(POV: Ren / Haru)
The second recital began with a tense silence. Shadows along the walls moved unnaturally, twisting like living things. The academy was no longer a passive observer—it was testing them.
Haru's emerald aura flared violently. Threads snapped and writhed, responding to unseen pressure. "It's… attacking us!" she gasped. "The academy itself is interfering!"
Ren's crimson aura glowed brighter, bow trembling. "Then we fight through it. We have to survive. We can't let it claim anyone else!"
Every note they played met resistance—the air thickened, and faint spectral hands seemed to pluck at the strings and keys.