Aurora took a deep breath, then pulled out one of the old books she was holding. The cover was worn, but the silver emblem at its center—a winged eye with a tongue of flame—was still clearly visible.
"If you want to know… the curse system isn't as simple as you think."
She held a torn sheet of paper in her hand. In truth, she had transferred the curse into that piece of paper temporarily.
Her ability allowed her to manipulate written spells, capable of trapping entities within text or books.
Numero Seven: Inkbinder. And she could also use the abilities of Numero Eight or Nine.
The books and items within Aurora's secret room had already been affected by her ability. If anyone—intentionally or not—touched any of the books, chests, or objects in her vicinity, they would automatically trigger the Adjudicator.
Aurora explained the abilities of her path. Perhaps Lucian had read a spell and attempted to fight off the strange one-eyed-headed monster. But behind it all, it was Aurora who had sealed the creature within the torn paper that Lucian had ripped.
The atmosphere around them fell into silence. Only the faint sound of their heartbeats could be heard.
"But as for that curse… I can't see it clearly," whispered Aurora, looking at Lucian. "Maybe if I was at Numero Six, I could see and feel it more precisely."
Lucian stood frozen, staring at the old book in Aurora's hands. The word "curse" kept echoing in his mind, spinning like a relentless incantation.
For the first time since arriving in this world, Lucian felt something strange in his body. "Were those three people the ones who did this to me?" he thought.
His eyes briefly closed as he tried to regulate his breath to remain calm.
"I haven't felt anything so far," he muttered, trying to sound steady, though his heart told a different story.
Aurora slowly shook her head. "Are you sure? Some curses carry dangerous risks. Some don't show their effects immediately. They wait. Taking root quietly—like a poison slowly spreading through your body."
Lucian fell silent at her words. Both his body and mind had been feeling off lately. The signs were becoming more apparent, making him more cautious than ever. He swallowed hard, desperate to rid himself of the curse and find a way back to his original world.
Nathan leaned against a nearby wall, his expression uneasy as he watched the two of them talking. "So we still don't even know… what kind of curse is affecting Lucian?"
Aurora looked at Lucian with intense eyes—not out of suspicion, but trying to understand what had yet to reveal itself. "No. But I can guess one thing—the curse is very strange and not from this place!"
Lucian lifted his head, eyes widening. "What do you mean?"
Aurora took a long breath. "The symbol on the paper, and the strange writing that appeared after the spell… it's very unusual—a huge contrast to the ones I've used to trap entities. The user might be at Numero Five or even lower, and even in ancient magic cities like Monity, I've never seen anything like it."
Nathan glanced at Lucian. "Does that mean… the curse isn't from here?"
Lucian lowered his head. For the first time since he woke up in this world, a real fear began to creep into him.
If the curse really wasn't from this place… then who sent it? And more importantly… for what reason? Lucian could only speculate, placing suspicion on the three strange figures he had encountered before.
The atmosphere turned still again. They exchanged glances, saying nothing.
From the distant hallway, the sound of chaos erupted, stirring a sudden commotion.
Hearing this, Nathan immediately rushed toward the source of the noise. Curious, he opened a window and looked outside from above—he saw two individuals causing the disturbance.
His face shifted into a strange expression. The sound of the window slamming shut echoed in his ears, and his expression turned grim. He walked back toward the other two, hoping to lift the heavy mood.
But he doubted he could. He glanced at his weary friend, whose face showed signs of exhaustion he couldn't even describe. Still, he decided to try. Without thinking too hard, he ran toward the front of the old building to help clear Lucian's mind.
Just a few steps away. His breath hitched as he prepared to speak.
"Still thinking about it, huh?" he asked, his voice tinged with worry. Then he walked closer, watching Lucian's face.
Lucian responded quickly. He was hiding the pain, keeping it from his friends. "Huh, I'm fine. Just... my head suddenly feels a little dizzy."
After saying that, he left the two of them. Walking through the corridor, he returned to the apartment to calm his chaotic thoughts. Alone, searching for peace, his body felt stiff, his vision blurry, his breathing unstable.
He staggered toward the apartment. After about two minutes, he arrived and immediately collapsed onto the bed. His eyes shut as the sleep he had been resisting finally overtook him.
The bedroom door remained open. He didn't care who or what might come.
Meanwhile, the other two remained in the same place.
"Hey Nathan, do you feel something strange?" the words stopped Nathan in his tracks.
He turned, eyes wide, teeth slightly clenched. "Hah… what do you mean by that!"
Aurora, seeing his face turn serious, brushed it off—claiming her words were nonsense. She looked away. Nathan continued walking.
But Aurora felt something was off. She wanted to investigate later that night. She left the inn and returned to her place, waiting for nightfall.
