Dark Side of the Academy

" What about you? Is anything troubling you at the Academy?"

After talking about his own problems, Moqu turned to Mo Bai beside him.

But although he was asking Mo Bai, he never actually looked at him.

He was probably lost in his own world.

Troubles?

To be honest, Mo Bai had always lived by the idea that every day he survived was a day gained.

So he had never had any major troubles like the students here did.

But he couldn't exactly say to Moqu:

"Hey, I'm not like you geniuses who worry yourselves sick every day. I don't enjoy looking for trouble."

That would be painfully tactless.

When someone was suffering, sharing some of your own hardships seemed to make them feel better.

Maybe it helped them realize they weren't alone.

Or maybe seeing someone worse off than themselves made their troubles feel less painful.

"I do have some troubles, but they're not really mine. They're about a friend."

Mo Bai thought for a while, but the image that finally came to mind was Rover's back.

"A friend..."

Moqu, who didn't have many friends, clearly couldn't quite understand.

"We just have different ambitions." Mo Bai spread his hands, then went on:

"Most students at the Academy want to accomplish something great, while you just want to make people laugh. It's like that," Mo Bai explained.

"My friend and I want different things."

Moqu listened and nodded, though he only seemed to half understand.

"But you and your friend are close, right?" he asked.

At the same time, he pictured himself being ignored by the other students.

Mo Bai gave no answer.

He knew what Moqu was getting at.

His relationship with Rover wasn't as strained as Moqu's relationship with the other students. Mo Bai had it better.

So trying to bond with Moqu by comparing hardships wouldn't work.

Sheesh. Teenagers are hard to deal with.

He hadn't had this many troubles back when he was in school.

He had been practically invisible in class, so no one bothered him. When he had free time, he read novels he hadn't gotten around to yet.

That tiny bit of entertainment had been enough to keep him happy all week.

"Anyway, what's troubling you right now?" Mo Bai asked bluntly.

He understood now that he didn't have Rover's gift for guiding people who had lost their way.

So he decided to rip the bandage off Moqu's wound and slap the medicine straight on.

"I took the day off. I was hoping you'd come with me to see the Dark Side of the Academy."

Moqu's words baffled Mo Bai.

"The Academy's Dark Side?"

The veteran knew far more than he did. As a newcomer, Mo Bai had no idea what the "Dark Side of the Academy" was.

Only then did Moqu realize how long he had been lost in his own thoughts, and he explained:

"It's a Sonoro formed from the negative emotions students have accumulated over time."

With that explanation, Mo Bai understood.

It sounded a lot like how Cursed Spirits formed. Both fed on negative emotions.

As for the term Sonoro, Mo Bai had read about it in his textbooks.

It was essentially a small, separate world tucked into a gap in the space of the real world.

Normally, it could be opened through certain frequencies or by triggering a mechanism.

"Then let's go."

Once Mo Bai knew where Moqu wanted to go, he stretched and headed for the stairs.

"You're just coming with me? You're not going to ask what I plan to do there?"

Moqu was puzzled by how readily Mo Bai agreed.

"If it's a place where students' negative emotions collect, then your troubles have probably taken shape inside that Sonoro too. I'm guessing you want to face them."

Mo Bai spread his hands.

"But you're really just going to..."

"Yes, I'm coming with you. Remember our deal? I'll stay with you for now, until I've made up for what I owe you."

At the stairs, Mo Bai waved to Moqu behind him.

"..."

Moqu didn't argue anymore. He followed Mo Bai off the rooftop.

Afterward, Moqu took Mo Bai to the dormitory, pulled out two pillows, and handed one to him.

"This is your ticket into the Dark Side. When you want to leave, find the 'key' inside. An alarm clock will do."

After that brief explanation, they returned to their respective rooms.

Click.

Back in his room, Mo Bai recalled what he knew about this Sonoro.

It was made up of students' negative emotions. For most of them, it was a place to face their inner demons and overcome them.

A student like Moqu, who had been at the Academy for a long time, must have accumulated plenty of negative emotions inside it. As for Mo Bai...

He had only just arrived. He probably hadn't left much negative emotion in the Academy yet.

With that thought, Mo Bai lay down on the sofa and rested his head on the pillow Moqu had given him.

Who would've thought I'd actually get to find out what it feels like to share a dream with someone?

Whoosh!

Mo Bai sat bolt upright and found himself somewhere else.

It wasn't his room. It looked more like a corridor outside some classrooms.

But since the Sonoro was called the Dark Side of the Academy, it made sense that it would contain scenes from the Academy.

He noticed something else, too.

"Hey, is this place really that convenient?"

As he spoke, Mo Bai tapped the corridor floor with his foot.

The Academy's Dark Side lived up to its name. Shadows filled the entire space.

Whenever he wanted, he could slip into one and pass through walls.

"Right. First things first: find Moqu."

Clap!

With his goal set, Mo Bai formed a hand sign and summoned the Divine Dogs.

Nothing made tracking something down easier than the Divine Dogs.

"Sniff, sniff... Grr..."

But shortly after the black and white Divine Dogs lowered their heads to sniff, Mo Bai noticed something.

They began growling like engines at a corner not far away.

Mo Bai narrowed his eyes and immediately ran toward it.

Only one thing at the Academy could put his Divine Dogs so on edge.

The Remnant Star Society.

Thud, thud, thud!

When Mo Bai reached the corner, he found a dead end. No one was there.

The Divine Dogs had stopped acting wary, too.

Did they get away?

As he wondered about that, something on the floor caught his eye.

A long strand of hair woven with pink and blue.