The atmosphere grew increasingly oppressive, as if every second stretched into eternity.
The relentless rain pouring down created a tense mood, each drop striking against the thick silence that hung between us.
Kael stood near the fire, his expression as cold as ever, yet something was different.
Something about his demeanor—something that made him seem more focused, more engaged.
It was as if something within him was stirring, though his face remained unreadable.
He scanned each of us with his eyes, his voice steady and sharp, like thorns cutting through the tension-filled air.
"The sirens' weakness lies in their dependence on water," he said in a flat tone, yet it carried an undeniable certainty.
"They're not just predators, they're manipulators. Their voices and songs are their primary weapons—to stir fear, create illusions, and invade our minds until we crumble."
Everyone fell silent, Kael's words hanging heavily in the air.
Bram frowned, Ayla bit her lip, and Dirga—usually so firm—looked more somber than usual.
They all knew that what Kael was saying was the undeniable truth of the threat we faced.
Kael continued, his voice cold and calculated.
"As you might suspect, they likely have a mission to attack the Heart, and that's—"
He stopped. Silence.
His eyes shifted to me, and I felt his sharp gaze piercing directly into my soul.
Everyone else's eyes followed—focused on me.
I was still glowing white, my body radiating a light that felt like a magnet, drawing danger ever closer.
Dirga let out a heavy sigh, his voice laced with despair.
"That's right. And we can't run from here either. We're surrounded by water, and if we move, we'll only be stepping further into their territory."
The tension thickened.
I could feel the uncertainty gripping everyone, the weight of knowing there was no escape.
"Can't we block out their voices?" I asked, my voice harsher than I intended. I couldn't just sit there and hope the problem would resolve itself.
Kael slowly shook his head.
His voice was cold again, like ice flowing through his veins.
"No. Their song doesn't enter through your ears. It attacks your soul and mind directly. They will prey on your desires, your fears, and the doubts within you."
Silence fell over the room again, as Kael's heavy words sunk in.
I could feel fear starting to grow inside me, creeping into every corner of my mind.
How could we fight something so vile, something that couldn't be fought with physical strength alone?
Bram, unable to contain his emotions, raised his voice sharply, nearly shattering the oppressive silence around us.
"So what you're saying is we just sit here and take their attacks? Then why are we even having this discussion? This is pointless!"
Bram's outburst echoed through the space, startling a few people with its sudden intensity.
Dirga, who was usually patient, reacted immediately, his anger flaring.
"BRAM! If you don't have anything useful to say besides making everyone more upset, then just keep quiet!"
Dirga's shout filled the room, and the tension climbed even higher.
Kael—typically calm—looked at them with his usual stoic expression.
"Hmph..." His voice was flat, emotionless.
"I'm only telling you what you need to know. This isn't just about surviving. It's about enduring yourselves, and as far as I know, those who can't control their emotions will be the first to be attacked—and the first to die."
Kael's tone was sharp, almost like a warning—or perhaps a jab at Bram.
Yet, deep down, I felt a twinge of doubt. Bram, for all his emotional outbursts, had been the last to fall in our previous encounters.
Dirga fell silent, his eyes locking onto Kael with unmatched intensity. "Then what should we do? We can't just wait for it to happen. We need a plan."
Kael turned his gaze to the fire, his cold expression unchanged.
Yet behind his sharp, controlled demeanor, I could sense he was thinking deeply about something he wasn't ready to share.
In the tense silence, his words echoed again, heavy with an unsettling weight.
"I suggest you be honest with yourselves and accept your fears and dark pasts fully," he said, his tone still flat and firm but carrying a depth that couldn't be ignored.
"Because even I don't know if I can resist their illusions."
Kael's words hit like a heavy blow, leaving the room in stunned silence.
The oppressive quiet grew even heavier, each breath feeling harder to take.
I could feel the tremors of uncertainty inside me, and I knew we all felt it.
Not just fear of the unseen creatures, but a far greater terror—the fear of ourselves.
"Dirga!" Kael's voice cut through, pulling us back into the grim reality we faced.
"Your ability—one of them can detect their presence, can't it?"
Dirga nodded without hesitation, though I could see the tension in his face as if he fully understood what was coming.
"Yes, one of my abilities can sense them within a twenty-meter radius."
Kael stared at Dirga, his gaze sharp like a blade ready to strike.
"Good. Then you'll report any signs immediately." His voice was steady—firm and calculated.
"If you can detect them, we'll rely on you. Don't hesitate to speak up if anything seems off."
Dirga nodded again, though his eyes stayed focused, scanning every movement around us.
No one spoke, as if waiting for something massive and terrifying to descend upon us.
.
.
.
.
The wind outside swirled harder, amplifying the suffocating tension that filled the room.
The relentless downpour battered everything in its path, as if nature itself could sense the chaos about to unfold.
The atmosphere sent chills down my spine.
I could feel a powerful vibration emanating from outside—an invisible threat, yet unmistakably present.
A strange sensation settled in my chest—a growing sense of foreboding that became more intense with each passing moment.
"Something's wrong..." I murmured, more to myself than to anyone else.
