The stairs leading to the second floor of the academy were spiral, not straight.
It was as if they were descending into the depths of time rather than ascending. With each step, the whispering of the walls grew louder, and the weight of the past grew heavier.
Kai walked ahead. His steps were quick but nervous.
Zero and Lyria followed behind, silence echoing within them.
Lyria glanced at Zero.
"Are you okay?"
Zero shook his head slightly.
But his eyes... had never looked so tired before.
The curse inside him was about to awaken. Like a pain slowly growing in his heart...
________________________________________
Second Floor: Hall of Lost Souls
As they passed through the door, a cold mist hit their faces.
The hall was enormous. Hundreds of stone columns seemed to stretch on forever.
But they weren't alone inside.
Among the columns... there were people.
Or things that once looked like people.
Their faces were blank, their eyes closed.
Some were still walking.
Others had stopped, crouched on the ground, waiting as if in prayer.
Kai's voice trembled:
"These are... the students who went missing from the academy."
Zero took a step forward. One of them raised its head.
Its eyes were pure white.
His mouth moved... but there was no sound.
Only his lips moved:
"Kai..."
Kai froze.
He approached slowly.
— "It can't be... this..."
— "My brother..."
________________________________________
Confrontation
The child crouching at the bottom of the column was still alive.
But he was very weak, as if he had been asleep for a hundred years.
Kai knelt down.
— "Jin... Jin, I'm here! I'm here!"
The child raised his head. His eyes were distorted, filled with runes.
He looked at Kai and spoke quietly:
"Why... did you leave me...?"
Kai's eyes filled with tears.
— "No... I tried to save you... I had to escape!"
But the child was no longer a child.
Suddenly, his eyes flashed, and a dark energy burst from his body.
Zero and Lyria immediately pulled Kai back.
Jin's body began to change shape in an instant.
The hatred remaining in his soul had been transformed into a cursed creature by the Academy.
________________________________________
War and Fracture
Jin attacked Kai with magic.
Kai dodged it at the last moment with a shadow spell, but he was uncertain.
His brother was standing before him.
He couldn't kill him.
Zero heard the warning of the curse within him:
"Leave it to me. I will destroy him."
But Zero remained silent.
He hadn't yet gained control of the curse.
Still, he leaped into the battlefield.
Fists, spells, and shadows collided.
The columns began to collapse.
Lyria was protecting both of them with defensive spells.
When Kai fell to the ground, Zero stopped just as he was about to kill Jin.
— "This... is his brother. I must leave this to him."
Kai trembled as he stood up.
His eyes were filled with tears.
He slowly approached his brother and placed his hand on his forehead.
— "I left you. But now I'm here. If your soul is still inside you... come back, Jin."
And at that moment... the energy inside the Academy suddenly exploded.
The darkness emanating from Jin's body receded.
The boy collapsed to the ground. He was breathing... but he was still unconscious.
Kai knelt down and took his brother in his arms.
And he cried silently.
________________________________________
Zero and the Curse
At that moment, the curse within Zero flared up.
His face contorted, his heart tightened.
He collapsed to the ground.
Lyria rushed to his side.
— "Zero! Hold on!"
But Zero's eyes were no longer his own.
The entity inside him was pulling him into the depths of his mind.
The endless black void reappeared in his mind.
And within that void, the cursed figure with the same face as his own stood before him once more.
— "You are weak. Your emotions will kill you."
— "They will drag you down."
Zero shouted in anger:
— "I… am not alone anymore!"
And at that moment… the figure stopped.
For the first time, it was surprised.
And for the first time… Zero's words had an effect.
The curse took a step back.
Power… was passing into Zero's control for the first time.
________________________________________
The First Spark of Romance
When Zero opened his eyes, he saw Lyria's face.
Sweat was pouring down his forehead. Lyria's eyes were filled with concern.
— "You… didn't leave me," Zero whispered.
Lyria smiled gently.
— "I didn't leave you. Because… you never left me either."
They locked eyes.
Silence fell.
But this time, it wasn't fear… it was peace.
For the first time… Zero felt the fear of losing someone.