Yun Hao's head throbbed, a dull ache that had been growing since Xin's last words at lunch. His thoughts were a jumbled mess, a mix of unease, confusion, and the strange pull he felt toward the new student.
Who was he?
The hallways felt longer as Yun Hao walked to his next class, his feet dragging with every step. The weight of everything pressing against him made it hard to focus.
Ruin was quiet today, his usual teasing tone absent. But Yun Hao could feel his presence, sharp, watchful. It was a relief and a burden all at once.
I'm not sure if I want him here anymore, Yun Hao thought, but the words felt hollow. In truth, he knew Ruin was the only thing keeping him from falling apart completely. Without him, Yun Hao was certain he would've crumbled by now, consumed by the darkness he couldn't understand.
Yun Hao didn't notice when he walked into the classroom. His eyes were unfocused, his mind still wandering. But the moment he stepped through the door, he froze.
And so did the room.
Xin was there.
He stood by the window, his figure bathed in the fading sunlight. The class had already started, but his presence felt like an interruption, as though the world itself had paused.
He turned his gaze to Yun Hao, and for a moment, it felt as though the entire room was holding its breath.
"Yun Hao," Xin said, his voice carrying the weight of something ancient. His smile was small, but it was enough to make the air grow heavier. "You look… troubled."
Yun Hao barely managed to breathe, his chest tightening.
"Is there something wrong?" Xin's voice was smooth, too smooth, as if he already knew what Yun Hao was feeling.
Before Yun Hao could respond, the teacher's voice cut through the tension, her eyes narrowing as she saw the interaction. "Xin," she said coolly, "don't disrupt the class. Sit down."
Xin didn't argue. He turned and casually walked to an empty seat near the back of the room, but his gaze never left Yun Hao. The unsettling feeling in Yun Hao's stomach only grew worse.
Class dragged on. The words on the board blurred together, the teacher's voice a distant hum in Yun Hao's ears. All he could focus on was Xin's presence in the room. The way he seemed to be watching him constantly. Every glance, every slight twitch of his lips it felt like an invisible thread tying them together, pulling Yun Hao closer to him.
But why?
Was Xin really just a student? Or was there something more? Something Yun Hao wasn't seeing?
The bell rang, signaling the end of class, but Yun Hao didn't move. He sat frozen in his seat, watching as Xin stood up and made his way toward the door.
And then, to Yun Hao's shock, Xin looked directly at him, his expression unreadable.
"Don't run too far, Yun Hao," Xin said softly, his voice carrying just enough to make Yun Hao's skin prickle. "The truth is coming for you. And when it does, you won't be able to escape."
Yun Hao's breath caught in his throat. What did he mean?
Before he could ask, Xin turned and left the classroom without another word.
But the chill in the air didn't fade.
Yun Hao stood up, his legs shaky, and made his way out of the room. He didn't even notice the students passing him until one of them spoke.
"Yun Hao," a voice called, and Yun Hao turned to see Ming Wei, one of the few students who didn't openly avoid him. He was standing near the hallway, his usual teasing smile on his face.
"You okay? You've been looking like you're gonna collapse any minute."
Yun Hao barely managed a half-hearted smile. "Yeah, just tired."
"You're not hiding something from me, are you?" Ming Wei's eyes narrowed slightly. "I've seen that look before. It's not like you."
Yun Hao froze. For a second, he thought about telling him, about saying everything that was going on, about the sigil, about Ruin, about Xin—but
Yun Hao froze. For a second, he thought about telling Ming Wei, about saying everything that was going on the sigil, Ruin, Xin but the words stuck in his throat. It was one thing to deal with the overwhelming sense of danger himself, but to drag someone else into it?
He wasn't ready for that. Not yet.
"I—" Yun Hao started but stopped, unsure of how to explain the weight pressing down on him. "It's nothing. Just…. a lot on my mind."
