The atmosphere in the VIP room, which had been boisterous with the typical banter of an idol group, suddenly changed drastically. Anna, the manager, seemed to receive an invisible signal from the white-haired man who had just entered. With a tense yet authoritative expression, Anna immediately stood up and began pushing Sakura, Leah, Kamao, and Ayane toward the door.
"Come on, out for now! Hana needs quiet rest. We'll talk outside!" Anna commanded firmly.
"But Sis Anna, we just got in!" Leah protested with a pout. Despite that, Anna's strength was unstoppable, forcing the four of them out as they waved anxiously at Hana.
Once the door was tightly shut and locked, a gripping silence enveloped the room. The white-haired Teacher stepped closer very casually, pulled a wooden chair beside Hana's bed, and sat down. Before Hana could ask anything, the door opened softly again, revealing a man who gave off an impression of absolute authority. He was sturdy, with a bald head that shined under the hospital lights, wearing a very neat formal black suit—the mysterious man previously seen walking the dark corridors in Chapter 1.
The suited man stopped at the foot of the bed, staring at Hana with a sharp yet deep gaze. "You're awake, Miss Hinata," he said in a heavy, commanding voice.
Hana flinched. The name 'Hinata' sounded foreign yet triggered a strange throb in her head. However, as a professional idol, she tried to maintain her cheerful smile even though her face was deathly pale and wrapped in bandages. "Um... excuse me, but my name is Hana Mouri. And... what exactly is going on? Why has the atmosphere become like this?" Hana asked, trying to hide the stinging pain in every joint of her body.
The white-haired man beside her chuckled softly, as if enjoying Hana's confusion. "Don't be so formal, Fergo. You're scaring her," he said, then turned to Hana. "Sorry about that. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Denjo Kazui, nice to meet you. And that stiff guy over there is Fergo Kasugi."
"I'm Hana Mouri... nice to meet you," Hana replied softly, her voice still trembling slightly.
"Well, we both already know your name without you needing to tell us. You're very famous; your face is everywhere, from billboards to magazine covers," Denjo said in a casual tone, as if they weren't in the midst of the city ruins destroyed last night.
Denjo's expression then turned slightly more serious, though he remained leaning back casually. "Hana, let's get straight to the point. Let me explain the situation you're facing. Right now... you have been cursed."
Hana fell silent. Her aching head tried to process that word. "Cursed?" she asked with an innocent face that looked utterly confused. "You mean... like in horror movies?"
"Correct, but this isn't just any curse you can remove simply by praying," Fergo interrupted coldly. "Miss Hana, you have now become the vessel for a being that bears the name of a God. More precisely, the God of Curses. A creature that was supposed to remain sealed forever within the dimension of darkness."
Denjo nodded, confirming his colleague's words. "That night, I was truly shocked. The cursed aura radiating from your body was terrifying. It wasn't a human aura, nor was it the aura of a low-class ghost. It was pure hatred that could topple a continent if left unchecked."
Hana touched her chest, trying to feel what they were talking about. However, she shook her head slowly. "But... I don't feel anything. Aside from the pain all over my body because of... the accident last night, I feel normal."
Fergo took a step forward, staring at Hana's forehead, which still bore the reddish mark of the cursed orb symbol from the night before. "Miss Hana, it is true that right now you do not physically feel his presence. However, the crack in the seal on you as a vessel has opened. In all likelihood, you are the most suitable candidate in the entire world to house his soul. Biologically and spiritually, your body has a resonance with that God," Fergo explained with rigid analysis.
"And because of that," Denjo continued, "you have now become the center of attention for the Stolker organization."
Hana's blue eyes widened. "What? Stolker?"
"Yep," Denjo flicked his fingers. "Stolker. It's a special organization for people with supernatural abilities, including sorcery and the manipulation of cursed energy. We work behind the shadows to maintain the balance of the world from threats that ordinary humans cannot see."
Hana felt as if her world were turning upside down. Yesterday she was just an idol busy thinking about dance practice and concerts, and today she was told she was the vessel for an evil god. However, Denjo's next sentence made her heart truly stop for a moment.
"The reason isn't just to get acquainted, Hana. According to the organization's primary rules, you should be executed immediately. As in... killed as soon as possible. Because if you cannot be controlled, you are a threat to all of humanity. The half-city destroyed last night was merely a warm-up for him," Denjo said with a tone that remained casual, yet the content was deadly.
Hana was struck speechless. She was shocked, unable to believe that her life was now on the line just because of a game board they had played wrongly. Tears began to well in the corners of her eyes as she imagined her career, her friends, and her life ending tragically.
However, Denjo suddenly stood up and patted Hana's shoulder gently. "But, don't cry just yet. For now, you will be my responsibility! Because I have specifically requested the Council of Elders to make you my special student. I guarantee your life with my own name."
Fergo snorted softly, as if disagreeing with Denjo's recklessness, yet he continued. "Correct. For the time being, your execution is suspended. The condition is that you must become an official member of Stolker and remain under the strict supervision of Denjo Kazui every single second. You will be trained to control that energy, or at the very least, ensure that God does not wake up again."
"I... become a member of Stolker?" Hana murmured, trying to digest her new destiny.
"This is your identity card. The coordinates for our headquarters are already on there," Denjo said while placing an elegant black card with a silver logo on the hospital nightstand. "Come to this location once your condition improves. Don't be late, because the Stolker Council are not patient people."
Denjo stood up, stretched his body, and then waved his right hand in an incredibly nonchalant manner. Fergo only gave a small nod as a sign of departure. Without another word, the two mysterious men stepped out, leaving an aura of authority still lingering in the air.
As soon as they left, the door was immediately pounded from the outside. Sakura and her friends rushed back in, filling the room with their noisy voices once more.
"Hana! What did they talk about?!"
"That bald man looked terrifying, was he demanding compensation for the building?!"
"Hana, your face is so red, do you have a fever again?"
Hana looked at her friends one by one. She saw Sakura's anxious face, Leah still holding her snacks, and the boisterousness that had been her world until now. She then glanced at the black card beside her bed.
Despite her aching body and the death sentence haunting her, Hana suddenly gave a thin smile. A smile that was sincere yet held a new determination. For some reason, after hearing Denjo Kazui's confident words, Hana felt that maybe that strange white-haired man could actually help her out of this nightmare.
"It's nothing, guys," Hana said softly while gripping the card tightly. "I just got... a new job offer that's a little more challenging."
Hana stared at the sky from the hospital window, realizing that starting today, she was no longer just a national idol, but a part of Stolker—the front line of human defense against curses.
..... wait for Chapter 2 Part 2