---
That night, Aurora carried a book filled with various curses. She donned a cloak to conceal herself and began making her way toward Lucian's inn.
Along the way, the night wind rushed to greet her. This night felt different from all the nights before. But she kept moving toward her destination.
Her thoughts drifted as she looked up at the unusual moon—'a Crescent Moon'. She was almost at the inn when her attention was drawn upward, and she accidentally bumped into someone.
Aurora panicked instantly. Her face turned pale, fearing the person she had collided with might be furious. She quickly bowed and hurried away.
Just as she was about to turn away, the man smiled. Something about it felt off. Aurora ignored it and walked faster, putting distance between herself and the strange man.
Street lamps adorned the path outside the inn, making the building look elegant and luxurious. The entrance doors were open, and she headed straight for Lucian's room. People passed by, each casting a glance her way.
Noticing that, she pulled back the hood of her cloak. Her pace quickened. Lucian's room was now in sight. She exhaled deeply, her hand already on the doorknob—it was open.
Strangely, Lucian was nowhere to be seen in the room. Stunned, Aurora began searching the entire room. But she found no clues, no suspicious items.
She decided to return to her research space. She shut Lucian's door behind her. Leaving the inn, she still had no idea what had really happened.
"How strange…" she murmured to herself, walking beneath the glow of the streetlamps that lit up the city road.
Aurora sat silently in her chair. She took a long breath, trying to make sense of all the strange occurrences clouding her thoughts. She felt pity for Lucian. She intended to help remove his curse.
Unaware, Aurora had fallen asleep, a silver-emblem book resting over her face as she slept sitting in the chair.
Time passed quickly. Morning arrived.
July 21st.
8:30 AM.
Aurora awoke from her slumber. Her eyes slowly opened, but drowsiness made her body hard to move. She wanted to go back to sleep, but suddenly remembered—today she had planned to meet Nathan.
Her eyes widened in panic. She rushed to the bathroom and splashed cold water on her face. Then, grabbing her cloak, she left to find Nathan.
The morning greeted her with clear skies and thin clouds drifting slowly, reluctant to part from their slumber. Fresh air slipped through the gaps between buildings, brushing against the faces of those who had already set foot on the streets.
Footsteps echoed in bursts—people passed by, cutting through the morning with their own goals. Some moved swiftly, driven by hope or anxiety; others walked casually, eyes fixed ahead, as if someone awaited them at the journey's end.
Nathan's apartment was fairly close to Lucian's. Aurora now stood at the entrance, and without hesitation, she stepped inside, ready to speak with him.
Walking through the inn hallway, she soon found his room. A knock sounded, followed by the slow approach of heavy footsteps heading toward the door.
It opened, revealing Nathan with a weary face. Seeing him, Aurora asked a small question.
"Huh… last night I went to Lord Naresca's inn, but he wasn't in his room! Do you know where he went?"
"What! I honestly don't know where he went last night," he answered shortly, but firmly.
Aurora immediately invited him to go find him. Without much thought, Nathan grabbed his cloak, closed the door, and they headed toward their friend's inn.
When they reached the door to his room, one of them knocked. But there was no response. Sensing something was wrong, they quickly entered.
The bed was empty. Only Lucian's cloak remained on top of it. Panicked, they rushed outside to search for him. Deep down, Nathan began to believe Aurora's claim that their friend had truly become strange.
They rushed through the streets, accidentally bumping into people. Nathan shouted apologies as he ran.
Once outside, they searched everywhere—but Lucian was nowhere to be found. Eventually, they split up in hopes of finding him.
All in vain—they couldn't find any trace of Lucian.
Exhausted, they sat against a building, breath heaving. Their eyes turned skyward, the wind biting against their bodies. Just as they were catching their breath, someone approached.
The man was dressed like a noble from the royal court. He lifted his hat and asked how they were doing. But he wasn't a noble—just an ordinary man with long black hair and a neat shirt.
Still, Nathan and Aurora mistook him for a royal. They both went silent, unable to say a word. The man smiled, introducing himself.
"Nice to meet you. My name is Christopher Kay," he said, tipping his hat lightly back onto his head. Then, he smiled warmly, as if trying to show he meant no harm.
"Aurora De Victoria," she muttered, eyeing the strange man from head to toe. Her brow lifted slightly, her expression showing an unspoken confusion.
"And I'm Nathaniel Hawth," he added beside her, narrowing his eyes slightly. "Where are you from?"
The two exchanged glances, trying to guess the reason for the sudden appearance of this Christopher Kay. No one had expected the arrival of a stranger that morning—especially not someone in fine clothes, a bowler hat, and a smile far too calm for a moment like this.