A few moments prior.

'Where the hell did she go?'

Aoife pursed her lips while climbing up the stairs of the dorms. She had been trying to look for Kiera the entire time, and this was the second time she had returned to the dorms.

'.... If she's not back then I have no idea where she went.'

The only other way she would get to meet Kiera would be if she waited for her at the Confessional hearing, but Aoife didn't really have the time for that.

She had to attend her own hearing.

In any case...

"She's not far from my dorms. It sh—

"You don't listen, do you?"

A loud voice halted Aoife on the spot. It was an unfamiliar voice, and hearing it, she frowned.

'Is someone fighting in the dorms?'

This put her in a little bit of an awkward spot.

In order to get to her dorms, she needed to pass directly through the corridor where the voice came from. In fact, on this floor, other than Julien and a few others she knew, there shouldn't be anyone else.

So who exactly was screaming?

"...You never have. Never did. And never will."

The voice continued to shout, the venom and hatred palpable enough for Aoife to feel.

"I don't know how you managed to fool the entire Academy into believing you're some kind of prodigy worth praising, but I know the real you."

The real you...?

Aoife suddenly felt extremely curious.

'No, I can't do this."

Her curiosity was starting to get the better of her. Aoife had to purse her lips tightly to suppress her curiosity.

A couple of possibilities ran down her mind.

In particular, she was suddenly reminded of one of the thoughts that had been digging into her mind for quite some time. A topic that she chose to deliberately turn a blind on since discovering it.

It couldn't be that...?

Aoife held her breath. She didn't want to jump to conclusions, but there was no denying what she saw.

'What do I do?'

Aoife paced around the corridor. From time to time, she would peek to glance at Julien's strangely quiet room.

However, it was that very quietness that stirred an unsettling feeling within her.

'He's not going to....?'

"What are you doing?"

"Hiiiip!"

Aoife jumped up from her spot, almost hitting her head against the wall in front of her. "Haa... Haa... You!"

With heavy breaths, she looked at Kiera who was looking at her with a frown.

"The hell?"

She almost looked offended.

"I'm not that ugly, am I?"

"No, hmm, maybe? No, that's not the point... Where the hell were you?"

Kiera was quiet for a second.

Then, glancing at the door of her room, she pointed at it.

"My room."

"Uh? But I-"

"I wasn't feeling pretty good so I was in the bathroom for a while before going there."

She then raised her hand to display a small bag that seemed to be filled with medicine.

"See?"

"Ah."

Aoife came to an understanding.

Then, as if recalling what was happening, she glanced at Julien's door once more. Kiera looked at her and frowned.

"You."

She pulled Aoife back.

"What?"

Aoife raised her head and saw the serious look on Kiera's face. Her seriousness left her unsettled. This was one of the few rare times where she had seen her look so serious.

What could it be? Did she figure something out?

Aoife almost felt relieved and was just about to speak when Kiera talked over her.

"You can't stop, can you?"

"Uh? What are you-"

"If you're not stalking today, you're stalking tomorrow, and if you're not stalking tomorrow you're stalking today. What is up with you and you're stalking?"

"...."

Aoife blinked her eyes a couple of times.

"Ah? No, I-"

"Tsk."

Kiera clicked her tongue and shook her head.

Before she could get any other word out, Kiera turned around and headed for her room. On her way, she mumbled, 'So creepy. Seriously.'

"Ah, wait!"

***

Bang-

"Ukh!"

Linus smashed against one of the walls of Julien's room. His face winced in pain.

He tried to resist, but it was useless. He was simply... too weak.

"What exactly did you say you saw?"

A hand gripped his throat tightly.

"Uekh!"

It prevented him from saying anything. Raising his head, a pair of purple eyes met his sight.

They were a familiar pair of eyes.

They were different in the color he was used to, but that gaze...

Ah, that gaze of his.

'It's the same as in the nightmare.'

Those cold and crazed eyes.

Clench.

Something started to boil in Linus's chest. He wanted nothing more than to tear apart the

man who stood before him.

It was unfortunate that he could do nothing but stare.

His brother was simply too strong for him. He could hardly put up any resistance.

"Ah, I like that look of yours."

"Kh."

...He was completely overwhelmed by him.

Not only that.

Looking around, Linus felt his entire body weaken as the surroundings turned a deep shade of

purple. From Julien's eyes, several hands began to morph, clawing their way out as if they

were emerging from the depths of hell itself.

It made every hair on his body rise.

'What sort of skill is this....?'

A heavy sense of dread washed over Linus. It felt as though the hands were reaching for him,

trying to drag him into the very hell from which they belonged.

'No, this...'

His face grew pale and he lost control over his body.

He didn't know what was happening, but he could feel the energy within his body get sapped

away.

"Haaa."

On the other hand, Julien's face was twisted in euphoria, his eyes half-lidded as he leaned his

head back, reveling in the sensation that was coursing through his body.

