[Jow Ylliard Hayle]
After calming myself down, I sat on the bench beside Nova.
Lean May Ronica Adolfo was still asleep on her lap, unmoving.
"Aren’t your legs getting numb?" I asked. Nova simply shook her head.
"I'm more worried something's really wrong with her. I want to take her to the clinic, but..." she sighed, her eyes trembling as they met mine.
"If she goes there unconscious and the nurse reports it to her parents, Lean May might lose her chance to come back to campus for face-to-face classes."
I stared at Lean May, guilt gnawing at me. My bottom lip trembled as I bit it.
> It’s my fault. She got dragged into this because of me.<
I clenched my fists and slammed them on my thighs.
“Don’t beat yourself up, Jow...” Nova said gently, flashing a small smile. “She’ll wake up soon. She’s okay.”
> Unconscious people aren’t “okay”! You damn idiot! Focus—use your eyes and think!<
“We should take her to the clinic…”
A sudden chill shot through my body.
Nova glared at me.
“She’s staying here. On my lap. Resting.”
I swallowed hard, my hands clutching my knees.
> This bitch. Should I knock her out too so I can drag both of them to the clinic?<
I gritted my teeth, gaze shifting toward the rooftop door. It creaked open.
There, standing in the frame, was Clay. Her feet touched the rooftop floor with hesitation before she bent over, bracing her knees as she gasped for air. Sweat rolled down her temples.
> Clay? What is she doing here? Wait—did Nova actually call her? I told her not to!<
Clay jogged toward us, clutching a small plastic bag.
As she approached, it was like everything around her blurred. The world moved in slow motion—except her. She looked... luminous.
> Shit!<
I slapped myself repeatedly, trying to shake the vision.
"Why did you bring her here?!" I snapped at Nova.
She smirked and flashed a peace sign.
I let out two sharp huffs of air through my nose.
Clay pulled a bottle of water from her bag and handed it to me.
I accepted it and drank immediately. My throat had been parched for what felt like hours. Half the bottle went down in seconds.
“Thanks,” I muttered.
“You okay, alien boy? What the hell happened here?” she asked, then glanced at the unconscious girl. “Yeah… this is the same girl from our childhood picture.”
> What? What did she just say?<
“Wait, I thought you said she looked familiar?” I asked.
She shook her head, eyes narrowed in confusion.
“I mean, she does. But I also don’t know her? I’ve seen her before, but I can’t place when. Anyway, whatever connection I have with her, it’s none of your business, alien boy!”
“Stop calling me that!”
“Then I’ll call you Eyeden!”
“I’ll punch you!”
She gave me a thumbs down and even ‘booed’ me.
> Cute. What the hell—cute? Why do I think that? No. Stop. She's glowing again. Dammit. She’s moving in slow motion again.<
“Don’t forget I’m still here, you two,” Nova interrupted.
I bit my lip as Clay sat beside me with a mischievous grin. She elbowed my side and I messed up her hair in retaliation.
But as my hand lingered in her hair, my heart suddenly raced, thudding wildly against my ribs. Heat rushed to my cheeks.
Nova cracked her neck and spoke. “Like I said earlier, Jow, let’s talk about our cursed abilities.”
I stood, placed the bottle down on the bench, and took a few steps away from Clay. I met Nova’s gaze.
> Inhale. Exhale.<
“What exactly do you want to talk about?” I asked.
She gently stroked Lean May’s hair. “Clay already told you about my curse, right?” I nodded. “The pain from it—it knocks me out. I lose consciousness and wake up short of breath. I’ve been hospitalized many times because of it. I got desperate. I needed to find a way to cope. Eventually, I learned something... if I close my eyes and tune into music deeply—deep enough to disconnect—my body goes into a passive state. When that happens, the curse doesn’t activate. I pass out consciously. And that’s how I’ve managed it.”
She placed a hand on her chest, tightening her fingers.
“After you left the others at Lean May’s apartment, I passed out again while standing. But when I woke up, I only had shortness of breath. That’s the strategy I use now.”
Nova turned toward Clay, who suddenly seemed... flustered. She avoided my eyes.
> What’s with you? Why can’t you look at me?<
“Clay,” Nova said, almost warningly.
Clay groaned and sat up straighter. “Fine! I’ll say it!”
She locked eyes with me—still, unreadable. Her expression tightened.
“My ability has consequences too,” she began. “That’s why I wanted to help you with your curse. Yours is worse. When I use mine… I lose physical strength. I collapse. Can’t move a finger. That day I showed you my ability—after you left—I fell to the floor. I stared at the ceiling for minutes. Couldn’t even move my lips.”
She tossed me a piece of bread from her bag. I caught it and took a bite.
“I hate this,” she muttered. “I want it gone.”
Her voice trembled—rare for her.
“But the only clue we have is that picture from when we were kids…” she continued. “And whoever’s behind these curses... they won’t show themselves easily.”
Nova nodded. “Finding old people is easy. But the one in that photo… if they’re the source, they’ll hide from us.”
> Wait...<
A memory crashed into me.
My childhood. The cursed life before I ever got the ability.
Violent. Reckless. I hurt other kids. On my sixth birthday, my parents split up because of my father’s affair. Mom left us for three years. We lived with Grandpa then—me and Rain. Grandma was still alive back then.
I used to yank Rain’s hair, tie it in knots, even stuck gum in it. It all stopped the day she cried over a broken doll I crushed. A gift from her father. Her parents were separated too.
After that, I picked on others instead. Even girls. Anyone who annoyed me.
In elementary school, I punched people—male or female.
I even got two of my teachers fired after exposing their affair. Told them they had no right to be together when they were both cheating. The female teacher slapped me. The male hit me with a stick. They lost their licenses after that.
Even so... girls still approached me. Gave me candy. Chips. Flowers crawling with ants.
They liked me.
But I didn’t want it. I didn’t believe in love. I didn’t want to end up like my parents.
I told those girls—no one would love them. That they’d never find someone.
But then one girl stood her ground. She said someone out there was always meant for you.
We ended up wrestling in class. Some students got scratched trying to separate us.
I don’t remember her name, but her last words stuck with me:
> “You insult love because you’re heartless. You’re filth. Trash. If you meet the one meant for you, I hope you go blind. Then we’ll see if you won’t regret everything. You’re not a man—you’re a demon.”<
I waited for her at the school gate. Broke her leg.
It went to court.
If it weren’t for my family’s lawyers, I would’ve ended up in an institution for child psychopaths.
My condition got so bad, my parents got back together out of fear.
And Rain… Rain never gave up on me. Even when I hurt her, she kept visiting. Reminding me I had someone on my side.
---
I snapped out of the memory with a jolt.
A pair of cold hands cupped my cheeks.
“Hey. You okay? You zoned out like you fainted while standing,” Clay said.
“Y-Yeah…” I muttered, suddenly aware of my pounding heart. The beat was slow but heavy. My shoulders twitched, and my ears grew hot.
“You sure?”
> That worried look… those pale, unpainted lips… those bare cheeks… those calm eyes. I didn’t realize it until now. The ache in my heart from Jovenyl is colliding… with something new. Something real. A growing pull toward this woman—Clayrin Aisfine Ezz.<
To be continued.