The Shadow's Grasp

Shirone's face twisted into an expression of distress. He felt like he couldn't hold back his tears any longer.

"Pff..."

Nade's cheeks puffed up, and then he burst into uncontrollable laughter.

"Pwahaha! Iruki, did you see that? Did you see Shirone's face? This is an absolute masterpiece!"

Iruki was stomping his feet in excitement.

"I saw it! I saw it! He looked completely terrified! You, you guys... Pwahaha! Shirone, are you trying to kill me with laughter?"

Nade clutched his stomach, which ached from laughing too hard.

"Oh, man! Hahaha! The more I think about it, the funnier it gets. Why on earth would you even do that... Khahaha!"

Shirone stood there, stunned. He couldn't even tell if this was reality or a dream.

"Wait, you guys... Do you actually remember me?"

"What kind of nonsense are you spouting? Did you have another weird nightmare or something? Do you even realize how ridiculous your expression is right now? Pwahaha!"

Hearing that, Shirone felt all the tension drain from his body. A wave of immense relief washed over him, quickly replaced by irritation.

"Oh, come on! Then why didn't you say something sooner?! Why did you act like you didn't know me?!"

"Because your reaction was just too funny. You were all like, 'It's me. I'm Shirone.'"

Nade mimicked him, and Iruki doubled over, collapsing onto the sofa in laughter again.

Shirone, drained of all energy to scold them, sank into his seat and covered his face with both hands.

"I was seriously scared to death."

"Alright, let's hear it. What exactly happened?"

Now that Nade and Iruki had calmed down, they finally looked willing to listen. Shirone recounted everything he had just gone through.

At first, they chuckled at the absurdity of it, but when he mentioned Instructor Sheena, their expressions grew more serious.

"Hmm, so even Instructor Sheena claims not to know you? That's strange... There's no way she would pull a prank like this."

Nade found it hard to believe.

"But... is something like that even possible?"

"If it's a form of mind-affecting magic, then yes, it's possible. Though manipulating the memories of every student in the academy is... highly questionable."

Shirone thumped his chest in frustration.

"I'm telling you, it is possible! I experienced it firsthand!"

"Alright, calm down. Either way, we believe you. So, everyone has forgotten you... except for us."

Nade corrected himself.

"The question is, why? That might be the key to understanding this whole situation."

Iruki raised a finger in thought.

"One thing stands out—we weren't at school for the past two days. Something must have happened during that time. The real question is, what?"

The three of them fell into deep thought.

Could someone have manipulated not just the students' memories but even the faculty's minds while they were gone?

It was a theory too outrageous to accept just yet.

Nade spoke up.

"Could it be some kind of supernatural phenomenon? Historically, there have been similar cases."

Iruki was skeptical.

"I doubt it. Even those cases likely involved magic at some level. But if that's the case, why weren't we affected?"

"Maybe because we were in Istas. Ever since we parted ways with Shirone, we've been here."

Shirone frowned.

"And what does Istas have to do with anything?"

"There have always been rumors that Istas holds a mysterious power. There's no concrete proof, but in this situation, we need to consider all possibilities. This is a serious issue."

Iruki asked cautiously.

"So, does that mean we could also lose our memories?"

"Yeah. There's no guarantee we won't."

A heavy silence settled over them.

It was already devastating that others didn't remember Shirone. But if they lost their own memories, the consequences could be even worse.

Nade hesitated before speaking again.

"Still... we should go out and investigate, right?"

"I agree. Hiding won't solve anything."

Shirone also knew they were right, but he hesitated, still shaken from his earlier experience.

"But what if you guys forget me too? I might actually go insane."

"Then let's take precautions. If we do lose our memories, we need to make sure we can at least figure things out afterward."

The Mark of Memory

Nade grabbed a pen and scribbled something onto his palm. The others followed suit, writing the same words.

I have lost my memories. Anyone who knows the keyword can be trusted. The keyword is Polaris.

Satisfied with their precaution, the group felt reassured. Even if they lost their memories, they had a way to recognize each other.

"Alright, let's go."

As they stepped out of Istas and onto the academy grounds, they saw students moving about. Classes had ended, and people were heading to their next activities.

It was a familiar scene, yet something felt off.

Normally, students would walk in pairs or small groups, chatting as they went. But now, everyone was walking alone.

Even more unsettling, while they all seemed to be in a hurry, their paths were chaotic and directionless, as if they weren't going anywhere specific.

"Hey, guys... look at them."

"Yeah, I see it too. They have no destination. They're just wandering aimlessly."

Nade scanned the crowd, looking for someone familiar. He spotted Gabe, one of their classmates from Class Five.

"Hey, Gabe! Where are you headed?"

Gabe turned his head and looked at Nade with a blank expression. Then, in a dull, lifeless tone, he asked:

"Who are you?"

Nade frowned. His lips twitched in irritation, but remembering what Shirone had gone through, he pushed aside his emotions and got straight to the point.

"Forget that. Just tell me—where are you going?"

"Where am I going?"

Gabe looked down at his own legs, as if seeing them for the first time. Then his eyes widened in horror as he glanced around in panic.

"Where... Where am I?!"

Nade grabbed him by the shoulders.

"Snap out of it! What's wrong with you? Has anything strange happened lately? Have you seen any suspicious people?"

Gabe's face turned pale as he clutched Nade's arms desperately.

"Tell me! Who am I?! No, where is this?! What... what's my name?!"

As terror consumed him, Gabe clutched his head and let out a strangled cry.

Nade instinctively stepped back, bracing himself for a possible attack.

Fortunately, Gabe didn't become violent. But he was unraveling, his sanity slipping away.

"What is this sound?! I hear something strange! Why won't it stop?!"

His tongue began to twist unnaturally, and soon, his words became incomprehensible gibberish.

Shirone's face paled as realization struck him.

"He's forgetting language itself."

Iruki shuddered.

"Then... what happens when he forgets everything?"

They watched in horror as Gabe's body gradually slowed... until he stopped moving entirely.

And at that moment, so did everyone else.