Their destiny had arrived—the ruins.
An ancient stone gateway stood half-buried in moss and tangled vines, its towering arch casting shadows over weathered pillars, broken and scarred by time. The breeze carried the scent of damp earth and wildflowers, whispering of forgotten stories.
Despite its desolate beauty, the area buzzed with life. Brightly coloured banners marked the college trip site, students scattered about in noisy groups. In the central plaza, a large tent had been pitched, its crimson cloth stitched with golden letters: "Seera Sweets." The aroma of warm bread and sweet pastries drifted into the air, making stomachs growl as eager students lined up.
Not far off, workers struggled with strange machines, their gears clanking and hissing steam as they were repaired. Some curious students lingered to watch, while others sprawled lazily on the grass or wandered toward the ruins with cameras in hand.
"Haah~!"
Click. Click.
Selene snapped pictures with her small camera, eyes sparkling. "It's like a dream come true, waaah! I can't wait to go inside the ruins. Here I come—!"
Before she could dash off, a firm hand caught her collar.
"Cool off your jets, you're not going in there right now—especially not alone." Karmeen dragged her back with a sharp tug, her voice firm and protective.
"Aww, Karmeen…" Selene pouted, camera still in hand.
As Karmeen dragged Selene back, her eyes narrowed at a commotion nearby.
Three older boys stood in a circle, jeering at a first-year student half their size. The poor kid clutched his backpack against his chest, his glasses slipping down his nose as one of the bullies shoved him backward.
"Pathetic. You call that a project? Even a toddler could do better!" one sneered, snatching a notebook out of the boy's hands.
"Stop it—give it back!" the boy cried, reaching for it.
Karmeen's jaw tightened. She released Selene's collar and stormed forward, her voice sharp enough to cut glass.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing?"
The three boys turned. The tallest one smirked. "Relax, we're just having fun."
"Fun?" Karmeen's eyes blazed. "Bullying a first-year is your idea of fun? Hah, you think you're tough? Try picking on someone your own size."
She grabbed the ringleader's wrist with a grip like iron, twisting until he yelped.
"Let—go! You crazy—"
"Crazy?" Karmeen snapped. "Oh, you've seen nothing yet."
Meanwhile, Selene crept up behind the group, her camera dangling from her neck, eyes wide and gleaming. She leaned in far too close to the second bully, her voice eerily cheerful.
"Ehehe… you know, legends say these ruins are cursed. People who bully others here end up… mysteriously disappearing in the dark. Sometimes their shadows never match their bodies again."
The boy paled. "Wh-What?"
Selene tilted her head, smiling sweetly, almost whispering:
"Maybe you'll find out tonight."
The two boys shivered, quickly retreating behind their leader—who was still struggling against Karmeen.
Finally, Selene tries to defuse the scene.
"Alright, alright, Karmeen, save some of that fire for the actual trip, will you?" She pried her hand off the bully's wrist.
The three bullies scrambled away, muttering curses under their breath. The first-year sniffled, clutching his notebook.
"Th-Thank you…"
Karmeen crossed her arms, glaring after the boys. "Cowards."
Selene crouched next to the kid, her voice suddenly soft and kind. "Don't worry. Stick with us, and they won't bother you again." Then she gave a sly grin, holding her camera up with a click. "Smile! You survived your first curse."
The boy squeaked.
As the first-year scurried away, wiping his tears, the plaza returned to its usual chatter and laughter. Selene wandered off toward the crumbling stone wall, humming to herself and scribbling notes about "possible ghost sightings."
Karmeen brushed the dust off her sleeves, muttering, "Idiots like that ruin everything…"
"Speaking of ruining things—"
Thud!
Karmeen stumbled as someone bumped her shoulder. She turned sharply to see Zeddy, a half-empty water bottle in his hand, sweat clinging to his brow.
"Watch where you're going, musclehead!" she snapped.
Zeddy tilted his head with a smirk. "Oh, sorry. Didn't see you down there."
Her eyes twitched. "Down there? I'm literally the same height as you!"
"Really? From here you look… maybe two inches shorter." He raised a hand above his head, measuring dramatically. "Ah, my bad, must be the sunlight making you shrink."
"Shrink—?!" Karmeen's fists balled. "You wanna test how tall you feel flat on the ground?"
Zeddy just laughed, leaning back casually. "Hot-headed as always. If I didn't know better, I'd say you just wait around looking for fights. Shouldn't you relax? Enjoy the trip? Maybe pick up a hobby that doesn't involve punching people?"
Karmeen's nostrils flared. "Oh, you think this is funny? Unlike you, I actually care when people get hurt! All you ever do is joke around and act like a clown."
Zeddy leaned in, his grin widening. "Well, better a clown than the class volcano ready to erupt at the smallest spark."
Selene, who had been quietly sketching the ruins on her notepad, suddenly piped up in her sing-song voice:
"If you two start wrestling, I'm taking pictures and selling them for lunch money."
Both turned to glare at her.
"Stay out of this, Selene!" they shouted in unison.
Zeddy leaned closer with a teasing grin, eyes glinting mischievously.
"You know, when you get all worked up like that—your cheeks puff up, and you actually look kinda…" He paused deliberately. "…cute."
A hush fell for a single dangerous heartbeat.
Karmeen's eyes narrowed, a vein twitching at her temple. "Cute?"
Before Zeddy could blink, her fist connected with the top of his head. Thwack!
"OW!" Zeddy staggered, clutching his scalp as Karmeen spun on her heel, storming off with a furious huff.
"Not. Cute." she hissed under her breath, disappearing into the crowd.
Just then, Seul returned, balancing a paper plate of snacks in one hand. He blinked at the sight of Zeddy crouched over, rubbing his head.
"What happened to you? Fall into a pit trap already?"
Zeddy scowled. "Very funny. I got assaulted."
Seul popped a cracker into his mouth, unfazed. "Ah. So the volcano finally erupted." He tilted his head, feigning thoughtfulness. "I'd say you had it coming—what's that now, your third punch this month?"
"Second! …I think."
Seul raised an eyebrow. "Mm-hm."
Zeddy groaned. "You're supposed to be my friend, not my prosecutor…"
Seul smiled faintly at Zeddy's dramatic declaration, shaking his head.
Seul took another bite from his cracker, crunch echoing softly, then offered out to Zeddy. "Want some?"
"Don't mind if I do." Zeddy snagged one, chewing happily. His eyes lit up almost instantly.
"Whoa, that's actually good. Where'd you get these?"
Seul pointed lazily across the plaza . "Over there. Tent with 'Seera Sweets' written on it."