Emi calmed herself by closing her eyes and taking in deep breaths, slowing down her heart rate. Mrs. Tanaka then proceeded to check the attendance, calling out for every student in class. One by one, each classmate raised their hand until her name was called last.
"Emi Hoshino."
The young girl lifted her shaky hand, masking a smile despite the nervousness coursing through her body.
"Here!"
"Alright, that seems to be everyone." Said the teacher, now putting down her clipboard and paper. "Now then, before we begin today's lessons, I'll be needing your homework from yesterday's lesson."
Emi suddenly widened her eyes, dropping her jaw. She had completely forgotten about the homework that she left on her desk at home.
"Oh... crap!"
Emi slapped both hands over her mouth a second too late as the sound had already escaped.
The classroom went quiet in that very specific way it always did when someone said a bad word.
Mrs. Tanaka gazed at Emi as Yumi slowly turned around in her seat.
"...Emi." She whispered under her breath in disbelief. "You can't say that word..."
"I MEAN—!" Emi flailed her arms around as her face instantly turned red. "I mean, oh no!"
A few kids snickered as someone near the back muttered.
"She said it."
Mrs. Tanaka cleared her throat gently at her small comment.
"Language, please." She said. "And... do you have something to share with the class, Emi Hoshino?"
Emi sank into her seat like it might swallow her whole as her heart was pounding again. She could practically hear it in her ears at this point.
"Ummm..."
Mrs. Tanaka tilted her head, waiting patiently.
Emi raised her hand halfway, like she was afraid of being seen.
"I... uh... Mrs. Tanaka."She said in a small voice. "I... might've... left my homework at home."
The room reacted instantly to her comment as others cringed in their face, and some chuckled out loud.
"Ooooh."
"Rip."
"Another fallen soldier."
Yumi turned fully around now with wide eyes.
"Emi, you never forget homework!"
"I KNOW!" Emi said, also in disbelief. "That's why this is a disaster."
Mrs. Tanaka sighed, but there was no anger in it, just amusement.
"Emi Hoshino." She spoke with a stern voice. "This is very unlike you."
Emi nodded rapidly.
"I'm really sorry! I can bring it tomorrow, I promise! I did it! I swear I did it!"
Lumi winced beside her.
"Sheesh... you're spiraling."
Mrs. Tanaka considered her for a moment before smiling.
"Alright." She said. "I'll give you until tomorrow. Just don't make a habit of it."
Relief hit Emi so hard she almost melted onto the desk like the wicked witch.
"Thank you!" She blurted out, bowing in her chair aggressively.
Yumi leaned back toward her and whispered.
"You get to live another day, how lucky."
Emi let out a shaky breath.
"...Y-Yeah, barely."
Mrs. Tanaka clapped her hands once.
"Now then, let's move on. Please take out your textbooks."
The classroom returned to its normal habit as students started to unzip their bags, while others just opened their binders. Yumi also turned back around as both she and Emi took out their books, placing them on the desk.
"Emi, I think I finally found the creature that's been lurking." Lumi said, hovering inches away from her ear.
"What creature?" Whispered the youth, facing the invisible Star Spirit.
"It's... Yumi."
Emi widened her eyes—jolting back from his comment alone
"Y-Yumi?" She muttered as quietly as possible.
"Yes." He said, nodding his head with a stern look. "That isn't your friend. It's a Shoggoth Lord!"
Emi gained chills all over her body, hesitating to open her textbook.
"A-A Shoggoth Lord?"
Lumi went quiet, facing Yumi with an angry look.
"Shoggoths are sentient blobs of self-shaping, gelatinous flesh. They're capable of transforming themselves into whatever organs or shapes they find necessary. But Shoggoth Lords take it to the extreme; they're intelligent and have the ability to mimic human form perfectly. And even speak human language."
Emi could feel her breath caught in her throat as her fingers tightened around the edges of her textbook.
"T-That's... not funny!" She whispered, locking her eyes straight ahead. "Lumi. Please tell me you're joking."
"I am not joking." Lumi replied as vaguely as possible. His playful tone was completely gone now, replaced with something on high alert. "And for the record, I don't joke about Shoggoth Lords."
