Later that night, the dormitory had fallen into deep silence.
The corridors were empty, lamps dimmed low, and only the distant sound of wind brushing against the windows remained. Raya quietly entered her room and locked the door behind her before heading straight for the bathroom.
Steam soon filled the air as warm water poured into the bathtub.
She stepped in, letting her body sink beneath the surface. The foam swallowed her shoulders, easing the tension in her muscles, but her mind refused to rest.
Her thoughts drifted—backward.
⸻
Flashback
"What do you mean by that?" Raya asked, fear slipping into her voice despite her attempt to sound composed.
"You don't mean we're going all the way to the Dark Forest… to speak with the incomplete Leo?"
Kira had gone quiet.
"So you noticed it too."
Her heart tightened.
"Yeah… major portions of his soul were missing."
"We're not going there," Kira replied calmly.
"Relax. The night before the test—meet me in the classroom."
⸻
Present
"The last night…" Raya murmured to herself.
She exhaled slowly and submerged a little deeper into the bath, water lapping softly against the tub's edge.
After several minutes, she rose, droplets trailing down her skin, wrapped a towel around herself, and walked toward her closet.
As she reached for her nightgown—
A chill ran down her spine.
Someone was watching her.
Her instincts flared violently.
Attack?
Or dress first?
Before she could decide, mist exploded into existence, rolling across the floor and climbing the walls like living fog. Vision vanished completely.
"Continue."
A voice whispered directly behind her.
She felt someone pass close—too close. The air turned cold.
Heart pounding, Raya dressed quickly.
When she turned around, the mist began to thin.
A figure sat casually on her bed.
Blue hair cascading over her shoulders.
A flowing blue outfit, like water frozen mid-motion.
Eyes calm, deep, and impossibly ancient.
"Who are you?" Raya demanded.
"And why did you help me?"
The girl smirked lazily and reclined on her side.
"You should be thanking me," she said lightly.
"I stopped you from exposing yourself to a very enthusiastic stalker."
"What happened to him?"
The girl pointed toward the window.
Raya stepped closer and opened it.
Her breath caught.
A male student was suspended outside, frozen mid-air, his body encased in crystalline ice, eyes wide with terror.
"How… how can you freeze someone like that?" Raya asked.
"Why I can't tell you," the girl replied.
"As for how—he'll melt when the sun rises. Maybe."
She tapped the bed.
Raya hesitated, then sat.
"You didn't answer my question earlier."
"Which one?"
"Both."
The girl sat upright.
"I'm Aqua," she said calmly.
"The elemental spirit of water."
Raya stiffened.
"Did Kira send you?"
"No," Aqua answered instantly.
"I came on my own."
Raya swallowed.
"I heard spirits can't act without their master's consent… and that their masters can see everything they see."
"Normally," Aqua said with a smile, "that's true."
Raya's cheeks warmed.
"Then does that mean—"
Aqua burst into laughter, rolling across the bed before sitting up again.
"Relax. Those rules don't apply to me."
She winked.
"Your secret's safe."
Then her expression shifted—serious.
"I'm here to talk about the power you wield."
"My… power?"
"Yes. A power Leo despised more than any other."
Raya froze.
"You know Leo?"
Aqua's smile softened.
"Of course. He was my first host."
The room felt suddenly smaller.
"Does Kira know?" Raya whispered.
"No," Aqua replied sharply.
"And what you hear tonight stays with you."
"Why tell me?"
Aqua raised a finger, pointing at Raya's chest.
"Because we share something."
Raya lowered her gaze.
"Leo's host…"
"Yes."
Aqua inhaled slowly.
"Let me tell you how it began."
⸻
The Spirit Realm — Long Ago
A realm suspended between existence and nothingness.
An endless expanse where elements took form.
Fire.
Light.
Wind.
Earth.
Darkness.
Water.
The elemental spirits gathered, their presences so overwhelming that lesser spirits dared not approach.
"All of us have found compatible hosts," Ignis declared proudly.
"Except the weakest among us."
Raya interrupted instinctively.
"You were the weakest?"
"I was," Aqua replied calmly.
"Let me finish."
Ventus tried to soften the words.
