At the exact moment I tried to walk past, Seraphina moved away from the wall with a motion so swift it seemed rehearsed.
Before I could even process it, she was standing directly in front of me, blocking my path.
Her arms were still crossed, her gaze unwavering, and her slightly furrowed eyebrows clearly conveyed a message: "Don't even think about ignoring me."
I stopped in my tracks, nearly colliding with her, and couldn't help but make a face of frustration.
"Seriously?"
The words slipped out before I could stop them, my brow furrowing.
Seraphina raised an eyebrow, tilting her head slightly to the side.
Her expression was a mix of irritation and a hint of amusement, which only worsened the sinking feeling that I was in trouble.
"You really thought you could just walk past me? After making me wait all this time?"
'Waiting?' I frowned in confusion.
But instinctively, I let out:
"Wait... you were waiting for me?"
Her eyes widened for a moment, as if realizing what she had just admitted.
Quickly, Seraphina averted her gaze and rolled her eyes, trying to play it off.
"It's not that. I just thought it was a good idea to talk to you. But I saw you talking to Maya, so I ended up waiting here for a bit."
My conversation with Maya had lasted far longer than "a bit," which made me hope Seraphina hadn't been waiting too long.
Depending on her mood, this conversation could turn into a real headache.
And before I could come up with any excuse, she stepped forward, closing the distance between us even more.
Her green eyes pierced into me like blades.
"We need to talk."
The weight in her voice silenced any sarcastic response I might have had. I kept my posture steady, but a chill ran down my spine as memories of the practical exam came flooding back.
'So something really did happen that day.'
Sensing my hesitation, she didn't waste a moment.
"Don't you think you owe me an explanation?"
I paused, trying to organize my thoughts. Lying completely wouldn't work; she wouldn't believe it. But maybe I could get away with saying the bare minimum.
"An explanation? About what?"
I tried to sound casual, but I knew I was far from fooling her.
Seraphina narrowed her eyes, her jaw slightly tense.
"During the practical exam, I found you unconscious. And I saw... that strange woman."
The shiver running down my neck nearly made me flinch. I tried not to show anything, but she continued relentlessly.
"She said things about you, about me. Things that don't make sense. I want to know what that was all about. What really happened?"
I took a deep breath, averting my gaze for a moment.
Her words brought up everything I'd been trying to avoid. Seraphina was persistent, and nothing less than an answer would satisfy her.
Knowing that, I decided to give the best answer I could muster at the moment.
"I don't know what you saw or heard, Seraphina. But even I don't fully understand what happened that day."
She uncrossed her arms and took another step closer, the intensity in her gaze only growing stronger.
"That's the best answer you can give me?"
'She's really not going to let this go easily.'
"That woman... entity... whatever it was, seemed to be after you. She seemed to know things about people and about you. Things no one should know. And she also talked about a future where..."
She hesitated for a moment, as if debating whether to continue.
"...she said bad things happened in the future, involving you and others."
For a moment, I froze.
My heart raced, but I kept my expression neutral.
The mention of the entity knowing about me was like a knife twisting in my gut.
'Does she know about the curse? About me being from another world? No, impossible. She would've mentioned it directly,' I thought, trying to organize my mind as fear crept in.
"What do you think that means?"
I asked, feigning ignorance.
Even though I didn't truly know the woman who appeared during the practical exam, discussing theories with Seraphina about who or what she was and what she wanted was completely out of the question.
Seraphina frowned.
I noticed her jaw visibly tense.
"I don't know! That's why I'm asking! The only thing that's clear is that you're not safe. And there's a lot more about you than you let on."
I felt my stomach sink even further.
She seemed genuinely frustrated. It didn't appear that she knew about the curse or that I was from another world, but she was definitely on the path to discovering something I didn't want her to know.
"Maybe... maybe she was trying to mess with your head."
"What??"
"That entity seemed good at manipulating people. What if she was trying to confuse you, to divert attention from what really matters?"
She stared at me for a long moment, visibly pondering my explanation. Her expression was a mixture of frustration and doubt, as if she wanted to believe me but knew there was something more.
"Do you really think that's it?"
"I'm not sure. But it's what makes the most sense to me."
Honestly, I felt bad for not wanting to work with her to figure out an answer, but it wasn't like I had all the answers either.
"..."
"...."
The silence that followed my response was awkward.
