Preset time:
Elara stood frozen, her mind struggling to process what she had just witnessed. Beside her, Lily's jaw dropped.
"Teleportation?" Lily whispered, brow furrowed in disbelief.
Elara gave a small, stiff nod, then turned toward Lily just in time to see Zara running toward the parking lot.
"I'll handle the rest," Elara said quickly, eyes still fixed on Zara's retreating figure. "You go join the others." Lily nodded and walked into the mansion.
Meanwhile, Zara fumbled with her car keys. "Why do I always end up in the mess?" she muttered, unlocking the door in a hurry. But before she could slip inside, Elara caught her hand.
"Stop. We need to talk."
Zara cursed under her breath, turning to face her. "Honestly, super senior, I need to go." She tried to pull her hand away.
Elara clenched her jaw. "Stop running from me, will you?"
Zara looked down, hearing the sharp tone, "Senior, it's..."
Elara narrowed her eyes and leaned closer, "Where are you going? To Arin?"
Zara hesitated, her gaze dropping at the sharp edge in Elara's voice. "Senior, it's..."
Elara narrowed her eyes and leaned closer. "Where are you going? To Arin?"
Zara looked up, meeting Elara's gaze, and froze as she saw the anger in her eyes. She gave a small, guilty nod.
Elara's grip on her wrist tightened. "I'll come with you, and I have some questions..."
Zara opened her mouth, but Elara shook her head, finishing the sentence for her. "...that you must answer."
Zara glanced around, searching for an excuse, but the intensity in Elara's eyes made her pause. She nodded.
Elara smirked and slid into the passenger seat as Zara started the car.
Zara's hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, her focus splitting between the road and Elara's intense gaze. She shifted in her seat and offered a nervous smile. "Super senior...
Before she could continue, Elara's sharp voice cut through the tension. "Why did she change her name?"
Zara's fingers tightened on the wheel, a flicker of unease in her eyes. "It's just..."
Elara hissed, cutting her off. "I'm done with lies. I want the truth and only the truth before I actually lose my mind."
Zara flinched at the intensity, turning sharply as she switched on the indicator. Elara braced herself, frowning, but didn't argue. After a tense silence, Zara parked the car near a quiet pond.
"Let's talk here," she said.
Elara looked around. The place was calm, bathed in moonlight, the silence amplifying every heartbeat.
Zara started telling Elara as much as she knew. "I don't know everything, but that night after your graduation ceremony, when I entered the room, Arin wasn't there… She came back around morning. Her hand was bleeding, and her behavior felt… off."
Zara hesitated, her gaze flicking to Elara, but the intensity in her glowing eyes made her gulp and continue. "Anya asked her, but she didn't reply. After a while, Jane and Ashley came. I didn't know what was happening back then… I just knew, without any notice, Arin was changing the college and even the kingdom."
Zara carefully left out the parts Arin had forbidden her to reveal, but Elara wasn't a fool to trust blindly.
Elara took a deep breath and turned to Zara. "You didn't know everything at the time, but when you found out… Tell me everything. What did she say?"
Zara bit her lip, twisting her fingers nervously. "Super senior..."
Before she could continue, Elara's low, sharp voice cut in. "Tell me, or do I need to use my power?"
Zara froze, shaking her head. "No, no." She lifted her hands in surrender. "I'm telling you."
Elara hummed, her thumb rubbing against her other fingers. A faint blue light flickered between them, ready to punish any lie.
Zara closed her eyes and poured out everything in a single breath from the moondust to the soul trying to control Aria's body. When she finished, she opened her eyes.
The blue glow had vanished from Elara's hand. Her face was a mix of shock, disbelief, and something else Zara couldn't quite name.
Zara shook her gently. "Super senior? Are you okay?"
Elara fought to steady her emotions, her heart aching for the pain Aria must have endured. She took a deep breath before answering softly, "Hmm… I'm fine… But she could have told me."
