'Is she trying to kill me?' Jett gritted his teeth inwardly as he sat still. 'If it were anyone else, this would've been deadly. You don't just shove Lumix into someone's body unless you want them to burn alive from the inside out.'

His mind raced, but his face remained carefully composed. 'And what if I screamed? Did she soundproof the room or is she just hoping I won't?'

Jett chuckled silently. 'Well, I guess I have to play my part too.'

He started twitching slightly, small, believable jerks running down his arms and shoulders. His body jerked every now and then, accompanied by low, muffled grunts of pain. He even clenched his fists, letting his breathing run rampant.

'Good,' Gwen thought, her forehead damp with sweat as she smiled nervously. 'He's reacting exactly like I knew he would…'

But even as she reassured herself, she could feel her energy draining faster than she expected. 'The reaction is positive… but why am I running out of Lumix this quickly?'

Meanwhile, Jett was coolly observing everything from behind closed lids. 'She still hasn't noticed it,' he mused. 'Instead of rejecting her Lumix, I'm absorbing it.'

His body greedily pulled in her Lumix, siphoning it without any outward sign beyond the fake pain he showed. Gwen, too focused on controlling the output, had no clue.

Minutes passed, and eventually Jett felt the stream of energy falter and then fade entirely.

'Crap, guess that's it,' he thought.

Slowly, he cracked open one eye, and saw Gwen lying stretched on the ground, unconscious.

Jett turned fully, standing up and stretching a little as he looked down at her. His usual smirk returned, this time darker, sharper.

"She hit her limit. And here I was hoping she had a bit more in her tank," he said quietly, staring coldly at her collapsed form. "You've still got a long way to go, Miss Gwen."

He knelt beside her, examining her face. She looked peaceful, almost innocent.

'I still have a lot of questions,' Jett thought, his gaze hardening, 'but I guess those will have to wait'.

For a moment he displayed no emotion while looking at her.

"Too bad I already used up my [Forced Contract]..." he muttered, almost disappointed. "But this will have to do."

He extended his hand over her. A faint dark light shimmered around his palm.

[Cursed Mark]

[Target is not allowed to physically harm your body. Can forcefully request the target to perform a task once a month.]

A thin, barely visible mark appeared on Gwen's wrist before vanishing into her skin.

Jett stood up and dusted off his clothes, giving her one last glance.

'I'm looking forward to how all this turns out,' he thought, a mischievous gleam flickering in his eyes as he turned away.

As he reached the door, his hand froze on the knob. Something gnawed at him. He exhaled a deep sigh and turned around slowly,

"A conscience right now?"

"…Tch."

He walked back toward Gwen with a resigned air, his footsteps light but deliberate. Squatting beside her limp figure, he stared for a moment, lips pressed into a flat line.

"You better be worth the trouble," he muttered under his breath before scooping her up with ease. He adjusted her gently against his shoulder, careful not to draw attention as he slipped out and carried her to the infirmary.

*****

"Is she awake?"

"I think so. She's finally moving."

The muffled voices swirled around Gwen as her head throbbed faintly. A groan escaped her lips as she shifted under the thin infirmary sheets.

"…Where…" Her voice was dry, her thoughts sluggish. She blinked a few times, trying to take in her surroundings. "Is this… the infirmary? How did I get here?"

A man in a white coat, tall, balding slightly, and with an annoyingly smug smirk, stepped into view.

"A first-year brought you in. Red-black hair kid," he said, gesturing vaguely. "He said you passed out during a lesson."

He stepped closer, leaning a bit too far into her space.

"You seem fine overall. Your mana flow's stable. So… what were you two really doing?"

Gwen narrowed her eyes, instantly reading the tone behind his words.

"The fact that I can guess what you're thinking annoys me," she growled, and without warning, a sharp gust of wind erupted from her palm. The doctor yelped as he was launched backward, crashing into a cabinet with a loud crash.

"Get away from me, you pervert."

"Oww my back… is that how you treat the man who treats you?" he whined, curled up on the floor like a kicked puppy.

"I still don't understand how a pervert like you was allowed in here as a doctor." Gwen rolled her eyes and got out of the bed. She stretched her arms and quickly inspected herself for anything unusual, no bruises, no pain, nothing out of the ordinary.

She turned to the assistant nearby, a calm-eyed girl in glasses who had been sitting in the corner with a clipboard.

"He didn't do anything stupid, right?"

"Don't worry. I was here the whole time."

"Good." Gwen brushed past them and walked out, her boots clicking sharply against the tile.

*****

Outside the infirmary, Gwen stood still for a moment. The cool air brushed against her skin, and she closed her eyes briefly to settle her nerves.

