'Phewww, finally I can go and get some rest,' Kuroyami thought, his shoulders slumping with relief as he stepped out of the school building.
'I'm glad Miss Sakkaku wasn't interested in listening to me speak at all.' His mind drifted back to what had happened in the classroom earlier that day.
The memory was still fresh—Miss Sakkaku's imposing figure standing over him, her shadow seeming to stretch across the floor unnaturally.
The air around her had felt heavy, almost suffocating.
"How did it go?" she had asked, her voice cutting through the silence like a blade.
Her eyes bore into him with an intensity that made his skin crawl.
"Tea...teacher, the test went well," he had replied, his voice catching in his throat.
Sweat beaded on his forehead despite the cool temperature of the classroom.
"Is that so?" She had tilted her head slightly, her expression unreadable.
Without waiting for his response, she turned and walked out of the room, her footsteps echoing in the empty hallway.
Throughout their brief exchange, Kuroyami had felt as though invisible hands were squeezing his lungs.
The aura that surrounded Miss Sakkaku was unlike anything he had ever experienced before—dark, oppressive, almost predatory.
Only when she had disappeared from sight did he finally allow himself to exhale, releasing a deep sigh of relief that seemed to come from the depths of his soul.
Now, as twilight painted the sky in hues of orange and purple, Kuroyami found himself alone on the streets.
The fading sunlight cast long shadows across the pavement, stretching like dark fingers reaching for him.
His mind wandered again, this time to what had happened after he had walked through that bright door.
The one that had appeared out of nowhere during the test. When he had first awakened on the other side...
He had found himself in a massive room, and she was there—sitting in the center, watching him with unblinking eyes.
Getting to his feet, Kuroyami had gotten a clearer look at the girl. A sinking feeling had settled in his stomach as he took in her appearance.
'This girl... she looks sad. Where is this place? Am I seeing things?'
"No, what you see is real," she had said, her voice soft yet somehow filling the entire space.
"Welcome to my home. Isn't it lovely?" She tilted her head slightly, and as she moved, chains materialized around her wrists, glinting in the dim light.
Kuroyami hadn't realized then that he had found himself in Lilith's playground.
Lilith's appearance remained unchanged from their previous encounter—a black maid outfit that seemed to absorb the light around her, and long black hair that partially covered her face.
This time, however, there was no makeup, revealing skin as white as freshly fallen snow, almost translucent in its paleness.
She had been watching him, her face resting on her hands as she lay on her stomach, studying him with unsettling intensity.
The room around them had been filled with dolls—hundreds of them—their glass eyes following his every movement, adding to the eerie atmosphere that made Kuroyami's skin crawl.
Shaking his head to dispel the memory, Kuroyami continued walking down the street.
'Despite everything, she looked lonely,' he thought. 'Her eyes were filled with a deep sadness and hatred. I hope I'll see her again, even though that place was—'
Before he could finish his thought, the pain from earlier during the test returned with sudden ferocity. It felt as though someone had driven a white-hot blade into his chest.
He clutched at his shirt, dropping to his knees with a strangled gasp. The agony radiated outward from his heart, sending waves of burning torment through his veins.
Most of the passersby ignored him or deliberately looked away, some even crossing to the other side of the street to avoid him.
Their behavior wasn't merely indifference—it was fear, as though they sensed something dangerous about the boy doubled over in pain.
"What are you doing down there, kid? That some kind of habit?" a familiar voice asked, the mocking tone barely masking its underlying laziness.
Kuroyami's head snapped up, surprised and grateful that someone had approached him.
Strangely, the moment the voice reached his ears, the pain receded like a tide pulling back from shore.
It was Ein.
'I remember meeting him near this spot before,' Kuroyami thought as he studied the older boy.
'He's a senior, if I remember correctly, and he said something about being in the Dark Knight sector.'
"Oh—it's you, senior," Kuroyami said as he pulled himself up, brushing dust from his knees. "And it's not what it looks like," he added nervously, avoiding Ein's penetrating gaze.
"Whatever. I don't care," Ein replied with a dismissive wave of his hand.
Then he fixed Kuroyami with an unreadable stare. "Why?"
"Hmmm?" Kuroyami's brow furrowed in confusion. "Why... what?"
"You didn't come to see me. Why?" Ein asked, his tone casual yet carrying an undercurrent of something darker.
'See him? I don't remember agreeing to something like... that,' Kuroyami thought.
But then the memory of their first meeting resurfaced like a bubble breaking the water's surface.
He had agreed to meet Ein after school in the Dark Knight sector.
The promise had slipped his mind completely.
"I remember now," Kuroyami said, his eyes widening. "I thought you weren't being serious."
"Did I look not serious to you?" Ein replied lazily, arching an eyebrow.
"Anyway, let's go." He turned and began walking, clearly expecting Kuroyami to follow.
After several steps, Ein paused and turned back. He stared at Kuroyami with an intensity that seemed to pierce through to his very core.
"Hey," Ein said, his voice dropping to almost a whisper. "Do you want to be strong?"
"Wha—what... How did you know?" Kuroyami stammered, surprise and vulnerability washing over his features.
"Am I that obviously weak?" His voice trailed off, tinged with sadness.
"Yeah," Ein said bluntly, his eyes half-lidded with practiced indifference. "From my point of view, you barely have any magic at all."
Kuroyami's thoughts raced.
'This is taking a different turn than what I expected. But can I trust him? I mean, he just comes out of nowhere offering to help me—that's suspicious.' He studied Ein's face, searching for any sign of deception.
The next day, early morning at the Adventurers Guild.
Theo descended the stairs after concluding his meeting with the Guild Master.
His footsteps echoed in the unusually quiet hall below.
The guild wasn't as lively as it typically would be at this hour.
Most adventurers had already departed for their daily quests, leaving only a handful scattered across the tables, nursing drinks or discussing potential jobs in hushed tones.
Theo approached the counter where Kurumi stood, her normally bright demeanor subdued.
Dark circles beneath her eyes suggested she hadn't slept well.
"Hey," he called out with forced cheerfulness. "Did you receive the kids I sent your way?"
Kurumi looked up, a flash of recognition crossing her face.
"Yeah, they made it back safe and sound," she replied, her voice hollow. "Traumatized a little, but still fine."
"Well, that's good to know," Theo said, his smile not quite reaching his eyes.
"The guild really appreciates your assistance," Kurumi said, bowing slightly.
When she straightened, her eyes were filled with a mixture of gratitude and something else—guilt, perhaps. "And personally, I'm grateful too."
Theo nodded and waved as he turned to leave, his cape billowing behind him.
As he walked away, Kurumi's gaze followed him.
'It's all my fault,' she thought, her hands clenching into fists beneath the counter.
'If I had only been a little more careful, those three wouldn't have been involved.' The weight of responsibility pressed down on her shoulders like an invisible burden.
Just as Theo pushed open the heavy doors and stepped out into the morning sunlight, they swung back open.
Ein sauntered in, looking as lazy as ever, his half-lidded eyes scanning the nearly empty guild hall.