A sharp knock pulled Isaac out of his spiraling thoughts.
> "Isaac! Wake up! It's time to go to the academy!"
Maya's voice rang like an alarm inside his head.
Isaac groaned, rubbing his temples.
> "Already...?"
His voice came out low and annoyed. He'd spent the entire night studying his stats, analyzing his skills, and reorganizing his thoughts around the chaos that had become his existence. Between the extra soul core and the corrupted skill, sleep hadn't made the cut.
Dragging himself out of bed, he made his way to the mirror. With a flick of his wrist, red mist danced in his palm. It coiled upward, twisting until it formed the shape of a thin, sharp needle. Without hesitation, it launched toward his left ear, piercing the skin in one clean motion.
The mist didn't vanish. Instead, it clung to the wound, melting into the skin and healing it in seconds—leaving behind a small, perfect hole.
Isaac grabbed the silver earring from his nightstand—the one Trish had given him—and slipped it through the newly-formed piercing.
> "This skill's really growing on me," he muttered, then started changing into his academy uniform.
A few minutes later, he walked into the kitchen and dropped into his seat at the dining table, stabbing half-heartedly at the food in front of him. Jake and Maya were watching him like hawks.
Isaac chewed slowly, then sighed through his nose.
> "Okay. What?"
Jake quickly turned his head, pretending to study the wall like it owed him money. Maya, on the other hand, didn't flinch—her smirk growing wider the longer she stared.
Then her eyes landed on the earring.
> "Brother… is that a gift from her?"
She asked, voice full of teasing innocence.
Isaac leveled her with a blank look.
> "No. Got it from a weird old man with a nasty attitude who keeps calling me 'dear' and 'his precious person.'"
He shrugged, stood up, and walked away—leaving both Jake and Maya blinking in stunned silence.
---
The ride to the academy was, thankfully, more peaceful than usual.
The twins—who usually found every excuse to sit near him—and the so-called Mad Witch, Claire, were all seated near Maya at the back of the bus, deep in what looked like serious discussion. One of them occasionally stole a glance at him and murmured something, but nobody dared approach.
> Victory.
The bus finally pulled to a stop in front of the academy. Isaac stood up and got off first—just in time to see Trish standing near the gate, holding an envelope in her hand.
Before he could say anything, Maya burst out of the bus behind him and made a beeline for Trish.
> "Hi! I'm Maya—Isaac's sister!"
She grinned wide, practically sparkling with chaotic energy.
Trish blinked, visibly flustered. She opened her mouth to respond, but Maya barreled on.
> "Oh wow, what a beautiful earring! It's the same one my brother wears! Are you guys dating?"
Silence.
Complete. Utter. Silence.
Every student within earshot froze. Some even stopped mid-step. A fork hit the ground somewhere.
Most of them had no idea who Isaac was. But Trish? Everyone knew Trish. The cold, untouchable beauty of the academy. The one who never smiled, never blushed, never wavered.
And right now? She was blushing.
Isaac stared, eyes wide.
> "Maya, the hell are you saying?"
"Trish, why are you blushing?!"
He glanced around. The twins were now red-faced, sneaking glances at him and whispering things like "Big brother…" and "Sister-in-law…"
Even Claire, the Mad Witch herself, was covering her mouth, visibly flustered.
Isaac's eye twitched.
> "Claire, why are you reacting like that… where did your dignity as the mad witch go?"
Then the wave of bloodlust hit him.
Every male student around them was glaring at him like he'd just declared war. Isaac could feel their collective resentment like a physical weight. Even Ren—who he hadn't noticed—was among them, her aura more terrifying than usual.
> Why… why is her killing intent higher than everyone else's combined?
Isaac slowly lowered his head, staring blankly at the ground.
> "…I miss the monsters in that cave," he muttered.