Suddenly, Dirga's voice shattered the oppressive silence.
"Kael, they're starting to move!"
Dirga stood upright, though the tension in his gaze was impossible to conceal.
"There's more of them now!"
Kael didn't respond, but I could see how quickly his sharp eyes scanned the surroundings, every move calculated and deliberate.
It was as if he was already prepared for whatever was coming.
"Everyone, get ready!" Kael shouted, cutting through the mounting tension.
His commanding voice carried strength, forcing us all to focus on the threat lurking outside.
The air inside the room grew heavier, as though every second dragged us closer to destruction.
I could feel the powerful vibrations growing stronger outside—like soundwaves crashing against the walls of the building that sheltered us.
The noise grew louder, more real, pressing down on us with unmatched force.
It felt as though the vibrations were intent on swallowing us whole, and there was no safe place left in the world.
Dirga closed his eyes briefly, sensing the vibrations emanating from all directions.
Everyone held their breath, unmoving, unwilling to make a sound.
"They're very close now... about five meters from the building's perimeter," Dirga said, his voice trembling yet firm with certainty.
"They're starting to form up."
"What do we do now, Kael?" Ayla asked, her voice nervous but trying to maintain composure, even as the tension in the air became nearly unbearable.
Kael let out a long sigh before turning his gaze toward all of us.
His sharp eyes, like a hawk's, scanned us one by one.
"You'll be fighting their illusions. Stay vigilant, and don't let your minds be overtaken."
He continued with an air of gravity, as though he wanted his words to leave no room for doubt.
"They won't let us leave so easily. They've already started singing—there's no place to run. It's either endure or die."
I swallowed hard, his words adding weight to the tension already hanging over us.
There was no room left to retreat, no option but to stand our ground.
But how?
How could we stand against an enemy whose power couldn't even be seen with our own eyes?
Kael turned to face us, his gaze sharp and resolute.
"Stay focused. Don't let them take over your thoughts. That's what they want. They'll twist everything—your fears, your doubts, even your memories."
Then, he turned his piercing gaze to me, as if looking straight into my soul.
"Especially you! You're not allowed to die. If that happens, every death here will be on your hands," he said, pointing directly at me.
I swallowed hard, feeling as though everyone's attention was now fixed on me.
My heart raced, and though I tried to stay calm, I knew this was the moment.
This was the greatest test of my life.
The sound—that siren's song—began to creep into the building.
At first, it was soft, like the faintest whisper of the wind, but within seconds, it grew louder and sharper, like the screams of a thousand souls begging for release from their torment.
The sound wasn't just something I heard—it was something I felt, like a poison seeping into my mind.
It pulled at every fear I'd ever buried, every doubt that lingered within me, carving its mark deep into my consciousness.
And without realizing it, my thoughts began to drift, slipping into a void so vast it seemed endless.
.
.
.
,
I bit my lip, trying to focus my thoughts.
The world around me felt increasingly blurred, like a fog slowly consuming reality.
A faint rustling sound echoed in my ears, but I couldn't pinpoint its source.
The walls of the building where I sought refuge began to fade, disappearing like shadows swept away by light.
An odd sensation crept through my body, as if unseen hands were invading my mind, tearing at my consciousness bit by bit.
When I opened my eyes, everything had changed.
I stood on a long, empty road.
Silence.
No sounds, no signs of life.
Just me, in the midst of a stillness that felt piercing.
The sky above me was gray, utterly motionless, as if time itself refused to move.
But the strangest thing wasn't the silence.
It was the clothes now clinging to my body.
A school uniform.
I stared at it with a furrowed brow.
An unfamiliar feeling mixed with memories that slowly began to surface.
School.
Ah, I remember now…
Today, I was supposed to go to middle school—a place I hated more than anything else.
Something I loathed.
School had always felt like a prison to me.
Every corner filled with traps, ready to swallow me whole.
I didn't know why I kept forcing myself to go.
Maybe because I had no other choice.
But this…
Something felt wrong today.
I took slow steps, walking down the road that seemed frozen in time.
Each step echoed, like a foreign sound bouncing through the void.
The buildings around me loomed tall, but their shadows stretched unnaturally, like dark hands reaching out to grab me.
I knew I wasn't truly alone.
This silence wasn't ordinary silence.
No matter how quiet, silence always carries something within it.
Them.
The entities that dwell beyond the reach of ordinary human perception.
I'd learned to ignore them.
Most of them weren't dangerous, as long as I pretended not to notice.
But not all of them.
Some were smarter, trickier, and far more dangerous.
"Don't look. Don't react," I whispered to myself, my voice barely audible over the pounding of my heart.
But my body felt heavier with each step I took.
The farther I walked, the harder it became to ignore them.
Their presence pressed down on me, as though the air itself had grown denser.
Then, my eyes fixed on something in the distance.
A large gate I knew all too well.
The school gate.
I didn't know how I had ended up here, but my steps continued leading me forward.
It felt like stepping into a trap I couldn't avoid.
As I passed through the gate, the world seemed to shift.
Everything moved quickly, like flashes of blinding light.
