It started with a mirror.
Again.
Because apparently, mirrors in the Underworld are either cursed, magical, or both. This one had a crack running down the center like a fang, and as I brushed my hair (which refused to obey gravity since that exploding shampoo incident), I swear the mirror winked at me.
Kevin, still hanging upside down, muttered in his sleep, "Don't trust the glass... it sees too much."
Solid advice. From a bat.
Breakfast Chaos & Yeonjun in All Black (Again)
At breakfast, the cafeteria was buzzing — literally. A hive of enchanted hornets had escaped from the "Herbology for Hexes" classroom and were dive-bombing the Fruit of Eternal Regret section.
I dodged them and headed for the least cursed table, only to find Yeonjun already there, sipping something red from a chalice like a drama king.
"You're late," he said, not looking up.
"I wasn't aware we scheduled a breakfast date."
He glanced at me then, one brow raised. "So it's a date now?"
I sat across from him, ignoring the way his lips curled into that smug little grin. "You're exhausting."
"You're addicted."
Dark Arts 101: Curse It With Confidence
We had no regular classes on Saturdays, but Headmistress Morrigan "graciously" offered optional enrichment sessions. AKA, evil extracurriculars.
I made the mistake of picking one.
Now I was in Dark Arts 101, where the "classroom" was a crypt, and the instructor was a sentient cloak called Professor Umbrageous.
"Today," the cloak rasped, "we shall be crafting emotion-triggered curses. Channel your feelings. Your rage. Your broken heart."
Yeonjun, who had absolutely no business being here, slid into the seat beside me. "Bet yours activates when someone uses your coffee mug."
"Bet yours activates when someone rejects you."
He leaned closer. "You do spend a lot of time imagining that."
I accidentally sent my curse flying across the room. It hit a zombie cheerleader who promptly started sobbing about her ex.
Yeonjun whispered, "So sensitive. You really are falling for me."
I whispered back, "If I curse you, do I get bonus marks?"
The "Not a Date" That Totally Was
After class, he found me in the hallway again.
"I'm bored," he said, tossing a coin he probably stole from the fountain of lost souls. "Wanna break some rules?"
"Define some."
Ten minutes later, we were sitting on the roof of the West Tower, feet dangling over the edge, watching demon clouds fight in the sky.
"Nice view," I said.
Yeonjun turned his head slowly. "I was just thinking the same thing."
I elbowed him. He smirked.
"You know," he said, "you're different from every other human I've met."
I sipped my soul-safe soda. "That supposed to be a compliment?"
"It is," he said softly. "Most humans scream when I show my fangs. You don't flinch. You fight back."
I shrugged. "You're not that scary."
"Liar," he whispered, gaze flicking to my lips. "Your heart's racing."
"Maybe it's the altitude."
"Or maybe," he said, brushing a lock of hair behind my ear, "you're starting to fall."
My breath hitched.
I hated that it did.
A Secret Found
Back in the library, because clearly I had no concept of self-preservation, I went to the Restricted Section again.
This time, the screaming chains didn't scream.
They whispered.
"She's here… she's here… the one the prophecy warned about…"
I froze.
Behind me, Yeonjun appeared like a cursed cat. "You really like trouble."
"I like answers."
He held up a tattered book with my name glowing faintly on the cover.
"The Crimson Link: Human, Marked, Unknown."
"That's not creepy at all," I said.
Yeonjun opened it, frowning. "You're connected to something ancient, Amelia. Something that hasn't awakened in centuries."
"So… like a prophecy?"
He nodded. "Or a curse."
I swallowed. "And you knew?"
"I suspected. But now…" He looked at me like I wasn't just a girl anymore — like I was a storm brewing.
"You're dangerous."
"I'm not sure that's a compliment either."
Yeonjun stepped closer, eyes darker now. "It is. Power is attractive."
"So you're into cursed girls?"
"I'm into you."
...
Well. Damn.
Detention 2.0 (Because Of Course)
"Let me get this straight," I said, pacing the dungeon floor. "We broke into the restricted section. Again. We stole a cursed book. And now we're back in detention."
Yeonjun was lying on the cold stone floor, arms behind his head like this was a vacation.
"Yep."
"And the Headmistress said if we get one more strike, we're banished to the Mirror Realm?"
"Which is basically a dimension of eternal chaos and mood swings? Yup."
"And you're smiling?"
He opened one eye. "You're here. So yeah."
I groaned and flopped down beside him. "I hate how calm you are."
"I'm a vampire, Amelia. I'm dead. It's hard to stress over detention when you've been buried alive twice."
There was a pause.
Then, his voice dropped.
"You really scare me sometimes, though."
I turned my head. "What?"
"You're... unraveling something inside this school. And inside me."
For a second, there was nothing between us but candlelight and heartbeats — one slow and dead, one racing and confused.
"I think I was fine being cold," he said. "Until you started making me feel everything."
I didn't answer.
But my fingers inched closer to his.
And this time, I didn't pull away.