* * *


    After minutes finally passed, marked by their cautious and deliberate steps to minimize noise, the group reached the highest floor of the building. They emerged onto a roof deck, a desolate space littered with remnants of broken wooden benches, their splintered edges jutting out like jagged teeth against the skyline.


    As the others in the group moved toward the side of the door where they had exited earlier, together, with El and Sill also helping, hoisted a long wooden plank that from the start had leaned against the wall, its surface rough and weathered. With a collective effort, they carried it to the edge of the building, positioning it carefully to create a makeshift bridge to the adjacent structure.


    Ran was the first to take a step onto the plank, and her balance was surprisingly steady. She breezily crossed over to the other side. One by one, the others followed suit, with El and Sill bringing up the rear. After El managed to step onto the plank and shortly reach the other side, it was finally Sill''s turn for the very last. He hesitated for a moment, eyeing the precarious path before him. As he began to walk, the board suddenly shifted beneath his feet, shaking gravely up and down.


    An awful realization washed over the rest of them; something unobserved by eyes from the earlier building caused the plank to move erratically, as if it were alive, trying to throw Sill off balance. After the board swayed dangerously, that invisible entity likely realized something, which in turn made the board swerve only to the left. Sill appeared to be in a panic as he struggled to maintain his footing.


    "It''s the cursed! Hold the plank!" Glam shouted, his voice cutting through the anxiety like a knife. He was the first to spring into action, rushing forward swiftly to grasp the plank firmly. El, Ran, and the others hastily followed suit, their hands gripping the wood tightly as they worked together to stabilize it.


    They adjusted their positions, countering the unseen force that sought to topple the board and Sill on top of it. If he were to fall from this height, it would surely kill him. After the struggle against this surprisingly vigorous, gritty invisible force – who held against their collective efforts – Sill, with his shaky steps and heavy breathing, finally managed to reach the safety of the other side.


    The relief that washed over him was palpable, but their ordeal was not yet over. With a collective effort, ensuring it was no longer a bridge of danger, they pulled the wooden plank to their side while struggling one more time against this supernatural being who refused to let go. Still, by using their wits, the group managed to get the upper hand by pulling it periodically together. And at the end of it... they succeeded...


    "AAAAACCCCCCCKKKKKKKKHHHHHH," the spooky, undefinable, high-pitched wail promptly echoed ominously, apparently out of frustration, stretching longer than what a living being capable of, until it eventually ceased by the end.


    * * *


    “Everyone’s okay, isn’t it? No one got a headache?” Ran asked. She let herself slump down to the ground, then scanned the faces of her group, ensuring they were all the real themselves. No jinxies winxies from being possessed.


    “No…”


    “No one…”


    “We’ll notice if something tries to latch on us,” Glam said between breaths that gradually returned to normal. Only El and Ran didn’t look tired from the earlier ordeal; meanwhile, the rest were gasping for breath. Ran turned her gaze to El who sat on the side with his unreadable expression – and so did Glam, Sill, and the others. Their silent stares left El feeling disconcerted and embarrassed.


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    “Something’s on my face???” El inquired while lightly scratching the back of his neck. He couldn''t deny that he understood what they were thinking as they pressed their lips together, holding back their questions. Ironically, he had a question of his own. One thing that El had noticed from their previous struggle was that – he and Ran were the ones providing the most strength out of the group. El could feel something imperceptible emerge from Ran’s body. It was an unimaginable strength possessed by a girl. ‘Aren’t women weak physically? How is she stronger than even the others?’ he thought to himself.


    As for his own strength, it remained an enigma to him. Since waking up that day, he had noticed just how abnormally strong he truly was. There was no way a teenager like him could generate such physical power. One time, he had attempted a kick, mimicking a move he had seen in one of his dreams, and ended up breaking the side of the bed. Even now, he felt guilty about it, wondering if he owed <i>‘the man’</i> some sort of compensation to fix it. His leg had also taken a hit from the impact, but the slight pain quickly faded, and the bruise on his skin disappeared within seconds. He couldn’t help but wonder what actually happened during the time he had lost his memories.


    Then there was also the experience in the alleyway, where time appeared to stretch, and his senses sharpened, rendering every detail around him more vivid and intense.


    * * *


    It was Ran who eventually broke the awkwardness. Dusting herself off, she stood up.


    El followed her example, brushing off the dust from his clothes. He raised a question to the rest of them, “What was that? Anyone care to explain?”


    Sill frowned as he leaned over the parapet, recalling something unpleasant. “It was the cursed,” he stated. Looking at El, he continued, “Many rumors say the Downtrodden Region was once a battlefield long ago before our people were banished here, where Witches, as the invading forces, fought against the Vanguard, the elite guards of Ralrain.”


    “The cursed are believed to be the people who died here, grudging over the living. They haunt, hurt, possess, or try to kill anyone who comes close to their territory as an invisible entity,” Ran interjected, continuing her explanation while locking eyes with El. “The nobility called them ghosts. Evil spirits. But since a long time ago, we, from the underside call them the cursed. Because their occasional screams are pretty much the same as ours. Cursing our inability to fight back against this whole unfair treatment that fell upon our heads by the empire – even though the crime committed by our ancestors was hundreds of years ago.”


    “… I… see… I’m sorry, but what crime is it?” El asked, unable to hold back any longer about the question that reached the back of his throat; regarding the entire explanation of their circumstances as the people living in the underside. Though honestly, he felt kind of guilty and ashamed – for it was clear that the topic itself was an abhorrent matter to their affairs, as he seemed to be digging into their history impolitely. A painful reminder of their struggles. Yet, he couldn''t shake the desire to understand.


    “… rebellions. Consuming millions of lives in the empire, or so they said. We from the underside are related to them by blood. No one was spared. Women. Kids. The old. Not even babies. Even if we have only a small smudge of blood connection, regardless, we are branded the same,” she said, her tone heavy with loathing. Each word was carved from deep apprehension and resentment – bitterness smeared across her lips like venomous honey.


    “… I’m sorry for asking such a question. But why are you willing to tell me this?”


    “I admit, it’s for my own self-interest.”


    “What do you mean?”


    “Let’s move on to the next building,” Ran suggested suddenly, her voice resolute. She deliberately ignored El’s question by turning her back to him.


    The others quickly stood up, lifting the long wooden plank to use as a bridge to the next building.


    “Why do we need this?” El asked Sill, curiosity lacing his tone.


    “Because the region below here is dangerous. We call it ‘the restricted road.’ We’re already on the other side of the fence, remember? It’s hell down there. The cursed we encountered before are unusual indeed, but they can still be classified as a small threat as long as we''re careful or have space to run away. But there…” Sill pointed at the ground. “Down there is even worse. The cursed there can easily take down guards from the upper side no matter how strong or how fast they run. Trust me, it’s madness if we’re not doing this.”


    “Hmmm, fair enough…” El replied, considering his words quietly.


    * * *