The ward was silent, save for the steady rasp of Alex's shallow breathing. He lay motionless on the infirmary bed, his skin pale and damp with sweat. Black veins crept like ink across his neck, pulsing faintly as though alive.
Beside him, Derek, Kelvin, and the nurse stood in grim silence. Each wore a mask of worry, but none more than Kelvin, who clasped Alex's hand tightly, unwilling to let go.
"This is… unexpected," Derek muttered, his brows furrowed. His voice was low, but his unease was plain. Though he tried to remain composed, the weight of responsibility pressed down on him. It was his order that sent Alex into danger. His choice. And now the boy's life was slipping away before his eyes.
The nurse's expression darkened as she examined Alex's condition. "The demonic poison in him is acting faster than I feared," she whispered. Her hands trembled. "If nothing is done, it will consume his vitals. He won't survive the night."
Kelvin's head snapped up. "Die? No—there must be something you can do!" His grip tightened around Alex's limp hand, his panic breaking through.
The nurse shook her head. "No. This kind of poison isn't ordinary—it's alive. A parasite. It feeds until nothing remains, then abandons the corpse to find a new host. There is no cure."
Her words hit like a blade. Kelvin froze, his breath catching in his throat. A helpless dread gnawed at him. Should he blame himself for bringing Alex to the academy? Or Derek, for sending him into danger?
"The Dean isn't here, and it's already past midnight," Derek said grimly. "We wait until morning. I'll find a solution—whatever it takes."
But Kelvin didn't answer. His jaw clenched, his eyes fixed on Alex.
After a long silence, the nurse cleared her throat. "There's nothing more we can do right now. Staying here won't change anything. We should leave and return in the morning."
Derek gave a reluctant nod. "She's right. Let's go."
"You go," Kelvin said firmly. "I'll stay with him."
Neither Derek nor the nurse argued. Without another word, they slipped out, closing the door behind them. The ward fell quiet again.
Kelvin sighed, resting his forehead against Alex's hand. "I'm sorry," he whispered, voice breaking. "It's my fault you're in this mess. If I hadn't brought you here…" His words trailed off, swallowed by the stillness.
He sat in silence for a long time, watching Alex's motionless form. Slowly, exhaustion crept over him. His eyelids grew heavy. At last, he lowered his head onto the mattress beside Alex and drifted into sleep.
---
An hour later, Alex's lashes flickered. His eyes opened, hazy and unfocused.
He scanned the ward, disoriented. His body felt heavy, numb, almost foreign. When his gaze fell on Kelvin slumped asleep beside him, his expression hardened.
"What am I doing here? What happened to me?" His voice was hoarse. Memories flashed—collapsing, the black veins, the pain. His frown deepened.
A flicker of movement in the glass window caught his eye. He turned his head slightly and froze.
His reflection.
His neck was a mess of black veins, sprawling in grotesque patterns like a tattoo drawn by some cruel hand. They pulsed faintly with each heartbeat.
"What is this…?" he whispered, horror and confusion mingling in his tone. His fingers brushed the veins—no pain, only coldness. But his body remained paralyzed.
"Arthur," he called in his mind, desperation creeping in. "What's wrong with me?"
"It's the demon energy I absorbed for you," Arthur's voice came, calm and matter-of-fact.
"Then why… why is it doing this to me?"
"Because you are not a demon. The energy is too much for your human body to bear. The excess has become poison, eating away at your system. If it hadn't for being who is in your body, you'd already be dead. My demonic traits slow the process, but make no mistake—it will consume you, piece by piece, until nothing remains."
Alex let out a low breath. "Sounds bad."
"Bad?" Arthur scoffed. "It means death."
"Is there a way out?" Alex asked. His tone was oddly calm, almost detached, as though he were asking about a mild inconvenience rather than his impending death.
Arthur hesitated, faintly impressed. "There is one way. But success isn't guaranteed."
"Tell me."
"You must share the energy. Pass it to another, or it will devour you. I can help you—turn someone into a demon, then you split the burden with them."
Alex's brows knit together. "Turn someone… into a demon?"
"Yes. It is simple. But whether anyone would accept such a fate… that is another matter."
Alex fell silent. His eyes drifted to Kelvin beside him. His chest tightened. "…Who would willingly become a demon for me?"
"That is for you to decide."
---
Time bled slowly into morning. Alex lay unmoving, lost in grim thought. The poison crept further, the veins spreading up his jaw, stiffening his limbs. Even his fingers refused to obey him now.
Kelvin slept on, unaware of how close Alex was to the brink.
Then the door creaked open.
Raphael entered quietly, his eyes immediately landing on Alex. He froze, horror flickering across his face at the sight of the black veins. In a heartbeat, he rushed forward and grabbed Alex's shoulders.
"Alex!" His voice trembled. "What happened to you?!"
Alex forced his eyes open, meeting Raphael's worried gaze. And in that moment, clarity struck him.
'Arthur,' he whispered inwardly, 'I know who.'
"Do you think he'll accept?"
Alex studied Raphael's face—the fear in his eyes, the desperate grip on his shoulders. This was his only true friend, the one person who had stood beside him. Could he ask this of him?
'I'll ask,' Alex decided.
He parted his lips. His voice was weak, but steady. "Raphael… I need your help. If you don't, I'll die. Will you… do it?"
Raphael's brows furrowed. He didn't understand what Alex meant—but he didn't need to. The answer was already on his tongue. 'If it's to save you, yes. Whatever it takes.'
Relief flickered across Alex's face. He let out a faint smile. "Thank you…"
Inside, Arthur stirred. "We cannot do this here. Too many eyes. He must take you somewhere else."
"Raphael," Alex whispered, "carry me. To my room."
Without hesitation, Raphael slipped his arms under Alex and lifted him onto his back. His steps were careful, quiet, as he carried his friend through the darkened halls. The academy slept, unaware of the danger lurking in its shadows.
At last, they reached Alex's room. Raphael laid him gently on the bed.
Arthur's voice rumbled. "I'll take it from here."
Alex's eyes slid shut. His head drooped forward then snapped up again.
When he looked at Raphael, his eyes gleamed differently. A crooked grin spread across his lips.
"I've been dying to kill you."
Raphael froze, blood running cold. He staggered back, heart pounding. He knew this feeling—the oppressive aura, the coldness. It was the same presence he had felt in the library.
This wasn't Alex.
But before panic could set in, the figure on the bed chuckled, shaking his head. "After some thought… I decided not to. Don't ask why. The reason doesn't matter."
Raphael's confusion deepened. His fists clenched, ready to fight if needed.
Arthur leaned forward, grin widening. "Right now, we have more important business. Let's begin."