Part 1
We've been at Konfrant High School for three days already.
I share a room with Naël, of course. Two twin beds separated by desks, a large wardrobe half of which is already invaded by his meticulously arranged belongings, and a large window looking out directly onto the inner courtyard. From here, you can see almost everything that's going on: the students coming and going, the supervisors pretending to keep an eye on things, and the newcomers who are just as lost as we are.
Yuna, on the other hand, is housed in the girls' wing. She showed us around the school on our very first day. I'd like to say we'll be able to manage on our own, but without her, we'd still be walking in circles in a corridor. She already knows the place like the back of her hand.
Konfrant isn't like other high schools, hence the fact that it's named after the town. It's hard to tell whether it's an old renovated mansion or a university campus. It's huge, built in a circle around a large paved courtyard, almost like an arena. And it's perched on a hill overlooking the whole city. From up there, you can see the red roofs of the historic center, the tramway tracks below, and the streets stretching down to the river.
High school students, university students, foreigners on the Erasmus program, and even people from the capital are always busy.
The main building has retained its old-fashioned look: light-colored stone, columns and pointed arches. But inside, it's a different world. Illuminated display screens, automatic sensors, modern furniture.
There are also theology students. Which makes Konfrant High School the kind of place where you can run into an old professor in a toga as well as a kid on an electric scooter. An unlikely mix... but it works.
The corridors are divided into wings: sciences, humanities, sports, and higher education. You'd think they'd have a section for every possible future.
Yuna also showed us the gymnasium: a gigantic structure, almost a mini-stadium in itself. It's got everything: a ring, a weight room, a running track, all kinds of sports equipment... Too many clubs use it, so ours, the MMA club, is exiled twenty minutes' walk from the campus.
The library has two floors. Huge, quiet, almost sacred. There are discreet reading corners, a room for the media club, another for the student council. Yuna already spends a lot of time there.
Naël and I signed up for the MMA club as soon as we could. Training starts the day before school starts.
Tomorrow, Yuna wants to show us the rest of the city. She says we haven't seen anything yet. And I confess... I like the idea of discovering a new place with her. Even if I won't say it out loud.
What surprises me most here is the freedom.
No curfew. No rigid rules. You can go out as long as you don't come back dead. Yuna even says you can skip certain classes without too many consequences. Officially, it doesn't sound like that. But unofficially... it sounds like an invitation to choose your life.
And as long as we have an average grade in all our courses, nothing serious will happen to us.
We're not even considered the school's "responsibility" outside class hours. In the event of an accident, they disclaim any responsibility. It's a bit selfish when you put it like that.
But... it's also the first time we've been allowed to breathe.
Part 2
Morning light glided through the branches of the old lime tree in the center of the courtyard. The shadows of the leaves danced across the still-fresh cobblestones. I sat there, on the stone ledge around the tree, bag slung over my shoulder, bike braced against the opposite wall.
There were people everywhere.
Some students ate breakfast on the steps. Others, new arrivals, were arriving with suitcases in hand to settle into their rooms. A bunch of guys were playing ping-pong with borrowed rackets and a ball that had been through too many matches. Teachers passed by without a word, coffee in hand.
Everything seemed alive, for a morning.
I must say, Konfrant students are early risers.
I spotted Yuna before she even saw me. She was coming down the stairs of the arts wing, wearing black jeans and an open jacket, bike helmet in hand. The way she walked... purposeful, but in no hurry. Knowing her, she'd already planned the day down to the last detail.
She gave me a quick wave, then stopped dead in her tracks.
- You haven't slept yet, have you? she asked, squinting.
I shrugged.
- I dreamt again of drowning in Anyathel's blood," I murmured. It seemed so real...
She sat down beside me without answering. But she didn't ask any questions. She just knew.
We didn't need to say any more.
Naël joined us a few minutes later, helmet under the arm, half-eaten croissant in the other hand.
- Ready to play tourist?" he said, his mouth full.
Yuna smiled. Me too, a little.
Yuna smiled. Me too, a little.
- I've drawn up an itinerary," she announced. We'll start at the docks, then head up towards the slopes. If there's time, I'll show you the town's historic site: Vieux-Konfrant. And at the end... I have an incredible place to show you.
- What kind of place?" asked Naël.
- You'll see," she replied, smiling. It's a bit far, but it's worth it!
We collected some bikes from the storeroom behind the gym. Old models, a little rusty, but still solid. Yuna had borrowed them from some acquaintances of hers.
We put on our bags, adjusted our helmets and rode to the campus exit.
The city opened up before us.
The sun was slowly rising.
I felt the breeze on my face. The air was light...
First we raced down the hill, laughing like kids, before zigzagging our way through the alleys to the quayside.
Yuna was showing us all sorts of things:
the best places to go, corners full of scary rumors, cheap stores, but also the city's specialties, the little things you can only find here.
There was public transport everywhere: metro, tramway, buses snaking through the streets.
But we preferred to take bicycles, as we did at Champs-Fort.
We skirted the quays, drove through narrow, dark streets, crossed busy squares, passed giant frescoes and crowded cafés. Even going uphill, Yuna always kept a few meters ahead.
The atmosphere was good for me.
It took me out of my head.
It almost made me forget.
Forget what I'd done...
Forget that I'm a murderer.
Part 3
Yuna then took us to a place she'd known since her freshman year. A quiet spot on the edge of an old abandoned building. From up there, we could see the whole city. The rooftops, the bridges, the two rivers meeting in the distance. The light from the streetlamps drew golden lines on the narrow streets.
Around us, a few curious onlookers lurked. Perhaps students, or urbex enthusiasts exploring the underground below. But nobody was paying any attention to us. And that was just fine.
We sat on a rusty bench, a bit wobbly. The sun was just setting. Warm sandwiches in hand, we chatted about everything and nothing. The campus, the people, the future. Naël said it was the perfect place to make contacts, especially for someone who wanted to go to law school. Yuna talked about her student council duties, responsibilities and meetings, but also about her new encounters and a few anecdotes... I listened, a little in the background, but very much there.
We compared it to our village. Yuna said we'd eventually get used to the new pace. Naël found the city too noisy, but interesting.
We laughed and ate as if nothing had happened.
As if nothing had happened that summer.
Night had fallen. The wind blew gently. We watched the stars. They appeared slowly, one by one, in the dark sky.
And then Nael spoke:
- That evening... the moon shone just as brightly. Maybe even brighter. I can still remember it. It was... striking.
Yuna and I didn't say anything.
We knew exactly what night he was talking about.
No need for words.
I remained silent. Memories came flooding back. The weight was there. Constant.
In my head, I repeated the phrase... "I had to do it."
Over and over again.
In my nightmares. In my silences.
But it doesn't erase anything. Not the scene. Not the blood.
I tried to pretend nothing had happened, but Yuna broke the silence, as if she'd guessed:
- We said we'd put all this behind us. Talking about it will only get us into trouble.
Nael lowered his eyes.
As if he already regretted having opened his mouth.
A silence settled in.
We stared at the sky, each locked in our own memories.
And me... I could see, behind the thin clouds and the luminous, almost blinding moon, the reflection of another sky. Onizuki's sky.
A red sky, saturated with fog, crossed by an immense moon, suspended above a sea just as roige and coagulated.
The memory almost made me nauseous.