The distant sun was setting, painting the world's orange sky with a dark hue. The shifting light gave Kane, Liam, and Leo the perfect cover to slip back into the academy. Their newly acquired gear—the concealing cloaks, shadow step boots, and Liam's treasured books—had been donned for convenience. The cloaks worked better at night, the boots muffled their every step, and the books… Well, Liam insisted they would be useful eventually.
As they approached the shuttle that would take them back to the academy, Kane marveled at the effectiveness of the cloaks. "You notice how no one even looks our way when we pass?" he whispered, grinning.
Leo huffed. "They're probably too distracted by Liam hugging his books like they're his firstborn children."
"I'll have you know," Liam shot back, "that knowledge is the greatest—"
"Shhh!" Kane cut him off. "The shuttle's about to leave!"
The boys slipped around the back of the shuttle, cloaks masking their movements. With the boots making their steps soundless, sneaking inside the cargo hold was effortless. They nestled into a dark corner just as the doors closed.
The ride was smooth and uneventful until they reached the academy's gates. The shuttle came to a halt, and the boys huddled together, cloaks blending them into the shadows.
Then Leo broke the silence. "Uh, guys? I think we've been caught."
"What?!" Kane and Liam hissed in unison.
Leo pointed toward the front of the hold. "There's a guy standing right there. He's looking right at us."
Kane glanced over, heart pounding, only to realize the "guy" was a shadow cast by a poorly stacked crate. He groaned. "Leo, for the love of everything, shut up!"
"Seriously," Liam added, "we're supposed to be stealthy, and you're over here pointing at shadows."
Before Leo could defend himself, the cargo door hissed open, and a lieutenant stepped inside. The boys froze, hearts racing.
The lieutenant scanned the cargo hold, his eyes narrowing. "Hmm," he muttered, stepping closer.
Inside the dark hold, the cloaks did their job perfectly. The lieutenant's gaze swept over the boys without pausing. "Nothing unusual," he said before turning to inspect the crates.
The moment his back was turned, Kane took the lead. Thanks to his shadow step boots, his movements were silent as he slipped past the lieutenant. Liam and Leo followed, their cloaks keeping them hidden.
When they finally slipped out of the cargo hold and into the night air, Leo whispered, "See? Told you we weren't caught."
Kane glared at him. "Leo, shut up."
---
Now outside the shuttle but not yet within the academy grounds, the trio huddled in the shadows to plan their next move.
"We can't go through the main gate," Kane said. "Security checks there are insane."
Leo folded his arms. "Well, that's just great. What's the plan, genius?"
Liam smirked. "I know a forgotten pathway into the school."
"Why didn't you mention this earlier?" Kane asked.
Liam shrugged. "You didn't ask."
The boys followed Liam through the shadows until they reached the pathway—a rusted gate that was firmly locked.
"Of course it's locked," Leo groaned. "Typical Liam."
Kane was about to suggest turning back when he spotted a small air shaft above the gate. "There!" he whispered, pointing.
The three of them worked together, with Liam and Leo boosting Kane up to the ledge. He grunted as he pulled himself up, then reached down to help the others. After a bit of struggling, all three were inside the air shaft.
---
As they crawled through the narrow passage, Leo's voice echoed obnoxiously. "This is the stupidest idea we've ever had. Do you even know where this leads? What if it's a furnace or something?"
"Shut up, Leo," Kane hissed.
Liam smirked. "I'm more worried about his weight breaking the shaft."
"Excuse me?" Leo snapped. "I'm not heavy."
"Just watch out," Kane said. "Some parts of this shaft might be weak. If it collapses, we're done for."
Leo rolled his eyes and kept crawling. Naturally, within seconds, he placed his hand on a suspiciously creaky section of the shaft.
"Uh, guys?" he began, but it was too late. The metal groaned, and with a deafening crash, the section beneath him gave way.
Leo screamed as he fell, dragging Kane and Liam down with him. The three of them tumbled through the air, hitting various pipes and ledges on the way down before landing in a heap on the floor.
