Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest novel Chapter 753

<Two weeks ago, Evergreen Mansion>

Maya sat cross-legged on the floor of her room, the dim light of enchanted lamps casting soft, shifting hues against the walls. The room was silent, save for the faint hum of mana crystals embedded in her desk and shelves. She had prepared carefully for this moment: wards etched into the floor to contain any sudden bursts of psychic energy, a mana-isolating band on her wrist to ground her if needed, and a small vial of specially brewed calming elixir resting nearby, just in case.

Her fingers brushed against the amulet Astron had given her, feeling the cool, intricate patterns under her touch. It felt alive in a way, pulsing faintly with a steady rhythm like a heartbeat. She took a slow breath, centering herself as she gripped the amulet in both hands.

"This is just another part of me," she murmured to herself, the words firm yet gentle. "Nothing I can’t handle."

Her lips pressed into a thin line as she channeled a small stream of mana into the amulet, activating it. The moment her energy connected with it, the air around her seemed to ripple. A faint hum filled her ears, rising in pitch until it felt like it came from within her. Then, the world around her shifted.

******

Maya’s senses warped, her room dissolving into a strange, surreal expanse. She floated in a vast, endless void, streaked with ribbons of dark and violet light. The space was both infinite and claustrophobic, pulsing with an eerie rhythm that seemed to match the beat of her own heart.

Her feet found something solid beneath her, though there was no ground she could see—only a strange, shifting plane of light and shadow. She steadied herself, taking a moment to acclimate. It was disorienting, the way everything moved and swayed, but she forced herself to remain calm.

"This is it," she whispered. "The core of my mind."

She took a tentative step forward, and the void rippled in response, the lights around her coalescing into shapes. Faint whispers reached her ears, indistinct and scattered. Her rational mind recognized them as echoes of her own thoughts, fragments of buried memories and emotions.

And then she saw it.

Ahead, in the center of the shifting plane, stood a figure—her mirror, but not quite. This other Maya had the same sharp features and piercing eyes, but her expression was darker, more feral. Her posture exuded raw power and confidence, unrestrained by the discipline Maya had spent years honing. Her hair moved as if caught in an unseen wind, and her eyes glowed faintly, a crimson hue overlaying their natural green.

"So, you’ve finally come," the other Maya said, her voice smooth and cold, carrying a predatory edge. "Took you long enough."

Maya felt her breath hitch, but she steadied herself, meeting the other’s gaze with quiet determination. "You’re the part of me I’ve been trying to suppress."

The other Maya smirked, a sharp, almost mocking curve of her lips. "Suppress? You’ve been burying me, pretending I don’t exist. But I’m here, always here, waiting for the day you slip."

Maya took another step forward, her hands clenched into fists. "I’m not here to fight you. I’m here to understand you—to understand us."

The other’s smirk faded, replaced by a piercing glare. "Understand? You don’t even know what you are. You think you can balance me, control me when you’re too afraid to even face the truth."

"And what truth is that?" Maya demanded her voice firm despite the knot tightening in her chest.

"That you need me," the other replied, stepping closer. "You’re incomplete without me. All that control, all that discipline—it’s just a mask. Beneath it, you’re scared and weak. And you know it."

Maya’s jaw tightened, but she didn’t back away. "Maybe I am afraid," she admitted, her voice quiet but steady. "But that doesn’t mean I’ll let you control me. If I’m going to walk this path, I need to be whole. That means we work together. I’m not running from you anymore."

The other Maya tilted her head, studying her with a sharp, calculating gaze. For a moment, the void around them stilled, the lights dimming as silence stretched between them.

"You’re serious," the other finally said, her tone softening slightly. "You think you can handle what I am? The instincts, the hunger, the chaos? You think you can own it?"

Maya took a deep breath, her voice firm as she replied. "I don’t need to own it. I just need to understand it."

"Heh….."