The sound of clashing swords. Screams. Curses.
They echoed on and on.
A thunderous explosion rang in his head —
A sound that belonged to no one in this classroom.
A flash of a blood-stained azure blade flickered before his eyes, like a scene torn from a nightmare.
"Stop... Just stop already!"
Fayros's voice pierced the air,
echoing across the classroom with unfiltered intensity.
Every student turned, silencing their whispers and curiosity.
There he was, the boy with pitch-black eyes,
gripping his head, trembling uncontrollably.
"F-Fayros… are you okay?"
Lira's soft voice was filled with concern,
her gentle eyes watching him closely.
SCREECH!
A loud screech of a chair being dragged.
Kaen stood up abruptly.
"What the hell is wrong with you, Code-less freak!?"
he growled, marching straight toward Fayros.
The insult seemed to cut through the chaos in Fayros's head,
snapping him back to the present.
Slowly, Fayros opened his eyes — expression blank, confused.
"What the hell was that outburst about?" Kaen sneered.
"...N-Nothing. Sorry…" Fayros muttered.
Kaen scoffed.
"Don't let it happen again, you black-eyed freak."
He turned and walked away.
Lira leaned in, her pinkish purple eyes full of worry.
"Fayros… are you really okay?"
She gently touched his shoulder.
Fayros nodded.
"Y-Yeah…"
The math teacher's voice cut in sharply,
"Let's stay focused, everyone."
Fayros looked down again, his chest still heavy.
It was quiet now,
but he knew that something was still there — waiting for its return.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead,
but his eyes wandered — unable to truly focus.
"If you're really not feeling well…
You can rest outside," Lira said kindly.
But Kaen raised an eyebrow.
"Just putting on a show for attention, huh?
You black-eyed bastard,"
he muttered loud enough for the class to hear.
The air turned cold.
Several students glanced over,
some with curiosity, others stifling laughter.
Fayros clenched his jaw.
His black eyes — like ink — trembled,
holding back the pain.
But deep down,
he couldn't blame Kaen for not understanding.
He didn't even understand it himself.
Because humans don't have pupils this black.
Yet he did —
So dark it was as if God had crossed him out.
The ticking clock echoed in the silence,
like time itself had frozen for Fayros.
"Kaen" the math teacher said firmly,
"That was inappropriate. Please show some respect to your classmates."
Kaen lowered his head slightly,
but didn't reply.
Lira turned to Fayros,
her violet-pink eyes trembling slightly.
"If you ever want to talk… I'll listen,"
she said with a sincere smile.
Fayros gave a faint nod,
but in his mind, the same thought kept repeating:
"I have to understand what's happening to me.
Before it's too late."
12:00 PM — The lunch bell rang.
Most students jumped up —
Some rushed out, others chatted while leaving.
But Fayros remained seated.
Lira pulled out her lunchbox and returned to him.
"Wanna eat together?" she asked, showing the box.
Fayros glanced at her,
then shook his head softly.
"Not hungry…"
"But you were trembling this morning,"
Lira sat down beside him without waiting for permission.
"Even if you don't eat, you can just watch me."
She opened the box.
The aroma of an omelet rice wafted through the air.
Fayros couldn't help but glance at it.
"...Thanks," he whispered.
They sat in silence for a while,
the only sound being her fork tapping against the lunchbox.
Fayros shifted slightly,
as if trying to say something — but hesitated.
Finally, he spoke without meeting her eyes:
"Have you ever felt like…
there's something inside you that shouldn't exist?"
Lira paused and slowly set her fork down.
"Yeah" she said simply.
"Something we didn't choose — but have to live with."
Fayros blinked, surprised.
"You…"
"I don't have an answer for you," she smiled sadly,
"But… I know how it feels."
Fayros looked down again.
The weight in his chest eased just a little.
"If one day…"
he said slowly,
"I'm not myself anymore…"
"Please stay away from me."
Lira was silent for a moment.
"You're afraid… of what's inside you, aren't you?"
"…Yeah."
She smiled gently.
"Well then,
I'll be the first person to drag you back.
No matter what."
Fayros's eyes widened,
then he looked away, lips trembling.
Something inside him stirred.
A warmth he hadn't felt in so long.
12:04 PM
The corridor was wide and tall,
ceiling nine meters high,
walls made of synthetic crystal mixed with Lumithite, a magical ore that softly pulsed with the rhythm of the school's Cognitive Core.
Dull violet-grey and faint gold streaked the walls, with icy-blue light running along the floor and ceiling edges.
