ZigZagkers

"Hahahaha."

Laughter exploded around the campgrounds, filling the air with a chaotic mix of teenage voices. At the center of the circle sat Nki and Enix, both on their knees with their heads bowed in shame like two scolded puppies. In front of them stood a large man with his arms crossed, his face full of frustration and disappointment.

"HOW did you two even get lost!?" he barked. "Didn't you receive clearly written directions?!"

Nki kept her head down, cheeks puffed in a pout. "He lied about us not getting scolded…"

Enix whispered back with a sigh, "He said we wouldn't get scolded in school. This is camp."

"…Damn it."

Meanwhile, not far from the camp, deep within the trees, two figures stood in complete silence. They were entirely clad in black cloaks, their faces masked and covered by dark veils. One of them glanced at the direction of the noisy campfires, and spoke in a low, suspicious voice.

"Why did they assign us to watch over those two brats?"

The other responded calmly, arms crossed. "They said the boy is merged with a cursed soul."

There was a pause.

"…No way," the first figure whispered, a hint of disbelief creeping in.

Two days later.

The large school bus came to a slow, screeching halt. Its doors opened with a hiss as Nki and Enix stepped out, each dragging a duffle bag over their shoulder. Behind them, loud chattering echoed through the windows.

"See ya two at school!" someone called out. "Try not to get lost on the way home, hahaha!"

Nki turned and narrowed her eyes. "You'll get killed next time I see you, remember that!"

More laughter as the bus doors shut. The vehicle roared to life and rolled off down the road, shrinking in the distance.

Enix stared after it, his voice a little quieter. "Looks like… we won't have those fun moments in class anymore, huh."

Nki slowly nodded. "Yeah…"

The two of them began walking down the long road, the evening sky glowing warm with orange and golden hues. The sun hung low like a tired eye watching them from afar. Their shadows stretched out beside them.

"Those four days…" Nki began, adjusting her bag. "It was fun, huh? Even with the chaos. The camp food, those weird ghost stories at night… even the tests."

Enix smiled faintly. "Yeah. I didn't think I'd miss that already. But now that we're stepping into this whole Deviner thing, feels like we won't get to just… chill like that anymore."

"I wonder what kind of training we're gonna get?" she asked, half dreading and half curious. "Will it be like running in a forest? Climbing mountains? Or just spiritual meditation while sitting under waterfalls?"

Enix chuckled. "Whatever it is, I hope there's no homework involved."

They stopped on a small bridge that arched over a quiet stream. The wind gently blew through Nki's hair as the sky turned to a deeper orange, soft clouds glowing like cinders.

Enix leaned on the railing, eyes half lidded. "You ever feel like… we're the main characters?"

Nki leaned beside him and smirked. "Obviously. But I'm the main main character. You're like… my lovable sidekick."

"What?! No way! Your job is to wash dishes and cheer me on from the sidelines, you woman—"

WHAM!

Nki's fist buried into his gut.

Enix dropped dramatically to his knees. "Aghhh… betrayal… by my own heroine…"

Nki snorted, failing to hold back a laugh.

Then her smile softened, and she stared ahead at the sun dipping lower. "Hey… I think I'll visit Grandpa's shrine. Maybe there's something there. Something to help me understand all this Divine stuff. He never told me anything, but…"

Enix looked at her, quiet for a second.

"…I wanna figure out what this thing is inside me too," he said softly. "It's like… even when I'm calm, I know something's watching. Like someone's inside my skin, seeing everything I do."

Nki turned to him with a grin. "Even when you're peeing?"

"Yeah."

"…Even when you're taking a shit?"

"…Ugh."

They both burst out laughing, their giggles echoing over the bridge as the sun dipped further into the horizon.

After a quiet moment, they picked up their bags again. The sky now shaded deeper hues of orange and red, clouds melting into the distance.

Together, they walked onward.

Next morning.

Sunlight peeked through the half open curtains, dancing gently over the two bodies tangled together under a thick blanket. Nki and Enix were curled up close, her arm resting over his chest, his hand on her waist. The room was quiet except for the sound of soft breathing and the occasional chirp of birds outside.

Suddenly—.

DING DING DONG~ PEEE PAAA POOOOO!

A ridiculously loud and funny ringtone blared from Nki's phone on the bedside table, vibrating like it was possessed.

"Grrnghh…" Nki groaned and sluggishly opened her eyes, her hair a complete bird's nest as she sat up with squinted eyes and picked up the phone. "...Hello?"

A cheerful voice replied from the other side.

"Good morning, Nki. Are you two awake?"

Nki blinked. " …How did you get my number?"

Koru replied casually, "I got it when you were sleeping at Miss Geli's place."

"…Pervert," Nki muttered, narrowing her eyes.

Koru cleared his throat awkwardly. "Ahem. I'll send you a location. Meet me there. We're heading to your school for your transfer request."

"Okay…" Nki replied groggily.

"All right then. See you two there." Click.

Nki turned her head and looked at Enix, who was still out cold and cuddling the pillow like a teddy bear. She slapped her hand on his chest and shook him roughly.

"Hey, darling. Wake up. We need to go. I'm gonna give birth soon."

Enix's eyes cracked open slowly. "...Bruh."

A short while later.

They were standing in the office of their school, wearing the clothes given by the club.

Koru smiled politely and spoke to the principal sitting behind a polished desk.

"We'll be taking them. We know each other well, and we'll be happy to accept them at our academy."

The principal, an older man with sleepy eyes and tea in hand, nodded with mild surprise.

"I see. All right then. I approve the transfer."

A stamp echoed on the paper.

As they stepped out of the office, Nki let out a long sigh. "That… went way smoother than I expected."

Koru nodded. "I came prepared."

Enix looked him up and down. "Yeah, no kidding. Why are you dressed like you're about to propose to someone?"

Koru adjusted his collar slightly. "Well, I can't exactly walk around looking ordinary now, can I?"

As they walked down the stairs together, Koru suddenly turned to Enix, his voice low.

"Enix… has anything happened to you lately?"

Enix looked confused. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"I mean… have you felt unwell? Any pain? Visions? Blackouts?"

Enix shook his head. "Nope. I feel totally fine."

Koru gave a small sigh of relief. "I see. That's good to hear."

But then...

As they stepped down to the final stair…

Everything shifted.

The air thickened. The light dimmed and twisted slightly, colors becoming pale.

And then...silence.

Absolute, crushing silence.

The faint sound of footsteps vanished. The hum of lights was gone. Even the wind outside had stopped.

They froze.

Koru's eyes widened instantly, a sharpness flooding into his face.

Nki looked around. "H-Huh? Did something just happen…?"

Enix's eyes scanned the hallway. Then he looked up, his gaze landing on the large wall clock.

The second hand wasn't moving.

Tick…

Tick—

Nothing.

Nki's eyes followed his, and her expression stiffened.

"This is…" she whispered.

"Point… Zero," Enix finished.