In a split second, my upper body lurched forward, pulled toward the ocean below. Whatever was pulling on the fishing rod's line was exceptionally strong. Before any thought could fully form in my mind, I was almost dragged into the blue abyss. If it weren't for that strange feeling that I'd felt a mere breath before, I'd have certainly fallen in.
Gritting my teeth, I hauled the rod backwards with every ounce of strength that I could muster. Even so, my weak mortal frame still strained, struggling just to stay where it currently was.
The water below began to churn with violence as something large beneath its surface began thrashing. The fishing rod bowed in a perfect arc; it seemed as though any added strain might cause it to snap.
'No way! Am I about to be pulled into the water by some fish?!'
To get better leverage and utilise the full breadth of my body's capabilities, I slowly began to stand up. I planted one foot beneath me, then the other, rising inch by inch. My knees wobbled with unease as I tried to find my balance, the unsteadiness caused by both the fish tugging at me and my own lack of coordination.
Cacophony stood in tandem with me. Her hand slid over mine on the rod, her fingers cool and perfectly steady. "It appears to be sizable. That's great."
The line thrummed with tension, vibrating like a wire about to snap. Beneath the surface, the bobber was long gone—dragged into the depths without a single trace.
Another ruthless thrash nearly caused me to double over, but Cacophony's support allowed me to stay standing. Cacophony braced her foot against the wooden strip, her clutch on the rod dainty and almost bored.
Cacophony leaned toward my ear and murmured. "Prepare your body."
"For what—"
The rod no longer wobbled wildly in my hands; with her strength behind it, it held firm, even as the thing below writhed and fought. She dragged the rod up with a smooth motion, applying force not only with her arms but with the turn of her torso and the shift of her weight.
I tugged on the rod in tandem with her.
The creature below attempted to fight against us, frantically pulling in the opposite direction. Still, it wasn't enough to overcome the combined force of an Empress and a Dark King.
The water bulged. Something thick and dark rotated beneath the surface, its shape shifting with each frantic twist. The creature shot upward, breaking the surface of the water and causing droplets to rain down on the wooden strip.
As water sprayed out, I closed my eyelids for a breath, then I opened them once more. Drawing the line closer, I finally got a good look at the creature we'd been fighting with.
It had a massive, blackish-grey body; its scales shimmered in the sunlight like polished stone. Its body was about two to three feet in length, and it had a fierce appearance. Its dorsal fin was spiky and sharp, a clear threat to any would-be predators. Its round, coffee-coloured eye stared at us with panic as the fish aggressively flopped in a futile attempt to free itself.
Given time to rest, I panted heavily. "What a demon. That's definitely a sea demon!"
Cacophony whistled. "I'm not familiar with this species of fish. I like it, it's fit for my table."
'Not familiar... It's just a species of sea bass... Seriously, from what ancient kingdom did Cacophony come from?'
Cacophony shifted her grip, steadying the rod as the fish continued to thrash violently in the air. With her free hand, she reached toward our makeshift container—the freshly cleaned bucket—and placed it beside her feet.
"Bring it closer," she instructed.
I guided the line toward her, my arms trembling from the effort I had already spent. With one decisive motion, Cacophony grasped the fish just behind its gills. With a twist, she unhooked the line. Droplets scattered across the platform as she lowered the fish into the bucket. It hit the plastic with a heavy, wet thud before splashing frantically against the small amount of water at the bottom.
With that done, I staggered back and took a breath. "That's… that's more than enough for the day," I managed between shallow breaths. "We should head out."
Cacophony didn't respond at first. She cleaned her hands on the edge of her sleeve without a single trace of urgency. "No."
"No?"
"We have this rod for a limited time. Until we return it, every moment must be used. Wasting time is unacceptable."
"But—I mean, getting one fish took us this long! Plus, I almost got dragged beneath the waves!"
She tilted her head slightly, as if genuinely unable to grasp the problem. "That only demonstrates your body's need for improvement, not a reason to stop. With me here, it's not like you'll actually get dragged down anyway."
She pointed toward the calm spot where the fish had surfaced moments ago.
"Cast the line again."
I hesitated, looking down at the bucket. The fish inside slammed its body against the side, water splashing up the plastic walls.
"Urg... My stars really are bad."
***
[Shores Charter School]
The late afternoon sun turned the building's hallways into streaks of pale gold. The school day had ended a few hours prior, and the majority of people had already left, but students involved in after-hours activities still lingered. In line with this, students were either outside on the field or confined to their clubroom. The teachers and administration were either monitoring students or doing their duties in one of the school's two offices.
Since the school's student population was quite low, that meant that not a soul was still wandering the halls.
With the sole exception of one person.
A lone girl stood in the school's first-floor hallway, in front of a partially finished display board pinned to the wall.
She had dark brown, piercing eyes and vibrant purple hair that cascaded down her back, marked by a small star-shaped ornament on her bangs. Even in repose, her gentle facial features settled into a naturally serious expression. She wore a white school shirt under a black sweater, a white skirt with black accents that grazed her upper to mid-thigh, and sleek black tights.
The girl with stark purple hair, Charlotte Toledo, let out a huff that rustled her bangs ever so slightly.
