The next morning, Arthur woke up to the sound of clanging pans and the smell of food coming from the kitchen. Still groggy, he rubbed his eyes and walked over, finding Alice in front of the stove.
"What are you cooking?" he asked, voice still heavy with sleep.
"Eggs, bacon, and toast," Alice replied without looking away from the frying pan.
Arthur gave a slight smile, excited to try her cooking, but something felt off. He glanced around. The absence was loud.
"Hanna... where is she?" he muttered.
He left the kitchen and began searching the house. He checked the basement, the bathroom, the outside area... Nothing. No sign of her. The air felt heavier.
He returned to Alice, now with a troubled expression.
"Alice, have you seen Hanna anywhere?"
"When I woke up, she was in the living room watching TV. Now? No idea..." she replied with a shrug. "Maybe she left."
Arthur frowned, clearly worried. Her words from the night before echoed in his mind: "If I go back, they'll kill me..."
Alice gave him a sharp look. Her tone was cold, but something else lingered beneath it — a restrained unease.
"Why are you so worried? Are you getting involved with her already? Arthur, you've known her for what... two days? And you trust her like she's your sister?"
"But she's in danger..." he said quietly.
"Or she just pretended to be." Alice stepped closer, stopping in front of him. "Wake up. That girl showed up out of nowhere, full of stories, full of secrets, and you just accept it? She could be bait from Humans Upper... or worse: an unstable experiment waiting to explode."
She paused. Her gaze dropped for a moment, and when she looked at him again, it was sharper.
"You think I've never seen this kind of thing before? You think just because she looks fragile, she's not dangerous? I've trusted people like that before. And it cost me."
Arthur lowered his head. He didn't know what to say. Part of him wanted to defend Hanna. The other... had doubts too.
"Whatever. Sit down and eat. Today your training begins," Alice concluded, serving the plates firmly.
Arthur nodded and began to eat, though without appetite, Hanna's name echoing in his mind.
---
30 minutes later...
"Wash the dishes and meet me in the backyard. I'll be waiting," Alice said as she stood up without looking back.
Arthur obeyed silently. After finishing, he walked outside and found Alice spinning her katana with brutal precision. The air split with each strike, as if the blade threatened even the wind.
"You're late. What took you so long?" she grumbled. She sighed and added, "Whatever... Get into guard."
Arthur raised his defense, but before he could react, Alice lunged and punched him on the side of the face.
"Hey! What the hell was that?!" he shouted, stumbling.
"Training. I want to test your reflexes. Now shut up and focus!" Alice barked, punching his ribs hard.
The pain dropped him. Arthur fell to his knees, coughing. But he had no time to breathe. Alice swept his legs, and while he was still in the air, she finished with a sharp kick to the stomach, sending him flying several meters.
He crashed hard, groaning.
"Get up! You really think you can face Humans Upper like this? One kick and you're down!" she yelled, grabbing him by the shirt. "Pathetic..."
Arthur rose with difficulty. His whole body ached, but he didn't want to quit.
"L-let's... keep going..." he said through gritted teeth.
Alice threw a straight punch. Arthur managed to parry with his right hand. She followed with a kick aimed at his face, but he grabbed her leg tightly.
She smirked. Jumped and spun her body, landing a heel to the side of his head. Arthur went down again — dizzy, but not defeated.
Even with blurred vision, he stood up.
"Take a break. You'll pass out if you keep this up," said Alice, arms crossed.
"Am I doing... okay?" he asked, wiping his forehead.
"Hmmm... no. You're weak, have no strength, and your agility is pathetic.
But... your endurance is decent. I can use you as my punching bag."
Arthur let out a weak laugh.
"At least I'm good for something..."
---
15 minutes later...
"Again. Get your ass off the ground and come at me," Alice said, motioning with her finger.
Arthur took a deep breath, raised his guard, and charged. His speed caught Alice slightly off guard.
He threw a straight punch, easily intercepted. Then aimed for her stomach with the other hand, but she blocked it with her leg and countered with a kick to his knee.
Arthur staggered back, but Alice followed, giving him no space.
Each blow felt like it chipped away at his will. Sweat stung his eyes. His legs shook.
"If I can't handle this... how will I face an army?"
But he stayed on his feet.
Alice prepared a left hook.
This time, Arthur grabbed her arm, turned his body, and executed a perfect ippon, throwing Alice over his shoulder.
She hit the ground hard, flat on her back.
"Ugh... shit. What was that...?" she groaned, getting up, annoyed.
"I think I nailed that one," Arthur said, surprised at himself.
"Let's take a break. I need water... and meat." Alice turned, still massaging her back.
"You surprised me. Just a little."
Arthur remained in the yard, breathing heavily, hands trembling, head throbbing.
He looked up at the cloudy sky and whispered:
"I hope you're okay, Hanna..."