They split up to search the area. Lucy checked the annexed classrooms, peeking in cautiously to avoid interrupting any ongoing lessons. She opened a door and found a pair of students practicing maneuvers with glowing auras. She continued down a hallway that smelled of damp parchment and old ink, but there was no trace of the creature. She asked a wrinkled-faced janitor, who shook his head, clearly preoccupied with repairing some cracks in the wall.
After exploring several nooks without success, Lucy returned to their agreed meeting point. Chloe emerged from the opposite hallway, her hands tense and her brow furrowed with worry.
"Did you find her?"
Lucy shook her head slightly. She saw Chloe's fingers tighten over her skirt, desperate.
"Where could she have gone?"
Then, Lucy felt a tingling sensation, sensing a familiar presence. She peeked through a dusty window and spotted the dark-colored rodent darting among the bushes in the outer garden.
"There she is."
"Trina!"
The two of them rushed out, turning a corner lined with columns and heading into the trees. With each step, they seemed to venture into a shadowy area that strayed far from the academy's pristine appearance. The ground showed patches and signs of dampness, and the walls looked neglected. The air was heavy with the stale smell of mold and lichen, and sunlight barely penetrated the thick foliage. Lucy noticed a line of white mushrooms climbing up the wall.
Chloe pressed forward without appearing to mind the surroundings. Each of her steps echoed against the pavement, stained with dark marks. Lucy could see the tension in her companion's shoulders. Finally, they reached a fork in the path, where moss crept from the ground to the walls, forming green constellations.
"Where could she have gone?" Chloe murmured urgently. She immediately turned her gaze to her companion. "It doesn't matter. Lucy, take the left path. I'll check the right."
Without waiting for Lucy's reply, she plunged down the right path, disappearing into the darkness in seconds. The echo of her steps bounced off the stone and then faded, leaving Lucy in a silence that made her skin crawl.
A persistent dripping sound echoed in the distance, possibly from a leaking pipe. Pico peeked his trembling snout from the bag, half-opening his eyes anxiously.
"Don't worry, Pico. Go back to sleep."
Lucy stroked his fur with a soothing whisper. The rodent retreated and nestled deeper into the bag, though his ears remained alert, attentive to the sounds around them. The girl cast one last glance down the corridor where Chloe had vanished.
She proceeded down her path. Each step echoed in a corridor that narrowed with every meter, as if the academy's structure sought to block her way. The stone walls radiated a coldness that seeped through her fingers. The ceiling was covered with dust and cobwebs hanging like broken threads. A drop fell from above, striking the stone with a hollow sound that shattered the silence and sharpened Lucy's focus.
"Trina…" she murmured, not daring to raise her voice.
She turned a corner and stopped. A whisper reached her ears, a murmur of voices mingled with faint laughter. Footsteps began to echo behind her.
"Are you lost, little girl?"
Lucy held her breath. Her heart pounded frantically, and her hands grew clammy. She turned slowly and found herself facing three boys in wrinkled, dark uniforms. The leader had magenta hair and yellow eyes. A large tattoo adorned his shoulder. He moved like a predator catching the scent of prey. Lucy's stomach churned. She turned back, searching for another exit, but a snake blocked her escape route.
The nearest boy let out a hollow laugh. His breath reeked of sour candy or possibly spoiled food. He extended a hand, intending to grab her chin to get a better look at her. Lucy felt a shiver, an impulse screaming at her to run. She had no chance to dodge. The boy's grip was firm, forcing her to lift her face.
"Are you new here? It's rare for first-years to come to this abandoned part of the academy. Haven't they warned you not to come here?"
One of his companions scrutinized Lucy's face intently and made a disgusted expression.
"Hey, look at her eyes. They're different colors."
"True," murmured the leader, pulling her closer without dropping his grin. "I'd better be careful. She might curse me or something."
A faint whimper escaped Lucy's lips. She wished she could break free, run, hide in the shadows. But her body felt anchored, and her breathing turned to gasps. The bully released her for a second, and Lucy managed to take a step back. However, her foot caught on a loose step, and she fell to her knees, with Pico tumbling out of her bag. Her guardian let out a squeak of distress. One of the boys laughed at the sight of Pico while his own guardian, a spider, seemed to threaten him.
"Is that thing your guardian? It's so tiny," he said, grabbing Pico by the back and lifting him. "Are you sure it's not just a mouse you picked up somewhere?"
A chill ran through Lucy's chest. She looked up with tears welling up, feeling the situation become unbearable.
"Let Pico go!"
"And what are you gonna do to stop me?"
Suddenly, a capybara charged forward, headbutting the boy in the stomach and making him double over in pain. The impact caused him to drop Pico, but Lucy caught him just in time.
"Who's there?" the leader muttered.
Turning around, Lucy saw Alan's silhouette. His steps echoed against the stone floor as he approached with determination. His gaze locked onto Lucy, noticing her despair reflected in her tearful eyes. His lips tightened into a line as he fixed his stare on the bullies, who stood with tense shoulders. One of them, the tallest, glared at Alan furiously. A tremor of anger crossed Alan's face, needing no words to express his resolve.
