Between the unspoken words

That thing seemed to know my every move, every breath.

It tore through my thoughts, as if feeding on my fear.

Every time I got closer, it multiplied, shifted.

And every time it struck, it wasn't physical. It was mental.

Emotional.

As if it was rummaging through my darkest dreams.

As if it had created them.

The little girl's voice came again.

Begging for help. Threatening me.

Yuta fought with ferocity, and Rika screamed—a fractured sound, torn between rage and protection.

Together, we managed to hold the curse back. To keep it at bay.

But it was only when I stopped being afraid—only when I focused on what I loved—my friends, Toge, the life I wanted to protect— that I was finally able to strike.

A burst.

A blazing explosion of light.

The creature screamed.

A sound that ripped the air open.

Then—it vanished.

Like fog at sunrise.

I dropped to my knees, breath ragged, cold sweat running down my spine.

Toge was the first to rise and slowly approach.

He knelt in front of me, hands moving quickly— checking my arms, my legs, my neck.

Looking for wounds. Bruises. Scratches.

His eyes were wide.

Terrified.

I looked at him, my hands still pressed to my chest, my heart pounding too hard to speak.

Then I whispered, barely audible:

"It was her. The same one from the dream. The same one… that's been following me for days."

He stared at me.

As if every certainty he had just crumbled in that moment.

Around us, the others gathered.

The festival was over.

The night... had just begun.

---Later on,

We had taken shelter on one of the Institute's outer terraces — dimly lit, far from prying eyes.

A heavy silence wrapped around us, broken only by the rustle of wind-stirred leaves.

Toge sat beside me, his back against the wall, knees drawn up.

His head was lowered, phone in hand, but he wasn't typing.

Maki stood nearby, arms crossed, gaze fixed on the sky still stained with the remnants of fireworks.

Panda was sitting on the ground, wearing a serious expression that always looked oddly out of place on him.

Yuta still had an arm draped around Rika's shoulders, who was slowly fading into the night air.

We spoke.

<< There's something I... never told you,>> I began, voice low.<< For weeks, I've been having dreams. Strange ones. Vivid. In them, Toge is calling me, looking for me, but I can never reach him. Sometimes I walk through halls of mirrors, sometimes a forest full of shadows. But every time... that curse is there. Waiting. Watching. And I wake up with my heart pounding.>>

Everyone turned toward me.

<< And it's not just a nightmare. I think it's real. That something… something connected to Toge's power is trying to get inside me. Or use me... to get to him.>>

Toge finally lifted his gaze.

His eyes were shiny, trembling.

He typed slowly, fingers heavy:

"That's what I meant. I knew it…"

He paused, then typed faster, like words spilling from a broken dam:

"When I was little... there was a girl. We went to school together. I saw her every day. She liked being near me. Said she liked my voice. One time... I used it to protect her from a low-level curse. Nothing serious. Just one word."

Then he added:

"Two days later... she never spoke again. Ever. She lost her voice. And the use of her legs.Cursed energy... had infected her."

A chill fell over the group.

<< Toge…>> I whispered, instinctively placing a hand on his arm.

<< Is that why...? >>

He nodded. Then, almost angrily, he typed again:

"The same curse appeared in my dreams too. I swore I'd never put anyone in danger again. Never. But then you came along. And I tried to push you away. But I love you. I love you too much to let you go."

Something broke inside me.

I cupped his face in my hands and spoke with a steady voice, though I trembled deep down.

<< I don't care. If there's even the slightest chance that we can stay together without losing ourselves... I want to take it. I want to stay. Fight. Understand. I don't care about the danger — not if it means giving you up.>>

For a moment, no one said anything.

Then Maki — who was never the type for sentimental speeches — turned toward me.

<< You're tough, Rebecca. But you're not stupid. You have to talk to Gojo-sensei. Right away. He'll understand. And if there's anyone who can find a solution... it's him. >>

Yuta nodded.

<< Even if he doesn't find it right away, we'll all stay with you. Whatever this is… you're not alone.>>

I turned to Toge. His eyes were shining in the dark.

Then he typed, slowly, tenderly:

"Thank you. All of you. "

He gripped my hand tightly.

As if that one gesture was the only real thing he had to hold onto in that moment.

And I... didn't let go.

***

We returned to the Institute when the sky had become a blanket of starless black. The festival lanterns were far behind us now, like a colorful dream long gone, and here, along the building's quiet paths, everything felt unreal. Even the wind had stopped moving.

Our footsteps echoed softly on the smooth tiles of the hallway, one after the other, each sound magnified by exhaustion. No one spoke. Maki walked with her fingers resting on the edge of her obi, steps slow but steady. Panda, unusually calm, stared at the floor from the corner of his eye. Yuta kept his gaze low, shoulders slightly slumped.

Toge walked beside me in silence. His profile was barely visible in the half-light, hair tousled from the wind, the tattoo on his neck now hidden beneath his yukata collar. But I could still feel the warmth of his hand brushing against mine now and then, as if he wasn't quite holding me... but reminding me he was there.

When we reached the floor with our rooms, we stopped. No one said a word. Just a few nods, a murmured "night," a breath released louder than the rest. Everyone quietly returned to their rooms like it was instinct. Toge and I stepped into mine, still without a word.

My room still smelled of incense and dry wood. I lit a single lamp, its soft glow casting gentle shadows along the walls. I sat on the edge of the bed to remove my shoes, slowly, like each movement was part of a ritual.

Toge stood near the desk, hands in his pockets, gaze distant. Then he took out his phone and typed calmly:

"Tomorrow night. We all go out. You, me, Panda, Maki, Yuta. No curses, no running. Just us. A normal evening."

I read the message and looked up at him.

There was the hint of a smile on his face — the kind that struggles to come out, but can't stay hidden.

I smiled too. Small, honest, tired.

<< I'm in.. >>

Toge wrote one last line. Clean. Perfect:

"We need it."

I nodded softly. And just like that, everything else seemed to fall away.

I stood, brushed past him, my hand barely grazing his waist. He didn't move, but closed his eyes for a moment. And when I turned toward the bed, I realized that silence no longer scared me.

That night, there were no dreams.

No voices.

Only the quiet certainty that we had stopped something — for now — and that, at least for a day,we could allow ourselves to breathe.