The sound of an explosion reverberated across the alleyway, shattering the illusion. The moment the illusion dispersed, a young man immediately appeared in the crater looking for something.

"NO! GOD DAMMIT!"

The man started to furiously look around. He saw a disfigured body lying on the floor and rushed towards it.

"FUCK! JUST A MACHINE!"

The man kicked the assassin apart revealing a bunch of steel parts and gears.

"WHERE ARE YOU ARK!"

The man heard a soft groan and immediately rushed towards the source.

On the edge of the crater lay a boy with black hair, his hair and clothes were badly charred and his bandana had flown off. The white pendant on his chest was perfectly fine.

The man rushed towards Ark and tried to pick him up.

Ark let out a groan.

The man laid his hand on top of Ark's forehead and injected a black mana into Ark's body.

No permanent damage, a few broken bones, a concussion... how did he survive?

Although he was happy that Ark had survived, as a rank 1 warrior, he should've died to that rank 3 spell.

Even if he was a rank 2, since he hasn't awakened yet, it would be hard to live.

As if sensing the man, Ark started to move around.

"Inst...tor?"

"Yes Ark, I'm hear Ark. Don't talk too much, your hurt."

"It... hurts."

"I know, just stay calm. Everything is going to be alright."

"N-no... my... eye."

What?

The man lifted Ark's hair and opened his eyes in shock.

Now that the bandana that covered Ark's eye had flown off, he could clearly see what was under it. The eye was milky white and the skin around it had scarred.

Ark was half blind.

But how? By the look of all the scaring, this was not natural.

Suddenly Ark started to scream.

Both of his eyes started to glow iridescent red with a black ring pattern of flames surrounding the pupil.

The man narrowed his eyes... this is... this is... if this is what I think it is, then the world will fear his name.

Noticing that the screaming was starting to attract curious bystanders, the man cast a rank four shadow spell.

Ark started to sink into his own shadow. Right before his face disappeared, he muttered.

"My... band.. ana..."

The man looked around for Ark's bandana and found in near another machine.

He grasped the bandana and disappeared into the shadow...

—————————————————————

Kali blushed.

Come on girl, you are not a kid anymore. Get it together.

Kali's red face turned serious before turning back to red.

Oh no I can't. It's not my fault.

She remembered the weird mood she and ark shared back in the sunset. How close his face was to her. How handsome he looked when she brushed up his hair. How hard his muscles were.

Kali's already red face became crimson.

WHAT ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT! HE IS YOUR BEST FREIND.

A part of her mind screamed.

but that's why it's ok to like him.

No it isn't.

You like him.

N-no...

Stop lying to yourself.

...

Just imagine how it would feel if he took you to bed?

Kali started to see Ark, on a bed without a shirt on. She saw his well defined muscles and white skin. She saw him slowly pull back his hair, revealing his heaven defying handsomeness that he kept hidden and his pure black bandana. She imagined him slowly pulling down his pants while he was staring at her with a heated gaze.

"What are you doing Kali?"

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Kali snapped out of her daze and glared at the perpetrator who had interrupted her pleasant daydream.

Wait... what was she doing. Kali realized what she was thinking of and blushed in embarrassment. She picked up a dictionary and started to read it.

Demons begone. Demons begin. Demons begone. Impure thoughts begone. Ark is hot.

Wait no, start again. Demons begone.

"Kali?"

"Demons beg- oh what is it Olivia?"

Olivia, Kali's room mate, sighed.

"You are drooling while looking like a tomato."

"Was I really."

"Yes."

Olivia kept a certain thought alone.

And you looked like a pervert too.

Kali started to flush.

Now Olivia thinks I'm a pervert.

As the mood in the room got increasingly awkward until Kali's phone started to ring.

Hey Ai, can you receive the call?

(Ai) Connected to the call.

"Hello? Who is it-"

"It's me, James. Kali don't ask but just go to the hospital."

Before Kali could ask anything, James said something that made her face go pale.

"Ark is at the hospital."