[it was painful to recall, but when she said that she was going to school, it was all he needed to hear. if he lied to her any further now or kept any secrets from her, it would only cause more problems for them. she wasn't the same Illya that he...well, could he even say that he knew the girl he saw get her heart torn out?

was this what she would have been like if it weren't for the Holy Grail War? there were so many things he didn't know about, but one thing was certain. she was alive, in this existence at least. and she knew him more personally. had he seen Ruby, this would have been even easier. ...or possibly drum up more questions. details details]

Sorry about this. I don't know if this is real or not, but I'm going to say something crazy.

[no, Illya. not that kind of crazy]

The last time I saw you, you died. [he swallowed a nervous lump that built in his throat as he admitted something so brutal. but how else was he supposed to clear the air? he felt his body tense as he expected some kind of reaction from her. what, he wasn't certain yet, but...]