---
Afternoon, 4:15 PM — Hidden Hallway, Yuri Academy
"I think I just hit that wall for the fourth time," I groaned.
Rin didn't even look up. She leaned against the far wall, spinning a practice knife in one hand like a bored assassin.
> "The wall still wins."
I lay on the cold floor, staring at the ceiling.
> "Is this Shadowstep… or just me teleporting into disappointment?"
"More like panic-teleportation," she said. "It's not elegant. But I'll give you points for desperation."
I stood, wiping sweat from my forehead. "Let me try again."
---
[System Active: Shadowstep – 33% Replicated]
Emotional focus required: fear or fight-or-flight instinct
Warning: Overuse increases soul corrosion
---
I took a breath. Steadied myself.
Let the fear in. Let the noise out.
And just like that, I vanished.
One flicker later, I reappeared—right behind Rin.
She flinched slightly, eyes narrowing. "You actually did it."
I smiled through the exhaustion. "Fear is a hell of a motivator."
> "Good. You'll need it."
---
Night — 11:47 PM, Boy's Dormitory
Knock knock.
"Nox~ Are you awake?"
Mira's voice, soft and sweet. And disturbingly cheerful for midnight.
I cracked the door.
She stood there with a tray of cookies glowing faintly blue.
> "Mana-replenishing! I made them just for you~"
We sat near the open window. She inched closer every time I breathed.
> "You've been using too much magic lately. I can feel it in your soul."
I chuckled lightly. "Yeah… the system's kinda greedy."
Her fingers gently touched my wrist.
---
[System Alert: Passive Mana Drain Detected]
Source: Mira Lysviel
Drain Rate: 4.6AP/sec
Technique: Parasoul Tether (Disguised)
Emotional Class: Masked
---
I pulled my hand away. "What was that?"
She smiled. Soft. Lovely. Terrifying.
> "Just a support spell. You seemed… fragile."
Her gaze didn't match her tone.
> "You're special, Nox. I can't let anyone else have you—not even your own power."
> "You belong to something greater. And I'm here to guide you there."
I stood slowly. "Mira. What are you?"
She smiled wider.
> "Let me show you."
---
THE WORLD FELL APART.
The walls melted. The air shimmered. The floor turned into mirrors.
I was pulled—not physically, but soul-deep—into something else.
A dream?
No.
A trap made from dreams.
---
[System Warning]
You are inside a parasoul illusion
Anchor Point: Your own mana, stolen during contact
Exit impossible unless fear-threshold is surpassed
Shadowstep Protocol: Emotion Trigger Required
---
Mira stood in the mirrored version of my room. Everything looked like it belonged, but nothing felt real. Even her smile was slightly wrong, like it was practiced.
> "This world responds to your fear, Nox. And I… just tuned it to mine."
She reached out. Touched my chest.
> "Stop running. I'll protect you here. Forever."
---
Emergency Command Available
Shadowstep – Panic Override Mode
> Choose Fear Focus:
[ ] Isolation
[ ] Being Controlled
[✓] Losing Myself
---
I chose the thing I feared most: disappearing inside someone else's world.
The system reacted. Memories surged—of being forgotten, replaced, owned.
> "NO."
The mirrors cracked. Reality stuttered.
Mira's hand reached out again—
And I vanished.
---
Shadowstep: Fearwarp Activated
I blinked through shadow. Through instinct. Through rejection.
Her world collapsed behind me like falling glass.
Her voice was the last to fade:
> "You'll come back. They always do…"
---
Real World — 3:01 AM
I crashed onto my dorm floor, heart slamming in my chest. I was drenched in sweat. Alone.
Everything looked normal.
Except one thing.
On my desk…
A single mana cookie. Split down the middle.
---
[System Update]
Shadowstep Progress: 52% Complete
Mira Flag Revealed: Yandere-Class, Cloaked
Technique Detected: Memory Veil — lingering risk present
---
Rin burst in seconds later, sword raised. "Mana spike. Distortion field. Are you dying?"
I just stared at the cookie.
> "I think Mira just… proposed."