As we walked, I glanced at Kim.
— Hey Kim, I have a question.
— Sure, go ahead, she replied, looking at me attentively.
— What exactly does Miriam's power do?
Kim looked up at the ceiling, thoughtful.
— Her LC, "Spikes," is mainly a long-range combat ability. It allows her to conjure energy spikes—she can use them for close combat or launch them as projectiles. The higher her level, the greater her control and efficiency. She said she's Level 5… which means that even if Xia, Airi, Minho, Won Ho, you, and I attacked together, we probably wouldn't even scratch her.
I blinked, overwhelmed.
— Her stats are about five times higher than ours. She could defeat us without much effort. But like all LC abilities, it has consequences. Overuse causes fatigue, headaches, body pain—even fainting. The higher the level, the worse the side effects… at least until Level 6 and beyond, but those are extremely rare.
She paused, then added:
— Also, a Level 5 human is roughly equivalent to a Level 2 witch with Sequence 5… in other words, a "2.5." It's complicated… but fascinating.
My brain felt like it was melting.
— That's… a lot to process.
Kim smiled with a soft sigh.
— I know. But you asked.
— And I regret it.
She laughed.
— Yeah, figures.
She crossed her arms slightly.
— Still… I'd love to see Miriam fight.
I exhaled.
— Does her LC have any counters?
Kim thought for a moment.
— Maybe portal users, defensive types, or resistance abilities. But I've heard that spike users can sometimes pierce defenses… so it's not guaranteed.
I looked at her, surprised by how much she knew despite being at a lower level.
— That's impressive. So… how are abilities classified? Not all of them are for combat, right?
She nodded.
— Right. They're divided into categories. Long-range combat like spikes, my flames, Airi's power, projectiles, wind like Xia's… then close combat like Minho's and Won Ho's. There are defensive types, mobility abilities like portals, speed, or flight… support types like healing—Alya's ability—mental abilities like clairvoyance, telepathy, emotional influence… and temporal ones like time stop or time travel.
She smiled softly.
— They complement each other.
— Which one is the best? I asked.
Kim laughed.
— None. They're all equal. Each has strengths and weaknesses. Some are better suited for combat, but all are important.
I stared at her for a moment.
— Thanks for explaining.
— Anytime.
We kept walking.
— Hey… now that I think about it… did Minho come to school today?
Kim frowned.
— Now that you mention it… I didn't see him. Let's ask when we get to the cafeteria.
I nodded.
When we arrived, I approached Won Ho, who was sitting alone, eating cookies.
— Hey, Won. Do you know if Minho's sick or something?
He looked at us, confused.
— No… but this morning, while we were walking to school, he started acting strange… then suddenly went back home.
My eyes widened. I looked at Kim.
We both understood instantly.
I grabbed Won Ho's arm and started running.
— Dark, what's going on?!
— Don't ask—just come with me!
We ran toward the school exit.
— At least tell me where we're going!
I glanced at him.
— You of all people should know.
His expression changed. He understood.
We ran faster, crossing streets and avenues without stopping.
My phone buzzed. A message from Kim:
"We're on our way."
I put it away and kept running.
Minutes later… we arrived.
The forest.
The same forest where Minho and Won Ho had disappeared before. The same place where I had found Minho last time.
— He has to be here. Let's wait for the others before searching.
Won Ho nodded.
I dropped to the ground, exhausted. My body burned with pain.
After a few minutes, the others arrived.
— Good. Now that we're all here, we split up. Search everywhere… and watch out for the crows.
They all frowned.
— The what?
I sighed.
— Just be careful. No time to explain.
We split up.
I went left. Won Ho and Airi to the right. Xia and Kim through the center.
The deeper I went, the heavier the atmosphere became.
Dead trees surrounded me. The air felt suffocating.
No signal on my phone.
Of course.
Then I heard it.
Crows.
Dozens of them, circling a tree.
This tree… was different. Taller. Drier. Wrong.
I approached carefully.
When I placed my hand on the trunk—
Cracks spread instantly.
Black liquid began pouring out.
The crows went insane, screeching, diving down, drinking it.
My heart pounded violently.
My breath stopped.
My vision spun.
I couldn't move.
Then—
Someone pulled me back.
I gasped and turned.
— Dark, are you okay?
Xia.
I nodded, unable to speak.
She pointed ahead.
— Won Ho and Airi showed up near us. We were waiting for you, but you didn't come… so I went looking.
— Thank you…
We regrouped and moved toward a cave.
All five of us turned on our phone lights.
Before we could enter—
A man walked out.
Old. Around seventy-six.
Gray hair. Dirty. Skin like bark.
Blind eyes.
— Sir… have you seen our friend?
He looked at us.
— Guys… it's me… Minho.
— WHAT?!
All of us shouted at once.
He walked slowly, holding an old pocket watch.
Gray. Rusted.
Stopped.
3:15 AM.
He sat on a rock, mumbling.
— He's coming… he wants out… he'll come for all of us…
I grabbed his shoulder.
— Who?
Silence.
Then—
— The God of Doors.
I froze.
The watch slipped from his hand.
I picked it up.
The moment I touched it—
A vision.
A girl in a white dress, stained with blood.
Standing in a Luminari circle.
The circle ignited.
She screamed.
Her body twisted.
Her eyes turned white.
She floated—
Her voice distorted—
Then—
Darkness.
I returned to reality, gasping.
I looked at the others.
— I know what to do.
Kim's expression hardened.
— You're not serious…
Xia spoke first:
— If it's for Minho… we don't have a choice.
Airi stayed silent.
Won Ho growled in frustration.
I looked at them.
— There's only one person who can help us.
Silence.
Then I said it:
— Professor Eclipse.
As we left the forest, I noticed something else.
Every flower Minho passed—
Withered instantly.
Aging.
Dying.
Far away, at the school…
The Professor Eclipse sat at her desk, eyes closed, sipping her coffee.
As the cup left her lips—
A slow, satisfied smile formed.
Dark.
Knowing.
Waiting.