Rilian sat quietly, watching the road through the bus window.
"Dude, what happened earlier?" Zeke asked.
"Hard to explain," Rilian replied, keeping his eyes on the road. "You can't see what we can see."
"I think I did." Zeke's tone softened.
"Shut up, Zeke."
"I really did," Zeke insisted, with the same soft voice. "I saw something… red… hovering above her head."
Rilian straightened and turned to him with a surprised look.
Zeke rubbed his chin with his fingers, deep in thought.
"There was something red that flew over her head, then it went to her ear and whispered, 'You have to get Rilian too. He's the most handsome guy in school. Then everything is yours!' And then, on her other ear, the guardian angel flew—"
He didn't finish.
Rilian pushed him off the chair.
Zeke tumbled to the floor but burst out laughing.
Rilian turned back to the window, ignoring him, as Zeke got back in his seat, still laughing.
After a while, Zeke fell silent.
"Man, I'm serious now," he said. "You two really saw something I can't?"
Rilian stayed quiet, eyes still on the window.
Zeke leaned back. "Or maybe… you're just both introverts with overactive imaginations?"
"If I could only show you, I really would, Zeke," Rilian said.
"What do you call it again? Corrupted… Eater?"
"Aether," Rilian corrected.
"Right, right." Zeke nodded. "So the way I understood it, she's going to turn into a Corrupted Aether?"
Rilian didn't answer.
"So… are you really going on a date with Aya?"
Rilian just sighed.
Zeke leaned back with a crooked grin. "World's weird, man. Even the girl who seems to have everything still wants the one guy who doesn't want her."
* * *
Rilian looked stunning even with his simple outfit of dark navy slim-fit polo shirt, chinos, and sneakers.
"Not bad, my prince charming," Yarin said.
Rilian's brow arched. "What did you just call me?"
Yarin rolled her eyes. "Idiot, I'm being sarcastic."
She pulled something from her pocket. "Give me your hand and open your palm."
Rilian held out his hand. He felt something land on his palm, but when Yarin let go, nothing was there.
He frowned and poked at the invisible object with his other hand. "What is this?"
"An earpiece," Yarin said. "James put a spell on it to make it invisible. Put it in your ear so you can hear whatever I say."
She checked her watch. "It took us… thirty minutes to get here, so you've got another thirty. After that, take it out discreetly so she doesn't notice."
Rilian nodded. "You sure this will weaken the Corrupted Aether?"
"Probably—If we pacify her obsession well enough," Yarin said.
Then she shooed him forward. "Go. You'll be late. And make sure you listen to me."
Rilian nodded again and started walking.
"You can hear me, right?" Rilian heard her voice through the earpiece.
"Yes I can," he whispered.
"Good. I've also got you with my binoculars."
Rilian's heartbeat grew faster and faster as the restaurant loomed closer.
He stood for a moment just outside the entrance and took a deep breath.
When he entered, he felt as if he was dizzy or suffocated. He could not quite explain—fine dining was one of the places he hated the most.
He spotted Aya standing as soon as she saw him. She wore a wine-red short dress, her long blonde hair softly curled. She covered her mouth with both hands, as if trying to stop herself from screaming.
She looked stunning—but Rilian's eyes widened not because of her, but because of the Corrupted Aether swirling faintly around her.
"Calm down prince charming." Yarin's voice came through the earpiece.
"I can see your terrified face! Smile. Then wave at her."
Rilian forced a smile and waved widely.
"Idiot! You look crazy. Gently—wave gently!"
He awkwardly switched to a gentler wave and started walking toward her table.
"Say, hi."
"Hi… Aya," Rilian said.
"Hello, charming," Aya replied with a grin. "So… do you want to sit across or next to me?"
Rilian started blankly, waiting for Yarin's cue and Aya frowned.
"Do I really have to decide that for you?"
"Across… across… is fine," Rilian said quickly, forcing a smile.
They sat down together. He felt so uncomfortable that he took out his handkerchief, wiped the sweat off his face, and then used it as a fan.
"Waiter!" Aya called out sharply, and the waiter immediately came over.
"Your place is hot. Turn up the air conditioner."
"No—no, I'm fine," Rilian said quickly, giving the waiter a sheepish smile.
"No, you're sweating," Aya said, unbothered.
"Right away, Ma'am," the waiter bowed and immediately took the remote, turned up the air conditioner, and then returned to their table.
"Please call me if you need anything else," he said politely.
"We're ready to order," Aya said, flipping open the menu.
"I'll have the Filet Mignon with Red Wine Reduction," Aya said smoothly. "And… Cranberry Spritzer, please."
