"!"

It felt like I had been completely deprived of control over my body. The instant his hand touched my throat, I found myself unable to resist in any way.

"I got you."

His dry and cold voice reached my ears, sending shivers down my body.

"Ah!"

Evelyn yelped from the side. Electric bolts shout out from her body as she quickly shoots them towards the mirror, but...

Swoosh!

It was useless.

...The mirror absorbed everything.

If anything...

Cra Crack-

More cracks formed all around the mirror.

"Keep attacking bitch. Looks like you're finally useful for something."

"Ah, this..."

Evelyn's eyes shook. She looked lost. A magic circle rapidly formed at the palm of her hand but she wasn't sure whether to use it or not. She alternated her gaze between me and the mirror. 'Don't do it.'

I gave a slight shake of my head, hoping she'd understand. She did, as her brows knitted together and her face turned complicated.

It couldn't be helped.

There was no point in being reckless in this situation.

"Tsk."

Julien clicked his tongue while his grip over my throat tightened.

"She's never been useful in her life. Just when I had hopes."

He turned his attention towards me, a smile forming at the corner of his lips.

"...You look exactly like me. It almost feels creepy. No, never mind. What am I even talking about? This is my body we're talking about. No shit you look like me."

"Kh..."

I tried to struggle a few words out of my mouth but it was no use. His grip over my throat was too tight. I couldn't get any words out.

Furthermore, although he was still stuck inside of the mirror with the exception of his arms, I had lost total control of my body. Despite my best attempts at trying to set myself free, I couldn't move at all.

"It must've been nice, right? Taking over my body and acting like me? I bet everyone looks at you like the better version of myself, right? While I'm stuck here in this darn thing you

stripped me of everything. It must've been nice..."

Julien's eyes flickered and his expression twisted.

"You seem rather calm despite the situation you find yourself in. Why is that?"

Because I'm not scared...

The words never left my mouth but I could tell that he understood. That was all it took for his anger to surge.

"You, how fucki-Ukeh!"

His face spasmed and his grip over my neck loosened. With his other hand, he covered his face while maintaining my grip over my neck, despite it having weakened.

"What did you do to me?"

"....N-nothing big."

With his loosened grip, I could speak. The edges of my lips curled up as my voice started to layer.

"M-maybe you didn't know, or maybe you did considering that this is your body, but I'm an Emotive Mage. So long as I can get a word out, I can directly influence your mind. Just like..." I raised my hand and pressed it against his outstretched one.

"Now."

".....!"

Julien's face underwent a significant change.

But it was too late.

"Akgh!"

A scream escaped his lips as his grip over my neck loosened.

Thump!

I collapsed to the ground, quickly glancing at Evelyn. She didn't need any instructions. A spell formed in her hand, and she immediately hurled it toward the mirror. But this time, instead of striking the mirror, the spell wrapped around it, creating a protective barrier.

Since she couldn't affect the mirror directly, she conjured another barrier, layering it over the first.

This second shield would serve as an extra layer of protection that would block Julien even if he managed to get out of the mirror.

"Ugh."

Evelyn's face grew pale the moment she threw the spell.

She had clearly expanded a lot of her energy creating the spell.

Thud.

Dropping to the ground, she started to breathe heavily. I was doing better than her, taking a few breaths before recovering and standing up.

Bang!

Amid the tension, the mirror trembled, sending out a loud, echoing bang that reverberated

through the voice.

"Get back here!?"

What followed after was Julien's hoarse and crazed voice.

".... You useless bitch, get me out of here! Give me my fucking body back!"

Bang, bang-!

"Give it back!! It's mine! It's mine...!!"

Bang!

Evelyn made an effort to ignore his screams and looked at me.

"Haa... I don't know for... haa... how long the spell will last. Your best... haa.. bet is to find the artifact and deal with the situation. I'm at my limit with this."

"...Yeah, I figured."

I was already thinking of a way to talk to Kiera about the mirror. Did she know where it was?

Even if she did, would she lend it to me?

I pursed my lips. I was honestly unsure if she would but what other choice did I have?

Looking at the mirror and the cracks that formed all around it, I knew that I couldn't waste time hesitating over the matter. I had to find Kiera and figure out a way to get her to give me

the mirror and help me.

'But for now, I need to get out of here.'

The place was already feeling too stuffy for me.

Bang!

"Where do you think you're going?!"

Sensing that we were preparing to leave, Julien grew increasingly frantic. He began pounding

on the mirror with greater intensity, his voice turning more hoarse with each desperate shout.

