POV: Leith
"Senpai... Sorry I'm late."
The voice sounded again—right behind me. My body was still stiff, my breath caught in my throat, unable to turn around. But a few seconds later, something touched my arm.
"Senpai?" This time it was clearer. It was Liyn's voice. And this time it came from beside me.
Her hand gently shook my arm, as if trying to wake me up. But one thing was certain—I wasn't sure it was really Liyn. Something felt… off.
I remained motionless in the same position for several minutes. My heart was pounding harder, thudding in my ears. I tried to steady my breath, closing my eyes briefly to calm myself.
When I opened them again—
The library had changed.
The room was now dark, as if swallowed by night, but everything remained in its place. The books, the table, the shelves—nothing had moved. Only… the atmosphere was different. It felt old, cold, and silent. The air carried an unusual damp and dusty smell. This place no longer felt like a library. It felt like… a abandoned tomb of memories.
My body could now move. Slowly, I stepped forward, trying to understand what was happening. But the more I walked, the more oppressive the feeling became. It wasn't just the night… this place felt like it held the traces of a tragedy.
Outside the room, footsteps echoed in the Academy's corridor.
I froze.
"Where am I? Is this a dream?" I ask myself. To confirm, I pinch my arm—it hurts. Too real for a dream, but too absurd to be called reality.
The footsteps grow closer. I can hear them clearly—rhythmic, slow, heavy.
The source is now right outside the library door.
I quickly prepared myself. But when I tried to summon Veyra, there was no flow. I focused all my attention… still nothing. As if all my energy was sealed.
No… even my power was gone?
My eyes fixed on the top of the library door. There was a half-circle window there, made up of three glass panels. Behind it—a pair of eyes stared straight at me. Sharp. Unblinking. That gaze felt like it was gripping my mind, peeling away my calm.
The figure didn't move. Just stared.
But I could feel the intensity of its aura from a distance. The pressure was suffocating, almost making it hard to breathe.
The door… as far as I knew, it wasn't locked.
If I moved, it might attack. If I waited, I'd be an easy target.
My mind raced.
The only way out: the window.
I glanced briefly at the large glass pane on the left side of the room. The choice was clear. If it moved, I had to beat it to it.
A small step.
Another.
Just as my foot was about to move toward the window—
BOOM!
The door was smashed open violently, the wood nearly shattered.
Without hesitation, I ran toward the window. With a swift motion, I crossed my arms in front of my face, ducked, and charged through the glass. Shards of glass flew as my body broke through.
But… something clawed at my back.
A burning, stinging pain shot through my spine as I floated through the air.
And then—darkness.
I woke up gasping for breath, my body drenched in cold sweat. My chest felt heavy, my back ached, and my head was slightly dizzy.
"Senpai… Senpai, are you okay?" Liyn's worried voice came from above my head—wait… I was lying on her lap?
Before I could answer, she continued, "Your back… it looks pretty badly injured. Can Senpai manage to turn over first?"
My body felt numb and heavy, but I could still speak.
"I can… but are you okay? In this position…" I tried to lift my body, but quickly realized I wasn't strong enough to sit up fully.
"I'm fine, Senpai," she replied softly.
Liyn began to support my body slowly, her hands touching my shoulders carefully.
"Okay... One... two... three..." The count slowly came out of his mouth, and with great effort, I managed to turn around. Now I was leaning on his thigh, looking up... it felt strange, awkward, and to be honest, a little embarrassing.
"The wound is pretty deep… I'll apply some antiseptic first. Luckily, I brought some," he said softly, his voice filled with concern.
I nodded slowly.
"Sorry, I'll have to cut a small part of the back of your shirt, Senpai. I also brought a small razor," he added as he prepared. I nodded again, this time with a hint of hesitation.
The sound of tearing fabric was clear, and soon the coldness of the cotton touched my skin.
"Sorry, this will sting a bit," she said before gently cleaning the wound. The antiseptic solution stung, but it wasn't that which bothered me—it was the strange sensation enveloping my body. Like an invisible pressure pressing against my muscles. My body began to tense up. My breathing slowed.
Liyn seemed to struggle as she tried to bandage my wound. Her hands moved slowly but steadily. And somehow, after everything was done, my body felt weak—too weak.
Sleepiness crept in slowly, sneaking in without warning.
A few seconds later, everything faded into darkness.
I fell asleep—with an odd feeling in my chest, as if the dream… wasn't quite over yet.
POV: Liyn
"Yosshh! I'm ready!" I whispered, full of enthusiasm. But when I glanced at the clock… "Eh? It's already 10:15?"
"That was fast… I have to leave right away!" I hurriedly packed antiseptic, cotton, bandages—and of course, a razor blade—into my small bag. Hehe, who knows, maybe there'll be an opportunity to… well, hurt myself again. Honestly, I hadn't had time to bandage the wounds on my arm yet. Maybe later at the library, when Senpai isn't looking… just a little… hehe.
I walked quickly down the hallway toward the library. But my heart started racing. Crazy, this is too nerve-wracking.
"Wait… I'll be alone with Senpai in the library?! Yabai… what if I lose control?!" I muttered panic-stricken in my heart.
At the end of the hallway, I paused in front of the hanging mirror.
"Does my appearance look okay? Aaaa nande, why am I so nervous?" Deep breath. Inhale. Exhale. I tried to calm myself down. "Calm down, Liyn… everything will be okay."
Upon reaching the library door, I peeked through the small window above it. Inside, I saw Senpai standing still facing the bookshelf. But... something was off. His face was tense, his chin slightly raised, as if... someone was holding his neck?
I opened the door slowly and stepped inside silently. Approaching. His face looked blank, but his body was tense, as if preparing for something. His eyes were open, but unfocused. My heart began to race.
"Senpai?" I gently touched his right hand. "Senpai, are you okay?"
No response.
I started shaking his hand slightly—and suddenly his body collapsed toward me! Since his body was much larger, I fell too, and in an instant… he was on top of me.
"Eh?! EH?! Yabaiii!" My face immediately flushed. This was too close! My breath caught, my body tensed.
"My breasts… are touching his face…" I screamed inside my head, nearly crying from embarrassment.
With great effort, I tried to adjust his position to make him more comfortable. Slowly, I moved his head to my thigh, making sure he could rest peacefully.
"Will he be comfortable like this...? Or will he get angry when he wakes up?" I thought anxiously. "Is this called luck? Or is it a disaster? What if someone sees... I hope not!"
My hands began to gently stroke his hair. His face was sweaty, his breathing heavy. Even in his sleep, he looked... alert.
"Is your dream that bad, Senpai?" I whispered softly, more to myself than to him.