Believing that whatever was happening to me came from this school was no longer a guess—it was a certainty. Not just this school alone, but this place felt like the center, the underground heart where everything dark flowed from. If there was a root, this was where it buried itself deep.
To uproot something like this, I knew I couldn't do it alone. I needed an ally. Anyone. Even a spare teacher who stayed quiet. A cleaner. A staff member who had seen too much and learned to survive by silence. Someone—anyone—who understood what truly happened once the lights went off.
—the Headmaster, —was the biggest mystery of all. Rarely seen, yet somehow always present. Like a shadow that moved when you weren't looking. Students whispered about him, teachers avoided mentioning his name too loudly, and somehow, every major decision passed through his hands without him ever stepping forward.
They already knew about me. I was no longer hidden.
Whatever ruled this place knew I could see them now. Knew I could feel them. Knew that if I fully awakened whatever slept inside me, I wouldn't just expose them—I could destroy them. That knowledge alone made me a threat.
Early the next morning, fear still heavy in my eyes, I flipped through the school magazine while sitting on my bed. Glossy pages. Smiling faces. Award ceremonies. Clubs. Teachers posing neatly in rows.
Lies.
I paused on some of the teachers' faces—teachers I barely saw in real life. Ones who never stayed late. Ones whose classrooms always felt cold even in summer. Ones whose smiles never reached their eyes.
My mind raced.
What if the masked guy hadn't come last night? What if I had died there, alone in that forest, my body dumped and my story erased like so many others?
A shiver ran through me.
I hadn't seen Yoon since the night she told me the truth—or what I thought was the truth. For reasons I couldn't explain, I hadn't asked about her either. Maybe it was distrust. Maybe it was fear. Or maybe I was scared that if I asked, I'd confirm something I wasn't ready to know.
Yen.
Was she still alive?
I reached for my phone. I remembered Jan mentioning once that she might know where Yen stayed. Or was it just talk? Everything felt unstable now, like the ground could vanish under my feet at any moment.
Should I reach out… or should I wait?
I didn't know who to confide in anymore.
Standing up, I walked toward the window. My breath caught.
Raven was there—on the tree, eyes closed, as usual. Still. Silent.
Something deep inside me urged me toward him. Not logic. Not reason. Instinct.
I left my room immediately, closing the door softly behind me.
As I approached the tree, Raven opened his eyes slowly, like he'd been awake the whole time.
"You come here quite often," he said, looking down at me.
"Raven… can you come down? I want to talk."
He hesitated for a few seconds, then climbed down with effortless grace, landing in front of me.
I swallowed. "Raven… I don't know if telling you this will help. I don't even know who to trust anymore. You warned me before—about things—and everything you said started happening. My life is in danger. Real danger. And I don't know what to do. I feel helpless."
He watched me closely, his gaze sharp but unreadable.
"For me to stay alive," I continued, my voice trembling, "I need to understand what's going on. But first… I need help. And I don't even know if you can help me."
My voice broke. Tears spilled down my cheeks before I could stop them.
"The world is so mysterious," I whispered. "I don't know how to survive it anymore. I don't know who to trust. I don't—"
Raven stepped forward and pulled me into a hug.
I froze.
This was the first time he had ever touched me like this. Raven—who barely showed emotion, who rarely smiled, who spoke like every word cost him something.
I rested my head against his chest, surprised by the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. He held me firmly, grounding me in a way I didn't realize I needed.
After a moment, he released me.
His eyes were cold again, fixed on mine.
"What do you want?" he asked quietly.
"I need help," I said. "They're after me. I was almost killed yesterday. A stranger saved me. I don't even know how to awaken what's inside me yet. I don't know how to—"
"Jina," Raven interrupted.
"For now, you need to trust yourself first. Trust what you can do. Believe in yourself. Remove fear."
I stared at him.
"I tried to warn you," he continued. "You weren't ready. Not yet. But you kept digging. Investigating."
"This isn't physical," he said firmly. "You can't investigate this like humans do. It will only put you in more danger."
His words sank deep.
"For now," Raven said, "do what I tell you. Believe in your strength. Remove fear. And yes—remove trust too."
I wiped my tears silently.
Raven gently took my hand, his fingers brushing my wrist like he was checking something . After a second, he let go.
"What… why you do that ?" I asked.
He didn't answer.
Instead, he climbed back onto the tree.
"To begin," he said calmly, "stop worrying."
He lay back on the branch, closing his eyes.
"I need to rest. I exhausted my strength."
I watched him for a long moment, then quietly walked away.
For the first time in days, my chest felt lighter.
Back in my room, I glanced at Yoon's door. Still locked. Silent.
I closed my door, pulled my chair to the window, and looked out at the tree.
Raven was still there—eyes closed, resting peacefully.
And for the first time since all this began, I felt like I wasn't completely alone.