"Even the weakest should have a host."
Mockery followed.
Then—
The temperature dropped.
A cold, oppressive presence descended.
A boy stepped forward.
Black eyes.
Unyielding will.
He stopped beside Aqua.
"Do you enjoy bullying the weak?" he asked.
Sol frowned.
"Who are you?"
The boy ignored him.
He turned to Aqua.
"Do you want a host?"
"I'll only burden you," Aqua whispered.
"You don't know that," he replied.
"You've never lost—because you've never fought."
Ignis flared violently.
"Are you challenging us?"
"Yeah."
Aqua smiled nervously.
"I'm Aqua."
"Leo."
They shook hands.
The bond ignited.
⸻
Spirit Realm Battle — Leo vs the Elemental Spirits
Blue light erupted.
Not violently—but inevitably.
Water surged around Leo, not forming waves, but layers, moving with purpose.
Ignis attacked first.
Flames roared, swallowing the space.
Leo raised his hand.
The fire didn't explode.
It vanished.
Water condensed instantly—pressure spiking—smothering the flames, drowning fire itself. Ignis staggered as his aura was compressed, extinguished by suffocation rather than force.
Geo struck next.
The ground ruptured.
Stone pillars shot upward, attempting to impale Leo.
Water flowed beneath his feet, lifting him effortlessly. The earth softened, turning muddy, unstable. Geo lost footing—his strength useless against terrain that refused to stay solid.
Ventus attacked from behind.
Wind blades screamed through the air.
Mist erupted.
Humidity spiked.
Air thickened, movement slowed. Wind lost definition—directionless, heavy.
Ventus gasped as his element was robbed of freedom.
Umbra emerged from the shadows.
Darkness lunged.
The shadows froze.
Not with ice—but with stillness.
Water didn't strike.
It waited.
The spirits fell one by one, restrained, suffocated, immobilized.
Leo stood calmly at the center.
Aqua stared.
"You didn't overpower them…"
"No," Leo replied.
"I let water be what it truly is."
Dorm Room — Present
Raya listened quietly as Aqua finished her story. The way Aqua's expression softened whenever Leo was mentioned didn't escape her notice. There was warmth there—something sincere, unguarded.
"You like him, don't you?" Raya asked, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
Aqua paused, then smiled openly.
"Of course," she replied. "We spirits don't wish to be treated as weapons. We want to be acknowledged… to be allowed our free will. And he understood that." Her gaze shifted slightly before returning to Raya. "It's the same for you, isn't it?"
Raya looked away, her reflection faintly visible in the dim light of the room. After a moment, she looked back.
"I wouldn't say like," she said quietly. "But you can say I trust him."
She hesitated, then exhaled. "Since we're trading secrets… I guess it's okay."
⸻
During the last test, after Raya had been eliminated, the strain finally caught up to her.
The moment Leo relinquished control, her body could no longer endure the backlash. She barely made it into the infirmary—intent on checking on Chris—before her vision blurred.
Her legs gave out.
Before she could hit the ground, arms caught her from behind.
Freda appeared silently, supporting her weight with ease. Without speaking, she carried Raya to a bed, laid her down carefully, and covered her with a blanket. Moments later, she was gone—leaving only silence behind.
⸻
Raya opened her eyes to darkness.
She was standing in an unfamiliar space—vast, empty, and silent. There was no ground beneath her feet, yet she stood. No sky above, only endless void.
"Where am I…" she murmured.
A faint light appeared in the distance.
She moved toward it, step by step—but no matter how far she went, the light never drew closer.
Her strength faded.
Her knees hit the unseen ground.
She lowered her head, breath trembling.
"I can't…"
A cold voice echoed from ahead.
"Do all humans in this generation give up this easily?"
Raya lifted her head.
Standing before her was a boy with long silver hair and piercing crimson eyes. His presence alone pressed against her chest, heavy and overwhelming.
"Who are you?" she asked in a low, shaken voice.
"Leo…"
The name barely escaped her lips.
Raya's knees trembled, then finally gave in. She collapsed onto the unseen ground of that dark inner space, her hands digging into nothingness as if it might anchor her. Her breath came out uneven, shallow—fear and awe tangled together in her chest.