---
"Ugh, my everything hurts," Leo groaned, rubbing his back.
"You're lucky I didn't break my neck," Liam snapped, clutching his books protectively.
"Both of you, shut up," Kane said, sitting up. "Where are we?"
Liam glanced around, then froze. "Uh, Kane? You might want to look around."
Kane followed Liam's gaze, his stomach sinking. The walls were lined with shelves of weapons and disciplinary tools. A massive desk dominated the room, and the nameplate on it read:
Sergeant Martial
The cruelest man in the entire academy.
Before any of them could react, heavy footsteps echoed from the hallway outside.
Leo's face went pale. "Oh no. He's coming."
The door handle turned, and the three boys stared at each other in horror.
"Any bright ideas, genius?" Leo whispered frantically.
Kane's mind raced. "Uh… hide!"
They scrambled to find cover as the door creaked open, and Sergeant Martial stepped inside, his sharp eyes scanning the room.
It was going to be a long night.
****
Sergeant Martial stepped into his office, his sharp eyes immediately catching the jagged break in the ceiling. His frown deepened, and his boots clicked against the polished floor as he approached the damage. He inspected the area with the precision of a soldier, his hand brushing over the torn edges of the shaft.
"They didn't even try to cover their tracks," he muttered, his voice low and laced with suspicion. His gaze swept the room, but the shadows revealed nothing.
Behind a stack of crates in the corner, Kane, Liam, and Leo huddled together, their cloaks masking them just enough to remain hidden. Unfortunately, their cramped hiding spot forced them into an awkward tangle of limbs.
Kane whispered, "This is bad. If he catches us, we're done for."
Liam nodded grimly. "We need a distraction."
Both of them turned to Leo, who looked appalled. "Why me?" he hissed.
"You're the dramatic one," Kane reasoned.
"Yeah," Liam added, "you're good at making noise."
Leo glared at them, his face contorted with indignation. "Oh, so I'm just the sacrificial lamb now? Great. Love that for me."
"Leo, please," Kane begged. "We're running out of time."
Leo groaned, muttering something about finding better friends after this. Adjusting his cloak to conceal most of his face, he took a deep breath and jumped out of their hiding spot.
"AH-HA!" Leo bellowed, throwing his arms wide.
Sergeant Martial froze mid-step, his eyes narrowing as he took in the cloaked figure standing before him. His brow furrowed, confusion flickering across his face before it hardened into suspicion.
Leo pointed a shaky finger at him. "YOU'VE BEEN TRICKED, GOOD SIR! It is I, the… uh… NIGHT SHADOW!"
Martial's expression darkened, and he took a step closer. "What exactly do you think you're doing?"
Behind the crates, Kane and Liam exchanged horrified glances.
"He's worse than I thought," Kane muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"He's really leaning into it," Liam whispered back. "Impressive, in a tragic way."
Meanwhile, Leo was backing up as Martial advanced. "STAY BACK!" he shouted. "This office is now… uh… CONFISCATED! For security reasons!"
Martial's frown deepened, his thoughts a mix of irritation and bewilderment. What is wrong with this one? Did he hit his head on the way down?
Kane and Liam used the distraction to inch toward the door, their cloaks masking their movements. They were almost there when the door suddenly slammed shut with a loud BANG.
The sound reverberated through the room, and all three boys froze.
Martial's smirk was cold and predatory. "You think I haven't seen this trick before? A distraction while the others sneak away? Clever… but not clever enough."
Leo whimpered, his confidence evaporating. "Uh… hi?"
Martial's smirk widened. "I've caught plenty of students trying this nonsense. None of them ever succeed. What makes you think you'll be any different?"
Before Kane could formulate a plan, a familiar ping echoed in his mind.
[System Message: Escape the Lieutenant
]
[Reward: ??]
Kane swallowed hard, glancing at Liam, who looked equally nervous.
"Well," Kane muttered under his breath, "this is going to be fun."