Ryan's POV:
"Huh?" I muttered, walking back to my dorm.
Wait.
'Nelia…'
'…What?' Her voice crackled, ragged and breathless.
Was she running?
'Sothing… sothing feels off. I feel strange,' I admitted, feeling a deep unease.
'PLEASE! JUST… JUST GO BACK TO THE STADIUM! I'LL CO TO YOU!'
Fuck.
"Argh," I groaned, stumbling against the wall of the building beside . My head spun, a disorienting haze clouding my senses.
What the hell is wrong with ?
I felt lightheaded. No—worse than that. It was as though… as though—
"Haah… Haaa… Haa…" I panted, clutching my chest. My breath ca shallow, erratic.
Sothing was definitely wrong.
'N-Nelia,' I reached out ntally, but there was no response.
Fuck.
A wave of nausea hit , and I staggered, groaning as my shoulder slamd against the rough stone wall of the building beside . My breath ca in short gasps, my chest rising and falling in erratic rhythms.
What the hell is happening to ?
The world tilted, a disorienting swirl of light and shadows. It was as though… it was as though…
... I was going to lose consciousness.
Sothing was definitely wrong.
'N-Nelia…' I tried reaching out again, but as it seed... The connection was broken.
Damn it.
I forced myself to look around, blinking rapidly to clear my blurred sight. I was alone.
I was on my way to the dorms.
But....
... I wasn't going to make it.
It was quiet.
Empty.
Too empty.
I sighed, pressing my fingers against my forehead, willing the dizziness away. I needed to go back.
Turning, I spotted the corner I had just walked through. I was in an alleyway—narrow, dimly lit, the space wedged between so unknown facility and the main lecture building.
Fuck.
My legs buckled.
I collapsed onto my knees, gasping for breath.
WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING TO ?!
WHY DO I FEEL LIKE THIS?!
"Haah… Haah…"
Step…
Step…
Step…
The asured sound of approaching footsteps sent a shiver down my spine.
Who…?
I forced my head up, vision swimming. A silhouette lood ahead—a girl.
I could make out green hair, though the shade was too bright to be Nelia's.
"…Nelia?" I rasped, struggling to focus.
A low chuckle.
"Sorry, that's not my na."
Then—
A sharp crack.
A knee slamd into my chin.
And just like that—
Darkness swallowed whole.
…
…
Nelia's POV:
"Huh?" I looked around.
What happened?!
Before the connection between the trinket and was severed, I had sensed him here.
"RYAN!" I yelled, but…
…no reply.
I had just co from the stadium itself. With my stealth skill, I managed to slip in undetected and check, but…
…he wasn't there.
Now, I'm back at the spot where I last sensed him before our connection was lost.
This alleyway.
"…Argh!" I ran my fingers through my hair in frustration. "Where did he go?! I hope nothing happened…." I bit my nails, scanning my surroundings with a frown.
What do I do?
What do I do now?
"If you die, I swear I will kill you!" I rubbed my forehead in anger.
I could try to forcefully reestablish our connection, but given how unstable our bond already is, it might lead to complications.
It might even trigger the rging process.
I can't risk it.
Sigh.
I guess I'll have to find him myself.
"…Ryan," I muttered, my hands clenching at my sides.
I've never felt this way about anyone before.
Perhaps it's the lingering influence of the seal placed on with the Trinket of Destiny.
Perhaps it's just my fear of being alone.
I don't know which it is.
All I know is—I can't lose him.
I just can't.
I feel this intimate bond, this connection.
It's not from the ritual I perford.
Maybe it's because I saw his mories.
I experienced his pain.
He's like .
No.
He's endured even more than I have.
Isolated from the world by a fate he never chose.
I feel this instinctive need to protect him.
To make him feel safe.
To make him feel loved.
And in such a short span of ti…
I fell completely.
"…Where are you, Master?"
….
….
Ryan's POV:
"HAAAH!" I gasped, my lungs burning as I jolted awake.
"Haa… haaa… hah…" My breath ca in ragged bursts, my eyes snapping open.
What… happened?
"—!"
I rember.
That girl.
Who was she?
I glanced around.
Dark.
Where… is this place? It was dark. Too dark.
Whoosh!
"HAAAH!" A sharp cry tore from my throat as sothing ice-cold crashed over , shocking my senses.
Water.
A soft, lilting voice followed. "Wakey wakey."
That voice—again.
I knew that voice.
My head jerked up, and there she was.
A girl stood before , but in the suffocating darkness, I couldn't make out her features. Her hair, her eyes—everything was swallowed by the darkness around us.
It's just too fucking DARK in here!
"WHO THE… WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?!" I roared, thrashing to get up—only to freeze as realization struck.
I couldn't move.
No.
I was tied up.
Literally.
I WAS TIED TO A FUCKING CHAIR!
A wave of fury surged through . "WHO ARE YOU? WHERE DID YOU BRING ?!" My voice thundered, the words drenched in anger.
But all I got in response…
… was a giggle.
A sickeningly familiar giggle.
"Oh, El. How low you've fallen."
My stomach twisted. That na...
... again.
That voice.
No. No, no, no.
At this point, I just wanted to bash my head against the nearest wall and end it all.
Another enemy from my past.
Just great.
Just fucking great.
My throat felt dry as I forced out the words, quieter this ti. "Who… are you?"
She humd, a smile laced in her tone. "Since you asked so politely… I'll tell you."
And then—
A soft glow flickered to life.
A mana bulb, illuminating the darkness.
I saw her face.
My breath caught.
Oh, God.
"Long ti no see, dearest."
"M-Miranda…?"
...
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