The other day, he’d tried using a gift token Masamune had given him as a Christmas present to call his father, but the code didn’t work. He gazed at it. The card had drawings of manga characters on it which he didn’t recognize.

He was going to tell him about it, but he forgot.

I’ll tell him next time we meet.

Before the end of March, when we have to say goodbye.

At least that was the plan.

HE HEARD THE WOLF QUEEN’S howl.

‘Aki-chan, where are you? It’ll be time soon and we need to go home,’ called Ureshino.

‘It’s OK, Ureshino. There’s nothing we can do.’

‘Why don’t we go home now, just us. Time’s running out.’

Halfway through the mirror on his way back home, he thought of Aki.

I bet Aki actually wanted to find the Wishing Key.

She must have a wish she really wants to come true.

She chose to stay in the castle, rather than go home to her reality. Subaru found her courage amazing. He knew he could never do that.

But as soon as he got home, he was pulled back through the mirror.

Back to Aki’s screams and the wolf’s piercing howls.

‘Subaru. Over here! We’ve got to get Kokoro in!’ Rion shouted. ‘Kokoro’s the only one of us who didn’t come today, so she won’t be forced back and eaten. We’ve got to get Kokoro to help—’

As he watched them all fleeing for their lives, a feeling came over him for the first time ever.

I don’t want to die.

I don’t want to die – not yet.

I haven’t done anything with my life. He suddenly realized: he wanted to do something.

The wolf howled again. Louder this time.

‘Eeee!’ Fuka screamed, eyes shut tight.

‘Fuka-chaaaan!’ Subaru called out to her.

I don’t want to die, not yet, he thought again.

And I don’t want the others to die either.

THE PAIN THAT HAD STRUCK her in the forehead began to recede.

Kokoro found herself crying again. She wiped away the tears with her fingers.

I have to save them, she said to herself.

I have to save them all.

The castle fell quiet.

She thought about where she should go.

The grand foyer was at the end of the long corridor with their rooms off it.

She normally strolled nonchalantly down this hallway, passing the landscape paintings and the candlesticks without a thought, but today, stepping through the rubble on the floor, it seemed endless.

But she had to go.

She took a deep breath and started to run.

I’m the only one who can do it.

But what if the wolf hears me running? In tears, she changed her mind and headed towards the Game Room.

It was a complete shambles.

Masamune’s game device was nowhere to be seen, lying somewhere in the wreckage of the overturned sofa, table, shattered ornaments, stag’s head and flower vases.