Leo jerked awake with a gasp, chest rising like he'd just survived a boss battle in his dreams. The image of that warrior—his older self maybe?—still burned behind his eyes.
"Okay... that was… not your everyday nightmare," he muttered, wiping sweat off his forehead.
Half-stumbling, half-floating, he dragged himself to the washroom. After finishing his business and washing his face, he passed by Ari's room on his way back.
Now listen, any sensible guy might just walk past. But this is Leo. Logic sleeps early when curiosity is awake.
He tiptoed and peeked in.
She was fast asleep, a small plush owl tucked under her arm like it had committed no crimes. Her face was peaceful, almost angelic. Leo smiled, then whispered,
"Y'know… if I get caught, I'm getting ping ponged in the eyeballs."
Feeling a little less cursed now, he headed to his room… until—
His eyes caught something off outside the window.
One small part of the field in the distance—it didn't look normal. The air there looked like it was folding, distorting like heatwaves on a highway, but deeper, heavier. Like space itself was holding its breath.
Leo squinted. "Okay… that's not in the campus brochure."
Then—a tug.
Like something reached inside him and sucked a breath out of his soul. He gasped, staggered back a step.
And just like that, it was gone. The distorted air snapped back to normal like nothing happened.
Leo stood frozen for a second, hand on his chest.
"...I either got magic-mugged or I need to stop drinking juice from that haunted vending machine."
He dragged himself to bed, his limbs suddenly heavy, like something drained the last pixel of energy from his HP bar.
He collapsed.
Out cold.