The hallway lights flickered violently, buzzing like dying insects.
Kim felt Mira grip his arm tightly, her fingers trembling.
The mysterious girl moved a step forward—placing herself between both of them and the approaching shadow.
A tall, distorted silhouette stood at the far end of the corridor.
Humanoid… but not human.
Its edges flickered like smoke struggling to hold its shape.
Two red eyes glowed faintly, blinking with unnatural rhythm.
Kim's heartbeat was so loud it drowned out everything else.
He whispered,
"What… what is that thing?"
The mysterious girl did not turn back.
Her voice was low, steady, but Kim heard the tension in it.
"That… is the reason you died."
Mira flinched.
"Why is it here?!" she demanded.
The girl replied without hesitation—
"Because Kim's memories are returning.
It can smell the past."
Kim shook his head slowly.
"I don't understand—why would something want to kill me?"
The girl finally looked back at him.
"Because you're not as ordinary as you think."
The shadow growled—
A deep, vibrating sound that made the lockers rattle.
Then it moved.
Fast.
Blurring through the air like a black arrow.
"GET BACK!" the girl shouted.
She slammed her foot against the ground, a faint pulse of white-blue energy erupting from her.
The shockwave threw Kim and Mira backward, sliding them across the floor.
The shadow creature skidded, screeching, but did not stop.
Kim watched in horror.
"W-Wait! What was that?! How did you do that?!"
The girl's hands glowed faintly—
barely visible to the human eye, but Kim saw.
"I don't have time to explain," she snapped.
"Just keep Mira safe. I'll handle this."
Mira tugged Kim's sleeve.
"Kim… we should run—"
"No," Kim said suddenly.
Mira froze.
The girl turned her head sharply.
Kim didn't know where the courage came from—maybe fear, maybe instinct, maybe a memory trying to break free.
He stepped forward.
"I'm not running this time."
The creature lunged.
The girl blocked it with her forearm, sparks flying as their energies collided.
She winced—Kim noticed her arm shaking.
She wasn't as strong as she pretended.
The shadow slammed her into a locker door, denting the metal.
She gasped in pain.
"Mira! Help her!" Kim shouted.
But Mira held his sleeve tighter.
"Kim… don't go near it. You don't understand—"
Kim ripped his sleeve free.
"I don't need to understand. I just know she's fighting for me."
He ran forward.
"Kim, STOP!" both girls screamed.
But he didn't stop.
As soon as he reached the creature—
His vision exploded.
FLASH.
He saw a different hallway.
Different uniforms.
The same shadow creature.
And himself—
A boy with the same face…
pulling the mysterious girl behind him…
"Run! I won't let it touch you!"
And then—
A blow to his chest.
A sharp pain.
Falling.
Her scream.
Darkness.
Kim collapsed to his knees.
The vision stopped.
His breaths came out ragged.
"I… I saw it," he whispered.
"I really did die."
The girl pushed the creature back and stumbled toward him.
"Kim, listen to me—"
But the creature moved faster.
It swung a dark claw straight toward Kim's head—
And Mira—
Mira jumped in front of him.
"MIRA!!!"
The shadow's claw struck her shoulder.
She screamed as a black burn mark spread across her skin.
Kim felt something inside him snap.
"MIRA!!"
Her body fell into his arms, trembling violently.
The creature reeled back, preparing to strike again.
The mysterious girl's voice cracked—
"Kim, GET AWAY FROM IT—!!"
But it was too late.
Kim's vision turned white.
His heartbeat synced with the flickering lights.
And suddenly—
A circle of glowing symbols appeared under Kim's feet.
The air vibrated.
The creature froze.
Mira stopped trembling.
The mysterious girl's eyes widened in shock.
"…No," she whispered.
"That's impossible."
Kim slowly stood, his eyes glowing faint blue.
He didn't understand what was happening.
He didn't feel like he was controlling anything.
It felt like… something inside him finally woke up.
The runes on the floor brightened.
The shadow creature hissed, backing away for the first time.
Kim raised his hand instinctively.
The creature's body twisted violently—
as if an invisible force crushed it from all sides.
A single word formed on Kim's tongue.
He didn't remember learning it.
He didn't know what it meant.
But he said it anyway—
"ENOUGH."
The hallway exploded with a blinding flash.
When the light faded—
The creature was gone.
Not defeated.
Just erased.
Silence swallowed the hallway.
Mira groaned softly in Kim's arms.
Kim dropped to his knees again, holding her tight.
"Mira… Mira, are you okay?!"
Her eyes fluttered open.
"I-I'm fine… don't worry… it didn't… reach my heart…"
Then she looked at him—
And froze.
"Kim… your eyes—"
He blinked.
The glow slowly faded.
The girl approached them hesitantly.
"…Kim," she whispered, voice trembling for the first time,
"you used… that power."
Kim looked up at her.
"What… what did I do?"
She stared at him with something between awe and fear.
"You awakened.
Just like before."
Kim swallowed.
"Before… you mean in my past life?"
She nodded slowly.
"And this time…"
Her voice cracked.
"…you awakened earlier than expected."
Kim didn't understand.
He didn't know what awakening meant.
He didn't know what power he just used.
He didn't know why that creature feared him.
He just knew one thing—
Nothing in his life was normal anymore.
And before he could ask another question…
A loud voice echoed through the hallway:
"Students! What happened here?!"
The principal and teachers rushed toward them.
But the girl quickly grabbed Kim's hand.
"Don't say anything," she whispered.
"They can't know.
No one in this world can know."
Kim looked at Mira—half-conscious, gripping his sleeve.
He looked at the girl—shaking, but standing strong.
Then he looked at the scorched floor, the broken lockers, the faint glow fading under his shoes.
And he realized—
This was just the beginning.
Chapter 8 end.
Chapter 9 coming soon.
Was Chapter 8 intense?
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