At dawn, Arya was trapped in that strange in-between state of sleep and wakefulness. His body felt unbearably heavy, as if being pulled into a void. When his eyes finally opened, there was nothing but endless darkness. No walls, no floor, no sky—just absolute emptiness.
The only thing he could see were his own hands, pale and trembling in the dark. He tried to speak, calling out, "Hello…! Is anyone there?"—but no words came out. His throat was tight, his voice trapped. Only the echo of his pounding heartbeat filled the void.
Thump-thump… Thump-thump… Thump-thump…
Fear crawled up from his feet to his neck, raising goosebumps on his skin. "What…? Where am I?" he whispered to himself. He took a step back, but the darkness swallowed everything. No light. No direction. No one.
And just as he felt his breath slipping away, a soft voice broke the silence.
A woman's voice—broken, trembling, filled with sorrow.
"Why…? Why me…? What did I do wrong…?"
Arya froze. His eyes searched the blackness, and faintly, a shadow appeared in the distance. At first, just a silhouette, but slowly, as the voice grew clearer, the figure became visible.
A girl.
Standing weakly in a dark navy dress from the '70s, her curly red hair tangled and messy, tears streaming endlessly down her cheeks. Her eyes were empty… yet they held a thousand unspoken pains.
"Rika…?" Arya whispered, unsure if his voice even reached her. His heart raced faster. He wanted to run, to reach her, but his legs felt rooted to the spot.
Rika stood still. Her blank eyes locked onto Arya, lips trembling slightly. Then, suddenly—blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. One drop… two drops… until it flowed freely, soaking the collar of her dress.
"RIKA!!!" Arya tried to run. He poured all his strength into it, but his steps were useless. The harder he tried, the farther Rika seemed to drift into the darkness.
He reached out, desperate to grab her, but then saw fresh blood coating his own palms.
"What the hell?! Why is there blood?!" Panic erupted into a scream. He gasped for air, eyes darting back to Rika. But now she was smiling… a chilling, heart-wrenching smile, slowly fading into the darkness.
"Don't… Rika, don't—!!" Arya shouted, arms outstretched…
Arya woke up drenched in cold sweat. His breathing was rapid, chest heaving. He jolted upright—
"Thud!!"
—his forehead smacked into something hard. The sound echoed through the room.
"Aaah! Ouch! My forhead!!" came Rika's usual whining voice, followed by an annoyed sigh.
Arya held his throbbing head, vision blurry for a moment before focusing on the figure in front of him. Rika sat on the floor, hands pressed against her forehead. Her curly red hair was messy, eyes glassy from pain, and she shot Arya a mix of irritation and surprise.
"You human! No manners at all! You nearly gave me a heart attack! Bumping into people at dawn now?!" she scolded.
Arya didn't respond immediately. His chest still tight, the nightmare—the image of Rika bleeding—clung to his mind. Unconsciously, he reached for her shoulder.
"Huh? Hey, hey… what's wrong with you?" Rika blinked, confused by his sudden closeness.
Arya studied her intently, eyes scanning her from messy hair to tiny feet. Every detail: red hair, pale skin, small hands massaging her forehead. No blood. No wounds. No haunting blank stare from the dream.
Rika fidgeted, face heating.
"Eh?! W-what are you doing? I'm not ready yet!" she panicked.
Arya stayed silent, holding her shoulder tighter, as if to make sure she was truly okay.
"You pervert!!" Rika shouted, cheeks blazing. She pushed his head with all her might.
"Ugh—!" Arya toppled backward, landing hard on the floor.
Rika immediately crossed her arms over her chest, still red to her ears. "If you're gonna flirt with a girl, at least read the situation, idiot!"
Arya sat still for a few seconds, then let out a small smile, a long sigh escaping his chest, eyes misty. In a soft, almost inaudible voice:
"Thank goodness… you're okay."
Rika, still grumbling, paused, a bit puzzled at Arya's unusual expression.
"Eh? What's wrong with you? Don't tell me… you had a naughty dream, huh?! Calling my name in your sleep again!" she teased, hiding her own embarrassment.
Arya said nothing. He slowly got up, went back to bed, flipped the blanket away from her, turning his back.
"Hey! Why so quiet? I'm talking here!" Rika murmured, quieter now, glancing at his tense back.
Arya drew a deep breath, trying to calm his chaotic thoughts. "Maybe… I just overthink things… Nagini's words made me imagine… bad things," he thought. He closed his eyes, forcing his tense body to relax. "I need to sleep… I can't dwell on these strange thoughts…"
Slowly, Arya's breathing steadied. The room was silent, only the faint tick of the clock.
But in the corner of his mind, Rika's voice from the dream echoed again:
"Why…? Why me…?"
He clenched his teeth, trying to push it away, pulling the blanket over part of his head.
Late Morning Rush
By 10:10 a.m., Arya's phone beeped. Outside, birds had stopped chirping, the sun blazing overhead.