Lucy shuddered as she carefully stood up. Her eyes searched for Alan's face, yearning for reassurance. She clung to her bag, with Pico half-hidden in her arms.
"Trying to play the hero for this weirdo?" the leader sneered. "Walk away if you don't want to get hurt, little noble."
The corner of Alan's lips twitched, as if suppressing an incredulous laugh. He raised his chin, keeping his gaze steady on the two aggressors. An intangible fire danced in his eyes. His stance shifted, bracing for a potential strike.
"I'd love to see you try."
The thug on the right threw a punch straight at Alan's face, a sudden move that whipped up a current of air. Lucy stifled a scream, but Alan leaned gracefully out of the way, ducking under the attacker's arm and twisting it with a sickening crack. The boy let out a howl of pain.
The second one lunged, but Alan reacted swiftly, shoving his shoulder hard enough to throw him off balance. The impact against a damp wall sent water splashing everywhere.
"Don't think this is over," the second thug growled. He brought two fingers to his mouth and let out a sharp whistle.
From the shadows emerged a scorpion the size of a dog, its stinger poised high in the air. Upon bonding with its owner, the same stinger protruded from the thug's back.
"Ready for some venom, little noble?"
Alan's capybara, which had charged earlier, approached its master without hesitation. Alan placed his fingers on its head, bonding with it as a golden aura surrounded him.
A gust of venom-laced air surged from the scorpion's tail, accompanied by a rancid smell that drenched the ground in a dark mist. Unfazed, Alan raised his arms, drawing an arc in front of him. A honey-colored glow ignited between his fingers, forming crystalline threads that expanded in a fluid dance. His hands projected a soft dome that encased the toxic mist. The amber color of the crystal grew rapidly, swallowing the poisonous air within.
The scorpion's owner blinked in disbelief as the lethal cloud remained trapped inside the dome, unable to escape.
"What…?" The venom was sealed, rendered harmless.
The other thug ordered his spider to launch a web. The creature leaped, extending its legs, and let out a sharp hiss. Sticky streams shot from its fangs with a high-pitched whistle. Alan traced another arc with his hands, and the amber shards shattered into floating fragments. With a sweeping motion, he launched them in a slicing whirlwind that collided with the web, reducing it to inert pieces. A gust of wind swept through, ruffling Lucy's hair as strands fell loose from her forehead.
The ground trembled. The thug on the left drove the scorpion's stinger into the stone, injecting a dark fluid that traveled beneath the surface. He smirked as a crack formed, snaking its way toward Alan's feet. Without hesitation, Alan raised his left hand, conjuring an amber barrier—a crystalline platform that lifted him slightly above the contaminated ground. The venom slithered futilely beneath him.
His companion fired another barrage of webs, these glowing with a bluish hue, aiming to trap Alan's arms. The sticky strands struck his shoulder, eliciting a faint grunt, but Alan reacted swiftly. The amber spread from his forearm, forming a gleaming armor that adhered to his body like golden scales. The venomous adhesive slid off the armor's surface, unable to penetrate it.
As one thug stumbled back, dazed, his scorpion lunged with its stinger aimed at breaking Alan's amber shield. With a quick gesture, Alan dissolved the platform and dodged the attack with a swift spin. He thrust his hand forward, generating an amber block that embedded itself in the scorpion's exoskeleton, trapping it from tail to hind legs. The guardian froze mid-attack, immobilized.
"Your scorpion will stay preserved until I decide to release it," Alan said, turning to face the spider's handler, who hesitated.
Alan raised both hands, and a torrent of golden particles streamed from his chest, extending a seal across the corridor. The light streaked like lightning, encircling the spider and locking it within a glowing ring. The guardian hissed, unable to escape.
Crystal emerged from the light itself, encasing the spider in a polished prism. A faint pulse shimmered across its surface, signaling the magic's ongoing effect.
The two thugs froze, their hands trembling and faces twisted in frustration. One fell to his knees, acknowledging his defeat, while the other exhaled sharply, his anger barely contained as he struggled to find a way to break the spell.
Meanwhile, the trio's leader approached with deliberate, measured steps, his arms still crossed. He surveyed his beaten companions, their incapacitated guardians, and let out a bitter chuckle.
"An interesting power." His yellow eyes scanned Alan from head to toe. "You've got guts, kid. And far too much strength for someone your age." He turned his gaze to Lucy, who remained pressed against the wall, clutching Pico tightly to her chest. "Let's go."
"Don't you want me to release their guardians?" Alan asked.
"Do what you want."
The amber dissolved into golden sparks, freeing the scorpion and spider, though they seemed dazed from their confinement. Lucy held her breath, fearing they might attack again, but the thugs stepped forward to retrieve their beasts and left with a curt growl.
The figure with magenta hair lingered for a moment, casting one last menacing glance at Lucy. Without another word, he followed the others, their footsteps fading into the poorly lit bends of the alley.