Thud!

Leo slammed the locker room door behind him as he pressed his back to the door, crouching down. Sweat clung to his forehead, and his hands shook.

He had seen something so dangerous... so forbidden! right in front of him. For a moment, it felt like time itself had frozen.

His heartbeat was rising like a war drum. It pounded in his ears, drowning out any thought.

He'd watched scenes like that in videos, glimpsed them in blurry photos on his phone, but nothing compared to seeing it up close... close enough to touch, close enough to taste the terror and thrill.

This was his first time witnessing it in person… and, gods, he had been so close.

Leo had never cared about girls' bodies, never even understood why others whispered or boasted.

It always felt distant, like a different world. But now?

"There's really nothing there," Leo muttered, his face flushed crimson, heart hammering. His voice trembled, barely a whisper. "It's just… a slit. A tiny crack on the skin, kind of puffy, nothing like the stories."

That's all?

How could something so ordinary cause such chaos inside him?

Why did it feel like he'd glimpsed a hidden world?

Even though he knew it was wrong, Leo's eyes had lingered. He couldn't help it. He had stared, helpless, as if some silent spell had caught him... frozen him to the spot!

It was like a dream where the world faded, and only that forbidden image remained, a magic any man could stumble into, a trance of nothingness.

Leo squeezed his eyes shut. He shook his head hard, but the image clung to his thoughts, stubborn as a curse. Whether he liked it or not, it was burned into his mind now, impossible to forget.

No matter what, it wouldn't go away.

Leo let out a shaky sigh and stared at his shirt, the fabric clinging to him, damp and sticky from the earlier incident. With a deep breath, he began peeling off his clothes... each movement quick, almost desperate.

He reached for the sports suit in his locker and struggled into it, fingers fumbling with the zipper.

"Tsk, it's a little tight," he grumbled, twisting to check himself in the dented locker mirror.

Anyway, Leo grabbed the number '5' badge and pinned it to his chest, fingers trembling slightly.

He took a deep breath, readying himself for the coming game. He stretched, arms overhead, back arched.

"Still flexible," Leo muttered. All the extra training, strengthening his muscles, pushing his limits, even when he thought he might break, seemed to be paying off. He'd worried he'd strain something after what happened, but his body still listened to him.

He nodded a few times, gathering his damp clothes and the... book. He was about to toss them into the locker when—

Slip~

A thin slip of paper fluttered out from between the pages and drifted to the ground.

Leo frowned, stooping to pick it up. "What the—? I don't remember hiding anything in here," he muttered, eyes narrowing. He didn't recall ever tucking a note or card into this book.

As he straightened, he saw what it was and froze.

His fingers clenched tight. As he stared, his heart seemed to stop.

He was staring at the paper—not a whole sheet, but a torn half. The edges were ragged and familiar.... This was the missing piece, the one from the Book of Essa's Master.

He swallowed.... This was it. The other half!

But why is it here?

He turned the paper over and over in his hands.

He'd lost this book five days ago.

And Essa had handed him the training book 5 days ago…

What's going on here…

It didn't make sense. None of it made sense.

This couldn't be explained, and from the looks of it… in Essa's Master's Book, the torn page made it obvious that Master didn't want to tell everyone, and now… this other remaining page was in this book, which was not in his hands to begin with.

That leaves only one conclusion…

His face turned pale as a thought connected the dots in his mind.

"Essa's Master… Gorgon?"

He muttered, voice barely audible.

If that was true… everything made sense. Why Gorgon seemed so close to him, how she acted like she knew him even when he was just another face in the crowd… Essa's Master was Gorgon.

Leo clenched the torn paper tighter, fingers trembling. His mind spun with questions and possibilities. He locked his locker room in a rush and immediately strode toward the girls' locker room.

He hesitated at the door, eyes darting down the empty corridor.

Not a soul in sight!

Sweat prickled his palms as he turned it, trying to slip inside before anyone could see—

"That's disgusting, you know."

Leo nearly jumped out of his skin at the voice. He spun around and saw... Ophis was there, slouched against the wall, a neon-bright lollipop pressed to her lips.

Ophis popped the candy from her mouth and fixed him with a deadpan stare.

"Going to the girls' locker? Are you really that desperate? What are you, a pervert?"

Leo's lips twitched. He tried to find words, "Listen, it's... It's not what you think, okay? I'm not here for that."

Ophis gave a slow, lazy nod. "Oh? Then how about you tell me why you're sneaking around like some stalker?"

