"Our aether?" Y/n repeated. "What do you mean it's changing?"
Minseo eyed her hands, "I'm not sure. I can just feel it. Something about me--us--is changing. "
"Is that a good or bad thing?" Y/n asked.
"We'll have to see," Minseo shrugged.
Y/n stared uneasily into the distant details of the campus. He leaned back and into the grass, taking in whatever he could from the diminishing peaceful atmosphere. To his left, Yujin stared at him with the sharpest side-eye he had received in his life. To his right, Youngeun slept on his shoulder--hugging his arm as she did so. To Youngeun's right, Jihoon watched the triangle unfold.
Both freshmen carried bags under their eyes, Y/n's slightly heavier than Youngeun's. Though nothing sat on his shoulders, aside from Youngeun's head, a weight loomed over Y/n.
"Are you two a thing?" Yujin asked. Her tone reflected curiosity, but her eyes said otherwise.
"No... why?" Y/n said apprehensively.
Yujin eyed Youngeun's peaceful face before mimicking Y/n's posture. "No reason! Just never seen two people so close without dating."
"Ah... She says the ground's too uncomfortable," Y/n chuckled.
"Is your arm that comfy too?" Yujin mumbled.
"What?"
Yujin flashed Y/n a wide smile, "Nothing."
Youngeun sleeping on Y/n's shoulder was nothing new. She often took naps there, earning looks and sprouting rumors during middle school. However, this time felt different. There was an extra layer of uneasiness and discomfort--as if just touching each other shot pins and needles through their skin.
"I think it's cute," Jihoon commented. "You two would make a good couple!"
"Neither of us are interested," Y/n quickly dismissed.
He closed his eyes, exhaling lightly. Weeks passed since Minseo mentioned the changes in their aether, yet he felt nothing. It felt like the same energy that started flowing through him just a little over a month ago.
Minseo's been hard to reach recently...
Youngeun sat straight, groaning before placing her head on Y/n's lap. She stretched her hand out toward Y/n's face, locking eyes with him.
"Hold out your hand."
"Okay...?"
Y/n did as told, prompting Youngeun to grab his hand. The moment she interlocked their fingers, the shooting feeling covered the bottom of his hand--exactly where Youngeun's skin made contact with his.
"What is this?" Youngeun questioned. "Do you have poison ivy on you or something?"
"No?" Y/n trailed. "At least I don't think so."
"Do you feel the tingly feeling I do? It's like when your leg falls asleep," Youngeun explained.
Y/n nodded, "I do."
Jihoon turned to Yujin, gaining the puppy's attention. Despite her best effort to hide that she knew, the former caught on. He blinked in disbelief, shaking his head.
"I guess we hit the jackpot," Jihoon muttered.
Neither of the bystanders had a direct explanation for Y/n and Youngeun's situation, but they had enough to come to their own conclusions. From the corner of their vision, Y/n, Yujin, and Jihoon watched a student approach the group. The student stopped before Y/n and Youngeun, pointing toward the fox.
"You. Fight me."
Youngeun turned her head, slowly, shooting daggers into Miihi. "I wish I didn't recognize your voice--or your face. You actually look worse now than you did in elementary school."
Miihi raised her foot in preparation to stomp on Youngeun's face. Y/n reached out to catch it, Youngeun raised her guard, and Miihi thrusted her foot toward the fox. However, Yujin was the first to move.
The puppy grabbed Miihi's ankle, standing up as she did so. Yujin towered over the latter with Miihi's eyes meeting her chin. She gripped the new student's leg, raising her foot slowly.
"Apologize," Yujin growled. "Unless you want to flash everyone on the field."
Her voice grew deeper as she counted down, causing Miihi to grit her teeth.
"I'm sorry."
Yujin released her hold. She pointed to the large colosseum-like building, "If you want to fight, do it in the arena."
"You know what?" Youngeun grinned. "I think that's a great idea. I've been feeling irritated for a bit; blowing off some steam would be nice."
