Pain.
There was still pain surging through my body—no, through my entire existence—hurting me physically, mentally, and spiritually.
With every breath I took, the agony multiplied, folding over itself a hundred times, like someone methodically peeling my skin, little by little, with a knife, rubbing salt into the wound, chilling it, mashing it, sewing it back together, then opening it again, endlessly repeating the process.
There wasn't much I could do but wait for it to pass, for I had no way to undo conceptual damage; only my body could attempt to repair itself. Only a few things in existence could withstand the concept of death and resist its claim—and I had used everything in me just to survive it.
I cursed myself for forgetting that Tsumi could wield such a thing, and for underestimating just how absolute her power could be.
Though, in a… what was the word again? Ah, yes—grim. In a rather grim sort of way, it felt almost like an achievement.
"Hey, Ezakiel, you okay?"
It was Rin, her eyes filled with concern as they studied me. The discomfort etched on my face was obvious enough for her to notice, even with the burger still in her hand, paused mid-bite. I could feel her hesitation, the unspoken question lingering in the air.
"Yes… yes…" I replied, my gaze briefly meeting hers before drifting away. I let out a quiet breath, surveying the cafeteria, then turned my eyes back to her. "Though… should you really be eating that? Junk food isn't good for your health, you know."
"I know, I know. I rarely eat it," Rin said, taking a careful bite of her burger, then asked, "Where's Yuta, though? He's not here. Shouldn't he have been by now?"
"Nah, he's at home. He's not mentally fit… he said so on the call yesterday, and won't be for a few more days," I replied, taking a bite of my chicken steak, the knife and fork cold in my hands, spinning the knife between my fingers like one might spin a pen.
"Hey, that's dangerous—you could hurt yourself," Rin said, setting her burger down on the plate and taking the knife from me.
"Relax…" I muttered.
Rin sighed. "We should check on Yuta, make sure he's coping okay."
"Yeah, yeah, regardless…" I began, but my words were cut off as Tsumi slammed her hand onto the table, leaning in and drawing my full attention.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, my eyes narrowing as they fixed on her. I had already been struggling to figure out her plans when she first tackled into me—what exactly was this girl plotting? I could tell, instinctively, that whatever it was, it wouldn't be good.
Not to mention, voices began to echo in my head, sharp and insistent, urging me to immediately kill her—on the spot—for how much of a threat she posed, not just to me, but to everyone in the cafeteria. The warning gnawed at the edges of my mind, impossible to ignore, making the air feel heavier with danger.
Any stupid move and it's over. I'm already weakened — and unlike last time, death wouldn't be a close call. If this turned into a proper brawl, it would be guaranteed.
"Sorry, I saw a cockroach, so I slammed it," Tsumi said, peeking up with that annoyingly cute tilt to her head as she pulled her hand away from the table.
There on the table lay a flattened bug, its insides smeared across the wood. Even before I blinked, I knew something was wrong. In my weakened state—my vision blurred, my perception dulled, my ability to pierce through veils greatly reduced—I could still see it wasn't a real cockroach. The anatomy looked convincing at first glance, but the tissues were misaligned, unnatural in their arrangement.
Magic had twisted a mouse's genetics into the shape of an insect.
That kind of signature couldn't be hidden. Even without slipping into my monster form, I could see the faint residue clinging to the carcass, its true shape bleeding through the illusion.
So what was she trying to gain from this? Smashing a fake cockroach in front of me—there's no way Tsumi did that just to spark conversation. No… there was intent behind it. A hidden move. But what?
"Ezakiel? Ezakiel?"
Rin's hand shook my shoulder, tugging me back from the spiral of my thoughts.
"Ah—yes?" I muttered, my eyes meeting hers.
"You seemed to have zoned out for a few seconds. Are you really okay?" Rin asked, her tone lined with concern.
"It's nothing…" I exhaled, turning my gaze away from her and back toward Tsumi. My voice came out flat, edged with dismissal. "Thanks for killing the cockroach. Now you can go."
"That's a little rude," Tsumi said, puffing her cheeks into a pout as if she were the one offended. Without waiting for permission, she slid into the seat across from me, settling in as though the spot had always been hers.
