Chapter 3 : The Manhunt

I followed him. For every step he took, so did I.

What began as slow steps soon spiralled into a fast-paced run, eventually resulting in Nora, the boy, and me darting past students and through long, twisting corridors.

I struggled to keep up. My breath was coming in sharp gasps, but despite all odds, I managed to trail behind him like a predator stalking its prey.

Unfortunately, this brief moment of hope was shattered when a sudden crowd of students came pouring out of one of the classrooms.

Panicking, I urgently scanned the corridors for any sign of the boy. The hallways, now bustling with students, were a blur, and my heart thudded in my chest as I tried to spot him among the chaos.

Much to my disappointment, it seemed he had long escaped my relentless efforts to confront him.

"Ugh..." I grumbled through clenched teeth, fists tightly balled at my sides. "Where did he go?"

I loosened my grip slightly, slowly raising my thumb to my mouth and biting my thumbnail, my frustration mounting with each passing second.

I needed answers. If it meant searching every nook and cranny of the school—then so be it. Nothing would go uninspected.

Classroom after classroom, yard after yard—I checked everywhere.

Yet, there was still no sign of the black-haired boy.

"Is he hiding or something?!" I screamed in frustration, pulling at the roots of my now-messy dark hair. My chest tightened as my temper flared. How could he keep slipping away?

"Elysia...?" Nora muttered in a concerned, quiet voice.

Her voice broke through the storm of frustration, and something in me calmed. It was only my name, but there was an undeniable weight to it, something beyond mere words—an unspoken reassurance. It was as if her voice carried the echoes of someone who had weathered storms of her own.

"It's the boy you're looking for, right?" Nora asked softly. "I could help if you'd like..."

I was about to decline her offer—after all, how could she help? But then something clicked in my mind.

"Oh yeah, you can pass through solid objects!" I realized aloud, a spark of hope flickering in my chest.

Nora nodded, her expression unreadable but calm.

"But the school is huge… Won't it take a while?" I asked nervously. I had no idea how long this would take, but the thought of dragging this out further made my stomach churn.

Nora shook her head, her confidence unwavering. "Don't worry! I'll be really quick."

I was about to thank her, but before I could get the words out, she was gone.

I was left standing there, alone with my thoughts.

It didn't take long, though. Just as quickly as she vanished, Nora reappeared in front of me, her expression excited.

"He's hiding at the basketball court outside!" she exclaimed.

"Then we'd better catch up before he escapes again," I blurted, determination flooding through me. There was no way he was getting away this time.

Nora agreed and, with a small leap, she landed on top my head.

This time, I wouldn't let him slip past without getting my answers.

My thoughts were racing. There were so many questions I needed to ask: Who are you?Are you an Aeon too?Do you even know what Aeons are?

I pushed myself forward, rushing through the now-empty hallways. Nora clung to my head with the same determination.

Glancing out a nearby window, I spotted him—the same boy from before. There he was, standing at the edge of the basketball court, his focus on his game.

"Haha, he's not getting away this time," I chuckled confidently.

I threw the door open and stumbled awkwardly onto the court. My legs burned from the chase, but I didn't care. The boy froze for a moment when he saw me, his expression one of slight disgust, before he resumed shooting the ball ease.

Each time he shot, the ball swished through the net. And every time, it rolled right back to his feet, as if he'd expected it.

By this point, I was exhausted. My back was hunched, my hands braced on my knees as I tried to catch my breath.

I can't let him get away. Not this time.

Through the haze of my exhaustion, I forced out a single word, my voice strained:

"You...!"

That was all I could manage before the weight of my body gave way to exhaustion. I collapsed forward, my face heading straight for the grainy, stone ground.

"Elysia!" Nora cried out, her voice full of panic as she hurriedly floated off my head, trying to catch me before I hit the ground.

But it wasn't enough. My body continued to fall, my muscles too weak to react.

Then, something came rushing toward me, and I felt the sharp impact before I had time to brace myself.

The last thing I saw before blacking out was the round silhouette of an orange-and-black basketball bouncing off the ground in front of me, ricocheting straight into my forehead.

The ball sent me flying backward, saving my face but risking the back of my head in the process.

"The sky looks so pretty during the sunset..." I muttered dreamily, my voice weak and tinged with a strange sense of acceptance. Tears welled up in my eyes as I gazed up at the sky. Maybe this is it… maybe this is how it ends.

My head hit the ground, but surprisingly, it didn't feel as painful as I expected. It was almost… soft?

"Urgh!" Nora groaned, struggling beneath the rock that was my head.

I laid there, motionless, unsure if I was still alive or if I had already crossed some invisible line. My gaze was fixed on the clear, pinkish sky above me.

"I know this is real… but I can't help but question it…" I wondered aloud, lost in my own thoughts.

What if I'm dreaming? What if I actually died back there, and this is all just a dream? If that's the case… this dream is so realistic.

Suddenly, a face appeared in my peripheral vision, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Are you... okay?" he asked, his voice flat, almost indifferent.

He extended a hand, hovering it just above my face. The air around us felt thick with unspoken tension.

I gripped his hand, allowing him to help me sit up, and I could feel the weight of Nora's relief as she floated away from my head, stretching out in the air.

"At last..." she sighed, sounding almost content.

I wiped my hands against the back of my skirt, dusting off any stubborn bits of rock that had clung to me from the fall.

I turned to the boy, remembering the questions that had been gnawing at me since the moment I first saw him.

"Are you an Aeon too?" I asked, my voice now steady, though the tremor of curiosity still lingered in me.

"..."

Silence stretched between us for a moment. The tension was palpable.

Finally, the boy broke the silence.

"Wow… you're not even going to ask who I am first?" His tone was mocking, a hint of disappointment attached to his words.

I remained quiet, my patience holding firm.

He sighed, clearly annoyed, and answered my question.

"Yes, I am," he said, his expression unreadable. "You know, I'm quite famous too."

My eyes widened in surprise and I sucked in a breath, unsure of how to process his words.

"Sorry, infamous would be more accurate," he corrected himself, a smirk curling at the corners of his mouth. And that smile... it sent a chill through me.