Crazy Awakening: My luck can copy Talents.

Adrián didn’t move.

His expression didn’t change.

But inside, he felt the same cold pulse he had felt on Mercier Street right before he died.

"...Tell me."

"It started three days ago," Yuki said, staring down at her hands. "That was the first time I noticed anything. I was walking home from the bakery. It’s one block. That’s it. And I felt like someone was following me."

Adrián stayed silent.

"I turned around, and nobody was there. I thought I was being paranoid."

"..."

"Then it happened again the next day. I was going to the grocery store. I turned around. Nobody."

Her fingers tightened together.

"But that time, I caught a glimpse of a shadow disappearing around a corner. Really fast. Like whoever it was knew I was about to turn around."

"..."

"Yesterday..."

Yuki swallowed.

"Yesterday it happened three times."

Adrián’s body tensed.

"When I went downtown. When I came back. And when I went out to buy dinner."

She looked at him.

"All three times, I felt the same thing."

"And all three times, when I turned around, I caught movement."

"Never a whole person."

"Just movement."

Her voice grew quieter.

"Like whoever it is moves too fast for me to actually see them."

Adrián felt every muscle in his body tighten.

"Did you notice anything else?"

"...Cold."

"What kind of cold?"

"Weird cold."

Yuki rubbed one hand over her opposite arm.

"Like the air around the shadow was colder than the normal air."

Adrián’s stomach sank.

"And once..."

She hesitated.

"The last time..."

"What?"

"I heard something."

Adrián went completely still.

"Like a little laugh."

Yuki’s voice dropped almost to a whisper.

"Really quiet."

"Almost impossible to hear."

"But I heard it."

"..."

"Adri."

"Yeah?"

"Am I being paranoid?"

Adrián breathed.

He looked at Yuki.

Those frightened honey-colored eyes.

Her hands trembling slightly in her lap.

The knit sweater slipping from one shoulder.

"You’re not paranoid."

Yuki stared at him.

"..."

"Yuki."

He held her gaze.

"You are not paranoid."

Yuki closed her eyes.

"...Okay."

A breath.

"Okay."

Another.

"Okay."

"Yuki."

"Yeah?"

"Was the shadow male or female?"

"...Female."

Her brow furrowed.

"I think."

"Why?"

"The height. The way she moved. I think it was a woman."

"Tall? Short?"

"Tall."

A pause.

"Very tall."

"Hair?"

"...Long."

Adrián’s stomach tightened further.

"Black, I think. It happened so fast, but I think it was black."

Adrián felt his stomach drop.

"Sariel."

"Sariel is following Yuki."

"Or."

"Or someone from the Corvax Order."

"Someone working with Sariel."

"Uriel."

"Or."

"Lira."

"Lira said she saw Yuki walking around the city yesterday."

"Lira has long black hair."

"Lira is tall."

"It could be either one."

"Or something else entirely."

He dragged a hand down his face.

"Yuki."

"Yeah, Adri?"

"Listen to me carefully."

He looked directly into her eyes.

"Very carefully."

"Okay."

"From now on, you’re going to do exactly what I tell you."

Yuki blinked.

"No questions."

"No arguing."

"Trust me, even if what I say sounds weird."

Adrián leaned slightly closer.

"Can you do that?"

"...Yes."

"Good."

He raised one finger.

"One. When you leave campus today, you are not walking home alone. Call your dad and have him pick you up. If your dad can’t come, take a cab."

"Okay."

"Do not walk."

Another finger.

"Two. Once you get home, you do not go out alone at night for any reason."

Yuki’s expression became more serious.

"If you absolutely have to go somewhere, tell someone when you’re leaving and what time you’re supposed to be back."

He paused.

"Ideally, tell me."

"...Okay."

"Three."

His voice hardened.

"If you ever feel that sensation again—the cold—you do not turn around."

Yuki frowned.

"You go inside the first open business you see."

"Any business."

"A convenience store. Restaurant. Pharmacy. Anything."

"And you stay there."

His eyes remained locked on hers.

"Then you call me."

"At any hour."

"I’ll come."

Yuki stared at him.

"Adri, why are you telling me all this?"

"Four."

He ignored the question.

"And this is the most important one."

Adrián breathed.

