Joshua couldn't remember how he re-entered the meeting room. Because no one was looking for it except him, it appeared abandoned, lonely, and empty. The entire place was completely quiet.

Sadness pushed him to the edge as he made his first step into the room.

Joshua desired to talk with a friend, yet part of him believed it was better to be alone for a while. He wasn't in the right frame of mind to talk to anyone at the moment. At one point, it felt as if tiredness was about to devour his entire body and cause him to collapse to the ground.

Fortunately, he was still able to get to the sofa and lie down. His eyes caught sight of scarlet streaks on the carpet, causing him to tremble. He shrank back as the chilly, thin air crept down his skin.

The boy raised his glaze against the wall, and everything appeared on it. What colour was the wall? What was displayed on the wooden shelf? Was the fireplace lit? After so many stays in this room, he barely recognised or remembered. All he could think of was that old man and Seungcheol. Every time he closed his eyes, memories appeared to come back more vividly. Even more scary. He felt powerless and cried quietly. He grew to believe that the old man was his enemy, as were all of the other participants in the auction.

He thought about Seungcheol and the ugly truth that emerged from the lips he had once kissed.

No more sweetness and enjoyment. It was only wrath and disappointment coursing through his veins, running deep into his bones.

Could he forget about this night? Or could he forgive? He was unsure. Would he want to forget and forgive? He might be.

It ached to think that they might never be the same, for he knew how he felt, his tender place for the man. It was frightening to think that someone you loved had turned into someone you were terrified to touch. He would miss Seungcheol even more and yearn to be closer.

This conflict was extremely torment to Joshua. 

He also hoped that his best friend was present. But for him to bother Jeonghan's precious time with Mingyu would be incredibly selfish.

Not thinking about Seungcheol was a more difficult obstacle that Joshua did not believe he could overcome. So he tried to do something else to distract himself from his thoughts.

The boy stood up, pulled out his wands. He recalled the Lumious spell that made him exposed himself. He remembered the Vexior spell that Seungcheol tried to cast on the Black coat lady. Joshua never got a chance to practice it before. He knew all of them. He just wasn't allowed to use.

And what exactly did Miss Sandra tell him about the banned spell? She always believed it had a negative impact and it was reasonable to prohibit it in Carat Land. However, Joshua no longer believed it. Screw it.

The youngster didn't know how far the nemesis could lead him when he stepped outside the hallway, but it was enough for him to open the left door once more.

Some may claim that this was suicide, and he would not argue otherwise. After all, Joshua believed that if he could get out safely the first time, he could do it again. He dared to take this risk.

-

On the other side of the library, Joshua's clone stood and grinned at him as though it had been waiting for him to arrive.

Everything remained the same, including the somewhat musty smell of dust on his nose. The cold, dense air. The orderly bookshelves on either side. And the faint light falling on his face as he approached the clone. In its palm was a black wooden wand that resembled Joshua's.

When they met in the center of the room, the gap between them shortened, and Joshua eventually pointed his wand at the clone. He parted his lips warily.

Joshua cast the magic as the clone continued to stare at him fearlessly and with a blank expression.

"Lumious." 

It could never be simple on his first try. It felt like a stone was pushed forth as magic streamed from his body to the tip of his finger. Though his shoulders felt lighter, something inside his torso started to burn. His entire head was illuminated. His palm shook as he attempted to sustain the spell.

The clone smirked before saying, "You're in pain. Your magic is so chaotic that I don't even need to put you through hell. You went ahead with it nonetheless."

Joshua assumed the spell had been successful when it voluntarily spoke out.

"Is this the actual Library? Or is it a trap?" He asked. Sweat beaded his forehead and his gut ached.

"Oh. The actual library is here. Simply put, you're not sure how to use it."

With a step forward, he exerted more pressure to the clone's chest with the tip of his wand.

"Tell me how I can use it. Now."

"But you are not powerful enough. Higher magic will only make you more painful if you attempt to pursue it. That's a weakness, and you'll quickly see it. You feel the sharp cut of your magic in your skin and bones, don't you? And you're feeling it right now. Simply said, unlike me, you don't search within yourself deeply enough to see things through."

"I said, tell me how to utilize the library. Not my magic. I know how to use my magic."

"You do, of course. You were born with magic, and you have someone who can teach you. You are aware of your abilities, yet you are the issue. You understand magic better than most of your pals, but they can perform it faster than you. Like boiling water, magic is stirred within you, causing suffering."

