Maruzensky’s information came faster than expected.
There was a reply by eleven o'clock that night, before the next day even began.
However, Polaris Glacier had already turned off her lights and gone to sleep, and her phone was set to do not disturb, so she only saw it the next morning:
“Polaris, you don't need to worry too much. Rudolf is fine, and she’s been receiving treatment for a while now.”
After breakfast, Polaris Glacier sat on the sofa in the living room; it was around eight o'clock.
The Polaris Glacier looked at the message on her phone, thought for a moment, and typed a reply:
“That's good. How is Rudolf doing now? Can I contact her directly?”
Meanwhile, around four in the afternoon Tokyo time, inside the Central Tracen Academy student council room.
Maruzensky, sitting on the sofa, pondered the reply she received, then looked up at Rudolph Symboli, who was behind the desk, and asked:
“Hey, Rudolf, Polaris already knows about your injury, and she wants to contact you. What are your thoughts?”
Hearing this, Rudolph Symboli's hand, which was stamping a document, paused, and she was momentarily stunned.
Then, she visibly fell into hesitation.
After a few breaths, she looked up at Maruzensky, a bitter smile appearing on her lips as if accepting the reality:
“Yes, it's fine. Tell Polaris to call me.”
Regarding her injury, although she had diligently gone to the hospital for examinations and treatment, the pain in her leg never subsided.
Confined by this, she had completely stopped training and had no other activities, spending every day in the student council room handling documents.
Even though she truly didn't want to accept this situation, given her current condition, stepping onto the track was meaningless, let alone competing against Polaris.
Soon after Maruzensky sent her reply, Rudolph Symboli’s phone vibrated.
She took a deep breath, picked up the phone, and put it on speaker:
“Moshi moshi? Polaris?”
“It's me, Rudolf. Good morning. How is your body doing?”
“Morning… Good afternoon, Polaris.”
She paused slightly.
“My body… to be honest, it's not good.”
On the other end, Polaris Glacier also had her phone on speaker, and her ears unconsciously twitched upon hearing this.
After thinking for a moment, she asked in as gentle a tone as possible:
“Is that so? I should be returning in October….”
“I had imagined the Autumn Tenno Sho would be the stage for our first showdown. Can you recover before then?”
Can her condition be adjusted before October?
She didn't know, she wasn't sure; that was the only answer she could give now.
And such an answer was clearly not what the other party wanted to hear, so Rudolph Symboli chose silence.
On Polaris Glacier’s end, after waiting for a while and hearing no sound from the other end of the phone, she also realized something in a subtle way:
“Is it fate, Rudolf? It seems you and I truly cannot have a proper race…”
From the very beginning, from the moment they argued in the student council room, it seemed to have been destined.
It was impossible not to feel regret; they had both dominated their respective generations, yet they couldn't have a showdown.
Polaris Glacier closed her eyes, her free hand gradually clenching, and Polaris Glare's chilling aura and fighting spirit unconsciously emanated from her:
“Truly… I don't know whether to be angry or sad…”
On the other side, Rudolph Symboli listened quietly, also closing her eyes:
“Fate? How could I ever accept such a thing?!”
“There must be some other way, there must be some other way…”
Anxious and uneasy emotions rapidly spread in her heart. She wouldn't care if anyone else said these words, but with Polaris Glacier, it was different.
They should both be running freely on the track; how could they just bow down to reality like this…
On the other side, Polaris Glacier, who had not received a response for a long time, let out a soft sigh, calming her fluctuating emotions slightly:
“Rudolf, perhaps we should let go.”
“I've thought carefully about the showdown, and I don't think it's absolutely necessary.”
“The road ahead is long; as long as we keep moving forward, I believe we will intersect one day.”
If it couldn't happen in reality, then it could happen in a dream.
The meaning of the Dream Cup, she suddenly felt she understood it a little.
After speaking, Polaris Glacier unilaterally hung up the phone.
Even if she didn't want to admit it, her action clearly indicated she was starting to evade.
On Rudolph Symboli’s end, the call was disconnected, and her body immediately slumped back against the chair, feeling utterly powerless.
A thick gloom seemed to cover everything before her, making it impossible to see any light ahead.
“Rudolf, are you alright?”
Seeing her in such a bad state, Maruzensky quickly leaned closer, concerned.
Hearing this, Rudolph Symboli shook her head, got up, walked around the desk, and headed towards the door:
“Maruzensky, I'm sorry, I want to go home early today.”
She paused slightly.
“You don't need to accompany me; I'll be fine alone.”
Watching her open the door and leave, Maruzensky's face also showed worry:
“Rudolf…”
After leaving the school building, Rudolph Symboli did not return to the dormitory but left the academy.
Now she just wanted to be alone and quiet, preferably in a place where she could temporarily forget her troubles.
It couldn't be on the street, nor in a park, because she might be recognized by passersby.
She felt that her current state was truly unsuitable for facing those who supported her.
“Speaking of which, it's been a while since I've been back to the Symboli family home. I might as well go back and see.”
A sudden thought gave Rudolph Symboli a clear direction. She hailed a taxi and headed towards the Symboli family mansion.
The mansion was not far from the academy, just over ten minutes away.
Getting out of the car, she rang the doorbell at the main gate, and a maid quickly ran over:
“Young Miss Rudolph?!”
“Yes, I'm home.”
A smile appeared on Rudolph Symboli’s lips, and a sense of familiarity surged through her:
“This place is still the same; every corner is a scene etched in my memory.”
Following the maid inside, along the corridor:
“You go about your business; I'll be fine alone.”
“Alright, Young Miss Rudolph.”
The sound of footsteps faded away, and she couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief, just as she walked into the main hall.
“Hmm? What's wrong, Rudolph? You don't look well. Did something happen?”
A questioning voice suddenly sounded. Rudolph Symboli subconsciously looked over and found the source on the sofa.
Long black hair, a beautiful face, and a mature, steady demeanor.
It was none other than the head of the Symboli family—Speed Symboli.
