Chapter 4 – The Nightmare Awakens
Morning bells rang across the city as the golden sun climbed higher, painting the horizon in warm shades of orange and pink. The school grounds bustled with life once again, laughter echoing in the corridors. But Orin was not laughing.
He sat silently at his desk, head lowered, fingers absently running across his neck where a faint, burning pain lingered — the same spot where the monstrous hand had seized him in his nightmare. That dream still haunted him, its screams and shadows echoing in his mind.
When recess arrived, the chatter of other students felt distant to him. He barely touched his food. His eyes remained heavy, fixed on nothingness.
"Orin…" Liriya's soft voice broke the silence. She slid into the seat opposite him, a playful smile on her lips that quickly faded when she noticed his pale expression. "You look like you've seen a ghost. What's wrong?"
For the first time since morning, Orin looked up. His voice trembled as he spoke.
"Last night… something happened. It wasn't just a dream. It was too real. Shadows, screams, and a pain—" He pressed his neck again, showing the faint red mark. "Even after waking up, the pain is still here."
Liriya tilted her head, listening, but her eyes didn't carry the same fear. Instead, she exhaled softly.
"You're not the only one, Orin. I… I met someone last night too."
Orin blinked. "What do you mean?"
Liriya leaned closer, lowering her voice as though the walls themselves might eavesdrop.
"Her name is Karisila. She appeared in my room. She told me about something called the Luminara Notes. She said there are eight of them across the entire cosmos."
Orin frowned. His rational mind fought against her words. "Eight? Across the cosmos? Liriya, this sounds like a bad joke. You can't possibly believe—"
"She's standing right next to me," Liriya interrupted calmly, eyes shifting to her side. "You just can't see her."
Orin scoffed. "Liriya, come on, enough of this—" But his words died in his throat when a sharp sting slashed across his cheek. A thin line of blood trailed down his skin. He staggered back in shock, eyes wide. "W-what… how!?"
"I told you," Liriya whispered. "She's real."
Before Orin could respond, the ground trembled. The sky above suddenly bled into a deep, unnatural purple, heavy clouds swirling like a violent storm. A suffocating energy pressed against them — oppressive, sinister.
"What's happening?" Orin's voice shook as he stood, looking around.
The playground erupted into chaos. Children screamed as invisible forces seized them. One boy's neck twisted unnaturally with a sickening crack. Another was lifted high into the air and slammed into the concrete, lifeless in an instant. Blood stained the earth where moments ago laughter had rung.
"No…" Liriya gasped, horror filling her eyes. She turned to Karisila, her voice desperate. "Get them out of here! Save as many as you can!"
Karisila nodded, her form shimmering as she vanished and reappeared among the terrified children, whisking them away at inhuman speed. But with her gone, Liriya's protection weakened, leaving her vulnerable.
From the purple haze, a hand shot out and wrapped tightly around Orin's neck, dragging him down and slamming him to the ground. He coughed violently, the air ripped from his lungs.
Footsteps followed — calm, deliberate, echoing against the ruined silence. Out of the distortion stepped a man.
Tall. Strikingly handsome, with sharp features that seemed almost sculpted. But his beauty was a cruel mask, for across his pale body ran glowing purple marks, pulsing like veins of corruption. His eyes were pits of violet and black, soulless yet burning with arrogance. In his hand gleamed a massive blade, darker than night.
The man crouched beside Orin's broken body, lifting his head with casual cruelty. His lips curved into a smirk.
"So… is this your boyfriend, girl?" His voice dripped venom and mockery. "Pathetic. He's weak. Fragile." He chuckled, a cold, echoing laugh. "But he's not my concern. What I want is your divine Luminara Note. My Queen desires it."
Liriya's fists clenched. "You monster… you killed those innocent children, didn't you?"
The man grinned wider. "Ah… allow me to introduce myself. I am Hozane. Remember that name, girl. It will be the last you ever hear if you defy me."
"I don't care who you are," Liriya spat. "Let Orin go!"
His eyes narrowed. "You dare raise your voice at me?" His aura flared violently. "Give me the Note willingly, or I'll rip it from your corpse."
Liriya's breath hitched. Her trembling hands reached into her bag. "Fine… take it. Ever since it came into my life, nothing good has happened."
Hozane smirked and raised his blade, stepping toward her. But just as his hand reached for the glowing Note, two of his fingers were severed clean off. Blood sprayed across the air as Hozane screamed in fury.
From the shadows emerged figures — burned, twisted silhouettes of warriors, their forms cloaked in darkness, wielding ghostly weapons. The same horrors Orin had seen in the museum.
"What—!?" Hozane staggered back, rage twisting his handsome face. "Shadows…"
They descended upon him. Swords clashed, chains rattled, the sound of steel against steel reverberating across the courtyard. Hozane fought with monstrous strength, cutting one shadow down, then blocking a massive chained boulder hurled his way. His sword sliced, sparks flying, but for every shadow destroyed, another emerged.
At last, Hozane broke through, panting, his body scarred but unbroken. With a roar, he cleaved the final shadow apart, darkness scattering into the air. His blade dripped with shadow-blood as he turned back to Liriya, his steps slow but deadly.
She backed away, clutching the Note tightly.
But before Hozane could strike, a white fist collided with his face, sending him flying across the courtyard. He crashed into the walls with earth-shattering force, stone crumbling around him.
Liriya gasped, eyes wide. Orin stood there, his body trembling, his aura blazing. His once brown eyes now glowed silver, radiating an otherworldly light. White energy bled from his skin like fire, fierce and untamed.
"Orin…?" Liriya whispered, her voice trembling between awe and fear.
Without a word, Orin moved. Faster than sight, his fists became a storm, pounding Hozane into the ground, creating craters with every strike. The earth quaked, dust exploding with each blow. Then, in a single motion, Orin seized Hozane, hurling him high into the air.
A sphere of white energy formed in Orin's palm, small but impossibly dense. He launched it upward. It pierced Hozane's chest, and for a moment, the sky lit up. The purple-marked warrior screamed as his body convulsed, then exploded in a burst of radiant light.
Silence fell. The purple haze dissipated.
Orin collapsed, his aura vanishing, his body too fragile to hold such power. He hit the ground, unconscious.
"No… Orin!" Liriya cried, rushing to his side. She held his head gently in her lap, tears welling in her eyes. "Please… don't leave me. Not like this…"
Karisila reappeared beside her, her expression grave but calm. "Do not fear. He lives. His body is only resting after releasing such power. But…" Her gaze darkened. "…I could not save the children. Their souls are gone."
Liriya's tears fell freely now, grief and guilt consuming her. She screamed, clutching the Note tightly.
"Why!? Why did it choose me!? Why not someone else? WHY ME!?"