As Miya stood in the doorway, she noticed Kem sitting at a table with three others, food sitting in front of them. Kem hadn't touched his food; he seemed too busy joking around and cracking jokes to everyone at the table, and among the three at the table was a man wearing a pink hoodie with four sleeves, having long dreaded hair, dark skin, and a strange, dark mark lining his forehead, the aura it gave off irritating Miya.

He looked toward her while eating, his expression never changing, and it remained so even after he'd finished chewing, his extra arms resting atop his shoulders as he ate.

Across from him, sat a very large man with a hard, solid-black mask covering his face, a ski mask covering the rest of his head, a hoodie with metal shoulder and elbow protection, long black joggers, black socks and shoes, and gloves, but he seemed preoccupied with Kem.

Not a single inch of skin is showing on this guy.

His size was unnaturally great, barely fitting in his seat and towering over the rest of them. Diagonal from him and sitting in front of Kem was a girl, small in stature, with curly hair and a purple hoodie that was extremely oversized. She sat with her arms raised, causing the hoodie's sleeves to fold over her hands, and she hadn't touched her food, staring off into space, her eyes shining of a purple color with a pupil and iris.

Bo, the man in the pink hoodie, spoke low and in a monotone manner.

"Nifla, we have a guest."

She jumped, her eyes darting across the room, but Bo's hand reached toward her, pulling her softly back into her seat.

"There is no need to be alarmed, Nifla. She's a friend, and her name is Mia."

Miya's eyebrow raised.

That is not my name

His voice seemed almost automated, and despite his robot-like speech, Nifla calmed down a bit, her eyes continuing to move restlessly until Bo began to speak again.

"Blink."

She did as she was told and seemed to calm down completely. She was now looking in Miya's direction. Bo spoke in her stead.

"When she is spooked like that, she seems to forget to blink. Her ability responds to that action. A very simple yet complex reaction."

Bo turned toward Miya.

"Mia, My friend, Nifla here, is blind, but she has multiple abilities; One of which is spacial awareness. It allows her to see everything surrounding her in quite a wide area, but it only reacts to blinking. She can only see things as they are at the moment of her blink. Think of it like a slideshow; you click a button, and you see a new picture. If you were to move from the spot you are at right now, to her, you'd look as if you hadn't moved an inch until she blinked her eyes again, and even then, she can't make out any fine details about your body. Although you'd probably think so, Nifla wasn't always blind nor close to it."

Miya became curious, and everyone in the room was now looking in her direction as she stood in front of the door.

"W-What happened to her?"

Bo paused for a second.

"Nifla, I suppose you'd like to speak for yourself."

She rose from her seat and walked toward Miya, her eyes staring blankly toward her. Miya made sure to remain still.

"Here."

While she walked, she grabbed the bottom of her hoodie, revealing her shirt and shorts. On her leg was a large black mark which looked like a elaborate tattoo, and it reached down to the beginning of her thigh from above what Miya was capable of seeing. It gave off the same aura as the mark on Bo's forehead.

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"W-What is it?!"

Bo chimed in.

"A curse. That is what has been preventing her from seeing for a year, now."

Miya worriedly felt around the area, the dark parts only feeling like regular skin, but the aura became more nauseating as she drew closer to it.

"How do you get rid of it?!"

"… Ask him politely to remove it or perform his specific ritual."

"Ritual?! Who's ritual; what for?"

"Sultan Rigkt of the Curse. He's known for being the leader of the terrorist organization named 'The Hole.' It's called such because their base of operations is inside of a giant crater in this district, but although it's location is obvious, you'd be a fool to go in there willingly. However, I cannot know his ritual unless he had told me himself..."

Miya's eyes inched toward the mark that lined his forehead like a branding, her voice growing sad as she came to the realization.

"... Is the mark on your head the same?"

Bo looked at Miya, his expression remaining the same. The only other noise remaining in the room was Kem.

"Yes."

"H-How does it affect you?"

"I'm incapable of feeling emotion."

Miya thought to herself.

That explains his demeanor

His responses and remarks were usually simple unless there was explaining to do. Miya felt it wrong to ask more questions, and since Nifla's expressions indicated that it was a touchy subject, although she had many, she held her questions. The room was nearly silent again. Nifla sat back down, and Kem looked in Miya's direction.

"Why don't you come sit down? You've been standing there since you opened the door. We're all friends here."

Kem pulled out a chair and pushed it toward the table.

"You can sit by Tip. Don't worry; he won't bite. Right, Tip?"

As Miya began walking toward him, her eyes remained locked on Tip, his mask hiding any emotion.

I can see that he's annoyed through the mask.

He looked in Miya's direction and pulled out the chair for her as she walked toward him. He never spoke, but Kem told he's normally somewhat talkative.

Bo looked toward Kem.

"Did Chance say he was coming over?"

"Nah. He was playing pool by himself again."

Kem looked back and spoke toward the wall. Miya assumed he was speaking to Chance's apparitions.

"Do you guys know if he's coming or not?"

An apparition slowly came into everyone's vision, responding to Kem's question alone. It's face was exposed, unlike the other apparitions Miya'd seen, but they remained a transparent, green hue. A scar cut diagonally through his face, stopping at his short, curly hair. He had a handsome face, but Miya chose not to dwell on the fact.

"He's reading in the Lounge, at the moment. We can ask, if you'd like."

"Please do! it's not as fun without all of us!"

Kem began to look away, but something caught his mind.

"Why not ask Sarah too? She'd love to come!"

"Sure thing."

The apparition vanished, and it was silent for a moment until it seemed to come back.

"Chance will be here shortly."

Kem started fidgeting with excitement.

"What about Sarah?!"

The apparition vanished once more, the room growing silent again.

"She said, 'get your ass to class, Kem. What makes you think I'd join your stupid tea party?'"

Kem laughed, building his scheme.

"Tell her that Nifla and Bo are here."

...

"After class, she said."

Kem began laughing, holding his stomach as he nearly toppled over the chair.

"Works every time!"

Tip looked toward Kem, his voice lighter than Miya expected yet deep.

"You should stop taking advantage of Sarah like that. She worked hard to get a spot as a teacher."

His voice was muffled by his metal mask. Kem responded nonchalantly, stretching his arms behind his head before folding them.

"Not with that overpowered ability, she didn't."

Tip grew angrier, and an anxious sweat dripped down Miya's forehead.

"Are you doubting her hard work?!"

Kem drew back and began rocking in his chair again.

"Boy, you're no fun, Tip. She wouldn't have come if I didn't say it."

Tip sighed, brushing his mask downward until his hand fell limply onto his thigh.

"That's exactly my point, Kem. She's got a job, unlike you."

The two of them kept arguing for a while, but Bo began helping Nifla eat her food and the apparitions spoke amongst themselves as Miya sat, watching as everyone on the room mingled.

I don't dislike this.

Bo wasn't the person she expected him to be. She assumed, due to Kem and Chance's personalities, that he'd be a bit different, but due to his curse, she was unable to determine his personality.

"Bo."

His head raised.

"Yes?"

"Do you know anything more about th--"

The door slowly creaked open.