The silver-haired boy did not move.
He simply watched her.
Crimson eyes—too calm, too ancient—looked down on her not with hostility, but with something far heavier. Understanding.
"So," Leo said quietly, his voice echoing through the empty space without raising its volume, "this is how fear feels to you."
Raya clenched her fists.
"I—I didn't ask for this," she whispered. "I didn't ask to be… connected to you."
"I know," he replied immediately.
That alone made her look up.
Leo stepped forward, his presence causing the darkness itself to ripple, like water disturbed by a falling drop. He stopped a few steps away and crouched down so they were at eye level.
"That is why I chose you," he continued.
"Ch-chose me…?" Her voice cracked. "You took over my body. I almost died."
"Yes," he said, unflinching. "And you survived."
She shook her head weakly. "Because of you."
Leo's gaze softened—just slightly.
"No," he corrected. "Because you endured."
Silence spread between them. The darkness no longer felt oppressive… just quiet.
"You believe strength is something loud," Leo went on. "Something that burns, breaks, or overwhelms. But true strength is far simpler."
He raised a hand and gently placed two fingers against her forehead.
Raya flinched—but felt no pain.
Only warmth.
"Strength," he said, "is knowing when you've reached your limit… and still standing."
Her memories surged forward—
Chris bleeding.
Kira fighting until his body screamed.
The fear of losing control when Leo surfaced.
"I'm afraid," she admitted, tears gathering in her eyes. "Afraid that one day… I won't be able to stop you."
Leo withdrew his hand.
"Then listen carefully," he said, standing once more. His presence grew heavier—not threatening, but absolute.
"I will never take more than you can give."
Raya stared up at him.
"And when you reach your limit," he continued, "I will stop. Even if it costs me everything."
"…Why?" she asked.
Leo turned his gaze away, looking into the endless dark as if seeing something far beyond it.
"Because power without restraint is nothing but ruin," he said. "And I have already walked that path."
He looked back at her.
"I will not force you to follow."
Raya's chest tightened.
"…If I fall again?" she asked softly.
Leo's crimson eyes gleamed.
"Then I will carry you," he answered without hesitation. "Until you can stand again."
The darkness around them slowly began to fade, replaced by a gentle, pale glow.
⸻
Raya's eyes fluttered open.
She gasped softly and sat up in bed, her heart racing. Morning light filtered through the infirmary window, warm and gentle against her skin.
"…So that's what happened," Raya murmured, her voice barely audible.
Back in the present, Aqua listened quietly, her usual playful expression nowhere to be found.
When Raya finished, Aqua let out a small breath—and smiled.
"Figures," she said.
Raya blinked. "Figures…?"
Aqua leaned back, resting her hands behind her head as she gazed at the ceiling.
"That's Leo for you. Always terrifying, always honest."
She turned her head toward Raya.
"He never lies about his limits," Aqua continued. "And he never breaks a promise he makes to someone he acknowledges."
"Acknowledges…?" Raya repeated.
Aqua nodded.
"He acknowledged you that night. Not as a vessel. Not as a tool." Her smile softened. "But as a partner."
Raya felt her chest warm.
"…He's not like the stories," she said quietly.
Aqua laughed softly.
"Oh, he absolutely is. They just never bothered to tell the whole truth."
Outside the window, the sky had begun to brighten. The deep blues of night slowly gave way to pale gold.
Aqua stood from the bed, her form already beginning to shimmer like mist under sunlight.
"Dawn's almost here," she said. "I can't stay much longer."
Raya looked up at her.
"Will you come again?"
Aqua paused, then smiled—gentle and sincere.
"When you need guidance," she said. "Or when your will becomes strong enough to call me yourself."
She leaned closer and tapped Raya lightly on the forehead.
"Trust him," Aqua whispered. "And trust yourself."
With that, her form dissolved into soft blue particles, disappearing just as the first ray of sunlight crossed the room.
Raya lay back against the pillow, staring at the ceiling.
Her fear hadn't vanished.
But for the first time—
It no longer controlled her.
"Your power doesn't affect just one person."
Raya looked up sharply.
"It affects many—
as long as your will surpasses theirs."