I. The Dismissal and The Ride of Horror
Dr. Sakamura looked stunned by the phone call, but ended it promptly. "Your father has given his permission, Himari. But please, if you feel any dizziness or nausea, you must go directly to the university clinic. Do you promise?"
"I promise, Uncle," Himari confirmed.
Dr. Sakamura nodded, then bid them goodbye and left the room.
DJ rushed to Himari, her worry showing clearly despite her generally bright demeanor. "Are you really okay, Himari? Like, fully okay? Your dad sounded..."
Himari nodded, offering a weak but reassuring smile. "I'm fine, DJ. Just tired."
DJ grabbed Himari's bag and handed her the uniform jacket. "Good. Here. Let's get out of here. This house is too quiet." As they walked the hallway, DJ, ever the extrovert, kept the conversation going. "Are we really going straight to college first, or the dorm?"
"Dorm," Himari said simply.
"Yeah, I also think so. We need to freshen up. That archival dust is not kind to my complexion, plus I need coffee before facing any professor," DJ announced.
They were almost to the main gate when Dr. Sakamura, dressed in a sharp blazer and clearly ready to go somewhere important, called out, "Wait, girls! How are you getting back? Which transport?"
"Uncle, I think we are taking a taxi," DJ replied.
"Wait, children, let me drop you two," he offered immediately.
"No, no, Uncle! It must be an inconvenience! You have to go somewhere," DJ protested politely.
He laughed lightly. "It is no trouble at all. I do have to go to the hospital, and your dorm and the university both come right on my way. It's perfectly fine. No more questions, okay? Wait, let me bring my car."
He walked briskly to the garage. They followed him out to the sleek, dark sedan. Dr. Sakamura opened the rear door for both of them.
As Dr. Sakamura started the engine, pulling smoothly out of the driveway, Himari seized a vital, private moment. Shielded by the angle of the front seats, she swiftly palmed the small container of pills from her jacket pocket and quickly placed two under her tongue.
DJ leaned forward, now entirely comfortable, drawing Dr. Sakamura into easy conversation. "So, Uncle, about that Archive project..."
Himari leaned back against the cool leather. The casual rhythm of the conversation was meant to be reassuring, but for Himari, it was suddenly, sharply, dissonant.
II. The Chilling Presence and Magical Paralysis
The pills hadn't fully taken effect yet. A subtle chill, cold and localized, settled directly onto the back of her neck—a temperature drop that Himari immediately tried to dismiss.
It must be stress, she rationalized, forcing herself to breathe deeply. It's just my body reacting.
She attempted a basic pulse of ambient magic—but the pulse felt damped. It merely sank, thick and unresponsive. Magic sickness. My focus must be off from the fever.
She closed her eyes briefly, forcing herself to concentrate. But as soon as her eyelids dropped, she felt it—a brief, icy rush of air across her ear, followed by a faint, chilling whisper that spoke directly into her skull, though the words were unintelligible.
Himari's eyes snapped open instantly. Nothing in the car had changed, yet the experience felt too real to be a dream. Unintentionally, she reached out and tightly gripped DJ's hand. The feeling of human warmth was a sudden, primal necessity—the overwhelming sense that something had just touched her neck made her desperate for an anchor.
DJ, who was busy talking to Dr. Sakamura, paused mid-sentence. She turned her head fully toward Himari. DJ's bright, extroverted expression instantly faded. Himari's face was utterly pale, she was sitting too straight, and her eyes were wide, looking around the car with a fierce, unnatural consciousness.
"Himari? Are you okay?" DJ asked, her voice dropping to a concerned whisper.
"No... ye-yeah, yeah, I'm okay," Himari stammered, quickly yanking her hand back.
The fear cemented her resolve: Magic studies were unreliable when her body was failing her. Only pure Combat Training could save her.
"So, Himari," Dr. Sakamura said suddenly, glancing in the rearview mirror. "You're awfully quiet. Are you sure you are feeling well? We can swing by the hospital first if you need another check."
"I am perfectly fine, Uncle! Just tired. I think I just got a bit of car sickness from the winding roads." The lie was smooth.
III.The Dorm Entry and The Shared Secret
The sleek black sedan pulled to a smooth stop directly in front of their university dorm building.
