The crowd was silent as Raf struggled to his feet, his eyes still blazing with rage.
Jacob snarled, his mana surging once more. "Rune magic: Aeroblaze Gust!"
A torrent of wind energy erupted from his hands,Raf's eyes elongated as blast of kinetic wind energy blast him onto one of the school's class, blood flying in the air, then a roar of pain was heard the Raf's collapsed never got up again.
"Raf!"
The desperate cry came from behind Jacob. He turned to see Cassie standing there, her face pale with worry. Tears welled in her eyes as she tried to move toward Raf, but her body betrayed her. She froze in place, her form shimmering before dissolving into faint particles of light.
And then—
The ground shook. A low rumble spread through the school as if the earth itself were groaning in pain
an earthquake of some sort was felt by everyone in the school, escaping Hope.
"What was that" Hope asked the Necromancer. Her face angry, she has been played and her own plan backfired.
The Necromancer's laughter rang out, cruel and triumphant.
"AHAHAHAHA! And now… the first piece has been returned."
His grin widened as he basked in his victory.
"With it, I can be free."
Two weeks had passed since the Necromancer's Shenanigans. The Salvatore School was quiet—eerily so. No new monsters, no new threats. But Jacob knew better. This wasn't peace. It was the calm before the storm.
Raf had barely avoided expulsion after his rampage, but the Jacob has something to say about his situation, with the help of other witches, traces of dark magic was found on him, which confirmed Jacob's suspicions. Raf's emotions were also manipulated.
This was a big problem because, how?!. How did they do it and by whom. Is the a spy in the school? Unlikely!.
But Jacob has an idea, it all has to do with the scent of the dark magic. But further testing is required for that.
Not that it mattered now. Jacob had made up his mind. He was leaving.
He stood in his dorm room, packing what little he had. The Necromancer's taunts, Hope's reckless dive into his twisted subconscious, and the horrifying truth about Malivore swirled in his mind like a storm.
Especially Hope, A.K.A head diving into thw Necromancer's subconscious mind to find more about Malivore.
even Jacob after heard this, he nearly slapped Hope. I mean, how stupid can a person be, especially her, she's not even 20 years old. Do you know how old the Necromancer is. How twisted his mind is. I mean the fuck Hope!!
Anyhoo… the most dreadful news about Malivore.
Malivore wasn't an organization. It wasn't some ancient cult. It was a creature—a living, breathing entity forged from the purest black magic. Jacob slammed a drawer shut, his jaw tightening. Who in their right mind thought creating something like that was a good idea?
I mean how do you expect something made out of black magic to do good!. How's that equation even works. Black magic = Good?. Fuck no!
The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. The school wasn't prepared for what was coming. The situation is much more serious than everyone here at the Salvatore school thinks. They are hanging on blind fate and Hope, Hoping that the situation is not as serious as their own instincts are telling them is.
They've grown and used to this protected and comfort zone called school environment, forgetting they fucken live in a supernatural part of the world, where bunch of things happen for no reason, especially death.
Jacob shook his head. "Idiots," he muttered, shoving the last of his belongings into his bag.
---
Earlier that week, he'd had it out with Dr. Saltzman.
"You're setting these kids up to die," Jacob had said, pacing the office like a caged animal. His voice was sharp, full of anger. "Malivore isn't a problem you can teach your way out of. It's a war. And you're running a goddamn daycare."
Saltzman bristled but stayed quiet, which only fueled Jacob's frustration.
"You've got students here who don't even know basic combat magic. Half of them can't defend themselves outside the school grounds, and you're telling me everything's fine?" He laughed bitterly. "You can't even take on one of your own students if they really lost it. How do you expect to protect them when Malivore's monsters come knocking?"
"I've made my decision," Saltzman said finally, his tone firm but weary.
"Yeah? So have I."
---
Now, Jacob zipped his bag shut and threw it over his shoulder. He'd already arranged everything. There were other schools overseas. He heard from the twins that there are some supernatural schools overseas and the best part is they are not monopoly like the Salvatore school.
They do not take the retirement plan like the Salvatore, they actually teach their own students to the best of their abilities, being it combat spells or some forbidden knowledge.
He'd miss some people. Hope, despite her recklessness. The twins, even if Josie's constant self-sacrifice drove him crazy. Penelope, with her sharp wit and cutting honesty.
He'd even miss Raf.
Wolf-boy doesn't deserve what's coming, Jacob thought bitterly. But there was no saving someone who didn't want to be saved.
---
He sat outside the dorm, leaning against the railing as he waited for Hope. She'd begged him to stay, at least until she got back from dealing with whatever mess Landon had gotten himself into this time.
Of course, chicken-boy's in trouble, Jacob thought, smirking to himself.
The sun was setting, casting the campus in a warm, golden light. Students walked by, laughing, talking, completely oblivious to the danger lurking in the shadows. Jacob watched them, a strange mix of fondness and frustration in his chest.
They didn't know. They couldn't smell the dark magic in the air, thick and suffocating like smoke before a fire. They didn't feel the weight of what was coming.
The ground beneath him vibrated faintly, a memory flashing in his mind—the earthquake from two weeks ago, the Necromancer's laugh ringing in his ears.
Jacob clenched his fists.
This wasn't a fight he could win here, not while the school clung to its false sense of safety. Leaving wasn't running away. It was preparation. He was still to weak, very weak to deal with monsters like Malivore.
He'd asked Penelope if she wanted to come with him. She'd laughed, told him to stop being so dramatic.
"I still have unfinished business with Josie," she'd said, her voice softer than usual.
Jacob had just nodded. He wasn't about to force anyone to see things his way.
---
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Jacob stood, adjusting the strap of his bag. One more night, then he was gone.
"Jacob!" a voice called. He turned to see Hope jogging toward him, her face lit with relief.
"You're late," he said, though his tone lacked its usual bite.
Hope stopped in front of him, catching her breath. "I know. Landon…" She hesitated. "He's fine. For now."
Jacob raised an eyebrow but didn't press. He didn't need to hear another story about Landon's latest brush with death.
"I'm leaving tomorrow," he said simply.
Hope's expression faltered. "You don't have to—"
"Yes, I do," Jacob cut her off. "This place… it's not what I thought it was. And you know it."
Hope looked away, biting her lip. She couldn't argue with him. Not really.
"I'll miss you," she said finally.
Jacob's smirk softened into a small, genuine smile. "I'll miss you too. But I can't stay."
He turned, walking away before she could say anything else.
The next morning, Jacob left before sunrise.
The campus was quiet, the air cool and still. As he walked down the path leading away from the school, he didn't look back.