POV: Liyn
A dazzling light slowly crept in, disturbing the tranquility of my dark dreams. I tried to open my eyes, though part of me still wanted to linger in the embrace of my dreams. However, the sudden scent of something delicious slowly brought me back to consciousness.
With reluctance, I open my eyes. On the small table beside the bed, I see a plate of fried rice still steaming warm.
Who made it...?
As I sit up slowly and gather my thoughts, my eyes sweep across the room. Neat. Much more organized than I remember it being last time. That's when a voice I recognize well echoes from the other side of the room.
"How do you feel now, Liyn?" Her voice was soft, almost like a soothing morning whisper.
A few seconds later, she walked toward the window. Sunlight streamed in through the curtains, illuminating her silver hair, which shimmered in the light. She slowly opened the window—the morning air rushed in, bringing a coolness that touched my skin.
I could only watch him in silence. His fair skin, his silver hair blending with the sunlight, and the white shirt he wore—with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and the shirt deliberately left untucked. That style was so different from usual… more relaxed, more… charismatic. For some reason, that's what made him seem even more captivating.
Without realizing it, I kept staring at him. Until suddenly our gazes met. He was also looking at me.
"Liyn… It's Saturday, right?" he said with a light smile. "If you're feeling better, let's start our little project."
I startled slightly, suddenly remembering. "Oh, right… school's closed today." A shy smile appeared on my face. "I feel much better now. In fact… I'm full of energy. Hehe."
"Thank goodness." He nodded in relief. "Well, I'll be going now. We'll meet at the library later, okay?"
He started walking toward the door, but I quickly spoke up. "Senpai! I'm sorry… Because of me, you had to stay here last night. I really caused you trouble…"
He stopped and turned slightly. But before he could answer, I raised my hand, trying to sound cheerful. "Today, I'll 'pay' for everything! Let me be the one to inconvenience myself now!"
He gave a faint smile, then bent down briefly to tidy his belongings. "Don't push yourself, Liyn," he said softly as he walked toward the door.
Once he reached the threshold, he spoke again without turning back.
"If anything happens, just let me know. Don't hesitate."
After that, he stepped out, leaving me sitting in silence… with a heart that felt much lighter.
"Yosh! Time to eat!" I murmured softly, as if there were others in the room.
I devoured the fried rice greedily. "So delicious…" I mumbled as I continued chewing. "Can I ask him to cook this every day?"
That's how I am when I'm alone. No boundaries. I can talk as I please—even to myself.
"Ahhh… so full," I sighed contentedly, leaning back for a moment before heading toward the bathroom. But my steps halted when my eyes accidentally caught the clock on the wall.
9:00 AM.
I tensed up. "Wait… have I wasted so much time?" I whispered, half in disbelief.
In an instant, my mind flashed back to the previous night. When I told him everything—about my mother, about the seal, about Safina's inheritance book… everything. I even showed him the inheritance seal that I was never supposed to show anyone.
"What have I done…" I whispered again, this time with a darker tone.
Regret spread quickly, creeping up alongside the boiling anger in my chest. In just a few seconds, my mood deteriorated drastically. I hurriedly closed the window while continuing to curse myself.
Stupid… I'm stupid… so stupid… stupid… stupid…
Those words kept repeating in my head like a cursed mantra. Flooding my mind without end.
And in the midst of that emotional storm, again—for the umpteenth time—a familiar dark urge surfaced. To hurt myself. As a form of punishment. As a way to regain the control I'd lost.
I laughed softly. A crooked smile graced my face. Even I could feel how insane I was at that moment.
While searching for clothes in the closet, my eyes suddenly fell on a small object in the corner—a clear plastic wrapper containing a new razor blade.
My hand stopped.
If I hit the wall and broke my finger, Senpai would immediately notice and heal it. But if I used this… maybe he wouldn't know.
I stared at the razor blade for a long time. My breathing became irregular. My hands trembled as I began to open it.
At first I hesitated. Fear was still there—about the pain that would come, about the regret afterward. But anger… the anger building up in my chest gave me the drive to keep going.
Slowly, I undressed. My fingers were stiff as the razor blade touched the skin on my upper arm. The first cut was barely noticeable—just a thin line with no effect. Then I pressed it deeper, faster. Once. Twice. Five times. Ten times.
Blood hadn't come out yet.
But a few seconds later, it began to seep out slowly… flowing and soaking my skin. I just stared at it, blankly… then smiled.
The pain was real. And it was from there that a sense of satisfaction came. As if the punishment had been handed down. As if everything was now balanced.
My mind was empty. My heart was too. But this emptiness was far more bearable than the depression that had tormented me all this time.
POV: Leith
Exactly at ten in the morning, I arrived at the library. Without wasting any time, I immediately searched the shelves containing ancient historical references—especially those about the figure with long white hair down to her ankles.
That figure was no stranger to me.
Not only because of its connection to the dark history—the division between the Hesra Clan and the Orien Clan—but also because I had seen it directly. Once, and it was enough to cause trauma.
At the time, I was only fourteen years old. It stood before the gates of the Akarashi house… as if about to enter. His body towered nearly two meters tall, silent yet intimidating in the piercing stillness.
I never told anyone.
Out of fear.
Because that figure… was too real, too foreign to explain.
And since then… I never met Akarashi again.
If that figure has returned—and this time is targeting Liyn—what is the reason?
What is truly happening?
My hands clenched, my jaw tightened.
No… this time, I won't stay silent.
If that figure is targeting Liyn, then it must pass through me first.
But in the midst of my anxious thoughts, that soft sound came—the creak of a door hinge opening.
"Senpai, I'm sorry… I've—"
It was Liyn's voice. Soft, hesitant. Coming from the direction of the door.
But when I turned around… there was no one there.
The door was indeed open, swaying slightly as if it had just been touched. However, the hallway beyond it was empty, silent, as if no one had ever passed through it. My eyes scanned the room, my chest beginning to tighten. The temperature around me dropped drastically.
Then I froze.
Suddenly, something—cold, damp, and foreign—touched my shoulder. My breath caught in my throat.
Before I could react, the voice came. Soft. Close. Whispering, right in my ear.
"Don't interfere…"
The whisper was so real, piercing straight to my spine.
And I knew… whatever it was, was standing right behind me.