Red retrieved his coat and carried it to her workbench, setting up for the repairs. Meanwhile, Shuzuka sat near Konnie, his expression shifting from detached to contemplative as he stared at her. Slowly, he reached out, brushing her hair aside. His fingers froze as he caught sight of something... a faint glow at the base of her neck.

His brow furrowed. Carefully, he turned her onto her side and pulled down the collar of her shirt, revealing a vivid, pulsating purple mark spreading across her back. A thin, vein-like strand crept outward, its glow dim yet sinister. His jaw tightened as he traced the mark with his eyes, watching it grow ever so slightly.

Hovering his hand above her back, he closed his eyes, muttering under his breath. The mark began to shrink, its glow dimming as if retreating.

"So... what happened to all that 'I wouldn't help someone who nearly killed me' talk?"

Shuzuka jolted and whips around with a half-formed curse "MOTHERF-" His hand swung instinctively toward the voice but froze mid-air, stopping inches from Jade's grinning face.

"Well, well," she teased, folding her arms. "Looks like the tough-guy act has a soft side after all."

He glared at her, his breathing steadying as he lowered his hand. "I only did that because I didn't want to share a room with a ticking time bomb."

Jade's smug expression faltered, her brow knitting in concern. "What... do you mean by that?"

Shuzuka straightened, brushing his hand on his sweater before sliding his hands into his pockets. His voice dropped, calm but grim. "What I mean is, if that thing fully consumes her, she'll go feral. And when she does..." He nodded toward Red, still focused on her workbench, oblivious to the tension brewing behind her. "...she'll kill everyone in this village. No exceptions."

Jade stared at the pulsing spot on Konnie's back, her voice trembling. "Wait... why isn't it going away?"

Shuzuka glanced over, his tone clipped. "I don't have the power to fully cleanse it. Neither do you. The only way to fix this is to take her to The White Lily."

"Wait- what do you mean we? I can't leave!" Jade shot back, frustration bubbling in her voice. "This village is my responsibility. If something happens to me, the protective barrier around this forest will collapse."

"It's simple," Shuzuka said coldly, folding his arms. "Either kick her out, or cleanse her. Your choice."

"Then why don't you take her?" Jade countered, her voice rising.

"Ha! Babysit her? You must be joking," Shuzuka retorted, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

The sharp sound of a hand slamming against the table cut through the escalating argument. Red stood there, gripping Shuzuka's coat tightly, her expression a mix of fury and disappointment. "You two are unbelievable. I can't believe you're arguing about this. You risked your lives to save her, and now you're debating whether to abandon her? Make up your minds. Are you going to save her, or are you going to let her die?"

The room fell into heavy silence. Shuzuka and Jade exchanged uneasy glances, neither meeting Red's fiery gaze. Finally, Shuzuka sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Fine. I'll take her to The White Lily. But," he pointed sharply at Jade, "you're going to teach her how to defend herself. I'm not playing babysitter."

A groan from the corner drew their attention. Konnie stirred, her movements sluggish. She sat up, rubbing her eye. Her gaze darted around, unfocused. "Wh-what... where am I?" she muttered, her voice shaky.

Konnie reached out, her hand brushing against Jade's face. "K-Konnie!" Jade cried, pulling her into a tight hug. Konnie clung to her, trembling. The hug tightened as Jade felt Konnie's shivering hands and frantic heartbeat. "Why... why can't I see?" Konnie whispered, her voice breaking.

Her eyes were pitch black. Red froze, horrified by the sight, while Shuzuka's expression remained impassive. Konnie's head turned, her breathing erratic as she looked around the room. She saw hazy outlines, faint and smoke-like. Red's and Shuzuka's auras burned bright red, though Shuzuka's was darker and split into three distinct shapes. One was blue, its faint outline laughing and whispering in his ear. The other was a vibrant, menacing red, radiating an oppressive force.

Konnie's breath hitched, her panic escalating as her gaze locked onto Shuzuka. He rolled his eyes and stepped forward, his hand outstretched. "Relax," he muttered. Before Konnie could process his words, Shuzuka's hand hovered over her back. A soft glow emanated as he transferred the curse to himself. His body tensed as his ability immediately began cleansing it, but in the brief moment before the curse dissipated, he saw something.

Konnie's aura was purple, but it wasn't smoke-like. It was solid, defined, as though something immense and powerful was sealed within her.

Shuzuka exhaled quietly, his brow furrowing as his gaze lingered on Konnie for a beat too long. "This... could be something", he thought, the faintest flicker of concern crossing his mind. "Or nothing. No point overthinking it."

He shook his head slightly, as if dismissing the thought altogether, and straightened up, his expression back to neutral. "Eh... she'll be fine," he muttered to himself, before glancing at Jade and Red and leaning back in his seat.

Konnie's eyes remained locked onto Shuzuka, unease feeling behind her gaze. But her focus was broken when Jade suddenly cupped her cheeks, leaning in to examine her eyes closely. "Uh... I don't see anything wrong? You sure you're okay? Maybe you should get some rest," Jade said, her tone hovering between concern and her usual cheerfulness.