She was taking a more direct approach this time, unlike before.
A sudden buzz broke the tension. Rin's phone vibrated on the table, the hum cutting through the air.
"Oh, it's from my sister," she said, pulling it from the pocket of her skirt. "Give me a moment, okay?"
With that, she stood up and hurried out of the cafeteria, leaving just the two of us.
Now it was only me and Tsumi. Our eyes locked, silence weaving heavy between us.
"How do you do this?" Tsumi finally asked, her voice carrying an unsettling calmness.
"How do I do what?" I asked, brow furrowed, genuinely uncertain what she was getting at.
"This…" she tilted her head slightly, her gaze unblinking. "Human. How do you act so human-like, even though you are not?"
And there it was. The words that stripped away any ambiguity.
She knew.
She knew of my monstrous nature.
But how?
And if she knew… then did the others know as well?
"Pretty surprising, isn't it? I knew you were different when you weren't affected by my charm—when I tried it on you the second time we met, at that exact spot. And not to mention the uncanny feelings I got when I spied on you…" Tsumi said, then placed her hand on mine.
So she had been spying on me?
Damnit. Once again, I'd forgotten to even consider that possibility.
Her fingers brushed against mine, slow and deliberate. "Very human, indeed. Fragile. It was a surprise when I discovered there are special breeds like you—rare, but real. I only learned about it yesterday, and speaking of it… you really did a pretty bad number on me. I must say, not many have managed that."
"I guess there's no hiding it now," I muttered. "But are you the only one who knows?"
"For now, at least. And I hope to keep it that way," she said with a sly smile.
"And what will you get from this arrangement?" I asked, wary.
"Who knows? I won't answer that now. However, I would… if we meet today after school. You and me, together, alone, under the twilight," Tsumi said, her words laced with a deliberate, teasing cadence.
"Are you… suggesting a date?" I asked, my voice tense.
"Who knows… so what do you think?" Tsumi replied, her tone dripping with seduction.
Fuck no.
There's no way I'm going on a date with a teenager like her—someone with psycho tendencies, completely unstable, unpredictable…
This is definitely some kind of trap. Besides, why the hell would she ask for a date? Does she want to personally kill me? There's no magical girl who would let a chance to eliminate a monster like myself slip by. But then again… would she really consider that I held the upper hand in our previous encounter?
Does she even know that I'm weakened as well?
So many questions, and yet I have no answers.
And what can I do?
So, for now… I have to play along.
....
What the…? Why is her hand on Ezakiel's hand?
Rin's eyes went wide as she entered the cafeteria, seeing Tsumi leaning over Ezakiel, her fingers lightly rubbing his skin.
Are they… in a relationship?
The thought hit her like a punch. Her chest tightened, her stomach twisted. That seemed like the most likely explanation from what she saw, and yet a part of her didn't want to believe it.
Did he give up on me so soon? I haven't even given him an answer yet…
She remembered his words—he said he loved her and that he would wait. So why did he move on? Why was she seeing this? Her heart felt heavy, tangled in a mix of hurt, confusion, and disbelief.
No, no, no… maybe it's different. Maybe I'm just misreading it. Maybe I'm seeing it from the wrong angle…
Her thoughts spun in circles, twisting every possible explanation. Maybe he's not actually interested in her. Maybe… maybe this is just Tsumi being more forward, testing him, or teasing him. Maybe nothing is real.
"Fine," Ezakiel said with a sigh, looking away.
Fine? Fine what? Rin's heart clenched.
Fine sounded like resignation, not clarity, like he was shutting something down rather than explaining it.
Tsumi got up, walking past her with a smile that seemed almost mocking, her eyes giving Rin a glance that made her stomach sink.
"Yo, Rin, you back. So, why'd your sister call you?" Ezakiel asked.
Rin took her seat, forcing her voice to stay steady. "My sister said she's making a cake and wanted me to invite you to eat it."
"I see. Sorry, but I have to go somewhere today," he said.
Rin's chest ached. "I see…" she echoed quietly, her thoughts still spinning, trying to make sense of what she'd just witnessed.