Some time had passed in Yaoshima City, and the familiar ringing of the bell echoed throughout Vanguard Institute, signalling the end of the break and the beginning of the next class period. Students gradually began returning to their classrooms, filling the corridors with lively conversations, laughter, and the occasional hurried footsteps of those who had lost track of time. The brief window of freedom was coming to an end, though not everyone seemed particularly eager to return to their lessons.
Inside one of the classrooms, Takumi stood near the back, leaning against the wall behind a row of desks. His posture was as relaxed as ever, but his attention remained fixed on the phone in his hand. He had been checking it repeatedly for the past few minutes, occasionally refreshing his messages in the hope of finding something new. Standing beside him, Itsuki watched his friend for a moment before finally breaking the silence.
"Got anything from Lyss, Taki?"
"Nope. Timotheo hasn't been able to get in contact with her either."
Itsuki let out a quiet sigh and crossed his arms, shifting his weight as he glanced around the classroom. He seemed to be giving the situation some thought, although his expression suggested he wasn't taking it quite as seriously as Takumi. After all, there were plenty of ordinary reasons someone might miss a day of classes. At least, that's what he wanted to believe.
"I mean... maybe she just felt sick and needed some time off, y'know? Girls can be kinda unpredictable." He shrugged, offering his explanation with an almost carefree grin.
Takumi barely reacted, keeping his eyes on his phone. While Itsuki's suggestion wasn't impossible, it didn't quite sit right with him. Lyss hadn't given them any indication that she was feeling unwell, nor had she sent a message explaining why she wouldn't be around. That alone was enough to make him suspicious.
"She wouldn't just ignore us if that were the case, would she? There has to be something else that's bothering her."
Itsuki tilted his head, seemingly unconvinced. He wasn't particularly fond of jumping to the worst possible conclusion, especially when there was still a perfectly reasonable explanation available. He raised a finger, as though he'd just remembered something important, and offered another possibility.
"Maybe she's sleepin'. Sick people tend to sleep a ton. Especially girls."
Takumi finally gave him a brief sideways glance. His expression remained mostly unchanged, though there was a hint of disbelief in his eyes. Itsuki, on the other hand, seemed perfectly satisfied with his explanation, apparently unaware of how little it had done to ease his friend's concerns.
Still, Takumi decided not to argue. Instead, he shifted his attention back to his phone and continued searching through various online news feeds and reports. He had been keeping an eye on anything happening around Yaoshima, hoping that a recent incident or unusual announcement might provide some clue about Lyss's whereabouts. Even the smallest piece of information could potentially help him narrow things down.
Unfortunately, the search wasn't proving particularly fruitful.
"There doesn't seem to be any attacks. The Institute hasn't had any reason to activate the alarm either. She doesn't share her location with us, so there's no way to check where she is."
He scrolled through another page, carefully scanning the latest reports before refreshing the feed. Nothing unusual appeared. No emergency broadcasts, no public warnings, and no confirmed Malform sightings that would explain why Lyss had suddenly gone missing. Everything seemed surprisingly quiet across the city.
Itsuki leaned over slightly, trying to get a better look at the screen. His eyes wandered across the various headlines, though he didn't seem particularly interested in reading through them himself. After a few seconds, he straightened up and scratched his cheek.
"Well, that's somethin', I guess. At least the city's not fallin' apart while we're stuck here."
Takumi slipped his phone slightly lower, giving the comment a moment of consideration. Itsuki was right about one thing: there didn't seem to be any immediate danger. However, that didn't necessarily mean everything was fine. Lyss had a habit of keeping certain things to herself, and her sudden absence only made him wonder how much they actually knew about what she had been doing lately.
Around them, the classroom continued returning to its usual rhythm. Students took their seats, pulled out their notebooks, and exchanged a few final words before the teacher arrived. The sound of chairs scraping against the floor and bags being placed beside desks gradually replaced the earlier commotion.
Itsuki glanced toward the clock, then back at Takumi, who was still examining his phone. He seemed ready to say something else, but ultimately decided against it. Whatever was going on with Lyss, there wasn't much either of them could do until she finally got in touch.
Takumi, however, wasn't entirely convinced that simply waiting would be enough. He locked his phone and slipped it into his pocket, his gaze lingering briefly on the classroom entrance.
Something wasn't adding up. And until he found out what Lyss was really doing, he couldn't bring himself to stop worrying about it.
Takumi's attention was suddenly drawn to a notification appearing at the top of his phone screen. Unlocking it, he noticed that the message had come from Timotheo, who apparently had something worth sharing. He opened their conversation and began reading.
