Kael took the crimson letter and slipped it quietly under his mattress, his jaw set in a hard line.
"Tch… it doesn't matter," he muttered, more to himself than anyone else. "I'll win anyway."
Dark Smiler stepped out of the shadows, the movement as fluid as spilled ink. He placed a heavy, cold hand on Kael's shoulder. "Listen to me… winning is possible. But you have to follow my lead. And if the opportunity arises… bring Tatsuka and Shiya with you."
Kael looked at him, his golden eyes searching the void beneath the hood. "Are you sure about them?"
Dark Smiler nodded slowly. "I am."
Kael dropped into his chair, the weight of the future pressing down on him. "So… when do we start training?"
Dark Smiler turned his gaze toward the window, the moonlight catching the edge of his silhouette. "How can you be so certain she wants to fight you, Kael?"
Kael rested his hands on his knees, staring at the floor. "I don't know… just a gut feeling. A premonition of blood."
### The Glitch in the Dream
**Next Morning**
Kael's eyes snapped open at 6 AM. "Ah… a new day."
As he stretched, he caught a flicker of movement at the window. A shadow, sharp and distinct, appeared for a heartbeat and then vanished. Kael froze.
"…What was that?"
He moved through his routine on autopilot—uniform, bag, shoes. But the moment he arrived at school, the air felt thick, like static electricity before a storm. Something was watching from the seams of reality.
Kael glanced out the classroom window. The sky had turned a bruised, unnatural black again. "Not again," he hissed. Then, the realization hit him like a physical blow.
Tatsuka and Shiya were gone. Their desks were empty.
He stood up and walked into the corridor, heart hammering. A dark shape flitted past the corner. He looked back into the classroom and felt a jolt of pure horror—the teacher and the students were still there, but their eyes had changed. They were hollow, glowing with an eerie, vacant light.
He slammed the door shut and—
*Gasp.*
Kael bolted upright in bed, his breath coming in ragged hitches. He was drenched in sweat. He reached out with his mind. *"Cursed… are you there?"*
*"Hmm… what happened?"* Dark Smiler's voice was drowsy.
Kael explained the nightmare—the hollow eyes, the missing friends, the dark sky. Dark Smiler remained silent for a long moment. *"Perhaps it was just a dream, Kael. The mind plays tricks when the soul is under pressure."*
Kael shook his head, though he was alone. "I thought so too… but I could feel it. The cold. The smell of ozone. It felt real."
*Knock. Knock.*
"Kael, are you awake?" his mother called from the other side of the door.
Kael checked his phone and his heart stopped. "Whaaat! I thought today was Monday. But it's Sunday."
Dark Smiler let out a dry chuckle. *"Are you making up excuses to escape training, or are you genuinely losing your grip?"*
"No, bro! I'm telling you, I lived through tomorrow already!"
Just then, his phone vibrated. An unknown ID, but the digital signature felt hauntingly familiar. He tapped the message.
> **REMINDER**
> *Did you forget about me? I am your letter friend. Remember, we meet on December 25th. I am waiting for your bl—d.*
>
A sudden, sharp pain lanced through Kael's skull. He winced, clutching his head. "D… Dark Smiler, my head is killing me. But… I can control it now. I can feel the power behind the pain."
*"I think you're just talking nonsense to get out of leg day,"* Dark Smiler teased, though there was a hint of concern in his tone.
### The Training Ground
**Afternoon**
"Cursed… this is brutal. Why are we focusing so much on my physical body?" Kael gasped, his lungs burning as he finished another lap around the park.
Dark Smiler was lounging on a park bench, looking perfectly composed. "Because your spirit is strong, Kael, but your vessel is weak. Today is leg day. No shortcuts."
Kael wiped sweat from his brow. "Fine. But why is Tatsuka here too?"
Dark Smiler's eyes darkened, becoming two bottomless pits. "You know who he is. Keep your focus on the exercise." He clapped his hands sharply. "Warm-up is over! Kael, Tatsuka—plank position. One minute. Now."
"After a long run?!" Kael protested.
Dark Smiler stepped over, placing a hand on Kael's head. The weight felt immense. "Why are you complaining? Just do it."
For the next two hours, there were no excuses. Only the sound of heavy breathing and the relentless commands of the Cursed.
Finally, Kael collapsed onto a bench. "Tatsuka… pass me the water."
Tatsuka handed him the bottle, looking surprisingly fresh. "The training is hard, Kael, but we'll get used to it. We have to."
"Do you even feel tired?" Kael asked, squinting at him.
"Just a little bit," Tatsuka replied with a cryptic smile.
Suddenly, Kael felt a prickle at the back of his neck. He reached out and clamped a hand over Tatsuka's mouth. "Quiet. Someone is watching us."
Tatsuka followed Kael's gaze. In the distance, a human—or something that looked human—was standing perfectly still, observing them.
Near them, Dark Smiler was casually doing pull-ups on a tree branch. He glanced toward the watcher, and in an instant, the figure vanished into thin air. Kael noticed the interaction but remained silent.
### The Second Letter
When they reached home, a new envelope was tucked into the mailbox. It was decorated differently—almost like a love letter.
"This is getting creepy," Kael muttered, tearing it open.
> *Hi Kael,*
> *I'm waiting for you. When I saw you today, you looked so cute. I can't wait anymore, but we must do everything on schedule. After all, timing is everything.*
> *Your friend,*
> *Shadow (Just kidding).*
>
Dark Smiler snatched the letter. His eyes scanned the handwriting, and a flash of recognition crossed his face, though he quickly masked it. He knew exactly who had written this.
Kael ate dinner in silence, the weight of the day's mysteries sitting heavy in his stomach. Later, as he lay on his bed, he looked at the ceiling.
"Tatsuka is my friend," Kael whispered. "But when he touched my neck yesterday... I felt a pain. Like he was trying to inject something. Or take something away."
Dark Smiler leaned against the wall. "So now you think Tatsuka is your enemy?"
"No! I don't know!" Kael's voice rose in panic.
*"Then why overthink it?"* Dark Smiler sighed.
Kael clenched his fists on his lap. "But Cursed… did you see anything suspicious in the park? That person watching us?"
Dark Smiler looked away, his gaze fixed on a spot on the floor. "N… No. I didn't see anything."
Kael narrowed his eyes. The hesitation was obvious. "Tch… fine. By the way… do you actually have any magical power? Or are you just a coach?"
Dark Smiler turned back to him, his expression suddenly intense. "Listen carefully, Kael..."