Konnie gently grasped Jade's hands, lowering them away from her face, mirroring the action with her own expression. "It's... nothi-"

"It's the side effect of using dark magic," Shuzuka cut in, his voice calm but direct. "Luckily for you, it's just True Sight."

Konnie's attention snapped back to him. "True Sight? I couldn't see anything," she said, frowning slightly as she glanced at Jade for confirmation.

Jade quickly chimed in, her tone awkward but reassuring. "Well... True Sight doesn't really mean, uh, true sight," she explained with an awkward laugh "It lets you see the magical auras of, well... everything."

"Magical... aura?" Konnie tilted her head

Shuzuka let out a short chuckle. "Looks like you'll have to work overtime on this one, Jade." as he pats Jade's shoulder

Jade sighed dramatically before setting the materials Red had ordered onto the table. "Not my first time," she said with a playful grin, turning to Konnie with a bright smile. "Don't worry, Konnie! I'll teach you everything about magic!"

Konnie stiffened, shaking her head quickly. "No! I- I mean, please no. If it's anything like before, I... I'd rather not use any magic."

Jade straightened, her smile softening. "Well... it's nothing like that. Don't worry. Trust me, it'll be fun!" She stood, extending her hand toward Konnie.

Hesitant, Konnie reached out, her fingers hovering before Jade gently took her hand, pulling her to her feet. As they stepped out of the shop, the warmth of the sun greeted them, and Jade began pondering what kind of magic would suit Konnie best.

Her gaze wandered to Konnie, taking in her outfit and messy hair. A sudden thought struck her, and she chuckled to herself.

Konnie glanced at her, wide-eyed with worry. "Why... are you laughing like that?"

"Nothing, nothing," Jade waved it off, grinning.

Perched atop the rooftops of a nearby building, a hooded figure crouched in silence, his eyes fixed on them. His piercing gaze shifted between the two and the shop they had just exited.

Inside, Shuzuka sat by the window, idly glancing outside. The figure's eyes narrowed, recognizing the familiar face, he holds up a stone with runes on it as he mutters something before disappearing

Meanwhile, Jade strolled into the local library, the bell above the door jingling softly. The owner, Camie, looked up from her desk and beamed. "Ah! Jade! It's been a while! How've you been?" she exclaimed, pulling Jade into a tight hug.

Camie's eyes shifted to Konnie, who stood hesitantly behind her. her face turned pale before she jumped back, pointing at Konnie with wide eyes. "AAAA! WHY IS SHE HERE?!"

Jade froze, her expression nervous as she glanced back at Konnie. "Oh... you know about that...?" she stuttered, her voice trembling. "It's a small town. Everyone knows what happened, wait... it's not gonna happen again, right?"

The question lingered, heavy with doubt. Jade gave an awkward, shaky nod, trying to reassure herself as much as Camie. "It... won't...?" she squeaked, forcing a strained smile. Konnie stepped forward, bowing her head. "I'm really sorry about yesterday. If it makes you uncomfortable, I can wait outside."

Camie studied Konnie, her expression softening into reluctant guilt. After a moment's pause, she sighed. "Mmm... okay. Just promise me you won't... do that thing again."

Konnie brightened, her smile soft but earnest. "I won't. Promise!" she declared.

Jade threw her arm over Konnie's shoulders, laughing nervously. "See? You two are already getting along!" She gestured to Camie with a grin. "By the way, this is Camie. She's the person to go to if you're looking for books."

Pride flickered across Camie's face as she adjusted her hoodless cowl, a signature piece from Red's designs. Her silver-white hair caught the light as she smirked. "That's right. I'm the one-stop shop for books on magic..." She trailed off as the floor beneath them suddenly shifted, carrying them deeper into the library.

The sudden motion knocked Konnie off balance. Jade laughed, helping her up. "Don't worry. You'll get used to it."

They descended further into the labyrinthine library as Camie continued her tour. "...To history..." The floor moved again, sending Konnie tumbling face first into the wooden panels.

Konnie groaned, attempting to steady herself, but the ground shifted once more. "...To massive organizations! From good to evil!" Camie gestured toward towering shelves packed with books.

"To-" Jade interrupted with a firm hand on Camie's shoulder. "Okay, okay, I think she gets it." Both women glanced at Konnie, who was laying on the floor on all fours like a startled cat. Camie flushed, scratching her head, "Oops- sorry about that. Let's just get to the point."

Moments later, they were back at the entrance. As Konnie tried to stand, Jade leaned closer to Camie. "I'm looking for illusion magic," she whispered. "...Beginner ones."

Camie arched an eyebrow. "You mean the ones for kids?"

Jade's eyes widened, flickering between her and Konnie as she nodded reluctantly. Camie smirked knowingly. "Ah, I see." She disappeared momentarily and returned with two books: Illusion Magic for Dummies and Basic Magic. "These are on the house," she said, handing them to Jade. "Consider it payback for organizing the shelves last time."

As Jade and Konnie exited the library, Camie waved after them. "Make sure to come back! But this time, leave the creepy stuff behind, okay?"

Konnie turned back, offering a soft smile and nod before following Jade out into the open air.