'So this is how it works.'

His sense of euphoria only grew as he noticed his energy slowly replenish.

He finally caught a glimpse of one of his Concept's abilities: it allowed him to drain the

energy of anyone within its range, replenishing his own in the process.

To make matters better, Julien knew this was far from the full ability of his Concept.

There was still more to unravel.

"Kh...!"

Snapping him out of his state was Linus who grew limp over his arm. In spite of that, he still

showed signs of struggle.

That...

It pissed Julien off as he raised his left fist and smashed it on his face.

Bang-!

"...Ukh"

"Don't bother resisting. Just stay still. You should already be used to the difference in our

strength. Things aren't that much different to how they were in the past."

"...."

All Linus could do was glare at him.

'I shouldn't have come here.'

If only he didn't have to hand him over the letter...

Linus clenched his teeth tightly. He had grown used to getting beat up by his own brother.

This little pain was nothing to him. He was already prepared for what was to come as he

simply closed his eyes and waited for his brother to do his thing.

But...

"Ho, look at you."

Julien released his grip over his throat.

"Uh?"

Opening his eyes again, Linus saw Julien sitting on the chair opposite, his legs crossed.

What...?

He was a little taken aback by the situation. 'Is that it? He's not going to hit me?'

"I'm going to kill you."

""

Linus's chest pressed tightly. Lifting his head to directly stare at him, Linus swallowed

deeply. He... He wasn't joking.

He could feel it.

An overwhelming sense of dread caused the very hair on his body to rise, making his legs

falter.

"You're out of your mind. We're within Academy grounds. And... and if fath—"

"What about father?"

Julien cut Linus off.

"....Do you really think he would care if one of us dies?"

Julien let out a small laugh.

"The two of us know what kind of person our father is. Your death will be meaningless to him.

On the other hand..."

Turning his head, Julien spotted a newspaper lying on the wooden desk. He grabbed it and

carelessly tossed it onto the ground.

Plack!

Linus lowered his head and cast a brief glance over the headline of the paper.

[The Rise of the Twin Stars of the Evenus Family]

"....Unlike you, I have worth. He won't care if I kill you. Why would he care if my worth is more

than yours? He's already lost one son, what would it matter if he lost two?"

"But-"

"The Academy? Who even cares if they find out? What are they going to do? Expel me?"

Julien laughed once again, his face slowly starting to twist.

"I've already lost everything. Although I have control now, who is to say I will lose it again

soon? If that's the case, I may as well just burn everything down in order to make it so he

won't bother coming back."

"What are you...?"

Linus looked lost. He couldn't understand a single word his brother was saying.

I have control now? He won't bother coming back? Just what was he talking about? Noticing his confusion, Julien didn't bother explaining. His thought process was simple. If he couldn't find a way to take his body black completely, then he planned on destroying everything the parasite had built so far so that he would regret ever taking his body.

But before any of that happened, he had to see if he could fully take control of his body.

"That mirror thing. I'll have to look for it.'

Lowering his head to stare at his brother, Julien waved his hand.

"Get out of my sight."

Linus didn't say a thing and blinked his eyes.

Didn't he just say he would kill him?

"Are you not leaving?"

"...."

"You aren't? Oh, is it because I told you I would kill you? Ah, I was joking. You don't need to

take it seriously."

As if a switch had been flipped, Julien's expression softened, transforming into something

friendly. The wild look that had consumed him moments ago faded, and his eyes squinted with a calm, almost disarming warmth.

He almost looked like a completely different person.

However, Linus didn't fall for it.

He just stared at Julien who sat on the opposite end with his eyes slowly shifting from purple

to their usual hazel hue. He could tell that he was no longer planning on killing him.

Linus didn't feel any relief.

This hadn't been the first time he had displayed such behavior in the past. Usually, whenever something like this happened, Julien would tend to do something big. It

made Linus grow alarmed.

However, he didn't want to stay any longer.

Just being in front of him felt suffocating.

11

Without saying a single word, Julien helped himself up. He glanced at Julien one last time

before staggering out.

His lip was bleeding and his entire body was weak, but he was nonetheless alive.

And that was all that mattered.

At least now, he was sure.

.....He had to grow stronger. Whatever the consequences were, he had to grow stronger. Only

then would he be able to kill his brother.

Even if it cost his own life.

Clank-

The room plunged into silence shortly after he left.

Julien emptily stared at the door before his face twisted and he whispered,

"Get the fuck out. Get the fu-"

His words stopped halfway.

Gradually, his eyes changed and his expression eased.

Looking around the room, Julien glanced around the room and settled his gaze on the mirror

that stood on the opposite end of him. Staring at it directly, his eyes slowly started to turn

purple.

"This..."

His expression morphed into one of surprise and shock.

"...What in the world is this?"