Hunter shot energy bursts toward the floating dark entity, but it was as if the creature possessed its own mind, evading every attack with unnerving agility. The shadows twisted and rippled, slipping past his flames and darting out of reach.
"Go hide somewhere!" Hunter commanded, voice strained with urgency.
Without hesitation, I sprinted toward behind the giant marble warrior statue. My hands trembled as I fished out my phone, desperately trying to dial for help. The room shook with the deafening booms of Hunter's energy strikes, echoes bouncing off the high walls. Glass shattered, relics and weapons clanged to the floor in chaotic symphony.
The flickering lights cast flickering shadows, making everything feel surreal and dangerous. I barely dared to peek out from my hiding spot until a sudden, piercing cry from Hunter shattered the chaos—an agonized shout that pierced my heart.
I looked over just in time to see the dark figure hovering ominously over him, its shadowy form pressing down, as if suffocating him. Panic surged through me. I didn't think—my eyes landed on the sword embedded in the marble statue's hand.
Without a second thought, I yanked it free, the cold steel feeling heavy in my grip. Summoning every ounce of courage, I charged at the dark entity. My sword sliced through the air—and, to my astonishment, the creature vanished into thin air, dissolving like smoke caught in a sudden wind.
Breathing heavily, I turned to look at Hunter sprawled on the floor, sweat pouring down his face, chest heaving. Relief flickered in my chest—until I saw his eyes widen, frozen in shock. His gaze shifted behind me.
I barely had time to turn around before the entity reappeared, right before my eyes. Its flaming blue eyes burned into my cheeks, searing into my skin and igniting a strange, unbearable weight inside me—something that made it hard to breathe, to think. The air thickened, pressing down on my chest.
Suddenly, everything blurred. The room spun, colors twisting into chaos, and darkness flooded my vision.
-----
I opened my eyes slowly and slowly recognizing the faded white ceiling of our room.
Shit. What happened?
I ran my hands over my arms, checking—yes, I was definitely alive, and in one piece. Then, I saw Kelsey stuffing her things into her bag on the other side of the room.
Kelsey turned around, her eyes wide with concern. "Finally, you're awake! We're late for class." She hurriedly stuffed her books and supplies into her bag, glancing at me with a mixture of relief and curiosity.
"What happened?" I asked, voice trembling slightly. "The last thing I remember… I was in the library."
Kelsey blinked, her brow furrowing. "Huh? I found you sleeping soundly when I got back this morning. You weren't here earlier?"
My heart thudded. That wasn't right. I remembered being in the library—guarding Hunter and then… then that strange moment, the dark creature, the fight. But now, all I had was a blank space where those memories should have been. It was as if someone had erased them.
I looked around the room, trying to piece together what was real. The familiar dorm walls, the cluttered desk, Kelsey's hurried movements—everything seemed normal, yet my mind was racing to catch up with the missing pieces.
"Maybe I was dreaming," I whispered, more to convince myself than anyone else. But deep down, I knew that wasn't the truth. Something had happened—something I couldn't quite remember, but that felt deeply embedded in my bones.
The haze clouded my mind all morning, each attempt to recall how I ended up in my room feeling like clutching at smoke. Every time I tried to piece it together, the fragments slipped away, leaving only an unsettling emptiness.
By lunchtime, I found myself standing in front of the crowded buffet line, where Hunter was casually lining up. My heart pounded in my chest, but I mustered every ounce of courage to approach him, whispering shyly, "Hi! Do you remember me?"
Hunter turned slowly, his hair covering half of his face, raising an eyebrow as if sizing me up. "Should I?" he replied, voice cool and detached.
My throat tightened. "I accompanied you last night… down at the library?" I whispered, pinching the side of my skirt as I spoke.
Suddenly, whispers erupted around us, like sharp blades slicing through the air.
"Was she saying Hunter went with her at the library? The hell?" a girl behind us muttered, eyes narrowing with suspicion.
Hunter's expression shifted to annoyance, dismissive and cold. "I don't even know what you're talking about. Leave me alone," he snapped, turning away as if I was nothing more than a nuisance.
A wave of humiliation washed over me. The surrounding students sneered, their eyes judging and mocking. One girl even mouthed "bitch" at me, her lips curling into a sneer. The sting of her words felt like a punch to my stomach.
I wanted to disappear—right there, into the ground. The embarrassment was overwhelming, yet beneath it all, a dark feeling of frustration simmered. Hunter was an asshole, sure, but I knew something was wrong. I hadn't imagined last night's encounter. Something had happened, and my mind was desperately trying to block it out.
-----
I went to the library and spotted the student assistant who had told me to go with Hunter down to the Forbidden Records. I approached her quietly, leaning on the counter.
"Hi! I was here last night on duty, right?" I asked softly.
She didn't look up from her computer screen. With a lazy shrug, she replied, "Yeah?"
That confirmed it—I wasn't imagining things. "Can you tell me what happened after I accompanied Hunter to the Forbidden Records?"
Finally, she looked up, her face registering confusion and disbelief. "You? Who would let a substitute staff go down into the Forbidden section? I'm not even allowed there."
"But you asked me to!" I protested, leaning closer to the counter, my voice trembling. I felt tears prick at the corners of my eyes. I'm not crazy!
"Even if I did, you shouldn't get past the elevator," she retorted sharply, almost shushing me.
I glanced behind her, catching Miss Dewey's glare. "You told me to watch him from afar," I whispered, feeling my voice falter.
"Maybe, but only up to the elevator," she said firmly. "Going down into the Forbidden Records is grounds for expulsion—unless you're a Sagrado."
A heavy silence settled over me. Expulsion? Why had Hunter let me into the elevator if it was forbidden? Was I already in over my head?
Without another word, I turned and hurried out of the library, the weight of unanswered questions pressing down. Maybe that's why Hunter didn't want to talk about it—I was already deep in something I shouldn't be.
It's only been a week, and I already did something that could get me expelled. Maybe it's better that I forget it, too—for my own sake.
As I walked down the hallway toward my next class, a strange sensation crawled over me. The other students' eyes bore into me—some filled with disgust, others with mocking amusement. My nerves prickled, and I tried to keep my head high, but then I heard a whisper that made my stomach drop.
"Is she the girl who made Krygan carry her? What a whore," someone hissed.
My breath caught. My face burned with shame, but I forced myself to keep walking. Then I heard another voice, colder, more deliberate. "Yeah, she even suggested Hunter went with her to the library. She had some guts to lie."
The whispers grew louder, a relentless ritual echoing behind me.
"Did she just transfer? How dare she?"
"I heard she's even a charity case!"
"Was she trying to break up Calixta and Hunter's engagement?"
"Somebody should teach her a lesson!"
"She doesn't even belong here!"
A wave of humiliation washed over me, but I clenched my fists, fighting the urge to run. Every word felt like a lash, every glance a dagger. I didn't belong here—not anymore.
As I turned the corner, I suddenly slipped—someone had oiled the floor. My feet betrayed me, and I tumbled hard onto the polished tiles. My butt shot with pain, and for a moment, all I could feel was the sting of embarrassment and hurt.
Before I could get up, two girls walking past—carrying iced coffees—"accidentally" dropped theirs right on me. The cold liquid and the sticky coffee smothered my tears, but the ache in my chest only grew worse.
What did I even do to deserve this? I wondered bitterly, wiping the coffee off my face with trembling hands. I tried to stand, but my legs felt like jelly, and I collapsed back to my knees.
Then I saw him—Krygan—and his friends approaching. My stomach clenched. Embarrassed beyond words, I quickly buried my face in my hair, hoping to disappear. When they walked past, they didn't even glance in my direction. Not a single look.
But I heard Krygan's voice amid their conversation, loud enough to cut through the chaos:
"Remember the girl I carried to the clinic the other day? Man, she'll be so easy to get!"
The words hit me like a dagger. My heart thudded painfully, and I felt the cold rush of shame. Was he talking about me?
Tears blurred my vision as I fought to hold myself together, feeling more alone than ever.