Kai stared at the Ledger, his hand trembling slightly as he closed it. The air in his room felt thicker now, as if Hana's presence still lingered even though she was gone. He rubbed his temples, trying to push away the tension that had knotted itself between his shoulders. The weight of the Ledger felt unbearable.

The knock on his door startled him, and his heart skipped a beat. He quickly shoved the Ledger under his bed, as if hiding it would somehow erase the temptation it carried.

"Kai? Can I come in?" It was his mother’s voice, soft but concerned.

"Yeah," Kai called out, swallowing the lump in his throat.

She opened the door gently, peeking inside with a worried look on her face. "You’ve been in here all day. Everything okay?"

"Yeah, I’m fine," he said, but even as the words left his mouth, he knew they sounded unconvincing. His mother’s brow furrowed, and she stepped inside, sitting on the edge of his bed.

"You sure? You don’t look like yourself lately."

Kai let out a heavy sigh, leaning back against his headboard. "It’s just... school stuff. You know, the usual."

She tilted her head, watching him closely. "Is it the bullying again? That Jin kid?"

Kai flinched at the mention of Jin’s name. "It’s nothing I can’t handle."

"You don’t have to handle it alone, you know," she said softly, her voice full of concern. "You’re not alone, Kai. We’ve talked about this before—if things get bad, we can go to the school, talk to someone. You shouldn’t have to deal with this."

Kai shook his head. "Talking to the school won’t change anything. They never do anything. It just makes things worse."

His mother sighed, looking defeated. "I hate seeing you like this. You shouldn’t have to put up with it. There has to be something we can do."

Kai hesitated, feeling the familiar pull of the Ledger's power. He could do something. He had the power to stop Jin and make sure he never hurt him again. But that would mean crossing a line, one he wasn’t sure he’d be able to come back from.

"I’ll figure it out," Kai said, forcing a weak smile. "I promise."

His mother squeezed his hand. "Just remember, you’re stronger than you think, Kai. And you’re never alone. We’re in this together, okay?"

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He nodded, grateful for her support, but a deep sense of unease gnawed at him. He didn’t feel strong. Not without the Ledger. As soon as his mother left the room, his mind returned to the overwhelming temptation that now defined his days.

Hours later, as night fell, the familiar buzz of his phone pulled him back to reality. Kai hesitated before glancing at the screen. Jin’s name flashed across it, along with another cruel message.

"Get ready for tomorrow, loser. I’ve got a surprise for you."

Kai's chest tightened with anger, but beneath it was a growing fear. What was Jin planning? How much longer could he keep letting this happen? His hand hovered over the phone, the urge to fight back burning inside him.

And then there was a voice.

"You know how to make it stop."

Kai froze. He looked around, his room bathed in darkness, but he already knew who it was. Hana. Her voice was softer this time, almost coaxing, as if she were trying to soothe him into submission.

"Hana, stop," Kai muttered under his breath, though he wasn’t sure if she could hear him.

She didn’t materialize this time, but her voice remained, floating around him like an unwelcome shadow. "You know what you need to do. Write Jin’s name in the Ledger. End this. You don’t have to suffer anymore."

Kai clenched his fists. "I told you, I’m not like you. I’m not going to kill him."

"Kill?" she said, almost laughing. "You don’t have to think of it that way. Think of it as... balancing the scales. Justice. Jin has been tormenting you for years, Kai. You deserve to take control."

He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block her out. "There has to be another way. I can’t... I won’t cross that line."

"You’re already halfway there," Hana whispered. "You’ve opened the Ledger. You’ve thought about it. You’ve wanted it. Don’t lie to yourself, Kai. I can feel your anger. Your frustration. Just write his name, and it all goes away."

"No," Kai said, his voice barely more than a whisper. "I won’t."

"You’re running out of time," Hana continued, her tone hardening. "Jin is planning something, and you know it. You think he’ll stop? You think he’ll ever stop? The longer you wait, the more control he has over you. Do you want to keep being his victim?"

Kai opened his eyes, staring at the space where Hana’s voice seemed to come from. "I’m not his victim."

"Then prove it."

"I won’t kill him," Kai said again, more forcefully this time. "I’m not like you, Hana. I’m not going to let this power consume me."

There was a long silence. For a moment, Kai thought maybe she was gone, but then Hana’s voice returned, this time filled with a quiet, simmering rage.

"You think you're better than me?" she hissed. "You think you can resist forever? The Ledger has a way of getting what it wants, Kai. And you... you’re already tethered to it. One way or another, it will pull you in."

Kai stared at the closed Ledger, his heart racing. "I’m not going to let it. I won’t become a monster."

Hana’s voice grew fainter, almost as if she were slipping away. "We’ll see, Kai. We’ll see."

As her presence faded, Kai slumped back onto his bed, feeling the weight of his decision like a stone in his chest. He had resisted, but for how long? How much longer could he keep denying the power that now lurked within his grasp?

His phone buzzed again. Another message from Jin.

"Tomorrow. Be ready."

Kai stared at the screen, the familiar knot of fear tightening in his stomach. He could feel the Ledger pulsing beneath his bed, almost as if it was alive, waiting for him to make his move.

But he couldn’t. Not yet. He wouldn’t give in.

Not tonight.

But tomorrow?

Kai wasn’t so sure.