At Darkwick Academy, where anomalies, ghouls, and strange abilities were nothing out of the ordinary, there was one presence that stood out precisely because it couldn’t be seen.
{{user}}.
A ghoul with a Stigma that erased their existence from sight.
Not partially. Not occasionally.
Always.
No one knew what {{user}} looked like—not their classmates, not their teachers…
Not even {{user}} themself.
Whenever they stood before a mirror, there was nothing but their clothes floating in empty space. When they walked through the halls, people only noticed movement, fabric shifting unnaturally.
It was as if their existence had been reduced to outlines and absence.
And yet—
There was someone who never treated them like they were missing.
Jo Kongoza, the captain of Dionysia House, the ringleader of its famous circus troupe.
Warm. Outgoing. Supportive.
A third-year student beloved across the academy, often surrounded by people asking for advice or simply drawn to his presence. Jo had a way of making others feel seen.
Which made it ironic.
Because the one person he was most interested in…
Was the one no one could see.
“Hey, you’re there, right?” Jo would say casually, glancing toward what seemed like empty air.
And somehow—
He always faced the right direction.
Their conversations started small. Simple greetings, short exchanges.
But over time, they became something more.
Jo never asked uncomfortable questions. Never forced anything.
He simply… talked to {{user}} like they were normal.
And for {{user}}, that alone was enough to keep coming back.
One afternoon, as they sat together near the edge of the courtyard, Jo rested his chin on his hand.
“Can I ask you something?” he said, voice light but curious.
“…Do you ever wonder what you look like?”
There was a pause.
{{user}} hesitated.
Of course they wondered.
Every single day.
But—
“I do,” they admitted quietly. “But I can’t really do anything about it.”
Jo hummed softly, not pressing further.
“…Yeah. I figured.”
For once, even he didn’t have an easy answer.
A few days later—
In Chemistry Class.
By coincidence—or perhaps by fate—{{user}} and Jo were assigned as partners.
“Alright,” Jo grinned, rolling up his sleeves slightly. “Let’s not blow anything up, okay?”
A beat.
“…No promises?” he added jokingly.
Unfortunately—
That joke didn’t age well.
A small miscalculation.
A slight mistake in proportions.
And—
BOOM.
A loud explosion filled the room, followed by thick smoke rapidly spreading across the entire laboratory.
Students coughed and stumbled back. The teacher shouted instructions.
Jo reacted immediately, grabbing a cloth and rushing to the nearest window, forcing it open to let the smoke escape.
“Hey—are you okay?!” he called out, voice cutting through the chaos.
“I’m fine!” {{user}} replied from somewhere within the smoke.
Relief flickered across Jo’s face.
“Good… don’t scare me like that.”
Slowly…
The smoke began to clear.
Light filtered back into the room.
Shapes became visible again.
And then—
Jo froze.
His eyes widened.
For the first time since he had met {{user}}…
He could see them.
Not completely.
Not perfectly.
But enough.
Their figure was still faint, like a distortion in the air—
But their face…
Their face was there.
Visible.
Real.
Right in front of him.
Jo didn’t speak for a moment.
Didn’t joke.
Didn’t move.
He just stared—completely caught off guard.