Location: Captain's Room

  Time of Day: Afternoon

  "Hey... hey... wake up."

  A mysterious faint, high-pitched voice echoed in the dim room, pulling Captain back to consciousness. His eyes snapped open GASP! breath ragged as he bolted upright.

  "Who's there?!" he barked, scanning the room in alarm.

  "Relax, Captain. It's just us," Hikari said gently, placing a steady hand on his shoulder.

  His tense expression eased when he turned and saw the others gathered at his bedside.

  "Oh... it's you, Hikari," he muttered, his breathing slowing.

  "Welcome back to the land of the living," Slayer grinned. "You had me worried for a second there."

  "Glad you're up again," Lumina added calmly. "Slayer filled us in while you were unconscious."

  Captain massaged the back of his neck with a grunt.

  "Yeah... sorry about that, Captain," Slayer said, rubbing the back of his helmet. "It was the only move I had at the time."

  Captain met his gaze, steady but sincere. "I... I'm grateful."

  Slayer blinked, caught off guard, while Hikari smiled knowingly.

  "Hmph. Looks like you were right, Hikari," Slayer chuckled. "He's starting to open up."

  "Told you he would," Hikari replied with a smug grin.

  "Don't push it," Captain said flatly.

  "Sorry... hehe." Hikari giggled, rubbing the back of her neck. "I'm just glad you're okay, Captain. Think you can stand?"

  "Yeah, I'll be fine, Hikari. Thanks." Captain shifted upright, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. "Sorry to make you all worry."

  "Don't sweat it. We're just glad you're back," Hikari said, stepping aside to give him space.

  Captain rubbed his forehead, still groggy. "Jeez... what the hell even happened back there, Slayer?"

  Slayer nodded, recounting the events while Captain had been unconscious. When he finished, Captain stared at the floor in silence.

  "So... I went berserk and lost control... tch." His jaw tightened, eyes narrowed in annoyance.

  Lumina stepped forward, arms crossed. "Now that you're awake and stable, what exactly were you thinking when you tried to use that energy?"

  Captain closed his eyes, taking a breath. "At first... I tried to clear my mind and focus on shaping the energy. But nothing happened," he admitted. "Then I snapped... got frustrated... and all I could think about was how much I hated those Echos. On how badly I wanted to slaughter them." Captain's voice dropped lower. "That's when I blacked out. I didn't feel like me anymore... like something else took over. And that's all I could remember from that point."

  Lumina and Slayer exchanged a tense glance. Hikari folded her arms, brows furrowed in thought. "Interesting..." she murmured.

  "Your awakening was completely different from mine." Her tone grew thoughtful. "And more than that, you manifested a black aura. That could be dangerous, since it nearly consumed you. It seems thoughts and emotions play a big role in awakening Emanation. At least, that's what my analysis tells me."

  "Possibly..." Captain muttered, then shot her a look. "Wait. You've already awakened yours??"

  "Yup! I have!" Hikari beamed proudly. "I'll tell you about it later once we catch up."

  Captain gave a rare, subtle smile. "Expected nothing less from a genius Hollow like you."

  "T-Thanks..." Hikari blushed, rubbing her arm before turning to Lumina and Slayer. "So? What do you guys think? Do emotions really influence the awakening process?"

  Lumina nodded. "Sharp as always, Hikari. Yes, of course they do."

  "Yup," Slayer stretched with a groan, cracking his neck. "But I'll let Lumina explain. I've heard that speech one too many times." He waved lazily and stood. "Anyway, I'm grabbing some food because I'm starving! Anyone wanna come?"

  "Slayer..." Lumina sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Not now."

  "Jeez, fine, fine. I'll go by myself then." He smirked, heading for the door. Just before slipping out, he spun around with a grin. "No but seriously, there will be pancakes, bacon, eggs-"

  "Slayer!" Lumina shouted.

  "Okay, okay! I'm going!" Slayer laughed, waving as he vanished through the door.

  Hikari giggled behind her hand. "Pancakes do sound good, though..."

  "We can have some after we finish talking," Lumina said, shaking her head.

  "Sounds good to me!" Hikari gave a cheerful nod.

  Lumina's voice softened, her gaze drifting distant. "Anyway..." she said quietly. "Back to the matter at hand." She lowered herself to the floor, sitting cross-legged. Her arms rested lightly in her lap, posture calm but focused.

  Captain and Hikari stayed close on the edge of the bed, listening intently. The room itself seemed to grow quieter, as if waiting.

