Graveyard of the living

Blood bonds

While Livio and Celine were enjoying their time together, Loid was lying on his medical bed. Since he was a member of Tenbu, he had the privilege of staying on the top floor. Although he was discharged on October 30th, he chose not to leave.

Oberheuser entered his room and saw Loid lying with a gloomy face.

"Loid, I assume you didn't leave. But why?" she asked.

Loid turned his body to the opposite side. "Mind your own business," he muttered.

"Not interested in talking, huh? You're behaving like a spoiled child. Why don't you talk to Livio? Maybe that will lift your spirits."

Loid thought to himself, "I can't tell her how complicated our situation is." He replied, "Yes, maybe later."

Livio hadn't told Oberheuser anything about what happened between him and Loid.

Oberheuser sat next to Loid and took a deep breath. "You know, one of my friends committed suicide."

Loid turned towards her, curiosity piqued. "Why are you telling me that?"

"Because I think you can understand now," she replied.

Loid was silent for a while, then asked, "Why?"

"The girl he loved betrayed him and went with his best friend. At first, he tried to let it go and move on, but seeing his best friend every day consumed him with depression. He started taking antidepressants but couldn't overcome it. He began following their activities obsessively. One day, he found out they were going to watch a circus, so he found a way to kill both of them without being noticed. In the end, he killed himself too."

Loid felt a strange sense of relief and subconsciously asked, "How did he kill them?"

"You seem awfully interested," Oberheuser noted with a smile.

Loid turned his face away from her. "Damn it."

"Are you insane?" Loid asked after seeing her smile.

"You moron, this is a movie script. It didn't happen to my friends."

"Then why the hell did you make it sound like a tragedy?"

"Because I wanted to talk to you, and now I know you're interested in the story."

"Like hell I am."

"Fine then," she said, getting up to leave.

"At least tell me how he killed them?" Loid asked, unable to hide his curiosity.

Oberheuser turned back, grinning. "I thought you weren't interested."

"Just tell me and stop edging it."

"Is this how you talk to your seniors?" she teased.

Loid bit his lip, but since he wanted to know, he said, "Please, ma'am, tell me how it happened."

"Here, take the movie and watch it for yourself," she said, transferring the movie to Loid's phone.

---

The scene shifts to Livio and Celine.

They arrived at Takachiho Gorge. It was already nighttime. Livio said he would walk Celine to the hostel.

"No, it's already night. Your family must be worried about you. You should leave quickly," Celine insisted.

Livio got a call from his mother. He smiled at Celine, "Look, your words came true like a fortune teller."

Celine smiled back. Livio's mom asked him to come home quickly. Livio's brother had asked him to bring something from Tokyo, so he was eager to see it.

"We'll meet tomorrow," Celine said, but Livio was worried about her. He wanted to ensure she reached her hostel safely. As they said goodbye, Celine got a leg sprain and stumbled. She was about to fall when Livio caught her, finding a reason to walk her to the hostel.

Livio carried Celine on his back. "Tonight, the moon is so beautiful," he remarked.

"Yes, the moonlight looks more beautiful than diamonds," Celine replied.

Upon reaching the hostel, Celine said goodbye. Livio returned home. His mom asked why he was late and why he didn't pick up her calls. Livio hesitated when his mom asked, "Were you with a friend?" But this time, Livio smiled, and his mom understood.

His mom mentioned that his brother hadn't eaten anything. "Why? It's already too late, 12 A.M. Is he angry with me for bringing his thing from Tokyo late?"

"You really are an idiot, aren't you?" she said, leaving to serve them food.

Livio knew the reason his little brother hadn't eaten. He was waiting for Livio to arrive so they could eat together. But Livio didn't mention this to his mother; he didn't want to show that he loved his little brother.

He entered his brother's room and noticed him working in an art book. When Livio entered, his brother closed the book and snatched what he ordered from Livio's hand.

"You are too late!" his brother complained.

"I had important work to complete, so I was late," Livio replied. "Okay, wash your hands and come to the table. I'll be waiting."

Their mom listened to the conversation and smiled as she left. That night, Livio lay in bed, thinking.

---

**Flashback:**

After they arrived from the cafe, on their way.

"Celine, I..."

"Don't be scared. I don't want to see you sad," Livio said.

"But..."

"Don't worry. No one will question my decision. I know a couple; one is a member of Tenbu and the other is not."

Livio held Celine's hand tightly to comfort her.

---

**Note:**

Tenbu is a place located on the top of a giant tree in Takachiho Gorge. The tree was artificially created to hold a town. The people who live there are called members of Tenbu. They are individuals from around the world with special privileges, mostly consisting of elite scientists and affluent figures such as sportspeople, singers, movie actors, etc. These individuals aided in global recovery efforts following the devastation of World War III. The war lasted from 2040 to 2044. After the war, they were hailed as heroes worldwide, and the U.N.O was transformed into the World Peace Organization (WPO), tasked with maintaining global law and order. Many lives were lost, leaving countless people homeless and suffering from disease. Only Japan and France remained uninvolved in the conflict. Below Tenbu, on the stem, lies a medical college operating directly under the W.H.O and W.P.O. After the war, most research endeavors were prohibited worldwide, except in this institution. The college offers a special scholarship program covering all living and studying costs. It boasts elite professors from around the world, but admission is granted only to those who qualify in the annual worldwide exam, with only a handful of students admitted. Upon admission, the college provides everything necessary for student life, along with special privileges. Celine is one of the students who secured admission to the college. She is a third-year medical student.

---

He recalled how Celine had enjoyed a magic show they saw on their way to Takachiho. She had mentioned she loved magic shows since childhood. Livio's idea was to organize a magic show for his little brother's birthday and invite Celine. He felt like a genius for coming up with the idea. Levin's birthday was on November 5th.

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