Emi gulped very audibly as she gazed at her desk.
Yumi, completely unaware, flipped her book open and hummed quietly, tapping her pencil against the desk in a steady rhythm.
"But..." Emi whispered, barely moving her lips. "She talks like Yumi. She laughs like Yumi. S-She worries about homework and hates math and..."
"Exactly!" Lumi cut in. "It's perfect mimicking."
That sent a chill straight down her spine as Emi stared in front of her.
Yumi was leaning her cheek against her hand now, listening to Mrs. Tanaka while doodling tiny flowers in the margins of her page.
"No, that can't be... Yumi is my friend." Emi said quietly, almost pleading. "I've known her since first grade."
Lumi hovered closer, lowering his voice.
"Shoggoth Lords don't replace people. They observe them before taking their shape. But they do so for a reason."
Emi was gazing at the Star Spirit, hearing him continue.
"They can learn how to smile. How to sound bored in class. How to complain about math. They blend in until even the world forgets they don't belong!"
Mrs. Tanaka's voice carried over the room.
"Please turn to page forty-two."
Pages flipped in unison as Emi didn't move a muscle.
"...Why would it be here?" She asked, trembling in her voice. "Why Yumi?"
"I don't know yet." Lumi admitted honestly. "But I do have a theory."
Emi widened her eyes.
"What is the theory?" She asked urgently in a whisper.
"First, I have to tell you something that you've been dodging." Lumi said, furrowing his nonexistent brows.
"What is it?"
"It's about your Mother, Emi... she's currently being watched by another Formless Shadow."
Emi, as if she knew the truth, lowered her head, not even surprised.
"You have no reaction. Did you know about this already?"
The young girl nodded her head.
"I did... but I just... didn't want to admit it."
Lumi closed his eyes, accepting her response.
"Now then, my theory."
Emi looked up to face him again, trying not to make it obvious in case others looked back at her.
"The Formless Shadows and Shoggoths are working together."
Emi looked confused, but didn't say anything until he finished.
"Think about it. After yesterday, when you obtained your Magical Girl powers, your mom came home, possessed by a Formless Shadow. Right?"
Emi nodded her head.
"Yeah... I could see her shadow move out of place with her body."
"Right." Whispered Lumi as he gathered evidence. "When a Formless Spawn possesses someone's shadow, they can read the victim's mind and soul, gathering information. It's likely that the Formless Spawn possessing your mom saw about your friend Yumi, and relayed that information to the Shoggoth through some unknown means." Lumi looked down in thought. "And then the next day, the Shoggoth Lord observed Yumi before mimicking her form."
Emi's hands trembled beneath the desk.
"So..." She whispered trying to piece it together slowly. "You're saying this thing chose Yumi because my mom... because it learned about her through me?"
Lumi didn't hesitate to reply.
"Yes."
The word landed heavily against her fragile heart, making her feel sick. She pressed her lips together, staring at the lines on her desk as if they could keep her grounded.
"I didn't know..." She murmured. "I didn't want anyone to get involved. I just wanted everything to stay normal."
Lumi felt a bit of pity, floating closer to her body.
"That's exactly why this is dangerous." He said as gently as possible. "You want normal. And Shoggoth Lords exploit that! You have to be a Magical Girl too, Emi. That's the power I gave you!"
At the front of the room, Mrs. Tanaka began explaining the lesson with her chalk tapping against the board.
Emi barely heard them as she was lost in her thoughts.
Meanwhile, Yumi shifted in her seat, stretching her arms above her head with a quiet yawn.
"Man, I'm already bored." She whispered to no one in particular. "Page forty-two looks evil."
A few students giggled as Emi flinched.
Every movement Yumi made felt too deliberate now—like someone following instructions perfectly instead of acting naturally.
"Lumi..." Emi whispered. "If that's not really her... then where is Yumi?"
Lumi went silent before lowering his head.
"I'm afraid... I don't know."
Emi's vision started to blur as she felt tears swell up in her eyes.
"No..." She said. "No, no, no! She was with me yesterday, on the bus. We hung out all day in school. This can't be happening."
"Emi, don't cry. For all we know, your friend isn't gone. But it does mean that she's in danger!"