I Reincarnated to Another World as a Woman-Chapter 205: Sweet Little Ali

"Teacher Isabelle, we completely understand. And I think that is a very good idea—rotating. We’ve been itching to try our magic in a real situation." Ethan looks excited.

Everything has been going well for him and his team, the Hunters.

They’ve been learning magic for several weeks now, and all nineteen of them can summon fire, with varying degrees of size and strength.

What they need now is real combat with magic.

"I will update the team. And we actually do have one level four dungeon ready to be cleared." Ethan continues. "I will bring ten people in and see if we can do it with only five. The other five will be there as backup."

Isabelle nods proudly.

She is extremely proud of Ethan and the Hunters. Their magic lessons have been progressing very well, and she believes they all have talent in wielding magic.

"Just be careful," she says. "The Hunters are on the path to becoming a very powerful team."

She pauses, then looks directly at Ethan.

"But Ethan, you need to keep being the strongest. Remember that. You need to maintain your position." Her eyes narrow slightly.

"Make sure you remain the strongest among them."

She leans back.

"Do whatever it takes."

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Lieutenant Thomas Kerr is pacing in his office. He stops pacing to look at the wall clock, then turns to the window, then sighs, then goes back to pacing again.

He’s been doing this since... he doesn’t remember when.

He’s extremely anxious and feels like he’s about to die of worry.

His chief and his colleague, along with Team Omega and Sigma, all thirty-two people, plus the previous forty-five people from Team Alfa, Beta, and Charlie, have all entered a dungeon and still haven’t come out.

Lt. Kerr is currently the highest-ranking officer in the office. Captain Chambers is on leave and isn’t supposed to return until tomorrow.

Lt. Kerr feels like he’s going to cry at any moment if things don’t change soon. He doesn’t know who else to contact when, suddenly, his door bursts open.

Lt. Kerr jumps like a scared cat.

"Kerr!" the intruder barks.

Lt. Kerr’s face goes pale from the fright. His eyes widen in terror, glassy and filled with tears that threaten to spill.

It takes him a few seconds before his senses return, and then he cries out,

"Captain!"

He rushes toward Captain Chambers, arms opening for a bear hug, only for Captain Chambers to step aside smoothly, completely avoiding him.

"Snap out of it, Kerr!" Captain Chambers barks again.

Lt. Kerr stumbles a step forward, nearly losing his balance, before stopping himself. His chest is heaving, breath shallow and uneven.

"What the hell do you think you’re doing?" Captain Chambers demands, his voice sharp enough to cut through panic. He grips Lt. Kerr by the shoulders, firm and grounding, forcing him to stand straight.

"Captain, you’re here! You’re really here!" Lt. Kerr blurts out, voice breaking. "We need help. Something’s wrong. They should have come out by now. The signal went silent hours ago."

Captain Chambers’ expression hardens completely. The irritation vanishes, replaced by focus.

"Tell me," he says, low and serious. "Everything. Start from the beginning."

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"I’m beat," Julian says, sprawled face down on the floor, arms spread like he’s been dropped there.

Liam is lying on the floor too, face up, staring at the ceiling. "Two dungeons in a row. That was crazy," he mutters. "But also kind of amazing. I didn’t think we’d handle it that smoothly."

Maeve sits curled slightly on the sofa, hands resting in her lap. She hasn’t said much, but her shoulders are slumped, eyes unfocused, exhaustion clinging to her like weight.

Theo sits beside her, elbow on his knee. "I might have a way to elevate your tiredness," he says, tone casual, almost lazy.

All heads turn toward him. No one moves their body, just their necks.

"Let’s wait for Arthur," Theo adds. He himself feels wrong. Not just tired. Dull. Heavy. Like thinking through water.

Arthur enters the living room moments later, movements sluggish, eyes shadowed. Dark circles frame them.

"Hey," he says, voice flat.

Theo opens his mouth, then stops.

An alarm goes off in his mind, faint but persistent. Something is off. Too quiet. Too slow.

Theo looks at his teammates.

Silence settles.

It stretches.

No one speaks.

It feels like time itself hesitates.

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"Alicia!"

"Alicia!"

"Alicia!"

"SHUT UP!" Chief Lutherford shouts.

Her voice echoes back at her, raw and hoarse. She presses her palm to her temple, breath unsteady. The voice has been calling her for what feels like forever, circling her thoughts, slipping through cracks she cannot seal.

"Shut up. Stop calling me," she snarls. "I need to find... I need to find..." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

Her words falter.

Her brows knit together. Confusion floods in.

Find who?

"I need to..." Her voice trails off completely. Her stomach twists. How can she forget something this important?

"Are you going to forget me too, Alicia?"

The voice is suddenly right by her ear.

Chief Lutherford whips around, body moving on instinct, stance perfect, ready to strike.

There is nothing.

Her heart pounds violently. She can feel it in her throat.

"You really have forgotten me, Little Ali. I’m sad."

Her blood runs cold.

Only one person ever called her that.

And he is dead.

"Sweet Little Ali," the voice continues, almost tender. "I’m really sad you forgot me."

Chief Lutherford stands frozen, her mind screaming, logic crumbling. She shakes her head hard, claps her hands over her ears, and squeezes her eyes shut.

"You’re dead," she whispers. "You’re not real."

"Oh, I am dead," the voice replies calmly. "And I am very real."

"No! You’re not! You’re dead!" Chief Lutherford screams.

"Oh, Sweet Little Ali," the voice taunts her.

Chief Lutherford opens her eyes.

A shadow ripples in the air.

The shadow swirls, stretches, thickens, and takes shape.

Slowly.

Alexander Lutherford stands before her.

Her brother.

Her older brother.

Her dead older brother.

The one she killed.