Slowly, my eyes drifted toward the trees. The darkness was so thick that seeing anything beyond four arms, would've taken exceptionally rare eyesight. The leaves swayed as though a storm was approaching, and the forest had grown noticeably darker than when we'd first arrived.
The mastermind, Player 1 hadn't said anything.
And across the woods, students remained frozen in place. Their muscles tensed, hands twitched and eyes darted to every corner. They were paralyzed, waiting for Player 1's command, but no one dared test it.
I, however, was slipping deeper into thought.
How do I make sure I'm never kicked out of the academy? The key is to not destroy or hurt anyone. But how do I guarantee that never happens?
How do I keep control of my emotions?
But what am I supposed to do, it strikes while I'm unconscious. And no matter what I try, I can't seem to stop it.
That was the one thing the White Unit could never teach me; how to control it.
Why did I have to be a vessel in the first place? Why was I the one to survive when all others died?
I'm now the reason we're all stuck here, unaware of what happens next. While others die without a chance to prove their worth.
How did I get us into this situation?
The more I listened to the emotions swirling inside me, the worse it became. I wasn't calming down, I was feeding the storm.
"Damn you, demon."
My voice broke, cracking under the weight of emotion whose cause I didn't understand. The words escaped my lips before I could stop them.
And in that moment, they gave way to something deeper; loss. It hit like a blade through the chest. A pain so sharp I felt like I'd just lost the entire world in my hands.
If I can't control my destructive side, then my time at the academy will end soon before it even begins.
What can I do at this moment? If I want to save these students, I need to first figure out who Player 1 is and what they're after? This can't be just a game to them.
I whispered to myself, tears whirling in my eyes. "Hey, do you have anything to say about this mysterious mastermind?" But the silence was too thick.
"People hate us for everything we've done. But I am going to change how they feel about us. I am going to grow stronger, and stronger than anyone else and in the end I will be their hero."
"I'll do the inevitable, I will make a name for myself and have my own place in the world. I will make you too the hero they hear in stories and not the one they met after."
And once I'm done, I can have the warmth of my family close and the freedom to go anywhere and do anything I want.
But even as I spoke, emotions kept swirling inside me, overwhelming me completely. The voice was no longer my own, it was deep and cold. And with each word, I felt myself losing consciousness to him.
---
While I spiraled in thought, the girl I had laid beside the rock stirred. Her eyelids twitched, her body tensed as pain surged through her wounded frame. She curled into herself, trembling slightly.
The temperature had dropped but I barely noticed. Even without a shirt, my body was warm, too warm. And the heat inside me was still rising, subtly but dangerous.
And my mind only spiraled further.
I wonder what stirred you from your slumber this time? This only happens when our emotions collide.
But I'm not feeling anything; not grief, not anger, not despair. So what's setting you off?
My eyelids weighed a tonand my lips moved only with great effort.
I raised my head slowly, trying to hold back a tear.
Funny. I feel like crying, but I have no reason to. Van has always been close in such moments, but if it gets worse, I will have no one else to blame but myself. I let him run off into the city and now I have no idea where he is.
But this time something was different than usual. Normally when our emotions collide there has never been stopping or holding back. But I was still a bit calm and conscious of myself.
"You might disagree with my decisions, but that's exactly what I'm going to do. And you're going to help me by going back to your slumber."
I leaned my head against the cold bark, letting the silence take over. And surrendered to whatever was coming.
My body ached but faintly, my limbs growing heavier with each passing moment, while shifting colors pulsed across the seal-mark on my back, humming with quiet vibrations. But I had grown used to it. This only happened when something was wrong. When what was inside was slipping loose.
But for the first time in years, the pain was bearable, unless if someone were to dare touch that mark right now or twist the emotions I was holding in. Things would have gone from bad to irreversible.
---
While I sat there, lost in my spiraling thoughts and unfamiliar emotions, a sudden voice rang out. It was thick and casual, but held a thunderous presence that seemed to fill the space between us.
"Hey…?"
I lifted my gaze toward the sound. And there, between the trees, stood a tall figure, slightly muscular and broad-shouldered, his stance relaxed yet assured, while his short golden hair caught and shimmered in the dim light filtering through the leaves.
Wait, I know this guy. He is the same guy I saw in the city, when I had gone with Grandma to buy myself some shirts. He was standing outside that small old gear shop, tucked in an alley.
He was Zei-Kuzen.
"Sorry if I startled you, but I didn't mean to. I just noticed a guy seated by the truck, looking kinda spaced out and shirtless in this cold breeze, so I kinda figured something was up. You okay?" His voice came out calm and casual.
Before I could say a word something distracted me. It was a voice coming from in between us. Someone was squirming anxiously.
I lowered my gaze toward the squirming sound, and what I saw made my brows furrow.
What's going on here? What's with the squirming dude?
Kuzen held someone in his left hand by the back of their collar, lifting him like he weighed nothing.
The guy had one inch black hair, his head faced down. He was talking to himself as if fighting invisible demons in his mind, shaking like he was in the presence of his worst nightmare.
"No, it's ok," I finally said as I got up, brushing off my thoughts. "I was leaving anyway."