"AAAAHHH!!! I'M LATE!!!" Arya yelled, jolting from bed like a lightning strike. His body tumbled off the thin mattress, nearly tripping over the charging cable sprawled on the floor. Without thinking, he bolted for the bathroom, hair wild.
In the study, Rika sat casually at the desk, chin resting on her hand, eyebrows raised in judgment: "Same old habit…" She watched Arya panic, not bothering to help.
"That's the fourth time this week he's done this… and I woke him up early," she muttered, stifling a grin.
From the bathroom came Arya's frantic voice:
"NOOO!!! MY SHAMPOO!!! IT'S EMPTY!!!"
Rika laughed softly, leaning back in her chair, red curls glinting in the sunlight.
Crashing sounds followed—"BLAK! BLUK! DUG-DUG!"—and Arya swearing as he searched for backup soap.
A few minutes later, Arya emerged, hair wet but only half-shampooed. He moved like a whirlwind, grabbing his bag, books, and shoes in one go.
"Haaah! Rika, come on! Don't disappear! Are you listening?!" he shouted, panicked.
Rika followed, giggling, sticking out her tongue mischievously.
"Yeah, yeah, Mr. Lazy. Am I a child or something?" she teased, floating lazily in the air.
"I mean it, Rika. Don't wander off without permission…" Arya said more quietly this time, his tone heavier than usual, hiding something. He didn't even glance at her.
Rika smiled, unaware of the faint worry behind his usual fussiness.
"Hehehe… Don't tell me you're still thinking about that naughty dream last night?" she teased.
"THAT WASN'T A NAUGHTY DREAM!!!" Arya shouted again, face crimson, drawing a few curious stares from passing students.
Rika chuckled, satisfied. "Oh really? You were calling my name in your sleep. Maybe—"
"ENOUGH! LET'S GO!!" Arya snapped, picking up his pace.
Cafeteria Talk
On the way to campus, Arya kept glancing at Rika, opening his mouth as if to say something… but nothing came out. "If I tell her about the dream, she'll either worry… or get even more mischievous," he thought, clenching his fists.
Meanwhile, Rika chatted nonstop. "Hey Arya, if I were real in the physical world, would you take responsibility for your dream?" she giggled.
"I SAID IT WASN'T A NAUGHTY DREAM!!!" Arya shouted, cheeks blazing.
Unbeknownst to Rika, Arya hid a fear he had never felt before.
From the upper floor, Dio stood watching Arya run toward the campus building. There was something unusual about his aura—rippling, like water disturbed by a cold wind.
"His aura is unstable," Dio murmured.
A soft voice whispered into his mind. Calm, deep, warm, and authoritative.
"Seems like you're starting to worry about others, Dio," Nagini said, wise, like speaking to a stubborn child.
"Not exactly, just… odd," Dio replied, shifting slightly.
Nagini sighed, voice like water dripping on stone. "Cutting knots too fast doesn't always solve the problem… Sometimes you must untangle slowly, or you'll make it worse."
"So you want me to do nothing?" Dio asked sharply.
"I want you to observe with your heart," Nagini replied calmly. "Not just judge by visible strength."
Dio narrowed his eyes. "Nagini… you're calming me down. But I know you're not fully convinced of that boy yet."
Nagini chuckled softly, an echo from another world. "Hehe… maybe I just want you to stay calm, or… see if my apprentice still remembers how to separate emotions from truth."
Dio exhaled. "You always twist words."
"And you always draw your sword too soon," Nagini replied, gentle yet firm, like a warm embrace Dio couldn't resist.
Dio clenched his fists slowly, then relaxed. "…Fine. I'll approach slowly. But if something goes wrong, I won't hesitate."
At the closed classroom door, Arya slumped, cold corridor floor seeping through his clothes. Beside him, Rika crossed her arms, red hair swaying as she shook her head in mock annoyance.
"You see! If I wake you, don't make it hard! Now look at the mess!" Rika scolded like a young mother.
Arya sighed. "Yes… yes… sorry," he muttered, lowering his head like a caught schoolboy.
Rika exhaled. "You give me a headache. How about—"
"Hey… coffee first." A cold voice cut through her lecture.
Arya looked up. Dio stood there, calm, expressionless.
Rika spun around, narrowing eyes at him. "Dio! Arya's getting scolded! Don't interfere!" she shouted.
Dio's gaze was sharp yet lazy. "…This crazy ghost is evolving into a nagging mom?" he muttered.
Rika half-shouted, eyes wide. Dio stayed expressionless, then grabbed Arya's hand.
"Eh?" Arya was surprised.
"Come on," Dio said simply.
"LET GO! I'm not done yet!" Rika floated after them, hair flying wildly.
The cafeteria was quiet; two glasses of iced coffee stood on the table, slowly melting. A plate of warm mendoan with tomato sambal tempted them.
Dio sat calmly, one hand propping his chin, the other holding a half-eaten piece of mendoan. He watched Arya fidget, expressionless.
