What happened that day.

In the afternoon, Noah turned on the TV to check the news. The storm had already become old news. But there was still mention that two teenagers were blown off a bridge during the storm. Rescue came for them after ten days.

The news was naturally talking about Noah and Alice, however, their identities had been hidden by authorities.

The news continued. there was no mention of the eternal battlefield anywhere.

"Tomorrow's the 1st of February, a mana wave should happen with more people entering the eternal battlefield."

The TV still played on as Noah thought.

"Our next story is about a woman who was sexually assaulted by…"

*CRASH*

Noah looked at the loud noise it was Alice standing there in shock. Her body was frozen as she looked at the TV. As her breathing increased, her forehead was covered in sweat and body shaking.

Noah ran to her. "Alice, what happened? Are you hurt anywhere?" pulling Alice into a hug, in an attempt to help her calm down. As he hugged her he noticed that as his arms moved around her, Alice reacted differently. As his arms hugged her lower back she shivered more, than when he put his arms around her shoulders.

Alice didn't respond she just hid in Noah's chest. Noah stopped asking and held her tightly. He then swooped her up, so she wouldn't step on the glass and brought her to her room. He sat down with her, lightly patting her back.

She grabbed onto his shirt with one hand and the other blocking her mouth as if she was going to vomit. When she noticed she couldn't hold back anymore she got up and ran to the bathroom and started releasing everything in her stomach.

Noah waited outside, he swept up the shattered glass in the meantime. Alice washed her face and brushed her teeth and walked out.

They sat down together in her bedroom. Alice was silent for a while and Noah didn't ask questions he knew she would tell him everything.

Setting her head next to Noah's chest and holding onto his hand, Alice started speaking.

"It was a particularly bad day. I had a bad morning. I was called and told that I couldn't take any more days off school and that I had to go visit the counsellor or I would be expelled."

"I really didn't want to go. I already didn't like school and the counsellor was the worst. His eyes would look at me weirdly and he would put his hand on my shoulders and thigh in the name of comforting me. I didn't like it. When I complained about him no one listened to me, saying that I was only complaining to get out of the sessions. So I stopped going to school and started working part time."

"Getting threatened with expulsion I went."

Alice's hand gripped onto Noah's hand tightly unknowingly sinking her nails into it.

...

Sunday, 17th January 2049, 6:15 PM

Alice entered the counselling room after standing out for twenty minutes, hesitating. She had been here two times before and hated both experiences. With classes over the school was empty. There would be no witnesses for anything that happened. She was already labelled a problem child, no one would believe her.

It was the counsellor office. It had a wooden desk. With a sitting area, furnished by a coffee table and two sofas on both sides.

Alice didn't sit after entering, she stood near the door with unease.

"Come, have a seat on the couch. Make yourself comfortable." The counsellor said as he got up. Reluctantly moving away from the door, she sat in the opposite direction he was going in.

The counsellor went to the door and locked it.

*TICK*

"This is just for privacy reasons, relax." He then sat next to her with a smart tablet in his hands.

"So Alice how have you been? It seems you haven't been coming to school for a while."

Alice moved to the side and didn't say anything. She was currently focused on how to get the key from his pocket if she had to escape.

"Do you still have suicidal thoughts and tendencies? After your first attempt at jumping off the second floor of the school building, have you tried anything else?" He said as he slid closer to her. He was about to put his hand on her thigh when Alice got up and moved away from him.

"I already said that I didn't jump, I was pushed off. I'll be leaving now, please give me the key to the door." She felt that it was enough to have sat with him for a minute, she wanted out. It was already getting hard to breath. These counselling sessions only made her feel worse rather than help her.

"Yes, you said that last time as well. Alice, I know it's hard to talk about things like this but you need to tell me your situation for me to help you." He said as he stood up.

"I don't need help. Please just unlock the door, I want to go home."

"We need to communicate for this to work. I can tell you don't feel comfortable communicating verbally, so we can communicate physically."

Alice started moving back as he approached from the side, she was being cornered to the opposite side of the room from the door.

The counsellor grabbed her wrists. He was much larger and with limited space, he was able to hold her tightly. Alice struggled to break away, but she couldn't muster any strength, She was pushed back to the desk as he put his body weight on to her. Alice struggled, her hands pushing, punching and scratching however he didn't seem to mind. He held her down and started unbuttoning her shirt.

"Stay away, stop!" Alice felt nauseous as she felt his disgusting touch on her. Her body was weak, she couldn't stop him.

Her shirt was opened and the undershirt was pulled up to reveal the skin underneath. He got closer and licked watching Alice shivering in fear. His hand now moved downwards and started to remove her skirt.

Alice wanted to give up. But then suddenly thought of Noah. Unknown strength filled. He had loosened his hold the moment he unbuckled his pants. Her knee kicked up hitting him in the groin.

She grabbed a vase on the desk and smashed it onto his head. She then grabbed the keys to the door from his pocket and ran out.