Seraphina's gaze tilted slightly downward; she seemed lost in her own thoughts.
Even after everything I said, she didn't look satisfied. Nothing unusual, considering the type of person she was.
"Maybe if that woman was right... you really aren't safe. Maybe we should tell the instructors. They could help!"
I swallowed the urge to sigh aloud, letting the weight escape only internally.
I was starting to feel mentally exhausted, but I knew showing that in front of her would only invite more questions I didn't want to answer.
"Tell the instructors? And what exactly do you think they'd do?"
"They could investigate. You said yourself you don't know what that woman wanted. Maybe they know how to handle this."
I ran a hand through my hair, averting my gaze for a moment before looking back at her.
"I don't think it's that simple. Involving others would just create more questions than answers. Would they actually do something useful, or just make everything more complicated?"
She took a deep breath, seeming to consider my words. But the glint of frustration in her eyes made it clear she still wasn't convinced.
"Then what do you suggest? Pretend nothing happened?"
I made a gesture with my hands, as if trying to diffuse the growing tension.
"I'm not suggesting that. I just think we need to wait and understand more before involving others."
Seraphina bit her lip, as if trying to process my words. She seemed calmer, but the tension in her posture was still evident.
Seeing that, I just wanted to leave as quickly as possible.
"You know how frustrating this is? Knowing something is wrong and not being able to do anything about it?"
"Yes, I know. But sometimes, doing nothing is the only option. Acting without understanding will only make things worse."
The silence returned, but this time it felt less heavy.
She seemed to be reflecting on what I'd said, though she still didn't look entirely convinced.
For me, that was enough.
The conversation needed to end before she started connecting more dots.
I took a step back, making it clear I was closing the discussion.
"I've told you everything I know. Maybe everything you heard was just nonsense from that woman. She confused me with plenty of ridiculous things, but I can't afford to worry about it now."
"I don't know... So you think everything she said was just meant to confuse us?"
"I'm not going to give you an answer I don't have, Seraphina."
I turned to leave before continuing.
"Whether or not what I said means anything is up to you."
I thought I could finally leave the conversation behind.
But as I took the first step, her voice reached me again.
"Evan."
I stopped immediately and looked over my shoulder. She was still there, but the look in her eyes had changed. There was no longer frustration or irritation.
It was something different, something that made me hesitate.
"What am I to you?"
"..."
I was silent for a few seconds.
The question caught me completely off guard. I turned to face her, confused by the tone and timing of her question.
'What is she trying to say? Is this about the entity? Does she know that I... that I know them? That I know the characters?'
"What are you trying to say?"
My voice was firm, but I felt my heart racing.
'Damn, not again.'
Once more, the possibility that the entity had told her something more was suffocating, and I needed to understand what she truly wanted with that question.
She stared at me and continued with a smile.
"It's been a few days since we met, hasn't it? We've been through a few things together... I guess I got curious."
I couldn't read her.
Her tone was light, but the question seemed to carry a weight she was clearly trying to hide. But what could it be?
I couldn't help but wonder.
'This is driving me crazy.'
I kept my expression as neutral as possible and replied.
"You're... an acquaintance from Spectra."
My answer was simple, direct, and maybe even cold.
It was enough to avoid misinterpretations or opening space for any unnecessary bonds.
For a moment, Seraphina's smile faltered. It was almost imperceptible, but it was there.
Her eyes searched mine, perhaps expecting something more, but there was nothing I could offer.
She stayed silent for a second, and the corridor seemed even quieter.
Then, suddenly, she put on another smile.
"Author's Note: Image"
"Well, I guess that's that, then."
Her tone was casual, but the smile didn't seem genuine.
But it wasn't like that was my problem.
I took a step back, making it clear there was nothing more to be said.
I turned around again and began walking.
'That was close,' I thought as I moved away.
I knew that conversation wasn't truly over, but for the moment, I had managed to maintain control.
—————————————————————————————————
Spectra Corridor – At the Same Time
The sound of their voices still echoed in my mind.
The cold wall behind me seemed useless in calming my body.
I tried to control my breathing, but my heart was pounding erratically.
"What was that I just heard?"
It had all started by chance.
I was merely walking through Spectra's corridors with no specific destination when I stumbled upon Evan and Seraphina talking.
They were so focused that they didn't notice me approaching.
