Beeline to Problems

Durman was heading toward his usual spot, his full lips pushed out in a pout, when his fingers suddenly clenched around the writingpad against his chest. He stayed immobile a moment, seriously pondering his choices, then ended up making a beeline to the water closet instead.

Zon Guntam's classes took all three of the first morning periods on Fridays, meanwhile the first lunch break only lasted an hour. Durman didn't want to be late for the fourth period, so he decided to relieve himself first before embarking on the arduous journey of reorganising his notes in their dedicated study notebook. Although there was no way he would be able to copy everything down in so little time, starting as soon as possible would do no harm. On the contrary, the sooner he got started, the more free time he would have after school hours!

This thought alone was enough to wash off all the sour feelings from earlier.

Durman's features brightened with a smile as he proceeded to think up ways to spend the weekend. Sure, being stuck on campus was pretty boring, however, Durman would choose it over going back to the Bluhzy Residence any time.

But alas, the smile had barely made its way to his lips that a chill ran down his spine. His body grew slightly heavier, his breathing slowly turned ragged.

This feeling…

Durman gulped.

Heavens knew how badly he wished to make a run for it. Just…his legs refused to comply! It was as if they were glued to the tile flooring.

Durman turned his head around. His heartbeat quickened as he frankly searched for help.

Fuck.

According to Imperial Secondary School's regulations, all students had to report to the Lunch Hall during lunch hours. But who was he if not Durman Bluhzy, the idiotic self-isolator who had personally requested to be granted special permission to skip out of the mandatory lunch hall check-in!

Durman truly wished to slap himself. How the fuck did he manage to forget that this time of the day turned this part particular wing of the school into a ghost town?! Forget students, which teacher would spend non-teaching hours anywhere near the Arts Building. Fuck, even art teachers abhorred this stinky place that stood proud and gorgeous on a mass graveyard!

He felt like slapping himself even more when he remembered how he might have been able to avoid this situation had he continued advancing toward his original destination instead of going for a piss!

Durman's expression that read "Stupid! Fucking! Brain!" stiffened as a barely audible sound reached his ears. His facial muscles tensed as he focused his attention on it.

Grunts, painful, and accompanied by the unmistakable shattering of teeth.

Durman's eyes turned toward the door on his left. He was so anxious earlier he didn't notice the golden, rounded sphere on the other side of the glass window by his side.

By the time he realised his legs had moved, his hand was already on the panel controlling the door's locking mechanism.

A young boy stood in front of the empty classroom with his slender body bent forward while his arms clenched either side of his head. The boy's dishevelled uniform was starting to tear off, disintegrating in the wave of energy emanating from the core of his own shivering body, his long blond hair a tangled mess as the strands flew about as if caught in a strong gust of wind.

Durman swallowed down the "The fuck am I doing right now?!" that was on the tip of his tongue and keyed in the last number to open the door.

He didn't have the time to pull the handle. The intensity of the boy's magic was such that the moment the lock came undone, the door flew out on its own, detaching from its hinges. Durman dodged to the side at the right moment. He not only narrowly avoided the pieces of walls that followed right after the door but also what remained of the chairs and tables in that classroom.

Just when did he start losing control of his powers for things to have reached this stage already?

Durman clenched his teeth. Reason told him to get away from here and find help, but seeing this crying junior lifting from the ground, screaming in pain while his unnaturally blue skin started to split open, he understood it would be too late by then. So, Durman cursed internally, then he raised his arm to shield his narrowed eyes and used the other to grab onto anything that might help him get closer.

Battling the overwhelming feeling of suffocation was one thing, forcing his body to withstand the force of that powerful magical energy was another. Durman wasn't sure he would even be able to make it to him before it was too late, not when every single step he took felt like walking in tar while heading straight toward the eye of a storm!

So he tried to get the boy's attention instead. The cute little thing seemed to still have some control right now, though it was quickly slipping away.

"Hey…Cutie…" Durman let out through gritted teeth. He'd managed to hold on this long, appealing to what remained of the other boy's consciousness was worth a shot. It wasn't like he had any other option anyway, hahaha…

Durman continued calling out. However, his brows began to furrow more and more. He was no expert in the overflow of magic essence, still he could tell something was off about its effects on his own body.

He learnt in Year-4 of Primary School that the way it affected those in close proximity included a pressure in the chest, the feeling of being pricked by thousands of needles from the inside and, finally, death (if they were really too close and the leaking energy had gone past a certain threshold). Well, to be precise, the outcome for bystanders was death by implosion, but death nonetheless.

So…why was it getting more and more difficult to breathe? What was up with the barely controllable desire to scratch himself against cacti?! And…fuck was it getting hotter and hotter by the second!

Durman started seeing black spots in his vision. He didn't stop moving, though.

Just…a few more steps…

His head was heavy on his increasingly weak body. Why the fuck was it so hot?

Sweat dripped into his eyes.

"Cutie…" he gasped, his hand reaching toward the younger boy's body at the same time. Durman ignored the burning sensation on his fingers as they made direct contact with the boy's leg. His mind was numb. Thinking consumed so much energy.

"It's…okay. You are— You're okay."

With his other hand, Durman grasped the stone platform next to him more tightly to not be propelled out. The fate of that door was one he didn't feel like experiencing personally.

He bit on his lips. The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth.

The boy's leg was cold, Durman had no doubt about this, and yet…it scalded his hand. But, he was almost there. All he had to do was hold on a little longer. Just enough to get the cutie to calm down a little…

When Durman forced his eyes open once again with the intention to look the shivering boy in the face, he noticed blisters forming on his own exposed skin.

There was definitely something wrong with his powers.

Duman's heart dropped as a frightening thought crossed his mind, "Wait, is he a demonic magician or something?!"