Himari swiftly opened the door and got out. The oppressive feeling—the lingering chill and sense of observation—was still clinging to her.
DJ, emerging after her, waved cheerily. "Thank you so much, Uncle Sakamura! That was a massive help!"
Dr. Sakamura looked at Himari with concern. "You seemed very quiet during the drive."
Himari's smile didn't reach her eyes. She only registered the question when DJ gently nudged her. "Yes, Uncle, I am fully okay. Thank you so much for the ride."
He told her, "If anything feels off, you come to the university hospital for a check-up, understood?"
"Understood." They bid him farewell.
DJ started walking alongside Himari, trying to match Himari's hurried pace. "Himari, seriously. Are you sure you're not feeling well?"
"Nah, I'm okay," Himari dismissed. "It's just... maybe fever. I'll rest and be okay."
They entered the security station to register their entry. The guard, a familiar man, greeted them warmly. He checked the log. "Ah, but wait a minute... yesterday's log is empty for you two."
Himari acted instantly. "Uncle, we actually went straight to my aunt's house yesterday. She invited us, and we stayed there for the night."
DJ simply stared at Himari, surprised by the quick lie.
The guard smiled and filled their entry slots. "Ah, youth! Always enjoying yourselves. It is your age, after all."
DJ, ever curious, asked, "Except us, did anyone else also not come back last night?"
The guard looked at the log. "Yeah, actually, two boys also didn't come back yesterday."
Himari and DJ looked sharply at each other. Kiro and Shouta
As Himari took back her entry card, the guard noticed the bandage on her hand and the small bandage near her temple. "Oh, dear! How did you get injured, child?"
"Oh, it's just a silly fall, that's all. I'm clumsy!" Himari waved it off.
Himari started moving fast toward the internal dorm doors. As they passed through, DJ finally asked, "So, what did you think about the whole thing? Are you going to complain about the incident in the Archives to the university?"
"DJ, I am okay. And I really don't want to make this small thing a big deal," Himari stated firmly.
What a friend I have, Himari thought, the guilt sharp. She didn't even ask me why I lied to the guard just now. I don't deserve her.
"DJ, are you going to the university now?"
"Yeah, I am. Are you coming too?"
"No," Himari said. "Today I am taking a day off. Please let Professor Arata know, okay? As well, DJ, I really appreciate all the help you've given me until now. Really."
DJ smiled. "It's okay, okay. Take care. Get some serious rest."
DJ turned toward the university, and Himari quickly headed up the stairs toward her room.
VI. The Shattered Reflection and The Coded Call
The dorm room door clicked shut behind Himari. The exhaustion, the nausea, and the psychic dread converged. She collapsed onto the bed, staring at the ceiling, seeing the black sedan and the cleaner.
Her thoughts spiraled: The book. The forbidden text was gone.
She quickly searched her bag, tipping out the contents. The realization hit her with sickening clarity: Kiro Reian had taken it.
Defeated, she slid off the bed and walked to the small mirror DJ had given her. She dropped to the floor, staring at her reflection—her silver hair, her red eyes, the lying face. She felt an overwhelming surge of frustration and shame.
She looked at her empty wrist. The protective bracelet was gone. Why? Why is this always happening to me?
She saw the reflection of a liar, a fugitive, a damaged girl. With a strangled cry, she grabbed the nearest heavy glass paperweight and hurled it.
The mirror exploded with a deafening, shattering crash.
The face of Himari Tsukihara could no longer be seen in the broken glass.
The self-pity was instantly replaced by cold clarity. She wiped her eyes, picked up the scattered contents of her bag, and put everything neatly on her study table. She then carefully collected every shard of the broken glass from the carpet. A deep regret washed over her—she had broken a simple gift from the one person who trusted her. She placed the fragments in paper and threw them away, tucking the empty frame into her cupboard.
Once the room was clean, she changed her clothes and sat down at her study chair. She took several deep, centering breaths.
She attempted to use her basic Wind Magic. Nothing happened. She tried Illusion Magic. Her reflection in the window did not change. Her energy remained sluggish, dead. Her decision was final: her magic was neutralized.
Himari stood up, pulled on a fresh jacket, and accessed the encrypted channel on her phone. She had no time for hesitation.
Suo picked up.