Timotheo: "Yo, heard about Class 2-C? Apparently, two students didn't show up for their classes."
Takumi's eyes lingered on the message for a moment. Two students missing their lessons wasn't necessarily anything unusual, but considering Lyss's own unexplained absence, the timing caught his attention. He quickly typed out a response.
Takumi: "Do you think they're with Lyss?"
Another notification appeared shortly afterwards.
Timotheo: "Nah. I don't think so. Lyss usually avoids hanging out with random students. She prefers working alone, too."
Takumi leaned his head back against the wall, briefly contemplating Timotheo's response. He had a point, but that didn't necessarily rule out the possibility. Lyss had already mentioned having something important to take care of, yet she hadn't bothered explaining what it was. The more Takumi thought about it, the more he suspected there was something she wasn't telling them.
Takumi: "I mean, she said she had something to do. I don't think Lyss is telling us the whole truth. Maybe she has some kind of private connections."
Timotheo's response arrived shortly afterwards.
Timotheo: "Well, yeah, but still. She's not the type of person who'd skip class just to hang out with friends. She's too focused on her studies."
A second message followed almost immediately, suggesting that Timotheo had already tried looking into the situation himself.
Timotheo: "I even checked with Cinder. She doesn't have anything for us either. But Lyss definitely isn't at the dorm."
That last detail made Takumi pause. If Lyss wasn't at the dorm, hadn't shown up for class, and couldn't be reached through messages, then there weren't many places left to look. He shifted his weight against the wall, staring at the screen as he considered what Timotheo had told him.
Takumi: "Yeah. Thought so."
For a brief moment, the conversation went quiet. Takumi remained on the chat screen, wondering whether there was anything else worth asking. Before he could come up with another question, however, Timotheo sent one final message.
Timotheo: "Oof! Gotta go! Class started."
Takumi glanced toward the classroom entrance, where the last few students were hurriedly settling into their seats. He locked his phone and slipped it into his pocket, leaving the conversation at that.
At least he now knew that Lyss wasn't at the dorm. Unfortunately, that only narrowed things down slightly. It still left the biggest questions unanswered: where had she gone, and what was important enough to keep her away from everyone?
Takumi let out a quiet sigh before finally pushing himself away from the wall. Whatever Lyss was involved in, he had a feeling they weren't going to get an explanation anytime soon.
Takumi slipped his phone into his pocket and pushed himself away from the wall, making his way toward his assigned seat before the professor arrived. Around him, the classroom had almost completely settled down, with students putting away their phones and preparing their notebooks for the upcoming lesson. He pulled out his chair and took his place, briefly glancing toward the front of the room.
Itsuki, meanwhile, remained behind for a moment. Watching Takumi return to his seat, he scratched the back of his head and let out a rather exaggerated sigh. He had been trying to make sense of everything surrounding Lyss, but the more he thought about it, the less interested he became in getting involved. There were already enough things occupying his mind without adding another mystery to the list.
"Man... There's way too much goin' on. I don't need to bother thinkin' about all that stuff, yeah?" he muttered to himself with a dismissive shrug.
Having seemingly made peace with his decision to leave the worrying to Takumi, Itsuki finally followed him back to his seat. He dropped into his chair with his usual carefree attitude, seemingly ready to put the whole matter aside and focus on whatever the professor had planned for them. Of course, knowing Itsuki, there was a good chance his attention wouldn't stay on the lesson for very long either.
Meanwhile, deeper within the abandoned underground tunnels, the two second-year students continued making their way through the darkness. Their footsteps echoed against the concrete walls as they eventually reached a considerably wider section of the passage. Unlike the narrow corridors they had crossed earlier, this area opened into a spacious underground chamber, its surroundings barely distinguishable beneath the thick darkness and lingering mist.
The brown-haired boy stopped for a moment, looking down at the phone in his companion's hand. The flashlight had been flickering for some time, occasionally illuminating the ground before shutting off again. With visibility already poor, the constant interruptions were beginning to test his patience.
"Man, will you fix your damn flashlight? I can't see anything down here."
"Oi, I'm workin' on it! You think I'm just standin' here for fun? Somethin's messin' with the electronics, and I can't get the damn thing to cooperate!"
The boy holding the knife tapped against his phone, repeatedly attempting to get the flashlight working again. He tried closing and reopening the application, adjusting the settings, and even giving the device a few frustrated shakes. Nothing seemed to help. The screen remained dim, occasionally flashing with faint interference before going dark again.