'What the hell happened back there…?'

She tried to recall it, but the memory felt hazy, like fog rolling over her thoughts. All she remembered clearly was placing her hand on Jett's back trying to forcefully activate Lumix within him… then darkness.

Nothing explained why she had blacked out. She rubbed her temple, frustrated, then paused.

'What's that?'

A faint burning sensation tickled her wrist. Gwen frowned and rolled back her sleeve… but there was nothing. No scar. No mark.

Still, the feeling lingered, like something buried just beneath the skin. She clenched her fist slowly.

"…Weird."

"Where've you been?" Rey asked, eyeing a fidgety Jett as he walked into the dining hall.

"Who, me?" Jett blinked, snapping out of whatever trance he was in. "I've been… busy."

Before he could explain, Rey was already up in his face.

"Hmm…"

"Do you mind?" Jett said, stepping back defensively. "Ever heard of the term personal space?"

Rey ignored him and kept circling like a curious predator. "Something about you feels different. Brighter, maybe."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Jett asked, both irritated and genuinely confused.

"I don't see anything," Rosa chimed in, walking behind them with a shrug.

"You're probably seeing things." Cedric added.

"Yeah, I don't see a damn thing." Evelina said.

Elora, who had been watching from across the table, finally had enough. She grabbed Rey by the shoulder and tugged him back.

"Stop messing around, Rey. We have actual problems to deal with."

"No, wait…" Freya leaned closer, eyes narrowing on Jett. "I kinda see what he's saying. Like... there's a glow. From the inside. It's hard to explain."

She tilted her head, gaze focused. "Jett, what did you do?"

"Why do you even assume that I did something?" Jett retorted.

"Because I know my roommate and part of you glowing like a tirednight light is a good enough reason for me to suspect you." Freya replied.

"I don't get it." Morrigan added, "Is this one of those things only you guys can see?"

The group fell silent. Confused glances bounced around the room. Even Rosa, who hadn't noticed anything at first, began to squint like she was trying to see it now. The air grew heavier with curiosity.

"Right?" Rey echoed, voice sharp with interest. "What did you do?"

Jett paused, now clearly unsettled. "Hold on, you're sure I'm glowing?"

"One hundred percent," Rey nodded. "It's like those glowing balls we saw last time when I got captured at a dungeon. What were they called again? Lu…"

"Lumix," Jett muttered under his breath. "Damn it. That can't be good."

He looked down, slowly flexing his fingers.'I'm not even surprised that both Rey and Freya can see it. But I'm not even using it right now… That means it's leaking.'

'But I don't feel any major change... So does that mean I still need to integrate it into my own pool of Lumix after siphoning it?'

"I've got to go," Jett blurted, turning on his heel and sprinting out of the dining hall.

"Wait... where are you going?" Freya called after him.

"Back to our dorm! I'll see you guys tomorrow!" he shouted over his shoulder without slowing down.

The others watched him disappear around the corner.

"What's up with him…?" Seraphina asked, poking at a piece of meat on her plate.

"Beats me." Marcella pouted. "Too bad he ran off before grabbing something to eat."

"Yeah right, you were hoping he'd leave it behind for you," Morrigan teased.

"Hehe…" Marcella flashed a mischievous grin, then skipped off like she had a secret plan.

*****

Jett rushed into his room, slamming the door behind him. He sat on the edge of his bed, shut his eyes, and drew a deep breath.

'Alright, Jett. Focus.'

He could feel it, an explosive yet eerily calm energy pulsing wildly inside him, like a river of lightning flowing without restraint.

'It's all over the place… I need to refine it. Now.'

As he began to concentrate, his body started heating up, fast. Sweat formed instantly on his skin.

The air in the room thickened, turning hot and heavy. Steam rose in curls around him, fogging the glass and dampening the walls.

*****

Just then, the door creaked open.

Elora and Freya stepped inside, and froze.

"Holy crap!" Freya coughed, waving steam out of her face.

"What the hell is going on in here?" Elora asked, stunned. "Is this normal for you guys?"

"Are you seriously asking me that?" Freya said, distressed. "He looks like he's about to catch fire!"

Elora yanked Freya behind her, arm facing the room ready cast a spell.

"Stand back, I'm freezing the room."

"No," Freya stopped her with a hand. "Freeze him instead."

"Are you insane?" Elora snapped. "I'll kill him!"

"Just trust me and freeze him!" Freya shouted, eyes locked on Jett's trembling form.

"I hope you're right." Elora hesitated.

{Freeze}

*

*

*

He's burning from the inside