"Don't try to fool me. Tell me how to utilize the library."

"You can't control yourself, just as you can't control me. I am you, and you are me. I am everything you want to be."

"You're not. You're merely a clone." Joshua reacted fiercely.

"To say I'm a clone is an insult to yourself. Because I'm superior to you in every way." The clone's voice grew more aggressive before Joshua could take any action to defend himself, saying, "Vexior!"

Joshua's entire body shook as a sudden agony tore at his thoughts. At once he collapsed to his knees. His chest was ripped in two by an invisible claw, and his stomach was being gnawed by an invisible monster. The agony was so intense that he felt like things might burst out of his brain. It was horrifying, and it came to him suddenly. Joshua yelled loudly as his own power tormented him, determined to regain his identity despite all of it.

"You should let me go, Joshua. The more you strive to keep the magic, the more painful it becomes. I'm being honest with you, you know that."

Joshua bared his teeth and shot the clone a quick glare. A flash of cold followed by heat. It was horrifying how quickly the temperature within his body switched. With his eyes closed, he nearly lost consciousness.

Then a thought struck him strongly. It struck him where his awareness still resisted, and he was sober enough to sort out the conundrum.

"G-give me the information about the method... for Group classification," the youngster shivered.

The clone stood next to him, smiling broadly as it drew nearer to put its fingers in Joshua's hair.

"Wise boy, as you are." It said.

He felt the anguish leave him dimly. Joshua's body began to feel slightly lighter upon hearing the clone utter:

"Return to the meeting room and pose the same query to me."

Joshua seized the opportunity and dashed to the door where he had previously discovered it.

When he dashed through it and placed his first step on the familiar floor of the meeting room, Joshua collapsed.

His eyes started to well up with tears. It blurred the floor's features, making it look like an oil painting in front of his eyes.

"JOSH! OH MY GOD." When he heard a familiar voice, it turned out to be Jeonghan running to him, kneeling down to call Joshua.

The boy shivered in Jeonghan's embrace. He recollected this trauma from the night he confront with the Black coat Lady. This was the sequelae of using a various amount of magic that his body couldn't handle. Books said this symptom only happened when you are a new awaken wizard, it was also rare. But Joshua wasn't a new wizard, he's been study it for more than a year.

What the clone said was true. He had a flaw with his magic. It aailed him. He needed to mend it and find a cure for it.

Seungcheol might know about or be able to help. But what was the point of asking Seungcheol if he couldn't stand to see his face?

"Josh, Joshie." Jeonghan turned pale and nearly burst into tears. The terror engulfed him. His call sounded like pleading.

Joshua barely replied. He felt protected and carefully closed his eyes, despite the fact that every cell in his body was twitching.

Then, he missed Seungcheol terribly.

Jeonghan led Joshua to the sofa and let him lie down. As he remembered Seungcheol's expression just a few minutes ago, everything was perplexing and left him with a big question.

The man approached Jeonghan first. He was breathing heavily, as if to cope with his agony. His face was crimson, as if he had just been through hell. Even Mingyu was taken aback and questioned what had happened outside.

Seungcheol did not tell them everything; he simply stated that something horrible had happened after Joshua departed and that Jeonghan needed to return. They discovered Joshua's magic somewhere in the middle dimension, so Jeonghan concluded the youngster walked via the left door. When he noticed the empty meeting room, the answer was clear.

Jeonghan's hands were shaking. He'd just seen Mingyu bleed a few hours ago, and now his best friend appeared to be in tremendous pain.

It was beyond Jeonghan's knowledge, so he called Minghao and Jihoon.

Seungcheol would call that a dumb move because the two had no idea what was going on and couldn't be any more helpful than the man. Jeonghan understood. But he was quite desperate.

After a few minutes, the two appeared. They were clearly terrified by Joshua's condition. Jeonghan could only explain that Joshua attempted to complete the mission alone after their initial effort failed. Minghao was skeptical, but the boy's priority was to ease Joshua's pain.

Minghao used his wand and an examination spell to diagnose Joshua. Jeonghan and Jihoon waited patiently next to him, watching. Minghao's expression changed a moment later to one of perplexity.

"Strange," the child murmured, frowning.

"What's strange?" Jeonghan asked.

"Joshua's body seems to be containing his magic. I can't see any signs of magic on the surface, but they're growing within at an unusually high temperature."

"Isn't that a beginner's symptom?" Jihoon added.

