As soon as the black-cloaked man landed gracefully on his feet, he turned to Rahiya, his expression calm and unreadable.
She couldn't take her eyes off him, curiosity burning in her mind. Wondering what he looks like behind the mask covering his mouth?
She hated that his hood concealed most of his eyes, leaving only shadows where his gaze should be.
Gently, he set her down before turning to leave.
But before he could take a step, Rahiya instinctively reached out and grabbed his arm, making him pause.
"W-What's your name?" she asked, her voice hesitant yet eager.
He tilted his head slightly, as if the question confused him.
"I don't have one," he said simply. Then, after a brief pause, he added, "You can call me whatever you like."
His gaze flickered down to where her hand still clutched his arm.
Realizing this, Rahiya quickly let go, not making her knight uncomfortable. She wanted to ask more—but before she could, he spoke again.
"Your friends are waiting for you, miss."
With that, he turned away, walking toward the lifeless ghoul.
Rahiya watched as he raised the sword he had been holding, its blade gleaming under the sunset. He murmured something—an incantation, perhaps—but the words were foreign to her.
Within moments, the ghoul's corpse dissolved into thin air, vanishing as if it had never existed.
The distant sound of sirens grew louder, and soon, an ambulance arrived.
Wyndel, who had rushed to Zandro the moment Rahiya was safe, was holding his injured friend, desperately trying to stop the bleeding.
Medics swarmed them, tending to Zandro's wounds and rushed him to the hospital while another group approached Rahiya, insisting on checking her condition.
But even as they examined her, her mind wasn't with them.
Her thoughts were still with the mysterious knight who had disappeared into the night.
~~~
Rahiya and Wyndel visited Zandro in the hospital. Normally, they would spend their weekends hanging out, but today was different—they were here, keeping Zandro company as he recovered from the severe injuries he had received in the ghoul attack.
After Zandro's mother welcomed them and asked if they were alright, she left the three of them alone to talk.
But no one spoke.
They simply stared at each other, unsure of what to say.
Rahiya glanced at Zandro, about to say something, when she noticed that he wasn't looking at her. His eyes were fixed on Wyndel—who was staring at the floor, avoiding his gaze.
They had fought yesterday, right before the ghoul attacked. And now, Wyndel couldn't shake the feeling of weakness and uselessness. Even after their argument, Zandro had still saved him and ended up in the hospital.
"Are you both okay?" Zandro finally broke the silence.
Wyndel clenched his fists, frustration flickering across his face.
"Says the one lying in a hospital bed."
Rahiya looked away from both of them, unwilling to swallow her pride and get involved.
Zandro let out a tired sigh. "This is exactly why I told you both to stay out of trouble." He then turned to Rahiya, his expression firm. "Do you still want to go on about your plan?"
She didn't answer right away. She didn't want to. But Zandro's sharp gaze never wavered, silently demanding a response.
With a deep sigh, she crossed her arms.
"Fine," she muttered. "I won't do it anymore. In fact, I have a new plan."
Wyndel let out a quiet sigh of relief. He then turned to Zandro, who only looked even more exhausted, not wanting to deal with another stupid antics that Rahiya planned.
"But what does this have to do with yesterday's attack?" Wyndel asked.
Zandro scoffed. "Do you even listen to the teacher?"
Wyndel shot him a glare.
"Negative emotions attract them," Zandro explained. "Yesterday, we fought. That's why the ghoul attacked us."
Rahiya and Wyndel stared at him in awe.
They really hadn't been paying attention in class.
Zandro sighed again. "So, what exactly is your new plan?"
He was just making sure her new plan wasn't as insane as the original one. And maybe…trying to persuade her not to do it at all.
"I'm going to be an exorcist!" Rahiya announced happily.
Both boys froze. Their jaws would practically hit the floor.
"You're going to be—WHAT?!"
"Yesss! I'm going to be an exorcist," she repeated dreamily, looking absolutely thrilled.
She definitely wasn't hiding any ulterior motives.
Not at all…
Okay, maybe she was.
But that wasn't the point right now.
Zandro narrowed his eyes. "And what else?" He wasn't convinced. Something about the way she was saying it didn't sit right with him. "You don't even know why the ghoul attacked us yesterday. So why do you suddenly want to be an exorcist?"
Rahiya pouted, resting her chin on her palm. "Because you two fought?" She batted her eyelashes, trying to look innocent.
Zandro stared at her, unimpressed. "I literally just said that."
She ignored him and continued, her tone turning more serious. "Besides, I want to be an exorcist to protect both of you! Yesterday, I couldn't do anything."
Her sincerity made Wyndel tear up—dramatically, of course.
"Queen," he sniffled, wiping his fake tears.
Zandro, on the other hand, wasn't buying it. "Ohhh, really?" He crossed his arms, his voice laced with doubt. With a sigh, he added, "Just be honest, Rahiya."
Rahiya met his gaze, feeling cornered. She could never get away with lying when it came to Zandro. He was stricter than her own mother and never let her off the hook.
With a sigh of defeat, she looked away.
"Okay, fine. I'll tell you."
She fell silent for a moment, her mind drifting to the mysterious knight she had met yesterday—the one who saved them—her.
She wondered if she would ever see him again.
"I want to meet someone again."