Harabi’s eyes flew open, her breath hitching as she watched her own shadow stretch unnaturally. It twisted and writhed like a living thing, crawling toward her like a predator.

"What is that?!" Harabi gasped, trying to pull away from it, but her feet felt like they were glued to the floor.

Joon stepped forward, but Rumiya held her ground, looking horrified. "Is that... Zero’s magic?"

"It’s the residue of it," Joon said, his voice steady but tense. "When it’s not controlled, it takes on a life of its own. It’s not just shadows—it’s something darker."

Rumiya’s expression darkened, and she stepped forward. "Harabi, move away from it!"

But the shadow lunged, reaching for Harabi’s feet, wrapping around her like a cold, suffocating coil. Panic surged through her chest, her breathing shallow.

"I can’t—!" Harabi gasped, struggling against the pressure. The darkness seemed to press harder against her chest, and she could feel her body weakening.

“Hold on!” Joon’s voice cracked through the panic. He quickly moved in front of her, raising his hands in a defensive gesture. "Stay back, Rumiya."

The shadow recoiled at his approach, but it didn’t stop. Harabi felt herself fading into unconsciousness, the world spinning around her.

“Joon, do something!” Rumiya shouted.

“I’m trying!” Joon replied, his hands glowing brightly as he called upon more magic to contain the spiraling darkness.

Just as Harabi thought she couldn’t breathe anymore, a new figure appeared in the doorway—a shadowy figure, tall and silent. Harabi couldn’t make out its features, but she knew it wasn’t human.

As the oppressive darkness surrounding Harabi began to tighten further, she heard strange whispers, their voices alien and terrifying.

"Burn the magic..."

"The crescent moon draws near..."

"The curse of darkness..."

"Child chosen by the stars..."

The words echoed in her mind, louder and more forceful, as though they were pressing against her very thoughts.

"Quiet!" Harabi shouted, summoning every ounce of strength to resist the voices.

At her command, the shadow began to dissipate, slowly unraveling into the air like smoke. The oppressive presence receded, leaving Harabi breathless but free from the shadow’s grip. The voices, though, still echoed faintly in the back of her mind.

"Harabi!" Rumiya rushed to her side, gently lifting her up. "Are you alright?"

Harabi struggled to steady her breath, looking at her friend with a weak smile.

Rumiya helped her sit on the bed, worry etched on her face.

Harabi looked at her blankly for a moment before answering. "I heard the voices... talking about magic... the crescent moon... a curse... it felt like a nightmare."

Rumiya’s eyes widened in disbelief, glancing at Joon, who was standing silent, lost in thought. When Harabi mentioned the curse, Joon flinched slightly, his face hardening.

"The curse of darkness..." Joon muttered under his breath, his voice low. "This... this is worse than I thought."

He turned to Harabi, bowing slightly. "I’m sorry. I didn’t know his magic was this destructive. I’ll find a way to fix this."

Harabi looked at him, her gaze filled with concern. "And Zero? Where is he?"

Before Joon could respond, the infirmary door burst open, and Tatsuki stormed inside. Her gaze immediately found Harabi, and her expression softened in relief before hardening once more as she noticed the others.

"What’s going on here?" Tatsuki demanded, her voice sharp. Her eyes flicked between Joon and Rumiya, her disapproval clear.

"Harabi..." Tatsuki’s voice softened as she moved closer to the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"I’m fine," Harabi replied quickly, trying to reassure her friend.

Tatsuki wasn’t convinced. Her eyes narrowed, and she turned to Joon, her tone accusatory.

"Was this your cousin’s doing? Why did you let this happen?"

Joon bowed his head. "I didn’t know his magic could affect her like this."

Tatsuki glared at him, fists clenched. "This is more than losing control, Mr. Grimmwood. This could’ve killed her."

"I know," Joon admitted, his voice tight with regret. "But I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again."

Tatsuki remained silent, her gaze sharp and unyielding, yet she refrained from pushing further. Instead, she turned her attention back to Harabi, her focus shifting away from the others.

"I need you to leave us alone," Tatsuki said, her tone firm.

Joon and Rumiya exchanged a brief glance. Joon, with a gentle but reassuring gesture, placed his hand on Rumiya's shoulder and gave a slight nod. It was clear that they needed to step away.

Harabi smiled at them, her expression calm despite the tension. She waved her hand in a comforting manner.

"Everything’s fine. Don’t worry about me. Thank you for your concern."

"We’ll be close by if you need anything," Joon responded, his voice filled with quiet assurance.

"Take care," Rumiya added with a soft smile before both of them turned and left.

Once the door was closed, Tatsuki faced Harabi, her eyes steady, not letting up on her watchful gaze.

