected the other party to call for backup, let alone for that backup to be President Karin.

President Karin was extremely busy. Most people didn’t know her private number. To call her, one had to go through an application process and wait. Calling directly would only result in the call being blocked or automatically blacklisted.

Felice looked at the white-haired girl before her. Her eyes were calm, as if this outcome was not surprising, as if it were only natural.

‘When… did this freshman get involved with President Karin?’

Felice clearly didn’t pay much attention to the school forums, but she knew that this white-haired girl was the top-ranked freshman of her year, extremely popular, with an influence that was astonishing.

Confronting her just now was obviously a foolish choice. The reason Felice had lost to her anger now returned, and she took a deep breath.

As the President, Karin also served as the head of the school’s disciplinary department. If she found out about something like this… the consequences were imaginable.

But Felice was a freshman. Even if she had heard the rumors about the “Golden Ruler,” she had never seen her in person and still held a sense of contempt and a belief she could get away with it.

—Offend a commoner or a noble? Any smart person knew which to choose.

“Let’s go,” Felice said to the two beside her, her face grim.

Wang Ning watched their departing figures, and her clenched fists slowly relaxed. The sweaty feeling in her palms made her realize belatedly just how nervous she had been.

But she had no time to worry about that. She quickly entered the restroom and saw a small, frail figure slumped on the floor. Her heart clenched.

“Hey, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?” Wang Ning quickly knelt down and gently helped the other person lean against the wall. Only then did she see clearly who she had helped. “…Chloe?”

The light in the restroom shone on her face. Chloe’s eyes fluttered open. Her inky black eyes were like black holes that absorbed light. The pale light made her face seem almost transparent, making one wonder whether the wall was whiter or her face was.

In contrast to the white were the bruised, swollen patches on her hands and arms… and the bright red of blood. She seemed to be immersed in her own world at that moment, not reacting, not resisting Wang Ning’s actions. Her gaze was unfocused, then, at a certain moment, it gathered on Wang Ning.

“The second time,” she said suddenly. Her weak voice was light and ethereal, its meaning unclear, carrying an indescribable emotion.

Wang Ning was checking her wounds and, upon hearing this, let out a small “ah?” “Are you talking about the number of times we’ve met? Then this should be the third time.”

Chloe didn’t say anything more, just watched Wang Ning’s movements, her eyes following her.

“The wounds are a bit serious,” Wang Ning’s heart sank after checking. It wasn’t just new wounds; she could clearly see how many dark scabs were hidden beneath that fragile body. She looked up at Chloe and said, “Can you still walk? The infirmary is nearby.”

Her short, curly grey hair brushed against Chloe’s collarbone, making her look even more fragile. She nodded quietly, her eyes fixed on Wang Ning’s face, giving her an unexpectedly obedient appearance.

“I can, I… I’m fine,” her voice was timid and extremely quiet. “You shouldn’t have come… They’ll retaliate against you.”

“…I’ve implicated you.” Her eyes grew even dimmer.

Wang Ning’s heart ached even more.

‘All school bullies should be drawn and quartered! Making my daughter suffer so much!’

Wang Ning internally cursed those people over and over again for who knows how long, using every word in the dictionary. Finally, she suppressed her growing anger, gently helped Chloe up, and then said in a precious, formal, and serious tone, “No, you won’t implicate me. No matter who was here, the vast majority of people would have made the same choice as me.”

“They are the ones who are wrong. You are the victim. No matter what, don’t ever blame yourself.”

In truth, she didn’t really know how to comfort Chloe. In her past life, she had seen many videos about school bullying and had passionately typed out many comforting words, but now that she was facing it in reality, she realized how pale and powerless words were.

But she still had to say it, to tell her—”You don’t need to apologize for the harm you’ve suffered. The ones who should be damned are those who use their strength and power to hurt you without restraint.”

Chloe tilted her head. As she was being supported, most of her body was pressed against Wang Ning, and now her head was resting on Wang Ning’s shoulder.

She listened to the person beside her whispering, her mind growing more and more chaotic and drowsy, even a little confused.

‘Is she dreaming? Or has she already died in that small restroom, and this is just her soul having a beautiful dream?’

“…Chloe, Student Chloe, don’t fall asleep yet. We’re almost there,” the voice said nervously.

She slowly hummed in response, smelling a faint, indistinct scent. It was different from the damp, bloody smell on her own body, but a light, grassy fragrance, as if it had rolled over new buds and wildflowers before being dried in the sun, rising, vibrant and warm.

“It smells nice,” she murmured.

Wang Ning: “Hm?”

But they had already arrived at the infirmary, and she had no time to ask what Chloe’s mumbled words meant. She just saw the school doctor push open the door, a surprised expression behind her glasses as she looked at them.

“…It’s you?”

“Dr. Ruixi!” Wang Ning was also surprised. The person before her was Dr. Ruixi, who had seen her twice before and was supposed to be at the chapel.

“Please, help her quickly.” There was no time for questions, Wang Ning said quickly. Dr. Ruixi maintained her professionalism, and without another word, she led the person into the treatment room, telling Wang Ning to wait outside.

The wait was long. After everything that had happened, she also felt a sense of fatigue. The clothes she had just changed into were now stained with the moisture and blood from Chloe.

She leaned back in the chair, staring at the white ceiling of the infirmary, letting her mind go blank. The phone she had placed beside her suddenly rang.

– Hello?

Wang Ning answered the call. Thinking it was Karin, she said, “Senior Karin, have you arrived?”

There was no sound from the other end of the line, only faint breathing. Wang Ning felt something was off. Then, a lazy voice spoke.

– Did you save my number under her name?

Wang Ning: “…!”

‘It’s Boli An!’

– Where did you go? Why didn’t I see you in class? And what was that thing you sent me? That forecast app, what does it mean?

Wang Ning’s bellyful of questions instantly rushed out.

The other end went silent again. Wang Ning heard a suppressed grunt, followed by rapid, sharp breaths. Wang Ning asked worriedly, “Where are you? …What’s wrong with you?”

Boli An’s tone was as relaxed as ever.

– Are you very concerned about me? In that case, can I say I don’t have the strength to answer your previous questions right now?

Wang Ning: “No!”

She had finally managed to catch her to ask questions. Wang Ning was desperate to understand the problem with the forecast app.

Her gaze swept over the pendulum clock on the wall, and her pupils constricted—it was already past 12 o’clock.

‘What about that “forecast”? Has it already come true?’

‘If the first forecast was the death of one person, then what about this one? Will it also be a death?’

Boli An’s voice came through the phone, seeming to hold a hint of confusion.

– Hmm? This forecast was wrong too… or did something cause it to deviate?