That was when Cynthia, trembling but resolute, broke free.
She whispered something under her breath.
"GYEKPO."
The doors exploded open with supernatural force. A violent wind howled through the library—and in an instant, Hakeem and his Red Hood followers were ripped away, vanishing into the darkness.
Then the force holding everyone released.
"What the…?" Emilia exclaimed.
Kelvin fell to his knees, hands trembling. He had just tried to kill someone. Who am I becoming? he thought.
"I just saved us," Cynthia said weakly, turning to the group. Blood began to trickle from her nose, and then she fainted. Kelvin rushed to her side.
"Wake up… wake up," he muttered, his hands shaking as he held her.
"I thought those guys were just nobodies," Victor muttered, wide-eyed.
"A pawn in the devil's hands? Seriously? After all I've been through… I become a pawn?" Stephen scoffed, voice hollow.
"What do we do, Kelvin?" Emilia asked.
"How the hell would I know?! Did you not see what just happened? I decapitated someone… a human being or whatever that was… and he put his head back on like it was a hat. Now Cynthia… we're screwed. Just get me water," Kelvin said, pale, tears slipping down his face.
Victor went to get water but froze mid-step, screaming as he ran back.
"Oh, for Christ's sake—what now?"
Everyone turned. A girl had entered.
She had no face.
"Wait… is that Clera?" Emilia swallowed.
She walked silently, picked up a pen and paper, and scribbled:
NWOHS EB LLIW PEWS TXEN EHT DNA TAOG NAMUH EHT LLIK, SEVAEL ENO ON
The lights flickered—and then went out.
Kelvin stepped forward, voice authoritative. "No. No more. You did this, walked into a lion's den, left us to clean up after you, and now you expect me to pick up your mess? I'm not your servant. I have a life. I found you—that's enough."
Her head bowed, hair covering part of her face. She was just a little shorter than Kelvin.
From the walls came a distant, echoing cry—like a baby, but also an adult.
Then, suddenly, Clera lifted Kelvin into the air, threw him down, and let out a piercing shriek:
"NOBODY LEAVES UNTIL IT IS DONE!"
The library shook; books fell from shelves, and shelves toppled. And then it was over.
No one spoke. Cynthia woke during the chaos, too exhausted to study. They spent the rest of the night restoring the library before retreating to their dormitories. But as the boys climbed over the wall…
The housemaster was already waiting.
"Fuck," they muttered in unison.
One Week Later
The spell Cynthia had cast hadn't killed Hakeem—but it had erased them. No one knew where they were; their bodies were nowhere to be found. The Red Hoods were gone… for now.
Kelvin hadn't been the same. He had to visit the infirmary after being thrown during the library incident. Sleep eluded him. Even brief dozing brought horrific visions: the head falling, then reattaching. He couldn't summon the sword. And worst of all, his father refused to allow him to transfer schools.
Cynthia poured over the translated pages, learning new spells.
Stephen had grown distant. Emilia alone seemed unaffected—she held the group together, steadying them even as the world around them trembled.
The housemaster's punishment was mild—just weeding. With their new spells, that was hardly a concern.
Later, Victor and Emilia spoke quietly.
"You see? So you do agree with me," Victor said, leaning in.
"I'm just laying all the cards on the table," Emilia replied.
"This is insane. What do you think will happen?"
"I don't know," she said quietly. "And that's what scares me."
"And Kelvin?"
Emilia's eyes darkened. "We've survived this long by staying invisible. But lately… we've done nothing but piss off the devil. And the devil always collects."
"You think we're going to die?" Victor asked.
Emilia shook her head. "The universe has a fucked-up way of communicating. I guess this is it, telling me I don't have a future outside the school. We might survive if we keep learning, if we stay prepared. The spells saved us once. Kelvin's sword—whatever that was—saved our lives. But if he can't control it again… we're finished."
Victor exhaled. "You can't blame him. When he goes into that state, he's not himself. Think about it—he cut off someone's head… and the guy just reattached it."
"I was there," Emilia snapped. "And yeah, I'd be shaken too—but he didn't die. He's not human, Victor. And sooner or later, he's going to have to kill things that look human. Hesitation isn't an option. When he acts… we're screwed if we aren't ready."
Victor hesitated. "That aside… I need your help with something."
"More important than decoding Clera's gibberish and staying alive?"
"My dad… he's been haunting my dreams. Every night. I need to find out why. Because if I don't…"
"You'll be the next to die," Emilia finished, rolling her eyes—until she saw the look on Victor's face.
"Wait… you're serious?"
"Dead serious. You know how I see beyond the natural world? Well… my dad died a while ago. He was a botanist. He died right here, in this school. And I think… he's one of the monsters now."
"Oh… fuck. No rest for us. One problem after another. Anyway, the one you should be asking for help is Kelvin. One seer to another. But you'll need to help him first—get him together."
"And how am I supposed to do that? I'm not a therapist. After that… episode, none of us are sane."
"If your dad's a monster, you need a monster hunter who can see like you—or ask Cynthia. Maybe she knows a spell. See you later. Class awaits… and so do you."