"Man. Screw this. You're actually useless."
"Yeah, yeah. Keep runnin' your mouth. That'll fix it."
Despite their bickering, something about their surroundings was beginning to feel increasingly strange. The air seemed unusually heavy, and a faint vibration could almost be felt beneath their feet. It wasn't particularly strong, but it was persistent enough to make the brown-haired boy stop and pay closer attention.
"Come on, Kai. Hear me out. Don't you feel this strange disturbance? It's like a soft frequency, and you already know how electronics react to it."
Kai turned his head slightly, looking back toward the chamber they had just entered. He narrowed his eyes, trying to make sense of the sensation. Having some knowledge of the unusual phenomena surrounding Yaoshima, he quickly began connecting the pieces.
"Frequency? You know\... Ghouls cause regular frequencies and vibrations. Do you think—"
Before Kai could finish his sentence, the flashlight suddenly flickered back to life.
For one brief second, its beam illuminated the chamber ahead, revealing a distorted silhouette resting in the darkness.
Neither boy had time to process what they were looking at. The outline was unmistakable. Something was lying just beyond their reach, its massive form barely distinguishable from the surrounding shadows.
The Malform.
It was there, completely motionless, seemingly resting in silence. The two students froze as their eyes widened, their bodies instinctively recognising the danger before their minds could catch up. Their mouths began to open, but before either could make a sound, something suddenly seized them from behind.
Both boys were yanked around the corner and pulled out of sight. A hand clamped over each of their mouths, preventing even the slightest scream from escaping.
It was Lyss.
With both students pinned against the wall, she raised her index finger to her lips, giving them a sharp look that left little room for argument. Her eyes then shifted toward the sleeping Malform, subtly gesturing in its direction.
"Shh. Shut up, you morons," she whispered, barely moving her lips.
The boys' eyes darted between Lyss and the creature. Their hearts were pounding so violently that they could almost feel the rhythm in their chests, and Lyss could hear every frantic beat from where she stood. She kept her grip firm, waiting until they finally began to settle down.
After a few tense moments, both boys cautiously nodded. Only then did Lyss remove her hands from their mouths.
"You scared us," Kai whispered, still trying to catch his breath.
The other boy said nothing. Instead, he continued staring at Lyss, seemingly trying to understand where she had come from and why she was following them in the first place. His grip on the knife remained tight, though he made no attempt to use it.
Lyss wasn't particularly interested in answering those questions just yet. She glanced once more toward the Malform to make sure it hadn't stirred before turning her attention back to the two students. Her expression had shifted from urgency to outright disbelief.
"What the hell are you two doing down here...? Are you stupid?" she whispered, keeping her voice low enough not to disturb the creature.
"Who are you to call us names?" Kai questioned, his irritation becoming increasingly apparent as he looked at Lyss. He rubbed the back of his neck, clearly unhappy with how she had just addressed them. Being dragged away and having a hand clamped over his mouth hadn't exactly made the best first impression.
Lyss, however, didn't seem particularly bothered by his attitude. She raised an eyebrow, looking between the two boys as though their reaction was the last thing she needed to deal with right now.
"Well, first of all, I'm the person who just saved your asses from getting spotted. Second, I'm a student from the Institute, same as you. Just a lower year."
She spoke in a hushed but rather blunt manner, keeping her voice low while occasionally glancing toward the chamber where the Malform remained asleep. She wasn't particularly interested in introducing herself properly, nor did she feel obligated to explain why she was down there. As far as she was concerned, the two boys should have been grateful she had intervened at all.
Unfortunately, gratitude wasn't exactly what she received.
The boys exchanged a brief glance, their expressions shifting from surprise to disbelief. Apparently, the idea of being rescued by someone from a lower year didn't sit particularly well with them. The boy holding the knife even let out a quiet scoff, casually turning the weapon in his hand as he looked Lyss up and down.
"Lower year than us? You gotta be kiddin' me. Ain't no way I'm listenin' to a thing you say, underdog."
His tone carried a distinctly rebellious edge, as though he considered himself far too capable to take orders from someone younger. He leaned back slightly, wearing a cocky grin that suggested he was already dismissing everything Lyss had told them.
Lyss stared at him for a moment, her expression growing increasingly unimpressed. She had managed to keep the Malform asleep, pulled two complete strangers out of its line of sight, and now had to deal with their ridiculous attitude on top of everything else.
"Wonderful. Just what I needed."
She briefly closed her eyes and took a slow breath, reminding herself that arguing with these two would accomplish absolutely nothing. They were already in enough trouble as it was.
