Qi Yue’an finally turned, her gaze settling directly on Li Yan.
That familiar, slightly audacious smile played upon his lips, and he even struck a deliberate pose, flicking his fingertips to conjure a wisp of smoke that coiled gracefully into the air.
His pitch-black cloak remained pristine, utterly unblemished, as though the recent skirmish had been nothing more than a fleeting illusion.
A single, obsidian horn had inexplicably emerged from his forehead, while his golden hair blazed with a brilliance akin to molten fire.
From such proximity, Qi Yue’an distinctly perceived the terrifying surge of magical power, both restrained and suffocating. There was no question: he was a demon, one she had never encountered before, possessing an unparalleled mastery over his own formidable strength.
“You… you’re a demon?”
Her voice was parched, barely a whisper.
This time, Li Yan offered no denial, merely a frank nod.
“Indeed. But given your precise use of the term ‘demon,’ it seems you are undeniably a Magical Girl.”
He feigned an air of knowing all, yet Qi Yue’an’s expression hardly suggested a recent revelation.
Qi Yue’an had no patience for his theatrics. Startled awake from that intoxicating haven, a profound sense of incongruity now reverberated through her, setting off a clamor of alarm bells in her mind.
Everything within these walls diverged sharply from the direct confrontations with demons in the outside world. This felt more like a silent, insidious erosion at the very level of reality’s rules—an absolute distortion, eerily similar to the cognitive distortions wrought by her own wish.
“Tell me,”
She advanced a step, her voice cutting and sharp.
“What, precisely, is your true objective in coming here? Why does the layout of this apartment so uncannily mirror various stages of my own memories? Why is your doorplate also displayed on the fifth floor, and so close to mine? And for that matter, where exactly have you been these past few days?”
Her questions came in a torrent, each one a stark accusation. Only now, having been jolted awake from that deceptive “gentle haven,” did she truly grasp the profound strangeness of this place. Outside, irrational demons lurked in the shadows, formidable yet conquerable through sheer power. Here, however, the very fabric of reality seemed bound by an unyielding, inscrutable set of rules.
“Now, now, let’s not get so agitated. Firing off so many questions, and standing so close to a strange man… hardly the conduct of a proper lady, is it?”
With effortless grace, he intercepted Qi Yue’an’s wrist, which had instinctively darted out to seize his collar once more. His grip was unyielding, rendering her utterly incapable of moving an inch.
“Furthermore, such physical gestures are quite impolite, Miss. I did just save your life, after all.”
He reiterated this fact, a subtle edge now discernible beneath his habitually courteous demeanor.
As before, she found herself utterly defenseless in terms of physical strength. Should he choose to exert his will, she would be entirely incapable of resistance.
Nevertheless, he ultimately released her wrist, gesturing towards the stairwell.
“My purpose… well, it’s to resolve the issues here, I suppose. I confess, I hadn’t anticipated finding you here. These past few days, I’ve been eager to ascend the stairs and investigate the sixth floor, but do you know what? I stumbled upon something quite intriguing.”
Guiding Qi Yue’an to the stairwell entrance, he conjured several tiny, yet remarkably bright, flames that illuminated their surroundings. She then noticed a plaque affixed to each landing within the stairwell.
“The plaques hanging there bear the floor numbers, along with some rather enigmatic symbols. I attempted to decipher them and discovered that… hmm? Are you upset?”
He observed Qi Yue’an’s slightly distracted demeanor, assuming she was irritated by his earlier flippancy. Yet, when her focus returned, her eyes met his with a glimmer of newfound regard.
“I was just wondering if you actually knew how to do that… I’d always assumed someone as dense… well, as straightforward as you wouldn’t possess such skills. For a moment, I even thought you’d been replaced by a substitute.”
His lips twitched. He understood the deeper implication of her words. She was now feigning interest in the plaque, pointedly disregarding his reaction, yet he sensed a subtle lifting of her somber mood.
“Never mind. In essence, what’s displayed there is likely a sequence of numbers, escalating in value as one ascends. They probably denote dates or something analogous. Perhaps this particular staircase, for some obscure reason, projects your memories: descending leads to the past, while ascending leads to the future. The crucial question, however, remains: since I am currently on your fifth floor, implying that the fifth floor itself represents either the present or the immediate future, what then does the conspicuously concealed sixth floor within these rules signify?”
“The future?”
Qi Yue’an offered the answer almost without pause, reaching the conclusion with remarkable ease. Li Yan, having finally enjoyed a turn as “teacher,” regarded his astute “student” with a satisfied nod.
“So, are you intending to lead me up there to see it?”
“No, we must bide our time. I can assure you, what you’ll witness will astound you.”
He remained rooted to the spot, continuing his vigil at the stairwell entrance, his gaze frequently flicking to the seemingly expensive mechanical watch adorning his wrist.
Time flowed relentlessly onward, until the clock hands converged on 22:59—the precise moment when, by the rules, one was compelled to return to their designated floor and room. Abruptly, the surrounding environment began to shudder violently.
The stairwell’s ambiance, where they stood, underwent an abrupt transformation. What had been a desolate space, lacking lights and railings, reminiscent of a derelict construction site, instantly became bright and resplendent. Yet, in stark contrast, the fifth floor’s once cozy and intoxicating scene suddenly devolved into ruin.
