My Necromancer Wife

Karim

I look up into his arrogant face. Instead of a smug expression, he looks... apologetic?

What is it about Ace that makes people as lethal as this guy fear him? What did he do to warrant such fear?

"He can control the air in objects - expansion, compression and decompression. He can kill people by sucking out all the air in their bodies, compressing the pressure in their thorax until they collapse".

My eyes are literally bulging.

What if Ace hadn't interfered?

More importantly, if he knew what Praisch was doing to me, why did he wait so long before he stopped him?

My hand instinctively rests on my chest.

I hate the way I've become powerless in the presence of such entities.

I was once revered. People trembled when they knew they were on my target list -because they were aware I would hunt them down to their last breath.

Now, I am a test subject for powered students to showcase their powers.

Ace doesn't even bother to help me up - not that I would accept his assistance if he did offer it.

"I don't like him. Arrogance is one thing I can't tolerate. Someone that wants his name on the lips of every student would turn our mission into a quest for fame".

Praisch winces, as though he has been slapped.

Ace finally draws his headphones down to his neck.

"I can strip his arrogance away, if it bothers you."

Praisch and I turn wide eyes on him.

He has the nerve to smile at us.

"One thing about knowing the Presence is," he pulls his hands out of the comfort of his pockets and twists them together in an intimidating gesture. "there are easy ways to break a man. It all starts with the mind - which happens to be my area of expertise".

Praisch shifts in his chair.

"No need. I'm as good as a member of whatever group you are talking about. Just tell me when and where you meet. I'll be there... punctual".

I glance at Ace. Furuno and I never planned that far ahead. We never even dreamed of having willing volunteers - Ace had killed all our hope with his mocking refusal.

"We can meet right here. All meetings would be held in my Domain for privacy." As an afterthought, he adds, "Don't read too much into the gesture, I'm still not a member".

"There's no way I'm letting myself get dragged into your mind-trap! Why can't we meet in the field?"

"Or the Dungeons". Ace adds, dragging the words out deliberately.

It has the intended effect on Praisch, I notice.

"Why the heck does he have to be involved? I'd advise you to careful with him". Praisch says and walks away quickly. Too quickly.

Ace turns to me.

"See? Trust me, when you see the amount of trust he inspires from people, you'll learn a thing or two - and probably admire him".

I scoff.

"How can someone so arrogant inspire loyalty?"

"Watch and see."

With that, he puts back his headphones and leaves me standing there, gaping.

I let someone else set the ball rolling for me, what next?

If Arya were here, she would be perfectly in charge. But funnily, I won't be here if she were still with me - I'd be at home, not suffering incessant attacks to my pride.

I leave as well, determined to find Furuno and the rest of the girls.

My entire evening is to be spent in the Dungeons until the two-week duration expires.

Classes are still holding, but I doubt Furuno is attending.

I enter his dorm building.

Just as I am about to climb the stairs, I spot him struggling with one of the doors along the hall.

His attention is completely devoted to the task such that my presence goes unnoticed.

I clear my throat noisily.

He spins on his heels like a child caught with his hand in a candy jar.

His expression softens from alarmed to something more subtle.

"It's just you." He breathes out.

"Why are you here? Shouldn't you be attending a class?"

"I should be asking you the same thing. What are you looking for in there?"

His eyes flicker to the knob.

"Nothing. Just curious about the locked door".

I narrow my eyes at him, but say nothing.

"What do you want, though?" I notice he is trying to change the subject.

"What did you mean when you said you might not leave this place?"

His face betrays nothing under my scrutiny.

"I was just talking nonsense".

"Is someone threatening your life? A staff? Is that what last night was about?"

Something flickers in his eyes.

I'm close. I can feel it.

"What gives you that impression? Besides, I'm a grown man, I can handle myself just fine. There's no need to worry about me".

"I think there is, and I'll find out eventually."

A vein bulges on his forehead - he's nervous about something.

"Good luck, then."

He makes to walk past me, but I block him.

His eyes meet mine with a gaze sharp enough to cut through glass.

For a second, I'm sure grey eyes are staring back at me, but it vanishes all too quickly.

Was it real or am I imagining things?

I blink.

"You okay? You look like you've just seen a ghost".

I nod absently, grappling in my mind for the reality of what I'd just seen.

"We... are having a meeting. We have to find all the girls. Praisch, a third year sorcerer, is our newest member".

"Another whim?"

"You won't be thinking that when the air in your lungs is being brutally sucked out".

His brows arch up curiously.

"Cool. But I quit, remember?"

"It's impossible for you to quit. Whatever you're going through can't come in between, Furuno. There's no guarantee of success, but with all the sorcerers we could recruit, we'd give those monsters something else to pick on. You are the reason we're here. You're the true leader, not me".

Furuno's gaze softens.

"Thank you for such words, Toshiro. But, like you suspect, I wasn't bluffing when I said I might not make it out of here".

I tense, my hands forming fists as I await his explanation.

"I'm dying already. It's only a matter of time before that happens".