A week, two weeks, a month slipped by. My life was back on track. I no longer experienced involuntary astral projection, nor did I recklessly attempt it consciously—much as I wanted to.
Naturally, it felt strange, as if an invisible force were holding me back. Perhaps I wasn't meant to return there—at least not until I was truly ready.
However, something was different as I waited for a motorcycle ride on the porch. The neighbors' whispers about my parents' divorce no longer pierced my ears. I didn't care anymore.
I had the power and the Black Robe—a selfless creature who would appear at will, say strange things, and then vanish like a ghost.
I swear to God, I hated him. He was too mysterious, controlling, and, strangely, only his annoying side was understandable.
But, like it or not, his presence in my shadow provided a kind of cold shield that made me feel untouchable.
The cafeteria wasn't too crowded when I sat in the corner, enjoying my klappertaart and iced tea. Lately, I've been enjoying leaning back here, listening to rumors about the school's residents before leaving.
Of course, I still didn't try to interact with other people.
"Nehi, Nehi! Can't you give a warning first if the reading is going to be that terrifying?!"
The shriek caught my attention. It was the Dream Interpreter. I needed to talk to her about Black Robe, my powers, and the dagger. I'd been after her for three weeks, but she was always surrounded by her guards.
Today, I was determined.
I got up and approached her desk with a pizza box in hand—the perfect bait to get rid of distractions. My eyes were locked on her as I stood by her table until she looked up.
Our gazes met. Her dark eyes registered a flicker of surprise, while her friends suddenly fell silent. One of them nearly choked on her orange juice, staring at me from head to toe with wide eyes.
Yes, of course. The aloof girl who had just won the national competition last week, who usually adhered to the school's invisible mode, was now standing upright beside their table carrying an expensive pizza.
"I-Ishihara, right?" whispered the wavy-haired girl on the left, awkwardly. "What's going on...?"
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I placed the pizza box in the center of the table, ignoring their strange stares. My eyes were locked on only one person.
"Nehi, can I talk to you for a moment?"
Neharika Praatyusha Omkara—commonly known as Nehi. Her parents were renowned fortune tellers, a fact known only to a select few.
Nehi herself was widely recognized across the school as the Dream Interpreter, boasting a steady stream of regulars for her free readings—even teachers had consulted with her.
Nehi studied the pizza for a moment before looking back at me, her dark eyes radiated deep curiosity. She shifted in her seat, interrupting the awkward silence.
"Sit down. Did you have a disturbing dream?"
I nodded slightly and sat down across from her. Without revealing any potentially risky details, I outlined the general sequence of my experience in the astral realm.
"If you are aware that you are dreaming, it means you aren't dreaming at all," came her initial reply.
The girl sitting beside Nehi who was shocked earlier now snapped her fingers. "Astral projection!"
"No way! You can actually astral project?" another chimed in, leaning forward.
I ignored the excited outburst, remaining unmoved until the three of them became awkward and chose to be busy chewing on the pizza I had brought.
"I also want to ask about a man in a black robe," I interrupted flatly.
Their breaths hitched simultaneously, including Nehi's, who pushed her glass of iced tea aside. She looked at me with a knowing gaze. "So, he came to you."
I gave a firm nod.
"In your case, he isn't the Grim Reaper—at least not to you... and he didn't appear without reason," Nehi leaned back, her fingers intertwined on the table.
I frowned, though I tried to settle for her cryptic answer.
"Then why did he tell me to choose between two things?" I pursued.
Nehi's eyes widened, as if she instantly understood what I meant. "That was a symbol of the path you chose. The one and only—there is no other," she said, eyeing me inquiringly. Her gaze seemed to pierce right through me.
"So, I have to walk the same path as him?"
"You've already chosen it," Nehi stated firmly. "It's the symbol of a power that obliterates, and he is the one guiding you. You've used it already, haven't you? That power—it is now your responsibility to control it."
Her friends froze around the table, mid-bite. The air around us suddenly grew heavy.
"...I don't understand," I whispered hoarsely.
Nehi sighed, seemingly taken aback by all this. Her hand reached back for her glass, taking a sip of her iced tea before adding, "Even if you chose that path, what you left behind remains your destiny. You will still encounter it in the future."
In harmony. That was exactly what Black Robe had said before the place collapsed.
'One for you and one for your destiny.'
Suddenly, a sharp chill pierced my right palm—the sensation of frozen ice, just like when my fingers gripped the hilt of the black-sheathed dagger. Reflexively, I clenched my fist under the table, trying to ward off the throbbing pain that was creeping up my wrist.
This meant I had chosen a dark, difficult, and—possibly—evil path with Black Robe as my guide. However, the white-sheathed dagger I left behind... would one day demand its due.
The freezing sensation in my palm intensified, as if reminding me that the bond was real.
The question now was, what should I give up with this gift? And… what kind of destiny awaits me?