Zara raised a brow, lips twisting in disbelief and judgment. "And? I'm telling you… that spirit...or curse, or ghost, whatever it is...is inside her. A body and two souls. That thing has promised to kill you, Super senior. If she had told you, you'd still be in contact with her… and keeping contact with Arin means keeping contact with that soul."
Elara ran a hand through her hair and leaned against the seat. "Hmm… but how hasn't that spirit taken over Arin's body yet?"
Zara sighed. "It's not like it never tried. Arin always keeps her emotions in check. Whenever she's weak, that thing takes over. And Professor Rayna taught us some spells that… work."
Elara nodded, her mind heavy with regret more than questions. Silence fell between them, sharp enough to cut.
After a while, Elara whispered softly, "Professor is still searching for ways?"
Zara hummed. "Yes… and once, we almost found the spirit's name, but before the professor could read it..." She huffed, running a hand through her hair. "Arin burned the file that had it."
Elara's head snapped toward her. "Arin?"
Zara frowned, offering a pitying smile. "Yes… because that soul is still in her body. She's keeping it trapped...or it's keeping her trapped. I don't know… We just know we need to find her name and how she died."
Elara's eyes widened, and she murmured, "It's a woman's spirit?"
Zara rolled her eyes. "I mean, yes… what else did you think?"
Elara shook her head. "Nothing… but do you guys even know anything about it?"
Zara bit her lip, debating whether to say more. After a pause, she decided to spill it. She had already told Elara a lot. "It's the spirit of a bride. From what we've learned over the years… she loved her fiancé deeply. But just before their marriage, she found out he… cheated on her many times, and was only playing with her for money."
Elara's lips twisted in disgust at the revelation. Zara noticed her reaction and chuckled. "Well, your reaction is nothing compared to Arin's. The day she found out, she was ready to go back in time and… put some sense into him. That was the first and last day that the spirit and Arin shared the same feeling: pure hate for a cheater."
Elara smiled softly, staring out the window toward the moon.
Zara continued, her tone sobering. "However… when she went to confront that so-called fiancé, she never came back. And…"
Elara frowned, turning back to Zara. "And? Why do I feel like there's more?"
Zara nodded, biting her lip before speaking. "When Arin actually sacrificed herself for you… it triggered the spirit." She threw a hand into the air, frustration clear. "So now, she wants to finish you."
Elara closed her eyes. "I don't know whether I should be angry or pity her…"
Zara stared out of the car window. "We're all in the same condition. I won't say she hates Arin, but… Arin has extra powers from the spirit, and that thing has saved her many times. It only triggers when Arin thinks about you. The spirit wants to finish you, and it's angry at Arin for keeping it trapped in her body."
Elara turned to Zara, shock written across her face. Zara noticed and added softly, "It's not confirmed yet… just a theory from the professor."
Elara nodded in understanding. "I want to meet Arin…" she said quietly.
Zara's eyes widened, jaw dropping. "You've lost your mind, Super Senior. You have no idea how much pain that will cause her… The spirit talks to her in her mind, and she gets terrible headaches at those times. Today, it almost took full control over Arin, and next time… it's too risky."
Elara didn't answer. Zara stared at her for a few moments before hesitantly reaching out to hold her hand. "Hey… Super Senior… I know it's not my place to say, but…"
Her fingers trembled slightly as she tried to find the right words. "Can you… please wait a few more years? We're doing our best to destroy the spirit… please?"
Elara looked at her with a blank expression. Zara's chest sank in disappointment, and she slowly let go of Elara's hand. "It's… okay if you're moving on…"
Elara took a deep breath and unbuckled her seatbelt. "I should go…"
As she opened the door, Zara added softly, "She still loves you… You can't imagine how jealous she was when she saw you with Lily… Are you really moving on?"
Elara paused, her heart aching and racing at the same time. Without a word, she stepped out of the car. In an instant, she was gone, her super speed leaving only a gust of wind behind. Zara leaned back against the seat, closing her eyes.
"Is Miss Spirit right? Love… just an illusion. Loyalty only ends in pain…" Zara murmured.
Just then, her phone buzzed. She opened her eyes, wiped away her tears, and answered softly, "Anya?"