A few days passed.
Classes resumed.
And for a moment… everything felt normal again.
Until literature class.
—
"Good morning, students. I hope you all enjoyed your days off during the snowfall."
A strange silence filled the room.
Whispers spread almost instantly.
— "Doesn't Ms. Natasha look… different?"
— "Yeah… she doesn't feel the same…"
I looked at her.
At Eclipse.
And she smiled.
That same smile.
The one she gave me the day she revealed the truth.
—
"Very well," she continued calmly. "Today, I'll tell you something important."
A pause.
"My real name is Eclipse. Ereos Aether Eclipse."
The room froze.
"I hid my identity for personal reasons… but now I can reveal it."
No one spoke.
No one understood.
"And for today's assignment," she added lightly, "you will write an essay on a specific book: The Horror of the Unnameable. You have the entire class. Begin."
—
I exhaled slowly and opened my backpack.
The moment I pulled out my book…
A metallic scent hit me.
Blood.
I froze.
Inside the pages… there were notes.
Written in red.
One of them read:
"Don't forget our little secret."
I lifted my gaze.
Eclipse was already looking at me.
Smiling.
She winked.
The wind slipped through the window, gently moving her golden hair as sunlight framed her face.
—
There's no way she's a witch…
She's… too beautiful.
Too… human.
—
I shook the thought away and focused on my essay.
Time passed quickly.
When I finished, I walked up to her desk and handed it in.
She read it briefly… then smiled.
—
"Very good, Dark. You are my best student."
A pause.
"Would you like to have lunch with me?"
—
I smiled faintly.
"Sure. I enjoy eating with you."
She handed me back my notebook.
As I returned to my seat…
I felt it.
Two murderous glares.
Kim… and Xia.
—
"You seem very close to her," Kim muttered. "Are you… dating the teacher?"
I laughed softly.
"No. I see her more like… a mother. Or a friend."
I paused.
"…Besides, I already have a girlfriend."
Silence.
"…For about two months now."
—
Both of them exhaled in relief.
— "Oh… thank God…"
Then—
They froze.
Turned slowly toward me.
And screamed.
—
"WHAAAAAT?!"
—
They grabbed my shirt and started shaking me violently.
"YOU CHEATER! WE WERE LITERALLY TRYING OUR BEST FOR YOU!"
I stared at the ceiling, completely unfazed.
"…You're making a scene."
—
Eclipse turned toward us.
"Girls, I'm afraid your behavior is inappropriate. Please go to the detention room."
—
They froze.
Then slowly turned to look at me.
Smiling.
Dangerously.
—
I laughed.
Big mistake.
—
"Dear Dark," Eclipse said sweetly, "would you like to accompany them?"
My smile vanished instantly.
—
"No. No no no no no no no."
—
She giggled softly.
"Just a joke. Continue your work."
—
I waved at Kim and Xia as they left.
They did not wave back.
—
Minho and Won ho approached me shortly after.
"Later, let's go to the library," Minho said. "We need to talk… and we want to hear about your girlfriend."
I nodded while writing.
—
Classes passed.
Slowly.
Quietly.
Until lunch.
—
She was waiting for me.
In the garden.
On a bench I didn't even know existed…
Even though I used to nap there.
—
"I'm glad you came, dear Dark."
I sat beside her.
"I wouldn't miss it… Miss Eclipse."
—
She opened her lunch.
Roasted pork.
Fish.
Different kinds of meat.
A lot of it.
—
I had a burger and fries.
—
She suddenly held a piece of meat in front of my face.
"Here."
I hesitated… then took a bite.
My eyes widened.
"…This is amazing."
"The best meat I've ever tasted."
She smiled softly.
"You flatter me. I rarely cook."
"This just happens to be my favorite dish."
—
I offered her some fries.
She accepted.
"Thank you."
—
We ate.
Talked.
And for a moment…
Everything felt… normal.
—
Too normal.
—
After classes ended, I headed to the library.
My friends were already there.
—
"I swear," I sighed, "if this is another crazy story—"
"Dark," Kim interrupted, holding a paper, "this time… it's real."
—
She raised her hand.
A blue flame ignited.
—
It didn't feel hot.
It felt cold.
—
"This is my Luminari Core," she said.
"Cold flames. They burn… through freezing."
She dropped the paper into it.
It turned to ash instantly.
—
I stared at it.
"…And Alya?"
—
Kim softened.
"She has a healing core."
"She can heal wounds… others… herself."
"She even gained knowledge of medicine."
"That's why she became a nurse."
—
I exhaled slowly.
Trying to process everything.
—
And then—
A voice.
—
"Þanir'ak drel."
—
The library trembled.
Darkness spread.
And from it…
Shadows emerged.
—
"…Not again…"
—
Kim placed her hand on my shoulder.
"This time… we protect you."
—
She vanished forward.
"RETRIBUTION!"
Blue flames exploded from her hands.
—
"Airi, your turn!"
—
"Got it!"
Red beams shot from Airi's hands, piercing shadows.
—
"DON'T HAVE ALL THE FUN WITHOUT US!"
Minho raised a rock spike and launched it.
—
"I'LL SHOW YOU WHAT WON HO CAN DO!"
He crashed down—
Explosion.
A shadow vanished.
—
"WHO SAID FIGHTING WITHOUT YOUR LEADER WAS A GOOD IDEA?!"
Xia rose into the air.
Wind spiraled.
A tornado formed.
—
"NOW, KIM!"
A massive blue fire sphere entered the storm.
—
"MINHO!"
A wall of rock.
—
"WON HO!"
He pushed everything outward.
—
"MY TURN."
Xia raised both hands.
A symbol formed in the air.
—
"DISPERSION."
—
The tornado shot into the sky—
And exploded.
—
Silence.
—
"What… was that…?" I whispered.
—
"Our power," they said.
"We're your friends."
"And we'll protect you."
"…Especially from her."
—
They pointed.
—
Behind us.
—
Eclipse stepped out from behind a tree.
—
Minho charged.
"WAIT—!"
Too late.
She flicked her hand.
He was gone.
Thrown.
—
A snap.
Airi, Xia, Won ho—
Frozen.
—
Kim attacked.
Flames surged.
—
Eclipse sighed.
And they died instantly.
—
"The cold… the heat…"
"Neither protects."
"They only delay the inevitable."
—
She smiled.
And handed me a black sunflower.
—
"A gift… for my favorite student."
—
She turned.
And vanished.
—
I touched the remaining flame on the ground.
—
And the world broke.
—
Snow.
A forest.
A voice screaming—
"DARK! DARK! DARK!"
—
I ran.
But the voice got farther.
—
I fell.
Down a hill.
And saw someone.
—
Just before I could see their face—
—
A hand touched my shoulder.
—
I snapped back.
—
"What… happened?"
—
Kim stroked my hair.
"You froze… or something."
—
Minho and Won ho were on the ground.
Defeated.
—
"We can't beat that monster…"
—
Xia sighed.
"It's true."
"No illuminated… from any of the 31 paths… can defeat a witch."
—
Minho checked his recording.
—
A child's voice echoed from it.
—
"Qel'dara…"
—
"That's… Luminari," he said.
"…That's impossible."
—
Silence.
—
Too many mysteries.
Too many questions.
—
"I'm going home," I said.
"…Tomorrow's a long day."
"…I have a date."
"And… Miss Eclipse invited me somewhere."
—
No one stopped me.
—
I walked home.
Dropped my bag.
Collapsed on the floor.
—
And fell asleep.
—
Hoping…
That tomorrow…
would be normal.
—
Even though…
I already knew—
It wouldn't be.