  "What you experienced, Captain... it wasn't the first time something like that has happened. It's rare, yes. But not unheard of." She glanced down at her hands, then lifted her gaze again. "The first recorded case of someone awakening with that kind of unstable, overwhelming power... was about fifty years ago. And it wasn't a scholar or a trained wielder." Her voice dipped lower, almost a whisper. "It was a child. A girl that was barely fourteen years old."

  Captain's brow furrowed. Hikari leaned forward, fingers gripping the blanket tight. Lumina closed her eyes briefly. The edges of her voice carried weight, like she was pulling a memory from another time.

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  "Her name was never officially recorded because it was kept hidden for security reasons. But those who know the story... they call her..." The room dimmed in silence, the atmosphere heavy. "...the Black Emanation Wielder."

  "She lived in a quiet town and had a peaceful life." Lumina began, her voice low. "Her parents were highly honored Emanation wielders. They were respected and kind-hearted. Beloved by the people in that town." Her gaze sharpened. "But then... everything shattered."

  She drew in a slow breath. "One night, her parents were murdered. The worst part is that it happened right in their own home."

  Hikari's eyes widened, awe and shock flashing across her face. Captain just kept listening.

  "Even though they were strong Emanation wielders... they were completely outmatched. No one knows who, how, or what exactly did it." Lumina's tone sharpened. "Some say it was an unknown entity and others... believe it was something far worse."

  She paused, gaze drifting distant. "The townspeople feared the girl's lineage... feared what that kind of trauma might awaken in her. They believed she could become a threat to the world if her Emanation ever surfaced." She lowered her head slightly, her bangs casting a shadow over her eyes. "Whether that fear was justified... no one can say."

  Her voice dipped, quiet but heavy. "But someone or something decided not to take the chance. They came to capture her before that awakening could happen." Lumina's gaze dropped to the floor. "But the one thing everyone agrees on..." she said, lifting her eyes again, voice steady. "...is what came next."

  A long silence hung in the air before Lumina continued.

  "The girl... broke." Her words were low, heavy. "As the entity stood over her parents' bodies... something inside her snapped. She was filled with hatred, despair, and bloodlust. Not unlike what you felt, Captain."

  The room seemed to grow colder and still.

  "She let out a scream. A scream that shook the soul that even the entire town heard it." Lumina's voice dropped to a whisper. "And in between her sobs, she repeated only one thing..." She paused. "I'll kill you... I'll kill you..."

  The words echoed, sharp, chilling. Captain's eyes lowered, his jaw clenched. The phrase rang in his head too familiar.

  "That grief... that rage... it didn't just stay inside her. It became her. And in that moment... her Emanation awakened, but it wasn't like anyone else's." Lumina's tone softened, eyes narrowing faintly. "It wasn't blue, green, or pink. It was black. An aura of wrath and despair, that's how people described it." She gave a slow shake of her head. "And yet... she didn't lose control of that power. Despite everything... she wielded it with frightening precision. She controlled it as if it had always been hers."

  Her voice dropped to a near whisper. The weight of the memory hung heavy in the silence.

  "She stood up... and fought back. She faced the very entity that killed her family, right there in her home." Lumina's eyes lowered. "The townspeople watched from a distance, too afraid to help... too afraid to even step close. The house shook, glowing, bathed in her black aura." She paused, her voice tight. "And in the end... she won."

  The room stayed quiet.

  "Or so people thought." Lumina's voice cracked, just slightly. Captain looked up slowly, his expression darkening. "The story doesn't end there." She continued. "While she was weakened... another presence entered the house. No one saw their face. Only the light that changed." Lumina's tone trembled faintly. "Black and purple auras flashing behind the windows... then... silence."

  Her gaze dropped to the floor. "When the townspeople finally dared to enter... she was gone. And so were the intruders. The only thing left inside... were her parents' bodies."

  Hikari's eyes shimmered, her breath catching in her chest.

  Captain stayed silent, his gaze fixed firmly on Lumina.

  "No one ever discovered what happened to her. But the town... it changed." Lumina's voice was steady now. "Fear spread like wildfire and people whispered she was cursed. That she wasn't human at all. That the black Emanation wasn't a gift... but a curse born of grief."

  She lifted her gaze, eyes sharp. "Within weeks, the town was abandoned. It became a ghost town, and the girl... became a legend." Her eyes flicked to Captain. "No one has seen another black Emanation wielder ever since."

  For a long moment, no one spoke. Then, Hikari's voice slipped out, thoughtful.

