Behavior problems...

The silence that followed was suffocating. The room was dim, the only source of light coming from the still-glowing mirror behind Yuu, casting strange, flickering shadows on the walls. 

Ace, Deuce and Grim, who had chose to "patrol" the area, had gone, being frightened of the current situation.

Leona was the first to break out of his shock. He surged forward, standing between Yuu and the now-lifeless mirror where Malleus had stood just moments before. His ears were pinned back in anger, and his sharp eyes darted around the room, scanning for any lingering threats.

"Damn it, what was that?!" he snarled, his voice low but fierce, like a growl. "That wasn't him. That wasn't Malleus."

Ruggie crept closer, his usual smirk replaced with a nervous grimace. "Leona, are you saying that was Malleus Draconia? Like, the real deal? What the heck did we just see?!" His voice cracked slightly, betraying his unease.

Vil, who had been standing at the edge of the room, composed but visibly tense, approached as well. He looked down at Yuu, who had collapsed onto her knees, trembling but otherwise unharmed. His violet eyes softened ever so slightly. "Yuu, are you all right? Did he hurt you?"

"I..." Yuu's voice was barely audible as she gripped the edge of the mirror's frame to steady herself. Her body felt heavy, her mind reeling from what had just occurred. "It wasn't him," she whispered. "I know it wasn't. Malleus would never... not like that."

Leona scoffed. "That much is obvious. I've seen plenty of predators, and that wasn't instinct or rage. That was something else entirely. Something unnatural."

Ruggie shot a wary glance at the mirror. "Unnatural? You mean, like, magic? Some kind of curse?"

Before Leona could respond, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed down the hall. Ace, Deuce, and Grim burst into the room, all three looking panicked. Ace, as usual, was the loudest.

"What the hell was that screaming?!" Ace exclaimed, clutching his knees as he tried to catch his breath. "We thought someone was getting murdered!"

Deuce wasn't far behind, his face pale and serious. "Yuu, are you okay? What happened?!" His eyes darted around the room, landing on the mirror. He frowned. "Why is that thing glowing again?"

Grim waddled in last, fur fluffed out as though he'd been struck by lightning. "I don't know what's going on, but this place reeks of danger! I told ya, we should've stayed in the lounge!"

Leona turned to glare at the newcomers, his tail lashing behind him. "Quiet down, herbivores. You're late to the scene. If you can't keep up, stay out of the way."

Ace bristled. "Excuse me?!"

Vil cut him off with a sharp glance. "Enough. This isn't the time for petty arguments." He crouched down to Yuu's level, placing a gloved hand gently on her shoulder. "Yuu, take a deep breath. What happened?"

Yuu took a shaky breath, her voice trembling as she began to explain. "Malleus... he came through the mirror. But it wasn't him. His eyes—they were black, like all the light was gone. He looked at me, but it was like he wasn't there. And then..." Her voice faltered, and she looked down, her hands trembling. "He tried to attack me."

The room fell silent. The weight of her words settled over everyone like a heavy fog.

Deuce frowned, his fists clenching at his sides. "Malleus... tried to hurt you? Are you sure? That doesn't make sense."

"It wasn't him!" Yuu snapped, her voice louder than she intended. She clenched her fists, trying to steady herself. "Something was controlling him. I know it."