The Empire of Reimia (3)

The day after the festival: "How? While I was having fun, one of my classmates was almost killed, and another was almost converted to Iki-gaism... Ugh, where was I at that time?! It's good that my help wasn't needed, but what if it happens next time...? And this was right under our noses! How can one be so careless!" *** On the day after the oath, Xenomia prayed fervently, but she was still consumed by terrible anxiety. What had she done? How could she have been so inattentive? Yes, she saw *some* difficulties in this oath, but that was nowhere near enough to describe the situation. Didn't she read in the ancient Enclessian books that one shouldn't swear oaths? Ever? Now she feels like she's caught between a rock and a hard place. If the Empress or someone on her behalf demands an inhumane order from Mia, then... It's terrifying to think about what will happen. No, the bracelet probably won't punish her for not fulfilling such an order... Mia thought so. But there will definitely be punishment for giving a knowingly false oath and misleading a large number of people. Even if it's done retroactively, an unrepentant crime has no statute of limitations. She shouldn't have been so careless... The thought that she needs to stay at the academy and continue her studies completely deprived her of the ability to reason. And yet, she was preparing herself for temptations – but after experiencing the first, smallest one, she immediately made a huge mistake! She should have asked for an exception and changed the oath – so that it would satisfy both the Empress and herself, Mia. It probably wouldn't have worked, but then the course of action would have been obvious: refuse and leave the academy. It's not a fact that leaving the academy would limit the consequences, but it would be the right thing to do. She would find another way. She would still cope and protect the people she cares about. Somehow... But now... What now? How to fix what she has done? Xenomia just prayed that she would never receive an order that she couldn't fulfill. All these anxious thoughts smoothly transitioned into an anxious dream. A huge crowd of people in chains walked across the square, and the shackles clanged loudly in time with each other. Mia saw with horror that her mother and brother were among them... On the pedestal stood the Empress and delivered a speech: "You are all guilty of the fact that my shoes are not shiny enough! Is this what you call polishing?! This is an insult to the entire imperial house! However, you have a chance to redeem yourselves..." In the gardens with huge exotic flowers, Usami Kyoko was sitting. "Harmony! It's all because you don't have harmony in your hearts! Let my harmony into your hearts, and then Her Majesty's shoes will shine!" From the flowers and from behind the flowers, people crawled out from all sides, all with huge smiles on their faces. They swayed and spoke as if they were zombies: "Harmony! Harmony! Harmony for everyone, free of charge!" The prisoners were now in some kind of enclosure and said nothing, only huddled against the walls of the cage. Alik was crying in his mother's arms. "Useless!" – Rinze's face showed boundless contempt. "Xenomia Neriss, kill these wretches!" Mia had a machine gun in her hands, but she turned it away from the people. Suddenly, the girl realizes that she has *two* bracelets on her hands: on her left and on her right. And both begin to burn, stronger and stronger. The Empress is shouting at her to hurry up, the zombies are chanting "Harmony," and Mia is covered in bright flames and burns... Xenomia wakes up from her own scream and grabs her bracelet. "It doesn't seem to burn... It doesn't burn," she mumbles in panic. "It was just a bad dream... It won't happen... It won't..." I'll wake up the other students with my screams, no need for that... After reciting a few more prayers, the girl finally falls asleep without dreams.