  "It almost sounds like something out of a novel..." Her eyes unfocused, lost in thought. "But the townspeople were right about one thing... she did awaken to a powerful Emanation." She paused, brows furrowing. "I wonder if that ruined their plan to capture her... or if it was their plan all along for her to awaken first."

  "More importantly... who was that person trying to capture her? Was it an organization? A family member? And where could she have gone after that?" Hikari shook her head slowly. "None of this makes sense at all..."

  Lumina gave a small shrug. "Beats me. Your guess is as good as mine. That's just how the story has always been told. No one knows what happened to the girl or the ones who tried to take her. It's basically a cold case now." She rose to her feet, brushing dust from her robes. Her tone shifted, calm but firm. "But there's something important you both need to understand about the black Emanation."

  Captain and Hikari straightened, their attention fixed on her. "It can be stopped before it consumes someone completely." Crossing her arms, Lumina explained evenly. "I've studied fragments of research... scraps of records... enough to see a pattern. The key is the mind. The more chaotic a person's thoughts, the faster the black aura takes over." Her eyes narrowed. "If that chaos can be silenced... then there's a chance to save them."

  "So... how do you stop it?" Hikari asked, leaning forward.

  "Luckily, I've figured out two ways to silence it," Lumina said, raising two fingers. "First one is by knocking the person unconscious. And second one is by calming the person down with words. Reminding them who they are." She lowered her hand slightly. "But that one's harder... and it doesn't always work. So I'll explain the first method instead."

  She paused, her expression darkening. "There's a brief window, right when the black aura stops emanating from the body." Lumina's tone was sharp, deliberate. "That's your moment. If you act then, you can bring them back to their senses."

  Her gaze shifted to Captain. "But if you hesitate..." Her voice dropped, low and heavy. "The aura will take over. It'll devour the wielder and anyone around them." The room went still. "And if that happens..." Silence. "...say goodbye to them and to yourself."

  Captain looked away, jaw tight. "So... Slayer took that risk for me then," he muttered.

  "He did," Lumina said gently. "He knew what he was doing though, since he's done it before."

  Captain's frown deepened. "Tch... still. He could've been killed back there."

  "But he wasn't," Hikari said softly, her voice warm and reassuring. "And you're still here. That's what matters most."

  Captain exhaled slowly. His voice dropped. "So... what happens if someone is consumed?"

  Lumina's expression shifted. Her gaze turned distant, haunted. "I've seen it happen once before and it's not pretty." She paused, voice lowering. "First... they lose themselves completely. No memory of who they are and no recognition of anyone. Just rage and destruction. They become something else entirely."

  Her words slowed, each one heavier. "Then... the black aura begins to eat away at them. Not metaphorically. Literally." She gestured her hand. "Piece by piece, they vanish. Like they never existed. No one knows where it goes... or what takes them. You just... watch them disappear." Her gaze dropped to the floor. "Until there's nothing left. Just a fading black glow... vanishing into thin air."

  Hikari's eyes widened, her voice barely a whisper. "That's... terrifying."

  "Yeah." Lumina nodded slowly. "Which is why Slayer's timing saved Captain. Without it-"

  Captain closed his eyes briefly, exhaling. "...Then I really do owe him one. Hmph." He looked up again, a new fire burning in his gaze. His fist clenched. "But next time, I won't let that happen again. I'll find my own power and master it. I can't afford to fall behind."

  "You won't." Hikari shot him a firm thumbs-up, smiling bright. "If I can do it, then you can too. And next time? You'll be in full control. I'm sure of it."

  Captain let out a small breath of amusement. "Thanks." A rare smile tugged at his lips. "I'll be ready when the time comes."

  "Then I'll make sure to stay one step ahead," Hikari added playfully, winking.

  Suddenly, CLAP! Lumina brought her hands together, breaking the tension in the room. "Well, now that we've had full tragedy hour... how about we lighten the mood and get some breakfast?" She smirked. "Hopefully Slayer didn't burn the place down."

  "Great idea!" Hikari stretched, arms high over her head. "I haven't eaten all morning so I'm starving!"

  "Same here." Captain cracked his neck with a POP. "Let's see what the knight-chef cooked up for us."

  Lumina nodded, smiling. "Alright then. Follow me this way."

  The three of them made their way downstairs. The morning passed in peace, laughter, warm food, playful teasing. Even a few rounds of cards landed on the table. The journey ahead was long and uncertain. Until what came next...