The evening had begun to settle over Arcadia Academy, painting the sky in soft gradients of amber and deepening violet as the last light of day slowly receded. The grounds, usually filled with calm conversation and quiet movement, now seemed to blur past in fragments as Luca ran through them with hurried, uneven steps.
His breathing was ragged.
Unsteady.
Each inhale felt shallow, each exhale strained as the discomfort within his chest surged once more, sharper than before.
It's happening again…
The thought echoed frantically in his mind.
Sweat clung to his skin, tracing along his neck and temples as his body struggled to keep pace with the urgency driving him forward. The faint black unease, though not yet visible, pressed heavily beneath the surface, the same unnatural sensation tightening within him like an unseen grip.
How… how do I calm this down…?
His thoughts scattered, refusing to settle into anything useful.
He turned sharply around a corner—