"Stop!"

The desperation was palpable in his voice.

Bang, bang-

I moved my gaze away from him and looked towards the barrier that Evelyn had set up around

the mirror.

"You said it won't last for long, but dod you have a specific amount of time?"

"....No."

Evelyn shook her head with a complicated expression.

"It could last an hour, maybe two. Or it could stop him for only a few minutes. If it were a spell

sealing him, I could reinforce it, but as things are, once he's out of the mirror, he'll be able to break through the barrier quickly-if he knows how. That's why I can't put an estimate to it."

"I see."

So we needed to hurry up and find Kiera.

"Understood."

I felt an increased sense of urgency in the situation.

Without any further delay, I stretched my hand forward and Evelyn grasped it.

Bang, Bang-

"....Come back here! Are you listening to me!? Come back here!!!"

Julien's twisted and hoarse voice continued to echo in the background while a familiar

sensation coursed through my body, making every muscle in my body tingle. Before I know it,

my eyes flared open and light entered my eyes.

"Ugkh."

"...Ooof."

I struggled to adjust to the light as I squinted my eyes a couple of times. It was a little

overwhelming after being surrounded by the darkness for so long.

'Did Julien live in such a world for so long...?'

....His desperation made sense.

Not that it mattered much to me. He was a threat that I needed to deal with. I had no

sympathy for him.

"Are you going to find Kiera directly?"

Overhearing Evelyn's words, I nodded faintly.

"Yes, although I don't necessarily know where she is right now."

Even though I didn't know where she was, I didn't think finding her would prove very difficult.

My only problem was finding a way to convince her.

"Okay, then."

Evelyn still seemed a little shaken up by what she saw. Though she tried her best to keep

herself composed, she couldn't hide the faint trembling of her shoulders and pale face.

Reading the room, I planned to step away from her when all of a sudden, I felt the corner of

my lips curl.

'Uh? What in th—'

"Nice..."

My mouth opened on its own as my head turned to look around me.

"....It's so nice."

***

"Still nothing?"

Ten minutes had passed since Leon began searching for Julien and Evelyn, but despite

checking several common areas, they still couldn't find them.

"....No, nothing. I can't even find any trace of Kiera."

Aoife's brows were furrowed tightly as she scanned the surroundings.

The situation felt a little odd to her.

Where did Julien and Evelyn go? And what about Kiera? Weren't the two of them supposed to

meet here by now?

'Did something happen to the three of them?'

No, that didn't quite make sense. The security was extremely tight due to the Seven Church

gathering.

The chances of something happening to the three of them weren't very big.

..... But it's also not impossible.'

It was after all an Academy.

They were an educational institute. Their strength could hardly measure up to a powerful

noble house.

'Still, if something did happen, I'm sure there would be a reaction by now. Since that's the

case then-'

"Ah!"

Overhearing the strange noise that came out of Leon's mouth, Aoife turned her head to see him staring into a certain direction where two figures were coming.

She blinked a couple of times before finally looking relieved.

"They're here."

Although Aoife was still puzzled by how the two of them had disappeared together, given

how strained their relationship was, she felt relieved that her concerns had turned out to be

unnecessary.

No big problem had occurred at the Academy.

"Where have you two been? We've been looking for you all over the place?"

Aoife was the first one to approach.

Leon stood behind her.

"You were looking for us?"

Evelyn looked surprised at first before turning her head to look at Leon.

"We weren't far from the place you left us off. We went to look for you but you were gone."

"That..."

Leon scratched the back of his head.

"I left only for a short moment. I came back but I couldn't find you."

"....Whatever."

Evelyn shook her head before recalling something.

"Right, do you guys know where Kiera is?"

"Kiera?"

Aoife looked a little surprised. However, she soon shook her head.

"No, I've been looking for her as well. She seems to have disappeared after the mass."

"She did?"

Evelyn's brows furrowed tightly as she mumbled, 'That's a little troublesome...'

Troublesome?

"Why? Do you need something from her?"

"Uh? Ah, no."

Evelyn pointed her thumb back.

"Not, me but him."

It was then that Aoife shifted her attention to Julien who looked at her with a strange look. It

was subtle, but enough to make her feel uncomfortable.

'Is it just me?'

Evelyn didn't seem to notice though.

Dismissing his expression, Aoife asked him,

"Is it urgent?"

"....You can say so." Julien replied calmly, his eyes flickering slightly.

"There's something I have to do with her help."

He turned his head toward Leon, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"...Something that involves getting rid of an annoying pest."