The black figure at night.

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The previous night...

"Lydan, are you okay?" While supporting Lydan and assisting him to sit on the chesterfield, Feron said in a worried voice as he sat next to him.

Lydan said with a faint smile, "I am."

"Why is he this way?" Feron thought to himself as he observed Lydan's shaking.

Feron watched Lydan with concern as he struggled to breathe, waiting for his breathing to return to normal.

"What happened, Lydan?" Once Lydan had sufficiently cooled down, Feron questioned.

"How's your hand? " When Lydan saw Feron's bandaged hand, he made a gesture.

As soon as Feron noticed Lydan's gesture, he was quickly overcome with remorse.

"I'm fine, tell me a little about yourself," With regret in his voice, Feron said.

Lydan gestured once again, "I'm alright."

"Your forehead?" When Feron noticed Lydan smiling and staring at him, he stopped mid-sentence while saying.

"The incision was not deep, it will heal soon," Lydan gestured while smiling with his eyes.

Feron murmured while looking down at his lap, "I'm sorry."

"What for?" To get Feron to look at him, Lydan put his hand on his shoulder and made a gesture.

Feron said in a loud voice while giving the guilty emotions the best of him, "For harming you."

Lydan made the sign, "You didn't injure me."

Feron again said in a loud voice, "I did, I slashed your forehead."

Lydan gestured "That wasn't you."

"How do you know that?" All perplexed, Feron questioned.

Lydan hastily gestured, "As I first noticed you, your eyes were of a lovely Hazel color, but when you picked up that shattered piece and walked near me, then your eyes became murkier."

Feron was taken aback by the fact that he was watching Lydan's movements with his eyes wide open.

Feron thought to himself, "He spotted something that even my parents didn't."

Feron jerked out of his reverie when he noticed that he was looking at Lydan too intently as Lydan was silently waving in front of his face, all confused.

Feron cautiously laughed and muttered, "So, that's how you knew."

"Why were you troubled earlier?" Feron recalled and questioned.

Lydan, who was smiling and looking at Feron, paused and focused on his hands.

After a brief pause, Lydan eventually gestured, "I just saw a nightmare."

"Is that true?" Feron murmured as he cast a quick peek around Lydan's chamber.

"What was occurring to you a while ago?" Lydan eventually gestured after he observed Feron's demeanor.

When Feron eventually responded, "It's because of my cursing ability," he had been thinking for a little while after seeing Lydan's gesture.

"Ability to curse"

"Yes, the majority of individuals in my kingdom have the curse ability, but we are not allowed to use it. You might say that we are equal to those without abilities, which is why we depend more on spells than our ability."

"That's why you enjoy reading so much that it sometimes trigg…"

"You don't have to stop, I know that I love books more than people,"

"I enjoy reading, too"

"That's incredible, I never thought I'd meet someone who likes reading,"

"You do now,"

"Yes, I was stating that when we utilize our talent to curse, if anything startling or frightening happens during that process, we might get triggered and lose control, but in my situation, it's different."

"What happens to you when you become triggered, then?"

"I can see the illusion that compels me to act in a way that I never want to act, and I call it the cost of casting a curse."

"And in class, then?"

"Yes, I was only using my curse power to divert Gage when…"

"Then?" Curious, Lydan gestured.

As Feron got out of the Chesterfield and made his way to the door, he saw Lydan gesturing, "It has gotten very late."

Feron grinned and looked at Lydan, saying, "See you tomorrow."

Feron noticed Lydan just as he was about to go out the door; he saw Lydan smiling back at him and gesturing good night.

Feron said in his mind, "I have to use my curse power once again to confirm what it was," as he shut the door behind him.

Late at night...

The moon was bright as the clouds surrounding it covered and unveiled its shine every five minutes.

The entire Academy and the three dorms in front of it were silent because everyone was asleep. but some spellcasters were strolling along the Academy's perimeter while wearing long clocks to disguise their faces.

After numerous turns in bed, Lydan was finally sound asleep. The moonlight shining through the large window was providing enough light to see what was where, and the curtains hanging on the window were swaying in the cool air that was entering the room.

A dark figure entered the room via the window in an instant, and it was standing next to Lydan's bed, staring at him.

The black smoke was coming from Feron's fingertips and obscuring his eyes as he stood still outside Lydan's chamber, leaning back against the wall.

From the outside, he could see everything in Lydan's chamber thanks to the black smoke obscuring his vision.

Feron closed his eyes and stared at the person within Lydan's room, saying in his head, "I knew there was something unusual."

When the cloud that had been blocking the moon's light for so long finally parted, the moon shone brightly, illuminating the space and revealing the figure's face, which had previously been hidden by darkness, as Feron watched it caress Lydan's cheeks and stroke his lips.

Feron was startled to see Ayton standing next to Lydan's face. After a brief period of shock, Feron was still startled, but he instantly stopped moving when he noticed Ayrton moving toward Lydan's face and stroking his lips.

Ayrton was surprised inside the room as Feron abruptly knocked on the door, causing him to recoil.

Ayrton quickly disappeared before Feron could open the door and enter, leaving Feron startled by the open door.

Feron groaned as he stood in Lydan's room and thought, "So, Ophni was saying the truth." He then turned to face Lydan, who was soundly sleeping in his bed.

To be continued…