It wasn't something I expected or, honestly, wanted to hear. But the moment I realized it wasn't just a casual conversation, something made me stop. And before I knew it, I had overheard the latter part of their exchange.
'Who was this woman they mentioned?'
The conversation had taken an even stranger turn when I heard Seraphina ask Evan what he was to her.
What did she mean by that?
What kind of interaction was this between them?
Since when do they have this kind of conversation?
"Sigh."
'Damn... this is so different from the novel I read.'
I pressed my fingers against my temples, trying to organize my thoughts.
It felt like everything I knew about this world was unraveling before me.
Whatever was happening didn't make sense.
And it seemed like my presence was one of the main sources of the problem.
Evan and Seraphina weren't supposed to interact until later arcs of the novel, and they weren't even close. So their conversation, let alone Seraphina's questions, didn't make any sense.
I tried to recall exactly what I had overheard.
I couldn't piece much together, just the mention of a woman and Seraphina's question, which, to me—and possibly even to Evan—didn't make any sense.
As someone who had read the novel, I naturally knew how everything was supposed to unfold.
But since things had been changing from the start, the future was bound to be different.
"Haaa..."
"..."
"Rachel? What are you doing here?"
The question jolted me back to reality.
I turned quickly and saw two of my friends looking at me curiously. I had been so absorbed in my own head that I hadn't noticed them approach.
"Ah, I just... stepped out for some air."
"Really? Here?"
"Yes. I was just heading back."
One of them grabbed my arm with a smile.
"Well, come on then. We've been waiting for you!"
I nodded and walked with them, doing my best to focus on the lighthearted conversation we started as we walked together.
We were on our way to review for the theoretical exam happening in a week.
Although I tried to seem interested in what they were saying, my mind kept wandering.
Having paid close attention to all the details in the novel, I understood the basic concepts of portals and magical flow well. Moreover, I had never struggled with studying, so the exam itself wasn't a concern.
But even so, it was utterly impossible to forget the conversation I had just overheard.
—————————————————————————————————
Spectra Library Corridor
The sound of Luna's footsteps echoed softly as she walked back from the library.
In her arms, she carried a few books, and in her mind were the usual worries: studies, exams, and the constant movement at Spectra.
The corridor was illuminated by light filtering through tall windows, creating elongated shadows that danced along the walls.
As she turned a corner, her eyes caught sight of Seraphina leaning against the wall, her head lowered.
Luna stopped for a moment, surprised.
It wasn't unusual to find Seraphina alone, but what caught her attention wasn't the solitude.
For a second, when Seraphina noticed Luna's presence and lifted her head, Luna saw a weary expression, as if all of Seraphina's usual strength had been drained.
The light streaming through the windows seemed to emphasize that silent melancholy even more.
"Author's Note: Image"
Luna blinked, almost unable to believe what she was seeing.
Was this the same Seraphina who always carried herself with unshakable confidence and determination?
Without a second thought, Luna approached, hesitant but undeterred by the heavy silence in the air.
"Hey, Sera, what are you doing here alone? If you wanted somewhere quiet, why didn't you come to the library with me?"
Seraphina's expression shifted almost instantly.
The melancholic look was replaced by something more neutral, but Luna knew that fleeting moment had revealed more than Seraphina intended.
'Well, it seems I'm not the only one with a lot on my mind,' Luna thought.
"Nothing much. Just... thinking."
"Thinking? You're the reflective type now?"
Seraphina sighed and shook her head.
"Do you have something on your mind, Luna?"
"Actually, yes."
Luna adjusted the books in her arms and changed the subject, respecting Seraphina's space.
"I wanted to remind you about the theoretical exam next week. You probably won't get a good score if you keep focusing only on sword training."
Seraphina raised an eyebrow, giving Luna a slightly irritated look.
"And who says I only train with swords?"
Luna gave her a teasing smile, holding the books more firmly as she began walking down the corridor, expecting Seraphina to follow.
"Oh, please, Sera. Everyone knows you barely touch the books. You're always in the training field, sweating and cutting things."
Seraphina huffed, crossing her arms as she walked alongside Luna.
"Believe it or not, I study too."
"Study? Like... really study? Or just enough to pass something?"
"Author's Note: Image"
"During this special time of the year, I wish you all a Merry Christmas, filled with joy, love, and unforgettable moments alongside your loved ones."