That night, Hikari fell asleep earlier than usual. His body was still exhausted from the events of the past few days.
In his dream, he once again found himself in a strange, dark space. There was no floor, no sky—only a dim light colored in dark violet.
But this time, something felt different.
Footsteps echoed softly.
From behind the shadows, a woman appeared. She wore an elegant dark dress. Her long white hair flowed down her back, and her glowing red eyes seemed to pierce directly into Hikari's mind.
"Who are you…?" Hikari asked cautiously.
The woman smiled faintly.
"I am Priscilla."
The atmosphere instantly grew heavier.
Hikari felt a pressure different from Slenderman's presence. It wasn't fear—it was something that felt like it was piercing his thoughts.
"Are you the one making me dream this?" Hikari asked.
Priscilla stepped closer. Each step distorted the surrounding shadows.
"No. I am simply taking advantage of a gap in your consciousness."
Hikari clenched his fist.
"For what purpose?"
Priscilla stopped right in front of him.
"Because you're interesting. A child connected to something that should not be touched."
Hikari's heart tightened.
"Slenderman…?"
Priscilla's smile widened.
"You were the one who said it."
Suddenly, fragments of images appeared around them—Hikari's memories, his spear-like power, and the silhouette of Slenderman standing far in the darkness.
"You are different," Priscilla continued. "But your threads are intertwined."
"You're a witch," Hikari said quietly. "I can feel it."
"That's right," Priscilla replied casually. "And I want to see… how far your power will grow."
"I won't become your tool," Hikari said firmly.
Priscilla let out a soft laugh.
"I don't need your permission. I only plant questions."
The light around them began to fade.
"One day," Priscilla's voice echoed, "you will come looking for me yourself."
Hikari woke up, breathing heavily. His room was dark, but his body felt cold.
"Priscilla…" he muttered.
He realized one thing for certain:
The entity that appeared this time was not Slenderman,
and the world beyond his dreams was far more dangerous than he had imagined.
---
The next morning, school felt normal as usual. Students were already seated in their places. Hikari sat behind Airi, unusually quiet.
Airi had felt something strange since the lesson began. A faint pressure in her chest, as if something was slightly off. She turned around and saw Hikari staring at his desk.
"What's wrong?" Airi asked softly.
Hikari startled slightly, then shook his head.
"Nothing. I just didn't sleep well."
Airi nodded, but she didn't feel reassured. The teacher began writing on the board, and the class returned to silence.
Still, Airi couldn't stop thinking about Hikari.
When the lunch break bell rang, Airi stood up immediately and approached him.
"Let's talk for a moment."
Hikari nodded and followed her outside. The hallway was quiet.
"You're hiding something, aren't you?" Airi asked.
Hikari paused.
"Can you sense it?"
"Yes," Airi replied. "Your aura feels different."
Hikari exhaled.
"Last night, I had a dream. I met someone named Priscilla."
Airi's expression changed. The name was unfamiliar, but unsettling.
"She's not a monster," Hikari continued. "But I feel like she's dangerous. She seems to know about Slenderman… and about me."
Airi's face tensed.
"That's not something to take lightly."
"I also feel like my connection to Slenderman isn't completely gone," Hikari said quietly.
Airi clenched her fists.
"Then let me help you."
Hikari looked at her.
"I just don't want you to get hurt."
Airi smiled gently and patted his head.
"You're my child. Protecting you is my duty."
Hikari nodded.
At the end of the hallway, for a brief moment, a shadow seemed to move—then disappeared without anyone noticing.
---
That afternoon, school continued as usual. From the outside, nothing seemed strange.
But outside the school gate, a woman had been standing still for a while.
Her dark dress fell neatly, her white hair flowed softly, and her red eyes stared directly at the building. She wasn't hiding—but she wasn't revealing herself either.
Priscilla was still there.
"A fascinating environment," she muttered.
She raised her hand slightly. There was no explosion, no visible light—only a subtle ripple spreading invisibly.
Inside the classroom, Hikari suddenly felt uneasy. His breathing became slightly heavier. He turned toward the window.
Airi noticed.
"What's wrong?"
Hikari shook his head slightly.
"I feel like… something is outside."
Airi looked as well, but only saw the normal schoolyard.
"I don't feel anything."
Hikari stayed silent. He was certain he wasn't wrong.
Outside, Priscilla smiled faintly.
"Of course only you can notice it."
Her eyes shifted toward the students in the yard.
"Their consciousness is fragile. Easy to touch."
She stepped a little closer to the gate. Her aura expanded further—still subtle, but enough to influence.
Some students in the yard suddenly felt mild dizziness. Some stopped walking. Others rubbed their heads without knowing why.
In class, Airi finally felt it too. Not clearly, but enough to make her frown.
"This… isn't just my imagination."
Hikari clenched his fist under the desk.
"She's still here," he thought. "And she's not leaving on purpose."
Priscilla looked at the school once more.
"I'm not in a hurry," she whispered. "Let everything unfold."
She kept watching.
And without anyone realizing it, that day became the beginning of something that slowly started to change.
---
Since that afternoon, the school atmosphere began to feel strange.
Some students complained of mild dizziness without reason. Others had trouble focusing in class, or felt anxious for no clear cause. Nothing severe—but the number kept increasing.
In Class 2-A, Airi began noticing an abnormal pattern. She observed the students carefully.
"This isn't ordinary fatigue," she thought.
During class, she closed her eyes briefly and tried to sense the energy around her.
What she found made her expression tense.
Magic.
Not ordinary magic, but something subtle, cunning, and deliberately hidden.
"There's a high-level sorcerer around the school," she muttered.
She immediately turned toward Hikari. Their eyes met.
"You feel it too?" Airi asked quietly.
Hikari nodded.
"Since yesterday. It feels closer."
The lunch bell rang. Students left the classroom, but Hikari stayed seated. Airi stood near him.
"Hikari," she said seriously. "If something happens, you have to tell me."
Hikari exhaled.
"I know. And I think… she's waiting for me on purpose."
At that moment, the air in the classroom changed slightly.
No one entered. No footsteps were heard. But in the corner of the room, a faint shadow slowly formed.
A woman stood calmly, as if she had always been there.
Dark dress, white hair, red eyes.
Priscilla.
Airi immediately stepped in front of Hikari.
"You…!"
Priscilla smiled faintly.
"Relax. I'm not here to fight."
The remaining students in the room noticed nothing. To them, the corner still looked empty.
"You're causing chaos in this school," Airi said coldly.
"Just a little influence," Priscilla replied casually. "Humans are easily affected."
Her gaze shifted to Hikari.
"You can feel it too, right? The same thread as mine… and his."
Hikari clenched his fists.
"What do you want?"
Priscilla stepped closer.
"To see how long you can endure without losing yourself."
Airi held back her anger.
"Don't touch him."
Priscilla chuckled softly.
"I haven't touched anything."
Her figure began to fade.
"Yet."
And then she disappeared, leaving the air normal again.
Hikari stared ahead silently.
"She wasn't lying… she really is testing me."
Airi placed a hand on his shoulder.
"And this time, we'll face her together."