"Tch." William clicked his tongue—not just out of irritation from the constant buzzing in his head, but because he couldn't even lift a single pebble off the ground.
He had been trying for some time now. With different things. From heavier to lighter, and then he tried the lightest thing he could find around.
And not only that, he tried to pry into the heads of the people around him, but that resulted in severe backlashes.
'At this rate, I'm nothing more than an ordinary human.'
When he first entered the academy, he could lift boulders with ease using his telekinesis. His mind was sharp enough to stay steady even while chanting. But now, with the curse eating away at him, he was always restless, always on edge.
Chanting demanded complete focus—especially for an Unconventional mage like him.
He couldn't cast spells the way normal magicians did. No tricks, no shortcuts, no written guidance existed for someone like him.
Everything came down to how much focus he could muster before and during a spell.
But with the curse constantly coiling around him, whispering in his ears, he couldn't focus at all.
How much lower am I going to sink? He asked himself, his face empty of emotion.
He felt helpless. It had been months like this, and he had lost all hope of ever shaking off the curse.
With each passing day, he grew weaker. It was only a matter of time before he either died or got expelled from the academy.
His thoughts on Luna? He didn't have much hope.
He knew she wanted to do something for him…but he barely believed she could. And even if she had intentions, this world, and this guy, Kevin, wouldn't let her.
"Move faster!" Laila barked, shoving him forward.
"Shut up, bitch! Don't touch me."
The words slipped out. He didn't need to force himself anymore—and he wasn't the kind of man who cursed at women for such a trivial reason.
But now he hurled abuse at those around him so the curse wouldn't tighten its grip on him.
For some twisted reason, the curse stayed calm whenever he insulted Kevin or anyone close to him. That's why William had made it a habit—lashing out had become his only way to keep the curse from breaking him apart.
They moved through the mine silently; the tunnels were tight, and talking too much would draw the hounds. Laila only growled and fell quiet.
After a short walk, they came to a fork with four paths. Kevin faced them. "We split up and search. Meet back here in fifteen minutes. Whatever you see in there — don't fight. Regroup first, understood?"
The three girls nodded once. They trusted Kevin's plans; he had never led them wrong.
"William, you're with me," Kevin said to the blond.
William snorted. "Why me? If anyone should go with you, it's Lizel."
Lizel's skin prickled. "I'd rather a hound get to me than you."
William's jaw tightened. Before he could answer, Kevin cut in, "This isn't optional, William. You come with me — or I'll put something in the report that ruins your grades."
William growled, "Are you threatening me, you lowlife?"
Kevin's eyes turned cold, detached.
His gaze made even Lizel flinch as they heard him saying, "Yes, I am threatening you so come with me silently or I will make you."
The curse wasn't buzzing violently so William didn't find any reason to push this act any further.
With a stomp, he started walking ahead of Kevin…completely missing the thin smirk that appeared on the raven-haired teenager's lips.
….
"What?!" Emma almost never raised her voice like that, never let her emotions slip so openly.
But right now, she couldn't hold back her shock.
When she came back, she had gone straight to William's camp, planning to perform the ritual right away.
But the camp was empty. He was gone.
She searched the school grounds, thinking he might be nearby—but he wasn't.
Finally, she went to the manager in charge of quest assignments. And that's when she heard the news: William had been swapped in to join Kevin's team.
"That's right," the man at the desk said casually. "It was the team leader's call. Figured it'd be good for him to tag along, maybe learn a thing or two." His tone was careless, almost pleased.
Frustration burned through Emma as she snapped, "Do you have no sense of danger, or are you just a plain idiot?"
The man's brows knit together. "Excuse me—hey, where are you going?"
But Emma was already storming out, heading straight for the strategy room.
What the hell is that idiot thinking?! Her anger boiled over with every step.
She knew Kevin too well. He hadn't brought William along to teach him anything.
The truth was simple—Kevin despised William more than anyone.
'This is bad…' Emma hurriedly stepped inside the strategy room and took the map before leaving the school building.
With how much that curse was draining William, he would barely be able to endure that harsh surrounding, especially when that creep was around.
She needed to get him out of there.
°°°°°°°°
A/N:- The best kind of compliment you can give me is by saving this book at this stage and donating me PS. Thanks for reading.