The city slept under a crimson dusk.
Long shadows crawled across the buildings, and the faint hum of streetlights mixed with the drizzle of rain. Kajhunomo stood by his apartment window, watching droplets trace paths down the glass. The world outside looked peaceful — almost normal.
Almost.
Inside, his reflection flickered again. The cracks in the mirror had grown deeper since last night. Whenever he looked into it, he saw more than his own eyes — he saw another presence, a second soul lurking beneath the surface.
> "You're changing, Kajhunomo."
The whisper came again — cold and echoing.
He pressed his hands against his ears, but the voice existed inside him now, not outside.
> "I'm not… like you," he whispered.
"You will be."
The black mark on his hand pulsed like a heartbeat. The room darkened, shadows bending toward him.
And then — knock knock knock.
Kajhunomo froze. It was late. Too late for visitors.
When he opened the door, rain blew in — and a stranger stood there, tall and calm beneath a wide black umbrella.
The man wore a long coat embroidered with faint silver runes that shimmered when lightning flashed. His eyes were the color of steel. He smiled faintly.
> "Kajhunomo Asahi," he said. "I've been waiting a long time to meet you."
Kajhunomo's heart skipped. "Who are you?"
> "My name doesn't matter yet. What matters is that you've awakened."
The stranger's gaze fell to Kajhunomo's right hand — the faint black glow still seeping through the skin.
> "So, the rumors were true…" he murmured. "The Negativity Curse has finally chosen its new bearer."
Kajhunomo took a step back. "You… you know about this?"
> "Know?" The man smirked. "I teach about it."
He reached into his coat and handed Kajhunomo a small metallic card. It shimmered faintly with a black sigil — the same mark Kajhunomo bore.
> "Come to this address by midnight," the man said. "If you wish to control what's inside you — before it consumes you completely."
Before Kajhunomo could reply, lightning flashed again — and the man was gone, leaving only the umbrella spinning on the ground.
Kajhunomo stood frozen, the card cold in his hand. The words engraved on it read:
> THE ACADEMY OF CURSES – Division 7
"To control despair, one must first survive it."
---
The Invitation
Hours later, the city's streets had emptied. Kajhunomo's nerves buzzed as he followed the address on the card — down narrow alleys, past old warehouses, to an abandoned cathedral at the city's edge.
The building loomed like a carcass of time — gothic towers reaching into the storm clouds, stained glass shattered long ago. Yet faint lights glowed inside, flickering like heartbeats.
He stepped inside.
Immediately, he felt it — a pulse of energy.
The air vibrated, thick with mana. Symbols carved into the stone walls glowed faintly as if watching him enter.
> "Welcome, Kajhunomo."
He turned sharply. The stranger from earlier stood at the far end of the hall, beside a massive seal engraved into the floor. Around him stood several figures in long cloaks — their faces hidden behind masks depicting emotions: anger, sorrow, envy, and fear.
> "This," the man said, "is the Academy of Curses — where those who are touched by darkness learn to wield it."
Kajhunomo hesitated. "Why me?"
> "Because your Negativity energy level is unlike anything we've seen in centuries. You are the Vessel — the successor of the First Negativity Slayer."
Kajhunomo's heart raced. "The First… Slayer?"
The man nodded. "The being you saw in your dreams. That was no illusion — that was memory. You're connected through blood and soul."
Kajhunomo clenched his fists. "You're saying this curse is inherited?"
> "Not inherited," the man corrected softly. "Chosen."
He raised his hand. The sigil on his palm glowed, and the ground between them shimmered — forming a circle of runes.
> "If you wish to live… step into the circle."
Kajhunomo hesitated, then stepped forward.
---
Trial of Shadows
The moment his foot touched the runes, darkness erupted.
The world twisted into black flame and wind. The cathedral vanished — replaced by a vast void filled with flickering shapes.
> "This is your first test," the man's voice echoed. "A manifestation of your curse. Conquer it — or be consumed."
The shadows lunged. Creatures made of pure despair clawed toward him — monstrous forms with empty faces, shrieking silently.
Kajhunomo backed away, his pulse racing. He tried to run, but the void had no direction, no escape.
> "You can't run from what's inside you."
The voice — the Negativity's voice — spoke again.
> "Then what am I supposed to do!?" Kajhunomo shouted.
> "Use me."
The mark on his hand ignited, and pain surged through his arm. The world slowed — every heartbeat echoing like thunder.
Black flames erupted from his palm, swirling around him. The monsters halted, trembling as if recognizing their master.
> "That's right," the voice whispered. "Command them."
Kajhunomo exhaled slowly, raising his hand. The shadows obeyed. They merged into a single massive form — a blade of pure darkness. He gripped it, feeling its weight, its hunger.
The beasts attacked again. Kajhunomo moved instinctively — slashing through them, black sparks flying. Each strike sent shockwaves through the void. The blade sang with fury, feeding on his rage.
> "HAAAH!"
One final strike — and the void shattered.
Kajhunomo gasped as the world snapped back into the cathedral. The runes beneath him dimmed. He dropped to one knee, exhausted but alive.
The cloaked figures murmured among themselves.
> "He controlled it."
"Impossible for a first attempt."
The man smiled faintly. "I told you — he's the real one."
Kajhunomo looked up, trembling. "What… what was that?"
> "Your initiation," the man said. "You've proven you can survive the curse. From this moment, you are part of us — a trainee of the Academy of Curses."
---
The Mentor
As the other figures dispersed, the man approached Kajhunomo and offered a hand.
> "You may call me Raven. I'll be your instructor — and the one responsible for making sure your power doesn't destroy you."
Kajhunomo hesitated before taking his hand. Raven's grip was firm — but cold, like holding steel.
> "There's one thing you must remember," Raven said. "Here, we do not fight against the curse. We become one with it. Control comes through understanding your darkness, not denying it."
Kajhunomo nodded silently.
> "You'll begin training tomorrow. Rest for now — and prepare yourself."
As Raven turned away, Kajhunomo called out, "Why are you helping me?"
Raven stopped. "Because once, someone helped me too."
With that, he vanished into the shadows.
---
The Sleepless Night
Kajhunomo was led to a dorm room deep within the Academy — small, cold, but strangely peaceful. He lay in bed, staring at the faint glow of runes carved into the ceiling.
His body still ached from the trial. Yet beneath the pain was a strange calm — the same feeling he had during the fight. The moment he'd embraced the darkness, he'd felt alive.
> "So this is what it means to wield Negativity…"
He turned his hand, watching the black light pulse faintly. He could sense it now — a rhythm, a heartbeat, as if the curse was part of him.
Outside his window, thunder rumbled.
And somewhere deep within the Academy, Raven stood before a sealed door, his eyes reflecting blue light.
> "He passed," said a woman beside him. Her cloak bore the emblem of a winged serpent. "Do you really think he's the one?"
> "He is," Raven said. "But the question is — can he survive what comes next?"
The woman's gaze darkened. "If he fails, the Negativity Curse will awaken again — and this time, it will consume the world."
---