Minghao shook his head, explaining:

"At first glance, they appear extremely similar. But, in essence, they are vastly different. Beginners' physical symptoms emerge because their bodies have not yet adapted, and the magic overflows, sending them into shock. But Joshua's body is preventing the magic from flowing, so everything is jumbled up within."

Like binding oneself to a burning house.

Jihoon took in the facts gradually and eventually said: "So... he's doing this to himself?"

Minghao shrugged. "Not sure. Would a Foreign-blood wish to prevent his own magic? I suppose not."

Someone must have done that to Joshua. But why?

-

It took Joshua a few hours to wake up. His body ached, but the fever subsided. The burning, stinging sensation had lessened.

Jeonghan massaged his head and cautiously asked, "How are you feeling?"

Joshua could not even muster a tiny smile. He hardly moved on the bed.

"Better now." He said. But it terrified him completely. He had never experienced that level of pain before. It wasn't like the first time; Seungcheol was there to help him with his symptoms. Not only was it unbearably terrible, but it seemed like it was tearing off his skin and slashing him all the way to the bone. Every portion of flesh was scorched indefinitely. He mentally gave up and wished to be turned into dust so that the torture might stop.

Jeonghan cast a glance at Joshua, aware that his best buddy didn't have much strength left to discuss. Furthermore, Minghao was the one who identified Joshua's condition, so he let him speak out.

"I think we should postpone this task until we find a cure for Shua's symptoms." Said Minghao.

"Agree." Jeonghan promptly reacted.

In contrast to his expectations, Joshua was dissatisfied with this statement.

"No way." You can't give up solely because of me."

"I'm not sick, either," he added. "I am fine."

"We will not give up, Shua. We only worry about you." Minghao spoke.

"I don't think you're sick." Jihoon spoke forward, attempting to calm the leader. "It's just an issue, and we'll take care of you first. You are our priority."

When all three come up to calm Joshua down, it always works. They knew how to hit Joshua's emotional buttons, and he eventually reached an agreement. Joshua understands his leadership responsibilities, including listening to his teammates.

Everyone silently acknowledged that Joshua had stopped protesting when he remained silent. Jeonghan whirled around, casting a brief glance behind him. He wasn't sure how long Joshua could wait before racing back to the door where Mingyu almost died. Jeonghan shuddered just thinking about it.

Joshua was once resolute, but now he was so stubborn that he was willing to lose his life for the task. Not to mention, Joshua fled without saying anything, and Seungcheol became concerned, instructing Jeonghan to find him. There is something weird about the entire event. But Jeonghan was confused about whether he should make Joshua talk about it.

There are certain things that should be left unsaid until the other person is ready to open up. Jeonghan only prayed that this wasn't something he regretted waiting for.

Everything seemed to return to normal once they all decided to postpone the task. They attended class, went to Dragontooth, and had a good time. While Minghao frequently visited Bloomfield to find someone who knew about this ailment, Jeonghan returned to Seungcheol's house to see Mingyu in his spare time. Jihoon remained glued to Joshua at all times. He needed to stay close in case something unexpected occurred.

At first, Joshua objected to this suggestion. Mostly because he disliked being followed around. On the other side, he felt relieved. Joshua could dodge Seungcheol's looks because of Jihoon's close presence.

-

Miss Agatha requested an end-of-week school meeting.

Jihoon had to leave Joshua's side and return to his housemates since every student was required to divide into three groups: Healer, Warrior, and Explorer. The boy finally got his own time without being watched over. He looked around the large hall and saw Jeonghan amid the students' line. Further away from his best buddy, it was Explorers. He noticed Minghao speaking with several of his classmates. And in the corner of the big hall, he spotted Mingyu leaning against the wall, attempting to maintain his composure. The prince cannot be perceived as weak.

Joshua averted his sight, only to abruptly meet Seungcheol's eyes.

It felt like time stopped for five seconds. It ached. It pinched him in the flesh. It was uneasy. He became breathless.

His lips were slightly parted, but he was unable to express how much he missed him.

The way their gaze lingered terrified him. That was when it dawned on him that he needed to finish the task at hand.

What happened in his vision continued to torment him. He couldn't face the thought of Seungcheol in grave danger.

No matter how much Joshua loathed the Choi family and hated Seungcheol for turning a blind eye to the crime, he still loved him. He didn't care whether the magic hurt him or made him sick; all he wanted to know was that Seungcheol was safe.

If the vision is a fraud, Joshua will be content to go on with his life.