"Are you really sure you want to stay here?" Tatsuki asked, her voice lowering with concern. "This place... it’s becoming more dangerous by the day."

Harabi met her gaze, her expression unreadable. "You’ve just arrived, and already you’re at the center of attention," Tatsuki continued, her worry evident. "And worse yet, problems have already begun to pile up around you."

"I’m worried," she added, her voice tinged with hesitation. "Maybe your mother was right."

Harabi stayed quiet, absorbing the weight of Tatsuki’s words. She understood all too well the destructive potential of magic—especially the kind Zero wielded. But she couldn’t walk away, not when there were still so many unanswered questions. Not with the fire incident still lingering in her mind.

"I need to stay," Harabi said, her voice resolute, though her heart felt heavy with the uncertainty.

"I need to understand what happened. This isn’t some random incident, Tatsuki. There’s more to this, and I can’t just run away and hide. I’m not a child anymore." Her eyes softened slightly, looking into Tatsuki’s with an earnest sincerity. "You understand, right? I can’t go back."

Tatsuki’s face softened, though the lines of concern remained. She knew Harabi well enough to understand that once she made up her mind, there was little that would change it. With a sigh, Tatsuki nodded, conceding defeat.

"Fine," she said quietly, though a sense of worry still lingered in her voice. "But if something goes wrong again, we’ll get help immediately."

Harabi gave a reassuring smile, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. "Don’t worry. Nothing strange will happen again."

But deep inside, hidden beneath her calm demeanor, Harabi couldn’t shake the unsettling feeling gnawing at the edges of her mind. The strange voices still echoed in her thoughts, a constant reminder that whatever was happening, it was far more dangerous than she had yet realized. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could ignore the growing sense of dread that shadowed every step she took.

___

The academy corridor was quiet, its stone walls echoing with the soft footsteps of Joon and Rumiya. They walked side by side, each lost in their thoughts after the unsettling events with Harabi. The tension between them was palpable, until Rumiya, breaking the silence, spoke up.

"Thank you for helping her. I don’t know what we would’ve done without you," Rumiya said, her voice filled with genuine gratitude.

Joon glanced at her, his expression serious. "It was the right thing to do. Harabi doesn’t deserve to suffer because of Zero’s magic. I’m really sorry that on our first day of meeting, things turned out like this. And I apologize to you as well."

Rumiya stopped in her tracks, turning to face him. There was concern in her eyes as she stepped closer, her hand lightly touching his arm to stop him from bowing.

"Everything is alright, really. We should also apologize. If ee hadn’t intervened, none of this would have happened," she said, her voice gentle but tinged with regret. She hesitated before continuing, her voice lowering, "Do you think Zero will do it again?"

Joon looked down for a moment, weighing his words carefully. "I don’t know. But I promised to protect Harabi. If it happens again, I’ll talk to Zero. We need to understand why this is happening."

"I’m grateful to you. Truly. I was terrified for her," Rumiya admitted, her shoulders relaxing as she let out a soft sigh.

Joon noticed the subtle shift in her demeanor. She smiled, albeit faintly, and it was the first time since the incident that she seemed to find a bit of peace. Joon couldn’t help but notice how familiar that smile seemed, warm and sincere, yet there was something fragile in her blue eyes—a glimmer of fear still lingering. It reminded him of someone, though he couldn’t quite place who.

"We need to talk to him. You and I. Together," Joon said, his voice firm but kind.

Rumiya hesitated. "I’m not sure I want to do that. Zero… scares me."

"I understand," Joon said softly, giving her a reassuring glance. "But if we don’t, it could happen again. I promise, I’ll be there with you. We’ll just talk. Zero is my cousin. He’ll listen to me. And you…" He paused, meeting her eyes with a gentle conviction. "You’re the one who can reach him from Harabi’s side. I’m sure he’ll listen to you too."

Rumiya’s expression softened at his words, the reassurance in his voice easing her fears. After a moment of contemplation, she nodded, though uncertainty still flickered in her eyes. She didn’t know if it was the right choice, but she wasn’t willing to let the situation escalate.

"Alright," she said, her voice steady. "We’ll talk to him. But… if something goes wrong…"

"I’ll be there," Joon answered with a calm smile.

They reached the point in the corridor where their paths diverged. Rumiya paused for a moment before turning to him, her gaze lingering.

"You’re a good person, Joon. Thank you for everything," she said, her voice soft but sincere.

"And thank you," Joon replied, his tone warm.

They exchanged one last glance before Rumiya gave him a small wave and continued down the corridor. Joon stood still for a moment, watching her retreating figure. A thought lingered in his mind, something about her felt oddly familiar, as if she held some deeper meaning. He smiled to himself, intrigued by her presence. There was something about Rumiya that was undeniably captivating.