The dark energy vanished. Everything in the room returned to normal, leaving only a young woman who was lying unconscious in the arms of a young man who had used his own body to shield her from the white light.
"Hey... Sela... Sela... Is it okay?.." Bakvik's hands cupped her face. His face was covered in ash, and his eyes were shaking. Blood flowed from his mouth. Bakvik's hand touched the left side of her chest. Her heart was still beating rhythmically.
On the other side, Anchis and Willow were lost. They couldn't keep up with Bakvik and had no idea which way he ran. Anchis ran with all his might, following the direction of the white light from a moment ago. "What was that white light... It shot up into the sky...
Bakvik must have gone that way." Willow nodded slightly, her eyes filled with shock.
Bakvik moved Sela close to the wall. He used his jacket to cover her body. Her body was still shivering, but she was unconscious.
"Are these the side effects of your power?... That's terrifying." Even though Sela was unconscious, Bakvik kept talking. His eyes were shaking on his cold face, which was covered in ash. His hands had small wounds from the explosion's impact.
Everything began to feel cold. A flurry of snowflakes slowly drifted down. In contrast, the people at the festival and many children were jumping up and down, full of cheerful excitement. The eyes of some of the teenagers looked bright and full of life.
"This must be the place..." Anchis and Willow ran up to the building covered in plants and flowers. They quickly ran up the stairs. Suddenly, Anchis's footsteps faltered. He saw Bakvik, his body covered in dirt, his hands covered in blood. Willow stood frozen in shock and ran to them without hesitation.
"What's wrong with you!... Are you hurt anywhere?... And what about her?" Willow held Bakvik's hand tightly, her eyes filled with concern. Bakvik simply smiled faintly, looking exhausted.
"Just a little..."
"Please... check on her..."
Bakvik glanced at Sela, who was lying there unconscious with only her breath and heartbeat still in rhythm. Willow went and supported Sela.
"You knew she was in danger... so you ran here like that..." Anchis slowly walked over and supported Bakvik.
"That's a good question... why... why did I know..." Bakvik glanced at Sela in Willow's arms. Anchis flinched slightly at his words.
[Ichivor City]
In the dead of night at the university, Racquelna, a student, had just returned from her special assignment. She walked along the path, which was lined with dormitories for student events. Everything was still. Utterly silent. Only she was there. She clasped her hands tightly together, not daring to look anywhere but straight ahead.
A distinct echo of footsteps resonated from up ahead, hitting the pavement in a fast, steady rhythm. She was startled but kept walking forward. From the darkness, she saw a man in black. His face was full of an almost-innocent cheerfulness, yet his eyes held the quiet gaze of a professor. Professor Lawin waved from a distance with a faint smile.
"...You're a student from Sector 10. What are you doing out here so late?"
"...I'm going to the library, sir," Racquelna replied politely, though deep down, her eyes were filled with inner tension.
"The straw dummies are guarding the door there... so don't forget the spell I taught you back then," Lawin said with a smile, his eyes narrowed. Racquelna nodded slightly, as if he knew her quite well, and he quickly walked past her.
But he still turned back
. "...Don't go to the main library door... I'm warning you."
Racquelna hurried on, as if she didn't want to meet with the professor. She secretly glanced back at Lawin as he slowly walked away.
[On the other side]
The sound of the wind was like a gust. Leaves from the decorative plants on the balcony fell with the breeze. The blonde-haired man with glasses stood with his arms crossed, his back against the wall of thebuilding's balcony. He glanced up at the night sky filled with millions of stars. The moonlight shone down on a night that was not dark. Professor Klars's eyes were filled with a chilling coldness.
"...I'm here... So, what do you need?" Lawin emerged from the building's dark corner, his eyes filled with a serious look.
Professor Klars slowly turned to him, giving a faint smile filled with a charming coldness. "...Thanks for coming. I have something to tell you... only you need to know this..."
...At the main door, the gate was adorned with beautiful and charming carvings. It was a masterpiece of art. On the left and right, there were straw dummies shaped like armored knights. They were just dummies... but they moved as if they were alive. They looked at Racquelna and held their spears to block the door.
Racquelna stopped and held out her left hand. Her eyes slowly closed as she chanted the spell she had memorized.
"...Please, my knights..." Her lips moved as she chanted the spell. She walked closer and closer to them. Suddenly, a bright crimson light appeared in the eyes of the straw dummies. Her hand touched the tip of one of their spears. Even though the spearhead was only made of straw, it was sharp as if it were real.
Racquelna whispered something to the two of them. They put their spears away and stood at attention, motionless as they were before. The door slowly opened. The inside was dark, and she slowly walked in.
[On the other side]
"Could you tell me what it is... you're wasting my time..." Lawin sighed softly, but Professor Klars was still standing with his arms crossed, looking at the night sky and reciting his philosophy.
"Did you hear me, senior?" Lawin turned to the professor, his eyes filled with a serious look. The wind blew at night. The bright night sky was covered by a large cloud. Everything was still bright, but it was different from before.
Professor Klars pushed up his glasses slightly. "...Why do you want the university to be free from those organizations?"
Lawin's eyes widened. He shifted his feet and swallowed hard. "...It's a security threat to... the students. To students and professors like us..."
Professor Klars slowly turned to him, his eyes still filled with a chilling coldness. His emotions were unpredictable. "...It's useless to say anything... their position is too low."
"You... agree with me?! You were so quiet at the last meeting..." Lawin said.
The night wind blew, and Professor Klars's blonde hair fluttered. "...Why should I express my opinion to that group of people? What do they know...?"
"Oh my god... I was right to vote for you all this time..." Lawin's eyes trembled with deep emotion.
"...I still know that the university has normal professors." The professor held out his hand to Lawin. Lawin's eyes were filled with a serious look. He nodded slightly before shaking Professor Klars's hand. In the night atmosphere, the two adults shook hands as if no matter how much the world changed, there would always be people who were just like them.
Stay tuned for the next episode....