ZigZagkers

Enix and Nki walked side by side through the long, dim hallway, the air filled with the soft echo of their footsteps. In front of them were Koru and Lali, leading the way. The halls were quiet, made of polished stone with glowing lines of divinity energy running across the walls like veins, illuminating their path with a faint golden hue.

Enix and Nki looked around curiously at everything, the strange floating candles, the people in different uniforms walking past with serious faces, and magical relics displayed on the walls like museum artifacts.

Koru glanced back and said calmly, "For now, you two will return to your camp. We've already sent a letter to your teacher, letting them know you're safe. So, no need to worry."

Nki raised an eyebrow. "Still… we're totally gonna be scolded, aren't we?"

Enix nodded. "Yep. Probably with brooms. Or chalkboard erasers."

Koru smirked slightly. "No. You two won't be scolded. Because… you're not going to study there anymore."

They both froze.

"EH?!"

Both of them yelled at the same time.

Nki ran forward and grabbed Koru by the sleeve. "What do you mean?! What do you mean we're not going to study anymore?!"

Lali spun around while skipping and grinned. "You're dropping out~! Yay! From now on, you'll be studying here instead."

"W-WE'RE WHAT?!" Enix gasped. "Since when was that decided?!"

"Just now," Lali said, winking. "Isn't it fun when life changes suddenly?"

"NO!"

Koru turned around calmly. "Don't worry. All your records and transfer issues will be handled by me."

Lali twirled on her feet and waved. "Anyway, I've got stuff to do. See ya later, newbies!" She turned and walked down another hallway, waving her hand over her shoulder.

"Oh! I'll go let Mr. Haiso know about you two!"

Koru called out, "Thanks, Lali. Make sure to tell him personally."

"Got it!" she said, her voice echoing as she disappeared around a corner.

Enix and Nki continued walking behind Koru, still trying to process everything.

Nki looked up. "Who's this Haiso person?"

Koru didn't look back. "He'll be your teacher. He was mine, and Aaru's. Even Lali's."

Enix raised an eyebrow. "What about me?"

Koru shook his head. "You… can't use Divine power. The corrupted soul inside you won't allow it. But you might be able to learn how to control Cursen Energy."

"Cursen Energy?" Enix said, puzzled.

Koru paused and turned around to face them. "Listen carefully. Not every human can become a Deviner. To awaken Divine Power, three things are necessary."

Nki and Enix leaned in.

"First," Koru said, raising a finger, "your ancestor must be a Deviner. It's a power passed through bloodlines."

"Second," he continued, "you must possess what we call Spiritual Seek. Without it, you can't see or sense souls."

"Third, and most important," he added, "you must have enough Divine energy to survive Point Zero."

Enix tilted his head. "Point… Zero?"

Koru nodded seriously. "It's the boundary where the worlds of the living and the dead collide. When a Deviner confronts a soul, the world shifts, everything freezes, and both the Deviner and the Soul enter a separate plane of reality that looks the same, but… isn't, any damage or distraction happen in that point won't affect the real world."

He gestured around. "You'll feel like you're in the real world, but inside Point Zero, nothing from the normal world works. No phones, no electricity, no help. Just you… and the soul."

As soon as he said that, Nki's eyes widened. "Wait… my phone! It died suddenly back then!"

Enix remembered too. "Yeah… that makes sense now.."

Koru nodded. "That was Point Zero. And there's only one way to end it, either the soul or the Deviner dies."

Nki shivered. "That's terrifying…"

"Exactly why we train. Because we don't know when a corrupted soul will appear next."

Koru then looked at Enix. "Do you understand now?"

Enix looked down, eyes narrowing. "…Yeah."

He clenched his fists.

"But… what is Cursen Energy exactly?" he asked.

Koru's expression grew darker.

"A long time ago," he began, "when people were fighting back using Divine power, a group from the shadows appeared out of nowhere… They didn't believe in gods. They didn't use blessings. Instead, they used the power of darkness."

Nki and Enix's eyes widened.

"That power," Koru said grimly, "was called Cursen. It's not a magic, but a form of energy. Users can manipulate their body using Cursen and can do many other dangerous stuff."

Enix's eyes trembled as he whispered in his mind.

Darkness, huh…

Then he glanced at Nki walking beside him, so bright, so full of life, so light.

("Then Nki and I… we're complete opposites…")

Nki's eyes sparkled with mischief as she threw her hands up and grinned. "That's cool, isn't it! Darling, you can beat the demon's ass using your hot, fine body!"

Enix turned to her, a faint blush on his face, and smiled. "And you'll be there to help me out too, right?"

"Of course!" she beamed, giving him a light nudge on the arm.

Koru walked ahead in silence, but he glanced at them over his shoulder. The way they supported each other... it was warm, comforting. But deep inside his thoughts, something else lingered.

("If Enix someday gets corrupted by that soul completely… we'll have no choice but to kill him…")

Suddenly, Nki reached out and tugged on his sleeve gently. "Hey, Koru big brother…"

He blinked, caught off guard. "Big… brother?"

"Yeah," she said, looking up at him. "Shouldn't I call you that? You're like a big bro, right?"

A soft blush crept onto Koru's cheeks. "Well… I am four years older than you, so… yeah, I guess that's fine."

"Yay~" Nki cheered.

Then she tilted her head. "What about Haiso? What kind of person is he?"

Koru looked thoughtful. "He's chill most of the time. But he can get really serious when it comes to training or danger."

Nki sighed in relief. "Phew. Thank god he's not a freak."

Koru chuckled under his breath. "Don't worry. He's a good teacher. He'll teach you all about Divinity, Styles, and how to use your energy properly and other stuff."

"Styles?" Enix asked.

Koru nodded. "Yeah. Every Deviner can have a different Style. Like mine's called the Style of Knowing."

He raised his hand slightly, and a glowing leather-bound book shimmered into the air in front of him. "I can Appraise anything—beings, objects, places—and this book appears to show me all the information. Weaknesses, history, hidden facts, everything."

Nki's jaw dropped. "Yo, that's like a cheat code! You could totally use that to ace every exam!"

"Right?!" Enix added, laughing.

Koru rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I… don't really like using it that way."

Nki and Enix both snickered.

Koru shook his head with a small smile. "Anyway, we've arrived. You two just need to walk down that path, then take a left at the stone lantern. That'll lead you straight to your camp. Your teacher already knows you're on your way."

Enix and Nki stood at the open gate that led out of the glowing building, the sky above now a soft blue as morning approached.

"So…" Koru said, waving gently, "I'll see you again soon. I'll visit you guys in a few days."

"Got it!" Enix gave him a small salute.

Nki threw both hands in the air and yelled playfully, "See ya soon, Big Bro Koru!"

Koru gave a light laugh and waved back. "Take care, both of you…"

And with that, Enix and Nki walked off down the road.