Her own room, alongside Xiyin’s and Bai Zhi’s adjacent chambers, inexplicably refused to open. Their doors were marred by a network of cracks and emblazoned with a colossal red X.
Meanwhile, Bai Jin’s familiar presence, usually lingering by the stairs, had vanished entirely. Her door remained tightly shut, though faint, muffled sobs could be faintly discerned from within.
For some inexplicable reason, a sudden, sharp pain lanced through her head. A potent, unsettling sensation, akin to profound sorrow, welled up within her, blurring her past memories until she felt like nothing more than a lost, wandering spirit haunting this place.
“Hey, snap out of it. Remember who you are.”
Qi Yue’an felt a hand roughly patting her head. She instinctively shielded herself, then glanced sideways to find Li Yan urging her to regain clarity. He appeared utterly unfazed by the sudden shift, and once she had collected herself, he positioned himself protectively in front of her.
“The peril of this place lies precisely here: if one fails to return to their room for too long, their consciousness will be swiftly eroded, leading them to believe they are nothing more than an aimless, unwitting phantom haunting these halls.”
“Stay close to me, and do not fall behind.”
As he spoke, his true aura, no longer concealed, erupted around him. Colors like molten magma from the earth’s core blazed forth, resembling a rampant inferno that grew more oppressive with each passing second.
Qi Yue’an, too, underwent a transformation, her gothic black and white dress manifesting as dark purple flames of envy coiled around her sword, keeping her ever-vigilant of their surroundings.
“Oh, so it’s a similar type of familiar.”
He deliberately adopted a contemplative posture, though his expression exuded an air of absolute invincibility.
Disregarding his playful remark, she continued forward, walking abreast with him, as if to demonstrate her unwavering resolve not to be a burden.
“This is the place.”
Ascending the stairs, they found themselves in a corridor reminiscent of a lavish castle interior. At its not-so-distant terminus, a door unlike any on the other floors—a relic seemingly transported from some forgotten epoch—commanded their attention.
It stood tightly sealed, adorned with enigmatic carvings. These depicted a shattered orb, resembling a planet, at its center, a long-haired beauty, leaning towards a maidenly form, curled inward, cradling a golden crown. A pair of purple eyes, distant, stared intently at the orb, extending a claw towards it. Further within the orb, in more remote positions, were etched images of feathers, flowers, an hourglass, and a goblet. Each was held by a blurry figure, one appearing male, another of ambiguous gender, and two distinctly female.
“I discovered this door, so utterly distinct from the surrounding style… and I also encountered a familiar individual here. He seemed to be a substitute, saying nothing upon meeting, but suddenly attacked when I inquired about the door. It took considerable effort for me to escape.”
Li Yan carefully chose his words as he conveyed this information to her, seemingly needing to keep the identity of the familiar person confidential, thus leaving that detail vague.
“I suspect the secrets of this place lie beyond this door, but when I arrived, it was teeming with phantom-like obstructions, and there was also someone guarding the door…”
As Li Yan spoke, he scratched his head in confusion. He then approached the door again, but found no means to open it; even attempting a forceful entry left no mark.
“That’s the situation. I haven’t found a way to open it either. Perhaps there are clues elsewhere in the ‘campus’? In any case, I brought you here to inform you.”
Qi Yue’an also contemplated the door, then turned her gaze to the other rooms lining the corridor.
There were six in total, each bearing names she genuinely didn’t recognize. The occupants of these rooms seemed to be absent, leaving only their voices echoing in the corridor.
She furtively glanced at Li Yan. His serious expression was a rare sight, but that wasn’t the main point. The crucial detail was the look of bewilderment that crossed his face as he looked at the doors, as if the names themselves surprised him.
“Do you know them?”
Li Yan nodded, no longer concealing his thoughts, a troubled expression on his face as he replied.
“I’ve only heard their names, but their identities are secret. I cannot tell you yet.”
His words interrupted Qi Yue’an’s desire to ask more questions. She also realized that this powerful demon had been remarkably courteous to her since their first meeting, never taking offense even at her teasing remarks.
Excluding the possibility of it simply being his nature, there had to be a more significant reason.
She didn’t know the extent of his tolerance, so she decided to stop probing if he wasn’t willing to disclose more.
Just as she was about to speak again, the ground suddenly began to tremor, and the lights on the sixth floor abruptly extinguished.
“Qi Yue’an, run! Those phantom-like entities have reappeared! Did you see the guardian?”
Li Yan’s voice resonated from behind her. She tried to respond, but the next moment, she felt a hand clamp over her mouth from behind. Despite her instinctive struggle with all her might, the grip remained unwavering.
“Don’t answer! Have you forgotten the rules of the classroom?”
Hearing the voice, she froze, only then noticing the peculiar nature of the surrounding sounds.
She recalled that Li Yan had never called her by her full name, always using pronouns or no address at all.
“We’ll break through and head down. Let’s see how your friend’s substitute is doing, and let me witness your true abilities.”
The next instant, two distinct flames erupted, illuminating their surroundings.