Mei swiftly made her way through the building, a look of deep concern etched across her face. I trailed behind her, my curiosity building with every step, oblivious to the circumstances.

"What's going on? What happened?" I finally asked, eager to unravel the mystery.

"It's back," she replied, her tone still urgent.

"Who or what is back?" I inquired, my curiosity intensifying.

"The spirit that attacked me last night!" she replied again, revealing a picture as evidence.

Before I knew it, we found ourselves inside an elevator, Mei rapidly pressing the button that presumably led to the surface.

Nervousness overcame me, and I was so preoccupied that I failed to notice the object that had been in my hand all along. After an agonizing wait, the elevator's doors finally opened, revealing a location that felt strangely familiar.

"Wait," I interjected, stopping Mei. "Is this the out-of-order elevator right next to the teacher's room?"

"Yes, it is," she confirmed, confirming my suspicion. "But we don't have time for idle chatter; we must hurry."

Fully aware of our location, we proceeded to make our way through the building, eventually arriving at the sports field. Stepping outside, I noticed the darkness enveloping the surroundings, signaling that it was approximately 2 AM.

In the middle of the field, an ostensibly ordinary dog was wreaking havoc on the sports equipment. The dog seemed typical in size, but it exuded an eerie aura, one that seemed to pour from its very being.

Before Mei could say a word, the dog spotted us and lunged in our direction. Acting on instinct, I blocked its attack with the object in my hand, deftly pushing Mei out of harm's way. With a swift kick, I sent the dog sprawling back onto the field, and I followed, assuming a stance across from it. It was at this moment that I finally realized that the object in my hand had transformed into a sword.

An eerie silence descended as the dog and I locked eyes, neither willing to yield. Sensing the futility of the standoff, the dog lunged once more. Evading its attack with finesse, I chose not to merely repel it; instead, I countered with a decisive strike.

With a clean, swift swipe of the sword, I severed the dog in two, its lifeless body collapsing onto the field. As if snapping out of a trance, I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Are you alright?" Mei inquired, her expression filled with concern.

"I'm fine. It's just..." I began, my attention fixated on the sword in my hand.

"What was that?" she persisted, now visibly relieved.

"I don't know," I replied, my focus still drawn to the enigmatic weapon. Then just as suddenly my field of view started to spin. I could see  Mei rushing towards me, and before I even realize it, I collapsed.

"Irra, come here, quick!" a woman's voice, tinged with anger, echoed through the house.

"Yes, Mom," a boy's voice responded as he rushed to his mother's side. "What's wrong?" he inquired with a puzzled expression.

"Did you make contact with the humans again?" the woman asked, her voice now laced with clear anger.

The boy fidgeted nervously before answering in a near-whisper, "No..."

"Don't lie to me, young man," she scolded, seeing through her son's attempt to deceive her. "You know that humans can be dangerous. Who knows what they might do to you."

"They're my friends, Mom," the boy retorted, growing agitated. "They won't do anything to us!"

"Even if they're nice, it doesn't mean all humans are," his mother cautioned. "What will you do if they tell other humans?"

"Whatever, Mom," he muttered, his frustration apparent as he stormed out of the room.

As I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was my sister's beautiful face.

"Ah, you're up," she said, relief evident in her voice.

"What happened?" I asked as I sat up, still groggy.

"Ms. Mei dropped you off," she explained, placing a bottle of medicine on my bedside table. "She said you protected her from a thug."

"Huh?" I muttered, confusion clouding my thoughts.

Seeing my perplexed expression, my sister sighed. "Well, whatever, just take this medicine and get some rest, okay?" She got up and headed for the door.

"Sure," I replied, still feeling dazed by recent events.

Before leaving the room, she paused as if remembering something. "Oh right, Ms. Mei said to check your email." Then she departed, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

My head throbbed as if something were trying to burst out of my mind. Gazing at my phone, I decided to check my email.

"Calm down and rest for now, we'll talk more tomorrow," her message read.

"Ugh... just what have I gotten myself into?" I groaned, burying my face in my hands.