The floor itself shimmered,
arcane patterns swirling just beneath the surface — coming alive whenever a magic-user passed by.
Fayros and Lira still sat together in silence,
amid the growing footsteps of other students leaving.
But Fayros's eyes remained fixed on the glowing crystal wall, as if haunted by overlapping memories that refused to fade.
Heavy footsteps approached.
Kaen stood before them,
holding a brown paper bag of food.
His fiery red hair matched his usual arrogance,
but something in his golden eyes looked… different.
"Hey, black-eyes,"
he said in a strangely cold but hesitant tone.
"Why're you still here?
No one's waiting for you, y'know."
Fayros looked up,
flinching at Kaen's expression.
"…You hungry?"
Kaen offered the bag, sighing.
"I… don't even know why I'm doing this."
His gaze met Fayros's, surprisingly genuine.
Lira watched cautiously.
"Kaen…" she said,
"Maybe… you don't need to say anything.
Just listen to him."
Kaen looked at her for a second,
then sighed deeply and sat beside Fayros.
"Listen, black-eyes,"
his voice hoarse.
"I don't get what the hell you're going through…
but I know what it feels like — to have something wrong inside."
Fayros stared at him,
then quietly accepted the lunch bag.
"…Maybe I'm just scared" he admitted softly.
"Scared that the voice in my head…
what I don't understand…
might end up controlling me."
Kaen nodded slowly.
"Look… if you ever need someone beside you,
when that happens — I'll be there.
Even if you never ask."
Lira smiled warmly.
"We all have things we don't want to face.
But we won't let you face it alone."
Kaen stood up,
"Get some rest, black-eyes.
See ya after class."
Fayros watched him walk away,
a strange warmth blooming in his chest —
like a tiny light in endless darkness.
He gently touched his chest,
over the spot that always ached.
"No matter what happens…
I'll find the truth."
Lira nodded softly.
Her blonde side ponytail swayed with the breeze.
But then —
The voice returned.
"Why pretend to be good?"
"Yeah… why keep lying to yourself?"
"You damned demon in human skin!"
"Why don't you just kill him —
like you killed all of us?"
His heart sank.
His knees buckled.
"Fayros! Calm down!"
Lira rushed to hold him,
but it was no use.
The voices wouldn't stop —
"Curse it all!"
"Why's it so hard to just kill that redhead!?"
"You slaughtered thousands — now you play the victim!?"
"One more death — so what!?"
Then, a different voice broke through.
CLINK—!
The sound of a teacup.
"The truth is always right in front of us, but humans choose to ignore it."
"The reason we took the name Fayros…
is because the soul remembers.
And a soul that hasn't shattered —
cannot forget."
"Dreams aren't always dreams.
Sometimes…
they're just fragments of the past."
That voice brought him back.
His trembling hands stilled,
though fear still gripped his heart.
3:20 PM — The end-of-class bell rang.
Students quickly packed up and left.
Fayros remained,
one hand gripping his temple —
his heart refusing to let him return to peace.
"Fayros…"
Lira entered the now-empty room,
closing the door behind her.
She stood beside his desk,
her scent of roses drifting from her golden hair.
"…What did you hear?"
she asked, not accusing,
just genuinely concerned.
Fayros didn't answer immediately.
He glanced at her,
then looked away.
"It's like someone else's voice…
but it's mine.
It says things I don't understand,
but it digs into my mind,
tries to make me do something…"
Lira froze — her eyes filled with worry.
"Like someone's ordering you to do things?"
He nodded, face pale with fear.
"…The blood… the sword…
It's not a dream.
It's like… a memory that isn't mine."
Silence.
Lira sat across from him.
Her hands folded on the desk.
"Fayros…
Have you ever thought that maybe —
those voices…"
He looked at her, eyes wide.
"…aren't from someone else.
But from you — a different version of you."
His breath caught.
Ice filled his veins.
Images of ancient soldiers, torn bodies,
the scent of blood soaking the battlefield —
It rushed through his bloodstream
like it belonged there.
Suddenly—
A metallic shriek in his head.
A soldier leaping at a shadowed figure.
"Remember..."
He jerked upright.
His chair nearly fell.
Lira grabbed his hand.
"Fayros! Did it happen again!?"
He gasped,
black eyes shaking.
"It… it's clearer now…"
"Remember...
If you remember in time —
you can still protect 'her.'"
Fayros froze.
The voice wasn't just in his head anymore.
It was alive.
It was inside him.
Elsewhere, outside the city...
An ancient tower trembled.
Arcane runes lit up on its floor —
dim and pulsing —
As if something had awakened
from its endless slumber.