Wait, I remembered this guy. He's the stalker guy from the ice cream shop. Kuzen thought.
Then his eyes drifted to my shirtless frame. He's got a lot more scars than I could ever have. I wonder what's his story? He has to be so strong to have survived them.
But before I could take a step, he called me back.
"Hey…"
I turned to face him, but he wasn't saying anything. For a moment we just stood there sizing each other up.
"That girl by the rock, is she with you?" He finally asked as he gestured behind me.
"Yes," my answer was instant but I had completely forgotten about her.
Kuzen's eyes lingered on me as if trying to wrap his head around something, and I could clearly see the questions in his eyes.
Why was I shirtless in this cold?
What exactly had he walked in on?
"You might wanna go check on her, I think she's out cold." His voice carried concern, even if his face didn't show much.
I nodded but didn't move, and I wasn't going to unless they moved first. I was still hesitating because something had caused me concern.
Great. I had to leave my shirt behind now of all times. How am I supposed to walk away without them seeing the mark on my back?
I didn't anticipate running into anyone.
The funny part, he was facing the very direction I was heading.
It doesn't matter which direction I take, he'll see it eventually.
Or maybe he won't recognize it.
Of course, idiot, he will. There's only one demon guy with that kind of mark in this world, so he will.
The guy he held by the collar, raised his head, eyes wide like saucers. He was the same guy who was panicking the most during the briefing.
"Uh… Kuzen, p-please put me down! I promise I won't escape again. I swear, I promise you, I won't. I swear. " his voice shaking with panic as he pleaded, his wide eyes glassy with tears. He was Grimbell.
How many times does he swear?
"Shut up, squirm," Kuzen shot at him without even sparing him a glance. His eyes were still locked on me, studying every tiny detail like a book.
He called him squirm, as in someone squirmy?
Something about Kuzen felt familiar, it was like I knew him. But one thing was crystal clear, he was half Malged.
How come these guys were moving? What happened to Player 1?
Then, without a word, Kuzen turned and walked toward the rock where I had left the girl. And I quietly followed him.
He bent down and picked up my shirt, then handed it to me. "You're going to have to do something about her. We don't have fire or blankets around, and you seem to be the warmest one here."
I blinked, still processing it. "And how exactly am I supposed to do that?"
"Cuddle with her," he said, flatly like it was obvious. "You were standing shirtless in this cold and didn't even flinch, you've got the body heat. Besides, you're the one who's been with her this whole time, so it's fair if you did it."
He continued, matter-of-factly, "I have a warmer blanket and this squirm over here," as he pointed at Grimbell, "has a lighter, but they're far. I won't get back in time."
He looked me straight in the eyes. "Now take off your shirt or you want her to die."
Why take it off though?
Can't I just keep it on?
The students in this Demon Forest were gripped by paranoia, but this guy was genuinely trying to save someone he didn't even know.
"If we make a lot of movements, won't Player 1 eliminate us?" I was clearly stalling but the girl was freezing. There wasn't much time.
He answered without missing a beat.
"If you haven't noticed, it's been over an hour and a half since he went silent, and it's already night. He's probably giving us time to rest before the next game tomorrow."
Now that he mentioned it, we've gone through three games so far: Tag, Hide-and-seek, and the guessing game. A break was overdue.
Grimbell suddenly raised a hand. "I can warm her up!" But the whole time he was whispering to himself anxiously like a man who had lost it.
Funny, I thought he wasn't even listening to what we were saying.
"I told you to shut up," Kuzen growled, finally sparing him a glance. His expression was serious, he was clearly not the 'mess around' type.
I hesitated again. Caught between choices: save the girl and risk them seeing the mark on my back or let her freeze.
But Kuzen noticed my hesitation, and without another word, he stepped forward and mimed the steps for me, voice sharp but calm.
"Take off your shirt, then sit by the rock, pull her into yourself, then cover her with your shirt. Make sure you hold her tight. You'll manage."
"Am gonna leave this squirm here, keep an eye on him for me."
He's trusting me that easily. Hmph... he's a weird guy.
"Zei Shadows," he murmured, and the darkness around him stirred like ink in water. Two dark shapes pulled themselves free from the gloom; elongated, faceless, yet unmistakably humanoid. They moved with a slow, deliberate gait before melting soundlessly into the ground beneath Grimbell's feet.
A shadow master! But I've never heard of Zei Shadows before. And yet, they shape themselves into forms that remind me of Clam's shadows.
With that he left, walking into the darkness. Whatever he was off to do must've been important.
Grimbell just stood there, his back curved forward, shoulders sagging, arms hanging limply at his sides, head bowed as if the weight of the world pressed down on him.
I couldn't tell what he was thinking, but he wasn't going to raise his head anytime soon.
So I took off my shirt slowly, eyes darting to make sure no one was watching. Then I sat beside the girl, pulled her into my chest, and wrapped the shirt over us both like a blanket, then held her by the waist. But she was cold, so cold it was like touching ice. And her breaths were so shallow I thought she was dead.
I have never done this before. I don't even know if I am doing it right.
But she was deep inside my personal space. It felt strange and unnatural.
This is so uncomfortable… I just hope I'm not holding her too tightly.
But still…
I hoped it would be enough.