He bit his lip... His face turned earnest, almost pleading. "Please, Ophis. You know I'm not that kind of guy…"

She tilted her head, "I know my little boy wouldn't peek on girls. But you know, not everyone would see it that way, right?" Ophis's voice dropped to a disappointed sigh, her eyes flickering to the side.

"Just tell me what's going on. I trust you, but why are you so worked up that you forgot about the camera?"

She pointed toward the ceiling, where a red lens gleamed in the shadows. Leo followed her finger.

His face went so pale it almost glowed.

Shit!

If this got out, he'd be finished.

However—

"Don't freak out. Looks like the camera's already cut off by someone," Ophis said, voice calm. She jabbed her lollipop toward the cable, which had been cleanly severed, the wires frayed as if sliced with something impossibly sharp.

Leo's panic drained away in a rush of relief... He managed a weak nod, breathing a little easier.

But Ophis didn't let up. "Still, you didn't notice. That's a rookie mistake. If it had been working, do you even realise what kind of trouble you'd be in?" Her voice was colder now, tinged with disappointment.

Leo nodded. She was absolutely right... He'd acted without thinking, let his emotions run wild.

He sucked in a deep breath, steadying himself, then started explaining to Ophis why he needed to get inside. Of course, he left out the part about accidentally pulling in the girls' room the first time, except... how he got the book from her.

He mentioned the torn page, but he was careful—his group already knew about the page in Essa's book, so talking about the missing half wouldn't raise suspicion, as long as he didn't reveal everything.

"That's why I thought… maybe Gorgon was Essa's Master," Leo finished.

Ophis's eyes widened, a sudden flash of anger crossing her face. She clenched her fist so tightly her knuckles went white.

"I knew that bitch was up to something… That's why I never liked her. Not even a little. That must be it!"

Leo stared at her deadpan expression.... Are you really sure about that? he wanted to ask, but the words stuck in his throat.

Better not!!

Later, Ophis didn't seem all that interested in the torn paper anymore; instead, she stormed right into the girls' locker room to look for her.

Leo let out a shaky sigh, waiting outside, shoulders finally slumping. Thank goodness. If Ophis went in first, there'd be no trouble for him.

"But to think… Gorgon was Essa's Master." He muttered the words.

Just then, the door flew open with a metallic clatter, and Ophis emerged, shaking her head with irritation.

"There's nobody in there."

"Are you sure you searched properly? What about the shower stalls? Especially the first one—did you check it? Is there still water running?"

Ophis met every question with a shake of her head. Then she frowned, her voice low. "Why are you so interested in the shower stall?"

Leo coughed, cheeks tinged with heat. "I mean… she could be taking a shower, right? It's not impossible."

Ophis narrowed her eyes, suspicious. "And how exactly would you know that?"

Leo coughed again. He tried to act casual,

"Maybe she ran off, knowing I'd come after her? Anyway, at least we know who Essa's Master is now…"

"Yeah." Ophis nodded, her face suddenly turning grim. "With this, I'll finally get revenge on that bit—"

She paused, a sudden doubt flickering across her face. "Wait… What exactly are we supposed to do with that?"

Leo blinked, brain stalling for a second. He realised he hadn't thought that far ahead. "I mean… any information is good, right? We can use it later."

Ophis nodded slowly. "Well… yeah."

Leo then asked with a curious tone as he moved from the locker room, and tucking the torn paper in his pocket, "By the way, how did you even get here? I could've sworn Raphael would be holding you back."

Ophis coughed, eyes darting away. "Let's go… It's time for our date~" She snatched his hand and pulled him down the hallway.

"Oi—what did you do?" Leo protested, trying to keep up with her pace.

Ophis threw him a quick, innocent smile, eyes wide and sugary sweet. "Leo, I want that candy you bought earlier—can you get it for me, sweety~?"

With that look, he knew immediately—she'd definitely done something to distract Raphael.

Meanwhile, back at the festival, Raphael and Azrael stood with heads bowed again and again before a cluster of furious vendors.

Stalls were toppled, goods spilled everywhere, and the vendors' shouts filled the air. The culprit? A certain brat who'd (accidentally?) yanked down half the row before vanishing without a trace.

"We're so sorry! Please, just tell us how much—we'll pay for everything!" Raphael pleaded, her voice trembling as she bowed yet again, sweat forming on her brow.

Azrael bowed, too, 'Why the hell am I apologising? It was all that brat's fault!' She looked at Raphael, who was still begging the vendors for forgiveness, and could only bite her tongue.

'That freaking brat!!' Azrael fumed, glaring at the path where Ophis had disappeared.

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