The Spectra library was immersed in silence, with the occasional sound of pages turning and the distant rustle of footsteps between the shelves.
On the second floor, Luna was leaning over a thick book, jotting down notes with a concentrated expression.
Next to her, Seraphina twirled a bookmark between her fingers, staring at the ceiling with a bored expression.
Derek, seated in front of them, flipped through a book that he hardly seemed to be reading.
He maintained a posture that attempted to convey seriousness, though his gaze occasionally darted to Seraphina before quickly returning to the text in front of him.
Seraphina broke the silence, resting her chin on her hand and shooting an impatient look at Luna.
"How much longer are you going to stay glued to that book? It's unbearable just watching you."
"As long as it takes to get a good grade on tomorrow's test. You should try it too."
"They said it's just a simple test to assess our knowledge. You're wasting your time on this."
"As you said, it's to assess our knowledge. And I want to do well."
"Good luck with that."
"I already said, if you're so bored, why not find something to do?"
"Like there's anything to do."
Seraphina sighed, spinning the bookmark between her fingers. The boredom seemed to weigh on her like a constant cloud. She didn't want to be there, but with things at Spectra still settling into rhythm, there wasn't much to do besides wait.
'Days like this… what a waste of time.'
Derek raised an eyebrow, feigning interest in what he was reading. His voice came out with a casual, almost teasing tone.
"If it wasn't important, they wouldn't test us. Knowledge is essential to understanding the world around us."
Seraphina turned to him, frowning.
"Derek, do you realize how ridiculous you sound pretending you're here because of the test?"
He lifted his eyes from the book, keeping a calm expression but with a provocative smile.
"And why else would I be here?"
"Oh, you don't want the answer to that."
Luna, who had been engrossed in her book until now, let out a low sigh without looking up.
"Just ignore him completely."
Derek set the book aside, leaning back in his chair with a mock-disappointed expression.
"I'm being judged by you two for no reason. By the way, Luna, I thought you were the most impartial one."
Seraphina suddenly stood, pushing her chair back with a faint creak.
"I'm going to get something to drink."
Derek moved immediately, straightening up.
"Great, I'll go with you."
She stopped him instantly, holding out a hand to block his path.
"Don't even think about it."
"And why not? I'm thirsty too."
"Then go yourself, after I get back. I don't have the patience for you following me around."
Derek smiled playfully but didn't back down.
"In that case, could you at least grab something for me?"
"Are you serious?"
"Absolutely. Since you're going, it wouldn't hurt…"
Seraphina rolled her eyes but turned to Luna, who was still immersed in her book. Her gaze seemed to plead: Hey, I need some help here.
Luna, noticing the situation, let out a long sigh and closed her book.
"Clap."
"Since you're going, bring me an iced tea too."
"Done."
She turned back to Derek, crossing her arms with a satisfied smile.
"Since I only have two hands, it looks like you'll have to handle this on your own."
Derek spread his arms, as if indignantly exclaiming,
"This is a conspiracy!"
"Call it whatever you want."
Before he could insist, Seraphina was already descending the stairs, leaving Derek behind with an exaggeratedly offended expression and Luna trying to hide a smile as she returned to her book.
"..."
"....."
As Seraphina descended the stairs from the second floor, her gaze wandered across the library.
The library, though not the type of place she enjoyed, had something undeniably impressive about it.
The towering bookshelves, perfectly aligned, created corridors that seemed endless.
The soft light from the windows and magical lamps added a welcoming, almost magical touch. Even for someone who disliked reading, she had to admit it was a beautiful and well-organized place.
Her footsteps echoed as she made her way to the ground floor.
As she walked, her attention was drawn to a small table near a window, where a chair had been pushed back.
Under the comforting shadows of the environment, someone was seated, their head resting on crossed arms over the table, clearly asleep.
Curious, Seraphina slowed her pace, her eyes examining the scene.
'Looks like not everyone is excited to be here.'
The area around the table was surrounded by piles of books, both open and closed. She narrowed her eyes, trying to make sense of it.
That's when she realized who it was.
'Evan?'
He was completely unaware of her presence, his face partially hidden by his arms. Seraphina briefly glanced at the books scattered on the table, the titles catching her attention.
Among them, she could make out:
Advanced Energy Control
The Art of Energy Flow Conservation
Codex Maledictum: Soul Bonds
Her curiosity grew. The books on magical energy control made sense—she had noticed Evan's high energy consumption despite his skill. But... Soul Bonds?
'Codex Maledictum... Soul Bonds? Is this... a fantasy book?'
Seraphina frowned slightly, intrigued.
'Do they have books like this in the library?'
Though curiosity nudged her, she didn't approach.
Instead, she looked away, continuing on her path while trying to dismiss thoughts about what Evan was reading.
—————————————————————————————————
Same Moment - Magical Training Rooms
The magical training rooms at Spectra were spacious and well-lit, with practice circles marked on the floor for students.
Rachel stood beside Maya, who was focused on controlling a small sphere of energy floating at the height of her hand.
"Remember, the key is to focus only on the point that matters. Don't waste energy trying to control everything. Think of it as holding something fragile between your fingers."
Maya nodded, concentrating. She raised her hand, and a sphere of light began to form, flickering slightly before vanishing.
"Ugh... I can't hold it for long."
"It's fine. You're on the right track."