"Move aside. If you're here to kill that thing, then get lost! We came all this way for the reward, and I ain't about to share it with some chick like you."
The punk spoke with an arrogant grin, seemingly having no intention of listening to anything Lyss had to say. He gave her a dismissive look before roughly shoving her aside with his shoulder, stepping past her as he approached the open chamber. His knife remained firmly in his hand, and judging by his attitude, he was already imagining the reward waiting for them once they dealt with the Malform.
Lyss stumbled half a step, catching herself before immediately turning around.
"Hey! Stop!"
She quickly reached out and grabbed his wrist, preventing him from taking another step forward. Her grip tightened as she tried to pull him back, keeping her voice low but noticeably more forceful this time.
"Have you completely lost your mind?! Do you even understand what you're dealing with? That thing isn't some training dummy you can swing your knife at!"
The boy stopped and looked over his shoulder, his expression twisting with annoyance. He clearly wasn't accustomed to being held back, especially by someone he considered beneath him.
"Get your damn hands off me!"
"Not until you listen!"
"Get your hands off me, bitch!"
Without warning, he violently twisted his arm and swung the knife toward her. Lyss immediately released his wrist and leaned backwards, narrowly avoiding the blade as it cut through the space in front of her. Her eyes widened momentarily, more out of disbelief than fear, before she quickly regained her footing.
"Whoa! Are you seriously trying to stab me now?!"
"Then quit getting in my way!" he snapped, glaring at her while keeping the knife raised. "I didn't come all the way down here just to have some lower-year girl tell me what to do!"
Kai watched the exchange with an uneasy expression, glancing between the two before looking toward the sleeping Malform. He seemed considerably less enthusiastic about their little confrontation now that the situation was getting out of hand.
"Hey, cut it out! Both of you!" he whispered sharply, waving one hand in an attempt to get their attention. "Do you wanna wake that thing up?!"
Lyss immediately shot Kai a look, silently agreeing with him for once. She pointed toward the creature, then back at the knife-wielding student, making it painfully clear how close they were to ruining everything.
"Exactly! So stop acting like an idiot and back away!"
The punk clicked his tongue, clearly irritated by the fact that neither of them seemed willing to let him do as he pleased. Nevertheless, he lowered his knife slightly and turned his attention back toward the Malform.
"Whatever. Just stay outta my way. Once we take that thing down, you'll see who's the real underdog here."
Lyss stared at him, struggling to believe that he was still more concerned about proving himself than surviving the encounter. She had come here expecting a straightforward assignment, but somehow, babysitting two reckless Institute students was turning out to be considerably more troublesome than dealing with the Malform itself.
There was very little Lyss could do at this point. Any further struggle risked disturbing the Malform, and the creature had already begun showing signs of sensing their presence. Its massive body remained motionless against the ground, but the occasional twitch and faint movements beneath its exterior suggested that its sleep was becoming increasingly shallow. They were running out of time, and everyone in that chamber was dangerously close to making a fatal mistake.
"Get. Away. From it." Lyss ordered through gritted teeth, her voice sharp but deliberately restrained. She kept her eyes fixed on the punk, desperately hoping he would come to his senses before it was too late.
But he wasn't listening.
His attention was entirely consumed by the creature before him. Whatever warnings Lyss had given him meant nothing compared to the prospect of claiming the reward from the Institute. In his mind, this was his opportunity to prove himself, earn recognition, and show everyone that he was capable of taking down a Malform. He had already made up his mind, and there was no talking him out of it.
Kai stood frozen behind him, his earlier confidence seemingly replaced by growing apprehension. Even he could tell that something was terribly wrong. The air had become strangely oppressive, and the faint vibrations beneath their feet seemed to grow more noticeable with every passing second.
The punk, however, only tightened his grip on the knife.
With a sudden burst of aggression, he raised his arm high above his head, his face twisting into an expression of excitement and hatred. A reckless laugh escaped his mouth as he prepared to bring the weapon down upon the creature.
"YOU'RE DONE, YOU PIECE OF SHIT!"
His shout tore through the chamber.
And then—
Something looked back.
A brilliant crimson light ignited in the darkness, sharp and intensely focused. It appeared without warning, cutting through the shadows like a piercing ray and locking directly onto the punk.
For the briefest instant, everything seemed to stop.
The boy's raised arm remained suspended in the air. His grin faltered, and his eyes widened as the crimson glow reflected across his face. Whatever confidence he had moments earlier vanished in an instant.
The Malform was awake.
To be continued...