"Yuki, listen to me."

"I can’t tell you what I’m involved in yet."

Her expression changed.

"I can’t."

"It’s not because I don’t want to."

He struggled with the words.

"It’s because if I tell you today, I put you in more danger than you’re already in."

Yuki went silent.

"I need you to trust me a little longer."

Adrián’s voice softened.

"Can you do that?"

Yuki looked at him.

Her honey-colored eyes were very serious now.

The anxiety hadn’t disappeared.

But something else had joined it.

Determination, probably.

Yuki was like that.

Once she understood that something was genuinely serious, she stopped panicking and became functional.

"I can, Adri."

"Good."

"But."

Adrián sighed.

"But?"

"When you can tell me..."

Her eyes stayed on his.

"You tell me."

"When I can tell you, I’ll tell you."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Yuki nodded.

Several times.

"Adri."

"Yeah?"

"You be careful too."

"I’ll try."

"Promise."

Adrián looked at her.

"Promise."

Silence.

Yuki rubbed both hands over her face.

Adjusted her sweater again.

Looked at the bench.

Then at Adrián.

"Adri."

"Yeah, Yuki?"

"...Thank you for the kiss."

Adrián froze.

"..."

"I didn’t say that before."

Her cheeks immediately turned pink.

"I probably should’ve said it earlier."

She looked away.

"Thank you."

A pause.

"Just in case it doesn’t happen again for a long time."

Her voice became tiny.

"I needed to say thank you."

"Yuki."

"Yeah?"

"It’s going to happen again."

"...Maybe."

"It’s going to happen again."

Yuki smiled.

Just a little.

It was the first complete smile she had given him during the entire conversation.

For one second, it lit up her whole face.

Then it faded.

Yuki stood.

Adjusted her sweater one last time.

Brushed a hand through her bangs.

"I’m leaving."

"Yuki, wait."

She looked at him.

"I’m walking you out."

"You don’t have to."

"Yes, I do."

"Adri—"

"Not negotiable, Yuki."

Adrián stood.

"I’m walking with you until you leave campus."

"And I’m going to watch you get into the bus or a cab."

"And I’m going to make sure you get home safely."

"Then I’ll leave."

Yuki looked at him.

Sighed.

Then smiled faintly.

"Okay, Adri."

She turned.

"Let’s go."

They started walking toward the campus exit.

Adrián stayed on her left.

Close.

Very close.

The Thief’s Mask remained inactive, but every bit of his attention was spread across their surroundings.

Every person who passed.

Every tree.

Every rooftop.

Every window in every building.

Every flicker of movement at the edges of his vision.

His enhanced senses—the ones Silvano and Lira had taught him to activate without fully manifesting the Mask, using only partial concentration—were pushed as far as he could manage.

He could hear conversations fifty yards away.

He could distinguish the scent of every student who passed nearby.

He could feel the air shifting against the skin at the back of his neck.

Nothing unusual.

Nobody following them.

Nobody watching.

They reached the edge of campus.

Yuki hailed a cab.

Adrián opened the door for her.

Before getting inside, Yuki turned toward him.

"Adri."

"Yeah, Yuki?"

"One more kiss."

Adrián blinked.

"A small one."

Her cheeks turned pink.

"Just in case."

Adrián didn’t hesitate.

He bent down—

Yuki was much shorter than him—

and kissed her again.

Short.

Soft.

With exactly the tenderness of two people who knew they were saying goodbye for an uncertain amount of time.

Yuki closed her eyes.

She wrapped both hands around Adrián’s right hand and squeezed.

When Adrián pulled away, her eyes were wet again.

"Okay."

She breathed.

"Bye."

"Bye, Yuki."

Yuki got into the cab.

The door closed.

The cab pulled away.

Adrián remained standing on the sidewalk, watching it disappear down the avenue.

Until it turned the corner.

Until he couldn’t see it anymore.

Until all that remained was the sound of traffic and a faint hollow feeling inside his chest.

He touched his fingers to his mouth.

He could still taste Yuki on his lips.

Very faintly.

Very softly.

Very real.

"..."

"Very sweet, darling~"

The voice.

It came from behind him.

Very close.

Very melodic.

Very familiar.

Adrián froze.

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