Before I could fully grasp what was happening, I found myself seated in the back row of a classroom.
.
.
.
.
The sound of the bell suddenly echoed, breaking the silence that had been holding me captive.
I glanced around, trying to make sense of what was happening.
Everything felt so real, yet entirely off.
I lowered my head and opened the book on my desk, trying to calm my chaotic thoughts.
A history book.
I'd always found it strange how this book held my attention.
It was as if there was something it wanted to tell me, something I could only uncover within its pages.
The classroom door creaked open.
A teacher walked in, followed by a boy.
I glanced up briefly.
He stood out, with his almost shaved head that looked slightly odd.
"This is our new student," the teacher said, motioning for him to introduce himself.
I tried to listen, but his voice felt like a passing breeze.
Nothing stuck in my head.
Strangely, I didn't care.
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.
.
.
The recess bell rang.
I slowly stood up, intending to leave and escape the suffocating atmosphere of the classroom.
My steps were slow, almost hesitant, but something made me stop.
Someone blocked my path in the hallway.
"Hey, Kai. Long time no see," he said with a cold smile that froze me in place.
I tensed up.
That voice.
That smile.
I knew him.
Every word that came from his mouth felt like poison.
"Are you sick? Or maybe you're avoiding me?" he continued, forcefully putting his arm around my shoulder.
"No," I replied briefly, trying to sound strong, though my chest felt tight.
"Ah, guess it's just my imagination, huh?" He chuckled softly, but his laugh felt more like a knife slowly cutting through me.
I tried to pull away, but he dragged me closer.
"By the way, you're heading to the cafeteria, right? Treat me," he said, more like a command than a request.
"Sorry, I don't have enough money," I replied quietly, my voice barely audible.
But he roughly dug into my pocket, pulling out the money I had saved.
"You're lying, Kai. I thought we were friends. Look, this money is enough to treat me. You don't need to eat."
I wanted to protest, but my voice caught in my throat.
"But it's the only money I have..."
He smirked, stopping my protest with a sharp look.
"You've got guts rejecting me. Who do you think you are, huh?"
Before I could react, he grabbed my arm and dragged me away from the crowd.
I struggled, but my strength wasn't enough.
He took me to the back of the school, a place where there were rarely other people around.
But that didn't mean they weren't there.
"Listen, Kai," he said, shoving me against the wall. His gaze was cold, filled with hatred.
"You're too weak. It's time you learned — never go up against someone stronger than you."
I fell silent, my body instinctively tensing.
Their presence was palpable—spirits, ghosts, and other entities lurking in the shadows, observing us.
But even with all of them around, the one thing that truly terrified me was still... humans.
.
.
.
.
He had left me after unleashing his power, walking away as if I were nothing more than a discarded object.
His cold, emotionless gaze haunted me even now—like an executioner who felt no remorse.
No apology.
No trace of compassion.
He just walked away, leaving me on the cold, hard ground, as if I were something useless to be discarded.
I lay there, my body feeling heavy.
Pain coursed through every inch of me, making each breath feel like it was cutting through my throat.
This physical pain didn't compare to what I felt inside.
There was something in my chest, an invisible weight that crushed every breath I took, making me want to give up.
The sky, once bright blue, had turned into a dark orange.
The sun sank slowly below the horizon, as if it was running away from this world.
Long shadows crawled across the ground, covering the world with a cold darkness.
I shut my eyes, trying to ignore the pain, but the voices in my head wouldn't stop.
"You're weak."
"You're useless."
"Why do you keep trying?"
I bit my lip, fighting back the tears.
I wasn't going to cry—not for him, not for anyone.
I refused to give in, even if it felt like every bit of strength was draining out of me.
But the more I tried to hold it in, the more it hurt.
The world around me felt empty.
No one asking if I was okay.
Only silence, cold and judgmental, as if the world had erased my existence.
I tried to rise, but my body refused.
My legs and arms felt like they were tied down by an invisible force, preventing me from fighting this state.
Eventually, I gave in.
I hugged my knees, leaning my back against the rough school wall.
Cold.
But it was the only thing that felt real now.
It felt like the world didn't care whether I lived or died.
As if I were just a passing shadow, unworthy of being remembered.
Dark thoughts began to creep into me, gnawing at the last small hope I had left.
"Is it true that I have no place in this world?"
"Will I just be someone who is constantly forgotten?"
I waited for something—anything—to answer me.
But nothing came.
Then, in the middle of the echoing silence, I heard something.
Footsteps.
At first, slow, like a shadow of sound that was almost lost in the wind.
But in this silence, every step was clear, like an echo reverberating down a long hallway.
I turned slowly, my eyes searching for the source of the sound.
My heart began to beat faster.
A mix of hope and fear swirled inside me.
Maybe someone had come.
Maybe someone had seen me, noticed my existence.
Could that little hope still be alive?
A figure began to take shape at the end of the long, dark corridor.
The steps grew closer, clearer.
I looked on in hope, though my body still trembled.
But when the figure finally emerged from the shadows, I felt my blood freeze.
It was...
All the hope I had left crumbled the moment I saw that figure.