Chapter 4: THE SHADOW
The two's gaze remained fixed on each other– her eyes were gentle and sparkly but he noticed the sadness and longing deep within them.
He felt as if they've known each other for long– sharing a special relationship but then, he couldn't figure out who she was or when and how they've met. But the yearning and guilty feeling wouldn't pull off.
His heart suddenly ached with unbearable pain and his eyes glisttered with unshed tears which threatened to fall any moment.
" What's wrong with me? " He thought, a tear dropped down his cheeks as he struggled. Eun Ji was concerned. She instinctively held him even though she knew he wasn't human. "...why am l like this?." He mumbled.
" Hey, are you alright?" Her soft voice invaded his thoughts and that's when he knocked off her hand on gaining consciousness.
She was surprised by his sudden attitude but before she could say more, he hurried off. Eun Ji stared at his back as he disappeared in the distance. This was her first time seeing a spirit struggle in pain.
" What is he?" She remained deep in thoughts.
Hae Su who heard her wail when she fell to the floor gazed back at the route she took. " Eun Ji, are you okay?" She called but then had no response. She got more worried.
" Hey!, are you there?" She asked as she rose to her full length. As fast as she could, she headed straight after her. That's when she found her blankly staring in the direction of the store room.
" Eun Ji?" She called again but the latter remained in her previous position without responding. She was so into whatever she was gazing at and that scared Hae Su.
" Hey!, are you alright?" She touched her this time and that sacred both of them with her scream. Their knees felt numb when they finally realized it was just the two of them.
" Yah..., what did you do that for? , you scared me." Eun Ji lamented.
" I should be saying that." Hae Su expressed. " You suddenly started acting weird. I kept calling from that end and I found you like this– blank. How else do you want me to react? "
Her voice trembled with fear and concern. Eun Ji realized she had been out for a moment and felt sorry for putting her in such a position. She knew Hae Su was not like her. She should be more careful about how she handles stuff like that around her, she noted. She sighed, and a faint smile lingered on her face.
" I'm really sorry about that." She pulled her into a hug to calm her. " I think we are done here, let's get to class, huh?". She said and Hae Su slightly nodded.
" Come on " She pulled her along. After gathering their stuff, they headed off to their class.
.
.
.
Baek Hyun almost had the dark shadow but lost him in a split second all thanks to whoever she was~" Who was she?" He had the thoughts loaming in his mind. That was when the shadow took a chance to change bodies.
Although he had some kind of rage against her, yet something within him felt at ease to had met her. But he still couldn't get how and why she could see him." Let's do this later~I need to find out who have the thing." He finally mumbled as he trod down the empty hallway.
Soon, he saw Mr Jung's van made an exit out of the school's entrance but the shadow was no longer with him. He kept his gaze on him through the window to make sure he had not missed out on it. But then, a sudden loud scream filled the serene. It was from downstairs.
" No!!" He knew it was something bad when he saw a few more students rush down the compound. Murmurs and wails filled the air~ the evil being might have gotten his second victim. He sped to confirm.
" Damn it..." He howled the moment his eyes met the scene. His worst nightmare had happened, yet another innocent young boy had become a prey. She had fallen from the rooftop of the school.
" Sucide~ It had begun again" He heard the few kids around murmur among themselves as some of the authorities kept them off. " Again?" He wondered. It seem they had history of cases of the sort.
" He was last on the school's last semester performance chart, right?" A girl asked a friend for confirmation which he nodded to. Their faces instinctively screamed terror. " Is history repeating itself?"
One went on but then, the rumors had caught the teachers attention and they called them to a stop. " Quit spreading fear and panic...nothing is repeating itself."
They knew for a fact if the news should make waves out there, parents will start redrawing their wards which wasn't good for the name of the school.
Such incidents happened three years back in 2021 and it was called the "CURSE". It was known as the curse among students and teachers' board due to the fact that it took effect on only kids with bad grades.
To aviod this curse, students worked hard to better their grades which made the school great in academics. Soon the curse subcided and died off. But then, this incident might be the start of it again.
Baek Hyun learnt about it and knew the spirit would make a rest in this myth. As he scannes around for a possible host, something from the rooftop caught his attention. He immediately raced off.
The place was by now filled with kids,teachers ,EMTs and an ambulance. It would definately be a miracle if he should survive. The news got to Eun Ji's class and they all rushed out to the scene.
She knew the moment she got closer. " He's dead " She said, her eyes shivered with unshed tears as she paused in her tracks. Hae Su's gaze fell on her and she knew she had seen something.
Hyun got to the top but saw nothing. It had consumed enough energy already to avoid his presence and skip the risk of being fished out. Gradually, it's becoming one with the human soul.
If he could get this beast,he had to come stay in the human world. He finally concluded. " Becoming a student here will be the easiest method." He finalized.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone