As they continued reading, a sudden chill ran down Alexander's spine. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, and a familiar sense of being watched washed over him. He had felt it before in the library, and now it was back, stronger than ever.
"Do you guys feel that?" Alexander whispered, his voice barely audible. "It's like someone's watching us."
Elara and Selene exchanged a glance, their expressions tense. "I feel it too," Elara said softly. "Like a pair of eyes burning into the back of my head."
Selene nodded, her gaze flicking around the dark corners of the room. "There's definitely someone here. I can feel it."
Tomas's eyes widened as he looked around, his voice low. "Where?"
They scanned the dimly lit room, searching for any sign of movement. Then Alexander saw a flicker of motion out of the corner of his eye—a shadow moving against the light, darker and more solid than it should have been.
"There!" Alexander hissed, pointing toward a row of bookshelves. "Someone's hiding over there!"
The group moved quickly and quietly, making their way toward the source of the movement. As they rounded the corner, they saw a figure in a long, black robe running in the shadows, his face hidden beneath a hood.
"Stop!" Elara shouted, raising her hand to cast a spell. "Who are you?"
The black-robed figure didn't respond. Instead, he turned and bolted deeper into the library, his robes billowing behind him like a dark cloud.
"After him!" Alexander yelled, sprinting after the mysterious figure. The others followed, their footsteps echoing off the stone walls as they chased the intruder through the winding corridors.
The figure moved swiftly, darting around corners and weaving through the narrow aisles with practiced agility. They finally cornered him at a dead-end of the labyrinth, where the figure turned to face them, raising his hands in a defensive posture.
Without warning, the figure launched a barrage of dark energy toward them. Alexander barely had time to throw up a shield, the magical barrier shimmering into existence just in time to deflect the attack. The force of the blast sent him stumbling backward, the impact reverberating through his bones.
"Watch out!" Elara shouted, casting a spell of her own. A bolt of fire shot from her fingertips, streaking through the air toward the figure. But the robed man dodged to the side, the flames narrowly missing him as they scorched the stone wall behind him.
Tomas and Selene joined the fray, casting spells of light and shadow that illuminated the dark library and filled the air with a cacophony of magical energy. The figure moved with surprising agility, deflecting their attacks with waves of dark energy and retaliating with blasts of his own.
For several tense moments, the battle raged on, spells flying back and forth in a dizzying display of light and shadow. The figure fought with a desperate ferocity, his movements frantic and erratic as if he were trying to escape rather than win.
Finally, with a well-timed burst of shadow magic from Selene and a bolt of lightning from Tomas, they managed to land a hit on the figure. The man staggered back, clutching his side where the spells had struck, and let out a low, guttural growl.
Seeing their chance, Alexander and Elara closed in, their spells at the ready. But before they could deliver the final blow, the figure reached into his robes and threw something to the ground. A thick cloud of smoke erupted from the object, enveloping the entire area in a dense, choking fog.
Alexander coughed, waving his hand in front of his face as he tried to clear the smoke from his lungs. "He's getting away!" he shouted, his voice muffled by the haze.
By the time the smoke had cleared, the figure was gone, vanished into the maze of bookshelves and shadows. The group exchanged frustrated looks, their hearts pounding from the intensity of the battle.
"Damn it," Elara muttered, her fists clenched in anger. "He got away."
Alexander scanned the area, his eyes darting from one dark corner to the next. "We can't let him escape. He might know something about what's happening with the magic. Come on, he can't have gone far!"
The four of them set off again, moving deeper into the maze-like the East Wing. The atmosphere grew colder and darker as they pressed on, the shadows closing in around them like a shroud. The sense of being watched was stronger than ever, a palpable presence that seemed to cling to their skin.
After several minutes of searching, they emerged from the labyrinth of corridor into a large, open chamber. The room was dimly lit, the only source of light coming from a series of flickering torches mounted on the walls. The room was filled with towering shelves of dusty books and ancient scrolls, the remnants of a forgotten library.
And standing in the center of the chamber, her dark hair cascading over her shoulders like a waterfall, her eyes sharp and alert, was Lira Valen. Beside her were two boys, both of them members of Lucian Draven's inner circle. Their expressions were tense, their wands held at the ready.
"Lira?" Alexander blurted out, surprised to see her. "Is that you?" Lira turned to face him, her dark eyes wide with surprise but quickly narrowing into a cautious gaze, and her hand hovered near her wand, ready for anything. "Alexander? You're one of the other four? Seems like we're both on the same challenge."
Alexander took a step closer. "We're here looking for clues. We think there's something in the East Wing connected to what's happening with the magic and The Legacy of Fire."
Lira's eyes softened slightly, and a small smile played at the corners of her lips. "Funny, I was just about to say the same thing. "
Elara grinned, stepping forward with a teasing tone in her voice. "Well, isn't this interesting? Alexander, you didn't tell me you had a secret rendezvous planned. Lira, you should have seen the look on his face when he saw you—priceless."
Alexander felt a flush rise to his cheeks, and he quickly looked away, trying to hide his embarrassment. "It's not like that, Elara," he mumbled, but there was a hint of a smile tugging at his lips.
Lira glanced at the others. "I also didn't expect to find you here." "Or to run into you again."
Elara, sensing an opportunity, smirked. "Well, well, well, look at this. Alexander and Lira, back together again. Almost like fate, isn't it?"
Alexander felt his cheeks warm slightly at Elara's teasing tone. "Elara, now's not the time."
But Elara just grinned wider. "Oh, come on, Alexander. Don't act like you're not happy to see her. And Lira, you seem pretty pleased too."
Lira's eyes met Alexander's, a small smile playing at the corner of her lips. "I guess you could say that. It's always… interesting when you're around, Alexander."
One of Lucian's henchmen rolled his eyes but kept quiet. The other looked like he was about to say something, but a stern look from Lira kept him silent.
Trying to steer the conversation back on track, Selene spoke up. "We're here because we saw a man in a black robe. He attacked us and then disappeared. We think he might have some answers about what's happening with the magic."
Lira's expression grew serious again. "We saw him too. He attacked us when we tried to approach him. One of our partners is following him."
Elara nodded, her teasing demeanor gone. "Then let's find him together. We're all after the same thing, and it's better if we work as a team."
Lira nodded, her expression determined. "Agreed. Let's split up and search the area. But be careful. We don't know what he's capable of."
As the group fanned out to search the chamber, Alexander caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye—a flash of movement in the shadows. He turned just in time to see a figure dart around the corner, disappearing into the darkness.
"This way!" Alexander called, taking off after the figure. The others followed close behind, their footsteps echoing off the stone walls as they gave chase. Finally, they rounded a corner and found themselves in a small, dimly lit alcove, this one filled with broken furniture and shattered glass. At the far end of the room, they saw a figure slumped against the wall, unconscious and bleeding from a wound on his forehead.
Alexander recognized the boy as one of Lucian Draven's henchmen—the same ones who had tried to set him up in practice class. He exchanged a quick glance with Elara, who frowned.
Lira knelt beside the boy, checking his pulse and examining the wound. "He's alive, but he's hurt. Looks like he was attacked—must by the black-robed man."
Alexander nodded, his expression grim. "We need to find that guy and figure out what's going on."
Lira looked up at him, her eyes full of determination. "Agreed. But we should get him back to safety first. He's hurt pretty bad."