The five students approached the arena's first floor. Y/n and Jihoon sat in the stands while Yujin stood between the remaining two. She eyed the pair cautiously, letting off a deep sigh.
"You two already know the rules: the fight ends when one person is incapacitated or gives up."
As Yujin stepped away, Youngeun wasted no time in rushing Miihi. She only activated her aether once she stepped in front of the other's face. Her formerly verdant green aura turned darker, and her coat smoked with a dark smoke.
Youngeun pulled Miihi's face into her palm, crashing it into the ground with a wide smile. The Japanese student grabbed Youngeun's arm, tearing her hand from her face. In spite of the devastating slam, she appeared unfazed underneath her earth coat.
Miihi slammed her fist into Youngeun's face, sending the fox staggering back. A tinge of red surfaced on the latter's lip, prompting Miihi to taunt with a smug grin.
"You're as weak as I remember!"
"And you speak too much," Youngeun retorted.
The two girls charged one another, coated in their respective elements. They traded blows with neither able to gain the upper hand. Bruises formed on Youngeun's skin, but to the surprise of the audience, Miihi appeared completely fine.
"She's skilled," Jihoon remarked. "Can you track what she's doing?"
Y/n shook his head, "I thought earth is weak to wind. How are the two equally matched?"
"Cause that girl's also using water to heal herself. Normally you need to have a certain aether level to heal yourself--especially without a rune--but I guess that doesn't apply to her," Jihoon explained.
Youngeun sprinted head on with a glare stronger than she had given anyone else. She sprang to the right, curling a current around herself to aid her movement before grabbing onto Miihi's face once more.
Wind condensed in Youngeun's palm, snapping the other student's head back. Not even a second passed before Youngeun pressed her attack. She spun in the air, delivering a heavy kick to Miihi's jaw, followed by another jet of air.
A black hue glowed in Youngeun's eyes, trailing behind her as she pushed Miihi into the arena walls. Over and over she slammed Miihi's head against the sturdy wall, mixing punches and knees in as well. For the first time since the two began their fight, Youngeun drew blood.
"Oh no..." Y/n breathed.
"She's opening herself up for a counter attack," Jihoon mumbled.
Y/n kneaded his hands together, "That, and she's regressing..."
Miihi snatched Youngeun's fist from the air, anchoring her in place before kicking the fox's stomach. She swung Youngeun into the wall, relentlessly punching Youngeun's stomach.
"Trying to look good in front of your boyfriend?!" Miihi cackled between punches. Her voice shrank to a low whisper, "Guess what. I'll tear him out of your life, break him down, and laugh as I watch you lose everything."
Suddenly, the green coating around Youngeun dissipated. In its stead, an ominous shade of black took its place.
I knew it!
Knew what?!
Miihi's eyes widened as Youngeun tore her coat from her body. She stumbled back with a shred of fear, panting while the fox approached.
"I-!!"
Youngeun snatched Miihi's jaw. Malice spread through the air like a sickening radiance while she dug her nails into the girl's cheeks.
"You what?" Youngeun snarled.
No matter how deeply she inhaled, Miihi struggled to gain her breath. Her eyes screamed at the audience that she conceded, but Youngeun straightened her face before she could do anything meaningful.
A sharp pain scratched at Miihi's throat as Youngeun punched her throat. She clutched her neck, coughing profusely while Youngeun threw kick after kick at her thighs.
"Does it hurt?" Youngeun taunted. "Do your legs ache?"
The fox slapped her opponent with a wide grin before pushing her to the ground. Her sole casted a shadow over Miihi's face, mimicking the darkness in Youngeun's eyes.
"This look familiar?"
Youngeun stomped down, cackling as she crushed her opponent's face under her foot.
"What's wrong?!" Youngeun shouted. "Heal yourself!!"
Blood pooled under Miihi's head. Her body jolted with each heavy stomp she received, and her face contorted in ways none of the students ever wished to see.
