"The human brain is great at pretending things are normal. Until someone else notices first."

“But hey… on the bright side, I finally know why your knowledge always comes in clutch.”

Ryu snorted.

Just a little.

And the silence between them finally cracked.

The door creaked open.

Mr. Wilson, a teacher known among students for his sharp tongue but secretly kind heart, stepped in.

“Detention’s over, you two!”

Aiden groaned as he stood up, slinging his bag over his shoulder. Ryu followed with a yawn.

Just as they reached the door, Mr. Wilson called out, “Hold it! Mind having a word with me first?”

Ryu gave an awkward laugh. “Knew it…”

They followed him to the staff room. Inside, Mr. Wilson sat behind his desk, rummaging through some folders.

A girl from another class came in quietly and handed over a few documents.

“These are the candidates for the selection exam,” she said softly.

“Ah, thanks. Just place them here,” Mr. Wilson replied, gesturing to a spot on his desk.

As she turned to leave, her eyes briefly met Aiden’s. She gave a small bow and walked out.

Aiden squinted after her. “Do I know her from somewhere…?”

Meanwhile, Ryu fidgeted beside him, thinking, Did we land ourselves in another mess again…?

Mr. Wilson suddenly spoke.

“Quite the cheerful girl, huh?”

Then he straightened up and sighed. “Anyway, cutting to the chase—you both got detention again. And during the worst possible time. Do you even realize—”

He slammed his hand on the table. The papers jumped.

“Who the hell gets detention after graduating?! Aaaaagh!! Why is it always you two!? Why do I have to monitor you idiots!?”

He paused, glanced at them, then cleared his throat.

“Ehem. You do know why you were detained, right?”

Both nodded silently.

He sighed deeply again. “You better not skip your practice next time. Missing out can mess up your Academy eligibility scores.”

Suddenly, Mr. Wilson’s phone started buzzing.

Beep-Beep-Beep.

He picked up. “Hello—”

A sharp voice on the other end interrupted him.

“When are you coming back? You always stay late at school and complain about it at my friend’s tavern. Camp in school if you want, but stop talking nonsense there!”

Mr. Wilson’s face turned red. “What the—? I never—!”

He looked away from the boys, but the conversation continued awkwardly, full of half-argued retorts. A strange silence lingered between the rants.

Ryu watched, blinking. Aiden looked clearly weirded out.

Eventually, Mr. Wilson yelled, “I said that was never the ca—”

He turned sharply. “YOU BOTH ARE DISMISSED! Yes--Yes, I know... I won't-... ”

The boys scrambled out. The sky outside was already turning dark. An awkward silence followed them.

“…That teacher was kinda funny,” Ryu finally muttered.

“Funny, my ass,” Aiden muttered. “I’ve never felt that weird in my life.”

They reached the dorm gates just as clouds gathered overhead. Thunder rumbled in the distance. Neither said much as they climbed the stairs.

Aiden trailed behind Ryu, half-listening as Ryu started rambling about the upcoming entrance exam.

“…and then they expect us to cast those illusions again like it’s basic classwork. Like, are they serious? Don't they know how tiring it is for students”

“You’re just mad because you failed that last one, also it's not actually about the the entire class getting tired, Right?” Ryu said, smirking.

With a sigh, he added, "I don’t get it. Even after being this strong, you’re still super lazy. You need to work on your stamina and willpower, or you won’t last."

Aiden glanced at Ryu for a moment—

“I can explain--It was sabotage,” Aiden replied.

"Yeah Yeah!"

As they walked through the breezeway, rain started to fall. Thunder rolled louder now.

“Thank god you didn’t ask for food on the way,” Ryu said. “We’d be soaked.”

Aiden chuckled. “I’ve had my fill of chaos today, thanks to detention.”

As Ryu reached his room and pulled out his key, Aiden paused. He suddenly felt a strange pressure in the air.

That mana… Four people sparring? Or someone training too hard…?

Ryu unlocked the door. A sudden gust of wind rushed through the corridor—and then it happened.

A lightning bolt flashed.

BOOOOM!

It struck somewhere close. The lights across the dorm campus flickered off—then blinked back on.

The impact was so bright Aiden covered his eyes, stumbling back.

“Ryu!” he shouted. “You okay?!”

But when the light faded—

Ryu was standing there, completely normal. As if nothing had happened. He calmly finished unlocking the door.

Aiden’s eyes widened. His chest tightened.

Ryu didn’t even flinch.

“…It’s almost the end of the day,” Ryu muttered to himself, his voice quiet. “Can’t I just… stop hearing this noise in my head already?”

Aiden walked up behind him, slowly, and grabbed his shoulder.

“You okay?”

“Huh? Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?” Ryu asked casually. “Why are you shaking? Is the cold getting to you or what?”

Aiden pulled his hand back. His voice dropped to a low murmur.

“…Hey, man. Mind if I crash in your room tonight? I, uh… left my key back in the detention room.”

“What?! Why would you forget your key?” Ryu raised a brow. “I don’t even have any snacks to bribe you with—”

But he stopped.

He saw Aiden’s face.

The way he looked at him—horrified.

And Ryu didn’t like that look one bit.

A thin blue line on his own cheek was fading. A small part of his hair—near the right side of his scalp—It looked as if the pale white had appeared just moments ago and was now fading to the old black hair.

Aiden said nothing.

He just followed Ryu inside.

Ryu kept glancing at him. Something felt… off. Aiden was quiet, spaced out, and clearly shaken. Plus, this was the first time he’d ever misplaced his key.

Inside his mind, Ryu started panicking.

Hey. Sage? Sage! Sageeeee!

The familiar voice replied lazily.

“Did you call me? I was sleeping.”

“YOU DON’T NEED SLEEP! What do you mean you were sleeping? Aren’t you supposed to be in my head all the time?!”

“Hey, hey, calm down. I was just in a deeper corner. You really need to watch your tone. After all, I am your benefactor.”

“I know you're smirking. Even if I can’t see your stupid face.”

“You know me well.”

“Did… something happen just now?” Ryu asked quietly.

“Hmm? Oh, just gave you something minor. A little buzz. Nothing dangerous. You’ll be fine.”

“…What does that even mean?” Ryu sighed.

He dropped onto the bed.

Aiden sat on the floor, still processing everything.

I’m dreaming… right? That flash, that noise…

But no matter how many times he blinked, he couldn’t shake the feeling. Then something clicked in his mind.

It’s real.

Ryu walked out of the washroom drying his face.

“You gonna shower or—”

“Sit down,” Aiden cut in.

“Huh?”

“Just sit. Please.”

Ryu blinked.

“Okay, now you’re acting like my civil studies teacher again. What now? You want me to scrub your back too?”

“Ryu.” Aiden’s voice was serious. Low. Heavy.

Ryu paused, then sat beside him.

“…Why do you look like that? Did you—”

“Something happened that day… didn’t it?”

Ryu blinked. “Which day?”

“Don’t lie anymore. The day of the trip. You stood still after that loud sound. Everyone thought it was a fluke.”

Aiden turned to him, gaze dark and serious.

“And just now—you didn’t feel anything? Not even the lightning?”

Ryu laughed nervously. “What are you talking about? If lightening would ever strike me I would have been dead long ago! He-He”

Aiden grabbed his wrist.

“You’ve… conjured a spirit, haven’t you?”

Chapter End