"So… what's going on?" Dio finally asked, voice low.
Before Arya could respond, Rika blurted out:
"He had a naughty dream last night!" she exclaimed.
The room went silent. Arya froze, crimson as a boiled crab. Dio paused mid-bite, glaring at Rika. Her façade crumbled; she looked around nervously, pretending to inspect the ceiling.
Arya subtly signaled Dio with his eyes. Dio sighed quietly.
"Hey… crazy ghost," Dio said dryly, smirking. "Go away. This is between young master and… young master."
Rika's mouth dropped. "Since when are you and Arya 'young masters'?!"
Dio raised an eyebrow, still relaxed. "Since your madness evolved into louder chaos," he said flatly, tone sharp as a whip.
"Ugh… so annoying!" Rika huffed, watching Arya trying not to laugh. She raised her hands dramatically, floating away, still peeking like a failed detective.
Dio sighed. "…That crazy ghost really is…" he murmured, watching Arya.
"Now…" Dio said more seriously. "What really happened? Did you have a naughty dream about her?"
"Don't take that seriously," Arya replied, annoyed. Dio raised both hands, showing he was joking.
Arya swallowed hard, still red-faced, but now with a heavier weight on his chest remembering the dream.
Finally, he spoke softly.
"I… had a dream last night," he said. "In it… I was in a dark room, no light at all. I couldn't move, couldn't speak. Then… I heard a woman's voice."
Dio's gaze sharpened, listening without interruption.
"Her voice… she was crying, saying, 'Why… why me? What did I do wrong?'" Arya clenched his hands, fingers trembling. "Then I saw Rika. She was there, eyes empty. Blood flowed from her mouth… I—tried to run to her, but my legs were stuck. When I tried to reach her… my hands were covered in blood. Then she smiled and slowly vanished."
Arya closed his eyes briefly, exhaling. "I felt… like I had lost something, like I failed to save someone who's always been close to me."
Dio was silent, eyes blank for a moment, moving as if piecing together a complex puzzle.
Dio, still staring intently, waited for Arya to continue the "dream" story—not realizing Arya had already finished.
"Then… where's the naughty part?" Dio asked seriously.
"I didn't have a naughty dream, and don't let that girl influence you," Arya said, annoyed.
Arya looked at Dio silently, clenching his fists, lowering his head. His voice trembled with determination.
"Please… teach me how to use spiritual energy," he said softly.
Dio blinked, slightly surprised.
"Huh? Did I hear that right?"
Arya raised his head slightly, gaze earnest, lips trembling.
"Just a little… teach me. I couldn't do anything in critical moments like last night. I've started worrying about Rika… she's reckless, never thinks ahead. Even a little… I want to be useful."
Dio was silent, eyes sharpening, now heavier than usual. He leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling.
"…Forget the ghost," Dio finally said, cold but firm. "It's the only way you won't get involved any further."
Arya froze. His heart felt squeezed. He clenched his fists until knuckles whitened.
"Sorry…" he said softly, yet a sharp note lingered. "I refuse. If you can't help… I'll find someone else."
"Why?" Dio asked, voice heavy. "Wasn't your life fine before this ghost? I don't think it's a difficult decision."
Arya's fists tightened further. Serious, unwavering eyes met Dio's.
"Because I promised her," Arya said firmly, voice trembling but determined.
Dio exhaled slowly. His tense shoulders relaxed. A rare smirk, more teasing than warm, appeared.
"Hah… I almost had a heart attack from that 'promise' just now," Dio said, mockingly.
Arya looked confused. "What do you mean? Did I say something wrong?"
Dio leaned on the table, chin slightly raised. "Yeah… I thought your 'promise' was some kind of ritual contract with terms and conditions usual among shamans," he said casually.
Arya exhaled sharply, eyes wide. "You…! I'm serious here…"
Dio chuckled, then glanced at Rika, who was peeking from behind a pillar. He gestured for her to come closer.
Rika glanced, pretending not to care, walking slowly toward them, twirling a strand of hair.
"Hmph! Who cares about your talk? I'm just passing by," she said, acting cool.
Dio stood, towering as he passed her. As they passed, he leaned slightly, whispering softly but clearly:
"Take care of your friend… seems like he worries about you a lot."
Rika froze, eyes widening, watching Dio's back as he walked away. Warmth and curiosity stirred in her chest.
Before she could ask, Dio waved over his shoulder. "Don't bother me again, ghost," he said flatly, disappearing into the cafeteria crowd.
Rika paused a moment, then turned to Arya, now sitting with an annoyed expression.
"Huh? What were you two talking about?" she asked, curiosity piqued, sitting in front of him.
Arya said nothing, staring at the empty iced coffee glass. A few moments later, he smacked his forehead.
"Dio's so rude… who's paying for his share? He just walked off!" Arya grumbled.
Rika only smiled, thinking in her heart: Finally… he's back to normal.