"Threaten Y/n again!! Do it!! I'll fucking KILL you!!!"
Before she could carry through with her final stomp, Y/n grabbed Youngeun's foot. He swept her off her other foot before catching the fox in his arms. In stereo, Jihoon pulled Miihi away while Yujin pointed Hana toward the injured student.
"What are you doing?!" Y/n snapped. "You promised!!"
Pins shot throughout Y/n's arms and chest as if his body were rejecting Youngeun. It eclipsed any instance of his legs falling asleep, but he held on regardless.
Youngeun's eyes shot to Y/n. The moment their eyes locked, her ravenous bloodlust dispersed. She glanced toward Miihi with a mote of regret; not for her actions, but because of the weight of Y/n's words on her psyche. Tears welled in her eyes, forming a glossy layer over her eyes.
"I-I'm sorry, Y/n..."
Y/n perched himself at the edge of a roof, peering down to a pair of conspicuous figures. The two Ji Hoons sandwiched him, completing the trio of shadows in the night.
"Hey, Y/n, what was that earlier? You know... with Youngeun," Jihoon trailed.
Ji Hoon leaned toward the two, "Yeah, the Queen and King were talking about it earlier."
"I can't talk about it," Y/n mumbled. "It's not my place to."
"I think it would be at least a little nice if you told me what you meant by 'she's regressing," Jihoon argued. "That wordage and her actions make me worry about my own safety--especially since I'm not a light user like either of you two."
Y/n furrowed his eyebrows, "Light?"
"You don't need to hide it. That shooting feeling-"
Ji Hoon placed his finger over his lips causing the other to close his mouth.
"No, what do you know about the shooting feeling?" Y/n questioned. "If you want me to share, then you have to as well."
"We asked you first," Jihoon gestured.
Y/n paused. He let off a light sigh, "Youngeun was infamous for brutalizing anyone she fought in the past. Earlier was a glimpse into what she was like before."
"If I didn't know already, that would have confirmed it," Ji Hoon chuckled.
Y/n turned to the other boy, "Know what?"
"Youngeun is a dark user," Jihoon answered. "That shooting feeling you were feeling was your aether rejecting her; most likely because you went through coalescence. The spirit in your body probably doesn't like you coming in contact with a dark user."
The trio watched their targets exchange a small package. The markings, though similar, were not what they were looking for, prompting them to back away.
"How do you know this?" Y/n asked.
"The pitch black cloak, her violent tendencies, your symptoms--that basically says it all," Jihoon replied.
Is that what you meant by you 'knew it'?
Only silence replied to Y/n's question, eliciting a disappointed sigh. As the trio reached the ground floor, they bade one another farewell. Upon reaching his bed, Y/n immediately found himself in Minseo's room.
The spirit's demeanor resembled that of Youngeun whenever she was upset with Y/n, yet she didn't seem upset--at least with him. Rather, she seemed unhappy; in discord.
"Are you mad at me?" Y/n probed.
"No."
Y/n crossed his arms, "Then why have you been ignoring me? I know you can see and hear me, so what's up with the silence?"
"I'm just.... upset."
Nothing about Minseo's posture, inflection or words hinted toward how she truly felt. For all Y/n knew she could be lying to him. It's not like he could read her mind like she can. For a few moments, Y/n questioned if Minseo could read his emotions or if she inferred them from his thoughts.
"Is it about Youngeun?" Y/n continued.
Minseo sighed, "I know she means a lot to you. I just can't forgive the nature of her aether. What she did earlier was too far."
"She's not always like that," Y/n reasoned. "She's been working on it, so you don't have to worry about her doing more stuff like that."
Minseo paused. She turned away, displaying her distraught thoughts on her face. What appeared to be a conflict between her own beliefs and Y/n's feelings plagued her eyes, forcing a lull between the two parties. They both knew how the other felt, but neither knew how to deal with the situation.