Rachel gave a small smile and demonstrated again. A perfectly stable sphere of energy floated in her palm without trembling.
"See? It's about letting the magic flow. Don't force it; just guide it."
Maya tried again. The sphere reappeared, this time steadier, glowing for a few seconds before fading away.
Rachel smiled approvingly.
"Better. It's starting to make sense now, isn't it?"
"Yes, I think so. Thank you, Rachel."
Rachel shrugged lightly.
"You've got the talent; you just need to follow the steps."
Maya hesitated, reflecting for a moment.
"Even so, I feel like I've taken up a lot of your time. If there's anything I can do to repay you..."
"Huh... Repay? Why? Who charges for helping someone with magic? What kind of lunatic would do that?"
She laughed, but her expression shifted as she noticed Maya's thoughtful look, almost as if she were piecing something together.
Rachel narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
'Oh no... Don't tell me Evan...'
She shook her head slightly, trying to dismiss the thought, but the idea lingered.
Maya, unaware of Rachel's reaction, broke into a genuine smile.
"Anyway, thanks again. That was really helpful."
"No problem. If you need help again, just look for me."
As Maya began packing up her things, Rachel cast one last glance at the practice circle before heading out.
Even though she tried not to dwell on it, the idea of Evan charging for teaching lingered in her mind.
'He really has no shame.'
—————————————————————————————————
Seraphina climbed the library stairs with steady steps, balancing an energy drink in one hand and an iced tea in the other.
When she reached the second floor, she returned to the table where Luna and Derek were still seated.
Luna remained absorbed in her notes, while Derek gazed idly out the window.
"Here."
Seraphina placed Luna's iced tea on the table before grabbing her own drink.
"I think I deserve some thanks for this."
Luna looked up briefly, offering a small smile.
"Thank you, Seraphina. Truly a heroic sacrifice."
Seraphina rolled her eyes as she sat down, opening her energy drink.
"Did you know they have fantasy books in the library?"
Luna frowned, curious.
"Fantasy? No. The Spectra library is very specific, focused on magic, history, and strategy. It's not the kind of place where you'd find that sort of thing."
"Then explain why I saw a book with a weird title lying on a student's table as I walked by."
Derek raised an eyebrow, finally showing some interest in the conversation.
"Maybe they brought it from home. What was the title?"
Seraphina took a sip of her drink before responding.
"Something like Codex Maledi...dum? I don't remember."
Luna immediately paused what she was doing and looked at Seraphina, surprised.
"Codex Maledictum?"
"Ah! That's it."
"That name isn't from a fantasy book."
"Then what is it?"
Seraphina asked, leaning slightly forward.
"It's a series of very old books about curses and their varieties. But they're not easy to access."
Luna hesitated for a moment, looking at Seraphina with curiosity.
"Do you remember the full title?"
Seraphina shrugged and responded with disinterest.
"It was something about souls."
Luna's eyes widened slightly.
"Soul Bonds?"
"Yeah, that's the one. Why?"
Luna set her iced tea aside, now fully engaged in the conversation.
"That's one of the most advanced volumes in the series. It explores curses that connect the soul to the body, or even between different people or entities. It's not the kind of book you find lying around."
"Sounds... heavy," Seraphina commented, twirling the bottle in her hands.
"It is. But the strangest thing is how someone got their hands on that book. The Spectra library is under an ancient magic. They say the books you find here are tied to your most urgent desires or needs. Maybe that person found it because of that."
Seraphina made a thoughtful expression but kept her thoughts to herself. She knew exactly who had the book but chose to remain silent.
Derek, who had been quietly observing until now, finally spoke.
"So, it's some kind of selective magic? You only find what you need?"
Luna shrugged.
"That's what they say. There's no way to confirm it, but it makes sense. These books rarely become available. Whoever found that one was probably searching for something very specific."
Seraphina remained silent for a moment, her thoughts wandering as she listened to Luna.
Derek, still curious, asked,
"Seems like a lot of trouble. What could someone possibly gain from studying something so strange?"
"You'd be surprised at what you can learn from studying curses. They're not just problems…"
Seraphina raised an eyebrow, taking another sip of her drink.
"Oh, really? And what else could they be?"
"They can be answers, warnings, or even legacies. Curses come in many forms: some imposed, others invoked… and some, well, are consequences of choices made by the individuals themselves."
Seraphina tilted her head, frowning.
"Consequences? What kind of choices lead to a curse?"
"Trades. Contracts. Things that seem advantageous at first but end up demanding a greater price than expected."
Derek shook his head, crossing his arms.
"So, basically, anyone cursed brought it on themselves."
Luna hesitated, looking at Derek as if carefully considering his words.
"Sometimes, yes. But not always. There are those who choose to sacrifice themselves to save something or someone, fully aware of the cost. Those are the ones who bear the worst curses."
For a moment, Seraphina remained silent, the weight of those words lingering in the air.
'The worst curses,' she thought.
It was only natural that these curses were horrifying since they didn't always belong to the cursed individuals. They were taken on to protect someone, a burden meant for another, now consuming the bearer as the final price for their choice.
"Sounds like a good story to scare kids."
Derek's voice broke the silence, snapping Seraphina out of her thoughts.
She looked up to see him with a carefree yet still curious smile.
Luna glanced up from her book, offering a small, knowing smile.
"Maybe. Or maybe it's a story about what happens when you mess with things you shouldn't."
"Author's Note: Image"