At the headquarters, in a conference room elsewhere in the city, a gathering of high-ranking officials and military personnel was underway. The room was filled with an air of urgency and concern. General Ryker Steele, a seasoned military leader was standing in front of the room, addressing the gathering.
"We have received reports of an incident at the residential quarters", he said. "It appears that one of our own has fallen victim to an unknown entity."
The room erupted into a flurry of whispers and concerned murmurs. General Ryker Steele raised his hand, calling for silence.
"We do not have all the details yet, but we do know that the entity responsible is unlike anything we have encountered before," he said. "I want a team assembled to investigate this incident and determine the cause of the victim's demise."
The generals and officials nodded in agreement, their faces set with determination.
"This is the fifeteenth victim of this unknown figure. A lot of reports have been coming in from magistrates in chatge of different regions, detailing sightings of this unknown figure...and alot of these reports have reached the Castellan, which have now reached here....but what's unfortunate is that one of our own has been affected before proper measures were put in place" General Ryker Steele said, looking towards his fellow general who then stood up.
"Yes... as General Ryker just said, it's quite unfortunate, but our main priority is to make sure this matter doesn't exceed its current state and get to the ears of The Council of Ten (The Decemvirate) General Julian Spade said:
If any soldier would like to volunteer for the search, it would be much appreciated. Any soldier ready to volunteer will be grouped with different sergeants and will be deployed to the various cities where there have been victims.
As the meeting continued, the roommates of the deceased back at the residential quarters were still reeling from the shock of their fellow solider Jeffery's passing. Hillary finally broke the silence, his voice barely above a whisper.
"We need to tell the others they have the right to know, most especially Lillian, she will be devastated by the news." Hillary said shaking his head lightly.
Conor was nodding, still trying to process the events that had unfolded. The roommate who had discovered Jeffery's body, Harper, nodded as well, his eyes still brimming with tears.
As they slowly got to their feet, the weight of their grief and the uncertainty of what lay ahead hung heavy in the air. Little did they know, this event would be a changing point in their lives, depending on how they decided to go ahead.
...
As they walked away from the meeting room, Kaelara turned to Lila and the other roommate with a concerned expression. "I don't think one of the heads believes us," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Lila nodded in agreement. "I got the same feeling. There's something really wrong with him, he didn't even act like he cared about the death of Phelia and it seems something else happened, the tension in the room was palpable before we entered"
Zara frowned. "But what do you think happened?, It must be serious for them to keep it a secret from the students."
Lila as if in realization. "Do you think it's because of that light energy we all felt?".
Zara looked towards lila in shock I almost forgot about that but Kaelara looked at them both in confusion "light energy what light energy?".
Lila looked towards Kealara saying "Didn't you feel it?", "Where were you when everyone was in their rooms?".
Kaelara looked towards Lila and Zara before looking down to the ground.
"Did Phelia and you really encounter the shadeborn?" Lila asked looking concerned.
"Yes we did" Kaelara said refusing to give more details about the incident in fear of the questions that might be asked as she didn't really know what went on with Phelia back at the passage way.
Kaelara's eyes narrowed looking backwards which lead the others to look towards that direction.
"What happened" Zara asked.
"Nothing, I thought I saw someone" She said narrowing her eyes a bit.
...That's exactly why they might be keeping secrets from us. We're the only ones who know what really happened to Phelia and we are students."...
As they continued to discuss the situation, they failed to notice a figure watching them from the shadows. The figure's eyes were fixed intently on the roommates, a calculating gaze that would send shivers down the spines of anyone.
As the roommates went on with their conversation moving forward towards the direction of their room.
The figure stepped forward taking a detour, when he walked out of a corner startling the roommates and revealing a tall, imposing man with piercing dark brown eyes making them look black in the dimly lit hallway. "You're the ones who found Phelia, aren't you?" he asked, his voice low and menacing.
Kaelara, Lila, and the other roommate exchanged nervous glances. "Who are you?" Kaelara asked, trying to keep her voice steady.
The man smiled, revealing a cold, calculating glint in his eye. "My name is Commander Thrax. And I'm here to ask you a few questions about Phelia's... incident."
Commander Thrax's eyes seemed to bore into their souls as he waited for their response. Kaelara, Lila, and the other roommate exchanged nervous glances before Kaelara spoke up.
"We've already told The heads of the academy everything we know," Kaelara said, trying to sound confident.
Commander Thrax's smile grew wider. "I'm sure you have," he said. "But I have a few... follow-up questions. Questions that require a more... nuanced understanding of the situation."
Lila frowned. "What kind of questions?" she asked.
Commander Thrax's eyes glinted with amusement. "Oh, just a few details about Phelia's final moments. And perhaps a description of the... entity that was seen in the area."
The roommates exchanged uneasy glances. There was something about Commander Thrax's tone that made them feel like they were in danger.
"We don't know anything about an entity," Kaelara said, trying to sound firm.
Commander Thrax's smile never wavered. "I think you do," he said. "And I think you'll tell me eventually."
As he spoke, his eyes seemed to bore into their souls, as if he could see the secrets they were hiding. The roommates felt a chill run down their spines as they realized that Commander Thrax was not a man to be underestimated.
Commander Thrax's eyes seemed to gleam with an unsettling intensity as he waited for their response. The roommates shifted uncomfortably, unsure of how to react.
"We're telling you the truth," Lila said, trying to sound firm. "We don't know anything about an entity."
Commander Thrax's smile grew wider, his eyes glinting with amusement. "I'm not sure I believe you," he said. "But I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt... for now."
As he spoke, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, intricately carved stone. "This, Do you know what this is?," he said. "Do any of you recognize it?."
The roommates exchanged uneasy glances. There was something about the stone that seemed... off.
"I've never seen it before," Kaelara said, trying to sound confident.
Lila eyes widened in surprise "Isn't that a...a Veritasite stone, once touched the truth is spoken without hesitation.
Kaelara heart skipped a few beats which caught the attention of Zara.
Zara wondered why Kaelara was so scared, unless she actually lied, they all had planned to lie about Lila trying to save Phelia as that was meant to be hidden. But did Kaelara lie about something else. She thought to herself
Commander Thrax's eyes narrowed. "I think one of you is lying," he said. "And I aim to find out who."
As he spoke, the room seemed to grow darker, the shadows deepening and twisting into menacing shapes. The roommates felt a chill run down their spines as they realized that they were in grave danger.
Commander Thrax's eyes seemed to bore into their souls, as if searching for any hint of deception. The roommates stood frozen, unsure of how to react.
Suddenly, a loud noise echoed from the other side of the hallway coming towards there side of the hallway , followed by the sound of footsteps and murmured voices. Commander Thrax's expression changed, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"Excuse me," he said, his voice dripping with annoyance. "It seems I have another matter to attend to."
With that, he turned and strode away from where they were, leaving the roommates feeling both relieved and uneasy.
As soon as Commander Thrax was gone, Lila let out a sigh of relief. "Well, that was fun," she said, her voice laced with sarcasm.
Kaelara shot her a warning glance. "We're not out of this yet," she said. "We need to be careful."
Zara nodded in agreement. "We can't trust Commander Thrax," she said. "There's something about him that doesn't feel right."