Ming Wei raised an eyebrow but didn't push any further. Instead, he gave a short nod and a teasing grin. "If you say so. But if you need someone to talk to, you know where to find me." He gave Yun Hao a pat on the back before walking away, leaving Yun Hao to his thoughts.
But the knot in his stomach didn't ease.
As Yun Hao walked to his next class, the sense of being watched never left. The strange pull in his chest intensified, and his mind raced with unanswered questions. Why had Xin singled him out? What did he know? Was he really just another student, or was he something more?
But before he could dwell too long on those thoughts, he found himself at the door of his next class. He hesitated, his hand on the door handle, but then he felt it. A ripple of dark energy. His breath caught.
It was Ruin.
Yun Hao turned, his gaze meeting the familiar presence of his ghostly companion standing by the corner of the hallway. The dark aura swirling around him was unmistakable.
"Everything okay?" Ruin asked, his voice quiet, his eyes glowing faintly with an otherworldly light.
Yun Hao swallowed, still shaken. "I don't know. Something's wrong… I don't trust him." He gestured toward the direction Xin had gone.
Ruin's expression remained unreadable. He didn't need to ask who Yun Hao was referring to. He'd felt the tension too—the unnatural feeling that came with Xin's presence.
"You're right to be cautious," Ruin said, his voice dark. "There's something about him that doesn't sit well with me. But remember.… you're not alone."
Yun Hao nodded, trying to reassure himself with Ruin's words. As long as Ruin was by his side, he felt like he could face anything.
"Thanks, Ruin," Yun Hao murmured, before pushing open the classroom door and stepping inside.
The rest of the day passed in a blur, but the feeling of being trapped in a spider's web only grew stronger. Everywhere Yun Hao turned, there was a lingering sense of danger. Xin's words echoed in his mind: The truth will come for you soon. And when it does, you won't be able to escape.
He tried to push the thought away, to focus on the mundane, on the things that didn't make his heart race, but it was impossible.
When school ended, Yun Hao was one of the last students to leave the campus. As he walked through the empty hallways, a familiar sensation crawled up his spine someone was following him.
He quickened his pace.
The footsteps behind him matched his speed.
He didn't look back. It was Xin.
Yun Hao's breath hitched as he felt the cold presence of the boy draw closer. He forced himself to stay calm, to not let his fear show. He needed to stay in control.
When he finally reached the exit, he spun around, facing the approaching figure head-on. "What do you want from me?" His voice was sharper than he intended, but it cut through the silence like a blade.
Xin stopped just a few feet away, his eyes gleaming with an unsettling mix of amusement and something darker. "I told you already, Yun Hao," he said softly, his tone almost playful. "I want you to understand who you are."
Yun Hao's chest tightened. He could feel the pull of Xin's gaze, like the boy was trying to force something into his mind. He couldn't look away.
Who am I?
The question echoed in his mind. The sigil, the darkness he couldn't escape, Ruin… It was all connected somehow. But how? And why?
Xin stepped closer, his smile growing more dangerous. "I know what you are, Yun Hao. I know what you were… before." His words were like a whispered secret, something meant only for Yun Hao's ears.
Before Yun Hao could react, a cold gust of wind swept through the hallway, and Xin's figure blurred for a moment, his form flickering like a mirage. When the wind died down, Xin was gone.
Yun Hao stood frozen in place, his breath coming in short gasps. The world around him felt distorted, as if he was losing his grip on reality.
What did he mean?
Ruin's voice broke through his thoughts. "You're not alone in this, Yun Hao."
He turned to see Ruin standing behind him, his expression unreadable but filled with an intensity that matched the situation. His eyes glowed with that eerie, otherworldly light as he stepped closer.
"Stay with me," Ruin urged softly. "We'll uncover the truth, together."
But Yun Hao wasn't sure if he was ready for the truth. The more he learned, the deeper the hole seemed to get. And no matter how much Ruin reassured him, the fear of what lay ahead grew stronger by the second.