As she put the finishing touches on the display board, she couldn't help but complain inwardly. 'I never planned on spending my afternoon doing favours for others. In the end, I can't help but think that this is all his fault.'
She pressed a strip of tape down a little harder than necessary as her irritation rose.
'Leave it up to that cartoonish idiot to ruin my day. Honestly, who else but him could turn a normal Wednesday into a disaster? I swear, every step of this mess traces straight back to that lunatic.'
Originally, today was meant to be a Friday like any other. Charlotte would rigorously attend her classes, study as required, hang out with her friends, and go home right as school ended. It was a minor occurrence on Wednesday that put a screeching halt to his plan.
Every Monday and Wednesday, the school hosts free SAT tutoring sessions for juniors and seniors, and every Tuesday and Thursday, this same opportunity is extended to freshmen and sophomores.
Since her freshman year, Charlotte had made her attendance at these tutoring sessions a regular occurrence. That was the only reason that she was there on that irritating, fateful Wednesday tutoring session. That day, she and the loud, obnoxious Dark King had an encounter that ended with his phone in her possession.
She'd spent the entire school day attempting to find the elusive lunatic, but failed at every turn. She even stayed after school, with the slim hope that they'd have a chance encounter. Ultimately, they never crossed paths, and Charlotte had to accept that he didn't attend school today.
Charlotte pressed her fingers briefly to her temple, remembering the headache he had gifted her. She set the memory aside and straightened the laminated header across the board. The words were in festive, bold red letters: Valentine's Day Blessings At The Grand Coral Shrine.
The event at the shrine took place every year, and due to the event being tied to the Goddess, it was extremely popular. That must've been why the shrine had asked the school to hang up the announcement despite it only being January 10th. The school then asked members of the student council to prepare and post the announcement on all of the school's display boards.
That said, Charlotte was not a member of the student council and had no actual responsibility when it came to putting up the announcement. She also had no intention of taking responsibility, but her friend, Giulia, was a member of the student council. When she saw that Charlotte had stayed after school, she asked her purple-haired friend to do her a favour. As it turned out, Giulia had other student council-related matters to attend to and was facing a mountain of work.
Though she had no obligation, Charlotte couldn't bring herself to refuse the gentle, pleading voice of the pink-haired girl. Charlotte didn't do the task half-heartedly either; she put immense effort into designing each of the displays. Now, hours had passed, and she wasn't even sure if Giulia was still in school or if she'd gone home.
Charlotte stepped back from the board, taking a moment to scan every corner for crooked tape or bubbles beneath the laminate. As she did, something soft pressed against her calf.
Charlotte flinched before looking down. At her feet, a sleek black cat was rubbing itself against her lower leg. As it rubbed against her, it moved to her front. It purred harmoniously before rising onto its hind legs to pat Charlotte's knees with its paw.
Charlotte crouched and slipped her hands beneath its belly, lifting it with ease. The cat accepted this immediately, sagging into her arms like a warm sack of sand.
"Unbelievable," she muttered, tucking an arm under its hind legs. "You're not even supposed to be in the building."
It wasn't uncommon to see stray cats wandering the campus, but they were confined to the courtyard or outside.
Students fed them, named them, posted them online. But they weren't allowed indoors.
Holding the cat in her arms, Charlotte made her way down the hall. Her work for the day was finished, and it was time to return home. She wouldn't bother looking for Giulia; they would text each other when they got home anyway.
Charlotte carried the cat through the quiet hallway, its warm weight nestled against her arms. The school felt even larger when empty. Her shoes tapped a steady rhythm as she approached the double doors at the end of the hall.
A faint creak escaped them as she nudged them open with her shoulder.
The outside air swept over her instantly, cool from the ongoing winter and laced with salt from the distant sea.
The courtyard was tinted in soft orange light, the sun already sinking beyond the treeline. Up above, the school's flagpole stood tall. On it, two flags fluttered lazily in the breeze.
One was striped with red and blue while having white stars painted in the corner. It snapped crisply with each passing gust. Just underneath, a cyan flag with a motif of waves flew lazily.
Charlotte's eyes didn't hang on to either flag. She had little interest in regional or national matters. That was something beyond her scope of influence and so deserved no extra thought.
Still holding the black cat, Charlotte passed the school's roundabout and got to the main gate. Before crossing it, she crouched down. The cat purred in protest, its sound loud and steady.
"Calm down. It's not like I can take you home with me."
The cat blinked up at her, but Charlotte was unmoved by the creature's cuteness.
She carefully placed the cat down. It circled her once, brushing its tail around her ankle like a faint ribbon of thanks. Momentarily, the cat glanced toward the outside of the gate, but it didn't move toward it. The cat froze, and with a hiss, the cat shot in the opposite direction.
"Weird."
Charlotte stood and continued walking. She passed through the metal gate surrounding the school and took a few steps forward. Charlotte slowed her pace, eyes narrowing at the faint white edge along the outer curb. It was a smooth line of white chalk that surrounded the school grounds. It wrapped the entire school like a thin ring of frost, unbroken and untouched.
"They still haven't washed that off?"
Charlotte sighed and continued walking down the street.
"Honestly… he'd better show up on Monday," she muttered under her breath. "I'm not spending another entire day tracking down that lunatic."