Eris.
She stood at the top of the staircase, completely frozen.
For a moment her mind simply refused to understand what she was seeing.
Tyler was lying on the stair landing below.
He had pushed himself halfway up on one arm, but his body looked unstable, like he might collapse again at any second.
"Ty…?"
Her voice came out smaller than she expected.
Tyler lifted his head slightly, trying to look toward the sound.
But his vision had already turned blurry red.
Eris's breath caught in her throat.
Then she ran.
She rushed down the stairs, almost skipping two steps at a time until she reached the landing.
And the moment she got close
Her heart nearly stopped.
Tyler's eyes.
Those calm blue eyes that she had seen countless times during class, during club discussions, during their pointless hallway arguments…
They were red.
Not just irritated.
Not just tired.
They were glowing crimson.
Bright.
Sharp.
And the faint silver spark that always seemed to shimmer quietly inside them was completely gone.
"Tyler…" Her voice trembled.
The fear hit her so suddenly that her chest felt tight.
"What happened to you?"
Tyler didn't answer.
His breathing was uneven, shallow, like he was trying to force himself to stay conscious.
Eris immediately crouched beside him.
Her hands trembled as she reached out and touched his face.
"Did you fall?" she asked quickly. "Did you hit your head? Tyler, talk to me."
Her fingers brushed his cheek
And when she pulled them back, there was a faint smear of red across her skin.
Blood.
Her mind went blank for a second.
"…Is that blood?" she whispered.
Then panic slammed into her chest all at once.
"Okay-okay, come on," she said quickly, trying to sound calmer than she felt. "We're going to the infirmary."
She slipped one of his arms over her shoulder and tried to help him stand.
"Is anyone here?!" she shouted down the hallway.
Her voice echoed through the empty corridor.
No response.
Most of the clubs were on the ground floor.
The second floor was practically deserted at this hour.
Eris tightened her grip around Tyler's arm and forced herself to steady her breathing.
"You literally told me not to run on stairs," she muttered through the tears that were now forming in her eyes. "And now look at you, idiot…"
Tyler finally managed to force out a weak voice.
"…Why… are you crying… you bookworm."
Her head snapped up immediately.
"You're joking right now?" she said, half angry, half terrified. "Look at yourself!"
Tyler tried to straighten his posture slightly, but the pain was still pulsing through his head.
"It's fine," he murmured.
"No it's not!"
"Just take me to the washroom."
Eris shook her head immediately. "No. We're going to the doctor."
"ERIS."
His voice suddenly rose.
The sharpness of it stopped her mid-step.
Tyler closed his eyes for a second, breathing slowly before speaking again.
"…Please," he said quietly this time. "Just trust me."
Eris hesitated.
Her mind was screaming that something was wrong.
That this was not normal.
That people's eyes did not bleed.
But Tyler was looking at her with that same stubborn calm he always had.
"…Okay," she whispered reluctantly.
They slowly made their way down the hallway together.
Tyler leaned heavily on her shoulder as they moved.
Eris didn't complain.
Didn't say anything.
She just focused on helping him walk.
By the time they reached the washroom, her heart was still racing.
She pushed the door open without hesitation.
Tyler staggered toward the sink.
He turned on the tap and leaned forward.
Cold water splashed over his face.
Once.
Twice.
A thin red streak washed away from the corner of his eye.
Eris gasped softly.
"That's it. We're going to the infirmary."
Tyler ignored her.
He splashed water again.
And again.
Slowly,
The tightness in his head began to fade.
The sharp pressure behind his eyes eased.
And the crimson glow gradually dimmed.
The familiar deep blue color returned.
And with it,
A faint silver spark flickered back inside his eyes.
Eris stared in stunned silence.
Her breathing slowly calmed, though her chest still felt heavy.
Without saying anything, she reached into her bag and took out her handkerchief.
She handed it to him.
Tyler wiped the water from his face and looked into the mirror.
"…See?" he said quietly.
"It's gone."
Eris shook her head immediately.
"That's not normal," she said firmly. "Eyes don't bleed like that."
Tyler turned slightly toward her.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Did you forget?" he said casually.
"I'm a magician."
"Tyler, this isn't funny."
He stepped closer.
Close enough that she could clearly see the blue in his eyes again.
"Let's see if my magic still works."
Eris froze.
Her mind went completely blank.
For a second she could only stare into those eyes.
The same calm blue.
The same strange silver spark.
The same look that always made it hard to argue with him.
Then Tyler suddenly laughed softly.
"See?" he said. "It worked."
Eris blinked rapidly and wiped her face with the back of her hand.
"You idiot," she muttered. "There was no magic."
Tyler folded the handkerchief loosely.
"I'll return this tomorrow."
She immediately snatched it back from his hand.
"I'll wash it myself."
Tyler shrugged.
"Alright."
He gestured toward the door.
"Let's get out before someone misunderstands."
Eris looked around instinctively.
Then her brain finally processed where they were standing.
The boys' washroom.
Her face instantly turned bright red.
She spun around and hurried toward the door.
Tyler followed behind her at a much calmer pace.
A small smile formed on his face as he watched her rush out.
"That stupid girl," he murmured quietly.
Eris stepped out of the boys' washroom slowly.
The hallway outside was quiet.
Too quiet.
