The first rays of sunlight barely touched the blood-stained curtains of the academy dorms. But the eerie glow in Kael's room didn't come from the sun. No, it came from her—the Fifth Obsession.
Clara Hale.
Former Student Council Secretary. Always quiet. Always in the background. Kael had forgotten her name until now.
But now she stood in the corner of the room, barefoot, in her blood-splattered academy uniform, eyes glowing with a deep, crimson hue. Her soft, mumbling voice reverberated with ancient, chaotic power.
"I finally stitched you back into my fate, Kael... just like I practiced every night."
Kael, half-awake and still recovering from the previous night's traumatic Yandere Peace Summit, jolted upright.
"Luna, is this one of your illusions again?!"
But Luna, curled up possessively beside him, groaned. "Mmmn, no… that one's real. I felt her soul tear open the veil. She's not even contracted—how did she awaken this fast?!"
"Contracted?" Kael echoed, still panicking.
Aria, emerging from the shadows, looked grim. "Clara Hale never needed a contract. Her obsession wasn't born of passion, or lust, or even jealousy. Hers was forged through devotion. The worst kind."
The moment Aria spoke, Clara's eyes snapped to her. "You… succubus whore. You fed on his essence without reverence. Your tongue defiled his soul before your hands ever could…"
Kael threw off the blanket. "O-Okay, time out! Everyone chill out! I barely even remember her! How did I become this… obsession magnet?!"
Clara slowly approached, barefooted steps silent but heavy. "It doesn't matter what you remember. I remember everything. Every insult they threw at you. Every time they spat on your name. I watched. I recorded. I documented every act of cruelty they committed… so I could avenge them. All of them."
Kael's mouth went dry. "Avenge who?"
Clara raised her hands. Dozens of thin threads shimmered into view, each attached to voodoo dolls… each doll bearing a twisted, distorted version of familiar faces: students, teachers, bullies.
"I've been punishing them slowly. Binding their pain to their souls. But I saved your harem… for last."
Luna chuckled nervously. "You know what, I take it back. She's way more terrifying than me. We should run."
Aria blocked the door. "We can't run. She'll just follow us. You'd never see her until she's already stitching a hex through your ribcage."
Kael screamed into a pillow. "WHY IS EVERY GIRL IN MY LIFE DERANGED?!"
Clara blushed. "Because you deserve nothing less than total devotion. You were born broken, Kael. And only we, the broken, can truly love you…"
Suddenly, a loud system chime echoed in the air:
[System Alert!]
Clara Hale has activated a Forbidden Pact. All obsessions now fall under joint surveillance.
Any attempt to escape or reject the pact will result in full psychological collapse.
Kael's heart dropped.
"JOINT SURVEILLANCE?! You're… you're all syncing obsessions now?!"
Vivienne appeared at the door, holding a tea tray. "Morning, Kael~! I made breakfast—wait, why is the succubus twitching? Why does Clara look like she crawled out of a horror novel? Why does the System sound like my mother?"
"Because we just entered a death spiral!" Kael shouted.
Clara turned slowly to Vivienne. "Ah, yes. The 'innocent' one. I've read your diary. All thirty-four volumes."
Vivienne froze.
"…you what?"
"I memorized your love letters to Kael. I analyzed your handwriting to determine the exact moment your obsession took root. It was when he gave you that broken pencil in the second year, wasn't it?"
Vivienne began to shake. "I-I didn't think anyone saw that…"
Clara smiled gently. "I saw everything."
Then, like a dam bursting, the girls began shouting over one another:
"YOU WERE STALKING EVEN HER?!"
"I knew it! She's the quietest ones that go full murder-harem!"
"How did she get this powerful without a contract?!"
[System Update:]
All current Obsessions must establish new ground rules. Failure to comply will result in Obsession Collapse or lethal confrontation.
Discussion Room: Initialized.
In a flash, the room warped into a strange glowing chamber. A circle of five thrones appeared—each glowing with their respective girl's aura. Kael was strapped to the center chair, looking like a hostage at a mad cult tribunal.
Vivienne sat on a candy-pink throne.
Aria's floated with demonic glyphs.
Luna's throne was icy, with thorns of stardust.
Clara's… was a stitched-together mass of stuffed animals and butcher knives.
And—
Wait.
Kael's eyes widened.
The fifth throne… was empty.
[Warning: A Sixth Obsession is forming…]
"WHAT?!" Kael screamed. "I didn't even flirt with anyone else this week!"
Luna snorted. "Give it a few more hours. You'll probably wink at the janitor and awaken her too."
Aria stood. "Enough. We need to establish rules. Now. Or we kill each other before the semester ends."
Clara cracked her fingers. "I propose full surveillance. Rotating schedule. No more than six hours per girl, unless threat level escalates."
Vivienne nodded. "Agreed. No stabbing. No strangling. No soul siphoning during dates."
Kael tried to speak, but the gag from the system locked him silent.
"Rule Three," Luna added. "If Kael tries to leave, all of us get notified instantly."
"Rule Four," Clara said with quiet finality, "He sleeps in the center of a pentagram. With us. Every night."
[System Recording: Pact of Obsession Binding V.1 Established.]
Kael's eyes filled with tears.
This wasn't a harem. This was a prison made of velvet, lipstick, and murder-lust.
But before the meeting could conclude…
A sixth voice echoed through the room.
"Sorry I'm late~ Hehe… but I brought cookies."
Every girl froze.
Kael's eyes widened.
"No way…"
From the shadows emerged Kael's stepmother—Lady Selene Ravynne, in full maid attire, holding a tray of cursed-looking pastries and wearing a smile that radiated… pure yandere royalty.
Her eyes glowed red.
"I suppose it's finally my turn, darling. You did call me your first 'crush' when you were little~ Remember?"
The room went silent.
Kael fainted.