She to the restroom nearby to hide. Hiding in a stall she couldn't hold back anymore as she started to vomit. Her stomach emptied everything she had eaten. When she finally stopped she got up and flushed. She wanted to go home and lock herself in her room.

As she got ready to leave someone started to bang on the stall door

"Loser, I know you're in there come out."

Alice wondered why she had to go through this, why now in particular? She didn't have a choice, they would force her out if she didn't comply.

"Oh my god! You're such a mess, didn't you just come out of Mr Philander's office. No way were you having sex?"

Alice didn't speak, anything she said would just go over their head. They would only hear what they wanted to hear. She tried to leave but was grabbed by 2 girls.

"No, leaving, hey you know all the rumours of you being a slut, although we started them, I never actually thought they were real. Looks like I wasn't wrong, you totally are one." The girl laughed.

She then grabbed a bucket of dirty water, "Guys move away, we need to wash this dirty thing."

She then splashed the water onto Alice.

Alice was already used to this, she covered her face as her clothes were soaked. She didn't seem to mind only wondering if they had said their piece and she could leave.

Seeing that Alice didn't react the way she was expecting maddened her even more.

Since Alice's clothes were now messy and wet, she saw the locket Alice was wearing

"What's this, it looks expensive! Did you get the money for it by selling your body?" The straight hair girl taunted. She pulled off the locket.

"No way is this a real red diamond?" The locket had a large red diamond embedded in it. The locket itself was extremely expensive made of unknown bronze metal. Its design was unique and vintage. With strong lore behind its creation, it was one of the most expensive pieces of accessories on the planet.

Naturally, the bully couldn't tell all of this but recognised the stunning diamond.

Alice normally wouldn't react, she was used to this situation of having her things taken, but that locket was her most precious possession. Noah had given it to her before leaving, it was a representation of his promise to return. The two holding her weakened their hold as they focused on the diamond. Alice suddenly broke free, pulled the locket out of the bully's hand while shoving her to the ground and ran out of the restroom.

Outside the restroom, the girls had two guys watching out for people coming. They weren't expecting Alice to escape and weren't able to catch her.

She turned to the left and ran down a nearby staircase, as she went down she felt how unsteady her legs were out of fear. She had fought back after so long. Things would only get worse from now on.

As she reached the last few steps she slipped down and fell forward. Her glasses fell onto the ground and shattered, her wet shoe slipped off as she dropped the locket in her hand forward. Alice got up immediately and grabbed what she could, in the end grabbing one shoe and the locket.

Luckily she was a fast runner so they still hadn't reached the stairs. As she ran she took off her other shoe and held it. She then ran down the empty hallway...

....

What she was telling was overwhelming. Alice hadn't looked up once and kept herself hidden. It was clear she was scared of his reaction. Her hand was holding his for strength. He could feel her shiver as she told him the rest of the story and her nails had scratched into his skin causing him to slightly bleed.

Noah had his other hand wrapped around her head, holding her close. He felt that everything was his fault he wanted to apologise but he felt like he had apologised so much the word sorry had lost all meaning.

At this point, he was getting scared. He didn't even know whether he would be able to help her at this point. Other than him, Alice didn't have anyone else to rely on. She was already going down a downward spiral.

With how she was at the moment, she wouldn't even accept any outside help. He wondered whether it was better to forget everything and move on. Just give up on school, help Alice by training all day and see how things go in the Eternal Battlefield.

Not facing her fears and letting them silently fester would leave room for lots of regrets. He didn't want that either. Noah needed felt like he needed to make a decision on if he was going to help her face it or was he going to help her run away.

Sucking in air and blowing it out, Noah spoke.

"Alice, I am negligent and foolish. I let you suffer for so long, wade through the murky waters of the world alone after having sworn to protect you. But I'm here now. It doesn't matter to me how much you've changed over time, the day we first met I fell in love the moment our eyes connected. You've filled my heart ever since then leaving no space for anything else. Your faults, your strengths the scars..." Noah pulled Alice's wrist it a kiss and holding it to his cheek. "I love them all, since they make you, you."

Putting the hand down Noah looked straight into Alice's eye, "Every time I look at you, I fall further in love with you even when I didn't think it would be possible to love someone even more. I want to hold you. Protect you. Never leave your side. Hide you so you don't have to face this ugly world anymore but.."

"Alice your much stronger than the image you've instilled in your mind. Even without me, you've done so well. I'll regret leaving you alone for the rest of my life. No matter what the circumstances were it was no excuse. Your happiness has always been my greatest wish, will you give me the opportunity to fulfil it?"

Alice nodded in with teary eyes, "Okay."

"Thank you for believing and waiting for me." Noah said softly.

Noah knew that the past couldn't be changed, it had already happened and Alice would be burdened by the memories for life. The wounds they had created weren't something he could heal. He could numb the pain through his love and care, but he couldn't make her forget.

Only time could heal these wounds, all he could do was support her until she was able to overcome them herself. He had faith she would be able to do so.