For a moment she just stood there, her back pressing against the cool wall beside the door. Her breathing was still uneven, the earlier panic refusing to leave her chest. She lifted both hands to her face and tried to wipe the tears that kept gathering in her eyes.
Why am I still crying?
She hated this.
Eris had always been the composed one. Even when things got chaotic around her, she usually kept a calm mind. Problems were meant to be solved, not cried about.
But the image from a few minutes ago kept replaying in her mind.
Tyler lying on the stair landing.
Those red eyes.
Blood.
Her hands trembled slightly.
What was that…?
She pressed the heel of her palm against her eyes again, trying to stop the tears.
Footsteps came from the washroom.
Tyler stepped out a moment later.
The moment he saw her standing there against the wall, still wiping her eyes, he paused.
For a few seconds he simply looked at her.
Tyler didn't understand that expression.
In both of his lives, he had never seen Eris like this.
In middle school in his previous life, she had always been composed. Quiet, sharp-minded, independent. Even in high school she stayed the same focused, rarely emotional, always minding her own business.
They were never particularly close back then.
And now
Seeing her like this felt strange.
Seeing Eris cry was something that had never existed in his memory.
Tyler slowly clenched his hand.
The image of his previous life's end briefly flashed through his mind the cold cathedral, the chains around his soul, the silent darkness that followed.
His fingers tightened instinctively.
No.
He forced himself to stop.
He could not afford to drown in emotions again.
Slowly he relaxed his grip.
Tyler took a few steps closer and leaned slightly toward her.
"Hey," he said lightly.
Eris sniffed quietly but didn't look up.
Tyler pulled something out of his pocket.
"Do I need to lend you my handkerchief too?"
Eris blinked in surprise.
He extended a neatly folded handkerchief toward her.
"I'll give it to you," he added with a straight face, "but on one condition."
She slowly lowered her hands and looked at him.
"What condition?"
Tyler shrugged.
"Don't clean your nose with it."
For a second she stared at him.
Then a small giggle escaped her before she could stop it.
She quickly snatched the handkerchief from his hand.
"I will," she said stubbornly while wiping the remaining tears from her eyes. "And you're the one who'll have to clean it later."
Tyler sighed dramatically.
"Well," he said, "looks like I don't have a choice."
Eris wiped the last of the moisture from her face and finally looked at him properly.
Her expression softened.
"You scared the hell out of me," she admitted quietly.
Tyler shrugged as if it were nothing.
"I told you it was fine."
"That didn't look fine," she shot back immediately. "Your eyes were red. There was blood. People don't just… splash water and fix that."
Tyler didn't answer.
Instead he started walking toward the stairs.
Eris followed beside him.
The hallway lights flickered slightly as the evening sun poured through the windows at the far end of the corridor.
Their footsteps echoed softly as they descended from the second floor toward the ground floor.
For a few moments neither of them spoke.
Eris kept glancing at him occasionally, as if making sure he was actually alright.
Tyler walked calmly, hands in his pockets.
Finally, when they reached the ground floor, Eris couldn't stop herself anymore.
"Tyler."
"I'm listening."
He had already expected the question.
"Why did you suddenly run away from the club?" she asked.
Tyler's eyes flickered slightly.
Inside his mind, surprise surfaced.
She thinks I ran out of the club… and slipped on the stairs.
He almost laughed internally.
Well… that's exactly what a normal person would assume.
But the truth was something else entirely.
That pain.
That terrible headache.
To ordinary people it would seem like a problem.
For Tyler, it was something very different.
Every time those headaches appeared in the past, his abilities had grown stronger afterward.
And this time…
The pain had been far worse.
Which meant
A major increase.
Tyler's lips slowly curved upward into a grin.
Eris noticed immediately.
She frowned and snapped her fingers in front of his face.
"Tyler!"
He blinked and returned to the present, still smiling.
"What?"
Eris looked suspicious. "What happened?"
Tyler scratched the back of his head casually.
"I suddenly gained some new knowledge."
Eris stared at him.
She spoke again in an unusually polite tone.
"Tyler… can I ask another question?"
"Sure."
Her eyes narrowed.
"When you fell from the stairs," she said slowly, "did your head hit the wall or something?"
Tyler stopped smiling.
"No," he replied, confused. "Why?"
Eris suddenly raised her voice.
"Then why are you grinning like a stupid madman?!"
Tyler flinched and rubbed his ear.
"Hey! Don't shout!"
"I asked you a question!" she continued. "Why did you run away from the club?"
Tyler rubbed both ears dramatically.
"Sorry! Sorry! My ears are still alive, you know!"
"So answer me properly!"
Tyler looked around the courtyard as if searching for inspiration.
"Umm…"
He pointed toward the sky.
"Doesn't it feel suddenly hotter today? It's not even summer."
Eris instinctively glanced up at the sky.
"Yeah, the sun is kind of crazy today...."
She stopped mid-sentence.
Wait.
Something's wrong.
She looked back down.
Tyler was already several steps ahead, walking toward the school gate.
Her eyes widened.
"You—!"
She started running after him.
"Tyler! Wait!"
He didn't even turn around.
"Don't hit me again!"
"Stop changing the topic!"
"Violence isn't the answer!"
"You answer my question!..."
Their voices faded slowly as they walked toward the school gate.