The waiter turned to Rilian. "And for you, Sir?"
"I—uh—" Rilian glanced at Yarin from the corner of his eye, then blurted, "S–same! Just the same as her."
The waiter nodded politely and walked away.
Rilian was silent, not even moving, his eyes just staring at his hands resting on the table.
"Hey, you're so stiff, you look like you're at a funeral." Yarin hissed in his ear. "Say anything. Ask her something normal."
Rilian raised his head, thinking about what to say.
"Uhm… are you familiar with negative harmony?"
"What—what kind of question was that?!" Yarin nearly yelled through the earpiece.
Aya blinked. "No, I'm not. What's that?"
Rilian sat up straighter, suddenly in his element.
"Well, it's a compositional technique that mirrors musical pitches, chords, and melodies around a central axis—usually between the tonic and dominant—to create negative equivalents with similar tonal gravity but different emotional characters."
Aya tilted her head, clearly lost, while Rilian kept going, eyes shining.
"For example, the negative harmony of a C major chord—C-E-G—is an F minor chord, F-Ab-C. It transforms stable notes into their stable counterparts, keeping the harmonic tension but flipping the emotional color."
She stared blankly at Rilian for a long time.
And suddenly she blushed, as if holding back her excitement. "Wow, you're really a music genius," she said giggling.
"Hmm. Didn't see that coming," Yarin muttered in his ear.
Then, "Wait—hold on."
Rilian froze, listening. From the earpiece, he could hear Yarin talking to someone else.
"Yes, officer? No, I wasn't spying. I was… just testing my binoculars."
A pause.
"Yes. I'll leave. Sorry about that."
A moment later, she was back in his ear.
"Hold on. I need to find a new spot. The plaza guard told me to leave."
"Everything okay?" Aya asked, noticing his sudden silence.
"Ah… yeah," Rilian said with a stiff smile, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Ril… I'm… You… Now…," Yarin's voice was cutting off, the signal breaking.
"So…" Aya said softly, leaning forward. "With us here together… does it mean we're official now?"
"Official?" Rilian echoed, eyes wide.
"You know…" she blushed, twirling her hair. "Since you asked me out…"
Rilian pressed the earpiece deeper into his ear. His heart was pounding. The signal was fading fast.
"Ril… Can… Hear…"
"No, Yarin," Rilian said out loud in panic.
Aya's smile faltered. "Yarin?"
Rilian's eyes widened. "Ah—no! I meant—"
She narrowed her eyes. "I knew it. The other day, you and Zeke were hiding something. Is there something going on between the two of you?"
"There is—wait, no! Not like that! She just—she needed me. But it's—"
Aya's face hardened. "That witch!"
Rilian leaned back on his chair as he saw the Corrupted Aether flared violently around her. The presence was strong as if it was pushing Rilian back to his chair.
Aya suddenly stood. "Waiter! Cancel our order!" she snapped.
Then she ran out of the restaurant.
"Rilian, can you hear me now?" Yarin's voice came back, clearer this time.
"What happened?" he said.
"I lost signal," Yarin replied. "What's happening?"
"She ran away…" Rilian said, standing quickly. "And the Corrupted Aether—" he swallowed. "I think it's about to possess her."
"Follow her!" Yarin shouted in his ear.
Rilian shot out of the restaurant, scanning the plaza until he spotted Aya's wine-red dress darting through the now quiet plaza.
"Aya! Wait!" he shouted, but she didn't even glance back.
"Crap, crap, crap!" Rilian muttered, breaking into a full sprint.
"Where are you?" Yarin's voice crackled through the earpiece.
"I'm chasing her—" he said between breaths, spotting her turn toward the waterfront. "She's heading to the baywalk!"
He pushed harder, until he finally caught up.
"Stop, Aya!" he yelled, running alongside her.
Then, in one burst, he sprinted ahead and blocked her path.
Aya froze—but the look she gave him wasn't Aya's. Her eyes glowed faintly, and her lips curled into something vicious.
"You witch!" Aya hissed, her voice suddenly warped, layered with something darker. She wasn't looking at Rilian—she was looking past him.
Rilian turned and saw Yarin standing just a few feet away.
"Step back, Rilian," Yarin said.
Rilian did, taking slow steps back, eyes fixed on Aya.
Her skin turned glowing white, like fresh snow under moonlight. Her long blonde hair darkened, strand by strand, until it became a deep velvet red.
Then an invisible force burst outward from her, blowing their hair back. Around her dark violet, goo-like tendrils emerged swirling in the air.
Aya lifted her head—her eyes shining like glass—the Corrupted Aether fully took over.